I really don't want to be the top streamer anymore

"Boss Tu, the number of views has exceeded one billion!"

At this point, only a little over ten hours had passed since the broadcast of "Candle in the Tomb: The Lost City".

Tu Qiao'er herself didn't sleep well last night either.

Because this drama is not just a simple hit.

The promotional resources they invested in the early stages mean that if the show flops, Tudou Video will suffer huge losses.

And most importantly, Tudou Video really has no way to catch up with the other two competitors in the short term.

……

Fortunately, the final result was even better than Tu Qiao'er had expected.

The premiere ratings for "Ghost Blows Out the Light" were quite impressive.

The current results suggest that it might break a previous summer box office record.

Of course, the previous record for a domestically produced drama was also held by Xu Kong, set by the first installment of the Legend of Sword and Fairy series.

Currently, no drama series poses a threat to it.

What are the audience's reactions?

Tu Qiao'er asked.

Data is certainly important, but as the opening act of a series, word-of-mouth is the key.

It's important to understand that this collaboration with Feng Ge is not just a matter of one or two projects for Tudou Video.

She learned that the entire "Ghost Blows Out the Light" IP is a series of eight episodes.

Moreover, the first season alone has more than thirty episodes, which is quite an exaggerated amount of content.

It is said that the subsequent episodes will vary in length, but almost none of them will be short.

The total investment amount is an astronomical figure.

Only Feng Ge now, because of Xu Kong, has the courage and vision to take on such a project.

……

"It has a very good reputation; almost all of them are positive reviews."

"However, it's clear that the audience's perception of the plot style differs somewhat from what it was before the broadcast..."

The subordinate replied.

Tu Qiao'er was completely relieved at this moment.

Of course, she had anticipated that the audience's expectations would differ from the final product.

Or perhaps it was something that Tudou Video and Feng Ge discussed and did intentionally.

During the initial promotional phase, almost all the focus was on Xu Kong himself painstakingly creating a fantasy adventure story.

The rest of the promotional focus was on visually striking special effects and the adventure theme.

However, in reality, the style of "Ghost Blows Out the Light" is more inclined towards suspense and horror.

Therefore, the realistic style in the first few episodes was mainly to increase the audience's sense of immersion.

Even Tu Qiao'er was frightened many times when she watched the finished film.

Besides that, the biggest highlight is the design of the entire world view of the show, as well as various folk legends and folk knowledge about tomb raiding, feng shui, and the like.

Even Tu Qiao'er didn't know which of the things in the play were real and which were fake.

I was just amazed that Xu Kong knew so much.

The show's breadth of knowledge is remarkable; it's clear that the settings and elements in the drama, which appear so realistic, must have been based on a great deal of real-world elements.

In addition, Xu Kong himself also incorporated a great deal of amazing imagination.

It must be said that these are not things that an ordinary person could write.

All I can say is that Xu Kong's creativity and imagination as a screenwriter are truly incredible.

……

"It seems we made the right bet so far!"

The subordinate spoke up.

His tone was still quite excited.

Before the official broadcast of "Ghost Blows Out the Light", even Tu Qiao'er, who had always been very confident, was still somewhat uneasy.

Only when the data from the premiere came out did I finally feel a little relieved.

How's the new drama on iQiyi coming along?

As almost the only rival of their generation, although Tu Qiao'er didn't take him too seriously from the beginning, she still needed to pay attention to him.

"That youth campus drama from Changyun Film and Television?"

The subordinate was stunned for a moment before realizing what Tu Qiao'er was asking.

"It's highly likely they've lost."

"The premiere episode has only just surpassed ten million views so far..."

Because it aired at the same time as "Ghost Blows Out the Light", it can be said that almost no one is paying attention to it at present.

Such data almost certainly indicates that there will be no further threat.

"However, I did watch some of it. The new drama from Changyun Film and Television was of average quality, not too bad..."

Subordinates should report truthfully.

Clearly, if it hadn't been released at the same time as "Ghost Blows Out the Light," that show might not have flopped so badly.

It can only be said that Changyun Film and Television had various grudges with Feng Ge.

The current living conditions within the industry are truly pitiful.

Of course, while we may sympathize, it's absolutely impossible for Tu Qiao'er to represent Tudou Video in a collaboration with the other party.

Leaving aside the uncertain factor that collaborating with Changyun Film and Television might offend Feng Ge, let's consider this:

The very fact that they are being targeted by Feng Ge should give the platforms something to think about.

……

The popularity of "Ghost Blows Out the Light" is truly unique.

However, due to the summer season this year, many dramas have chosen to postpone their broadcast.

Therefore, it can be said that there are almost no competitors in the same period.

Of course, even if there were, given the current state of "Ghost Blows Out the Light," they would probably just become cannon fodder.

Therefore, many production companies and platforms choose to avoid direct confrontation, which may seem somewhat shameful, but from a profit perspective, it is indeed the most correct choice.

"I personally think it's really exciting, especially the theme of tomb raiding and the various related folk customs, which are all very novel."

"I guessed that if it was written by Xu Kong, it probably wouldn't be the usual fantasy drama style."

"Is 'Ghost Blows Out the Light' the one that set a new standard? I feel like there will be a constant stream of other tomb raiding dramas following suit."

"To be honest, I know some inside information about the tomb raiding industry. According to some veterans in the industry, a lot of the content in this drama is based on reality. Of course, the more fantastical and surreal parts are definitely not real, but you can still see that Xu Kong really knows these things."

"The immersion is incredible; it's both scary and makes you want to keep watching."

……

The online reviews are overwhelmingly positive.

It's worth mentioning that this time, most people's attention was once again focused on Xu Kong.

There's no way around it, there are indeed many things to praise about "Ghost Blows Out the Light" so far, such as the actors' performances, the realism of the props, and the production of special effects.

But what truly makes the series unforgettable is the unfolding of its plot.

It has the realistic immersion of a period drama, various professional settings and knowledge about tomb raiding, and also includes various folk tales and supernatural content.

While the styles appear eclectic, they blend together seamlessly without feeling out of place. In comparison, the biggest highlight of the entire series is arguably its plot.

Everything else was done very well, but what truly kept viewers hooked after watching the first few episodes was the storyline.

……

Ego's video was released a little later this time, mainly because she did do a lot of research.

So even though only the first few episodes have been aired so far, she still needs to do research to ensure the content and accuracy of the videos.

The main issue is that this drama was indeed somewhat beyond her knowledge.

Things like tomb raiding and archaeology may have appeared in some films and television shows before, but they were almost always just mentioned casually.

This time, however, "Ghost Blows Out the Light" takes a completely different approach.

As many netizens have said, this drama cannot be summarized by a simple subject matter.

It has a sense of starting a new school of thought.

……

"So, going back to my initial assessment, why I have such high expectations for this 'Ghost Blows Out the Light' series."

"Of course, it's not just about the subject matter of the plot, which is the most discussed topic online, but also the worldview and setting in the show that seem to have a basis and can even be self-consistent."

"It's the overall relationship between various factors, including the character design, the pacing of the final product, and the production quality of the series."

"Most importantly, whether you agree or not, Xu Kong's reputation and ability have indeed become a golden brand in the country."

"It's even the kind of show that lets you relax and enjoy the movies without having to worry about anything."

In his video, Ego gave a very high evaluation of the TV series "Ghost Blows Out the Light", or more specifically, of Xu Kong.

She has always tried her best to maintain what she calls objectivity.

Even when praising some well-known directors, Ego was very restrained.

Conversely, she is much more lenient with some smaller directors and young actors, focusing on encouragement.

This has always been her bottom line and requirement for herself.

But this time, an exception was made for Xu Kong, which is quite rare.

There's no way around it; the main reason is that everyone has been waiting to see Xu Kong's downfall.

Ego also believes that everyone, no matter who they are, will inevitably make a mistake at some point.

But it's not really applicable to Xu Kong.

From the beginning to the present, Xu Kong has directed and starred in works, and even now he only serves as the screenwriter and producer.

They have almost never failed in terms of reputation and business performance.

Such results are indeed difficult to view objectively.

……

In the week following the premiere of "Ghost Blows Out the Light," the plot progressed quite rapidly.

Having laid the groundwork in the Wild Man's Gully, with the appearance of the female protagonist Shirley Yang, the three tomb raiders were officially reunited, and the main storyline began: the search for the Jingjue Ancient City.

As the plot becomes more and more exciting, its popularity continues to rise.

It's almost always trending on social media.

Because the series has enough time, it airs five days a week.

Every time there's an update, the related plot and discussions never stop.

The most direct impact is on Tudou Video.

Although Hunan TV also broadcast it simultaneously, for a long-established local station like Hunan TV, while the ratings are high, it's not like they haven't had similar phenomenal hit dramas before.

But for Tudou Video, monthly active users even doubled.

It has already caught up with the level of iQiyi and Tencent Video.

This is undoubtedly quite terrifying.

All of this proves that Tudou Video's early promotional strategy was correct.

Instead of focusing on the script, they deeply integrated "Ghost Blows Out the Light" with their Tudou video platform.

This undoubtedly brought in a considerable number of new users and viewers.

……

“I realized it before, and sure enough, it was true.”

"It's not just Feng Ge who has big ambitions this time; Xu Kong wants to create a classic series IP."

"Tudou Video's goal is not simply to profit from a hit drama series..."

On the kiwi side, Qin Xian couldn't help but sigh.

On their side, Changyun Film and Television's new drama had completely flopped.

Fortunately, I didn't have high hopes to begin with, and the agreement I signed with Changyun was a performance-based one, so I didn't pay them copyright fees directly.

The loss is not that big.

On the other hand, with the "Ghost Blows Out the Light" series on Tudou Video, it's quite possible that they could eventually reach a level of parity with them and Tencent Video.

……

"The first part of 'Ghost Blows Out the Light' was already so popular, and there are supposedly seven more parts to follow..."

Thinking about this, Qin Xian felt a headache coming on.

He had to admit that Tudou Video had indeed gotten a huge windfall this time!

At that time, both he and Tencent Video were focused on Xu Konggang's official announcement of the second installment of the Legend of Sword and Fairy series.

This led to the fact that "Ghost Blows Out the Light" was subconsciously overlooked.

It now appears that "Ghost Blows Out the Light" is Feng Ge's next major project.

It is said that the investment for the first installment has exceeded 300 million.

If the entire series were to be filmed, the total investment for the entire series would likely be the largest film and television project in China to date.

Most importantly, a hit show like this can be ignored by iQiyi.

But if this were a series IP that ran for eight parts and might air for several years, the impact would be enormous.

If the series can maintain the popularity of the first season, even if it drops slightly or significantly, as long as its reputation doesn't collapse drastically, this series could truly make Tudou Video one of the top three video platforms.

No wonder Mr. Tu on Tudou Video is so willing to spend so much money.

They were even willing to risk losing money to link the promotion of "Ghost Blows Out the Light" with their platform.

If it's for such a purpose and ambition, then it is indeed worthwhile.

……

"What do we do now?"

The subordinate asked.

Qin Xian rolled her eyes at the other person.

"What do you mean?"

"What else can I do!"

"We can only watch!"

The current popularity of "Ghost Blows Out the Light" is already a phenomenal hit, and even if you wanted to stop it, it would be too late.

Tudou Video's gamble has paid off.

...(End of chapter)