Chapter 104: Xianjian and Variety Show

Remember this for one second 【】

The car stopped at the hotel entrance.

After showing his invitation, Li Zhenyu walked in directly with Cheng Chen.

Cheng Chen gestured for Li Zhenyu to make himself at home, while he himself glanced around the lobby.

If he could spot one or two familiar faces at this conference, it wouldn't hurt to go over and chat—maybe even strike up a collaboration.

After all, it was an internet conference; anyone Cheng Chen recognized would surely be a big name in the future.

At events like this, though framed as exchanges and discussions, there were plenty of investors with the same mindset as Cheng Chen, and managers seeking partnerships.

Unfortunately, after walking through the venue, he found no suitable candidates.

At 3:30 p. m., the conference officially began.

First, Yao Zhuangxian took the stage to deliver remarks; Cheng Chen sat beside Li Zhenyu, listening to Yao Zhuangxian's speech.

Yao Zhuangxian wasn't suited for public speaking—he was an introverted and shy man.

As a technical engineer, he preferred dealing with code, and it was precisely because of this that he created "Li Xiaoyao," a figure he longed to become but never could.

Li Xiaoyao was handsome and carefree, surrounded by beauties, living a life of effortless freedom.

A nameless boy strives, achieves success, then loses something.

The entire Xianjian Qixia Zhuan echoed with the melancholy voice of youth.

After the hope for absolute freedom in life was dashed, he became the most un-free ordinary person.

…

Yao Zhuangxian's speech was brief; next came others' remarks, even Li Zhenyu was invited to speak.

This clearly showed China Blog had indeed made a name for itself in the industry.

Li Zhenyu glanced at Cheng Chen, but Cheng Chen was低头 playing with his phone, acting as if he'd handle his own affairs.

Li Zhenyu sighed helplessly and took the stage with his pre-written speech.

Then came the free networking session.

As the most well-known person in the venue, Yao Zhuangxian naturally became the center of attention.

Cheng Chen had asked Li Zhenyu to arrange a meeting with Yao Zhuangxian; Yao Zhuangxian was surprised by the age and identity of China Blog's owner.

He then nodded toward Cheng Chen, signaling him to wait a moment…

"Sorry for keeping you waiting."

Sitting across from Cheng Chen, Yao Zhuangxian apologized.

Cheng Chen poured him a cup of tea and smiled:

"It seems Professor Yao isn't just popular with players—you're loved by your peers too."

"Oh? Should I call you Cheng Heavenly King, or Manager Cheng?"

Yao Zhuangxian smiled slightly.

"Cheng Heavenly King? 'Cheng the Ever-Dying'? This isn't a game—I can't be chased down every day. Professor Yao, just call me Chengzi."

Cheng Chen complained again about the nickname.

If before, Cheng Chen's title of "Heavenly King" had been somewhat hollow,

after releasing "Wan Jiang," the audience had fully remembered him.

His dashing figure in a Zhongshan Suit on the Spring Festival Gala stage made him the white knight in countless girls' hearts.

Thanks to his Spring Festival Gala appearance, sales of his two previous albums surged unexpectedly.

"Hehe, Cheng… Chengzi, I actually thought you looked familiar when I watched the Spring Festival Gala."

Yao Zhuangxian sipped his tea.

"Huh? Professor Yao, have we met before?"…

Cheng Chen frowned.

If he'd met a big shot like this before, he'd definitely remember.

"No no no—I've seen you, but you haven't seen me."

Yao Zhuangxian waved his hand.

Oh, so he must have seen my interviews or photos.

Cheng Chen thought to himself.

But being described by a grown man in lines straight out of a romantic drama…

Cheng Chen still felt uneasy and chilled.

"You remind me of someone—more precisely, of an image."

Yao Zhuangxian continued.

Cheng Chen stared at him in silence. In his past life, he'd never heard Yao Xian was mentally unstable—why was he talking so strangely?

"Who?"

Since the big shot liked playing riddles, and Cheng Chen needed his help, he might as well play along.

"Li, Xiao, Yao!"

Behind his thick glasses, Yao Zhuangxian's bloodshot, dark-circled eyes locked onto Cheng Chen as he spoke each syllable slowly.

"Puh."

Cheng Chen spat out his tea, then quickly wiped his mouth with a tissue.

"Sorry, Professor Yao, I didn't mean to—I just got a bit… a bit…"

"A bit shocked, right? Hehe, I understand."

Yao Zhuangxian waved it off casually.

"It's indeed quite shocking."

Not just shocking—it's outright hilarious.

Cheng Chen had once seen an interview with Yao Zhuangxian in the future, and he still remembered how Yao, facing the camera, said with absolute certainty:

"Hu Ge is exactly like Li Xiaoyao in my heart."

So your Li Xiaoyao can pinch faces, turning whoever he grabs into whoever he wants?

Yao Xian, have you considered how the players feel saying that?

Remember, when Hu Ge's photos from the Li Xiaoyao drama were first released, he faced massive backlash from game fans.

"This Li Xiaoyao is too dark."

"Li Xiaoyao

^0^ Remember this instantly 【】

Totally unsuitable—desecrating a classic!"

"Replace the actor! If you don't, I won't watch!"

Hu Ge, as a third-year student at Shanghai Theatre Academy, had no fame at the time.

He was essentially blessed by fate, spotted instantly by Yao Xian.

At that time, his only connection to The Sword of Legends was that he himself was a fan of the game.

Back then, Tang Ren had never considered casting Hu Ge as Li Xiaoyao; to ensure ratings, they preferred a popular idol for the lead.

Like F4's Zhou Yumin, 5566's captain Sun Xiezhi, Xie Tingfeng, Ling Zhiying, and other top stars…

"So, Director Yao, were you serious just now?"

Cheng Chen asked with a smile.

"Do I look like I'm joking? I handled all the code, textures, and models for The Sword of Legends 1 myself—no one understands Li Xiaoyao better than I do."

Yao Zhuangxian said with a serious expression.

Whatever, let him be like that—it's not like there's any loss.

"Alright, Director Yao, you win… Actually, I came here with another matter to discuss with you."

"What is it?"

"May I ask if your company still holds the TV drama rights for The Sword of Legends 1?"

Yao Zhuangxian looked up, surprised, and said:

"Can a game really be adapted into a TV drama? Will the audience accept it? I just can't understand what you people are thinking."

Hearing this, Cheng Chen's heart sank, and he quickly asked:

"Has the rights already been sold… to Tang Ren?"

"You already know that? Yeah, it was just sold not long ago—unfortunately, you're too late!"

Yao Zhuangxian said regretfully.

Too late again, Cheng Chen sat slumped in his chair, slightly helpless.

"But I can recommend you to Tang Ren—they should start production on The Sword of Legends this year, and Li Xiaoyao really suits you."

Yao Zhuangxian said with a serious expression.

Well, not only did I fail to buy the rights to The Sword of Legends 1, now I'm being handed over too…

Still, Yao Zhuangxian's suggestion did stir Cheng Chen's interest.

The Sword of Legends 1 was truly high-quality—it opened the door for domestic fantasy dramas and still holds up even in the future.

But merely acting in it wouldn't satisfy Cheng Chen's ambition—he wanted to invest in this project too!

…

On February 10, Cheng Chen and Gao Yuanyuan's group traveled to Xiang Province to film Happy Camp.

Happy Camp premiered on July 11, 1997, and ceased broadcasting on December 28, 2021, a moment that left many sighing.

As early as the late 1990s, the explosion of Hong Kong and Taiwan's Four Heavenly Kings and the impact of Hong Kong cinema awakened the Mainland to the breeze of entertainment.

In its early years, Xiang Province Satellite TV was founded on news, launching the nation's first evening news program, Wanjiang Xinwen, on March 1, 1983.

After going national via satellite, Xiang Province Satellite TV launched a series of flagship programs: Happy Camp, Rose Appointment, Wanjiang Xinwen, New Youth, and Yinyue Buduan.

It gained wide influence both domestically and abroad, establishing itself as a dominant entertainment media brand.

The "Xiang Province TV phenomenon," dubbed the "Happy Storm" and "Rose Scent," swept across Jiangnan and beyond.

In 2002, Xiang Province Satellite TV officially established its strategic positioning: "Focus on entertainment, focus on youth, focus on the nation," highlighting its "youthful, gorgeous, fashionable" channel identity.

Year, Xiang Province Satellite TV positioned itself as a "comprehensive channel primarily focused on information and entertainment."

Xiang Province Satellite TV's greatest contribution was boosting tourism in Sha City and Xiangnan, as well as shaping the city's identity.

One could say that without Xiang Province Satellite TV, Xiangnan might have become as invisible as its neighboring province.

Looking at Xiang Province Satellite TV's development—from its original news-based mission to its final "entertainment unto death" philosophy—

From obscurity at the start to becoming one of the nation's top satellite channels and the trendsetter for entertainment news—

Even its star-making power rivaled major entertainment corporations, thanks to top-level decision-makers' thinking—

And the steady rollout of outstanding programs, one of which was Happy Camp, the very show Cheng Chen was about to join.

…

On the way, Cheng Chen had worried endlessly about Gao Yuanyuan and Yan Danchen appearing together on stage.

But once backstage at Happy Camp, his mindset shifted.

After all, he hadn't confirmed any relationship with either woman; even if they were close, there were plenty of male stars in the industry with "female confidantes" or "girlhood friends."

He himself was guilty of overthinking, always acting like he was trying too hard to prove nothing was going on.

Thinking of this, he began to look forward to the scene of the two women meeting…

Anyway, by then there'll be a crowd there—who's going to keep pressing him about the two women?

Besides, the main goal this time is to promote Heaven Sword and Dragon Sabre, not to chase girls; work must come first.

"Hello, handsome!"

In the makeup room, the mischievous Jia Jingwen suddenly appeared behind Cheng Chen, smiling as she patted his shoulder and greeted him cheerfully.

Behind her was the kind and handsome Su Youpeng, who also waved at Cheng Chen.

The two had come from Wan Sheng and hadn't traveled with Cheng Chen.

"Aren't you the seductress who disrupted the court? Happy New Year."

^0^ Remember this 【】

"

Cheng Chen smiled and greeted the two; at this time, Jia Jingwen was starring in a TV drama called Supreme Beauty.

Her co-star was none other than Zhao Wenzhuo, the embodiment of "Iron Man Embroidering Flowers."

"Come on, who's disrupting the court more—you or me? Standing on the Spring Festival Gala stage singing, how mighty you are! Many people have asked me about you!"

Jia Jingwen spoke with a hint of bitterness; after over a decade in the industry, she was now being caught up and surpassed by this young upstart—of course she felt sour.

"Alright, my sister's waiting for you in another makeup room."

Cheng Chen smiled and waved at her.

"Pfft, don't get too cocky—I'm going to tell Yuanyuan all about your misdeeds."

Jia Jingwen pouted and turned to walk toward the neighboring makeup room.

"Big Brother Youpeng, I heard you're going to run naked?"

Cheng Chen smirked at Su Youpeng, who was typing on his phone nearby.

Su Youpeng sighed and said:

"Please, that's just promotion! Honestly, I already regret saying those things to reporters."

"Hahaha, look at how hard entertainers push themselves for promotion—you're proof."

Cheng Chen joked.

After chatting for a while in the room, the makeup artists arrived, and the two fell silent to begin their makeup.

…

After makeup and styling, the four sat outside chatting, waiting for Lai Dao to finish his makeup.

"Finally coming to Sha City—I really want to go out and explore, and try Sha City's snacks again."

Jia Jingwen said longingly.

Hearing this, Cheng Chen's heart stirred—Yan Danchen was from Xiangnan.

She must know Sha City well; why not have her take everyone out sightseeing?

"Going shopping and eating?"

A slightly familiar voice spoke up:

"Then you absolutely must let this native of Xiangnan take you—I'll take you all after we finish recording."

Two people walked in; the leader was the one who had just spoken—thin and frail, He Jiong.

At this time, He Jiong wasn't yet as famous as he would become in the future, the man dubbed "Protector of Half the Entertainment Circle."

Public opinion about him was loud and divided—praise and criticism equally fierce.

But one couldn't deny his high EQ and strong empathy.

At his level, he still remembered every young idol's name and knew their works inside and out.

Even aside from other qualities, just this professionalism was worthy of emulation by many.

At this time, He Jiong looked considerably younger, but otherwise matched Cheng Chen's memory almost exactly.

"Teacher He."

Jia Jingwen was the first to speak.

They had met through a show before and got along well…

Following He Jiong was Wei Jia; at this time, he was not yet the beloved "Jia Ye" of the future, and like He Jiong, was still an unknown host.

"Long time no see, Min Min—you've gotten even prettier, and Yuanyuan too. Youpeng, you've gained a little weight this New Year, hahaha—but you look even handsomer like this."

Then he turned his gaze to Cheng Chen and exclaimed with delight:

"You must be Teacher Cheng—I'm your fan! Your look on this year's Spring Festival Gala was absolutely stunning—a graceful young beauty."

"The directors told me they were inviting you to Happy Camp—I was thrilled! I thought I'd get to meet my idol so soon!"

Though his words were slightly exaggerated, He Jiong always made eye contact when speaking, giving others a sense of deep sincerity.

"Hello, Teacher He."

Cheng Chen was the youngest present, yet the most famous, and he got along exceptionally well with all four.

So He Jiong's enthusiastic flattery was entirely justified.

"Welcome, handsome guys and beautiful ladies, to Happy Camp—I'm He Jiong."

"I'm Wei Jia."

The two introduced themselves.

After some small talk, Li Xiang, the top female host of Xiang Province Satellite TV, stepped out of the makeup room.

At this time, Li Xiang was slim and attractive, vastly different from the later version who flaunted wealth and gained weight.

"One more mysterious guest has a matter to attend to—we'll go over the script and run through it before the official recording."

He Jiong said, holding his cue cards.

The mysterious guest he mentioned—Cheng Chen didn't need to guess—it was Yan Danchen.

And the so-called "some matters to handle" is just the show's usual routine—the mysterious guest must wait for the right moment to appear…

Variety shows have scripts too, but they don't need to follow the dialogue word-for-word like movies or TV dramas.

Generally, variety shows only set a broad framework, then let the guests speak more freely.

As long as they don't say anything the TV station won't air, everything usually goes smoothly.

Rehearsing the script in advance is also the perfect opportunity for hosts to observe which guests have variety show sense.

Which guest can crack jokes, which one talks too much, which one is funnier or has better comedic timing, and so on.

All these factors revealed during rehearsal are quietly noted down by the host and director team.

Later, during recording, they can roughly tell how much screen time to give each guest and who should carry the punchlines.

After this round of rehearsal, Cheng Chen had the strongest variety show sense.

Of

^0^ Remember this 【】

Before this, during his radio live broadcasts, he constantly delivered memorable lines, and on China Blog he created many memes.

Having watched so many variety shows in the future, Cheng Chen naturally understood and expressed variety show dynamics far better than anyone else.

Among them, Gao Yuanyuan and Lai Dao were a bit lacking, but that was understandable.

As a director, Lai Dao only appeared on stage occasionally during behind-the-scenes work, and as for Gao Yuanyuan, she rarely appeared on variety shows in the future—this simply wasn't her strength.

But everyone on stage was sharp, and with veteran hosts He Jiong, Li Xiang, and Wei Jia providing support and covering any gaps, the entire process went off without major mishaps…

……

"Welcome to Happy Camp."

"I'm the host He Jiong."

The recording officially began; He Jiong smiled broadly and delivered the opening line everyone had heard countless times.

"I'm Li Xiang."

"I'm Wei Jia."

The audience below erupted in enthusiastic applause; some were university students brought in, others were members of the public who had signed up.

Either way, they were just fillers—during recording they got meals and cash, and got to see celebrities; everyone wanted to do it!

"Today, our Happy Camp stage welcomes a group of new friends."

He Jiong said with a smile.

Li Xiang chimed in beside him:

"Hey, who are they?"

The audience below shouted excitedly:

"The Heaven Sword and Dragon Sabre crew!"

Before recording, the audience had been told who the guests were, and when they learned Cheng Chen was coming,

those who had been reluctant instantly lit up—the atmosphere was electric.

"You know better than we do! Let's give a warm round of applause to welcome the creative team of Heaven Sword and Dragon Sabre!"

Wei Jia immediately raised his voice.

Then Lai Shuiqing led Cheng Chen and the others onto the stage.

"Director, Lai Shuiqing!"

"Su Youpeng!"

"Jia Jingwen!"

"Gao Yuanyuan!"

"Cheng Chen!"

……

Dear reader, this chapter is complete—enjoy your reading! ^0^