Entertainment mogul: Starting his business with the internet

Chapter 284 Old Capital Plus 1
February 16th, the third day of the Lunar New Year, the festive atmosphere of the New Year was still strong.

Early in the morning, as soon as Mark, the director of CCTV's Arts and Entertainment Center, entered his office, he couldn't wait to call his female assistant over.

"Xiao Lin, how were the ratings for 'The Myth' last night?"

The assistant clutched the viewership report tightly in her hand, her face beaming with joy: "Yesterday's average viewership was 4.02%, with a peak of 4.78% for a single episode!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Mark clapped his hands and laughed, "Great! Great! The Myth will break 4% on the second day, it's a sure thing, a guaranteed super hit!"

As a highly anticipated TV series, "The Myth" achieved a viewership rating of over 3% on its premiere the day before yesterday. As long as its reputation doesn't collapse, it's destined to be a huge hit.

Upon hearing the results from last night, Mark was overjoyed. His previously anxious heart was completely relieved, and he paced back and forth in his office excitedly.

After a brief moment of excitement, Mark hurriedly instructed, "Xiao Lin, go and inform the production company to increase publicity. Buy trending topics, have the main actors appear on shows, create hype, and try to break 5%."

Assistant Xiaolin replied with a grin: "Director, don't worry, there's no need to buy trending searches!"
Since its broadcast on the first night of the Lunar New Year, the topic of "The Myth" has consistently remained in the top three of trending searches, overshadowing even the Spring Festival Gala.

"Really? Let me see." Mark said, picking up his phone, opening the Weibo app, and browsing the trending topics.

The trending topics list immediately catches the eye: "1. Liu Shishi (Lu Su)", "2. White Moonlight", "3. Characteristics of the roles played by the leading actress".

After quickly browsing the top few trending topics, Mark was puzzled: "Why are all these trending topics about Liu Shishi?"

I remember the character she played, Lü Su. She was just a minor supporting character with very little screen time, and she was going to be written out of the story in a few episodes.

Hearing the director's casual spoiler, Xiaolin exclaimed, "Ah, Lü Su is gone after only a few episodes! I thought she was the female lead!"

Although she was the assistant director of the Arts and Literature Center, she did not participate in the film review process, and she did not have the opportunity to watch "The Myth" in advance before its broadcast.

When I watched this TV series yesterday, Liu Shishi's portrayal of Lü Su amazed everyone with her gentle and charming temperament as soon as she appeared on screen.

This gentle, kind, and beautiful girl was so endearing that it made her develop feelings for Liu Shishi.

Xiao Lin wore a bitter expression, feeling sorry for Lü Su's departure from the show: "The audience really liked this character. Yesterday's highest single-episode ratings were achieved when Lü Su appeared."

"It's already aired, there's no way to change it!" Mark was also annoyed. "If I had known Liu Shishi would be so popular, I should have added more scenes for her."

The fact that her favorite character was going to leave the show so early made the young girl unhappy. Xiao Lin muttered, "Director Ma, I think if Lü Su leaves the show early, the ratings for 'The Myth' might drop."

The assistant's words instantly cast a shadow over Mark's initial joy. He waved his hand helplessly and said, "Let's take it one step at a time. Since the audience likes Liu Shishi, let's ask the production company to have her do more promotion. You can urge them on this."

"Understood, Director." Xiaolin nodded solemnly and hurried out of the leader's office.

The huge success of "The Myth" has not only attracted close attention from the TV stations broadcasting it, but also prompted the three production companies to put in a lot of effort to promote it, hoping to achieve even higher ratings and make the show a hit in its second and third runs, generating even more revenue.

At this moment, Liu Shishi sat in the passenger seat, leaning slightly forward, and opened the makeup mirror in front of her to check her makeup.

Today is the third day of the Lunar New Year. She and her husband are going to visit her grandparents to wish them a Happy New Year. The elderly people like dignified and virtuous girls, so she only applied a little makeup and put on a fresh and light look, making her look gentle and elegant.

Suddenly, a melodious cell phone rang. Ms. Liu took her phone out of her bag and, seeing that it was Cai Yinong calling, quickly answered it.

"Happy New Year, Sister K!"

"Shishi, is it convenient for you to speak now?"

Liu Shishi glanced at her husband, who was focused on driving, and said, "It's convenient."

Cai Yinong said excitedly, "Shishi, did you know that 'The Myth' is a huge hit?"

Liu Shishi was a little surprised. Although she had helped Hu Ge promote the show before, she hadn't really paid much attention to what happened afterward.

After a brief moment of surprise, he smiled and congratulated him, saying, "Old Hu must be happy."

"Hu Ge is indeed happy, but you're the most popular person in this show right now!"

On the other end of the phone, Cai Yinong recalled the trending topics on Weibo and was still somewhat incredulous.

Last year, the lead actress missed her audition for the female lead because she was busy paying respects to her ancestors during the Qingming Festival, and ended up only being able to make a cameo appearance in a film crew.

Who would have thought that such a minor supporting role would be so outstanding, becoming an instant hit across the internet and recreating the immense popularity of Long Kui?

"I'm famous again? What's going on?" Liu Shishi looked bewildered and uncertain. Wasn't Lü Su just a minor supporting character?

Last night, she first played mahjong with the elderly and gave them some tuition fees. After returning home, she was bothered by someone and woke up late this morning, so she didn't have time to check the trending topics.

Listening to the confused voice of the top female host, Cai Yinong sighed that it was truly an unexpected success: "You'll know the details when you check the trending topics later."

I'm calling today at the invitation of the production company. We need you to cooperate with Hu Ge on a talk show tomorrow and the day after to promote "The Myth," and use your popularity to further boost the ratings.

“Tomorrow won’t work!” Liu Shishi shook her head repeatedly when she heard the time. “I have to go to my husband’s uncle’s house to pay New Year’s respects tomorrow.”

As a new bride in the Song family, it would be extremely impolite of her not to pay her respects to her uncle during the first Lunar New Year. Even if Mr. Song understood that she was doing it for work, it would be difficult to explain to her mother-in-law.

It's rare for both the leading actress and actor to become so popular at the same time. Seeing that the popularity of "The Myth" is no less than that of "Chinese Paladin 3", Cai Yinong naturally wanted to strike while the iron was hot: "What about the day after tomorrow?"

"The day after tomorrow won't work either! Sister K, don't count on me during the Spring Festival. My schedule is packed every day. By the time my husband and I finish visiting both sets of relatives, it will be at least the eighth day of the Lunar New Year."

Cai Yinong was still unwilling to give up and continued to plead: "Shishi, can't you even squeeze out half a day?"

At this moment, Song Ci, who had been driving quietly, suddenly interjected, "Let's talk about it after the New Year."

When Liu Shishi heard her husband speak, she shrugged and said, "Sister K, my husband said we'll discuss it again after the New Year."

With Song making the final decision, Cai Yinong had no choice but to abandon his plan to ask the top female star to step in: "Then you should post more on Weibo and interact more with your fans."

"No problem. I'll send it in a bit."

Cai Yinong reluctantly ended the call, but before hanging up, he didn't forget to remind her, "Shishi, let me know if you have time." Liu Shishi looked at the street scene receding outside the car window, still savoring her conversation with Cai Yinong. She was surprised by her unexpected rise to fame, so she opened Weibo to find out more.

Upon entering his Weibo homepage, he excitedly exclaimed, "Wow, I've surpassed 12 million Weibo followers! That's incredible! I gained over 800,000 followers in just one night!"

Song Ci nodded upon hearing this: "That's right. A good role can indeed bring huge popularity to an actor. It shows that your portrayal of Lü Su was outstanding."

Liu Shishi smiled smugly, her eyes crinkling: "Hehe, it seems I've got another role to live off my past achievements."

"It's still a little short. Although Long Kui and Lü Su are characters that viewers find hard to accept, they are ultimately supporting characters. You need a leading lady of your own."

"Yes, that's what Sister K said too, so the company's next project is specially crafted for me."

Song Ci chuckled lightly: "Although Cai Yinong's vision is average, his professional skills are indeed quite good. What's the name of the new play I've prepared for you?"
“Scarlet Heart! It’s a bit like The Myth, it’s also a time-travel drama.” Liu Shishi looked on with anticipation, her eyes sparkling with a mysterious light.

Song Ci was slightly taken aback. His wife's hit drama "Scarlet Heart" was about to be released!
When will you turn it on?

Miss Liu spread her hands: "It will probably be a while. 'Scarlet Heart' is a Qing Dynasty drama, and Hu Ge is unwilling to shave his head. Tangren doesn't use Hong Kong and Taiwan artists anymore. Sister K has decided to hold open auditions for the male lead. We can't start filming until the male lead is decided."

"I understand. Remember to let me know when the show is about to air, and I'll give you a splash screen recommendation on Toutiao as a birthday present."

The car fell silent for a moment. While waiting at a red light, Song Ci glanced sideways and saw his wife supporting her head with one hand, gazing at him with tender affection in her eyes.

Why are you looking at me like that?

Liu Shishi smiled and replied, "I admire your handsome looks! Honey, you look so handsome when you're focused on driving. I still remember someone confidently saying last time that the splash screen for 'Chinese Paladin 3' was just a trial run and that it wouldn't happen again."

Song Ci coughed lightly: "Did I say that? Well, the splash screen recommendation for 'Scarlet Heart' was the first birthday gift I gave you after our marriage. It won't happen again, and Tangren has to pay for the advertising."

Liu Shishi's lips curled up, her smile growing even brighter: "My dear husband, I love the way you show your affection for me in such a serious way."

During the Spring Festival, the young couple Song Ci and Liu Shishi were busy visiting relatives and friends, paying New Year's greetings to their respective elders. On the fourth day, Song Ci visited his uncle's house; on the fifth, Liu Shishi visited her maternal grandfather's house... Every day was extremely packed with activities.

Soon, a few days passed quickly, and it was already the seventh day of the Lunar New Year.

Mark, as always, arrived at the office early. During the New Year holidays, the first thing he did every day upon arriving at work was to inquire about the ratings for "The Myth."

"Director, you should take a look yourself." Kobayashi respectfully handed the report to Mark, a hint of worry in his eyes.

"Why all the secrecy?!" Mark took the report, and when his eyes fell on the rows of data, his pupils widened in shock.
"The average viewership rating is 3.7%! How come it's dropped by 1.5 percentage points from the day before yesterday? Kobayashi, are you sure the data is correct?"

The assistant nodded solemnly: "I'm sure the data is correct."

Mark frowned: "Then why did the ratings drop so drastically?"

Xiao Lin also looked worried: "The day before yesterday, in the eighth episode, Lü Su died, and many viewers on the Internet were protesting, shouting that there would be no more myths after Lü Su, so the ratings dropped sharply yesterday."

However, the film and television department believes it's understandable that viewers are having trouble accepting it right away, and that the ratings will improve after a few days.

"Sigh!" Mark sighed deeply, throwing the report in his hand onto his desk. He felt terrible. He had been hoping that the ratings for "The Myth" could climb higher, but it seemed that was hopeless.

Seeing her boss looking disappointed, Xiao Lin quickly comforted him: "Director, no matter what, the ratings for 'The Myth' have broken five, which is already a very impressive achievement. Once the audience's anger subsides, the ratings will quickly rise back up."

"Do audiences really like Liu Shishi's portrayal of Lü Su?"

“I really like it! The ratings dropped by 1.5% in one night. Just think how many viewers stopped watching ‘The Myth’ because of Lu Su’s death.”

Mark nodded slightly, fell into a brief moment of contemplation, and a thought suddenly occurred to him: "Since the audience likes it, let's re-air the first eight episodes."

I'll go report to the station manager in a bit. After Channel 8 finishes airing, Channel 1 will immediately follow and air "The Myth" again.

Xiaolin's mouth gaped slightly, secretly alarmed, thinking that the director was truly ruthless, wanting to repeatedly "knife" the audience's hearts.

With Lü Su's departure from the show, the ratings for "The Myth" dropped the following day. This was clearly not hidden from the resourceful netizens, and Liu Shishi was quickly brought back to the top of the trending searches, with the topic's popularity soaring.

The leading lady naturally wouldn't waste such popularity. Everything proceeded as planned with Cai Yinong beforehand. She interacted with the main actors on Weibo, contributing to the success of "The Myth".

Liu Shishi v: What are your thoughts after watching the first eight episodes? @Hu Ge v
Hu Ge v: Everyone's watching the first eight episodes, so we're all here for you! @Liu Shishi v
As long as I act well and the character is compelling enough, fans will naturally defend me. Ever since Lü Su appeared on screen, the fans have been gathering daily on her Weibo account for lively discussions.

By the time the eighth episode aired, the popularity had reached its peak. Not only fans, but also countless casual netizens flooded Liu Shishi's Weibo with comments, seemingly wanting to vent their pent-up frustrations.

"Shishi is awesome. She single-handedly cut a major TV series in half."

"Breaking news: CCTV-1 will seamlessly follow CCTV-8 in broadcasting 'The Myth,' and Lü Su will make a limited-time return."

"Damn, CCTV wasn't satisfied with just making me cry once, they had to do it again."

"The first eight episodes are a myth, and the following episodes are about Gao Yao's promotion."

"Yi Xiaochuan is a scumbag. If it weren't for Hu Ge playing the role, I would have cursed him to death if it were played by another actor."

"The value of the leading lady is getting higher and higher. Congratulations to the lady for gaining another unforgettable classic role."

In late February, Liu Shishi became a sensation for her role as Lü Su, becoming a fleeting yet eternal "white moonlight" in the hearts of countless viewers and fans.

On Weibo, Baidu Tieba, and Tianya Forum, people were discussing Liu Shishi and Lü Su everywhere, and the popularity and fame of Tangren's top female star reached a new height.

Tangren Media obviously wouldn't let the current popularity of its top star go to waste. Taking advantage of the situation, they officially announced that the time-travel Qing Dynasty drama "Scarlet Heart," starring Liu Shishi, is about to be filmed, and stated that they are holding open auditions for the male lead, welcoming male artists to come to Tangren's headquarters for auditions.

The news caused a huge stir in the entertainment industry, with countless male actors eager to work with the wildly popular Liu Shishi.

Meanwhile, the production team of "Go Lala Go!" also moved up the broadcast time, originally scheduled for June this year, to late March.

This way, they can ride the wave of popularity of "The Myth" while avoiding direct confrontation, achieving the best of both worlds.

(End of this chapter)