Chapter 284: Fan Economy
Gu Shuangbo didn’t realize that this was a poisoned cookie, but he was still unhappy. However, his displeasure stemmed from the fact that:
“Something that Song Zhi Bai didn’t want, now they’re giving it to me?”
The manager froze. Gu Shuangbo hadn’t had it easy these past two years, and the reason was quite simple. He entered the entertainment industry with the status of the second son of the Gu family. He debuted as the male lead in idol dramas and starred in countless works by top directors and celebrities.
In his mind, entering the entertainment industry with such a background should have been a simple way to become a top celebrity.
Two years ago, Gu Shuangbo was on the verge of becoming a top celebrity, but then Song Zhi Bai appeared out of nowhere.
The entertainment industry has limited resources, and as more people enter, someone else has to take a step back. Gu Shuangbo and Song Zhi Bai both fit the “handsome young man” archetype, but Song Zhi Bai was several levels more handsome than him.
After their types clashed, they both filmed martial arts dramas around the same time. Many of Gu Shuangbo’s fans jumped ship and joined Song Zhi Bai’s fan club.
After several instances of commercial resources being hijacked, the two fanbases started fighting each other intensely.
At first, Gu Shuangbo didn’t pay much attention to this up-and-coming rival, but when he found out that Song Zhi Bai was represented by Xu Youyou’s entertainment company, his anger began to build. Now, he considered Song Zhi Bai an eyesore and a thorn in his side.
Upon hearing this, the manager quickly tried to comfort him: “Shuangbo, things in the entertainment industry are like the saying ‘a blessing in disguise.’ What seems bad today might turn into something good tomorrow. Who can say for sure?”
He thought his words would soothe Gu Shuangbo, but unexpectedly, Gu Shuangbo stared at him blankly and asked, “What does ‘a blessing in disguise’ mean?”
The manager: … I almost forgot that my artist is illiterate!
The manager signaled to the female assistant nearby.
The female assistant lowered her voice to explain the meaning of the idiom “a blessing in disguise.”
Gu Shuangbo refused to admit he was illiterate and said, “I’ve been studying abroad all these years.”
The manager and the female assistant both laughed awkwardly and said, “Right, right, you didn’t learn idioms abroad, so it’s normal not to know this one.”
At this moment, Gu Shuangbo’s phone rang.
“Dear, your manager should have received the call. I’ve been working behind the scenes with Steve’s team for this resource. Now, Steve has spoken, and although there hasn’t been an interview yet, you’re the first choice for this role.”
The person on the other end of the line was Gu Shuangbo’s former manager and current girlfriend, Wu Yue. Wu Yue no longer managed any artists but was now an executive at the company.
Gu Shuangbo, who had just vented his anger on his manager and the assistant, was still relying on his girlfriend. He pretended that the unpleasantness earlier didn’t happen and smiled, saying, “Yue Yue, over the past year, I’ve seen so many people’s true colors, but you’re the only one who’s been the best to me.”
As usual, Wu Yue was flattered and continued, “Dear, don’t worry. I’ve told my dad that you’re the most important artist in the company. The whole company revolves around you, and any good resources will be yours.”
“You’ve always wanted a top luxury brand endorsement, right? My mom’s friend is currently the regional director for brand A in the Asia-Pacific region. My mom has been talking to her friend, and it won’t be long before a PR team contacts you. Soon, you’ll be the Asian ambassador for brand A.”
Brand A was an abbreviation for a top international luxury brand. Countless domestic stars couldn’t even get the position of Asian ambassador; many popular young stars could only secure the title of brand “friend” for a domestic brand.
Gu Shuangbo felt that today he finally heard some good news, and his ears turned red from all the sweet talk.
However, just after hanging up the phone, before he could rejoice, his phone pushed a new notification to him.
“Song Zhi Bai officially announced as S brand’s global ambassador.”
The moment Gu Shuangbo saw this message, he almost wanted to smash his phone.
Although both brands were top luxury names globally, S brand was a level above A brand.
For luxury brands, the title of global ambassador held more weight than being an ambassador for a region. More importantly, Song Zhi Bai was the “global ambassador,” and this was the first time a Chinese person was chosen for this prestigious role by a top luxury brand.
As expected, the comments section of the announcement was filled with Song Zhi Bai’s fans celebrating.
Gu Shuangbo could only curse inwardly, asking himself why the person who got this top luxury resource wasn’t him.
He had never been particularly fashionable, unlike Song Zhi Bai, who had always been a darling of the fashion world. Getting the position of Asian ambassador for brand A was already a huge step forward for him in the fashion industry.
But people’s hearts are always greedy. When compared to Song Zhi Bai, Gu Shuangbo felt like a scavenger.
Unlike Song Zhi Bai’s announcement of a top-tier luxury brand causing an online uproar, Gu Shuangbo’s announcement of becoming the Asian ambassador barely made a ripple in the sea.
“Right now, what’s most important is preparing for Steve’s audition. Don’t pay attention to the online comments. Netizens forget about these things quickly. As long as you deliver a great performance, that will be more important than anything else,” the manager comforted Gu Shuangbo.
For Chinese actors, appearing in a work by a top international director was a rare opportunity. Gu Shuangbo forced himself to stop thinking about Song Zhi Bai and threw himself into the audition.
But when Steve, the director, sat in front of Gu Shuangbo and watched his superficial performance, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
He turned to the person next to him and asked in English: “This kind of ability, and he can still be in the top two in China? Your audience tolerates him?”
The person he was asking was Wu Yue’s cousin, the director of the agency. Hearing this, the cousin smiled helplessly: “Our country really values fan economy. Gu’s acting may not be top-tier, but his fans are extremely passionate and willing to pay for him. Five months ago, one of his films, with the support of his fans, earned 300 million in just a few days.”
What he didn’t mention was that the film Gu Shuangbo starred in was a big-budget production by a top domestic director, and Gu Shuangbo’s screen time was less than five minutes.
Steve, the director, either hadn’t done much background research on Gu Shuangbo or trusted Wu Yue’s family too much. Hearing this, he didn’t doubt it but instead observed Gu Shuangbo carefully, seemingly trying to figure out what people liked about him.
After watching for a while, he still couldn’t figure it out but lamented that Song Zhi Bai didn’t accept the audition.
“Since your country’s fans like him, I’ll accept him,” Steve said with a resigned tone.
