MMB Chapter 127 Ratings Frenzy
Chapter 127 Ratings Frenzy
Shanghai, on the set of "A Chinese Ghost Story".
The morning mist had not yet dissipated, but the atmosphere on the entire film set was oppressive.
Late last night, the newly appointed director Gordon Chan flew to Shanghai and took over the entire film crew.
The entire crew expected the arrival of this renowned Hong Kong director, who stepped in to save the day, to be a force to be reckoned with as a new director.
But to everyone's surprise, the first thing Gordon Chan did when he arrived on set was not to check the camera positions or the set design, but to personally bring hot tea to Li Xin's private RV and ask him how he was doing!
Paper cannot hold fire.
The real reason why Wilson Yip was kicked out of the crew overnight spread like wildfire on set.
"Have you heard? Director Ye got fired. It wasn't because of any creative differences; it was because he complained that Li Xin was taking time off every week to film 'Running Man,' so he went to protest to the investors!"
"Holy crap! Really?! Wilson Yip is a big director who just finished filming 'Ip Man'! He got fired just for this?"
"Absolutely true! Haofeng's exact words were: 'We spent a lot of money to promote him, not to listen to him talk about his difficulties! We even transferred the breach of contract penalty to his Hong Kong account overnight, so he can pack his bags and get out!'"
This news was like a magnitude 12 earthquake, leaving the Hong Kong team, who had previously carried a sense of superiority, completely stunned and their values shattered!
In the traditional hierarchy of Hong Kong film and television, Hong Kong directors and actors have always been considered superior.
In their eyes, young actresses from mainland China are nothing more than pretty faces who bring their own funding to the production.
But now, that young mainland capitalist, who hasn't even shown his face, has slapped the entire Hong Kong entertainment circle in the face in the most brutal way!
A big-name director? In the face of absolute capital, he's nothing! If you displease me, I can fire you anytime!
When Li Xin finished her makeup and stepped out of the RV surrounded by a group of assistants...
The entire film set fell silent instantly.
There was no more pointing fingers or bossing around by the Hong Kong production staff.
Everyone looked at Li Xin with awe, a fear of the man behind her!
"Xin Xin, good morning. Did you sleep well last night?"
Louis Koo, the Hong Kong superstar who plays Yan Chixia, stopped his conversation with the director when he saw Lee Xin approaching and greeted him with a friendly smile.
"Good morning, Teacher Gu." Li Xin returned the greeting, flattered.
She could clearly sense that this usually stern and unsmiling movie star was being excessively polite to her today.
Following that, Yu Shaoqun, the mainland actor who plays Ning Caichen, the male lead in today's main event, also came over.
Logically speaking, Ning Caichen and Nie Xiaoqian have a lot of emotional entanglements and intimate interactions in the drama.
But Yu Shaoqun's forehead was covered in a fine layer of cold sweat. He walked up to director Chen Jiashang, his eyes constantly glancing towards Li Xin, and said in an almost pleading tone:
"Director Chen... how about we change that passionate scene at Lanruo Temple later?"
Gordon Chan paused for a moment, then asked, "How should I change it?"
"Kissing scenes and hugs have to be faked! The camera angles have to be different!" Yu Shaoqun wiped his sweat, his voice tinged with lingering fear.
"Director Chen, I've heard that in Haofeng's last film, 'Xuan-Yuan Sword,' one of the male leads was blacklisted and kicked out of the production team on the spot because he filmed a real kissing scene with a female actress and was caught by Boss Li!"
"I have elderly parents to support and young children to raise. I finally managed to land a leading role, and I don't want to be crushed by capital just because I want to take advantage of someone! Please, please increase the depth of field, and whatever you do, don't let me touch Sister Xin Xin's lips!"
Chen Jiashang took a deep breath, glanced back at Li Xin who was surrounded by admirers, and nodded knowingly.
"Don't worry, I also want to stay in this industry for a few more years. All intimate scenes will be done using camera tricks; I promise you won't even have a single strand of hair tangled together!"
Standing not far away, Li Xin didn't hear what they were saying, but seeing Yu Shaoqun's tense expression, he already knew exactly what was going on.
This is the taste of power.
She was originally worried that she would be isolated and treated badly by the crew for taking leave to record a variety show, but now, the entire crew treats her like a queen!
"Boss..."
Li Xin silently murmured the man's name in her heart. Her heart, which had previously been somewhat ostrich-like, was now filled with vanity and a sense of privilege.
She realized that as long as she clung tightly to that powerful figure, there was no role she couldn't play!
……
Time flies like an arrow, and October has arrived in the blink of an eye.
Chinese television screens and internet platforms have witnessed an unprecedented "time travel craze"!
The Qing Dynasty time-travel drama "Palace: The Lock Heart Jade", which was wholly owned and controlled by Haofeng Pictures and premiered simultaneously on Hunan TV and iQiyi, has ignited the entire internet with an unstoppable momentum!
Yang Mi's portrayal of Qingchuan, with her quirky and clever character and the widely popular song "The Power of Love," made her incredibly famous!
On Weibo, the discussion about "Palace" is breaking records every day, and Yang Mi's number of fans is skyrocketing, increasing by millions!
Just as "Palace" had just finished airing and the buzz was still going strong.
Another Qing Dynasty time-travel epic, "Scarlet Heart," also produced by Haofeng Film & Television, followed closely behind and premiered on Shuangjiang TV and iQiyi!
If "Palace" is a lighthearted popcorn flick, then "Scarlet Heart" is a work of art that pushes power struggles and tragic romance to their extremes.
Liu Shishi's portrayal of Ma'ertai Ruoxi, with her aloof and fragile temperament, and the stunning scene of her holding a red plum blossom in the midst of heavy snow, brought tears to the eyes of countless viewers.
Two dramas hit the charts!
The two time-travel dramas were like two nuclear bombs, completely upending the already turbulent landscape of actresses in the Chinese entertainment industry!
Jinling, the headquarters of Haofeng Group.
On the large screen of Weibo's data monitoring center, the real-time popularity rankings of the "Four Rising Actresses" and "Weibo Queen" have undergone a major reshuffle!
Thanks to the phenomenal success of "Palace", Yang Mi's data has far surpassed all other female stars, and it is no surprise that the title of "Weibo Queen" this year is firmly firmly in her hands!
What's even more surprising is Liu Shishi's meteoric rise!
The critical and commercial success of "Scarlet Heart" finally gave Liu Shishi her own representative work.
Her votes skyrocketed, overtaking Tang Yan and forcefully entering the top three!
The latest rankings are as follows: Yang Mi is first, Liu Yifei is second, Liu Shishi is third, Tang Yan is fourth, and Li Xin, who became a sensation with Meteor Shower, Love Apartment and Running Man, is fifth.
Haofeng's five golden flowers have completely monopolized the traffic high ground in the domestic entertainment industry!
……
However, some are happy while others are sad.
Compared to Yang Mi's triumphant mood and Liu Shishi's bittersweet happiness, Liu Yifei, who ranked second, felt panic at this moment.
Inside Liu Yifei's private apartment in Yanjing.
She stared at the leaderboard on her tablet, the faint light of the screen illuminating her slightly pale face.
She was actually prepared to be overtaken by Yang Mi, after all, "Palace" was too popular.
However, when she saw that even Liu Shishi's votes were getting closer and closer to hers, this once arrogant fairy sister finally panicked!
She finally realized what was happening.
Movie star? Highbrow?
In today's era where traffic is king, these so-called movie halos are no match for the massive traffic brought by a nationally popular TV series!
Her last hit TV series was "The Return of the Condor Heroes" in 2006. In recent years, she has filmed Tsui Hark's "Detective Dee" and joined the film crew of a famous director.
However, the exposure period of movies is too short, and they cannot dominate netizens' attention for several months like TV series!
"Without the foundation of TV dramas, my viewership will eventually be gradually eroded by them..."
Liu Yifei bit her rosy lower lip. Even a fairy who is untouched by worldly affairs can be swept up by worldly desires when faced with the crisis of falling from grace.
She recalled Yang Mi's mocking gaze and the growing influence of Tang Yan and Liu Shishi within the company.
"I can't lose... I absolutely cannot let them trample me underfoot!"
In this company, if you want to get the resources you want, you have to learn to be like Yang Mi: to please, to act cute, and to fight for them!
She dialed Zhang Xinyu's number.
This time, her tone was devoid of any haughtiness, instead revealing utter obedience and eagerness:
"Secretary Zhang, is the boss in Nanjing these days? I'd like to... I'd like to go and keep him company."
……
That evening, at Jinling Zijinshan Manor.
As night deepened, the luxurious heated swimming pool was filled with steam.
Li Feng leaned against the edge of the pool, watching with great interest the graceful figure in the water that resembled a mermaid.
Today's Liu Yifei has overturned the image of aloofness and passivity she once had.
She wore a very alluring black bikini, and her fair, jade-like skin shone with an irresistible glow under the reflection of the water.
She swam over to Li Feng, her arms snaking around his neck like water snakes, bringing her stunningly beautiful face close to his. In her phoenix eyes, she even learned Yang Mi's seductive and alluring charm.
"Boss..."
Liu Yifei breathed softly, her chest pressed tightly against Li Feng's firm chest, her voice so gentle it seemed to drip with sweetness.
"You haven't come to see her at all these days. Feifei is filming on set and thinks about you every day..."
As she spoke, one of her hands began to wander restlessly underwater, doing everything she could to provoke her.
Looking at this once ethereal beauty who has now learned to act coquettishly and curry favor for resources, a hint of satisfaction flashed in Li Feng's eyes.
That's what makes power and capital so fascinating.
They dragged the goddess down into the mire, making her willingly succumb to worldly desires.
Li Feng grabbed her slender waist, lifted her out of the water, and pressed her against the marble table at the edge of the pool.
"Missing me? I think you're thinking about the year-end trophy." Li Feng saw right through her thoughts.
Liu Yifei blushed when his thoughts were exposed.
But she didn't back down; instead, she became even more proactive, pleading in a slightly aggrieved, tearful voice:
"Boss, all you do is make fun of people... Look at the online charts right now, Mimi and Shishi both have hugely popular TV dramas, they're so popular."
"Although I'm filming a movie, it's too exhausting. If I don't have a popular TV series to support me, they'll tear down my 'Fairy Sister' image."
"Boss, please be biased just this once. How about arranging a hit TV series for me too? If you agree, Yifei will do whatever you say from now on... I'll serve you however you want..."
Hearing this almost blatant deal and submission, Li Feng burst out laughing.
"Alright! Since you've lowered yourself like this, I certainly can't let you leave empty-handed."
Over the next few hours, Liu Yifei kept her promise, turning the pool and master bedroom at Shuixie Mountain into a place where she sacrificed her dignity.
Late into the night, Li Feng leaned against the headboard, looking at Liu Yifei's flushed face, and said softly:
"Finish shooting those movies you have on hand this year and maintain the high standard of your films on the big screen."
"Next year, I will have the film and television department create a separate track for modern urban dramas just for you."
Upon hearing that a TV series was being filmed, Liu Yifei's eyes lit up, but then he hesitated: "A modern drama? But boss... I've only done period fantasy dramas before, will the audience accept me acting in a modern drama?"
"It's because you were too 'ethereal' before that you seemed out of touch with reality and not grounded enough!" Li Feng explained to her with rare patience.
"Period dramas can easily create a sense of distance. If you want to truly connect with female viewers in lower-tier markets, you need to immerse yourself in everyday life and act in scripts that are full of relatable, down-to-earth moments!"
"Go and play an ordinary woman who is troubled by mother-in-law/daughter-in-law relationships, pressured to get married, and has flesh and blood!"
Li Feng reached into the bedside table and pulled out a pre-prepared outline.
"Take this script back and take a look, think about the character design."
Liu Yifei forced himself to stand up despite his aching body and looked down.
On the cover of the white script, five large characters were prominently printed:
Let's get married!