As the saying goes, good news doesn’t travel far, while bad news spreads like wildfire.
Another saying goes, rumors can be created with just a word, but it takes a lot of effort to debunk them.
In certain situations, as long as the money is sufficient, good news can not only spread far and wide but also travel around the Earth’s equator three and a half times without getting tired.
At the moment when people finally realized the high-status background of Long Jia’s wealthy family, Xuan Yu Group quickly stepped forward to claim their Third Young Master. They broke all conventions by announcing a rare event: a lottery giveaway of a house on Weibo.
People have seen cash giveaways, smartphone giveaways, and ticket giveaways, and the gossiping masses have been through numerous rounds of excitement. But this level of generosity from a tycoon dad is something they have never witnessed before.
Not only did the Dragon Tooth girls and Gem girls explode with excitement, but the entire Weibo platform entered a state of paralysis for nearly ten minutes.
First, the fans of other idol groups swiftly retweeted and even changed their avatars. Then, even the entertainment industry’s silly and brainless trolls stopped everything they were doing and started registering multiple accounts to participate in the frenzy.
There were so many people double-accounting or even opening ten accounts at once that the servers began to emit a mournful cry.
As it happened to be a Saturday, the programmers’ wives and children were comfortably enjoying their warm beds when suddenly they received urgent calls, requiring them to work overtime and fix the network. Now, many people can’t even load the homepage of the client, and the customer service phone lines have thousands of people waiting in the queue.
“Hurry up!! Don’t delay me from winning the house!!!”
“Why can’t I log in? Customer service, which floor plan do you think is better for me after I win—-duplex or single level? Hmm…”
A real estate group collaborating with a popular male idol group-—this was an unprecedented event!
The official Weibo account of Xuan Yu Group mentioned the lottery platform and the entire process was transparent and open, with no hidden tricks. Everyone scrambled like they were rushing to buy groceries during the Chinese New Year, eager to retweet and participate in the lottery repeatedly. In the process, they also searched to find out what all the fuss was about.
According to real-time data on Baidu search, the search queries “Who is Long Jia,” “What is Corona,” and “What is the relationship between Xuan Yu Group and Corona” continued to rise in popularity.
Many onlookers outside the targeted fanbase also became curious about this powerful corporation’s promotional campaign, and the background of the male artist and idol group, and they inadvertently became fans while reposting and getting introduced to many songs.
Not to mention the fans of Corona and Long Jia experiencing explosive growth, but even Xing Cheng and Xuan Yu Group’s Weibo accounts gained over six digits of new followers in just one afternoon.
Both the Gem girls and Dragon Tooth sisters were in high spirits today. “Is my husband’s family influential or not? Are my boyfriends cool or not? Who dares to provoke us?”
“Only my Dragon can go viral with wealth! Regular people can’t afford it!”
Seeing so many people, including those who don’t even care about the entertainment industry, becoming obsessed and climbing over the wall, they felt relieved about the possibility of winning the house. At this moment, they were genuinely happy to see the injustice finally being rectified.
Their beloved idol was originally busy working on his album and had rarely made public appearances. Suddenly, a fly-by-night coffee shop emerged, sucking up their resources and spreading malicious rumors. The company had no choice but to feign ignorance and stay silent, making everyone’s mental state collapse.
Then, out of the blue, Cheng Zong and the Long family came forward with this move. It was a complete and utter face-slap to those who had launched a coordinated attack!
A group of people were busy creating multiple accounts and increasing their credit scores to improve their chances of winning. They also took the opportunity to visit Liu Wan’s Weibo and enjoy the spectacle.
“Why self-harm? Didn’t you realize that you’ve never fed pigeons in London or danced with someone in Paris? Isn’t your one-sided infatuation a bit too intense, sister?”
“For face protection and pain relief, use the MaX Dragon Eight Treasure Face Cream! It can repair your skin even if you keep getting slapped in the face! Buy ten boxes now and get one box free!”
There was even a heartfelt consolation from Little Dragon Tooth.
“Falling in love with someone you can never have is both painful and exhilarating. I understand you!”
Liu Wan’s character went from being a pitiful victim of a broken first love, suffering both physically and emotionally, to a ridiculous, infatuated, and mentally unstable character with an exaggerated one-sided love.
The stark contrast between the two portrayals left not only Liu Wan dumbfounded but also the entire company.
What the hell?
How did they manage to turn things around like this?
Can they really salvage the situation?
When they took on this project, they were already gambling on the idea that Liu Wan would gain attention by portraying a sympathetic character, quickly attracting resources and monetizing her popularity. They dared to take action because they discovered Long Jia’s educational background, which happened to match Liu Wan’s.
By combining various unfounded rumors with a few animated gifs from variety shows, they could completely stir up trouble.
Who could have expected such a twist?
The media were worried about not having enough material to meet their targets, but suddenly they stumbled upon this explosive news, and all the members of Corona had gone overseas to record and sing.
The high costs of international flights and hotels, not to mention the uncertainty of actually meeting the celebrities, were something that tabloid journalists couldn’t even dream of.
The problem was that Liu Wan was still in China!
Liu Wan was practically drowned out by the microphones and lights.
She had hoped to gain popularity by portraying a sympathetic character, but that was only possible if she could forcibly associate herself with Long Jia for an extended period.
However, the media had already shifted their focus to the wrong topic.
“Miss Liu, have you ever been diagnosed with a mental disorder? TV stations have a psychiatric expert who commented that your behavior is indicative of erotomania. Do you plan to seek hospitalization?”
“Miss Liu! Do you have any other evidence to prove that Mr. Long studied in China rather than Eton College?”
“Miss Liu!! According to the investigation, it shows that you have never been to the UK or France. Are you taking responsibility for the statements you made?”
“SPF Company has issued a lawyer’s letter suing your company for illegally obtaining the artist’s private information. Did you also participate in illegal activities??”
Liu Wan suddenly wished she could go back in time and strangle her past self who had readily agreed to all this.
She had completely fallen into a black hole now.
While smaller companies might endorse characters who gain popularity, they would never give any benefits to a “mentally unstable” woman.
Now she had to either admit that she was lying and fabricating stories or acknowledge that she was a delusional woman with unrequited love. Either way, she had become a laughingstock in the industry.
Meanwhile, the members of Corona breathed a collective sigh of relief and even thought about going out for a drink to celebrate.
Uncle Jiang held the schedule and monitored their recording progress, generously allowing them thirty minutes to play with their phones.
The boys looked at the trending topics on Weibo and burst into laughter.
“Since you’re all in a good mood today, I’ll listen to reason.” Uncle Jiang suddenly spoke up. “But there’s something I want to say in advance.”
The boys all raised their heads, maintaining the posture of holding their phones as they looked at Uncle Jiang.
“I’ve been a manager for decades, and I’ve seen and dealt with many things.”
Uncle Jiang stood up, his expression serious. “But whenever the timing, conditions, and advantages align, both SPF and I will counterattack and file lawsuits without leaving any room for these people.”
If they dared to scheme and cause trouble, they would have to bear the lifelong consequences of being unable to hold their heads up in the entertainment industry.
Even if they were completely annihilated, not even a speck of bone dust would remain, and they would deserve every bit of it.
“However, there will be two scenarios in the future.” His eyes scanned each of the boys one by one. “The first scenario is when conditions are not sufficient, and we need to wait.”
If the timing is not right and our abilities are limited, even if we want to turn the tables and fight back, we must wait until the conditions are sufficient before taking action.
“When I say we have to wait, you can’t act on your own.”
“The second scenario is when we are completely against the wind, and we can only endure.”
“As artists, there will be times of unlimited glory, but if you can’t learn to endure, you’ll always be confused.”
“I’m not panicking, and none of you are allowed to panic.”
“Today’s incident is like this, and every future incident will be the same.”
“Even if the sky falls, as long as Uncle Jiang stands firm, it will never fall on your heads first.”
“You have to trust me.”
Huo Ren calmed down and responded in a deep voice.
“We trust you.”
The others also promised one after another, their demeanor no longer as arrogant as before, but rather more restrained.
Uncle Jiang didn’t say much more. He left after delivering his message, going outside to smoke and chew betel nuts.
Huo Ren looked at Uncle Jiang’s figure on the balcony and thought to himself that this manager was truly different from the others.
While everyone else was in a panic, he remained calm.
And when everyone else was excited, he came to pour cold water on them and calm their agitation.
He had the certainty of a seasoned veteran on the battlefield.
The company had even allocated funds specifically to the PR department to provide them with additional exposure during the album release period. But they never expected Xuan Yu Group to launch a win-win campaign that would guarantee profit without loss in October.
The executives even went out of their way to treat the people from the Long family to a meal and expressed their gratitude for their assistance.
That post about the housing lottery on Weibo ended up being shared millions of times and was eventually won by Mei Shengyao’s most devoted fan.
@LuWenShengSheng: Oaoooooooo!!!
Hundreds of thousands of people rushed to congratulate and send good wishes to Lu Wen Sheng, urging her to show off her future house and flaunt her wealth.
@LuWenShengSheng: I just rushed to the living room to tell my parents that I won the house. It’s a large house in the city center, even three hundred square meters. But my dad scolded me for believing in such scam text messages even though I’m in the ninth grade [crying leopard emoji].
@LuWenShengSheng: How can I convince my parents to buy plane tickets and come to claim the house? I’m in a hurry, waiting online [crying leopard emojis].
The young girl persistently reasoned with her parents using Weibo, but the adults waved their hands throughout, refusing to believe and instead educating her about common tactics used by pyramid scheme members.
Xuan Yu Group’s phone calls were rejected several times, so they sent someone specifically to pick up Lu Wen Sheng and her family and brought them to the city center. They accompanied them throughout the process of selecting the location and floor plan and then took photos together as a memento.
The official account posted a photo showing the ninth-grade girl with a radiant smile, while the two adults held the property deed with bewildered expressions.
@UtopiaFantasy: Under the lemon tree, you and me!! Getting a house in the ninth grade makes you an absolute winner in life!!
@BiBiBuBu: Long-Yao is the real deal!! I can watch the sweetness of Long-Yao in variety shows for another ten thousand years! Big brother, little brother, they’re practically engaged with rounding off!! (Note: “rounding off” refers to a slang term for being unofficially married or dating)
In the blink of an eye, it was already November, and the OSC Asian Music Awards ceremony was taking place.
SPF was always well-informed and had already found out about it early on.
—-That quirky boy band, Wing, didn’t make the nominations nor receive an invitation, but they would show up to walk the red carpet.
Walking the red carpet was no longer a reserved program.
Regardless of the past or present, whether the internet was developed or not, major award ceremonies would provide opportunities for sponsored brands to bring artists in through the red carpet, allowing them to promote and showcase their products for additional exposure.
Media outlets that enjoyed good things would always compile and compare the red carpet photos of artists, effectively providing free advertising.
Wing had endorsed several second and third-tier products, but their works were truly lacking, and currently, their fans could only rely on attributes like “looks,” “educational background,” “hardworking,” and “inspirational” to salvage their reputation.
They weren’t exactly failures, but this year, with the outbreak of Corona and the subsequent flood of boy bands, some of which were poorly made and pitiful, they had become the subjects of jokes.
But when compared to the protagonist, considering magazine shoots, album endorsements, and sales… they couldn’t even come close.
Before their debut, Corona was positioned as a top-tier group, with top-level resources and an official announcement alongside the blue blood endorsement. Even their fans received top-level treatment.
When the gemstones saw Wing skyrocketing on the hot search rankings, they couldn’t contain their anger. Now they could only watch as Wing gradually declined, inevitably mocking them as a low-budget version of Corona that was barely watchable.
But it didn’t really resemble a copy.
Uncle Jiang was originally discussing the order of appearance with the OSC staff, but he was delighted when he confirmed that Wing would also be attending the red carpet.
“We don’t need any special arrangements; we can just go one after the other.”
The staff thought they were being neglected and anxiously asked, “Wing’s position is already towards the back, and they’re not the closing act. Is it okay?”
“It’s fine, it’s fine. We’re also a rookie group, so we should be humble!”
The six people on the sofa: …
After hanging up the phone, Uncle Jiang was in a great mood and said, “This Taoist priest has great accuracy. Our group has never bought hot searches, but we’ve achieved them all on our own.”
That’s what you call stable earnings and good fortune.
Mei Shengyao was still chewing on his pencil, trying to come up with a clever line for their performance. He mumbled, “Why should we join them?”
“Clashing is not scary; whoever is ugly will be embarrassed.” Xie Lianyun gave a cool glance at their manager and said, “Uncle Jiang, you’ve been harboring ill intentions for quite a while, haven’t you?”
“This isn’t called ill intentions,” Uncle Jiang said seriously. “It’s important for us to interact with the younger generation.”
Once this decision was made, everyone started intensifying their efforts to control their salt and oil intake, as if they were male models preparing for Milan Fashion Week.
Controlling salt intake was to further highlight their muscle definition and reduce bloating, with their daily intake measured down to the last grain.
Uncle Jiang had the intention of stealing the spotlight at the celebration. He even hired professional technicians to help them sculpt their leg and arm lines on a daily basis, aiming for all six members to have long and well-proportioned limbs that looked perfect from every angle.
Huo Ren, wearing a face mask, quietly dodged the female technician’s hands, while Chi Ji on the adjacent bed pleaded, “Uncle Jiang, can we go eat hot pot after the awards ceremony?”
“It’s probably not possible,” Uncle Jiang flipped through the schedule. “We have the second round of filming for the jewelry endorsement with GY after the ceremony. Eating too much oil can cause acne.”
Chi Ji let out a muffled whimper and slumped down, dejected.
Before the awards ceremony, multiple batches of guests were queuing up in their cars to enter the venue.
Media from various countries held cameras in the designated area, snapping photos eagerly. The background music started playing, and the glamorous stars began to step out of their cars and walk the red carpet one by one.
The coordinators controlled the speed of each position, constantly signaling the overly excited media and fans to move back and not block the way.
When the six members of Wing got out of their car and walked towards the red carpet, Bo Jue leaned against the car window and clicked his tongue. “Those white shoes they matched with are so ugly.”
The coordinator waited for a while and then gave them the signal to prepare to move.
The six members of Corona opened the door, got out of the car, and skillfully put on their perfected smiles at the fixed angle amidst cheers and camera shutters. They walked forward slowly.
Uncle Jiang was standing in the manager’s area, giving them a thumbs-up gesture.
Wing’s manager, Lao Qian, had never expected that the two groups would collide, and to his surprise, Corona, as an explosive group, was placed behind Wing. His face turned pale.
Not good, this is bad.
He was already nervous standing ten meters away from Uncle Jiang. Back when this young man was dominating the industry, he was just an assistant. Now that he was trying to cling to that image, it felt hollow and empty inside.
Corona followed closely behind and old Qian couldn’t even stand steadily.
Damn, this is going to be a setup.
On the other end, the host deliberately asked a few extra questions to prolong the time, just as Corona’s members gracefully made their way forward like noble gentlemen.
“What a coincidence,” the host waved and smiled. “Both groups happen to have six members. How about taking a group photo together?”
The six members of Wing didn’t expect such a turn of events when they saw the other group of six. Their breaths paused for two seconds.
Group photo??
They’re suggesting a group photo??
Are you doing this on purpose???
Long Jia took the initiative to shake hands with a low-budget version of Huo Ren and said, “You’re the lead vocalist from that group, right? I’ve heard your songs, they have a unique style.”
The latter nodded with a stiff expression, unable to maintain his composure any longer.
The host, eager to create a spectacle, had already discussed the process with Uncle Jiang and signaled for both groups to take a group photo together.
The combination of the original and fan fiction versions in a group photo would undoubtedly become a major scene in the entertainment news this year.
Huo Ren stood behind his doppelganger with a faint smile, calmly glancing at the elevated insoles in the other person’s shoes.
It’s not easy being in this industry.
Bo Jue hadn’t paid much attention to this particular combination before, but when he saw the violinist, he became intrigued.
He didn’t recognize the person, but that person had heard Bo Jue’s name countless times while mixing in the classical music circle. Now, with a fearful expression that couldn’t be concealed, he forced himself to smile at the camera. The little ponytail at the back of his head looked greasy against his smooth black hair.
Lao Qian’s heart was in turmoil. He didn’t know whether to cry or laugh. Suddenly, he was pulled over by Uncle Jiang, and the nearby media immediately lifted their cameras, snapping away.
“Jiang—” Lao Qian subconsciously tried to dodge, but Uncle Jiang tightened his grip, making it impossible for him to move.
One person smiled openly and naturally, while the other had a stiff expression. The moment was captured and immediately circulated on the internet.
“Long time no see,” Uncle Jiang let go of him after taking the photo, leisurely adjusting his tie. “Let’s take a photo to celebrate.”
If you encroach on our image, we’ll encroach on your hot searches.
One favor deserves another, a fair and reasonable approach.
Lao Qian already imagined how his group would be stepped on and trampled upon. With a pale face, he said, “It doesn’t have to be like this…”
“All the company’s money goes to raising children, there’s no other way,” Uncle Jiang said nonchalantly. “You should be more considerate too.”
Once the photo was released, the comparison between the two managers and the two boy groups quickly spread and fermented in various forums and fan communities.
Everyone was just seeking excitement, but they didn’t expect this coincidence.
When Wing debuted, they often paid for positive articles while subtly undermining Corona. They even edited photos to make themselves look flawless and would have hired marketing accounts to promote themselves ten thousand times a day. They boasted about having a doctor, a concertmaster violinist, and a Broadway actor in their group.
Indeed, retouched photos could hide their flaws in body proportions and height disadvantages, but not in group photos.
Once they were in the same frame, the ugly truth would be exposed.
With multiple angles, both retouched and unretouched group photos, the public and fans enjoyed comparing them. Some even used reference lines to determine how many of them were wearing elevated shoes.
In reality, Wing’s six members had average looks that could pass among ordinary people, and they looked fine when photographed individually from the right angles.
They never had a habit of long-term fitness or shaping their bodies. Their efforts in controlling oil and fat intake were inconsistent, and they resorted to occasional dieting for weight loss. Now, standing in front of the six from Corona, the difference was glaring—
The boys from Corona had fair skin, long legs, big eyes, and oval-shaped faces.
They all had light makeup on, wore high-end suits, and were in their early twenties, but they were clearly not the same.
In terms of Western aesthetics, Corona had Long Jia and Mei Shengyao. Long Jia had a beautiful chest line and a perky butt, while Mei Shengyao had a handsome and lively appearance.
In terms of Eastern aesthetics, Huo Ren had a composed and radiant look, while Bo Jue had a refined and classical appearance with exquisite eyebrow bones and a graceful neckline.
Chi Ji and Xie Lianyun were always versatile and had various styles that catered to the taste of the online masses. Whether they smiled or not, they looked like characters from a novel brought to life.
…However, the replicas in the first row looked dry, pale, and unimpressive.
#Corona and Wing in the same frame# Initially, it was trending at number 35, but in the blink of an eye, it skyrocketed to the fourth spot in popularity.
Some Feather Girls tried to control the criticism and salvage the situation by posting retouched photos, but they were completely overwhelmed by the general public and Gem fans.
The difference was simply too great. They couldn’t compete in terms of temperament, eyebrows, eyes, or demeanor. Want to salvage the situation? How could they?
@TuZhiJun: This might be the most brutal same-frame comparison in the history of the entertainment industry… I suddenly have doubts about the authenticity of Wing’s popularity based on their looks.
@LanLan: Corona is the epitome of beauty for all members!!! With everyone’s powerful presence, they overshadow anyone they’re in the same frame with—-overwhelm them!!!
@QiYue: I’m sorry, I need to climb this wall first to pay my respects. The difference is just too obvious, no matter how many filters are used, I can’t deceive myself anymore, sob sob sob.
Initially, this group rode the wave of popularity and labels, riding the wave of news and street snaps. Even their interview responses were compared and similar. After half a year, they successfully gathered millions of fans.
They had enough gimmicks to satisfy their fans, but now, with a single same-frame photo, it all turned into a wedding dress, and all their calculations became jokes—
Once the hot search rankings were released, fans who climbed the wall started to unfollow. Corona completely stole Wing’s popularity.
From now on, which group would dare to provoke or siphon off fans?
Are they suicidal or shameless?
Before this hot search trend even passed, breaking news came from the front of the awards ceremony.
Corona not only received nominations but also won awards!!
Moreover, they became the youngest winners in history—
This was a glory that no male group in the country had ever achieved.
Author’s message:
Good morning~