Shang Yechu sat in the photography studio, drinking water as she asked Assistant Wang, "How much?"

Assistant Wang stared at the clock animation on his phone screen, the second hand ticking away. The moment it reached "12", Assistant Wang frantically refreshed the CTVB official website.

The CTVB website was unusually slow today; it took quite a while to load before the data finally appeared.

"1.87%!" Assistant Wang exclaimed excitedly. "The first episode was 1.87%, the second episode was 1.92%, and the average market share was 5.72%, both ranking first in their time slots."

So low? It's even lower than the premiere ratings of "The Legend of Qingyun"?

"You're not seeing things, are you?" Shang Yechu frowned. "Are you sure you're looking at the ratings for 'Half the Sky'?"

“That’s right.” Assistant Wang looked at it again and held the phone up to Shang Yechu’s face. “Sister Ye, see for yourself.”

The numbers displayed on the screen were exactly the same as what Assistant Wang had said. Shang Yechu craned her neck to look at them for a long time, but couldn't find any flaws.

"Get the ratings for 'Flying Flowers Chasing the Moon, A Lifetime of Love'," Shang Yechu said briefly.

Today's shoot is about the scene in "Rules Street" where Xiao Ye's hand becomes deformed after breaking the rules. Shang Ye Chu got up at 3 a.m. to start putting on makeup, and her hand makeup hasn't set yet, so she can't touch anything.

Assistant Wang pressed two buttons and held the phone up to Shang Yechu's face. The ratings for the first two episodes of "Flying Flowers Chasing the Moon: A Lifetime" were 1.52 and 1.61 respectively. Although the ratings and market share were lower than "Tianban," the growth rate was much higher. This made Shang Yechu feel a sense of crisis.

This achievement was clearly not commensurate with the overwhelming publicity from Ruguan TV. Shang Yechu was so anxious that she wanted to scratch her palms, but when she touched her hands covered in glue, she managed to suppress the urge.

"Call President Ji," Shang Yechu said. "Keep calling if no one answers."

It was four in the morning. She wondered if Ji Juntao had woken up yet. But even if he hadn't, she had to quickly get out of her dreams and clean up the mess.

Assistant Wang dialed the number as instructed, and luckily, it went through on the first try. She quickly held the phone to Shang Yechu's ear.

"Ye, I know, don't rush." ​​Ji Juntao spoke quickly and succinctly. "Qingyun Biography and Yunqing Chronicle were broadcast last year. The situation of TV stations in 2018 is much more complicated than in 2017. There are more and more people sharing the pie. The story of breaking 2 ratings as soon as it airs is no longer possible."

The sound of rapid typing came from Ji Juntao's end, and judging from the rhythm and noise, it seemed like more than one computer was working. Shang Yechu knew without a doubt that Qingping Entertainment's public relations department was probably working overtime again.

"It's only been a year, how much can things change?" Shang Yechu wasn't some newcomer who could be easily fooled. "Don't try to comfort me. Tell me the truth... have you read 'Half of the Sky'?"

"I saw it."

Shang Yechu was silent for a moment: "How do you think I performed?"

Ji Juntao said without hesitation, "This is the best performance you've given since I've known you. It's better than 'Yun Qing Ji'."

Shang Yechu believed this statement. Not because she believed Ji Juntao, but because she believed in herself. But if that's the case, then where exactly did the problem lie?

Shang Yechu looked down at her hands, which were wrapped up beyond recognition: "Is it a problem with the subject matter?"

Ji Juntao didn't answer immediately. Shang Yechu heard her roar, "What are you daydreaming about! Don't look at me, look at the computer!"

After shouting that, Ji Juntao continued to say to Shang Yechu, "I have also read 'The White-Haired Xiangjun' and 'Flying Flowers Chasing the Moon'."

Hearing Ji Juntao's tone, Shang Yechu had a bad feeling. She knew Ji Juntao; she was a man who would never let her soldiers lose heart. If she had even a little confidence, she would show it to those around her!

“Ru Guan TV is too arrogant.” Ji Juntao took a deep breath. “Last night I watched ‘Tianban’ first, and then I went to the website to watch ‘Bai Fa Xiang Jun’ and ‘Fei Hua Zhu Yue Ling Ping Sheng’. To be honest, I was very surprised.”

Shang Yechu unconsciously ground his teeth.

"Although five years have passed, the quality of 'The White-Haired Xiangjun' is surprisingly good. Moreover, Luan Qing has a strong appeal. 'Flying Flowers' doesn't have any big-name actors, so I didn't initially pay much attention to it. But after watching it, I found that the production was excellent. Perhaps because the actors weren't big names and their salaries were relatively low, the money was spent wisely. In addition, the plot is fast-paced, easy to understand, and the actors performed very seriously. It's a very sincere film."

Ji Juntao lowered his voice as he spoke, a hint of weariness in his tone. Shang Yechu calculated the time needed to watch six episodes of a TV series—Ji Juntao probably only slept for less than two hours last night.

“This situation is different from ‘The Tale of Qingyun’,” Ji Juntao sighed. “‘The Tale of Qingyun’ is all show and no substance, while ‘Flying Flowers’ is truly tempered steel. This is a tough battle.”

Shang Yechu paused for a moment: "You just need to tell me, which do you think is better, 'Flying Flowers' or 'Half of the Sky'?"

Ji Juntao said decisively, "Of course, 'Tianban' is better. But the plot of 'Feihua' is more exciting—do you understand? I stayed up until dawn last night, my brain was completely numb, and after watching these two episodes of 'Feihua,' I was so excited that I almost shot my brain out! You know better than me how much of an advantage this kind of drama has in the summer market, right?"

Shang Yechu's heart sank suddenly.

If we're talking about quality, Shang Yechu believes that no drama this year can compare to "Tianban". But if we're simply comparing entertainment value, the spy drama genre is worlds apart from fantasy dramas!

This is a fundamental difference. At this level, "Tianban" losing to "Feihua Zhuyue Ling Pingsheng" is not due to any fault of the author.

"In short," Ji Juntao said with a wry smile, "this summer's movie season is going to be very successful. If 'Half of the Sky' can make it through, Ye Ya will be able to brag about it for ten years."

Ji Juntao really knows how to find joy in hardship.

Even though her heart was ice-cold, Shang Yechu was still amused: "Let's not talk about that. What are you busy with over there?"

“Review the promotional processes of hit dramas and popular shows from recent years, and monitor public opinion,” Ji Juntao paused, as if checking something, “to find some experience and arguments. We don’t know what Ru Guan will say, so let’s prepare in advance.”

"Ru Guan is definitely not satisfied." Shang Yechu had worked extensively with Ru Guan and knew best the platform's ruthlessness and profit-driven nature. "Everything else is secondary; ratings are what matter. Just wait and see, they'll come knocking on our door—"