Rebirth 09: Starting from taking charge of Running Man on CCTV

Baby stared at the document on the table, her lips moving slightly.

Watching her expression, Ma Li already had a pretty good idea of ​​what was going on.

The girl's eyes changed.

It's not hesitation, it's digestion.

Is the pie that fell from the sky really real?

"Director Chen."

Baby raised her head, her voice still soft and gentle, but steadyer than before.

Why did you choose me?

"I'm nobody in mainland China, I have no fame, no works. Why don't you find an already famous actress?"

This is exactly what Chen Yang was waiting for.

"Because famous actresses won't jump into the mud."

He looked into the baby's eyes.

"You will."

The baby's breathing paused for a moment.

"I just heard from Sister Ma about what happened in the private room."

Chen Yang's tone was completely flat, devoid of any sympathy.

"Two grown men forced you to drink baijiu (Chinese liquor), and you didn't cry or make a fuss; you gritted your teeth and drank it."

"That kind of drive is more valuable than fame."

Baby pursed her lips tightly.

Her eyes were red-rimmed, but she stubbornly refused to cry.

She looked down at the approval document, then glanced at Chen Yang.

"How much was the pay?"

Just as Ma Li was about to speak, Baby waved her hand.

"Never mind, it's not important."

She pulled the chair forward, leaned forward, and her stubbornness shone through in her eyes.

"Director Chen, I don't care about the pay."

"I'll agree to any conditions you set, as long as you let me have sex with you."

"You want me to roll around in the mud? I'll do it."

"You asked me to appear on camera without makeup, so I will."

"If you ask me to run ten kilometers, I'll grit my teeth and run it for you."

Her voice grew faster and faster, and her Cantonese-accented Mandarin even developed a tremolo.

"I came from Hong Kong to the mainland because I wanted to seize an opportunity."

"I won't let this opportunity slip away."

Ma Li clenched her fist under the table.

Well done.

Chen Yang remained expressionless, but in his heart, he had already made up his mind.

She's the one.

"Sister Li, the contract."

Ma Li opened her briefcase and pulled out a blank letter of intent that she had prepared in advance.

The artist's contract is for one year, with blank spaces left for details regarding remuneration and other specific terms, but the framework is complete.

Chen Yang pushed the contract in front of Baby.

Baby took it and carefully flipped through a few pages.

Then I put it down.

It's not hesitation, it's following the rules.

"Director Chen, I really want to sign." Her tone was sincere, but she was well aware of her limits. "However... I can't make the decision about the contract."

"I have a talent agency in Hong Kong, and all contracts have to go through my boss, Sister Zhou."

"Zhou Yougen?" Ma Li asked.

Baby looked at her with some surprise: "Do you know Sister Ma?"

Ma Li smiled and didn't say anything more.

The circle is only so big. Hong Kong Fashion International, Zhou Yougen, whoever works in brokerage and coordination knows him.

Chen Yang wasn't surprised.

"Okay then." Chen Yang took back the contract, his tone steady. "Go back tonight and call Sister Zhou to tell her about the situation of our program."

He took a business card out of his pocket and placed it on the table.

"This is my contact information, which is also the phone number for the program team on CCTV's main channel. Have Sister Zhou contact us directly, and we can arrange for her to bring you to the station for a discussion."

"I'll talk to her about the contract."

Baby picked up the business card, looked at it carefully, and then put it into her bag.

"Okay, I'll make the call tonight."

She paused, then added, "Director Chen, Sister Zhou... has always wanted to help me open up the mainland market, but there hasn't been a suitable opportunity. She'll definitely be interested in your program."

Chen Yang nodded but didn't reply.

But he was already planning something else.

In May 2009, Yang Ying did not have an agent in mainland China.

There were no executive brokers, no business agents, and no on-the-ground teams.

When recording programs in mainland China, they can only rely on temporary assistance from people in Hong Kong, or be completely affiliated with the program's coordination system.

What does this mean?

This means that if this collaboration goes through, he will not only sign one guest.

He can directly negotiate with Zhou Yougen for the exclusive agency rights to Yang Ying's variety shows in mainland China.

They could even assign her a dedicated mainland executive agent to handle her entire process, from schedules and announcements to business dealings.

In the early stages of her development in mainland China, she completely severed ties with the mainland.

This is the true value.

Baby stood up and bowed deeply.

"Thank you, Director Chen. Thank you, Sister Ma."

"No matter how the contract is ultimately negotiated, I appreciate the opportunity you've given me today."

Ma Li smiled and patted her on the shoulder.

"Don't thank me too soon, have your Sister Zhou call first."

Chen Yang had Ma Li call a taxi to take Baby back to the hotel.

The taxi's taillights disappeared into the night in Sanlitun.

Ma Li stood by the roadside, took out a cigarette, but didn't light it; she just twirled it between her fingers twice.

"You did this on purpose, didn't you?" She glanced at Chen Yang.

"What?"

"You knew perfectly well she couldn't sign it, yet you still produced the contract."

Chen Yang smiled and did not deny it.

"I don't want her autograph, I want her attitude."

"She flipped through the contract and said she wanted to sign it without a second's hesitation, which shows that she really wanted to come. The rest is just negotiating the price with Zhou Yougen."

Ma Li put the unlit cigarettes back into the cigarette pack.

"You little brat..."

"Prepare a formal invitation letter for Zhou Yougen," Chen Yang said. "Use CCTV letterhead, the kind with a stamp."

Hong Kong people value prestige when doing business.

"And Sister Li, call Zheng Kai's agent tomorrow morning to make an appointment."

"I know Zheng Kai's agent. He's a mid-level manager at Huayi Brothers, and his surname is Fang."

Ma Li thought about it.

"But to be honest, Huayi Brothers is acting pretty arrogant these days. Zheng Kai may not be very famous, but he just signed with Huayi, so his agent must think he has a precious gem in his hands."

"Outdoor variety shows are seen as low-class work that involves rolling around on the ground, and they might not even look at them."

"Attack first."

Chen Yang opened the taxi door.

"Try again if you get rejected."

The next morning.

The twelfth floor of the CCTV main building houses the program team's office area.

Ma Li sat at her workstation, pulled out her contacts, and dialed the landline of Manager Fang from Huayi Brothers' talent agency department.

After three beeps, I answered.

"Hey, Brother Fang, this is Ma Li."

"Hey, Sister Ma, what's up?"

"I'd like to ask you about someone, Zheng Kai."

"Zheng Kai?" There was a pause on the other end of the phone. "He's a newcomer we just signed this year. What's up? Need him for a role?"

"It's not a drama, it's a variety show."

"Variety show? What variety show?"

"A new prime-time program on CCTV's variety channel, an outdoor competitive reality show, with a regular MC."

Ma Li spoke quickly and clearly.

There was a two-second silence on the other end of the phone.

Then Manager Fang smiled.

"Sister Ma, how can you even refuse a show like this?"

"Outdoor? Competitive? The kind where you roll around on the ground?"

"almost."

"Forget it, Zheng Kai just signed with Huayi Brothers, and his image is all about fashion and urban style. What will people in the industry think if he takes on this kind of tacky outdoor variety show?"

"Devaluation".

Manager Fang's tone was very decisive.

"Sister Ma, let's not talk about this anymore. Let's contact each other again if there are any film or television resources available..."

Before Ma Li could reply, a hand reached over from the side and pressed the speakerphone button on the table.

beep……

The hands-free mode is on.

Manager Fang's voice carried throughout the entire office area from the microphone.

Chen Yang stood behind Ma Li, bent down, and spoke into the microphone.

"Manager Fang, I am Chen Yang, the chief director of this program."

"Oh? Hello, hello, Director Chen..."

"I understand you saying it's beneath you," Chen Yang said calmly.

"Then let me put it another way, please listen."

"Airing on CCTV's prime time slot, every Saturday at 8 PM, simultaneously nationwide. The premiere is expected to achieve a viewership rating of over 1."

"How much does Zheng Kai earn per episode of a TV series now? Three thousand? Five thousand?"

"The exposure I gave him is something he couldn't get in ten TV dramas combined."

There was no sound on the other end of the phone.

Chen Yang straightened up and glanced at Ma Li.

A smile had already appeared on Ma Li's lips.

"Manager Fang." Chen Yang bent down again.

How many new artists did Huayi Brothers sign this year? Forty? Fifty? Where does Zheng Kai rank?

"You know in your heart that without a chance to be promoted with money, he will never be ranked among the top at Huayi Brothers."

"I'm giving him a chance now. The whole nation can watch him for 90 minutes every Saturday night."

"Do you think Huayi Brothers can give him this kind of opportunity on their own?"

The sound of Manager Fang swallowing saliva could be heard from the other end of the phone.

"Director Chen... Director Chen, you're talking about the ratings..."

Is there any basis for this?

"I can give you the approval number; you can check it on CCTV's official website."

Chen Yang straightened up, his voice fading.

"A-level key project, with full-scale publicity and promotion resources allocated across Taiwan."

"Whether or not you should get on this train, you can discuss it with Zheng Kai."

"I'll wait for your reply, but it won't be long."

The phone hangs up.

Ma Li leaned back in her chair and silently gave a thumbs up.

In the office area, Zhang Lei looked up at this side, then lowered his head to continue writing the list of staff shortages.

The corners of her mouth curved slightly.

Less than three minutes later, the landline rang.

Ma Li answered the call.

"Sister Ma?" Manager Fang's voice was completely different from before.

"Um... I'll check Zheng Kai's schedule again."

"Could we schedule a time to sit down and talk this over in detail?"