Rebirth 09: Starting from taking charge of Running Man on CCTV

CCTV's 12th floor.

The elevator doors slid to the sides, and Chen Yang stepped out. Before he had taken two steps, he heard suppressed shouts of confrontation coming from the end of the corridor.

Two voices: one with a lazy Beijing accent, the other with a flamboyant Shanghai accent.

"Dude, what exactly are you acting in?"

"Me? An actor! And you?"

"What a coincidence, me too."

"So, what famous works have you acted in? Have you seen any stage plays? I'm in a drama troupe. And you, have you ever acted in a sitcom?"

Chen Yang stopped and looked over. In the middle of the corridor, the future comedic geniuses were staging their first major social disaster.

Shen Teng stood up straight, his hands behind his back, the collar of his dark blue polo shirt standing up.

His hair was slicked back with hairspray so smooth that even a fly would slip on it, and his face screamed: as steady as a mountain.

Chen Yang looked up and down along the arm.

The man's left hand, which was behind his back, was digging his right hand so hard that his fingers were turning blue.

Wu, the administrative manager of Happy Twist, was wiping away sweat with a tissue next to him.

On the other hand, Chen He's style was completely different.

The white T-shirt was wrinkled like pickled vegetables, and there was a gray stain the size of a washbasin on the knee of the jeans.

Two dark circles under his eyes, clearly from staying up for three consecutive nights.

The two of them ended up clashing in the middle of the corridor.

They sized each other up and then launched into a dramatic performance.

Chen He couldn't hold back any longer. He circled Shen Teng halfway around, grinning, "Brother, I heard you graduated from the PLA Academy of Arts?"

Shen Teng slightly raised his eyelids and chin, and nodded gently. His tone was incredibly sophisticated.

"Really?" Chen He leaned forward, his expression incredibly smug, and gave Shen Teng a quick once-over. "The legendary heartthrob of the PLA Academy of Arts?"

Just as Shen Teng was about to nod, Chen He immediately added insult to injury.

"Bro, are the criteria for judging the most handsome guy at your PLA Academy of Arts... a bit different from ours at the Shanghai Theatre Academy? Is it more about being down-to-earth?"

Shen Teng's lips twitched violently. His defenses crumbled instantly.

Seeing that the crosstalk performance in the corridor was about to turn into a real-life PK, Chen Yang stepped forward.

"Hey, are you two exchanging secret signals here?"

The moment the two turned their heads and saw Chen Yang, their carefully constructed aura vanished.

Shen Teng stepped forward and grasped Chen Yang's hands with both of his.

The force was very strong, and my palms were covered in cold sweat.

"Director Chen, hello, I..."

"Don't be nervous." Chen Yang patted his hand back, his tone as relaxed as greeting a familiar face on the street. "Didn't sleep well last night, did you?"

Shen Teng froze, his ears turning bright red.

The pretentious aura of a seasoned artist has completely crumbled.

How did you know?

Chen Yang smiled and pointed to his head.

"I applied three layers of hairspray, and the area around my temples was almost clump-like. The more insomnia and guilt I feel, the more I need to make myself look neat and tidy the next day to bolster my courage."

Shen Teng forced an awkward smile, his lips twitching slightly.

This time, their true colors have been exposed.

Chen Yang released his grip, his voice gentle: "Don't worry, it's not a scam company. Scammers can't get through CCTV's doors."

Shen Teng let out a long breath, his shoulders finally relaxing. "I just... feel like it's all so unreal. It feels like a dream."

Chen Yang didn't say much, but turned to look at Chen He. He stretched out his hand.

"Chen He".

"Director Chen!" Chen He rushed forward, grabbed Chen Yang's hands tightly, and shook them three times.

His voice was so loud it could shake dust off the ceiling of the corridor.

"I came from Shanghai! I sat in a slow, green-skinned hard seat for twelve hours! My back is about to give out!"

"I can tell." Chen Yang examined the dust on his knee. "Did you fall asleep in the aisle because there were no seats available?"

Chen He looked down and saw that his face was red. He quickly bent down and patted his trouser leg twice, then chuckled dryly.

"No way, I accidentally scratched it on the way. I was just too excited and spent the whole night thinking that CCTV might have made a mistake and wasn't actually looking for me."

"You've got the right person." Chen Yang withdrew his hand, put his hands in his pockets, and gestured with his chin toward the conference room: "Come on, let's go in and sit down."

He turned around and greeted the agents behind the two men: "Please come with us, teachers. Tea is served inside. Thank you for your trouble."

Old Wu pushed up his slipping glasses, let out a long sigh, and quickly caught up.

Xiao Zhou carried the faded canvas bag and jogged a few steps.

Chen Yang walked in front, and as he passed the open office area, he turned his head to look at Ma Li at her workstation.

Their eyes met.

Ma Li understood immediately.

He decisively closed the contact list, stood up, and picked up the black briefcase from the table.

The bag contained two crucial letters of intent.

The group entered the conference room.

The hot tea has been brewed and is steaming.

The soundproof door to the conference room clicked shut.

The projection screen on the wall was lit up, and the logo of "Run, China!" with its red background and white lettering was extremely eye-catching.

Chen Yang pulled out the side seat next to the main seat and sat down calmly.

The main seat is empty.

Ma Li pushed open the door and entered, her leather shoes clicking on the floor.

Her aura was fully unleashed.

Chen Yang picked up his teacup without raising his head, but slightly lifted his chin.

"Sister Li, come here."

In three words, clean and efficient, he directly handed over control of the situation.

Ma Li pulled out the chair in the main seat and sat down. She unzipped her briefcase, took out two thick documents, and pushed them in front of Shen Teng and Chen He respectively.

"Gentlemen, please introduce yourselves first." Ma Li clasped her hands together on the table, speaking at a moderate pace.

"I am Ma Li, the artist director of 'Keep Running China.' I am responsible for all artist contracts, coordination, and subsequent program scheduling and notification."

The two of them instinctively sat up straight.

"Let's talk about the project first." Ma Li pressed the remote control, and a bar chart popped up on the screen.

"A key A-level project for CCTV Variety Channel in 2009. Scheduled for prime time, Saturday night at 8 pm."

"Our ratings target is to break 3."

"Promotional resources? The variety channel is giving it their all, CCTV's official website homepage is dominated by recommendations, and trailers are played on all channels around the clock."

A series of bombshells dropped, and the only sound in the conference room was breathing.

Shen Teng's hand rested on the table, his fingers slowly tightening uncontrollably.

Chen He's mouth was agape, wide enough to fit an egg.

Ma Li didn't give them a chance to catch their breath, and changed the subject: "Let's talk about you guys next."

Her sharp gaze turned to Shen Teng.

"Teacher Shen Teng is a graduate of the PLA Academy of Arts. He is an absolute core actor of Happy Twist, and his stage plays have received rave reviews. Insiders all give him a thumbs up."

Shen Tenggang was about to say something polite.

Ma Li bluntly pointed out: "But what's your biggest bottleneck right now? Your social circle is too narrow."

Shen Teng's Adam's apple bobbed violently.

My hand holding the teacup was a little unsteady, and ripples spread across the water.

Ma Li turned and stared at Chen He.

"Chen He graduated from the Shanghai Theatre Academy. He just finished filming a sitcom called 'iPartment,' right?"

Chen He nodded vigorously.

"What you lack now is a stage where you can be remembered by audiences across the country."

Ma Li pulled out two separately printed single sheets of paper from the tucked compartment of her briefcase.

The paper was pristine white and was handed to each of them.

Shen Teng accepted it.

His name was written at the very top.

The words "Deadpan Comedian" are printed in bold at the bottom.

Chen He's copy had the words "Cute and Witty Genius" printed on it.

"This is the program's scriptwriting center, where the director personally leads the team to tailor-make character development paths and character positioning for you."

Ma Li tapped her finger on the table, pointing at Shen Teng.

"Professor Shen Teng, your greatest characteristic is your dry humor. While others are laughing so hard they're rolling on the floor, you stand there with a serious expression. But the things you say are more cutting and more venomous than anyone else's."

"This kind of extreme contrast and comedic effect is something that traditional studio-based variety shows simply cannot produce. Only outdoor reality shows that film around the clock and leave no blind spots can amplify your unique qualities to the extreme."

Shen Teng stared intently at the paper. His fingers began to tremble slightly. "He understands comedy"—those four words struck him like a chord.

Ma Li then pointed at Chen He.

"Chen He, your defining characteristics are your chattiness and endearing sassiness. You're quick-witted and can handle any unexpected situation. Even if you mess things up, you can always salvage the situation with a cheeky quip."

"We've set up the stage for you; just go on stage and go wild."

The two held the thin A4 paper, yet it felt as heavy as a thousand pounds.

Chen Yang sat quietly to the side, drinking tea and watching everything unfold.

He didn't put down the teacup until it was cooked to perfection, the bottom of the cup tapping softly on the table.

He looked up, his gaze sweeping over the two of them with a calm yet penetrating intensity, his tone relaxed and casual as if he were having a casual chat.

"Once you arrive, you're like family; we'll share the meat."

"It's okay if you don't come. Just consider it making a friend today."

"But I genuinely think you two should get on this train."

The conference room was deathly silent. The only sound was the whooshing of the air conditioner vents.

There was silence for a full three seconds.

Shen Teng was the first to make a move.

He carefully folded the character design outline and stuffed it into the breast pocket of his polo shirt.

He raised his head, his eyes filled with an unprecedented determination.

"Director Chen, where's the pen?"

Beside him, Chen He was even more decisive.

They didn't even say a word.

He reached into Xiao Zhou's canvas bag and pulled out a ballpoint pen.

He grabbed the letter of intent, flipped to the last page, and quickly signed his name, his handwriting flying across the page.

After signing, he threw the pen down and slammed his hand on the table.

"I knew Sister Su Xiao wouldn't lie to me! This is amazing!"

Ma Li turned her head and glanced at Chen Yang.

Chen Yang picked up his teacup and nodded slightly to her.

The sleeping dragon and the young phoenix have successfully returned to their positions.