He angrily interrupted Cheng Jixue's daydream, snapping, "Don't even think about it!"
Cheng Jixue smiled and twirled the pen in his hand. The beautiful sunlight streaming through the French windows illuminated his eyes, making them look like a deep and captivating pool of amber: "Of course, I was just thinking about it."
"So, would Mr. Zhang be willing to condescend to handle these documents?"
Zhang Chaohe happily slacked off for three or four days, but was forced to work again—anyway, the "Drunken Blade" series of films and television series was about to be adapted into a movie, so even if he wanted to slack off, he couldn't do it for long and would soon be forced back to work.
Through this brief handling of documents, Cheng Jixue realized just how significant the effect had been when Zhang Chaohe had diverted two different types of film and television investments to two different film and television companies. Jiasheng had become a rising star in the "entertainment" sector, not only revitalized but also capable of competing with some popular entertainment companies.
Meanwhile, the first major drama under Jiuzhou Qingtong, "Zan Ying", is about to hold a promotional event to build momentum for its upcoming online release. At the same time, traditional serious dramas under Jiuzhou Qingtong, such as criminal investigation and anti-corruption struggles, are also in the midst of filming. Not to mention the new concept and new theme scripts discovered by Zhang Chaohe.
In the future, Kyushu Qingtong will become a brand with a good reputation. On the surface, Mr. Zhang seems to be enjoying life with the people, but in reality, he wants both money and fame.
Cheng Jixue silently curled the corners of her lips and put down her pen.
As expected of a goose, it manages to lead him into a new ditch every day.
On the eve of Christmas, the production team of "The Golden Hairpin" held a promotional event and officially announced that it would be scheduled to air during the winter vacation prime time. It may compete with the production team of "Wild Geese Crying", which has the same theme and era and has been compared with it since filming.
Furthermore, due to its effective promotion, strong cast, and high demand from fans, "Wild Geese Crying" was the first to be officially announced to be broadcast on a provincial satellite TV station after the press conferences of the two companies!
Upon hearing this news, the actors involved were overjoyed. The acquisition of the broadcasting rights by satellite TV stations and several well-known online platforms gave fans a boost of confidence, and everyone felt that this time the project was definitely a sure thing!
No matter how high the demand or how much investment there is for Xiao Zhang's screen debut, can you pre-book a broadcast on a major television network?
#LittleWildGooseCriesStrivingForGoodness#, #BeautifulWildGooseCriesTrailer#, all sorts of messages are flooding the screen, it's a truly dazzling and eye-catching sight!
However, just when Yanming's fans thought this time it would definitely work, the official Weibo account of "The Golden Hairpin" which had been quiet for a long time, unremarkably reposted an unremarkable CCTV-8 trailer.
The historical drama "The Golden Hairpin" will premiere on CCTV-8's prime-time slot. Stay tuned.
...
This is outrageous, Zhang Chaohe, you?
Everyone's main characters are based on the same people, so how come you're the only one secretly profiting from the patriotic theme?!
A note from the author:
I originally intended to finish writing it all and upload it, but public discontent is boiling over, so I'll only upload a little bit for now, and there will be more tomorrow!
Then you can enjoy the fun side stories!!
My dearest little ones I haven't seen in so long!
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
Chapter 92
That's the cunning goose's little trick.
While celebrities and idols were working hard to get involved, Zhang Chaohe took a different approach and successfully latched onto the mainstream ideology? The powerful combination of a renowned director of serious dramas, a TV king, and a childhood goddess, while the competition was still boasting about its own popularity, "The Golden Hairpin" quietly began to negotiate with CCTV!
Most of the fans who were kept in the dark had a question mark in their minds: ?
I really didn't think there was anything wrong with it.
Oh no, I thought this was a sweet romance movie. I really don't know if I could watch this kind of thing...
[The stray dog is crying; I want to see the kind of movie stray dogs like to watch.]
Zhang Chaohe's risky last-minute maneuver naturally caught the attention of the rival director. The director of "Wild Geese Crying" had already guessed that Chen Xingting was going to film a tired, serious drama, and secretly leaned towards a romance. Now everyone was marveling at his skill, and naturally, he had to lead the publicity team in a lightning-fast offensive!
Look at the little gosling's cry, it's so sweet!
[I'm just a country bumpkin, and I'm watching the wild geese cry!]
[They claim to be a historical drama, but it's probably going to be another heavily altered version, isn't it? (chuckles)]
Since there was no initial broadcast agreement for "Wild Geese Crying," the series was quickly released on major video platforms. Shortly after its release, its reputation became extremely polarized—the complicated love story of Princess Minrong was portrayed as extremely melodramatic, and some viewers who couldn't accept the illogical plot twists, disjointed character arcs, and the focus solely on romance strongly criticized it; on the other hand, viewers who enjoyed sweet stories set against the backdrop of a special era raved about it.
The film and television industry is constantly in flux, with new trends emerging every day, creating quite a stir... Directors are personally stepping in, posting film reviews one day and sharp critiques the next, regardless of gender or on-screen personality, and promoting whichever couple is most popular, even to the point of renaming it "The Heartbreaking Love Story of Princess Minrong."
Chen Xingting was so shocked by this that he questioned his own existence: "It seems like all the research I did was fake."
Zhang Chaohe comforted him, saying, "Who would watch a relationship if it's not sweet or melodramatic?"
Chen Xingting said sadly, "Watching this makes me want to switch careers and act in idol dramas too. It's really lively."
No wonder the other party insisted on going head-to-head with him even though they shared the same theme, era, and protagonist—without Zhang Chaohe's strong support, he would never have been able to compete with such a production team.
Zhang Chaohe looked at him strangely: "Everyone is scrambling to film serious dramas and have a representative work, why do you want to go backwards?"
"Just you wait and see, once the glory days of extreme marketing are over, it will soon backfire."
Cheng Jixue was playing on her phone on the sofa next to him. Hearing this, she looked up at him and said, "You know so much."
Zhang Chaohe looked at him with a hint of smugness: "Experience."
Cheng Jixue didn't say anything more and continued to play with his phone. He appeared calm on the surface, but he was actually cleverly using the nine-key keyboard to fight back against online trolls.
Please excuse my poor performance. It turns out that Master Ji is a sharp-tongued, elementary school kid online, determined to fight to the end against the rival fans who are smearing Da'e in the "Qiuyue CP" super topic!
After all, Yanming Zhenzhen is trying hard to sell industrial saccharin, so Gu Shuai in the drama is naturally extremely greasy - he's always doing wall slams and making domineering remarks, which makes him very unpleasant to watch. The once-famous top CP is not what it seems, so of course there will be haters rushing into the super topic to scold them:
[Is all that's on Gu Shuai's mind men's butts?]
[Uh, is this the god-like couple that was hyped up back then? So cheesy.]
I thought this couple would be a breath of fresh air in the whole series, but it turned out to be a mudslide.
Fans of "The Golden Hairpin" naturally vehemently refuted this—don't let your artificial sweeteners tarnish our CP!
A three-way battle ensued, and the parties involved said it was quite exciting.
Amidst various doubts, comparisons, and anticipation, "The Golden Hairpin" was finally released, premiering on CCTV and being available for online updates on two major platforms—a promising start that was neither particularly successful nor unsuccessful, but nonetheless highly anticipated.
And then this show, to put it very bluntly, became a hit.
Although the ratings for "The Golden Hairpin" didn't skyrocket a few days ago, they remained stable. Chen Xingting kept checking the ratings for the neighboring show "Wild Geese Crying" to put pressure on himself, like an anxious father waiting for his child's college entrance exam results.
It can be said that he was the person who cared the most about "The Golden Hairpin" - the effort, dedication, and pressure from the patronage of Xiao Zhang, as well as the all-out effort of fighting with his back against the wall, all made him panic.
However, Zhang Chaohe was actually quite anxious. His unconventional approach seemed very confident, but he was actually very worried about the market response.
Why are idol dramas so popular? Because there's a market for them, and audiences are willing to pay for them.
So while he was calmly comforting Chen Xingting, he was also rolling around on the sofa, saying, "What if it collapses? I'm so worried!!"
Cheng Jixue pinched his ear and pulled him into her arms with both hands: "I think it's fine... We have to give it time to ferment, right?"
Zhang Chaohe and Cheng Jixue exchanged a peach-flavored kiss, then threw themselves back into their work—the Chinese work philosophy of "placing things in the wrong way to progress."
This means that after being left to grow freely, you might receive an unexpected little surprise.
Then...then "The Golden Hairpin" relied on its strong script to secretly establish a multi-dimensional appeal mechanism without Zhang Chaohe even noticing. From middle-aged and elderly viewers to students, everyone could find what they wanted in the drama.
The cries of the times, the impetus and resistance of the masses under the torrent of history, and the spirit of spreading like wildfire and reshaping faith.
This is a force far broader than serving love—life is far more than just love; there are also higher and more inspiring pursuits.
In short, while "Wild Geese Crying" was striving for traffic and trending topics, "The Golden Hairpin" had already looked to a higher level, quickly seizing market share and generating buzz:
[As expected, there are still good directors and good scripts!! I heard the director say that if it weren't for Mr. Zhang's decision to invest, it might have been a complete disaster—]
[This art style is definitely something Little Zhang came up with... I could totally love it if you gave me a little more!]
[I've wanted to say this for a while now, but it's ridiculous... It's one thing to pair up fictional characters, but to use historical figures for pairings and create nonsensical romantic subplots is an insult to our predecessors.]
Regarding his portrayal of other characters, Zhang Chaohe didn't have a particularly deep understanding; he just praised the production as good and that was it. But he was quite curious about the audience's feedback on his role as "Gu Yinqiu."
[I really cried. The atmosphere and tension between the main characters were incredibly strong. What is Qiu Yue next door? She shows no mercy in any scene, yet there is affection everywhere. The way she handles the ambiguous relationship between friends and lovers is just perfect.]
[Yes, yes, yes! Especially at the end, when Chang Xiaoyue was kidnapped and forced to perform for a Japanese officer, although she was dressed in the attire of a noble concubine, she was singing about Mu Guiying taking command at the funeral hall, subtly alluding to the background of Commander Gu's death. The character's ending was really poignant (crying)]
To be honest, Zhang's acting was pitifully weak compared to the veteran actors; his skills were still a bit immature, but he managed to carry the role! My son, you should go make money and stop acting!!
Zhang Chaohe humbly accepted the advice—in the final cut, his performance was indeed unremarkable, far inferior to that of Cheng Jixue, who was also making his debut.
He tossed his phone aside, cupped Cheng Jixue's face in his hands, and examined her from all angles: "We're all acting for the first time, why are you so natural?"
Playing the role of Xiao Cheng, a model student who secretly studies hard and makes up for his shortcomings over the course of more than ten years, he is afraid that his increasingly petty wife will bring up the past again. He obediently lets Zhang Chaohe pinch his cheeks and changes the subject without making a sound: "I also received a film offer from director Luan Zhang in the God Group. He wants to make a film that is aiming for awards. I think the script is very interesting."
“Of course we’ll film it.” Zhang Chaohe’s eyes gleamed with a peculiar light. “What’s there to hesitate about?”
Need money? Mr. Zhang, just throw it all away!
"Oh, Mr. Ji can smash it too." Zhang Chaohe glanced at him jokingly.
Cheng Jixue didn't know what he was thinking, but that didn't stop him from being stirred by that glance. Cheng Jixue took the opportunity to pinch Zhang Chaohe's hand, which had distinct knuckles and was as smooth as jade carving, and played with it until Zhang Chaohe's fingers itched and he almost pulled back with a jolt.
Do you want to come with me?
Zhang Chaohe shook his head lazily: "Forget it, I have no intention of debuting."
With his free hand, he continued scrolling through the comments section, saying something that was both outrageous and self-righteous: "But if you call me Daddy, this CEO can invest money to get a credit as a producer, and I can sit at the same table with you when we're nominated for awards."
Cheng Jixue was amused by the goose's smug and proud appearance. He waved to Zhang Chaohe, who straightened up in confusion and moved closer to him.
So Cheng Jixue leaned in and whispered something in his ear—Zhang Chaohe's ears turned bright red instantly, and he nearly kicked Cheng Jixue off the sofa: "How shameless you are!!"
Cheng Jixue chuckled twice, wanting to tease the goose again, but was interrupted by a flying melon rind, forcing him to postpone the discussion. While struggling to resist the double attack of melon rind and vegetable leaves, he casually brought up that lousy "10 Billion Plan": "Isn't President Zhang's net worth 10 billion yet?"
Not only did he make a fortune by recouping his investment, but also thanks to the game's popularity and Jiang Wei's shrewd and cunning investments, Zhang Chaohe has been making a killing lately.
Not to mention the money-making machines under Jiasheng working day and night, Cheng Jixue deeply suspects that Zhang Chaohe has completely forgotten the agreement that "we will make an official announcement when we become worth billions".
Zhang Chaohe: "Of course not!"
Even if you have it, say you don't!
After witnessing their older brothers fall into the "marriage trap" where "only dark circles and money steadily increase," some older men have become somewhat afraid of marriage and are trying to prolong the time they can have a wife they can "get away with"...
Not only that, he also made grand excuses for his scumbag behavior: "Look, you're still in the prime of your career, it wouldn't be good to announce a relationship at this time..."
Cheng Jixue blinked innocently: "Yeah, anyway, everyone's just waiting for the official announcement. Wouldn't it be better to give everyone a chance to witness it?"
The main problem is that if they don't officially announce it soon, even more people will express their love for Xiao Zhang from afar—especially since "The Golden Hairpin" was recently released. It's as if all the cat-like and dog-like bottoms on the entire pink website have finally found their spring. Gu Yinqiu's character has become everyone's shared top overnight, and all sorts of fan-made videos are popping up in various forms...
Nobody remembers me, the Empress, anymore!
Cheng Jixue felt that this matter could not be delayed any longer. The goose was too sought after, and she had to grab a spot first. However, Zhang Chaohe had no sense of crisis and was only thinking about his meager money. He only knew how to look at documents and look for actors when he was with her.
Zhang Chaohe circled another character on the tablet, feeling guilty amidst his busy schedule, and gave the other person a perfunctory reply: "Yeah, yeah, anyway, no one's rushing us, let's finish filming 'Drunken Blade' first. It's been in development for so long, and casting should be almost done..."