I’m Really a Superstar

In the vicinity of Central TV.

At a rather good restaurant.

The restaurant’s operating hour was actually only up until 9 PM, or at most extended until 9:30 PM for closing down. But now it was already past 10 PM and the restaurant was still open. There were even four tables of guests being served inside. As the owner of the restaurant and Jiang Yuan knew each other—and with this being the restaurant of choice for Central TV Department 1’s events, with many years of business connections—, if Jiang Yuan asked, the restaurant would definitely make an exception for them.

“Everyone, have a seat!”

“There’s no space left over here.”

“There’s still a table over there, if that’s not enough, we can set up another table.”

“Waiter, please serve the food and alcohol. Beer and wine!”

Around 30 people were here. Other than Jiang Yuan, there were the program team staff of The Voice as well as those staff members who were temporarily transferred from other program teams to help out with the production. Although they did not officially belong to The Voice’s team, they had still contributed a lot to it. Since it was a celebratory banquet, then it was only natural that all those involved should attend!

There were two television sets in the restaurant and both were currently switched on and tuned in to The Voice. The show was only halfway through broadcasting when they made their way here for the feast. Since the recording and the post-production was all done, the rest of the broadcast would be handled by the relevant people in Central TV Department 1. The work for Zhang Ye and his team was over for the day, so they could relax a little. Everyone had worked until they were exhausted over the past few days!

The food had not yet been served, but the alcohol was.

A few interns were fighting to pour the liquor for the others.

Zhang Ye raised his glass. “I propose that we make a toast to Director Jiang first.”

Ha Qiqi, Zhang Zuo, and the rest stood up one after another, while a few other women who were not drinkers also symbolically poured themselves a little beer as they all toasted, “To Director Jiang!”

Jiang Yuan stood up and held up his hands to try to stop them. “The first toast should not be for me. Logically, the first toast should be given to Teacher Zhang Ye. If not for him, Central TV would not have this show today. If not for him working day and night, even living in the studio, The Voice could not have possibly made it in time for the broadcast. This is the celebratory feast for your team and you guys are the leads. So I must insist that first toast be given to Teacher Zhang!”

Zhang Ye declined, “Director Jiang, that won’t do.”

“Come.” Jiang Yuan raised his glass and said, “A toast to you.”

“Don’t, don’t.” Zhang Ye said, not daring to accept this honor, “Let me toast you.”

In the end, everyone just toasted to Jiang Yuan and Zhang Ye together.

Then, Jiang Yuan said, “Teacher Zhang, why don’t you make a short speech.”

Zhang Ye laughed, then looked at his subordinates. “First, let’s thank our director for his support. Without Director Jiang’s trust and support, we wouldn’t be here today.”

Jiang Yuan waved it off and just smiled.

“Next, I want to thank all of you,” Zhang Ye said sincerely. “Other than thank you, it’s still thank you. Thank you for trusting in me, sacrificing your sleep and rest for me and our show for the past several days. When other program teams work overtime, it’s because they are forced to, but not ours. Everyone did it willingly, so when a few of our colleagues fell sick, I even had to push them to go home to rest, but they still stayed behind to help out, working while sick. I know that every one of you do it for me, because all of you trust me. I understand all of that. So I want to make a toast to all of you!”

They raised their glasses and clinked them together before drinking.

Everyone started talking.

“Director Zhang, don’t be so modest with us!”

“What’s the point of saying that?”

“Yeah, that was what we were supposed to do!”

“We’ll toast you!”

“Cheers!”

Zhang Ye’s sincere thanks from the bottom of his heart touched everyone. Thinking about those days of endless and tiresome work that couldn’t even be described, they felt lucky they managed to pull through. Under Zhang Ye’s leadership, they were now about to reap the great harvest they deserved!

Following that, everyone ate and drank.

“Aiya, the broadcast is almost finishing.”

“It’s time for Qian Pingfan to appear.”

“Haha, I bet everyone will be shocked by Little Qian!”

“Look, the comments on the Internet have exploded! They’re all discussing about our show!”

“Yeah, I just saw it too. Everyone has very good comments for us, especially the reading of the advertising message by Director Zhang at the beginning. That shocked so many people!”

“F**k, Luo Yu has already become famous. Just how long has it been since she appeared in the show? Fans have already created a Tieba for her! It even has several hundred members already. It’s going to cross 1000 soon!”

“Look at the Weibo headlines! They’re about us too!”

“So fast? Weren’t we just in fifth place?”

“We’re now first!”

“Aiyo, then we have to toast again!”

“Cheers!”

Beside Zhang Ye, Chenchen sat there expressionlessly. She slowly took some food with her chopsticks and put it onto her plate. The little one had been with Zhang Ye for the past several days, going to school in the morning and then being brought by Luo Yu back to the television station in the evening. She slept at Central TV together with Zhang Ye and did not get much rest, so she looked very tired right now and was also sullen and upset at Zhang Ye at the moment.

Zhang Zuo came over. “Director Zhang, I want to toast you for giving us a valuable lesson with your program planning!”

“Let me offer you a toast as well,” Ha Qiqi said. “When I first read your proposal back then, I did not think that it would work out at all. I believe many others felt the same way, but the results have proven that you were right, you saw further than any one of us, so let me offer you a toast.”

They clinked their glasses together. “Alright, don’t stand on ceremony anymore.”

Chenchen pouted. “Zhang Ye, drink less.”

“I know,” Zhang Ye casually replied.

A while later, someone else came to toast Zhang Ye again.

Zhang Ye did not reject anyone. “Come, cheers!”

Chenchen said unhappily, “Zhang Ye, drink less.”

Zhang Ye said, “How much have I drank? OK, OK, I will not drink so much.”

Ha Qiqi was very envious. “Look at Chenchen. She’s so sensible, knowing to tell you to have less to drink. If I had a daughter like that, how great would it be.”

Zhang Ye said, “Then you better be prepared for tough days ahead.”

Chenchen glared at Zhang Ye. “…Hur hur.”

At this moment, the broadcast of The Voice ended.

Jiang Yuan’s cell phone rang. When he saw the number, he went outside immediately to answer it. About five minutes later, Jiang Yuan walked in with a smile on his face. “I have some good news for everyone. I’ve just received an update three major online video hosting services have already contacted our station, hoping to get the exclusive rights to The Voice of China’s online broadcast. Among them, one offered a sky-high price to secure the contract, can you all guess how much it is?”

Zhang Ye’s contract with Central TV Department 1 was a little special. Other than Zhang Ye, Jiang Yuan and a few other people, most did not know the details. Before he signed with Central TV Department 1, Zhang Ye had a condition that he would get to keep the copyright to The Voice. This applied more on any foreign exports of his show’s format and the second or third seasons of The Voice, which meant that Zhang Ye could, on principle, move to another station with the right to reproduce his show there. It also meant that Central TV could not use the name and logo of The Voice of their own accord, though the first season of all such copyrights were provided to Central TV for free. For example, the television broadcast, the title sponsorship fee, the rights to stream the show via an online video hosting service, all of these deals would not be given to Zhang Ye at all and belonged fully to Central TV. This was the reason why Central TV Department 1 had agreed to the terms after a long round of discussions as it had saved them a big chunk of their budget!

Ha Qiqi blinked. “30 million?”

Zhang Zuo guessed, “45 million?”

Little Wang said, “Could it be 50 million?”

“You’ve all guessed wrong,” Jiang Yuan said elatedly. “There’s an online video hosting service that is offering us an 80 million RMB price to secure exclusive rights!”

“Ah?”

“80 million?”

“I’m gonna faint!”

“This…”

Everyone was surprised at this news. It had to be said that they were unable to sell the online exclusive rights all this time, not because no one would buy it but because all the offers so far did not satisfy Zhang Ye’s estimates. Some offered 20 million, some 10 million, and the highest offer was only 25 million RMB. But like for those advertising rights quotes, Zhang Ye did not step back on the prices and maintained a minimum base cost. Zhang Ye would rather hold them in hand than to take a lower price, and because of this matter, the station had also talked to Zhang Ye on several occasions, though he did not waver at all!

However, looking at it now, Zhang Ye had once again proven the brilliance of his strategy!

Jiang Yuan was also celebrating in his mind, thinking how lucky it was that the station did not overwrite Zhang Ye and sell off the online exclusive rights and advertising rights fee for cheap, otherwise, they would have suffered an enormous loss. It was a good thing that they listened to Zhang Ye!

80 million RMB!

The Voice’s production fees were only over 100 million, which was more or less covered by the title sponsorship already. So that meant they didn’t make any losses or profit from there. Thereafter, once the remaining advertising rights fees and exclusive rights were sold, this would all become pure profit for Central TV Department 1!

What kind of a concept was a net gain of 80 million? Even if Central TV Department 1 were to combine a full 24 hours of shows on a Thursday, a total of more than a dozen programs such as drama series and interview programs, they wouldn’t be able to earn 80 million per season. But with just one show from Zhang Ye, he managed to do it; he made The Voice earn more than the total combined output of more than a dozen programs added together, and this did not even include the unsold advertising rights fees yet. Just calculating it like that, it would be enough to scare anyone!

Besides, getting an 80 million RMB copyright sold for an exclusive online broadcast was the highest amount in the industry. Not only was it the most for the current ongoing programs, but it’s also the most in the history of all programs. No other variety show had ever gotten an exclusive online broadcast fee of more than 60 million! But now Zhang Ye had rewritten the records for China’s variety world and increased it by 20 million!

This was crazy!

Central TV was crazy!

The Voice’s program team was crazy!

The entire television industry was crazy!

After the records of the title sponsorship and the production budget, The Voice of China had once again broken and set a new record for a variety show!