Chapter 59: Chen Ping is About to Blow Up

Chen Ping, not bad at all. I watched the first episode of Actors, Please Stand By yesterday, and your portrayal of Kangxi showed a lot of thoughtful depth.

Thank you, Director Gao. Mostly, I was just worried that fellow wouldn't get back up once he knelt down.

That kind of adaptability is a true reflection of acting skill, keep it up. Who knows, after Actors, Please Stand By finishes airing, our Legend of Chu and Han might just have another major selling point.

Although Actors, Please Stand By had only broadcasted its first episode, being a major production by Tencent and directed by a renowned filmmaker, it commanded a respectable level of attention.

During the shoot that very day, Gao Xixi struck up a conversation with Chen Ping about the variety show.

Of course, several other cast members had also tuned in to watch Chen Ping's performance.

One had to admit that although Chen Ping was not the absolute center of attention in the premiere, the acting prowess he displayed was truly astonishing.

Moreover, this rather realistic approach to acting provided them with a more comprehensive reference point.

Previously, they had merely acted alongside Chen Ping, and during the hustle of filming, it was difficult to fully appreciate his acting choices.

Yet, through the program Actors, Please Stand By, they could step back and admire Chen Ping's performance from a detached, omniscient perspective.

In The Deer and the Cauldron, Chen Ping's portrayal of Emperor Kangxi was genuinely brilliant.

This level of acting was a direct continuation of the skills Chen Ping had demonstrated while playing Han Xin.

However.

Now, it seemed that in the short span of a month, compared to his time as Han Xin, Chen Ping's acting skills had advanced significantly once again.

Naturally.

The most thrilled of all were Chen Ping's fans.

Although Chen Ping's fan base was still relatively small, it had to be said that they were fiercely loyal.

The reason was simple.

They had started following Chen Ping before he became famous, simply because his acting resonated with their ideal standards for a true actor.

Actors, Please Stand By was, after all, a performance-based show, and Chen Ping once again showcased a super-tier standard within it.

This stellar performance once again sent his fans into a frenzy of excitement within their Douyin fan group.

Did everyone watch Big Brother Ping's show?

Of course I did! Big Brother Ping's Kangxi was so domineering!

Mmm-hmm, it totally subverted my traditional view of an emperor. Turns out emperors can actually act too.

Haha, being an emperor naturally requires good acting skills, otherwise, Wei Xiaobao would have played Kangxi to death.

In fact, the ultimate winner in The Deer and the Cauldron was Kangxi.

That's for sure. Even though Wei Xiaobao was smart and the protagonist of the story, he was always controlled by Kangxi.

Holy cow, after hearing your analysis, I feel like the real protagonist of The Deer and the Cauldron isn't Wei Xiaobao, but Kangxi!

Sparked by Chen Ping's portrayal of Kangxi, the fans engaged in a lively and passionate discussion.

Meanwhile, on the other side.

With the broadcast of Actors, Please Stand By, the exposure of Chen Ping's role as Kangxi skyrocketed.

In just a single day, Chen Ping's follower count bounced back to its previous peak of fifty thousand.

By the second day, it had reached eighty thousand.

A week later, Chen Ping had amassed one hundred thousand followers.

This follower count was not particularly massive, but Chen Ping was quite satisfied with it.

Then came the second episode, in which Chen Ping continued to deliver a stellar performance.

Even outperforming his work in the first episode.

Chen Ping's portrayal of Wei Xing in The Road Not Taken brought a sense of closure and redemption to the regrets of countless actors.

Furthermore, thanks to Chen Ping's brilliant adaptation, director Derek Yee was filled with joy and relief, to the point where he couldn't help but shed a tear.

The broadcast of this particular scene instantly thrust Chen Ping into the intense spotlight of public attention.

This was most vividly reflected in his soaring follower count.

After the first episode, Chen Ping's follower count had only crawled up to one hundred thousand.

Following the second episode, his follower count surged directly to three hundred thousand.

And then came the third episode.

The officials at Tencent had been eagerly anticipating this particular episode.

They firmly believed that once this episode aired, Chen Ping would undoubtedly explode in popularity.

Or rather, once Chen Ping achieved viral fame, their show Actors, Please Stand By would truly become a massive sensation.

Therefore.

Even before the third episode was broadcasted, Tencent's official team launched a comprehensive, all-out promotional campaign for Actors, Please Stand By.

Indeed.

There had been promotions before, but for the third episode, they tripled their marketing efforts.

Tencent's official website featured a prominent red-highlighted headline on its front page: Actors, Please Stand By, Episode 3 Shocks the Audience.

The variety show channel gave it another heavyweight recommendation under the title: Meeting Yang Guo Mistakenly for a Lifetime.

QQ instant messenger pushed a pop-up recommendation: The Handsomest Yang Guo in History, You'll Regret It for a Lifetime If You Don't Watch.

Naturally, the special feature also included a screenshot of the exact moment Chen Ping unveiled his face as Yang Guo.

Only, that crucial moment was heavily pixelated...

Coupled with a series of promotional advertorials.

With such massive promotion, even if Actors, Please Stand By had only been mildly popular before, this level of hype would have been more than enough to draw in countless viewers.

Holy crap, what is going on? Did Tencent just pull out all the stops?

Seems like Actors, Please Stand By features an actor reenacting the classic unmasking scene of Yang Guo.

Yang Guo unmasking? Damn, it's not some parody, is it?

Many people began to buzz with discussion.

When it came to Yang Guo's unmasking scene, countless viewers were more than familiar with it.

Among the six television adaptations, only Louis Koo's version remained the undisputed classic.

This naturally exerted immense pressure on any other actor attempting to remake The Return of the Condor Heroes.

Because no matter how they filmed it, many people believed they could never surpass Louis Koo's version.

Especially this unmasking scene.

If this unmasking scene was handled poorly, it wouldn't just ruin that single shot; it would drag down the entire production.

Much like the actresses who played Little Dragon Maiden in The Return of the Condor Heroes.

Many considered Carmen Lee's version to be the original standard, Crystal Liu's as a high-end replica, Michelle Chen's as a cheap knock-off, and Jia Ling's version as something that deserved an immediate refund.

Doesn't look like a parody though.

Look at Yuan Bingyan playing Guo Xiang—that look in her eyes is no less intense than Li Qi-hong's.

Right, anyone capable of drawing such a gaze out of Yuan Bingyan is definitely not ordinary.

I saw it too, looking forward to it!

Although Actors, Please Stand By was a variety show, it was by no means a comedic one.

The actors participating all held a certain status in the industry, and many of them were seasoned veterans.

Judging by the previous episodes, the show won high praise from viewers precisely by focusing on authenticity.

If this episode suddenly pivoted to comedy, it would contradict the original positioning of the program, and Tencent would never joke around with something like this.

...

At 8:00 PM that evening.

The third episode of Actors, Please Stand By officially went live.

I'm here, I'm here, I want to watch Yang Guo!

Hahaha, just passing by to watch Yang Guo as well.

Are you a beauty?

Nope, I'm a handsome guy.

A handsome guy is interested in Yang Guo's unmasking too?

Of course! Yang Guo is our idol; we all wish we could be Yang Guo.

Within Jin Yong's martial arts universe, Yang Guo was undoubtedly one of the pinnacle characters.

Loved deeply by both men and women alike.

As soon as the episode updated, countless viewers couldn't wait to jump straight to the segment where Chen Ping played Yang Guo.

Brothers, fast forward to 1 hour and 11 minutes.

Damn, I'm an idiot, I was still watching from the first minute.

Hahaha, dude, this isn't a live broadcast, hurry up!

A variety show wasn't a traditional television drama, so the progress bar was dragged forward without hesitation.

First!

Whoa, perfect timing, I've arrived too.

666... Holy cow, there are so many people here, did you guys all skip the first part?

Hahaha... Spot on!

The comments streaming across the screen once again attested to the immense popularity of this particular scene from The Condor Heroes.

The moment Chen Ping appeared on screen as Yang Guo, thousands of barrage comments flooded in.

Big Brother Yang, the first favor I ask of you is this: I want to see your true face.

The thrilling moment had arrived.

The instant Chen Ping lifted his mask...

Whoa...

The entire screen was so densely packed that it was impossible to tell what Chen Ping actually looked like anymore.

As for why?

Because the screen was completely blocked by the barrage of comments...