After being passed the buck, Li Jie, filled with dissatisfaction, mimicked the action and tagged another famous veteran action star, Hong Bao, who was currently working as a martial arts instructor.
Hong Bao not only accepted the invitation, like Li Jie, to become a martial arts instructor for the Hollywood film *The Incredible Hulk*, but he also had a deep working relationship with Jiangnan Group, having been the martial arts instructor for *Misty Journey*.
In response to the tag, Hong Bao replied even faster than Li Jie, praising the move as "amazing" and in turn tagging the next martial arts star, Yuan Hua.
Yuan Hua followed suit. Since everyone else was playing this game, he naturally did the same. Moreover, as more stars were tagged, his participation wouldn't seem out of place; rather, it was a way to blend in and join the fun.
Of course, by now, it was common knowledge within the industry that Jiangnan Group was behind this. No one would easily alienate such a wealthy individual over a trivial matter. Thus, everyone praised the move as incredibly difficult, seemingly fulfilling Jiangnan Group's request for face. However, few people had actually watched the video; their comments were made with the understanding that it was a collective effort to support each other.
Naturally, the few who did watch the video turned pale and lamented their own narrow-mindedness in judging others.
They had initially assumed the veteran action stars were simply flattering someone else, but after seeing the video, they realized the truth: the praise was genuine. This was indeed a feat beyond the capabilities of ordinary individuals.
As time went on, within just one day, most action stars on Facebook had been tagged. Some celebrities who were not action stars also proactively joined in to gain attention, claiming they had tried it themselves and found it incredibly difficult.
Later, martial arts instructors and other non-action stars who had opened Facebook accounts also chimed in to confirm.
Suddenly, Facebook was abuzz, filled with discussions about the long take. Many television media outlets seized the opportunity to follow up, broadcasting the online trending news on local television that very evening. This brought awareness of the online phenomenon to many people who typically paid little attention to online news.
The result was a continuously escalating heat. The video from "Passerby A of the Third Generation" directly surpassed ten million clicks. Not only on Facebook, but many smaller websites began reposting the external link in large numbers. Each click attracted users and generated advertising revenue – a surefire way to make money!
By this point, anyone who frequently browsed the internet had likely seen this long-take fight video.
***
"Director, here are today's ratings!" As usual, a subordinate handed the latest ratings data to Director Liu.
Director Liu didn't rush to look. Instead, he asked with a smile, "I saw the news last night saying there's a lot of hype online, claiming this long take is fake. Is that true?"
"Yes. Originally, there were only a few million discussions the day before yesterday, but after yesterday's commotion, by this morning, the discussion volume had directly exceeded one hundred million. Facebook even issued a formal celebratory announcement, congratulating the achievement of over one hundred million discussion points for a single event."
"This is the third event on Facebook to break one hundred million discussion points, and it's also the fastest to do so, taking only two days. The internet is going crazy!" the subordinate exclaimed.
"Mmm, and what's the general consensus online now? Which side has more support?" Director Liu nodded and asked.
"It's about even. It's strange, I thought our announcement would clarify things and refute the rumors. But the effect wasn't great, and many ungrateful people are even cursing us online. It's outrageous!" the staff member said indignantly.
"It's right that they're cursing!" Director Liu chuckled inwardly, contemplating that with so many people cursing, his ratings might be jeopardized. He then contentedly opened the ratings data.
The result...
"12.98%." Upon seeing this figure, Director Liu felt his bones tremble. "How is this possible..."
"Yes, it's unbelievable. But this time, we've benefited from misfortune. As more people cursed us online, they wanted to find ways to prove their theories correct, so they sought out some celebrities to speak."
"But they don't know that these celebrities, out of respect for our television station, must speak in our favor. Otherwise, their future dramas wouldn't be broadcast on our station."
"So, almost all the celebrities have given us unanimous praise, saying the long take was very difficult. And when these celebrities speak, their fans are mobilized, making the whole situation even more lively!"
"However, there are still some ungrateful people who claim online that our television station and Jiangnan Group paid these celebrities to spread falsehoods, and many people are talking about some kind of conspiracy."
"It's truly ridiculous. While we haven't refrained from using such tactics before, this time we truly didn't contact these celebrities. These celebrities are voluntarily standing up for us, so how can anyone call it a conspiracy?"
"In any case, with this back-and-forth, the situation below has become even more heated. Many television media outlets have reported on this incident, which has instantly boosted the ratings," the staff member said.
"Is that so!" Director Liu regained his composure. He had initially thought his strategy had been a mistake. Now, it seemed his strategy wasn't flawed, but some celebrities had inexplicably entered the fray, steering the situation in a different direction.
But it didn't matter. The participation of these celebrities was a good thing; increased engagement was even better. Because at this point, if they could somehow prove that the long take wasn't that difficult and could be easily accomplished, then the entire reputation would be ruined.
"Show me this long take!" Director Liu was still quite cautious. He wanted to see the long take for himself, unlike those fellows like Jackie Chan who couldn't even be bothered to watch.
"Yes!" The subordinate quickly brought up the long take. Director Liu watched it and felt it seemed quite simple. Wasn't it just crawling around on the ground? The only part that seemed difficult was the quick waist bend, but if one practiced dance from a young age, it shouldn't be a problem.
Of course, Director Liu remained cautious and said, "Go and contact Tangren. Ask them about the actual difficulty of this long take and Leng Zhiwen's martial arts level. We must not make a mistake ourselves!"
"Okay!" The subordinate nodded. "Coincidentally, Tangren personnel are coming to participate in one of our promotional events in Changsha, so we have staff with them. I'll have them ask about it."
"Go ahead!"
The subordinate was very efficient. Within just over ten minutes, he returned, but his expression was somewhat strange.
"What's wrong? Did you ask the Tangren people?" Director Liu immediately asked.
"Yes, I did."
"Then what did they say?"
"And our people personally asked Leng Zhiwen, and he said he only knows two or three moves and doesn't have much skill! However..."
"However, what?"
"Ahem, but we also asked Director Li, and he said that in the current entertainment industry, no one can defeat Leng Zhiwen, unless Bruce Lee were alive again!" the subordinate said with a wry smile.
"Hmph, Li Guoli is just putting on a brave face for his own stars. With the current public opinion, if he doesn't act tough, and his weakness is exposed, wouldn't he be lambasted to death!"
"Conversely, this Leng Zhiwen, being young, doesn't have as many schemes. Moreover, with such a huge fuss being made, he must be feeling guilty, which is why he said he doesn't have much skill. If Tangren weren't forcing him to be tough, he might have just admitted defeat and weathered this crisis!" Director Liu saw through Li Guoli's calculations and Leng Zhiwen's thoughts, thus concluding that Leng Zhiwen was just all show.
"By the way, I remember Jackie Chan is coming to *Happy Camp* for promotion today, right?" Director Liu asked.
"Of course! Our station has been preparing for this day for a long time. We expect the ratings to be very impressive!" the subordinate said with a smile.
In this era, Hong Kong and Taiwan stars still commanded considerable prices in mainland China, especially popular and well-connected celebrities like Jackie Chan, who could draw a surge in viewership.
Xiang Province Satellite TV had invited him countless times before, but the elder brother had always been unwilling to participate in the program. It wasn't until his film *Around the World in 80 Days* performed poorly in the United States that the producers hoped to recoup some box office revenue from mainland China. This prompted Jackie Chan to engage in extensive promotions in the mainland and actively attend various events.
After all, this film was extremely important to Jackie Chan. Although he had produced several successful films in Hollywood, the box office performance of his recent starring Hollywood movies had been steadily declining. Gradually, Jackie Chan found it increasingly difficult to find Hollywood films that wanted to cast him as the lead.
He had finally encountered *Around the World in 80 Days*. If this film failed to reignite his box office success, Jackie Chan might truly become marginalized in Hollywood, perhaps only being cast in supporting roles at best. It would be incredibly difficult to be cast as the lead again.
After all, Hollywood generally looked down upon East Asian faces.
For the promotion of *Around the World in 80 Days*, Jackie Chan had made a condescending effort.
"Mmm, and what about the cast of *Chinese Paladin*? Are their activities scheduled?" Director Liu countered.
"Yes, their cast is scheduled to participate in one of our interview programs..."
"Mmm, notify them and ask them to put in some extra effort. Ask them to participate in this *Happy Camp* as well!" Director Liu revealed a slight smile.