After rebirth, I became a great master

Chapter 524 Living a Decent Life
A thriving family is the foundation for a thriving career.

After the wedding banquet, Zhou Haoran and Jiang Minsi, even though they were married, felt their relationship became even closer. She became more gentle and considerate, always considering the interests of the Zhou family.

Jiang Minsi had no interest in doing business, but she was still deeply involved in the construction of the Red Mansion Teahouse.

After returning to the harbor, he even went to a teahouse to find out what was going on.

She was jokingly referred to as "the boss's wife" by Qiao Nuo.

Zhou Haoran, through the Honglou Teahouse, invested 120 million yuan to collaborate with an arts troupe under Red Star Media to stage a gala performance. Of this, 20 yuan was used to pay for the theater and related management fees.

The remaining money was used to pay back the wages owed for the past few months.

Funds received.

After the May Day holiday, the eight art troupes under the literary and artistic troupe began to pay back wages owed to them.

Zhou Haoran, the deputy head of the troupe, became an instant sensation!

Although he was only a deputy head of the troupe on a temporary assignment, money talks, and he quickly gained a foothold in the troupe, receiving strong support from Director Xie Hong and Deputy Director Gu Dandan.

"Commander Zhou..." Gu Dandan also received her back pay, her face beaming with a smile. "I've arranged everything for the gala. I've finalized 30 programs. Go take a look."

"Thirty programs?" Zhou Haoran's expression changed slightly. "That many?"

Gu Dandan chuckled and said, "You can go and choose. Usually, 15-20 programs are enough for a gala. The performers are all rehearsing diligently. If you have time today, we can do a simple rehearsal and you can see which ones to keep and which ones to eliminate."

Zhou Haoran asked, "Are these programs old programs from the past, or newly rehearsed ones?"

Gu Dandan said, "Time is too tight. If it's rehearsing a new program, there isn't enough time. An excellent new program needs at least one or two months of rehearsal before it can be performed on stage."

Do we often need to rehearse new programs?

Zhou Haoran then asked.

Gu Dandan smiled and said, "That's right. Sometimes when we need to attend some important parties, we'll arrange some new programs."

Zhou Haoran said, "We should establish a set of programs, just like the play 'Teahouse,' which has remained unchanged for decades, only the actors have changed. Establishing a set of programs allows us to continuously improve."

“Yes, that’s right. Most of the galas are repetitive performances.” Gu Dandan thought for a moment, then lowered her voice, “Our gala arrangements are mostly for official occasions. If it’s rehearsing new programs, there will be extra funding.”

Zhou Haoran was taken aback. "They give extra money for arranging shows?"

Gu Dandan laughed and said, "That's right. Rehearsing a new program requires bonuses and hard work fees, as well as purchasing new costumes and props, and different personnel arrangements and tests... In short, new programs have more reasons to ask for funding."

"It's still the same plan."

Zhou Haoran shook his head, clearly disagreeing.

Gu Dandan sighed, "Yes, it's all about the leaders' preferences. Like the time the song and dance troupe participated in the Spring Festival Gala, they spent more than four months rehearsing a new program. In order to participate in the Spring Festival Gala, the city and the unit provided strong support, allocating more than 1.2 million yuan in funding."

"One program cost more than 120 million?"

Zhou Haoran opened his eyes wide.

He thought to himself that a leader's dignity is valuable.

Gu Dandan said, "Yes, everyone from top to bottom gave a lot of support for that Spring Festival Gala. But after the program was rehearsed and performed on the Gala, it was scrapped. Many programs are like that. They rehearse hard for half a year and spend a lot of money. They perform for the leaders once, and then it's over, and they're abandoned."

"Repetition is the essence of commercial performances."

Zhou Haoran was very averse to any kind of planned approach, seeing it as simply spending the country's money to please a few individuals and wasting a lot of funds.

Gu Dandan nodded gently, "Yes, it's just like a star's concert. There are dozens of concerts on tour, and they are almost all the same. It's the same with plays and Peking Opera. Commercial performances are mostly repetitive."

“Repetition can save costs and improve proficiency, leading to continuous improvement.” Zhou Haoran knows the risks of innovation, which is often time-consuming, laborious, and unrewarding. “Market-driven businesses are all about pandering to popular tastes; there’s no need to make them too artistic.”

Gu Dandan smiled and said, "Then we'll have to rely on Commander Zhou to oversee things from now on."

“I have some development plans recently… So, I won’t get involved in choosing the programs, Director Gu, you can take care of the arrangements.” Zhou Haoran already had a preliminary idea. “I plan to promote the troupe to cooperate with Red Star TV to start a program.”

Gu Dandan's eyes lit up, and she was so surprised that she forgot to breathe. "Really?"

Zhou Haoran said, "The arts troupe and Red Star TV both belong to Red Star Media, so we are essentially one family. The key to achieving success lies in complementing and promoting each other."

"how should I do?"

Gu Dandan's face flushed with excitement.

"Just wait for my arrangements. I'll go to the TV station to make some arrangements first. I'm thinking of starting a new program, but the competition seems pretty fierce... I'll give it a try, though it might not work out."

That's what Zhou Haoran said.

But if he wants to do it, it will be difficult for others to take it from him.

Back at the station, I found Gu Hao, the director of Red Star TV.

"Director Gu, the success of 'Everyone's Art Up' fully proves that on weekends, audiences need big-budget entertainment, not TV dramas. TV dramas are like home-cooked meals; they're fine for weekdays. But on weekends, we need to improve our meals."

Zhou Haoran got straight to the point.

Gu Hao understood immediately and said with a smile, "Do you have some new ideas again?"

Zhou Haoran was blunt, "Saturday night, after 9:30, I heard that slot is going to open up?"

"Huh?" Gu Hao was slightly taken aback, somewhat surprised. "You've got your eye on them?"

Zhou Haoran said decisively, "Okay, give it to me."

"For you?" Gu Hao put away his joking mood and became serious. "Haoran, are you really going to get involved? Do you know how many people in the station have been eyeing this piece of meat ever since the internal discussion about abandoning the 'Happy Turntable' program?"

"Who can take it from me?"

Zhou Haoran asked back.

Gu Hao couldn't help but chuckle, "I know you created 'Everyone's Art,' and you've achieved great success. But this matter is very complicated, and it might not be easy for you to get involved."

Zhou Haoran said unhappily, "Stop beating around the bush, just tell me what you want!"

"It doesn't matter what I say."

Gu Hao shook his head and sighed.

"what?"

Zhou Haoran was slightly stunned.

Gu Hao gave him a deep look. "Do you know why 'Happy Turntable' was abandoned and moved to the entertainment channel?"

Zhou Haoran said, "The ratings are too low! Especially now with 'Everyone's Art Up,' it's clear that as long as the program is good, it can be loved all over the country!"

Gu Hao said, "The low ratings of 'Happy Turntable' are part of the reason, but they are not the main reason."

"Ok?"

"Haoran, many things at the station require compromise."

"Director Gu, what have you compromised on this time?"

Zhou Haoran found it a little funny.

Gu Hao said meaningfully, "It's related to you."

"Me?" Zhou Haoran was taken aback for a moment, then realized something. "Yi Changping?"

Gu Hao nodded. "It's him!"

"I knew it!"

Zhou Haoran shrugged, feeling quite helpless. Sure enough, it was another power struggle between the conservatives and the reformists.

Gu Hao said, "After Zhan Yushan's incident, they gave up a lot of benefits. The fact that 'Everyone's Art' was transferred from the Lifestyle Channel to Red Star TV was a compromise on their part."

"Now that Yi Changping is in trouble, you have to give up something to them?"

Zhou Haoran found it somewhat laughable.

Public resources have been turned into tools for these people to scheming and plotting. Instead of focusing on improving their business and boosting viewership, they spend all their time thinking about these trivial and unproductive things.

Gu Hao sighed and said, "Logically speaking, this slot should have been given to you. There is no producer more talented than you in the entire company. However, it's not up to me. I have already given it up."

"So you're looking for Shan Wendong?"

"Ah."

"Who else?"

“It’s him, but…” Gu Hao glanced at him with a complicated look, “It won’t be easy for you to persuade him. I heard that he has already made arrangements to give his schedule to a female producer he trusts a lot…”

Zhou Haoran pretended not to notice the strangeness in the other person's tone and said in a deep voice, "I have to grab this slot! It's related to whether Red Star TV can produce a second variety show that becomes popular all over the country!"

"Huh?" Gu Hao's eyes widened. "So confident?"

Zhou Haoran continued, "It also concerns whether Red Star Media's arts troupe can survive with dignity! I don't care who Director Shan wants to give this slot to, or whether it's already arranged or not, this slot must be given to me!"

(End of this chapter)