CHAPTER 418: CHAPTER 287: KING OF MASK SINGER FINALE CONCERT_2

Hou Yichuan sighed, looking somewhat exhausted but also somewhat proud as he said, "I had my people make a prediction. There was a trend towards it catching fire, but the probability wasn’t high, and it was even less likely to explode in popularity. Later, I felt that this drama definitely had more potential than that. I always felt that young people would like it more, and young people are the group most easily swept up in a fervor. So, I thought I’d take a gamble and let them watch the first four episodes for free, then talk about the price based on the performance.

"At first, some people disagreed, so I negotiated with those who agreed. Eventually, only one or two were left. Seeing that everyone else was on board, and since it was free, they agreed as well. As you saw, we only did a little bit of promotion. We invested over a million in the early stages, buying traffic packages over a week. We hadn’t even finished spending that million when the popularity started to soar. When it came time to talk about the price, those people had very awkward expressions, but no matter how awkward, didn’t they still buy it in the end? Now you see: eight hundred thousand per episode, agreed upon by six platforms, making a total revenue of ninety-six million."

Having said this, Hou Yichuan unconsciously took a deep breath. He made it sound easy, but achieving such results wasn’t simple at all. He didn’t know how much he had to drink with those people. There were several times he drank until he blacked out. Even when he was somewhat coherent, he still had to speak pleasantly to people and cultivate relationships. Anyone who’s been in business knows that you can’t just refuse such situations if you want to succeed. If you want to make money, you have to attend all sorts of drinking events, especially since some older folks particularly prefer this approach.

Chu Tian had no idea about these specific struggles, but he was aware that nothing in the business world was simple. Hearing Hou Yichuan’s nonchalant explanation, he was by no means under the illusion that it really was that simple.

"I get it, President Hou, you’re truly impressive," Chu Tian said. "Nearly a hundred million from online platforms, plus another thirty million or so for the second-round broadcast rights from four television stations. Wow, a simple red envelope won’t cut it now."

The conversation could have stopped there. For Hou Yichuan, knowing that Chu Tian wouldn’t shortchange him was good enough. There was no need for Chu Tian to spell it out. As long as he wanted to continue collaborating with Hou Yichuan, he would obviously have to offer lucrative incentives. It was inevitable.

"What about this second season? Wasn’t it almost finished filming?" Chu Tian asked.

Regarding that, Hou Yichuan sounded somewhat helpless. "It’s almost done, but since the first season caught fire, those people aren’t fools. Who wouldn’t want to take advantage of such high popularity? At the beginning, those TV stations, entertainment companies, and internet video platforms all wanted to invest, and it took me quite a while to push them away. Then the advertisers came. You see, that’s all pure cash. They made generous offers, so I couldn’t just say no. I discussed it with Director Cao, and as long as it didn’t affect the plot, we incorporated a few product placements. That’s what this money is from."

Chu Tian nodded, understanding. Indeed, these people were hard to refuse. It wasn’t just about the immediate profit; the advertisers themselves were key resources. Future endorsements for his artists, paid performances, or sponsorships and title sponsorships for upcoming shows—all of it would require their support. So, these people definitely couldn’t be offended. Even if it meant compromising on the work’s quality to some extent, they had to be given some concessions. This was the unfortunate reality and necessary compromise of the business world.

"Okay, I understand..." Chu Tian nodded, pausing momentarily before continuing, "Then let’s do this. You have a talk with Director Cao, and if the timing is right for the next two seasons, consider filming them together."

Regarding iPartment, Chu Tian had only planned for four seasons. As for anything beyond that, he felt it was best to stop there for now. It was better to end on a high note than to drag it out and produce a subpar continuation.

Then, they moved on to discuss other work matters. For the variety show Where Are We Going, Dad?, part of the recording was already completed. The post-production for the first two episodes was nearly done, and they were preparing to start promotion. Divas Hit the Road had also secured its filming schedule and was about to start recording. But before that, there was another event to prepare for: the grand finale concert for King of Mask Singer. After broadcasting for such a long time, King of Mask Singer had already wrapped up, and the finale concert was delayed by a week because it was a live broadcast. Today, they had already begun to gradually send out notifications to the participating Singers, which was why Wei Liangxiao had been busy with this recently.

The two talked for a long time. Even after finishing with work matters, Chu Tian had no chance to escape. He had to diligently stay and deal with the backlog of work first. The planned return couldn’t happen, so he sent a message to Xu Qingqiu to let her know, then he buried his head back into the thick stack of documents.

It wasn’t until the sky had completely darkened that he finally lifted his sore neck. Glancing at the empty office area outside, Chu Tian picked up his phone and checked the time. It was already past nine o’clock. He hurriedly opened his messages. During this time, Xu Qingqiu had sent him a few, mostly about everyday stuff, and then there was only one about work.

*"Chu Tian, King of Mask Singer just sent me a message. They’re preparing for the concert. Which song do you think I should sing?"*

She had sent this message around five in the afternoon. Seeing that he hadn’t replied, she probably guessed he was busy and didn’t ask anything else after some routine greetings.

Chu Tian replied while packing up his things, *"Have you gotten home yet?"*

No sooner had he finished packing than a reply came back.

*"Not yet. I just practiced some Cantonese. Yiyi ordered durian pizza, and I got one for you too. When will you be done?"*

*"I’m done. Wait for me, I’m coming over."*

What more was there to say? Although he wasn’t keen on durian, he was certainly keen on his girlfriend. That was enough.

"You’re back? Working so late, are you tired?"

As soon as he arrived at the studio, he was greeted with Xu Qingqiu’s caring look, along with this warm question.

That feeling was truly amazing. Chu Tian’s heart couldn’t be happier.

"Heh heh, not tired," Chu Tian said. "Yichuan did most of the work. I just had to sign things."

"You really have the nerve to say that. President Hou’s wife must be cursing you by now," Xu Qingqiu teased.

"Haha, I’ll reward him properly later. I’ll make it up to his wife when I get the chance. By the way, have you made any plans for your final concert?" Chu Tian sat down as he spoke. "You know what, although it’s durian, it actually smells quite good when I’m hungry."

After finishing his words, Chu Tian grabbed a piece and started eating. Xu Qingqiu had brought over gloves for him, but he didn’t use them. She could only respond with a big roll of her eyes.

"After all, it is a concert," Xu Qingqiu said as she helped Chu Tian put on the gloves. "I’m thinking it definitely can’t be a half-hearted effort. I just don’t know which song would be appropriate. Can you help me think of one?"

"Hmm..." Chu Tian, with his mouth full of pizza, started to recall the songs he was familiar with to see if there was a suitable one.

Top songs weren’t necessary. This wasn’t a competition or some major marketing event.

"Let’s do this," Chu Tian said. "I’ll give you a new song later. It’s not exceptionally great, but it will do."

Even though Xu Qingqiu was used to Chu Tian coming up with new songs on the fly, she was still somewhat shocked each time.

"Okay, then I’ll listen to you."

"Yeah, eat up. It’s getting cold," Chu Tian urged. "I’ll write the song and give it to you tomorrow. Practice it for the next two days so you don’t mess up when the time comes."

"Hmph, as if you’re the only talented one here. Have you ever seen me mess up?" Xu Qingqiu retorted. Possibly delighted by the pizza, she spoke vaguely while still holding a slice, shifting on the couch and swaying her head.

He chuckled. Seeing her lively appearance, Chu Tian couldn’t help but feel happy.

"Of course, you’re way better than me. You’re the Queen!"

"Aiya, don’t bring that up." As soon as she heard the words "Queen," Xu Qingqiu’s cheeks flushed red with embarrassment, and she swung her little fists at him in annoyance.

"Ahem, ahem, you two bosses," Yiyi said as she returned, "I just went to pour a glass of hot water. Aren’t you two moving a bit fast? Maybe hold back a bit?" She could only helplessly remind them upon seeing the two of them. She didn’t want to be the third wheel, but that pizza smelled too good. She really wanted some.