Chapter 134: An Alarming Rating!
Friday.
Zhang Ye rested for a day.
Upon being informed by Xiao Lu, he switched on his television at home, and then tuned to the Arts Channel.
“Beijing’s BTV Arts Channel’s new segment, ‘Lecture Room’. Inviting Beijing’s well-known broadcasting host, Silver Microphone awardee, Beijing Mid-Autumn Festival Poetry Meet’s champion, Beijing Couplet Competition’s champion, famous poet, famous literary author, famous children’s fairy tale author, famous supernatural best-selling author, famous advertiser, leader of the popular phrases on the internet, Teacher Zhang Ye. With him as lecturer, he will let us have a taste of the period of the warring Three Kingdoms. He will tell everyone things you might not know about the Three Kingdoms. BTV-Arts. We look forward to you watching, this Thursday at 1 P.M.!”
There were so many titles that Zhang Ye turned a bit red from hearing them. And nearly all of them were prefixed with the word ‘famous’. Although Zhang Ye did have these works and achievements, he knew clearly that he was far from worthy of these titles with the word ‘famous’. He did not dare to accept it. However, it was an advertisement. There was no other way of doing it. Advertisements were all done this way. They had to use some gimmicks to attract the attention of eyeballs before the broadcast.
This was the advertisement of his own channel.
Hence, it did not spare anything in bragging about Zhang Ye.
At this moment on the internet, a few video websites released advertisements for “Lecture Room”. This was all because of Hu Fei. As a pretty well-known former producer of Central TV, he was definitely given some preferential treatment after being headhunted by the Beijing Television Station. Of course, the station gave him quite a bit of advertising for his new segment, both online and offline. They had done their best!
Everything was ready.
Now, only tomorrow’s rating mattered!
Zhang Ye also knew of the Leader’s attitude from Hu Fei. If the rating was not ideal, then he might not have a chance to be the lecturer for “Lecture Room”. The program was likely to return to the initial template from before. Zhang Ye would then return to being a host that only appeared from time to time. Hou Ge, Xiao Lu and the other colleagues had their hearts strung. However, Zhang Ye did not feel the pressure, or it could be said he was not worried at all!
It was just a provincial station’s 1% rating!
What segment was this? This was “Lecture Room”!
Although Zhang Ye did not know how high the ratings would be, he was certain that it would not be below 1%. If it was, he might as well jump into a river!
……
Saturday.
In the afternoon at 12 o’clock.
Zhang Ye had prepared something to fill his stomach before he met his unit’s colleagues, to watch the broadcast together. However, while he was rummaging through his refrigerator, someone suddenly knocked on his door.
Knock, knock.
The knocking on the door was very slow and very dull.
Zhang Ye opened the door and did not see anyone at first glance. Only when he lowered his head did he see a very short girl. It was Rao Chenchen.
Chenchen glanced at him, “My aunt is calling you over for lunch.”
Zhang Ye was overjoyed, “I happen to not have eaten. Let’s go, let’s go.”
The two went to the landlady’s house. Rao Aimin was taking off her apron and had finished cooking. Seeing Zhang Ye, she greeted with him with a, “Let’s eat!”
“Well, thank you, Landlady Auntie.” Zhang Ye did not stand on ceremony as he picked up a pair of chopsticks to wolf down the food.
Rao Aimin derided him, “Look at the way you eat. Were you reborn from a starving ghost? I’m telling you that I need to go out in the afternoon to settle the residential information for Chenchen. It was not settled the last time, so I need to go again. I won’t be home, so help me babysit. I do not trust others.”
Zhang Ye smiled wryly, “Man, so this meal wasn’t for free. Landlady Auntie, I won’t be resting today. I still need to go to work in the afternoon.”
Rao Aimin picked her eyebrow, “I don’t care about that. Anyway, the child is in your hands.”
Zhang Ye said helplessly, “But how can I bring the child to the television station?”
At this moment, Chenchen looked at him and said with a hoarse voice, “Television station? I want to see!”
“There’s nothing to see there. It’s all office and equipment!” Zhang Ye said.
Chenchen ignored his words and stared at him, “Zhang Ye, bring me to see the television station.”
“You guys figure it out. I don’t care.” After finishing the meal, Rao Aimin packed her things and left.
Zhang Ye was at a loss of whether to laugh or to cry. He could not leave Chenchen alone at home, so after some thinking, he drove his BMW X5 with Chenchen to his unit.
……
Television station’s door.
After getting out of the car, Zhang Ye reached out his hand with his palm facing up.
Chenchen looked at him before reluctantly placing her tiny hand into Zhang Ye’s.
Zhang Ye brought the little rascal upstairs. On the way, many of the television station’s staff looked over at Chenchen. They liked her a lot.
“She’s so pretty!”
“Eh, whose kid is that?”
“Why is she so cute? I really want to pinch her.”
“Eh, isn’t that Zhang Ye? He has a kid?”
Upstairs, in the segment team’s office. Zhang Ye led the child in as the office turned into chaos!
Xiao Lu seemed to melt, “Aiyo, aiyo. This kid is so pretty!”
Zhang Ye explained, “My neighbor’s child. She has something to do in the afternoon and got me to take care of her for a day, so I brought her to the unit.” Looking at Hu Fei, he said coyly, “Leader, your thoughts?”
Hu Fei laughed, “It’s alright. There’re so many of us here anyway. When you are recording the program, others can help you take care of the child.”
Zhang Ye glanced at Chenchen and smiled wryly, “I suspect I’ll have to take care of her. Others can’t handle her.”
Xiao Lu smiled and walked over, “What do you mean by others can’t handle her? I’m very good at taking care of children. Back then, I took care of my young nephew for a week. He had a great time with me.” Saying that, she bent down and said to Chenchen, “Little rascal, you are so cute. Let sister carry you.”
Chenchen glanced at her, “Auntie, there’s no need.”
Xiao Lu nearly fainted, “Who’s the auntie? I’m a sister!”
Chenchen eyed her from top to bottom a few times before letting out a laugh, “Hur Hur.”
Xiao Lu nearly vomited a mouthful of blood.
Hou Ge volunteered, “Let me do it. That bag of bones won’t be able to carry you. Little rascal, let uncle raise you high, high up.”
High, high up?
Chenchen shriveled her mouth, “Immature.”
Hou Ge, “…” He suddenly suffered from internal injuries.
“All of you won’t do. Watch me. You must pander to a child’s liking.” Dafei smiled and greeted her, “Come to uncle. Uncle will teach you how to play games.”
Chenchen did not look at him and instead looked at Zhang Ye, “Zhang Ye, you can still play games at work? No wonder television programs these days are getting boring. The employees are not working.”
Dafei nearly planted his face onto the ground as he looked carefully at Hu Fei.
Hu Fei erupted into laughter, “This young lady sure is interesting.”
Only then did everyone understand why Zhang Ye had said that he had to take care of her even while he was recording, while others couldn’t. This was no child. She was clearly a tiny adult. She was too derisive with her words!
Xiao Lu and company tried a few times to communicate with Chenchen, but they were helpless. Not to mention carrying her, they could not even hold onto Chenchen’s hand to bring her around the television station. Chenchen did not agree to anything. Her little hand was only exclusive to Zhang Ye. No one else could hold it. This little rascal refused to recognize them!
Hu Fei suddenly looked at his watch, “Stop fooling around. The program is beginning.”
“Right, right. I nearly forgot about it. Quick, switch on the TV.” Xiao Lu immediately switched on the television. There was one in the office and the television was quite good. It was a 50-inch television and it was mounted on the wall. The direction it faced could also be adjusted freely. She then turned her head to Chenchen, saying, “Little rascal, your uncle Zhang Ye will be on television soon. Let’s not talk about the impressiveness. All the burden of our program rests on your uncle alone. Whether the program stays will all depend on today’s rating.”
Everyone was sitting before the television. Although they had watched the recording live and they had watched it after the editing, there was a different feeling when watching a broadcast.
“It’s here!”
“Time is up.”
“Heh. Teacher Zhang, you sure look okay.”
“That’s right; there’s an author’s air to him at a glance.”
Zhang Ye was actually quite happy deep down as he quickly said, “No way, no way.”
This was the first time he was appearing on television. And it was also a program with him alone. And the time slot was not bad. So, of course, Zhang Ye was quite excited. Seeing himself looking awesome while lecturing on television, he was quite in admiration of himself. As such, he got out his cell phone and sent a few short messages to his parents, relatives and friends. He also informed his three younger cousins, getting them to watch the show.
This was different from a radio station. It was a television station. It was Zhang Ye’s brand new step onto a bigger stage.
“The empty fort strategy… It doesn’t exist at all!”
“The great gushing Yangtze with piling waves flows towards the east; away it carries gallant souls of the remote bygone days!”
The program was done broadcasting as the advertisements rolled in.
Immediately, Xiao Lu, Dafei and company applauded in the office. The applause was all dedicated to Zhang Ye.
Hu Fei got up and left. One could tell that he was not very sure either, “I’ll go get the rating!”
“It will be out so early?” Xiao Lu was surprised.
Hu Fei said, “The result calculated at this moment is just a preliminary estimate of the rating. It is not accurate, but it isn’t that much different from the actual rating. It won’t deviate too greatly.”
Hu Fei left.
The few of them were left anxiously waiting.
Hou Ge raised the spirits as he said, “It should not be a problem. Teacher Little Zhang did a very good job.”
“What we are afraid is that single mishap. What if the audience doesn’t like it?” Xiao Lu said as she worried about the gains and the losses.
Dafei asked, “What are your estimations? I’m estimating about 2%.”
“The first episode has such a high rating? That’s not realistic, right?” Hou Di said, “I’m estimating 1.5%.”
Xiao Lu said, “Anyway, we just need 1% to keep the program. I would be satisfied with it.”
As they chatted, Zhang Ye did not say a word. He was actually more concerned with the viewership rating than anyone else. As every number and every result in the television station would become a foundation of Zhang Ye’s qualifications and achievements, so naturally he took it very seriously. He clearly would not work in the television station for the rest of his life, nor would he do a program for the rest of his life. He had to go to higher places to develop himself.
Now, “Lecture Room” was a historical educative segment. Be it the host or the lecturer, one’s looks were not very important. What was most important was a person’s knowledge and ability to orate. There was no doubt that this was the best place Zhang Ye could be. It was the best place for him to develop. As long as he built a good foundation for himself and created good results, then it would pave a solid path into the core of the entertainment industry.
That was a place where things were ruthless. Zhang Ye could not rely on his looks, the way others could. He had to rely on his qualifications and skills!
Rating?
Let’s hope it’s higher!
Just as everyone was worrying, Hu Fei returned.
“Brother Hu!”
“How was it?”
“What was the rough estimate? Did it pass one?”
Everyone kept asking. Zhang Ye’s heart also missed a beat upon seeing Hu Fei’s expression.
At this moment, Hu Fei’s expression was sunken. His emotions did not seem good. As he heard them, Hu Fei inattentively slumped into his seat and remained silent for a long while.
Xiao Lu was alarmed, “It did not hit 1%?”
Dafei inhaled, “Our program is going to be axed? Or it needs to change a person?”
However, who knew the Hu Fei, who was sullen looking, suddenly lost that heaviness as he erupted into laughter, “The initial estimate of the rating is 7.8%! Our program is hot! And it is extremely hot! The Arts Channel’s Leaders, the television station’s Leaders and other segment teams were dumbfounded when they saw the results! None of them could believe it! Hahahaha!”