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

Cai Yinong's voice no longer carries the initial reserve.

"If what you're saying can really come to fruition, it would indeed be an unconventional approach to the promotion of Sword and Fairy 3."

"But I still have one concern."

"Please speak."

"CCTV's prime-time slot has a large viewership, but your program is a new program and hasn't aired before. If the premiere ratings are not ideal, not only will my actors have made a wasted trip, but they may also be labeled as a flop variety show."

This is exactly what Chen Yang was waiting for.

He sat up straight.

"Mr. Cai, I have two cards to play. Please listen to my advice before making a decision."

The first one.

Chen Yang's voice turned somber.

"The younger generation is launching a new product called V-Bo in August. I hold the exclusive cooperation rights for the first batch of core resources for V-Bo."

Cai Yinong frowned slightly.

"V-Blog? What's that?"

"Simply put, it's a brand new social platform. With character limits, a focus on sharing, and support for images, it's naturally suited for interaction between celebrities and fans."

Chen Yang's speech quickened by half a beat.

"After this product is launched, Sina will allocate all its website resources to promote it. All seven of our show's regular MCs, plus the guest stars, will become the first batch of verified Weibo users."

"In other words, if your actors participate in our program, they will automatically become one of the first celebrity users on Weibo. Once this platform takes off, the traffic dividends that early adopters reap are something that later entrants can never catch up with."

Cai Yinong's pen stopped in mid-air.

She wasn't sure if this Weibo account could actually succeed, but she understood the phrase "Sina's full-site resource promotion".

"The second card."

Chen Yang's voice lowered even further.

"I've secured the trailer slot on CCTV's variety channel. The trailer for 'Running Man China' will be broadcast simultaneously on CCTV's main channel and variety channel."

"If the main actors from Chinese Paladin 3 appear on our program, then the trailers will feature Hu Ge and Yang Mi. These trailers will be broadcast on all CCTV channels."

He paused for a second.

"Mr. Cai, do you know what this means?"

Cai Yinong certainly knew.

CCTV is showing trailers on multiple channels in rotation.

No TV station in the country can provide this level of exposure.

No film company could buy it no matter how much money they offered.

And now, a 24-year-old director has casually slapped this card in front of her.

There was a full five seconds of silence on the other end of the phone.

Ma Li watched Chen Yang's expression. He leaned back in his chair, one hand on the armrest, his fingers tapping rhythmically.

Not urgent.

Don't rush me.

and so on.

"Director Chen."

Cai Yinong finally spoke.

There was no longer any probing or reservation in her voice.

"I need to discuss these things with my team. But in my personal opinion, this collaboration is worth discussing."

Chen Yang's lips twitched slightly, but his tone remained unchanged.

"Mr. Cai, I understand. However, time waits for no one. The recording of our second phase must be completed by mid-July at the latest. We only have a maximum of two weeks to prepare."

"I understand." Cai Yinong's voice already carried the decisiveness of a decision-maker. "Okay, I'll fly to Beijing tomorrow with the legal and publicity directors for a face-to-face meeting. We'll finalize the contract terms, artist protection details, and filming schedule there."

"You're welcome anytime."

Chen Yang's tone remained calm throughout.

"I've asked our artist director, Ma Li, to coordinate your schedule. I'll personally pick you up when you arrive in Beijing."

"it is good."

"See you tomorrow, Mr. Cai."

See you tomorrow, Director Chen.

The phone hangs up.

Ma Li stared at Chen Yang for a full three seconds.

"What you just did..."

She swallowed hard.

"How did you do that?"

"What should be done?"

"Turning a request for help into a conversation where we're giving alms?"

Chen Yang stood up and stretched.

"Sister Li, the core of negotiation is never what cards you have in your hand. It's about making the other party feel that they need you more."

Ma Li opened her mouth, but could only manage to utter two words.

"abnormal."

Chen Yang ignored her, walked to the whiteboard, erased the words on it, and rewrote a new line.

Chen Yang walked to the whiteboard and wrote a line:

Episode 2: The Chinese Paladin 3 cast vs. the Running Man MCs

Below is a simple framework diagram:

The left side reads "Flying Guest (Leading Actor of Chinese Paladin 3)," the right side reads "Seven Regular MCs," and there's a big "VS" in the middle.

"Sister Li, prepare a formal invitation proposal. It must be printed out before President Cai arrives tomorrow. The proposal should clearly state our program's positioning, initial episode data, broadcasting platform, and cooperation rights."

"We'll confirm the specific actors we'll invite with Ms. Cai in person tomorrow. She knows better than us who's available and who's willing to come. Let's not make decisions for her."

"Understood." Ma Li was already scrolling through her contacts.

Chen Yang turned to look at the doorway.

"Su Xiao!"

The door next door was pushed open, and Su Xiao poked her head in.

"I heard it, I heard the whole thing."

Her eyes were shining.

"Drama and variety show synergy, how did you come up with that term?"

"Never mind what I think."

Chen Yang tossed her the marker.

"From now on, the scriptwriting center will begin to gather directional material for the second phase. The core idea is simple: the main actors from Chinese Paladin 3 will team up to face off against our regular MCs, with two teams competing against each other."

"In terms of game design, we can incorporate elements of ancient costumes and references to the Legend of Sword and Fairy series, but we can't turn it into a role-playing game. The core should still be live-action competition, allowing the audience to see the actors' real reactions after taking off their ancient costumes."

"As for the specifics of who we'll invite, how each person will be positioned, and how the game segments will be matched, we'll refine those details once the guest list is confirmed tomorrow. You guys just need to prepare the general framework and alternative game mechanics first, and then fill in the people later."

Su Xiao quickly took notes and nodded.

"Understood. Build the skeleton first, and let the person grow flesh once they arrive."

"Yes. The core game framework for the second phase must be completed within three days. Our recording window is no later than July 10th. Time waits for no one."

Su Xiao stopped smiling and nodded solemnly.

"clear."

Su Xiao is gone.

Ma Li also took her contact list and went out the door.

The office fell silent.

Chen Yang stood in front of the whiteboard and tapped the words "Brother Hu" with his finger.

In his previous life, Brother Hu never appeared on Running Man.

He deserves to experience this properly in his lifetime.

at the same time.

Shanghai, Tangren Media Headquarters.

Cai Yinong hung up the phone and sat in the boss's chair for a full minute without moving.

Then she picked up the landline and pressed the internal line.

"Xiao Zhou, inform Brother Hu, Yang Mi, Shi Shi, and the others that there will be a meeting for everyone at 8 PM tonight."

"President Tsai, what's the topic?"

Cai Yinong looked at the skyline outside the window, and the corner of her mouth twitched slightly.

Tell them that a CCTV program would like to invite them to participate.

She paused.

"The key point is that it's for fun. Don't scare them."

The assistant on the other end of the phone responded and hung up.

Cai Yinong put down the phone, Chen Yang's last words still echoing in her mind.

"If your actor appears on my show, he will only become more famous, not lose his value."

A 24-year-old chief director of a CCTV A-level project.

Now they're going to take over the entire Legend of Sword and Fairy 3 production team in one fell swoop.

Cai Yinong has worked in film and television for over a decade and has met countless types of people.

But she had never seen a young person of this caliber before.

And at this very moment.

Hu Ge and his group received the news.

What awaits them is an unprecedented variety show nightmare.

No, it's a surprise.

It's also possible that it's both.