Time gives everything the greatest meaning: aging. But aging often comes with loss. Lao Qian lost another girlfriend. Chen Shu lost his top‑ten peak. Qi Qiu lost more hair. Chu Zhi lost some money…
Of course, Chu Zhi's "loss" was small—he bought a villa (mainly to house the gifts and letters sent by Little Fruits) and ended up purchasing two more units.
His album Chu Ci: Ode to Oranges was released on the Chinese lunar date "Dragon Raises Its Head," which corresponded to March 14 in the Gregorian calendar. Over two weeks later, at the end of March, Forbes released its celebrity lists.
Know two things about these lists:
First, Forbes magazine in the United States is a biweekly business publication, focusing on finance and investment, much like Fortune, and both are fond of ranking lists.
Second, the Chinese edition, Forbes China, operates under a license; it effectively "got on board before buying the ticket" and runs independently, making it almost unrelated to the U.S. version.
Forbes China released its "Chinese Celebrity List":
Chu Zhi – RMB 612 million
Wang Jian – RMB 240 million
Su Yiwu – RMB 210 million
Guan Zenghui – RMB 190 million
Zhou Guowu – RMB 160 million… and so on.
Wang Jian and Guan Zenghui are sports stars—a gymnastics prodigy and an athletics champion—hence their high earnings. Yet Chu Zhi's income tops them by nearly threefold: a true top-tier star.
Su Yiwu's team saw this and had nothing to say.
On Earth, in the 1970s, actor Cheng Shaoqiu once out-earned everyone—even earning more per show than Teresa Teng. His popularity in Taiwan made it possible. Meanwhile, another star, Leung Kar-Fai, lost his film territory after being banned in Taiwan.
Chu Zhi now holds influence across China, Japan, and Korea—cross-border appeal unmatched.
From an accuracy standpoint, the Chinese list likely inflates incomes because there's no formal auditing; Forbes China just compiles and publishes.
This cause little stir domestically. What made waves was the U.S. Forbes global celebrity list:
Akenda Bell (Singer, U.S.) – US$210 million (born 1980s)
Denton Johnson (Comedian, U.K.) – US$204 million (born 1970s)…
Chu Zhi (Singer, China) – US$90.5 million (born 1990s)
Barton Hoss Hopkins (Thriller novelist, U.S.) – US$87.5 million (born 1960s)
The Iceman Band (Rock band, Ireland & U.S.) – US$84.4 million (members born '80s–'90s)
Compared to the Chinese list, this global list uses stricter accounting—e.g., splitting annual endorsement fees over multiple months. Yet both lists compile independently, without direct confirmation from the individuals.
They say Chinese stars earn big money; today proves it. Even without being Asia's top star, Chu Zhi shot to 7th place globally. That's unreal.
He is the only Asian in the global top ten and unequivocally the youngest.
Everyone is talking—inside and outside the industry. Industry insiders admire his earning power; the stock of his agency, Happy Broadcast, has soared.
No. One—his major shareholder—loves the boost, but also worries about the future. He signed Chu Zhi on a 2+2 deal: two years fixed, two years renegotiable. Soon it'll be time to start fresh—and the impact could be huge.
Still, looking at Chu Zhi's meteoric rise, no wonder he commands the price.
"Do we offer shares?" Happy Broadcast doesn't hesitate to consider equity—but how much? Too little is useless.
Looking from outside at the global Forbes list, people see Chu Zhi raking in billions and wonder: is he paying taxes properly? Why not donate more?
Fortunately, his team is prepared. Knowing Chu Zhi is a major taxpayer, they coordinated with the tax authority.
The official account of Shanghai Tax Bureau and its short‑video channel soon posted:
"Tax revenue belongs to you and me… join Chu Zhi @EatingABigOrange_ to witness new tax‑paying services in every Shanghai home,"disclosing that his studio paid over RMB 100 million in annual taxes.
Compared with livestream anchors who pay billions, it isn't much—but his tax payment surpasses 99.9 % of celebrities' incomes. The 9th place income on Forbes China doesn't even break RMB 100 million.
A strong taxpayer is a formidable image!
The government also named Chu Zhi a "Proactive Taxpaying Image Ambassador" for Shanghai—another official role. Unknowingly, he's no ordinary celebrity anymore.
His tax payments didn't generate controversy; instead, they became a PR highlight. His charity donations also didn't set tongues wagging.
A netizen named Lin Xia, with other anonymous accounts, commented simply:
"Stupid idiots. Didn't you see that last year's celebrity donation list had Chu Zhi in the top three?"
She hated the haters. Then Lin Xia said firmly to his manager Xian Ge:
"I must correct a serious error in the media coverage."
"What error?" Xian Ge asked.
"They say Chu Zhi is the ceiling of Chinese entertainment," Lin Xia said. "This is wrong. The second, third, and fourth combined can't reach him. Chu Zhi is in the stratosphere while we're still trying to climb the fifth tier."
Xian Ge didn't know what to say. Since Chu Zhi's success in Japan and Korea, many entertainment companies have tried to replicate his model.
But… they seem to have overlooked something: they don't share his superb looks, nor his great songs—how could they succeed?
Including Lin Xia, those planning overseas expansion failed.
March 31 was a busy day.
By the end of it, Chu Zhi needed energy.
"Spicy frog‑leg hotpot is so good," he thought as he finished his late‑night meal.
He received a notification:
"[Consumed 250 super carbs today] – earned nine Personality Tokens; balance rises to 17."
He thought: "I can do three draws; better save for a ten‑draw." Chu Zhi calculated: a ten‑draw guarantees at least one special prize.
That night, Chu Zhi didn't work—it was an early night, because tomorrow's 6 AM flight to Tokyo awaited him. The premiere ceremony started at 9 AM, and flights had to be at ungodly hours.
He couldn't leave earlier from Shanghai, so he took the only available dawn flight.
East passes to west with another day—and now it's April 1, April Fool's Day by Western reckoning. In Japan, it's called "All‑Fools' Day." At TOHO Cinemas in Shinjuku—one of Tokyo's largest multiplex chains—tourists normally fill seats. But today it was cleared for the exclusive premiere of the film After I Close My Eyes.
Hosted by Shochiku film studio and directed by noted Japanese filmmaker Oozu Etsushi, the guests were all big names in Japanese cinema.