China Entertainment’s rescue plan is hard to come by

Chapter 993 Central Bank: How dare you? [Two-in-One]

Sun Yi was very fast, no, he was very efficient.

After receiving Yu Yuanshan's call, he replied the next day that he had agreed in principle to CCTV's invitation and was willing to serve as the "external" chief director of this year's Spring Festival Gala.

However, this is contingent on both parties reaching an agreement on the specific cooperation terms.

Yu Yuanshan was overjoyed and reported the situation to Zheng Chaoyang that same day. He then set a time with Sun Yi for specific negotiations between the two sides.

Because of the urgency of the situation, there was no room for further delay, so the negotiation date was set for the next day. This meant that both the Arts and Entertainment Center and Starry Sky had only one day left to prepare.

The Arts and Entertainment Center is doing alright. Although it's their first time collaborating with an "external" director, no one knows the Spring Festival Gala better than them.

Knowing which aspects are negotiable, which are permissible, and which are absolutely non-negotiable is basically a piece of cake; the only thing to consider is whether the leader agrees.

As for the starry sky, there are many more things to prepare.

After all, neither Sun Yi nor Xingkong had experience organizing such a large-scale cultural performance, especially a live broadcast.

However, although they have never held a live-streamed gala before, Starry Sky has plenty of experience with large-scale events.

Examples include the company's annual party, Starry Sky Video's flagship variety show "The Voice of China," and last year's national tour concert for Liu Yifei.

As long as you follow the example, there shouldn't be any major problems.

October 11, 9:30 a.m., CCTV building.

Sun Yi, accompanied by General Manager Yang Fan, Business Department Director Guo Ming, and a legal advisor, arrived on time at the entrance of the conference room in the Arts and Entertainment Center. All three were dressed formally, with composed expressions and unhurried steps, creating a subtle contrast with the slightly hurried CCTV staff in the corridor.

Miss Liu didn't come to join in the fun today. She knew that today's negotiations would be very serious and intense, which was not suitable for her, so she obediently stayed at home and waited for news of Sun Yi's victory.

Inside the meeting room, Director Zheng Chaoyang sat in the main seat, accompanied by Deputy Directors Hu Weimin and Yu Yuanshan. Also present were the heads of several core departments, including the center's programs, production, and technology departments, as well as an official from the station's legal department.

The long conference table was so shiny it reflected light, and the atmosphere was so serious it was almost solemn.

"Director Sun, welcome, please have a seat." Zheng Chaoyang stood up with a formulaic smile, shook hands with Sun Yi, and sharply glanced at the two people behind him.

"Director Zheng, hello."

Sun Yi shook hands in return.

After exchanging pleasantries and taking their seats, without any unnecessary formalities, Zheng Chaoyang got straight to the point:

"Director Sun, thank you and your team for taking the time. On behalf of the Arts and Entertainment Center, I have high expectations for your appointment as the chief director of the Spring Festival Gala. We also hope to finalize the specific details of the cooperation as soon as possible so that the preparation work can get on the fast track. Today, let's be open and honest and put all the rights, responsibilities, and benefits on the table to talk things through thoroughly."

"Director Zheng, you're too kind. This is exactly what we wanted." Sun Yi smiled and nodded, glanced at Yu Yuanshan opposite him, and then turned to signal Yang Fan.

Yang Fan opened the folder in his hand, his voice clear and calm:
"Director Zheng, Director Hu, Director Yu, and distinguished leaders. We at Xingkong highly value this opportunity for cooperation. Before the formal discussion, we have prepared a 'Key Suggestions for Cooperation Framework,' the core of which can be summarized as follows: As the chief director, Director Sun Yi needs to take full responsibility for the final artistic presentation of the Spring Festival Gala. Therefore, we believe that we need to have full decision-making control in the following key aspects."

Zheng Chaoyang and the others exchanged glances and nodded to signal that they should continue.

Yang Fan turned to the first page, “First, the artistic creativity and program structure leadership. This includes the overall theme, chapter division, program type ratio, and the tone of innovative forms of the gala. The core plan should be proposed by the general director team and determined after full communication with the center. The subsequent specific program idea solicitation and selection criteria should also be guided by the aesthetic and artistic requirements of the general director team.”

As soon as he finished speaking, one of the program department managers frowned slightly. Yu Yuanshan glanced at Zheng Chaoyang but remained silent.

Hu Weimin, standing to the side, frowned and pondered seriously:
"First of all, our center certainly trusts Director Sun's artistic vision. However, the composition of the Spring Festival Gala's programs has its traditional and functional considerations, and is relatively complex, which is not Director Sun's forte. For example, the proportion and direction of programs such as opera, acrobatics, and ethnic unity are not what I believe is appropriate."

No, we can't make that mistake.

Upon hearing this, Sun Yi decisively interrupted Hu Weimin's speech.

Traditional opera and acrobatics are indeed not his forte, but the concept of ethnic unity is a very broad one.

The entire Spring Festival Gala can be called "National Unity," and who dares to say no!
This is clearly a word game with him.

"Director Hu, I understand the multiple functions that the Spring Festival Gala carries. But you may have misunderstood. When I said I wanted to take the lead in the proposal, I didn't mean to cancel these necessary segments, but rather to have more creative space in terms of presentation, artistic packaging, and integration with modern aesthetics."

"Just like you mentioned, can opera and acrobatic programs simply be copied from previous years? Can they be packaged with more modern stage design and more cinematic camera language to make them attractive to young audiences? This requires directors to have enough decision-making power to try."

"Director Sun, this is..."

Hu Weimin was displeased that Sun Yi had interrupted his speech and was thinking of refuting him, but after listening to what he had said, he couldn't find a single point to counter.

The tone set by the Taiwan leadership is innovation; do you dare say we'll stick to the format of previous years?

Sun Yi didn't give him a chance to think further and looked directly at Zheng Chaoyang, who was in charge. "Director Zheng, what I mean is that the center can make certain requirements on the type, elements, and even proportions of the program, but the specific implementation should be done by me, the director, rather than just following the script."

Zheng Chaoyang remained silent, tapping his fingers lightly on the table, neither agreeing nor disagreeing: "Please continue."

Yang Fan glanced at Sun Yi and decisively turned to the second page.

"Second, regarding the right to lead and make suggestions on program selection and actor invitation."

"The general director team should be responsible for forming a professional review panel, establishing an open and transparent selection process, and conducting artistic evaluations of all submitted programs. The final list of selected programs should be confirmed by the general director's signature. The general director team should have the primary right to make suggestions and negotiate on the invitation of main actors, performing groups, and guests, with the center assisting in communication."

This time, Hu Weimin's expression was even more unpleasant.

Harvin, sitting to his left, spoke up decisively.

“Director Sun, General Manager Yang, the lineup of performers for the Spring Festival Gala involves a wide range of people, many of whom have been our long-term partners in the Arts and Entertainment Center. There are also recommendations and considerations from various parties involved. If the director team decides entirely, it will probably be very difficult in practice and could easily lead to unnecessary conflicts.”

This time, Sun Yi didn't hold back either, calmly responding:
“We are not talking about abandoning all existing relationships and considerations. We are talking about ‘leadership’ and ‘primary advisory power’.”

"This means establishing a more professional selection mechanism with the highest priority on the artistic quality of the program. Of course, the center can propose a list of candidates, which we will evaluate together. However, if a candidate is strongly recommended for reasons other than meeting the artistic quality standards, we hope to have the space for rejection based on artistic principles. Otherwise, the director cannot be responsible for the final quality of the program."

He spoke politely, but his meaning was very firm, practically saying: Don't force a bunch of people with connections in, or you'll ruin the overall effect, and he definitely won't take the blame for that.

The meeting room was silent for a few seconds. The heads of the arts center looked at each other, then looked at Zheng Chaoyang, and no one spoke.

The staff in the legal department were taking notes with their heads down.

Zheng Chaoyang's face remained expressionless, only his brows were furrowed, and he continued to ask, "And third?"

Yang Fan continued: "Third, the right to form the core creative and production team."

"Key positions, including but not limited to deputy director, dance director, music director, language program coordinator, visual director, and production manager, should be nominated or approved by the director and appointed and supported by the center. This is to ensure that the team is united in thought and executes efficiently."

Wow, that's great!

The first demand was for program rights, the second for actor rights, and now the third demand is directly for personnel rights.

Even Yu Yuanshan broke out in a sweat after hearing this.

Hu Weimin glared at Sun Yi with an expression of utter disrespect, as if to say, "How dare you!"

Sun Yi completely ignored him. Before coming, he had already learned about this man's stance from Yu Yuanshan. He was clearly on the opposing side, and arguing with him would be a waste of time.

Just talk to Zheng Chaoyang, who has the authority to make decisions.

Seeing that Director Zheng still hadn't made a statement, Sun Yi gave Yang Fan a wink.

The latter immediately understood and turned the page.

Holy crap! There's a fourth one?!
The eyes of the several officials present nearly popped out of their sockets.

They dared to set conditions for CCTV, and even set four major conditions in a row. They had never seen anything like it in all their years of work.

Sun Yi is truly awesome.

"Fourth, the final approval authority for technical production and visual presentation."

"Regarding this year's Spring Festival Gala program, all stage design, lighting schemes, sound engineering, special equipment (such as wire work and AR technology applications), visual effects packaging, etc., should be based on the technical scheme and artistic requirements approved by the chief director as the final execution standard. The center should approve it, and relevant technical departments should fully cooperate to achieve it."

The head of the technical department opened his mouth as if to say something, but seeing Zheng Chaoyang's look, he swallowed his words.

"fifth."

There isn't one yet!!!
Seeing that none of the people opposite him responded, Yang Fan didn't wait any longer and continued.

"The highest on-site command authority for the Spring Festival Gala rehearsals and live broadcast process."

"During rehearsals and live broadcasts, the chief director has the final scheduling and decision-making authority in the control room based on artistic and safety considerations. Unless there are major political or safety hazards, the instructions should be carried out without fail, and the center should provide guarantees."

After saying that, he closed the folder. The center's leaders were all dumbfounded.

Each of these points is clear, concise, and directly addresses the core issue.

This isn't a negotiation; it's more like they're holding a list of "director's independent kingdoms" and demanding "authorization."

Yes, it's a request, not a demand.

Zheng Chaoyang leaned back in his chair, the perfunctory smile on his face long gone.

He had anticipated that if he chose Sun Yi, he might be asked for an exorbitant price.

But to my utter surprise, the opening was so wide.

Some of the relevant permissions have already exceeded his level as the director of the program center.

But time and internal pressures are not on his side, and now he can only grit his teeth and move forward.

He glanced around at his subordinates, then looked at Sun Yi and the others, and slowly said, "Director Sun, your team is very well prepared. These requests are reasonable, and I understand them. A director needs the corresponding authority to be responsible for his work."

"but."

He changed the subject, clearly emphasizing his tone.

“You also need to understand the special nature of the Spring Festival Gala. It’s not like a movie that you can just film and call it a day. It involves too many aspects. The control you mentioned will conflict with existing work processes, personnel arrangements, and even established practices in many places. If it is done entirely according to your requirements, the resistance will be very large, which may affect work efficiency and may even lead to the paralysis of certain links.”

"Our program center is responsible for the entire Spring Festival Gala, and I must ensure that it is presented to the national audience on time, correctly, safely, and perfectly."

"Director Zheng, I understand the difficulties you mentioned, and I agree with the responsibilities you spoke of."

Sun Yi sat up straight, meeting his gaze without backing down.

"But I would like to ask in return: if all you want is a director who is 'obedient' and 'cooperates with the existing process', then why go through the trouble of hiring someone from outside? I believe that the directors within the center, such as this Director Ha, are perfectly capable of doing the job."

Harvin's eyes blazed with fury, but he didn't dare to provoke Zheng Chaoyang.

Sun Yi ignored her and continued speaking.
"Isn't what the Taiwanese leadership is seeking precisely 'change' and 'breakthrough'? And any change will inevitably touch upon the existing structure and interests. If, out of fear of resistance, the director's hands and feet are tied beforehand, then what is the point of talking about so-called 'innovation'?"

"The final product will likely be another compromise among all parties, a product with blurred identities. Is that the outcome the station's leadership wants to see? Is that what the program center wants to see? Is that what Director Zheng expects? Is that what the national audience expects? Or is that the kind of reputation I, Sun Yi, am willing to bear?"

He asked a series of rhetorical questions, each one more forceful than the last.

Sun Yi paused, his tone earnest, but his core remained as hard as iron.
"I came here to create a different kind of Spring Festival Gala, to challenge the 'impossible' aspects of the Gala. This requires risk, trust, and genuine authorization. If the center cannot provide sufficient support in this regard, then I'm afraid I will find it difficult to shoulder this heavy responsibility."

“This is not a threat, but the truth. I don’t lack the empty title of ‘Chief Director of the Spring Festival Gala,’ what I lack is a stage where I can truly showcase my talents.”

These words were quite direct, even somewhat "harsh." Yu Yuanshan, listening nearby, could hardly sit still. Zheng Chaoyang's facial muscles twitched involuntarily.

The air in the meeting room seemed to freeze. The people from CCTV didn't look too happy.

Sun Yi's "bottom line" is very clear: if he is not given real power, he would rather not do it at all.

The stalemate lasted for a full minute.

Suddenly, Zheng Chaoyang smiled, but the smile didn't reach his eyes. He sat up straight again, placing his hands crossed on the table:
"Director Sun is indeed a man of few words, young and promising, and full of courage. Okay, let's talk about 'real power' today."

He looked at the staff in the legal department.

"Director Wang, from a legal and contractual perspective, if we grant Director Sun 'leading authority' or 'final decision-making power' in areas such as artistic creation, program selection, team building, and technical production, are there any legal or internal station regulations that would pose obstacles? How would the ultimate boundaries of responsibility be defined?"

Director Wang, who had remained silent throughout the meeting, adjusted his glasses and cautiously replied:
“From the perspective of contract law, it is permissible to clearly stipulate rights and obligations. 'The right to take the lead' and 'the right to make suggestions' can be included as contract clauses.”

"However, it needs to be made clear that, according to the publicity management regulations and the station's internal system, all content broadcast during the Spring Festival Gala must undergo a final political and content security review. The station reserves the final review and veto power. This is an inviolable red line."

"Under this premise, the creative, production, and screening authority at the front end can be delegated or authorized to a greater extent. In terms of responsibility, the director is responsible for the artistic quality, and the station is responsible for the safe broadcast."

Zheng Chaoyang nodded and looked at Sun Yi again:
"Director Sun, you heard that. The station must retain the final review authority. This is the bottom line, it's to protect you and me, and it's also about being responsible to the people of the whole country. Can you understand and accept this?"

Sun Yi nodded: "I completely understand. This is a matter of principle, and I accept it."

“Okay!” Zheng Chaoyang seemed to have made up his mind. “Then, within the framework that Director Wang mentioned—that is, under the premise that the station retains the final right of security review—we can talk more specifically.”

Zheng Chaoyang's words basically set the tone for today's negotiations.

The negotiations then entered a truly crucial phase. Every word and phrase was contested and defined by both sides.

Regarding program selection, Sun Yi insisted on having the "director's final approval right," while Zheng Chaoyang initially only agreed to the "right to make important suggestions."

After several rounds of back-and-forth, Zheng Chaoyang conceded: "A final review panel composed of the director, center representatives, and external experts can be set up, but the director has a 'veto right for artistic quality' and can reject programs that clearly do not meet artistic standards."

However, if the center has strong reasons to believe that a rejected program must be retained, a 'special review procedure' can be initiated, with a decision made by a higher level within the station. — This essentially gives directors a powerful weapon, but leaves an extremely narrow backdoor requiring very high-level intervention.

Regarding team formation, Zheng Chaoyang agreed that key positions should be nominated by Sun Yi, but this needed to be reported to the center for record-keeping. The center would "support this in principle and not reject it without a legitimate reason." The definition of this "legitimate reason" went through some debate and was finally vaguely defined as "clearly not meeting the basic requirements of the position or posing significant compliance risks."

Regarding the final technical review, Zheng Chaoyang ultimately agreed: "Provided that the budget framework and safety have been verified and approved by the technical department, the artistic and technical combination scheme approved by the director team shall be the final execution standard."

The negotiations lasted from morning until afternoon, with only a brief working lunch in between. Both sides' lawyers and assistants continuously revised the wording of the terms. The atmosphere fluctuated between tense and relaxed.

Sun Yi has always firmly grasped one core principle: the "right to submit" programs must be completely in his own hands.

In other words, the final list, order, and content of the programs submitted for review must be selected and arranged by his team before being formally submitted to the review department. It's not that the review department first sets a framework or throws in a bunch of specific "required options," forcing him to work only within that framework.

This is the most crucial point, completely breaking CCTV's traditional procedures, and it's also the point that troubled Zheng Chaoyang the most.

This means that the review department can only say "Yes" or "No" to what Sun Yi submits, but cannot decide in advance what he should and shouldn't do. At most, they can only give Sun Yi a general category, such as requiring opera-type programs, but the review department has no say in what the specific program is, what form it should take, or how it should be presented.

Furthermore, if the censorship department says "No" to a program, but Sun Yi believes that the program must be preserved artistically, then according to the agreement, the two parties will be at an impasse, with neither able to do anything about the other.

Reviewing department: Not approved, rejected.

Sun Yi: Second submission.

The reviewing department: We won't approve it.

Sun Yi: I'll report it again!

A dead end!!
"Director Sun, if this happens, there might be no room for maneuver if disagreements arise." Zheng Chaoyang rubbed his temples, looking extremely tired. He was already starting to regret choosing Sun Yi.

Too difficult.

Sun Yi's gaze remained clear as he replied firmly:
"Director Zheng, room for maneuver should be based on sufficient communication and professional mutual trust in the early stages, rather than on compromise and ambiguity afterward."

“I oversee the artistic quality, and you oversee the safety red lines. We each perform our duties and trust each other’s professional judgment. If I submit a program that I think is necessary and excellent from an artistic point of view, but you think it is risky in terms of review, then we can sit down and discuss it based on specific clauses and facts, and even make modifications and adjustments. If all else fails, there are still higher-level leaders.”

“But if I didn’t have full reporting rights from the beginning, then there would be no ‘leading’ to speak of, and I would not be able to take responsibility for the final artistic integration effect.”

He paused, then uttered a sentence that sent a chill down the spines of everyone present.

"If an irreconcilable disagreement arises, and a program I believe must be broadcast while the censors deem it absolutely unacceptable, then at least the conflict is public and clear. At that point, we'll see whose reasoning is more tenable and who can withstand the pressure better."

"Of course, I know that if it really comes to that, the station can exercise its final decision-making power and force it through or veto it. But doing so would mean that the foundation of our cooperation—'trust and authorization'—would be broken."

"Although CCTV is a national department with ultimate authority, I, Sun Yi, and Xingkong will not swallow our anger. If we go that far, it will be a lose-lose situation for the Spring Festival Gala, for CCTV's reputation, and for me personally. There will be no winners."

"I believe that neither you nor the leaders of the station want to see that kind of situation. Therefore, what we need to do is to establish the smoothest communication and the clearest rules in the early stages to avoid that situation from happening as much as possible."

This statement, while seemingly gentle, carries a firm edge. It demonstrates respect for the rules, while also clearly defining the bottom line and offering a potential warning of countermeasures. It means: I respect your right to final review, but you must also respect my right to submit proposals. If you abuse your review power and unreasonably reject proposals, leading to a breakdown in cooperation, I have my own methods and influence, making it not impossible for CCTV to suffer a net loss.

Zheng Chaoyang stared at Sun Yi for a long time, as if trying to get to know this young man again. Finally, he let out a long breath, as if a huge burden had been lifted, or as if he had made an extremely difficult decision.

He picked up his pen and heavily circled a key clause next to the densely revised draft agreement in front of him, then said to Director Wang of the Legal Affairs Department:
"Let's revise it according to Director Sun's suggestion. The chief director has full authority to submit the program. The station retains the final review authority based on safe broadcasting regulations. Both parties should establish a regular and efficient communication mechanism to reach a consensus on potential issues before submission."

After speaking, he pointed to the agreement on the table, looked at Sun Yi, and his eyes were filled with complex emotions:
"Director Sun, I've given you almost all the authority I can. I even had to apply to the station leaders. I've set up the stage for you; the rest is up to you. I hope our mutual trust won't reach the point where we have to 'see who can withstand the pressure.'"

Sun Yi smiled, extended his hand, and solemnly shook hands with Zheng Chaoyang:
"Director Zheng, thank you for your trust and support. I guarantee with my professional expertise and reputation that I will do my utmost to produce a show that not only meets the requirements of the Spring Festival Gala but also impresses the audience. I will definitely not let you and the station leaders down."

"hope so!"

(End of this chapter)