Starting from a Bar to Sign Internet Celebrities

On Second-Life Star, Chen Jincheng was confused by all the @mentions. He clicked to check and saw videos of people from the film and television costume industry dissing him.

He was somewhat speechless watching these denunciation videos.

He’d never had any intention of getting into the film and TV costume industry; in fact, he had no interest in it at all. His goal had always been the domestic Hanfu community—developing it and growing its numbers.

The profits generated by this market could be far greater than the shady profits from the film and TV costume industry.

’However, this has to be Si Rui Film and Television’s next move, right?’

To be honest, this move was actually a bit of a letdown. In the current situation, something like this couldn’t hurt him in the slightest. In fact, it only made them look desperate and guilty.

They would have been better off just spreading dirt about him online, claiming he had a scandalous personal life.

Everyone said the film industry was a treacherous business, so he wondered why their tactics struck him as so foolish.

If anything, their little stunt would help him completely channel this into hype for the Hanfu Outing Day.

With that thought, he immediately called Yijin.

「In a studio inside the Jinmao Building.」

Yijin was all smiles.

He was, of course, the one who had produced the video analyzing the smear campaign against Chen Jincheng, and he’d had his clipping teams post it.

Although the whole affair was to help Brother Cheng screw them over, he had also gained huge benefits from it.

The hype was so immense that the several hundred accounts under his studio had all gained a wave of new followers.

When he received Chen Jincheng’s call, he answered immediately, saying with a wide smile, "Brother Cheng, what can I do for you?"

"Come to my office," came Chen Jincheng’s voice.

Yijin left the studio without the slightest hesitation and arrived at Chen Jincheng’s office a short while later.

Seeing that he’d arrived, Chen Jincheng instructed, "Record a video for me. It’ll be a response to those designers in the film and TV costume industry. Just ask me what I have to say about them smearing me. Then have the clipping teams post it everywhere."

This was Yijin’s specialty, so he understood immediately. He took out his phone, started recording Chen Jincheng, and asked, "Brother Cheng, some people online are saying you’re promoting all this Hanfu for the sake of the film and TV costume market. They say you’re destroying the industry, that you’re disgraceful. Do you have any response?"

Chen Jincheng went straight for the jugular: "I can only say this: how can a frog in a well know the vastness of the heavens and the earth? A group of people blinded by greed controls the film and TV costume industry, churning out crude Hanfu year after year. And then they have the gall to point at these garments and tell everyone, ’Look, this represents the highest quality of Hanfu.’ When foreigners see this, they’ll think our inherited Hanfu culture is this shoddy. Isn’t that a disgrace?"

"Hanfu is a testament to our long history, a vessel for our cultural heritage, an embodiment of our ancestors’ aesthetic values, a continuation of our social and humanistic values, a cornerstone of our national identity, and a bond for our society and culture."

"I’ve never had any respect for those cliques that wall themselves off to set their own standards for Hanfu. What I want to do is promote Hanfu culture. I want more people to learn about it, more people to know that our country has such beautiful and exquisite clothing. I want more people to accept Hanfu, more people to start wearing it again, and I even want the whole world to know the beauty of Hanfu."

"Furthermore, I believe this is something that must be done. The culture of wearing Hanfu carries on our people’s traditional skills, protects our cultural heritage, strengthens our national identity, inspires national pride, and enriches our spiritual and cultural lives."

"Therefore, these buffoons are merely trying to obstruct the inheritance and promotion of Hanfu culture. But next, I will prove it with facts. I will show everyone the rich and diverse culture of Hanfu and let them experience the aesthetics of our ancestors."

Yijin listened to his words, staring dazedly at Brother Cheng.

’What a grand vision.’

Brother Cheng had just seized the moral high ground—an unassailable one at that. And crucially, he’d even plugged his own content at the end. Now, everyone would be even more curious about Brother Cheng’s next video, right?

’So impressive.’

Compared to the other side’s smear campaign and slander, Brother Cheng’s words didn’t contain a single vulgarity, yet they were absolutely devastating.

"Brother Cheng, brilliant!" Yijin couldn’t help but give him a thumbs-up.

Of course, what Chen Jincheng had said was a combination of quotes from a certain celebrity and a certain important figure. Spoken aloud, it was an absolute killer move.

Naturally, his main goal was to make sure the higher-ups heard these words.

The reason was simple: the authorities had just issued documents related to promoting cultural heritage, and the purpose of his speech was to win their favor.

Since explanations were useless, and they refused to see him and still wanted to come after him, then he would be ruthless and destroy them first.

In his previous life, they had ended up in jail, and the entire film and TV costume industry had been decimated. This proved there were problems. Once the central leadership took notice, his opponents would be finished off quickly.

Besides, the higher-ups had just issued the relevant documents. For them to show up now as an obstacle, a stumbling block... what were they trying to pull?

If the higher-ups were to "like" his stance and offer some encouragement, the hype would become astronomical. It would be the equivalent of roasting his opponents in the open sun.

"Get the clipping teams to post this immediately. Hype this up as fast as possible," Chen Jincheng ordered Yijin at once.

"Right away, Brother Cheng!" Yijin nodded and hurried out the door.

Before long, with the promotion from Yijin and his clipping teams, Chen Jincheng’s video shot to the top of the trending lists. Its popularity was unstoppable.