Chapter 99: Exposing the Plastic Surgery
The agent was so angry he was spinning in circles. "Now look what's happened! You wanted to solidify your persona, but what everyone sees now is someone who, even after trying hard, still can't keep up with the moves and can't stay on beat. What will your fans think? How will you explain it to them? Are you going to say: 'Sorry, I tried my best, please forgive me'?"
Ming Qian said quietly, "Then what should we do now? Things have already reached this point, I can't just not explain, can I?"
"Explain? Explain what? In this situation, the more you explain, the bigger the mess. Just leave it like this, don't explain anything. Let them guess and think for themselves. After this storm blows over, you can come out and say you actually had difficulties. That's all." The agent waved his hand.
"But... they might stop being fans," Ming Qian bit his lower lip. "Brother Hao, I should still explain a little. I could say I wasn't feeling well that day, or... or say something happened at home, I was worried and a bit distracted?"
Hao Lin glanced at Ming Qian and sneered, "Heh, you're quite full of clever ideas. Wouldn't it be better to use that energy on training?"
Ming Qian pressed his lips together.
Hao Lin pondered for a moment, then said, "If there's an explanation, it shouldn't come from you. I'll have the marketing accounts release information, saying someone saw you weren't feeling well backstage, dizzy and vomiting, but you still insisted on performing."
Hao Lin continued, "Then, I'll buy some internet trolls to attack you, saying your professional skills are lacking, that you're too fragile, always making excuses... basically, create a trend of collective cyberbullying against you, understand?"
Ming Qian nodded.
Hao Lin said, "You just stay completely silent, play the part of the wronged little white flower, quietly endure the cyberbullying from the trolls. Then I'll find a way to get a medical report for you and release it at the appropriate time."
[小白花 (xiǎo báihuā): lit. little white flower; fig. an innocent, pure, often victimized character archetype]
Hao Lin added, "At that point, your fans will definitely feel distressed for you and come to feel sorry for you. Then you post on Weibo, the content of your post should not mention your grievances at all, not a single word, as if you've forgotten the whole thing. The key is to show concern for your fans."
Hao Lin concluded, "This way, the fans who are already deeply distressed by your suffering, and are then comforted by you, will instantly become die-hard fans."
Ming Qian nodded, somewhat dazed. This was the first time he had heard of such methods.
Hao Lin smiled smugly, raised his hand, and patted Ming Qian's shoulder. "This industry is like this, true and false mixed together. The more adversity you face, the greater the chance to turn things around. Maybe you'll lose some fans this time, but those willing to stay for you will become your die-hard fans. You'll have more fans in the future, but die-hard fans are rare."
"So, appropriately 'distressing' your fans makes them more devoted to you. Understand?"
Ming Qian nodded slowly, agreeing with Hao Lin's reasoning.
What Hao Lin was most satisfied with about Ming Qian was this: although his professional skills weren't strong and he had no particular talent besides his face, he was sufficiently obedient, and would honestly and obediently follow his arrangements.
No sooner said than done. Hao Lin quickly released news about Ming Qian being unwell. Then he arranged for Ming Qian to go back to the concert venue's backstage area to stage a few photos of him vomiting in the bathroom, and had the marketing accounts publish corresponding posts with this narrative.
This operation instantly pulled back those fans who were on the verge of wavering. Their minds filled in the gaps, and they were immediately deeply distressed by their own imagined scenarios.
Oh my god! So Brother Qian was like that because he was unwell? He performed despite being in pain? What we saw wasn't the truth! Brother Qian still loves us; otherwise, why would he drag his sick body onto the stage?
But what did we do to Brother Qian! We actually didn't believe him, but instead believed those fence-sitters who sway with every gossip they hear!
The fans who had started to feel restless gradually calmed down, quickly regained their confidence, and used this information to accuse the fans who had left of being heartless.
After all, Hao Lin was an agent who had been in the entertainment industry for many years. Besides stabilizing the fans' hearts with this 'distressing' strategy, he specifically arranged for some artists to be exposed in news leaks to divert attention and lower the heat on Ming Qian's issue.
Wen Yu became his target this time.
The reason he chose Wen Yu from the same team, instead of Rong Yu, was because the material on Wen Yu was indeed explosive enough to suppress the news about Ming Qian's fans having internal conflicts.
# WenYuStarSecond Generation#
# WenLinghuiFilm Empress'sSon#
Although he had already debuted, Wen Yu's fame was mostly limited to fans who followed the group's debut. However, Wen Linghui was already an internationally renowned film empress who had won numerous awards and was the goddess-level figure in many men's youths.
Even now, Wen Linghui often appeared in historical drama series, playing elegant noblewomen, even empress roles.
For example, the empress in the historical drama "Decree of the Heavens"—a show that was inevitably rerun every summer and winter break—was played by the renowned actress Wen Linghui. This role had once been voted the most noble and dignified empress in all of historical television.
Therefore, the news that Wen Yu was Wen Linghui's son instantly attracted massive attention and rapidly went viral.
Hmm~
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