The live broadcast of this program became a hot topic, trending several times.
Most of the viewers, while enjoying the spectacle, didn’t really understand basketball rules and were eagerly watching two or three games.
They were both amazed at the overconfidence of some contestants, to the point of absurdity, and even suspected that these clownish contestants were provided with a script by the production team. Those who were educated and well-mannered couldn’t help but cringe at how these contestants boasted and then got humiliated.
On the other hand, Corona’s all-around excellence was being highlighted in a specific way.
Fans were celebrating early for the Lunar New Year these days.
Being able to see their beloved idol dominate the opponents with their skills was truly joyful.
After the second game, the score was 64:13.
Huo Ren completely let loose, grabbing the ball and shooting without any reservations. During the fun moments, he scored four consecutive goals in just three minutes, turning the atmosphere into something akin to a concert.
After these two games, the production team arranged a friendly match where team assignments didn’t matter, and players of all genders could participate.
Long-ge had been forced to watch from the sidelines for the entire afternoon, but as soon as he changed into his basketball jersey, he joined the game and played vigorously. His hair was dripping wet, hanging on his cheeks.
In the resting area, Bo Jue remained as calm as a Buddha until his boyfriend enjoyed the cheers from the audience. Only then, off-camera, did he wipe the sweat from his face.
Next to them, Huo Ren was wiping the sweat from Yao Yao and Chi Chi after their third-round match, and the smoke bombs were set off at just the right moment.
“I scored that three-pointer just now!”
“I know.” Bo Jue used a towel to wipe Long Jia’s sweaty neck and collarbone, not daring to look directly at him. “You stink.”
Long-ge’s initially elated mood suddenly became a bit nervous. He lowered his head to smell his clothes, even accidentally touching the edge of the towel with his fingers.
“Does it… smell really bad?” He asked nervously. “I’ll go take a shower first, wait for me.”
Bo Jue slapped away his hand and wiped his chest quickly, then glanced at Long-ge’s bewildered expression. “Just kidding, you smell great.”
Long-ge broke into a big smile in an instant.
As Uncle Jiang returned to the program, “Crown Hunting Game” finally premiered on all platforms.
The program was originally novel in its format, had an interesting process, and carried a sense of competition.
On the Saturday night of its official premiere, fans from various fanbases sat in front of their TVs and computers early, holding their phones ready to post.
They then witnessed Huo Ren getting a gun pointed at his throat, Xie Lianyun wearing women’s clothing, Xiao Chi’s high-energy moments, and numerous magical scenes that could only be understood and not explained.
The dual-genius couple quickly soared to the top of the CP (Couple Pairing) charts, with the Mei Chi pair following closely in second place, and the High Mountain Flowing Water pair’s popularity surging, almost making it to the top five.
Fans had mixed feelings:
“This isn’t something we made up! It’s clearly official content!!!”
“Xie Lianyun, do you even realize what you’re sayingโ? You’re the one who keeps talking about brotherly love all the time, but you were the first to make a move on the team captain. You deserve all the criticism!”
“Sisters, the High Mountain Flowing Water pair is the real deal, okay? Xie Lianyun had his eyes locked on Bo Jue from the start, and he kept picking fights and causing trouble with Bo Jue when there was no need to. This is not just preparing for marriage; it’s like they’ve been married for seventy years with children and grandchildren!!”
Not even two weeks after the second and third episodes were released, the real-time CP (Couple Pairing) voting chart on the forums was practically paralyzed.
Fans initially thought that matching shoes and wearing the same outfit was sweet enough, but they never expected the show to escalate like this.
Fans were bewildered by Long-ge constantly touching Blade Brother’s head! What exactly were you trying to express by touching his head every day?
There were also sparks flying between Mei Shengyao and Xie Lianyun. Meeting each other, they would bicker within the same team and provoke each other. Buying a cotton candy stick and deliberately getting only one, then forcing all three of them to share it, was definitely a sign of mischief! They were definitely up to something!
When Xie Lianyun gave up sniping and the confrontation between Long Jia and Xie Lianyun aired, the audience’s excitement reached its peak.
“My mom sat next to me while watching and asked why I was screaming. With lines like ‘we shouldn’t be together,’ how could I not scream?”
“Oh my god, the detective sisters have deciphered Long Jia’s lip movements. It’s ‘let him play a little longer.’ Who on earth is he?? The Dragon Blade pair is for real, right?”
“Xie Lianyun, you big-hearted flirt, who do you really love? You flirt with everyone you meet, not to mention picking fights and provoking Bo Jue every time you see him! Stay away from my precious children!!!”
“Am I the only one calmly shipping Xie Chi? Thank you for being so gentle and kind to Xiao Chi throughout the entire show, it’s like taking your baby to the zoo. _(:ะทใโ )_”
In the subsequent episodes, as they continued recording, Uncle Jiang finally returned from his vacation. He brought two live chickens, two lamb legs, and three baskets of free-range eggs with him.
The assistant was panting as he carried the goods. “It’s… so heavy.”
“Heavy is good. Countryside specialties are supposed to be this solid!”
Uncle Jiang patted his hands, gesturing for them to put the items into the refrigerator and storage room on the seventeenth floor. He glanced at the six young men, whose bodies and skin hadn’t changed a bit.
“It’s been over a month since I last saw you. You didn’t cause any trouble for Boss Pei, did you?”
Huo Ren immediately thought of the times when he had taken advantage of Boss Pei and had some intimate moments, and his ears turned slightly red.
“Hmm?” Uncle Jiang noticed that the team captain hadn’t answered, so he turned to Boss Pei. “Is everything okay? Did I give you too much trouble?”
“Everything is fine. Don’t worry.”
There was a concert on July 20th, but Boss Pei had to return to the United States to handle company affairs and wouldn’t be back until a few days before the concert.
Before leaving, the eight of them, along with the top executives from both companies, had dinner together.
Director Bai was a handsome man with a Van Dyke-style beard. He spoke with a slight French accent and had a youthful and charming demeanor.
He shook hands with the members of Crown one by one, displaying a friendly attitude. “Good luck with the concert.”
“Thank you for your hard work.”
Apart from Director Bai and Director Qi Ding, several high-ranking executives from Ming Huang Entertainment also exchanged greetings with them.
At the dinner table, they exchanged toasts and pleasantries several times before finally starting their meal and conversation.
In such gatherings, the six young men in their early twenties were considered juniors, so they remained silent and didn’t initiate the conversation.
Uncle Jiang and Su Dong were chatting when they mentioned the Oscars Crown Award, with a touch of nostalgia in their tone.
“It’s probably decided for this year.”
Decided? Huo Ren instinctively looked up and happened to catch a glimpse of Boss Pei on the opposite side, sipping his wine with lowered eyes.
“Mei Heng has been on fire this year with those songs. I’ve even heard people humming them in the countryside,” Uncle Jiang didn’t hide anything from them. “I’m not sure if Crown will make it this time.”
“Why are you thinking about it like that? It’s already great for these little idols to make it to the nomination. Don’t treat the nomination as a consolation prize,” Qi Ding, who was sitting beside him, clicked his tongue and picked up a piece of crab pastry. “Have you ever seen someone who’s been acting for three or four years getting an Oscar nomination without being adored and chased by everyone?”
Mei Shengyao turned pale and took advantage of their chitchat to quickly check his phone for information.
In the entertainment industry, artists are both recipients of firsthand information and the last to receive it. On one hand, their busy schedules often allow for only seven or eight hours of sleep, with fragmented sleep being the norm. This leaves them with little energy to browse forums or check social media. On the other hand, they live a life largely isolated from mainstream society. Internet cafes, shopping malls, restaurants, public squares, and other places frequented by the general public are places they may not visit for an entire year.
Every month, there are new songs from senior artists, and every month there’s a competition for the top sales. There’s hardly any time to keep up with and analyze it all.
Mei Shengyao was sitting next to Huo Ren and even handed his phone to him, taking a deep breath as he tried to calm his emotions.
The headlines were quite eye-catching.
“Mei HengโRebirth from the Flames.”
Various interviews and front-page articles were telling his legendary life story. From a fishmonger to a legendary figure, he had faced numerous criticisms and challenges since his early fame but had remained resolute throughout.
Plagiarism scandals, drug scandals, a career peak followed by a car accident, the loss of a dear friend to a serious illness, and the highly publicized divorce scandal a couple of years ago.
There was a time when people considered his marriage to Wen Feng as a fairy tale, but when they publicly divorced, some even said they no longer believed in love.
However, he had persevered and used his profound, unwavering emotions to write even more remarkable songs.
Now, almost everyone was singing his songs, and everyone was rediscovering their admiration and affection for him.
“He truly is a king… His songs overshadow all the young idols.”
“Mei Heng doesn’t even look old at all. Although his children could marry me now, I want both of them…”
“Hey, sisters upstairs! Save a single peanut for the rest of us!!”
Huo Ren quickly reviewed the data and other details, then whispered words of comfort, “Just making it to the nomination is already great, and this is only the second edition.”
“But what if we don’t make it?” Mei Shengyao anxiously asked, “Maybe my songs weren’t good enough…”
“No,” Huo Ren held his hand tightly under the table, “We’re in this together. Let’s wait for the results and try not to overthink it.”
Uncle Jiang was aware of the eagerness of these young artists to break into acting and tried to help them manage their expectations in advance. However, even he couldn’t predict the outcome.
Originally, based on the sales and reception of “Peach Soda,” it was highly likely that they could contend for the Oscars Crown this year. However, they hadn’t expected someone like Mei Heng to suddenly emerge as strong competition.
After briefly discussing this topic, it was set aside, and the CEO of Ming Heng Entertainment spoke up.
“By the way, would you guys be interested in acting in movies?”
Long Jia’s eyes immediately lit up.
In recent years, Ming Heng and Hong Guang had been expanding their resources in the film and television industry, aligning with the trend of idols transitioning from singing and dancing to acting.
In the past, theatrical performances had a monopolistic nature and were filled with artistic integrity. However, it couldn’t be denied that some young idols were outperforming veteran actors at the box office.
Uncle Jiang had been holding back on this matter. His thought process leaned more towards tradition, hoping these kids would focus on music and live performances without getting distracted.
But the people from Ming Heng had already extended an olive branch.
“Long Jia, we have a script that’s perfect for you, and the other five can also take on roles,” another director pulled out the script. “You can play the male lead opposite our rising female star, Lu Sisi. What do you think?”
Long Jia stood still, first looking at Uncle Jiang and Huo Ren, and finally at Bo Jue.
“I’m sorry,” he said hesitantly, “with the upcoming concert and the new album, I don’t think I can fit it into my schedule.”
Uncle Jiang breathed a sigh of relief.
“Don’t worry, there’s plenty of time for acting nowadays. If you’re worried about sparking rumors, well, that could even boost a hot CP,” the director chuckled, winking at him. “Besides, you’re single, right?”
Long Jia forced a smile and replied, “Yes, I am single.”
The author has a message to share:
I’ve noticed that many readers prefer to read early in the morning. How about we go back to the previous update time? It’s a bit surprising to me. _(:ะทใโ )_
What happened? I thought uncle Jiang knows?