It's reasonable for me to be a three-time Golden Horse Award-winning director and an all-around

Chapter 179, "Crossing the Guandong," makes its grand debut! It begins to 'ravage' the television drama world! (Seeking monthly votes!)

After visiting the post-production equipment at Ruishijie, Jiang Wen immediately decided: We won't go to Europe!

Why bother going abroad when we have such good equipment right here in China, and it's close to home? It's just asking for trouble.

He even took the initiative to help debug the equipment, working alongside the staff and editing videos, showing great enthusiasm.

Meanwhile, on January 2nd, the Film and Television Association, together with several official media outlets, jointly released an announcement.

[Announcement Regarding Maintaining a Favorable Environment for Film and Television Creation and Condemning Malicious Defamation]

"Recently, some online entities have been deconstructing film and television works through malicious editing, spreading rumors and smearing, which seriously infringes on the rights and interests of creators, damages the creative ecosystem of the industry, and has caused many negative public opinion impacts."

To safeguard a healthy environment for film and television creation, this association, together with several official media outlets, strongly condemns such behavior and resolutely opposes any actions that trample on creative achievements and damage industry order.

For directors, film and television companies, and related individuals whose rights have been infringed in this incident, this association will provide necessary legal advice and coordination support to help them safeguard their legitimate rights in accordance with the law…

When Lü Rui arrived at the company in the morning and saw the announcement, he almost spat out the soy milk he was drinking.

condemn?

If condemnation were effective, what would be the point of having police and courts?

Ultimately, this is nothing more than a consolation to Chen Kaige and other directors in the industry, conveying the message that "the bureau, the association, and everyone are of one mind."

As for any other actual actions, there were none.

After all, neither the bureau nor the association has law enforcement power.

If one's rights are truly infringed, one will ultimately have to report the incident to the police or file a lawsuit; the association can only help with coordination at most.

"This announcement is as good as not issuing it at all; it has absolutely no effect."

Lu Rui pursed his lips, immediately ignoring the announcement, and turned his attention to another update closely related to Rui Vision.

Just yesterday, the first TV series produced by Ruishijie, "Crossing the Guandong", officially premiered on CCTV1 during prime time.

As a prime-time drama series on CCTV-1, "Crossing the Guandong" achieved remarkable success upon its premiere.

The first two episodes achieved an average viewership rating of 5.8%, with a peak rating exceeding 7.2%, firmly holding the top spot among all programs in the same time slot and setting a new viewership record for the first drama series of 2006!
CCTV1's prestige is self-evident, as it regularly broadcasts major historical dramas or adaptations of classic works.

Being featured on this platform is itself a high recognition of the quality of the series.

The reason why "Crossing the Guandong" was able to get this opportunity is not only because it focuses on the profound historical theme of "Crossing the Guandong" and has a solid and profound plot, but also because Li Youbin's leading role was a key factor.

Previously, the hit TV series "Bright Sword" made Li Youbin's portrayal of Li Yunlong the most popular film and television character at the time.

Originally known for his refined and sophisticated roles, he suddenly became a representative of rugged and tough men, becoming a sensation across the country.

This high popularity greatly boosted the distribution of "Crossing the Guandong". In addition, Hou Hongliang communicated and coordinated with CCTV many times, and finally successfully put the show on CCTV1's prime time slot.

During this period, Lü Rui made a point of learning a lot about the details of the TV drama industry.

Especially the intricacies of ratings calculation.

The term "ratings" refers to the percentage of the target audience who watch a particular program within a specific time period, out of the total target audience.

For example, if a TV station covers 1 million TV sets, and 5 million sets are watching a certain drama broadcast at the same time, then the rating of that drama is 500%.

However, the same viewership ratings can result in vastly different levels of influence, the key being the TV station's "TV station coverage rate".

For example, if Channel A covers 3 million television sets, a 3% viewership rating means that nearly 1000 million sets are watching.

Channel B only covers 5000 million units, and with the same 3% viewership rating, the actual number of viewers is only 150 million.

In this respect, CCTV has an advantage that local satellite TV stations cannot match.

Satellite TV and cable TV are currently becoming more widespread, but due to technological and signal limitations, the number of satellite channels available varies from region to region.

Some channels offer access to 40 or 50 channels, including most mainstream satellite channels, while others only offer access to a dozen or so channels, primarily local ones.

Lu Rui clearly remembers that the large satellite dish he used when he was a child could receive nearly a hundred TV channels, but the signal for some channels was not very good.

As one of the most popular CCTV channels, CCTV-1 has consistently maintained a high viewership, which has given "Crossing the Guandong" a particularly solid foundation for its ratings.

According to CCTV.com, as of now, CCTV-1's coverage exceeds 84% ​​of China's total population, with over 900 million regular viewers and 280 million television sets owned by the audience.

Based on 2.8 million viewers, an average viewership of 5.8% means that 1624 million television sets were watching.

Its audience size is at least 3 million, and at most nearly 5 million!

With such a large number of viewers, coupled with the high quality of the series itself, it firmly earned the title of "the hit drama of the year" after only one day of its release.

The first reaction was that Li Youbin's popularity surged again!

Meanwhile, the popularity and fame of actors such as Niu Li, Qin Lan, Guan Yue, and Dong Xuan have continued to rise!
Even Liu Yifei, who only had a cameo role, experienced another surge in popularity.

"Boom boom boom!"

A knocking sound suddenly rang out at that moment.

Lu Rui raised his head and called out, "Come in."

The next second, Hou Hongliang walked in with a beaming smile, unable to hide his joy, as if he had found a treasure early in the morning.

"Oh? In such a good mood? Did you find money on the street?" Lu Rui teased with a smile.

Hou Hongliang waved his hands repeatedly, his tone full of excitement: "Thanks to Chairman Lü! Our Ruishijie's first drama has become a hit, this achievement has simply exceeded expectations!"

Besides Li Youbin's popularity and the quality of the series itself, another factor in getting on CCTV was Lü Rui's connections.

He had previously taken Hou Hongliang to so many social events, where they met many "big shots" in the industry.

With the influence of these people, even just one of them saying a word on his behalf could save Hou Hongliang a lot of trouble.

As it happened, most of these people needed Lu Rui's help and wanted to join his cause, so they naturally gave him their full support.

Hou Hongliang walked to his desk, put down a document, and excitedly reported: "We finally negotiated the first-run exclusive broadcast rights for 'Crossing the Guandong' with CCTV-1 at 850,000 yuan per episode. The whole series has 52 episodes, and this alone has brought in 44.2 million yuan!"

With CCTV's brand name and the quality of our drama, local TV stations are scrambling to get their hands on it.

I just received news that Shandong TV and Liaoning TV, together with several local TV stations in Heilongjiang and Jilin, are offering 60 yuan per episode for the second-run broadcast rights. This price is higher than the first-run broadcast rights of many local TV stations!

Several satellite TV stations in the south are also in talks with us about exclusive broadcasting rights, and their offers are not low..."

Lü Rui nodded in satisfaction.

The total investment in "Crossing the Guandong" was 3000 million yuan. The first round of exclusive broadcast on CCTV alone sold for 4420 million yuan, with a profit of 1420 million yuan, which has already made a solid return on investment.

The subsequent second, third, and even fourth rounds of broadcasting rights, plus online platform licensing, are all pure profit, with profit margins far exceeding expectations!
Judging from its current popularity, this drama is sure to make a fortune.

"Is the payment collection going smoothly?" Lu Rui asked emphatically.

He has been deeply involved in the film market for many years and is not familiar with the payment rules of the TV series industry. He only knows the basic logic that "the earlier it is broadcast, the earlier the payment is received".

He also knew that TV stations rarely pay the full amount upfront when purchasing dramas; they usually do so in three phases.

Firstly, a down payment or deposit of 20%-30% will be paid after the "signing" is completed.

Secondly, a 30%-50% middle payment is made after the goods arrive at the destination.

Third, 20%-40% of the final payment will be settled shortly after the "broadcast" ends.

The specific proportions and timing depend on the contract and can be negotiated and adjusted by both parties.

However, a contract is a contract, and execution is execution. When it comes to receiving payment, the contract may not always be effective.

Because apart from CCTV and a few well-funded first-tier satellite TV stations, there are almost no TV stations that don't delay payments.

Being able to settle accounts within six months is already considered quite good; it's common for them to drag on for a year or two, and many even end up as bad debts.

Many small film and television companies have been dragged down by these delayed payments.

Thinking of this, Lü Rui couldn't help but compare the film's distribution in his mind.

In comparison, the risk of losing money on the film side is at least smaller; even if it's delayed, it's unlikely to become a bad debt.

On the other hand, the situation at the TV station was far more complicated, with a variety of reasons given.

Either they say "the government funding hasn't come through yet," or they use the excuse "the viewership didn't meet the target, so some of the money has to be deducted," or they simply push it onto "the internal procedures haven't been completed"... and it drags on for more than half a year, with nowhere to complain.

Doing business is all about dealing with this kind of situation; it's really disgusting.

Upon hearing this, Hou Hongliang immediately straightened his back and promised with certainty: "Chairman Lü, rest assured, there will absolutely be no problem with the repayment of 'Crossing the Guandong'!"
Our first partner is CCTV, whose reputation is impeccable, so sticking to the contract will definitely be a safe bet.

As for the second and third rounds, I've already planned ahead. I'll only choose top-tier satellite TV stations, as well as city-level and local stations that have never had a history of defaulting on or defaulting on payments. I won't be tempted by small gains.

He knows exactly what's going on and will never be swayed by some high offers.

Even if some TV stations raise their prices high, if they have a history of defaulting on payments or even refusing to pay, he won't even consider cooperating with them.

He didn't even meet with those notorious "local TV station debt defaulters" in the industry; he simply had his assistant suppress their cooperation intentions.

Looking at his confident expression, Lü Rui nodded in satisfaction: "Okay, I trust you to handle things."

……

Time flies and a new week begins.

On the morning of January 9th, several major announcements were reported by the media, firmly occupying the headlines of major portal websites:
"Warmest congratulations! After its premiere on CCTV-1's prime time slot, 'Crossing the Guandong,' independently produced by Ruishijie, achieved a viewership rating of over 9.1% within a week! It crushes dramas like 'Don't Underestimate the Power of a Bean Bun' and 'Iron General Agui,' becoming the king of dramas at the start of 2006!"

"With the explosive popularity of 'Crossing the Guandong,' its commercial value continues to rise. According to industry insiders, the show raked in 40 million yuan in its first run, and the second run bid exceeded 600,000 yuan per episode, with total revenue estimated to exceed 100 million yuan! The return on investment is over 300%!"

"It is understood that the nominations for the 78th Academy Awards are about to be announced, and 'The Promise,' which was met with a lukewarm reception during its limited screening in North America, has not given up."

Recently, media outlets photographed Chen Kaige and Chen Hong departing for Hollywood to meet face-to-face with Oscar voters and make final public relations efforts for their film's bid for Best Foreign Language Film. This move is interpreted by industry insiders as a "do-or-die" strategy.

"As one of the youngest Chinese judges in the history of the Academy Awards, Zhang Ziyi recently appeared at Beijing Capital International Airport, preparing to fly to the United States to participate in the judging work of the 78th Academy Awards. In an interview with the media, she said that she would treat each nominated film with a professional and fair attitude and speak out for truly excellent films, which has aroused netizens' attention to the prospects of Chinese-language films in the Oscars."

"Yahoo! China launches 'Star Search' program! Open to film and television newcomers nationwide, with directors such as Zhang Yimou, Chen Kaige, Lü Rui, and Feng Xiaogang potentially serving as judges... It is expected to attract over 10 applicants, becoming the first phenomenal entertainment talent show of 2006."

In the company office, Lü Rui was eating breakfast while browsing the news.

He wasn't surprised by Chen Kaige and Chen Hong's trip to Hollywood.

"The Promise" has been in theaters for 24 days and has grossed 1.7 million yuan.

This achievement has broken the box office records of several films, including "A World Without Thieves," "Click," and "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty."

However, influenced by public opinion, not a single media outlet in the country came out to praise Chen Kaige.

Looking at all the directors in China whose films gross over 100 million yuan, he is undoubtedly the most tragic and unlucky one.

Therefore, the only opportunities left for him are the Golden Globe and the Oscar.

Success! A remarkable comeback against all odds!

Defeat, a fall into the abyss!

As for the announcement about Zhang Ziyi, Lü Rui glanced at it and tossed it aside.

Since becoming a judge, Zhang Ziyi has made it a tradition to market herself every year during the Oscars.

It's worth mentioning that when she achieved new successes in the past, Zhang Yimou, who was her mentor, would come out and praise her.

In recent years, after realizing her ambitions, Lao Zhang, fearing he would get into trouble, has kept his distance.

"Jingle Bell!"

The phone rang suddenly.

Lu Rui glanced at the caller ID, pressed the answer button, and said with a hint of helplessness, "Mr. Wang, if you're calling about Yahoo Search again, then you should hang up now. I have no interest and no time for it."

During this period, Wang Zhonglei seemed to be possessed, searching everywhere for big-name directors to endorse Yahoo Search Star as judges, just to promote the platform.

The terms offered are quite tempting!

As long as Lü Rui nods, the 4000 million will be deposited into his account immediately.

But he had absolutely no interest in it.

He loves money, but he understands the principle that "a gentleman loves money, but he acquires it in a proper way."

This kind of talent show is clearly a way to make money by leveraging the director's influence. It seems like they gave 4000 million, but the organizers can turn around and make 10 times that amount back!
He's not that stupid to let others make money in his name.

However, Wang Zhonglei on the other end of the phone quickly said, "Director Lü, I'm just passing on a message. The person is right next to me now, and they want to talk to you. Is that convenient for you?"

"Who?" Lü Rui became a little interested.

"Ma Yun, Chairman of Alibaba!"

Lu Rui was slightly taken aback, then suddenly remembered that Alibaba had indeed acquired Yahoo! China last year...

So, is Yahoo! Search a collaboration between Alibaba and Huayi Brothers?

Before he could react, a confident voice came through the phone, speaking slowly but with a strong sense of self-assurance: "Director Lü, I've heard so much about you! I'm Ma Yun."

"Hello, Mr. Ma."

Lu Rui responded calmly, but a highly recognizable face involuntarily surfaced in his mind.

This person's appearance is also quite typical.

After a few brief pleasantries, Ma Yun got straight to the point, her tone full of control: "Yahoo Search Star is not a simple talent show, but a new way to create hype through entertainment."

Advertising can expand its influence through programs, brands can leverage popularity for hype, and even create celebrities to bind traffic – it's a win-win-win situation.

Look at entertainment companies today, relying solely on making TV dramas and movies is too limiting. In the future, they need to be integrated with the internet; traffic, data, and user stickiness are the core..."

He became more and more engrossed in his speech, and the topic gradually shifted from compliant business logic to "human nature":

"In business, you have to understand human nature and arouse the desires of your customers. Just like making movies, you cater to the audience and use a small budget to attract a lot of attention and generate huge box office revenue. That's called achieving big results with small investments. You need to make good use of human weaknesses. Director Lü, you understand the audience when making movies, and you also need to understand your users when running a company..."

Halfway through his sentence, he abruptly changed the subject, adding a hint of enticement: "I have already reached a cooperation agreement with Huayi Brothers. In the future, we will be colleagues in the Internet + Entertainment field."

If Vision needs funding or resources, Alibaba is ready to invest anytime, and we can work together to expand the business…

The more Lü Rui listened, the more uneasy he felt.

He knew from his past life that this person had a silver tongue, capable of making the dead come back to life.

Now, he has heard it with his own ears.

It's no exaggeration to say that if Ma Yun were to get involved in pyramid schemes, she could probably make a fortune in a short time, even more terrifying than Jia Yueting, who "suffocated for his dream."

No wonder it was widely rumored in the industry in my previous life that when Ma Yun went to talk to Lei Jun about cooperation, Lei Jun couldn't help but mutter after the conversation, "Is this guy involved in pyramid schemes?"

After Jack Ma paused briefly, Lü Rui immediately declined, saying, "Mr. Ma, thank you for your kind offer, but I'm starting a new project soon and I really can't spare the time. I'll have to decline your invitation."

He didn't want to get entangled with the other party too much; if he were tricked into falling into a trap, it would be too late to regret it.

Ma Yun on the other end of the phone was stunned for a moment, clearly not expecting to be rejected so directly.

By the time he realized what was happening, the call had already ended.

He looked at Wang Zhonglei and asked in surprise, "Is this kid always so unconventional? He won't even make money?"

Wang Zhonglei, who had already been persuaded by Ma Yun, was also stunned and subconsciously replied, "Maybe all geniuses are like this..."

“Haha,” Ma Yun suddenly laughed and nodded in agreement, “What you said makes sense.”

He felt that he was a genius among geniuses to have built Alibaba, and he also happened to be a representative of mavericks.

Lu Rui is a genius, capable of producing excellent works and building a successful company, so it's not surprising that he has this kind of temperament.

But precisely because of this, his curiosity about Lü Rui intensified.

News within the industry can't really be kept secret. Many people have been paying attention to the recent news of Ruixing Group's investment in Tudou.com.

Ma Yun hadn't paid much attention to it before, but now that she was thinking about it, her eyes suddenly lit up.

Since Lü Rui is willing to invest in the internet video field, shouldn't Alibaba also make some moves in this area?

……

After ending his call with Ma Yun, Lü Rui quickly finished his breakfast, washed his hands, and then instructed the driver to warm up the car before setting off.

Destination: Tiananmen Square.

Today marks the wrap-up of filming for "Soldiers Sortie," and the last filming location for the series was none other than Tiananmen Square.

According to Hou Hongliang, today's main scene being filmed is the glorious retirement of squad leader Shi Jin, which is also the last scene of "Soldiers Sortie," the final scene of filming.

Lü Rui happened to be in the capital, so naturally he couldn't be absent from such a moment; he had to go and lend his support.

He went once when filming started and again when filming wrapped up; he was undoubtedly a very competent hands-off manager.

I left the company and drove slowly along Chang'an Avenue.

Outside the car window, skyscrapers stood side by side, and the streets were bustling with traffic, a scene of prosperity.

As the vehicle passed Zhengyangmen, Lü Rui saw the "China Highway Zero Kilometer Point" sign.

This symbol, marking the starting point of China's highways, is like a giant coordinate, silently demonstrating the rapid development of the country's transportation industry.

As you continue walking, Tiananmen Square gradually comes into view.

The majestic Tiananmen Gate stands solemnly in front, its portrait of the teacher both kind and dignified.

Seeing all this, Lü Rui felt a surge of pride.

Looking back to 2000, China had just entered the new millennium. Although it had made some progress in economic development, there was still a significant gap compared to now.

But in recent years, China has undergone tremendous changes.

Since joining the WTO, China's economy has been increasingly integrated into the world economy, becoming an important engine of global economic growth.

In the field of science and technology, China's independent innovation capabilities are constantly improving, and more and more Chinese brands are going global.

In terms of culture, China's traditional culture has been better inherited and promoted, while it has also continuously absorbed excellent foreign cultures, demonstrating the charm of diversity and inclusiveness...

In his past life, Lü Rui always wanted to attend a military parade, but he always missed it for various reasons.

I finally had some time to watch the military parade commemorating the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. I even bought my train ticket to the capital, but then I was unexpectedly reborn. It's quite tragic.

He hadn't even had a chance to see the new weapons the country had developed in recent years before he was left with regret.

In this lifetime, he secretly resolved that no matter what obstacles he encountered, he must personally experience the awe-inspiring military parade and feel the powerful national strength and national cohesion.

The car stopped in a parking lot near Tiananmen Square. Lü Rui straightened his clothes and walked towards the filming location of "Soldiers Sortie".

However, what he didn't know was that at that moment, the entire TV drama industry was in an uproar because of the success of "Crossing the Guandong"!

As media reports on data, selling prices, and viewership ratings continued to emerge, industry insiders suddenly realized that the emergence of Ruishijie had clearly not only created a crushing impact on the film industry, but now it seemed to be starting to "ravage" the television drama industry as well!

……

……

Solemnly commemorating the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War!

(End of this chapter)