Chapter 68: "The Internet Celebrity's Feigned Fall"

As the host, Mr. He, began his opening introduction, the red carpet ceremony officially commenced.

Generally speaking, those who walk the red carpet first are newcomers to the entertainment industry, people without much fame, whose lack of recognition earns them the earliest time slots. The Chinese Golden Melody Awards were no exception; their order of appearance was also determined by popularity.

Yet this year brought an additional twist: a batch of internet influencers had paid their own way to walk the red carpet. The organizers showed no mercy, directly scheduling these influencers right at the front.

Their intention was obvious—get them out of the way early to avoid unnecessary trouble.

Reality at the event proved the organizers right. As soon as the red carpet began, these influencers started causing a spectacle. Some deliberately dragged out their time on the carpet, dawdling as if they could stretch a walk into an entire hour.

There were clear rules for the red carpet. Each singer was allotted just one or two minutes. If someone went over, it would disrupt the careful scheduling for everyone that followed.

The organizers were swift in handling anyone wasting time, simply instructing security to escort them off the red carpet. If they refused to comply, security would not hesitate to forcibly remove them.

Some influencers, however, proved more cunning. Instead of stalling, they staged fake falls to draw attention.

Such antics are not unheard of worldwide; some celebrities have found instant fame from a single dramatic tumble on the red carpet.

For these cases, the organizers could only send staff to help them up and hurry them along.

Barely into the ceremony, the influencers’ antics had already filled the live stream’s comment section.

“This fake faller—my grandma could act better than that!”

“Even when falling, you’ve got to keep a pretty pose, huh?”

“Oh my god! These influencers look so ugly on the live stream! They’re nothing like the people in their videos!”

“These influencers are seriously low-class! The difference is stark when you compare them to the singers!”

“Who are these people? I don’t recognize a single one!”

From the outset, these influencers set the mood in the live stream chat—everyone united in mocking them like circus clowns.

After some time, the influencers finally finished their red carpet walk. What should have taken five minutes was stretched out to over ten by their time-wasting antics.

Once the influencers cleared out, it was finally time for the invited singers to walk the carpet, and the atmosphere quickly returned to normal.

Usually, the first to appear are the newer singers who debuted recently. By all rights, Zhou Ran should have been among these early appearances—but Zhou Ran was no ordinary person.

You couldn’t compare him to others. Who else had ever dominated the new song charts for a month right out of the gate?

Zhou Ran had shattered the achievements of established stars like Chen Yi and Ji Song, suddenly claiming twelve songs at the top of the charts for a solid month. He had also set an industry record—ever since his debut, he had performed only original songs. Now, people online were even betting on how long he could keep performing before he ran out of new material.

The organizers had scheduled Zhou Ran’s appearance toward the end, a clear sign of the importance they placed on him.

There was another interesting point—perhaps a deliberate arrangement by the organizers. They had placed Jin Kun’s appearance immediately before Zhou Ran’s, setting up a dramatic contrast.

As Jin Kun walked the carpet, fans still called his name; he still enjoyed a measure of popularity, with supporters cheering him on at the scene. Internally, Jin Kun felt a secret delight.

“Who says I’ve faded away? Look at all these fans cheering! This is what popularity means!”

Pleased with the reception, Jin Kun relaxed his stride and even struck a few poses for the photographers, showing off a bit.

But his moment was short-lived. He soon hurried off the carpet, his confidence deflated.

Because after Jin Kun, the next to appear was Zhou Ran.

“Let’s give a warm round of applause to welcome Zhou Ran!” shouted Mr. He, the host.

At that moment, every eye in the audience followed Mr. He’s words, turning collectively toward the entrance of the red carpet, awaiting the arrival of one man.

Those who had been photographing Jin Kun immediately abandoned him, swinging their cameras toward the entrance instead.

Jin Kun, who had just been posing in high spirits, suddenly found himself ignored the moment Mr. He announced Zhou Ran’s name. A complex mix of emotions filled his heart as reality set in—he was no longer the center of attention, no longer the star he once was. The adulation and treatment he once enjoyed had vanished.

Although Jin Kun still had some degree of exposure and attention, compared to his former glory, it was as different as night and day.

Seeing this, Jin Kun could only hasten his pace, eager to finish his walk as quickly as possible.

Everyone at the venue was looking forward to one person’s arrival. Though he hadn’t yet appeared, the crowd was already chanting his name.

Online, viewers also halted their previous discussions, flooding the live chat with two large characters, until the entire stream was filled with them.

“Zhou Ran!”

“Zhou Ran!”

“Zhou Ran!”

The crowd at the venue chanted Zhou Ran’s name in unison, the thunderous chorus stunning everyone else on the red carpet. They were all awed by Zhou Ran’s overwhelming influence.