Swish, swish, swish!
The onlookers’ gazes all fixed on Yuan Fenghui.
“How much?”
“Has it broken 5%?”
“Teacher Yuan, don’t keep us in suspense, please tell us quickly…”
The one asking about breaking 5% was Wang Shuang.
Yuan Fenghui said with some regret, “Just short of 5%, only %!”
A strong Versailles vibe filled the entire filming set.
A % viewership rating could hardly be described as “only”.
These days weren’t like years ago when few households had televisions, with only a handful of channels available, and good TV dramas could truly empty the streets.
Now, living standards had improved, entertainment options had multiplied, TV signals had strengthened, and programs were increasingly abundant. Creating a nationwide drama-chasing frenzy was naturally harder!
For an idol drama, breaking 3% was already a hit.
Previously, *Jade Forest* peaked at just %, while *The Princess’s New Clothes* hit a high of %, a full % higher than *Jade Forest*!
That % figure was something many dramas couldn’t achieve over their entire run.
So, a % rating was truly impressive!
Not hitting 5% was a slight pity, as everyone had expected it to break through.
Zhang Guangzhen, being older, was the first to shake off the disappointment, rallying Wen Ying and the others, “Tianjiao’s first drama hitting a peak viewership of %, what a great result, perfectly balanced! If the first drama broke 5%, the pressure for the second would be immense. We need to leave room for improvement~”
This perspective was spot-on.
People and companies grow through progress.
Tianjiao was, after all, a new company.
The second drama referred to Wen Ying’s independently written script. Zhang Guangzhen’s words showed his broad-mindedness, free of envy or suppression towards the younger Wen Ying, proving that like-minded people gather together. Tianjiao’s team had varied personalities but no pettiness. Small-mindedness breeds scheming, scattering the collective drive to strive forward!
Zhang Guangzhen’s words won everyone’s agreement.
“Teacher Zhang speaks wisely!”
“He’s right, we need room to grow. Being unbeatable right out the gate makes later breakthroughs tough.”
“The goal for the new drama is to break 5%!”
The new drama was Wen Ying’s script.
Wen Ying, too shy to boast that breaking 5% would be no issue, knew she was just the writer. A drama’s viewership depended on many factors, the script being only one, with the final product’s quality mattering too.
Li Mengjiao, Wen Ying’s diehard fan, firmly believed the new drama would break 5%!
Wang Shuang saw nothing wrong with it, loudly echoing Li Mengjiao.
Though Xie Qian stayed silent, he agreed with Zhang Guangzhen from the heart.
Was a 5% rating high?
It was alright.
Not like they were aiming for 10%.
Analysing rationally, Xie Qian thought 5% was a reasonable expectation.
Only the crew members, hearing this, couldn’t help but twitch their lips.
It was just a promotional shoot. Yuan Fenghui hadn’t brought her team from Taiwan, hiring a local crew instead, many of whom were working with Tianjiao for the first time.
, Tianjiao’s people, from top to bottom, probably don’t know how to spell “modesty”, do they?
, But a % rating is indeed remarkable. Other companies might have stopped filming to celebrate by now!
Yuan Fenghui clapped her hands, “Alright, a bit of regret won’t stop work. Everyone, get to it. I’ve noted your words. Whether the drama sells and how much copyright fees we earn is my job, but if anyone drops the ball during filming, don’t blame me for being harsh!”
The fierce Yuan Fenghui was the familiar “Teacher Yuan”. Wen Ying and the others scattered like startled birds, resuming the shoot.
The lines Zhang Guangzhen wrote for Wen Ying were quite cringeworthy.
“You are the next me.”
“You will surpass me.”
“I’ll be waiting for you at the first ‘Tianjiao Spark Cup’ competition!”
These lines, Wen Ying had to say in front of everyone… Good grief, with Xie Qian watching, it was social death!
After a few stiff takes, Wen Ying stood awkwardly in front of the camera, forcing a smile. Xie Qian, ever considerate, put on his Walkman headphones.
Wen Ying instantly relaxed, delivering the lines with such passion it sounded like she was luring people into a pyramid scheme!
Xie Qian lowered his head, smiling.
When needed, he could play along with the hamster. This hamster, sometimes clever, sometimes silly, thought he couldn’t hear with headphones on?
“That’s it, that’s the way, keep it up, we’ll wrap soon!”
The director was thrilled. If Wen Ying maintained this state, victory was in sight.
He thought Wen Ying had potential.
Being nervous for a first shoot was normal, but she loosened up well after.
Acting is about fooling yourself first to immerse the audience. If you’re not embarrassed, the audience won’t be.
“Once this promo airs, young folks will flood in to sign up.”
Acting requires looks, singing needs a voice, but writing demands neither, lowering the barrier to fame.
Everyone’s written essays. Whether selected or not, trying only costs the price of a magazine and postage, very tempting!
With such a big investment in this writing contest, the director sensed a grand event coming.
A celebration for literary creators!
The set wasn’t short of sharp minds. While attention was on the shoot, Zhang Guangzhen hesitantly approached Yuan Fenghui.
“I… I have something to say… ugh, I don’t know how to put it!”
Zhang Guangzhen had rehearsed a speech but chickened out at the last moment.
Yuan Fenghui stifled a laugh, “Didn’t you say you wanted to return to Taiwan? Why come to Chengdu? Who said distance doesn’t affect creative passion?”
Zhang Guangzhen, puffing his cheeks like a chubby eggplant, saw Yuan Fenghui’s half-smile and, in a rush of heat, blurted out, “I want to ask if I can be a judge too?”
A grand event for literary creators was coming. If it had nothing to do with Zhang Guangzhen, fine, but with it right in front of him and no invitation, he was itching with unease.
Yuan Fenghui sighed, “We’ve been friends for years. If I were you, I wouldn’t be saying this today!”
What?
Rejected so bluntly?!
Zhang Guangzhen’s shoulders slumped, his eyebrows drooping in disappointment.
“If it’s not suitable, forget it…”
Yuan Fenghui said sternly, “Old Zhang, next time, don’t hem and haw like a pushover. No wonder Cao Bo and the others pick on you. You should’ve told me directly, confidently, that you want to be a judge and to make it happen!”
Zhang Guangzhen looked up, seeing Yuan Fenghui’s serious expression.
“You, you—”
“You what? I’m not just an agent, I coordinate the interests of key company members. You’re the most senior writer here. Even Wen Ying, a new writer, gets to be a judge, why shouldn’t you? It’s what you deserve. Tell me outright, and I’ll fight for you. If we let a veteran like you feel sidelined, I don’t deserve my position!”
Yuan Fenghui’s words were resolute. Zhang Guangzhen had much to say but didn’t know where to start.
He wanted to say he knew Tianjiao and Yuan Fenghui were backing Wen Ying, that sponsoring the contest was to gather story material and pave the way for her.
He was middle-aged, with no standout achievements in his first half of life. His highest-rated drama, *The Princess’s New Clothes*, was co-written with Wen Ying.
Investing in Wen Ying made sense, young and talented, bringing greater, longer-term benefits to Tianjiao.
As for him… Zhang Guangzhen’s throat tightened. Yuan Fenghui’s attitude was enough, he wasn’t really competing with the young:
“Forget it, let someone else be a judge, a more famous top writer or a well-known figure in mainland literature. It’d make the results more credible. I’m not being sarcastic, I’m serious!”
Yuan Fenghui firmly refused, “I’m serious too. Three judges, you and Wen Ying each take a spot, the last one goes to Chengdu Publishing Group’s arrangement.”
Cutting the conversation short, Yuan Fenghui waved to Wen Ying as the director called cut.
In a few words, she explained Zhang Guangzhen’s concerns and asked Wen Ying’s opinion.
Wen Ying, free of her camera-shy awkwardness, was not only firm but unusually resolute, “If Teacher Zhang isn’t a judge, I won’t be either. I don’t think the contest’s credibility is an issue. If anyone questions the judges’ level, they don’t have to submit. It’s our money and effort, are we supposed to follow others’ orders?”
Come on.
No matter who judges, some losing writers will still feel resentful.
Unlike science competitions with clear scores, literary submissions are judged subjectively.
Not just the first “Tianjiao Starlight Cup”, any writing contest is like this.
Writers who mind can simply not participate!
The contest’s purpose was to spend Mrs. Wang’s money and promote *Spark*, not to do charity.
No rigging or internal awards already showed good faith. The organiser’s freedom is to choose the judges!
Yuan Fenghui laughed, “Old Zhang, hear that? Wen Ying’s words are my thoughts… The contestants don’t decide the judges, the sponsor who pays does!”
The faint gloom in Zhang Guangzhen’s heart was swept away by this bold, whirlwind-like speech from the young and old.
Whether he’d be a judge became secondary, his heart filled with solidity and confidence.
, Sigh, trying to make a middle-aged man cry again!
, He didn’t want to cry, but being protected felt so blissful~
