Entertainment from Divorce

The popularity of "I Am a Criminal Investigator" is snowballing. After achieving a 3.05% viewership rating on its premiere, it shows no signs of slowing down, as if it has unleashed an unstoppable criminal investigation storm on television screens.

As the boss of Brilliant Entertainment, Tan Yue is also keeping a close eye on the progress of the TV series he personally wrote the script for.

He would occasionally browse social media discussions during his lunch break, his fingertips swiping across the screen as he saw viewers praising the courageous and resolute character of the police captain in the drama.

Some people deliberately selected and repeatedly played clips of his sharp, piercing gaze in the interrogation room, and the comments section under the video was flooded with praise such as "So cool" and "That gaze can penetrate people's hearts".

People applauded the logical reasoning in the case-solving process, and some netizens even compiled clue diagrams for each episode for in-depth analysis. Even criminal investigation students were forwarding these diagrams, saying that their "professionalism was comparable to teaching cases."

Whenever this happens, Tan Yue would pick up the cup on the table and take a sip of warm, strong tea. The tea leaves were pre-rain Longjing tea sent by others. The mellow aroma of the tea spread on his tongue, and an indescribable sense of accomplishment welled up in his heart.

The next evening, Xiao Cheng sat in front of the television early in the morning.

Her rented room wasn't big, but it was kept cozy and tidy, with various movie and TV drama posters covering the walls. She had placed the promotional poster for "I Am a Detective" in the most conspicuous position.

On the coffee table sits a freshly opened bag of tomato-flavored potato chips, bulging with moisture. Next to it is an ice-cold can of cola, its bottle covered in fine droplets that drip down the sides onto the glass tabletop, creating a small water stain.

She gripped the remote tightly in her hand, her knuckles turning slightly white, her eyes fixed on the television screen, afraid of missing a single shot of the opening sequence.

Sichuan TV broadcasts two episodes of "I Am a Criminal Investigator" every day, which makes Xiao Cheng, who is used to watching dramas at double speed, both look forward to it and feel that it is not enough.

She had set her alarm for half an hour before the broadcast, and even for dinner she hurriedly ate a few bites of takeout before sitting upright on the sofa, as if waiting for a grand ceremony.

Meanwhile, in the drama department of Brilliant Entertainment, director Lin Qingye was anxiously waiting for the ratings to be updated on the State Administration of Culture's official website at 10:00 AM the next morning.

His home was decorated in a low-key yet stylish manner. The grandfather clock in the living room was in a retro European style, with a wooden pendulum swinging back and forth and ticking away. Each tick seemed to strike his tense nerves.

He paced back and forth on the floor, his leather slippers rustling against the wooden floor, as he recalled every detail of the filming.

To film the scene of the arrest in the rain, the actors spent three hours in the muddy water of late autumn. The cold rain mixed with mud seeped into their collars, and the lead actor's lips turned purple from the cold, and his teeth chattered incessantly, but he insisted on not using a stunt double.

To present a realistic interrogation scene, they specially invited retired criminal police officer Lao Wang to provide guidance, and even practiced the intonation of the sentence "You have the right to remain silent" twenty times.

Old Wang said, "This line must be powerful, but not threatening. It must make the suspect feel the majesty of the law, but also leave room for maneuver." The actors then repeatedly pondered in front of the mirror until Old Wang nodded in approval.

The hot milk my wife brought had gone cold on the table, and a thin film of milk residue had formed on the inside of the cup.

He was completely unaware of this, feeling both anticipation and trepidation, fearing that his direction might not have fully captured the deeper meanings hidden between the lines in Tan Yue's script, such as the fleeting tenderness beneath the seemingly tough exterior of the criminal police captain when facing the victims' families. He had communicated with the actors about these subtle emotional layers no less than ten times.

At 10:00 a.m. the next morning, Lin Qingye's fingers trembled slightly on the mouse, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his palms. He refreshed the State Administration of Culture's official website as if pressing a crucial trigger button.

When he saw the ratings for "I Am a Detective" for the second day—3.58%—he jumped up from his chair in excitement, almost knocking over the mug of cold coffee next to him. The mug wobbled three times on the edge of the table, the bottom of the mug hitting the table with a soft "clang" before it finally came to a stop.

He grabbed the printed ratings report and strode towards Qian Tao's office. His leather shoes made a crisp sound on the marble floor of the corridor, like a string of cheerful notes, his voice filled with barely suppressed excitement.

"Director Qian, look! The ratings for the second day have already risen to 3.58%, which is much higher than the first day! The online discussion is also getting more and more heated!"

Qian Tao took the report, tapped the data lightly with his finger, the warmth of his fingertips seemingly able to smooth out the wrinkles on the paper, and a gratified smile appeared on his face: "Not bad, not bad, this result is very gratifying. It seems that our publicity plan has been very successful, but we cannot relax. We must take advantage of this momentum and continue to increase our publicity efforts."

"I have asked my colleagues in the marketing department to prepare some new promotional materials, which will be released on major platforms tomorrow. There are many behind-the-scenes stories from the filming, such as how the actors' arms were so sore from practicing gun-holding postures that they could not lift them, how they had to use spoons to feed each other, and how Lao Wang was both amused and exasperated by our 'pestering' during the instruction."

Lin Qingye nodded, his eyes sparkling with excitement. His fingers unconsciously rubbed the edge of the report, causing the paper to curl slightly.

"That's a good idea, but we need to choose segments that showcase the actors' professionalism."

Qian Tao picked up the celadon teacup on the table and took a sip. The tea leaves slowly unfurled in the water, like a group of leisurely green butterflies. "Have your agent arrange it and finalize it as soon as possible, preferably within the recording schedule for next week's show. Oh, and remember to have them bring the prop from the show—that old handcuff that's been used for over twenty years. The wear marks on the handcuffs were all personally polished by Lao Wang. It'll definitely pique the audience's interest."

As the company's boss, Tan Yue was also among the first to learn of the rising viewership ratings.

He was in his office processing documents for a film project, the pen tip making the final stroke of his signature on the contract, the ink spreading out in a full dot on the paper.

Chen Ye tiptoed in, placed the printed ratings report on his desk, and whispered, "Mr. Tan, this is the latest ratings data for 'I Am a Criminal Investigator'."

Tan Yue put down his pen, the metal cap striking the table with a crisp sound, like a pebble thrown into a calm lake.

He picked up the report and looked at it carefully. When he saw the figure of 3.58%, a smile appeared on his lips, and the fatigue in his eyes was greatly relieved by this smile.

He poured a lot of effort into this drama, and he was genuinely happy to see it achieve such success.

Tan Yue casually picked up his phone and sent Lin Qingye a message: "Congratulations, keep it up. The later plot will be more intense, and the ratings will be even higher."

After sending the message, Tan Yue returned to her work.

After finishing my work, I went to the editing room.

The editing room was dimly lit, with only the cold light from the computer screens illuminating the focused faces of the staff. The air was filled with the mixed smells of coffee and film, and the coffee machine in the corner was still bubbling away. The staff stared at the computer screens, their fingers rapidly tapping on the keyboards, carefully adjusting every shot of the film, not missing a single second of footage.

The angle of starlight reflected from the space station's portholes and the concentration of fog on the astronauts' helmet visors had to be repeatedly compared with reference materials, and experts from the space agency were even consulted to ensure that every detail conformed to scientific principles.

Hong Yuanda knocked and came in, carrying a steaming cup of coffee. Water droplets condensed on the cup slowly slid down the side of the cup, forming a small puddle on the tray. He said softly, "Mr. Tan, you've been busy all afternoon. Take a break. This is Blue Mountain coffee that I just bought from that old shop on the corner. Try it. Their beans are ground especially finely today."

Tan Yue took the coffee and placed it on the coaster on the corner of the table. The warm touch on his fingertips dispelled some of his fatigue.

He looked up and smiled, the weariness in his eyes dispelled by the smile: "It's alright, I'm not sleepy yet. By the way, how's the post-production of the movie going? Are there any problems with the special effects? The trajectory of the debris in the space station explosion scene must conform to the laws of physics, without any obvious flaws. In the sample footage I saw last time, one piece of debris was moving 0.5 seconds faster than expected. Remember to have them fix it."

Hong Yuanda took out his notebook and flipped through it, the pages making a slight rustling sound: "The special effects are more than half done. The production team said there are basically no major problems, except that the lighting effects of a few shots still need to be adjusted - such as the distribution of light spots when the asteroid hits the capsule. They said they will try to work overtime today to finish it, and it is estimated that it will be completed in another week."

Tan Yue smiled with satisfaction, leaned back in his chair and stretched, his joints making a series of soft cracking sounds, like the turning of an old door hinge: "Good, tell them to hurry up and try to finish it as soon as possible."

As the days went by, the ratings for "I Am a Criminal Investigator," updated on the State Administration of Culture's official website at 10 a.m. every day, continued to climb, from 3.8% to 4.2%, like a steadily rising stock curve.

Every percentage point increase sparked heated discussions online, and it quickly surpassed 4%, becoming one of the most popular TV series of the year.

The main actors in the drama have become the focus of discussion among netizens. The male lead's portrayal of a tough guy with a tender heart has won over countless fans, while the female lead has impressed with her crisp action scenes and delicate acting skills.

Xiao Cheng's fan base has grown significantly due to her frequent posting of short videos about the show.

Her videos not only include plot analysis and commentary on the actors' performances, but she also occasionally cosplays characters from the show, showing both playfulness and seriousness.

Some crime-themed apps even approached her for collaborations and promotions, with prices that shocked this student.

Her short video comment section has become a forum for drama fans to communicate, with people discussing the development of the case every day.

"I think that seemingly innocent neighbor must have a problem."

Will the mystery of the captain's background be revealed in the next episode?

There were also lawyer fans who volunteered to explain the legal clauses involved in the drama.

"The arrest procedures here are fully compliant with Article 81 of the Criminal Procedure Law," the atmosphere was lively yet harmonious.

a few days later.

Chen Ye compiled the collected audience feedback into a report and handed it to Tan Yue.

"Mr. Tan, this is the audience feedback on the concept poster for 'Interstellar'. Everyone has high expectations. Some netizens said, 'Just looking at the black hole effect in the poster makes me feel like the budget is burning.' Some sci-fi fans analyzed the distribution of galaxies in the poster and guessed that the plot may involve time travel."

To gauge audience reaction to science fiction films, Tan Yue commissioned Hong Yuanda to create a concept poster.

On the poster, a lone spaceship floats in the depths of space, with a black hole devouring light in the background, the color scheme is cold and mysterious.

Tan Yue flipped through the report, his brows relaxing: "It seems that everyone is quite receptive to science fiction themes. Have the publicity department continue to follow up, and release some trailers to whet the appetite whenever there is new progress in editing, such as the clip of astronauts walking in a weightless environment, which should be able to spark discussion."

"I Am a Criminal Investigator" concluded its run with an average viewership rating of 4.8%.

Cheng continues to share her life and opinions on various film and television works on Douyin.
She has gained over five million followers and has even established her own studio, signing several bloggers who share her passion for film and television commentary.

From an ordinary girl who watches TV dramas, she has become a well-known self-media personality.

Interstellar is still undergoing final polishing after months of meticulous editing.

Hong Yuanda led his team to strive for perfection in every shot, even down to the speed of cloud movement in the reflection of Earth on the astronaut's helmet, ensuring that every detail of the film achieved the best effect.

Although it is not yet completed, many industry insiders have already heard about the film and expressed their anticipation. Some film critics predict that "this may be the most anticipated hard science fiction work of the year."

Looking at the progress report, Tan Yue said, "The editing of 'Interstellar' is nearing completion. Everyone, let's work harder and strive to finish all post-production work next month. After that, we will arrange an internal screening to collect everyone's opinions and make final adjustments."

Chen Ziyu added, "Once the film is fully completed, we can begin comprehensive promotional work. The marketing department has developed a detailed promotional plan covering multiple online and offline channels. Online, we will collaborate with sci-fi KOLs to generate buzz, and offline, we will hold roadshows in twenty cities across the country to ensure that more audiences learn about this film."

Tan Yue looked at Hong Yuanda: "Is there anything else the company needs to cooperate on regarding editing?"

Hong Yuanda adjusted his glasses and said, "Everything is going smoothly so far, except for a few special effects shots that require assistance from an overseas team to improve. They have more experience in visually representing the gravitational field of a black hole. I'm already communicating with them, so it shouldn't affect the overall progress."

Tan Yue nodded: "Okay, please raise any questions promptly, and the company will provide full support."

Everyone has high expectations for *Interstellar*, and it's believed that this hard science fiction film, which embodies the hard work of many, will deliver a stunning audiovisual feast to audiences upon completion. (End of Chapter)