"Since you think having the full GZ boy group together will help ratings, and it'll be good for the show, I don't mind taking the short end of the stick," Chu Zhi said immediately. "Come on, Director Che, we're friends, right?"
"Uh…"
Che Lun hadn't expected it to go so smoothly. A thought crossed his mind: when did he and Chu Zhi get so close?
Wait—back during Journey of the Stars, Chu Zhi had said he joined partly because of him. Che Lun thought it was just a polite excuse, but maybe it really was true.
"Well, thanks, brother." This time, when Che Lun called him "brother," it carried some real sincerity.
They were both busy men. Once the business was settled, they ended the call.
"No wonder everyone in the industry says Chu Zhi has a good personality. He's easy to work with," Che Lun muttered to himself. By "everyone," he meant people in the video streaming business.
Chu Zhi hadn't lowered his voice during the call, so both Lao Qian and Wang Yuan had heard everything.
"Who are you planning to invite as your duet partner?" Lao Qian asked.
Wang Yuan was listening too. A guest performer had to be someone without a messy reputation.
"I'll keep that a secret for now," Chu Zhi said with a grin.
Seeing how confident he was, neither manager pressed further. The full GZ boy group was a powerhouse in the Asian music market, but they both had faith in Chu Zhi.
The three of them were on their way to a press conference. It was for a new drama starring Yun Rong, another artist under Taiyang Chuanhe. The company had asked Chu Zhi to show up for support.
To be fair, Yun Rong was one of the few genuinely skilled actors under Taiyang Chuanhe. His acting chops were solid. The problem was—he wasn't popular. On top of that, he had a bad eye for scripts and had flopped two or three projects in a row.
The new drama, Red Action, had a solid team behind it. Not famous, but known for a few quality productions. They gave Yun Rong the lead role mainly because Taiyang Chuanhe promised Chu Zhi would help promote it, like appearing at today's press conference or posting about the show when it aired.
The event was held in a modest conference hall. The media turnout was light—maybe twenty reporters and a handful of influencers.
The main cast and crew sat up front to field questions.
"What led you to cast this group of leads?" a journalist from Entertainment Tonight asked.
"When you pick actors, you want ones who fit the role. And I think our team is just right," said the Buddha-like director with a chuckle. "Look at our male lead—he already looks like a stern old-school official."
"Mr. Yun Rong, your last few projects didn't do well. What are your hopes for this one?" a reporter from Entertainment Express asked, a little sharply.
"I just hope the ratings are decent," Yun Rong answered with a polite smile.
"Do you feel any pressure?" the same reporter pressed. "What if this one flops too?"
Three failures in a row—anyone could guess some blame would fall on the actor. Yun Rong felt a bit wronged, though.
The first flop was due to a supporting actress, backed by money, taking over scenes meant for the original lead. The script got butchered.
The second time, the second male lead got caught in a scandal just before airing, and the team had to cut his scenes in a rush. It barely stayed on air, but the result was a chopped-up mess.
The third flop—okay, that was a script problem. Even Yun Rong's solid performance couldn't save it. After all, not even Zhao Youting's phenomenal acting could redeem Midnight Diner.
"Mr. Yun, how do you feel about being called a 'low-score regular' on Douban after three shows scoring under 4.0?" another reporter jumped in. It was a tag-team ambush.
It felt like someone had sent these reporters just to sabotage the event. Even when chasing headlines, this was a bit much.
Backstage, Chu Zhi had been waiting for a cue. He decided it was time to step in.
"Yun-ge, I hope it's alright I just walked in unannounced?" Chu Zhi strode in from the wings and gave Yun Rong a quick hug on stage.
Everyone in the room froze. Wait—was that Chu Zhi? Why was he here? There had been no announcement.
Yun Rong tensed up. His agent had mentioned that Chu Zhi might show up, but they weren't close at all.
"Sorry for the interruption, Director Li." Chu Zhi turned to greet the round-faced, cheerful director.
"No trouble at all," the director replied, then waved for a staffer to bring Chu Zhi a small black chair.
"Yun-ge is one of my favorite actors," Chu Zhi said as he sat. "He's got real skill. With the right script, he'll absolutely deliver. I happened to be nearby shooting a commercial, and when I heard Director Li was holding a press event, I figured I'd drop by."
The chair was a bit stiff, but he made do. "Don't mind me. You can keep asking questions."
And just like that, a mountain of support had arrived. No one in the room dared underestimate the man now quietly sitting at the side.
The reporters from Entertainment Express and Entertainment Tonight exchanged a glance. No matter how much they were paid to stir trouble, risking their careers over this wasn't worth it.
So the questions returned to normal.
"This is a Republican-era story, correct? Will it focus mostly on war?"
"I heard the script changed hands twice. Is that true?"
"Ms. Fan, how does it feel to be the female lead in a male-centric drama?"
No one was stupid. If they kept pushing, and Chu Zhi clapped back, they would get wrecked by his fan army—the "Little Fruits." And if things got ugly, guess who'd be the first to get fired?
With Chu Zhi holding down the fort, Red Action wrapped the event smoothly.
"Thanks for the help, Mr. Chu," Yun Rong said afterward.
"No trouble at all. I was just passing by," Chu Zhi replied.
Yun Rong knew it wasn't that simple. A top-tier celebrity showing up for free, offering visible support—that was huge. Chu Zhi had set the bar high from the start, and since his comeback, he had gone straight back to the A-list. He didn't do many interviews or promo appearances.
His manager, Niu Jiangxue, had been managing his public image with precision. The idea was to avoid overexposure. If every song already caused a stir, flooding the media with interviews could easily backfire. They didn't want to exhaust the goodwill of casual fans.
Of course, that only worked because his work was consistently strong. Without it, there'd be nothing to talk about.
"Yun-ge, you're being too polite. With your talent, this might be the breakout," Chu Zhi said, never once mentioning the company's arrangement.
That kind of sincerity was refreshing. No wonder he was so popular. Yun Rong already felt like they were becoming friends. They chatted a bit more. Yun Rong offered to treat him to dinner, but Chu Zhi declined.
"Next time it's on me. I've got to catch a flight back to Shanghai."
"Work comes first. Go on then," Yun Rong said. Though the company had asked for this favor, Chu Zhi had clearly taken time out of a packed schedule. The moment he stepped in during that tense Q&A—it had felt like a rescue.
As he left the venue, Chu Zhi thought to himself: since I'm already helping, I might as well let him owe me a favor. Consider it an investment. If he gets big, the returns will be massive.
Back in the van, it was true—he had to fly back to Shanghai. Top-tier idols were always in the air, flying twenty times a month on average.