peninsula asteroid.

Chapter 1526 I'll Think About It Again

Chapter 1526 I'll Think About It Again

While Ji Kyung-won was texting with Chou Tzu-yu, his phone rang. It was a call from Lim Soo-yeon, the producer of "The Spy".

"Xiuyan-xi".

Chi Kyung-won naturally stopped teasing Chou Tzu-yu and answered the phone.

"Jingyuan, did I disturb your work?"

Lin Xiuyan's smile came through the receiver. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, she quickly got to the point: "There are only two days left until 'Spying' officially airs. Since you have some free time, I'll give you a rundown of the latest data and promotional arrangements for 'Spying' before its premiere."

After Chi Jingyuan responded, she began to speak quickly and clearly.

"The first wave of comprehensive promotion has been fully launched, with posters, trailers, character interviews, and plot previews all rolled out. The online pre-launch hype has been fully established, and the first round of promotion has been completely disseminated."

"All the public opinion feedback collected by our marketing department has been excellent. Recently, related terms for 'The Spy' have consistently ranked high in film and television search results, and in the last two days, they have even entered the trending searches on several homepages such as Naver."

"The discussions on related forums are also very lively, and most casual viewers have expressed their anticipation."

"The most direct data is the number of new paid subscriptions in the Netflix Peninsula region."

Lin Xiuyan paused for a moment, then recited a set of data, her tone noticeably rising: "Since the news that 'The Spy' was about to be broadcast spread, the number of subscribers to Peninsula Netflix has increased significantly, most notably in the last few days, reaching 150,000 in just one week."

"These are just preliminary figures. We all believe that the overall data will experience explosive growth after the broadcast begins."

The producer sounded very excited; clearly, this data and achievement greatly excited her, and even the Peninsula Netflix.

Chi Jingyuan remembers clearly that Netflix's expectation for "Spying," or rather for this collaboration with him, was that the number of new paid subscribers in the peninsula region would exceed 50.

With only two days left until the premiere, it already has 150,000 views even before its official release.

"Jingyuan Xi's national appeal and overseas influence can only be described as amazing."

Lin Xiuyan smiled and exclaimed with genuine admiration, "We've already achieved one-third of our goal before the show even airs."

"It's all thanks to the hard work of everyone in the crew."

Chi Jingyuan smiled and said modestly.

"There will be another wave of traffic support on the last day before the show premieres tomorrow, which will continue until the show is officially released."

Lin Xiuyan continued, "Peninsula Netflix has already given 'Spying' a big banner recommendation on its homepage, which will last for a week, and we can add more depending on the situation."

"Spying" is now the only one left on the Peninsula Netflix, so they're showering it with all sorts of resources and benefits, with the entire site's resources being tilted towards it.

"Everything is ready now, and we are just waiting for the official broadcast on the evening of the 20th. After the first round of audience feedback and public opinion, we will flexibly adjust the subsequent publicity pace and steadily build up long-term popularity."

After a slight pause, Lin Xiuyan seemed to suddenly remember something, her tone filled with anticipation: "By the way, Director Ahn Gil-ho asked if we should do a viewership agreement. I thought about it and it seemed like a good idea. It could be used as a publicity stunt while also inspiring the enthusiasm of fans and viewers."

"Although we don't have any viewership ratings here, we can use other data as a reference. For example, if we reach 600,000 or 700,000 subscribers, we can consider it as reaching our goal."

"A viewership agreement?"

Ji Jingyuan repeated, then replied knowingly, "I'm fine, Xiuyan-xi."

Ratings agreements are a common practice before a TV drama airs, and Ji Kyung-won has done this many times, achieving them almost always.

"that would be great."

Lim Soo-yeon's smile widened: "The publicity team has been preparing materials overnight. After compiling the agreement of all the main actors, it will be officially announced and released through the official INS account."

"Jingyuan, have you decided what you want to do?"

"My words..."

After a few seconds of contemplation, Chi Jingyuan asked curiously, "What are Zhiyuan and the others doing?"

“Ji-won said she could dance a girl group dance and chose Twice’s ‘Likey.’ Lee Hee-joon treated us to fried chicken, Lee Sung-kyung…” Lim Soo-yeon was obviously the last to come to Ji Kyung-won and rattled off the agreements made by the main actors.

Upon hearing this, Chi Jingyuan felt that he had done everything he could.

He didn't think about it for long before saying:

"Let's do a live Q&A session. I'll answer some questions from fans about the TV series and give away some gifts that I've prepared personally."

"This is great! It's more thoughtful and generates more buzz than regular benefits."

Lin Xiuyan immediately agreed, "I'll contact the publicity team right away and make sure your agreement is featured prominently and heavily promoted."

After a few brief words, the call ended cleanly and decisively.

After hanging up the phone, Chi Jingyuan was momentarily lost in thought.

Several months have passed in the blink of an eye, and the TV series that we've been preparing for so long is finally going to premiere the day after tomorrow.

"The Spy" is arguably the work to which he poured his heart and soul, as he was deeply involved in every stage, from project initiation to scriptwriting to casting.

Needless to say, the filming was also a challenge. In order to play the extremely complex character of Jung Ba-rin, he really put in a lot of effort. He abandoned all his past acting habits and worked on the character's temperament, expression, and contrast from scratch. He suffered a lot just in the preparation.

This is the most difficult and most dedicated film I've ever made in all my years as an actor.

Moreover, this series is also a stepping stone to collaborating with Netflix. Ji Kyung-won and his team decided to work more closely with Netflix in the future, and this series must achieve a great start in order to maximize profits.

However, despite the pressure, he was also very confident.

He is confident that the production of this drama is excellent, especially the portrayal of the character Zheng Balin. The reversal of good and evil, the struggle of humanity, and the psychological transformation are all layered and highly infectious. He believes that the male lead will be very popular.

What a pity~

As he was thinking, Chi Jingyuan suddenly remembered something. He smacked his lips lightly and muttered something under his breath.

Production quality and acting skills are largely determined by comparison. Without comparison, no matter how well an actor performs, there is no direct benchmark for measuring their abilities.

I should have chosen a time slot when a drama starring Yoona was airing before broadcasting it.

As Chi Kyung-won was thinking, his manager, Choi Ji-chang, suddenly spoke up, breaking the silence in the car:

"By the way, Jingyuan, the company just received news that Billboard announced today that XO has been nominated again for the Billboard Music Awards for Best Social Media Artist!"

"Qingjia? She's been nominated again?"

Upon hearing this, Chi Jingyuan snapped out of his daze, somewhat surprised: "Just announced?"

"Yes, the list is fresh out of the air... but the organizers sent the invitations in advance yesterday."

"Not bad~"

Chi Jingyuan blinked.

Last year, EXO made history by being nominated for the Billboard Music Awards and even beat Justin Bieber to win Best Social Media Artist. This not only caused a sensation on the Korean Peninsula, but also served as a prelude to their entry into the US market.

Of course, it also gave the fans a great victory, making them more united and even more enthusiastic.

Just being shortlisted is already pretty good...

"Still Best Social Media Artist? No other music award nominations?"

Chi Jingyuan asked tentatively.

"No, still the best social media artist."

"Tsk~"

Upon hearing this, Chi Jingyuan couldn't help but feel a little regretful, and he also couldn't help but feel a bit strange.

While being selected for Billboard for two consecutive years is already a legendary achievement for a K-pop artist, it feels a bit incongruous that a music awards ceremony like Billboard always gives out a 'social' award.

It's like attending professional film and television award ceremonies every year, but only winning the popularity award each time.

"However, this year is different from last time. This time, the official team sent us a formal stage invitation, inviting us to perform on stage."

Seemingly seeing through his thoughts, Cui Zhichang immediately added with a smile.

"Oh?"

Upon hearing this, Chi Jingyuan chuckled softly, "It seems our event last year was quite effective."

Although it's the same award, having a stage invitation makes all the difference.

"When will this year's Billboard event be held?" Chi Jingyuan nodded and asked finally.

May 20th.

"There's one more thing. Just now, while you were recording, Jingyuan, I received a call from the company's record department."

After Ji Kyung-won finished processing the news, Choi Ji-chang continued, "EXO and your solo album are already in preparation. Regarding your song 'Fake Love,' the company asked me if you plan to use it for a solo performance or a group song... I said I need to ask for your opinion."

As he spoke, Choi Ji-chang seemed to remember something and glanced at the rearview mirror: "The producer at the company thinks this song is good and very suitable for the company's upcoming style arrangement for EXO... But I seem to remember you mentioning to me before that you didn't really want to use this song?"

"..."

After he finished speaking, the carriage fell completely silent.

After hearing Cui Zhichang's words, Chi Jingyuan did not respond immediately. His fingertips unconsciously stroked the edge of his phone, and he suddenly fell silent.

The song title "Fake Love" is like a long-sealed key, instantly unlocking certain memories, images, and a certain person deep in the mind.

'If it's for you, I can pretend to be happy even if I'm sad...'

The melody and lyrics instantly surfaced in my mind, swirling and churning in my heart like a magical sound, lingering for a long time.

"Jingyuan?"

Several seconds of silence passed quietly until Cui Zhichang noticed the unusual silence in the back seat and called out softly in confusion, which startled Chi Jingyuan back to his senses.

"Um……"

Chi Jingyuan pursed his lips, suppressing the turmoil in his heart, and looked up at the flowing night outside the window.

"Hmm, let me think about it some more."

…………

April 19, a coffee break area in a high-end office building in Seoul.

During a short break, several office workers gathered around the coffee machine, casually chatting while holding paper cups, relieving the fatigue of work.

"...Did you know that two people from the second department got into an argument over parking today?"

"...I heard that Director Yin made a fortune investing in real estate?"

Everyday life, trivial matters, lighthearted and mundane.

"...Have you heard about Ji Kyung-won's new drama?"

As they were chatting, a clear female voice suddenly changed the subject.

"Of course I've heard about it!"

"Who? Chi Kyung-won? He's getting a new drama?"

"Chi Kyung-won? You mean Kim Shin?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the previously relaxed atmosphere of casual conversation instantly became more focused, and the group immediately became interested and echoed each other's sentiments.

Some people clearly knew the news, but others were not very familiar with it and even referred to him as Kim Shin, the protagonist of "Goblin".

"Yes, it's going to air tomorrow."

The employee who first mentioned him said enthusiastically, "Ah, I don't really understand why he's an idol, but I love watching his dramas. The visuals are perfect and his acting is superb. Watching his dramas is a double massage for both the eyes and the brain. I've been looking forward to his new drama for a long time."

"What type is it? Is it like 'Goblin'?" someone asked curiously.

"Oh, this time it's a hardcore suspense crime thriller with dark and suspenseful elements."

The girl immediately shook her head, her tone becoming increasingly excited as she said, "And it's even rated 19+! Wow, that's totally my cup of tea!"

"Rated 19? Isn't he a TV King? He's doing this kind of thing?"

An elderly female employee next to her widened her eyes instantly, then her eyes lit up.

"Ani, not the kind that's rated 19+, but the kind that's bloody and violent."

"Ah~"

The light disappeared.

"But I really want to watch Ji Kyung-won. I've watched 'Signal' over and over again. I think it's the best suspense drama in South Korea."

"Isn't his acting the best among the new generation of male actors? And I've read analyses saying that he's particularly good at choosing scripts, and all the dramas he stars in are high-quality. This time should be no exception, right?"

Which TV station will broadcast this time? SBS or tvN?

Some people became interested after hearing the discussion and immediately asked about the broadcast channels.

"neither."

The girl next to him gently shook her head and explained, "This time it's exclusively streamed on Netflix, there's no TV broadcast, you can only watch it on the internet."

"Netflix?" Although it is already a global behemoth, there are still quite a few people on the peninsula who have never heard of it.

"It's an online streaming platform. You know House of Cards, right? If not, uh... Okja?"

"Ah, I know 'Okja'..."

"Yes! That's it, it's all on the same platform, Netflix. If you don't know how to access it, just open any website. There's been a lot of promotional news about it these past few days. If you still can't find it, look for Ji Jingyuan's account on Instagram. He's been promoting it a lot these past few days..."

The female employees chattered excitedly, making the entire break area lively and bustling.

The previous trivial gossip quickly passed, and instead, we talked a lot about Ji Kyung-won's TV dramas. It's clear that after years of hard work, Ji Kyung-won's popularity on the peninsula has reached a very high level, covering a wide age range.

Basically, anyone who pays a little attention will know his name.

And this scene is being repeated in every office building, every school, and every commercial street in Seoul, spreading throughout the entire peninsula.

Although there was no traditional television promotion, Netflix did a lot of promotion online, with materials spread across the entire network, purchasing trending topics and marketing, plus the fans and popularity brought by Chi Jingyuan. Countless fans of Chi Jingyuan and drama fans spontaneously recommended the show. As the new drama "The Spy" approached, the online popularity increased, and more and more people heard about, learned about, and looked forward to the show.

The official opening will take place on the evening of the 20th.