Chapter 156: What on Earth Did He Say?!

Soon enough, the outrageous claims Chen Qi had made in public spread throughout the television station. Many staff members, who were still busy discussing and marveling at the fact that "Happy Times" had secured a 60-million naming rights deal, were caught completely off guard by this news.

Chen Qi’s program had also sold its naming rights? Not only had he sold them, but he had fetched a staggering price of 80 million!

"What the hell? How is that even possible?"

The moment they heard the news, almost everyone’s first reaction was disbelief. 80 million? For that music program of Chen Qi’s? Impossible! It was absolutely impossible! It had to be a rumor. Even for the top three satellite channels in the country, 80 million was a premium price. Never mind Chen Qi, even if the "Happy Times" production team had announced such a figure, they wouldn’t have believed it. Did he really think they had no sense of reality? There was no way the price could be that high. Advertisers weren't fools; wouldn't it be better to spend that money to sponsor a show on one of the top three channels?

Everyone who heard the news dismissed it, naturally assuming it was a baseless rumor. They wouldn't have believed it even if the figure had been cut in half.

However, a few minutes later, the bold declarations Chen Qi had made in front of nearly a hundred people were being frantically repeated throughout the station, almost word for word. When the staff heard what Chen Qi had actually said from their colleagues, their expressions turned twisted; many even grimaced in sheer disbelief. They couldn't believe he had dared to say such things in front of so many people.

He would rather cancel the show than use the station's hosts? The naming fee really was 80 million? He had even explicitly insulted the "Happy Times" team, calling them unworthy of being his rivals?

"Good God! What has he said!"

"Has he gone insane?"

Where did he get the audacity? Once it was confirmed that these words had truly come from Chen Qi’s own mouth, the entire station fell silent. The staff members were stunned, and the hosts were left speechless. The "Happy Times" production team was effectively petrified. Even the station’s upper management, upon hearing these remarks, gasped in collective shock, their expressions reflecting total disbelief. Vice Director Wang was no exception. Heaven knows what kind of turbulent waves were crashing in their minds!

"My! Good! Heavens!"

He really dared to say anything! They had seen competition before, but this was the first time they had witnessed someone tear down the facade and attack others by name so directly and without any subtlety. As for the 80-million naming fee, no one doubted it anymore. He had said it in front of so many people—how much of an idiot would he have to be to fake that?

The people at the station couldn't calm their racing minds for a long time. The amount of information in Chen Qi’s words was just too overwhelming for them to digest in such a short time. Consequently, the atmosphere throughout the television station turned peculiar. Interestingly, neither the "Happy Times" team nor their supervisor, Vice Director Wu, went to confront Chen Qi—perhaps intimidated by the sheer "combat power" he had just demonstrated.

Soon, lunchtime arrived. When Chen Qi and his team appeared in the canteen, they instantly became the center of attention. Unlike their previous status as invisible nobodies, everyone from the "Singer" team walked with their heads held high, radiating confidence. Even when they encountered the staff from "Happy Times," they didn't blink. They were even bold enough to meet their gazes directly.

Strangely enough, the "Happy Times" team didn't say a word either; they simply watched them with complex expressions, including host Du Bin. Perhaps affected by Chen Qi’s wild claims, Du Bin, who was already in a foul mood, actually averted his eyes when he saw Chen Qi. An 80-million naming fee! That was enough to grind them into the dirt!

Other hosts were feeling just as complicated. To be honest, they felt like dying. They didn't know why they had previously declared that they wouldn't want to host his show. Now, the way the entire station looked at them was as if they were a joke. This sense of humiliation was worse than death. Two of the hosts even considered approaching Chen Qi to explain that it was all a misunderstanding, but recalling his cutting remark about how he’d rather not make the show at all than have them host it, they lacked the nerve. They realized they had been overly self-important; from the beginning, he hadn't thought much of them at all. Their attempt to treat him as a joke had carried no weight whatsoever.

But since things had come to this, they could only pray that 80 million was his peak and that the show wouldn't achieve any real success. Otherwise, they would truly become the laughingstock of the station. However... it was just a music program; it shouldn't be able to achieve much. Thinking this, they felt slightly more at ease.

As for the strange looks coming from all directions, Chen Qi and his team paid them no mind. They ate their meals with focused intensity, and it was clear they were in a rush. After eating, they hurried back to the studio to resume their work. Previously, Chen Qi hadn't wanted to force them to work overtime because he didn't know them well, but now, he didn't even need to ask. Chen Qi ate his meal in peace, with no one daring to disturb him. Once finished, he returned to the studio to carry on.

At around two in the afternoon, Qian Dafu of KUKU Mobile personally led a team to deliver the brand logo they had customized for the show. Of course, delivering the materials was just a pretext; his main purpose for coming today was to sign the contract. Their group was quite large, and many people saw them. When they saw that KUKU Mobile had truly shown up as promised, another minor commotion rippled through the station.

For some reason, the staff now realized that Chen Qi’s program seemed more legitimate by the minute. By now, no one dared to look down on this music show anymore. In just half a day, he had managed, through his own efforts, to steal the spotlight entirely.

After signing the contract with Qian Dafu, Chen Qi gave this major investor a tour of the set and provided a brief explanation of the project. Naturally, he didn't reveal a single word about sensitive information, such as the list of singers. Qian Dafu didn't mind this; he wasn't concerned with the lineup or the show's format—he only cared about the results. After a brief tour, the busy Qian Dafu took his leave, promising that the advertising funds would be wired to the studio’s account within twenty-four hours.