Han Geng and Chen Jing withdrew from SJM at the same time. Their positioning and popularity were so homogenized that it would not be an exaggeration to say they completely overlapped.
As former teammates, they were bound to become comprehensive competitors after returning to China.
Album sales, fashion magazine covers, advertising endorsements, "Most Popular Male Singer" awards at major music ceremonies, film and television resources—anyone looking to leverage the massive popularity of SJM would have to choose between the two.
Even many SJM fans were prone to division due to their return to the domestic market.
It was quite likely that if a company signed Han Geng, its competitor would sign Chen Jing. It would be like Pepsi and Coca-Cola, or KFC and McDonald's. Perhaps Chen Jing and Han Geng had no intention of being rivals, but driven by fans, companies, and capital, the two were inevitably headed toward competition.
However, as the first wave of idols to withdraw from South Korea, the 2010 mainland entertainment market should be able to accommodate the development of both. After all, the idol market in the mainland had not yet been fully tapped; the "Four Greats" had not yet emerged, and capital had not yet begun the assembly-line production of idols based on their massive earning potential.
"What's wrong? Why are you staring at me like that? I’m not gay, you know!" Han Geng noticed Chen Jing watching him and pretended to shiver, joking.
Wenyuan, Chen Jing rolled his eyes. "I’m a real man, and you’ve seen it."
Han Geng’s expression shifted slightly after hearing this, and he couldn't help but mutter to himself: *Big deal!*
Chen Jing glanced at Han Geng and then looked out the window.
*Han Geng, what a pity!*
As idols, most fans view them as proxies for themselves. Due to their own perceived shortcomings, fans project all their beautiful fantasies onto their idols. To a certain extent, in the eyes of their fans, an idol is perfect and flawless. Especially among hardcore fans—they won't tolerate a single word of criticism against their idol. Otherwise, it’s war!
But when idols expose themselves, fans find no reason to comfort themselves. In an instant, those beautiful illusions shatter. The impact is naturally immense, and it’s fortunate if love doesn’t turn into hate.
Most fans are middle or high school students. They are still full of wonderful fantasies about the world, yet they are easily incited to do irrational things. An idol’s pillar is their massive fan base and the resulting popularity, but fans can sometimes be a double-edged sword.
As the saying goes: the fans behave, the idol pays the price.
Chen Jing did not want that to happen to him in the future.
Fans: "Brother, we are willing to fight the whole world for you!"
Chen Jing (with a confused expression): "Why would I want to fight the whole world?!"
Fans: "Because we love you! Charge!"
Chen Jing: "..."
Of course, there are older, more rational fans—people who are already working but have come to love an artist for various reasons. They offer suggestions for their idols, help plan their career paths, and become the core force behind chart-topping efforts. Future Weibo super-topics would be their main battlefield. Besides those who favor adult idols, there are also fans of "nurturing-style" idols, such as those of the Struggle Boys.
Chen Jing hadn't deeply engaged with his fans in the mainland yet, but he knew he would have to eventually. He would need to communicate with them thoroughly and strengthen management. After all, Chen Jing did not want his fans fighting the whole world for his sake!
But that was a matter for another day. What Chen Jing had to consider now was how to maintain his status as a top-tier celebrity.
A career back in the country basically came down to music, variety shows, and film and television.
Chen Jing would not abandon music; it was one of the two pillars of his fame. Beyond his countless visual-focused fans, he also possessed a large number of music lovers. Music was his foundation. A single viral hit could bring a singer immense popularity and was the most powerful tool for attracting young fans. Especially since Chen Jing came with his own "golden finger"—it would be a waste not to use it.
As for the argument that the Chinese music scene was in decline and many singers couldn't survive—Chen Jing didn't care. He wasn't planning on making too much money from albums anyway. Later, people like Xu Song and Xue Zhiqian directly announced their songs were free. Was that stupid?
Not at all; it was actually very clever. Xue Zhiqian used his songs to attract fans. With the viral success of *Actor* and *Ugly*, he instantly became a hot traffic commodity. By making his music free, he gained mass appeal from the general public, then leveraged that heat and popularity for countless endorsements, runway shows, commercial performances, and variety appearances.
That earned him far more than selling albums ever could. Fame and fortune—that was someone who truly understood how to play the traffic game.
As for variety shows, the mainland had not yet entered an era of "variety for all," so Chen Jing didn't need to worry about that for now. When *Keep Running* arrived in the future, he could secure a regular spot. That would be of great benefit to his national recognition, as variety shows were the best way to maintain popularity.
Of course, that didn't mean he wouldn't do any variety shows now. Chen Jing wasn't in a hurry; people would come to him. Think about how, after Han Geng returned, he could be seen on *Happy Camp* on a certain channel every so often. That was no coincidence.
The "Korean Wave" was able to sweep through the mainland largely thanks to Xiangnan Satellite TV. Their dramas and stars were a major trump card in the fight for ratings. Many people in the mainland were first exposed to the Korean Wave through Xiangnan Satellite TV. It was no surprise that Han Geng, having left SJM, could appear on the channel so frequently.
With Chen Jing and Han Geng both returning, Xiangnan Satellite TV would certainly not let Chen Jing go. At the very least, they would have a few collaborations, and if those went well, Chen Jing would definitely be a frequent face on their network. Xiangnan Satellite TV’s *Happy Camp* was the ceiling of mainland entertainment variety shows at the time. Being a regular guest would undoubtedly be a massive boost to Chen Jing’s exposure.
As for film and television, getting roles in TV dramas shouldn't be difficult. Given Chen Jing’s looks and popularity, his competitiveness was high—definitely a cut above the new generation of young actors in the mainland.
But movies were a different story. Unlike TV, film carried more prestige. While not written in stone, it was an unspoken rule in the industry. To put it crudely: TV shows are free to watch, but movies cost money. The fact that many actors stop doing TV once they transition to "movie star" status shows the difference in status.
Film resources, especially good ones, had become the most scarce and top-tier assets in the industry. Competition was fierce, and countless people would scramble to get their hands on them.