After the brand side heard the news today, the Vice President even drove over specifically to check on the shoot. Afterward, he shook Zheng Tian’s hand for a long time, excitedly saying, “You know, President Su, really, you didn’t even give us a heads-up before coming over to help us!”

“Ah, to be honest, I grew up watching your dramas. That fight scene—I still remember it now! I almost went to a martial arts school because of that! I never thought I’d get to see you here!”

“You’re too kind. Honestly, I’m just here to lend a hand, a small favor. President Su just wanted the shooting effect to be better so we could do justice to such a good brand,” Zheng Tian smiled, “But mainly, it’s these young people who are so sharp. I’m just an old man. If I can be of help, I’m really happy.”

When he stepped down from the set, there was no hint of a teacher’s air about him; he was still the person with an old water bottle, wearing an old jacket.

However, after Qu Shoubai and Ji Mowei finished this scene, they understood why Su Ning held him in such high regard.

Zheng Tian was truly humble; he had been of tremendous help.

Because of the good performance during today’s shoot, the post-production team also got some inspiration. The original color tones and texture were supposed to follow the popular influencer style, but now the approach was shifted to the style of martial arts dramas from a decade ago.

It wasn’t as bright, with slightly yellow tones, like a worn-out martial arts novel that had been flipped through. It didn’t feel modern, nor did it seem to keep up with the times, but it actually fit the brand’s vibe.

Old formulas didn’t necessarily mean outdated; they sparked plenty of memories instead.

This brand, originally not very “internet-friendly” and lacking in online marketing skills, had only planned to focus on offline expansion. However, once the final footage was released, behind-the-scenes clips from the shoot were quickly edited and posted on the official accounts. Fans were excited about the new look, and unexpectedly, it went viral.

“This set of photos really turned out well. I didn’t even realize Qu Shoubai and Ji Mowei were so suited to ancient costumes during the competition.”

“Having a popular idol endorse the brand is a good move. If I use a quality product, no one will call it a cheap brand anymore.”

“Even though they’ve hired a star for endorsement and changed the packaging, the price hasn’t gone up. Plus, they’re having a sale recently!”

“Ah, this brand… I remember, this one has been tested by some bloggers, and the report is much more impressive than many big-name brands. The materials are solid, it was just too plain before. I didn’t even know about the rebranding until I saw this ad.”

“Haha, the Vice President in the behind-the-scenes footage—his hair is half white. Doesn’t he look about the same age as Zheng Lao? How can he say he grew up watching his dramas? What a super upgraded generation!”

“I looked it up, the Vice President is in charge of product development, and he’s only in his thirties. Looks like he’s really stressed over the product, it’s made his hair go gray.”

The nostalgia and distinctive style of the shoot were so appealing that recently some influencers started imitating this style, copying the looks and posting their own photos.

In just half a month, these ads had already started circulating.

The Glory brand wasn’t just popular for “Simu.”

They had proven with their actions that what got the attention wasn’t the luxury brand “Simu,” but Glory itself.

Li Chu and Lin Zhi’s unbroadcasted footage had already gone viral, especially the scene with the cats fighting, which fans turned into animated GIFs. It spread widely and was used everywhere.

Encouraged by Su Ning, Rui Song and Zhou Heng’s original ad with the catchy 30-second tune quickly became a popular background track for short video apps, and they continued to earn royalties for it. As for the brand, of course, they were happy to see it.

Wang Ruoyi did well on the comedy variety show, and his outgoing personality allowed him to fit in everywhere. The episode that aired first saw a significant increase in viewership, and his casual promotion of chewing gum and lively script readings made the brand even more pleased.

Each member demonstrated the youthful vitality in their different work settings. For a group that had just debuted on a variety show, their performance as endorsers was already remarkable.

The successful business collaborations not only didn’t dampen fans’ enthusiasm but actually made the shorter-term fans more satisfied.

As long as the idols showed enough potential and promise, they were able to maintain the hope of their fans.

Not to mention, these seven members were getting more and more attractive as time went on.

People say fame nourishes a person, and aside from the attention and encouragement they received, Su Ning’s nurturing energy was also key. Zhou Chunqing, the newcomer in charge of fashion, was instrumental as well. She didn’t have to worry about the clothing, as many brands sent outfits to popular groups, and even without formal business deals or advertisements, it was already a win for the idols to be seen in their clothes.

She often changed styles, and fans humorously called her “Miracle Guagua.”

Without the uniformed outfits of the trainee group, their private clothes also became a hot topic. Glory’s styling was on point, and even passersby at the airport praised the “Wanyan Group” for their looks.

Even when it came to public business, they were active and serious about everything, taking fan interactions seriously while waiting for events and performing old songs during shows. Their stage presence never disappointed, with dances perfectly in sync, making it a pleasing sight.

Even though each person had their own strengths, being part of a seven-member group meant constant adjustment. A large group like this would look awkward if they didn’t work well together. But recently, every stage performance showed them perfectly synchronized, like a blade’s edge in their dances.

Clearly, this was the result of keeping up with daily training. Even Wang Ruoyi, who had lagged behind in the competition due to the variety show’s effect, was now able to keep up.

Because of their strong performance, the album of old songs from the Glory variety show continued to rise in streaming numbers, climbing up the music charts.

The long-tail effect of good works was evident.

During their debut phase, they had dealt with the debuff of fickle fans but still delivered a nearly flawless performance. This had caught the attention of several major brands and difficult-to-approach famous variety shows, who were now extending their olive branches.

Su Ning, who didn’t rush into making deals, waited for better options.

Recently, Glory fans started secretly discussing a code, and it was said that Glory had been approached for a long-term endorsement deal with a highly famous national tea beverage brand under the Baiyun Group.

In an ironic twist, previously, Pinnacle had taken Zhou Heng and the others, pushing for a promotion for a less known drink line, but this new deal was for the well-known “Cha Yue” brand, a series with an entirely different level of fame.

And Su Ning hadn’t even signed the contract yet, but the news had already leaked. Glory fans were excited, even if they were still waiting for the official announcement.

“Woo, why are they so promising?”

“My friends, I’m so excited, I couldn’t sleep all night!”

Some fans even took action on the spot.

“Endorsement coming, endorsements coming, endorsements are coming from all sides!”

“How many can you count in this nationwide business circle, huh? This is truly amazing!”

The fans were hyping it up, and if the contract was signed, it would truly be a “promotion” in their eyes.

The “Cha Yue” series came in various flavors, dominating convenience store shelves with an average price of three yuan per bottle. Endorsers could even have their photos with the product printed on the bottles, which had always been the brand’s signature packaging.

This national brand, capable of mass advertising, was much harder to land than the previous high-end luxury brand “Simu.”

After all, luxury brands rely on their endorsers to boost sales, but “Cha Yue,” which had been around for nearly twenty years, relied on its massive offline market. No matter how much the fans supported, it didn’t significantly affect their distribution.

Glory was very popular now, but still a new idol group, and the last artist to just finish a contract with the brand was Liao Yuansi, a longtime entertainment veteran.

“Cha Yue” was a contract Liao Yuansi had signed three years ago, during his peak when he was the Film Emperor with over 3 billion in box office earnings.

However, in the past two years, his career had slowed down, even though his position in the industry remained strong.

The last endorsement battle for “Simu” had been won by Su Ning, but this one was pure coincidence.

At this point, not many would believe Su Ning when he said it was all just luck.

Thinking back to the previous situation, Pinnacle had indeed offended the brand, but the expiration of the endorsement contract and the change to Liao Yuansi had surprised Su Ning.

Especially since this time, it was the brand that had actively reached out to him.

He had met with the brand’s representative for the “Cha Yue” series during his trip to Rong Cheng.

The person, Lu Fei, was around twenty to thirty years old, and he was no ordinary figure. It turned out he was the youngest son of the group’s big boss and had the responsibility of overseeing such an important division at his age.

Throughout the discussions, Lu Fei had a very polite attitude, but Su Ning couldn’t help but feel that he was somewhat distracted. More importantly, he didn’t even seem to recognize any of the Glory members or remember their names, only being polite to Su Ning as the CEO. But when the stars were mentioned, he showed no interest.

Of course, it was normal for someone at that level not to care much about the entertainment industry. Endorsers might be recommended by the marketing department or 4A companies. However, Su Ning found it a little odd. He suspected that Pinnacle wouldn’t just let things go and kept his guard up.

Once the initial agreement was reached, Su Ning shook hands with him and was about to leave when he bumped into him again by the company gate. He was on a call and didn’t notice Su Ning.

It seemed like a call from a girlfriend.

Su Ning had done some research beforehand and knew that this boss was unmarried.

Though the conversation was kept private, Su Ning could still make out a few words: “…Baby, I miss you. I’ll come find you soon, okay?”

“Really miss you.”

Even a big boss could be silly when it came to love.

Su Ning didn’t dwell on others’ personal lives, and after that, everything about the collaboration went smoothly. Allen tried to stir trouble, but Shen Mingzheng had already blocked him.

Soon, the contract was finalized—a year and a half endorsement deal that would last until the group disbanded, with no discounts on benefits, everything was in place.

Su Ning reviewed the contract carefully. Everything seemed in order, and it looked like Glory had truly lucked into a big opportunity.

When both sides signed the contract, they chose a very private location, as many collaborations were done this way—eating while discussing. Su Ning showed up on time.

The restaurant was actually a resort, where Lu Fei was taking a break.

When Su Ning arrived, Lu Fei was dressed casually, rolling up his pants, and motioned for him to sit in the garden, saying the meal would be ready soon. He was slowly watering flowers—roses were planted all around.

Su Ning didn’t know much about flowers, but these roses were particularly beautiful, with an orange-red hue that seemed unique to the area. When he had driven up to the resort, he had seen people selling these flowers by the roadside.

While both of them were relaxed and enjoying their time, the unexpected happened—Liao Yuansi, the Film Emperor, actually showed up himself.

Allen hadn’t come, perhaps unable to handle the situation.

Since this was a tourist area, the resort had other houses and gardens, so there were other tourists, but Liao Yuansi’s “chance encounter” felt a bit forced. As soon as he arrived, he brought his manager to approach Lu Fei with his intentions.

“Mr. Lu, we can reduce the endorsement fee, or even do it for free,” the manager said. “I’ve worked with this brand for years, much better than those rookie idols, right?”

Liao Yuansi even lowered his head in agreement: “If you’re upset about the previous mistake, we can compensate…”

At this point, Su Ning interrupted with a frown.

“Let’s keep this dignified. No need to force this,” he said. “Is this necessary? Breaking the rules here?”

Endorsements should be a bonus, but this kind of collaboration wasn’t easy to come by, and the endorsement fee didn’t matter. The real difference was in the brand’s stature.

Liao Yuansi wasn’t happy, glaring at Su Ning. “You’re just getting back at me for what happened last time, huh? Those three little idols are all following you now, what else do you want?”

“Enough, no need to say more. Let’s just part ways decently,” Lu Fei finally interrupted. “Endorsement fee… Do you really think I care about a few million?”

Liao Yuansi went silent, and Su Ning waved his hand. His bodyguards, who were much bigger than Liao Yuansi’s team, quickly intervened and escorted him out.

Lu Fei glanced at the scene without stopping it, sighing. “Tsk, playing a hero in movies, yet this is how you are. I really liked that movie too. Well, Mr. Su, since they don’t even care about the endorsement fee, what do you think?”

Su Ning remained still, replying, “No opinion. I know you’re not concerned with that. If we can collaborate, it’s fate. As long as both sides are happy, everyone else is just a clown.”

Lu Fei smiled at Su Ning, saying, “Well said. Fate isn’t something you can force. I admire your temperament, Mr. Su. This collaboration… it was meant to be.”

But he didn’t elaborate on what he meant by that, and continued slowly watering the flowers, as if nothing had happened.

Su Ning didn’t press further.

He had suspected that Pinnacle might come around. After all, that company had always been this way, trying to grab whatever good opportunity it could, thinking Su Ning wouldn’t know they were following him.

This was a case of not realizing the danger until it was too late. After losing this round, Pinnacle wouldn’t try again.

This outcome had been expected, but what really surprised Su Ning was—there was someone upstairs.

When Liao Yuansi and his group had come, someone upstairs had been watching them, like they were watching a good show.

The reflection on the glass made it hard to see clearly, but Su Ning could vaguely make out a shadow, possibly a girl.

By the time the meal and contract signing came, Su Ning soon figured out who it was.

It was Ji Xue.