Chapter 541 He Wants to Act (7,000-word update!)

That's all for today's show. Thank you to the Friends cast and crew. See you next time!

After the host announced the end of the recording for this episode in high spirits, everyone on stage danced together to the music.

It was already 11 p.m.

Of course, for a program whose official recording time starts at 6 pm, completing the recording in five hours is already considered very fast.

Wang Biao took Lu Yanhe's phone and walked up to him, whispering, "Brother Lu, Zhong Benshuo just called twice."

Lu Yanhe was somewhat surprised. He took the phone and saw that the first call came at 8:20 and the second call came at 9:00.

But apart from those two phone calls, Zhong Benshuo didn't send him any messages.

Lu Yanhe replied to Zhong Benshuo: I just finished recording the show and got my phone back. It's already very late. If it's not urgent, let's contact each other again tomorrow.

Almost a minute later, Zhong Benshuo called.

Lu Yanhe hadn't even left the studio yet.

He regretted it; he should have replied later.

"Hey, are you still at the recording site? It sounds pretty lively."

Zhong Benshuo's voice sounded like a deliberately stirred-up passion, as if it were a morning that should be full of energy—but in reality, it was just a morning where someone had just stayed up all night and could only use the golden sunlight to cover up the fact that their eyes were dark.

"Yes, why are you in such a hurry to find me so late? Could something urgent have happened?"

Lu Yanhe admitted that at this moment he even hoped that something really had happened that made Zhong Benshuo insist on making this call to him so late at night.

Zhong Benshuo said, "Yan He, do you know how many people watched the first episode of 'Friends' on Maxine?"

His tone was filled with an barely suppressed excitement.

It's practically a done deal—guess high! Guess high!

Lu Yanhe slapped his forehead.

"I don't know, stop keeping me in suspense and just tell me."

Zhong Benshuo: "Within one hour of going live, the number of viewers exceeded 2 million! Now it has reached 3.19 million!"

Don't be fooled by the fact that this number is only two or three million... compared to the tens of millions that are common in China, it may seem low and insignificant. Firstly, China has a large population, and it's home turf; to exaggerate a bit, its market is almost equivalent to half the world's. Secondly, the difference in statistical methods also plays a role.

On streaming services like Maxine, viewership is calculated by ID. Even if you watch the show five or six times with the same ID, it only counts as one person. Viewership is another statistic, and it's also counted, but it's not as meaningful as viewership—because overseas streaming services prioritize membership numbers and how much members like the show.

What level does this data represent?

At Maxine, when the annual rankings are released, unless there's a globally phenomenal hit, the viewership for a major hit is usually between 50 million and 80 million. Looking at the statistics after just one hour of airing, even top-tier dramas starring global superstars might only reach around 10 million viewers.

For a show like Friends, having over 2 million viewers within an hour of its premiere is equivalent to achieving in one hour what Gold Rush took a month to accomplish.

No wonder Zhong Benshuo insisted on calling him immediately.

"Should I congratulate you on getting another excellent drama for Maxine?" Lu Yanhe asked with a smile.

"Of course, but Yan He, I must tell you that although many unpleasant things have happened between us, please believe me, my trust in you is unaffected by anything. And as you have seen, as long as it is you, I will never hesitate to show my sincerity."

Chung Bon-seok said, "This time, we paid nearly 20 million US dollars in copyright fees for 'Friends,' and we can only air it for three years."

“Believe me, the number won’t be this high next season. If you don’t double it, you’ll be letting down the show’s performance,” Lu Yanhe laughed.

“I know, I know, of course.” Zhong Benshuo took a deep breath. “Hey, Yan He, why don’t you just cooperate with us and develop another drama together? You know, as long as you agree, I will offer you a very generous contract.”

Lu Yanhe laughed and said, "Good heavens, haven't we cooperated enough with you guys already?"

“That’s not a direct collaboration with you. What I mean is, between us, there’s no Beijing-Taiwan cooperation, no Yuehu-Taiwan cooperation, no Northern Lights video... just us,” Zhong Benshuo said. “The price is very negotiable, Yan He. As long as you’re willing, I’ll come to you with a contract first thing tomorrow morning.”

“No, I’ve been too busy lately. You know, while filming Friends, I also had to coordinate with the publicity. I haven’t had enough rest time,” Lu Yanhe said. “President Zhong, of course I’d like to work with Maxine, but there aren’t any suitable projects. You know what projects I’m currently working on.”

"I heard you've started writing an English screenplay?"

"That's a movie."

"Why not movies? We at Maxine produce many movies every year."

"I hope the movie can be released in theaters, instead of disappearing after a week on a video platform."

“The films produced by Maxine are also released worldwide,” Zhong Benshuo said. “For creators like you, you just need to make your request, and we will cooperate.”

“You’re really exaggerating right now,” Lu Yanhe had to point out.

Zhong Benshuo's tone was full of lively laughter.

"If you'd like, I can be even more extravagant."

"Please let me go, really. I'm too tired. Now is not the time to discuss this. I need to go back and rest."

"Okay, get some rest, but when you wake up tomorrow morning, please think carefully about what I told you."

Lu Yanhe hung up the phone.

He yawned, looking lost and dejected.

Wang Biao hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Brother Lu, why don't you have a couple more sips of coffee?"

"Huh? Now? I'm going back to sleep."

Wang Biao sighed, "I'm sorry, you have another appointment later."

"What the hell?" Lu Yanhe was stunned, looking at Wang Biao in disbelief.

Wang Biao said, "We're going to record a blog program about Wild Girl. We've already discussed it before, haven't you forgotten?"

"Ah...right, I forgot." Lu Yanhe sighed resignedly. "Alright."

Xiao Ye Girl is a very popular book blogger. She met Lu Yanhe at a book fair and later collaborated with him twice through the connection of Jiangyin Publishing House. She is also one of the very few podcast bloggers on the internet with several million listeners.

When Lu Yanhe received the invitation, he agreed to appear on her show.

This is also a way to promote Friends.

Wang Biao added, "The viewership rating for the second episode today has exceeded 2 per episode."

Lu Yanhe: "Didn't they surrender?"

"No, not at all," Wang Biao said with a smile. "However, the plot of Wen Fan becoming a father has still sparked a lot of discussion, and the topic has gone viral."

Lu Yanhe nodded. "That's something I could think of."

"Yan He, let's go get some late-night snacks together later, do you want to come?" Zhan Yun asked when she bumped into him in the corridor. "It's organized by the hosts of 'Saturday Night Wonderland,' they'll probably be asking you soon."

"I have to record a blog program later." Lu Yanhe shook his head. "You guys go ahead."

"You have another engagement?" Zhan Yun looked at Lu Yanhe in surprise, seemingly not expecting Lu Yanhe's schedule to be so busy.

"yes."

“Okay,” Zhan Yun said, “this makes me feel a little guilty.”

"No, there's no need," Lu Yanhe said. "You have no idea how much I want to go back and rest right now. If it weren't for the fact that the podcast recording time is always late at night, this announcement definitely wouldn't have been scheduled for this time."

"Oh? Only recording late at night? Are you recording Ono Girl's podcast?" Zhan Yun asked.

"Yes, you know?"

“I am a loyal listener of this program,” Zhan Yun said. “I really enjoy listening to her program. I have read a lot of books by following her program. To be honest, I didn’t love reading so much before. She rekindled my interest in reading.”

“I will pass on your words to her,” Lu Yanhe said with a smile.

Zhan Yun nodded with a smile.

-

This went on for almost a month.

The phenomenal ratings of Friends and the audience's love for the show swept through December like a tornado.

Everyone guessed that Friends would be a good show, but no one expected it to be this good.

By the third week, many articles had emerged criticizing the show for its problematic values.

Basically, unless a show becomes popular to a certain extent, there won't be any articles criticizing its values.

It was even written by people with names and surnames.

Lu Yanhe read some of the articles, and besides pursing his lips, he had nothing to say.

That's all nonsense.

In this world, the easiest things to attack others are ideology and values. Because no one is perfect, people will always find fault with us by taking things out of context.

In fact, anyone who has actually watched this show knows what's going on.

This immense popularity has made the weekends of the cast and crew of "Friends" highly sought-after by various events.

In order to secure their availability, many additional conditions have to be met.

For example, in order to secure Yan Liang's attendance at their annual gala, a fashion media outlet promised to connect him with a top-tier brand's Asia-Pacific spokesperson. This was a real benefit for Yan Liang.

Needless to say, Lu Yanhe was even more so.

He and Chen Siqi, as a couple, have always been highly sought after by various events.

There are many celebrity couples, but only Lu Yanhe and Chen Siqi have reached such a level.

In the past, some people said that Chen Siqi was able to obtain everything she had only because of Lu Yanhe's help.

Such voices are almost nonexistent now.

For Lu Yanhe's fans, Chen Siqi has helped Lu Yanhe and his works achieve miraculous success through her powerful media connections and several textbook-perfect marketing campaigns, leaving Lu Yanhe's fans speechless. Whether it was the art film "Late Spring" which grossed 500 million yuan at the box office or the do-or-die, all-or-nothing promotional approach of "Friends," Chen Siqi's abilities have proven that not only does she need Lu Yanhe, but Lu Yanhe also needs her.

For the general public, especially young women, Chen Siqi is like an icon, a true role model. At a young age, she started a magazine and then expanded it into a media group. In just four and a half years, she and her team had already established themselves firmly and have never stopped, continuing to actively expand.

From the overseas version of "Jump Up" to the international film critics' festival currently being prepared, her relentless pace perfectly aligns with modern women's aspirations to take control of their own lives.

To some extent, Chen Siqi's demeanor has earned her even more female fans than Lu Yanhe.

Lu Yanhe's female fans mostly maintain the relationship between fans and idol artists.

Chen Siqi's fans have almost all developed a "follower" mentality.

In this day and age, this couple is arguably the most mainstream and popular pairing.

-

"Maxine got a 15-minute interview with CBN's morning news program in the United States."

Chen Ziyan said, "That program was watched by about eight million households in the United States, so it had a great influence."

Lu Yanhe was somewhat surprised and asked, "Do I have time to participate in that program's interview?"

“Yes.” Chen Ziyan smiled slightly at him. “Their program is a live broadcast. Your interview will take place between 7:45 and 8:00 in the morning. Well, you can finish your work here by 8:00.”

Lu Yanhe took a deep breath, shrugged, and said, "Okay, then it looks like I'll have to get up early."

“Yes.” Chen Ziyan smiled. “I’m glad I’ve prepared a lot of things to say to persuade you, so you don’t need to say them anymore.”

“It has a huge impact, and I have the time to participate. Have I ever refused a job that meets both of these conditions?” Lu Yanhe shook his head. “Sister Ziyan, you don’t trust me at all.”

"I don't know if you can still handle such a high-intensity work pace after a month of this."

“Okay, I’m really tired lately,” Lu Yanhe said. “I desperately need a day off where I don’t have to see anyone or answer any phone calls.”

"Just hang in there a little longer. Once 'Friends' is finished filming, you'll have days off like this," Chen Ziyan said with a smile.

-

Just then, news of Yin Xincheng's relationship was exposed by a paparazzi.

“Oh, it’s no big deal to be photographed. So what if you’re photographed? It’s nothing,” Lu Yanhe said to Yin Xincheng. “There are advantages to not being exposed, but there are also advantages to being exposed. From now on, you won’t have to hide anymore, and you won’t have to avoid paparazzi when you go out.”

Yin Xincheng was very nervous.

"I might sound cowardly saying this, but I'm terrified that this will be exposed and affect my work."

Lu Yanhe: "Trust me, no, don't worry about these things."

Yin Xincheng said, "My former manager told me that the vast majority of my fans are female fans, and that once my relationship is exposed, many people will stop being fans."

"Isn't this just nonsense?" Lu Yanhe asked. "If the vast majority of your fans are girlfriend fans, why did they let you appear on dating reality shows in the first place? Isn't that a contradiction?"

Yin Xincheng was taken aback.

"You've just been fooled by them."

"Holy crap!" Yin Xincheng realized what was happening and showed an incredulous expression.

The impact of an actor's relationship being exposed is indeed not significant.

It will have little impact on Yin Xincheng, at least.

He's not exactly an idol type of actor, although he is a handsome young man.

Lu Yanhe asked him, "Is someone with your girlfriend right now?"

Yin Xincheng shook his head. "I just spoke to her on the phone. She's still at work."

Lu Yanhe: "She definitely needs you right now."

Yin Xincheng was taken aback. Coming to his senses, he said "Oh," picked up his phone, and said, "I... I have to go now."

Lu Yanhe nodded, "Don't forget, we still have to rehearse at three o'clock this afternoon."

"I know, I'll be back as soon as possible!"

Yin Xincheng grabbed his phone and hurried away.

Lu Yanhe smiled and turned to find Wang Biao.

"Brother Lu, your phone keeps ringing. I have to keep charging it, otherwise, the phone you have now would definitely have less than 20% battery left."

"Thank you." Lu Yanhe smiled at Wang Biao. "Is there anyone's call that I need to return immediately?"

“I’m lucky today, nothing happened.” Wang Biao laughed.

Lu Yanhe breathed a sigh of relief as he took the phone.

Wang Biao asked, "Brother Lu, will Yin Xincheng's relationship being exposed affect 'Friends'?"

"Of course not, why would you think that?"

"Because I just heard some people talking about it," Wang Biao said.

Lu Yanhe asked in surprise, "Here?"

“Yes,” Wang Biao nodded, “Here.”

Lu Yanhe: "I thought the success of this drama was enough to convince everyone that we didn't need to worry about this kind of thing."

Wang Biao: "It's probably because this show is so good right now, better than anyone expected, that everyone feels a bit unreal and is afraid that the ratings will suddenly drop."

Lu Yanhe: "So, it doesn't seem wrong."

Of course, Lu Yanhe simply thought that it was perfectly reasonable for the people in the production crew to think that way.

He remains convinced that the exposure of Yoon Shin-sung's relationship will not have any impact on "Friends".

This is no longer the era of the past.

Similarly, for a drama with such high national popularity, a small news item about an actor may seem significant, but in reality, it has little impact on the drama itself.

-

With the news of Yin Xincheng's relationship being exposed, the welcome event held by Xingyu Entertainment for Meng Li's signing seemed rather deserted and didn't attract much attention.

However, an announcement was made at the event: Star Entertainment Agency will present Meng Li with a gift. Mo Ru, a top-tier director who directed the hit fantasy drama "Eternal Love" that made Liu Zefan famous, will be developing a new S-level drama, with Meng Li as the female lead.

After seeing this message, Lu Yanhe became curious and took a screenshot to ask Chen Ziyan what drama it was.

Chen Ziyan replied: It's a romantic comedy set in a modern fantasy world.

Lu Yanhe: Huh? Why are so many romantic comedies starting filming lately?

Chen Ziyan: Because all the major platforms are reducing costs and increasing efficiency, their budgets are limited, so they can only develop some dramas with lower production costs. You can't feel it, but your dramas are all top-notch, with plenty of money and investors. However, other people's projects are not so smooth. In fact, many investors are now specifically asking to invest in your dramas, while other people's dramas are facing tight funding.

Lu Yanhe: I always thought our TV series was doing better than our movies.

He knew that it was really hard to find investment in the film market, mainly because the film market was so distorted. Out of ten films, only one would be profitable, while the other nine would basically lose money. Capital was losing more and more confidence in the film market.

However, the TV drama market has always been quite prosperous.

Chen Ziyan said: There's no way around it. Short videos have taken away a significant portion of the market share from long videos, and advertisers have shifted a large part of their budgets to them. Now, long videos have to revise their profit strategies and focus more on acquiring new members. This makes them afraid to produce a bunch of terrible shows like they did during the crazy money-burning period in the past, and let those blinded investors foot the bill. Now they have to pay the bill themselves.

Lu Yanhe: How ironic.

Chen Ziyan: Yes, but even so, the advertising revenue from "Friends" still broke the record for video websites, which made all the other video websites envious. They were all trying their best to find out about your next project through various channels, and to see if there was any possibility of getting involved.

Lu Yanhe: There are so many excellent creators in the entertainment industry. It's not like I'm the only one whose projects can make money. Even if I filmed 24 hours a day without stopping, it would be impossible to meet the needs of all of them.

Chen Ziyan: That's why they want to steal it.

Lu Yanhe: By the way, Sister Ziyan, how's the script "Rouge" coming along at Bingyuan Video? I heard they've already started organizing auditions?

Chen Ziyan: Yes, they sent audition invitations to many actors, but not many agreed to audition... You said that it would be better to have mature and famous actors in this drama, and they obviously believed your suggestion, so they looked for actors within that range. But as you know, actors within that range are not very willing to accept the requirement to audition.

Lu Yanhe: Hmm, okay, where's Li Yuefeng?

Chen Ziyan said: He went to audition. In fact, Bingyuan Video really liked him. Among the actors who auditioned, he was the best in the market. So, if there were no better options, it was very likely that he would be the one to play the role of Twelfth Master in the end.

Lu Yanhe: Uh, okay.

Chen Ziyan: Do you need me to relay your opinion to Bingyuan Video?

Lu Yanhe: No, that won't do. If we really do that, wouldn't that be a clear indication that they don't want Li Yuefeng to play the role? Besides, my judgment might not be correct. Maybe Li Yuefeng will have his own style when he plays this role.

Chen Ziyan: Forget it, Li Yuefeng playing the Twelfth Young Master? I don't even think it's a good fit.

Lu Yanhe: Aren't we interfering too much? Won't this cause problems?

Chen Ziyan: The biggest problem is that if we clearly find someone is unsuitable, but we don't point it out.

Lu Yanhe: Sigh, I should have known better than to get so close to Li Yuefeng. Now, the thought of rejecting him makes me uneasy.

Chen Ziyan: Think about it, if it were Li Zhibai, would you feel uneasy? Would you refuse?

Lu Yanhe: Of course I would tell Li Zhibai directly that it wouldn't work, but my relationship with Li Yuefeng isn't at the level of mutual trust.

Chen Ziyan: You don't need to overthink it, Yan He. Since both of us can see that he's not suitable for Twelfth Master, whether it's the people from Ice Plains or his team, they must be able to see it too. Besides, Li Yuefeng knows your attitude, Yan He. Don't be soft-hearted when you should be firm.

Lu Yanhe took a deep breath: Okay, Sister Ziyan, then please tell Bingyuan what we think.

He thought for a moment, then sighed: I need to call Li Yuefeng again.

Chen Ziyan: I believe you can handle it, Yan He. Don't be afraid to speak the truth. Telling the truth will only make people feel uncomfortable temporarily, but in the long run, it is definitely better for a person than hypocritical lies or silence.

Lu Yanhe: I will heed your teachings and understand.

Sometimes, Lu Yanhe really felt that being a person was quite difficult.

Being a good person is a profound subject.

He was only a novice scholar in this field.

However, his position in the entertainment industry and his current situation have made this subject incredibly difficult for him.

Lu Yanhe took a deep breath and could only encourage himself.

"Brother Feng."

"Why are you calling me all of a sudden, you big star?" Li Yuefeng asked with a smile. "Congratulations! I heard that Friends has broken the record for viewership of Chinese-language dramas on Maxine."

"Thank you." Lu Yanhe smiled. "You're welcome to make a cameo appearance later, if you have time."

"Okay, is your show being filmed and broadcast simultaneously? If you have a suitable role later on, you can give me a call. I'm not on set right now, so it should be fine."

Li Yuefeng's quick agreement made it even harder for Lu Yanhe to say what he was about to say.

He took a deep breath.

"Hey, you didn't call just to chat, did you?" Li Yuefeng said. "Hurry up and tell me what you want to say?"

Lu Yanhe grunted, "It's like this, it's about your audition for 'Rouge'. I know you really want to get this role and this movie."

“Of course, I really want to,” Li Yuefeng said. “I’ve never acted in a play with such high artistic value before. Actually, I really want to try a more challenging role, like the ones you’ve played. Of course, you think I’m not suitable for this role. Actually, I felt that during the audition too. I didn’t feel very comfortable acting it. It will be a big challenge.”

Lu Yanhe took a deep breath.

"Yes."

“Now I’m actually a little worried that I might ruin this show,” Li Yuefeng said. “But I still don’t want to give up. You have no idea how much I’m looking forward to this show. I really hope to get the role of Twelfth Master.”

Lu Yanhe took a deep breath. At this moment, he really couldn't say what he wanted to say.

"Don't worry, Yan He, if I don't pass the audition in the end, I won't bother you anymore," Li Yuefeng said with a smile. "I know what you mean when you say that actors must audition a lot. Just from one audition, I saw the gap between myself and this role, really. But I believe I can make up for it."

Li Yuefeng's tone and attitude made Lu Yanhe suddenly realize that what he was doing was really a bit wrong.

(End of this chapter)