Chapter 118: 0118
Chapter 118
"Alright, I'll find a professional manager to run the company right now, and I'll go be a female celebrity with you," Jiang Juyou joked from behind her desk.
Seeing her come in, Jiang Juyou also stretched and got up, going to the tea cabinet to make a cup of tea for Cheng Yuan. "Try this, I bought it after you recommended it last time."
"Oh my!" Cheng Yuan exclaimed after taking a sip.
As soon as Jiang Juyou sat down, Cheng Yuan eagerly shared her good mood today, "I was wrong to doubt you before. I brought you a gift!"
As the paper bag was handed over, Jiang Juyou accepted it and looked her up and down suspiciously, "What's all this about?"
"Oh my!" Cheng Yuan was a bit embarrassed.
But they both knew what she meant.
When the company was creating its own long-form video platform, almost no one in upper management agreed or thought it would succeed. Jiang Juyou had pushed it through almost single-handedly under immense pressure.
Whether it was the new platform or the new payment model, they faced a huge risk of failure. Cheng Yuan didn't think it would work either at first, even believing it would certainly be rejected. When a dozen of the company's works were put on Random iWatch, she had a sour face for several days.
But looking back now, if those works had really been bought by other platforms, they might have been buried and never achieved their current success.
Random iWatch took off on the back of Timetrain, which had already accumulated a certain fan base in the market. Whether it was that workplace reality show or their group variety show, they had only one purpose - to bring huge exposure to Random iWatch.
The launch of the new payment model led to Random iWatch being boycotted for a while, but afterwards, the new customers that Timetrain's five members brought in were enough to keep the platform running for a while. The fact that one group variety show could bring such heat to the platform was not only due to the public's goodwill towards the five of them, but also inseparable from the brilliant planning in the early stages of the show.
You have to let the horse run to see if it's good, and that was exactly Jiang Juyou's strategy.
After the variety show brought heat to the platform, other sections would also become places for members to visit. Because Random iWatch was small enough at the moment, with only a dozen or so of their own dramas, it was like a huge cake being divided among just those few works.
Whether the reviews were good or bad, Jiang Juyou accepted them all. The final result was clear from Cheng Yuan's expression - Jiang Juyou's strategy had succeeded.
All dozen or so dramas received attention, and the reviews were good. On other platforms, they could average 8.1, and even 9.0 wasn't out of reach.
With the platform's reputation established, what followed was like a snowball effect. The good reviews of the dramas spread by word of mouth, attracting more users to Random iWatch.
The works received attention, and so did the actors.
This was the reason for Cheng Yuan's happiness.
When works become popular, actors rise with them. As actors rise, more and more work will come to them. Compared to the turmoil at Random Entertainment during this period, the film and television company was like Random Entertainment when it first started - everything was going smoothly.
"I heard you've signed quite a few actors over there?" Jiang Juyou had heard about this recently, and the people from the film and television department had also consulted with her, but she had been too busy these past few days to fit so many things in her head.
When Cheng Yuan spoke of this, the joy on her face deepened even more. "Ah-- I've been so happy lately, one TV drama after another is becoming a hit, and we've even managed to sign some powerhouse actors." As she spoke, she scanned the room and said to a blank wall, "In the future, I'll have the company's actors make you a wall of trophies, filled with Oscars and everything!"
This joke made Jiang Juyou laugh out loud for the first time in a long while. The little assistant outside pricked up her ears, surprised to hear the boss laugh.
After the joke, Cheng Yuan casually asked, "...So, how are things going on your end?"
Jiang Juyou nodded, pursing her lips, "...We've poached quite a few people from home and abroad. I feel like Random Entertainment is finally not just me struggling alone anymore."
Cheng Yuan leaned back, hugging her own arms and smiling, "Then congratulations, you've truly become a career woman."
Jiang Juyou across from her also smiled.
In just over half a month, Random Entertainment had undergone a major internal reshuffle. Anyone who hadn't produced results had left the company after detailed discussions. In their place came more people from large corporations. Anyone with ability, whether domestic or international, had been poached by Jiang Juyou.
As for those employees who left, Jiang Juyou had allowed them to save face.
This process had been extremely painful for Jiang Juyou, because her own naivety had contributed to this situation. Like peeling off her own rotten skin, Jiang Juyou had to first admit her own mistakes before she could face the consequences of her actions.
That was putting people who weren't suitable for a position into that role.
Yang Siyu said she had no selfish motives, but what one says and what one does aren't always consistent, because sometimes people can deceive themselves.
Her selfish motive was to prove that she had the ability, to prove that she deserved that position. As for the life and death of the trainees... it wasn't even in her consideration.
Jiang Juyou had also paid the price for her own selfish motives and naivety in the early stages of creating the company.
This was the result of the company's turmoil over these twenty-plus days.
After work, Jiang Juyou picked up her bag and drove home for the first time in a long while. The sunset on the way home was dazzlingly beautiful. During the few minutes stuck in traffic, Jiang Juyou shed tears, moved by the beautiful scenery...
-
When Jiang Liuxing entered the door carrying supermarket bags, she noticed the high heels placed under the shoe cabinet. These shoes were obviously Jiang Juyou's. Excited, Jiang Liuxing quickly put down the bags and rushed to the room to find her second sister.
"Sis--"
As the door opened, it was pitch black inside. The person who had returned seemed to be lying on the bed sleeping. Seeing this, Jiang Liuxing quickly covered her mouth, preparing to quietly retreat, but the person on the bed turned over, seemingly not asleep. "Come in."
Jiang Liuxing paused, then quietly entered.
Jiang Juyou on the bed turned over and turned on the bedside lamp, making room for Jiang Liuxing. After Jiang Liuxing got on the bed, she naturally hugged her sister.
Not having seen her sister for half a month, Jiang Liuxing had so much she wanted to say. She wanted to comfort her, but didn't want to touch her wounds again. After hesitating for a while, she still said, "Sis, you did nothing wrong."
Jiang Juyou smiled with her eyes closed, "Your news is surprisingly up-to-date."
Hugging her sister, Jiang Liuxing felt heartbroken and wanted to cry. All she could feel were sharp bones, feeling that her sister had lost a lot of weight during this period. Her sister, who was much taller than her, seemed small and thin at this moment.
"It's just the truth," she said stubbornly.
From the information Jiang Liuxing had gleaned just from her older sister's words, she understood a lot. At this moment, she felt that her second sister needed someone to firmly stand by her side more than ever.
"...Her approach seemed to cater to public opinion, but in reality, she was manipulating the direction of the show," Jiang Liuxing sat up, looking at her sister. "The consequence of doing this is that the poor become poorer and the rich become richer. She directly cut off the possibility for those trainees at the back to stand up again."
"It was different when you were in charge. Although there were focused trainees in each episode, you ensured that everyone's screen time was consistent throughout the entire season. Outsiders might not know, but I do. I watched it many times from beginning to end when I was editing the videos."
She spoke with a choked voice, looking like she could burst into tears at any moment, "If she had been in charge of the male trainees' show, Sang Mo, who didn't have much of a highlight in the early stages, would have been eliminated in the first round."
"The reason he was discovered was because you were saving those trainees who hadn't been noticed, and he was hardworking enough to have his own shining moment at the last minute."
"According to her rules, if you're unlucky in the early stages and don't encounter anything that allows you to showcase your charm, isn't that basically a death sentence?"
Seeing her getting more and more agitated, Jiang Juyou quickly pulled her close, "Okay, okay, don't get so worked up."
"She doesn't consider at all what will happen to those trainees after the show ends. Even those who were selected might not have good results!"
"But your competition format ensured that those trainees who didn't debut still had their own fans after the show ended. Having fans means having hope. Whether they debut directly later or continue to participate in competitions, it's better than starting with a blank slate."
"In her program, after it ends, those trainees who didn't debut will probably still be a blank slate, unable to even put on a performance that could support a public monthly evaluation."
Jiang Liuxing's words unraveled the reason for the disagreement between Jiang Juyou and Yang Siyu.
Because she trusted her and had witnessed her abilities, Jiang Juyou placed her in that position. But as time passed, whether that initial intention remained was uncertain.
The reason they were in high positions was entirely because they were fans themselves. Jiang Juyou thought they could empathize with the fans' sincerity and create plans that would satisfy them.
But in the end, their own interests were put first. The more people below said they were unworthy of their positions, the more they wanted to prove themselves.
Now, the only one still maintaining her initial intention was Jiang Juyou.
Her fair competition format was indeed criticized by many. To cater to every trainee, each episode often lasted several hours, making it torturous for viewers.
But it was precisely because of this system that even those trainees who didn't debut, despite losing exposure, still had their own fan circles. Starting from April, the restarted public monthly evaluations allowed them to have opportunities to showcase themselves again and again, precisely because they had fans.
Aliali: 673eba99c4f3f33ac4ee9836Jiang Liuxing only had one chance to meet Sang Mo each month. Those who came to the venue were fans of trainees who hadn't debuted. After each performance, everyone felt happy but also anxious, fearing their favorites might be eliminated without them knowing, afraid there might not be another chance to meet.
While fans of male trainees could think this way, it wasn't necessarily the same for female trainees. Those trainees with insufficient fan numbers to support a performance would only face the reality of decreasing popularity.
Jiang Liuxing pouted and lay back down, hugging her sister. "Sis, you've done very well."
"Thank you..." Jiang Juyou said.
"But -- did you just lie on my bed with your outdoor clothes on?"
"..."
"Get up!"
"..."
"Jiang Liuxing! I just changed the bedsheets and covers!"
Jiang Liuxing: Thanks for asking, Jiang Juyou is just a devoted fan after all.
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