Chapter 305 Another Year (10,000-word update!)

It seems their itinerary was leaked, because after returning to China, Lu Yanhe and his group were surrounded by a group of reporters at the airport.

After finally managing to escape, Lu Yanhe got into his car and contacted Chen Siqi: "I've arrived at the airport."

Chen Siqi said: We've all arrived and are waiting for you to come over.

Lu Yanhe: Okay, I'll be there in about forty minutes.

Chen Siqi said: Tell the driver to drive slowly and not speed in order to save time.

Lu Yanhe: Don't worry, Dong-ge drives very steadily.

Chen Siqi: Zou Dong was driving? Didn't he just come back with you?

Lu Yanhe: The company arranged for someone to drive us over, but Dong Ge didn't feel comfortable riding in someone else's car and insisted on driving himself.

Chen Siqi: The person your company sent over isn't technically skilled?

Lu Yanhe: No, not really. Before we even got in the car, Dong Ge said he would drive.

Lu Yanhe thought that Zou Dong might simply not want to ride in someone else's car.

They first went back to Ziyuan Bridge to put their things down, and then took Lu Yanhe to the meeting place.

"Brother Dong, you should go back and rest. Li Pengfei and the others will take me back later," Lu Yanhe said.

If we don't say it like that, given Zou Dong's personality, he'll definitely be waiting outside for him to finish.

Being a full-time nanny is no easy job. Even Lu Yanhe himself felt that Zou Dong had a lot of things to do, and they were very complicated, requiring him to take care of everything.

Lu Yanhe and Chen Ziyan have discussed it and decided that Zou Dong will receive a larger year-end bonus this year, and his salary will also be increased starting after the New Year.

Chen Ziyan will take some time in the next few days to talk to Zou Dong about this matter. At the same time, she will also find another full-time assistant for Lu Yanhe after the New Year.

This will greatly reduce Zou Dong's work pressure.

The team was previously handed over entirely to Zou Dong because Lu Yanhe's income couldn't support the team.

Now that concern is gone.

The revenue share that "Friends" brought to Lu Yanhe alone, including the exclusive broadcast on TV and advertising revenue, amounted to tens of millions.

There will only be more when it's released on video platforms later.

-

It was their group getting together again.

Long time no see.

As soon as Li Pengfei saw him, he said, "You have betrayed Bai Yu's trust in you."

Lu Yanhe asked in confusion, "What trust? What have I betrayed?"

Li Pengfei said, "Bai Yu said that with your ability to generate trending topics, you would become an overnight sensation in South Korea if you went there, but I didn't expect your trip to South Korea to be so uneventful, with no news at all."

Lu Yanhe looked at them in surprise, then laughed and cried at the same time, saying, "You have too high expectations of me. I don't have that kind of ability."

Bai Yu said, "This has nothing to do with skill; it's metaphysics."

Lu Yanhe: "...Okay, then I don't know what to say."

Chen Siqi said helplessly, "Your classmates are almost becoming your most loyal fans."

“I’ve always been a fan of Lu Yanhe,” Bai Yu said immediately. “I’ve liked him since I was in high school.”

Lin Yu nodded, "Indeed, it seems like everyone in our class liked him during our senior year of high school."

“No, there’s still Chu Saiying, isn’t there?” Lu Yanhe immediately said.

"Haha, you actually still remember him."

“How could I not remember?” Lu Yanhe said. “He was the only person I disliked in my class.”

He is currently studying abroad.

"That ivy?"

“Yes.” Lin Yu nodded. “I see on his social media that he shares his current study life every now and then. He seems to be quite upper-class, with banquets and parties and stuff.”

“They’re all fake upper class,” Li Pengfei said directly. “I know his family’s situation. If they were really upper class, why would they be studying at our high school? They would have gone to one of those private schools with tuition fees of hundreds of thousands a year.”

"Why didn't your family send you to that kind of school?" Lu Yanhe asked curiously.

Li Pengfei: "I'm too lazy to go. Going would be a waste of money. Anyway, I refuse to go, and my dad can't do anything about it."

Lu Yanhe: "How come you can always talk about your shameless behavior with such self-righteousness, as if you're taking credit for it?"

Xu Zijun, who had been silent until now, seemed to empathize and suddenly nodded, "So it turns out I'm not the only one who feels this way."

Li Pengfei: "That's because I'm upright and honest. I only cheat myself, not others."

Time flows on, and the world is constantly changing.

However, their small circle seems to have failed to keep up with the pace of world change, remaining stuck in the old ways.

This kind of unchanging nature is rare.

Li Pengfei said to Lu Yanhe, "You still have to pay us copyright fees."

"What?" Lu Yanhe was taken aback.

"The story you mentioned in 'Friends' about competing for a guaranteed admission spot, and many other small details, were all based on things that happened in our class, right?" Li Pengfei said.

Lu Yanhe laughed.

"That's true."

Because sitcoms are meant to be very realistic, dramatic, and full of clichés.

When Lu Yanhe was writing the script, he wrote about their past and incorporated many of his friends into the story.

In particular, some of the outrageous remarks made by Li Zhibai and Li Pengfei have become lines in the drama.

Lu Yanhe asked with a smile, "How much copyright fee do you want? I'll settle the bill for you."

Li Pengfei: "I'm very wealthy, you might not be able to afford to marry me."

Xu Zijun told Lu Yanhe, "My sister is also watching this show. She even asked me if the story Li Lili mentioned in the show came from something I experienced."

Xu Zijun's older sister, Xu Fanxing, has been met by both Lu Yanhe and Li Pengfei.

At that time, Xu Fanxing wanted to see Xu Zijun, but Xu Zijun refused to come out to see her, so she asked them to take a letter to Xu Zijun.

Lu Yanhe asked, "Is your sister still working in Guangzhou?"

Xu Zijun said, "Yes, but she's planning to come back and get married."

"Marriage?" Lu Yanhe was somewhat surprised.

If he remembered correctly, Xu Fanxing was only two or three years older than them. Was she getting married at such a young age?

Xu Zijun said, "My parents found me a boyfriend. They met in Guangzhou, dated for half a year, and felt that they were a good match, so they decided to get married."

"Then I must offer my blessings," Lu Yanhe said with a smile.

Xu Zijun, however, did not appear happy at all.

"What's wrong with you?" Lu Yanhe asked. "You don't seem very happy?"

"Yeah, because that man's house... is also a complete mess."

"ah?"

"They're all trivial things, I won't go into them, it would take a whole day and night to finish talking about them." Xu Zijun immediately waved her hand.

Li Pengfei took Xu Zijun's hand and asked, "When are they planning to get married? You have to let me know so I can go with you."

Xu Zijun shook her head: "You shouldn't participate."

"Why?" Li Pengfei was immediately puzzled and frowned. "I'm your boyfriend. How can I not attend your sister's wedding?"

Xu Zijun hesitated, as if she wanted to say something but then stopped.

She hesitated for a moment, then said, "Anyway, it won't work."

Li Pengfei looked displeased.

Xu Zijun immediately got up and went to the restroom.

Seeing this, Linyu said, "I'll go too."

She followed.

The atmosphere inexplicably became somewhat awkward because of this incident.

Li Pengfei looked annoyed and said, "She's always like this. She never takes me to meet her family, as if I'm not presentable at all. My grades may not be good, but they're not that embarrassing for her, are they?"

Lu Yanhe was at a loss for words.

He asked, "Perhaps there are some special reasons why she doesn't want you to attend her sister's wedding. Didn't you just see that? She doesn't seem to be that eager for her sister's wedding."

"That's because her future brother-in-law has a very difficult stepmother, and the marriage almost didn't go through," Li Pengfei said.

Lu Yanhe: "Huh?"

"It seems like it was because they couldn't agree on the bride price and dowry, but I don't remember the specifics," Li Pengfei said. "But no matter what, it was her sister's wedding, her own sister's wedding. She wouldn't take me to the wedding because she was afraid others would find out that I was her boyfriend."

"Didn't you think that her family might not allow her to date right now?" Chen Siqi suddenly said.

Lu Yanhe and Li Pengfei were both taken aback.

Li Pengfei looked surprised and astonished. "She's not allowed to date now? She's already in college..."

“What’s wrong with going to college?” Chen Siqi said. “Have you forgotten that her parents forced her to sell her guaranteed admission spot for 200,000 yuan? After something like that happened, do you think her parents are any good people?”

Li Pengfei fell silent.

“Xu Zijun’s situation is completely different from yours. There are many things she can’t tell you because you can’t possibly understand,” Chen Siqi said. “Do you know why Xu Zijun joined our ‘Jump Up’ magazine as an editor? Besides earning some living expenses and pocket money, the most important thing is that she hopes that when she’s building your future together, she can be less controlled by her family, less embarrassed and awkward because of financial difficulties, and have more autonomy. Yet you’re here foolishly worrying about why she didn’t take you to her sister’s wedding. The fact that you can ask such a question only proves that you don’t understand her predicament at all.”

Chen Siqi launched into a tirade, leaving Li Pengfei completely bewildered, staring blankly at her.

"If she encounters any difficulties, she tells me about them, and I can work with her to solve them."

"Solve it? Her parents were willing to sell her guaranteed admission spot for 200,000 yuan. If they knew their daughter's current boyfriend came from a wealthy family with assets exceeding 100 million yuan, what do you think her parents would do?" Chen Siqi asked directly.

Her gaze was fixed on Li Pengfei, like a knife.

"If her parents did something, given Xu Zijun's pride, do you think she would still be with you?" Chen Siqi asked as a final question.

After asking the question, she stood up.

"I'm going to the restroom."

Bai Yu stood up awkwardly, "Then I'll go too."

So all the girls left.

Only Lu Yanhe, Li Pengfei, and Chen Qin remained in the room, looking at each other in bewilderment.

After several seconds, Chen Qin broke the silence and said to Li Pengfei, "You're so lame."

Li Pengfei looked embarrassed: "I... I didn't think that much about it."

“Brother Fei, Siqi… although she speaks a bit harshly, what she said makes a lot of sense,” Lu Yanhe said to Li Pengfei.

Li Pengfei scratched his head.

"Maybe I'm just too incompetent; I've never thought of these things before."

In Li Pengfei's eyes, he was somewhat inferior to Xu Zijun.

Xu Zijun is a student who got into a prestigious university through her own hard work, while he is just a hopeless college slacker.

Li Pengfei always felt that Xu Zijun's family might not approve of him.

Because of this, he has been bothered by Xu Zijun's refusal to introduce him to her family.

Chen Siqi's words were a wake-up call for him.

Li Pengfei wasn't truly a complete idiot. He certainly understood what Chen Siqi meant. But understanding it only made things worse for him.

It seems that he and Xu Zijun will have a lot of trouble to deal with in the future.

After Xu Zijun and the others returned, everyone tacitly agreed not to mention the matter again.

The topic then returned to Lu Yanhe's experiences during his trip to South Korea.

"Actually, there's not much to see. It's just a very monotonous city. I can't get used to the food either. The kimchi is indeed quite good, but there are only so many choices. I got a little tired of it after only three days," Lu Yanhe said.

Bai Yu was somewhat surprised upon hearing this.

"Oh? I was actually thinking of going to South Korea. I really enjoy watching Korean dramas," Bai Yu said. "I've always been interested in South Korea."

Lu Yanhe said, "I can go and see it if I have the chance in the future, but there's really no need to stay for too many days. There's really nothing to see."

"How about we go on a trip together sometime?" Li Pengfei suddenly said.

“I think you’re dreaming. It’s too difficult,” Lin Yu said immediately. “The four of us girls alone can’t take long vacations because of the monthly publication of ‘Jump Up’.”

“Yes.” Bai Yu nodded. “The workload is getting heavier and heavier. It takes ten part-time editors to read all the manuscripts in the submission email address.”

"Are there really this many submissions?" Lu Yanhe was surprised.

“Yes.” Chen Siqi nodded. “I was considering turning ‘Jump Up’ into a bi-monthly magazine, but after thinking about it, I gave up. We are all still in school, and the magazine has only been established for less than two years. Haste makes waste, so we need to consolidate the foundation.”

Lu Yanhe nodded and said, "Indeed, changing to a semi-monthly publication is a very careful decision. It means that the demand for manuscripts will double in a year, and the quality may decline, which will affect the reputation of 'Jump Up'. It would be better to accumulate more authors first."

“I think so too,” Chen Siqi said. “However, we are planning to create a few more self-media accounts, one for entertainment gossip and interviews, and another for reviews of works. The former will be more lighthearted and humorous, while the latter will be more serious. We have accumulated a lot of new media writers and business resources through our editor club account, and we are already having trouble posting on just this one account.”

Thanks to "Jump Up" and Lu Yanhe's connections in the entertainment industry, the self-media account of the editor club has accumulated over a million followers across various platforms, approaching ten million, making it a very large account with considerable commercial investment.

However, because it is a self-media account called "Jump Up", the content it publishes is relatively comprehensive and does not focus on a particular direction.

Lu Yanhe asked, "Didn't you say before that you were short-staffed and that it was difficult to maintain the current scale?"

Chen Siqi said, "We need to poach people to do it."

"Poach people?" Lu Yanhe was somewhat surprised.

Chen Siqi nodded, "There are many experienced people doing new media now, but because the window of opportunity for making money in new media has passed, a group of people are facing the brink of elimination. We are backed by 'Jump Up,' which gives us a solid backing, so we are doing better and better. Also, your friends in the entertainment industry have given us a lot of face and carried out various collaborations, which has made our development momentum very good. So, we are opening a few new media accounts and recruiting experienced teams to manage them. We only need to manage the investment and positioning, and not interfere with other things. This way, we can expand the media landscape of our 'Jump Up' series and increase our influence without having to invest so much energy."

Lu Yanhe understood what Chen Siqi meant.

She's preparing to "acquire" it.

Lu Yanhe never expected that she would go this far in the new media industry.

"Can our current revenue from our self-media platform support us taking such a big step?"

"It's not bad. The commercial revenue generated from our self-media traffic has entered a virtuous cycle." Chen Siqi smiled slightly, "We never do business at a loss."

Lu Yanhe nodded with a smile.

-

Since the "Friends" incident, Lu Yanhe has realized that "Jump Up" has helped him far more than he initially expected.

If "Jump Up" is the foundation, then the media strategy of the "Jump Up" series is an attempt to control a few influential flags in this internet age.

The day Chen Siqi promoted "Friends" with the power of the "Jump Up" series, the entire internet was drawn to the momentum.

Lu Yanhe's strength as an individual is ultimately limited.

But the power behind him is limitless.

-

As the Lunar New Year approached, the viewership ratings for "Friends" remained consistently above 2%, and the level of discussion also remained at a peak.

After analysis, many people said that this was because "Friends" chose a good time slot, attracting a large number of students on vacation to turn on the TV to watch the show.

Upon further analysis, why did so many students turn on their TVs to watch this show?

Because the TV series was broadcast in the cafeterias of hundreds of universities on the night of its premiere, many students went to watch the premiere due to its popularity, and then started discussing it on social media.

On the night of its premiere, Friends became a "social product," and those who hadn't seen it couldn't participate in the discussions.

As a result, more and more people are watching this show.

As the plot unfolds, viewers gradually develop a deeper emotional connection to the show.

But to say that this drama is exceptionally well-made—not many people would actually say that.

Many even say that this is just a passable sitcom, and the script isn't necessarily well-written because the storyline is too simple; it's not the kind of tightly woven, well-structured story. Its popularity is entirely due to its release date and effective marketing.

Of course, no matter what they said, Lu Yanhe did not respond.

The same applies to the Beijing-Taiwan region and other key creators of "Friends".

Let "Friends" be discussed by everyone; that's the real key to stabilizing or even increasing viewership.

Lu Yanhe originally thought that he would just have some fun with everyone before the New Year, watch "Friends" when it aired, and put his work aside for the time being. Unexpectedly, Chen Ziyan suddenly brought him some news.

Previously, a streaming platform was interested in "The Seventeenth Floor" and wanted to buy the overseas broadcasting rights. However, Beijing TV refused to sell the show now, insisting on waiting until it finished airing domestically before considering selling it overseas. Upon hearing this, Lu Yanhe couldn't help but complain, "Airing overseas doesn't affect the domestic broadcast, so why wait until it finishes airing domestically?"

However, after learning of the attitude of Beijing and Taiwan, the streaming platform contacted director Lian Bei and asked him if he would be interested in making another drama with this kind of escape theme for them.

Lian Bei had a lot of work to prepare, so he recommended Lu Yanhe to them, saying that he had a great idea and that if they wanted to produce a series about the Great Escape, they could talk to Lu Yanhe about it.

So, the people from Maxine streaming service arranged to meet Lu Yanhe.

Maxine is one of the world's largest streaming providers.

In recent years, more and more Chinese-language dramas have been purchased by overseas streaming media, especially in Asia where the broadcast data is quite impressive, and they are paying more and more attention to Chinese-language dramas.

However, due to various reasons, no international streaming service has yet entered the Chinese market, which is dominated by video platforms. They rarely adopt the approach used in Europe, America, Japan, and South Korea, where they intervene from the production stage and produce and distribute their own content. Their strategy for Chinese-language dramas is usually to wait until a drama has finished airing online before purchasing its overseas broadcasting rights.

However, this does not mean they do not want to enter the Chinese market.

-

Chen Ziyan said, "Giving 'Squid Game' to them is very risky. It's not that they can't do it well, but that they are too unfamiliar with the domestic market. I've never been optimistic about overseas streaming media trying to enter the domestic market. So, I think you don't need to talk to them too deeply. Just have a chat."

Lu Yanhe also couldn't say how deep the connection between the drama "Squid Game" and streaming media was.

In contrast, Lu Yanhe had no idea how far the show would go in China, nor was he confident about its success.

That depends on how well "The Seventeenth Floor" airs.

Different places and different periods have different preferences for different themes.

Lu Yanhe recalls that there doesn't seem to be a particularly popular "Great Escape" theme in Chinese-language dramas.

Of course, this is also related to the significant restrictions on broadcasting.

When Lu Yanhe learned that Maxine had contacted him because of Lian Bei's recommendation, wanting to talk about "The Squid Game," he felt a strange sense of destiny.

Perhaps it would be better to release this show on a streaming platform and replicate its previous success?

This kind of subject matter does indeed achieve better results when broadcast online.

In China, very few people over forty years old enjoy watching dramas of this genre; the audience is almost entirely young people.

Lu Yanhe cannot say these things to Chen Ziyan right now.

-

Two people came to Maxine: one was an American named Jack Wilson, and the other was a Chinese-American named Wu Zuping.

They were both Maxine's people.

American Jack Wilson was actually the head of Maxine's TV series acquisitions department, while Wu Zuping was a producer at Maxine.

Jack Wilson looked slightly surprised when he saw Lu Yanhe stand up.

Before coming, he had already researched Lu Yanhe online and knew that Lu Yanhe was one of China's most popular male actors, whose sitcom "Friends" broke a viewership record in China in recent years, and Lu Yanhe was also the screenwriter of the show. If it weren't for this, he wouldn't have been interested in the script Lu Yanhe had.

However, seeing him in person now, Jack Wilson couldn't help but sigh that he was too young.

Jack Wilson didn't seem to mind that Lu Yanhe was too young. In the film and television industry, talent often has little to do with age. He had seen plenty of talented and gifted young people.

However, it's rare to see someone as young as Lu Yanhe.

It's incredible that his dramas could achieve such high ratings.

Jack Wilson shook hands with Lu Yanhe, said his name in broken Chinese, and then said a few words in English.

Wu Zuping helped him translate.

Lu Yanhe replied simply in English: "It's okay, my English is good enough for daily communication. If there's anything I don't understand, please translate it for me."

Wu Zuping nodded.

Lu Yanhe gave them a brief overview of the plot of "The Squid Game".

This lecture lasted for half an hour.

The English version of this introduction was prepared in advance by Lu Yanhe.

Jack Wilson and Wu Zuping's eyes lit up as they listened, finding the story fascinating.

As soon as Lu Yanhe finished speaking, Wu Zuping immediately asked, "Has the script for this drama been written yet?"

Lu Yanhe shook his head and said, "Not yet."

Wu Zuping said, "If possible, I am very interested in this script and would love to buy it."

"Buy?" Lu Yanhe was somewhat surprised. Did they want to buy it so soon?

“Yes.” Wu Zuping nodded. “We have been looking for a good story on this subject and have communicated and talked with creators from many countries. Everyone has given us some ideas, but yours is the most mature. It has a very complete and wonderful story.”

Lu Yanhe nodded and said, "I do have a complete idea for this story."

Wu Zuping said, "We've heard that you're a very famous actor in China, but the male lead in this story seems to be a middle-aged man?"

Lu Yanhe nodded.

"Aren't you planning to star in it yourself?" Wu Zuping asked with some doubt.

Lu Yanhe said, "I don't plan to create this drama as an actor. In fact, I already have ideas about the actors for several roles in this drama."

"Huh?" Wu Zuping was taken aback.

Lu Yanhe said, "So when you said you wanted to buy my script, I was a little surprised. Perhaps there were some ambiguities in the communication between Director Lianbei and you. I'm not just looking for a buyer for my script; I want to participate in the creation of this drama."

Jack Wilson glanced at Wu Zuping with some surprise.

Wu Zuping didn't react for a while and hesitated for a moment.

"Would you like to join this show as a producer?" Wu Zuping asked.

Lu Yanhe said, "It doesn't matter what the identity is. The key is that I had some ideas about the filming of this drama when I was writing the script, and I hope to turn these ideas into a real presentation."

"Do you want to be a director?" Wu Zuping asked in surprise.

He also knows that many actors have the idea of ​​directing, especially those who have written their own scripts.

However, this usually happens to actors who have already achieved great success.

Like Lu Yanhe, he hasn't reached that level yet.

Lu Yanhe shook his head and said, "That's not what I meant. I don't want to control the whole drama, and I don't have the time and energy to be a director. But I hope that my opinions can be adopted regarding the style of the drama and how it should be filmed, rather than just handing over the script and then having nothing to do with the creation of the drama, including the male lead of the drama."

"The male lead?"

"Yes, I already have target actors for the three main roles."

Wu Zuping's expression suddenly changed, and he said, "Your appetite is too big. How could we allow such a thing to happen? Are you treating Maxine as your subordinates?"

Lu Yanhe shook his head. "That's not what I meant."

Wu Zuping said, "When we select actors, we organize auditions. It's not like you can just choose whoever you want."

Lu Yanhe nodded and said, "I understand."

Seeing Lu Yanhe nod, Wu Zuping smiled.

“The production of a TV series is not something that one person can decide. This is different from the production environment in China,” Wu Zuping said. “I know that in China, if you celebrities are very famous, you can completely interfere in the production of a TV series and make it according to your ideas. But it’s different abroad.”

Lu Yanhe was somewhat surprised. "Is it different? No, I think. I've seen many big-name actors take control of a production and influence the entire production. Although I don't particularly appreciate this approach, how come it's being portrayed as a phenomenon unique to China? Big-name actors always have more say in a production team. This is a common occurrence everywhere."

Wu Zuping did not expect Lu Yanhe to suddenly refute him.

Lu Yanhe continued, "As for me, it's not because I'm a popular actor that I want to interfere with the creation of this drama. First of all, this story is my idea. We haven't finalized a collaboration yet, so my idea shouldn't be considered interference, right? So far, this story belongs 100% to me. Secondly, I want to participate in the production of this drama because I understand the story. I am the author, and I have my own understanding. Similarly, I wrote the characters with several target actors in mind, so I hope they will play them. If you accept this condition, we can continue to talk. If you find it difficult to accept, then let's just consider this a chat today. Even if a deal doesn't go through, we can still be friendly. I don't know if you've heard this saying, Mr. Wu."

Wu Zuping slightly lowered his gaze.

Lu Yanhe smiled as he looked at them.

-

After hearing Lu Yanhe's account, Chen Ziyan gave a cold laugh.

"See, I told you long ago, didn't I? Those big streaming companies don't understand our domestic environment very well, and they are often arrogant and look down on our productions."

Lu Yanhe said, "Sigh, what I can't stand is him suddenly criticizing me. I think to myself, I'm not your subordinate, why should I be criticized by you? Who do you think you are?"

Chen Ziyan: "They might think that if they take a liking to your story and want to buy your script, you would be overjoyed and flattered, and consider it an honor."

"Glory? Am I crazy to think of it as glory?"

“It’s all about international appeal. Many of them know that Chinese creators have a strong obsession with international recognition, from top to bottom. So when they talk to us about collaborations, they often have a condescending attitude, as if collaborating with us is a favor to us,” Chen Ziyan said. “Of course, not everyone is like that, but most of the people I’ve met are like that. Take Shang Yongzhou, for example. He’s already a top-tier actor in China. The famous Korean director Kim Ji-yeon wanted him to act in a new movie, but because the film company was a big American company, they only offered Shang Yongzhou $800,000. They were taking advantage of him, knowing that even if Chinese actors are paid less, this opportunity is something many people would fight tooth and nail for. Shang Yongzhou refused to take the role, and later the role was given to a Korean actor.”

Lu Yanhe frowned slightly when he heard Chen Ziyan mention this.

"This is too much of a bullying."

“Yes.” Chen Ziyan nodded. “Forget it, there’s nothing to say about these things. In short, you haven’t finished writing the script for ‘The Squid Game’ yet. You can take a look first. There’s no rush. Once ‘Friends’ airs, your script will get the best deal no matter who you’re with. If you give it to overseas streaming services to film, it’ll be a huge loss.”

Lu Yanhe thought to himself, "That makes sense."

He has the golden brand of "Friends" in China, but he doesn't have it overseas.

“But, Sister Ziyan, the show that Director Chen Lingling mentioned to me before was filmed for an overseas streaming media company,” Lu Yanhe said. “Won’t they also try to keep my salary very low?”

“We haven’t talked about it yet, but there’s no rush. You don’t need to worry too much. Huang Cheng told me that the budget they’re offering is quite generous, and they won’t deliberately lower your salary,” Chen Ziyan said. “Streaming media companies are very generous when it comes to making TV series, while traditional film companies are really stingy when it comes to making movies.”

Lu Yanhe nodded.

"After the New Year, we need to have dinner with the owner of Aurora Video," Chen Ziyan said. "His secretary specifically came to invite us."

"President Lin?" Lu Yanhe was somewhat surprised.

Chen Ziyan nodded.

"You've met him before, haven't you?"

"Yes, he came to our company. I met him before, and we even sat down and chatted for a while."

Chen Ziyan said, "He probably wants to talk to you about a collaboration."

"cooperate?"

“Well, with Friends being so popular, no platform that wants to produce a show can ignore you. In fact, many people want to invite you to dinner,” Chen Ziyan said. “I just turned them all down. It’s strange, since you’re already quite popular as an actress, but now everyone seems to value your identity as a screenwriter more.”

"This doesn't seem normal."

"Of course it's not normal. Screenwriters have never been highly valued."

"Maybe it's because Friends is a sitcom? Didn't you say there aren't many sitcoms in China anymore? Are they trying to replicate that low-cost, high-return success?"

"Maybe, anyway, it doesn't matter what the situation is," Chen Ziyan said. "We'll know when we talk to him face to face."

"Okay." Lu Yanhe nodded.

Chen Ziyan asked, "Are you spending Chinese New Year alone again this year?"

“Hmm,” Lu Yanhe said, “It’s good. I can finally rest quietly for a few days.”

-

Every year around this time of year, Lu Yanhe feels uneasy.

When I'm busy, I basically don't have the time to think about so many things.

But every year around the Lunar New Year, even if he doesn't mention it himself, others will remind him again and again that he is a person without family.

Fortunately, Lu Yanhe actually had an ordinary but happy upbringing.

The unfortunate Lu Yanhe had already died in the river.

Even at times like these, Lu Yanhe couldn't help but miss his parents.

It's a real shame that his parents didn't get to see what he looks like now.

Lu Yanhe thought to himself, "If only they could see this."

Yan Liang left on the 29th day of the Lunar New Year to go back to his hometown for the holiday.

He also asked Lu Yanhe if he wanted to go back with him, but Lu Yanhe said that he was fine resting by himself for a few days and would wait for him to come back.

Li Zhibai is there; he's going to participate in this year's Spring Festival Gala.

However, he went straight home after the Spring Festival Gala recording ended.

On the eve of the Lunar New Year, Lu Yanhe turned on the TV and let the Spring Festival Gala play, but he couldn't really concentrate on watching it until Li Zhibai's program came on.

He watched the entire program carefully from beginning to end.

Laughter frequently came from the audience on the television.

However, Lu Yanhe felt that the show was quite awkward.

Li Zhibai's acting was alright, but his lines were too awkward. Even Lu Yanhe felt uncomfortable listening to them; they didn't sound like something Li Zhibai would say.

Looking online again, sure enough, there was a barrage of ridicule.

The effect was poor; the power of fans was just a drop in the ocean compared to the massive audience of the Spring Festival Gala.

Fortunately, Li Zhibai was not the only actor in this skit; several actors were ridiculed by many people because the skit was not funny.

Lu Yanhe only hoped that Li Zhibai would not be affected by these comments.

Being able to appear on the Spring Festival Gala is already a success.

After Li Zhibai finished his performance, he sent a message in the group chat of the three of them: "The effect wasn't very good."

Yan Liang said: I think it's quite funny. My whole family laughed when we saw it. My mom even said you're really handsome.

Li Zhibai: Hahaha, please thank Auntie for me. It's okay, let everyone scold us. Actually, we expected this before we went on stage. I'm going back now. Lao Lu, are you asleep?

Lu Yanhe: I'm trying to figure out how to comfort you.

Li Zhibai: Don't be so sentimental. What's there to comfort me about? After this year is over, people will only remember that I was on the Spring Festival Gala. Not many people will remember that my show wasn't good. Anyway, not many performances are memorable these days.

Lu Yanhe: Seeing that you have this mindset, I feel relieved. I was originally thinking of writing a skit for us to perform next year, but it seems that's not necessary.

Li Zhibai: ? ? ?

Yan Liang: ? ? ?

Lu Yanhe: I'm going to sleep now. The shows aren't very good. I'm just staying up to watch your show before turning off the TV.

Li Zhibai: I need to see the script tomorrow!

Li Zhibai: Lu Yanhe, my chance to turn things around depends on you!

Li Zhibai: I'm going to make those who are mocking me see clearly that it's not my fault, it's just that the story itself is poorly written. How can you blame me for everything! I'm so angry!

(End of this chapter)