By the time the plot reached two-thirds, the viewership ratings had already surpassed the combined total of all the dramas she had acted in over the past few years.
The sensational craze, akin to a tornado, not only swept across the nation but also attracted a large number of overseas viewers.
Domestic idol dramas were originally introduced from abroad.
Foreign audiences, especially those from Southeast Asian countries, remained as enthusiastic about idol dramas as ever after all these years.
However, the entertainment markets in their own countries, much like the domestic scene, had become increasingly prosperous yet were influenced by capital, resulting in films that declined in quality year after year.
It was common to find productions that were even worse than those domestically.
"The Prince Who Turns into a Frog," once translated into multiple languages and introduced to Southeast Asia, ignited like dry tinder meeting a raging fire, quickly burning hot and thoroughly.
This level of popularity exceeded everyone's expectations.
Even director Chen Mingzhang, who was instrumental in creating the drama, had not anticipated it would become this immensely popular; it was simply unbelievable.
Capital in the entertainment industry always favored the hot trends. Whatever genre became popular, a large volume of dramas with similar themes would be produced.
For instance, just a few years prior, the highly popular danmei adaptations featuring brotherhood saw a surge of dramas with similar themes following the success of one.
However, such blind following carried significant risks.
Take "The Band of Heavenly Swordsmen" from before, which had been incredibly popular.
As soon as the drama finished airing, hundreds of crews were shooting dramas with similar themes. The male leads were all unequivocally major villains who, in the midst of their schemes, became deeply entrenched, fell in love with the female lead, and ultimately suffered a crushing defeat because of her.
The result was that parents intervened, causing all the projects to crash and burn, resulting in colossal losses.
However, at present, major companies were not concerned about this issue.
Firstly, idol dramas were the easiest to get approved among all types of productions.
Secondly, idol dramas were always about you loving me, me loving you, my parents disapproving, and our families having deep-seated grudges. No matter how they were filmed, they wouldn't touch upon sensitive areas, let alone be banned by higher authorities.
With no reservations, they naturally wanted to film quickly.
To piggyback on a trend, one had to be fast; speed was of the essence.
Lingering around and fumbling would mean missing out on even the freshest opportunities.
Major capital investors were all looking to rake in a quick profit. Projects related to idol dramas suddenly surged to several hundred.
As is widely known, the core of an idol drama is the idol, meaning handsome and beautiful individuals.
To produce a good idol drama, one needed to cast stars with good looks, strong fan bases, and significant buzz.
With so many idol dramas to be filmed, this led to a shortage of A-list and B-list celebrities, making them extremely sought after.
When supply is less than demand, prices skyrocket; when supply exceeds demand, prices fall.
This is the most basic law of market economics.
The high demand for A-list and B-list celebrities caused their already exorbitant salaries to soar even higher.
Despite repeated strictures and prohibitions from higher authorities against exorbitant celebrity salaries.
The overwhelming market demand and immense need were simply irresistible. With one party wanting and the other willing to pay, as long as it wasn't written into the contract, what was the problem?
However, proceeding in this manner was undeniably playing with fire.
Using "yin-yang contracts" was essentially tax evasion, and if discovered, the consequence was simple: banishment!
Many people were so desperate to make money that they paid no mind to such matters, intending to pocket the cash first.
Capital was ablaze, audiences were enthusiastic, but the hidden crisis was something few could perceive.
Jian Zhou and Jiang Ling, as the male and female leads of the popular drama, were even more coveted by capital, with their salaries being offered at increasingly higher figures.
Jian Zhou's highest offer was seventy million, while Jiang Ling's offer even broke the hundred million mark.