A few days later.
The SARFT received the script for In the Name of the People for review.
"What?"
"They've finished filming it?"
"They've also finished editing it?"
"Th-This is way too fast!"
"Are you serious?"
"Is this really an anti-corruption drama sent over by the Central Publicity Department?"
"I'm gonna faint. It's only been a few days!"
"Let's watch it first."
"Uh, the scope of this drama is too big."
"Yeah, it involves so many things in the bureaucracy?"
"Can a drama like this even pass the review?"
"It's the tone set by the higher-ups, so how can we not pass it?"
"That's true. There's no need to watch it then. Let's pass it."
"Zhang Ye is really daring to make a drama like this!"
"Don't you know who Zhang Ye is? That fellow has always been foolishly bold. There's nothing he doesn't dare to do! "
It was useless even after a day.
A few hours later, Zhang Ye received news that In the Name of the People had passed the review. The distribution license and series review number had been issued, and all the procedures were in order. This was what it meant to lean on a big tree for shade. If it were anyone else making an anti-corruption drama like this, just the review process alone would take several months or even half a year. They might not even be able to pass it in the end. But for a drama that was set by the Central Publicity Department, the license was issued before the SARFT could even finish watching it. This was what efficiency meant.
It was a success.
They could hold a celebratory feast now.
Zhang Ye smiled and called to book a place.
…
Noon.
Somewhere in the suburbs.
It was the start of spring, and the temperature had risen a little. An outdoor barbecue was already being set up. While Zhang Ye and the others were busy, they took out their cell phones and browsed through the news.
I Am a Singer Season 5 has come to a close!
"The King of Singers, Qu Dong, to go on a nationwide tour!"
"Counting down to the release of the TV series Heavens of the Gods!"
"Li Shao and Chi Hao's battle for the title of Heavenly King!"
"Xu Meilan might fall from the S-list?"
"Sister Lan — the last remaining Heavenly Queen of the old era!"
Over there, everyone else had also arrived.
Other than Dong Shanshan and a few other actors who had work to do today, everyone else was here.
Ning Lan greeted them from afar. "What are you all looking at? Why aren't you welcoming us? "
Zhang Ye smiled and said, "I'm reading the news."
Yao Jiancai asked, "They wrote about us?"
Zhang Ye shrugged. "Not a single word was mentioned. It's all news about the male idols. Is public opinion like this these days? I saw that they even used the term 'old' to describe us. "
"You'll get used to it." Zhang Xia didn't mind.
Jiang Hanwei said calmly, "That's how the media is these days. Or perhaps I should say that this is how the people like it. They will naturally report whatever they like."
Ning Lan asked, "Did you pass the trial?"
Zhang Ye said, "I passed."
Ning Lan said, "Have you contacted the television stations?"
Zhang Ye smiled. "Beijing Television."
Shu Han said, "Beijing Television is very strong in the field of variety shows, but it doesn't seem to be very strong in the field of television dramas."
Zhang Ye said, "I only have a good relationship with Beijing TV. When the other big TV stations hear about an anti-corruption drama or a political mission, they all avoid me. It's already pretty good that a satellite channel is willing to give us a primetime slot. Oh right, I still have to inform you guys that our drama's release date might be around the same time as Heavens of the Gods and Age of Kingdoms, so everyone should be mentally prepared, hur hur."
Shu Han was stunned. "Same age as them?"
Zhang Xia looked at him. "You're that confident?"
Zhang Ye smiled. "It's alright."
Ning Lan said, "Brat, are you trying to slap my face again?"
Zhang Ye said in amusement, "Why don't you guess?"
"If our viewership ratings can really match those two male idols' shows," Shu Han said. "Then it won't just be slapping the faces of those two male idols, nor will it be slapping the faces of the industry. As a group of veterans from the 'old era,' we'll be slapping the faces of the entire world!"
Equal?
Why would it be equal?
Zhang Ye smiled but did not say anything more. It was useless to say anything now since they wouldn't believe him anyway. Zhang Ye would either not do it or do it in an earth-shattering manner. He had spent so much effort to gather this group of old friends together not so that they could be evenly matched with those male idols. He wanted to tell the world that whether it was three years, five years, 10 years, or 20 years, they were still no match for Zhang Ye!
"Come, let's eat."
"Have a drink?"
"Come on."
"Cheers, cheers."
Barbecue.
Beer.
Everyone ate to their heart's content.
Zhang Ye said, "Our drama will be airing in about half a month. Everyone, please work hard during this period. Promote it on Weibo and accept interviews."
Ning Lan said, "Understood."
Yao Jiancai said, "We've already accepted the interviews."
Jiang Hanwei said, "We're more familiar with this than you are."
Shu Han said, "But the media and people aren't paying much attention to us right now. Those two male idols' dramas and the new season of I Am a Singer have stolen a lot of the attention. Everyone's focus is not on us right now." She took out her cell phone and waved it around. "I just checked and there really isn't any news about our drama. The outside world doesn't even know that we've wrapped up filming, or rather, they don't care. That's not going to be easy to handle."
Zhang Xia said, "If we want the viewership ratings to go up, we'll have to increase the popularity and publicity as well."
Zhang Ye said helplessly, "The Central Publicity Department doesn't have the money to buy advertising slots, nor can they really request for all the media outlets to report on their drama. That's not how power should be used, so don't count on them. We can only rely on ourselves now. Let's do as much as we can and hope that everyone pays more attention to us."
Ning Lan shook her head. "We're not as popular as we were back then. We're no longer popular celebrities. Even if we shout together, it won't be as effective as a single word from those male idols."
Zhang Ye was also thinking.
The publicity work that followed was indeed a little difficult.
Five minutes.
Ten minutes.
Twenty minutes.
All of a sudden, a young actor said, "Hey, look at this."
Everyone looked over. "What's the matter?"
That young actor said, "The program team of I Am a Singer has made a move!"
Everyone gathered around to watch the news.
When Zhang Ye saw this, he was stunned. "I Am a Singer is going to be the last season?"
Zhang Xia nodded. "Half a year ago, Beijing TV announced that this will be the last season of the show. It will also mark the end of the show. There won't be another variety show like this in the future."
Zhang Ye knew that in the domestic entertainment industry, all the singers that could be hired had probably already been hired in the past few years. All the good singers that could be hired had probably already been hired. If I Am a Singer were to continue, it would only be repeating itself over and over again. There wouldn't be any meaning to it. Instead, it would be better to end it at the best possible time and retire with success. Actually, before Zhang Ye left, he had made two conditions when he licensed the copyright to Beijing TV. First, the host could only be Dong Shanshan. Second, the show had to be done well. From the looks of it, Beijing TV had indeed kept to their verbal agreement with Zhang Ye. Based on their judgment, the next season of I Am a Singer would probably go downhill. As such, they had already decided to end this phenomenal variety show that no one dared to abandon. To be able to make such a decision required a lot of courage.
Zhang Ye felt a little relieved.
Times had changed. Nowadays, it was the male idols who ruled the entertainment industry.
Acting skills? Singing skills? A lot of these things were becoming less and less important.
It was good that it had ended. There was really no meaning to a stage where singers only competed on popularity.
But at this moment, what surprised Zhang Ye and everyone else was that the program team of I Am a Singer had actually announced a new plan. It was also the final closing song of I Am a Singer. They actually wanted to hold a battle for the title of the Masked King of I Am a Singer to end it all!
What did they mean by that?
It meant that the Masked Kings from the first to the fifth season would all stand in the same arena and battle it out to determine who would be the Masked King for all five seasons of I Am a Singer!
In the past, it was singer against singer!
This time, they wanted to make it a Masked King against Masked King!
Zhang Xia was amused. "They've really gone overboard this time."
Ning Lan said, "They're really daring to do this."
Yao Jiancai said, "Will anyone be going?"
Shu Han said, "Yeah, the title of the Masked King is already the highest honor. Now, they're going to decide who the Masked King will be from all the previous Masked Kings?"
Beijing Television made it very clear.
It would be voluntary and not forced. They would be holding this Masked King battle based on the principles of fairness and impartiality. It would be best if the current Masked King could participate. If the current Masked King could not participate or forfeited, then the second place contestant could participate, and so on and so forth.
…
On Weibo.
The netizens blew up.
"Wow!"
"This is good! This is really good! "
"This is so exciting!"
"A battle for the Masked King?"
"This is going to be a battle between singers who transcend generations!"
"Qu Dong has just become the Masked King for the fifth season and is currently very popular. This will definitely be beneficial to him."
"That might not necessarily be the case. The previous Masked Kings were not easy to deal with either."
"I'm so looking forward to it!"
"This is a really good idea!"
"Right, this can't be any better as the finale of I Am a Singer!"
"I wonder if those previous Masked Kings will participate in the competition."
"Everyone cherishes their wings, so they won't agree to it so easily, right?"
"Yeah, and some of the previous Masked Kings are really getting old and can't sing anymore."
"Can the previous Masked Kings really share the stage?"
At this moment.
Qu Dong's Studio posted on Weibo.
— Qu Dong's Studio announces that they will be participating in the Masked King competition.
Ten minutes later.
The grand champion of the fourth season of I Am a Singer was officially announced.
— They had accepted the invitation from Beijing Television.
One after another, the Masked Kings accepted the invitation.
With this, the Internet was abuzz.
"They're really coming?"
"Oh my God!"
"This is exciting! This is going to be exciting! "
"Qu Dong must definitely become the champion!"
"Get lost, Qi Liang's season of I Am a Singer is the strongest!"
"Right, Qi Liang is definitely a strong contender for the fourth season's Masked King!"
…
In the suburbs.
Zhang Ye's cell phone rang.
It was a call from an old friend.
Xiao Lu: "Hehe, Teacher Zhang."
Zhang Ye laughed and said: "Xiao Lu, what are you doing?"
Xiao Lu said: "Have you seen the news?"
Zhang Ye said: "I can't not see it even if I don't want to."
Xiao Lu grinned and said: "I just suddenly thought of doing a variety show like this. Actually, I've already discussed it with a lot of the other Masked Kings. At that time, you weren't released yet, so I didn't get the chance to ask you. But it's not too late now. What do you think? Are you interested? "
Zhang Ye said: "You guys sure are gutsy."
Xiao Lu said: "Didn't I learn it from you?"
Zhang Ye said: "When the male idols are fighting, why should I compete?"
Xiao Lu said: "Don't joke around. You're the creator of I Am a Singer and the grand champion of the first season of I Am a Singer. It's going to be lively without you."
Zhang Ye shook his head. "I haven't sung in many years."
Xiao Lu said: "Are you afraid?"
Zhang Ye laughed. "What's there to be afraid of?"
Xiao Lu said: "Teacher Zhang, don't tell me you're really getting old?"
"Don't try to agitate me." Zhang Ye said: "This bro won't fall for it."
They hung up.
Zhang Xia chuckled and said: "Beijing Television wants you to go?"
Zhang Ye nodded and said: "Yeah."
Jiang Hanwei laughed and said: "This is a very good promotional stage. No other variety show can compare to the viewership ratings and status of I Am a Singer in the variety world. If we hold a competition for the grand champion, the viewership ratings will definitely go up a notch. This is a rare opportunity."
Zhang Ye rolled his eyes.
Ning Lan looked at him. "You're not afraid, are you?"
Zhang Ye curled his lips.
Ning Lan said: "If you don't go, then Grandma Zhang will go, right?"
Zhang Xia waved it off. "I'm really getting old. I can't sing better than them."
Shu Han said: "If the two of you don't go, then there won't be any representatives from the first season of I Am a Singer who can go, right? Won't it look bad if there aren't any representatives? "
Zhang Ye said: "Isn't Old Chen still around?"
Ning Lan said: "Chen Guang won't be able to beat them."
Zhang Xia laughed. "To be honest, I can't win either."
Yao Jiancai said: "From the looks of it, if we want to win, Zhang 'er will have to go?"
Immediately, everyone in the film crew looked at Zhang Ye.
Zhang Ye said helplessly: "What are you all looking at me for?"
Ning Lan said: "We're all counting on you to do the promotional work."
Shu Han smiled and said: "If Director Zhang can clinch the title of the grand champion, that would be the best promotion. For the sake of our film crew, you have to step forward no matter what."
Zhang Ye said in amusement: "Are you guys throwing caution to the wind?"
Jiang Hanwei said: "Who asked you to be the director?"
Zhang Ye smiled and said: "Alright, let me think about it."
But Zhang Xia said: "Little Zhang, actually, I don't recommend you go."
Zhang Ye nodded. "I know."
Zhang Xia sighed and said: "It's too risky."
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