Huayu: The Unbelievable Matching Mechanism of Jay Chou's Love Songs

How long does it take to film a movie?

Even Taiwanese idol dramas like "Meteor Garden" require at least two or three months to produce.

But less than a month later, Feng Zheng and his team heard from the production crew that their show was preparing to be broadcast on CTS in the late-night slot as a trial run.

Film and broadcast simultaneously!

The entire crew was in a state of panic, and everyone was saying:

"Does this mean we'll stop filming if the broadcast doesn't go well?"

"We're airing a late-night show, it's bound to be a flop..."

"It's ruined, brothers, let's find another job quickly!"

The lead actors were also discussing this. At lunchtime, Zhou Yumin, carrying a boxed lunch and looking smug, came over to Feng Zheng and said, "Hey, your wishful thinking has failed. We can't guarantee the quality if we film and broadcast at the same time, and it's going to be aired late at night. It's destined to flop."

His 1% dividend is absolutely not enough to break even.

Feng Zheng shoveled food into his lunchbox, glanced at him, and said without changing his expression, "If this gets popular, how about you wash my underwear for a month?"

"...Get lost!" Zhou Yumin almost slapped the lunchbox in his face.

Actually, the "broadcast and see the reaction" approach of "Meteor Garden" is quite good. After all, the production budget was tight and there were no sponsors. If the effect was not good after the early broadcast, they could simply not broadcast it, disband the crew, and save some costs.

If the entire movie were filmed before its release, it would be a complete financial loss, a total loss.

After quickly shoveling the food into his mouth, Feng Zheng tossed the lunchbox to Zhou Yumin, wiped his mouth, and ran out.

"Please throw away my lunchbox. I have to go record a song now. See you later."

Feng Zheng has been incredibly busy lately. While filming, he has also prepared the materials for his album. He is currently busy recording songs, and Wu Zongxian has already started producing an album for both Feng Zheng and Jay Chou. It is estimated that the album will be released around the end of the year, close to the Chinese New Year.

Judging by the timing, "Meteor Garden" was released around the same time, so Feng Zheng has actually been a little excited about it these past couple of days...

There's a saying from 25 years ago: "Brother (Sister), get ready to upgrade your status!"

This statement didn't quite apply to Feng Zheng, so he revised it:

"Bro, get ready to ascend!"

Many people saw Feng Zheng leave, including Yan Chengxu…

"He's always so carefree and irresponsible, what kind of person can possibly succeed at anything!" Yan Chengxu still hates Feng Zheng to this day, and he's never stopped gossiping about Feng Zheng behind his back.

If it weren't for the fact that Feng Zheng wrote both theme songs for "Meteor Garden," "Meteor Shower" and "Can't Help Falling in Love," he probably would have been spreading rumors that even if Feng Zheng released an album, it might not sell well.

Of course, his bad mood wasn't just because of Feng Zheng, but also because of the fact that "Meteor Garden" was going to test the waters with a late-night slot.

As the lead actor, Yan Chengxu certainly hoped the drama would be a hit, but who knew it would be such a poorly made production, and it was even being tested in a late-night slot before it was even finished filming? It's guaranteed to be a flop...

"Okay, don't be angry," his assistant comforted him. "It's a good thing for you if the show is a hit. You have more screen time, so you'll definitely be more popular than Feng Zheng. If the show isn't a hit, we won't lose anything. We can just go back to taking photos and working as models. But Feng Zheng has lost his salary and two songs. He's the one who's really in the worst situation."

I still remember the day I joined the crew. When I heard that Feng Zheng didn't want the songwriting fee and salary but instead wanted 1% of the profits, Yan Chengxu was thinking that if the drama became popular, Feng Zheng would make a lot of money. Now, the drama is destined to be a hit, and Feng Zheng is the one who has really lost everything.

Upon hearing this, Yan Chengxu's expression finally softened a bit...

That's all.

As time went by.

In the blink of an eye, "Meteor Garden" is ready to be broadcast.

It aired on CTS's late-night slot, one episode per week. When it premiered, the entire production team didn't have high expectations. Even Yan Chengxu, who was in the lead role, was already contacting his modeling agency about his future projects...

Wu Jianhao is also preparing to continue auditioning and releasing albums. Apart from Feng Zheng, who is busy recording songs and releasing albums, only Zhou Yumin is still like a salted fish, not planning to find a way out.

On the night of the broadcast, under Chai Zhiping's organization, the crew, who had finished work early, gathered together and, just like watching a movie in the village, stared at the two TVs, saying something like... contributing to the ratings.

Although even a mosquito bite is still a bite, Feng Zheng was exhausted after several busy days, so he asked Sister Chai for leave and went back to the hotel to sleep.

That night, Zhou Yumin didn't return to his room all night. It wasn't until the next morning that Feng Zheng, still half asleep in bed, was shaken awake by Zhou Yumin.

"Feng Zheng! Feng Zheng! Wake up! Wake up! It's exploded! It's exploded!"

Zhou Yumin shook Feng Zheng's shoulder excitedly; it was rare to see him so excited. However, Feng Zheng was extremely sleepy and, rubbing his eyes, asked:

"What?! Something exploded... Did the Earth explode?"

How come you're still here if the Earth explodes?

Where are we now?

Heaven?

"No, no!" Zhou Yumin exclaimed excitedly, looking into Feng Zheng's eyes, "The first episode of our 'Meteor Garden' aired, and the ratings were 1.99%, almost 2%! It's a hit!"

Television wasn't very common back then, and viewership ratings weren't particularly impressive. Take CTS in Taiwan, for example; even during prime time, its viewership was only around 4% to 6%.

As for late-night shows, they're even worse. Everyone agrees that shows airing in the early morning are terrible flops, so most of them don't even get 1% rating.

Initially, Chai Zhiping and her team estimated that if the highest viewership rating could break 1%, they would be extremely lucky.

Unexpectedly, the first episode was a huge success, reaching a 1.99% rating, nearly 2%!

It exceeded the best performance of any late-night drama in the same period by more than double!

This represents a clear lead in terms of data!

you say!

How could the entire crew not be excited?

Even a nobody like Zhou Yumin was so excited that he ran over to tell Feng Zheng the good news. That shows how exaggerated it was.

In contrast, Feng Zheng appeared much calmer. He rubbed his eyes and said:

"Look at you, so naive. Just eat and drink as you please, and don't take anything to heart."

With that, he pulled the blanket over his head and fell fast asleep.

Zhou Yumin: "?"

"Ber, eat and drink as you please, don't take anything to heart," is that the kind of saying used to describe a joyous occasion like this?!

You must be kidding me!

"Do you even know what these ratings mean?!"

Zhou Yumin spent most of the day persuading Feng Zheng before finally getting him to leave the house. Producer Chai Zhiping and director Cai Yuexun were so excited after receiving this data that they opened champagne on the set that very day.

From the moment they learned that "Meteor Garden" was going to test the waters in a late-night slot until its official broadcast last night, the entire production team was in a state of panic, with many even considering alternative plans...

As a result, the entire crew was overjoyed and couldn't wait to celebrate today.

Even Feng Zheng, who had anticipated this, couldn't help but be infected by the atmosphere and joined them with a shake of his head and a smile.

The show is a hit; it's halfway to success.

Next up is Feng Zheng's ultimate masterpiece!

……