Chapter 192: Yan Danchen Is Back

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Since they're here on "Happy Camp," they definitely can't miss its signature feature—playing games.

This episode, the guests Cheng Chen brought are all older men, so playing games isn't as fun as when the girls are around.

Luckily Huang Bo is here—though this live wire is appearing on a variety show for the first time.

But his sense for the camera is incredibly strong; at first the audience thought this plain-looking guy was just there to make up the numbers on stage.

Then they realized—good lord, this guy is the hidden king!

He'd often crack just one or two lines and have the audience in stitches.

Especially that slightly accented Lu Sheng Mandarin of his—the moment he opens his mouth, you can't help but laugh.

That's just how Huang Bo is—not only is he emotionally intelligent and good with words, he's also great at self-deprecation and teasing others.

Fortunately his jokes never cross the line—the kind of little bits that neither annoy people nor fail to draw a knowing smile.

Seeing the audience roaring with laughter at Huang Bo's antics, Cheng Chen took the microphone and said:

"Brother Bo is the joker of our crew—don't let his looks fool you.

But if you spent half an hour getting to know him deeply, you'd discover… you've wasted half an hour!"

"Hahahaha, that's hilarious—I thought Cheng Chen was going to praise Huang Bo, turns out he's roasting him!"

"Wasted half an hour hahaha, Cheng Chen is really savage."

"I actually think Cheng Chen is absolutely right!"

Hearing Cheng Chen's words, the audience laughed so hard they could barely stand up straight.

And Huang Bo could only respond with a wry smile.

But deep down he was extremely grateful to Cheng Chen.

Don't be fooled by him being mocked and roasted on stage—anyone in the industry knows Cheng Chen is giving him camera time.

Steering the topic toward him was also meant to give him more exposure.

He Jiong sighed quietly to himself:

Huang Bo's variety-show sense is strong, but Cheng Chen is even better.

He could tell from the laughs Cheng Chen generated the last time he came on "Happy Camp."

Guo Tao and Xu Zheng, though standing off to the side smiling and not saying much,

the occasional brilliant quip from them added quite a bit of color to the whole stage.

Especially Xu Zheng—his specialty is that sneaky, mischievous kind of humor.

The kind where he suddenly pokes at something from the side, and once you catch on you burst out laughing.

In Cheng Chen's words, he's a complete closet joker.

Watching the few big men on stage joking around and bantering, He Jiong suddenly said with a touch of emotion:

"Friends, do you know what I'm feeling right now?"

Everyone focused their eyes on him, and He Jiong said unhurriedly:

"I'm wondering—what kind of movie will these fun guys create together?

I'm really looking forward to it, I can't wait to see 'Crazy Stone' at the theater on the third day of the New Year!

Are you all looking forward to this comedy too?"

"Yes!"

The audience shouted in unison.

Cheng Chen, catching the drift at once, said immediately:

"Since Teacher He and our audience friends all want to see it, shall we take a look today?"

"Really? Really?"

Wei Jia and Xie Na asked excitedly from the side.

Ever since Zhang Weijian misspoke earlier, Xie Na has clearly been much more subdued.

Cheng Chen smiled slightly and called toward backstage:

"Sorry to trouble you, director."

"Alright, let's take a look at this comedy blockbuster!"

This was a specially selected portion of the trailer—the pacing was extremely fast, and paired with a pumping soundtrack it got everyone's blood pumping.

Especially the Shancheng dialect in it—it just sounds especially fun and especially funny.

When Cheng Chen made his entrance in a white suit, it was truly a feast for the fans' eyes.

Then the plot shifted—the international thief's briefcase was stolen, and he fumed:

"I'll bloody kill you!"

Later bits like the chase scene at the temple, and Huang Bo getting locked inside a sewer pipe, had the audience laughing until tears streamed down their faces.

The trailer wasn't long—just two minutes.

But in those two minutes, the studio audience had already burst out laughing several times.

"Brilliant, absolutely brilliant."

"Haven't been this happy in ages.

"

"This comedy is really special—I feel like watching it right now!"

As soon as the trailer ended, the three hosts on stage picked right back up.

"Do you feel satisfied?"

"Not satisfied—only two minutes!"

The audience said in unison.

"If you're not satisfied, welcome to bring your family to the cinema on the third day of the New Year!"

After the movie trailer ended, the host steered the topic toward Cheng Chen.

There was no help for it—he was the guest with the highest status and the most buzz right now.

"We all know Cheng Chen became famous at a young age; Zhang Ailing said fame should come early, and this is exemplified in Cheng Chen to the fullest extent."

"Though young, he's of legal age, cough cough cough…"

Wei Jia quickly chimed in:

"Teacher He, after circling around so much, what exactly are you trying to ask about romantic matters?"

"Oh~"

The audience below immediately perked up.

Cheng Chen is famous—that's common knowledge. Since his rise to fame, romantic rumors about him have never stopped.

But most were baseless speculation, never confirmed.

Now that He Jiong had asked, the audience's curiosity was instantly sparked.

"So, Mr. Cheng Chen, what kind of girl do you like?"

He Jiong asked bluntly.

"Hmm, this is hard to answer."

Cheng Chen said with a smile.

"Hard to answer? Alright, let's make it more concrete—do you think this woman here is the type of girlfriend you'd idealize?"

He Jiong asked.

Cheng Chen glanced at He Jiong—he was giving Xie Na a way out.

After all, Xie Na had just said something inappropriate, and He Jiong feared Cheng Chen might hold a grudge against her, so he added this.

Hearing He Jiong's words, Xie Na quickly shook her hair, made all sorts of alluring gestures, and kept winking flirtatiously at Cheng Chen.

Cheng Chen looked at Xie Na and said quietly:

"Na Na is great, but we're not compatible."

Hearing Cheng Chen's words, Xie Na clutched her chest and pretended to be deeply hurt.

He Jiong stepped in to defuse the tension:

"So, what kind of girl does Cheng Chen like? I imagine this is also what many viewers are curious about—do you want to know?"

"Yes!"

Everyone stared at Cheng Chen with gossiping eyes.

Cheng Chen paused for a moment, then said:

"Gentle, generous, filial, hardworking, and eager to improve."

Clearly, Cheng Chen's answer did not satisfy the audience present.

He Jiong shook his head:

"No good—too official, too vague. Alright then—if you had to choose between a woman with a great figure and one with exceptional beauty, which would you pick as your girlfriend?"

Hearing He Jiong's question, Cheng Chen replied slowly:

"Children make choices—I want both!"

When Cheng Chen spoke, everyone in the room froze for a moment.

Huang Bo even gave him a thumbs-up.

"This… is very true. Children do pick and choose… but why does this sound so weird to me?"

"Hahaha!"

"Awesome, Cheng Chen! No wonder he's my man!"

"Boss, look at me—I've got looks and charm! Pick me! Double the happiness!"

As laughter erupted on and off stage, this episode of Happy Camp ended.

Afterwards, the executive producer of Happy Camp invited Cheng Chen and his group to a casual meal.

Thus ended this trip to Xiangnan.

With the airing of this episode, Weibo's trending topics quickly featured the trailer for Crazy Stone and Cheng Chen's dating preferences, both hitting the hot search list.

The most direct effect was that Cheng Chen's Weibo backend received countless selfies daily from women with beautiful faces and devilish figures.

Photos of that sultry kind—leaving Cheng Chen delighted… no, suffering terribly!

And Cheng Chen's line: "Children make choices—I want both."

Was also widely circulated online as a meme.

Meanwhile, the early promotional campaign for Crazy Stone continued to intensify.

The trailer maintained a rhythm of being updated roughly every half-month on the official Crazy Stone Weibo account…

"I hear you've been very lively lately, Comrade Cheng Chen."

When Cheng Chen received Yan Danchen's call, he had just finished an interview.

"What do you mean?"

Cheng Chen asked, baffled.

"'Children make choices—I want both.' Isn't that what you said?"

Yan Danchen snorted on the other end.

Hearing this, Cheng Chen quickly laughed apologetically:

"Oh come on, it was just for show—when you're in the industry, you're not your own master. Cut me some slack!"

"Hmph, slick-tongued, come pick me up."

"You're back?"

Cheng Chen exclaimed.

"Mm, I'll be in Jingcheng in another hour."

"Got it! I'm on my way now!"

Cheng Chen said excitedly.

Upon careful calculation, Cheng Chen realized it had been a long time since he last saw Yan Danchen.

During this period, Yan Danchen had shot many dramas, such as Fan Mansion, Don't Ask Me Who I Am, and the Yue opera Women's Opera Troupe.

To be honest, since signing Yan Danchen, Cheng Chen had never helped her much.

He originally planned to create a drama tailored for her, but because of the filming of Crazy Stone, The Legend of Sword and Fairy I, and Wulin Waizhuan, it got pushed back many times.

Also, since Xinghuo Entertainment hadn't taken off yet, he would wait until after these three dramas were released.

Cheng Chen was confident he could make Xinghuo Entertainment popular again; then he'd have the money for big productions.

For his next drama, Cheng Chen already had a plan in mind...

After picking up Yan Danchen, Cheng Chen stared blankly at the woman before him.

Her figure was curvaceous, her skin like congealed fat, white, smooth, and beautiful; what fascinated Cheng Chen most was the aura of a commanding woman she exuded.

"What are you staring at, idiot?"

Yan Danchen said with a smile.

"Chenchen, I... I've missed you so much."

Cheng Chen said slowly.

Seeing the familiar heat in Cheng Chen's eyes, Yan Danchen felt her whole body go soft.

"What are you doing in broad daylight? Just drive."

Yan Danchen said shyly.

"Ah, I wasn't doing anything."

Cheng Chen asked, puzzled.

Yan Danchen glanced at a certain part of his body and snorted.

"Uh... let's go home, home it is."

Cheng Chen gave an awkward smile.

A commanding woman was like this—just looking at her made you want to conquer her!

The two drove home; as soon as they entered the door, Cheng Chen eagerly embraced her slender body.

"I knew you had ulterior motives. Alright, stop messing around... you, you... stop it, ah~"

"How was your trip? Did anyone bully you?"

"How could I be... be bullied? Besides you bullying me~ no one dared to, dare to bully me..."

"Hehe..."

About an hour passed; Cheng Chen lay on the bed, playing with her hair between his fingers.

Yan Danchen's face was flushed, her delicate appearance heartbreakingly adorable.

"How long will you stay this time?"

Cheng Chen asked.

Yan Danchen tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and said wearily:

"I'm not leaving again. Most of the filming over there is done; I came back early for the New Year—it's been exhausting running nonstop."

"You've worked hard."

Cheng Chen held her, speaking tenderly.

"You're even harder on yourself than I am—handling lawsuits, filming movies, writing screenplays, and holding concerts."

Yan Danchen caressed Cheng Chen's cheek and smiled.

Hearing Yan Danchen's teasing tone, Cheng Chen pretended not to notice and laughed cheerfully:

"Hey, a good life is built through hard work!"

"Hehe, you're puffing up already. By the way, isn't the promotion for The Legend of Sword and Fairy I about to start?"

Yan Danchen suddenly asked.

Cheng Chen nodded and said:

"Mm, planning to release it on February 20th, right after the New Year."

In his past life, The Legend of Sword and Fairy I had been released in January, but back then it was only on small local stations, so timing didn't matter.

This time, with Cheng Chen's involvement, Xiang Province Satellite TV, Modu Weishi, and Wan Province Satellite TV all offered bids for The Legend of Sword and Fairy I.

Just from this round of broadcasting rights, The Legend of Sword and Fairy I had already recouped most of its costs.

In this era, a television drama selling for tens of millions was already considered a sky-high price.

Zhang Dahu's directorial work, The Legend of the Condor Heroes, had earned at least ten million yuan, with profits of at least thirty percent.

The twenty-episode drama Justice Bao, starring Zhang Guoli and Deng Jie, sold for thirteen million yuan, averaging over six hundred thousand yuan per episode.

The historical drama Young Justice Bao, produced by Beijing Television Station, sold for a high price of 870,000 yuan per episode, calculated by combining overseas and Mainland TV station purchases.

Sky-high priced TV dramas were no longer rare; many capital investors began paying attention to the investment potential of television dramas.

In fact, since February 2002, the film and television production industry had opened a "green light" for social capital, including private enterprises.

Television dramas had become a viable investment method.

The industry once widely circulated this saying: "If you want to make money, produce TV dramas."

For a time, television production crews and film studio staff seized the opportunity and opened their own film and television companies.

The output of television dramas began to surge.

The revenue from just the first broadcast rights of "Immortal Sword I" had already recovered more than half its cost, with second and third rounds of broadcasts still ahead.

And there was the vast overseas market, which referred to Chinese-speaking regions or Asian countries.

Don't underestimate this market—its demand was often even larger than the domestic market.

Not to mention all the licensing rights and merchandise.

In short, from the first broadcast alone, "Immortal Sword I" was already in a position of guaranteed profit.

"We're also starting promotional tours soon—you won't get much easier either."

Cheng Chen said with a smile.

"By the way, can you ride a horse?"

Cheng Chen asked suddenly.

"Of course—I learned while filming historical dramas. Why?"

Yan Danchen asked.

"I'm currently writing a script, and I've saved the female lead role for you."

Cheng Chen said slowly.

Hearing this, Yan Danchen exclaimed in delight:

"What script?"

"A political intrigue historical drama—with a female lead who suits you perfectly."

"Hmm… it's an alternate-history setting. The title is 'The List of Langya'."

…