Chapter 908: What do I know of determination? All I rely upon is stubborn endurance!Translator: Legge Editor: Legge
Li Yu's studio.
Everyone was still working overtime despite it already being midnight. They'd all stayed behind because they wanted to witness Teacher Li Yu's reascendance to the A-list. They felt that it was because their team and Teacher Li Yu had underestimated Zhang Ye all along that it led to them slipping up and him leapfrogging into the A-list rankings and taking Li Yu's position. They thought it was their mistake! So today, they became serious and paid close attention to their objective. They did all they could, even messing up their future work arrangements. They brought out their ace in the hole, releasing "The Shooting" ahead of its original schedule. They thought they had everything covered!
Yet reality had given them a great big slap!
The rankings did not change!
In fact, the popularity scores had even widened by a bit more!
The studio manager said in shock, "Why?"
Li Yu's manager was so angry that his hands were trembling. "This is impossible!"
"Teacher Li, he…"
"Why was he still unable to catch up?"
"This…this…"
"Could there have been a mistake in the calculation?"
Everyone in the studio was unable to accept this outcome!
Including Li Yu himself, who sat there in shock for a very long while.
...
Online.
The netizens were also very surprised!
"Zhang Ye won?"
"Damn, he won just like that?"
"Just how on earth did Teacher Zhang do it?"
"Li Yu even released the micro movie he starred in! But as for Zhang Ye? What did Zhang Ye do? He only recited a poem on Central TV Live News?"
"This result is too surprising!"
"Fuck, I never expected this either!"
"Teacher Zhang's popularity has already reached such a state?"
"He could actually use a poem to beat a movie?"
"This is too goddamn barbaric!"
...
The people from the literary world were also shocked by this fact!
Just a poem, and it was just a simple modern poem, but it could actually fucking stand up to the popularity of a movie? Even if it was a micro movie, it was still a movie! It was still the sequel to a classic movie that had earned over a hundred million RMB at the box office! That achievement in itself would have contributed a lot to the popularity scores! But it still wasn't enough to finish off Zhang Ye? It couldn't even finish off a poem of Zhang Ye's?
Damn!
Since when did modern poetry have such a strong influence on people?
Why were the poems composed by the people from the Writer's Association not as powerful then?!
A lot of the literary world members were very perplexed by this, especially the poets. They almost vomited blood, thinking that comparison always ended up torturing people indeed!
Zhang Ye wrote poems.
They also wrote poems.
But why was the attitude toward it and its influence on people on a totally different level!? Sᴇaʀᴄh the N0vᴇlFire(.)nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.
...
The people from the entertainment industry were trembling in fear!
"Why?"
"Why didn't Yu-zai move up in the rankings?"
"That doesn't make any sense!"
"That micro movie was really good too!"
"Yeah, it was wonderful! So why didn't…"
...
Only Zhang Ye's friends and family were heaving sighs of relief.
At home, Ha Qiqi didn't whether to laugh or cry. "I got scared and worried for Director Zhang for nothing!"
When Zhang Zuo, who had gone to a bar with an old classmate, saw the results, he roared with laughter thrice. In his state of happiness, he toasted himself and chugged his drink before wiping his mouth and saying, "So it was because Director Zhang already knew how it would end!"
Several of his classmates started conversing.
"I really envy you."
"Out of our group of classmates, you're the only one who is doing rather well now."
"Zhang Ye is really great!"
"Yeah, I love him!"
Having had a few drinks, Zhang Zuo was also more talkative. "It's all because of Director Zhang that I'm doing as well as I am now. If it weren't for him bringing together our team, I wonder which TV station I'd have ended up at as someone's assistant. How could I have possibly become an assistant director of the number one team in the industry? You guys don't know this, but Director Zhang is truly capable and also a very loyal person to his friends! In my thirty-some years of life, I admire only him, really!"
"Now that Zhang Ye is an A-lister, it would only get better for you guys in the future!"
"Yeah, Zhang Ye can consider himself solidified on the A-list now!"
Zhang Zuo downed another glass before excitedly proclaiming in a slurred voice, "A-list, ma ass! We're gonna head for the S-list from here! Towards da international S-list! We'll destroy whoever stands in our way. Fuck, we dun care who it is!"
...
In the Goof Group.
The results had been published.
Ning Lan: "What do you guys think of this?"
Xiaodong sent a wry smile emoji. "What do I think of this? Well, I think Teacher Zhang Ye is completely out of the ordinary! I'm not young anymore and debuted many years ago, but this is the first time I've witnessed someone use the influence of a poem to combat the popularity of a movie! And…it even won!?"
Huo Dongfang: "I'm afraid that Yu-zai might not have a chance to regain his place in the A-list rankings in the short term. Zhang Ye has firmly established himself there. I guess Sister Zhang does have a good eye for detail."
A B-list actor suddenly appeared. "He only recited a poem? That's really amazing! Hai, when will I get the chance to achieve what he did with such flamboyance?! But I've really got to admit that sometimes, I'm really quite envious of Teacher Zhang Ye!"
At this time, yet another big shot A-list celebrity who was rarely seen online appeared and simply said: "A-list celebrities, do take care. The wolf is here!"
The wolf is here?
Yes, a wolf had really entered the mix of the A-list celebrities now!
And from a certain perspective, those words represented many of these heavyweight celebrities' acknowledgment of Zhang Ye as an A-list celebrity for the first time ever!
...
The next day.
The news was published.
"Zhang Ye establishes his place in the A-list rankings!"
"Li Yu regrettably defeated!"
"I'm Unfamiliar with this World: Possibly one of most representative works of Zhang Ye!"
"Using a poem to subvert the entire entertainment industry's understanding of what is mainstream and what is not!"
"A niche work that can turn the world upside down—Zhang Ye has done it!"
"The brewing of a literary miracle!"
"From today onward, no one would dare claim, 'There is no place for literature at the top of the entertainment industry'!"
In the morning, Zhang Ye began inviting guests over.
At noon, he invited his relatives over for lunch. At night, he brought his old colleagues from Beijing Television and the new friends he made from Beijing Television's Spring Festival Gala out for dinner. Later in the night, he bought rounds for Zhang Xia, Chen Guang, Fan Wenli, and a bunch of other friends.
It was the same the next day.
And the day after next.
Zhang Ye had treated all of his close friends and relatives to meals and drinks. To him, he felt that the reason he could stand here today was because of all their help and support. Now that he had finally established his place in the A-list, he definitely had to hold a feast to give them his thorough thanks, as well as celebrate his own achievements.
He drank continuously for a few days in a row.
He treated all those who deserved it and thanked those who he was supposed to thank.
On this day, Zhang Ye began to slow down and relax. He checked his Weibo and saw many comments left for him by his fans on his blog or within Weibo directly.
"Teacher Zhang, my sincerest congratulations to you!"
"We will walk with you all the way!"
"Teacher Zhang Ye, your determination has given me strength!"
"Yeah, you're the celebrity I admire most of all. From you, I have learned so many things. I want to continue learning from you and stay determined on my chosen career path by enduring all the way until the end!"
When Zhang Ye saw that, he thought for a moment before he started to type out a long passage of thankful words. "To my fans, and also to those who have ever helped me out before: Thank you, everyone. Those are the words I've wanted to say for a long time now, and it seems that I've said it many times before too. But as all of you know, which I believe that you all do, every time I say those words that have been repeated so many times, it has always come from the bottom of my heart. I am not great, nor am I excellent. I seek fame and wealth, I'm picky about what I eat, and also love to laze around. I do not have the great character and sentiments of my forebears; I'm not even worthy of being compared to them. All I am is just an ordinary citizen, an ordinary person like one you might pick out from the crowds on the street. Yes, that's right. That person you pick out might just be me. We're neither related by blood nor bond, and you won't find fame or wealth through me, but all of you have always supported me, fought alongside me, and scolded other people with me. You guys are the greatest. Really."
After typing that, Zhang Ye posted his message.
When a lot of the people saw this, they suddenly felt a tide of emotions surging within them!
"Teacher Zhang!"
"Teacher Zhang Ye!"
"Please don't say that!"
"We're not great!"
"Yeah, we just like you, that's all! We just like battling alongside you and scolding other people!"
A fledgling musician said: "Teacher Zhang, I wanted to give up several times during this journey of mine. But because of your greatness, your spirit, they made me gain the determination to stay on the path!"
Zhang Ye's fans were appearing all over the place!
Some of them were even tearing up!
Zhang Ye continued to type: "I have nothing that I can repay your kindness with, so all I can do is give everything that I've got, to cheer everyone up and make all of you happy to your satisfaction. Perhaps this might not be much, but it's the only thing I can do for all of you. You guys might not know this, but I'm not as determined as you guys think I am. I'm not the one who's encouraging you, I'm not the one giving strength to you. In fact, all of you are the ones who are encouraging me and giving me strength. Otherwise, I couldn't have traveled this far and stood here today."
He thought about the times when his leaders suppressed him.
He thought of the times when his peers scolded him.
He thought of the times when he was attacked by the netizens.
Then, he asked himself, "Determination?"
Zhang Ye forced a smile and typed out: "What do I know of determination? All I rely upon is stubborn endurance!"
When that was posted onto Weibo, silence ensued!
At this moment, Zhang Ye's fans went quiet!
The netizens who saw this Weibo post also stayed silent!
Chen Guang sighed.
Zhang Xia felt her heart get wrenched.
Ha Qiqi, Little Wang, and the others could also feel their heartstrings being pulled.
Zhang Ye's friends all experienced a heavy heart from these words that Zhang Ye had written.
In the past, when Zhang Ye was in front of his fans, friends, family, and the media, when had he not put up a brave front? He always acted like he wasn't going to be pushed around and was always full of energy! But today, Zhang Ye had shown the most helpless side of himself to them!
He had shocked many people!
But at the same time, moved many of them!
Suddenly, the fans started to voice themselves!
"Teacher Zhang, we will stubbornly endure together with you!"
"Right! We will always be by your side!"
"Let's stubbornly endure till the end!"
"We will fight it out with them all the way!"
Thousands of people!
Tens of thousands of people!
Hundreds of thousands of people!
Zhang Ye's fans were appearing from everywhere like crazy!
Some of the female fans even cried as they typed their responses!
"Stubbornly endure till the end!"
"Stubbornly endure till the end!"
"Stubbornly endure till the end!"
When he saw this, Zhang Ye was very touched. At that instant, he could feel his blood pumping and stirring within him. Unable to stop himself, he impulsively typed out on the keypad: "Don't worry. Even if the sky falls someday, I'll definitely be the last one to fall! Alright, for my journey from here on out, let us stubbornly endure together…till the end!"