Huayu: From charlatan to great entertainer

Chapter 522 is nothing more than early retirement.

Asia has long suffered from the Korean wave, especially the music industry.

In 1999, South Korean singer Lee Jung-hyun became famous for her habit of wearing a microphone on her little finger while singing.

After 2000, she became the most popular female singer in Asia and the pioneer of the Korean Wave in the hearts of a generation. She was jokingly said to have used her little finger to pry open the entire Asian pop music scene.

At that time, almost all radio stations in China were playing her songs, and she appeared on "The Same Song" many times. Her fan dance and wearing a microphone on her pinky finger became objects of imitation by fans, just like the "Gee Gee Gee" and the hand-rubbing dance of "Sorry, Sorry" that swept the country in 2009.

That year, Hong Kong singer Sammi Cheng had been singing in the Chinese music scene for ten years, but was still not very popular.

It wasn't until her agency bought the original song "Change" by Lee Jung-hyun that "Eyebrows Dancing" became a hit and sung everywhere.

Culture is always closely related to right and wrong. Where does the policy root of what we call the "Korean Wave" lie?
In 1998, South Korea was hit hard by the financial crisis. Traditional pillar industries such as home appliances and automobiles declined, and nine banks and three conglomerates went bankrupt.

Then-President Daejung put forward the slogan that "the foundation of South Korea in the 21st century is high technology and cultural industries".

Starting in 1999, the government successively promulgated a number of laws and regulations, including the Basic Law for the Promotion of Cultural Industries, and South Korea's entertainment industry took off.

Why is the Korean wave so fierce and powerful in 2009 that Ma Yun, who was at a disadvantage in direct competition, painstakingly tried to sell the concept of "bringing in foreign aid" to Ma Huateng?

History always repeats itself, with a ten-year cycle. The global financial crisis of 2008 caused great distress to South Korea, and the South Korean government continued to pin its hopes on the export of its entertainment industry.

In 2008, South Korea revised the Basic Law on the Promotion of Cultural Industries, adding a "crisis response clause" that allows cultural enterprises to obtain emergency loans by using intellectual property as collateral.
In 2009, South Korea passed an amendment to the Broadcasting Act, mandating that major television stations such as KBS allocate 30% of their budgets to foreign content acquisition, which stimulated the export of Korean dramas to Asian countries such as China.

In addition, there is a 5000 billion won "Cultural Industry Emergency Stabilization Fund" that prioritizes supporting entertainment companies with existing cooperation projects with China, such as SM and JYP, to pay for artists' overseas activity deposits.

It was under this policy guidance that we witnessed the birth of the China-South Korea Cooperation Forum in 2009.

Anhui TV and KBS TV signed an annual purchase agreement for Korean dramas, including "Temptation of Wife".
Hunan TV broadcast "Boys Over Flowers" on its "Golden Eagle Exclusive Theater," achieving a viewership rating of over 5% and generating over 2 million RMB in advertising revenue. This drama made many Korean artists famous, and Lee Min-ho was even invited to perform on the Spring Festival Gala after his rise to fame.

In 2009, amid friendly geopolitics and strong policy guidance within South Korea, the Korean Wave swept in with great force, further amplified by the combined influence and support of local TV stations such as Hunan TV and Hunan TV.
-
At 10 PM on April 29th, at the Hunan-Taiwan headquarters on Deyalu Road, Kaifu District.

Having just finished receiving a delegation from Tencent, Ouyang Changqing returned to his office with a heavy heart, accompanied by Deputy Director Zhang Huali, Tianyu Media General Manager Yao Jia, and her husband.

Even if it's a female subordinate whom he personally promoted and trusted, he still has to consider the impact.

Tencent has sent representatives seeking to collaborate with Hunan TV's Tianyu Media Group on in-depth cooperation, including marketing and promotion of popular Korean artists and groups.

We finished our business and drinks today, but no decision has been made yet, so we all returned to headquarters with heavy hearts.

Drinking a few cups of strong tea and chatting is a way to sober up.

Tencent ultimately decided to tentatively introduce the Korean wave as a countermeasure against the "Star Strategy" of the entertainment industry. But why did they choose Tianyu Media instead of directly contacting Korean entertainment agencies?
Just like the in-depth marketing campaigns conducted by Liu Yifei, Jay Chou, and others under Yang Siwei's guidance, the entertainment industry also has professional barriers.

If games like Ranch and Audition only needed spokespeople, they could have directly partnered with companies like SM Entertainment. But what Tencent wants now is a professional team that includes content planning, celebrity management, and offline event execution.

It requires professional management of endorsements and game integrations, as well as the design of promotional strategies that suit the Chinese market.

Hunan and Taiwan are the main bases for the Korean wave to enter the mainland, and they are familiar with the domestic entertainment ecosystem, enabling them to efficiently handle censorship and guide fan culture.

More importantly, after "Meteor Shower" defeated Hunan TV's "My Girl" in ratings and advertising last year, the pursuer behind Hunan TV is getting closer and closer.

Zhang Huali had drunk a bit too much tonight, and his expression was quite excited: "Director, Tencent's QQ Dance needs a Korean spokesperson, and given their passive performance in the ranch game, that's why they approached us. I think it's a win-win situation!"

"Director Zhang, this matter isn't that simple," Yao Jia said helplessly.

Over the years, she had known Lu Kuan since 2002 when Wenjie and Hunan TV collaborated on the TV series "Chinese Paladin". She had experienced his methods from the very beginning.

Not to mention his current power and status.

Ouyang Changqing fiddled with a cigarette in his hand but didn't smoke it; he had quit a long time ago. "In the end, our pretense with Penguin today was nothing more than taking into account the reaction of the World."

"We had a confrontation with Lu Kuan a few years ago because of a talent show, so we got a taste of his style. What do you think of this time?"

Zhang Huali was very persistent: "Ren Yuxin from Tencent just said that Wenjie is currently busy fighting a ticketing war with several companies, including Ali. Since June, there have been continuous releases of Hollywood and domestic films. On another front, they are also competing with Tencent. Isn't now the best opportunity?"

"I understand what Yao Jia means, but isn't it a bit too stifling to be so restricted just because of him?"

The deputy director, after drinking, appeared somewhat agitated.
"Last year, our total advertising revenue was NT$22.4 billion, and Travel Channel's was NT$18 billion. This year, we have 'Boys Over Flowers,' and Travel Channel is currently filming 'My Love from the Star.'"

"Last time it was Jing Tian, ​​who had just debuted, who was able to defeat a Korean drama thanks to their marketing offensive. What do you all think will happen if Fan Bingbing carries this drama this time?"

Since Wenjie officially took control of Travel Channel in 2004, the seemingly insurmountable gap between the two sides has rapidly narrowed. Today, in 2009, Hunan TV, the leading provincial TV station, has to consider how to maintain its competitive advantage.

Like other competitors, when facing a behemoth like Wenjie that has its own system, whether it is Huayi, Xiangtai, Ali, or Wanda, their individual disadvantages are too great.

It's like having a separately organized force and conducting joint operations with the sea, land, and air forces. How can they fight like that?

Yao Jia remained silent.

Because of Long Danni's departure, she took over Tianyu Media. In recent years, she has done a good job in talent shows and variety shows, but the thought of facing this person head-on still makes her feel a little paranoid.

“I understand what Director Zhang means, but I want to say something discouraging—” Yao Jia carefully chose her words, “Cooperating with Tencent is fine, but we need to first reflect on ourselves and see if we have any weaknesses that Wenjie can exploit?”

"How did Wenjie seize the opportunity to launch an attack last time? It was because of our talent show scandal. At the National People's Congress and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, they raised the concept of 'opposing excessive entertainment,' and with the support of a media offensive, they finally introduced restrictive clauses." (Chapter 267)
Zhang Huali looked at the silent Ouyang Changqing with dissatisfaction: "Director, we are, after all, a local unit, and we are different from other private enterprises."

"As long as local leaders and the broadcasting industry support it, we can go ahead and do it without worrying about such competition."

"Now that the enemy's knife is about to strike our backsides, are we still cowering and hesitant? Isn't that a bit too cowardly? Where is the fighting spirit of the people of Hunan Province?"

"Alright!" Ouyang Changqing glanced at his old subordinate expressionlessly. "Speak your mind, why are you yelling at Xiao Yao?"

The old station director glanced at Yao Jia's husband: "Xiao Li, I'm sorry, Lao Zhang lost control after drinking. We often argue like this."

Yao Jia's husband laughed and said, "What are you saying? When Director Zhang and I lived in the family compound, we even had drinks together twice to talk about work. It's no problem at all."

Zhang Huali looked a little embarrassed: "Yao Jia, don't take it to heart, I'm really worried..."

"I understand." Yao Jia smiled wryly. "Old Zhang, we're all on the same side, don't worry about it."

In recent years, who in Hunan and Taiwan isn't anxious?
From being second only to the emperor to now being relentlessly pursued, Hunan TV's only competitive advantage lies in variety shows like "Happy Camp" and "Day Day Up".

In the field of content production, such as TV dramas, let alone them, no one in the Chinese entertainment industry can rival the systematic and well-established industry.

Therefore, Hunan and Taiwan can only resort to short-sighted measures, continuously importing Korean dramas and the Korean wave, because their local dramas simply cannot compete.

Last year's "Da Ming Dynasty 1566" was impeccable in terms of production, cast, and content, but its final market performance was extremely dismal, and Zhang Huali was even held accountable for it.

This year's prime-time and seasonal dramas are "My Brother is Called Shunliu" and "My Love from the Star". Hunan TV can't just keep rebroadcasting "In the Mood for Love" or "Princess Pearl", can it?
The old station director sighed deeply and said, "Little Zhang, Little Yao."

"What you just said is all correct. Now, after thinking it over, the only thing that Hunan TV can criticize is the large proportion of foreign cultural products, which, to put it bluntly, is the promotion of Korean dramas and celebrities."

"Yao Jia is worried that this Mr. Lu will, as in the past, make a big deal out of this matter and label us as pro-Korean wave traitors, which is indeed possible."

“But this is something we have no choice but to do in the face of competitive pressure, and it is also the basis for our cooperation with Tencent.” Zhang Huali argued, “Director, if it’s just this point, we are not afraid of Wenjie making some underhanded moves.”

"This year, the trade volume between China and South Korea reached more than 1800 billion US dollars. We are South Korea's largest export destination. In the past three years alone, my husband has visited twice, and Lee Myung-bak has also visited once. The geopolitical relationship is crucial and friendly."

"I contacted a friend at CCTV a few days ago, and this year's 'China-Korea Song Festival' is tentatively scheduled to be held in Qingdao in October, co-organized by CCTV and KBS. This also marks the return to work for Lang Kun, the director of the Spring Festival Gala. These are all part of the national cultural direction—"

“I know that Lu Kuan has always been advocating for cultural confidence and cultural export, but now it’s about introducing and exchanging foreign culture from top to bottom. What can he say, and what does he dare to say?”

"Moreover, he's allowed to show 'Avatar' at the Jiegai Cinema, but others aren't allowed to import Korean dramas? What kind of logic is that? Does he think he can bully government agencies?"

If tonight's core three-person team from Hunan and Taiwan were a country's parliament, with Ouyang Changlin as the party leader making the decisions, then Yao Jia is clearly a dove, and Zhang Huali is undoubtedly a hawk.

However, his decision to support the partnership with penguins was far from being a show of bravado.

Currently, domestic control over the cultural front is lax, and the ban on Korean entertainment only came about after the THAAD deployment in 2016.

Without the intervention of a time traveler like Boss Lu, who has sufficient ability to influence the cultural industry, the Korean wave would have continued to rage in mainland China for another six or seven years starting in 2009.

It has greatly spread fan culture, cultivated a Korean wave, influenced the aesthetics of a generation, and brainwashed a generation with Korean culture. An awkward silence fell over the office. To Yao Jia's husband, an outsider, it was clear that this behemoth in Beiping was putting immense pressure on all its competitors.

Let alone private enterprises like Tencent and Ali, even local organizations like Hunan and Taiwan need to think things through carefully to ensure they don't expose any weaknesses.

If you reach out, you'll get caught!

“Sometimes, I think about it,” the old station director said suddenly, leaning back wearily in his chair.

"I wonder how my colleagues, leaders in the broadcasting industry, and leaders in Hunan Province will evaluate me on the day I retire?"

He raised his hand to interrupt Zhang Huali and Yao Jia, who were about to speak, knowing that these two old subordinates had noticed his unease and wanted to say something comforting.

"From Hunan Economic Television to Hunan TV, from our collaboration with Qiong Yao on 'Princess Pearl' back then, we have truly shown the courage to be pioneers and forged a path in the cracks of the times."

After drinking, Ouyang Changqing, facing the heavy pressure of the situation, recalled the ups and downs of the past twenty years.

Using "entertainment as the foundation" to distinguish itself from CCTV's serious narrative is a way to break free from institutional constraints and a high-stakes gamble on one's career.
In an era when the broadcasting industry prioritized publicity over profitability, he insisted on "content is king" and explored commercialization with dramas such as "Princess Pearl," pioneering the cultural industry.

"The audience criticizes us for being vulgar, yet they can't do without us; our peers dislike us for being unconventional, yet they have no choice but to learn from us." The old station director's tone wasn't particularly passionate, but it stirred the hearts of his two former subordinates.

"Until the birth of Wenjie and the change of ownership of Travel Channel—"

He stood up, walked slowly to the office window, and looked at the quiet night.

"It is true that I, Ouyang Changqing, played an important role in bringing Hunan and Taiwan to where they are today, and that is the general evaluation I will receive after I step down one day."

"But I don't think this is the greatest compliment I could receive right now."

Zhang Huali and Yao Jia both stood up and walked over, "Director...you..."

Ouyang Changqing suddenly turned around, his smile tired but also energetic: "I think the evaluation I will receive after thirty years of hard work for Hunan and Taiwan is that I led Hunan and Taiwan to become the number one TV station in the province."

"But what I want more recognition for is that during my tenure as Ouyang Changqing, I led Hunan TV to retain its number one position and prevented Wenjie and Travel Channel from taking it away."

"The latter is even more difficult and significant than the former!"

The two subordinates were taken aback, then each smiled bitterly to themselves.

Having such a competitor is incredibly frustrating! Even the 57-year-old station director has been driven to a point of "reminiscing about his youthful days."

Ouyang Changqing joined Hunan TV in 1974. After further studies in 1986, he graduated from the Journalism Department of Wuhan University and immediately took up a leadership position.

If the timeline of this life had not changed, he would have retired normally in 2013, having served Hunan and Taiwan for more than 30 years.

Admittedly, he brought Hunan TV to a level that was not typical of local stations, but facing the butterfly effect of a time traveler, defending the title was obviously much more difficult than challenging it.

“Go ahead and do it, but pay attention to public opinion and stay calm,” Ouyang Changqing said. “Instead of waiting to die, we should do as Xiao Zhang said and take advantage of the current opportunity to secure our leading position, as long as we don’t give that person any leverage.”

He sighed softly, "I think the worst outcome is just that this old man has to retire early."

"Perfect timing to go home and take care of my grandson, great news, great news!"

The sprightly old station director waved and left, the sound of his leather shoes fading into the distance in the corridor, each step seeming to tread on the scale of time, dull yet clear.

Zhang Huali and Yao Jia stood at the office door, gazing at the slightly hunched back.

The once spirited reformers, though now like an old pine tree weathered by wind and frost, still stand tall, trying to shelter them from the wind and rain.

……

Sometimes one can't help but feel sorry for the dominant players in the media and internet industries of this parallel world; they are truly aggrieved.
Ali could have been sitting on the throne of e-commerce king;

Huayi Brothers is undoubtedly the leading film company in China;
After Tencent "brought" Farm from Kaixin001, it should have been the undisputed leader in the social gaming market.
This includes Wanda, which topped the domestic cinema market share charts in 2009 and remained at the top for over a decade in its previous life…

Because of the existence of Wenjie, a behemoth of internet culture and media companies, and because of the transmigrators who have been trying to control the strongest public opinion front among private enterprises since 2002, these companies have been struggling to compete with them.

In its early stages of development, Wenjie was unable to manage its operations effectively due to its overly large scale, and it frequently encountered cash flow problems.

Therefore, cinemas are chasing Wanda, TV stations are chasing Hunan TV, and shopping malls are chasing Ali, facing the dilemma of fighting on multiple fronts.

This is a requirement for the coordinated development of the entire industry, and also an inevitable path for the internet and film industries to develop in tandem.

To build a self-sufficient ecosystem, one must compete for market share from established giants; market position is not something that can be achieved by simply waiting for the right moment.

However, in order to maintain the integrity of this huge system, it struggled to survive until 2009 and 2010. With the return of CDS income and the listing of qualified subsidiaries, Wenjie, with its abundant cash flow in a short period of time, will try to achieve its goal of climbing in multiple fields.

In certain special circumstances, Chairman Chang's "wise insight" of "pacifying the country before resisting foreign aggression" is not without reason.

If we want to realize and lead the industrialization of the domestic film industry, and on this basis achieve cultural export, then these domestic cats and dogs must first be beaten to a pulp.

Wenjie needs to acquire a controlling share of film distribution to set industry rules;

Travel Channel needs to occupy the content distribution channels of cable TV, video, and streaming media channels such as Netflix as a path for disseminating cultural content such as the Chinese mythology universe;

It requires collaboration with internet industries such as e-commerce, Weibo, and video to achieve a closed business loop and provide substantial cash flow.

To achieve these cultural frontline tasks, which are challenging even for a national government, the advantages of a single field are simply insufficient to support the sustainability of cultural output.

Only by relying on the systematic integration of technology, capital, and talent, and the multi-dimensional linkage of content, dissemination, and operation, can we connect all links in the industry chain and achieve economies of scale and resource reuse.

With this fully-fledged privately-owned nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, and in conjunction with the country's major policies and guidelines, we will have the capability to set sail for distant expeditions.

Otherwise, before any results are achieved, and looking back, the domestic entertainment industry has been poisoned by the Korean wave and fandom to the point of being bizarre and outlandish, that would be putting the cart before the horse.

……

Two days later, Tencent and Hunan TV officially announced that they would conduct in-depth cooperation based on Tencent's game resource endorsement needs and Tianyu Media's professional operation.

Both parties will leverage the artist resources of Hunan TV's Tianyu Media and the traffic advantages of Tencent Games to strengthen the localization of Korean IP and the monetization capabilities of the game ecosystem.

This includes, but is not limited to, the integration of Korean artists' resources and game endorsement matrix, traffic sharing and data-driven operations, etc.

The statement also promised great things to K-pop fans, with confirmed celebrity endorsements for "Penguin Ranch" and "QQ Dance" including popular superstars like Super Junior, Girls' Generation, and Korean pop star Rain.

Rain will officially announce his participation in Tencent's "Celebrity Partner" program at today's Bird's Nest charity concert, providing a venue for interaction and celebration for fans in mainland China!

This news has driven K-pop fans in China crazy!

The domestic K-pop fan community instantly erupted in excitement, with Weibo, various forums, QQ groups, Tieba, and blogs flooding with posts. Fans flocked to "Penguin Ranch" to support their idols!
Super Junior's Chinese fan site, "Fairy Alliance," quickly organized a massive online campaign, with the entire homepage of the forum being flooded with posts about "Super Junior joining Penguin Ranch," and fans frantically discussing how to unlock exclusive items for their idols.

Baidu supported the online community's celebration, and QQ Music also launched "Rain Music Farm," where players can unlock Rain's music video clips by planting specific crops in "Penguin Ranch," further stimulating fan activity.

The remaining interaction format between Super Junior and Girls' Generation as "star partners" remains to be revealed.

The topic on Weibo also saw a surge in popularity. As the parent company, Wenjie has always maintained a neutral stance in its operations on Weibo and has never restricted the normal marketing of K-pop stars.

As soon as the news broke, Weibo hashtags like "We've taken over the oppas' farm!" and "Girls' Generation goddesses have arrived, the farm has become a fan support area!" saw their popularity soar.

The surge in fan numbers for celebrities with high popularity in China, such as Han Geng and Lin Yoona, is clearly a major boon for companies like SM Entertainment, which are poised to sweep through the mainland music and entertainment scene with even greater frenzy.

On the afternoon of May 1st, Lu Kuan, who was accompanying his wife to a prenatal checkup at Peking Union Medical College Hospital, gave a perfunctory "uh-huh" and hung up the phone.

He clearly didn't care much about the news, or rather, nothing was more important to him than the pregnant woman sitting next to him.

Xiao Liu looked up worriedly: "Are you alright?"

“It’s nothing.” He turned to Zhu Lan, the deputy director of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Peking Union Medical College Hospital:
"Dr. Zhu, what's going on? Why is there still no movement?"

(End of this chapter)