radicalducati Chapter 21: An Unexpected Way to Become Famous!
Chapter 21: An Unexpected Way to Become Famous!
[A bloody battle at Wanchai Ferry Pier in Shanghai! Leading actor tries to be brave for love but gets beaten up, his face swollen and suspected of disfigurement!]
[Those missed punches from "those years" are being returned today! A rising star, drunk late at night, is brutally beaten by a mysterious burly man!]
[A love triangle erupts between new and old flames? Angie Chai's favorite girlfriends get into a fight over a guy at a bar, ending up with a bruised and swollen face!]
[A rookie actor angrily attacks a rising star – is it a hero saving a damsel in distress or a feud between wealthy families? A shocking male-on-male brawl erupts on the set of Tiny Times!]
Four headlines, four news flashes, accompanied by a few perfectly blurred candid photos.
The internet was instantly flooded with what felt like a ladle of hot water poured into a scalding pan of oil.
Blasted.
In 2013, Weibo did not have the trending topics list that allows users to see real-time popularity with a single click, as it does today.
But this didn't stop the phrase "[Keteng got beaten up]" from spreading like wildfire across various online communities. (The character's name here has been modified.)
On the celebrity trending topics list, fans went crazy, spamming the screen to verify the information.
Major entertainment influencers quickly followed suit, forwarding and commenting to capitalize on the trend.
The early marketing accounts, which were just beginning to grow wildly, smelled the blood of traffic and worked overnight to produce one sensational "insider revelation" after another.
Within ten minutes of the news breaking, the Tianya gossip section was flooded with posts, each headline more sensational than the last…
Breaking News! Bloodshed on the Tiny Times Film Crew in the Middle of the Night!
A-list actor beaten to a pulp; the culprit turns out to be a fellow actor from the same production!
The online forum was in an uproar.
The online forum for "You Are the Apple of My Eye" was filled with cries of despair, with fans cursing the paparazzi for their unethical behavior while also pointing the finger at the "culprit."
In Yang Mi's fan forum, gossip and worry were flying together, after all, her own sister was also in that film crew.
The newly established Tiny Times forum immediately became a battlefield, with book fans, actor fans, and casual observers all clashing.
"What happened? What happened? My Keke is injured?!"
"Who was the one who hit someone? Is there any solid evidence? What's their name?"
"It has been revealed that he is a dropout from the Beijing Film Academy, surnamed Guan, and named Guan Shengbai."
This last reply was like lighting the fuse of a powder keg.
The girls who called themselves "the Ke family" flocked to Guo Jingming's Weibo, Yang Mi's Weibo, and even Angie Chai's Weibo like crazy.
Their messages flooded in, some questioning, some lamenting, and some vowing to seek justice for their brother.
Several extreme fans even made threats, saying that if the production team didn't give them an explanation, they would make the box office of "Tiny Times" drop to zero.
And the newcomer named "Guan Shengbai" has finally gone from being an unknown name to becoming the focus of everyone's curiosity.
Soon, some information about Guan Shengbai began to circulate online.
His background at Beijing Film Academy was exposed, and the label of "dropout" was enlarged and bolded and displayed in the titles of various exposé posts.
Even details of his "parachute" appearance in the "Tiny Times" film crew to play Xi Cheng were revealed by insiders.
It's said that he joined the crew later than other actors, and that the role had already been given to someone else, but he managed to snatch it through connections.
Some people also dug up old photos of him from his time at the Beijing Film Academy. In the photos, the young man has handsome features and an arrogant look in his eyes.
However, the phrase "a dropout from the Beijing Film Academy" has been interpreted by some as "an incompetent person with connections."
The claim that he "parachuted into the production team to snatch a role" further confirms his "powerful background" persona.
In no time, the name "Guan Shengbai" was labeled with various tags—resource-backed, playboy, sugar daddy, and violent maniac.
However, at the height of the excitement, some people discovered that Yang Mi had quietly followed a newly registered Weibo account called "Guan Shengbai".
This action is like pouring a whole bowl of water into a pot of boiling oil, causing the oil to splatter everywhere.
Yang Mi's Weibo comment section was instantly flooded with criticism. Some people scolded her for misjudging people, some asked if she had been threatened, and a few fanatical fans even photoshopped a black and white picture of her, calling her an "accomplice."
……
……
In a private room of a private club in Shanghai.
Zeng Jia slammed a thick stack of printed online comments onto the table, the papers scattering to reveal a dense layer of insults and speculations.
Her eyes were bloodshot, and it wasn't just from staying up late.
Although she hadn't slept a wink last night, what really made her temples throb with pain was being treated like an idiot.
"Sister Chai."
Zeng Jia's voice was very low, so low that it was almost as if she was squeezing out each word through her teeth.
"We clearly agreed that both sides would stick to the same story, the production company would issue a press release, and that would be the end of this matter."
Now, tell me, what do all these headlines, these candid shots, these so-called "insider revelations" mean?
Angie Chai sat opposite her, her expression also unpleasant.
"Miss Zeng, please listen to me..."
"What did I hear you say?"
Zeng Jia suddenly raised her voice and slapped the pile of printed papers, making a dull thud.
"Sister Chai, I've been in this industry for a long time, and I know this trick better than you do."
First, they pretend to cooperate, then secretly leak information to the paparazzi, and once the public outcry starts, they feign innocence...
Do you think I'm a three-year-old?
Angie Chai pursed her lips into a thin line.
She's seen it all in her life. She made F4 famous and brought Ke Teng to stardom. She's been working in the Taiwanese entertainment industry, which is more complicated than the mainland's, for over 20 years. What storms hasn't she weathered?
But now she's definitely in a bit of a bind.
It wasn't Zeng Jia's questioning that made her feel guilty, but rather that she genuinely didn't know who had leaked the information.
"Ms. Zeng, I, Chai Zhiping, have been in this industry for so many years, and I am worthy of the title of 'keeping my word'."
Chai Zhiping took a deep breath, and her tone became serious.
"I promised you last night that I would keep this under control, and I will definitely keep it under control."
These messages were not released by me, nor by any of my subordinates.
If I wanted to mess with you, I wouldn't agree first and then back out; that would ruin my own reputation.
Zeng Jia stared at her, her gaze sharp as a knife.
She wasn't actually as angry as she appeared.
Guan Shengbai is certainly a promising talent, but he is a newcomer she just signed, and she hasn't had time to invest any substantial resources in him yet.
To put it bluntly, even if she really fails this time, it's just that she's lost a potentially promising call option; it's not a serious blow.
But the problem is, she was tricked.
This is what truly enraged Zeng Jia. She had been in this industry for over a decade, climbing her way up from the bottom as a junior agent to where she was today.
They rely on their ability to manipulate information and their ability to always think three steps ahead of others.
But this time, she actually became the passive party in front of Angie Chai.
If it wasn't Angie Chai who leaked the information, where did these paparazzi get their news from?
Who are these "insiders"?
However, looking at Angie Chai's equally unpredictable face, Zeng Jia suddenly realized that the other party might not actually be acting.
That makes it even more interesting.
"You didn't put it there?"
Zeng Jia's tone softened slightly, but the scrutiny in her eyes remained undiminished.
"So that's what your precious celebrity did? He got beaten up, was resentful, and hired someone to leak information?"
"impossible."
Angie Chai blurted out the words, but as soon as they left her mouth, a crack appeared in her expression.
Because even she herself wasn't quite sure.
She knows her artists all too well.
This young man, whom she single-handedly made famous, is still a child at heart.
They love to play, crave new experiences, and act without considering the consequences.
"I made it very clear to him."
Angie Chai rubbed her temples, her voice tinged with genuine exhaustion, "This matter must be suppressed. He should be recuperating at home right now, it's impossible..."
Before she could finish speaking, her phone rang.
Chai Zhiping glanced down at the caller ID, hesitated for a moment, and then answered the call in front of Zeng Jia.
After hearing what was said on the other end of the phone, her face visibly darkened.
After hanging up the phone, Chai Zhiping was silent for a few seconds, then looked up at Zeng Jia.
"Press conference."
Her voice was as dry as a parched well.
"I can have Xiao Ke appear at the press conference to clarify things for Guan Shengbai."
The condition is that this matter ends here, and no one should bring up the past again.
Zeng Jia leaned back in her chair, a slight smile playing on her lips, which she quickly suppressed.
Her trip to Shanghai this time wasn't simply to demand an explanation.
Of course, you need to project a strong presence and maintain the right attitude.
She had to let Angie Chai know that Zeng Jia was not someone to be trifled with, and that no one could trample on her people.
However, she also knew that Guan Shengbai had only been under her name for a few days, and if things really turned sour and things escalated to the point of mutual destruction, she still didn't have as many cards to play as Chai Zhiping.
What she needed to do was to cut her losses in time and steer public opinion back to a position favorable to Guan Shengbai.
That's her real purpose for sitting here today.
Now, the other party has offered to hold a press conference, which is even better than her bottom-line expectations.
And that idiot on the other side actually stood up to endorse Guan Shengbai?
This was a wonderful surprise.
"OK."
Zeng Jia's voice finally regained its gentle and calm tone, but everyone knew that a thorn was hidden beneath that calmness.
"We'll do it your way. But Sister Chai, there's something I need to say upfront."
I'll treat this as an accident. But if there's any more negative news about my Xiaobai in the future, no matter who did it, I'll hold you responsible.
Angie Chai's facial muscles twitched slightly.
For so many years, no one has dared to speak to her like that.
But at this moment, she was indeed in the wrong.
The mess that good-for-nothing brat made was something she, as the boss, had no choice but to clean up.
She nodded.
……
……
Half a day later.
The banquet hall of the hotel where the "Tiny Times" crew was staying was temporarily requisitioned, and dozens of media outlets set up three rows of cameras in front of the stage, with flashes making the white backdrop dazzling.
Guan Shengbai stood behind the curtain on the side stage and glanced through the gap at the densely packed cameras below the stage.
He was someone who had been reborn once. In his previous life, he had worked his way up in the public relations industry and had seen all kinds of press conferences.
Some apologized with red eyes, some cried and played the victim, some sent lawyer's letters throughout, and some even fainted on the spot and had to be carried away.
But this was the first time I had ever stood on the stage as a person involved.
But the expression on his face was as calm as if he were attending someone else's press conference.
Today, Ke Teng wore a baseball cap pulled very low, and a mask covered most of his face, revealing only a pair of bloodshot eyes.
A flicker of barely concealed fear flashed in those eyes the moment they met Guan Shengbai's gaze, before they quickly looked away.
His face wasn't actually as bad as the news reports suggested. He wasn't disfigured, had no broken bones, and didn't even have a broken nose.
Guan Shengbai held back his three punches last night, and his jacket also helped deflect the force. Apart from the bruise on his face that couldn't be hidden, he was otherwise presentable.
But the media headlines were just too vivid.
"Pig's Head Vine"...
These three words have become the keywords in all the entertainment headlines today.
The accompanying photo was still the same candid shot of him being carried onto the ambulance on a stretcher. The angle was awkward and the lighting was dim, making the bruise on his face look like a car accident scene.
However, what Ke Teng feared most at this moment was not when the injury on his face would heal, but how much Guan Shengbai was holding in his hands.
The phrase "You've got your head covered in leaves" from last night kept replaying in his mind, and every time he thought about it, a cold sweat would break out on his back.
he knows.
He knows everything...
Amidst a barrage of reporters' cameras and microphones, Angie Chai took the stage first, dressed in a smart black suit with a professional public relations smile on her face. She immediately characterized last night's events as "a regrettable accident."
Last night, some actors from the "Tiny Times" crew were unexpectedly harassed by several drunk guests during a private party.
Mr. Katsuto immediately stepped forward to protect the actress in the same group. During the process of trying to stop her, he got into a physical altercation with her and was unfortunately injured.
Fortunately, Mr. Guan Shengbai, a colleague from the same group, arrived in time and subdued the assailant with his bare hands, protecting the safety of his fellow crew members.
As she said this, she turned to the side and gestured "please" towards the curtain.
Ke Teng's hand trembled slightly as he took the microphone; it was unclear whether he was angry or afraid.
He stood on the stage, his baseball cap pulled down so low it almost covered his eyebrows, and his mask covered most of his face, revealing only the bruise that he couldn't hide no matter what.
He cleared his throat, his voice muffled as it came through his mask.
"First of all, thank you everyone for your concern. I'm fine, just some minor scratches."
"Secondly, I would like to clarify some false rumors circulating online."
What happened last night wasn't about jealousy or internal strife.
Guan Shengbai… Xiaobai is my good friend. It was his timely appearance that prevented things from getting worse.
"Finally, the drunkards left, and we will not pursue their responsibility any further."
After all, both sides had moments of impulsiveness.
After he finished reading those words, he put the microphone on the stage, turned around, and left.
The reporters below the stage looked at each other in bewilderment.
The press conference lasted less than twenty minutes from beginning to end. The main speaker covered his face the entire time, spoke in a dry, textbook-like manner, and there was not even a Q&A session.
But it was precisely this almost perfunctory and decisive approach that made the media in the audience sense a "protesting too much" vibe.
Guan Shengbai strode onto the stage.
The sound of camera shutters exploding instantly erupted from the audience, and the flashes made his facial features stand out sharply.
He wasn't wearing a mask or a hat; he just stood on the stage in a dark gray coat, his posture so upright it looked like he'd stepped right out of a magazine cover.
A low murmur arose among the reporters in the audience.
They came today because of Keteng.
But the mysterious newcomer standing on the stage at this moment seems more like the protagonist of this reception.
Guan Shengbai took the microphone and said only one sentence.
"I am not worthy of the title of 'heroic hero'."
I just did what any adult man would do.
He stood on the stage, his posture upright, his tone neither humble nor arrogant.
A female reporter wearing black-rimmed glasses in the front row was the first to raise her hand.
"Mr. Guan, some people online have revealed that you are a dropout from the Beijing Film Academy, and that you got into the 'Tiny Times' cast through connections. What is your response to this?"
Guan Shengbai tilted his head slightly, switched the microphone to his left hand, and looked calmly at the reporter.
"I was a student in the Performance Department of Beijing Film Academy in 08. In my second year, I had to take a leave of absence and go home because of a family emergency."
This is my regret, but I don't think it's anything shameful.
He paused, but his tone remained calm.
"As for the claim of 'parachuting in,' the casting process for 'Tiny Times' was open and transparent."
If anyone thinks my acting was bad, you're welcome to go to the cinema to judge when the movie is released.
Do not evade, do not play the victim, and do not be aggressive.
The reporters in the audience exchanged glances, and some nodded slightly.
Another male reporter stood up: "Mr. Guan, after what happened last night, your Weibo followers jumped from a few hundred to over ten thousand, making you a celebrity overnight. What do you think of this sudden surge in attention?"
Guan Shengbai's lips curled up slightly after hearing the question.
That smile was faint, yet inexplicably it felt genuine.
"To be honest, what happened last night is nothing to brag about."
I'd rather nothing had happened, and everyone could have finished filming peacefully.
He paused for a moment, and his tone suddenly became more serious.
"But if I have to talk about attention, I hope that in the future people will pay attention to me because of my work, not because I got into a fight with someone."
A few soft laughs rang out from the audience.
That laughter wasn't mocking, but rather a kind of positive recognition.
Zeng Jia, standing on the side platform, narrowed her eyes slightly.
Looking at the composed young man on the stage, she suddenly felt a surge of indescribable emotion.
She has been in this industry for over a decade and has seen countless artists' press conference debuts.
Some were so nervous they forgot their lines, some were so slick they were nauseating, and some were pretentious and affected.
But when Guan Shengbai stood on that stage, facing the barrage of cameras from dozens of media outlets, he didn't act like it was his first time; rather, he seemed to have been in that position for ten years.
This kind of typhoon cannot be taught.
For a time, this press conference triggered by the "assault incident" seemed to gradually take the shape of Guan Shengbai's "newcomer launch".
Chai Zhiping glanced at the profile of the young man on stage, then at her own artist sitting in the corner, looking somewhat timid.
The seasoned agent lowered his eyelashes and took a sip of coffee without making a sound.
The coffee was cold, but the bitterness spread from the tip of my tongue all the way to my throat.