Entertainment mogul: Starting his business with the internet

Chapter 68 Premiere
The crew of "My Own Swordsman" at Beiping Feilong Film and Television Base.

"Cut! Everyone take a break, we'll continue filming this afternoon." Director Shang Jin glanced at the hands of his watch and gave the order over the walkie-talkie.

Qiao Zhengyu breathed a sigh of relief in front of the camera, slowly coming out of character. The morning's scenes were successfully completed. As he walked out of the studio, his assistant was already waiting for him.

"Brother Yu, have some water." Fang Yu saw that his idol had finished filming and quickly ran over to hand him a water bottle.

With a parched throat, Qiao Zhengyu picked up the water bottle and took a big gulp. "Thank you!" He was quite satisfied with the female assistant assigned to him by the company. She was serious and meticulous in her work, and most importantly, she kept her mouth shut and rarely said a word.

After drinking some water, Qiao Zhengyu asked with concern, "How were the ratings for the premiere of 'So Young'?"

This is what Qiao Zhengyu cares about most. He risked his future to switch jobs to Tengda Culture, and the company has not treated him badly. With "So Young" and "My Own Swordsman", he is currently the male lead in the company's two major projects.

The ratings of "So Young" are directly related to his position in the company and the development of his future career, so he naturally cares about it.

The TV series "So Young" premiered on Beiping Satellite TV on January 6. Tengda Culture and Qiao Zhengyu both have high hopes for this first self-produced drama.

The entire company put in a lot of effort. On the one hand, they asked Toutiao.com for help with extensive online and offline promotion, and on the other hand, they actively sought out good TV stations to broadcast the content.

"So Young" has 30 episodes. In the end, Wang Jing used her connections to sell the first-run exclusive rights to Beiping TV for 30 yuan per episode.

Although the investment in this drama was only 800 million yuan, the price sold in the first round had already broken even and made a small profit, the company still hoped that "So Young" would be a hit and have good ratings.

Fang Yu didn't keep them in suspense and excitedly replied, "The premiere of 'So Young' had a 1.5% viewership rating and a market share of nearly 13%, ranking second in its time slot during prime time."

Qiao Zhengyu asked incredulously, "How much? A 1.5% viewership rating?"

Fang Yu nodded vigorously, beaming. "Yes, Brother Yu, would I lie to you?"

Fang Yu was naturally happy. If her own artist became popular, her status would also rise accordingly. According to Tengda Culture's career development plan for logistics personnel, if all went well, she could become an executive agent in three to five years, and if she could achieve results, she could become a formal agent.

"Great, that's fantastic!" Qiao Zhengyu exclaimed excitedly, pumping his fist repeatedly. After many years in the industry, he was finally going to have a hit drama starring himself.

Qiao Zhengyu was so excited that he made a lot of noise near the studio, which attracted the attention of director Shang Jin.

Shang Jin led the female lead, Yan Ni, to Qiao Zhengyu's side and teased with a smile, "Zhengyu, what's got you so excited about boxing here?"

Shang Jin initially had some reservations about Qiao Zhengyu. He originally wanted Sha Yi to play the male lead Bai Zhantang, but the investor, Tengda Culture, insisted on using the company's top star, Qiao Zhengyu, leaving Shang Jin with no choice but to compromise.

But he had been holding a grudge and wanted to find fault with Qiao Zhengyu. However, after Qiao Zhengyu joined the crew, he was serious about filming and warm-hearted. His suitability for the role and his work attitude left him with no reason to criticize him. After spending time with him, he had completely accepted Qiao Zhengyu.

Qiao Zhengyu scratched his head and said somewhat embarrassedly, "Director Shang, Sister Yan, I had a new drama air yesterday, and it did quite well. I was a little too excited just now."

Shang Jin asked curiously, "What show is it? How are the ratings?"

"There's an urban youth film called 'So Young,' starring Gao Yuanyuan and me. It premiered yesterday on Beiping Satellite TV, with a viewership rating of 1.5%." Qiao Zhengyu's excitement was still palpable.

"1.5% for the premiere, such a high rating!" Yan Ni exclaimed. Having worked in the industry for so many years, she certainly understood the significance of a 1.5% premiere rating.

Unlike before the millennium, a drama with a viewership rating of over 1% was considered a huge hit, and urban dramas were especially good at launching an actor's career. It seems Qiao Zhengyu is about to become famous. "Congratulations! A 1.5% premiere rating, and with the positive reviews, it has the potential to reach 2%," Shang Jin congratulated.

It's a good thing for Qiao Zhengyu to become popular. As the male lead of "My Own Swordsman", the more popular he is, the greater the positive impact on his masterpiece, "My Own Swordsman".

Shang Jin was in a great mood. He patted Qiao Zhengyu on the shoulder and said cheerfully, "If you need to take leave to promote your new drama, just let me know."

It's only natural for the lead actors to do promotional work when a new drama is broadcast on a major network. Shang Jin and Tengda Culture have been working together very well recently, so they will give Tengda's top star some face.

"Thank you, Director Shang," Qiao Zhengyu said gratefully.

"You're busy!" Shang Jin waved his hand and left with Yan Ni.

Seeing the two walk away, assistant Fang Yu hurriedly said, "Brother Yu, President Zeng just called and asked you to contact her after filming." After saying that, she took out her phone from her bag and handed it to Qiao Zhengyu.

Qiao Zhengyu took the phone and called Zeng Jia, who was currently handling his management affairs.

Within seconds, the call connected smoothly. "Mr. Zeng."

"Zhengyu, congratulations! The premiere results exceeded expectations. President Wang is very pleased. You've firmly secured your position as the company's top male star."

Qiao Zhengyu replied modestly, "It's all thanks to the company and President Wang's kindness."

Zeng Jia didn't exchange many pleasantries. "The premiere of 'So Young' did well. President Wang has communicated with the TV station to increase promotion. You, Gao Yuanyuan, and the other lead actors need to cooperate fully to try to break 2%."

Qiao Zhengyu nodded. "That's only right. Does the company have any plans?"

Zeng Jia revealed the itinerary: "Beijing TV has an interview program that wants you and Gao Yuanyuan to participate in. We are also in contact with Happy Camp. I will let you know the specific time after it is confirmed."

You need to coordinate the schedule with Director Shang on set. "My Own Swordsman" is a major project invested in by the company, so we can't be careless.

Qiao Zhengyu assured him, "Don't worry, Director Shang is very open-minded and has agreed to give me a few days off to promote 'So Young'."

"Just manage things well on set and don't give anyone cause for gossip. There's one more thing I want to discuss with you first."

Zeng Jia's tone suddenly became very serious, and without beating around the bush, he said directly: "The company has hired an assistant director, and from now on the company will divide the artists into two groups."

The deputy director and I will each lead a group. Currently, you and Wang Luodan will be assigned to my group. The deputy director will handle the management of Wang Kai and Lü Yi.

Qiao Zhengyu frowned slightly. "President Zeng, do you mean that the two groups will create internal competition within the company?"

Zeng Jia affirmed, "Yes. As far as I know, 'So Young' was a great success, and the company is about to launch the second installment of the youth trilogy, 'My Old Classmate,' with Wang Kai already cast as the male lead."

As the company's top star, Qiao Zhengyu naturally has connections. "I've heard about this too. My schedule is too tight, and I just finished filming my first movie. We're both artists in the company, so it's only natural that Wang Kai should play the role in 'My Old Classmate'."

(End of this chapter)