5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
At precisely seven o'clock, the moment arrived. Everyone in the program hall held their breath simultaneously, their eyes practically glued to the data screen, fixated on the trajectory of a single red line, silently chanting "Rise, rise."
As the host began, the red line slowly started to move, sliding almost parallel.
Li Dong sneered, his words tinged with a hidden sadness, "This program is probably only being watched by us. The viewership rating, 0.001%, hahaha, congratulations, congratulations. On its final episode, it's also set the lowest viewership rating, not just for 'Shi Shuo' but for the entire station. It's not easy, not easy at all. Well done, hahaha..."
After his outburst, his anger became uncontrollable. The emotions he had suppressed all evening finally erupted, and he pointed at Chen Fei, berating him.
"How many times have I told you not to choose newcomers? I practically begged you on my knees, but you insisted on your own way, being stubborn and self-opinionated. You're so arrogant and self-important, aren't you? You're amazing, aren't you? Not only did you ruin the program, but you ruined it so thoroughly that our entire team has become a joke in the company..."
"It's rising."
Suddenly, a surprised cry came from someone in the crowd, followed by others echoing the sentiment.
"It's rising, it's rising, the viewership rating is climbing back up."
Li Dong's unfinished words were stuck in his throat. He turned his gaze to the data screen with disbelief. Seeing the trend, though small, was indeed upward, his heart couldn't help but pound in his chest.
Could it really recover? How was that possible? It was impossible. He was just a newcomer with no fan base. How could he possibly turn the tide? Even if it recovered, it would surely just be a shift of a decimal point.
He thought this to himself, his eyes fixed on the red line.
The program hall was deathly quiet, making the sound of the program being broadcast even clearer. Han Zhao, after introducing himself, began to talk about his connection with history.
The person in the video smiled sincerely, as if a galaxy had been illuminated by sunlight, sparkling and beautiful, pure, good, and perfect. Especially his phoenix-like smiling eyes, which were more radiant and clear than any galaxy.
Seeing this, the staff in the hall couldn't help but swoon.
"Han Zhao is so handsome, the pinnacle of divine looks."
"Wuwuwu... I'm going to cry. He's so close to me, yet so far. Who accumulated enough virtue in their past life to deserve him?"
"I hope he stays single forever. No one is worthy of him."
While the female colleagues were more vocal, the male colleagues, though silent, couldn't help but give a thumbs-up. Han Zhao's looks were arguably the most stunning the program had ever featured.
Moreover, his connection to history lent him an aura of calm wisdom. With both looks and talent, who wouldn't fall for him?
Bai Lin patted Han Zhao, who was afraid to look at the data, "Quick, look, the data is going up."
Han Zhao was extremely nervous. This was his first public appearance, and it even determined the survival of the program. His palms were sweaty, and his heart was pounding uncontrollably.
"Is it rising a lot?" He still kept his eyes closed, not daring to look.
Bai Lin smiled, but before he could speak, the program hall suddenly erupted in cheers and screams of joy.
"Yeah!!!"
The staff members jumped up from their seats, cheering, jumping, clapping, and hugging each other. The atmosphere instantly became electric.
Li Dong's eyes widened like saucers. He stared intently at the red line on the screen until it surpassed 10%. Only then did he exhale the breath he had been holding, and tears suddenly welled up, his eyes moist with emotion.
He couldn't remember how long it had been since the viewership rating had exceeded 10%.
Chen Fei's tense nerves also relaxed with the cheers. He slumped back into his chair, looking at the still-rising viewership rating with a sense of unreality.
Hearing the cheers, Han Zhao also opened his eyes. Seeing the data, he finally breathed a sigh of relief and quickly sent a message to Quan Jiu.
"Boss, the viewership rating has exceeded 10%." He could finally relax and join the crew with peace of mind next week.
At that time, Quan Jiu was still in the company's publicity and operations team office.
The team manager urged subordinates to post Han Zhao's photos on various platforms and build hype. Others were editing Han Zhao's individual segments for "Shi Shuo" and reposting them on Weibo and other platforms. Someone was responsible for controlling the narrative, managing comments, and establishing fan groups, and so on.
In an instant, there were countless topics about Han Zhao online. Such as divine looks, talent, Han Zhao's smile, etc. The marketing team had seized upon every characteristic of Han Zhao to build momentum.
Of course, while there were many topics, there needed to be memorable and distinctive main topics. Under the team's operation, the hashtags #SmileWithAngel-Kissed Eyes##Talented and Handsome, Xin Chu Culture's New Artist Han Zhao# became trending searches.
"Quan Zong, the hot searches are up, and the data is growing rapidly. If nothing unexpected happens, Han Zhao will be on the top trending list tomorrow."
"Quan Zong, Han Zhao's Weibo followers have now reached three million."
Quan Jiu confirmed the data, letting out a relieved sigh. At the same time, he was genuinely impressed by the employees before him.
"Thank you for your hard work. You'll all receive double overtime pay today, and we'll have a dinner party tonight." With that, he handed the team manager a consumption card.
The employees in the office cheered. Workers aren't afraid of overtime; they fear overtime that isn't recognized, acknowledged, or appreciated by the company.
The team manager invited, "Quan Zong, why don't you join us too? Han Zhao had a great start today, let's celebrate."
Quan Jiu politely declined. Seeing that it was getting late, he bid farewell to the employees and left work.
As he stepped into the elevator, he saw Han Zhao's message. She replied, "Be prepared to trend."
Han Zhao opened Weibo and saw that his name was indeed ranked tenth on the trending list, with his super topic already having ten million views. His classmates and friends were also making a fuss, especially in his university class group, where Zhuang Yu took the lead in setting the mood, and the entire class was congratulating him.
As for his WeChat friends, some he hadn't contacted in years even sent greetings to confirm his identity.
In this moment, not only Han Zhao himself but also those who knew him felt proud, as it wasn't easy to know a celebrity.
Bai Lin was also monitoring Han Zhao's data. Seeing this, he laughed heartily, "In just ten minutes, the data is so impressive. As expected, Quan Zong has great vision. Bringing in the operations and public relations team was a brilliant move; this marketing campaign truly deserves full marks."
After a moment of joy, he said to Han Zhao, "Han Zhao, you're on the verge of exploding. After today, you'll be under everyone's scrutiny. From now on, in every word and deed, you just need to remember two words: sincerity. Your path will surely become wider and wider."
Han Zhao was also very happy, "I haven't let down Quan Zong and your expectations. I'm very gratified."
Li Dong felt a burning sensation on his face as he heard Bai Lin and Han Zhao's voices from behind. He had assumed the program was doomed and today would be its final episode, so he had found a new job last week and even completed his resignation that morning.
But why did that red line seem possessed, climbing so rapidly?
Thinking of this, he looked closely and saw that the viewership rating had already soared to 13%. It had risen so much in just a few minutes. Could it still climb?
He stared intently at the red line, refusing to believe it, but he could visibly see the line continuing to rise.
As for the employees behind him, after their initial excitement, their emotions were mixed. Some were relieved, while others regretted their decisions.
"It's over. If only I had waited a bit longer. I saw that today was Friday, and it was a good round number, so I completed my resignation this morning."
"I only followed suit because I saw you all resigning. My next company has more overtime and pays less than here."
The more a few of them spoke, the more regretful they became. Finally, someone nudged Li Dong and whispered, "Li Tong, with so many of us, can we plead with the director and HR department? We don't want to resign anymore."
"Yeah, eight or nine people resigned today. If the team loses so many people at once, the subsequent work cannot proceed."
"We've all worked together for a long time and have good cooperation. Hiring new people again will require re-teaching and re-adjustment. Next Friday's program will definitely be delayed."
They all urged Li Dong to speak up, one after another.
Li Dong was also filled with regret. He felt he had invested too much in "Shi Shuo," and its reputation had always been excellent, serving as his personal showcase. Letting go of it so easily was something he was reluctant to do.
But... he had already completed his resignation. Could the company still cancel it? There was no precedent for that.
Moreover, after what he had said earlier, he found it even harder to face Chen Fei and ask for reconsideration.