SBS Headquarters, Seoul.
Minister Cho held the latest report in hand, his eyes gleaming.
"South Korea's three absurd social phenomena... Chu Zhi's influence is no joke."
The numbers were shocking—EP sales and streaming statistics for Chu Zhi's latest Korean-language release, After the Clouds Clear, had just arrived.
"Casting Chu Zhi in You Came from the Stars was absolutely the right call," said Minister Cho with satisfaction. "The more popular our lead, the hotter the series will be."
Director Zhao nodded along, though inwardly unconvinced. "Chu Zhi doesn't even have many works released in our country, but his popularity is bafflingly high."
According to The Dong-A Ilbo, South Korea's three most absurd modern phenomena were: dangerously high levels of Viagra detected in the Han River, an extremely low desire for marriage among the youth, and—somehow—Chu Zhi's inexplicable popularity.
What was intended as a criticism had the opposite effect. Fans took it as proof of Chu Zhi's dominance. If he could be mentioned in the same breath as deeply rooted societal problems, wasn't that a mark of power?
"Netflix has full confidence in Chu Zhi too," Minister Cho added. "They're offering 6 billion won per episode, plus 15% in royalties."
That amounted to roughly 30 million yuan.
"When discussing schedules with his team, make it clear we'll accommodate his timing fully."
The script only required about two and a half months to film, and with tightly arranged scenes, shooting could be wrapped in 40 to 50 days.
"Right away," Director Zhao said, preparing to leave.
"Take these reports with you as well. Show them to the conservative faction."
He was referring to SBS's internal opposition—those who firmly objected to casting a Chinese actor in a Korean lead role, and were even more opposed to partnering with Netflix. That conservative camp was also a major rival of the current deputy president.
In Korea's corporate structure, a "President" typically referred to the CEO, while "Chairman" was the Board Chair.
📰 Headlines:
THEFACT: "37 PAKs, over 450,000 copies sold on Day 1, breaking all EP sales records. Chu Zhi is now the most influential foreign star of this era. Reportedly dating a Korean girlfriend for years."
DISPATCH: "How did Chu Zhi surpass popular group 'Endline Goodbye'? We surveyed 100 listeners—turns out, it's the looks! One fan even claimed a one-night stand."
Zhao skimmed the gossip rags as he walked down the hallway.
DISPATCH (D agency) specialized in celebrity romances, while THEFACT (T Press) was infamous for paparazzi-style exposés. Both were notorious—and both were now running full-page features on Chu Zhi.
"What's so special about a Chinese celebrity? At this rate, they'll start claiming he's actually Korean," Zhao scoffed. He returned to the secretary office and tossed the newspapers on the table.
Just then, news arrived: negotiations for the female lead had been finalized.
Now, the leads and secondary cast for You Came from the Stars were all locked in.
The female lead, Song Myeong-hee, was a graduate of Dongguk University's Theater & Film Department. She debuted as a solo singer but earned more fame for her seductive waistline than for her songs.
After transitioning to acting, she climbed the ranks—from Best New Actress at the Baeksang Arts Awards to Best Actress at the Grand Bell Awards. At thirty, she held considerable standing in South Korea's entertainment scene.
And yet, her per-episode fee was just 200 million won. Twenty episodes added up to barely over 20 million yuan, without any bonus cuts.
Compared to Chu Zhi, the difference in status was stark.
Chu Zhi's Day 1 sales had hit 480,000. Day 2 climbed to 440,000. Day 3 held steady above 400,000. He didn't just break EP sales records—he broke them over and over.
It was an eerily perfect sales curve.
The secret? Japanese Ragdoll fans and Chinese Little Fruits were quietly buying in bulk.
Even though major fan accounts pushed the slogan, "Chu Ci・Orange Ode is free to listen", many still chose to collect physical copies in secret.
Even a small fraction of buyers, when scaled against such a massive fanbase, made a dent.
His streaming stats were no joke either—he held a perfect all-kill (PAK) for 96 hours straight.
On Day 4, rival group M7, challengers to the Princess Group, released their own single. M7's popularity ensured strong competition. Though they often lost out, their fanbase was still powerful.
But Chu Zhi's Apostles weren't to be underestimated. They went all-in defending the charts.
Eventually, on Melon's chart, M7 edged ahead, pushing the battle into a deadlock. Neither side could retake the perfect all-kill.
Chu Zhi had turned the Korean music scene upside down.
On Korean social media, half the trending topics revolved around his epic sales or his war against the nine-member M7 boy group. Meanwhile, back home, China's trending searches were dominated by one thing: the national college entrance exams.
No contest.
—
Under the scorching midday sun, Chu Zhi was still on the move, working through a packed schedule with his management team.
He might not claim to love his job, but he firmly believed in earning his pay. Today's shoot? An outdoor ad for Anta, the Chinese sportswear giant.
Anta had offered the highest bid in recent contract talks. The deal was sealed quickly.
At lunch, they found a shady spot to eat boxed meals.
"Chu-ge! I found something super delicious. You've gotta try it," said Xiao Zhuzi, the team's life assistant. She skipped over, hiding something behind her back.
"Is it durian?" Chu Zhi sniffed. "I can smell it."
"Wow, your nose is sharp." She pulled out a sealed pack of durian pulp in one hand. "Regular durian is great, but what if you pair it with this…"
In the other hand, she revealed a jar of fermented tofu.
"?"
Chu Zhi's Emperor Beast Acting System activated—the signature question mark hovering over his head meant something was deeply wrong.
Durian with fermented tofu?! This was culinary horror.
Xiao Zhuzi scooped a bite of durian, slathered it in tofu, and held it up expectantly.
"Try it, it's really good!"
He hesitantly took a bite. Not as vile as he expected, but definitely not good. Edible? Barely. Delicious? No.
"So?!" she asked eagerly.
"Very imaginative combo. But I don't really like durian, so... you go ahead and enjoy it."
She nodded cheerfully. "Next time I find something tasty, I'll share it again!"
Chu Zhi sighed inwardly. He had completely failed to realize she was a certified dark cuisine master.
—
At the same time, Professor Xiao Yue's sociological research on idol influence had officially begun.
As a respected professor at BFSU, specializing in sociology and Japanese cultural studies, he was determined to prove the positive societal impact of Chu Zhi's stardom.