Huayu: This celebrity doesn't follow the rules.

Chapter 127 The Wind Rises, Cyberbullying, and the Opponent's Attack

On March 3, the trending topics were as lively as ever.

Countless netizens freely expressed their opinions under various trending topics, consuming the latest gossip, playing with funny memes, and discussing the latest developments in the entertainment industry over and over again.

The top trending topic is #Jing Boran and Ni Ni's relationship confirmed#
Media outlets captured Ni Ni swiping her card to enter Jing Boran's apartment late at night, and Jing Boran was spotted returning home early the next morning.

The visuals were clear, the logic was complete, and it instantly ignited the public's enthusiasm for gossip.

Keywords such as "golden couple", "older woman-younger man relationship", and "love blossoming on set" were repeatedly mentioned, with blessings and doubts flying together.

The second trending topic is #TheMermaid'sBoxOfficeExceeds30B Billion#
Stephen Chow's appeal to nostalgia and the new "Star Girl" Lin Yun became the focus of discussion.

While netizens exclaimed "Stephen Chow is still Stephen Chow," they also commented on Lin Yun's acting skills and luck.

The debate between "buying a ticket for Stephen Chow" and "why does Lin Yun deserve this?" continues to generate considerable buzz.

The third trending topic was #LeonardoDiCaprioFinallyWinsOscar#.

Although several days have passed, the buzz surrounding Leonardo DiCaprio's Oscar win for Best Actor after 22 years of being a runner-up continues.

The collective frenzy among Chinese netizens evolved into various memes and jokes. Topics such as "Don't Cry, Little Li," "Thoughts on The Revenant," and "The End of the Oscar Meme" were filled with good-natured teasing and nostalgia for his past works. Some quick-thinking game companies even released a parody mini-game called "Little Li's Oscar Rush."

The number tenth trending topic is #NazariMilanFashionWeek#.

A set of unedited photos and stunning pictures of Gulnazar at Milan Fashion Week has sparked heated discussions. Fans are busy admiring her "goddess-like beauty," while even casual observers have to admit that her styling is truly impressive.

Netizens, like diligent melon farmers, busied themselves leaving comments under various trending topics, exchanging the latest gossip, creating a joyful ocean on the internet.

Just when everyone thought there was enough gossip for the day, at 3 PM, an unfamiliar trending topic suddenly shot up at lightning speed.

#Zhou Ye, the female lead in "A Thousand Years of Song"#
The incident began at 10:00 AM when Jiangying Media's official Weibo account posted a new message.

"A thousand-year dream, a long lament in song."

#Original Fantasy Masterpiece: A Thousand-Year Eternal Song Officially Launched#
In the vast expanse of time and space, I walk alone. A destined encounter brings warmth and redemption.

@Huang Xiaoming as Xiao Che (The Lonely and Immortal Guardian)
@Zhou Ye as Su Wan (a girl who can see fate)

@Jiang Ye as Wang Li (the mysterious ferryman)

@Meng Ziyi as Sunny (a bright and spirited reincarnator)
Stay tuned for the cast announcement.

Production Companies: @JiangyingMedia @Tencent Video @Huace Film & Television @Mingjia Capital @Puss Capital
This spring, embark on a magnificent journey spanning millennia.

This is clearly an official announcement for the new drama, nothing special.

What truly ignited public opinion was the attached project infographic, which clearly listed a total investment of 16 million yuan and a series of 1.6 episodes.

The production cost per episode is 1000 million!
This number was like a bomb, instantly stunning all netizens who saw it.

What is this concept?
It's worth noting that the S+ level web series "The Mystic Nine," which was hailed as having top-tier production values ​​and was scheduled for release during the summer season, reportedly had a production cost of only around 300 million yuan per episode, which was already considered a huge investment in the web series industry.

The most expensive production in 15 was "The Lost Tomb," which cost 6000 million to film 12 episodes, or about 500 million per episode.

This is already being hyped up to the skies!
The 1000 million yuan per episode cost of "A Thousand Years of Song" has directly refreshed the industry's understanding of the ceiling and reached or even surpassed the production standards of some top TV series!
This is undoubtedly the most expensive single-episode production project in the online drama industry to date, bar none!

"Are you crazy? 16 million for 1.6 episodes? Does money grow on trees?"

"1000 million per episode? Are they planning to pave the floor with gold? Or are they planning to bring back the original Hollywood special effects team?"

"Holy crap! Is this the beginning of a new era for web dramas with budgets exceeding 100 million yuan?"

"The investors are really bold. Will this even break even? What will they rely on? Selling product placements for exorbitant prices?"

"@Tencent Video, are you going to raise the price of your VIP membership?"

However, what attracted more attention and sparked greater controversy than the exorbitant production costs was the cast.

The male lead, Huang Xiaoming, is a top-tier star. Although he is sometimes controversial, his box office and viewership appeal are undeniable.

The second female lead, Meng Ziyi, is a popular young actress with a certain level of popularity and acting skills, which is reasonable.

Jiang Ye, the second male lead, is a director, but he plays an important role in the film. Although it may seem like he is profiting from the situation, he is, after all, the boss and the director, so the discussion surrounding him is not very high.

All the doubts and questions ultimately focused on one name: Zhou Ye.

A complete newcomer, virtually unknown, with no film or television credits, and who had just finished the third round of auditions for the Beijing Film Academy, suddenly found himself in the spotlight!

Partnering with Huang Xiaoming, she outshone Meng Ziyi to become the absolute lead actress in this high-budget production!

How can this be?

Netizens instantly channeled Sherlock Holmes, with all sorts of speculations and negative comments swirling around:
"Zhou Ye? Who's that? I can't find her on Baidu!"

"A celebrity with connections suddenly appears! Just how powerful must their background be?"

"I feel sorry for Meng Ziyi. It's bad enough that she's playing a supporting role, but she's playing a supporting role to a newcomer?"

"Is Brother Xiaoming short of money after getting married? Is he so undemanding now? He'll take any job he can get! And he's really taking on too many new clients!"

"Upstairs, Brother Xiaoming made a killing at his wedding, didn't he?!"

"You probably didn't know that Brother Xiaoming established the Caring for Babies Charity Foundation, and most of the donations were used to support 527 hearing-impaired children, right?"

"Just guessing, either she's a darling of the capital, or... you know what I mean (doge)." "Are newcomers debuting this easily and brutally now? Just paving the way with money?"

"Could this be another Jing Tian?"

"Hey upstairs, our sweetheart has some representative works, how about Si Teng!"

"The results of the third round of auditions for the Beijing Film Academy haven't come out yet, right? Is this considered a pre-selection of a spot? This is terrifying to think about..."

"@JiangyingMedia, come out and explain yourself! Is this girl's acting so good that she can easily outshine Zhang Ziyi and Zhou Xun, or is she so beautiful that she's irreplaceable?"

The hashtag #AThousandYearsOfSong# was almost completely flooded with posts questioning, mocking, and exposing the truth.

Occasionally, a few unedited photos of Zhou Ye taken by the media during her college entrance exams for arts schools will surface. Although her cool temperament and outstanding appearance have attracted a small number of fans, she is mostly drowned out by the chorus of "resource-backed star" and "shame of being heavily promoted".

A massive media storm concerning capital, resources, industry rules, and newcomers is suddenly forming, with Zhou Ye at its eye.

……

A small meeting room converted from the west wing of a courtyard house.

Sunlight streamed into the living room through the large floor-to-ceiling windows, but it couldn't dispel the slightly somber atmosphere.

Jiang Ye sat on the sofa in the main seat, with a laptop in front of him.

General Manager Lin Jianjun, Production Department Director Zhou Tao, Administrative Director Zhang Xin, and Marketing Department Director Lin Xi sat on either side, holding a small high-level meeting.

Since his uncle Lin Jianjun took over as general manager, Jiang Ye has been visiting the company less and less, focusing more on project development and strategy.

He trusted his uncle's abilities and loyalty, so he basically delegated the company's daily operations. For any major decisions or matters that required his approval, several senior executives would come to this courtyard house, which was more like a palace, to pay their respects and hold meetings.

He's been thinking about giving the courtyard house a more sophisticated name lately.

It's a pity the house isn't his. I wonder if he could sleep with Sister Tian a few times and get the house for himself...

The open kitchen in the outer courtyard presents a completely different scene.

The air was filled with a strange smell... a mixture of burnt and spice.

Two women, Meng Ziyi and Zhou Ye, who are at the center of an online storm, are wearing aprons and bustling around in front of the stove.

Contrary to online speculation that "Meng Ziyi must be resentful because she was overshadowed by the newcomer," the two seem to have a pretty good relationship.

"Ziyi, the oil! The oil is smoking!" Zhou Ye exclaimed, pointing at the pot, still holding a handful of washed vegetables, at a loss.

"Ah? Oh oh!"

Meng Ziyi hurriedly poured the marinated ribs into the pot. With a loud "sizzle," oil splattered everywhere, and the two of them screamed and took a step back.

"And then what?" Meng Ziyi held the pot lid, looking at the sizzling ribs in the pot with a sense of formidable danger, and turned to ask Zhou Ye, "What's the next step in the recipe?"

Zhou Ye quickly picked up the tablet next to her, swiping her fingers: "Let me see... Fry until golden brown on both sides... Uh, Sister Meng, it looks like this side is already... burnt..."

"Flip it over! Flip it over!" Meng Ziyi gave the order decisively, trying to flip the ribs with a spatula. However, she used too much force, and a rib flew out of the pot and landed on the stove.

The two looked at each other and then burst out laughing at the same time.

"Oh no, it looks like this sweet and sour pork ribs is going to turn into charcoal-grilled pork ribs."

Meng Ziyi sighed, "Aye's lunch is going to be ruined."

Zhou Ye blinked, trying to salvage the situation: "How about... we define it as an innovative dish, with a caramelized flavor?"

“That makes sense!” Meng Ziyi nodded seriously. “Just say that this is Chef Meng’s exclusive secret recipe Black Gold Ribs, a limited edition!”

Amidst the laughter and banter, Meng Ziyi glanced towards the conference room and whispered to Zhou Ye, "Ignore all that nonsense online, it's just jealousy. With A-Ye here, he'll handle it. That guy's really something."

Her tone was filled with complete trust in Jiang Ye.

Zhou Ye hummed in agreement and nodded.

Her experiences these past few days have truly felt like a dream.

She had just finished the entrance exam for the Beijing Film Academy when she was immediately announced as the lead actress in a high-priced production, which was followed by widespread questioning and controversy online.

It would be a lie to say I wasn't confused.

But she didn't really feel the terrible impact of "cyberbullying".

The company reacted extremely quickly, taking over her Weibo and all other social media accounts immediately, and filtering all private messages and comments.

Wang Pu immediately organized a team to handle the crisis, and Jiang Ye also personally spoke with her.

"Don't worry about things outside of the show. Focus on preparing for the role. The company will take care of everything."

Therefore, she felt an unreal sense of detachment at that moment.

Looking at the torrent of negative comments online, it felt like watching someone else's story.

So she's in a good mood right now, and she and Meng Ziyi, who has the same good mood, are in the kitchen figuring out how to make lunch for Jiang Ye.

The two of them laughed and joked, completely carefree.

(End of this chapter)