doitstory Chapter 582 "Riding the Wind" VS "Youth"
Chapter 582 "Riding the Wind" VS "Youth"
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"Pah! Is this all the top celebrities in the entertainment industry are?"
"So what if they cursed me? I'm perfectly fine, aren't I?"
"Look how scared you are! You dare not support an all-Chinese team? I'll make you regret it!"
After venting their frustrations, the arrogant royalist supporters prepared to retreat to their own base and declare their victory.
Some of them were RNG fans, some were just people joining in the fun, and some didn't even play League of Legends normally, they just watched the games and were simply moved by the words "all-Chinese team".
The keyboard clattered loudly, and a satisfied smile, as if saying "I brought glory to the all-Chinese team," graced the face behind the screen.
But when they habitually refreshed RNG's official blog, preparing to go home again under the banner of an "all-Chinese team"—
"Wait a minute! Why is our comment section closed?!"
"It seems that not only the official Weibo account's comment section is closed, but the comment sections for every contestant are also closed!"
"What's going on?!"
The royal enthusiasts were all dumbfounded.
Like a group of cavalry charging into battle, suddenly finding the bridge ahead broken, their hooves kicked in the air a few times before they and their horses plunged into the river.
"Why doesn't the official Weibo account dare to utter a single word?"
"What are you afraid of? Gu Qing isn't going to eat us up, is she?"
"Exactly, exactly, he's just an actor, isn't he?"
Some people are still being stubborn, but their fingers are already trembling a little.
They had a vague feeling that things weren't so simple.
Not long ago,
When RNG's management learned that some of their fanatical fans had gone so far as to hurl insults at Gu Qing on his blog, their minds went completely blank for a moment.
That blankness was purely from being scared.
The operations director was sitting in his office with two cups of tea in front of him, steam still rising from them.
He had just put his phone down.
The next second, the assistant rushed in as if being chased by a ghost, his face as white as paper.
"Mr. Wang, something terrible has happened!"
"What is it? Speak slowly, the sky isn't going to fall."
"The sky... the sky is really falling!"
The assistant handed over the phone; on the screen, Gu Qing's blog comment section had been completely flooded with messages.
The screen was filled with words like "rare," "traitor," "Korean traitor," and "support LCK"... Each of these words felt like a knife stabbing into the heart of the operations director.
Dude, are you guys fucking crazy?!
Who gave you the audacity to insult Gu Qing?!
Oh, it's us.
"We wouldn't dare!!"
The operations director slammed his hand on the table, causing the teacup to jump up and spill tea all over the table, leaving a dark stain.
His face changed from white to red, then from red to green, like a boiled crab.
If it were any other celebrity, even a top-tier one, they could just grit their teeth, bow their head, issue a statement and apologize, and the matter would be over.
Fan wars are nothing new; the esports and entertainment industries have clashed before, and sometimes even the entertainment industry can't win against them.
But this is Gu Qing!
If Jay Chou is the public image ambassador for League of Legends...
Therefore, Gu Qing is the biggest financial backer of Mercedes-Benz, the sponsor of League of Legends competitions!
That's no longer a "guest invited".
That's the God of Wealth!
He's the ancestor who gives away money!
In particular, LPL was eliminated in the semifinals of the recent World Championship.
Today's Bird's Nest showdown is an all-South Korean battle between two teams.
The savings they accumulated from winning the Intercontinental Championship were completely wiped out in the World Championship.
The series of crushing defeats and the humiliation at the Bird's Nest—two Korean teams playing in the finals at the Bird's Nest—that image is a scar etched into the hearts of all LPL viewers.
Aside from the setbacks in their record,
The epic popularity of battle royale games has caused most League of Legends players to lose interest in the game.
On social media, the guys who used to stay up all night watching games are now posting screenshots of their "PUBG" wins.
Baidu Tieba, forums, and Weibo are filled with comments like "Uninstalled," "It's boring," and "LPL should be disbanded."
At this point, you're criticizing the spokesperson for the biggest sponsor, especially since Gu Qing made indelible contributions to the promotion of League of Legends in his early years.
Free endorsements, attending events, playing games on variety shows, mentioning the alliance in interviews.
How many people downloaded this game because of him?
How many lives does RNG have?!
"Do you want us to die?!"
RNG's management was immediately terrified.
"Comments section! Close the comments section first!"
"Close the players' side too!"
"Don't worry about the players... Zihao is experienced and has already told Xiaohu and the others that they've passed the test."
"Issue an announcement now! Issue an apology announcement immediately! @Teacher Gu Qing"
"Should we contact Professor Gu Qing's team first?"
"Contact me my ass! Do you think they can even answer your call right now? Just send it first!"
then,
RNG's official Weibo account quickly posted a tweet tagging Gu Qing to express their apologies and take the initiative to apologize.
The message roughly reads: "We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused by our failure to manage our fans properly. We will strengthen our fan management to prevent such incidents from happening again."
The words were as humble as could be, no different from a kneeling apology.
RNG's players also collectively retweeted their team's official Weibo post and added an apology.
The speed was astonishing.
The funniest thing is the fans.
In a large fan base, there are always some abnormal people, but there are also some normal people.
They caused trouble here, and then rushed over to apologize there.
"Gu Qing, I'm sorry! These people are definitely not RNG fans, they are all trolls, they are haters!!"
"Kneel down before your brother! These people are 'puppet troops,' not our 'Imperial Army'!!"
"True RNG fans all support Gu Qing. Don't let those few bad apples lead you astray!"
Unfortunately, it was too late.
When they saw their beloved younger brother being humiliated by a group of e-sports fans, the Gu family members were so angry they laughed.
They've slapped Li Yifeng, hammered Chris Wu, and tormented Lu Han, and have suppressed the entertainment industry for ages. Yet, they were careless and let these "little bastards" steal their chicken.
"Featured comments, huh? Banning people, huh? Fine, fine, fine!"
"League of Legends officials, get out here!"
Gu Family Members' Explosive Rush Alliance Official Blog.
They were disciplined, swift in their attack, and like a battle-hardened veteran, easily tearing open a breach:
"Is it really 'rare' to label my younger brother like this?"
"You guys are saying: Ambassador for the Promotion of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Anhui Province, Ambassador for Tourism of Anhui Province, Ambassador for Taxpaying APPs of Anhui Province, Ambassador for Communist Youth League Members of Anhui Province, Ambassador for Charity and Love of Anhui Province, One of the Top Ten Outstanding Youths of Anhui Province..."
And outstanding artists who have devoted themselves to promoting their hometown, carrying forward opera and Hanfu, and who have been certified by our mothers to promote traditional culture.
Comrade Gu Qing, who showcased China's strength to the world through "Wolf Warrior 2" and made significant contributions to national charitable causes—is he 'rare'?!
A string of tags and job titles flooded the comments section, leaving viewers overwhelmed.
"My younger brother is one of the owners of IG, so what's wrong with him wanting his team to win a championship? Is that wrong?"
Did he speak ill of other teams?
"You ungrateful wretches! If it weren't for my younger brother helping to promote the game for free a few years ago and participating in your events multiple times, how could your lousy game have become popular?!"
"Such an excellent person at smearing and spreading mud, who is the real spy and the 'rare one'?!"
Every sentence is logically clear, well-supported by evidence, and packed with powerful arguments.
The league officials, trembling with fear, cautiously peeked out: "We are aware of this matter and are actively handling it..."
The Gu family also decided to split into three groups.
The first option is to continue attacking the official league.
The second option is to attack RNG's official website.
The third route—and the most lethal one—is to attack the sponsors.
"Where's Mercedes? Where's Mercedes? Your global ambassador has been criticized, and you're just playing dead?!"
"I want a refund! I want a refund! I'm not taking this car back until I get my brother's revenge!!"
"Cancel the sponsorship! Cancel the sponsorship!!"
The major investors are also being impacted.
"I want to report RNG eSports Club for inciting fans to engage in cyberbullying!!"
Since you can't comment, then report it.
That whistleblower letter was written in a very professional style.
The time, location, ID, screenshots of the statements, and legal basis are all clearly stated, line by line. Someone unfamiliar with the situation might mistake it for a letter from a law firm.
"Good heavens! That's incredible!"
"Hahaha, the Royal Fan Club is like a cat, always humiliating other teams' fans, now they've finally met their match."
"A club that was one of the first to bring in Korean players is now marketing itself as an 'all-Chinese team,' it's hilarious. Even Gu Qing is criticizing them. Do these guys even have a tenth of the skill level of those guys?"
"It doesn't even need to be 10%; I feel like Gu Qing could easily defeat them with one hand."
Similarly, the esports community is not a unified whole; it only becomes more united when facing external threats.
But... Gu Qing is not an "outsider"!
From Season 5 to Season 7, who among League of Legends players who started playing in just two years hasn't heard of him?
The meme of Gu Qing saying "I want to play Yasuo" when he played games on Running Man is still circulating today.
His participation in the League of Legends anniversary celebration has already garnered over ten million views.
Not to mention, RNG is a popular team, but has a terrible reputation and the most haters in the entire league.
These esports players were initially not very interested in tonight's finals.
Who wants to eat shit and watch the South Korean team play in the finals at the Bird's Nest? It's utterly boring.
Seeing that there was something to do, they all joined the fray, acting as "external aid," educating the Gu family members about the team's numerous scandals and providing material for their reports.
Examples include: taking a bath, AFK (away from keyboard), overgrown baby, farmer, noble jungler...
The negative information poured out like beans being poured out.
The situation escalated, with even major streamers, commentators, and hosts in the League of Legends community taking sides and responding during their live streams.
Former IG professional players like PDD and Xiaoxiao are top streamers in the live streaming industry. In terms of fan loyalty and spending power, they have surpassed even second-tier celebrities.
PDD was streaming a ranked game, and someone in the chat was saying "RNG fans are cursing Gu Qing".
He paused the game, took off his headphones, leaned back in his chair with his large frame, and his expression changed from bewilderment to anger.
"Hey, what does RNG really mean? Do they think they're invincible and look down on everyone?"
"I'm very unhappy, really unhappy!"
His voice echoed in the live stream room.
"Teacher Gu is such a good person. He often participates in alliance activities to help promote them. In private, he is also the most gentle and polite artist I have ever met. He has never refused to ask me for an autograph or a photo."
What exactly is RNG trying to do?!
In the live chat, his fans joined in the commotion, showering him with gifts.
Xiaoxiao, known as the "De Yun Se" of the live streaming world, also made sarcastic remarks during his live streams.
"Hehe, awesome, really awesome. You're this arrogant after just reaching the semifinals of the World Championship. What will you be like when you win the championship? You'll be looking down on everyone and ruling like kings!"
And like the award-winning commentators Haier Brothers, and the beautiful host Yu Shuang,
In addition, many well-known professional players, while lacking external influence, enjoy considerable fame within the esports community, leading many to comment: "RNG has gone too far..."
Okay...
"Is this what it feels like to be at odds with the whole world?"
RNG's management looked around and found no safe haven.
Blogs were flooded with criticism, live streams were flooded with criticism, sponsors were flooded with criticism, and even the players' private messages were bombarded with insults.
The operations director slumped in his chair, the three cups of tea in front of him already cold.
His phone was still vibrating, sending message after message, none of them good news.
They've already knelt down to the very bottom, what else can they do?
"If apologies were enough, what would we need the police for?"
Two days later, the punishment arrived.
First, there was an official public reprimand—
"RNG team mismanagement, and its player 'MLXG,' as a public figure, made inappropriate remarks in the live broadcast room, causing serious negative impact. The initial fine of 10,000 yuan has been increased to 100,000 yuan, and he has been suspended for ten games as punishment!"
This punishment was already given by the authorities out of consideration for the club, a forced attempt to save face.
Originally, based on the reports from the family members, the intention was to permanently ban the player.
A ten-game suspension is just a narrow escape.
Mercedes-Benz also issued a statement on its official account: "As a friendly partner of LPL, Mercedes-Benz has been unfairly treated by its designated global ambassador. Starting from the beginning of this season, we will gradually reduce the amount of sponsorship."
The statement was even simpler than the official announcement, without even mentioning "regret," simply stating "reduction of sponsorship amount."
The big spender also wants to take this opportunity to slip away.
After a few blows, RNG's market value was halved by 30%.
The team's shareholders were full of complaints, which greatly affected the players' mentality and lives.
It's fortunate that it's during the off-season; otherwise, if this happened during the main competition, would we still be able to play?
He was probably hit by a truck halfway there—in a physical sense.
Inside a luxury hotel,
Gu Qing didn't pay much attention to the outside noise, but instructed his team to guide fans to focus on the clubs rather than the players.
RNG, this notorious team that owes wages and debts and has a long history of illegal operations, deserves no amount of criticism.
After dealing with these minor incidents,
Gu Qing's gaze remained focused on the computer screen.
He clicked the mouse and pressed the pause button. A single frame of the movie was frozen on the screen in front of him.
That was a clip of "Riding the Waves" that Han Han had just sent him; he had already watched most of it.
Gu Qing spun the phone twice in her palm, found the number, and dialed it back.
"Hey, Brother Han."
"Xiao Gu, we're partners, so I'll keep this call brief."
When the call connected, Han Han's voice was as gentle as ever.
The release date for "Duckweed" has been set.
It will be released on December 15th, right on time!
Perhaps it was because Gu Qing's achievements were so outstanding that he was highly valued by cinemas and was given preferential treatment during the Lunar New Year season.
This is definitely a great momentum for a comedy film.
The Lunar New Year film season has a large box office, a large audience, and a high potential.
"Xiao Gu, the Lunar New Year film season is definitely a good time to release films. I wanted to ask you about your publicity and distribution plans and how much funding you've decided to allocate."
When Han Han asked for the money, he still felt a little embarrassed, "so I can contact the team."
He was relieved to hear that the film's release date had been set.
He believes that even if the box office is poor, he can still earn back his hard-earned money by releasing the film during the Lunar New Year holiday.
His requirements are not high; he just wants to break even.
After all, the investor in this film is Gu Qing, not one of those capitalists waving their checkbooks. He doesn't want to betray that trust.
Han Han's inner intellectual nature has always remained, as evidenced by his unconventional approach to filmmaking, where he doesn't bother with any of the other circles.
After Gu Qing's breathtaking performance of the "Flying Flower Order" game on that show, he demonstrated a profound understanding of ancient culture. In particular, as a walking genius with a photographic memory, Han Han admired him from the bottom of his heart.
Scholars may belittle each other, but they also cherish each other.
Not to mention,
After his script was withdrawn from funding, Gu Qing was willing to invest and also offered a generous share of the box office revenue.
They both possess extraordinary charm, making filming together incredibly easy and enjoyable.
The only regret,
Gu Qing always refused to ride in his car, which greatly disappointed Han Han.
I feel that no matter what, I have to make Gu Qing like racing.
……
"Brother Han, I originally prepared 150 million. After paying Sister Liying and Brother Chao's salaries, plus the copyright fees and filming costs, I would still have 114 million left."
Gu Qinggang had just finished speaking when...
Han Han's slightly excited voice came from the other end of the phone:
"Xiao Gu, that's enough! Over 1 million for marketing and distribution, I've never fought such a lucrative battle before!"
His tone was one of relief and ease.
A marketing budget of 1.14 million yuan is absolutely top-tier for a domestic comedy film.
To know,
Many films of the same caliber are lucky to have a marketing budget of 30 million.
"Brother Han, I haven't finished speaking yet."
Gu Qing's voice was neither hurried nor slow.
Han Han's heart skipped a beat, thinking that Gu Qing wanted to reduce the publicity budget.
For a film, marketing and distribution are of paramount importance.
No matter how well a film is made, it's all for nothing if nobody knows about it.
So many good films have died because of insufficient marketing and distribution; the grass on their graves is already three meters high.
But who would have thought,
"Brother Han, I'd like to increase the publicity budget a bit more."
Gu Qing smiled and said,
"First of all, I think the schedule is good."
Secondly, I just watched the edited video you sent me, Brother Han. It's exceptionally well-made; you truly deserve to be my favorite young director!
Han Han blushed with embarrassment at the praise and was about to say something modest—
"I've just made a little money recently, how about we add another 100 million for marketing and promotion? What do you think, Brother Han?"
"Another...another hundred million?"
Han Han was so startled that her body trembled, and the frame of her glasses on her nose tilted slightly, as if she was afraid that she had misheard.
"Xiao Gu, are you kidding me? Are you sure you want to add another hundred million? Not ten million?!"
The casual tone made Han Han feel as if Gu Qing had just gone out, walked around the doorway, and picked up a coin from the ground.
"I'm not kidding, Brother Han. You need to have confidence in yourself. The more you invest, the more you earn. I'm not afraid, so what do you have to be afraid of?"
Gu Qing, on the contrary, comforted Han Han.
In its previous life, "Duckweed" was a film that achieved great success with limited resources, grossing a total of 10 billion yuan at the box office.
now,
The fact that the male lead is now Gu Qing himself undoubtedly boosts the film's viewership and appeal.
He's riding the wave of popularity right after "Wolf Warrior 2" ended; the buzz surrounding his role as the male lead with 60 billion yuan in box office earnings is still going strong, and any news about him can easily trend on social media.
Secondly, the film has many highlights.
His three collaborations with Zhao Liying, along with the lingering warmth of their "hug of the century" at the Bazaar gala, have garnered a huge number of fans who ship them as a couple, buzzing around like mosquitoes in summer.
as well as,
Old Deng plays his son in the play.
This setting alone is enough for netizens to make jokes about for a year.
Gu Qingdu believed that the film's box office could increase by at least 10 billion.
Which viewer wouldn't want to come in after watching the trailer?
All three main characters are worth watching, and even with an extra 1 million yuan invested in promotion, Gu Qing still had a trick up his sleeve.
He originally even considered throwing all 3 million yuan he earned from "Wolf Warrior 2" into the film, but then he thought that since it was his first time investing in a movie, he should be more gentle and first understand the market.
Money can be earned slowly.
"Xiao Gu, wait for me a moment. I'll go find out what movies are being released around the same time as ours."
Gu Qing's "blind" trust made Han Han nervous.
He is not the kind of person who gets carried away by praise; on the contrary, he is an extremely clear-headed, even somewhat "cold" person at heart.
Han Han has been a fearless person since childhood.
Back then, during a debate on CCTV, he faced a group of experts and scholars who attacked him, but he single-handedly silenced them with his words.
That arrogance wasn't feigned; it seeped from the very marrow of his bones.
But he was also conflicted.
He appears humble and gentle, always speaking calmly and patiently, like a good-tempered senior. But deep down, his arrogance has never disappeared; it's just hidden even deeper.
Han Han decided to make preparations in advance.
His directorial debut, "The Continent," grossed just over 6 million yuan.
If the production cost of "Duckweed" reaches 250 million yuan, but the box office is only 600-700 million yuan, it is actually a loss.
It's not even as much money as Gu Qing could make from just making a movie.
This is something Han Han cannot accept.
He remembered the kindness Gu Qing had shown him when he was going through his most difficult time.
He would feel guilty for the rest of his life if Gu Qing ended up losing money.
He hung up the phone and hurriedly contacted the cinemas to inquire about movies showing at the same time.
About ten minutes later,
Gu Qing received a call from Han Han at the end of the movie.
"Xiao Gu, how about we withdraw the film?"
The first sentence was Han Han's voice, filled with bitterness:
"How are we supposed to compete in the Lunar New Year film season?!"
"Brother Han, what happened? Are our opponents very strong?"
Gu Qing's voice remained clear and sunny, with a hint of a smile, which dispelled some of the gloom in Han Han's heart.
"That's ridiculously strong!"
With a bitter face, Han Han picked up the newly printed schedule from the table and read it line by line, his voice growing deeper and deeper.
"We've been slated to star in all the big-budget movies. Chen Long's 'Bleeding Steel' is one of them."
"The Thousand Faces of Dunjia" is produced by Tsui Hark and directed by Yuan Heping.
The British classic *Darkest Hour*, the Russian classic *Viking Warriors*... and so on...
His voice paused, as if something was stuck in his throat.
Under Gu Qing's curious question, he awkwardly opened his mouth and said, "Director Feng's 'Youth,' little brother, you really didn't hit him, did you?"
Han Han couldn't resist joining in the gossip.
"I am a civilized person, I don't hit civilized people."
Gu Qing replied with a smile, her tone relaxed, and then returned to the main topic:
"Brother Han, you need to have some confidence in yourself. You're the strongest young director in my eyes, and as the saying goes, new talents emerge in every generation, and the new generation always surpasses the old!"
"Uncle Jackie Chan's movies are obviously bad, don't bother with them."
The director and cast of "The Thousand Faces of Dunjia" are impressive, but what audiences want is the feel of the original, something these newcomers can't recreate.
"Those two foreign films are even less of a concern. Do you think my 'Wolf Warrior 2' was made for nothing? Given a choice, audiences will definitely support domestic films!"
"As for Director Feng's 'Youth'..."
Gu Qing was quite satisfied with the film, and her tone became more serious: "Judging from the subject matter, it's a good film, but it's an art film."
"Our comedies have an advantage, let's just do it, Han!"
"Xiao Gu, is it really that easy?"
Han Han was both amused and exasperated.
His arrogant tone, as if he were pointing fingers and looking down on everything, would make any other artist think that the other person had lost their mind.
But the person who spoke was Gu Qing.
Two consecutive films broke the box office record for Chinese-language films, with "Wolf Warrior 2" raking in a staggering 60 billion yuan and ranking 45th on the global list.
What is the concept of 60 million?
Han Han really didn't even dare to think about it.
"Alright, I'll fight them with you!"
However, with Gu Qing's repeated encouragement, Han Han's inherent pride was finally ignited.
"That's right, Han Ge, keep it up, I believe in you."
Gu Qing smiled and prepared to hang up the phone.
"Hey, hey, Gu, wait a minute! There's one more very important thing I haven't told you yet!"
Han Han quickly stopped him.
"what's up?"
Gu Qingwei was taken aback.
"Sing, Xiao Gu!"
Han Han said:
"Could you write a song yourself to support our movie?"
"Brother Han, didn't you write it yourself?"
Gu Qing said helplessly:
"I think 'Riding the Waves' and 'In the Rain,' which you wrote the lyrics for yourself, are both pretty good. They perfectly capture the atmosphere of the era and the emotions of the characters in the drama."
"Isn't this just unpleasant to hear? What's the use of having enough emotion?"
Han Han smiled sheepishly; his taste in music was still impeccable.
"If you want to really get the film going, you'll have to step in yourself, Xiao Gu."
"Brother Han, the key point is that in the 90s, I was just a placenta. How could I write something that matches your childhood nostalgia for youth?"
Gu Qing added a sentence.
"Xiao Gu, that word 'placenta' you used is so hurtful!"
Han Han stroked his stubble, on the verge of tears, "You almost extinguished my newly ignited ambition."
"Also, Xiao Gu, you've misunderstood something. 'Riding the Winds and Breaking the Waves' is my childhood version of 'Riding the Winds and Breaking the Waves,' but it's also your version of 'Riding the Winds and Breaking the Waves.'"
His tone suddenly became serious.
"In making this film, I'm reminiscing about the youth of my generation, but that doesn't mean it's only my generation's youth."
There's no conflict in you writing a song to commemorate the youth of your generation.
“Even if you are in your youth, I believe you will have a lot of inspiration.”
"Will you write about my youth?"
Gu Qing hesitated and fell silent.
He had covered many songs that reminisced about his youth in his previous life.
These kinds of songs inevitably become popular again, especially as graduation season approaches. Even as a cover artist, Gu Qing has many feelings about them.
No one is immune to the passage of time.
"Okay, Brother Han, I'll go into seclusion and think about it, and try to record it before the film is released."
Gu Qing agreed.
"Xiao Gu, you compose the songs, and I'll continue to fill in the gaps and see what else can be improved in the movie. Let's take down those guys together!"
Han Han perked up and hung up the phone.
He made himself a cup of coffee, but poured in too much coffee powder, making it bitter and astringent. He didn't realize it at all, and sat down at the editing table to continue working overtime.
"Youth and memories..."
Gu Qing leaned back on the sofa, closed her eyes, and the first image that came to mind was her time at the Beijing Film Academy.
"The campus?..."
……
...(End of this chapter)