Huayu Entertainment 1995 started with hijacking.

Chapter 132 A phenomenal hit drama!
"Director Wu, I heard you just finished filming a new movie called 'If Love Has a Destiny.' Is it a romance film, or is it about family like 'My Brothers and Sisters'?"

"Director Wu, why didn't you collaborate with Joey Wong in your new film?"

"Director Wu, we've heard you're also making moves in Hollywood. Could you tell us about it?"

"Director Wu..."

Beijing TV bought the rights to "The Passionate Years," so naturally they'll put a lot of effort into promoting it. Right now, a group of media outlets invited by "The Passionate Years" are constantly asking questions, but all of them are about Wu Yuchen.

There was no other way; Wu Yuchen was the biggest star in the crew. He was listed as the producer and screenwriter, so he also had an obligation to come and help with the publicity.

Wu Yuchen answered a few questions, satisfying some of the reporters' curiosity, before speaking:
"Dear journalists, today is a promotional event for 'The Passionate Years.' Please let's all focus on this. We can discuss other issues another time, okay?"

Having already obtained some answers from Wu Yuchen, and with their appetites satisfied, the reporters readily agreed and began conducting interviews specifically about "The Passionate Years." Although many questions still focused on Wu Yuchen, such as why he chose to be the producer of this TV series, and whether he felt it lowered the series' prestige or was a waste of his energy, etc.

Wu Yuchen naturally showered the series with praise, explaining his willingness to invest time and effort in it because it was exceptionally well-made. He didn't care whether the format was television or film, as long as it interested him; he simply wanted to bring a good production to the audience.

Then, under Wu Yuchen's guidance, they took turns asking questions of the director, the male and female lead actors, and other relevant individuals.

The interview lasted all morning and ended at lunchtime. Cai Yinong invited everyone to lunch and, following the custom in Hong Kong, provided tea for each reporter present. Everyone left with smiles on their faces, promising to give "The Passionate Years" good reviews when they got back.

Wu Yuchen didn't join in the fun. Just as he and Li Xiaoran were about to leave, they heard someone approaching respectfully with a smile:

"Director Wu, we are from COSMO magazine and would like to take photos of you for the cover. What do you think?"

Wu Yuchen turned his head and looked her over. She was a young woman in her early twenties with an average appearance, but what caught his eye was her bright outfit: curly hair, sharp trousers, high heels, and an LV bag. Judging from her attire, she was definitely someone who worked for a fashion magazine.

Wu Yuchen smiled and shook his head: "No need, I'm not interested in fashion."

"Director Wu, you really have a very fashionable and cutting-edge temperament, you exude an international vibe, you are a role model for outstanding Chinese men..." The woman praised Wu Yuchen with her small mouth, trying her best to take pictures of him.

Wu Yuchen waved his hand: "I'm not going to be a celebrity, so there's really no need."

Seeing this, the woman didn't dare to force it any further. In fact, she had only come to Wu Yuchen with a try-it-out mentality. If it worked out, that would be the best, but if it didn't, she wouldn't be too disappointed.

Her real target was actually Li Xiaoran, who was close to Wu Yuchen:

"Ms. Li, would you like to consider it? Our COSMO magazine is a collaboration with American fashion magazines, and it is definitely the most professional and cutting-edge fashion magazine in China!"

Li Xiaoran's "Run Lola Run" is very famous internationally, and her portrayal of an independent woman in the film is also very popular. Therefore, it is not surprising that the fashion industry wants to collaborate with her.

Wu Yuchen's heart skipped a beat. He himself didn't need it, but Li Xiaoran was a celebrity who couldn't do without the promotion from fashion magazines. If the other party was really reliable, he could indeed have Li Xiaoran collaborate with him.

Wu Yuchen asked, "What's your name? How long has your magazine been published? How are the sales?"

The woman's face lit up with joy: "Director Wu, my name is Su Mang. Our magazine, *Cosmopolitan*, is a collaboration with American magazine *Cosmopolitan*, and we just launched this year..."

Upon hearing this, Wu Yuchen raised an eyebrow. Had he not heard the rest of the introduction, was this the woman in front of him Su Mang from Harper's Bazaar?

……

In a private room, Su Mang kept asking Wu Yuchen and Li Xiaoran about their preferences, and then kept ordering dishes from the waiter.

Seeing that there were already nearly ten dishes on the table and Su Mang still wanted to order more, Wu Yuchen waved his hand and said, "Little Su, that's enough. It would be a waste if several people couldn't finish it."

Su Mang quickly put on a fawning smile: "I was just afraid of not being a good host, and my editor-in-chief would definitely scold me if he found out!"

Wu Yuchen asked with a smile, "Xiao Su, how much do you usually spend on a meal?"

Su Mang thought that Director Wu was implying that she was wasteful, so she immediately said, "Director Wu, I can only eat such a sumptuous meal today because I can be with you all. Usually, a meal can be solved with a boxed lunch that costs three or five yuan!"

Upon hearing this, Wu Yuchen gave a cryptic smile and said, "I thought you charged 650 yuan per meal~"

Su Mang immediately smiled and said, "Director Wu, you're so funny! 650 yuan is more than enough for my food expenses for two months!"

Tsk tsk tsk, you won't be saying this on a variety show 20 years from now!
Wu Yuchen recalled that in his previous life, on the variety show "Fifty Kilometers of Peach Blossom Village," Su Mang suggested that the guests "each pay for their meals every day first," and then Song Dandan said that each person should pay 650 yuan.

Su Mang immediately put on an exaggerated expression and shouted, "650 is really not enough! Don't you drink milk in the morning? Don't you eat eggs in the morning? We need to eat better! I can't eat such bad food!"

650 yuan isn't even enough for one meal, which immediately sparked heated discussions online. What kind of eggs and milk are so precious? Grandpa Yuan Longping has really spoiled your palates!

……

After dinner, Wu Yuchen took Li Xiaoran for a walk back home.

Li Xiaoran asked, "It seems like you don't think much of Su Mang?"

She knew Wu Yuchen well. During the meal, although Wu Yuchen didn't say anything offensive, he just looked at her like she was a clown.

Wu Yuchen chuckled:
"You can shoot a cover, no problem. Their magazine is reputable, and they're sure to succeed by collaborating with the US. There's a huge gap in the fashion industry in China, so they can definitely get a good piece of the pie. But you don't need to get too close to her. She's the kind of person who's opportunistic and snobbish when she gets ahead."

In her past life, Su Mang caused all sorts of trouble at the Harper's Bazaar Fashion Night, demonstrating her ability to treat people differently based on their status to the fullest extent, and she lacked any professionalism whatsoever. However, because she was the editor-in-chief of Harper's Bazaar, a group of celebrities tolerated it.

However, she can only put on airs in front of some celebrities; in front of Feng Xiaogang, she has to smile obsequiously. Wu Yuchen isn't afraid of her at all. This kind of person will fawn over you as long as you're stronger than her, and you can use her when needed.

……

"The highly anticipated TV series 'The Passionate Years,' produced by renowned director Wu Yuchen, is coming soon!"

"Wu Yuchen's debut TV series, 'The Passionate Years,' strikes right at the heart!"

"Watch 'The Passionate Years' and relive the glorious traditions of our predecessors!"

"The Passionate Years: Ordinary and Authentic, Composing a Symphony of Life!"

In the classroom, Yin Xiaotian took out a stack of newspapers he had bought, handed one out to everyone he met, and then loudly announced:

"It premieres tonight on Beijing TV, please everyone tune in and support me!"

"Yin Xiaotian, we all live at school, what are you doing here? I think you're just showing off!" Xiao Tao Hong teased Yin Xiaotian with a laugh. Yin Xiaotian chuckled, "If you guys can't watch it, let your parents watch it! It wasn't made for you anyway. Director Wu said our parents' generation will definitely love this film!"

"Wow, Xiao Tian's really something, now he's talking about Director Wu like that!" Gong Beibi teased with a smile.

"I can't compare to you, Sister Baby. You've already worked with Director Wu. I still have a lot more to do!" Yin Xiaotian said, patting his chest.

Gong Beibi previously starred in "The Night the Comet Came," and did indeed work with Wu Yuchen, which brought her many acting opportunities afterward.

"Xiao Tian, ​​if you want us to get our relatives and friends involved, you'd better treat us to a meal!"

"Please, of course!"

Twenty years later, Beijing TV is in a somewhat awkward position. Despite being the capital city, it has been surpassed by Hunan TV, Dragon TV, Jiangsu and Zhejiang TV, and other TV stations. It has few star programs and even occasionally falls out of the top five.

But that was 20 years later, in the 90s, when Beijing TV was the second largest local TV station, no one dared to claim the top spot!

In the early 90s, Beijing Television produced a series of popular and critically acclaimed TV dramas, including "Yearning", "Stories from the Editorial Department", "Beijingers in New York", "Addiction", and "Prime Minister Liu Luoguo". At its peak, Beijing Television could even rival CCTV in terms of viewership ratings.

Although it hasn't produced any major hits in the past two years, it still reigns supreme among local TV stations thanks to its solid foundation.

The TV series "The Passionate Years" has been heavily promoted over the past two weeks. With the appeal of being a TV series produced by the renowned director Wu Yuchen, coupled with the prestige of Beijing TV, it has naturally attracted a large audience.

The next day, Deputy Director Gong strolled into his office, sat down, took a sip of the brewed tea, and then, remembering the episode of "The Passionate Years" that had aired the previous day, immediately summoned his subordinates:
"Xiao Li, how did the broadcast of 'The Passionate Years' go yesterday?"

Xiao Li was prepared for this and immediately smiled and said, "The effect is very good. It had a 26% viewership rating when it started airing, and it had risen to 29% by the end."

This rating naturally refers to the regional rating. National rating statistics are not only troublesome, but also not very accurate for them. Regional ratings can most directly reflect the broadcast effect.

Upon hearing this, Deputy Director Gong exclaimed with delight: "Our Director Wu's reputation really works! The show reached 26% right from the start!"

Normally, a TV series gets around 20% viewership upon its premiere, maybe 17% at the very least. But "The Passionate Years" got 26% viewership upon its premiere, which is undoubtedly due to its promotion and Wu Yuchen's reputation.

Moreover, the fact that the viewership could reach 29% by the end means that not only were the viewers retained, but new viewers were also constantly coming in. This made Deputy Director Gong very happy, as the show had the potential to become a hit!
At this moment, Xiao Li flattered, "Master Gong, you have such discerning eyes! You chose it at first glance!"

Upon hearing this, Deputy Director Gong laughed heartily. The TV series he had strongly advocated for had achieved a resounding success, and these words resonated with him. After thinking for a moment, he said to Xiao Li:

"Go and tell the people below to contact those newspapers and media outlets and ask them to promote 'The Passionate Years' more!"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Li quickly nodded in agreement and hurried out.

On the third day, Deputy Director Gong looked at the viewership rating in his hand: 30.5%, which was not bad, and it was slowly rising.

On the fourth day, the ratings reached 32.8%. Deputy Director Gong nodded. This result had already met his expectations. As long as the ratings didn't drop further, this deal would be worthwhile.

On the fifth day, Deputy Director Gong picked up the ratings report in his hand, glanced at it, and then quickly rubbed his eyes: 37.5%!

What's going on? It's risen by almost 5 points compared to yesterday!

He quickly called his subordinate over: "Xiao Li, why did the price rise so much yesterday?"

Xiao Li excitedly said, "Gongtai, yesterday when we aired the Korean War segment, the ratings immediately reached 35%, peaking at 39.3% at the end! After the show ended, our station received many calls from viewers, all asking about Shi Guangrong and Xie Feng, those two love rivals!"

Upon hearing this, Deputy Director Gong suddenly realized that yesterday's plot involved Xie Feng, the male lead's rival in love, giving up on the female lead in the competition for the male lead and then heroically sacrificing himself on the battlefield. This was considered a minor climax in the plot, which is why the ratings immediately went up.

"39%, the highest is 39%!"

At this moment, Deputy Director Gong was also excitedly muttering to himself. He had a premonition that this "Passionate Years" was very likely to be a huge hit!
"Xiao Li, go and tell them to increase the publicity efforts..."

He had only spoken halfway when he stood up abruptly, determined to take command personally!
……

"Hey, have you watched 'The Passionate Years' on Beijing TV?"

"I watched it, and the way Shi Guangrong and Chu Qin argue is hilarious! I couldn't stop laughing!"

"Me too, but you know what, I argue with my husband like that too, he has such a bad temper..."

"Shi Guangrong is too cruel to his son. He won't let him take the college entrance exam and sent him to such a harsh place on the border to toughen him up. I would argue with him to death if I were in his shoes."

"Nothing can be accomplished without tempering; that's the mentality in the military..."

Two middle-aged women were engrossed in talking about "The Passionate Years".

Meanwhile, inside the school, several students were also chatting:

"Hey, have you guys been watching the recent dramas on Beijing TV?"

“My parents watched it with great interest, and I watch it every day too.”

"Shi Jing inside is really beautiful, especially when she's wearing a military uniform and riding a horse, she's both beautiful and dashing!"

At this moment, the girl in front of me also turned her head:

"Hey, I really like Shi Jing too. I think Shi Jing seems to have a crush on Hu Dakai. Could they get together?"

"It's pretty much a done deal. They've already hit it off. Didn't you see one singing and the other dancing?"

More and more people joined the chat, which made those who hadn't seen it before it eager to watch it, and they planned to go back and watch "The Passionate Years" that night.

Under these circumstances, the ratings for "The Passionate Years" soared, reaching 41%, 43%, 44%...

After reaching the next climax of the plot, it jumped to the 50% threshold!
Undoubtedly, "The Passionate Years" has become a hit. Neighbors chat excitedly about it, exchanging stories of raising children; colleagues at work talk about this kind of older generation love and their relationship with their parents; students also discuss it, with boys talking about the war and their yearning for the military and soldiers, while girls talk about Shi Jing's still unresolved and unpredictable love life...

The public's heated discussion and attention naturally attracted the attention of the media, especially those in Beijing. Without Beijing TV even needing to contact them, they spontaneously began discussing "The Passionate Years," exploring its themes of war, marriage, family, military life, love, and revolutionary idealism.

Anything related to "The Passionate Years" has been the subject of comprehensive discussion and analysis.

For a time, discussing "The Passionate Years" seemed to become a trend and a social phenomenon. When a TV series sparks such a social trend, it is undoubtedly a phenomenal masterpiece!
(End of this chapter)