HDIEUMDBTSB Chapter 66: Striving to Be a Good Idol
Volume 2: The Road to Fan Attraction
Chapter 16: Striving to Be a Good Idol
"Dream of the Red Chamber" has aired eleven episodes so far. The guests come from various fields, and the episode with the highest audience retention and buzz was the one with the Korean star, followed by the one before Chu Zhi's appearance.
Each episode takes seven days to produce and has thrice become the focus of online discussions, approximately every two days. The production team was paid 3.5 million RMB, an extremely cost-effective deal.
The first two instances of being in the spotlight were due to the smoking and drinking confessions, and the karaoke room gratitude incident. The show "Masked Singer" was truly unlucky. Suppressed since its debut, it barely made it through to the halfway point, hoping to shine after "I Am a Singer" ended, only to be overshadowed again by "Dream of the Red Chamber." The producer of "Masked Singer" now feels uncomfortable at the mere mention of Chu Zhi's name.
Another person who has a reaction to Chu Zhi's name is a current third-year student majoring in Seed Science and Engineering at Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University. Her nickname is Shi Er. The discomfort stems from a persistent fan named "Zhi Angel" who keeps recommending Chu Zhi to her. "Zhi Angel" is a gentle lady in her thirties, and who can refuse the recommendations of a gentle lady? “Jiu Ge is really good, he even cares about the staff. Just watch 'Dream of the Red Chamber' and you'll definitely become a fan,” Shi Er agreed to give it another try.
Seeing such a big news piece, Shi Er had mixed feelings. She felt deep sympathy for Chu Zhi's plight and realized she might have misunderstood him.
Bravely taking responsibility, Shi Er immediately posted a message: "Uh, I need to apologize. Earlier, I said, 'Celebrities shouldn't smoke or drink, as it sets a bad example in front of the camera,' and I still stand by that. But A-Jiu is indeed... I don’t have friends with depression, so I can’t fully empathize. But I noticed when the host took out the suicide note and medical records, A-Jiu’s body trembled unconsciously. I felt his struggle...
He only smoked three times during the live broadcast, which I think is very restrained. He also repeatedly reminded everyone to smoke and drink less.
It's not double standards. I believe if he could, A-Jiu wouldn't want to smoke or drink either. Sigh, I shouldn’t have commented without knowing the full truth.”
"Double Standard Zhi" was a nickname derived from a meme, and netizens never fail to disappoint when it comes to such things.
Now a major reversal—
"Maybe this isn’t appropriate, but A-Jiu might have mild to moderate alcohol dependence... because according to A-Jiu, he has nightmares and hallucinations if he doesn’t drink."
"Based on what was said above, during these live broadcast days, A-Jiu might be having nightmares every day and enduring hallucinations, yet he still managed to stay positive and optimistic..."
"Don’t go there, don’t go there. My kid cried his eyes out when he saw Jiu Ge’s suicide note."
"I was mocking Chu Zhi earlier, but... When his album comes out, I’ll definitely buy a copy. Oh, I just remembered, his album is free. Even if I want to spend money, I can’t?"
#ChuZhiAttemptedSuicide# and #DoubleStandardsReversed# became trending topics, with neutral viewers turning into fans. The core reason was the heart-wrenching story, pushing another wave of "mom fans."
Previously, middle and high school students accounted for 30% of Chu Zhi's fanbase, with college students and those under 28 making up half. These two groups are the main fan demographics.
In reality, the 28 to 36 age group of fans may not usually stand out, but their purchasing power is incredible. Among the top six idols, Su Yiwu, with his cute baby face and early debut, has many mom fans who watched him grow up.
When he turned eighteen, fans sponsored 180 flights, with the in-flight magazines and videos all featuring him. They even bought naming rights for eighteen stars, from Su Yiwu Star 1 to Su Yiwu Star 18. In terms of support, the other five idols couldn’t compare.
The financial power of mom fans is overwhelming, and today Chu Zhi attracted a lot of attention from them.
"I feel a bit sorry for this little brother Xiao Jiu. Even though he’s 22 and not really a kid, many of his actions and behaviors are still childlike and innocent. I did some simple research on why Chu Zhi didn’t clarify things in public after being wronged. Believe it or not, it's because he trusted his company to clear his name, so he didn’t act rashly, just followed their instructions. As you can see, it didn’t turn out well.
His former agency, Kangfei Entertainment, has long terminated his contract. They essentially abandoned Xiao Jiu.
Abandoned and at a loss, not knowing what to do. Xiao Jiu has experienced too little. 'You’re Not Truly Happy' is basically him singing about himself. But he was afraid fans would worry, so it wasn’t included in the new album.
In the live broadcast, hallucinations, fear, nightmares, and insomnia all weighed on him, yet he kept smiling and being gentle. When he couldn’t bear it, he smoked three cigarettes, each time going to the balcony to avoid exposing the staff to second-hand smoke. He tirelessly told viewers not to smoke.
Why? Because he knows smoking and drinking are harmful. Just as he knows how terrifying it is to feel desperate and unsupported, so he clumsily tries to help others in despair."
He even had to control his trembling.
Xiao Jiu was wronged, attacked, and unjustly criticized, but he genuinely wanted others to have a good life. He was truly striving to be a good role model, bringing positive energy to people as a good idol.
During that painful period, whether he developed an alcohol dependency or nicotine addiction, I don't know. But he still has shadows in his heart—nightmares, fear of opening Weibo comments, frequent daydreams, and hallucinations. He’s trying hard to quit smoking and drinking to be a good idol.
Little Fruits (his fans) must be very happy to have such an idol.
I occasionally smoke ladies' cigarettes when I'm in a bad mood. To show support for our beloved Xiao Jiu, I'll quit smoking starting today.
One last note: a certain company better not bully our Xiao Jiu.
A mom fan with the ID “Green Ivy” posted this. Her exact identity is unknown, but judging by her words and actions, she holds a significant position. She easily found out about Chu Zhi’s termination with Kangfei, even discovering the involvement of the company behind it, "Da Hua," written with nine strokes.
Green Ivy's long post drew Little Fruits to use a "magnifying glass" to scrutinize the variety show.
On the singer’s stage, Chu Zhi often concealed his depression. Whether it was Heng Kouyi’s concern or host Gu Nanxi’s inquiries, he vaguely mentioned that he wasn’t feeling well.
He didn’t want to convey any negative emotions to the audience through the show. Even when facing the backlash from "uninformed" viewers, he never played the pity card.
Mango TV explained the backlash by stating that viewers mistakenly believed Chu Zhi to be an unethical artist.
All these details prove Green Ivy's post correct: Chu Zhi is really trying hard to be an idol who spreads positive energy.
The suicide attempt of a top-tier idol sparked intense discussions. Many bystanders stood up for justice for the underdog. Who is the underdog? Clearly, it was Chu Zhi, who was wronged, became depressed, and nearly committed suicide.
When the public’s sense of justice is unleashed, the attack is strong. Apart from being easily deceived, their powerful execution and investigative abilities are astonishing. Netizens can uncover many unexpected things.
For example, a netizen named Xu Zhen, an employee of a luxury goods company in Greater China, posted an exposé:
"I wanted to post this a few days ago, right after the announcement that all future albums would be free. But I hesitated since I'm not a fan. Although I admire him somewhat, there's no need to get myself involved. Today, after seeing everything, I felt guilty, so I need to say this: Many people don't understand what making all albums free for life means. They just think a top-tier idol can make that much money, and that’s it.
Maybe that was true in the past, but after being wronged, Chu Zhi faced contract terminations from over thirty endorsements and seven variety shows, with the resulting penalties. Even though the agency would cover the breach of contract fees, the enormous penalties were enough to bankrupt him. How do I know this?
On Alibaba's auction site, his current residence and an SUV he owns are being auctioned. In other words, Chu Zhi is not only bankrupt but will have no place to live in a couple of months.
So now you understand how much courage it took for Chu Zhi to say his albums would be free forever..."
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