After rebirth, I became a great master

Chapter 491 Producer Zhou, thank you!
The recording of a single episode of "Everyone's Art" usually only takes one day.

The process takes a long time, about 10-12 hours.

Recording usually starts at 9-10 am and ends at 9-10 pm.

If any unexpected events occur during recording, it may continue until the early hours of the morning. The latest episode was recorded until 2 a.m., and it was only after many audience members caused trouble because it was so late that the recording was finally completed.

After the recording ended, everyone had worked hard all day and wasn't in the mood for a get-together.

Everyone wanted to get back to the hotel and rest as soon as possible.

Dong Lan, however, was different.

Around 11 p.m. that night, he invited Zhou Haoran to eat hot pot.

There were only two of them in the middle of the night.

Fortunately, there are many film crews at the film and television base, and quite a few are filming at night, so the hot pot restaurant is quite busy.

"Editor-in-Chief Dong, how much do we get paid for each episode that viewers participate in?"

Zhou Haoran sat down casually.

"Twenty dollars."

Dong Lan asked for the menu; she was treating, and she would order.

Zhou Haoran frowned slightly, "Isn't that a bit too little?"

"Is that not enough?" Dong Lan looked up and rolled her eyes at him. "As far as I know, there isn't a single variety show in the whole country that pays the audience during filming."

"is it?"

"Being able to participate in the recording of a TV program is an honor. Being selected is like winning the lottery. Who cares about money?"

“That’s different.” Zhou Haoran shook his head. “Other programs are performance-based, so they can be recorded over several days, which isn’t too strenuous. Our program is competitive, and to ensure fairness, we have to record and release the results on the same day. Recording takes more than ten hours at a time, which is too tiring for the audience.”

The judges were actually alright.

The judges sat in the front row, where the seats were spacious and comfortable, and people served them tea and water.

The audience is different.

They're all hard benches.

People are crammed together, and they can't even eat snacks.

Dong Lan didn't seem to care, saying, "Fifty yuan is not a small amount."

Zhou Haoran then asked, "What will happen to the audience members now that the show is over in the middle of the night?"

“Some of them are nearby and are going straight home. The rest will either take a bus back or stay in a hotel nearby.” Dong Lan pushed the menu she was holding over and said with a smile, “Write down what you want to eat, it’s on me!”

This menu needs to be written by yourself.

Zhou Haoran didn't even look at it, but directly called over a waiter and handed it to her, sighing, "This is so unfriendly to the audience. It's the middle of the night, and the film studio is so remote. 50 yuan isn't even enough for them to take a taxi home or stay in a hotel."

"Then what do we do? Pay more?"

Dong Lan felt a pang of regret.

"The show 'Everyone's Art Up' can be run for a long time, even for more than ten years, and it will still have high viewership." Zhou Haoran, after all, works in the internet industry and attaches great importance to user experience. "The brand of the program is also related to word-of-mouth from the live audience. The viewers in front of the TV are our users; the judges, audience members and contestants on site are also our users, and we should provide them with the best possible service."

Dong Lan understood what he meant, "We need to improve the service for judges, contestants, and audience?"

"We must improve; we can't be like CCTV-1. Only by differentiating ourselves from CCTV-1 can we build a good reputation for our programs."

As an industry insider, Zhou Haoran had heard many inside stories.

Those people at Crown Terrace are truly arrogant and domineering.

On television, the judges and contestants are all treated politely and seem very friendly. But behind the scenes, nobody cares about you; they just ignore you. Even if you're a household name, you have to eat your lunch in a corner like a cleaner, with absolutely no service.

If anyone is dissatisfied and wants to protest, a ban will be issued.

Therefore, the celebrities promoted by Crown TV, including regulars on the Spring Festival Gala, fall into only two categories.

First, the servile, obedient, and submissive type.

Second, those who truly rise from the bottom are accustomed to cold stares and hardship, and they don't care about the indifference of the Crown Casino. They seize every opportunity to climb up.

Later, the domestic entertainment industry flourished, producing many stars and celebrities, and the variety of entertainment became more diverse... all thanks to local TV stations, which gave others more opportunities to showcase their talents.

Zhou Haoran said, "Respect is mutual. If you give others respect, they will respect you. The reputation of 'Everyone's Art Up' is related to the audience. It is also related to the word-of-mouth recommendations from the judges, contestants, and the audience. If the on-site experience is good, they will recommend more friends in the industry to participate."

"It's about improving the treatment of judges, contestants, and audience members."

Dong Lan understood what he meant.

Zhou Haoran nodded. "Let's improve the audience's treatment first. There are only 100 audience members in total... that's not a large number. Why don't the production team pay for rooms for them all? The meal standards are also not good. The recording will last for 12 hours, so there should be at least three meals."

"Three meals a day?"

Dong Lan was taken aback.

Zhou Haoran said, "An afternoon tea, a dinner, and a late-night snack."

"afternoon tea?"

Dong Lan's expression was strange.

"Afternoon tea is the most important thing." Zhou Haoran attaches great importance to it. "It's not just about hydration, but also a ritual for participating in the recording of 'Everyone's Art Up'. People in China don't have abundant material life and have never had afternoon tea. We're providing one, this first time in life, this petit-bourgeois feeling, which is very meaningful to every viewer."

"Yes, not only the audience, but also the judges, contestants, and staff will probably be very moved." Dong Lan felt that what he said made a lot of sense, and she had a feeling of enlightenment. "You are so thoughtful."

Zhou Haoran smiled and said, "As long as you put your heart into it, you can be meticulous."

"But what about the money?" Dong Lan expressed some helplessness. "The budget has been set. If we upgrade the service, we won't have enough funds."

Zhou Haoran said with a smile, "Don't forget, 'Everyone's Art' is already a program on Red Star TV, so it's reasonable to ask for more funding."

"Can it be approved?"

Dong Lan's beautiful eyes were brimming with tears.

This was the theme of her dinner party tonight, and she realized it was time to get down to business.

"Of course you can." Zhou Haoran looked at her with a smile. "Didn't I tell you? I got a position as the deputy director of the arts and culture center."

"Who is it for?"

Dong Lan bit her lip lightly, her eyes filled with affection, straightened her chest, and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

Zhou Haoran was taken aback, finding her behavior odd. "What's wrong?"

"I'm asking you, who should get this deputy director position?"

Dong Lan's tone became drawn out, as if she were coquettish.

She looked around, met his gaze, and pulled her V-neck sweater down a little, revealing a glimpse of her snow-white skin and black bra.

Zhou Haoran's eyes widened in disbelief. "Editor-in-Chief Dong, what are you doing?"

Isn't that what you want?

Dong Lan glared at him, her face flushed red. She cursed herself inwardly for being shameless, throwing away her face and dignity for the sake of a deputy director.

However, a more rational voice was also in my mind.

This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity; if we don't seize it this time, we may never encounter it again in our lives.

She's no longer a naive young woman just entering society.

The passion and naivety have faded.

An opportunity can save you more than a decade of struggle... that's the greater meaning of life.

"No, wait a minute!" Zhou Haoran realized then that she had misunderstood, and quickly explained, "Editor-in-Chief Dong, Sister Dong Lan, please calm down. You must have misunderstood me! I didn't mean that!"

"No?" Dong Lan was skeptical. "You didn't want to sleep with me?" Zhou Haoran coughed. "Well, I do want to sleep with you, but wanting and doing are two different things."

Dong Lan chuckled, completely unconvinced, and rolled her eyes at him. "Alright, stop pretending. From the first time I saw you, I could tell something was off about your eyes. It's just a small thing between men and women... You keep hinting at it, why don't you just be honest? Let me bring this up. I'll sleep with you, and you give me this deputy director position, okay?"

Zhou Haoran had never intended to exchange anything with her, and said with a wry smile, "Editor-in-Chief Dong, do you think I'm going to play the workplace game? How could that be? I have no such intention at all!"

"No?"

Dong Lan looked suspicious; judging from his reaction, it didn't seem like he was faking it.

Zhou Haoran chuckled and said, "No wonder you wanted to treat me to hot pot tonight, so that's why!"

"You didn't do this for this?" Dong Lan had already brought the topic up, so she didn't try to hide it anymore. "I know you've always wanted to sleep with me, you can't lie to me."

Zhou Haoran said very frankly, "I'm not lying to you. I do want to sleep with you. Everyone has a desire for beauty, that's normal, right? But I didn't actually intend to make it happen. You're married and have a stable family. I can't possibly ruin your marriage, can I?"

Dong Lan had already made up her mind. She lowered her eyes and said calmly, "We'll do it secretly. I'll accompany you a few times. We won't let anyone know. This way, it won't ruin my marriage or your relationship with Sui Qing."

Seeing that things were getting more and more complicated, Zhou Haoran leaned over the table and said solemnly, "Editor-in-Chief Dong, this is really a misunderstanding. Let's go through this from the beginning."

"you……"

Dong Lan was completely confused, because that had been her feeling all along.

Zhou Haoran said in a low voice, "First, I admit it, I've taken a liking to you and want to... you know... that's something we both agree on, we both know it. I'm thick-skinned, so I'll admit it."

"Ok, I know."

Dong Lan nodded slightly.

She's been through it all; she understands men's minds. She knew it all along.

Zhou Haoran added, "Secondly, when it comes to matters between men and women, actions speak louder than intentions. I like all the beautiful women in the world; even if I were to play with them all, I couldn't possibly do it all. Don't you think that makes sense?"

Dong Lan couldn't help but chuckle, "Why are you going on and on about something like this?"

Zhou Haoran said helplessly, "I need to make this clear to you, otherwise you'll misunderstand and think I'm a bad person. If you weren't married, or if you were divorced, I would definitely try to get you and have my way with you a few times. But you have a stable marriage, that's a matter of principle. How could I possibly break up someone else's marriage?"

"Are you serious?"

Dong Lan was already seven or eight parts convinced.

Zhou Haoran was both amused and annoyed. "Of course it's true!"

"What about the deputy director?" Dong Lan stared straight at him. "You've been talking to me about the deputy director since before the New Year. You were just implying that as long as I sleep with you, the deputy director position will be mine."

When did I give any hints?

Zhou Haoran felt like a pot had been thrown at his head.

"There's none?"

Dong Lan's beautiful eyes widened.

Could it be that I understood it wrong?
Zhou Haoran covered his forehead and said weakly, "Editor-in-Chief Dong, I came to the film and television base today for two main reasons. First, to watch the recording of the program. Second, to tell you this good news."

"good news?"

"Yes, the candidate for deputy director of the Arts and Literature Center has been decided, and it's you."

"Really?"

Dong Lan's voice suddenly rose, and she almost jumped up in excitement.

Fortunately, she noticed the stares from other customers in the vicinity and quickly restrained herself.

Dong Lan's face flushed, her excitement barely concealed. "Producer Zhou, you're not kidding me, are you? I've really been chosen as the deputy director?"

"Why don't you believe me again? I told you, I don't lie." Zhou Haoran was truly exasperated by this person. "I estimate that the unit will issue a notice tomorrow or the day after, officially appointing you as the deputy director of the Arts and Literature Center."

Dong Lan bit her lip tightly, "Don't I need to sleep with you?"

Zhou Haoran said weakly, "No need!"

"You really don't need it?"

Dong Lan's expression turned playful.

She has come to her senses.

I had misunderstood.

Zhou Haoran looked at her innocently, speechless.

Dong Lan also felt a strange sense of absurdity and chuckled, "I thought you were implying that you wanted me to sleep with you in order to get this position. I've been thinking about this since before and after the New Year, and I didn't even have a good Spring Festival. I finally got over my mental block and was willing to sleep with you... and you're telling me I misunderstood?"

Zhou Haoran said, "In our program team, you are the most suitable to be the deputy director. With Hu Xiaochen's personality, we can't promote her, can we? I recommended you, and the leaders agreed, so it's settled that you're the one."

"Then..." Dong Lan bit her lip, "What do we do now?"

Zhou Haoran chuckled and said, "What do you mean, 'what to do'? Why don't you become the deputy director?"

"Should I sleep with you?"

"unnecessary."

“How about…” Dong Lan hesitated for a moment, then said softly, “How about I sleep with you again this time? Otherwise I won’t feel at ease.”

"Please spare me!"

As Zhou Haoran ate hotpot, he found Editor-in-Chief Dong to be quite interesting. No wonder he was an editor-in-chief; his mind was full of screenwriter thinking.

"You always help me, I have no way to repay you..."

Dong Lan didn't even have a good Spring Festival because of this; she was already willing to go all out and sleep with him.

"Alright, stop overthinking it." Zhou Haoran interrupted her. "Let's leave this topic at that and eat. I just thought you had a good figure and glanced at you a few more times, what are you talking about?"

"Um……"

Dong Lan remained silent, then burst into laughter as she ate.

Zhou Haoran couldn't hold back and burst into laughter as well.

Dong Lan found it increasingly ridiculous as she laughed.

I laughed through my tears.

This is so interesting!

We finished eating hot pot.

The two headed towards the hotel where they had a fixed partnership, where Dong Lan had booked a room. Zhou Haoran wasn't staying at the hotel; it wasn't far from his old home in the alley, only a half-hour drive away, and he was going back to visit his parents.

We arrived at the hotel.

Dong Lan smiled enigmatically. "Producer Zhou, would you like to come to my room?"

"No, I'm going home."

Zhou Haoran firmly refused.

Dong Lan smiled broadly and winked, "Once this opportunity is gone, it's gone forever. I won't agree to let you accompany me again."

"Alright, alright." Zhou Haoran waved his hand and left without looking back. "I'm gone!"

"Producer Zhou, thank you!"

Dong Lan shouted loudly at his back.

"We're all friends, don't be shy."

Zhou Haoran's voice echoed in the night sky above the film and television base.

(End of this chapter)