Chapter 41 Chapter 41
Jiang Jinyue is a film and television UP master on Station C, known for her unique style of吐槽 (吐槽 - critical commentary, usually humorous and insightful).
Besides 吐槽, she occasionally takes on some sponsored videos.
However, she has principles when it comes to sponsored content, especially for film and television recommendations. Even when sponsored, she clearly points out the advantages and disadvantages, quite bluntly.
Her precise 吐槽 attracts a huge amount of traffic, making many film and television companies both love and hate her.
One day, Jiang Jinyue was processing business information as usual when she saw a request to recommend a historical costume suspense drama called "Six Doors Secret Affairs".
Jiang Jinyue narrowed her eyes.
She had some impression of this drama. Half a month ago, it suddenly appeared out of nowhere, launching massive promotions. There were many trending topics on Weibo, clearly indicating a large investment in promoting the show's broadcast.
This aggressive marketing was quite annoying.
She had recently had dinner with several film and television UP masters, and they had jokingly said that their next batch of 吐槽 material had arrived.
After all, the drama's title alone exuded the aura of a terrible drama.
So, who gave the publicity team the courage to dare to ask her to do a sponsored video?
This piqued Jiang Jinyue's interest. She told them that even if it was sponsored, she would give a fair and objective review, asking if they could accept that.
Unexpectedly, they readily agreed, even immediately transferring the deposit, as if afraid she would change her mind.
Jiang Jinyue: ???
Is this really the publicity team?
Could they have a grudge against the drama and are deliberately trying to discredit it?
Jiang Jinyue became even more curious. The premiere was at 8 pm tonight, so she searched for the trailer.
The trailer began with a bustling Ming Dynasty street scene. Although only three seconds long, the realistic sets and meticulous details immediately transported viewers to that era.
Jiang Jinyue's interest was piqued.
Then, to upbeat music, a villain rushed out of an alley, pursued by a woman in red: "Stop!"
A pause for a close-up, showing her name—Rong Yu.
This chase scene was thrilling. Just as she was about to catch him, he spotted a horse. If he mounted it, the woman would likely never catch him.
At that moment, the camera focused on a wealthy young man on the second floor of a tavern. He held a folding fan, his smile gentle. His name appeared—Yu Changyan.
But the next second, he threw a string of copper coins. Countless coins clattered to the ground between the villain and the horse, causing the surrounding people to rush forward to pick them up, blocking the villain's path.
Rong Yu's expression brightened. She was about to grab him.
Seeing that he couldn't escape, the villain decided to grab a child as a hostage.
But as he reached out, a sword sheath appeared, blocking him. A cold-faced man in black then appeared and engaged the villain in combat.
Another close-up pause, showing his name—Xiao Nanyuan.
Xiao Nanyuan was highly skilled. The villain was no match for him, so he threw a bag of lime powder. Xiao Nanyuan leaned back, avoiding the powder but giving the villain a chance to escape.
However, before the villain could gloat, a net fell from the sky, trapping him. Rong Yu quickly tied him up and then playfully bowed to Yu Changyan and Xiao Nanyuan: "Gentlemen, I yield."
Yu Changyan fanned himself, smiling faintly.
Xiao Nanyuan sighed helplessly.
In just one minute, a complete short plot clearly depicted the characters of the three protagonists.
Jiang Jinyue subconsciously sat up straight.
She vaguely felt that this drama might not be the terrible drama she expected.
The camera then switched. The three put on Six Doors constable uniforms and received orders to investigate the murder of a court official. In a tense and suspenseful musical rhythm, rapid cuts combined the main storyline with exciting scenes. Occasionally, there were humorous moments, easing the tension before quickly raising it again.
Finally, the music stopped, a bright blade flashed, blood splattering on the Six Doors signboard. The background slowly turned black, the words "Six Doors" appearing in relief, with the blood forming the words "Secret Affairs," creating the title—Six Doors Secret Affairs.
Jiang Jinyue let out a long breath.
She never expected the three-minute trailer to be so information-packed, full of suspense and humor, leaving her captivated.
She was immediately filled with curiosity about the drama, hoping it wasn't a bait-and-switch. If the drama was as good as the trailer, it would definitely become a hit.
Thinking this, she quickly messaged her friends: “[Is anyone watching “Six Doors Secret Affairs” tonight? It seems interesting.]”
Friend: “[HAHAHAHAHA, are you organizing a film and television UP master group gathering? No way, is this drama that bad?]”
Jiang Jinyue realized the ambiguity in her words and quickly explained: “[It's not the ‘bad’ kind of interesting. I just saw the trailer and thought it was pretty good.]”
Friend 1: “[???]”
Friend 2: “[Six Doors Secret Affairs? Pretty good? Are you bewitched?]”
Seeing that she couldn't explain it, Jiang Jinyue directly sent the trailer for “Six Doors Secret Affairs” to the group.
After a while.
Friend 1: “[Whoa!!! It’s actually kind of interesting, in a positive way!]”
Friend 2: “[The trailer is good, but it’s not unheard of for a drama to be terrible despite a good trailer. I’m still not optimistic, but it piqued my interest. Watching tonight +1]”
Friend 3: “[Watching +2]”
Friend 4: “[Although I don’t know what you’re talking about, I’m free anyway, so I’ll watch!]”
…
Soon, 8 pm arrived.
Jiang Jinyue opened Orange Video and clicked on the first episode of “Six Doors Secret Affairs”.
The story begins with a children's rhyme circulating in the streets and alleys. That night, a Ministry of Justice inspector was found dead at home, his death gruesomely matching the rhyme's allusions.
Then, a Ministry of Communications official died in the same manner in his outer chamber. A few days later, a supervisory official died in the same way.
In just a month, three court officials died. Investigations revealed that they had no connection, except that their ranks were progressively higher.
A rank-9 Ministry of Justice inspector, a rank-8 Ministry of Communications official, and a rank-7 supervisory official.
If this pattern continued, wouldn't the next victim be a rank-6 official?
The court was shaken, the people apprehensive.
The Emperor entrusted the case to the Six Doors.
Only then did the protagonist Xiao Nanyuan officially appear.
Highly skilled and upright, he was well-liked in the Six Doors, yet no one wanted to partner with him because it was too tiring. He was only focused on work, often enduring harsh conditions and lacking flexibility.
Xiao Nanyuan was used to it and didn't mind. While investigating the case, he unexpectedly met Rong Yu. They bonded after initially clashing.
Rong Yu seemed impulsive but was actually very perceptive, always noticing hidden clues.
While working together, Rong Yu gradually found Xiao Nanyuan to be rigid and liked to tease him, leading to a series of playful arguments as they followed clues to a bandit camp.
They infiltrated the camp and found a wealthy young man tied up and blindfolded in a woodshed.
Jiang Jinyue guessed immediately that this was Yu Changyan from the trailer.
For some reason, although Yu Changyan's character wasn't as distinct as Rong Yu and Xiao Nanyuan's, Jiang Jinyue's impression of him was the strongest.
Sure enough, after unbinding him, they learned that he was the son of a wealthy family, kidnapped while returning home from an ancestral ceremony, waiting for a ransom.
After saving Yu Changyan, they continued their investigation. The next clue led them to the city's treasure fair. Entry required money, but both were impecunious.
Yu Changyan made a grand entrance, holding a gold-inlaid fan, and two large chests of silver arrived.
The first episode ended there. Jiang Jinyue eagerly clicked on the next episode.
A few hours later, Jiang Jinyue had finished the first four episodes, wanting more. She wished she could force the remaining episodes out of Orange Video.
She then remembered her friends' group chat, opening it to be bombarded by hundreds of unread messages.
“[Amazing!!! Great actors! Great costumes! Great sets! Most importantly, the story is amazing!! The twist almost made me gasp for air. This is the kind of suspense drama I want!!!]”
“[Rong Yu is my goddess! Beautiful and intelligent! Finally, it's not the female lead causing trouble and the male lead solving it! Rong Yu's observation skills are amazing! Plus, the plot is tightly interwoven, the reasoning is solid! As a viewer, I feel respected!]”
“[Jiang Hanjing's acting is good, he has the air of a righteous hero. But what surprised me most was Yu Changyan! Wow!! That scene where he fanned himself and had two chests of silver delivered directly captivated me!]”
“[I searched for his actor, Qin Wen. He's a newcomer, and this is his first drama!]”
“[Wow!! Such acting skills in his first drama, he has a bright future!]”
…
Jiang Jinyue found that everyone was praising “Six Doors Secret Affairs.” The few who questioned anything were discussing the plot or questioning some settings, but after checking, they found that these settings were not fabricated; they had historical basis.
Jiang Jinyue only briefly participated before closing the chat and focusing on writing her script.
She wrote thousands of words, realizing that it was all praise.
Of course, this didn't mean the drama had no flaws. In fact, she could find some.
But was it necessary?
As a film and television 吐槽 UP master, she seemed to enjoy criticizing, but she also felt a deep frustration with Chinese dramas in recent years.
“Six Doors Secret Affairs” had flaws, but compared to its solid script and sincere production, these flaws were insignificant.
Jiang Jinyue hesitated only briefly before deciding.
No changes! She would record it as is.
Recording, voiceover, editing… she worked all night, finally completing the video. After uploading it, she went to sleep, unaware of the uproar it would cause.
-
As a top film and television 吐槽 UP master, Jiang Jinyue's videos attracted many fans.
“[Jiang Jiang is unexpectedly diligent lately! Let's see… it's sponsored content, as expected.]”
“[Hahahaha, sponsored content is good, sponsored content is wonderful. I love the sight of film and television companies paying money and getting scolded.]”
“[Wait, something's wrong. It's been six minutes, and she's still praising it? Did someone hack her account?]”
“[吐槽 turned into awkward praise??]”
“[Sigh, Jiang Jinyue has fallen. The last bastion of the film and television sector is gone.]”
“[@Jiang Jinyue, I followed you because you dared to speak the truth. Now it’s meaningless. Unfollowing.]”
“[Saying sponsored content wouldn't change her attitude, I always admired you. Turns out money changes everything, bah!]”
“[Although, the plot sounds interesting. I want to watch it…]”
“[Tempted to try it…]”
“[Twenty minutes in, have the brave viewers returned?]”
“[Wow, I have to say, this drama is pretty good! Okay, I’m going to continue watching.]”
“[Really? Isn't this just bots?]”
“[Not bots, this drama is truly a good drama ruined by its title. The plot is great, there are twists, and ups and downs. The only drawback is that there are too few episodes! I want to finish it all in one day!!]”
“[You're a level 6 account, I believe you. I'm going to watch it too!]”
…
Besides Jiang Jinyue, many other film and television UP masters watched it, though not as quickly. But they all posted on Weibo.
This unusual film and television UP master group immediately caused a stir, with critics and viewers clashing.
Soon, #SixDoorsSecretAffairsIsGood #, #SixDoorsSecretAffairsADramaRuinedByItsTitle #, #YuChangyanIsHandsome #, and other topics topped the trending charts.
Many were drawn to watch “Six Doors Secret Affairs”.
Orange Video's traffic surged.
Jin Shiheng yawned as he entered the office.
He had stayed up late last night watching a game, only sleeping in the early morning. Entering the office, he remembered he'd forgotten something.
Seeing the poster for "Six Doors Secret Affairs" in the hallway, he suddenly remembered it was the premiere night. He felt annoyed.
But it shouldn't affect the outcome.
He had worked tirelessly for this.
The promotional resources were indeed at level A, but he had tampered with things.
The marketing was crude, and for promotion, he deliberately chose a couple of outspoken UP masters to damage the reputation of “Six Doors Secret Affairs”.
For the premiere night's trending topics, he bought the stiff, obviously bot-generated kind.
These methods seemed fine on the surface but were full of problems upon closer examination.
However, once "Six Doors Secret Affairs" aired and its poor quality damaged its reputation, all responsibility would fall on the drama and Sun Hongfei, who signed off on the promotion plan.
No one would care if the drama's promotion had problems.
Sun Hongfei would be demoted and have his salary cut, losing Gu's trust due to his failed attempt at flattery.
He would seize this opportunity to rise to the top.
Given his attentiveness, Gu would quickly forget Sun Hongfei.
Then, he could use Gu as a stepping stone, getting promoted and a raise, reaching the pinnacle of his career.
Jin Shiheng had considered all the problems and believed the plan was perfect.
Unless "Six Doors Secret Affairs" was incredibly good, so good it shattered all preconceived notions.
Jin Shiheng had a moment of doubt.
But was that possible?
He thought of the disastrous project proposal.
If the proposal was so bad, could the drama be good?
He was reassured.
Humming, he opened Weibo, his eyes widening.
The top trending topic was #SixDoorsSecretAffairsIsGood #
He clicked on it, finding not the stiff bot-generated comments but genuine reviews.
Stiff praise can be generated quickly and cheaply by software.
Substantive praise requires manpower and is expensive.
Had the bots gone crazy!!
He angrily opened the bot manager's WeChat, questioning him with a screenshot: "[Wasn't this sent last night? Why was the time changed? And I didn't buy such an expensive package!]”
Bot Manager: "[?]”
Bot Manager: “[Boss, I sent it as you instructed last night. Today's posts aren't my fault.]”
Jin Shiheng was stunned.
If he didn't send it, how did it get there?!
The bot manager said: “[Boss, could it be that it wasn't bots, but viewers spontaneously discussing it and trending it?]”
Jin Shiheng: ???
He hurriedly opened all the trending topics, reading one by one, his heart growing colder.
Only four episodes had aired, yet the discussions and analyses were enthusiastic, with viewers frantically asking for more.
This was only possible for a hit drama!!
Before he could fully despair, he heard cheers from the data department.
The traffic for "Six Doors Secret Affairs" had exploded, and they were about to report the good news.
Jin Shiheng was even more despondent.
Oh…
He suddenly remembered that the drama's success was thanks to him.
Now, having failed and potentially facing consequences, Pang Zhongcheng wouldn't forgive him.
Jin Shiheng felt a chill down his spine.
Meanwhile, Wen Yue looked at the data for "Six Doors Secret Affairs," feeling complex.
Orange Video was having a tough time recently.
The former project director was poached by Xingmao Media, taking new projects and leaking promotional plans, causing Orange Video's other dramas to suffer.
"Six Doors Secret Affairs" single-handedly reversed the situation.
While the unexpected success was great, Wen Yue hadn't forgotten that he had initially told Tang Ling that it was a D-level resource. Why did it become A-level?
Tang Ling was also puzzled. Sun Hongfei was usually cautious and shouldn't have made such a mistake.
He found Sun Hongfei, who said he initially wrote D-level on the plan. Later, someone from the publicity department gave him another copy, saying he'd made a formatting error. He checked it; only the D had changed to A.
Sun Hongfei thought it was his mistake, changed it back to A, and signed.
Tang Ling was speechless: “Why were you so sure it was my mistake?”
“Of course, given Gu and Wen…” He was about to mention their relationship, but remembered Tang Ling's warning, changing his words, “…given Gu and Wen are so committed to this drama, and given its high quality, it’s unsurprising that it was upgraded to A-level.”
Tang Ling: “?”
Though he found Sun Hongfei's idiom strange, he didn't think much of it. But this incident made him concerned, “I'll investigate this later.”
Sun Hongfei, relieved at his cleverness, remembered something and handed Tang Ling a document.
Tang Ling: “What’s this?”
Sun Hongfei: “While monitoring the publicity for ‘Six Doors Secret Affairs’, I noticed some oddities. These promotional strategies seem fine, but upon closer examination, there are strange aspects.”
Tang Ling was surprised that Sun Hongfei was so diligent.
He took the document, relieved, “Don’t worry, I'll report this to Wen Yue.”
Sun Hongfei proudly straightened his back.
He was right, following Gu, there would be rewards!
Tang Ling's report pleased Wen Yue.
He wanted to get rid of Pang Zhongcheng, but he was slippery, backed by family, making it difficult.
Now, the evidence was delivered to him.
Tang Ling acted swiftly, tracing the clues to Jin Shiheng. To save his job, Jin Shiheng betrayed his superior.
With this evidence and Jin Shiheng's testimony, Pang Zhongcheng was forced to resign.
Jin Shiheng kept his job but was demoted, moving from a private office to a cubicle.
He heard that the vacant vice president position was open for competition, and surprisingly, Sun Hongfei was the favorite.
Rumors suggested a close relationship with Tang, making him Wen Yue's true confidant.
Jin Shiheng, knowing the truth, was furious, wanting to reveal that Sun Hongfei wasn't Wen Yue's confidant, just lucky.
But he couldn't reveal this path to advancement!!
He feigned congratulations while vowing to cling to Gu!
-
Orange Video rejoiced, but Ning Tianyou of Xingmao Media was not happy.
He had previously defeated Wen Yue, feeling triumphant.
Then, "Six Doors Secret Affairs" appeared, turning the tables.
He investigated and found it was Gu Xing Shi again!!!
He knew about "Six Doors Secret Affairs"'s previous defunding.
Wen Yue had taken over!
He was so willing to spend for his boyfriend, investing heavily, not fearing it might be a bad drama?!
Ning Tianyou was furious.
At a charity gala, he encountered Wen Yue.
The industry knew of the recent conflict between Xingmao and Orange, with Wen Yue reversing the situation.
Wen Yue had also inflicted a blow on Ning Tianyou in the capital market.
This meeting promised a spectacle.
Wen Yue was calm, his presence alone intimidating Ning Tianyou.
Before he spoke, Ning Tianyou was defeated.
Resentful, he said sarcastically: “Wen Yue, you're so lucky! No wonder you don’t socialize with us, you have a treasure at home!”
Wen Yue: “??? ”
What nonsense?
Had he gone mad from defeat??