86: Chapter 86 The production team delivered money overnight!

Gossip is never a female monopoly; people everywhere, regardless of gender, all possess at least a little bit of a penchant for watching the spectacle.

Chief Director Zhang Zhiquan had spent more than half his life struggling in the vanity fair, so naturally, he couldn't avoid the common temptation, though his high-ranking position usually forced him to suppress that curiosity a bit deeper.

Watching the clingy behavior between Lin Chen and the women like Tong Liya behind the scenes throughout this journey, if anyone told him it was just a performance for the camera's sake, he, as the Chief Director, wouldn't believe it even if they beat him to death.

This couldn't help but make him click his tongue in secret, increasingly doubting the official statement that Yang Mi and the others had jointly issued back then, claiming that "everyone is a pure-hearted single."

However, whether there was true affection or just a sham behind that statement, at the end of the day, it was a private matter for Lin Chen and his partner, and it had nothing to do with a director who worked for the state.

"I won't hide it from you all; I, Old Zhang, rushed to Hailar overnight just for one serious matter: to represent the station and renegotiate the remuneration amount with Teacher Lin."

"Before I reveal my cards, I must first represent the Production Team in apologizing to Teacher Lin. Our initial accounting work had a major oversight; we completely underestimated Teacher Lin's priceless value. I apologize."

Chief Director Zhang Zhiquan spoke these words with utter sincerity, and as soon as he finished, he really did bow deeply and steadily to Lin Chen with a solemn face.

This scene shocked Tong Liya, Liu Shishi, and Guli Nazha, who had been standing to the side with tense expressions, causing their mouths to slightly open in surprise, before they secretly let out a sigh of relief.

They were aware of the contract Lin Chen signed when he joined the group—a mere two hundred thousand in cannon-fodder pay.

Now it seemed the Production Team had been forced by the terrifying heat across the entire internet to slap their own faces and come overnight to deliver money.

However, they weren't surprised by the act of increasing the pay itself; after all, as long as the Film Crew's upper management wasn't brain-dead, they should know that the secret to the entire show's ratings was currently held in this man's hands.

If a soul figure who propped up the entire traffic was only getting paid two hundred thousand, what would happen to the station's reputation if that got out?

What really left the three beauties bewildered was that Chief Director Zhang Zhiquan, a director with sky-high connections in the industry, could actually bow and apologize to a newcomer who had just turned twenty.

The entertainment industry is by no means an ivory tower that prioritizes gentleness, kindness, courtesy, frugality, and yielding; on the contrary, the sycophancy and class divides here are far bloodier than on the outside.

Usually, if any unknown junior met Chief Director Zhang Zhiquan, they would have to bow and offer a cigarette from far away. Since when did it become the turn of such a powerful official of the station to bow to a non-celebrity?

In the industry, when it came to true status and seniority, even the three of them—Tong Liya and the others—had to respectfully call him "Director Zhang" when in front of Chief Director Zhang Zhiquan.

This couldn't help but make them mutter in their hearts, but after a brief moment of absent-mindedness, the three women felt a surge of intense pride and arrogance welling up from the bottom of their hearts for no reason.

"Director Zhang, you are being too serious. Since we're out here working, some bumps and bruises are normal."

Lin Chen remained as indifferent as ever. The moment Chief Director Zhang Zhiquan's waist began to bend, Lin Chen slid his feet and shifted his body aside without leaving a trace, refusing to accept the gesture from this veteran of the industry.

He casually pulled over a mahogany chair from the side and waved his hand at the opposite side: "Let's sit down and talk. There's no need for all this superficial nonsense."

Seeing that Lin Chen could remain as steady as Mount Tai in such a big situation, the three beauties' eyes immediately began to sparkle wildly with stars of admiration.

If it were any other inexperienced young person receiving such a gesture in front of a big director from the station, they would probably be so excited they wouldn't know which way was north, let alone act as seasoned and sophisticated as him.

Chief Director Zhang Zhiquan sat down on the chair Lin Chen had pulled out.

Tong Liya, Liu Shishi, and Guli Nazha tacitly moved side-by-side to the edge of the large bed, forming a beautiful line of scenery.

Old Zhang didn't rush to take the new contract out of his leather bag; instead, he unhurriedly picked up the freshly brewed tea and took a sip, then used the corner of his eyes to pointedly scan the faces of the three beauties.

This look was as clear as could be in the industry: "The main parties are discussing business; would you ladies mind stepping out to have a coffee with the assistants?"

But unfortunately, these three clever women who usually understood hints immediately were now acting as if they were collectively deaf and blind.

Their fair, tender legs dangled, and they stubbornly kept their bottoms planted on the edge of the bed, refusing to budge.

It wasn't that these three big stars were intentionally trying to be difficult; it was purely because their worried hearts were hanging in mid-air.

Although Lin Chen was highly capable and level-headed at home, he was, after all, only twenty years old, and sitting opposite him was a cunning old fox from the station.

As Lin Chen's partners, at this critical juncture involving their interests, they had to act as the villains to keep guard.

In case this Zhang fellow buried any man-eating traps in the fine print, they, who had grown up in piles of contracts, would be able to expose him on the spot and would never let their man suffer a loss.

One had to know that in the long run, this man's purse was their collective family property.

"Ahem!"

Chief Director Zhang Zhiquan saw that these women were playing deaf and dumb and gave a helpless cough; after all, he had given them face, but since they didn't appreciate it, he couldn't just slap them and chase them out.

Moreover, seeing Lin Chen's steady and calm posture, he clearly had no intention of chasing his three beautiful wives away, so he simply stopped trying to be the annoying villain.

"Fine, let's lay our cards on the table. Since I, Old Zhang, dared to fly here overnight, I've brought nothing but genuine sincerity. I'll skip the pleasantries. Yaya, you are all veterans in the industry; listen in. If I, Old Zhang, dare to play any tricks, you can go report me to the station head later."

Upon hearing this, Tong Liya pursed her red lips slightly and giggled: "Look at what you're saying. Who in the industry doesn't know Director Zhang's reputation? How could we not trust you?"

Sitting on the side, Liu Shishi and Guli Nazha also coordinated by twitching the corners of their mouths, letting out two dry, insincere laughs.

Chief Director Zhang Zhiquan's old face twitched twice; he felt that these women's words were laced with thorns, making the back of his neck feel cold.

"Let's speak based on the facts. The reason we are voiding the old contract today is indeed because Teacher Lin's explosive power in front of the camera exceeded the entire station's expectations. He is the absolute backbone of this show."

"However, according to the rigid rules of the industry, Teacher Lin is still a new face without any previous works. Objectively speaking, a price tag of five or six million would be considered the ceiling at any station."

"Director Zhang, regarding what you just said..."

"Hey, Yaya, don't be in a rush. Let Old Zhang finish speaking."

Chief Director Zhang Zhiquan pushed his hand forward, stopping Tong Liya from interjecting. He knew clearly in his heart that five or six million wasn't even enough to fill the gaps between his teeth given the show's current popularity.

"Let's be completely transparent. With the heaven-defying talent Teacher Lin possesses and his control over the show, if I were to treat him like a novice and exploit him, I, Old Zhang, would be shameless. Therefore, our production department held three all-night meetings and unanimously decided to raise Teacher Lin's remuneration directly to fifteen million flat."

The three beauties sitting on the edge of the large bed didn't rush to jump up and object this time. They quickly exchanged glances privately and all nodded their delicate chins imperceptibly.

Fifteen million.

In the current environment, this figure had firmly left Lei Jiayin and Xiao Yueyue behind, ranking him in the top five of the entire Divas Hit the Road Group.

In the eyes of laymen, with Lin Chen being so popular, it should be a matter of course for his contract to be set at the highest tier.

But those who truly understand the industry never see things so simply; this had to be calculated as a complex, comprehensive account.

Lin Chen had indeed revitalized the show with a bowl of noodles and a grave-robbing story; no one could deny that.

But before the main team set off, he was a stagnant pool of water with zero fame. It could be said that it was the super platform of "Divas Hit the Road" that used its terrifying exposure to make him a top internet celebrity overnight.

To put it plainly, both sides were a win-win situation of mutual achievement, and one couldn't credit all the success to Lin Chen alone.

Furthermore, no matter the industry, the word "seniority" is often a heavy ballast stone.

Even if everyone knows that seniority doesn't represent everything, there is absolutely no producer who dares to treat it as air.

Lin Chen's biggest weakness as a newcomer was that he had not yet truly proven his long-term value in any field other than cooking.

Simply put, it was because he didn't have a hardcore fan base to back him up before.

If, in any of the upcoming recordings, he accidentally slipped up and said the wrong thing, or did the wrong thing.

The invincible appeal he had established could be smashed to pieces by the internet's spit and venom at any moment.

This was completely different from Tong Liya and the others, who were veteran actresses who had been popular for over a decade.

Even if they occasionally made a mistake in front of the camera, they still had tens of millions of die-hard fans behind them protecting their base.

But Lin Chen was still just a small sapling growing wildly in the wind.

Therefore, considering these risks and industry rules, the revised offer of fifteen million was indeed a generous gift that the station had cut from its own flesh to present.