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Chapter 199: Spring Festival Gala Preparatory Group
The news that Qiao Yicheng was admitted to Nanjing University shocked all the neighbors like a hurricane, and they all lamented that smoke was rising from Qiao Zuwang's ancestral grave.

Qiao Zuwang's "scumbag" nature was well-known in Nanjing. Whether it was his irresponsibility towards his wife or his indifference to his children after his wife's death, he was despised by everyone.

But such a bad guy who doesn't know anything about anything is lucky enough to have five successful children, which makes many neighbors feel unbalanced.

Qiao Yicheng had anticipated that his admission to university would cause a sensation, so he had long ago instructed Sanli and Simei not to tell anyone about his assignment to the art troupe to study dance, otherwise the neighbors would go crazy.

Qiao Zuwang was very happy and proud. He enjoyed himself with wine and pork head every day and never thought of holding a graduation party for Qiao Yicheng.

Instead, it was Qi Zhiqiang who first proposed holding a graduation banquet, and his second aunt Wei Shufang also expressed her support, which was unusual for him. However, Qiao Yicheng directly rejected it as too ostentatious.

September 1, 1980 was the first day of school for Qiao Yicheng. Standing at the gate of Nanjing University, Qiao Yicheng knew that he was already a college student.

Qiao Yicheng plans to complete his studies in four years, which means two years for undergraduate, one year for master's and one year for doctoral.

Qiao Yicheng went to college at the age of sixteen, which can be said to be a watershed moment for the Qiao family. Sanli and Simei were arranged by Nanjing University to join the military art troupe. When they reached a certain age, they could obtain military status. They still took their cultural courses in their original primary schools, but they were arranged to attend the Affiliated High School of Nanjing Normal University for junior high school.

Qiao Erqiang is also fourteen years old this year. He was also transferred to Nanjing University and entered the Affiliated High School of Nanjing Normal University, which can be regarded as a change in his destiny.

Because Qiao Yicheng was going to college, Sanli and Simei had to go to the art troupe most of the time, and Erqiang was unable to take care of his younger brother Qiao Qiqi, so in the end the four-year-old Qiao Qiqi was sent to his second aunt Wei Shufang.

Fortunately, Qiao Yicheng is not short of money now and will not argue with his second aunt Wei Shufang over living expenses, so his second aunt Wei Shufang also readily agreed.

The Qi family members were all very aware of the situation of the Qiao family. Wei Shufang and Qi Zhiqiang were extremely envious of the Qiao family's earth-shaking changes.

Time flies, and soon it was the autumn of 1982.

At this time, Qiao Yicheng had become a graduate student at Nanjing University. Because he studied journalism and communication, he not only had excellent grades in every subject, but also often published articles and novels in some mainstream media.

When the Chinese version of "Harry Potter" entered mainland China in 1981, Qiao Yicheng's name became completely known in the mainland and he also gained some fame in the literary world.

"Yicheng, get ready as soon as possible and come with me on a business trip to Beijing." Professor Lu, Qiao Yicheng's mentor, said to Qiao Yicheng when he saw him.

"Okay! Professor! When do we leave?"

"The situation in the capital is quite urgent! We have to leave tonight!"

"Ah? So urgent! Then I'll go pack my luggage first."

Looking at Qiao Yicheng going downstairs to pack his luggage, his mentor Professor Lu was very satisfied. Both Qiao Yicheng's popularity and academic ability were very outstanding. Many professors joked that Professor Lu had found a treasure.

In fact, the competition for Qiao Yicheng within Nanjing University was very fierce. Because Nanjing University has many ace majors, many professors were very confident in themselves. Unexpectedly, Qiao Yicheng finally chose the journalism and communication major.

Although Nanjing University's journalism and communication major is also very strong, it is still far behind other top majors. After all, Qiao Yicheng has also made his professional choice, so no matter how unwilling they are, they can do nothing about it.

After Qiao Yicheng entered Nanjing University, his outstanding abilities and frequent publications made the defeated professors even more regretful.

First, he called his two sisters in the art troupe and explained the situation. Then, Qiao Yicheng followed Professor Lu with simple luggage and boarded a northbound train to Beijing on a business trip.

"Professor, what's the situation with this trip to the capital?"

"It seems CCTV has a new program for next Spring Festival. It was arranged directly by the higher-ups, so they invited me to participate in the discussion."

"Oh?" When Qiao Yicheng heard the words "new Spring Festival program", his heart moved and he easily thought of the 1983 Spring Festival Gala.

Qiao Yicheng knew what was going on but did not say anything. He continued to follow Professor Lu in a low-key manner, giving others the impression that he was Professor Lu's little follower.

There were many professors and experts in the conference room. After hearing the director's introduction, they all smoked with gloomy faces. Soon the conference room was filled with secondhand smoke.

The director also knew that this was a very difficult matter. With a budget of 100,000 yuan, they were required to host a top-notch program. Even a god would be stumped by such a lack of resources.

It was not the style of the experts present to keep smoking and acting like an ostrich. They gradually started to open up and expressed their views one after another. After some not-so-heated expression of opinions, they finally came up with a strange idea of "telephone-on-demand program".

Qiao Yicheng was almost amused by these experts. Wasn't this just shirking responsibility even though they knew it was impossible? And it was a very clever move!
If the program is not successful, it can be blamed on the audience being too confused and it is not CCTV's responsibility. If it is very successful, it is also the credit of the CCTV program team.

To be honest, Qiao Yicheng was very excited to personally experience the preparations for the first Spring Festival Gala of 1983. Thinking of the classics and many regrets of the first Spring Festival Gala of 1983 in later generations, Qiao Yicheng couldn't help but cough, attracting the attention of the bigwigs in the conference room.

"Young comrade, do you have any other opinions?" The director also noticed Qiao Yicheng and looked at him with shining eyes.

Professor Lu was smoking the "Nanjing" in his hand. When he heard the cough behind him, his heart tightened. He knew it was his beloved disciple without turning around.

"Director, this is my graduate student Qiao Yicheng.

The child is young and ignorant, I just brought him out to see the world."

Professor Lu knew that this "Spring Festival New Program" would be difficult to organize. It was an ideal program with high expectations and great difficulties. He didn't want his students to be involved in it. After all, he and Qiao Yicheng would prosper and suffer together.

"Oh? So you're Professor Lu's disciple?

But I have always heard that Professor Lu has a very outstanding student who often publishes articles in mainstream media and has also written a best-selling novel written purely in English.

Could it be this classmate Qiao Yicheng in front of us?" After hearing Professor Lu's explanation, the director's eyes lit up and he guessed.

Even other industry leaders in the conference room looked at Qiao Yicheng in surprise, and expressed their admiration for his youth and fame.

"Issei-kun, if you have any ideas, just say it! Don't hesitate."

"Director, experts, I think this new Spring Festival program is very important, but it seems like no one is taking it too seriously!"

"In 1982, there were around 20 to 30 million households with televisions nationwide. Assuming a family of five could watch one TV, between 100 and 150 million people could watch TV simultaneously. In many remote areas, entire villages watched programs together. Even in Beijing, there were large courtyards where dozens of people watched TV together.

Therefore, we have to treat this matter with caution.”

After hearing Qiao Yicheng's explanation, the experts in the conference room started whispering to each other. They all agreed with Qiao Yicheng's analysis, but they were even more hesitant to take over this hot potato program.

"Yeah! What Yicheng said makes a lot of sense!
We all know the importance of the program, do you have any specific ideas?"

"Director, I think a new program must have a program list and be rehearsed in advance.

As for answering the phone, it can be used as a channel for viewers to evaluate the program."

"Yeah! Not bad! Really good!
Professor Lu, you are a really good student! "

"Master, my student is quite talented.

It's just that I have high expectations but low skills!

I'm sorry to have made the director laugh!"

"Haha, Professor Lu is too modest!

Otherwise, let's hand this program over to Yicheng!"

"What?" Professor Lu and Qiao Yicheng were both shocked. Qiao Yicheng had never expected that such an important program as the Spring Festival Gala would be handed over to him so carelessly.

Professor Lu left Beijing alone. Before leaving, he patted Qiao Yicheng on the shoulder, turned around and left CCTV, wanting to say something but stopping himself.

Qiao Yicheng stood there in a daze, his hair disheveled in the wind. Everything seemed so unreal. He had miraculously taken over the first Spring Festival Gala in 1983.

Qiao Yicheng calmed down and sorted out things, then went to the director's office without hesitation. Seeing Qiao Yicheng coming, the director quickly stood up with a smile.

"Yicheng, come here!

I was looking for you!

The start-up capital has been approved, 100,000 yuan!"

"Director, it's a bit unreasonable for you to put such an important program as the Spring Festival Gala in my hands!
I don't have a normal organizational relationship with CCTV yet, so the station director should resolve this issue as soon as possible."

"Oh! Look at my brain. I forget things as soon as I get busy!
You have been hired as the head of the CCTV Spring Festival Gala preparation team, deputy section chief level, with section chief level treatment!"

"Thank you, Director! But one hundred thousand yuan is too little. Can the higher-ups think of another solution?"

“One percent, funding is tight everywhere now!

It’s because of the special nature of the Spring Festival Gala that the funding was approved so quickly!”

"Master, I know everything you said!
Can you give me some policies?
I want to go out and find some manufacturers to get some sponsorship!"

"Soliciting sponsorship? That's against the rules!" The director looked a little embarrassed when he heard Qiao Yicheng's request.

"Director, I have a lot of ideas for this year's Spring Festival Gala!
But every idea needs financial support, so sponsorship is a must!

We can also use this sponsorship as a trial. If this approach works, CCTV will no longer be short of funds in the future!"

"Yeah! Yicheng, you make sense!

You try it first!

If the impact is bad, stop immediately!"

"I understand! Master!"

"Oh right! Yicheng, I asked the logistics director to arrange a single dormitory for you.

Housing is tight, so you'll have to stay in the dormitory for a while!
If a house is allocated, you will be given priority."

"Master, I'm fine living in the dormitory! This way I can focus on my work."

"Haha, good! Young people are aware!

Yicheng, do a good job! I believe in you! "

Qiao Yicheng miraculously became an employee of CCTV. In order to make a good start at CCTV, Qiao Yicheng was very attentive to the preparations for the first Spring Festival Gala.

To organize a successful Spring Festival Gala, funding, program planning, scene layout, props and costumes, and a qualified director are all essential.

Before that, Qiao Yicheng must make a detailed plan and submit it to the director as soon as possible. Although the director seems to think highly of him, he cannot be ignorant.

If you want to achieve some results, you must have the real support of your superiors. This is the first time that sponsorship has appeared on CCTV, and it is bound to cause a lot of impact. I can't handle too much pressure with my small head.

Qiao Yicheng worked overtime all night and finally came up with a detailed plan, which he handed to the director of CCTV.

The director picked up the plan handed over by Qiao Yicheng and looked very surprised. He really didn't expect that the young Qiao Yicheng would be so responsible. And when he saw the detailed plan on it, the director seemed to see the success of the Spring Festival Gala in sight.

"Yicheng, your plan is well written!

If you have any ideas, just go for it!

You don't need to worry about any external pressure, I will help you withstand it!"

"Thank you, Master. I won't let you down!"

After leaving the director's office, Qiao Yicheng returned to the Spring Festival Gala preparation team. Looking at his seven team members, he asked them to prepare the venue for the Spring Festival Gala and to invite some well-known artists, so that these new artists could prepare their own programs for the Spring Festival Gala.

Of course, the preparatory group will definitely screen these programs in advance. Qiao Yicheng must find an excellent director as soon as possible, and then he set his sights on director Xie Jin.

Because "The Herdsman", directed by Xie Jin, has just been released in theaters this year, his fame and ability are unquestionable.

In fact, with CCTV's status, Qiao Yicheng can definitely send an invitation letter to Director Xie Jin, and I believe Director Xie Jin will definitely come.

However, in order to show his respect for Director Xie Jin, Qiao Yicheng decided to visit him in person, and then came to Director Xie Jin's residence in Beijing.

There were no so-called business cards in that era. Qiao Yicheng handed over his work ID and soon met director Xie Jin.

"Director Xie, the Spring Festival Gala that CCTV is preparing this time is very important, so we would like to invite Director Xie to be the director of the Spring Festival Gala."

"Team Leader Qiao, thank you very much for CCTV's recognition!
It’s just that I’ve only ever been shooting movies, and I have no experience with this kind of evening show!”

"Director Xie, you should just call me Yicheng!

As for your concerns about never having filmed a gala before, Director Xie is completely overthinking it!"

"Oh?"

"In fact, no one at CCTV had any experience. After all, this was everyone's first time. Otherwise, they wouldn't have handed it over to a young person like me."

"Qiao Yicheng, I don't think you're that old, are you?"

"Haha, Director Xie, I'm nineteen years old!
I'm a graduate student at Nanjing University. I recently followed my advisor, Professor Lu, to CCTV, and was immediately thrust into the role of leader of the preparatory group."

"Oh? Qiao Yicheng? Sounds familiar to me!
Are you the author of the Harry Potter novel in English?"

"Haha, it's me! I didn't expect Director Xie to have heard of my humble work!"

"Haha, it really is you!
How about this!
My granddaughter recently bought a set of Harry Potter. If you can sign it, I'll agree to be the director of the Spring Festival Gala!

"Thank you, this is easy!

I have a limited edition set of the pure English version of Harry Potter. I will bring it to you next time. Your granddaughter will definitely like it!"

"Haha, one percent, thank you very much!"

(End of this chapter)