As of August, PPTV is still in full swing, but the Brazil World Cup has passed, "Gu Jian Qi Tan" has ended for many days, and only "Running Man 2" is still on the air.
Although the popularity is still explosive, it still cannot satisfy the appetite of Wei Yang and others.
They took out the last trump card of their summer strategy -
"The Journey of Flower".
This drama has been in preparation for filming for a long time. The total investment amount was announced to be 120 million yuan, but the actual investment cost was also more than 80 million yuan. If the investment in publicity and promotion is increased in the future, it is expected to exceed 100 million yuan.
Apart from the "Joy of Life" trilogy and "Nirvana in Fire", Blue Whale has not yet given up on so many books.
Even the actual filming cost of "Nirvana in Fire" was not that high because of the huge pay of Wei Yang and Liu Shishi.
The reason why "The Journey of Flower" is so expensive is largely because of the special effects.
This is the TV series with the highest special effects costs since the establishment of Blue Whale. The whole series of "The Journey of Flower" has 58 episodes, and the special effects cost more than 35 million. The average special effects investment per episode is more than 600,000.
It may not seem like much, but you have to know that this is a TV series, and the special effects are completely different from those in movies.
You know, the previous "Gu Jian Qi Tan" was also a fantasy drama with mixed reviews, but in terms of special effects, although it did not receive praise, it was not a drag.
However, the special effects investment for a single episode of "Gu Jian Qi Tan" was only over 240,000, less than half of that of "The Journey of Flower".
So far, although the cost of TV dramas is getting higher and higher, it is mostly due to the film pay, and the actual filming cost is far less exaggerated than the apparent changes.
The special effects cost of 600,000 per episode is not the highest in the TV drama industry, but it is definitely among the best.
Some of Zhao Liying's fans and some passers-by who did not know the reason have expressed dissatisfaction with Wei Yang to some extent before.
The reason is that Wei Yang has filmed with Liu Shishi many times, but Xiao Zhao has only filmed with him in one movie, "Come on, My Mr. Shuai".
They think he is partial to Liu Shishi and suppresses Zhao Liying.
This statement is somewhat one-sided. You should know that most of the dramas that Wei Yang and Liu Shishi have collaborated on in recent years feature Wei Yang as the main character, with Liu Shishi as the supporting role.
Liu Shishi did get some benefits from it, but that doesn't mean Wei Yang treated Zhao Liying badly.
The previous "Star Han Canlan" was the first major project invested by Blue Whale that was not starred by Wei Yang.
The current "The Journey of Flower" may not have a very impressive cast, but the behind-the-scenes lineup and investment cost are definitely the best among Blue Whales since Wei Yang.
More importantly, "The Journey of Flower" is a serious drama with a female lead, and Xiao Zhao is the core of the whole play.
This is something that "Gu Jian Qi Tan" and "The Love of Silence" starring Tang Yan cannot do.
Even though Da Mimi is the leading role in the former, her role and the core of the plot are Zhang Ruoyun. Although the latter is more inclined towards Tang Yan, the presence of the male lead is definitely not low. It can be said that the split is 50-50.
So Wei Yang felt very wronged! The cost of "The Journey of Flower" exceeded 100 million yuan, and the investment in special effects was the highest in the industry.
The theme is a fairy tale drama with a female lead, and the heroine is extremely likable. It can almost be said that it was tailor-made for Zhao Liying. She is cute and sweet in the early stage, and a revengeful and independent heroine in the later stage. It is completely in line with Zhao Liying's strengths and subsequent transformation route.
The male lead who plays the supporting role is Qiao Zhenyu, the most popular actor in Blue Whale besides Wei Yang. There are also a large number of stars and powerful actors playing supporting roles. The director is Lin Yufen, the famous director of Blue Whale and the master of ancient costume dramas.
The broadcasting platforms are the most popular website PPTV and the local TV station leader Hunan Satellite TV.
All of these things were arranged completely according to the requirements of the number one sister of Blue Whale or even half of the boss lady. Da Mimi and the second beauty of Xinjiang province were so envious that they were crying.
Wei Yang didn't praise anyone specifically, but you couldn't say he was biased. This was definitely an insult to his bowl-holding skills.
Fortunately, only some people hold these ideas. They either do not understand the situation or are selfish and unable to look at the problem objectively.
Most of them are discerning people, especially Xiao Zhao, the person involved, who understands very well how much Wei Yang and even Blue Whale value her.
It is no exaggeration to say that except for the inferior cast, "The Journey of Flower" is stronger in other aspects. Blue Whale also puts "The Journey of Flower" above "Gu Jian Qi Tan".
Therefore, Wei Yang arranged for him to appear at the end of the summer strategy.
In case the previous projects don’t perform well, “The Journey of Flower” can provide a backup. If they perform well, it will make a great ending and make PPTV’s summer strategy even more brilliant.
As the premiere time is getting closer, Zhao Liying, who had just returned to Magic City from Star City after participating in a series of promotional activities, is in a good mood.
In other words, ever since Liu Shishi officially announced the breakup, her mood has been very good.
As God is my witness, Zhao Liying has always regarded Liu Shishi as her biggest rival, and she poses a greater threat than Fan Xiaopang.
Moreover, compared to Fan Xiaopang who seemed to be standing aside and not directly participating in the competition, Liu Shishi's attitude was very clear, and she clearly wanted to compete with Zhao Liying.
To be honest, Liu Shishi put a lot of pressure on Zhao Liying.
According to her observation and some analysis, Liu Shishi's relationship with Wei Yang was established very early, and she was not a woman who came to cling to him later, which made Xiao Zhao's trump card of "wife of the hardships he has shared" have little effect on her.
You and the guy named Wei have suffered a lot. I didn't expect to take any advantage of him back then. At most, you were a little earlier than me, but don't show off your seniority in front of me.
At the same time, Liu Shishi was too popular and had a brilliant career. She also had two good helpers. The three of them joined forces to make it difficult for Zhao Liying to cope alone. She was unable to escape the suppression of the three and was forced to win over the two beauties from Xinjiang province.
What made Zhao Liying most alert was that Liu Shishi also met Wei Yang's parents and was suspected of being favored by her aunt Wei Xia.
The three trump cards that Xiao Zhao relies on most are his "wife of many years", the support of Wang Yunping, and the reputation and strength in the Blue Whale base.
Liu Shishi can offset the first two trump cards to the greatest extent, and the latter one also has her own forces to fight against it. How could Zhao Liying not be afraid of Liu Shishi?
Especially in the first half of this year, Liu Shishi was a big hit at the beginning of the year with "Mu Mansion Fengyun" and "Joy of Life 3", and no one of her generation could match her.
At the same time, Tang Yan and Da Mimi have become extremely popular thanks to "Joy of Life 3", "Love Me If You Can", "Tiny Times" and "Swords of Legends".
The three beauties of Legend of Sword and Fairy dominated the world and almost reached their peak.
When the three of them join forces, even Fan Xiaopang, Zhou Gongzi and others have to avoid their edge.
Xiao Zhao, who had originally become a first-tier star because of "The Legend of Mi Yue", felt a little desperate when he saw this situation, even though he was mentally strong.
Too strong, there is no way to beat him! Fortunately, she still has "The Journey of Flower" in her hand, and the two beauties of Xinjiang Province are not just for show, especially Rouba, whose popularity exploded after "Running Man", and her combat power increased sharply.
Otherwise, Xiao Zhao is determined to give up and is ready to give in first, waiting for the right opportunity. If all else fails, he will resort to crooked means.
For example, drugging Wei Yang and having a baby first. Anyway, Wang Yunping has hinted at it several times. With her mother-in-law protecting her, she is not afraid of Boss Wei getting angry.
However, Zhao Liying never expected that things would turn from bad to better. She was ready to give in if "The Journey of Flower" did not meet her expectations.
As a result, Liu Shishi actually blew herself up!
When her assistant showed her the Weibo post on her cell phone, Zhao Liying locked herself in the hotel room and laughed out loud for half an hour.
The reason why Zhao Liying liked and then canceled the post was not because she was stupid, but because she really couldn't help it.
Is there anything more exciting than your powerful old enemy suddenly committing suicide?
No matter what Wei Yang and Liu Shishi thought, she would not be able to sleep that night unless she did something.
Although the matter was suppressed afterwards and neither party responded, Liu Shishi's attitude was somewhat ambiguous and the so-called breakup declaration was not firm.
This made Zhao Liying a little disappointed, but not discouraged.
Even if Liu Shishi didn't break up in the end, she had lost too many points. Even if Wei Yang didn't care, Zhao Liying didn't believe that other people had no opinions.
After Liu Shishi poked their eyes like that, could they still maintain their previous attitude?
Just as she was thinking about it, the cell phone rang. Zhao Liying answered the call and heard Wang Yunping's voice.
"Liying, your uncle and I are back, and we brought Yangyang's grandmother with us. You are still in Modu, come to our house for dinner and meet the old man."
"Okay Auntie, I'll be there soon."
Zhao Liying was very happy. She felt that this summer was her lucky day, with good things happening one after another.
About an hour later, Zhao Liying arrived at Yunhua Mansion with the gifts she bought. When she parked the car, Wang Yunping came out to greet her. Seeing him buying things, she couldn't help but complain.
"You kid, you've been to my house so many times, and you're still buying things."
Xiao Zhao smiled sweetly: "Grandma, come here, we, as the younger generation, can't fail to show our appreciation."
“This child.”
Wang Yunping said she was disgusted, but she was extremely happy in her heart. She called a few children from the house to help get things, and pulled Zhao Liying into the hall.
Read the original text at Liu#9@书/吧!
There were quite a few people in the room. Sitting on the sofa in the middle was an old lady with white hair and a hunchback.
"My mother, this is the Liying I told you about."
Zhao Liying also cooperated by squatting down, holding the old lady's hand, with a sweet and well-behaved smile on her face.
"Grandma, do you still remember me?"
This was not the first time Zhao Liying had met Wei Yang's grandmother. Earlier, Wei Yang was worried about the health of his family members and could not get away, so he entrusted Zhao Liying to go home and take his family for a check-up, including the oldest grandparents.
That was also the first time that Zhao Liying made an official appearance in front of some of her relatives in Weiyang.
It's just that Zhao Liying was not famous at that time, and Wei Yang was just rising to power, so people were afraid of rumors spreading. So except for a few relatives, Zhao Liying claimed to be Wei Yang's friend, which did not attract the attention of most people at that time.
Now that Zhao Liying has been transformed, is extremely popular, and has been re-introduced by Wang Yunping, many people have realized who the round-faced girl was back then.
The old lady is now in her 80s.
This is not surprising. Wang Yunping is over 50 years old and she has two older sisters. People in rural areas sometimes get married early. There are already two people of Wei Yang's generation who are over 40 years old, and the eldest nephew is already in junior high school.
Due to her old age, many children, and having suffered for most of her life, the old lady's health is not particularly good.
He has a hunched back and can't lift his waist. He is deaf, blind and slow to react, but fortunately his condition is not serious. He can still communicate with others normally and has a certain degree of self-care ability. I heard that he can use a cane to go to the fields every now and then to check on them.
She didn't hear clearly what Zhao Liying said at first. It was only after Wang Yunping called out to her a few times that the old lady reacted and smiled.
"Good girl, grandma remembers you. You are Yangyang's daughter-in-law."
The smile on Zhao Liying's face became more and more intense and brilliant. Liu Shishi's side was in a mess, but her family was full of joy.
How can she fight me?!
Zhao Liying spoke a few words to the old lady before Wang Yunping introduced the person next to her.
This time, taking advantage of returning to her hometown to attend the funeral, Wang Yunping finally persuaded the old lady to come to Shanghai to live for a while, and even brought a few relatives who were free to come and visit.
"This is my aunt, and this is my cousin Jiaojiao."
"This is your aunt. This is your aunt's cousin's wife. You can call her your sister-in-law."
"This is your second aunt."
“…”
There weren't many people coming, but there were quite a few, including a few elders and peers, and a large group of younger children. After all, it was summer vacation, and my aunt was treating us, so many relatives and children came to play.
Many relatives were also quite enthusiastic when they saw Zhao Liying, especially the young ones. When they saw that the big star they rarely saw turned out to be their brother’s sister-in-law, they couldn’t wait to take a photo with her and go back to show off to the world.
What’s even more interesting is that two of them are fans of Xiao Zhao.
Especially the sister-in-law from my aunt's family, who showed Zhao Liying her Tieba level and QQ group identity to prove herself, and she is considered a half-die-hard fan.
Therefore, Zhao Liying also suspected that these kids not only had their own fans, but also probably had other people's fans, but the contact was still short and it was impossible to tell for the time being.
And except for a few die-hard fans, most fans are just following the trend. They curse loudly online, but when they see the rival star in real life, they still ask for a photo first.
Although Zhao Liying is a junior, given her status, she does not have to lower herself to please these relatives.
Apart from praising the old lady more, Zhao Liying treated everyone normally, respecting her elders, being friendly to her peers and kind to her juniors.
With her rank and the gifts and small benefits paving the way, she won a lot of praise without much effort.
When Wei Yang rushed back from get off work in the evening, Zhao Liying had become everyone's favorite. Several elders were very fond of her, and her peers and juniors surrounded her. Wherever she went, there were people who spoke well of her.
Wei Yang gave her a thumbs up. He felt relieved to have her help.
He knew his mother's personality. Sometimes she liked to show off and had no bad intentions, but she might offend people unintentionally. With Xiao Zhao's help and support, there would be no unpleasant situations.
Although Wei Yang didn't care about these things, they were relatives after all, and they were relatively close, so it would be best if they could get along harmoniously.
After a brief chat, Wei Yang went to see the old lady.
Wei Yang grew up with his grandparents, and his eldest aunt was very kind to him, so he is closer to his relatives on his father's side.
But it doesn't mean that he is not close to his relatives on his mother's side, especially his grandparents, who loved him very much when he was a child. It's just that there are too many younger generations on the Wang family, so it's not as obvious as the only child on the Wei family.
But no matter what, grandparents are the only living ancestors that Wei Yang has.
Wei Yang still misses her very much. He visits her in person every time he goes back, and also makes video calls to say hello from time to time.
Wei Yang also had the idea of inviting two old people over this time, but grandpa was too stubborn. He was worried that no one was taking care of the chickens, ducks, pigs and dogs at home. Plus, he was very carsick and didn't dare to travel far. In the end, only the old lady came alone.
"Grandma, do you miss me?"
The old lady was very happy to see Wei Yang. Ever since her eldest grandson became successful, their lives have been getting better and better, and Wei Yang has become more and more important in their hearts.
"I thought about it, and came to see you with your mother."
Wei Yang chatted with the old lady for a while. Although the process was a bit difficult, the old lady's logic was quite clear. After a while, she started urging him to get married.
"Your mother said she wanted to have grandchildren, why don't you get married? You are not young anymore."
Wei Yang knew that this issue could not be avoided when chatting with an old person, so he did not care and dealt with it with a smile. Unexpectedly, the old lady did not buy it. She glanced outside a few times and greeted her grandson in a low voice.
"That kid just now was pretty good. You should calm down and live a good life. Don't date randomly. If you get caught by the government again, they will kill you as a gangster."
Wei Yang: “…”
How did my reputation in my hometown end up like this?
(End of this chapter)