Chapter 181
Among all the groups under Random Entertainment, only FLXT made their debut showcase globally.
Even during their pre-debut promotional period, Random Entertainment had already invested heavily in overseas advertising, tailoring ads to fit the vibe of various platforms. Sixty-second video ads were everywhere overseas.
However, if it were that easy to gain a batch of international fans, other companies would have already paved the way for Random Entertainment. Thus, Random Entertainment’s target audience wasn’t all foreigners but specifically those with a passion for idol culture.
Random Entertainment aimed to attract fans from other fandoms and bring attention to FLXT.
Whether it was hosting joint concerts or launching the overseas version of Galaxy, the goal was the same: to infiltrate established fan communities and expand outward by leveraging their momentum.
This strategy was similar to how Random Entertainment used collectible photocards to break into the domestic fan market—building on a mature framework while adding a 20% innovative twist.
Thanks to Random Entertainment’s viral marketing, international fan communities became aware of the company. As they dug deeper, they discovered that FLXT, the group they’d been seeing all over social media, was under Random Entertainment. The joint concert with the best reviews? Also Random Entertainment. Even the recently trending song “Neon Light” was by one of their artists.
Those who downloaded the Galaxy app went ahead and reserved spots for the live stream, while others who became interested in FLXT after seeing the ads also downloaded the app.
The live stream opened ten minutes early, playing background music and showing footage of fans taking their seats at the venue.
“Damn, Random Entertainment, how much money did you spend on this?”
“The real golden child has arrived.”
“Who knew concert venues could be decorated like this?”
“Our oppas and unnies are out there hustling, and all the money’s being spent on the golden child.”
“This is insane! How can the stage design be this stunning?”
“Why don’t people like FLXT?”
“There are so many foreigners in the comments…”
“Can’t wait for K!”
FLXT’s debut stage left fans of other groups, especially those under Random Entertainment, feeling bitter. Each comment carried its own tinge of envy.
At least the other groups had proper debut stages. Equals3, however, debuted at a music festival without a formal showcase. This had always been a sore point for their fans, and now, with the comparison, it hurt even more.
“We really were the experimental group. Everyone else got what we didn’t… haha.”
“This is so unfair. The music festival wasn’t even a solo event—there were two other groups performing. They hyped the girl group while we were just thrown into the mix as a last-minute debut.”
“Who would’ve thought I’d end up stanning the underdog in such a privileged company? My tendency to support the underprivileged is really something else.”
“The Equals3 team needs a complete overhaul. I can’t take this anymore. When are they going to reshuffle the team?”
“If they keep slacking off like this for the next comeback, I’ll make sure they become the first group to face a fan protest. @Equals_Office, watch out.”
When FLXT’s showcase began, the extent of their privilege wasn’t fully clear. But when the first solo stage appeared, chaos erupted among fans of other groups.
FLXT’s self-titled album, *FLXT*, had 26 songs. An hour into the showcase, they hadn’t even performed half of them.
At midnight, when the album dropped on major platforms, they finally performed the title track. That’s when everyone realized that out of the 26 songs, 7 were solo tracks by the members.
“Title: Gossip Discussion / Random Entertainment’s golden child has arrived…”
“26 songs on the album, 7 of which are solo tracks. But that’s not even the craziest part—all 26 songs will have MVs…”
“How much money did Random Entertainment inject into this team?”
“This is next-level extravagant.”
Comments:n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
“26 MVs?”
“It’s not that crazy. Didn’t the androids have one song with five MVs?”
“The global ambitions are obvious. This setup is clearly for a world tour.”
“Are they really going to tour before the androids? The androids haven’t even toured yet.”
“The androids haven’t toured?”
“Reply: Nope, they’ve only done promotional stages.”
“But isn’t having solo tracks on an album standard for Random Entertainment? NiGHT had nine solo tracks for their nine members.”
“Solo tracks aren’t the surprising part. What’s shocking is the 26 MVs. Even if you shoot one every three days, it’d take three months.”
“Wait, so the song they performed earlier wasn’t the title track?”
“Reply: It was. They have six title tracks.”
“The showcase revealed their schedule for the next three months, and it’s packed. I thought they were going for a mysterious vibe.”
“Their international popularity is insane. Their album pre-sales are the highest among Random Entertainment’s groups, even surpassing the androids.”
“With all that money spent overseas, it’d be embarrassing if there was no buzz.”
“Plenty of groups have spent big on overseas promotions and flopped. Which K-pop group are you starting with?”
“Off-topic, but Random Entertainment’s strategy is genius. They actually managed to steal fans from other fandoms.”
“They’ve got a debut documentary, a variety show, TV appearances, U.S. promotional schedules, overseas showcases, and a new MV every week for the next three months…”
“They’re literally the company’s favorite child.”
“You can’t expect the same treatment when the company’s scale is different. When the androids debuted, Random Entertainment was still small, but they did their best. Now that they’re a big company, they can’t be expected to spend the same amount.”
“Some people are pretending to talk about Random Entertainment but are actually shading the androids, huh? Come out and chat with the android stans.”
Each group’s musical style is determined by their concept, and FLXT’s name alone sets them apart from Random Entertainment’s other groups, hinting at the ambition of their team leader.
They wanted to create a group completely different from Random Entertainment’s previous acts. The more different they were, the more discussions they’d spark.
Once they decided to take a different path, they went all in—from promotions to the album and even follow-up activities, everything was a departure from Random Entertainment’s usual formula.
It was a risky decision at the time, but given the current buzz, it paid off.
Regardless of what was being said domestically, the international response was overwhelmingly positive.
The hashtag #FLXT trended in many Asian countries and even made it to the tail end of global trends.
Random Entertainment’s influence spread like dye, seeping into international fan communities.
Liu Yue logged into Twitter and saw her timeline flooded with reposts of FLXT’s title track performance.
For international fans who weren’t yet familiar with the group, their comments were superficial—praising the song and admiring the members’ visuals. But these two aspects happened to hit all the right notes.
As the first of the six title tracks to be unveiled, the song began with the sound of piano keys being struck, blending classical elements with a timeless melancholy, as if the audience were attending a concert in a grand theater.
No one expected their title track to be a pure orchestral piece, with the piano taking center stage. Each note struck added to the sense of novelty.
The melody carried the distinct sorrow of winter, with faint whispers of wind and the crackling of a fireplace hidden within the music, creating a calming effect.
The song’s lyrics were 60% in English, making it more accessible to international fans.
But the song was secondary. What drove international fans wild were the visuals of the seven members.
In the comments and reposts, Ke Youming was mentioned repeatedly.
“That guy in the center—oh my God! Did God personally sculpt every inch of him?”
“I was already into Asians, but now I’m completely hooked.”
“His eyes were like black holes, as if they were about to suck me in.”
“Every time that dark-haired boy in the middle smiled, I couldn’t help but grin like a fool.”
“The moment he stood up, I had already decided where we’d be buried together in the future.”
Ke Youming’s appearance carries a distinctly Eastern charm, exuding a scholarly aura. His facial features and contours seem as though they were carved by an artist, making him a living masterpiece. While his individual features might not align with current trends, when combined, they create a harmonious and striking look.
With a small head and face paired with broad shoulders, his visual appeal is undeniable. If there’s any flaw to point out, it’s that his waist isn’t particularly narrow, his buttocks are perky, and his thighs are quite muscular.
This reserved Eastern image, combined with his slightly powerful physique, leaves much to the imagination.
When he’s on stage, he often turns his head to listen to his teammates, and every time he does, his jawline becomes visible, sending the live audience into a frenzy of screams.
At first, Ke Youming didn’t understand what the fans were shouting about, but as the showcase progressed, he caught on. Every time he turned his head and heard the screams, he would smile helplessly.
And the more he smiled, the more people fell for him.
Even before their debut, Floxetine was rumored to be a group full of visuals, and after their debut, while fans might debate who’s the most handsome, the group’s overall concentration of good looks is undeniably high.
Especially since several members are from ethnic minorities or are of mixed heritage, offering a variety of handsome types. Add to that Random Entertainment’s obsession with height—none of the members are under 185 cm.
Aside from Ke Youming, there’s also Li Wusman, who’s often referred to as the “dark-skinned athlete.” Being from an ethnic minority, even after spending so much time in Random Entertainment’s basement, his skin hasn’t lightened much.
His complexion is two shades darker than the others, especially when compared to the fairest member, Lu Zhao, making the contrast even more striking.
Random Entertainment seems to know exactly what complements his deep skin tone, which is why they dyed his hair silver-white.
Coupled with his naturally light-colored pupils, his exotic appeal is heightened, making him even more eye-catching.
When Li Wusman smiles, a small canine tooth peeks out. Standing there in a black shirt, with a ethnic-style necklace hanging over his chest, every time the camera zooms in on him, the live chat explodes. If voice chat were enabled, the chat would be filled with screams.
It’s clear that Floxetine is a group that Random Entertainment has meticulously crafted over time.
As expected, Floxetine’s debut made waves both domestically and internationally, especially with the materials tailored for overseas fans, who were moved by the thoughtful details.
Following Floxetine’s debut, Random iWatch also launched an international version, with some exclusive content available only on the international platform, particularly in the variety show section.
Group and solo variety shows from various groups were uploaded, complete with translations, and even the subtitles were adapted to match the language.
On the English version of the variety shows, even the artistic text in the post-production was in English.
This move once again made Random Entertainment a topic of discussion among international fans.
“They say China is catching up to other countries at an incredible speed, but I didn’t expect it to be this fast in the entertainment industry. It’s like they’ve surpassed other countries by several levels.”
“There’s even a Thai version… sisters, do you understand the significance of this? We’re finally being recognized!”
“Just the subtitles alone must have taken a massive effort, not to mention all the different versions. Random Entertainment is truly amazing. I hope they become the world’s top company!”
“Chinese companies love investing, right? I strongly request that they acquire my bias’s company [sunglasses emoji].”
“I’m so done with my bias’s company’s app. The world doesn’t just speak English, Japanese, Korean, and Chinese. Every time there’s an announcement, I have to translate it twice to understand it! Can Random Entertainment please collaborate with my bias’s company?”
“Now that’s what I call a money-making attitude…”
What had happened domestically was now repeating itself internationally. Overseas fans were experiencing Random Entertainment’s albums for the first time, as well as discovering the new types of merchandise that had become popular in China.
The acrylic photo cards that came with the albums left these international fans in awe, something they had never encountered in their years of being fans.
And just like that, they fell into the deep sea of Random Entertainment’s merchandise, never to resurface.
All of this happened between August and early December—just a few short months, yet the landscape had already shifted.
Just as when Random Entertainment first emerged in the domestic entertainment scene, no one took it seriously at first, but by the time people realized its impact, it had already made a name for itself.
Random Entertainment gained recognition in the domestic entertainment industry in just the time it took for one debut competition—six months.
Now, as it ventured internationally, Random Entertainment’s speed in capturing the market had accelerated even further. In less than half a year, it had disrupted the Korean entertainment industry’s dominance in the Asian market.
Everyone had to admit that when it came to serving fans, no one did it better than Random Entertainment.
With year-end events in full swing—charity galas hosted by fashion magazines, award ceremonies by video platforms—artists had to keep up a relentless pace during the cold December days.
Random iWatch also chose mid-December to host its own award ceremony, but unlike others, they called it the “Double Talk Conference.”
Running from December 11th to 15th, the event spanned five days.
Random Entertainment booked an entire resort for actors and various production teams to stay. In addition to actors with shows airing on Random iWatch, there were also project teams from Random Entertainment’s film and television division that were in the works.
These project teams were the main attraction for the actors.
The worlds of TV dramas and movies are often separate, and actors active in TV dramas rarely get a chance to break into the movie industry. Random Entertainment provided that opportunity, along with TV drama projects.
Another draw was the global live broadcast and the attention it garnered.
Random Entertainment’s award ceremony was divided into an opening and a closing ceremony. The opening ceremony highlighted outstanding non-exclusive works, while the closing ceremony focused on exclusive works on Random iWatch and movies with excellent streaming performance.
It’s well-known that on Random iWatch, once you pay, you can binge-watch the entire series.
When this model was first introduced, it faced heavy criticism, but over time, it gained acceptance. Those unwilling to pay could still follow the series as it aired, while those who paid could watch everything at once.
Thanks to its high-quality productions, Random iWatch’s market share gradually increased. Among the popular shows released this year, half were on Random iWatch, and most of the actors’ highly-rated works came from Random Entertainment.
Fans were also happy to see their favorite actors in Random iWatch productions. Whether they became hits or not, at least the quality was guaranteed.
As the Random iWatch award ceremony approached, nearly half of the entertainment industry’s artists and fans made their way to Sanya.
Each production team held its own fan meetings, either in university auditoriums or theaters in Sanya.
Aside from the 11th and 15th, the other three days were reserved for actors to meet fans or interact with directors and screenwriters.
Random Entertainment’s film and television division alone brought five or six production teams, not to mention the collaborations with other film companies. The entire resort was filled with industry insiders, and the number of security personnel kept increasing.
It wasn’t until Floxetine’s attendance at the award ceremony that international fans truly understood what Chinese fans meant when they said Random Entertainment was a powerhouse.
“…Wow, so they have their own variety show production company, their own film and TV production company, and even Random iWatch is theirs?”
“Well then, I’ll tell my bias’s company to stop trying. They’ll never catch up.”
“Random Entertainment should just become its own country. I’d immigrate immediately and call it Fandom Nation.”
“I’ve seen this drama! It was actually produced by Random Entertainment!”
“These actors are also from Random Entertainment???”
“Who was that just now? She’s so beautiful!”
“That was the CEO of Random Entertainment.”
“??? The CEO of Random Entertainment?”
The live chat during the award ceremony was flooded with international fans who had come to watch the opening performance. Having just entered the world of Random Entertainment, there was so much they didn’t know.
Domestic fans were left stunned, while actor fans felt like they were watching their naive relatives, even helping to explain Random Entertainment's status in the country to its fans.
It was then that overseas fans learned that Random Entertainment would be hosting its own New Year's Eve concert, with each group and actor having their own concerts and fan meetings. However, tickets for these events had already sold out long ago, with even the tickets for Random Entertainment's year-end concert being completely sold out during the summer.
“Wait, why did Random Entertainment expand overseas so late? I’ve missed so much!”
“Hainan is so close to me! If I had known earlier, I could have gone to Jiang Juyou’s fan meeting. I love her drama so much, and she’s super popular in Vietnam!”
“Random Entertainment is literally a paradise for fans.”
“I’m in Canada… it’s just too far away.”
It was only then that domestic fans realized why Random Entertainment was hosting its own year-end concert.
“Title: Spilling the Tea / Random Entertainment Shocked Me to My Core…”
“I used to think they were hosting their own year-end concert because they looked down on other platforms and TV stations, or because they were in another cold war with the higher-ups. But I never expected they were playing such a big game.”
“So the Random Entertainment family concert was part of their overseas expansion strategy… that makes sense. Otherwise, why would they choose Macau as the venue? The stadium there can only hold 10,000 people, which is nowhere near enough for Random Entertainment’s fans.”
Comments section:
“Watson, you’ve spotted the key detail.”
“Oh wow—”
“The strategy team is on another level.”
“That explains it…”
“Alright, I’ll stop complaining. I was pretty upset about not getting tickets.”
“I knew it! They locked half the tickets. Were they planning to sell them later?”
“You’re a prophet! They just announced the second round of ticket sales for the family concert tomorrow, and overseas fans can buy them too.”
“I told you Random Entertainment’s overseas success was a perfect storm of timing, location, and luck! There’s no way it was all just luck. If they hadn’t prepared in advance, they wouldn’t have been able to capitalize on the hype, and no amount of money could have saved them.”
“I was worried for a while because Jiang Juyou was going abroad for studies, but now it seems like these were the preparations she made for Random Entertainment before leaving.”
“Wait, who’s going abroad?!”
“Jiang Juyou is going abroad for studies?”
“What’s the source?? Is this real? I haven’t seen this before!”
Amid the heated discussions about the Random iWatch awards ceremony, a post with a different topic slowly climbed to the top.
“Jiang Juyou is going abroad for studies?! What’s going on? Someone in another thread mentioned it, but the OP isn’t responding anymore!”
“…Who?”
“Fake news, right? Where is she going?”
“I knew it! I saw her when she was applying for a visa! I asked her a few questions, and she said she was going abroad for studies! At the time, I thought she just looked like Jiang Juyou, but later I realized it was actually her!”
“Why would she go abroad for studies? How can anyone love studying? I refuse to believe it!!!”
“What’s she studying? Management?”
“Reply: Do you know which country she’s going to?”
“Reply: It’s the UK!”
“Great, everyone’s going abroad, and I’m just here sulking in the shadows!”
“I’ve been keeping this to myself for a while now… our agency is handling her study abroad. Since it’s already been exposed, I guess it’s okay to share. Her assistant contacted us first, and we had almost everything sorted out before we met Jiang Juyou in person. She’s stunning and speaks so gently, not as intense as she appears on TV.”
“Reply: You’re clearly a Jiang Juyou stan. Wipe your drool first, and then tell us what she’s studying.”
“Reply: I can’t say that yet.”
Among the many hot searches on the red carpet today, the topic of Jiang Juyou going abroad for studies shot straight to the top of the trending list.
Netizens: Who? Who’s going abroad?!