Popular 26-year-old mainland Chinese actress Zhao Lusi fell ill and had to be hospitalized midway through filming at the end of last year, leading to a contract dispute with her management company, “Galaxy Cool Entertainment.” She had been put on hold for the past half a year. However, on September 26, her new drama, “Let Me Shine,” debuted on the air without any prior promotion or hype. Despite this, it generated over 27,000 views on its first day, with the management company even arranging a bulk purchase to support it, sparking public interest. Netizens speculate that the two parties may have reached a resolution.
In the midst of the tense relationship between Zhao Lusi and “Galaxy Cool Entertainment,” the drama “Let Me Shine” was in its promotional period. Unexpectedly, the drama aired on September 26, immediately achieving remarkable ratings and securing the top spot on the trending list, with outsiders acclaiming Zhao Lusi’s “successful comeback.”
Fans revealed that “Galaxy Cool Entertainment” bought 10,000 cloud-sourced virtual seats (obtained by fans who purchase memberships on video platforms and distribute them for free to general viewers) for the drama and even changed the company’s IP location to Zhao Lusi’s hometown in Sichuan. This stark change from the former lack of cooperation raised speculations online: “Is the company taking the initiative to mend fences and pave the way for resolving issues with Zhao Lusi?”
“Let Me Shine” tells the story of a female protagonist who marries into a wealthy family by fabricating her identity. In this drama, Zhao Lusi breaks away from her previous image of being cute and innocent, transforming into an ambitious “socialite.” Despite the lack of official promotion before the airing, with her large fan base, she managed to surpass over 100,000 spontaneous bulk purchases on the first day, leading to a continuous increase in viewership.
Some analysts believe that “Galaxy Cool Entertainment” offering bulk resources for Zhao Lusi’s new drama is a strategic move to balance mutual interests, confirming Zhao Lusi’s commercial value. As Zhao Lusi is undeniably the company’s most popular artist and a significant source of revenue, continuing to keep her on the back burner would not only harm her career but also result in significant losses for the company itself.
In recent years, Zhao Lusi has risen to fame with dramas like “Starry Brilliance,” “Can’t Hide Love,” and “Pearl Curtain.” She has ascended to become a top-tier actress in the entertainment industry. The battle between her and “Galaxy Cool Entertainment” began when she fell ill during filming at the end of last year, and it has continued for nine months.
While “Galaxy Cool Entertainment” had previously claimed that everything was legal, Zhao Lusi publicly vented during a live broadcast, questioning, “With so many shareholders, can’t a single person message me?” She accused the company of long-term communication neglect, even dissolving her personal team, treating her as a mere “money tree” while refusing to provide basic professional support. Furthermore, the contract details were staggering: a binding period of 15 years, a high commission rate of 70%, a penalty of 400 million yuan for breach of contract, and a deduction of 2.05 million yuan in case of sickness and work stoppage, prompting a storm of criticism from netizens.
Hong Kong director Wang Jing once revealed that the management company where Zhao Lusi belongs is a typical “single-star company,” signing a large number of artists but only promoting Zhao Lusi, while the rest remain unnoticed. He pointed out that most mainland Chinese companies are also “single-star companies,” such as “Lehua Entertainment,” relying solely on Wang Yibo, whose individual contribution income has exceeded 60% of Lehua Entertainment’s total revenue in recent years, while “Galaxy Cool Entertainment” relies on Zhao Lusi for 80% of its income.
After news of the exceptional performance of “Let Me Shine” upon its debut, netizens humorously commented, “The company really can’t be without Zhao Lusi,” “10,000 seats not enough? What happened to the promised 30,000, also let Zhao Lusi come out for promotion,” and “The company must be shocked by the data.” Some suggest that the 10,000 cloud-sourced bulk seats are more like a “tentative reconciliation,” using practical actions to provide each other with a way out, making this bulk purchase the first step towards mutual benefit.
However, reports indicate that the real reason for the bulk purchase is not due to a reconciliation with Zhao Lusi but because “Galaxy Cool Entertainment” has invested in “Let Me Shine” and had previously committed to the bulk purchase.