Chapter 15#

Chapter 15: Publicity#

The first stop of the offline promotion was arranged in City H.

Before this, Starry Sky had already heavily promoted the release date and main cast of Blade through the internet and major media outlets. Massive posters had flooded subway passages and cinema billboards in every major city. Within a short time, several official trailers had each garnered over ten million online views. The promotional team this time was still Li Ran’s usual group, with whom he had collaborated no fewer than ten times. Every process was deeply familiar to them, and their tacit agreement was flawless.

What surprised Lu Yan a little was that on the promotional posters, Gu Yang naturally occupied the most prominent position, but he himself—only a supporting character—was nearly equal in both placement and size to Yan Shaohui, the official male lead No. 2. Just from the poster, one might even mistake Lu Yan for the male lead No. 2. Among the official trailers, one was edited with Lu Yan’s character as the primary perspective. His heroic and spirited entrance, full of vitality, contrasted sharply with his desolate fall in the final moments within just a few minutes, leaving many netizens heartbroken. They howled while scrolling through the cast list, eager to know the name of this handsome yet deeply lonely and heart-wrenching man. In just a few days, Lu Yan went from being unknown to somewhat famous, and even an official fan club was established.

On the internet, Lu Yan was naturally too busy to pay attention to these developments. As a diligent and competent assistant, Song Hui took it upon himself to provide real-time updates, so Lu Yan was not entirely in the dark. That was also why, at the press conference in City H, when he saw many placards bearing his name, Lu Yan was not overly surprised.

More and more reporters and fans packed the small press conference venue to the brim. Five main cast members attended this stop’s promotion: director Li Ran, male lead Gu Yang, female lead Mu Xiao, male lead No. 2 Yan Shaohui, and Lu Yan. Behind them stood a massive poster, and their positioning was interesting: Li Ran naturally stood in the center, with Gu Yang on his left, and next to Gu Yang was Lu Yan, while on the other side were Mu Xiao and Yan Shaohui.

The host began with the customary opening and introductions. Each introduction was met with screams from the fans below, with Gu Yang and Yan Shaohui receiving the loudest cheers—after all, they were the Best Actor winner and the popular singer.

After that came interviews and interactions. Li Ran, as always, was aloof and sparing with words, only talking about the film and refusing to answer any personal questions. The host, seemingly accustomed to his attitude, stopped asking after a while. As the newly crowned Best Actor, Gu Yang naturally received the most attention. The host questioned him from inside the film to outside, from his feelings about winning to his romantic life, becoming increasingly personal. Gu Yang did not get angry; he maintained a smile throughout, his tone humorous and witty. After a few rounds of verbal sparring, the host was left without much to say and could not press further on personal matters. Mu Xiao and Yan Shaohui were also regulars at such events, smiling and chatting while skillfully navigating what to say and what not to say. The host, being shrewd and noticing the large number of Yan Shaohui’s fans present, specially arranged some small interactions as a fan benefit. Finally, it was Lu Yan’s turn. The host did not ignore him just because he was a newcomer; it seemed she had done her homework beforehand. She immediately mentioned that she had seen the official trailer and was very curious and looking forward to Lu Yan’s role, jokingly asking him to give a spoiler. Lu Yan smiled lightly, saying that this was a great role and he was very grateful to Director Li and the crew for giving him this opportunity. As for specifics, everyone would have to go to the cinema to see for themselves. It was a very standard answer, but Lu Yan’s attitude and tone made people feel a sense of sincerity. When answering several subsequent questions, Lu Yan’s responses were also very satisfying, completely lacking the stage fright or lack of discretion often seen in newcomers.

Next was the audience Q&A session.

Most of the questions revolved around Gu Yang and Yan Shaohui. It had to be said that the planning team’s initial decision to focus promotion on the newly crowned Best Actor and the popular singer making his film debut was very wise.

Mu Xiao, the only woman present, also received considerable attention. Reporters were particularly interested in her relationship with Xing Kong’s vice president, even asking whether a recent photo of their backs entering an upscale private club together had been them. Mu Xiao only smiled and said, “Today our focus is Blade. Please ask more questions related to the film,” effectively dodging all inquiries. Yet her expression, neither angry nor annoyed but carrying a hint of shyness and sweetness, seemed to hint at an answer ready to surface. As the sole female lead in a male-dominated film, performing admirably, Mu Xiao was far from simple.

Remarkably, as a newcomer, Lu Yan did not fade into obscurity amid the star-studded event. Someone quickly directed a question at him.

“I heard that Mr. Lu Yan is a top student from XX Academy of Performing Arts. Landing such a significant role in your first film—could there be some special reason behind it?”

This insinuated that he had backing and had used underhanded methods.

Lu Yan smiled. “Of course. I must thank my mentor, Professor Chen Xueming, who recommended me to Director Li for this role, giving me this opportunity.”

Li Ran, standing nearby, naturally confirmed this fact.

“One of the official trailers released online is edited from your character’s perspective. Does that mean you are actually the male lead No. 2 in the film?”

Yan Shaohui’s face immediately changed color. Lu Yan glanced at him lightly, noting that he was not on the same level as Mu Xiao; he lacked composure and could not hide his thoughts.

Lu Yan spoke calmly, “I think this is just for promotional purposes. Of course, I also want to thank the editor for their affection toward my character. As for other speculations, I welcome this reporter friend to go to the cinema and discover the truth.”

As the only newcomer present, some unfriendly harassment was inevitable. After all, if everything were too harmonious, there would be fewer news highlights. The others were either Best Actors, renowned directors, or popular idols with large fan bases. It was only human nature to pick on the softest target.

Lu Yan understood this and was not angry, but that did not mean he would simply take it lying down. Whatever moves the other side made, he countered, often leaving them speechless without raising his voice. After a few rounds, everyone realized that this newcomer was not so easy to manipulate.

Fortunately, there were also some well-intentioned questions, especially from a few media outlets that had always had good relations with Xing Kong. Knowing that Lu Yan had signed with Xing Kong, they naturally gave him some face. Moreover, given the newcomer’s quality, it probably wouldn’t be long before he achieved something, so building a good relationship couldn’t hurt.

Soon, someone asked Lu Yan about his opinion of director Li Ran. Lu Yan knew this was an opportunity to express himself publicly, so he went along smoothly. “Director Li is an excellent director. Although many think he is strict, that’s because he has very high standards for the film and his ideas are often unique. Working with Director Li on this film taught me a lot. Of course, if Director Li would smile more often, I think he’d be even more popular.”

The last sentence had a joking tone, and the reporter smiled sympathetically.

Then, naturally, Li Ran was asked about his view of the newcomer Lu Yan.

Li Ran spoke frankly, praising him without reservation, which surprised the reporters who knew his temperament well. When asked if he had considered inviting Lu Yan to be the male lead in his next film, Li Ran did not hide his answer, saying it would depend on having a suitable script.

Later, someone asked Lu Yan and Best Actor Gu Yang about their impressions of each other. The two exchanged lighthearted banter like old buddies, making it clear that they truly got along well.

Observant people secretly marveled, thinking that either Lu Yan really had backing or he was truly adept at managing relationships, having quickly won the favor and recognition of the renowned director Li Ran and Best Actor Gu Yang, who were practically praising him without reserve. These two were notoriously hard to please in the industry, especially Li Ran, for whom a word of praise was extremely rare.

As for Yan Shaohui, who had been sulking on the sidelines—this popular singer really thought too highly of himself. Who was he putting on that face for? To outsiders, he might seem glamorous and at his peak, but insiders could easily see through him. Such so-called idols, relying on their looks and living off their youth, were never in short supply in the industry. One batch after another—while they were still popular, everyone naturally flattered them. But once they faded, they were left aside. Those with good tempers might still get some face, but those with a harder attitude? No one would bother.

Speaking of the entertainment industry, it really is a realistic and cruel place. But it still couldn’t stop wave after wave of people from trying to break in. Since you chose it, you had to accept it—whether you liked it or not.

What followed was a series of days spent shuttling between filming and promotions. Sometimes, when Lu Yan opened his eyes, he didn’t know whether he was on set or in some city. If not for Qin Feng reminding him of the schedule and Song Hui handling the trivial matters, he would have lost track of time entirely.

Of course, such efforts also brought rewards.

Xing Kong’s promotion of Blade this time was a huge undertaking. Posters on every street corner, coverage in cinemas and subways—even the offline promotions alone covered eight cities, far more than usual. Under such an intense campaign, the release date was set for the end of November. Overwhelming news but no film in sight—it was enough to make people unbearably eager, almost like hunger marketing. In online surveys asking whether they would go to the cinema to support Blade, over eighty-five percent answered yes.

With each stop of the promotion, Lu Yan’s fame grew. From the first stop, where only a few scattered fans held up placards to support him, to later stops where fan groups would meet him at the airport and see him off. The official WeChat account that Qin Feng had opened for him broke 100,000 followers on the first day, and it was expected that by the time the film was released, the number would climb even higher. Lu Yan’s value also rose accordingly; although other aspects were not yet visible, his living quarters had moved from the shared dormitory to a private apartment, and when Qin Feng applied for it, there was hardly any difficulty.