Capital City, Capital City Television Station.
At 7:55 AM sharp, Zhu Shaotai arrived at the Variety Channel Programming Department just like any other day.
"Good morning, Director Zhu!"
Several staff members were already at their desks, and they greeted him warmly as he walked past.
Zhu Shaotai gave them a slight nod, aloof as usual, then strode confidently into his private office.
As the Deputy Director of the Variety Channel's programming division, Zhu had climbed the ladder through two decades of hard work. He deeply valued his position and never showed up late or left early.
Even on days with little to do, he was perfectly content to lean back in his leather chair, sipping strong tea while flipping through the morning paper to catch up on domestic and international headlines.
Everything was already in place: a freshly filled thermos of hot water beside his desk, a cleaned and ready tea cup, and a neatly stacked pile of freshly printed newspapers still smelling of ink.
Another good day was beginning.
Zhu Shaotai sank his sturdy frame into the plush executive chair and picked up a newspaper. Today's workload was light, so he might as well take it easy for a while.
By the time he finished his tea and the news, it was already 9:00 AM.
He set down his teacup, stretched his arms, and turned on his computer.
The station was currently transitioning to paperless operations, with all internal files, announcements, and workflow handled digitally.
He deftly entered his password and, once his desktop loaded, opened his work log.
After approving a couple of minor, routine requests, a thought suddenly came to mind.
Zhu Shaotai frowned slightly, reached for the office phone, and dialed an internal extension.
The line picked up quickly:
"Hello, Director Zhu!" The voice on the other end was respectful.
Zhu's frown faded. He lightly tapped a finger on the desk and said in a calm tone:
"Little Zhang, come to my office for a moment."
"Yes, Director!"
Moments later, there was a polite knock at the door.
"Come in," Zhu said with a deep voice.
A man in his early thirties stepped inside.
"Director Zhu, you called?"
"Yes."
Zhu gestured toward the nearby sofa.
"Have a seat. Pour yourself some tea."
The man surnamed Zhang responded promptly. Before sitting, he courteously filled Zhu's cup with hot tea before pouring one for himself and taking a seat.
Zhu nodded in approval.
"Little Zhang," he began, "I called you in to ask, how are things going with Qian De Media? Are they still insisting on their original terms?"
"Qian De Media?" Zhang paused for a moment, then asked, "You mean the deal to purchase the drama Autumn in My Heart, right?"
Zhu Shaotai's face darkened.
"What else could I possibly mean?"
Autumn in My Heart was a modern emotional drama co-produced by Qian De Brothers Media, Chen Fei'er's studio, and Lu Chen's own workshop. Capital City TV's Variety Channel had shown strong interest in acquiring it, and it had been generating quite a bit of buzz lately.
The last time Lu Chen appeared on Capital City TV's celebrity talk show, Zhu had personally spoken with him about the show. Talks for broadcast rights began soon after, though the negotiations eventually shifted to Qian De Media as the official representative.
Qian De wasn't a big player in the industry, and Autumn in My Heart wasn't some high-budget mega-IP. So Zhu Shaotai certainly didn't see the need to personally haggle. He had delegated the task to this "Little Zhang," who he trusted for such matters.
But now, it seemed Zhang had lost track of things, which was making Director Zhu visibly annoyed.
Zhang quickly explained,
"Director Zhu, I actually sent you my report yesterday. There may have been an issue with the internal system; you might not have received it. I'll resend it right away!"
"Hmm?"
Zhu raised his brows, quickly opened his internal email, and there it was: the report had been sitting in his inbox the whole time.
He had simply missed it.
Slightly embarrassed, he coughed and said, "Be more careful next time. Since you're here, just give me the rundown now."
Zhang reported: "Qian De Media has already sold the exclusive first-broadcast rights of Autumn in My Heart to Haijin Satellite TV."
"Haijin Satellite?!" Zhu felt a sharp jolt of irritation. "How did they end up with it?"
He knew that multiple networks had been eyeing Autumn in My Heart, but Haijin hadn't been considered the most aggressive bidder. The main competitor was believed to be Zhedong TV, whose drama channel had also expressed strong interest.
Zhedong TV's interest in Autumn in My Heart was easy to understand. Beyond the fact that Chen Fei'er, a pop diva of her generation, played the female lead, the main reason was that Lu Chen himself was a native of Zhedong. Not long ago in Hangzhou, he had even helped rescue the host of a Zhedong Satellite TV program, earning him widespread local recognition.
For a new drama written and starred in by Lu Chen, the network could at least count on solid regional ratings. But according to what Zhu Shaotai had learned, Zhedong TV's offer wasn't significantly higher than their own. Qian De Media wasn't satisfied.
Haijin Satellite TV? Who the hell are they?
It felt like some rogue had swooped in at the last second. Zhu Shaotai was truly baffled, how did they manage to secure exclusive first-broadcast rights?
He couldn't help asking: "What kind of offer could they even make?"
That question came laced with thinly veiled disdain.
Although Haijin and Capital City were both directly administered municipalities, Capital City had always held a superior position. Haijin was often seen as subordinate, and people from Capital City generally carried a longstanding sense of superiority toward their Haijin counterparts.
Leaving aside the national behemoth that was CCTV, Capital City TV had always looked down on Haijin Satellite TV, barely acknowledging its presence. So the idea that Haijin could snatch a deal right under their noses was not just shocking, it was infuriating.
"When did that bunch from Haijin suddenly grow a spine?"
To be clear, Zhu Shaotai didn't consider Autumn in My Heart a must-have. Countless TV series were lined up begging to be aired on Capital City TV. But still, being outbid by Haijin left a sour taste in his mouth.
Little Zhang, looking sheepish, replied: "Director Zhu, I really don't know the specifics."
There was no way Qian De Media would disclose the details of the deal to him. That was commercially sensitive information.
"Unbelievable!" Zhu Shaotai slapped his forehead in frustration. "I'll make a few calls and find out."
Haijin TV and Capital City TV had a relationship somewhat similar to that between Beijing TV and CCTV, a mix of local cooperation and hierarchy. In fact, several former Haijin TV directors had previously worked at Capital City TV.
Zhu Shaotai had plenty of old colleagues over there. Asking around was no problem at all. He was on the phone for nearly ten minutes. When he hung up, his expression was unreadable, flashing between dark and uncertain.
Little Zhang shifted uneasily in his seat, feeling more and more uncomfortable.
When he'd been sent as the Variety Channel's representative negotiator, he hadn't taken Qian De Media seriously. He never even considered the possibility they'd reject them.
It was normal for Capital City TV to offer a modest acquisition price. And the way Qian De haggled during negotiations made Zhang feel contemptuous.
After all, this drama was only valuable because of Chen Fei'er's name. Without her, Qian De wasn't even remotely qualified to be on Capital City TV's radar, let alone be approached first.
In Zhang's eyes, Qian De was lucky to be getting a seat at the table. And now they were trying to squeeze more money?
Unbelievable.
So, during the negotiations, he deliberately stalled, waiting for them to give in. Even though he was aware Zhedong TV was also in the running, he assumed it would never be a serious threat. He never imagined it would be Haijin Satellite TV, of all people, who swooped in and secured the deal.
Now, he completely understood his boss's frustration.
Since when did Haijin dare come into Capital City's territory and steal their food?
What did they even offer?
He asked cautiously: "Director Zhu, what did they say?"
Zhu glanced at him, then sighed deeply: "They offered a guaranteed minimum buyout of 6 million yuan, premiering the drama in their national satellite channel's primetime slot. On top of that, they've set a performance bonus: for every 0.1% increase in national viewership above a 0.25% average, they'll add another 100,000 yuan."
"With no upper limit."
Little Zhang froze.
"That's… bold of them!"
Zhu Shaotai nodded, his expression grim.
Six million wasn't a number Capital City TV couldn't afford. In fact, it was perfectly reasonable by their standards. But a primetime slot on their main satellite channel, with an uncapped bonus tied to ratings?
Shameless!
"Is Haijin TV really that desperate?" he muttered.
After all, this was a new actor's debut drama produced by a relatively unknown media company. Not exactly a "premium asset."
Zhu Shaotai was almost speechless. Honestly, the contract itself didn't put Haijin TV at much risk, the bonus clause was practically risk-free. All they had to do was swallow their pride and offer enough.
Capital City TV would never stoop to that level.
It would ruin their reputation.
Zhu scowled and muttered: "Well, the contract's already signed. Let's just wait and see, once they take a hit, they'll learn their lesson."
Little Zhang nodded emphatically: "Exactly! A national average rating of 0.25%? That's a fantasy. I'd say they're lucky if it hits 0.1%. Just breaking even would be a miracle!"
He was getting worked up now.
"Qian De Media are idiots too. Selling this to Haijin TV? They should've thought it through! If the show aired on Capital City Variety Channel, syndication rights would've been ten times easier to sell. So short-sighted."
Just look at Ultron Media's weekend drama Urban Love, it was limited to airing on local city channels. And local channel ratings were nowhere near what the Variety Channel pulled in.
As for Haijin Satellite TV's ratings? Please.
Do they even have a single show worth mentioning?
Zhu waved him off.
"Alright, what's done is done. No point dwelling on it. Get back to work."
"Yes, Director Zhu. I'll return to my desk."
After Little Zhang left, Zhu Shaotai slumped back into his chair.
Still… something didn't sit right.
After a moment's thought, he opened his browser and logged into Waves Blog.
(End of Chapter)
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