novellhall Chapter 101 Weibo King
Chapter 101 Weibo King
Chapter 107 Weibo King
On December 15, 2018, the voting channel for Weibo Night officially opened.
This day marked just two weeks since the finale of "Joy of Life," and Fan Xian's popularity was still soaring.
As soon as the voting link for Weibo Night went live, the hashtag #WeiboNightVoting# quickly became a trending topic.
Chen Nianbei's name appeared on both the "Weibo King" and "Weibo Male God of the Year" lists.
The fans went wild instantly.
"Nianbei!! Charge!!"
"After Fan Xian, Nian Bei must be given an award!"
"Sisters, the voting link is here. You get 20 votes a day, don't waste them!"
"There are tutorials in the supertopic; check them out if you don't know how to vote!"
Wang Churan, Liu Haochun, and Tian Xiwei, the three veterans, immediately posted voting strategies in the super topic and organized fans to form a "voting team" to check in, urge votes, and review the results every day.
Their IDs have been active in Chen Nianbei's super topic since 2013. Five years have passed, and they have gone from students to working professionals, but their enthusiasm has never changed.
"We've been with him for five years, from 2013 to 2018. This time, we're going to send him to the podium."
Wang Churan's pinned post was forwarded 100,000 times.
On the first day of voting, Chen Nianbei ranked seventh on the "Weibo Annual Hottest Person" list.
It's not that he's not popular enough, it's that his fan base is too unique. The vast majority of his fans are drama fans, movie fans, and acting fans. These people usually watch dramas quietly, buy tickets, and like posts, but they are not very good at ranking, voting, or data manipulation.
In contrast, idol-turned-celebrity artists have much stronger "fighting power" among their fans.
Old Zhao sent a screenshot of the rankings to Chen Nianbei, somewhat worried: "Nianbei, this ranking—should we make an effort to influence it?"
Chen Nianbei stared at the screenshot for a few seconds in silence. Then he smiled.
"No need," he said. "Let them decide for themselves. They can vote if they want, or they can choose not to. I don't want to put pressure on the fans."
Old Zhao looked at him, his feelings a mix of emotions. This young man was always like this.
He could have done what others do: posted a few Weibo posts to "hint" at fans to vote, or had his studio organize it.
But he didn't. He preferred to let things take their course.
But the fans don't think so.
On the second day of voting, the "Chen Nianbei Fan Voting Group" was officially established.
A group of drama and movie fans who never usually participate in fan circles started studying the voting rules, learning how to "switch accounts," how to "time out," and how to "fight back."
They named the group "North Wind"—meaning, like the north wind, silently gathering strength and then sweeping everything away.
In the supertopic, new voting tutorials are posted every day. Some people use Ece spreadsheets to track vote growth, some record videos explaining how to vote with multiple accounts, some buy data packages at their own expense to boost Chen Nianbei's data, and some even mobilize their whole family to vote together.
"I even got my parents to vote. They watched 'Joy of Life' and also like Nian Bei."
"My husband didn't follow celebrities before, but I forced him to vote for them every day, and now he's even more enthusiastic than me."
"During our lunch break, everyone at work was scrolling through Weibo just to vote for Nianbei."
The power of this "casual audience" is beginning to emerge.
On the seventh day of voting, Chen Nianbei's ranking rose to fifth.
Day 10, Day 4.
Day 15, Day 3.
Day 20, Day 2.
On the list, only one person is ahead of him—Zhu Yilong, the actor who became a sensation because of "Guardian" and has an extremely powerful fan base.
The hashtag #ChenNianbei's votes have surpassed Chen Nianbei's# has started to frequently trend on social media.
Passersby then realized that Chen Nianbei, who seemed incredibly low-key, actually had so many "silent fans."
One media outlet wrote an analysis article titled "Chen Nianbei's Fans: Why They Are So Quiet Yet So Powerful."
The article interviewed several core members of "North Wind," and the answers they received were surprisingly consistent—
"Because he deserves it."
"We're not the kind of fans who scream; we're the kind of fans who buy tickets, promote our products, and vote quietly."
"He acts, we watch. He needs us, we're there."
With the final week of voting underway, the competition has reached a fever pitch.
Chen Nianbei and Zhu Yilong's votes rose alternately, with the gap remaining between them in the hundreds of thousands.
Both sides' fans went crazy, watching the vote count from morning till night, and immediately organizing a counterattack at the slightest change.
Naza has been messaging Chen Nianbei every day for the past few days, asking how the vote count is going. Chen Nianbei always replies, "It's alright, don't worry too much about it."
Naza snapped, "What do you mean 'not bad'? Your fans are working so hard, how come you're not worried at all?"
Chen Nianbei looked at the message and smiled. He replied, "There's no use in me being anxious. Voting is their business, acting well is mine. As long as I act well, their votes won't be in vain."
Naza looked at the reply and fell silent. Then she sent a string of exclamation marks, finally saying, "If you do this, they'll be more willing to vote for you."
The last day of voting, in the early morning.
The vote count is locked. Chen Nianbei has overtaken Chen Nianbei by a narrow margin to claim the top spot.
#ChenNianbeiReceivesFirstPlaceVoteAtWeiboNight# trended on Weibo, with fans celebrating wildly in the supertopic. Wang Churan posted a single sentence: "Five years. We did it."
In the comments section, countless people were posting the same sentence: "Polaris, never stops."
Chen Nianbei saw the post the next morning.
He reposted the post with only two words in his caption: "Thank you."
These two words brought tears to the eyes of countless fans.
January 11, 2019, BJ Cadillac Center.
At 6 p.m., the red carpet ceremony officially began. The temperature was minus five degrees Celsius, but the red carpet was already packed with fans holding up light boards of various artists, stamping their feet in the cold wind as they waited.
When Chen Nianbei's van stopped at the entrance to the red carpet, the fans erupted in deafening screams.
The car door opened, and he stepped out. He wore a well-tailored dark blue velvet suit that accentuated his upright shoulders and composed demeanor.
Without exaggerated accessories or flamboyant styling, just standing there is enough to make everyone unable to look away.
The sound of camera shutters clicking was deafening in the media area.
"Nianbei! Look here!"
"Fan Xian! Fan Xian!"
"Chen Nianbei—!"
He walked towards the media area with a smile, posed for photos, and occasionally waved to fans.
The smile was polite and warm, but there was a maturity beyond his years in his eyes—a gaze that chose to treat others with gentleness after experiencing and seeing so much.
The red carpet hosts were Hua Shao and Li Ai. Hua Shao's eyes lit up when he saw him: "Nian Bei, welcome, welcome! How are you feeling today?"
Chen Nianbei took the microphone and smiled, "It's quite cold, but seeing so many fans waiting makes it not so cold."
Li Ai laughed from the side: "That answer gets full marks."
Hua Shao then asked, "Having received so many votes today, is there anything you'd like to say to your fans?"
Chen Nianbei thought for a moment, looked in the direction of the fan area, and said earnestly, "Thank you. You've been with us for the past five years."
I will continue to act well and not let you down.
Screams erupted again from the fan area.
Upon entering the arena, the Cadillac Center was already packed.
Chen Nianbei was seated in the first row—this is the "treatment" given to top artists at Weibo Night.
As Chen Nianbei sat down, Yang Mi leaned over and whispered, "Junior brother, the votes are pretty good today."
Chen Nianbei laughed: "Sister Mi, please stop teasing me."
Yang Mi smiled and patted his hand: "Enjoy tonight. You deserve it."
On the other side, Dilraba secretly waved to him from a few seats away.
She wore a champagne-colored long dress, smiled brightly, and her eyes sparkled.
Chen Nianbei nodded to her, and she smiled, like a child who had received candy.
The honor ceremony officially began at 8 p.m.
The first award is "Weibo's Most Popular Artist of the Year".
Chen Nianbei applauded from below the stage.
As Wu Lei walked past him, he winked at him.
The two worked together in "Nirvana in Fire," and although they didn't have many scenes together, they maintained a good relationship.
The second award is "Weibo's Most Popular Person of the Year".
Award winners: Li Yifeng and Dilraba.
When the two went on stage to receive their award, the host asked them to say some cheesy pickup lines on the spot.
Li Yifeng said to the camera, "You should like me now."
Dilraba then made a series of witty remarks, which made the whole audience burst into laughter.
Chen Nianbei watched from below the stage, a slight smile playing on her lips.
Dilraba is still the same Dilraba, forever so bright and so passionate.
The third award is "Weibo Male God of the Year".
When Zhu Yilong went on stage, the audience screamed the loudest.
The popularity he had built up in "Guardian" was fully unleashed at this moment.
Chen Nianbei clapped from below the stage, but felt a little nervous.
He knew that the upcoming awards were the real highlight of the evening.
Finally, the grand finale has arrived.
Hosts Hua Shao and Li Ai walked onto the stage, holding the envelope that everyone was waiting for.
Hua Shao looked around the room and said with a smile, "Next, we will present the two most important awards of the night—Weibo King and Queen of the Year."
This award, determined by online voting, represents the most influential and popular male and female celebrities on Weibo over the past year.
Li Ai chimed in, "The voting lasted a month, with a total of over 10 billion votes. I don't need to elaborate on how fierce the competition was, right?"
The entire room fell silent. Everyone knew the significance of this award.
Hua Shao opened the envelope, glanced at it, and then smiled.
"Weibo's Queen of the Year—Yang Mi!"
Thunderous applause erupted. Yang Mi stood up from her seat, smiled, waved to the surroundings, and then walked towards the stage.
While she was giving her acceptance speech on stage, Chen Nianbei applauded from below the stage, but he felt even more nervous.
Next up is King.
Li Ai opened the second envelope, glanced at it, then looked up, her gaze sweeping across the room before finally settling on a certain spot in the first row.
Weibo King of the Year
""
She paused, then loudly proclaimed the name: "Chen—Nian—Bei!"
The entire audience erupted in the loudest applause and screams.
Chen Nianbei was stunned for a second. He knew he was leading in votes, but when he actually heard his name called, he was still somewhat dazed.
Yang Mi, who was standing next to him, patted him on the shoulder and said with a smile, "What are you standing there for? Go on!"
He stood up, bowed to the surroundings, and then walked towards the stage.
Every step felt like a dream.
From 2012 to 2019, it's been seven years.
From Xiaoman to Fan Xian, from a student at Beijing Film Academy to Weibo King, he has come this far step by step.
He walked onto the stage and received the weighty trophy from Cao Guowei, chairman of Sina, the award presenter.
It was shaped like a golden crown, gleaming under the lights.
He stood in the center of the stage, looking down at the densely packed crowd below. Familiar faces—Yang Mi, Li Yifeng, Dilraba Dilmurat, Zhu Yilong, Wu Lei, TFBOYS, Li Yuchun, JJ Lin—and in the distance, fans holding up light sticks in his name.
He picked up the microphone and remained silent for a few seconds.
The entire room fell silent, waiting for him to speak.
"Thank you," he said, his voice low but clear. "Thank you Weibo, thank you judges, thank you everyone who voted for me."
He paused.
"Seven years. I've gone from a student at the Beijing Film Academy to where I am today. In these seven years, I've played many roles—Xiaoman, Jin Yichuan, Prince Jing, Mingtai, Yang Xun, Xiaobei, and Fan Xian. Each role feels like a part of me. Each role has made me a better actor."
His gaze swept across the audience, finally settling on the fan section.
"I especially want to thank my fans. You have been supporting me since 2013 and have been with me for seven years."
You're not the kind of fans who scream; you're the kind of fans who vote silently, watch the show attentively, and show up when I need you.
You've shown me that being liked can be so heartwarming.
Some people in the fan section started crying.
"Finally," he raised the trophy and bowed deeply to the audience, "this award doesn't belong to me alone. It belongs to everyone who has supported me. Thank you."
The applause rang out again, even more enthusiastically and for a longer time than before.
After the gala, it was time for media interviews.
Chen Nianbei was surrounded by reporters, and questions came flying at her like snowflakes. One of them asked, "Nianbei, how does it feel to win the Weibo King award?"
"I am very honored and grateful. This award was given to me by my fans, and I will cherish it."
"What are the plans for the future?"
"Let's take a break first, then prepare for the second season of 'Joy of Life.' Fan Xian's story isn't over yet."
"What did you gain from working with Chen Daoming?"
"There's so much. Teacher Chen taught me that acting isn't just acting, it's about 'living.' I'll always remember that."
"Is there anything you'd like to say to your fans?"
"Thank you. You've shown me that being liked is a wonderful thing. I will continue to work hard and not let you down."
Late at night, Chen Nianbei returned to her apartment.
He placed the Weibo King trophy on the bookshelf, alongside the Magnolia Award and the Golden Rooster Award.
Three trophies, three colors, representing the three stages he has walked.
He stood in front of the bookshelf and looked at it for a long time.
Seven years have passed. From Xiaoman to Fan Xian, from obscurity to Weibo King, every role he has played is like a piece of a puzzle, piecing together the person he is today.
My phone vibrated. Naza sent a message: "Are you home yet?"
He replied, "Just arrived."
Naza said, "Today was great. I watched TV and cried for a long time."
He laughed: "Why are you crying?"
Naza said, "I don't know, I just feel—you've had it so tough."
He stared at the message, silent for a moment. Then he typed: "It's not easy. But with you by my side, it doesn't feel so difficult."
Naza responded with a series of shy emojis, then said, "Go to sleep, see you tomorrow."