Be reborn and be happy to the fullest

"Who can calculate this kind of traffic? Are you suggesting that all the traffic from searching for South Korean beauties across the entire internet should be attributed to your 'Temptation of Returning Home' production team?"

"Of course not! If we want Director Wu to accept the bet, it naturally has to be tested by you. Let's promote it at the current pace for three days, and then the outcome of the bet will be determined by the amount of traffic you generate. How about that?"

"Huh? That's certainly true, but you trust me that much? Even if you really have a lot of traffic, do you think I won't rule that you've lost?"

"Of course I trust Director Wu, otherwise why would I cooperate with you?"

Yang Kangcheng's words were complete nonsense. Although he and Director Wu were classmates, they hadn't seen each other for many years. Now that they were working for different masters, how could he possibly trust them?

Besides, this is a bet, and what kind of bet requires the other party to verify it?

Director Wu was puzzled and tentatively asked about the "betting details." Yang Kangcheng chuckled and said, "That's simple. Whoever wins, the contract will be signed according to the other party's wishes!"

Instantly, Director Wu's face lit up with a smile. He felt that Yang Kangcheng knew he couldn't reach an agreement and had given himself a way out: three days later, he could use "poor traffic" as an excuse to announce that he had won the bet and make the agreement follow Mango TV's standards!

"Great! Hahaha, Mr. Yang, you're too kind. Tonight it's my treat, let's go..."

Director Wu, who was on the client side, was unusually kind to the contractor...

Yang Kangcheng did not refuse, but said that since this was Lenghai, it was only natural for him, as the host, to treat everyone. That evening, Shuoguo Culture sent a group of strong men led by Yang Kangcheng to "serve" Director Wu and his party very well. Everyone was happy and harmonious.

Meanwhile, online hype surrounding "South Korean beauties" began to rise. Choo Ja-sun was already a rare beauty, and as one of the few South Korean female celebrities currently making public appearances in China, the sudden media reports about "South Korean beauties" gave online viewers a refreshing feeling.
"I remember Kim Hee-sun was the number one beauty in South Korea. Where did this one come from?"

"Regardless of whether it's Kim Hee-sun or Choo Ja-sun, just tell me, isn't she beautiful?"

"I used to really like watching Korean dramas, and now it's actually Korean stars coming to China to promote their products?"

"South Korean beauties are truly different; their looks and charisma are amazing, far superior to those in China!"

The internet in 11 was very free and unrestrained because no one knew who was on the other end, so it was easy to reveal one's true self. South Korean beauties were pretty, so naturally many people liked them—these people didn't care about plastic surgery, makeup, or anything else behind it.

By evening, photos of the four South Korean beauties, led by Choo Ja-sun, were no longer just circulating in small media outlets; many major media outlets also published official reports on them.

For example, Tencent Entertainment News published a photo and text report, the first paragraph of which clearly stated that Choo Ja-sun was once praised as "South Korea's No. 1 Beauty" by Han Dae-jik, the president of SN Entertainment - similar to the title of "No. 1 Beauty" for Kim Hee-sun and others, which also came from this.

The second paragraph features a large collection of beautiful pictures of Choo Ja-seon, more than half of which are her makeup and styling in "Temptation of Returning Home." The subtle charm she exudes at home perfectly captures the essence of every man's heart!
It's not until the third paragraph that the article subtly reveals Qiu Cixianci's purpose for coming to China: to participate in the promotion of the "Temptation of Returning Home" project, and only then does it begin to introduce the project...

Reincarnated individuals like Li Shuo would immediately realize upon seeing this article that it was a purchased piece of low-quality content, a press release. However, netizens these days are immediately drawn to Qiu Cixian's beautiful pictures, then become engrossed in them, quickly discovering the key point: "The Temptation of Returning Home"...

So, starting that evening, the number of followers on the official Weibo account of "The Temptation of Returning Home" began to rise rapidly. In the first 10 minutes, it increased by about 5, and in the next half hour, it increased by another 5. Overnight, the official account gained 35 followers!
This number isn't too outrageous, but it's a recent record. It's not entirely due to the "South Korean beauties," but rather to the operational methods of Shuoguo Culture, such as the ongoing verbal sparring and back-and-forth between Zhang Yi and Han Er.

However, these two young talents are now more focused on underhanded tactics against each other, using facts to attack one another. For example, yesterday Han Er used the success of "Temptation of Returning Home" to sarcastically criticize Zhang Yi for being "shortsighted" and "blind," making a hit drama that had already been proven successful in South Korea seem worthless.

Zhang Yi didn't respond to this matter yesterday, but early the next morning, he suddenly questioned, "Since 'The Temptation of Returning Home' is so good, when exactly will it be released? And which TV station will broadcast it? There's still no definite answer, is there?"

The key point is that this question was followed by a screenshot, which was the first Weibo post from the official account of "The Temptation of Returning Home" yesterday, with a section highlighted in red:

"This drama will soon premiere on a joint broadcasting platform by a satellite TV station and an online platform! Stay tuned!"

It must be said that this question was quite sharp and very much in line with Zhang Yi's style, so it immediately received a large number of responses from fans as soon as it was posted:
"You only mention a TV station, but there isn't even one? Is this what you call an official account?"

"Either they haven't even finalized a partnership agreement, or the partner is an unknown county or city-level television station..."

Ten minutes later, amidst the enthusiastic comments from fans, Zhang Yi also appeared in the comments section and replied to a fan:

"This is a deliberate publicity stunt by the production team of 'The Temptation of Returning Home,' because satellite TV stations have a very high status, and I've never heard of any satellite TV station being willing to co-premiere with an online platform!"

After Zhang Yi's explanation, the fans suddenly understood and began to spread the knowledge that "TV stations have a higher status than online platforms", so that the general public could despise "The Temptation of Returning Home"!
During this process, fans looked down on the newly released TV series, feeling that they had gained an advantage in terms of intelligence, and thus felt satisfied. Of course, in order to show off their intelligence and superiority, they spread the name "Temptation of Returning Home" everywhere, which also added fuel to the fire of the show's negative and positive popularity. The show's production team also felt a little satisfied.

The one who was happiest was undoubtedly Zhang Yi. He had been suppressed and beaten by Han Er and Guo Laosi for the past few days and had no way to fight back. He could only use his trick of sophistry and shamelessness!
Today's counterattack is different; it is truly reasonable, well-founded, and convincing!
Seeing that the public opinion on Weibo was fermenting and spreading, and estimating that Han Er and others' counterattack would take quite some time, Zhang Yi picked up his phone and dialed Director Wu's number:
It was Zhang Yi who first suggested that Mango TV send people to Lenghai to negotiate with Shuoguo about purchasing the TV series, so he has a lot of influence over Director Wu's three-person team.

The call connected, and Director Wu said with a smile, "Writer Zhang, haha, I've been following your Weibo closely. Today's scathing rebuke was excellent!"

Zhang Yiping stated frankly, "Of course it's good, after all, it's a flaw that the production team deliberately revealed..."

"What?" Director Wu didn't understand for a moment.

Zhang Yi didn't hide anything and explained, "When the crew of 'The Temptation of Returning Home' posted on Weibo, they deliberately only mentioned the TV station, just to leave a loophole for me to attack today. In fact, this attack plan was an email that Xu Yike from the secretariat of Shuoguo Group personally forwarded to me."

Director Wu was stunned. Although he was also in the media industry and knew that everyone was playing the public opinion game and grabbing attention, Zhang Yi's approach... He took a deep breath and began to seriously consider the meaning behind Zhang Yi's words, muttering to himself:

"Writer Zhang, when did you get in touch with Shuoguo Group... you know?"

"Hmm, let me think when that was... It was probably the day after X signed with Sony Entertainment. I saw that this guy was quite popular, and there happened to be a site called 'Adapted Songs,' so I commented on X for the first time. Then, just two hours later, I received a call from Xu Yike..."

Director Wu was genuinely surprised: "So early! But you were against us buying 'The Temptation of Returning Home' before!"

"That's right, I was just offering my suggestion with integrity, and at that time, I was just having a casual chat with Shuoguo Culture..."

"Heh, so what about now?" Director Wu laughed in exasperation.

Zhang Yi said nonchalantly, "Just yesterday, I agreed to become a special contracted artist with Shuoguo Culture, and Shuoguo Culture will be responsible for my online image promotion and other related matters..."

They've actually been recruited! Director Wu remained silent, but at the same time, he felt a sense of pressure: Zhang Yi was the main force within the station opposing the purchase of "The Temptation of Returning Home," and now that he's been recruited, what's the point of the bet he made with Yang Kangcheng?

The next moment, Zhang Yi said softly, "None of that matters. I'm telling Director Wu all this just to be frank and show my sincerity. When you return this time, I can apologize to you..."

"Apologize? What did you do?" Director Wu asked, bewildered.

"Oh, it's nothing. I just bought my sister-in-law a bag or two without Director Wu's permission. I know you love her the most..."

Director Wu almost vomited blood. He had a classic case of bronchitis, and Zhang Yi's move was just too "vicious"!

But before he could speak, Zhang Yi whispered, "Director Wu, I heard you made a bet with President Yang in private? Oh dear, you've miscalculated... As far as I know, Shuoguo is going to put a lot of effort into promoting 'The Temptation of Returning Home,' and they're sure to achieve a full-network promotional effect. Mango TV has lost this bet!"

Director Wu opened his mouth, and after about half a minute, he said in a slightly dry voice, "Hehe, Writer Zhang, you have a brilliant insight. I was indeed misled by Yang Kangcheng. I never expected that Shuoguo Culture would be so powerful and have such a vast influence on the entire internet!"

We all work in the same company, so our ability to lie through our teeth is naturally top-notch.

By this time, Director Wu naturally understood why Yang Kangcheng had made a bet with him and why he wanted to decide who would win!

It turns out that they weren't betting with him at all, but rather providing a respectable way for both parties to "sign an agreement that would humiliate Taiwan after losing the bet."

Next, he listened to Zhang Yi's seemingly discussion, but in reality, he gave a long speech:
"Director Wu, since you put it that way, then I'll have to offer some suggestions, assuming that 'The Temptation of Returning Home' is part of our project..."

"First of all, this project is currently generating a lot of buzz, thanks to the efforts of our group of young writers and accomplished artists. It's so popular online that almost half the people are talking about it. It's a peak of popularity. To protect this buzz, you'd better not wait for the bet results in three days. Just sign the agreement with Mr. Yang and that's it!"

"Secondly, while we're riding the wave of popularity, we should work with Shuoguo to finalize the release date as soon as possible. I remember that drama on Hunan TV's prime time slot ended this week, so how about scheduling it for 'The Temptation of Returning Home' next week?"

"Finally, I have high hopes for this drama. It's not a big deal that we're premiering it on an online platform, but to save face for the top two executives at the station, we could announce that it's an exclusive release and distribution by us, and use some tricks, like..."

Director Wu initially took these words as "orders," but as he listened, his eyes lit up. He had to admit that Zhang Yi was truly unique in his ability to manipulate people's hearts within the station!

That afternoon, Director Wu met with Yang Kangcheng again. The two exchanged knowing smiles, and soon an agreement was reached for Mango TV to acquire "The Temptation of Returning Home".

Regarding the agreed price, Hunan TV only offered 1000 million yuan, but also demanded the first-run broadcast rights, including those for online platforms.

In other words, the official Weibo account of "The Temptation of Returning Home" made another mistake in its promotion, and Hunan TV ultimately did not share the premiere with any online platform.

But in reality, only a few of the parties involved know!
Just three hours after the agreement was signed, the official Weibo accounts of both parties jointly announced: Starting April 20th, "The Temptation of Returning Home" will premiere on Mango TV!

The announcement of this result caused an uproar online, with countless people leaving comments on both sides' official Weibo accounts:

"Wow, you guys did an amazing job keeping this a secret! Why did it take you so long to announce it!"

"Today is April 18th, which means the premiere is the day after tomorrow. Is this an official announcement today?"

"The production team seemed to have mentioned before that it would be released on Mango TV, but that was a long time ago, was it the director or someone else who revealed it..."

"Wait a minute, didn't the production team say on Weibo that it would premiere simultaneously with online platforms?"

"What are you thinking? This is Mango TV, how could it possibly premiere simultaneously with online platforms!"

For netizens, a simultaneous premiere isn't really that important, so it's quickly forgotten. But for the production team and publicity, it's extremely important... (End of Chapter)