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The question posed by the Entertainment Weekly reporter to Lu Chen was certainly not malicious, nor was it fabricated out of thin air.
'Autumn in My Heart' had broken domestic viewership records and successfully aired in South Korea, with its influence spreading to Japan and Southeast Asia. Not only did the investors make a fortune, but everyone involved also benefited greatly.
Watching this, how could people not feel envious?
People in the show business community suddenly realized that the youth idol romance genre in the city market had huge potential!
As a result, once the drama Blue finished airing domestically, multiple production companies immediately decided to shoot similar-themed new dramas, including Xiangnan TV.
Xiangnan TV was already strong in variety shows and was equally capable in TV dramas. They also had a habit of remaking successful episodes from Japan and South Korea. Strictly speaking, the domestic youth idol trend in TV dramas was largely initiated by Xiangnan TV.
However, now that there were more dramas of the same type, Xiangnan TV's original approach no longer worked. Last time, their annual flagship drama clashed with 'Autumn in My Heart', and it failed disastrously.
Still, Xiangnan TV had a trait that commanded respect; they had thick skin and were excellent at imitation. They didn't care about criticism and quickly noticed the market effect brought by Blue.
When it came to copying trends, no one could match Xiangnan TV.
Their new drama, Endless Waves of Love, was produced in this context; it was basically a direct challenge to Lu Chen, as it was likely to air during the summer and compete with his 'Full House'.
It was certain there would be fierce clashes. Even if Endless Waves of Love couldn't beat 'Full House', Xiangnan TV would still profit.
With the level of hype Xiangnan TV could generate, they weren't afraid of lawsuits, either.
Their screenwriters were highly skilled.
Lu Chen knew the question was tricky, answering seriously could be risky, but dodging it wouldn't look good either. He thought for a moment and replied, "I have no comment because I know nothing about this matter, so I can't answer."
Lu Chen wasn't foolish, he wasn't going to fall for the reporter's trap. This was a perfect case of playing Taiji.
But the reporter wasn't about to let him off easily. He continued, "Xiangnan TV's new drama has cast Zhang Liwei and Hu Yang as the male leads. What are your thoughts on that?"
Xiangnan TV played this very cleverly. The new drama not only followed the trend set by 'Autumn in My Heart', but they also poached two key actors from Blue. Their level of "riding on the coattails" was impressive.
Lu Chen knew about this. Originally, Zhang Liwei and Hu Yang had intended to continue working with him, but after careful consideration, he decided not to proceed.
First, 'Full House' was neither a sequel nor a sister drama to 'Autumn in My Heart'. Using too many of the original cast could cause audience fatigue or confuse the storyline, which wouldn't be good for character development.
Secondly, the two former newcomers now commanded high salaries.
The total investment for 'Full House' reached 50 million yuan, several times that of Blue, but a significant portion went to Lu Chen and Chen Fei'er's fees. Their combined pay accounted for one-third of the budget.
Under such circumstances, paying Zhang Liwei and Hu Yang high salaries would severely squeeze production costs or force a budget increase, neither of which Lu Chen or the investors wanted.
Thus, after discussing with the production partners, Lu Chen chose to cast mostly newcomers for the new drama.
He could only apologize to Zhang Liwei and Hu Yang.
Of course, Zhang Liwei and Hu Yang taking roles in Xiangnan TV's Endless Waves of Love was understandable. Lu Chen smiled and said, "Zhang Liwei and Hu Yang are both excellent actors. It was a pleasure working with them before, and I wish them success in their new project!"
It was flawless!
The reporter asking the question instantly felt powerless. Normally, a young actor like Lu Chen, who had recently debuted, would be easily provoked. Instead, he handled it with the poise of someone who had been in the industry for decades.
The Entertainment Weekly reporter refused to give up and immediately asked, "Then what's your opinion on Hu Yang's new contract with Juxing Entertainment? Is it because of Juxing Entertainment that you're unwilling to continue working with him?"
After starring in 'Autumn in My Heart', Hu Yang became an overnight sensation. She quickly terminated her contract with her previous second-tier agency and signed with a new management company.
He had signed with Jin Hongwei's Juxing Entertainment, and many in the show business community were already aware of the feud between Jin Hongwei and Lu Chen.
But this reporter, whether unintentionally or deliberately, reversed the sequence of events. Hu Yang's signing with Juxing Entertainment was a recent development and had nothing to do with Lu Chen's decision not to include her in 'Full House'.
Although Lu Chen's composure and self-restraint were impressive, the reporter's malicious question still stirred a flash of anger in him.
He didn't lose his temper, but cast the reporter a cold, measured glance and said, "That kind of statement is very irresponsible. I don't think Hu Yang would agree with it either."
Under Lu Chen's gaze, the Entertainment Weekly reporter immediately felt a tightening in his chest. He could clearly sense the warning behind Lu Chen's words and instinctively felt the urge to retreat.
Continuing down this line of questioning would truly offend someone, and even if he gained a momentary advantage, it would make things difficult for him in the industry in the future.
After all, he had come with a "red envelope", in this circle, there are rules: if you accept benefits but then make things difficult, you won't be welcomed anywhere, unless you are completely shameless.
The reporter, still having a shred of self-respect, awkwardly smiled and said, "No problem, then."
Lu Chen nodded and calmly moved on to answer other questions.
By the end of the press session, he felt more exhausted than after an actual battle.
These reporters were all cunning, asking tricky questions that could easily trap someone if they weren't careful. Lu Chen had to remain fully alert the entire time.
"Next time, we're never doing an opening ceremony like this again."
After it ended, Lu Chen said half-joking, half-seriously to Chen Fei'er, "It's mentally draining!"
Chen Fei'er smiled and said, "You'll get used to it."
Lu Chen shook his head. "I'd rather spend more time filming and singing."
His new drama, 'Full House', officially began filming tonight. After finishing the Capital City scenes, Lu Chen and Chen Fei'er would fly with the crew to South Korea.
They would shoot all the overseas scenes at Jeju Island, one of South Korea's top tourist destinations.
(End of chapter)