Chapter 128: This Woman Really Knows What She’s Doing

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Problems that money can solve are not problems at all!

Su Chen was willing to spend, and everyone else was willing to work. With everyone pulling together, they were filled with energy and enthusiasm.

In only a few days, the blind-audition recordings had already been completed ahead of schedule.

At this point, The Voice of Huaxia had enough material prepared for two full episodes.

This gave the team more breathing room for the work ahead, allowing everything that followed to proceed with greater ease.

After this period of adjustment, Bai Shu and Ji Lin had completely taken over Su Chen’s responsibilities.

Ji Lin was in charge of managing the production team, while Bai Shu handled the administrative departments and external coordination.

Only then was Su Chen truly able to free himself from the endless internal affairs.

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The broadcast of The Voice of Huaxia had placed enormous pressure on the other television stations.

After the second episode aired, Su Chen began receiving olive branches from many other stations.

Though none of them stated their intentions directly over the phone, they all hinted at a desire to cooperate.

Su Chen politely declined their invitations to meet in person.

He had only just begun working with Southern Zhejiang Satellite Television, and their relationship had yet to solidify.

If he began meeting frequently with other stations, it might make him seem fickle and disloyal. He did not want that.

Even so, there were some people he could not refuse simply because he wished to.

MaanCoffee Café on Xishan Road.

The café was elegant, quiet, and peaceful, with little of the usual bustle.

There were not many customers inside at the moment.

Su Chen pushed open the door and paused at the entrance, surveying the room.

Farther inside, by the window, a hand rose high and waved twice in his direction.

Understanding immediately, he turned and walked toward it.

Seated there was an intelligent-looking woman in her thirties.

Her makeup was neat and understated, and her professional attire gave her an air of extraordinary poise.

When she saw Su Chen approach, she rose calmly and shook his hand in greeting.

“Hello, Su Chen. I’m Lu Xinyan, chief producer of Su Province Television.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you!”

Su Chen lightly shook her hand and smiled.

“Director Lu, how nice to meet you. I’m surprised you recognized me.”

This was their first meeting, yet she had waved to guide him over the moment he entered the café. It had genuinely caught him off guard.

As she gestured for him to sit, Lu Xinyan joked, “Your name is already on the most important lists at every major television station. Naturally, I had to do some preparation before meeting you.”

“And Wen Yan has praised you more than once, so of course I had to learn a little about your past accomplishments.”

As she spoke, Lu Xinyan blinked at him.

Su Chen paused slightly.

This woman was remarkably skilled at charming people.

To be honest, a woman her age could not compare with a girl in the first flush of her teens.

But she possessed a mature allure of her own.

He simply had not expected someone with such an intellectual appearance to make a gesture like that. The contrast struck him with unusual force.

It gave him a peculiar feeling.

Clearly, no one who reached such a position was ordinary.

Wen Yan...

At the mention of that name, Su Chen’s body stiffened for a moment.

It had been a long time since he had seen her.

He could refuse invitations from other television stations, but Lu Xinyan had been introduced by Wen Yan.

He could not turn her down.

Before he had crossed into this world, Wen Yan had provided the original Su Chen with far too much help.

Su Chen could empathize with the kindness Wen Yan had shown his predecessor.

Moreover, in a certain sense, Lu Xinyan was his senior from the same university.

They had both graduated from Jiang Arts University. Though there was a considerable age difference between them, the connection was undeniable.

“Director Lu, you’re flattering me. I heard long ago that our university had a beautiful senior who served as a chief television producer and was admired by countless people.”

“I never imagined I would have the chance to sit with her today. I’m the fortunate one.”

Lu Xinyan’s brows lifted, and delight spread across her face.

“Hearing you say that, junior, makes me very happy!”

“And stop calling me Director Lu. Given our relationship, surely you can call me Senior Sister.”

There it was.

She really knew how to take advantage of an opening.

Su Chen did not mind, however, and merely smiled.

They ordered an Americano and a latte.

Once the pleasantries had gone on long enough, Su Chen went straight to the point.

“What did you mainly want to discuss with me today, Senior Sister?”

“What? Can’t I meet my junior for a chat unless I have some particular business?”

Lu Xinyan answered without thinking.

Su Chen gave her a flat look and said nothing.

Her heart suddenly sank. She realized that she had misspoken.

She often dealt with people from outside the station, and that manner of speaking worked well in many situations.

But Su Chen clearly was not the sort of person who responded to such tactics.

Their relationship had not yet reached that level.

“Ahem... You seem to be a straightforward person, junior.”

“In that case, I won’t beat around the bush.”

“I asked you out today mainly to discuss whether there might be an opportunity for cooperation between Su Province Television and you.”

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After finishing, Lu Xinyan continued praising him in an admiring tone.

“I watched The Voice of Huaxia. It was truly, truly excellent!”

“It’s hard to imagine how you came up with such a wonderful concept.”

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“You know what the variety-show industry used to be like.”

“The appearance of The Voice of Huaxia has been an absolute shot in the arm for the entire variety-show industry.”

“But every provincial station is also a competitor.”

“Now that Southern Zhejiang Satellite Television has The Voice of Huaxia as its trump card, Su Province Television can’t afford to fall behind!”

By this point, her intentions were perfectly clear.

Su Province Television had sent Lu Xinyan to discuss a collaboration with Su Chen on a variety show.

“Oh? What kind of cooperation do you have in mind?” Su Chen asked unhurriedly.

Seeing his expression, Lu Xinyan found it difficult to determine his attitude.

For a moment, she did not know how to respond. After thinking for a long while, she finally said, “It’s like this. There’s no way we can insert ourselves into The Voice of Huaxia at this stage.”

“But would you object to cooperating in some other area?”

“For example, program development?”

“You know that, in terms of production standards, the differences between the provincial stations are actually quite small.”

“So how do you create a gap between yourself and the other provincial stations—or, rather, how do you get ahead of them? The most important things are the script and the creative concept.”

“And those are precisely your greatest strengths, junior, as well as what we need most.”

Su Chen nodded. He did not disagree.

At least, what Lu Xinyan had said was fairly objective.

Seeing the phenomenal ratings of The Voice of Huaxia, it would have been a lie to say that the other stations were not envious.

But if they wanted to catch up in the shortest possible time, the most direct method was to create another hit program.

In reality, however, producing a show of comparable quality was extraordinarily difficult.

The quickest shortcut, naturally, was to find Su Chen.

“So you want me to develop a new proposal, and then work with you to create a brand-new program?”

Lu Xinyan enthusiastically gave him a thumbs-up.

“As expected of you, Junior Su!”

“This is the best form of cooperation I could think of.”

Su Chen glanced at her with an amused expression.

“Aren’t you afraid that I’ve already exhausted my inspiration and won’t be able to create another variety show of the same caliber?”

Lu Xinyan was taken aback for a moment, then laughed.

“You’re joking, junior. Since we made this choice, we were naturally prepared to accept any possible outcome.”

“If you truly can’t create a program of comparable quality, then at worst, we’ll consider it a failed investment.”

“After all, where is there an investment that comes with a one-hundred-percent guarantee of success?”

“That applies to investment projects, and it applies to investors as well.”

“What we value is you as a person, junior.”

Although Lu Xinyan’s words sounded somewhat lofty, and it was obvious that many of them had been polished for effect, they were nevertheless exceptionally pleasant to hear.