After the official announcement of the Europe episode of " Walking the Flower Road Together," netizens' expectations were sky-high.
But even more anxious than netizens are the celebrities' agents.
Within half a day of the announcement, the phone at Mango TV's variety show department kept ringing.
The calls were all from various talent agencies, all with one goal: to get more people into the Europe section.
Some wanted to be guest stars, while others were even more audacious, directly asking, "Can Su Jianqiu's position be changed?"
Su Jianqiu, Han Zheng, and Ning Qing have considerable financial backing, but there are also many people who want to oust them.
Resources in the entertainment industry are limited; if you miss one episode, someone else will get one more.
The agent of a second-tier female celebrity was trying to get on good terms with an old acquaintance from Mango TV over the phone:
" Brother Wang, have you finalized the guest stars for the Europe episode? Our guy's been getting a lot of buzz lately, and the price's negotiable. Do you think we could arrange one episode for him?"
The person on the other end of the phone was very polite, but their words were very firm:
"The number of guest stars is limited, and the production team is still selecting them. I'll let you know when I have any updates."
After hanging up the phone, the agent turned to the person next to him and said:
"No chance. They're all scrambling to get guest stars."
Another agent went even further, calling a mid-level manager at the Mango TV:
"Mr. Li, is it possible to change Su Jianqiu's position? Please name your price."
There was a moment of silence on the other end, then the tone turned cold. " Su Jianqiu is a regular guest on the show, her contract is signed, and she can't be changed."
"What about Ning Qing? I heard her schedule is pretty tight—"
" Ning Qing can't be replaced either. Do you know what the situation is like in the Europe section right now? So many eyes are watching. Who goes in and who goes out is not something I can decide."
The call ended, and the agent angrily smashed his phone.
In these phone calls, no one mentioned Cheng Che's name.
Who in their right mind would mess with Cheng Che?
Cheng Che is now the "father" of " Walking the Flower Road Together," and he won't be replaced even if the director is replaced.
Moreover, all these people are scrambling to get in because they're after Cheng Che.
Without Cheng Che, this show is just an ordinary travel variety show. Who would be willing to lower themselves to be just a background character?
Su Jianqiu and Ning Qing's respective companies immediately contacted the top management of the Mango TV to stabilize their positions.
Su Jianqiu's agent even personally went to the headquarters of Mango TV, and came out looking very relaxed.
It was even simpler for Ning Qing; her agency was a long-term partner of Mango TV, so one phone call was all it took.
Han Zheng was the most nervous.
Han Zheng's agent, Old Wu, was having dinner outside when he received the news.
He immediately put down his chopsticks and made three phone calls.
The first call was to an acquaintance at the Mango TV to confirm whether Han Zheng's position was secure.
The second call was to the company's legal department to confirm that there were no loopholes in the contract terms.
The third call was to a producer he knew well, asking if anyone had their eyes on Han Zheng's position.
After making the three calls, Old Wu breathed a sigh of relief, put his phone on the table, and took a sip of his tea.
Han Zheng, sitting next to him, grew anxious seeing his expression.
"Angkor Wat, how is it going?"
Old Wu put down his teacup and glanced at him.
"It's alright now."
"Are you alright?"
"Someone tried to take your position, but they failed." Old Wu leaned back in his chair, his tone carrying a sense of relief after surviving a close call. "I made a few phone calls and got those nemesis back on their feet."
Who wants to mess with me?
Old Wu waved his hand. "Never mind who it is. The position is yours now."
He paused, looked at Han Zheng, and his expression became serious.
"You better perform well this time on the Europe leg of the tour."
Han Zheng nodded. "I know."
"You know nothing," Old Wu said. "Last time in the South Korea episode, you made that army stew, didn't you see the comments? 'Korean!' has become your label. Do you know what people are saying about you online now? Greasy, pretentious, affected."
Han Zheng opened his mouth, wanting to refute.
"Don't be unconvinced," Old Wu interrupted him. "I'm saying this for your own good. Who's the most popular person in the entire entertainment industry right now? Cheng Che. You were paired with him twice on the show, you got screen time, you got some buzz, but you couldn't capitalize on it. Why? Because you were too eager to show off. Just be yourself, don't put on airs, don't pretend, do your job, be funny. Put away those bad habits."
Han Zheng paused for a moment, then nodded.
"Okay. I won't pretend this time."
Old Wu looked at him and snorted, "Hopefully."
Han Zheng spoke lightly, but he knew very well what was going on in his heart.
He's been in the entertainment industry for so many years, but he's always been stuck in the second tier, neither rising nor falling.
After Cheng Che appeared, he understood the value of this person better than anyone else.
Following Cheng Che on variety shows, even if it's just as a supporting role, provides more exposure than doing ten shows on his own.
Who wouldn't want to have such a good deal?
Meanwhile, Qin Lie's phone kept ringing.
Following the official announcement of the Europe edition of " Walking the Flower Road Together," invitations from other variety shows have followed.
The show " Life Slowed Down " wanted him to be a guest on an episode, " Keep Running " wanted him to be a regular member, and " Go Fighting!!" even offered him a very high price.
There are also several new variety shows that, as soon as they were approved, wanted to use Cheng Che's name to attract investment.
Qin Lie sat in his studio office, with three cell phones on his desk.
One phone was answering a call, another was replying to WeChat, and yet another was checking emails.
Chen Wei helped him take notes, flipping through the pages one by one until the notebook was full.
"The price for one episode of ' Keep Running ' is seven figures."
" The Back to Field ' said they could accommodate his schedule, so he could go anytime."
"The production team of ' Go Fighting!!' said they're willing to wait until after March."
"And this one, a fashion gala, they'd like to invite him to be the closing guest."
Qin Lie hummed in agreement and made a couple of scribbles on the paper with his pen.
"I'll write them all down, but I won't reply yet."
Chen Wei nodded and turned to the next page.
The phone rang again.
Qin Lie answered the call, said a few words, and then hung up.
He leaned back in his chair and rubbed his temples.
"Clear the schedule for the Europe episode of ' Walking the Flower Road Together,' and postpone all other projects. Do not accept any new projects before mid-March."
Chen Wei made a note of it.
Qin Lie glanced at the boxed lunch on the table.
Chen Wei brought it to him for lunch, and it was already cold.
He glanced at the time on his phone; it was a little past 2 PM.
"I'll skip this." He stood up, picked up his coat, and said, "I'm going to pick up Cheng Che. He's busy at the Peking University banquet at noon."
Chen Wei was taken aback. "You haven't eaten."
"It's nothing." Qin Lie put on his coat and walked towards the door. "I'll just grab some bread on the way."
He pushed open the door, took two steps, and then looked back at Chen Wei.
"Have you got a meal yet?"
Chen Wei nodded.
"Okay," Qin Lie said. "Then you organize those invitations and I'll look at them when I get back."
He walked out, and the door closed behind him.
The studio fell silent.
Chen Wei sat in the chair, looking at the cold lunchbox on the table, then at the notebook in her hand filled with invitations, and couldn't help but laugh.
This money came too fast.
"It's painful yet pleasurable," she muttered to herself.
Then she turned to a new page and continued recording.