After hanging up the phone, Liu Huangshan's face turned extremely grim.
"How could this happen?"
He had been keeping a close eye on the animation channel and felt certain there was nothing wrong with the content being broadcast.
Why would Ding Junming suddenly go back on his word?
His alluring female secretary was perched on his lap. "Mr. Liu, what do we do now?"
Liu Huangshan had few redeeming qualities, but he was shameless to the core.
He immediately picked up his phone and called Qiao Liwei.
"Mr. Qiao, I'm so sorry about what happened earlier. I was wondering if my *Big Dog and Second Dog* could still be considered for the golden time slot?"
Qiao Liwei exploded in fury at the mention of the golden slot.
"Golden time slot? Your grandmother's hairy ass!"
He slammed down the phone.
Liu Huangshan's shamelessness knew no bounds. He kept changing his tune, abandoning all dignity. Did he really think CCTV was his personal playground, where he could come and go as he pleased?
After being hung up on, Liu Huangshan's face darkened further.
If the first channel wouldn't sign a deal with him, the children's channel and the Eighth Channel probably wouldn't either. It seemed getting this animation on CCTV was going to be a real struggle.
Liu Huangshan pondered for a moment before calling Lu Duoduo at SouTu Video.
He had saved her number from when she first joined the company as a sales representative.
"Hello, this is Liu Huangshan from Huangshan Art Company. We'd like to discuss a partnership to launch *Big Dog and Second Dog* on your platform. Shall we talk?"
Lu Duoduo politely declined. "I'm sorry, our company is currently fully booked. We've already signed so many animated shows that we don't have any room left. We're not accepting any new projects at the moment."
Liu Huangshan hesitated before hanging up. *Not enough room? Do you think you're a TV station?*
He knew that SouTu Video had recently signed Da Fei's *Bright Sword* and *Peppa Pig*, so their relationship must be very close.
To maintain good relations with Da Fei, they naturally wouldn't sign his *Big Dog and Second Dog*.
Liu Huangshan had just been trying his luck. Since they weren't interested, he let it go.
Besides SouTu Video, there were other platforms like Tianxun Video. He didn't believe Da Fei could monopolize all of them, did he?
***
The viewership for *Peppa Pig* continued to grow. Besides recruiting art designers, Wang Danian was also helping Lin Chudong find actors.
Today, they found three young actors, and Lin Chudong personally interviewed them.
He was very satisfied with the three children.
They were young but had a natural talent for the camera. Their families were all in the industry, and they'd been immersed in it since childhood. Having already worked on film sets as kids, they would undoubtedly be easy to work with.
After personally interviewing the three young actors, Lin Chudong gave Wang Danian detailed specifications for the remaining main cast roles.
He then returned to the office and called Lin Qiqi to arrange a meeting with Sister Song at the company.
Half an hour later, Lin Qiqi and Song Jing arrived at Liangyin Media.
Seeing Lin Chudong's office, Song Jing remarked, "You've got quite a few people here. I heard you also have a film and television department—your office must be too small, right?"
Lin Chudong nodded. "We're planning to move to a larger space soon."
Song Jing's attitude toward Lin Chudong had changed significantly. Previously, she'd thought Lin Qiqi was just a princess who'd fallen for a commoner.
But now, it seemed Da Fei was developing remarkably fast. She wondered if he might even become a capital big shot in the near future.
Lin Qiqi put her hands on her hips and said, "Well? Isn't Da Fei's company impressive? When my contract is up, I'm joining too."
Song Jing's eyes widened. "Nonsense! What would you do there?"
Lin Qiqi pouted. "Why couldn't I join? If I joined, I'd be a Fei Girl too!"
Song Jing rolled her eyes, exasperated. *This girl and her wild ideas.*
Even if Da Fei's company was thriving, it wasn't enough to make Lin Qiqi consider leaving her current position.
Lin Chudong smiled. "It's not impossible, Qiqi. Your contract is up in six months, right? In that time, I might even make significant progress."
"Sister Song, what's your current annual salary? If I poach Qiqi, I'll definitely poach you too."
Song Jing was the company's top agent, having previously managed many successful artists.
After taking on Lin Qiqi, she discovered the young woman was a pampered heiress and promptly retired early to focus on caring for her.
As long as she treated Qiqi well, the Lin family would naturally reward her.
Now, Song Jing was practically semi-retired, managing only Lin Qiqi.
How could Lin Chudong bear to let such a talented woman sit idle?
If his company really grew, and he could poach Sister Song, his workload would instantly become much lighter.
Song Jing shook her head helplessly. "You've got quite the ambition, you little rascal."
"Alright, let's make a verbal agreement. If you can produce two more wildly popular TV dramas in a row, I'll let Qiqi come work for you."
Lin Chudong added, "And you too."
Song Jing chuckled, speechless. "Fine. If you can pull off two hit dramas, Qiqi and I will both come work for you."
Lin Chudong had already achieved the seemingly impossible: two consecutive smash hits with *Beginning* and *Bright Sword*.
In the film industry, there were only a handful of directors who could consistently produce blockbusters—all at the very top of their field.
But in the TV industry, a director who could make one hit after another was virtually unheard of. It defied market logic.
To this day, no director had ever managed to consistently produce hit dramas.
Lin Chudong's feat of two consecutive hits was already extraordinarily rare.
Most directors who had one hit would try to capitalize on it with a sequel, which would invariably underperform. Then they'd move on to other projects.
After all, in the TV industry, the most important thing was to play it safe.
After producing a hit drama, everyone naturally wants to continue making money, and the safest way to do that is to film a sequel.
Da Fei's next project wasn't *Bright Sword 2* or *Beginning 2*. In Song Jing's opinion, this was far too risky, and Da Fei was still too young.
However, if Da Fei could truly pull off hit after hit, Song Jing might consider bringing Lin Qiqi along.
As for the company, if Lin Qiqi decided to leave, the boss would have no choice but to smilingly bid her farewell.
Da Fei handed Song Jing the script and let her read it.
After a few minutes, Song Jing's expression turned serious.
"The script is decent, but it really puts the male lead's acting skills to the test. Are you going to play the role yourself?"
Lin Chudong nodded. "This drama is tailor-made for me."
Song Jing rubbed her chin, a worried look on her face.
"I've seen you perform in skits, and you're good at them, but there's a huge difference between that and being a film and television actor."
"This drama is too risky. We're putting all our eggs in your basket, and even Qiqi doesn't have much room to shine."
Lin Qiqi crossed her arms. "Exactly. My scenes are minimal, so you should ask for less compensation."
Song Jing rolled her eyes. *This girl is really turning her back on her own company!*
Song Jing thought for a moment. "Since I've already agreed, we'll stick to the price Lin Qiqi mentioned earlier. She doesn't want any of the profit herself, so you'll pay the company five million. I'll bring in a sponsor."
Lin Chudong nodded. "Thank you, Sister Song."
This price for signing Lin Qiqi was probably unprecedented in the industry.
After further discussion, they set the start date for filming for the following week. If Lin Qiqi wasn't available, they could shoot other scenes first.
That evening, they all had dinner together. After hearing about the phenomenal success of Lin Chudong's *Peppa Pig*, Song Jing felt her worldview was being completely upended.
"How much did your previous game make?"
Lin Chudong replied, "Around forty million. The sales gradually decreased afterward, so it was just a quick cash grab."
Song Jing was speechless. Although she hadn't played the game herself, she had seen videos of others playing it. It was a typical first-person shooter with a mediocre plot, decent acting, and a pretty female lead.
Just one thing, and it can sell for 40-50 million?
Da Fei has his own film and game divisions, and all the actors are from his company. The cost probably didn't even reach a million, right?
Less than a million, and it rakes in 40-50 million in a week? That profit margin is insane.
He made a fortune on his last game, and now *Peppa Pig* is a hit too?
Even though it's just an animated series, it's still part of the film industry. Song Jing really couldn't understand it.
"Did you outsource all the animation for this series?"
Lin Chudong replied, "Not entirely. I drew all the original art myself, and my own employees handled the keyframes. My art team has about thirty people. The rest of the scenes were outsourced."
If he hired around fifty people, they could probably become self-sufficient and stop outsourcing.
Outsourcing artists were definitely more expensive than his own staff. Plus, their styles sometimes clashed, and many pieces needed revisions due to communication issues, which was a hassle and delayed progress.
After moving to the new office, Lin Chudong's art team expanded to fifty people.
Song Jing was stunned. "The art team has thirty people now?"
*Da Fei's company is growing incredibly fast!*
*That kid is way too bold.*
They'd only produced three episodes of the animated series, yet they dared to hire so many people and invest so much capital as soon as it aired.
Moreover, they signed a contract with CCTV. Weren't they afraid the subsequent episodes might fall short in quality or lose popularity? If the show's reputation tanked, how could they ever work with CCTV again?
Lin Chudong never seemed to worry about such things. He acted as if his work was guaranteed to be a hit.
*That kid has way too much confidence in his own creations.*
And his team was entirely composed of newcomers. Except for one experienced guitarist, the rest were outsiders—a genuine ragtag bunch.
The team members trusted him unconditionally. *Such a team... truly enviable.*
Song Jing had never seen a company like this before, completely centered around Big Fei. Every artistic creation and business strategy was directed by him alone, yet the company was wildly successful. It was truly bizarre.
Just look at the actresses in his company. While they were all quite pretty, there were countless attractive actresses in the industry these days. How could they possibly become famous so easily?
These girls had managed to rise to stardom while staying safely within the company, avoiding the dirty dealings of the entertainment world and the unspoken rules, and without any under-the-table arrangements. This was nothing short of a miracle in the industry.
Following Big Fei might actually be quite promising.
At least, it would make Lin Qiqi happy.
Lin Qiqi wasn't lacking in money; she'd entered the entertainment industry purely out of passion.
So, for her, acting was simply about creating exceptional works.
But now, most film and television dramas are made for profit, with some even cramming in over a dozen sponsors, featuring product placement ads every few minutes.
These money-driven productions naturally suffer in terms of critical acclaim.
But Big Fei's dramas are different.
Especially his last one, *Bright Sword*. Song Jing watched it from beginning to end and noticed not a single product placement ad. It's said the show truly had no sponsors.
And after the recent controversy over student extras, the crew still ate well and lived comfortably despite the lack of sponsors. Big Fei really is different from those other directors.
At the very least, his refusal to rely on sponsorships is enough to earn him respect.
Suddenly, Lin Chudong raised his glass and said, "Everyone, including the sponsors Sister Song brought, we now have six sponsors for this production. Let's toast Sister Song!"
Song Jing: ...
Alright, I'll just pretend I didn't say anything.
***
During dinner, Sun Xuan called.
"Big Fei, the show's set for 10 PM tonight."
Lin Chudong hummed in acknowledgment. "Not bad. At least it's not airing past midnight."
Sun Xuan was speechless. "You're remarkably chill. You're satisfied as long as it's not a late-night slot?"
Lin Chudong chuckled. "What can you do? This is the treatment we get for a documentary. Haha!"
Sun Xuan sighed. "Well, let's see how it goes tonight. If it doesn't take off, our week of hard work will have been for nothing."
"Don't worry, Brother Sun," Lin Chudong reassured him. "It'll be a huge hit."
After hanging up, Song Jing asked curiously, "What kind of show did you do this time?"
"A documentary for CCTV-9. It airs at 10 PM tonight."
Song Jing looked surprised. "You do documentaries too?"
"A little. If you're interested, Sister Song, you can watch it tonight."
Lin Qiqi raised her hand. "I want to watch too!"
Lin Chudong frowned slightly. "I wouldn't recommend it."
"Why not?"
"It's a food documentary. I'm afraid you'll get hungry."
"Hmph! Big Fei, you underestimate me. I have enough self-control for that."
Lin Chudong glanced at her. "Remember what you just said."
***
After the dinner, Song Jing drove Lin Qiqi home.
At the door, Lin Qiqi said, "Sister Song, would you stay with me tonight? My dad's out of town again."
Song Jing thought for a moment. "Alright."
As they entered Lin Qiqi's house, a middle-aged woman hurried over to get them slippers and offer them fresh clothes.
"Miss, Ms. Song, welcome back. I've prepared some late-night snacks—would you like some?"
Lin Qiqi shook her head. "Aunt Li, no thank you. We just ate."
Once they were settled in, Lin Qiqi and Song Jing washed up and then lay in bed watching *Peppa Pig* and other shows for a while.
Lin Qiqi hugged Song Jing's arm. The agent was like a sister to her, and their relationship was very close.
"Sister Song, do you think Big Fei is really that amazing?"
Seeing Lin Qiqi's starry-eyed expression, Song Jing smiled helplessly.
"He is. You should just go ahead and make it official."
Lin Qiqi's cheeks flushed slightly. "But wouldn't that affect his career?"
Song Jing was speechless. "You're not worried about your career, but you're worried about him?"
Lin Qiqi shrugged. "I don't care. As long as I have work, I'm fine. With Big Fei around, I'm not worried about finding jobs."
Song Jing sighed. It was clear the girl had made up her mind about going to Big Fei's company.
She'd have to say something to the boss. Even though the Lin Family was powerful, maintaining appearances was still important.
She'd have to shoot a few more dramas for the boss before she left.
If Lin Qiqi left, Song Jing would definitely follow.
Having worked in the entertainment industry for half her life, Song Jing knew that if she wanted to retire comfortably, she had to cling to Lin Qiqi's coattails.
After retirement, the Lin Family would take care of her, and she wasn't about to pass up such a deal.
But the thought of working for Big Fei made her heart ache.
For starters, she couldn't stand his constant online brawls.
Even before *King of Singers* became a hit, he dared to challenge Zhang Yiran. That kid was a troublemaker, and if Song Jing went with him, she'd inevitably end up worrying herself sick.
*Sigh, maybe this is just fate.*
After watching an idol drama for a while, it was nearly ten o'clock.
Lin Qiqi switched the TV to CCTV-9, waiting for Big Fei's new program.
Song Jing was also feeling sleepy, but she patiently continued watching. She figured the documentary would serve as a lullaby, and she could just go to bed after watching for a bit.
Finally, the program began.
The screen showed a steaming pot of mantou and a variety of delicious-looking dishes, accompanied by elegant music. The show officially started.
*A Bite of China*—Episode 1: Nature's Bounty.
Executive Producer: Sun Xuan
Chief Director: Big Fei
A hint of seriousness crossed Song Jing's face. The opening sequence, the music, and the camera work... this was intriguing.
She wasn't very familiar with documentaries, but most were rather dry. Since this one was directed by Big Fei, she wondered if it might have some unusual elements.
"China, with its vast population, also boasts the world's most diverse natural landscapes."
"Plateaus, mountains, forests, lakes, and coastlines."
"This geographical and climatic range helps species form and thrive."
"No other country possesses such a wealth of potential food resources..."
The television screen showed the changing seasons—wheat ripening, bamboo shoots growing, and finally, a table laden with dishes—all captured with masterful cinematography.
Lin Qiqi exclaimed, "That's Big Fei's voice!"
Big Fei's narration was excellent, as expected from someone who had hosted programs on CCTV. His voice, now serving as the narrator, was remarkably soothing.
Song Jing commented, "These shots are impressive. Big Fei's directorial skills are truly commendable."
The camera work was clearly professional, with lighting and composition that made the visuals both striking and comfortable to watch.
"People gather, collect, dig, and fish to obtain these natural gifts."
"Through the four seasons, we'll soon witness the stories of humans and nature behind these delicacies."
"Yunnan Shangri-La... matsutake, a precious edible mushroom..."
On the bed, Song Jing and Lin Qiqi had shifted from reclining to sitting upright.
Meanwhile, the television displayed a scene of pan-fried matsutake, accompanied by Big Fei's steady, reassuring voice.
"The finest ingredients are often prepared with the simplest methods."
Lin Qiqi swallowed hard.
"Sister Song, I'm starving."
"Me too."
-----------------------
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