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Before 'Autumn in My Heart', the first domestically produced TV play that was introduced to South Korea was called Lover's Lies. It was a very typical youth idol drama.
Several of the leads were new artists from the mainland who had been trained by a Korean entertainment company, and both the producers and investors were heavyweights in the domestic industry.
At that time, 'Lover's Lies' achieved an average domestic rating of 1.85%. That counted as a popular episode run, and the male lead became an overnight sensation. The drama's introduction into Korea was hyped up to the skies, hailed as a counterattack against the Korean Wave.
The producers were full of ambition. They even shouted slogans about "revitalizing Chinese dramas" and "reversing the cultural outflow to Japan and South Korea." Fans were stirred up with passion, eagerly anticipating the show's performance in Korea.
But when Lover's Lies aired on MBC, Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation, South Korea's second-largest TV station, the reception was lukewarm. Ratings failed to reach even 2%. It was quickly moved out of prime time and quietly broadcast to the end without making the slightest ripple.
In Korea, anything below 2% on a major broadcaster is considered a total flop, beyond saving, straight to the crematorium.
When the news reached China, the producers of Lover's Lies quietly stopped all the hype. The hired online "water armies" (paid commenters) disappeared overnight, and the drama became an industry joke.
With the example of Lover's Lies in mind, it was only natural that a few people held high hopes for 'Autumn in My Heart'.
On Waves Blog, a well-known blogger with the ID "Entertainment Overview" mocked in a post:
"These days, celebrities are getting way too inflated. Vagabond singers think they can act in dramas, and as soon as they achieve a little bit of success at home, they can't wait to go abroad to add some so-called gold plating. They hire armies of shills, blow their own horns until the sky shakes, only to end up getting slapped hard in the face. What's the point? Wouldn't it be better to stay humble and keep a low profile?"
"Entertainment Overview" had more than ten million followers on Waves Blog. He specialized in gossip and commentary on celebrities in the entertainment industry, known for his sharp writing and venomous tongue. He had a huge fanbase.
Many stars had already suffered from his poisonous remarks. He was also very selective with his targets, basically, the hotter the celebrity, the more likely he was to attack, while washed-up or unknown figures he wouldn't even bother with. That kind of approach conveniently satisfied a segment of the audience.
And the hottest rising star on the blogs at that moment was none other than Lu Chen.
Lu Chen's image had always been spotless, and it wasn't easy to find dirt on him. This time, however, with the news publicly released by Lu Chen's workshop, certain people finally had a target to aim at.
"Entertainment Overview's" post gained a lot of agreement, but also met with fierce pushback from Lu Chen's fans.
"So sour your teeth are falling out. Isn't 'Autumn in My Heart' being introduced to Korea a good thing? Sour grapes!"
"It hasn't even aired yet, and you already know it's going to flop? What are you, a fortune teller?"
"Calling Lu Chen arrogant? Who do you think you are?"
"Heh, our Chen isn't humble enough for you? Why can't good news be celebrated? Clearly you're just jealous!"
"Have you even watched 'Autumn in My Heart'? If not, shut your mouth!"
"Hater, get lost."
Lu Chen had debuted for less than a year but had already built up a loyal fanbase. At the core was the Lu Family Army, the organized fan group. Although its founder, Li Mubai, had largely stepped back, with official support the group was becoming increasingly structured and disciplined, with far greater fighting power than before.
So as soon as "Entertainment Overview's" post went live, his comment section was immediately flooded.
But as a battle-hardened big V blogger, he had never feared arguments. He directly hit back at Lu Chen's fans:
"Lu Xun once said, insults and threats are not forms of battle. I am deeply disappointed in the quality of Lu Chen's fans. I also urge Mr. Lu Chen to properly rein in his supporters."
He even tagged Lu Chen's official account, striking a combative pose.
Blogs are filled with all kinds of people, and Lu Chen's fans were generally no worse than others. Still, it was inevitable that some would lose their temper, hurl curses, or post obscenities, and there were also malicious troublemakers deliberately fanning the flames.
"Entertainment Overview" deliberately picked out those abusive comments and tagged Lu Chen with them. His intent was obvious. His supporters also jumped into the fray, clashing fiercely with Lu Chen's fans on the platform.
Thus, the fire that had been stoked on Waves Blog inevitably spread to Lu Chen himself.
Lu Chen had always disliked quarreling or debating online. Most of the time, his personal blog was managed by Lu Xi, and the posts rarely touched on entertainment-industry gossip.
As a well-known public figure, fighting with people online was pointless. Even if he won, he would only come out looking dirty; it wasn't worth it.
But this time, it involved his fans. The other side had shown such blatant malice, and with the general mood turning unfavorable, Lu Chen felt he had to step up and say something. Otherwise, countless fans would be left disappointed.
Everyone was standing firmly behind him; if he kept silent, wouldn't that just invite ridicule?
Of course, Lu Chen had no intention of walking into the trap "Entertainment Overview" had set. He completely ignored him and instead published a new post addressed directly to all his fans.
In the blog post titled "Moved, Always, Thank You All!", Lu Chen wrote:
"On the occasion of 'Autumn in My Heart' successfully signing with SPG for distribution, I, on behalf of myself and Lu Chen Workshop, would like to thank all the fans and friends who have supported me. You are the most lovable and dearest people in the world. Without your deep affection, I could never have achieved what I have today!"
"To express my gratitude, I hereby announce an important decision: As long as 'Autumn in My Heart' achieves an average rating of 10% during its broadcast in Korea, I will select 1,000 fans from my fan club and gift each of them a three-days-two-nights 'Fun Trip to Korea' package. If the rating exceeds 10%, the number of winners will increase proportionally: at 11%, it will be 1,100 fans, and so on, with no upper limit!"
"Some may say, '10% is so high, Lu Chen, you're just making empty promises you can't possibly deliver.'"
"But I firmly believe 'Autumn in My Heart' is an outstanding TV drama. If it can succeed in China, then it can succeed in Korea as well. Falling below 10% is simply not within my consideration. Please, wait and see!"
The moment this long blog post was published, it caused an uproar among fans and within the show business community!
For a Korean terrestrial TV drama, a 10% average rating is not considered high, actually below mid-tier. On the three major terrestrial stations, popular dramas usually sit around 20–30%, and national blockbusters that exceed 40% are not uncommon.
But for a foreign drama, especially one imported from China, 10% was still a lofty target.
And 'Autumn in My Heart' was a city romance drama, no less!
Lu Chen's blog post essentially painted himself into a corner: If 'Autumn in My Heart' failed to hit the 10% mark, his declaration would become a joke, and his reputation would take a serious blow.
Fans, after their initial shock, were fired up by Lu Chen's ambition.
And then there was the tantalizing prize draw!
Korea had long been one of the most popular overseas travel destinations for Chinese tourists. A three-days-two-nights "Fun Trip" package cost around 5,000 yuan; even in bulk, the lowest was still 3,500+.
According to Lu Chen's promise, if 'Autumn in My Heart' reached a 10% average rating, he would be giving back 3–4 million yuan worth of travel packages to fans, a massive gesture by any standard.
How many celebrities had ever been so generous to their fans?
Fans flooded the comments with excitement:
"My Chen, mighty as ever!"
"Target: 10%! Oh yeah!"
"Hahaha, I can't wait, 'Autumn in My Heart', hurry up and air in Korea!"
"Aaahhh, I really want to go to Korea!"
"I've already been to Korea twice, but if I win this, I'd gladly go ten more times!"
"No more words needed, Big Chen, we'll support you forever!"
"Forever support +1!"
"Support!"
At this point, nobody paid attention to that big V blogger "Entertainment Overview" anymore. The passion of Lu Chen's fans completely overwhelmed the comments section of his blog, filled with support and pleas to be chosen in the giveaway.
Amusingly, the official fan group account of Lu Chen's Waves Blog, the Lu Family Army, saw its follower count shoot up by over a million in just a few hours!
Seizing on this incident, Lu Chen not only elegantly defused the malicious provocation from "Entertainment Overview," but also greatly consolidated the morale of his fanbase, boosting their loyalty and once again making himself the hottest topic on the blogosphere.
It was, without a doubt, a masterclass in online marketing.
If Lu Chen was the clear protagonist in this drama, then "Entertainment Overview" was now relegated to the villain's supporting role. Perhaps stung by humiliation, he quickly posted on his blog:
"If 'Autumn in My Heart''s ratings in Korea surpass 10%, I'll streak down the street!"
Obviously, "Entertainment Overview" was still trying to milk the hype. But today's netizens had seen it all, "eating keyboards" and "eating shit" bets were already commonplace on forums. Who cared whether he streaked or not?
So aside from a few fans going over to sneer at him, his post barely generated any buzz.
But the most exciting twist came later that night. Chen Fei'er herself posted on her Waves Blog, declaring:
"If 'Autumn in My Heart' reaches an average of 10% in Korea, I'll personally upgrade Lu Chen's giveaway. On top of his promise of a three-days-two-nights 'Fun Trip to Korea,' I'll turn it into a three-days-two-nights Double Sweet Trip!"
A "Fun Trip" was a solo package, group-buy priced at no less than 3,500. A "Double Sweet Trip" for two cost at least 5,000+.
The monetary value wasn't doubled, but the significance was completely different.
Of course, on the condition that Lu Chen included her fans in the lottery pool as well.
Chen Fei'er's participation pushed the blog wars to a fever pitch. Lu Chen's fans and hers were practically celebrating a festival, chattering excitedly across blogs, forums, and fan clubs, brimming with anticipation and daydreams.
In this charged atmosphere, "Entertainment Overview" and his followers were utterly crushed in terms of popularity.
All they could do now was wait, wait alongside Lu Chen's and Chen Fei'er's fans for the results of 'Autumn in My Heart''s broadcast in Korea!
(End of Chapter.)