Chapter 148: Someone Is Fighting Him for the Release Window

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Morning.

Chen Qi arrived at the studio early and left Su Xiaoxiao entirely in charge of signing contracts with the band members.

The band members’ contracts were relatively simple and all followed the same format. Once they arrived, they only needed to fill in some basic information and sign their names.

After everything had been arranged, Chen Qi finally left for Capital Television.

Deputy Station Chief Wang had said that the venue, staff, and other arrangements could be settled within two days. Those two days had now passed.

He arrived beneath the Capital Television building shortly before ten.

It was a distinctive building, with the Capital Television logo atop it standing out clearly. Perhaps because of that logo, the building had an especially high-end appearance.

Chen Qi called Deputy Station Chief Wang from downstairs.

“Deputy Chief Wang, I’m here. I’m downstairs.”

“All right, wait a moment. I’ll send someone down to meet you.”

After hanging up, Chen Qi waited patiently below.

A few minutes later, a young woman who appeared to be either Deputy Station Chief Wang’s secretary or assistant came out of the building and escorted him inside.

“Deputy Chief Wang is waiting for you in her office.” The young woman seemed quite friendly.

Chen Qi nodded without saying much and followed her farther inside.

Once he entered the television station, the grand and artistic decorations throughout the building made him look around with interest.

A few minutes later, he was shown to Deputy Station Chief Wang’s office.

“Deputy Chief Wang.” Chen Qi greeted her courteously.

Deputy Station Chief Wang smiled and nodded, motioning for him to sit.

Perhaps it was only his imagination, but Chen Qi felt that her smile seemed somewhat forced.

After Chen Qi sat down, Deputy Station Chief Wang took the seat opposite him. Looking at him with an expression that was half helplessness and half amusement, she said, “There’s some not-so-good news I need to tell you.”

“???”

Having only just taken his seat, Chen Qi stared at her in surprise, his eyes filled with question marks.

Good news was good news, and bad news was bad news. What exactly did “not-so-good news” mean?

Deputy Station Chief Wang looked at him and said, “Someone wants to take the Friday time slot.”

“What?” Chen Qi was visibly stunned.

Take the time slot?

What was this supposed to be?

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“I only found out about this myself this morning. I just came from the station chief’s office,” Deputy Station Chief Wang said.

Chen Qi blinked in confusion, as though he had not quite processed what he was hearing.

“Deputy Chief Wang, what exactly is going on?” he asked.

“Ah…” Deputy Station Chief Wang let out a bitter sigh. Looking both annoyed and amused, she said, “Another deputy station chief at the station has also produced a program. It’s an indoor variety show as well, and I hear its budget is quite substantial.”

“So?”

“He wants the Friday time slot too.”

Chen Qi did not quite understand.

If that deputy station chief had also produced a program and wanted the Friday time slot, why had he waited until now?

Could he, like Chen Qi, have suddenly decided to make a program at the last minute?

Impossible!

The thought had barely appeared in his mind before he dismissed it.

With only three weeks available, there was simply not enough time to plan, prepare, produce, and broadcast a program.

He could guarantee that he would be able to finish one in such a short time only because he had a cheat.

Surely that deputy station chief did not have one too?

Seeing his puzzled expression, Deputy Station Chief Wang seemed to guess what he was thinking.

“He had been secretly preparing this program for two months. He only made it public today.”

Chen Qi’s eyes widened involuntarily as he stared at her in astonishment.

Were you really a deputy station chief?

You didn’t even know about something as major as preparing a program?

Were the relationships at this television station really that complicated?

“He’s also one of the strongest candidates competing for the station chief’s position,” Deputy Station Chief Wang added casually.

“…”

Chen Qi was instantly speechless.

So that was where the problem lay!

“He wants to produce a successful program to compete for the station chief’s position. Because he was afraid that I, his rival, would find out, he prepared the entire program in secret.” Deputy Station Chief Wang shook her head and laughed helplessly, her feelings complicated.

If she had not suddenly decided to collaborate with Chen Qi on this program, she probably would not have learned about that other program until filming had already begun.

“He happened to be outside the station the past two days, contacting some celebrities. When he returned from out of town today, he found out that I had already taken the Friday time slot…” At this point, Deputy Station Chief Wang could not help laughing again.

She could not stop herself from smiling whenever she remembered the dazed look on her old colleague’s face when he heard the news that morning.

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He had worked secretly for nearly two months, only to have the most important time slot taken away by her…

Fate was truly something impossible to explain.

“And then?” Chen Qi was also eager to know how that deputy station chief had reacted.

“Then he panicked.” Deputy Station Chief Wang smiled brightly.

“When he returned, I happened to be in the station chief’s office discussing the program with the station chief. When he came in and saw me there, he did not hold back at all. He openly told the station chief that he had prepared a program with tremendous potential.”

Hearing this, Chen Qi could not help laughing as well.

He actually felt a little sorry for that deputy station chief.

In an instant, he had gone from heaven to hell.

Chen Qi guessed that the man had probably intended to boast to Deputy Station Chief Wang, only to receive a devastating blow instead.

How pitiful.

Truly pitiful.

“What happened after that?” he asked.

“Of course he refused to give in. We started arguing over the time slot, and the argument became rather intense. Neither of us was willing to surrender the Friday slot.” Deputy Station Chief Wang gave a helpless laugh. “The station chief is an old softhearted man. He refused to side with either of us and simply told us to work it out ourselves.”

“…”

Chen Qi was speechless again.

What old softhearted man? Wasn’t he merely staying out of it because he was about to retire, unwilling to offend either side?

“Eventually, when it became clear that we would never reach an agreement, the station chief proposed a relatively neutral solution.”

“What solution?” Chen Qi asked curiously.

“A competition!”

“A competition?” Chen Qi was stunned for a moment before shaking his head with a laugh.

He had to admit, it really was the fairest solution available.

Actually, he was not especially surprised that something like this had happened. When someone held power, rules and procedures…

They simply did not exist.

Fortunately, Deputy Station Chief Wang was also a deputy station chief with real authority. Otherwise, he probably would have had the time slot taken from him outright.

“We both considered the proposal carefully. Since neither of us was willing to give up the Friday slot, it really was the fairest solution, so I agreed.” Deputy Station Chief Wang looked at Chen Qi and smiled. “I haven’t told them yet that the program comes with a guaranteed average viewership rating of one percent!”

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