Wen Ying and the other two didn’t even have time to go to the hotel after getting off the plane. They went straight to Hunan Satellite TV to deliver the sample to Director Fan.
Who would’ve thought the talks would collapse before they even handed over the sample!
On the way back to the hotel, Mrs. Wang was still fuming.
It felt great to swing her long sword earlier, but now she faced a more practical problem.
Mrs. Wang was both angry and uneasy.
If Yuan Fenghui had been there, would she have handled it more smoothly or forcefully, perhaps even snatching back the July slot despite Yu Tianlin’s drama already being signed?
Mrs. Wang, at least, couldn’t pull that off.
Before breaking the bad news to Yuan Fenghui, Mrs. Wang needed a plan. She could swing her big sword but wasn’t above seeking advice from her two underage allies. “What do you think, who should we sell the broadcasting rights for *Starry River with You* to?”
If they weren’t working with Hunan Satellite TV, they needed to find the next partner!
Before Wen Ying or Xie Qian could answer, Mrs. Wang mentally reviewed the dramas she’d followed in recent years, realising there were only a few TV stations to her taste. Gritting her teeth, she declared, “No matter who we sell the rights to, we’re taking the July slot!”
Hunan Satellite TV gave the July prime slot to Yu Tianlin’s new drama, didn’t they?
Mrs. Wang refused to believe *Starry River with You* couldn’t outshine Yu Tianlin’s shoddy drama. If they were to sell the rights, a slightly lower price wouldn’t matter, but any station wanting *Starry River with You* had to clear the July slot. Of course, by “slightly lower,” Mrs. Wang meant conceding a few hundred thousand at most. Any more was definitely out of the question.
Customer psychology can be strange. When a product goes on sale, people don’t rush to buy; they wait.
What if the price drops even more?
Mrs. Wang wasn’t ignorant of this logic, but Hunan Satellite TV had angered her. Wen Ying, catching that Mrs. Wang was about to trade a lower copyright fee for a slot, quickly intervened. “We can’t lower the price. Auntie Dong, you buy bags all the time. Have you ever seen a luxury brand discount their new season’s items?”
No matter the brand, if even the new season’s items are discounted, it loses the prestige that makes customers chase it!
Mrs. Wang yanked her runaway temper back. “Ugh, I was just venting, it doesn’t count. Lowering the price is impossible. Not only will we not haggle, we’ll raise the price!”
No discounts.
Let those hesitant “customers” sweat.
Hunan Satellite TV wasn’t the only station with money. Mrs. Wang was confident she could find a new buyer for *Starry River with You*. She was eager to fly to major stations to negotiate right then, but Li Mengjiao and the others still had events to attend in Hunan. As their temporary agent, Mrs. Wang couldn’t leave.
Would they have to wait until after the May Day holiday to handle this?
Xie Qian didn’t see the issue. “We don’t necessarily have to go door-to-door selling. We can spread the word and hold a small copyright promotion event in Hunan. Stations interested in buying *Starry River with You*’s rights will come to us.”
Wen Ying and Mrs. Wang turned to Xie Qian in unison.
Xie Qian remained calm.
Mrs. Wang clapped her hands hard. “That’s the way to do it, satisfying too!”
Wen Ying gave Xie Qian a thumbs-up.
Xie God was always Xie God, his mind worked so fast!
If Tianjiao held a copyright promotion event for *Starry River with You*, it would attract more than one station. Holding it in Hunan, right under Hunan Satellite TV’s nose, would be a blatant slap in their face.
But what did that have to do with Tianjiao?
Xie Qian didn’t usually humiliate others like this, but Hunan Satellite TV thinking Yu Tianlin’s shoddy drama was more promising than *Starry River with You* had left him a bit miffed.
Xie Qian glanced at Wen Ying, who quickly looked away.
The smile on Xie Qian’s lips flickered and vanished.
He knew Wen Ying had been holding back the whole way, wanting to ask what the “hand-holding” at the airport meant. Her face screamed indecision, but she hadn’t found the chance to ask.
A hamster, bold at times, timid at others, her mix of courage and hesitation was kind of cute.
This was one of her timid moments, too shy to ask, which suited Xie Qian fine. If she did ask, he’d be a bit stumped.
Not just Wen Ying was flustered. Even now, thinking back to that moment, Xie Qian’s palm was faintly warm.
Smart people are quick to make excuses for themselves. Xie Qian soon convinced himself: the situation was so crowded, a stampede could’ve happened. The bodyguards prioritised protecting Li Mengjiao and the others, leaving Wen Ying alone and at risk. As a good friend, how could he let Wen Ying be in danger?
As for why he didn’t let go after holding her hand… he forgot in the heat of the moment.
Whether Wen Ying believed it or not, Xie Qian believed it himself.
Having convinced himself, Xie Qian’s gaze became open and upright.
He didn’t even need to explain to the hamster. If she dared ask, he could assign her a few extra test papers!
With a plan settled, Mrs. Wang felt more grounded and called Yuan Fenghui. After hearing the situation, Yuan Fenghui didn’t seem surprised.
“Oh, talks collapsed? Let them collapse.”
“A promotion event? Contact finance yourself. Don’t skimp on necessary expenses, but cover any unnecessary ones yourself!”
“Anything else to say? If not, I’m hanging up, I’m busy!”
The phone emitted a busy tone.
Mrs. Wang held the phone, a bit dazed. “Why do I feel like she already knew? What do you think?”
It was indeed possible, but Wen Ying couldn’t fan the flames. “You don’t have proof, so it’s not fair to accuse Teacher Yuan.”
Mrs. Wang didn’t need proof to pin blame.
All three were smart, but none knew the entertainment industry well. Yuan Fenghui, a seasoned fox, couldn’t have been unaware if Director Fan didn’t leak that Yu Tianlin’s drama had taken the July slot. Did she have other channels tipping her off?
If Yuan Fenghui knew and still sent Mrs. Wang on this trip, she was clearly set on training Mrs. Wang to handle things independently.
What a painful truth. Wen Ying didn’t dare say it, or Mrs. Wang would explode!
…
Tianjiao’s meeting with Director Fan had collapsed!
Xu Mei didn’t hear this from her assistant, who wasn’t that well-connected. She heard it from Cao Bo.
Cao Bo, often used as Xu Mei’s tool, was now quite smug. They say a career is a man’s best aphrodisiac, and Cao Bo was brimming with confidence. “Hilarious, Tianjiao thought the July slot was in the bag, but we’d already signed with the station. Director Fan was optimistic about Tianjiao’s new drama, but the station didn’t believe they could make the July slot. The negotiators Tianjiao sent were pretty arrogant, clashing with Director Fan on the spot. Without his support, the other station leaders don’t care much for Tianjiao!”
Success coming too easily can make a company arrogant.
To Cao Bo, what was the difference between July and August? Higher copyright fees trumped everything!
But Yu Tianlin was certain that once they secured the July slot, Tianjiao wouldn’t sign with Hunan Satellite TV.
And he was right!
Yu Tianlin really understood Yuan Fenghui. Tianjiao was indeed set on the July slot.
Cao Bo didn’t notice Xu Mei’s gaze turn cold.
Xu Mei’s voice was airy. “How come I didn’t know about this?”
Cao Bo, oblivious to the danger, replied matter-of-factly, “Why would you need to know? This drama has nothing to do with you. To ambush Tianjiao, we had to keep it secret.”
Great.
Absolutely great!
Yu Tianlin’s new drama indeed had nothing to do with Xu Mei.
It was supposed to, but they’d forced her out of the cast.
Xu Mei’s voice was syrupy sweet, but her tone was icy. “Your business has nothing to do with me? I thought we were allies, especially since the media knows how ‘in love’ we are.”
Cao Bo felt a chill from her smile, his voice softening instinctively. “…This was Yu Tianlin’s idea, nothing to do with me!”
