I'm not a drama freak, I can really see through the script

Chapter 283, CCTV: Is reconciliation possible?
It has nothing to do with whether someone is handsome or not.

It has nothing to do with whether it's good or bad.

It's not a feeling, but a sensation.

A strange feeling, a feeling that can be described as very strange. I have read Gu Long's works many times, after all, he is a writer who is second only to Jin Yong.

That feeling is very difficult to portray.

Male protagonists of Gu Long throughout the ages
There are handsome men, good actors, and many people who can portray a variety of feelings, but someone like Li Xuan, who can portray this light and airy feeling, is the first.

That effortless, weightless touch.

But none of Gu Long's male protagonists have ever portrayed this.

At least.

Jin Yong had never seen it.

But when he looked at the male lead, when he looked at Li Xuan, he thought he would be reminded of Murong Fu, the man who had once made him change his role.

Li Xuan is undoubtedly very outstanding, but a certain impression has also formed in his mind.

At this point, this preconceived notion completely disappears.
That feeling of 'neglect'.

That feeling that belongs only to the 'prodigal son'.

This is what Jin Yong thought.

This is not a character.

Instead, it was his old friend from back then.

Ancient dragon.

The two figures overlapped.

The following day's viewership ratings.

"The Return of the Condor Heroes" is showing a steady improvement, with the index slightly dropping from 12 points to 11 points.

This is inevitable.

As expected, Zhang Jizhong's ratings always dropped slightly the following day for any work of this nature.

What he can do is maximize the hype in the publicity. As for how well the audience can retain the content and what the retention rate is, that depends on the quality of the content.

At least 12 to 11 points can be said to indicate that the quality of "The Return of the Condor Heroes" is excellent. This performance and retention rate are enough to prove that the quality is absolutely top-notch.

This level of excellence is more than enough.

It's safe now.

Stable.

Until Zhang Jizhong read on.

The ratings for "The Legend of Chu Liuxiang" were 8 points.

The viewership ratings not only didn't decrease, but actually increased!
And the increase was not small!
This is something that Zhang Jizhong really struggled to figure out.

This. How is this possible!

Even directors Ju Jueliang and Liu Pengsheng found the surge in viewership somewhat unbelievable.

this.
Originally, they thought the film was indeed quite good.

Regardless of what CCTV's screenwriters and so-called literary consultants say, objectively speaking...

Li Xuan definitely 'understands' Chu Liuxiang.

But I didn't expect it.

The ratings rebounded so quickly.
This happened way too fast! This rebound in viewership ratings is amazing.

Originally, a 6-point increase was considered a "high opening".

Nowadays, there is no "flat trend" or "slow trend".

Instead, it rose.

This means that the core group of viewers did not leave.

They are all preserved in this work.

The Legend of Chu Liuxiang.

The image is frozen on that dashing, carefree man.

The image is frozen on him.

When the Douban score is unblocked.

It scored a high score of 7.7.

Wang Haiyang, from Huayi Brothers, stared in astonishment at the score.

Such a high score!
Didn't the marketing department lead the "haters" to give low scores?
How come the score is still so high?
how can that be!

When Wang Haiyang saw this high score, he was filled with disbelief.
Isn't everyone saying that the "Chu Liuxiang" production team is rebellious and doesn't listen to the literary consultant? If they don't listen to anything, how did they manage to attract this core audience?

Currently, "Chu Liuxiang" has completely captured the core audience, and the number of fans of martial arts fiction has not decreased much. On the contrary, because "Chu Liuxiang" has captured the core audience, the speed at which the ratings have increased is frightening.

It's even the kind of thing that's hard to believe.

The Douban rating also illustrates this point.

Wang Haiyang has a kind of thing that he can't figure out no matter how hard he tries—or rather, he doesn't dare to think about it.

It's a feeling of vaguely understanding something, but absolutely not daring to confirm it in that direction.

Will it?

Those who truly understand "Chu Liuxiang" are never the literary consultants at CCTV—is it even possible that the production team has such an understanding of the character?

That's the fuck right!
On the other side, Huang Xiaoming was also watching "Chu Liuxiang".

Watching the drama "Chu Liuxiang" at that moment, he suddenly had a feeling of enlightenment about that dashing, light-as-an-arrow nobleman.

This feeling of 'understanding'.

It seemed that he understood something.

Even if you don't admit it, you understand.
Why was "The Legend of Chu Liuxiang" so popular?

And what's coming next might be even more explosive!
"All works of this era share a common characteristic: the protagonist always carries a burden, always has to take responsibility for something, and always has to grow into a certain kind of person. This seems to be a curse—a curse that is borne by the protagonist."

"To be a martial arts hero, you must become a great hero."

"The military is for saving the country."

"When it comes to family matters, one has to shoulder the family's finances and everything else."

Everyone carries burdens, more or less.

“When I was alive, everyone was advising me – why don’t you buy a house? Why don’t you buy a car? Why don’t you get married? Why don’t you have a child? Why do you squander all your money on eating, drinking, having fun, and buying alcohol?”

"I find it strange that you buy houses to get married for 'life,' and I buy wine for 'life,' so what's the difference?"

"They are definitely different."

Li Xuan looked at the [Gu Long] in front of him and said, "The masses of ordinary people live according to the [correct] way of society, while you live according to what is [correct] for yourself. That's why others don't understand you, and may even slander you, calling you an outcast."

and so.

Gu Long's characters are so captivating; his wandering heroes are like representatives of everyone else, living their own way of life, appearing in this treacherous world of martial arts, where intrigue, schemes, and slaughter are everywhere.

People fight tooth and nail over some treasure or some other thing; such things are not uncommon in the martial arts world.

Or perhaps this is the world of martial arts. The world of martial arts depicted by Jin Yong, Gu Long, Wen Ruian, and Liang Yusheng is just like this. In fact, everyone is moving forward and driven by a certain goal.

Even Gu Long was not immune to this trend.

However, most of Gu Long's protagonists don't get involved in the essence of the matter—they'll watch the excitement if they can, and if they can't, they'll just run away.
In the chapter about Stone Guanyin, Chu Liuxiang is like this—it's none of my business, I'm just here to watch the fun, just here to observe.

I'm curious and interested in what kind of power struggle and treasure hunt you're planning in Moon City, but that's all I'm curious about and interested in.

At the center of the vortex, yet unrelated to the vortex itself.

This kind of life is about coming and going as you please.

It means 'carefree'.

He's a prodigal son.

This free-spirited attitude towards life is the greatest charm of Gu Long's works—in his works, one doesn't have to carry anything, only one's own freedom and happiness, coming and going as one pleases.

For this,

Gu Long smiled slightly.

So, are you envious too?

My friend.

Li Xuan thought so.

I myself have probably followed what society considers "correct," and fame and fortune seem quite vulgar.

These things are indeed very vulgar. Gu Long's works are precisely the kind of things that are "anti-" of.

But in reality, most people still can't escape the 'correct' things that are accepted by the group.

Even the biggest fan of Gu Long's works cannot deny this.

However, Li Xuan felt that his luck lay in the fact that what he wanted and his 'freedom' were consistent with what society considered 'correct'.

This is indeed a lucky coincidence.

This brief feeling of 'freedom' is like a rich, aged wine.

Even if it's only temporary.

It can also be intoxicating.

This is the charm of "Fragrant Swordsman," or you could say the charm of Gu Long's works.
Its charm is unlike almost any other work on the market. A protagonist who lives for themselves.

The ratings are out again.

The TV series "The Return of the Condor Heroes" had a viewership rating of 10 points.

The viewership rating for "The Legend of Chu Liuxiang" had reached 8 points by the time of the Shi Guanyin episode.

The ratings for the two shows are approaching each other, and are even inverting!

This inverted viewership rating was completely unexpected by all the actuaries! Huayi Brothers, Zhang Jizhong, and even CCTV were all caught off guard.

Based on 'past experience'.

This inverted ratings seems quite unreasonable.

impossible!

Jin Yong vs. Gu Long.

Gu Long never won.

But this time, Wang Haiyang remained silent for a moment.

"Is it possible that past Jin Yong and Gu Long dramas didn't include Li Xuan?"

This inversion only occurred because Li Xuan was absent.
Because of Li Xuan, this time, he truly captured the essence of Chu Liuxiang.

Even this time, Jin Yong himself posted his opinion on social media.

Originally, we wanted him to endorse "The Return of the Condor Heroes," but instead, he made a public statement on social media.

Very honest.

Me.

In Li Xuan, I saw the shadow of an old friend—it was as if I was recalling the scene of having dinner with Gu Long.

When facing a television interview, Jin Yong smiled...innocently, as if he really recalled that afternoon when the four of them were drinking milk tea and pineapple buns in a tea restaurant. On a hot summer day, they had an iced lemonade and discussed the characters in the martial arts stories in the novels, and whether they should go for a drink that night. Then Gu Long next to him said, "Come to my house for a drink. It's on me, no money required."

When Jin Yong poured out these things in front of the media, it seemed as if a thousand words had been condensed into a single sentence.

When I see these objects, I think of people.

I was thinking of an old friend.

This endorsement from an old friend of Gu Long is more valuable than anything else.

At this moment, Wang Haiyang was furious and enraged!
damn it.

That's not what CCTV said.

Was his acting so unauthentic? He didn't capture the essence of Gu Long at all!
Wang Haiyang could only have the marketing department remove those public opinion messages. He's really having a headache now.

They were already being very cautious with Li Xuan. This time, they confirmed CCTV's attitude towards "Chu Liuxiang" repeatedly and made repeated promises, which were probably all just talk.

This is true.

Indeed, this time the literary consultant and screenwriter both fell out with the production team of "Chu Liuxiang".

Is your literary consultant professional?
How could my CCTV literary consultant not be professional? She's a graduate of a top-tier university with a degree in Chinese Language and Literature! Where can you find someone more professional than her!

Wang Haiyang believed it at the time, but now it seems that it was a complete trap. He never gave a direct answer as to whether she had actually read Chu Liuxiang!

I've come to my senses.
In response, Wang Haiyang could only send people to quell the public outcry, while simultaneously turning his attention to CCTV.

Fortunately, the most clownish one in this round wasn't them, but CCTV.

This state-owned enterprise, relying on its status, has often acted arrogantly and domineeringly. Although Wang Haiyang was very unhappy, he thought, "So what if she loses face?"

I'll stomp on it! How awful!
If we're talking about which is better, "The Return of the Condor Heroes" or "The Legend of Chu Liuxiang," then that question hasn't even finished airing yet.

However, the rumor that "The Legend of Chu Liuxiang" is not of pure quality is thus disproven.

Even Jin Yong was watching Li Xuan reminisce about his old friends; this was practically a blatant declaration.

Jin Yong could see it, and so could Gu Long's fans.

It's no secret that so many of Gu Long's "wanderers" were actually based on himself. A wanderer's life is a journey of self-expression, and his writings are a vehicle for his own beliefs and a reflection of himself.

Unlike Jin Yong, whose works are based on observation and creation, Gu Long directly imitated himself, incorporating his own personality and experiences to form his most authentic self. His Prodigal Son is, in fact, himself.

I thought you would be scared, or rather, panicked.

"But as you can see, this did not happen to me."

At this time, Huang Xiaoming said lightly.

Chen Kun, who was standing next to him, was also somewhat surprised.

Given Huang Xiaoming's personality, I felt he should have felt some fear.

His emotions were not as stable as one might imagine.

But now, looking at him, his emotions are unusually stable, and he doesn't seem to be afraid of Li Xuan's 'comeback'.

"As it turns out, Li Xuan's existence has long been my inner demon. I used to think about how to catch up with you guys even when I was sleeping. I would use any means necessary to achieve this, from ruthlessly compromising with capital to sacrificing my own interests and dignity. I've done enough of that. Everything I did was to catch up with you guys who were once known as the 'Three Musketeers'."

Chen Kun did not answer this question, but he knew that Huang Xiaoming cared a lot about his dignity.

After being 'left behind', he has been ridiculed by the media countless times.

For these media outlets that love to stir up trouble, their actions are nothing more than trying to meet their own targets.

"But now, everything is different. My inner demons and nightmares have changed me. I used to dream of being left behind by you all, but now I dream of being chased by Li Xuan and crushed by him."

"This is exactly what happened to me."

Everything has changed.

From Chen Kun and Zhao Yanzi to the changes in Li Xuan.

This kind of thing is actually quite amazing.

Huang Xiaoming had also felt uneasy about this and had denied it—but now he has accepted it.

He accepted the challenger's offer and stood on the same platform as himself.

"So, I need a chance to defeat him fair and square. Right now, the level of public opinion should be the same, right? After being slandered, Jin Yong came out to clarify and turn the tables. Isn't this the kind of thing the news loves to broadcast?"

Every time the news media criticizes CCTV, the popularity of "Chu Liuxiang" increases, attracting more and more people to watch it out of curiosity.

The advantage of "The Return of the Condor Heroes" lies in its well-known plot.

The advantage of "Chu Liuxiang" lies in its road movie-like plot. You don't need to be familiar with the plot; just follow the protagonist and go with the flow. As long as you can empathize with and understand the protagonist, even if he does nothing but enjoy flowers and the moon, it's a wonderful thing.

This is the difference in nature between the two works. But for those who watch them later, at least halfway through, the entry barrier is about the same.

The entry-level requirements are roughly the same.

In other words, from the perspective of the external environment, this time, it has reached a point of 'relative fairness'.

Finally, let's look at the ratings.

It all depends on how popular the main character is.

Is Li Xuan a lower-budget version of Huang Xiaoming, or...?
A super genius who throws himself out of the old ways.

He had completely become the one who paved the way for his rise to power.

Huang Xiaoming, I don't know, or perhaps both are true.

Whatever the outcome, accept it with equanimity.

"Can we reconcile?"

CCTV sent a message to Ju Jueliang and Liu Pengsheng, roughly saying that CCTV had made a mistake in handling the matter and had not properly verified the facts. As for the people involved, they had been demoted and reassigned.

Now everyone with eyes can see it.

The current version of "Chu Liuxiang" has such a pure Gu Long flavor, but back then, CCTV's literary consultant/screenwriter said it was completely the opposite of what she said. Wasn't that a clear statement?

It turns out the people at CCTV were the ones who were acting strangely, not the production crew.

The production team kicked her out in order to 'defend' the style of Gu Long!
What are their demands over there?

"He wanted us to say that it was all a misunderstanding, and to explain to the outside world that CCTV had actually put in a lot of effort for this drama." Liu Pengsheng looked at Ju Jueliang—as expected of his colleague, he immediately started oral exercises.

"Bullshit, no way!"

Ju Jueliang replied decisively, "Absolutely not."

"We have no right to decide this matter."

Ju Jueliang was speechless.

He knew what Liu Pengsheng meant.

This is the novel "The Legend of Chu Liuxiang".

The person who led this work from beginning to end.

As a director.

He felt this deeply.

Let Li Xuan take the lead in making the decision.

After contacting Li Xuan, Li Xuan, being a magnanimous person, first expressed that he would of course forgive her, and that he would not bother to argue with a forty-year-old girl.

What a kind person.

Just as the two directors were marveling at Li Xuan's magnanimity in repaying evil with kindness.

Li Xuan then stated.

To let more people know how excellent CCTV's literary consultant is, the plot and character development before and after the revamp should be released so that they can see how innocent CCTV is and just how excellent this literary consultant really is.

Both directors: No.

That's a bad person!

(End of this chapter)