Chapter 244: Old Fox Brings News

【Rebirth Begins in 2002 Chinese Entertainment】【】

"General Jiang, take a look at these figures—these are the sales data for our Lingxi Jewelry stores in Badu City."

"Sales have doubled compared to last month, and people keep streaming into the stores every day!"

Zhang Bing rushed into Jiang Ling's office with the sales report, excitedly saying.

Jiang Ling took the report and studied it carefully; after about two minutes, he slammed his hand on the desk:

"Good! This is the kind of data Lingxi should be producing!"

Saying this, Jiang Ling stood up and said:

"Our Lingxi craftsmanship is top-tier, and our designs are by internationally renowned designers—why don't they sell well in China?"

"It's because we haven't found the right approach. Look, sales have taken off now—what's the reason?"

Jiang Ling turned to look at Zhang Bing, his gaze sharp.

As the China head of Lingxi's livestreamers, Jiang Ling bore immense responsibility.

Why did Lingxi, a hit overseas, flop in China?

This was the question Jiang Ling had long struggled to answer, and this sales surge must be tied to some cause.

What exactly was it?

Zhang Bing looked at Jiang Ling and said:

"Probably our promotion…"

Zhang Bing smiled and said:

"Yes! It's promotion. We used to be too quiet, thinking good wine needs no bush—but what era are we in now?"

"The internet has taken off! Headquarters still thinks we're the old China?"

"They think the internet is their exclusive domain, that advertising and marketing are only their forte."

"But now, even good wine fears a deep alley—without promotion, who will see us?"

"Zhang Bing, you're right. You invested in that variety show—what was it called again?"

"We Are In Love."

"Exactly—We Are In Love. Just from the name, you can tell it fits Lingxi perfectly."

"You've been handling the deal all along, haven't you? I knew you were talented—no wonder I pulled you from headquarters."

At the end, Jiang Ling clapped Zhang Bing on the shoulder and said solemnly:

"Every time I attend meetings at headquarters, do you know how those foreigners view us?"

"They even want to cut the China market. That's their short-sightedness—China is an inseparable part of Lingxi!"

Hearing this, Zhang Bing nodded and said:

"The China market is huge. As you just said, our craftsmanship is top-tier, our designs by internationally renowned designers—these are our strengths. The only weakness is brand awareness."

"And We Are In Love is our chance to boost exposure. Jiang Zong, look at the exposure numbers for We Are In Love."

"Do you use Weibo? It's full of young people—We Are In Love tops trending lists almost every update."

"Getting more young people to see the show and our products—that's promotion in action!"

We Are In Love was a variety show sponsored by Lingxi Jewelry for promotion in China.

From its initial development to final production, Lingxi Jewelry never interfered.

This was exactly what Zhang Bing had always advocated: let professionals handle professional work.

Give creators maximum creative freedom.

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【Rebirth Begins in 2002 Chinese Entertainment】【】

Of course, Cheng Chen didn't let him down—given the exposure We Are In Love had now, Lingxi Jewelry had gained immensely.

"Zhang Bing, you can now start negotiating with the show's producers about season two."

"Based on the results of these two episodes,

I'm already very satisfied—don't worry about the money."

"We give you so much promotional funding every year; even if you pour it all into this, it's fine—I'll handle the application to headquarters."

Jiang Ling waved his hand grandly.

"Starting season two now—wouldn't that be too early?"

Zhang Bing asked.

Jiang Ling smiled slightly and said:

"Not too early. This show already has the potential to go viral—why not keep riding it?"

"If I'm not mistaken, someone's already contacted the show's producers."

"When a show becomes popular, countless imitators will follow—but as long as we keep our first-mover position, we're fine."

"No matter how they copy or imitate, as long as we do better than them—or even just keep doing it—they'll always live in our shadow."

Hearing Jiang Ling's words, Zhang Bing thought carefully—it really was true.

He nodded and said:

"Alright, I'll contact Cheng Chen right away."

"Mm, by the way, I remember Cheng Chen is also a singer—discuss with him about writing a song for Lingxi Jewelry in China."

"Make it our main promotional song for the China market—just make sure it fits our product."

Jiang Ling added as a final reminder.

"Understood."

……

Since the second episode of "We Are In Love" aired, everyone on Weibo has been discussing this variety show.

"How did I never realize Cheng Chen is so good at flirting? Clearly, when God opens a window for you, he also opens a door."

"Guys, I've decided: from now on, Cheng Chen is my dating coach. 'We Are In Love' is basically a dating bible—Cheng Chen is exactly who we should learn from. Follow his moves and you'll get out of singlehood soon!"

"Hey, wake up, everyone—if you had Cheng Chen's looks and talent, I'd tell you to copy him.

But if you're average-looking and have no talent, doing the same thing in real life will just make girls see you as a creep.

Don't ask me why I know. I won't say more—the cops are calling me in for a statement…"

"Honestly, if you say Cheng Chen has never been in love, not even a dog would believe it!"

"Hahaha, if you want to get a girlfriend, learn from Cheng Chen; if you want to stay single forever, learn from Huang Xiaoming and Deng Chao—these two are hilarious.

If Cheng Chen is a walking dating bible, then these two are textbook examples of what not to do!"

#ChengChenFlirting #ChengChenWalkingDatingBible #ShockedByChengChen'sMoves

Right after the second episode aired, Weibo immediately lit up with related topics.

As Cheng Chen's partner on the show, Ceng Li's Weibo also quickly drew in many fans.

Many fans left comments on her Weibo:

"Sis is so beautiful—I never noticed before! Clearly, the entertainment industry produces the most beautiful women!"

"Sis, don't let Cheng Chen steal you away—you're my hidden treasure I just discovered!"

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【Rebirth Starting from Huayu 2002】【】

"I've followed Da Mei Li since 'Nancai Nümao'—you're finally famous! Moved…"

Although online coverage of "We Are In Love" was overwhelming, the male lead, Cheng Chen, had unusually gone into seclusion.

The reason? Lao Mou Zi finally gave his response.

Cheng Chen could audition for a role, but he had to pass the audition and earn Lao Mou Zi's approval—the role offered to him was Yuan Xiang.

It was Yuan Xiang.

Cheng Chen was surprised.

He had assumed Lao Mou Zi might offer him Yuan Jie—the role originally played by Jie Lun in the original version.

Thinking of Jie Lun's role in "Curse of the Golden Flower," Cheng Chen recalled a story from his past life.

It was said Lao Mou Zi had already finished writing the script for "Curse of the Golden Flower."

The contracts with the two leads, Fa Ge and Gong Huang, were already signed.

Then investor Zhang Weipin suddenly knocked on Lao Mou Zi's door and urged him to reconsider the casting.

Lao Mou Zi was puzzled: what was the problem with the actors?

Both Fa Ge and Gong Huang were great actors!

Zhang Weipin hesitated and said:

"They're great actors, no doubt—but they're too old to attract young audiences!"

Lao Mou Zi finally understood what Zhang Weipin meant and asked bluntly:

"Who are you trying to push into the cast?"

Zhang Weipin recommended Jie Lun, saying young people loved him and his fame had already surpassed the Four Heavenly Kings.

Because of that one sentence, Lao Mou Zi rewrote the script and added a new role.

To draw Jie Lun's fans to theaters, Lao Mou Zi specially crafted several key scenes for him.

Especially the final scene where Prince Jie rebels—Lao Mou Zi gave Jie Lun every single shot that was most handsome and visually striking.

In the end, the box office of "Curse of the Golden Flower" was seen by all—it earned 290 million yuan domestically!

Of course, all this is rumor, and its credibility is greatly diminished.

For one thing, the idea that Lao Mou Zi rewrote scenes just for Jie Lun? That's ridiculous.

If Lao Mou Zi's films were purely about chasing attention and box office, he would've agreed to Cheng Chen's request to join the cast from the very beginning.

After all, Cheng Chen's influence now surpasses Jie Lun's.

Also, if Lao Mou Zi only cared about box office, he wouldn't have cast newcomers like Ni Ni, Zhou Dongyu, and Liu Haocun as female leads in his later films.

Yawenku

The most reliable account is that this role was tailor-made by Lao Mou Zi for Jie Lun.

On one hand, Lao Mou Zi was confident in his ability to train actors; on the other, he genuinely wanted to leverage Jie Lun's popularity.

But to be fair, Lao Mou Zi offering Yuan Xiang to Cheng Chen was truly unexpected.

The prototype of Yuan Xiang is actually Zhou Ping from "Thunderstorm."

But regardless, since Lao Mou Zi had spoken, Cheng Chen began his work.

First, he reread the script multiple times and started writing character profiles and analyzing relationships.

This was something Cheng Chen always did before taking on any role.

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【Rebirth Starting from Huayu 2002】【】

"Curse of the Golden Flower" mainly tells the story after the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period.

The character played by Fa Ge was originally the Imperial Guard Commander, happily married to his wife, and they had a son named Yuan Xiang.

The three of them lived happily—until political turmoil erupted, and the man led troops in rebellion, succeeded, and declared himself king.

To consolidate his power, the king married the daughter of the Liang ruler and made the Liang princess his Queen.

But since he already had a wife, he was forced to send her away and publicly claimed she had died.

The Queen, of course, was much younger than the king—she married him only to secure peace between the two nations.

She didn't have to marry a man she didn't love and who was much older.

Although she had given birth to two sons, Yuan Jie and Yuan Cheng, with the King, she remained inwardly empty and lonely.

Her stepson Yuan Xiang had grown into adulthood; according to family hierarchy, Yuan Xiang should call her Queen.

But Yuan Xiang and the Queen were around the same age, and they got along well.

As they talked, they crossed the line!

From then on, the Queen clung to Yuan Xiang like a lifeline.

Unfortunately, Yuan Xiang was weak-willed; at first, because he was just awakening to love, confused and naive, he fell for the Queen.

But later he realized her possessiveness was too strong, and she wanted too much.

Faced with the Queen's relentless pressure, he could only choose to flee.

He even visited courtesans and committed improper acts with the maid Jiang Chan.

The Queen was no fool—she knew what Yuan Xiang had done, and she intended to humiliate him by ordering Jiang Chan's immediate execution.

No one knew Jiang Chan was the daughter of the King's first wife; her father was a high-ranking eunuch in the palace.

Jiang Chan and Yuan Xiang were half-siblings, sharing the same mother…

The King felt guilt over having banished his first wife, so he kept her portrait enshrined.

He knew his son Yuan Xiang was weak, but because of his love for the first wife, he doted on Yuan Xiang excessively.

He paid less attention to his other two sons.

Although the King appointed Yuan Jie as General and Yuan Cheng as Prince, he named Yuan Xiang as Crown Prince!

This planted the seeds for what would happen later…

By this point in the analysis, the traits of Yuan Xiang's character have already come vividly to life.

In fact, Cheng Chen didn't particularly like Yuan Xiang.

He played both sides—having an affair with his stepmother and entangling himself with Jiang Chan.

He was truly the archetypal example of a lustful prince in ancient imperial families.

When he learned the Queen planned to launch a coup, his attempt to stop her wasn't out of love for his father.

He feared the world would blame him for it, leaving him in irredeemable ruin—a thought so absurd it was almost laughable.

Finally, when he discovered that Jiang Chan, the woman he had been entangled with night after night, was his half-sister…

His shocked and terrified reaction revealed his absurdity.

His death at the hands of the Third Prince may have been his best release.

If he hadn't died, how could he face his father—or the world?

In contrast to Zhou Ping in Thunderstorm, who was torn apart by emotional, character, and moral entanglements,

trapped in the suffocating pressure of home with no escape, ultimately shooting himself.

Lao Mou Zi's arrangement—having Yuan Xiang killed by his brother Yuan Jie—was far more satisfying and dramatically potent.

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【Rebirth Starting from the Chinese Entertainment Industry in 2002】【】

In fact, Yuan Xiang is the most complex character in Curse of the Golden Flower.

He resists, but cannot rebel outright like Yuan Jie by leading an army.

He compromises, yet his conscience remains intact—he will not become like the King.

He wavers, hoping to uphold his principles, yet cannot resist temptation, making him suffer more than others.

Yuan Xiang is a pure man; his humanity is laid bare.

He is not elevated, nor overly molded into a stereotype—he is simply an ordinary man.

In that historical Time, we are most likely to become Yuan Xiang.

Thinking of this, Cheng Chen wrote in his small notebook:

"When performing Yuan Xiang, portray his cowardice, compromise, wavering, and inner conflict.

Avoid overly resolute expressions and overly passionate tones… his eyes should be melancholy, his speech slow and hesitant…

Practice eye acting and lines; for historical dramas, wear makeup to fully enter character…"

…

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