Lu Chen's fanbase originally formed back when he was a streamer on Whale TV.
The majority of online live streaming viewers tend to be male otaku. Although the general perception of "male otaku" isn't great, they're often stereotyped as young, single, gaming enthusiasts who spend too much time online and lack social skills; they do have some strong players among them.
Those strong ones are the tech geeks!
Maybe in real life, tech geeks aren't all that impressive, but in the online world, they can wield considerable influence. The user [Heavy Metal Element] clearly underestimated the strength of Lu Chen's fan community, thinking that by hiding behind a pseudonym, no one would know who he really was. But they managed to dox him completely.
[Heavy Metal Element]'s real name is Gavin. He's Ling Xiaoxiao's newest assistant. The tech-savvy fans tracked his digital footprints thread by thread and uncovered his entire background.
Once they had solid proof, Lu Chen's fans launched a full-on bombardment of Ling Xiaoxiao's blog and fan forums. Some even created "doxxing posters" online, compiling screenshots of all [Heavy Metal Element]'s mocking and critical comments about Lu Chen as ammunition to slap Ling Xiaoxiao hard in the face.
"Our Lu Chen just won two big awards. Bet someone's so sour their teeth are falling out!"
"Tsk tsk, so jealous. The entertainment industry sure has a lot of petty people!"
"If you have guts, come out yourself. Using your assistant's fake account? That's dirty, disgusting, shameless!"
"Can't stand these sneaky, backstabbing sissies."
In the entertainment world, drama is just part of the game. Online spats between celebrities are common. But it's rare for someone like Ling Xiaoxiao to actually come into Lu Chen's own fan forums to spew venom.
Yes, although the ID belonged to Ling Xiaoxiao's assistant Gavin, most people firmly believed Ling Xiaoxiao herself was behind those posts, citing evidence like repeated phrases and writing style.
Normally, hiding behind a fake account to throw shade is no big deal, even saints get criticized, but getting exposed is definitely embarrassing.
While Lu Chen and Lu Xi were out eating, Lu Xi received several calls from entertainment reporters.
Entertainment journalists have a keen nose for gossip. Once a rumor starts brewing online, they pounce, eager to get Lu Chen's reaction, preferably to scold and retaliate against Ling Xiaoxiao for juicy headlines.
Celebrity feuds are a reporter's favorite, especially when one party is as hot as Lu Chen right now!
But Lu Xi didn't give them any openings. No matter which website or newspaper the reporters were from, she politely gave official responses:
"Have not heard of such a thing."
"No comment."
"Lu Chen is busy with work."
Having been Lu Chen's manager for over half a year, Lu Xi was well-trained and handled these calls smoothly, never letting anything slip.
Of course, reporters could still write nonsense if they wanted; their journalistic ethics could be shockingly low.
Finally, once they sat down in a private room at the restaurant, Lu Xi's phone quieted down.
Flipping through the menu, Lu Chen asked his sister, "What do you want to eat tonight? How about a filet mignon?"
"Don't want meat."
Still uneasy, Lu Xi said, "I've already put on a few jin (about 3 lbs). Let's have seafood rice instead, they do it well here."
Lu Chen wanted to say seafood is quite nutritious too, but decided not to pressure his sister. Just as he picked two dishes, Lu Xi's phone rang again.
Lu Chen groaned, "It's dinner time, turn it off!"
Every success comes at a cost. Being a shining star with fast money and fame means losing a lot of ordinary joys. Work and life blur together, leaving little time or space for freedom.
He was lucky, he'd changed to a private phone, so only family and close friends could reach him. But Lu Xi's situation was worse, her phone never stopped ringing, not even during meals.
It was inevitable: if no one called, it meant you were completely out of the spotlight.
Still, those pesky entertainment reporters were downright annoying!
"Hello, Lu Chen Workshop."
Lu Xi answered, putting the phone to her ear, then raised her right index finger to Lu Chen, signaling this would be the last call.
She spoke a few words to the caller, her expression turning serious.
Lu Chen noticed and put down the menu.
After a brief conversation, Lu Xi hung up, shook her phone, and smiled brightly: "Guess who just called?"
Lu Chen was stumped: "How could I guess? Must be good news, right?"
Judging by Lu Xi's expression, and the fact she said things like "Welcome" and "See you tomorrow" to the caller, it was definitely something positive.
"It's probably good news!" Lu Xi smiled, "It's the China representative from Korea's SPG Entertainment Company. They want to buy the rights to Autumn in My Heart!"
Koreans?
Lu Chen was surprised. This really was good news!
China's entertainment industry began booming in the late 1990s. Foreign media and entertainment companies quickly noticed this huge market, flooding it with cultural products, movies, TV dramas, and music, creating a huge influence.
Especially neighboring Korea, which pushed its cultural industry aggressively. Korean dramas and K-pop created the "Korean Wave" that swept across much of China, leaving a deep mark on the domestic entertainment scene.
Take the so-called "little fresh meat" idols trending now, those are Korean-style idol artists. The trainee system, the agency management model, many are direct copies of Korean methods and rules.
In recent years, many domestic artists go to Korea for training, and many Korean stars have come to China to cash in.
Faced with this situation, some insiders loudly called for resisting the Korean Wave.
Overall, the peak of Hallyu (Korean Wave) has basically passed. China's entertainment industry has a strong ability to learn and imitate; once they've mastered it, they want to unleash their own potential and keep the profits at home.
But this only solidifies the domestic base. Very few Chinese stars have influence in Korea, and Chinese films and TV dramas rarely get introduced there. The Korean market is small, closed, and highly protective.
The imported shows that do well in Korea are mostly high-quality documentaries and historical dramas.
SPG Entertainment is one of Korea's top three major artist planning and management companies. They once successfully promoted groups like HOP and SC in China and have several master-level composers, lyricists, and choreographers.
In China's entertainment circle, no one doesn't know SPG. Now their China office representative actually came knocking, wanting to buy the rights to Autumn in My Heart, if this got out, it would definitely headline entertainment news.
Breaking into Japan and South Korea is the dream of many in showbiz.
When Lu Chen created Autumn in My Heart, he already considered the possibility of exporting episodes to Korea. In his dream world, the original Korean drama Autumn in My Heart was one of the most classic Korean dramas.
That's why he didn't even change the character names, his hidden ambition was clear.
No big patriotic speeches, no talk of bringing glory to the country. If the drama could enter the Korean market, then using that as a springboard to Japan and then Southeast Asia would be a natural progression.
In other words, the Korean market is the best testing ground. Success there means vast opportunities.
So hearing this news, Lu Chen was genuinely happy.
SPG, KG, and Han Yi are the three major Korean entertainment companies with China offices in the capital. SPG was the first to come knocking; otherwise, Lu Chen would have had to rely on Chen Fei'er's connections with Korea's KGS TV.
But that would put him in a passive position in negotiations.
Being the one seeking a deal and being sought after are two very different things.
Lu Xi smiled: "I've already scheduled the meeting. They'll come tomorrow at 9:30 a.m."
Lu Chen nodded, "Have a good talk."
After dinner, Lu Chen took Lu Xi home, then returned to his apartment and called Chen Fei'er.
Chen Fei'er is one of the few Chinese stars with some fame and influence in Korea. She has participated in several China-Korea music festivals hosted by KGS TV and knows the situation well.
Sure enough, when Lu Chen mentioned SPG, Chen Fei'er immediately smiled: "I know them. The China representative is Park Jeong-Ho. He's been here almost ten years, a real China expert!"
Lu Chen was intrigued and asked, "What's his personality like?"
Tomorrow's meeting will involve concrete negotiations. Although he hoped to get Autumn in My Heart aired in Korea, he would never sign a humiliating contract.
In the past, some domestic production companies signed terrible contracts just to promote their works in Japan and Korea, practically giving them away and then bragging about entering foreign markets, only to be exposed and lose face.
Autumn in My Heart would sell, but not be sold cheaply!
Chen Fei'er said, "I've dealt with him a few times and heard some things. Park is well aware of the domestic situation. He's quite tough and sticks firmly to his position."
Lu Chen felt a bit of a challenge; this guy was clearly not easy to negotiate with.
Chen Fei'er continued, "Park Jeong-Ho is very sharp; otherwise, he wouldn't have held his position for so many years. Since he's interested in our TV play, it means there's room to negotiate."
"Keep it up, young man!"
Lu Chen chuckled quietly. Setting aside the topic, he chatted sweetly with Chen Fei'er for another ten minutes.
By the end, Chen Fei'er was so moved she almost rushed over.
(End of chapter)
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