Wang Zhi coughed twice behind him. There was no script for this show. He had seen with his own eyes that these athletes didn't know anything before they entered the competition venue. Big Fei's mouth was truly a deceitful devil.
In the following rounds, Lin Chudong, unsurprisingly, chose all the girls.
He took all the girls that the others didn't want: a swimmer, a pair of twin sisters, two fitness instructors, a female boxing champion, and a pole dancer.
When the pole dancer appeared, Da Fei's eyes lit up. This was the talent he was looking for.
Team 1 was also the first to be fully staffed, a real Daughters' Army.
Except for Da Fei, it was all girls!
The girls Da Fei chose were basically the ones other teams didn't want, so his team filled up quickly. Wu Siping hadn't even appeared yet, and Da Fei's team was already full.
The camera switched to Da Fei's interview.
"Our team is very balanced. We have swimmers, strong people, and agile people. I believe Director Yan definitely won't play by the book, so choosing more girls will be more advantageous."
After Lin Chudong finished speaking, the camera switched to his smiling face.
"Haha, Da Fei is really talking nonsense with a straight face. If you like girls, just say you like girls, why use Director Yan as an excuse?"
"As expected of Director Yan Ming, even the people he chooses are so good-looking."
"Da Fei's performance has maxed out the show's effect. I bet he'll be spitting blood by the next competition."
"I suggest a tug-of-war in the next round. Let's see if Da Fei's smile can still be so bright."
"You guys are so mean. Da Fei will die under the peony flower, and even as a ghost, he'll be romantic."
"I remembered Da Fei's words from before, 'If you want to see a thousand miles, go to a higher level.' So, this 'thousand miles' is for looking at beauties, right?"
"Respect to Da Fei, the grandmaster of old perverts!"
"..."
The first episode ended.
The broadcast effect was quite good, and the popularity broke 100,000 in just a few hours.
Unsurprisingly, it was definitely the hottest variety show of the month.
Da Fei's Daughters' Army went viral directly, and everyone discussing the show would also discuss the Daughters' Army.
Liang Yin and Su Yulin were speechless.
"Yulin, will the program team really give him this kind of character setting?"
Su Yulin said, "It's very possible. Scripted variety shows are the norm; you get used to it."
Su Yulin had participated in many variety shows and was used to this kind of thing, but a touch of jealousy was still inevitable.
"Yulin, don't go. Let's play a game and play a couple of rounds with Wang Zhi."
"Okay."
After playing for a while, as expected, Wang Zhi won.
"Haha, Wang Zhi has his day! Su Goddess actually lost to me at drumming!"
Liang Yin rolled her eyes. "You really live up to your name, Wang Zhi, the 'ambitious' one!"
Over the next few days, Liang Yin Media was extremely busy, interviewing actors for Swords of Glory, contacting the production team, and preparing the game's promotional plan.
Only a few days were left until the New Year. They were busy with these things, waiting for the Spring Festival Gala.
On the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth lunar month, Yang Han contacted Lin Chudong and asked him out for dinner. She wanted to introduce him to an advertiser who intended to have Lin Chudong as their spokesperson.
Liang Yin asked, "Da Fei, this is our first endorsement. How much money would be appropriate?"
"It depends on the product. Logically, given my current status, the endorsement fee should be over a million, for two years."
"But if the other party is a well-known brand, with a good reputation, and offers some other perks, we can lower the price a bit."
After the last episode of I Can 48 aired, it wasn't surprising that a sports brand would approach Lin Chudong for an endorsement.
Endorsements do have risks. Relatively speaking, sports brands are safer, at least much safer than food brands.
"We'll talk tonight, let them make an offer."
This money is easy to earn, we definitely have to take it.
In the evening, at a fusion cuisine restaurant in Shanghai, Lin Chudong and Liang Yin entered a private room and saw Yang Han and a young man wearing glasses.
"Da Fei, General Liang, this is my friend, General Fu Xiaochun. We've worked together before."
The two shook hands with Fu Xiaochun.
Fu Xiaochun said, "Let me introduce myself, I'm the boss of Chunting Game Company. Our company has made several games, and Raging Slash: Three Kingdoms is one of them."
"Recently we've developed a music-themed game and want Da Fei to be its spokesperson. The price is negotiable."
Lin Chudong was stunned for a moment and exchanged a look with Liang Yin, their expressions becoming somewhat strange.
Game?
Or a music game? Isn't this a coincidence? Lin Chudong asked, "General Fu, what kind of game is yours?"
Fu Xiaochun took out his phone and opened a video, placing it in front of them.
"It's a piano game. You press the buttons on the keyboard that correspond to the keys on the piano."
"If you press the right ones, you score points, and you play a beautiful piece of music. If you press the wrong ones, you lose points. It's a competitive game."
Both of them frowned. This game... they were stepping on each other's toes! Lin Chudong looked at Liang Yin with a puzzled expression. Didn't they mention this when they talked to Yang Han about the copyright? Liang Yin shrugged. They discussed the copyright with Yang Han's boss, and Yang Han wasn't there. She only knew that Da Fei wanted to buy the song's authorization; she didn't know he was making a game.
The game hasn't been made yet, so there's been no promotion. Besides Wu Siping and Wang Pengtao, no one else knows he's making a game.
Lin Chudong said, "General Fu, I'm really sorry. We didn't communicate about this before, and we didn't know we were going to endorse a game."
"We've also made a game ourselves and are about to launch it, so I can't take this endorsement."
Fu Xiaochun's expression shifted slightly.
"Big Fei, are you kidding me? Aren't you a singer?"
Lin Chudong said, "I'm not kidding. We even tried to buy the copyright from Yang Han's company before."
Yang Han looked surprised. "You came to buy the copyright to make your own game? This... I didn't know. Sorry, General Fu."
Fu Xiaochun's expression wasn't great, but he still smiled and said, "It's okay. I didn't expect you guys to be making games too. It's quite a coincidence. What kind of game are you making?"
"The same as yours, a music game, but we're making a rhythm game based on drum beats."
"Oh, promising, hehe."
Fu Xiaochun didn't say anything more. He had originally come seeking cooperation, but unexpectedly ran into a competitor.
The meal was very depressing. The wine they ordered wasn't even drunk. Fu Xiaochun ate for a while and then said his goodbyes and left first.
After Fu Xiaochun left, Yang Han said:
"I'm sorry, I didn't know you were also making games."
Lin Chudong said, "It's not your fault, you mean well. Our project isn't finalized yet, so it's still in the confidential stage."
Yang Han asked, "Making games isn't cheap, is it?"
"Not cheap. It cost more than what I spent on filming Beginning."
"Once the TV series is finished, there's no more investment, but after the game is done, there are still operating costs."
Just the operational maintenance alone is a considerable expense, not to mention subsequent version updates and so on.
However, the game's revenue is continuous; as long as the income exceeds the expenditure, it will always be profitable.
Yang Han said, "Sigh, I was too hasty this time. I didn't expect you to have a competitive relationship."
Lin Chudong smiled wryly, "It's a coincidence. There aren't many companies doing this type of game nationwide. I guess my competitor is only him now."
Yang Han said, "Then you have to be careful. Fu Xiaochun's company is an old game company. Their previous game, Raging Slash: Three Kingdoms, was very successful. They have strong capital and a lot of fans. It won't be easy to compete with them."
Lin Chudong nodded.
It's difficult for any newcomer to enter the industry. When Lin Chudong first entered the film and television industry, he was also ostracized everywhere. But as long as the product is excellent enough, someone will see its potential sooner or later.
Lin Chudong asked, "Yang Han, have you considered what I mentioned last time?"
Yang Han nodded. "I've thought it over. My contract expires next May. I'll come to your company then."
Liang Yin was overjoyed. "That's great! You're coming to my company?"
Lin Chudong smiled. "You've finally come around. I'll be waiting for you next May. I'll prepare three songs for you in advance. The company's schedules are packed; I can't even handle all of them myself. You won't be idle when you come."
Yang Han said, "Then I'll be looking forward to it."
"Welcome to Liang Yin Media in advance."
On the twenty-eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, the third rehearsal for the Spring Festival Gala.
Liang Yin brought five musicians and Lin Chudong, a total of seven people, to Jingcheng. The rest of the company had already gone on holiday, only Yao Qiang and his team were still working overtime.
Arriving at Central Television Station, Wang Zhi and the others were wide-eyed with excitement.
"Amazing, Big Fei is going to be on the Spring Festival Gala! Too bad he can't bring us along."
Lin Chudong said, "Don't be discouraged. I'll talk to the director later and arrange for you to be in the audience. You might even get some screen time."
"That would be great."
Actually, the rehearsals had nothing to do with them. But this time they came to Jingcheng and wouldn't be going back until after the Spring Festival Gala.
So they came along as well, treating it as a free trip.
"Little Jing, won't your uncle be happy that you're not going home for the New Year?"
Jing Feifei shrugged. "He's busy during the Spring Festival. He won't have time to worry about me."
"Does General Jing sponsor this year's Spring Festival Gala?"
"Looks like not."
"Too bad."
Actually, General Jing had made it very clear. Helping out last time was already very generous; he wouldn't get involved with them anymore. Since they wanted to get into music, they had to make a name for themselves. Otherwise, they should just go home and inherit the family fortune.
Entering the No. 1 studio of Central Television Station, Lin Qiqi ran over from a distance.
"Da Fei!"
Lin Chudong laughed. "Qiqi, you're here early. Where's Sister Song?"
"Sister Song is in the back. When it's my turn later, you watch me from below, or else I won't be able to sing."
Song Jing hurried over, saying:
"Da Fei, hurry and go to the audience seats, or else this young lady will say she won't sing. The director has asked me several times already."
Lin Chudong was helpless. "Alright, I'll go down there and give you directions."
Actually, there wasn't much difficulty in Lin Qiqi's song, and it was also playback, not live performance. It was just lip-syncing, and there was no dance either. How could she possibly not be able to do it?
Maybe she felt secure seeing Lin Chudong down there.
Lin Chudong stood under the audience seats and greeted Director Ma. Then, Lin Qiqi went on stage.
Holding the microphone with both hands, Lin Qiqi's cheeks revealed a sweet smile when she saw Lin Chudong below. The cheerful song came, making the whole scene quiet down.
There were also many audiences for the three rehearsals, and the program effect was quite good.
Wang Zhi stared blankly, captivated. "Lin Qiqi's song is going to be a hit."
Liang Yin said, "You don't say, considering who wrote it."
Lin Qiqi had to go home for the New Year's Eve, so her performance was scheduled early.
After coming off stage, Lin Chudong also hurried backstage to prepare.
Wang Zhi held the program schedule and said,
"Big Fei's performance is quite late."
"That means the director values it. The later, the more significant it is. Who's the grand finale for this year's gala?"
"Zhang Yiran, with the song 'The Crown'."
This was the diva's signature song, and she'd performed it on I Am the King of Songs before, making it a legendary live performance. Unfortunately, it lost to Lin Chudong's "Sailor."
"It feels a bit off to sing this on the Spring Festival Gala stage."
"There's nothing off about it. Zhang Yiran is the representative of capital, a diva in the music world. Several sponsors of the Spring Festival Gala have business dealings with her, so it's normal for her to be the finale."
Seeing everyone's spirits were a bit down, Liang Yin said.
"Don't overthink it. It's only our first year. Even though Da Fei has a fan base, we can't become fat in one bite."
The group arrived backstage, where many big names were gathered. They saw many celebrities, but those people were all busy, so Wang Zhi and the others didn't feel comfortable asking for photos.
Furthermore, Liang Yin Music Team was now a well-known band. They had to maintain some composure and couldn't just go around taking photos with celebrities; it would be too embarrassing.
Wang Zhi puffed out his chest and strode into the backstage, striking the pose of a top-tier bassist.
In the dressing room, Lin Chudong was about to sit down when a sharp voice suddenly cut through the air.
"Get out of the way! Can't you see this is marked with a name?"
Lin Chudong turned around and saw an old 'friend', Wang Xiaoyan.
"It's you?"
It was truly bizarre that Wang Xiaoyan would also be appearing on the Spring Festival Gala.
The program schedule listed a group of internet celebrity singers, and Wang Xiaoyan was among them.
Ever since the last season of "Hundred Praise Singer" was canceled, Wang Xiaoyan's career had plummeted. She had no choice but to return to her old profession. She re-signed with Zhang Yiran's entertainment company and started live-streaming and selling products, occasionally posting sexy, borderline videos to attract fans.
But this wasn't bad; the income was quite good, and this market suited her well. The internet celebrity economy was booming, even allowing her to get on the Spring Festival Gala.
There were a total of six internet celebrities. All of them, combined, had just over a minute of airtime. Each of them only had two lines of lyrics and appeared on screen for about ten seconds. But for Wang Xiaoyan, it was already enough.
How many short video bloggers could get on the Spring Festival Gala? This was all thanks to Sister Zhang's efforts.
Last time, she helped Sister Zhang scold Da Fei, and she was immediately given a promotion.
That bastard Da Fei actually wrote a song to curse her. Netizens all said that the "Ma Hu" in the song was her, describing her big, donkey-like face.
This time, after appearing on the Spring Festival Gala, her value would definitely double. Maybe she'd even have a chance to appear on variety shows and re-enter the entertainment industry.
At this moment, Wang Xiaoyan's name was stuck on the makeup table. Below it, a piece of paper had been torn off, with a part of it still remaining. It clearly read "Liang Yin Music Team".
The director had also told Lin Chudong that the 19th makeup table was the one he should use, so there shouldn't be any mistakes.
"You tore off my name and put yours on?"
Wang Xiaoyan said coldly, "Is this a place you can even be? Do you really think you're some kind of internet celebrity? You've offended Sister Zhang, and you still dare to come here. You've got some nerve."
Lin Chudong frowned. "Wang Xiaoyan, today is the final rehearsal. You better not cause any trouble, or if the program gets pulled, don't you regret it."
Wang Xiaoyan crossed her arms, looking like she didn't care at all.
"You're threatening me? Fine, go ahead and make a scene. If we don't go on, we don't go on. It'd be great to drag you down with me. Let's go outside and settle this. Forget about recording the show."
Wang Xiaoyan only had a performance of about ten seconds, while Lin Chudong's program was over a minute long.
Everyone knew he and Sister Zhang were mortal enemies. Now that Wang Xiaoyan had signed with Zhang Yiran's company, she had long become Sister Zhang's yes-woman.
If she could make Da Fei feel disgusted at the Spring Festival Gala, Sister Zhang would definitely be delighted and arrange a variety show for her. Wouldn't that be better than those ten seconds at the Spring Festival Gala?
-----------------------
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