Chapter 315 TV Station Invitation
Lu Yiming was still very surprised when he suddenly received a call from Li Zixian.
"Reporter Li, you called me at dinner time. Are you planning to treat me to a meal?"
On the other end of the phone, Li Zixian's signature laugh came, like a happy lark: "Mr. Lu, you really are so predictable. How about I pick you up from school now?"
Lu Yiming smiled and declined: "That's not necessary, I'm eating right here. Reporter Li, you're not really just planning to treat me to a meal, right?"
After chatting, Li Zixian started talking about business: "This call was asked by the leader of the TV station to call you, Mr. Lu."
Hearing this, Lu Yiming was actually surprised: "Oh? Why did they ask you to call me?"
Li Zixian patiently explained, "It's like this. Because of the advertisement of your Shijinji, the sales of our TV station's Mingzhu Daily have increased several times. There are even scalpers from other provinces who come to Baiyun to buy our newspapers."
“Good fellow!”
Lu Yiming didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He clearly went there to advertise, but in the end the TV station won. Not only did they make advertising money from him, but they also made newspaper money from the users.
A classic win-win.
The TV station won twice directly.
Lu Yiming couldn't help but joked: "Then you guys have to give me a share of the bill, right?"
Li Zixian smiled and said, "I'll have to ask for instructions, but it's no problem for me to treat you to a meal."
Then, Li Zixian continued, "By the way, in addition to thanking you, I also want to discuss the follow-up cooperation with you."
Lu Yiming raised his eyebrows slightly and said in surprise: "Oh? Cooperation? How do you mean?"
As the saying goes, one does not visit someone for no reason. Given the status and position of a TV station, simply increasing newspaper sales through an advertisement is certainly not enough for the TV station to call and express gratitude.
Lu Yiming quickly adjusted his mindset and waited for what was to come.
Li Zixian spoke softly, enunciating each word: "It's like this. The sensation caused by this advertisement is really unexpected. Our TV station thinks that if we can cooperate with Shi Jin Ji to make a program together on the project of One Million Painters, the effect should be very good. For example, we can record the whole process of each round of competition, and then edit it into a one-hour or forty-five-minute program, and finally decide the champion and present the award in front of thousands of viewers..."
Lu Yiming recognized it immediately. Isn’t this the routine of talent shows?
In Lu Yiming's memory, Mango TV held the first "Super Girl" in 2004, which triggered a nationwide carnival. When the program was broadcast, the streets were deserted, and the influence was unprecedented.
It was also from that time that various talent shows began to pop up like mushrooms after rain, and it was very lively one after another.
If the Million Painters project could be made into a training program like Super Girl, it would definitely be eye-opening.
And, it can continue to exert the influence of this program.
It is equivalent to a long-term, stable, and extra-long advertising space.
This is what Lu Yiming has always dreamed of!
To be honest, even Lu Yiming, a reborn person, didn’t dare to think so big!
"It seems that someone at the TV station has the same idea as me. I was just about to discuss the feasibility of this with you. Now it seems that we are a perfect match. In fact, my plan has already been written. But there are some things I must say in advance. We can cooperate on the program. I can sell you the first broadcast rights, but the production broadcast rights and ownership must belong to Shijinji. If this program wants to continue, it must be authorized by Shijinji."
“Ah, this…”
Li Zixian was first shocked by Lu Yiming's advanced thinking, and then felt a little hesitant about the request made by Lu Yiming.
Everyone knows that the income from broadcasting rights and copyright authorization is the largest and longest-lasting of all the income of a program. If Lu Yiming holds these two rights in his hands, the TV station's income in this regard will be greatly reduced.
Although Li Zixian was about to become his cousin's wife, Lu Yiming was not at all soft-hearted.
"Go talk to your boss. If he's willing to talk, I'll send a team to contact you and bring along the proposal I've prepared. If your TV station disagrees, I can work with other TV stations. And I can tell you clearly that if we compete, you'll lose."
For this million-dollar artist recruitment campaign, Lu Yiming plans to run it according to the model of Super Girl, using the talent show format to create a few national idols.
Of course, idols are just tools, and their essence is to build the brand image of Shijinji. Only by allowing the public to participate widely can the three words "Shijinji" be truly stable and lastingly deeply rooted in people's hearts.
Li Zixian was shocked by Lu Yiming's strong self-confidence. At the same time, she was also very curious about how powerful Lu Yiming's plan was.
"I will convey this to the leader. Wait for my news."
"OK."
Lu Yiming hung up the phone and said to Shi Qingxue: "Someone from the TV station called me and wanted to cooperate with me."
Shi Qingxue smiled and said, "Very good."
Lu Yiming also smiled slightly and said, "Let's continue eating."
Cao Jingwen looked at the two people with affection and couldn't help but complain: "I really can't stand you two. It seems that I have to find a handsome guy to have dinner with me."
After dinner, Lu Yiming returned to the classroom and began to write the plan.
Even though he had just lied to Li Zihan and he hadn't even created a folder for his project plan, it didn't matter. This process had started in 2004 and was continued until 2002 when he was reborn. After more than ten years of development, the various rules and gameplay had become quite diverse, and it could even be said that he had come up with a lot of new ideas. He could completely use the gameplay of "Super Girl" as a basis, draw on the strengths of various schools, and come up with a set of program plans that would impress the audience and make them unable to stop.
On the other hand, as time went on, the campaign of offering a million-dollar reward for painters continued to ferment. Not only did people from the society get involved, but even professionals joined the battlefield.
In the teahouse, Ji Wenze, the president of Baiyun Calligraphers and Painters Association and a retired senior cadre, was painting. Around him, several peers who looked sanctimonious were concentrating on watching Ji Wenze paint. Sometimes they frowned and looked thoughtful; sometimes they suddenly realized something and applauded.
After a moment, Ji Wen Ze put down his brush. On the rice paper in front of him, a man with a shovel-shaped face, a bucket-shaped body, and short legs was sitting on something unknown. No one knew what he was doing with his hands, because there was a large black spot dotted by a ball of thick ink.
"Come and see how I'm doing with my recent painting of 'Uncle Liu Making Straw Sandals by the River'?"
Several people around craned their necks to look.
"So this is Uncle Liu. He is indeed a man of both spirit and form, full of charm."
"I haven't seen you for a few months. The president's painting skills have improved! With just a few strokes, he has depicted the domineering Liu Huangshu so vividly. Amazing!"
"The president is worthy of being the president. I have to admire him."
Ji Wen Ze felt extremely satisfied listening to these people's compliments.
“Thank you very much. I think I still have room for improvement.”
Those people flattered him again.
"The president is being modest."
"President, your painting skills have reached the pinnacle, yet you are still so modest. I am ashamed."
At this moment, there was a knock on the door. Ji Wenzhe silently rolled up the scroll and said, "Come in."
A young man came in. His name was Xie Zugen, and he was Ji Wenze's nominal disciple. As soon as he entered the room, he said, "Master, I just got a message that a company called Shijinji is going to hold a painting competition on the theme of Water Margin heroes."
Ji Wenzhe listened and said with a look of disdain: "This kind of wild game happens every day. Is it necessary to come here specially to report it?"
After hearing this, the other people also agreed with it.
"You don't want the president to participate in this kind of competition, do you? After all, the president is the president of our Baiyun City Calligraphers and Painters Association, and a leading figure in our Southeast Chinese painting circle. How can he participate in such an informal competition with no gold content? If it gets out, it will be a disgrace to his status."
"That's right. Let alone the president, even we can't lower ourselves to participate in this level of amateur competition. We can't afford to lose face."
"That's right."
Xie Zugen rolled his eyes furtively, then said, "Although this is a wild game, the prize money is very high."
Ji Wenze looked directly at Xie Zugen and asked with a little disdain, "High? How high can it be?"
"That's right, how high can the prize money for this kind of competition be? Three to five hundred or one to two thousand?"
Xie Zugen raised his index finger.
"One thousand? It's indeed a high amount, but it's not worth it at all."
"That's right. Hey, let alone the president, I don't even want to make a move. You want to buy our calligraphy for just one thousand yuan, that's really ungrateful."
Xie Zugen couldn't bear to watch it any longer, so he said, "It's one million!"
Once these words were spoken, they caused a huge uproar.
"What? A million dollars in prize money?"
"Did I hear it right? The prize money is actually one million ?"
"Are you sure you're not kidding us?"
This amount of money shocked everyone.
One million. That’s a full million.
Whoever gets this one million will become the richest man of this era!
Xie Zugen said: "Why would I lie to you? This matter has spread everywhere. The TV station has advertised it and it has been published in the newspapers."
After saying that, he immediately took out a crumpled newspaper from his pocket, unfolded it on the table, pointed at the Liu Tianwang advertisement on the front page and said: "Look, it's endorsed by Liu Tianwang from Hong Kong, how could it be fake?"
"Come, let me see."
Ji Wenzhe pushed Xie Zugen aside and looked at the advertisement carefully.
“It really is one million.”
"Oh my god, what kind of company is so generous? Shijinji? What does Shijinji do?"
Everyone stood behind Ji Wen Ze and watched the curiosity.
Someone said, "President, isn't there going to be a big artist competition next month? I think I can participate in this competition to warm up and try my hand at it."
Another person said, "That's right. For the president, this kind of competition is just a test run. The champion must be the president."
Ji Wenze was salivating over the one million yuan prize, but in the face of everyone's flattery, he still said modestly: "There are always people who are better than you. Although I have some attainments in calligraphy and painting, there are many masters among the people."
Although he said so, in fact, he also felt that he had it absolutely certain. He was the president of the Baiyun City Chinese Painting Association. As long as nothing unexpected happened, wouldn't the championship be his?
A small local enterprise like this dares not to give itself face and give the championship to someone else? You must be kidding!
…
Xin Yongsheng is a senior student majoring in civil engineering at South China University of Technology. With graduation approaching, while all his classmates are busy working on their future, he is immersed in his artistic creation.
On this day, after breakfast, he had nothing to do and took out his paper and pen and started creating his favorite comics.
Although the cartoons he drew were not collected and published, some of them were still published in newspapers when he occasionally submitted them. As for the school newspaper, there was a special section for him. His paintings had a very good reputation in the school - but the key was that the school newspaper did not pay him, so no matter how much praise he received, it was useless.
Yan Mingjiang, Xin Yongsheng's roommate on the upper bunk, was his most loyal comic book friend. Seeing that he had started drawing again, he immediately asked with great interest, "Asheng, you're drawing again? What are you going to draw this time?"
Without even looking up, Xin Yongsheng said softly, "This time I'm going to paint a set of the Four Great Classics. Anyway, I still have half a year before I get my diploma, so I'll finish it before graduation."
"Okay, then show me the one you've finished drawing."
"Um."
While the two were talking, another roommate, Yu Tielong, came back. He was holding a file bag in his hand, and he said loudly with a smug look on his face, "I'm back!"
Xin Yongsheng seemed to have heard nothing and continued painting.
Yu Tielong and Xin Yongsheng have always been at odds with each other because when he was in his sophomore year, Xin Yongsheng used a portrait cartoon to win over the girl he had liked for a long time.
Therefore, seeing Xin Yongsheng drawing again, Yu Tielong could not help but sneer and mock him: "Hey, what can you achieve by drawing these things all day? Can you make money or find a job?"
Xin Yongsheng frowned when he heard this, but he didn't stop painting. He didn't intend to pay any attention to Yu Tielong.
However, his lack of reaction only made Yu Tielong even more angry. He cursed, "What's so great about being able to draw? I think you are just wasting your time on playing around. I just got an offer from a foreign company today, with a basic salary of 1,500 yuan! I can start working as soon as I get my diploma. And I get two days off a week! No matter how well you draw, can you earn over 1,000 yuan a month? Can you find a good job? You don't listen to me, you are such a stubborn ass."
Xin Yongsheng then raised his head and replied perfunctorily: "Yes, yes, you are awesome, okay?"
Yu Tielong curled his lips, obviously not satisfied with this level of flattery. He wanted to say a few more words, but found that Xin Yongsheng ignored him again. He suddenly felt bored, so he turned around and left the dormitory to show off to others.
When Yu Tielong came in just now, Yan Mingjiang, who was lying in the upper bunk, had been pretending to sleep, and Yu Tielong didn't see him at all. After finding out that Yu Tielong had left, Yan Mingjiang stuck his head out of the quilt and said to Xin Yongsheng: "Your painting is very good, you just lack a mentor. Keep painting, I support you!"
"but……"
Yan Mingjiang changed his tone and gave a gentle advice: "We are all about to graduate, you should spend more time looking for a job. In this day and age, people laugh at the poor but not at prostitutes. How can you live happily with Zhao Enjing in the future if you have no job and no house? Even if she agrees, will her family agree?"
Xin Yongsheng fell silent. He had loved reading comics since he was a child, especially "Water Margin", "Journey to the West" and "Romance of the Three Kingdoms". Those were his happiest memories of that year.
So over the years, although he chose civil engineering as his major because of his parents, he never put down his paintbrush because painting was his dream.
It’s a pity that dreams are too heavy, a burden that life cannot bear.
"Let me think about it."
