American TV series: Starting with exploiting young Sheldon

The staff leading the way were already used to such little incidents.

After leading Mike and the others to a table labeled "Devil Body Group" and "Mike," the staff member then left the lobby.

"Wow, the TV station is quite thoughtful~" Connie's grandma said with a smile after sitting down.

On the table in front of them, besides two bottles of champagne, there were various small desserts, dried fruits, and fresh fruits.

This configuration is sufficient for holding a small seminar.

Connie's grandmother, ever the friendly type, opened a bottle of champagne and poured a glass for each of the parents.

Mike, on the other hand, took a large bottle of juice from the table and distributed it to the rest of the people.

Then, the mothers who had gathered together began to talk about their own children.

But soon their conversation shifted from the children to celebrity gossip.

Meanwhile, the men on the side, who didn't have much in common to talk about, became much quieter.

……

Around 11 a.m., after most of the participating celebrities had arrived, several TV station staff members began to verify the guests' information table by table.

"Your song fits the Christmas theme perfectly, so it's been placed at the top." After confirming the information with the Devil Body Group and Mike, a staff member asked, "Are you comfortable with this arrangement?"

In the relaxed atmosphere of a live studio, it's not easy to immediately capture everyone's attention with the very first program.

Obviously, the first person to perform on stage is likely to warm up the audience for the following acts.

Or rather, it's about helping everyone get into the zone.

Of course, from another perspective, the first person to perform on stage also has their own advantages.

That is, if the show is exciting enough, then the person who performs the opening act will obviously leave a deeper impression on the audience.

When asked politely by the staff, Mike exchanged glances with the girls and shook his head to indicate that he had no objections.

"There's a dressing room over there. You can go there to fix your makeup or touch up before the show starts." After saying that, the staff member thoughtfully reminded Mike and the others before leaving, "By the way, if you have any questions later, you can contact our staff at any time."

……

Chapter 202 Small Business

It was noon, and the guests who were going to perform in the show soon went to the dressing room next door to fix their makeup.

As the recording time for the program approached, everyone in the studio became extremely focused.

In this atmosphere of heightened anticipation, the two hosts appeared on stage.

Thus begins this episode of "Merry Christmas Day".

Because the show has a high degree of freedom, the two hosts first interacted with the audience in a casual, conversational manner.

Then, seemingly unintentionally, the two mentioned Mike's new song.

Host A: "Did you know that there was a genius high school student who wrote a wonderful song for Christmas?"

Host B: "Really?" (Feigning surprise)

Host A: "Yes, the creator and singer of this Christmas song happen to be here today."

……

After introducing Mike and the girls from the "Devil Body Group," the two hosts invited Mike and the others onto the stage.

After some banter, Mike and the girls from the Devil Body Group began their Christmas carol performance.

Having experience performing at the school's Christmas party, their performance on television went very smoothly this time.

After their performance, Mike and the others returned to the audience to watch other performers.

……

Two hours later, after a series of performances including songs, contortion, drama, and acrobatics, this episode of "Merry Christmas Day" was drawing to a close.

Finally, led by the two hosts, everyone in the studio sang the classic Christmas song "Jingle Bells" together, and the recording of the program officially came to an end.

“Mike, my parents are taking me to the Brooklyn Christmas Village for vacation. Do you want to come along?” Regina asked enthusiastically outside the TV station.

The Brooklyn Christmas Village in the Big Apple is located in the Dyker Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn.

Every Christmas season, the people here decorate their houses with dreamy and exquisite Christmas lights, turning the entire community into a beautiful fairy tale world.

This has made it a popular Christmas destination, attracting countless tourists every year.

"This is your family activity, so I won't join in the fun." Mike had heard of the famous Christmas Village.

However, seeing the unfriendly look in Regina's father's eyes not far away, he wisely declined the invitation to go on a trip with the girl's family.

Seeing Mike's reaction, Regina seemed to realize something. She glanced back at her father, whose face was dark with anger, and didn't press the matter further, saying, "Okay, we'll contact each other again when I get back..."

Have fun!

Before the girl's father's expression could grow increasingly grim, Mike waved goodbye to the girl who was still rambling on.

Meanwhile, Connie's grandmother, who had asked Alan Jackson for his autograph, came to Mike's side.

After watching Regina and her family leave, she whispered, "That was a great opportunity to curry favor with someone powerful, why didn't you try?"

Judging from Regina's father's demeanor, he is definitely a successful person.

If Mike could establish a relationship with Regina in front of him, he could save himself at least thirty years of hard work.

"I don't need to suck up to anyone, I can be the sucker myself..." Mike said half-jokingly.

With his long-term vision, he certainly doesn't need to curry favor with others.

Seeing Mike's confident demeanor, Grandma Connie smiled but didn't say anything more.

After the show, Mike and his group returned to the town of Deford around 5 p.m.

After saying goodbye to Katie's family, the Coopers continued to discuss what they had seen and heard on TV until they entered Connie's grandmother's house.

It's clear that everyone was very satisfied with their experience of watching the show being recorded live.

……

Before we knew it, it was the third day of the Christmas holiday.

That noon, little George excitedly approached Mike with a crystal ball on a base.

"Mike, isn't this pretty?" Little George asked, holding the crystal ball in both hands like he was showing off a treasure.

It was a transparent glass ball about the size of a fist, and inside the glass ball was a scene of Santa Claus driving a sleigh.

When you shake it, the glitter inside the glass ball will float like snowflakes.

“It’s beautiful,” Mike said truthfully.

With Mike's approval, little George smiled. Then, he asked mysteriously, "Mike, would you like to earn some pocket money?"

Such dreamlike crystal balls with accompanying scenes are quite common in later generations. However, in this day and age, they are still a novelty.

Little George also happened to see this crystal ball with a Christmas scene on the street.

In a flash of inspiration, he realized that this crystal ball held a huge business opportunity.

A dreamy crystal ball with a Christmas theme is obviously perfect for people to give as a gift or keep as a souvenir during the special holiday of Christmas.

Upon discovering this business opportunity, young George immediately went to find the manufacturer of these crystal balls.

Then, using his superb negotiation skills, he got a wholesale price of 2 yuan per meter for the crystal ball that sold for 4 yuan per meter on the market.

Little George, who had everything ready but lacked start-up capital, returned to seek sponsorship.

He went to see his father first.

However, George did not believe that his eldest son could make money, so he chose to refuse.

Having exhausted all other options, little George thought of seeking "help" from Mike again.

Mike, seeing George so serious for the first time, asked with interest, "What should I do?"

“I got a discounted purchase price of two meters for these crystal balls, and then I plan to go door-to-door to sell them for five meters…” Little George revealed his plan in detail, and finally said expectantly, “How about it, Mike? As long as you provide me with the start-up capital, I can split the profits with you.”

Hearing that the other party's plan was fairly comprehensive, Mike immediately asked, "How much money do you need as seed funding?"

"The more the better, of course. The more you buy, the more you earn..." Little George said excitedly as his plan was about to be implemented.

"More specifics?" Mike frowned and asked.

The new item, the dream crystal ball, has a good market. However, the method of going door-to-door to sell it, like little George does, is obviously not very efficient.

"How about 1,000 yuan? I'll try with 500 crystal balls first," little George said enthusiastically.

"Are you sure you can sell all of this if you order it all at once?" Mike asked.

You should know that five hundred crystal balls represent that little George has to visit at least five hundred households.

Moreover, it's conceivable that not every household would buy this item.

Therefore, strictly speaking, the number of times Little George needs to visit is far greater than five hundred.

Knocking on so many doors one by one is no small undertaking.

"I'm sure~" Little George is really going all out to earn "big" money.

“Actually, I think it’s safer for you to buy a hundred crystal balls first. After they’re sold out, you can decide whether to restock,” Mike suggested, offering a more reliable recommendation.

"This..." Seeing his big business plan turn into a small one in an instant, little George's expression became somewhat resentful.

Lacking the initial capital, he finally had to compromise, saying, "Alright, let's start with a hundred."

It would be painful to not be able to fully seize a huge business opportunity.

Mike ignored George's reaction.

He took out two hundred US dollars and said, "Consider this a loan from me. As for what you do with it, I won't ask. Just remember to pay me back when you're able to."

Clearly, Mike had no intention of getting involved in George's business.

Or rather, he wasn't short of pocket money and never thought of exploiting the other party's hard-earned money.

“Mike, you’re such a good person!” Little George took the money and said with emotion, “Don’t worry, I’ll pay you back as soon as I earn the money.”

Regardless of how George is feeling right now.

Mike, who had inexplicably received a friend card, looked rather complicated.

Then, he shook his head and said, "Alright, go ahead and do your thing."

Chapter 203 Family Matters

Over the next few days, little George began to busy himself with his crystal ball business.

After the first batch of crystal balls sold out, he used the money he earned to buy more than two hundred new ones.

However, there are only so many residents in the surrounding area who can make a purchase. If George doesn't expand his sales area, selling the second batch of goods in this area will be the limit.

So, during this time, he came to see Mike again and suggested that the two of them go out on the street to sell crystal balls.

Three days have passed since Mike and the others appeared on the episode of "Merry Christmas Day".

Because of Mike's handsome appearance, this songwriter and instrumentalist received more screen time on stage than the girls in the "Devil Body Group".

Therefore, Mike's perfect appearance was broadcast to millions of households in Texas through television.

This has led to his sudden rise to fame in the small town of Deford.

Compared to the last time on the rugby field, he became famous facing a specific group of people.

This time, Mike appeared on a variety show with a wider audience as a creative star, making him easier to remember.

This situation has led to him now appearing on the street and being approached by enthusiastic girls asking for autographs.

Based on this situation, George suggested that Mike go out and sell crystal balls on the street.

According to him, given Mike's current fame, even if a crystal ball were sold for ten dollars, many girls would rush to buy it.

However, Michael quickly rejected George's presumptuous suggestion.

Compared to selling crystal balls on the cold streets, Mike would much rather spend Christmas Day having fun with Katie and the other girls.

……