Superstar's Development Diary
Chapter 139: This Wave of Tricks

Chapter 139: Chapter 139: This Wave of Tricks

An aging man and a younger one supported each other as they walked out of the film set, then got into their respective cars, driving off to different destinations to the cheerful song of "New Year’s here, God of Wealth is here."

As He Jinxia left the production crew, the New Year special edition of "Decorum" magazine was finally released at five o’clock in the afternoon.

For this New Year special, "Decorum" had really gone all out, inviting many top-tier stars for the photoshoot; because there were so many A-list celebrities, "Decorum" had initially struggled over which star to feature on the cover.

However, in the end, they settled the matter quite perfectly, inviting a long-famous couple—both A-listers in their own right—to grace the cover.

The couple had performed brilliantly in a parent-child show last year, winning over a legion of fans, and their child was even lovingly referred to by the public as the "nation’s child."

To avoid overshadowing the other celebrities, "Decorum" simply invited both spouses and even brought their child along for the cover shoot.

With the family of three stepping out, the rest of the A-list celebrities had no objections.

Possibly, viewed individually, each member of this family might be less influential than other A-listers, but once they united as three... they were indeed hard to beat.

In preparation for this special issue, "Decorum" started promoting it on W-blog a week in advance, releasing glamorous shots of different celebrities every other day, effectively whetting everyone’s appetite.

There were top-tier stars included, and also strong, up-and-coming second-tier stars. Naturally, Zhang You, known as the "little prince of rock," was invited, as was "inspirational goddess" He Jinxia.

As soon as it hit five o’clock, major magazine retailers around the world updated their stocks with the New Year special of "Decorum." According to photos taken by on-site staff, certain places even experienced queues and crowding!

To think a magazine could become a best-seller, "Decorum" had become this year’s first publication to create such a sensation, overshadowing the hype caused by "L&G Charming Women" during New Year’s.

This time, "Decorum" did not only sell physical copies of the magazine, but also made the digital edition available for purchase online at the same time.

Those waiting in line for the magazine couldn’t see the inside photos so quickly, but those who had bought the digital version got to see them right away, and within ten minutes, a crowd of comments appeared under "Decorum"’s official W-blog:

[So in love, so in love! Got to see so many handsome men and beautiful women in one go!]

[Cheering wildly for my Ziyi! True to being this year’s up-and-coming Movie Queen, simply stunning!]

[Ahhh, my idol Yan Nan is also so handsome, I can finally say with confidence that Yan Nan belongs to the good-looking stars!]

...

The first few pages were swamped with comments about A-list celebrities, but as one flipped further, comments from fans of second-tier stars also popped up.

[Zhang You, the rock’n’roll prince, rock on~]

[What a coincidence, Fat Emperor and Zhang You ended up together again.]

[The frequency of Fat Emperor and Zhang You bumping into each other is way too high, I’m starting to think it’s fate determined by the heavens to match these two!]

[Negative review, strong negative review! Fat Emperor didn’t even get a single solo shot, only appearing in a group photo, and despite being from the same film crew, she wasn’t even in the center spot! [Shocked] Even the supporting actress Li Li got two solo magazine photos!]

[I’m so mad, I want to see Fat Emperor, not Li Li—pheh, Li Li doesn’t look good at all, trying to act all innocent and naive, it’s disgusting!]

[What’s with "Decorum"’s strategy, promoting the supporting actress over the leading lady?]

...

As Timekeeper fans of He Jinxia, most of them bought the magazine just for her; although the other celebrities were pleasing to the eyes, what they most wanted to see was Fat Emperor!

A group photo couldn’t possibly quench their insatiable inner thirst~

Hence, many of He Jinxia’s fans took the initiative to leave comments under "Decorum" magazine’s Weibo, dissing "Decorum" for their saucy operation of promoting the supporting actress over the lead.

He Jinxia’s team noticed the fans’ spontaneous actions immediately. Luo You and Zhang Dayou discussed it and decided not to add fuel to the fire; they chose to let things unfold on their own.

Stirring things up would definitely let "Decorum" see the traces, and people in the circle could tell at a glance whether a ’Water Army’ was rallying the rhythm or not. "Decorum" is, after all, a well-established, second-tier magazine, and it was not appropriate for He Jinxia to fall out with them now.

But if they did nothing and the fans, on their own, hyped up the topic, then it would no longer be their concern.

The public opinion kept fermenting. He Jinxia’s good public rapport showed fully at this moment — not only did her fans enter the fray, but fans of other celebrities and even onlookers got involved out of curiosity.

[I’m not a fan of He Jinxia, but as someone who’s just watching the drama unfold, "Decorum’s" move here is truly 666!]

[Looking at the photo, it’s from the same crew together, right? He Jinxia is the lead, it’s one thing if she doesn’t stand in the center, but not even getting a better photo than a supporting actress??]

[Don’t think too much, it might just be a coincidence?]

[Naive upstairs, there are not so many coincidences in the entertainment circle. This circle is more hierarchical than you can imagine, even seating positions are allocated by status. Real coincidences wouldn’t cause so many celebs to start a feud over a minor issue!]

...

Because too many people were discussing this topic, there was a subtle trend towards making it to the trending search list. "Decorum" magazine’s official account urgently posted a message to calm the public.

VDecorum: [This photo was left to the photographer’s artistic discretion. "Decorum" respects the photographer’s inspiration, and photos that look more festive will be prioritized for publication.]

So what this explanation is saying is that He Jinxia doesn’t look as festive as Li Li, huh?

And what’s wrong here is that, yes, the photographer took the photos, but "Decorum" was the one choosing which to publish. "Decorum" can’t possibly not know that Li Li is a supporting actress. Are they publicly lifting Li Li while suppressing He Jinxia?

[Isn’t this your own mistake in choosing Fat Emperor’s style? If Fat Emperor wore the type of outfit Li Li did, who would dare say it lacks festivity?]

[Take a closer look, seems like Fat Emperor’s face really doesn’t carry much of a New Year vibe. Ah, too skinny; it’s almost New Year’s, why so thin? Should be a bit plumper, the thinness makes me feel choked, my face is... twice the size of Fat Emperor’s?]

[Photographer is an innocent scapegoat! The photographer took the photos, but you’re the ones who chose to put them in the magazine. "Decorum" clearly wants to promote Li Li, so why bother looking for excuses?]

...

Luo You didn’t want to offend "Decorum" too much either. When the time seemed right, he went on He Jinxia’s Weibo and posted a photo taken in the studio showing He Jinxia and Song Zilin together.

Both were wearing very festive red clothes, smiling at the camera with a friendly vibe that could be felt even through the photo.

VHe Jinxia: [New Year’s is coming! Here’s wishing everyone an early Happy New Year, may you be blessed with wealth and may all go well with you!]

This Weibo post immediately caught the attention of fans who started leaving their own festive greetings in the comments, and gradually, the Timekeepers stopped fixating on the "Decorum" issue to argue any further.

Seeing their idol share a picture taken for "Decorum," it seemed like a gesture of not holding any grudges, and if their idol didn’t care anymore, there wasn’t much point for the fans to keep up their fight.

Some Timekeepers were even persuading others on the "Decorum" page to stop dissing so that Fat Emperor wouldn’t be in an awkward position.

It’s undeniable that having a group of quality fans really outweighs certain marketing tactics.

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