Who said this top flow is crazy! This top flow is awesome!

Chapter 409 The highest-rated drama in eleven years
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The sound of the key turning in the door made Ling Han turn around, and she saw her sister bending down to change her shoes and hanging her bag on the coat rack.

"sister!"

Ling Bingbing looked up at her and asked, "What are you doing?"

"I'm watching your show, it's about to air."

Ling Han approached with a grin, surprised, "Aren't you supposed to be very busy today? How come you have time to come home?"

"The busiest time was a while ago, but now it's not so busy."

After Ling Bingbing changed her shoes, her aunt hurriedly came over to help her with her clothes.

"It's your Brother Chi. He's still filming on set today, but the screening was held yesterday, so he doesn't have much to do today. If anything comes up... it'll be after the show airs and the response is good, then we'll do some follow-up publicity and marketing."

As Ling Bingbing spoke, she walked towards the sofa: "Want something to eat?"

"I ordered a lot of food, hehe."

Ling Han followed behind with a smile and asked, "Do you want to watch it together?"

Ling Bingbing hesitated for a moment. Actors generally don't watch their own work. Firstly, they don't have much time, and secondly, actors like them know the general plot, so watching it wouldn't be a good viewing experience.

but…

For some reason, Ling Bingbing sat down anyway: "Let's take a look together then."

She knew all the plot details of "Lurking" and knew it was a great work, but she still couldn't understand why Chi Ye kept "placing his hopes" on this show.

—While it's great, it probably isn't quite what he imagined, is it?

"Speaking of Brother Chi... Sis, is Brother Chi alright now? Is he okay?"

Ling Han is a complete sucker for good looks. After becoming a fan of Chi Ye, she became hopelessly infatuated. From the initial change in her impression during "My Love from the Star", to being completely blown away by his good looks in "Goblin", and now.

In addition, because she is an insider in the industry, she usually gets a lot of information that fans outside the industry don't get, such as Ikeno's current situation in the industry.

It can no longer be described as bad; to be precise, it's "on the verge of collapse." Many people wish that Ikeno would suddenly die tomorrow.

So, what would his state be like now, facing such an opponent who inspires despair at first glance?

Ling Bingbing didn't answer her sister directly because she felt that Chi Ye was actually doing quite well... at least in terms of mindset, he was still happy and didn't show too many negative emotions.

This might be what she always felt was different about Ikeno; his mental resilience far exceeded that of ordinary people. Even if the result this time was really bad, it didn't seem to have much of an impact on him—at least not in terms of his mood.

"That's fine. You should focus more on yourself and stay out of these kinds of things."

"...Okay, sis, is this show good? Can you give me a spoiler?"

"It's about to start, see for yourself."

"Oh dear, I want to know..."

Ling Han started chattering away to Ling Bingbing until the TV series started airing, at which point the two finally quieted down.

The theme song for "Lurking" was also not composed by Ikeno, which is different from Ikeno's previous works and is also a distinctive feature that is considered by many to be a lack of Ikeno's signature style.

The opening is a grand and tragic instrumental piece. Although it sounds very heroic, it also gives people a serious feeling, which is completely different from the impression and filter that Ikeno has given people in the past.

Not only in terms of music, but also in terms of camera work and makeup.

"Oh, is this Brother Chi?"

Ling Han watched the clip of Yu Zecheng in the theme song editing. In the clip, Yu Zecheng was wearing a Zhongshan suit and a pair of ordinary black-rimmed glasses. Although you could still see his good features through the lens, it was not the "beauty overload" she had imagined.

"What are you thinking? This is a spy drama, not an idol drama."

Ling Bingbing rolled her eyes.

"That's not right. In the movie I watched with Chu Hanzhou and Shi Jinwei, Chu Hanzhou had more makeup on his face than the female lead."

Ling Bingbing: "..."

So he flopped.

Ikeno's transformation is different from that of other top stars. Other top stars use the name of transformation but are unwilling to let go of their burdens. Ikeno, on the other hand, pays more attention to the details of the role.

Perhaps this is also related to his background as a screenwriter. Experiencing the character, playing the character, and giving the character the utmost respect are things that Ikeno has always been doing.

To give a character the greatest vitality, it's not about making them ugly, but about perfectly embodying the character.

The script for "Lurking" was specially created by Teacher You after seeing Chi Ye, who hadn't become famous back then, to reshape the male lead. Yu Zecheng is a very typical intellectual figure. On the surface, he is a gentleman, but in reality, he has the background of a soldier.

On a deeper level, there's his undercover identity. He's a young talent full of wisdom and adaptability, but because he's undercover, he can't show off too much.

Therefore, Ikeno is not "handsome" in "Lurking", unlike the idol dramas of the past that showcased his "strengths".

In fact, if good looks are considered an advantage, then what about acting skills? For an actor, acting skills are probably the most important advantage to showcase.

Now, Ling Han has come to realize Chi Ye's "strengths".

The first episode of "Lurking" has a fast pace, or rather, the entire series has a fast pace. Each episode is full of ups and downs and has a tight rhythm. It is a masterpiece that is hailed as a textbook example of a good drama. There is almost no filler in the whole series, and every actor is perfectly cast.

In the two episodes aired today, Yu Zecheng, played by Chi Ye, experienced a series of events, including accidentally overhearing his "girlfriend" Tong Hong while wiretapping, hesitatingly choosing to cover for her, helping his superior embezzle, and being shot and killed.

Ling Han initially watched the show while chatting with her sister. She wasn't interested in spy dramas to begin with, and this kind of old-fashioned theme had little appeal to a fangirl like her.

If it weren't for Ikeno, she wouldn't have paid attention to this drama.

Even now, with Ikeno present, she is still somewhat disappointed because of Ikeno's "good looks" in the drama.

But the reason why classics are called classics is that no matter how much time has passed, no matter what time or space, as soon as they appear, as long as you sit in front of the TV and watch them for ten minutes, you will be deeply attracted, and gradually think about them more and more until you can't extricate yourself.

Ling Han never imagined that a spy drama that was outdated and had been "outdated" for nearly ten years, and had never become a hit again, could be made so well.

When you look at Ikeno's face again, it seems to be filtered through an indescribable lens.

This time it's not because of looks, but because of the character and the person.

Three days. "Lurking" has been online for three days and has aired six episodes. Ling Han watched it for three days. She subscribed to Mango TV's SVIP service and watched one more episode, reaching the seventh episode.

She felt completely captivated by "Lurking," as if she had found a new boyfriend, and devoted herself wholeheartedly to watching the series.

She couldn't remember the last time she had forgotten everything, been 100% immersed, and been so engrossed in watching a drama that she couldn't even remember the last time.

It must have been when she was little, watching TV together with her parents and sister... Hmm...

After many years, the family is now together again, watching TV series every day.

……

That's right, Ling Han's parents are also watching "Lurking".

The Ling family has always lived together because Ling Bingbing is still unmarried, and her two daughters are very filial. When they are not working, unless they have friends inviting them out at night, the "family rule" is to go home and spend the night.

Of course, as the two daughters grew up and both worked in the entertainment industry, this "family rule" eventually became just a formality.

The last time the Ling family had a "gathering" was during the Chinese New Year two years ago, but it was only for that one day. After that day, Ling Bingbing went abroad for treatment, and Ling Han was busy with work.

Ling Han never expected that, because of the TV series "Lurking," her family would be able to gather in the living room so synchronously and neatly every night.

His father was getting old and didn't know how to use the internet. He didn't watch TV much either, but one day, they felt that the two sisters, Ling Han and Ling Bingbing, were acting strangely—they weren't going out to play anymore, and they weren't working either.

Out of curiosity, the two elders sat down on the sofa and began to seize this rare opportunity to repeatedly urge their two daughters to find a boyfriend.

To everyone's surprise, after a while of persuasion, the two elders took it to heart...

"Honey, what's the name of this TV show?"

"Lurking"

"Oh, this is a good shot."

In which episode do you appear?

"I'm coming right away..."

"Hey, why did you take such a tacky and ugly picture of my daughter!"

"Oh dear, how could you be so careless? You need to cooperate with Yu Zecheng! You almost exposed us!"

"You're no good. How did you even get found to infiltrate this place with such poor manners? You're just causing trouble for Yu Zecheng!"

Ling Bingbing: "..."

In the following days, she spent almost every day under her parents' "condemnation".

On January 2nd, the fourth day of the broadcast of "Lurking" (the show was suspended on New Year's Eve), Ling Bingbing finished watching today's episode and returned to her bedroom alone. The plot of the day was still in her mind, but she was more worried than anything else.

After she entered the bedroom, it was as if she had returned from the world of the play to reality—her grades seemed good, but they were just good.

"Lurking" has been online for four days. The results of the first three days can only be described as commendable, but they do not meet Ling Bingbing's expectations, let alone Chi Ye's.

The first day's ratings, for Hunan TV's prime time slot, were 1.2%.

With a 1% opening and two percentage points remaining, "Lurking" immediately rose to become the No. 1 TV series in the country that very night, achieving the highest viewership rating nationwide.

In terms of online streaming, Mango TV's popularity also exceeded 10000, but... it was only 10,000. Although it was a small breakthrough and a historic start for Mango TV, the increase in the following days was not significant.

It's not that Mango TV didn't put in the effort. In fact, Mango TV had already been promoting "Lurking" for a while. There's a very important issue here: Mango TV's foundation and overall market size are not as good as the other three platforms.

There's a reason why these three platforms are considered the top three: they currently capture the largest share of online entertainment traffic in China. Mango TV is primarily used for watching variety shows, with very few viewers using it to watch dramas.

Is that it?
Ling Bingbing thought to herself that because of the soft ban, "Lurking" didn't generate much buzz after its release. It seemed like many well-received dramas: it aired, had good ratings, and was acceptable for online streaming... and then... and then nothing happened.

Gone.

"Is this the result you wanted?"

Ling Bingbing took out her phone, hesitating whether to call Chi Ye. Since his appearance at the New Year's Eve gala, he had continued filming, and there had been no news about the planned publicity and promotion for "Lurking".

Is he genuinely indifferent, or is he simply "avoiding" it?
Would someone like him also run away?
Ling Bingbing thought it wouldn't happen.

drip.

Just as she was thinking about these things, Ling Bingbing's phone suddenly rang. She looked down and saw it was a friend from Hunan TV. She quickly answered, "Hello? How were the results today?"

During this period, she would ask her friends to report the most accurate data every day. What she saw online was all "embellished." For the most accurate data, the data from inside was the most authentic.

"Bingbing, congratulations."

To Ling Bingbing's surprise, the other party's first words stunned her.

"Congratulations?" She shifted slightly, a slightly unsettling thought rising in her mind: "What... are you congratulating me on?"

"3%."

My friend on the other end is still in shock: "Yesterday it was hovering around 1.5%, but today it broke 3% not long after the broadcast started, and... it's still going up."

Ling Bingbing was stunned for a full three seconds.

3%... A viewership rating that broke 3% seems to have generated more buzz than before, but... can it meet expectations?
"Our internal 3% is displayed on the online data software as approximately 3.5%."

My friend only said that one sentence before hanging up the phone.

Ling Bingbing was in a daze again, but this time it was different from before. Not long ago she was still doubting herself, but now... a strange thought had quietly risen in her heart.

This thought has been gradually intensifying over time.

On the fourth day, the viewership rating of "Lurking" reached 4%, setting a new record for the highest single-day viewership rating in nearly two years.

That day, Mango TV's downloads surged, jumping from fourth place to second overnight, overtaking KuYing and Kiwi.

On the fifth day, "Lurking" achieved a 5% viewership rating, surpassing the previous single-day records of "My Love from the Star" and "Goblin".

Mango TV has achieved a record high in new member acquisitions since its inception.

On the sixth day, the plot reached a climax, and "Lurking" achieved a staggering 6.5% viewership rating that night, officially becoming the highest-rated drama series in eleven years.

Mango TV's servers experienced four or five glitches that night, and the popularity of "Lurking" was more than double that of the second most popular show in Mango TV's history.

On the same day, due to the subject matter of the drama, there was a lot of discussion about the plot of "Lurking" in Taiwan and Hong Kong.

A certain T office held an overtime meeting, and the next morning, the name "Lurking" appeared for the first time in the articles of central and official media.

Ikeno's name was then mentioned and brought up.

This time, streaming platforms like Weibo and Douyin did not impose any traffic restrictions, not because they didn't want to, but because they couldn't and dared not.

(End of this chapter)