#XFGJZZHLOVETRIANGLE volume 2

Part 240

Zhang Zhehan knew why Gong Jun wanted to reach out urgently to Yang Yang. If this information fell into the hands of those entertainment bloggers, it could be easily twisted into some sort of ugly rumor. Already, on account of his overnight popularity, he was an easy target for toxics and antis.

Nevertheless his heart chilled; he knew what it looked like on the surface and he wondered how Yang Yang would take it. Discreetly, he turned to look at Yang Yang.

Unfortunately his face was also covered by his facial mask, so he could not see his expression.

He lay there and quietly listened to Gong Jun's rushed jumble of words. When he was finished, he merely shrugged and said, "Thank you for telling me, Gong-laoshi."

There was silence all round for a few seconds. 

Zhang Zhehan was tempted to say a few words, but knew that he did not really belong to this discussion. He remembered how he had felt when Xiao Zhan took over his Joyoung endorsement, so he wondered if Yang Yang felt the same way. 

Instead, Yang Yang merely thanked Gong Jun for telling him.

Finally Gong Jun cleared his throat. "Ahhh...you're welcome, Yang-laoshi. But.... do you have any opinion about this?"

Yang Yang chuckled softly. "Gong-laoshi, if the money is right and it suits your image, why shouldn't you take it?"

"Well yes but I don't want you to get the wrong idea, that I am snatching the endorsement from you. So if you don't want me to take it, I won't."

Zhang Zhehan stifled a laugh. Gong Jun was very aware of his position on the pecking order, and tried hard not to offend anybody. That was just his personality, very respectful and considerate. This past year on the A-list seemed to have matured him; he has become more aware and more thoughtful. 

He looked at Yang Yang, wondering how he would react to this. Would he take it to heart? 

Yang Yang smoothed down his facial mask."Gong-laoshi, my contract with Hogan ended in accordance with the stipulated terms. Companies change spokespersons all the time, this is not uncommon. Sometimes it is because the artiste no longer fits their image, or sometimes it is because both sides could not reach a new agreement. Maybe the artiste upped the price, and the company doesn't want to pay, so they look for a replacement."

"In any case, it is not a bad thing for the company. For instance Hogan shoes are not cheap, around 4000 renminbi, so my fans would buy only once or twice if they can afford it. Once the sales have slowed from my fans, it is time for your fans to continuing the buying. Replacing the spokesman benefits the company in terms of more sales. As celebrities we need to understand the rationale behind these marketing decisions, and cannot afford to be possessive or petty about being replaced. After all, we are only commodities to these companies, and nobody owes anyone anything outside of the contract."

"In any case Gong-laoshi, don't worry about taking the Hogan deal. They are a good company, and the shoes are really comfortable. I think you'll look great in them."

Gong Jun heaved an audible sigh of relief. He had been quite interested in the new endorsement, but did not want to jeopardise the relationship with this A-list senior, or with Zhang Zhehan, or worse, cause any conflict between both of them.

It was just an endorsement and he could easily get another one. But thankfully, Yang Yang was very pragmatic about it, and even took the trouble to explain why he wasn't bothered.

"Thank you Yang-laoshi, this is really a load off my mind."

Yang Yang nodded. "Don't worry about it. My one year contract with them is up, and they have to start preparing for the Spring/Summer 2022 Collection. With advent of spring it is time for a fresh new look."