In response to the deliberate attempts by trolls to spread negative rumors about the show, they even formed a self-organized anti-troll group, determined to protect the show's reputation.
Such results stunned everyone, especially the executives of Fruit Video who had previously been skeptical, who all wanted to enter the market and get a piece of the pie.
The publicity department, in particular, contacted Xu Yan overnight to increase publicity expenses.
However, Xu Yan refused them this time. The current popularity of " Kunlun Duel " cannot be deliberately created by any publicity company, and the fans are also immersed in the emotion that " Kunlun Duel " needs their support and protection.
She naturally wanted to increase the promotion of " Kunlun Duel," but she couldn't make it too obvious.
Balancing expanding publicity with maintaining fans' enthusiasm for the campaign is a skill that demands considerable expertise.
However, there wasn't as much consideration for the actors. After finally getting a hit show, the lead actors and supporting actors all put in a lot of effort to promote it and gain as many fans as possible.
The male and female leads even appeared together on live streams several times, attracting a wave of fans who were into the couple.
To everyone's surprise, the most popular character was not the male or female lead, but the senior sister, Bai Yueguang, played by Ye Jin.
Although everyone knows this character is well-developed, the eldest sister's screen time only adds up to two or three episodes, and no one thinks she can surpass the male and female leads.
But that's how it happened. Countless fans called her their "white moonlight," and even said that this character was the best-developed "white moonlight" character in the past decade. Many netizens even only watched her scenes.
However, this action by netizens angered many fans of the male and female leads, who called on Ye Jin to "flip the table."
However, they were quickly refuted and proven wrong by netizens because Ye Jin was simply too Zen-like.
[Are some people taking their anger out on the actors who performed well just because their masters aren't doing a good job?]
Aside from attending one promotional event for the drama at the very beginning, Ye Jin has practically disappeared from the public eye ever since.
[If she were an ordinary actress, she would have been marketed like crazy by now. I really hope she becomes a "table-flipping" celebrity, at least then I could see more of her.]
While the internet was abuzz with arguments about Ye Jin Ye Jin, she remained remarkably calm, even preparing a statement announcing her retirement from the entertainment industry.
Chapter 31
Huo Yun was engrossed in watching the international brand that had approached Ye Jin to be their spokesperson when she was suddenly caught off guard and saw Ye Jin editing her retirement announcement.
She rushed forward and grabbed Ye Jin's hand. "Aren't you moved by all these fans supporting you? Do you know how many endorsement deals you've received? The minimum endorsement fee is at least seven figures, and some brands have even offered eight figures. Just think about the balance in your account, aren't you tempted?"
As she spoke, Huo Yun handed Ye Jin a price list from various brands.
Ye Jin thought about the numbers in her account and compared them with the numbers on the paper, and couldn't help but feel tempted.
However, after some hesitation, she still refused.
If she accepts an endorsement now, Huo Yun will definitely try to persuade her to do variety shows or even acting roles. Then, will she still be able to leave the entertainment industry?
Huo Yun tried to persuade Ye Jin again, but Ye Jin remained unmoved.
Finally, after Huo Yun stopped talking because she was thirsty, she spoke up, "Sister Yun, I've already said I'm retiring from the entertainment industry. If I were to go back to work for money, wouldn't that be contradicting myself?"
"If I accept an endorsement now, you'll definitely try to persuade me to do variety shows or even TV dramas later. Can I really quit the entertainment industry?"
Huo Yun, her secret exposed, remained silent for a moment before finally saying, " Ye Jin, you really are talented. Many people struggle in the entertainment industry for years without becoming famous, but you became famous so easily. Don't you feel any regret about wasting your talent?"
Ye Jin shook her head decisively. "Well, I might have a bit of talent as a celebrity, but I have more faith in my investment acumen. Sister Yun, with the money earned from these two projects and the connections we've built, I think we can start producing a drama series that we truly control."
Huo Yun's eyes lit up immediately, completely forgetting her regret about Ye Jin's retirement from the entertainment industry, and she excitedly asked, "You've got your eye on the new project?"
Ye Jin felt a sense of relief; sure enough, as soon as her agent mentioned business, Ye Jin forgot everything else.
After so many years of getting to know each other, she knew that Huo Yun wasn't simply pursuing how much money she could make; she was more interested in finding a sense of accomplishment in her career.
She nodded. "I've looked at most of it, but I still need to discuss it with Fruit Video. They've invited us to their annual meeting this weekend, so we can talk about it then."
Moreover, she had a feeling that the company's annual meeting this weekend would be quite entertaining, since Xu Yan had emphasized several times that they absolutely had to come.
Huo Yun didn't think too much about it. Kunlun Duel had earned so much money for Fruit Video, and they were considered the third largest investor. Moreover, Ye Jin was a recent celebrity, so it was perfectly normal for them to be invited.
Ye Jin watched Huo Yun's figure disappear as she went to organize the documents to be discussed over the weekend. Then she turned her gaze to her own edited statement of withdrawal from the entertainment industry and carefully checked for typos.
In the past, if she had retired from the entertainment industry, she would have simply retired without making any official statement. After all, she didn't have many fans, and hardly anyone cared whether she retired or took on acting roles.
But things are different now; a large number of fans have emerged online who like her.
Because she has so few public appearances and virtually no personal promotions other than drama announcements, fans have been making a huge fuss about Huo Yun's Weibo.
[It seems like Huo Da's manager doesn't value Ye Jin at all. The drama has been airing for so long, and apart from some initial promotion, there's been absolutely no publicity.]
[The male and female leads have sold several magazines and announced numerous endorsements, but Ye Jin, the most popular one, has nothing. She's even been rumored by haters to have offended some investors by flipping a table, making her unsuitable for working with them anymore.]