Chapter 145: Such Tense Timing!

Chen Qi wanted the Friday prime-time slot. Among the weekend options, Friday was his top choice. It was the final workday of the week and the moment office workers felt most relaxed. On this day, people who had been busy all week were eager to find some form of entertainment to unwind; for those who had just finished a full day of work, watching a show like "The Singer" after dinner was undoubtedly the best option.

Coincidentally, the current Friday prime-time program on Beijing Satellite TV was scheduled to conclude in three weeks. In terms of timing, this was a perfect hand-off. As long as the television station did not lag in terms of staffing, equipment, and venue arrangements, Chen Qi was absolutely confident he could complete all the preliminary work and produce the first episode within those three weeks.

However, Vice Station Director Wang was uneasy. As a professional in the television industry, she knew all too well how unrealistic it was for a project still in the planning stage to produce an episode in just three weeks. Chen Qi had not even assembled the production team yet! New programs usually required a promotional campaign to start about two weeks before launch. If the promotion went out but the episode wasn't ready by the broadcast time, it would be a disaster. It would be a serious broadcasting incident, and she would be the one held responsible. One wrong move, and her chance at the station director position might vanish. She didn't want to take the risk; it was too terrifying.

But Chen Qi insisted. Beijing Satellite TV’s earliest available slot besides Friday was Sunday, and that wasn't for over a month. He could barely accept Saturday, but the awkwardness of a Sunday slot was completely unacceptable to him. He had already stated his guarantee of a 1% average rating, and that was something to be written into the contract. If he lost, he would be ruined. The broadcast slot was a crucial factor in a show's success, and he did not want to add such risks for no reason. His attitude was firm.

Vice Director Wang was now in a difficult position. She fell into a conflicted silence. Although Chen Qi hadn't said it explicitly, she could tell from his attitude and his polite, veiled words that if he couldn't get the Friday slot, he would rather not cooperate with them at all. She didn't want to miss this opportunity. Truth be told, with Chen Qi’s credentials, finding another station willing to cooperate wouldn't be hard. But from another perspective, three weeks was incredibly tight. He hadn't even found the singers yet... It sounded completely insane.

Across from her, Chen Qi remained silent, quietly waiting for her reply. Zhao Qingqing’s seat beside them was already empty. She had found an excuse to step away as soon as they began discussing the details of the partnership.

After pondering for about ten minutes, Vice Director Wang finally made up her mind. She could agree. She simply could not resist the temptation of Chen Qi’s 1% average rating guarantee. However, she had one condition: until the first episode was fully produced, she would not arrange any promotional activities for him at the station. As long as there was no advance promotion, she would still have a chance to salvage the situation if the show really couldn't be produced in time.

"Fine, no problem!" Chen Qi, understanding her predicament, agreed immediately. Although the lack of advance promotion would affect the ratings of the first episode to some extent, he didn't mind. There were plenty of other channels for promotion.

"Alright, I'll go back and make arrangements immediately. I'll have someone send the detailed contract draft to your studio later," Vice Director Wang said before leaving in a hurry. She needed time to organize the relevant venues, personnel, and equipment. With only three weeks left, the thought alone made her heart race.

After Vice Director Wang left, Zhao Qingqing, who had been waiting outside, slowly walked back in. She sat back down in her seat and watched Chen Qi in silence, as if looking at a stranger. She felt she really needed to get to know him all over again.

He was too arrogant! Truly too arrogant! Having worked in the video industry for so many years, she had never seen anyone this bold. At that moment, she set aside her contempt and dared not look down on this music show she had previously dismissed. Chen Qi’s guarantee of a 1% average rating had truly startled her. But what embarrassed her was that even though she now viewed his show in a new light, it was still impossible to convince the company's top management to sign it. The general manager, with whom she had just had a heated argument, probably wouldn't even give her another chance to speak.

Thus, Zhao Qingqing’s mood was complicated. She wanted to say something but didn't know how to start. The company leadership didn't value the show; she couldn't exactly ask Chen Qi to hold onto it for her, could she? That was too unrealistic.

Seeing Zhao Qingqing’s awkward, hesitant expression, Chen Qi couldn't help but laugh. "Director Zhao, don't worry too much about the online streaming rights. As long as your offer isn't too far off from other platforms, you will be my priority." Since learning that she had fought with her general manager for his sake, he had begun to look at her differently. Her courage seemed greater than he had imagined. Coupled with the fact that she had gone out of her way to bridge the gap with Beijing Satellite TV, he wouldn't dream of burning bridges. Selling the streaming rights to anyone was just business; he didn't care about a little more or less money.

Hearing Chen Qi’s words, Zhao Qingqing let out a wry smile and nodded gently, saying nothing more. With his word, she could rest much easier.

"How will you solve the funding issue for this show?" she asked, both curious and worried. She had heard that Vice Director Wang intended to cooperate by purchasing the show directly. If it was a purchase, Chen Qi wouldn't be able to get money from the station until the entire show had aired. After all, he had specified a minimum rating guarantee in the contract, and Beijing Satellite TV would certainly wait until the show concluded to confirm the average rating was no less than 1% before paying.

Chen Qi smiled. "I'll have to find a way through advertisers." Since Beijing Satellite TV was buying the show outright, the title sponsorship and advertising fees were his to manage freely. This money had nothing to do with Beijing Satellite TV; it was one of the terms they had just negotiated and confirmed.

Zhao Qingqing nodded thoughtfully, not doubting his ability to secure sponsors. If he could negotiate so easily with a television station, advertisers surely wouldn't be a problem.

Afterward, they chatted a bit more while finishing their meal, and then Chen Qi bid her farewell and left in a hurry. He only had three weeks, and with so many things still uncertain, the schedule was indeed tight.

Watching Chen Qi walk away, Zhao Qingqing, who had been in low spirits, let out a long sigh of relief. For her, this lunch had been incredibly rewarding! Without it, she would never have known just how confident Chen Qi was in his show.

After sitting for a while longer, she got up and returned to the company. Upon returning, she was met with the expected strange looks from her colleagues. If this were before lunch, she would have felt pressured, but now... she turned a blind eye, a faint, cold smile playing on her lips. She knew everyone thought Chen Qi’s show was doomed to fail, and she knew many colleagues were waiting to laugh at her. But she didn't care. She didn't even bother going to the general manager's office to say anything. She had done her best regarding the collaboration with Chen Qi; the rest would have to be left to time. If this show was ultimately snatched away by Youyou Video, then... she would let the company's top management regret it.