Age of Legends

Chapter 321 The Last News in May

In this somewhat chaotic May, the second episode of "Seven Days' Promise" premiered on time.

The singles apartment welcomes a shared mission on "Day 1". Four single men and women will be paired up into two teams to complete a challenge together.

This was their first meeting since their heart-to-heart talk the day before. Yang Xiaole was lively and energetic, while Yang Jing, a graduate of the Sichuan Fine Arts Institute, was impeccably dressed—in modern terms, she had a mature and sophisticated air. Chen Xingrui was dressed in a plaid striped workwear-style outfit, while Ma Hongrui exuded the air of a returned overseas elite, wearing a custom-made suit with a silk scarf in his breast pocket.

Zhang Chen was in charge of the entire character design and styling.

The personas of these individuals would be standard tropes for many shows in later years, but this is a different story. The stereotype of programmers and tech-savvy men in striped plaid shirts hasn't emerged yet, and the general public doesn't even have that impression. However, starting with this show, this image will likely become ingrained in people's minds.

Besides Ma Hongrui, Yang Jing doesn't usually dress like that either, but Zhang Chen keeps manipulating her, and she can't do anything about it, since Zhang Chen is actually the behind-the-scenes boss of the game company. Ma Hongrui, on the other hand, quite agrees with some of Zhang Chen's requests, giving him a thumbs up and saying, "You really know your stuff!"

Thus, each of these four people has their own unique characteristics.

When the four met, Yang Xiaole glanced at Chen Xingrui. Chen Xingrui blushed, clearly recognizing the girl with the broadcaster's voice and lively personality as the one who had left a deep impression on her during their heart-to-heart talk the night before.

Yang Jing, on the other hand, was wary of Ma Hongrui because she had confronted him several times the night before, and the two of them were now quite antagonistic.

The task was divided into groups by drawing lots, and Yang Xiaole and Chen Xingrui ended up in one group, while Yang Jing and Ma Hongrui were in another.

The next group was drawn together and demanded a redraw, leaving Yang Xiaole and Chen Xingrui in a dilemma – whether to agree or not. Finally, the production team drew lots again, resulting in the same situation as before, instantly maximizing the entertainment value of the show.

Upon learning the result, Yang Xiaole and Chen Xingrui both wore expressions of smug satisfaction and relief. It wasn't because they had developed feelings for each other; it was simply that Yang Jing and Ma Hongrui were both troublemakers, and neither wanted to partner with the other. Their wish had come true, and the effect was immediately apparent.

Then the task is given: find the snacks on your respective lists in the streets and alleys of Fuzhou. The more you check in within the time limit, the higher your score, and the winner will be the last one standing. In the final round of the day, the losing team will face a penalty.

The camera then zooms in and out, showing the lively alleyways of Fuzhou, where two teams begin their mission, searching for and checking off the snacks on their lists.

On Le Rui's side, Yang Xiaole took the lead, chattering away the whole way, while Chen Xingrui followed quietly, responsible for looking at the map and paying, giving brief responses.

Yang Xiaole tried to interact: "Hey, look how cute this is!"

Chen Xingrui: "Yeah, hurry up and buy it, there's not enough time."

Yang Xiaole's special effect bubble popped up again: "Help! I can't move this piece of wood!"

But there was also a memorable side: the line for the last snack was very long, and Yang Xiaole was a little frustrated. Chen Xingrui left silently, and returned a few minutes later with two iced drinks, handing her one: "To cool you down."

Yang Xiaole was stunned for a moment, then gave him a genuine smile for the first time: "Thank you!"

Chen Xingrui's ears turned completely red.

Meanwhile, on Jingrui's side, the atmosphere suddenly changed; the two didn't seem like comrades, but rather like they were fighting a war.

Both of them are efficiency-driven. Ma Hongrui planned the optimal route, while Yang Jing manipulated the map, marking the possible locations of the snacks on the list based on her memory, and the fastest shortcuts to get there. They were almost completely silent, like special forces on a mission.

During the search, Ma Hongrui thought one route was shorter, while Yang Jing, relying on her sense of direction, believed another was faster. Unable to reach an agreement, they finally decided to split up and see who found it first. They arrived almost simultaneously.

The two exchanged a glance, a tacit understanding and a sense of mutual dissatisfaction that seemed to be between two masters sparring.

In the final interview scene, Yang Jing sat on a stool and complained: "I think he's like a control freak. The key is that I'm not an employee of his company. I also have my own way of expressing myself, and I can't understand him (rolls her eyes)."

In Ma Hongrui's solo interview, he said, "I think she's capable and has good execution skills, but she lacks team spirit. Yeah, she really lacks it! This person just doesn't have a cooperative spirit!" He even used a Beijing accent, making the second episode a huge hit.

Once again, the popularity of the second episode was evident through the streets and alleys of Fuzhou and the telephone hotline received by the provincial TV station's duty office. According to CCTV-Sofres ratings, the second episode achieved a 1.8% viewership rating in its time slot.

At first glance, the ratings were only 0.1% higher than the first episode, but for everyone at the provincial TV station who was paying attention to this, they knew it was a sure thing.

This is sure!

First, the previous episode's 1.7 rating was in a niche time slot. Surpassing it in such a niche time slot only proves that the program might indeed be innovative and stand out from its competitors. However, compared to other programs on national satellite channels in the same time slot, it wasn't particularly impressive, so it was somewhat of a case of choosing the best among the worst.

However, the second episode aired during a change in prime time on the provincial TV station. Prime time is a fiercely competitive period for viewership, and every show in this time slot is a strong contender. The fact that "Seven Days' Promise" managed to maintain a 1.8% viewership rating demonstrates its solid strength and directly refutes the doubts raised by a group represented by Meng Lihui of the provincial TV station. The question remains: does this show have staying power? Or is it just a flash in the pan?

Soon people experienced the effect of its viewership ratings being comparable to those of Hunan TV and even touching the ratings of popular programs on Dragon TV.

At that time, special posts appeared in the variety show discussion areas of Tonglang BBS and Tianya Community.

Clips from the show "Seven Days' Promise" were reposted online with the title "Can Fuzhou produce good variety shows too?" and the number of views skyrocketed.

The West China City Daily, the newspaper with the largest circulation in Southwest China and even the whole country, even ran the headline "Fuzhou Production Amazes the Nation" on its entertainment front page.

The food stalls where the participants completed their tasks on the show were packed with people who came from far and wide.

The number of inquiries received by the provincial TV station's advertising department has doubled compared to before, with some people asking for exclusive title sponsorship with prices exceeding 60 yuan.

Some young producers are excitedly discussing: "Finally, we're not just copying Hong Kong and Taiwan variety shows! Our self-produced variety shows can also become hits!"

Meanwhile, outside television stations also called the provincial station. Ding Shunhua received several calls, all of which were tentative inquiries about program copyright issues.

In the television industry, Jiang Rong's team began to stand out, and a truly hit variety show from Fuzhou began to appear in the eyes of audiences nationwide.

Meanwhile, at Yude School, on this day at the end of May, a message quickly spread from the school gate to the crowd of students leaving the school.

Pei Yan stood right at the entrance of Yude, incredibly conspicuous, waiting for Shen Nuoyi, with whom he had caused so much gossip.

　Thank you to Boss Lin of Xinghe Bookstore, Uncle Yong, uyoaix, Jingxin Mengpiao Kuang, Book Friend 20250911122319594, and Dachui Spring for your generous donations. Have a great weekend!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)