Chapter 108: Lao Ji's Boast Was a Bit Much

"Mr. Ji, there are two tasks you need to handle next," Su Chen said. "First, ensure the integrity of the current team. If that's not possible, recruit new members. After all, this is the team you built—you're well aware of who's capable and who's not. If someone leaves, fill their position."

After outlining the general content of the proposal and briefly discussing the project's basics, Su Chen went straight to assigning responsibilities.

"You can rest assured—when it comes to the production team, nothing will go wrong with me here," Ji Lin replied confidently.

After their earlier interaction, Ji Lin had elevated Su Chen's status in his mind to unprecedented heights—not only the boss but also the chief planner, both roles signifying authority.

Su Chen nodded, having initially been worried about potential resistance from the team, which was why he started with the proposal. But seeing Ji Lin's reaction, he felt reassured.

"Second, once we're done here, I'll meet with Director Zhou to sign the contract. After that, you'll coordinate on inviting contestants. Decide what resources to use and through which channels—that's up to you. You're familiar with the connections, so I won't elaborate. I'll mention it to Director Zhou soon."

Ji Lin quickly agreed.

Pausing for a moment, Su Chen added, "Additionally, in the early stages, we can invite non-professional contestants who are somewhat known in the industry. Does the station have professional judges? Let them handle the initial selection, and once we've chosen a set number, we'll proceed with recording. After the selection, we'll decide whether to expand the scale. You'll receive the full proposal once the contract and confidentiality agreement are signed. Just follow that when the time comes."

After Su Chen finished assigning tasks and left, Ji Lin forced himself to suppress his excitement. He returned to his desk, poured himself a glass of water, and drank it in one gulp with trembling hands. Then, he half-reclined comfortably in his office chair.

Relief washed over him—the torment of the past few days vanished in an instant. He looked out the window; today's sunlight seemed especially bright. Even the usually noisy traffic on the overpass sounded pleasant.

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"Does no one know who that person is?"

"If Ji Lin brought him in through connections, could he be an artist?"

"Hey, does anyone else find him familiar?"

"Now that you mention it, he does look a bit familiar."

"But I can't recall where I've seen him before."

As Su Chen left the office area, the staff outside continued to discuss. Soon after, Ji Lin emerged from his office, and the workspace immediately quieted down.

"Xiao Yi, call everyone back. Half an hour from now, we'll have a meeting in the conference room. Anyone who doesn't show up can ask me for leave personally."

Once Ji Lin left, the office buzzed with activity; even colleagues who hadn't joined the gossip earlier gathered together.

"Are they finally going to announce something?"

"Good, at least we'll know what's going on and won't have to keep guessing."

"Did anyone notice Ji Lin actually smiled just now?"

"Really? No, I didn't see it."

Half an hour later, the conference room was filled with team members. Ji Lin wasted no time and got straight to the point.

"Today's meeting is to address the issues you all care about," he began.

Everyone immediately sat up straight, attentive.

"I understand your thoughts. Up to now, some of you may have stayed reluctantly. But regardless of the reason, if you've stayed, I still consider you part of the team."

"We just had a discussion with the boss of the media company."

His words caused a stir among those present, especially Wang Xiaoyi and a male colleague, who exchanged surprised glances.

So that young man earlier was the media company's president?

Ji Lin continued, ignoring the commotion.

"Many believe our team serving the media company means it's over for us. I get it—I thought the same at first. But now, I want to say: this is my luck, and yours as well!"

Here we go again, they thought. Another empty promise.

The staff exchanged glances, stifling laughter, forced to listen.

"For confidentiality reasons, I can't reveal too many specifics yet. But I can guarantee this is an unprecedented music variety show. If we do well, you'll be pioneering figures in music variety, perhaps even driving the industry's revival to new heights."

Ji Lin's promises seemed more extravagant than ever.

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The team in the conference room couldn't help but think the same thing.

Leaders often paint rosy pictures, and employees know the routine. But today’s vision was grander than usual—wasn't he worried they'd choke on it?

"I can't share details of the proposal, but I can tell you about the production budget," Ji Lin said, sensing their skepticism. Even he, just minutes ago, would have thought anyone saying such things was a bit off.

Time for the trump card.

"This music variety show has a budget of one hundred million! That's not counting some of the celebrity appearance fees!"

The conference room erupted in astonishment.

A hundred million in production costs—an enormous investment by today's market standards. Most shows only get twenty or thirty million; this was several times higher.

If this was true—

No matter how the show turned out, it would be a major highlight on their resumes. Participating in a project with such a massive budget would be impressive anywhere.

Though Ji Lin's earlier words had seemed fanciful, this was tangible funding. The show's investment would be public, so there'd be no joke about it.

Was staying really a stroke of luck?

"The media company also assured me that everyone's salaries will be paid according to the station's standard. Bonuses will be twice the station's standard, based on project profits!"

"With a show like this, on this scale, why cling to the station?"

Exactly! With no better options, why not take the gamble? With proper pay and a huge project, if Ji Lin’s claims held, they'd reap great rewards.

Seeing the growing enthusiasm on their faces, Ji Lin finally felt at ease.

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Su Chen's contract signing went smoothly. Zhou Qi readily agreed to use the TV station's resources to invite contestants.

Zhejiang South TV wasted no time. That very night, their official Weibo published a teaser:

"Sing loudly and confidently, listen to the finest voices of China! Zhejiang South TV's brand-new music variety show—follow us, stay tuned, and catch the latest updates first!"