I am Really a Superstar

A piece of news began spreading inside of Central TV. Many of the staff who were just getting off work or already at the base of the tower heard an unexpected rumor!

The title sponsorship of The Voice had been sold!

And it was even sold for an astronomical figure of 100 million RMB!

Everyone’s first reaction was disbelief, followed by more disbelief, and finally…still only disbelief!

“Holy shit!”

“Isn’t The Voice defying all common sense now?”

“Zhang Ye’s reputation is worth 100 million? I won’t believe it even if it kills me!”

“That’s right. While I agree that Zhang Ye is awesome, if you tell me that he can get 40 million for the title sponsorship, I can still somewhat accept it. After all, as such a big shot celebrity, he must have some appeal to him, but 100 million? Are you kidding‽ Anyone with common sense will know that it’s impossible! Due to the climate of the current market, if a singing talent show program can get 30 million RMB in title sponsorship fees, it would already be one of the highest tier productions around, but you managed to get 100 million RMB for your title sponsorship? Are you taking blank pieces of paper as money‽”

“It must be a false rumor!”

“That’s right, this has to be a rumor!”

“Hur hur, how can it be so high?”

“Do you all really believe it? It’s obviously a lie that someone is spreading. This is really a brag that has gone too far! In the history of Central TV, there haven’t been any cases of a variety show getting more than 80 million RMB in title sponsorship fees, let alone your so-called 100 million RMB in title sponsorship fees!”

“Not only Central TV, I don’t think there’s a single title sponsorship that has crossed the 100 million RMB mark at all out of the television stations across the country? If the title sponsorship was really sold for 100 million RMB, then when added with the other advertising rights fees, won’t it be headed towards 150 million RMB in total? Even if you think with your feet, you should know that it can’t possibly be that much! This amount has already exceeded the maximum possible for the industry! A 100 million RMB title sponsorship? Do you think this is the Spring Festival Gala? But the Spring Festival Gala doesn’t even sell title sponsor rights!”

At the program team’s office of The Voice.

Fu Sihong who was not in the around for the whole afternoon appeared back at the office!

At the same time, Jiang Yuan and a few managers of several related departments from Central TV Department 1 also appeared at the program team’s office of The Voice.

In the office, Zhang Ye was in the middle of a conversation.

He said, “Hurry up and get the contracts ready. I need them by tonight.”

A female editor replied excitedly, “Understood, Teacher Zhang!”

Zhang Ye added, “Then get someone from the related department to prepare four sets of contracts for the guest coaches. Don’t fill in the names or the amount yet. Just write it up according to the general contract template.”

A male editor said, “I’ll get someone to do it immediately.”

At this moment, a large group of people walked into the office.

“Little Zhang!” Jiang Yuan immediately asked, “What’s the situation with your program now?”

Zhang Ye smiled and said, “Director Jiang, you’re here?”

Fu Sihong said, “You managed to pull in a sponsor?”

Zhang Ye responded, “Yes, I’ve have settled it.”

Jiang Yuan said, “It’s great that the title sponsorship was sold, but I heard that the title sponsor rights were sold at a price of 100 million RMB? Who spread such a piece of news? Was it you guys? If it is for the purposes of publicity and hype, you can just spread the news to the media and the audience instead. What’s the use of releasing the fake news within Central TV itself?”

Fu Sihong asked, “How much did you sell it for?”

Zhang Ye said happily, “It’s just as the rumors say, 100 million!”

Fu Sihong was rendered speechless.

Jiang Yuan stared at him and said, “Tell me honestly, how much was it?” He still did not quite believe it.

Ha Qiqi said on Zhang Ye’s behalf, “Director Jiang, it really sold for 100 million RMB. Just a while ago, the Brain Gold company’s manager of commercial title sponsorship rights called us to discuss the contract details. The manager also mentioned that we can sign the contract tonight and the money will be transferred to us in batches. They even said that they can include our name of The Voice into their current advertising campaign that is already active in the market to help us promote our show and will not charge us any extra advertising fees. It will be considered a part of our cooperation together!”

Zhang Zuo and the rest of the staff were also very excited. If not for that call, they would still be quivering and be like Jiang Yuan and Fu Sihong whom didn’t believe it!

Brain Gold?

The enterprise Zhang Ye was endorsing?

The health product group that became successful overnight due to Zhang Ye’s commercial??

Jiang Yuan took a deep breath, and looked at Zhang Ye in disbelief. He said, “So that 100 million RMB is for real? It’s not just some publicity stunt?”

Zhang Ye smiled and said, “Of course it’s not a publicity stunt, that 100 million is the real deal!”

Fu Sihong was shocked!

Jiang Yuan could only stick his thumb up and exclaim, “Good! Good! Good!”

Zhang Ye said, “I’ve endorsed CEO Wu’s company and worked with him for some time now, so the discussions went quite smoothly. CEO Wu also gave me quite a bit of face.”

How was this even a case of showing face to him!

If it were, then the face given was just too flattering!

Just your name alone was already worth 100 million‽

Jiang Yuan and the others really could not imagine this outcome as their opinions of Zhang Ye changed. There were some television programs that received good reviews from the audience and industry insiders but ultimately could not make much of a profit and their title sponsorship fees were only in the region of 10 to 20 million. However, there are also some television programs that the audience and industry insiders were not so optimistic about, but just because of the popularity of the person heading it, they could still pull in numerous investors. Even before the program started broadcasting, they had already made a good profit—and Zhang Ye obviously belonged to the latter group!

For the past two days, Jiang Yuan and many leaders of Central TV Department 1 had been tortured by Zhang Ye’s antics and requests for additional funding. But today, there was finally some good news that helped restore their trust in Zhang Ye. Moreover, it also made them recognize Zhang Ye’s worth once again! So what if the audience thought it was no good? So what if the industry insiders did not feel optimistic about it? The title sponsorship fees of 100 million had already been clinched! Their program has already been recognized by someone!

Zhang Ye took the opportunity to speak, “Director Jiang, you promised us before that we can freely allocate the amount of the title sponsorship fees as we like.”

Jiang Yuan gave him a serious look and asked, “Are you going to invest all of the 100 million into the production of the program?”

Zhang Ye nodded, “Yes. With the station’s funding of 20 million, I will use a total of 120 million as the production costs. I will create an excellent program that is both unprecedented and never to be replicated!”

Everyone gasped when they heard that!

Especially Fu Sihong, who trembled when he heard that amount!

120 million in production costs? This was only a television program! Would you need to spend so much money on it? Even if it was for a television drama or a generously budgeted movie production, a 120 million RMB investment would be considered a major production and would even reach the level of a Lunar New Year movie production! It might even be a Lunar New Year movie that was filmed in 3D! You’re going to use the resources equivalent to a major 3D movie production to produce a television program? How much more extravagant could it get! How much of the money are you intending to burn through! What kind of a spendthrift are you intending to be! Can you get a return on investments?

Jiang Yuan was actually in a dilemma right now. If Central TV Department 1 had such an astronomical figure, their financial performance for this year would certainly soar. But when he thought of his promise to Zhang Ye, he knew that he could not take back what he said. Moreover, he knew of Zhang Ye’s temper as well as his rather stubborn and thorny character, so Jiang Yuan was worried that Zhang Ye would quit if he did not agree. If that happened, the 100 million in title sponsorship fees was as good as gone. Without Zhang Ye, Brain Gold would definitely not invest in them.

Clenching his teeth, Jiang Yuan finally said, “Yes, it is all allocated to your program team!”

Zhang Ye also smiled. “Alright then.”

Jiang Yuan gave some words of encouragement to the program team, “I’ve also received news that there was a rumor going around in the afternoon concerning how the station was planning to dissolve The Voice’s program team. That is a groundless statement and I’ve already gotten someone to investigate the identity of the rumormongers. All of you just relax and work well with Old Fu and Little Zhang on this program. The station will give you all the utmost support!”

Seeing an opportunity, Zhang Ye said, “Director Jiang, then can you give more manpower? Just the twenty plus of us are not going to be enough work on a production that’s worth over a hundred million.”

Jiang Yuan was speechless. He was just trying to placate and encourage the program team but now Zhang Ye was latching onto his words and trying to ask for more manpower? He asked, “How many people do you need?”

“Central TV has it’s own band, right? I do not need too many, just seven or eight people will do. That will save us the trouble of hiring a band, and besides, I trust our own people more.” Zhang Ye was making an exorbitant demand and was afraid that Jiang Yuan would not agree, so he said, “Otherwise, can the station give us another 8 to 10 million instead? The 20 million you allocated to us previously was not exactly a lot, so if you can give us more, I can make the program even better.”

Holy shit!

You still want more money?

With 120 million, it’s still not enough for you to spend?

Jiang Yuan was shocked by this request and said immediately, “I will get the band for you! Don’t even think about having more funds.”

Zhang Ye said regrettably, “Alright, I guess that’s also fine.”

Jiang Yuan did not dare say anymore and hurriedly left with his people. He was afraid that, if he stayed any longer, Zhang Ye would ask for even more resources.

When Jiang Yuan and his people left, they also brought along the news with them. The Central TV staff who were mocking the idea of a 100 million title sponsorship fee earlier had now heard the confirmation—The Voice had really signed a title sponsor for the astronomical sum of 100 million!

Shock!

Astonishment!

This reaction was everywhere!

Everyone at Central TV was stunned!

“Heavens!”

“So it really wasn’t a rumor!”

“It was true! It’s really 100 million!”

“How did Zhang Ye manage to do that?”

“This program hasn’t even been made yet and there’re no confirmed guests either, but someone still ventured to invest 100 million into it? Isn’t this about three to four times the title sponsorship fees of other talent shows‽”

“They’ve gone mad! This group of people must have gone mad!”

“This totally defies all common sense!”

“This title sponsorship amount has blinded my eyes!”

“Teacher Chen Ye’s so-called astronomical title sponsorship fees are not even half what Zhang Ye’s new program is getting? Isn’t that too much of a difference! It’s not even something that can be called a slight difference! For the title sponsorship fees of a television program, a difference of 10 million is as good as a difference of one degree! Chen Ye’s program is actually behind Zhang Ye’s by six to seven degrees‽”

……

On the same night.

The news was spreading!

It was probably under the deliberate publicity of Zhang Ye’s team that the news of the 100 million RMB title sponsorship fees between Brain Gold and Central TV Department 1’s The Voice of China had been widely spread!

The media was shocked!

Fellow television stations were shocked!

Industry insiders were shocked!

All the citizens were also shocked!

A hundred million!

Was Zhang Ye’s name really worth so much money‽