"I was thinking, with you and Hah’Er traveling, that you might not be as comfortable as you were back in Yunzhong City. So I was considering finding a couple of assistants to help you both out, but it looks like that won’t be necessary now." Looking at the four newly-minted panda slaves, Director Kong said with a smile. It seemed he no longer had to worry about them obstructing the shoot; his film might even earn their highest praise.
"Sigh, Hah’Er is being treated like a king now. If they spoil him rotten, he’ll be a handful to take care of when we get back to Yunzhong City after the movie’s finished," Shen Yibin said, smiling and shaking his head. Seeing how much they adored the panda, his initial misgivings had vanished into thin air. ’After all, everyone just wants what’s best for Hah’Er.’
"I’ll go talk them through the scene again, so we can avoid mistakes and Hah’Er won’t have to do another take." Even though their attitudes had softened, Director Kong still had to do his own job well, so he went back to work.
Hah’Er, meanwhile, was lounging comfortably in a chair, enjoying a massage from Lunfei’Er and having his legs kneaded by Famite. To his left was Charlotte, holding an ice cream bar, and to his right was Narcissus, sweating buckets as he fanned him. At a glance, you’d think he was some debauched His Majesty the Emperor being served by his eunuchs and palace maids.
’You’re really living the good life now, aren’t you?’ Shen Yibin looked at Hah’Er’s blissful expression, at a loss for words. ’Just don’t get so used to this that you won’t want to come back to Yunzhong City with me!’
Soon, filming for the next scene began. Hah’Er went back to work in front of the camera, leaving the four crew members with some free time. While keeping an eye on the set, they took out their phones, ready to upload their new photos to their social media accounts. But the moment they opened the apps, their phones started buzzing nonstop with new notifications.
Charlotte and the others weren’t internet celebrities. Even Narcissus, the one with the most followers, only had a few thousand. Usually, when they posted something, it would take forever to get even one comment, and the total number of comments was always pitifully small. ’Why is this happening today? Is my app broken?’
’But even if it was broken, it’s not like all four of our apps would break at once, right?’ The four of them looked at each other and quickly started scrolling through the new notifications. They saw not only shares, comments, and likes, but their follower counts were also skyrocketing. In just a few minutes, even Famite, who had the smallest increase, had gained over a thousand new followers.
"Can you tell me where you took that picture with the Panda? I want a photo with the Panda so badly too!" This comment had the most likes, apparently speaking for all their new followers.
"I’m in Shanghai, China, supervising the filming of a superhero movie, and the star of this movie is the Panda! Like the *Kung Fu Panda* series, this film is also about a Panda and his friends fighting against evil forces. The difference is, the star of this movie is a real Panda, not an animated character!" Lunfei’Er gleefully posted a long reply.
He even made sure to introduce Hah’Er. "This adorable Panda is named Hah’Er, a name that means something like ’silly little darling,’ but he’s not silly at all! He’s incredibly smart and nails every take perfectly. I can’t wait for the movie to come out! I’ll go to the theater to see it once, twice, three times, four times... I don’t think I could ever get tired of it, even after watching it a hundred times." Lunfei’Er had basically become a volunteer publicist for *Panda Hero*; he was utterly captivated by Hah’Er.
Lunfei’Er, Famite, Charlotte, and Narcissus often dealt with people in the Hollywood circle. While they might not have been able to reach A-list heavyweights like Zack Snyder or Robert Downey Jr., they were in contact with various mid-level industry professionals. As a result, Hah’Er’s photos were passed along through these channels to more and more people, eventually even catching the attention of some famous celebrities.
Few people could resist Hah’Er’s adorable photos, so these celebrities couldn’t help but share and comment on them, making Hah’Er an even bigger sensation. However, no one yet knew the name of the movie. Lunfei’Er and his colleagues still had some professional discretion; they knew it wasn’t right to be too direct about certain things.
But just because they weren’t talking didn’t mean nobody knew. While casually browsing online, Princess Sylvie happened to see the familiar face on the social media feed of a Hollywood friend. She immediately shared it. "Wow, Hah’Er is as cute as ever! I really miss the days I spent with him. I’ll definitely go see *Panda Hero* when it’s released. Also, Hah’Er, you’re welcome to come to Europe for the promotional tour. I hope to see you again!"
’Hey, wait... isn’t that the exact same Panda the princess was always posting about a few months ago?’ Many of Sylvie’s fans immediately made the connection.
More people, however, focused on the movie’s title. "*Panda Hero*. I’ve memorized the name. I’m taking my whole family to see it as soon as it comes out."
"Does anyone know when this movie will premiere? Is Hah’Er coming to America for the promo tour?" Others were more concerned about a different question. "Where are the promotional events going to be? I hope he comes to New York. I have to see him in person!"
"Japan welcomes Lord Panda!"
"Argentina would like to know if we can trade Messi for a Panda."
"From Houston: Can we get Yao to persuade the film crew to bring Hah’Er to Houston for a promotional event?"
"Paris welcomes Mr. Panda."
"London is waiting with bated breath."
"Berlin here. If Mr. Panda comes, I’ll wait all night at the airport for him."
In just a short amount of time, the internet was already embroiled in a heated debate over which cities Hah’Er should visit on his promotional tour. Sylvie’s inbox was also flooded with messages asking about Hah’Er. A few celebrities she knew from Hollywood even sent her direct messages. "Can I have a cameo in *Panda Hero*? I don’t need to be paid; I can cover my own travel expenses."
They were clever; they knew this movie was guaranteed to be a blockbuster and wanted to use the opportunity to boost their own exposure. At first, it was only minor celebrities, but gradually, more mainstream stars started to reach out.
These people were much better connected than the minor celebrities; they contacted Director Kong directly. Director Kong handled the inquiries skillfully. ’While there can’t be too many cameos,’ he thought, ’the voice actors for the film haven’t been finalized yet. They can do that!’
And so, long before filming was even complete, *Panda Hero* was already blowing up in Europe and the United States.