The hashtag # Cheng Che # trended on Paris list all day.
Most of the people who clicked in were Cheng Che's fans, but some were just passersby who were attracted by the words " Paris Police Department".
After reading the post, watching the video, and understanding the whole story, the comments section was filled with many reflections.
[A Xia Country in Paris being lined up by local police for autographs—I could never even dream of such a scene.]
What does this show? It shows that Cheng Che is actually known in France, and it's not just the Chinese community that's following him.
[To be honest, at first I thought it was just fans hyping it up, but when I clicked in, even the bureau chief was there. I'm impressed.]
This is cultural export; it's more effective than any promotional video.
However, some passersby raised a question.
[Wait, why do the France know him because of tennis? Didn't he just publish in a top mathematics journal recently? Isn't that even more impressive?]
Someone quickly replied with an explanation below this comment.
Because France is a tennis powerhouse.
The French Open is in Paris, France pay far more attention to tennis than mathematics.
Cheng Che is the Australian Open Champion, and in the tennis fan community in Paris, his name is more well-known than many France players.
As for mathematics, the France are indeed very strong in mathematics, but the general public pays far less attention to mathematicians than to athletes.
Think about it, how many Fields Medal winners has France produced? But if you go out on the street and ask people, they probably won't name a single one, but they'll definitely know who the French Open Champion is.
Below this reply, a series of additional comments followed.
[And there's another reason: the general public doesn't pay much attention to academia. Cheng Che's status as a mathematician is well-known in academia, but outside of academia, not many people know him. Tennis Champion are different; that's something that attracts nationwide attention.]
[Simply put: the France know he plays tennis, but they don't know he's a mathematician. But that's enough; that one identity is enough for them to line up for his autograph.]
[If Cheng Che had won the French Open France Champion, wouldn't he have been ten times more popular than he is now?]
I can't even bear to think about that scene.
Meanwhile, in Spring City, Cheng Jianguo and Jiang Xue also saw this trending topic.
Jiang Xue sat on the sofa and watched the video twice.
In the Cheng Che is sitting in the lobby of the police station, surrounded by uniformed police officers queuing up for his autograph.
After she finished reading, she turned to Cheng Jianguo and said, "Our son is quite popular in France."
Cheng Jianguo leaned over to take a look and hummed in agreement.
Then Jiang Xue's expression changed.
"Isn't France a developed country? How come they're letting people sign things randomly in the police station? Louvre Museum got robbed? The security here is terrible."
The more she thought about it, the more uneasy she became, so she picked up her phone and called Cheng Che.
"Son, are you alright in France? I saw on the news that it's not very safe there; the Louvre Museum was robbed. Be careful. Don't go out alone; stick with your group."
Cheng Che replied on the other end of the phone, "Okay, Mom, I'm fine. The production team has security, don't worry."
Jiang Xue gave a few more instructions before hanging up the phone.
Filming for Walking the Flower Road Together " continued for three more days in Paris.
We visited the Musée d'Orsay, the Eiffel Tower, and Montmartre Heights. The schedule was tight, and the guests cooperated smoothly.
Cheng Che was stopped by a street artist in Montmartre Heights and had a sketch drawn on him. The drawing wasn't very accurate, but he still paid for it and put it in his bag.
After filming her scenes on the last day, Yan Ruanning walked over to Cheng Che and said, "I'm going back tomorrow."
Cheng Che nodded. "Be careful on the road."
Yan Ruanning glanced at him, seemed about to say something, but then swallowed her words.
She smiled and said, "See you next time."
See you next time.
After filming wrapped up, Cheng Che returned to Capital City with his team.
I slept all day in the apartment and only recovered the next day.
Then the March issue of Esquire was released.
The official Weibo account posted a status update with the cover image as the accompanying picture.
On the cover, Cheng Che is wearing a white school uniform shirt, sitting cross-legged on the ground, tilting his head slightly, and smiling brightly.
Sunlight streamed in from the side, illuminating his face and highlighting his youthful energy. Beside him stood a large sign that read, "The Two Sides of an 18-Year-Old Champion."
The number of comments exceeded 100,000 within ten minutes.
[Holy crap, this cover!!!]
He looks so handsome sitting on the ground in his school uniform!
That smile... it felt like my heart had been struck.
From now on, I will only use the word "youthful spirit" to describe Cheng Che.
[I bought ten books: one to keep, one to read, and one to preach]
[I thought the tennis outfit set was cool enough, but the school uniform set is even cooler!]
This is what eighteen-year-olds should be like.
In addition to the cover, several sets of photos from the inside pages have also been released.
The set of photos in his tennis outfit are snapshots of him on the court—serving, running, swinging—each one exuding a sharp, competitive edge.
The group in school uniforms had a different style: one was sitting on the edge of the playground in a daze, another was leaning against the corridor wall flipping through a script, and there was also a screenshot of him and Wen Zhiyi in a scene together, the two of them looking at each other across the desk, their eyes conveying something.
The photo of her sitting cross-legged on the ground laughing was extracted by fans and turned into a nine-grid collage, GIFs, and memes.
The comments section was full of vulgar and offensive language.
[That laugh, I'm dead.]
His eyes crinkle when he smiles, so cute!
I want to take him home and hide him away.
I hereby declare that, from today onwards, Cheng Che is my boyfriend.
[Please make way for the person in front of you in line.]
[Make way, let me do it]
The reactions of passersby were quite different.
To be honest, I initially thought he was just a popular celebrity with good looks. But after seeing these photos, I realized he possesses something that can't be faked.
[The way he looked in his school uniform reminded me of the senior I had a crush on in high school. But he wasn't as handsome as him.]
[I watched his interview; he said his parents sold breakfast. It's truly remarkable that a child from an ordinary family could grow up to be like this and possess such a refined demeanor.]
[These are born idols. Some people just shine in a crowd.]
After the March issue was launched, sales figures came out quickly.
The first print run of 500,000 copies sold out on the day it went online.
The publisher printed an additional 300,000 copies overnight, which sold out within two days.
The online version surpassed two million subscribers within three days.
This figure represents the highest single-issue sales figure in the entire fashion magazine industry in the past five years.
Meanwhile, the commercial value of the variety shows and dramas that Cheng Che participated in was also brought to the forefront.
A blogger created a table that tallied the number of advertising sponsorships after the South Korea episode of " Walking the Flower Road Together " aired.
From cars to beverages, from mobile phones to cosmetics, from sports brands to luxury goods, the list of sponsors is as long as a river.
The blogger wrote a line below the table, "One variety show boosted half of the advertising industry."
The advertising figures for " The Youth Here " are even more outrageous.
From the first episode to the last, there was a product placement every few minutes.
Some product placements look natural, while others look forced, but regardless of whether they are natural or forced, brands are willing to invest in them.
Because Cheng Che is there, there are people watching.
As long as there are viewers, there will be exposure.
Some netizens have calculated that the entire series had more than 30 advertising sponsors, which is five times the average level of similar online dramas.
Cheng Che's fans posted a message in the super topic:
"I watch a show, and there are more commercials than plot points. But I don't find it annoying at all, because every second of commercial is making money for Che Baby."
The comment section was full of "+1".
In the eyes of people in the entertainment industry, Cheng Che is no longer considered an artist.
He represents a complete industry chain.
He films variety shows, and the number of advertisers for those shows is outrageous.
He makes TV dramas, and the number of advertisers for those dramas is so high that even his fans are annoyed.
When he endorsed a brand, the brand's sales increased tenfold in half an hour.
When he publishes a paper, it even becomes a trending topic in academic circles.
Wherever he goes, money flows there.
Someone posted in the studio's group chat. " Cheng Che isn't a walking star, he's a walking money machine."
No one objected.
Cheng Che didn't care much about these things.
After returning from Paris, he rested in Capital City for a day before flying to Shenzhen City with his team.
Tengda's headquarters are in Shenzhen City. This trip was to sign the contract for " The Realm and Old Friends " and to meet with the main creative team.
When the plane landed, the sky over Shenzhen City was a clear blue. Cheng Che walked out of the airport and got into the car arranged by Qin Lie.
"The contract has already been processed by the legal department," Qin Lie said from the side. "We'll sign it this afternoon, and there's a dinner party tonight. Director Zhou and a few other leaders will be there; it'll be a chance to get acquainted."
Cheng Che nodded.
The car drove very steadily on the highway, and the Shenzhen City outside the window was getting closer and closer.
A new project is about to begin.