Chapter 121 Jinjiang's Exclusive Food Street
When Liu Quan learned that Su Ruyi was coming to the TV station, he put aside all his other work and waited for this big spender to arrive.
The three programs invested in by Su Ruyi have now become the TV station's flagship programs, with high ratings and excellent reputation.
The Hunan Economic Television Station has now firmly established itself among the major television stations and has exceeded the tasks assigned by its superiors.
Their station even became a model for others to learn from, with many TV stations trying to produce similar programs and achieving good results, but still falling short of their station's level.
Su Ruyi not only spends a lot of money, but also provides very constructive suggestions for program planning, which make the program content more exciting.
Therefore, Liu Quan valued Su Ruyi not only because she was a major sponsor, but also because of her insightful perspectives and understanding of the program, many of which were unexpected by them.
"President Su, what brings you here today?"
Liu Quan personally poured tea for Su Ruyi, which shows how much he valued her.
Su Ruyi smiled and said, "I'm here to congratulate Director Liu."
Upon hearing this, Liu Quan couldn't suppress his smile, but he waved his hand dismissively.
"It's just that the organization values me, so I have a bit more responsibility on my shoulders. It's nothing serious."
That's what they say, but this action clearly tells everyone that Liu Quan will be promoted to station director after the station director retires.
Liu Quan has already been given most of the station director's authority. Although he has not been formally appointed, he is already the station director.
After exchanging a few pleasantries with Liu Quan, Su Ruyi took out a business plan from her backpack and handed it to him.
"This is?"
Su Ruyi: "This is a program that I want to plan and invest in. I wonder if Director Liu would be interested?"
Liu Quan raised an eyebrow and curiously picked up the proposal: "President Su is finally willing to get involved in producing a TV program?"
Through three collaborations, Liu Quan was well aware of Su Ruyi's abilities. Chen Mingsheng, who is now a top producer, once remarked that if Su Ruyi could join a television station, she would definitely be able to produce even more wonderful programs.
Sometimes when Wang Xiaowei couldn't figure things out, she would ask Su Ruyi for help.
Su Ruyi's insights cleared up Wang Xiaowei's confusion.
Although Liu Quan really wanted Su Ruyi, he also knew that Su Ruyi's business was so big that she wouldn't have time for such things.
Unexpectedly, Su Ruyi actually delivered a program proposal today. Is the big boss finally free?
Upon opening the program, Liu Quan immediately understood why Su Ruyi had created such a show.
The commercial street's advertisements were running like hotcakes on their TV station. Liu Quan was somewhat aware of the situation and knew that Su Ruyi wanted to create a commercial street that also included a food street with all kinds of delicious food.
Liu Quan had read all the information about that property development and was attracted by its concept of a residential and commercial complex, so he bought a house there.
Of course, the price he got was something no one else could get.
Liu Quan also hopes that the commercial area there will develop, so that the value of the house he bought will rise accordingly, and it will also be more convenient to live there.
Although it's a mixed-use development, the community is very well designed. The bustling commercial area won't disturb the residential area, especially the house he bought. It's quiet amidst the hustle and bustle. Even though he hasn't moved in yet, he can already imagine how wonderful the living experience will be.
Liu Quan's current apartment was allocated by his work unit. Although it is spacious and comfortable for many people, with a separate bathroom and kitchen, it is far inferior to the apartments in Lu Ting's development!
With four bedrooms, two living rooms, and two bathrooms, it's spacious and comfortable enough for three generations of a family to live in.
Unlike now, when everyone is scrambling for the toilet first thing in the morning, he had just squatted down inside when someone banged on the door, saying that the brat was about to poop.
Getting back to the main point, Su Ruyi's program proposal is about food, and the program is called "Seeking the Flavors of Human Life".
"Seeking Flavors" is the program title, and "Human Flavors" is the theme of the series, representing that the food in this series consists of delicious snacks, everyday dishes, or common home-cooked meals that are often eaten by ordinary people.
The food street created by Su Ruyi features street food and small restaurants, as well as boutique restaurants helmed by master chefs.
However, the area has not yet developed a commercial atmosphere, making it difficult to attract established restaurants. Therefore, they are focusing on street food and various small eateries first.
Once it becomes popular, various businesses will naturally flock to this place.
This program was created specifically to promote the food street.
Su Ruyi had watched many food programs before. Although she was not a professional program planner, she could create a general program framework.
If the program passes the review, it can be handed over to professional program producers for further refinement and rationalization.
Su Ruyi had previously discussed this with Chen Mingsheng and Wang Xiaowei, and both of them really liked Su Ruyi's suggestion. It was different from the programs they were currently producing, so they were very interested.
Liu Quan carefully examined the contents, while Su Ruyi waited patiently to the side.
The program was very well-planned, and Liu Quan thought it was excellent and very creative from the very first episode.
Food is the most important thing for people. Now that people's lives are getting better and better, their focus is no longer on simply eating enough, but on eating well.
If such a program were to be released, it would definitely attract a lot of viewers.
Su Ruyi's program design is particularly ingenious. It is not just a simple food documentary, but also includes interactive elements and games, or tells heartwarming stories behind the food, which adds to the fun.
However, Liu Quan continued reading very carefully and did not give a result immediately.
After reading it, Liu Quan's expression remained largely unchanged, making it impossible to discern his true thoughts.
“I’ve never seen a show like this before. It’s not just about food; there are so many other elements mixed in, and it also needs to be filmed outdoors, which adds a lot of difficulty.”
Su Ruyi smiled and said, "Isn't our station all about pioneering and innovation? This program is perfect for that. As for outdoor recording, I heard the station has acquired a lot of new equipment, so it shouldn't be a problem, right?"
Since its launch, the Economic Television Station has performed exceptionally well, leading to more proactive allocation of funds and resources from higher authorities. The station's equipment has now been fully upgraded.
"But the risks are also great. Don't be fooled by our station's current success; we've invested a lot of money in many programs, only to lose everything. So now we're very cautious about launching new programs. It's expensive, and we're also afraid of ruining our reputation," Liu Quan sighed.
Su Ruyi could easily see what this fox was up to, but she didn't expose him and waited for him to continue.
Liu Quan paused for a moment, then changed the subject:
"It's not that this program can't be done, it's just that our station already has a program..."
Su Ruyi immediately said, "I've invested."
Liu Quan immediately smiled and said, "President Su, you're too kind. I haven't even told you what program it is yet."
"I trust Liu Taizi's judgment; he won't cheat me."
Liu Quan felt very comforted upon hearing this.
Despite being someone who has produced many high-quality programs, it's not easy for him to secure investment for new programs.
In particular, this new program is completely out of sync with the tone of the Economic Channel, and many advertisers immediately felt that the program was unsuitable and gave up their ideas.
They would rather spend several times more money to advertise on established programs than risk spending a small amount of money on new programs.
“We’ve been friends for a long time, and I won’t lie to you. This program is one that the station had to produce, and it’s really hard to say what its future holds.”
Su Ruyi asked curiously, "What kind of program is so difficult?"
"Our station is often criticized for being overly entertainment-oriented and lacking the responsibility and commitment of a television station, so the station needs to produce a substantial program."
"What's the meaning?"
"This program focuses on social hotspots, criticizes current affairs, and is an in-depth reporting program with public opinion supervision, fulfilling the responsibility of the media."
Su Ruyi understood that such a program was serious and required objectivity and depth, which would take a lot of time, energy and money.
However, due to the nature of the program, it cannot insert advertisements everywhere like other programs, resulting in higher costs and lower returns compared to other programs on the station.
However, for a television station, especially in this day and age, excessive entertainment is indeed inappropriate.
Television stations also have news and livelihood programs, but their ratings are only average, and they are completely outclassed by entertainment programs.
Now, "Happy Club" has become a weekly program that everyone watches regularly.
Moreover, it's much easier to invite guests now than before. In the past, inviting the lead actors of old dramas helped these dramas achieve good ratings when they were rebroadcast. Now, when many new dramas and movies are about to be released, they will take the initiative to contact the program team, wanting to promote the new drama together on the program.
Nowadays, the cost of inviting guests is very low, sometimes even free, and this program has become a guarantee of high viewership for the Hunan Economic Television.
Several similar programs produced by the station have also achieved good results, so the station's producers like to make similar programs, and now they have been warned.
What type do you want?
Liu Quan briefly described the program format, which is very similar to CCTV's "Focus Interview".
The goal is to have journalists conduct in-depth investigations and create a special report to expose the issues, thereby achieving public oversight.
The current phenomena of gutter oil, shoddy construction projects, and other issues deeply hurt the physical and mental health of ordinary people. In addition, there is the presence of organized crime. Such programs are high-risk, but they are good things for the country and its people.
Su Ruyi agreed without hesitation. She was currently flush with cash and had such good fortune, so she wanted to do something for the world.
“I’m willing to invest money, but this kind of reporting is very offensive. Reporters who go deep into the investigation may even risk their lives. Is the station prepared for this?”
Liu Quan was very pleased to see Su Ruyi's decisiveness and said earnestly:
"Don't be fooled by our station's focus on ratings and obsession with those numbers because we're self-sufficient. As media professionals, we never forget our responsibilities. We not only bring joy to our viewers but also give voice to the people. We have outstanding journalists who are willing to fight for the people. Our station will also be a strong support, and we will definitely withstand all pressure to broadcast our programs."
“Great! I’ll invest in this program. If reporters need to enter or leave dangerous places, I can also send professionals to provide protection, giving them an extra layer of security. I can also invest in purchasing the most advanced undercover equipment.”
Although Lu Ting has been retired from the military for many years, he has never lost contact with the army.
Most of the construction teams and security teams under his command were veterans.
Among them were special forces soldiers who, after retiring, worked alongside Lu Ting.
Although they were injured and no longer suitable for high-intensity training, they are still very capable.
Upon hearing this, Liu Quan was even more delighted, as he knew that Lu Ting had quite a few capable people on his side.
“I will hand over your program to Chen Mingsheng. With him in charge, the program will definitely be excellent.”
Chen Mingsheng is now a top producer; none of the programs he produces are bad.
Although Su Ruyi had a good relationship with him, Chen Mingsheng was also busy, and if the station didn't release him, it wouldn't be easy for Su Ruyi to collaborate with him.
"Thank you very much, Master Liu. Once the food street officially opens, I will definitely invite you and your family to come and enjoy the festivities."
After receiving a positive answer, Su Ruyi went to discuss the program with Chen Mingsheng.
Because he had given prior notice, Chen Mingsheng made time to see Su Ruyi at noon.
"I told you your show would definitely pass, and I was right!"
"I'll leave it to you to take care of things later. I've only given you an idea; you'll have to figure out how to implement it."
Chen Mingsheng laughed and said, "You've brought this credit to me. I have a feeling this program will be just as good. We've all witnessed President Su's discerning eye."
Although Su Ruyi only invested in three programs, all three programs were very successful. In addition, Su Ruyi herself is a business genius who built her current empire at a young age. Therefore, at some point, rumors began to circulate that Su Ruyi could turn stones into gold.
Whenever the TV station had a new program, they would always try to get Su Ruyi to watch it.
Su Ruyi actually helped watch a few shows, and the ones she liked all ended up airing well, which further fueled the rumor.
The rumor spread further and further, and now some people are even going to Su Ruyi with project proposals, asking her if they can be invested in, leaving Su Ruyi both amused and exasperated.
Su Ruyi waved her hand: "Please don't mythologize me, it makes me feel too unlucky."
Deification is the beginning of decline, a fact that Su Ruyi firmly believed.
Chen Mingsheng didn't continue the topic, but instead opened the proposal.
Although he had a general idea from Su Ruyi, he had not seen the specific program plan.
"You're something else, even a food show can be made into something amazing." Chen Mingsheng exclaimed after watching it.
Su Ruyi smiled sheepishly and said, "I won't hide it from you, this is also to promote my food street."
This program is not a documentary, so it will not simply talk about food. There will be more interaction, and the camera will also be on the food street.
So many delicious foods featured on the show can be found on her food street; it's hard for viewers not to be tempted.
“I’ve seen the brochure for the food street, and I’ve been waiting for its official opening,” Wang Xiaowei said.
"Soon, after the show airs, I'll take advantage of the buzz and start a food festival. We'll open all at once then."
Wang Xiaowei's eyes lit up: "A food festival?"
"Yes, we will invite chefs from all over the country to gather together and let them make their signature dishes so that everyone can taste the delicacies from different places."
Unlike decades later, when big cities had food from all over the world, they are now relatively closed off, with local cuisine dominating the market and very few restaurants serving food from other regions.
This will be a great gimmick and will attract a lot of people.
Su Ruyi poured a lot of effort into this commercial street, not only for the place itself, but also for the future real estate developments that Lu Ting would build.
Lu Ting's properties will all be developed using this model. Once this model takes off, everyone will see their strength, which will boost sales of other properties. So this first step must be a resounding success.
Lu Ting and Su Ruyi are now independent yet have many collaborations. Su Ruyi is clearly better at publicity, so Lu Ting has handed over all of this business to her.
"President Su, can I take on this role as host?" Chen Rui offered eagerly.
When Chen Rui learned that Su Ruyi was coming today with a new project, he rushed over.
Thanks to "Happy Club", Chen Rui has become a well-known host at the station. Although he is not as famous as Li Qing, he still has a few shows.
However, he is not the one who leads the show; he is a supporting character, and he is always portrayed as a comedic figure.
He also wanted to lead a program, but there hadn't been a suitable one yet.
He is now very interested in the new program that Su Ruyi is planning.
Although Chen Rui gained weight due to illness, he still loves to eat and enjoys tasting all kinds of delicious food. He knows all the good places to eat in the provincial capital, and he feels that this program is tailor-made for him.
Su Ruyi smiled and said, "What a coincidence! When I was making this program, I felt that you were the most suitable host."
They had eaten together several times, and the way Chen Rui ate made everyone's mouths water; the food seemed delicious.
He was also very good at describing the deliciousness of food, making people's mouths water.
Su Ruyi thought at the time that Chen Rui was very suitable to host a food program, so that people could feel the deliciousness even through the screen.
Therefore, when planning this program, Su Ruyi thought of Chen Rui.
Although the show included some games, it ultimately focused on food.
Moreover, Chen Rui is a professionally trained host with excellent hosting skills. He is also witty, humorous, and knowledgeable. After this period of training, he can hold his own in front of the camera.
Upon hearing this, Chen Rui was overjoyed.
"Thank you, Mr. Su, for giving me this opportunity. I will definitely work hard!"
"I'll have to trouble you to take care of things from now on."
Su Ruyi has a lot of decision-making power over the program, but she only decided on Chen Rui as the host and didn't interfere with anything else.
The TV station has its own considerations. As long as they take the program seriously, Su Ruyi won't interfere too much, nor will she have much free time.
The entrance to Orange Alley.
Zhang Li helped her parents pack up their stall. Their family's zha jiang mian (noodles with soybean paste) was very famous in the area, and they could close up shop early every day.
Zhang Li helps out at the stall every day after school, and today was no exception; she rushed there as soon as she got off school.
Although some classmates mocked her for her family's street vending business, Zhang Li never got angry about it; instead, she felt proud.
If her family hadn't set up this noodle stall, she wouldn't have been able to go to school, and she probably wouldn't even have had enough to eat.
Zhang Li's father was an educated youth sent to the countryside, and her mother was from the countryside. After the educated youth returned to the city, Zhang Li's father took Zhang Li's mother and Zhang Li back to the city. However, they could not find work in the city, and their father's family could not accommodate them. Life was really hard at that time.
Although Zhang Li was young at the time, the feeling of hunger was so profound that even now, when she eats her fill every day, she still remembers the painful experience.
Because of this stall, she was able to afford to stay in the city to study. Otherwise, without a household registration and without paying the expensive school selection fees, she would not have been able to study in the city like other children.
Zhang Li cherishes this opportunity, so she is always very proactive in her work. Even if her parents don't let her help, she will still lend a hand because she doesn't want her parents to work too hard.
Although their noodle stall business is good, their parents work from dawn till dusk and are very hard-working every day.
Her father kneads dough every day until his arms are swollen, requiring him to apply hot towels and rub the dough daily.
Zhang Li could clearly sense that her parents were in a bad mood today, with worried expressions on their faces.
"Dad, Mom, what's wrong? Is business bad today?"
Zhang Li's mother forced a smile: "It's alright, are you hungry? Mom will make you a bowl of noodles."
Just as they were getting ready to eat, Zhang Li's mother realized that all the noodles for the day had been sold, and she had forgotten to save some for them for dinner.
"Look at me, how could I forget about that? Let's go home and eat there."
Zhang Li's father, unusually, lit a cigarette and let out a deep sigh.
Zhang Li panicked even more when she saw this, as forgetting to leave food for her had never happened before.
"Mom and Dad, what happened?" Zhang Li asked anxiously, her eyes reddening.
Zhang Li's father took one last drag and then stubbed out the cigarette.
"It's okay, honey. Our family has weathered many storms, we can get through anything."
The couple looked at each other, their eyes filled with helplessness.
Their noodle stall business was good, earning them a lot of money every day, but they couldn't keep up with the chaos of the world.
Those hooligans came again today. The protection fee is higher this month. Every time they come in a group, they eat and drink for free, and then they still want to collect protection money.
If they don't give it to him, the owner of that wonton stall on the east side was beaten up and is still in the hospital, and he can no longer set up a stall in this area.
In fact, Zhang Li's parents had moved to several places, but there were people like this in every place. Some stall owners would even try to bully them when they saw that their business was doing well.
A few insults are the least of your worries; secretly putting bugs in your noodles is the real threat.
This area was the most suitable place they could find, but after the previous group of thugs was arrested, an even more formidable group came, and they would overturn the place if things didn't go their way.
Zhang Li's parents had considered renting a house to open a shop, but aside from the increased costs due to rent and other expenses, even if they opened a shop, they might not be able to escape protection money collection.
Zhang Li's parents didn't believe that there weren't clean places in such a big provincial capital, but who knew where they were? They didn't have much money, and if they failed, they would lose it all.
Zhang Li was confused and very anxious, but her parents didn't say anything and she could only silently help tidy up the tables and chairs, preparing to take them home together.
Although it's very troublesome, if you don't accept it, they won't even leave you a stool leg when you come back tomorrow.
"Hey, what's this?" Zhang Li picked up a piece of paper from the table and asked curiously.
Zhang Li's mother looked over and said, "This is a business card. A girl who came to eat noodles today left it."
"Wow! Mom, she's the general manager of the Yayuan Food Street property management company! Wang Huiting, judging from the name, she's a female CEO!"
Seeing her daughter so excited, Zhang Li's mother was very puzzled: "You know?"
"I know! They've been putting on commercials all the time on TV lately. My classmates are all making plans to go there together when the food street opens."
Zhang Li's family didn't have a television, so Zhang Li usually went to her neighbors' houses to watch TV. Zhang Li's parents were embarrassed to go to other people's houses to watch TV, so they didn't know much about the TV programs. They also usually stayed at their noodle stall and didn't know anything about what was happening outside.
"There really is such a street?" Zhang Li's mother asked in surprise.
Zhang Li's father was also surprised. The girl who left her business card today invited them to open a shop in a place they had never heard of, and even said that there would be no rent for the first year.
They even said they would promote them for free and get them on TV, etc.
The girl looked to be around twenty years old, and seemed unreliable. Her words sounded like she was just trying to fool people, so I completely ignored her.
There are a lot of scammers these days. A while ago, Old Yang from the stall next door was scammed. The couple never believed in free lunches and thought that such a good thing would never happen to them.
So although he verbally agreed, he didn't actually take it seriously at all.
"Of course! Remember that chubby classmate from our class whose family owns a factory? He used to come to our house for noodles all the time."
"I remember, so what?"
“His family bought a house there. He said it’s huge, over 200 square meters, and it’s on the twelfth floor with an elevator! He said he’ll invite us over to visit after his family moves into their new house.”
Zhang Li's parents gasped in surprise. What a spacious house!
Then it occurred to me, "That girl really wasn't lying to them, was she?"
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