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The first season finale of 2 Broke Girls premiered.
That night, Cassius and Kristen huddled in their Beverly Hills villa, ordered Chinese takeout, and sat in front of the TV like ordinary viewers.
Cassius hadn't had a chance to see the finished episode yet, but watching it on TV felt different from filming it.
Because 2 Broke Girls followed a weekly broadcast model!
Filming while airing!
But to not affect their performance state, the actors didn't watch it. It was always the director and writers giving feedback on plot highlights and modifying the story!
"It's quite interesting watching you perform on screen!"
Kristen sat cross-legged on the sofa, picking up a piece of General Tso's Chicken, commenting on Han Lee, who was being rendered speechless by Max on screen.
Cassius ignored her teasing.
His attention was more focused on the pacing of the episode and the final editing effect.
Honestly speaking.
The show was well-made, jokes were dense, and the chemistry between the main cast members truly sparked on screen.
Comparing it in his mind with the plot he had seen in his past life, the quality had obviously gone up a level!
Just then, Rob called!
As soon as he picked up, he heard Rob's voice cracking with excitement:
"20 million! Cass! Do you know what this means?"
Cassius wasn't fully awake yet. "What 20 million?"
"Viewership! 20 million viewers!"
"This show broke the record for highest premiere ratings in the fall season since 2001!"
"Do you know what the rating is for the 18-49 demographic?"
"A full 7.0!"
"Even more incredible is that the subsequent plot is extremely stable. The first season averaged 11.5 million viewers per episode! The rating maintained at 4.0!"
"2 Broke Girls is a hit! A complete hit!"
Now Cassius was fully awake!
20 million!
4.0 rating!
These numbers were shocking enough!
"Media reviews exploded too!"
Rob continued reporting excitedly:
"The New York Times called us the most precise portrayal of the underclass during the economic depression!"
"The Hollywood Reporter praised the script's humor as both sharp and warm..."
"Now the whole internet is calling us a 'loser god-tier show'! Bro god-tier show! You understand?"
"Bro god-tier show" was a term that became popular on social media recently!
Specifically referring to shows loved by young male demographics, carrying a grassroots vibe and rebellious spirit.
Cassius hung up and scrolled through his phone.
Sure enough!
Social media and entertainment sections were almost flooded by 2 Broke Girls!
" 2 Broke Girls: The year's strongest loser counterattack!"
"Did you watch 2 Broke Girls last night? You're out if you didn't!"
"Max's toxic tongue is my spiritual food!"
"Who doesn't want a fallen bestie like Caroline? (Although I'm more like Oleg)"
...
And the discussion about his role, Boss Han Lee, was also unprecedentedly high!
Entertainment Weekly specifically wrote a short review:
"The character Han Lee cleverly subverts the stereotype of Chinese characters in American dramas being either kung fu masters or nerds!"
"He is stingy, neurotic, yet carries a unique comedic sense derived from Eastern philosophy!"
"Cassius's performance precisely grasped this delicate balance, making this character laughable yet inexplicably cute!"
What surprised Cassius even more was that the coin trick he played casually really went viral!
On TikTok and Instagram, a huge number of videos imitating his coin spinning suddenly popped up.
Young people tried with various things:
Coins, bottle caps, game tokens, even cookies!
Paired with the tag #HanLeeCoinTrick.
Challenging who could spin the longest and fanciest!
"Help! I tried all night, the coin flew out and smashed my mom's vase!"
"This thing looks simple, why is it so hard?"
"How exactly did Cassius do it? Does he have bearings in his fingers?"
"Suspect Boss Han Lee was a gambling expert in Las Vegas before working at the diner (Doge face)"
Even several somewhat famous YouTube bloggers released "Han Lee Coin Trick Crash Course Tutorials."
Views shot up!
Kristen scrolled through her phone, laughing and slapping the sofa.
"OMG! Cassius! The whole internet is learning to spin coins from you now!"
Cassius looked at those imitation videos, some successful, some failures, and felt a bit amused.
When he designed this small action, it was just to add some distinctiveness to the character. He didn't expect it to trigger such an imitation wave.
Rob called again, his tone even more hyped this time:
"See that? Video sites are full of you playing with coins!"
"Brands are blowing up my phone! A sports brand wants you to promote their products, saying your coin trick proves your hand coordination is world-class!"
"And a magic prop company wants you to endorse them!"
"Also media interviews! The Ellen Show team sent an invitation! They want you to go on the show and teach Ellen how to spin coins!"
"This is the Ellen Show! National-level talk show!"
Cassius listened to Rob listing various offers like reading a menu, his mood a bit complex.
Happy for sure. Works being recognized, characters resonating—this is what every actor desires.
But the huge attention and commercial pursuit brought by this explosion also required some time for him to digest.
"Also many new scripts sent over. Although many are comedy types, the roles have significant weight."
"A few scripts look pretty good to me. We'll pick together when you come over."
Rob continued reporting good news on his own.
After chatting a few more sentences, Cassius hung up!
Kristen walked over, hugged him from behind, chin resting on his shoulder.
"Hey, superstar, how does it feel?"
Kristen laughed at him, gently biting his ear.
"Cassius, I'm really happy for you, and for the character Han Lee! He's really different!"
Indeed different!
Cassius looked at the discussions on his phone about Han Lee breaking stereotypes and the videos of young people trying hard to imitate the coin trick.
He knew clearly that the decision to insist on modifying the character and adding those Eastern elements and personal designs was right!
The popularity of 2 Broke Girls was like riding a rocket, showing no signs of coming down.
As the episodes aired week by week, ratings stayed firmly at the top of the time slot, and online discussion remained high.
Boss Han Lee's coin trick had become a national challenge on short video platforms!
Even NBA stars were filming videos trying it in locker rooms, although most ended with coins flying everywhere.
Cassius clearly felt his fame rising crazily.
Previously at coffee shops, maybe occasionally someone recognized him as that Chinese actor or Kristen's boyfriend.
Now when he walked into his regular shop, not only asked for autographs and photos, but the barista would proactively make a coin-shaped latte art on his order!
Although to Cassius it looked more like a crooked circle.
"Bro, you're really hot now!"
Chris messaged him teasingly.
"My little niece is learning to spin coins from you and asked if I know that super cool diner boss. I feel my status as Thor is threatened!"
Against this backdrop, Cassius received the salary settlement notice from Warner Bros.
Season 1, 24 episodes, $100,000 per episode!
Looking at the glaring "$2,400,000.00" in the email, Cassius took a deep breath.
This was the first time in his life seeing such a massive number!
It was real income about to hit his account!
The excitement lasted less than three minutes before Rob's call followed closely.
"Saw the number? Feels good, right?"
"Don't rush, next comes the wake-up call! Get ready for America's loving embrace—the IRS."
This money was pre-tax income!
California state tax plus federal tax. Rob calculated roughly for him; almost half would be gone!
Rob explained in his most straightforward way:
"Simply put, of your 2.4 million, the government takes about 1 million first. Consider it the VIP ticket price for living in sunny California and the great USA!"
Cassius: "..."
He felt his heart twitch!