Stop it, the country really can't fit any more bans on the domestic entertainment industry.

Wang Yu was staring at the phone screen after the call ended, the smile on her face, which had been plastered on by her and Yang Mi's mutual flattery, still lingering.

"Ring ring—!!!"

The landline on the table, which was specifically used for emergency communication within the station, rang without warning.

The piercing ringtone echoed in the somewhat quiet control room, startling Wang Yu so much that she nearly knocked the phone she had just put down.

He glanced at the caller ID, and his previously smug expression instantly changed.

That's the office number of the deputy director of Hunan TV in charge of variety shows.

Why would they attack now?

"Oh no, has something happened?"

Wang Yu's heart skipped a beat; the excitement he felt from chatting so enthusiastically with Boss Yang instantly cooled down.

He took a deep breath, composed himself, and tried to make his voice sound calm and reliable before carefully picking up the receiver.

"Hey? Boss, this is Xiao Wang."

"Little Wang."

The deputy director's indifferent voice came from the other end of the phone, revealing no emotion whatsoever: "I've looked at the relevant reports from yesterday and this morning."

"These numbers are a bit ugly. The viewership ratings and online buzz are both much lower than before."

A fine layer of sweat instantly appeared on Wang Yuzheng's forehead.

He quickly explained, "Boss, please let me explain. This season has just started, and it's still in the pre-season phase. Besides, the competing variety shows are also gaining momentum this year, diverting a lot of viewers..."

"Stop giving me those objective reasons!"

The deputy director's voice suddenly rose several decibels, interrupting him, "Warm-up? I think you're going to be completely out of luck!"

"Wang Yuzheng, you haven't forgotten, have you?"

"The incident with the poisonous green beans from last season isn't completely over yet!"

Upon hearing the words "poisonous green beans," Wang Yuzheng felt a chill run down his spine; it was a nightmare in his professional career.

Last season, Teacher Huang cooked, but because he didn't cook it properly, he ended up sending guest Song Dandan to the hospital.

At the time, this incident caused a huge uproar, with the internet flooded with criticism, accusing the production team of being irresponsible and calling Huang Lei a "Breaking Bad" type of actor.

This even caused a major setback in the reputation of the entire Mushroom House, which was criticized by many sponsors.

"Boss, that was an accident, an accident..." Wang Yu's hands were slightly damp as he held the phone.

"I don't care if it was an accident or not!"

The deputy director's tone turned stern, revealing a sense of disappointment and frustration. "You know perfectly well how much that incident damaged the station's reputation! This season's business development is already difficult; if things don't improve, or if some more negative news or trouble arises..."

"You might as well quit being the director!"

"Our station doesn't support idlers or troublemakers!"

"This season, I absolutely must maintain our reputation! I absolutely must bring the ratings back! Can you do it?"

........................................

Wang Yu was so scolded that he couldn't lift his head, nodding obsequiously, even though the leader couldn't see him at all:

"Yes! Yes! Don't worry, boss!"

"I'm personally overseeing this season, and I absolutely won't make this kind of basic mistake again! I'll guarantee positive energy and high ratings!"

"Hmph, I hope you keep your word."

With a "snap".

The call was disconnected.

The receiver went dead.

Wang Yu slowly put down the phone and slumped into a chair, completely exhausted.

He raised his hand to wipe the cold sweat from his forehead, feeling his heart still pounding wildly in his chest.

The pressure is too great.

The variety show industry is too competitive these days, and audiences are becoming increasingly discerning.

But if he doesn't make this season a hit, if he doesn't boost the ratings, he might really have to pack his bags and leave.

Moreover, given the previous incident involving poisonous green beans, safety must be taken into account to prevent a recurrence. Due to this caution, he is not able to act freely on his end.

"call......"

Wang Yu let out a long breath, took out a cigarette from his pocket, lit it, and took a deep drag, trying to calm his agitated mood.

His gaze swept across the rows of monitor screens in front of him.

In camera position one, Teacher Huang and Teacher He are husking corn in the yard, chatting about old times. Although it's heartwarming, the pace is too slow, and the comments are sparse.

Camera position two: Peng Peng and his sister are at the fishpond behind the mountain. Apart from the beautiful scenery, there's not much going on.

This content is solid, but it lacks any exciting elements.

In this fast-paced era, no viral content means no traffic, and no traffic means certain death.

Am I really doomed this season?

Wang Yu was feeling irritable when her gaze inadvertently fell on the screen at the very edge.

That was Li Mo'an's personal split-screen live stream room.

In the scene, dust was flying everywhere.

The newcomer named Li Mo'an was standing next to the mountain of iron lumps, calmly wiping away his sweat.

Beside him, the old policeman in uniform was bending over, swinging his shovel with more effort than anyone else, helping to dig.

The number of real-time online users in the bottom right corner of the screen is climbing at a steep rate.

The chat was packed with comments, many of which were just saying "hahaha" and "is this an armory?", but the level of activity was far higher than the main stream.

Seeing this scene, Wang Yuzheng's eyes, which had been somewhat dull, gradually brightened.

"Isn't this the breaking point?"

Such a thought came to his mind.

Dig.

What simple and unpretentious labor!

This is road construction for the villagers, improving rural infrastructure – this is definitely positive energy!

Moreover, what kind of trouble could possibly arise from this?

It doesn't involve food safety or inappropriate language.

Even if what's dug up looks a bit like a bomb, it's still a prop.

What negative news could there be about digging up props?

We can't exactly dig up a real thing and blow it up, can we?

That probability is even lower than if he won 100 million in the lottery tomorrow.

Thinking of this, Wang Yu couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"Am I stupid? I'm sitting right on a gold mine, why am I worrying about poisonous green beans instead of digging in?"

The more he thought about it, the more reliable it seemed.

Since the deputy director wants ratings, reputation, and positive energy.

Li Mo'an, this newcomer, is simply a gift from God to save him!

This guy is handsome, hardworking, and has a wonderfully unique sense of humor. Even when faced with those bomb props, he can calmly cooperate with the performance. This dedication and sense of humor make him seem like he was born for the camera.

Most importantly, now even the police are appearing in the footage.

Police and civilians are one family, working together to build a new countryside.

The concept and the level of insight are off the charts!

........................................

Wang Yu stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray, stood up, and his eyes became more determined than ever before.

Since Boss Yang Mi has already set up such a great stage—spending a lot of money to make realistic bomb props and asking the police to cooperate—it's quite a feat.

If I, as the director, don't give this play a strong push and make it a success, then I would be letting down the hard work of the people involved, and I would be letting down my position as the chief director.

Give it a try and turn your bicycle into a motorcycle.

It would be foolish to not seize this opportunity and wait to be dismissed by the station.

"Xiao Liu! Lao Zhang! And everyone in the operations team! Come here!"

Wang Yu grabbed the walkie-talkie and shouted outside.

Within seconds, several managers in charge of publicity and operations rushed in.

"Director, what's wrong?"

Wang Yu was pointing at the screen of Li Mo'an's live stream, his face showing the excitement and determination of a gambler about to go all in.

"From this moment forward, mobilize all the propaganda resources we have!"

"Buy trending topics! Buy headlines! Contact all the major marketing accounts!"

"I want to promote Li Mo'an's live stream across all platforms!"

Several managers were taken aback: "Director, push it all down? What about the main livestream room...?"

Forget about the main livestream! All the traffic is here now!

Wang Yu waved his hand dismissively, his tone leaving no room for argument:

"Make this a big splash!"

"I've already thought of a title—The most hardcore rookie in Mushroom House history, joining hands with police officers to build a safe village!"

"Or to put it simply—Shocking! New streamer unearths an arms arsenal? Let's leave that as a question mark, and lure people in first!"

He paused, his gaze fixed on the still calm young man on the screen.

"This time, we're not holding back."

"I want to make the concept of newcomers digging into the ground up in live streaming the biggest and most viral hit of the season!"

"I'm going to take a gamble!"

"Let's bet on this newcomer named Li Mo'an!"