72: Chapter 72: Hundreds of thousands of netizens vie for the position of "Empress"!

Hunan Television, Office of the Chief Director.

Chief Director Zhang Zhiquan rested his elbows on the office desk, staring intently at the computer screen in front of him.

What was playing on the screen was none other than Lin Chen's personal live stream.

At this moment, the number of online viewers had already soared to over five million, and the number was still climbing.

The comments on the public screen were fewer than during the day, but this was certainly not because everyone lacked enthusiasm; rather, they were so engrossed in listening that they didn't even have time to spare a finger to type.

To be honest, even an old hand like Chief Director Zhang Zhiquan, who had spent half his life in the television industry, was now sucked into the grand and eerie world of tomb raiding described by Lin Chen, getting goosebumps just from listening.

He had originally only intended to conduct a routine spot check on the live streaming data of each group to see the audience's feedback.

As it turned out, he barely looked at the data; instead, he had become a loyal listener of Lin Chen, unable to pull himself away.

"Old Zhang, what are you watching so intently? You didn't even open the door."

With a burst of hearty laughter, the Production Team's Chief Producer, Liu Wei, pushed the door open and walked in.

Liu Wei was not only the final word in the Film Crew, but he was also the core head of the station's production department. It was said that he would be promoted to Vice Station Director this year, making him a big figure with real power in the station.

He and Chief Director Zhang Zhiquan were childhood friends who had played together since they were in diapers. Their friendship spanned over twenty years, and they never hid anything from each other in private.

Only then did Chief Director Zhang Zhiquan snap back to reality from the world of "ghost blows out the light".

He let go of the mouse, slumped into his chair, and pointed at the screen: "Lin Chen's live stream, just look at this popularity."

Liu Wei took the opportunity to sit on the corner of the desk and said happily: "I came to see you for this very reason. I have to say, we really got lucky this time. Who would have thought that this kid, whom we shoved in just to make up the numbers, was hiding so much depth?"

"This popularity has made our station a fortune. No wonder girls with high standards like Yang Mi and Reba are so devoted to him."

Chief Director Zhang Zhiquan raised his hand and rubbed his stubbly chin with some irritation: "High popularity is a good thing, but our current contract…"

The smile on Liu Wei's face faded slightly, and he sighed: "You're worried about the breach of contract penalty, right?"

Chief Director Zhang Zhiquan didn't speak, just silently held up two fingers.

Back then, they hadn't taken Lin Chen seriously at all, thinking he was just a layman living off a woman, so the package contract was only for a mere 200,000. According to the station's practice, the ten-fold penalty was only two million.

Two million is an astronomical figure in the eyes of ordinary people.

But in today's entertainment industry, where investments easily reach hundreds of millions, two million isn't even enough to fill the gaps between the teeth of those jealous rival television stations and entertainment giants.

If any rival television station notices the potential now and directly throws down two million to pay off Lin Chen's breach of contract penalty and poaches him, Hunan Television would truly become the biggest joke in the industry.

Use Tong Liya, Liu Shishi, and the others to apply pressure?

This tactic could certainly be used, but once the masks are torn off, both sides would suffer.

Nowadays, the internet is developed, and local stations are no longer in the dominant position they once were. How many competitors are secretly waiting to see them make a fool of themselves and kick them while they're down.

"Tear up his contract, draft a new one overnight, and raise his compensation."

Liu Wei slapped the table and made an immediate decision: "In case this kid gets poached by someone else halfway through, our ace program will be ruined, and the station will lose all face."

Chief Director Zhang Zhiquan looked up: "How much do you plan to raise it to?"

Liu Wei smiled: "How much do you think he is worth now?"

Chief Director Zhang Zhiquan lit a cigarette and pondered: "According to the rules, even if a layman like him suddenly becomes a hit, at most we'd give him five million. But now the whole internet is watching him; he is our cash cow. I think we can give him ten million directly."

Liu Wei took a stack of stamped documents from his pocket and threw them directly into Chief Director Zhang Zhiquan's arms: "You fly to the shooting site in person tomorrow. Up to twenty million, as long as he nods, I will approve it for you immediately."

"As long as the program is a hit, money is not an issue. If worst comes to worst, we can ask those sponsors for an additional investment later; they will definitely scramble to give it."

Chief Director Zhang Zhiquan put the documents away and flipped through them curiously: "What is this?"

Liu Wei rubbed his temples helplessly: "What else could it be? It's all aimed at him. Endorsement letters of intent from major brands, poaching contracts from talent agencies, and even several record companies specifically naming him to buy the copyrights to those two songs he sang yesterday."

"Those people couldn't reach Lin Chen himself, so they all called my office. You take them to him while you're at it."

"Fine, leave it to me."

"Oh, right."

Liu Wei walked to the door, suddenly stopped, and instructed with a serious face: "No matter how the contract negotiation goes tomorrow, keep your attitude low and build a good relationship with Lin Chen. This kid is absolutely a monster of talent; there will be plenty of times in the future when we'll be begging for his help."

Chief Director Zhang Zhiquan laughed dumbfoundedly: "Don't worry, I've been in this industry for so many years, would I go against money? In my life, the people I admire most are those with real talent."

Liu Wei sighed with emotion: "It's not just talent. Don't forget, nominally he has five top-tier wives. If this kid really has the ability to keep these five great beauties completely submissive, the resources and connections this family will have in the future could overturn more than half the entertainment industry."

"It's weird, two days ago the whole internet was cursing him as a man living off women, but after just two days of broadcasting, the tide has completely turned."

"I just took a look at the public screen, good heavens, hundreds of thousands of netizens are arguing endlessly over who should be his "Empress", it's truly something I've lived long enough to see!"

Chief Director Zhang Zhiquan laughed heartily: "That is his ability; you have to admire it!"

…

At six o'clock sharp in the afternoon, the sun was setting.

The cars of the Divas Hit the Road Group finally drove into the famous Hulunbuir, covered in dust from their long journey.

However, everyone didn't delay in the downtown area but headed directly towards the Hailar District, where the hotel Lei Jiayin had booked in advance was located.

In the concept of the mainland, since you've entered a city, going to the districts below it should just be a matter of pressing the gas pedal.

But the Divas Hit the Road Group drove on the road for another two full hours, and it wasn't until night fell that they faintly saw the lights of the urban area.

This wasn't because of traffic jams; the traffic on the vast grassland was very smooth.

It was simply because the cities in Inner Mongolia are ridiculously large.

The entire Hulunbuir covers a full 250,000 square kilometers.

If you don't have a concept of this number, it's almost equivalent to the size of sixteen Beijing cities combined.

And this is just one prefecture-level city within Inner Mongolia.

In Inner Mongolia, never compare the size of territory with the locals, because any league or city they pull out can fit some small provinces of the mainland inside it.

At eight o'clock in the evening, the cars finally stopped in front of a brightly lit, characteristic resort.

The long journey of over two thousand kilometers finally came to an end at this moment.

The hotel Lei Jiayin booked was a yurt-themed hotel with a lot of local flavor.

Although it was located on the outskirts of the Hailar urban area, looking out, one could still see the outline of the grassland. However, because this was a mature developed scenic area, all kinds of spotlights, bonfires, and hot water facilities were fully equipped all around.

It was much more comfortable than bitterly pitching tents in the wilderness the day before.

Dinner was also the highest-spec whole roasted lamb feast that Lei Jiayin ordered online, and this meal directly wiped out two thousand yuan of the Production Team's budget.

However, after the plates of fatty, oil-dripping lamb were served, the members of the Divas Hit the Road Group, who had grown accustomed to Lin Chen's stunning Culinary Arts, only took a few bites before feeling that the craftsmanship of these famous chefs was really quite mediocre.

"If I had known that the two-thousand-yuan banquet outside was at this level, it would have been better to save the budget and beg Teacher Lin to show off his skills in the wild. Not to mention the money was wasted, the taste is far too inferior."

Yue Yunpeng complained while gnawing on a big bone without any regard for his image.

Lei Jiayin rolled his eyes and scolded with a laugh: "You fat guy, you eat more than anyone else, and you still have the nerve to be picky here. Besides, you can't calculate the account like that."

"If you factor in the labor and appearance fees of a master-level chef like Brother Lin, our little budget wouldn't even be enough to pay him to wash the vegetables. Sister Dandan, you judge, isn't that the case?"

Song Dandan wiped her mouth elegantly and agreed very much: "Leizi is right. Given the level of Teacher Lin's cooking, in those top-tier clubs outside, a table of private dishes would cost at least tens of thousands."

"And you have to queue up half a year in advance; it's not something you can just hire with money. This is the prestige of a top-tier chef."

Lin Chen leaned back in his chair, sipped his tea slowly, and debunked them: "Alright, stop buttering me up. No matter how much you flatter me, it's useless; whether I cook or not depends entirely on my mood that day."

"Teacher Lin, don't worry!"

Yue Yunpeng hurriedly threw away the small bone in his hand, and his squinting eyes squeezed out an extremely sycophantic smile: "From tomorrow on, the small tasks of running errands and serving tea and water are all on me, brother!"

"You just need to be responsible for having a good time and feeling comfortable in this group. From today on, I am the most loyal number one lackey under Teacher Lin's knees!"

Lei Jiayin was getting a bit anxious on the side and reached out to push him: "Go to hell, do you understand queuing? I am the number one lackey in the first position; you are at best a number two!"

The table of people was doubled over with laughter by these two clowns.

At this time, Song Zuer cupped her slightly flushed pretty face with her two tender white hands, her big eyes full of light, and leaned over coquettishly:

"Brother Lin, while the party hasn't broken up yet, could you tell everyone another two parts of that "ghost blows out the light" from today?"