Chapter 149: Silent until the strike, then shocking the world!

Seeing that Chen Qi remained silent, Vice Station Manager Wang hurriedly said, "Don't worry about the competition; it will have almost no impact on our cooperation. I only mentioned it to you today so you would be aware of the situation; there is nothing extra you need to do. You just need to proceed as we agreed, and leave the rest to me." Because of Chen Qi's guarantee of a 1% average viewership rating, Vice Station Manager Wang did not take this so-called competition to heart.

She was determined to secure the Friday time slot.

She hadn't mentioned this viewership guarantee to anyone else.

It was her trump card, and she wouldn't play it until the very last moment.

Once this card was played, it would be an unstoppable force, capable of crushing any obstacle in its path.

Unless her competitor could guarantee a rating higher than 1%, but would they dare?

They wouldn't dare even if they were given the courage!

The reason she was being so secretive was that she also wanted to see what kind of cards this deep-thinking rival held.

This winning strategy actually gave her an inexplicable sense of anticipation for the upcoming competition.

As for whether Chen Qi's program could ultimately achieve the results he promised...

If he succeeded, that would be for the best. If, by any chance, he failed, the massive compensation would be enough to cover their losses.

Listening to Vice Station Manager Wang, Chen Qi couldn't help but smile.

He had only felt a brief moment of surprise earlier, finding it unexpected that such a matter had suddenly arisen. As for this so-called competition, he certainly felt no pressure.

He was currently worried about not having enough time, about the singers not performing well, or about his own lack of experience preventing him from achieving the desired effect, but he was not afraid of competition.

No matter what the other program was, he had absolute confidence in grinding it into the dust.

The imaginary opponent he had set for himself was not just a small television station; his true rivals were the flagship programs of all the major satellite television networks in the country.

He was not only going to ensure an average rating of no less than 1%, but he was also aiming for the national viewership championship in the same time slot!

"What are the criteria for judging this competition?" Chen Qi asked curiously.

"Potential."

"Potential?" Chen Qi was stunned again.

Was it that vague?

How could something like "potential" be defined? How could it be proven?

By having the station head watch their live recordings?

But everyone's aesthetic tastes and preferences were completely different. What the station head liked might not necessarily be what the audience liked! And what the station head liked didn't guarantee good ratings!

However, he kept these thoughts to himself. Since this wasn't something he needed to worry about, he didn't press further.

"What kind of program is that other vice station manager producing?" he asked instead.

Vice Station Manager Wang replied, "A game show, also an indoor variety program. Basically, they invite big-name celebrities each episode to play competitive games. By the way, they are co-producing this with a well-known local production company. This company is highly experienced and has previously collaborated with the station on programs that performed well."

Chen Qi nodded thoughtfully, not asking any more questions.

Afterward, they discussed some minor details in the contract that had been overlooked, and then they signed it.

Following Chen Qi's request, Vice Station Manager Wang added a clause stating that the cooperation would be canceled if she failed to secure the Friday time slot.

After signing the contract, Vice Station Manager Wang took Chen Qi to see the venue with a radiant smile.

Vice Station Manager Wang was truly feeling a little excited now.

She was certain that if this program really achieved a 1% viewership rating, the position of Station Head would be hers for the taking.

However, while excited, she also felt a lingering fear.

If Chen Qi hadn't happened to be preparing a program, and if Zhao Qingqing hadn't happened to introduce him to her, she would likely have had to watch her rival run rampant without being able to do anything.

At this moment, Chen Qi noticed that many of the television station staff were looking at him with strange expressions as he walked by.

Seeing Chen Qi's confused look, Vice Station Manager Wang explained with a smile, "The matter of the two of us competing for the Friday time slot has already spread throughout the station. We were arguing quite loudly in the Station Head's office this morning, so I expect the whole station knows about it by now."

"Oh..." Chen Qi suddenly understood.

"However..." Vice Station Manager Wang glanced at him with a hint of amusement and added, "It seems none of the people here are very optimistic about you."

"Heh..." Chen Qi gave a perfunctory laugh, not surprised in the slightest.

He was already used to being underestimated like this.

A guy who started out making mini-dramas suddenly claims he is going to produce a high-budget variety show—who would be optimistic about that?

If he were in their shoes, he wouldn't be either!

No experience, no team, no resources—it would be a miracle if he could actually pull it off!

Plus, the music program he was preparing was clearly a recipe for disaster...

Yes, it was only natural for people to be pessimistic, and Chen Qi fully understood that.

Seeing Chen Qi's unfazed, calm demeanor, Vice Station Manager Wang just smiled and didn't say anything more.

It was for the best if he wasn't affected by these comments.

In the elevator on the way to the venue, Chen Qi saw many staff members carrying equipment.

He subconsciously assumed this was the team Vice Station Manager Wang had arranged for him.

Only after asking did he realize these were the crew members for the other vice station manager's program. That team had already entered the sponsorship stage, and he heard they were starting to record the first episode in a couple of days.

Not only that, Chen Qi learned from Vice Station Manager Wang that the program was hosted by a well-known host from Beijing Satellite TV, and it seemed that everyone in the station, from top to bottom, held it in high regard.

More importantly, many of the most experienced staff at the station had already been cherry-picked for that team.

Chen Qi didn't really care about that. It would be great to have experienced staff, but he could work without them as long as they weren't complete novices.

A few minutes later, he followed Vice Station Manager Wang to a floor downstairs.

His recording venue was arranged here.

Vice Station Manager Wang had generously allocated the entire floor to him.

Of course, there was a fee for this.

Everything, including the staff and equipment she arranged, would be billed.

Fortunately, these prices were all at market rates, and it was agreed that everything would be settled after the program was finished, so Chen Qi didn't have too much immediate financial pressure.

"That over there is the studio, behind it are the dressing rooms for the guests, and over there are the makeup and wardrobe rooms, as well as the area for storing props," Vice Station Manager Wang said, giving Chen Qi a brief tour of the floor.

"The personnel have also been arranged; they will come to report to you during work hours this afternoon. Also, the relevant equipment will be delivered later, including the ultra-high-definition cameras you requested."

Because ultra-high-definition cameras were rarely used, the station didn't own any, so she had specifically arranged for them to be rented from outside.

When Chen Qi first requested this equipment, she had suggested he use standard high-definition equipment instead.

Standard HD equipment could fully meet their daily filming needs, and it was what the station had always used.

But Chen Qi refused.

He would rather pay extra to rent the equipment than settle for less!

He didn't want that "fake" HD with a hazy quality; he wanted the "true" HD where even the pores on a face could be seen clearly!

He was aiming for the highest possible standards for *The Singer*.

If he was going to do it, he was going to make a splash.

With the Earth version of *The Singer* as a benchmark, it would be inexcusable for him to produce something sloppy.

"Okay, thank you, Vice Station Manager Wang." Chen Qi looked at her with genuine gratitude.

Vice Station Manager Wang had truly been a massive help in getting this program off the ground. Otherwise, if he had to rely on himself alone, he wouldn't be able to get this show started in three months, let alone three weeks.

"It's nothing, it's my job," Vice Station Manager Wang said, waving her hand with a smile. After giving him a few final instructions, she left the venue to him and went off to deal with the program approval process.

Chen Qi watched her leave, stood there for a moment to look around, and then headed straight for the studio.

After inspecting the entire studio environment, he drafted a stage layout plan as quickly as possible.

Just as he finished the plan, the lighting equipment supplier called him.

Their equipment had arrived and was currently outside the television station.

Chen Qi hurriedly called Vice Station Manager Wang to have her arrange for them to be brought in.

A short while later, the lighting supplier and his team appeared before Chen Qi.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Chen Qi took them straight to the studio and gave them clear instructions on where to place the lights and the specific effects he wanted to achieve.

Once the lighting matters were settled, the audio equipment was delivered.

Chen Qi didn't know much about audio setup, so he simply gave them detailed descriptions of the sound effects he wanted and left the technical installation to them.

He believed in letting professionals handle professional matters.

After arranging everything on-site, a relieved Chen Qi dialed Xu Bunian's number.

It was time to think about the title sponsor.

He already had a preferred candidate for the title sponsor in mind.

KUKU Mobile.

It would be perfect to have a wealthy company like that sponsor the show. As long as he could get a meeting with them, he was confident he could close the deal.

"Manager Xu, could you please give me the number for Manager Qian of KUKU Mobile? I have a program I'd like to collaborate with them on," Chen Qi said as soon as the call connected, skipping the pleasantries.

There was no need for formalities between him and Xu Bunian.

"You've started another program?" Xu Bunian was very surprised to hear this.

"Yes, another music program. Surprised?" Chen Qi's tone actually carried a hint of vanity.

"Music..." Xu Bunian on the other end of the line was clearly speechless for a moment.

However, being a sensible person, he didn't say anything more and simply texted over Qian Dafu's number.

He was already accustomed to Chen Qi's tendency to play by his own rules.