Rebirth 02, the Celestial Being Told Me to Stop Pretending

One week after its broadcast, "Chinese Paladin" achieved a peak viewership rating of over 5 and an average viewership rating of over 3.

Early in the morning, Wang Yan rushed into the office carrying a stack of newspapers, looking like he had won the lottery.

"Look at these."

He spread the newspapers out on the table.

Beijing Evening News: A new benchmark for domestic fantasy dramas.

The Beijing News interviewed a veteran television industry professional who wished to remain anonymous:

Lu Chen's greatest skill isn't making good films, but knowing when to film what.

"Stone" seized the gap in comedy, and "Chinese Paladin" seized the gap in fantasy. He wasn't following the trend; he was creating it.

The headline on the front page of "Rongcheng Entertainment".

From "Crazy Stone" to "Chinese Paladin," Lu Chen only took a year and a half to complete the leap from a rising star in the film industry to a television overlord.

This 22-year-old seems to have an innate ability to know what the audience wants to see.

In 2003, he used a budget of three million to generate twenty million in box office revenue, making the bumbling thief with a thick local accent and a piece of jade the cultural symbols of the year.

In 2004, he used a TV series adapted from a game to make audiences across the country stay in front of their televisions and shed tears for Zhao Ling'er.

Its peak viewership rating was 5%, unmatched by any other show in the same period.

Some call him a "wave maker," while others say he is a "lens through which the audience sees the heart."

"And then there's the online reaction." Wang Yan opened his laptop.

"The Tianya Film and Television section added over 400 new posts on the theme of 'Chinese Paladin' last night, most of which discuss Zhao Ling'er, with some also featuring Hu Ge."

Lu Chen took the computer and scrolled down the list one by one.

"Liu Yifei's Zhao Ling'er is exactly the Ling'er in my heart, and I won't accept any arguments against it."

"The screenwriter is fantastic; the lines are classic."

"Before the show aired, I was worried that the game adaptation would ruin the original work. After it aired, I realized that my worries were wrong. The original work might not be enough for Lu Chen to film."

"Who is this director? He directed 'Crazy Stone' last year and 'Chinese Paladin' this year. The span is too big, isn't it? The key is that he made them both so well."

"I was wrong. I admit I yelled at the director a bit too loudly before."

"My mom asked me why I was kneeling while watching TV."

Lu Chen wasn't blinded by the praise after reading it. He held out his hand and asked, "Where's the bad review? Where's it hidden?"

Wang Yan awkwardly pulled a crumpled newspaper out of his pocket.

"Nanfang" also featured it on the front page, and it was a long article.

It is undeniable that after winning the Golden Horse Award, director Lu Chen is regrettably "self-degrading and downgrading his aesthetic standards."

More than a year ago, he stood on the Golden Horse Awards stage and declared that he would "pioneering the trend of dark humor".

At that time, he was hailed as a promising newcomer to Chinese comedy, a rebel who dared to use dialects, non-linear narratives, and ordinary people to deconstruct the great era.

But before he could even warm up the Golden Horse Award trophy, he plunged headlong into the "gentle net" of television dramas.

The production quality of "The Legend of Sword and Fairy" is top-notch in the industry, but it is a game adaptation, featuring handsome men and beautiful women having an epic romance, and special effects piling up on fairy mountains and pavilions, with no artistic merit whatsoever.

From dark comedy to fantasy romance, from the big screen to the small screen, from a pioneer of genre films to a mastermind behind hit dramas, Lu Chen's transformation was so swift and thorough that it was astonishing.

This newspaper does not belittle the art of television dramas, nor does it deny the commercial success of "Chinese Paladin".

But after winning the highest honor in Chinese-language cinema, a director who aspires to be recorded in film history does not delve into the boundaries of film language, but instead devotes himself to the TV series production line that is solely driven by ratings. Is this "crossing over" or "downgrading"?

Is it "serving the audience" or "surrendering to the market"?

While Lu Chen proved his ability to create blockbusters with "Chinese Paladin," he also answered a question that disappointed many movie fans: he seemed to prefer being an "entertainment product manager" to being a "film auteur."

Lu Chen folded the newspaper and placed it on the table, then crossed his legs and leaned back in his chair. Sunlight streamed through the window and fell on the back of his hand.

"Wang Yan".

"Huh?" Just when Wang Yan thought Lu Chen was about to make a move in a fit of rage.

Lu Chen tapped the newspaper on the table with one finger. "We should still listen to this kind of dog barking from now on, just for fun."

"We also need to finalize the second round of broadcasting rights for 'Chinese Paladin' as soon as possible. It doesn't matter if it's cheaper; let's see if a nationally popular TV series can shut this dog's stinking mouth."

"Okay." "Aren't you going to respond to what this newspaper article says?"

"If you get bitten by a dog, will you bite it back? If we respond, it just generates more traffic for them."

Wang Yan nodded and turned to leave.

"Wait a minute," Lu Chen called out to him, "I was just bragging."

Wang Yan was taken aback.

"For the second round of broadcasting rights, the price will be raised. We've called in Zhejiang TV, Dongfang TV, and Anhui TV—any interested parties—to discuss it. The starting price is 500,000 yuan per episode; any extra will be a bonus for everyone."

"Five hundred thousand?" Wang Yan opened his mouth, "Even 'Moment in Peking' didn't sell as well as ours, it sold for over seven hundred thousand..."

Lu Chen pushed the newspaper aside. "If it weren't to embarrass 'Nanfang,' I would have auctioned off the second-run broadcast rights for even more money, but we won't sell exclusive broadcasting rights."

Three days later, procurement managers from all sides gathered in Beiping.

Following Lu Chen's instructions, Wang Yan arranged for the heads of several companies to meet in the same conference room.

Wang Yan said with a smile, "I apologize for the poor hospitality, everyone. Our company is small, so we just rented a conference room. Let's all talk together."

The people in charge exchanged glances, each seeing the bewildered expression on the other's face.

Where do you sell second-run broadcasting rights like that?

Old Liu, the purchasing director of Zhejiang TV, spoke first: "President Wang, what exactly is the approach you're taking for this second run of 'Chinese Paladin'? Just tell me."

Wang Yan poured himself a cup of tea and said calmly, "Director Liu, please don't rush. Our Director Lu said that we won't sell exclusive rights for the second round."

There was a moment of silence in the conference room.

Xiao Zhou from Dragon TV frowned: "Not an exclusive? How many broadcasters will share it?"

"Yes. Every family gets a share."

Old Li from Anhui TV laughed: "Then it's practically dirt cheap!"

"Dig it up like cabbage?" Wang Yan chuckled.

"Director Li, here's the deal: the base price is 500,000 yuan per episode. Each of you can decide how much to offer. The higher the bid, the higher the broadcast priority and the more promotional resources. The lower the bid, the less likely you are to make any other requests. Everyone gets what they need."

The meeting room erupted in chaos.

"Five hundred thousand? That's outrageous!"

"Why is it so expensive if it's not exclusive?"

"Mr. Wang, aren't you robbing me?"

Wang Yan remained calm and waited for them to finish arguing before slowly saying, "Gentlemen, do the math. 'Chinese Paladin' had a 3.8% viewership rating on its premiere, ranking first in its time slot nationwide. Which of your dramas this year has achieved that number?"

No one said a word.

"How long can a show be popular? Once it's gone, it's gone. If you don't buy it now, and viewers have already watched it on other channels, will anyone still watch it?"

The meeting room fell silent.

At this moment, Lu Chen walked in from outside the door.