My capital is quite large.

Chapter 185 The Korean Wave Arrives

February has arrived.

In this season of renewal, a major reshuffling of online traffic is quietly taking place in China's internet and fan circles.

The first to feel this chill were the fans of Han Geng, the original top influencer who once held the "Weibo King" throne.

"Hey, have you guys noticed? Our older brother seems to have lost his voice lately?"

On Han Geng's Weibo supertopic and various Tieba forums, countless die-hard fans posted questions.

"Yeah! Before, my brother could just post a selfie and it would immediately be in the top three of Weibo's trending topics, with all the major portals publishing articles about it. How come we can't even see him trending anymore?"

"Not only are the trending topics gone, but even the splash screen ads for those big brand endorsements are gone! Is someone throttling my feed?"

Just as Han Geng's fans were scrambling around like headless flies, they were shocked to discover that the massive amount of trending topics and exposure that once belonged to their idol had been taken over by a new Korean boy group that had suddenly appeared out of nowhere!

EXO!

This brand-new large-scale boy group launched by South Korea's SM Entertainment has swept through the Chinese entertainment industry's fangirls thanks to the full-scale promotion of Haofeng's Weibo and iQiyi!

Especially when netizens clicked on those meticulously edited stage performances and music videos trending on social media, everyone was stunned!

"My goodness! There are so many handsome guys in this group! It's an absolute feast for those who appreciate good looks!"

"Especially those Chinese guys! They're so damn handsome!"

"That one with those big, watery eyes is absolutely adorable! And that tall guy, at 1.87 meters, his face is like a cool prince straight out of a manga!"

Soon, some longtime fans who were familiar with the Korean entertainment industry noticed the unusual behavior of this new boy group.

"Something's not right! When did SM Entertainment start treating its Chinese members so well?!"

A longtime fan posted a probing question on the forum: "Back when our Han Geng was in Super Junior, he was so suppressed that he wasn't even allowed to show his face, and he had to wear a mask on stage! How come these two Chinese guys are not only given plenty of screen time in EXO, but they've also become the center, visual, and sub-unit leader?!"

"Have Koreans changed their ways? Or are these two Chinese members just too powerful for SM Entertainment to afford to offend?"

Not only did boy bands rise to prominence, but at the beginning of this year, the video duo under Haofeng Network—iQiyi and Bilibili—also did something that shocked netizens across the internet.

As is well known, Haofeng Film & Television is famous for exclusively producing popular domestic dramas and officially licensed Japanese anime online, and has always looked down on Korean dramas.

But this spring!

The homepages of iQiyi and Bilibili prominently feature two top-tier Korean dramas exclusively!

My Love from the Star! The Heirs!

As soon as these two dramas were released, the extremely romantic setting of tall, handsome men and aliens captivated female viewers in China's lower-tier markets, and the viewership and clicks almost brought iQiyi's servers to a standstill!

"What's wrong with Haofeng? Didn't he never import Korean dramas before?"

"Yeah, the production quality of these two dramas is just too extravagant! They're more exquisite than any Korean drama I've ever seen before, like watching a blockbuster movie!"

Faced with the doubts and confusion across the internet, a verified industry insider known for his accurate insider tips stepped forward on Haofeng's Weibo account to unveil the mystery.

Stop guessing, they're just a bunch of newbies.

The expert casually replied under a trending topic:

[Do you really think those two top Chinese idols in that Korean boy band were mercifully promoted by SM Entertainment? Let me tell you, those two most popular young male stars in Korea have long been loyal agents of Haofeng Film & Television, under a 15-year contract!]

They're just using SM Entertainment as a front for prestige; SM is essentially training and working for Haofeng, and he'll be back in China by 14 at the latest!

The moment this revelation was released, thousands of shocked replies immediately followed.

Some fans retorted in disbelief: "Impossible! SM is the biggest entertainment giant in South Korea, notorious for its unfair terms. Would they really agree to let another company train such a popular cash cow?"

The expert replied instantly, his tone laced with disdain:

SM Entertainment? Lee Soo-man is nobody!

Compared to Lee Soo-man's entertainment empire worth hundreds of billions, South Korean chaebols are nothing but beggars! Lee Soo-man could easily scrape together five million US dollars in buyout fees and traffic support, and Lee would have to kneel down and call him "daddy"!

[As for those two wildly popular Korean dramas you mentioned, *My Love from the Star* and *The Heirs*? Ha! You really think they were made by Koreans themselves? Boss Lee personally approved them, fully funding and commissioning a Korean production team to make them! It's perfectly natural for you to watch them on iQiyi, because these were originally fully funded by Haofeng himself!]

boom!!

This popular science explanation from the expert was like a blow to the head of all netizens!

Placing an artist under the wing of a top Korean boy band for training?! Investing entirely in a top-tier Korean production team to create a custom-made hit drama for Haofeng?!

"I'm fucking impressed! Boss Li's capital strategy is a complete game of 'dimensional reduction'!"

"Others go to South Korea to do manual labor, but our Boss Li uses South Korea's entertainment industry as an assembly plant and a surrogacy machine! Amazing!"

……

Online onlookers are praising Li Feng's transnational scheme.

Meanwhile, in Yanjing.

Inside Yuehua Entertainment's spacious partners' office, the atmosphere was oppressively suffocating.

Han Geng stared at the script outline in his hand, exuding a sense of dejection and unbelievable defeat.

Now that he has survived that short-term "20/80 split" contract, he has left Haofeng in style and, as a semi-owner, has made a strong investment in Lehua Entertainment.

He believed that with the popularity he had accumulated over the years, once he regained his freedom, he would be set free to fly high, and countless top-tier films and investors would line up to seek his cooperation.

However, reality dealt him a heavy blow!

"Mr. Du, can you explain to me what exactly is going on?!"

Han Geng slammed the documents in his hand onto the coffee table, his voice trembling with anger, "Director Zhao Daye's 'So Young'! We've been communicating for so long beforehand for this movie, I even cleared out my schedule!"

"Why was everything fine yesterday, and then suddenly I was notified today that my male lead role has been replaced?!"

"If I don't play the absolute male lead, who else can Zhao Daye, a newcomer directing for the first time, cast?! Looking at the entire Chinese entertainment industry, who else has the box office appeal and popularity to compare with me, Han Geng?!"

Sitting opposite him was Du Hua, the female boss of Lehua.

Seeing the once arrogant top star now in such a helpless and furious state, Du Hua sighed helplessly and rubbed his throbbing temples.

"Han Geng, calm down."

Du Hua poured him a glass of water, her voice weak, "It's not that Zhao Daye doesn't like you, nor is it that our company's public relations are inadequate."

"It's the investor behind this film who has spoken."

"The investors?" Han Geng was stunned for a moment. "Which investors are so blind that they dare to replace me?"

"Haofeng Films." Du Hua uttered four words, as if a mountain was pressing down on the two of them.

Han Geng froze, his pupils suddenly contracting!

"Just yesterday afternoon, Haofeng Pictures announced a follow-up investment in the film 'So Young.' They not only secured all subsequent exclusive online promotion and theatrical screenings, but also acquired over 60% of the production team's investment!"

Looking at Han Geng's bloodless face, Du Hua cruelly revealed the truth:

"As the largest investor, Haofeng's only firm demand for recasting was that the male lead and second male lead must be played by people from their company!"

"Zhao Wei simply couldn't withstand such immense financial pressure, especially since Haofeng was offering far too much. So..."

"So, who replaced me?" Han Geng gritted his teeth, as if every word was dripping blood.

"Yang Yang, and Zhang Ruoyun," Du Hua answered truthfully.

Upon hearing those two names, Han collapsed onto the sofa as if all his strength had left him, feeling a sudden dizziness!

Yang Yang! Zhang Ruoyun!

These two junior colleagues, who weren't even worthy of carrying his shoes back in the company, are now stepping on his head and stealing the most crucial stepping stone for his transition to the big screen!

It wasn't until this moment that Han Geng finally understood that without Hao Feng's support, his so-called "top influencer" status was as fragile as a thin sheet of paper in the face of real capital!

He wasn't just heartbroken over the gains and losses of a single film.

What truly terrified him was that Zhao Wei, a newcomer directing for the first time, chose to abandon him without hesitation when faced with his status as a "top star" and the capital of Haofeng Films!

This shows that, in the eyes of directors and producers in the industry, Han Geng's popularity is no match for Hao Feng's investment and ban!

He was abandoned by Haofeng, which means he was blacklisted by the most core resource circle in the entire Chinese entertainment industry!

"Could it be... that leaving Haofeng was truly a terrible move?"

Han covered his face, lost in self-doubt.

Seeing his new partner's dejected expression, Du Hua quickly sat down beside him, patted him on the shoulder, and comforted him:

"Han Geng, transitioning to the big screen is something that can't be rushed. Since Haofeng is holding us back in the film and television industry, we should just avoid confrontation for now."

"Don't forget, you started out as a singing and dancing idol! Our Lehua has a solid foundation in music production. Listen to me, let's put aside filming for now and focus on preparing your new album."

"Let's start with music, solidify our core fanbase, and then gradually expand once the hype dies down!"