CHAPTER 102: CHAPTER 99 TONE OF EDITING

Tencent Building, twenty-third floor

Wan Kai, dressed in a dark suit, was standing in front of the glass wall of his office, gazing at the city nightscape.

"Director Yang, thank you for your hard work."

"Mr. Wan, you’re too kind. This is simply my job, and haven’t you also been working without rest?"

Yang Xiaoyue smiled warmly, her bright eyes full of understanding.

Wan Kai also smiled. This program was of paramount importance to Tencent.

What the outside world saw was just a show, but within Tencent, this program marked the beginning of their internal "Big Entertainment" strategy.

That’s why Wan Kai had stayed up all night awaiting Yang Xiaoyue’s report.

In the past, film production companies controlled the market by turning stars into celebrities, creating popular films and dramas, and controlling theater chains—for example, the methods employed by "某达 Group."

However, operating theater chains carried enormous risks. First, you had to own physical cinemas, and second, you needed to invest in film and drama productions to boost stars’ popularity. "某达 Group" nearly failed at both.

Therefore, Tencent forged a new path, using its video platform in place of physical cinemas and replacing high-risk investments in dramas with star-making variety shows.

Wan Kai personally poured a glass of red wine for Yang Xiaoyue and then sat back down at his desk.

"I watched the rough cut of the program. It’s excellent; your approach is spot on. Although I don’t usually watch variety shows, I believe what you’ve created is exceptional."

"For Mr. Wan to say that, it’s clear that if ordinary viewers were to watch our program, it would definitely captivate them." Yang Xiaoyue was delighted at Wan Kai’s approval.

This meant her job was temporarily secure.

"Mr. Wan, as per the plan, today we will edit the program into two episodes and record the theme song, slated for the first public performance a month from now."

"This is the preset schedule. Follow it as planned." Wan Kai found it odd why Yang Xiaoyue was bringing up what he considered redundant information.

The airing times for all programs were predetermined. This wasn’t a case of simply broadcasting whenever one felt like it, unless there were significant unforeseen events requiring adjustments.

"Mr. Wan, during today’s shoot, we captured a great deal of footage, and I think much of it is quite good. Therefore, I wish to extend the runtime of the program." Yang Xiaoyue finally stated her objective.

A contemplative look immediately spread across Wan Kai’s face as he leaned back in his chair—a habit of his when deep in thought.

"Director Yang, extending a program’s runtime is often considered a taboo. If it runs too long, viewers could easily grow weary. Generally, 90 minutes is the maximum duration for variety shows; it’s the most scientifically optimal length."

"I understand, but Mr. Wan, viewers only tire if a program is boring. If it’s engaging and done well, they’ll always want more."

"How confident are you? After all, this is only the initial stage, and the level of technical proficiency among the participants is far from high. Can they really captivate the audience?" Wan Kai was quite skeptical.

"Mr. Wan, please, take a look. Here are the character profiles we’ve drafted for these girls." Yang Xiaoyue avoided a direct answer and handed over the notes she had prepared with Sun Miao.

Taking them, Wan Kai read through the profiles carefully. The more he read, the more he noticed the innovative ideas contained within. By the end, he couldn’t resist laughing aloud: "Director Yang, you’re nothing short of a genius. These idols are just like Barbie dolls—there’s always one that appeals to those kids."

"Mr. Wan, does this mean you’re agreeing to extend the runtime?"

"I tentatively agree, but final approval still has to come from headquarters."

Yang Xiaoyue felt reassured hearing this. Their department operated semi-independently, and reporting to headquarters was often just a formality.

She also knew this decision would make some enemies for her.

For instance, consider a variety program that starts airing at 8 PM. Originally running for an hour and a half, audiences would be finished by 9:30 PM, and likely move on to other shows.

If extended to two and a half hours, would viewers still watch something else afterward?

Some might argue that on streaming platforms, multiple programs can air simultaneously via standalone links. But realistically, has any platform ever implemented such a method? It’s self-competition, diluting viewership and ultimately proving counterproductive.

"Xiao Yue, why don’t I see anyone from Galaxy here? Haven’t you decided on their inclusion yet?"

"Not exactly. I was hoping to understand the company’s ultimate stance towards Galaxy."

Setting the profiles aside, Wan Kai clasped his hands and smirked: "Our stance towards Galaxy is purely utilitarian. We won’t grant them debut spots."

His expression darkened as he continued: "This time, Galaxy sent Ye Yuwei, who’s plagued by scandal. I suspect Old Mu has a larger scheme in mind—not merely to repulse audiences or sabotage our show."

Yang Xiaoyue froze: "Mr. Wan, surely Old Mu doesn’t have that kind of capability or ambition! He’s just narrow-minded."

With a cold snort, Wan Kai replied:

"When we first learned about Ye Yuwei’s negative publicity, we considered replacing her."

"However, given her average singing and dancing abilities, we planned to eliminate her after the first public performance."

"But today, her performance utterly exceeded our expectations. Isn’t that clearly at Old Mu’s behest?"

Yang Xiaoyue pondered his words carefully and found them quite reasonable.

"Indeed! She concealed her talent. Her dance skills alone make her the standout performer among the girls."

"If we showcase Ye Yuwei’s solo performance to the audience, it could create a talent disparity, overshadowing other dance-focused participants completely."

The thought gave Yang Xiaoyue a headache.

"This is precisely what concerns me. Once a talent disparity emerges, the show’s ratings will hinge entirely on her. That would give Galaxy leverage to negotiate with us." Wan Kai frowned.

"Remember how Cai Kunkun was the standout lead in ’Colorful Idol,’ forcing Kiwi to renegotiate profit-sharing with Yuehua as a result?"

"If Old Mu pulls the same stunt halfway through this program, our losses will be significant, effectively turning this show into a launchpad for Galaxy." Wan Kai’s expression darkened even further.

Yang Xiaoyue recognized the gravity of the problem. Old Mu’s audacity was staggering.

What neither of them realized, however, was that Ye Yuwei had already severed her ties with Galaxy. For this program, she had only signed a temporary one-and-a-half-month contract with them.

Tencent had required participating girls to have company backing for compliance reasons.

To join the program, many girls had signed similar temporary contracts with their respective management companies, including follow-up conditional clauses.

If a girl successfully debuted as part of a group, she would then be required to sign a long-term deal with her sponsor company—no company wanted to take risks without securing their own benefit.

Consequently, the fact that Galaxy was playing the "good Samaritan" had not even crossed Wan Kai’s mind.

If he knew, he would immediately send someone to negotiate directly with Ye Yuwei on Tencent’s behalf.

"Xiao Yue, what if we cut all her solo performance footage?" Wan Kai suggested.

"Mr. Wan, there are two group performances we cannot cut: one from Galaxy and another from Three Suns. Both are key components for drawing in initial traffic, though this cannot be publicly admitted."

"If we cut Ye Yuwei’s solo, it sends a clear signal to the outside world—that we’re only exploiting Galaxy’s fame to drive our program’s traffic."

"Proclaiming ourselves as striving for ’Huaxia’s Number One Girl Group’ would be nothing more than an empty slogan, rendering our program a complete failure."

Yang Xiaoyue’s words plunged Wan Kai into deep contemplation. Ye Yuwei’s sudden standout performance had derailed their entire plan.

"Mr. Wan, destroying Ye Yuwei isn’t particularly difficult."

"Oh? What’s your idea, Xiao Yue?"

"We have song selection, team formation, and other stages leading up to the first public performance in a month. We can completely ’edit her out.’"

"Ha! Good. If we go this route, it’s the safest bet. The company’s PR department will fully cooperate with you," Wan Kai said with pointed implications.

"Mr. Wan, how should we handle Milky Way Girl? If we focus on promoting Meng Meixuan, will Yuehua stir up trouble?"

"Xiao Yue, you can retain Milky Way Girl’s group performance footage. Their performance doesn’t overshadow the standout acts of other girl groups, so it won’t lead to dominance."

"Additionally, to counter Ye Yuwei, you can emphasize giving Meng Meixuan more screen time, and perhaps allocate extra footage to Wu Zixuan as well." Mr. Wan established the editing approach for Milky Way Girl.

"Mr. Wan, who do you think should be the initial C-position for the theme song?"

"You’re the director. Decide as you see fit."

Mr. Wan’s words delighted Yang Xiaoyue—it was a significant grant of authority.

If the program became a hit, the initial C-position would undoubtedly receive widespread attention.

Being the decision-maker would create the impression of her having substantial influence over this project, greatly enhancing her reputation.