Jiang Yue's eyes flickered, and the corners of his lips curled up slightly. When he spoke, his voice was clear and gentle, showing not a trace of panic.
“First of all, thank you to this friend for your concern.”
“Establishing a studio is because I want to keep the power of choice in my own hands. I don't reject commercialization; works need to have a market and they also need to yield returns.”
As he spoke up to this point, he turned his gaze from the host back to the camera, his expression turning a bit more serious. However, the comments had already begun to drift off-topic, row after row saying that he looked too deceptively charming when looking at the camera.
After all, a handsome guy with a hint of a smile in his eyes, speaking slowly directly into the camera—who could resist that?
Jiang Yue wasn't swayed by the comments and continued.
“But for me, every work must first be worthy of the audience. Only after that can we talk about its commercial value.”
“Yuchuan has just started. It's fine to go a bit slower; we just need to take every step steadily first.”
As soon as he finished speaking, a wave of comments flooded the screen.
【This is a great answer, so well-organized!】
【Keep it up! We'll wait for you to produce great works!】
【It sounds genuine. At least he knows what he wants to do.】
【Just for that line about being worthy of the audience, I'm definitely going to check out 《The Grand Game》 when it airs!】
At ten in the evening, the livestream ended.
Jiang Yue took off his headphones and closed the background program. Just as he picked up his water cup, Jiang Kaiwen huddled over holding his phone.
“Third Brother, how did you know the livestream would choose the question I posted?”
He held the screen up to Jiang Yue's eyes. The interface displayed the “Big River” account that had just asked the question.
When Jiang Yue had asked him to prepare this question before the broadcast, Jiang Kaiwen had actually been quite unsure. In the end, it really got selected.
If it weren't for Jiang Yue always acting so normal, he would have wanted to ask if his Third Brother had secretly activated some kind of luck cheat.
Jiang Yue shook his head, took the phone to glance at it, and then handed it back.
“I wasn't sure either.”
“It's just that since there was such an opportunity, I might as well give the studio a chance to be seen. Among the questions related to me, the topic of starting a studio has a gimmick but won't affect the drama's promotion. The probability of it being selected was already quite high.”
“As for actually being chosen in the end, that was just good luck.”
He looked again at his Weibo follower count, which was still rising on the screen.
“Coincidentally, my luck has been pretty good lately.”
Another two days passed at the Donghai City Creative Park.
On the first floor of Yuchuan Media Studio, Chen Fei was staring at the data backend, while Su Qing sorted through business emails.
On the second floor, Jiang Yue dialed Chen Jiaming's number.
“Brother Chen, when it comes to commercial deals, how do newcomers avoid pitfalls?”
The sound of set recording was mixed in on the other end of the line; Chen Jiaming was clearly still with his crew.
“Look at three things: brand alignment, competitor relations, and exclusivity agreements.”
Jiang Yue leaned back in his chair. Next to his hand were several commercial proposals that Su Qing had initially screened.
Chen Jiaming continued, “The faster the money comes, the deeper the pitfalls usually are.”
“A sketchy brand might offer you two million today, but when you want to take on luxury brands in the future, they'll look at your resume and filter you out at first glance.”
“An actor's commercial value relies entirely on their characters. Don't use your characters to endorse garbage products.”
Jiang Yue asked, “What if the brand asks us to cooperate with media hype?”
“Refuse,” Chen Jiaming replied bluntly.
“Make it clear in the contract that you will only cooperate with routine promotion. Promotional materials, Weibo posts, and platform interviews are negotiable.”
“But don't touch anything regarding your private life, scandals, or putting down competitors.”
“You started your own studio, which comes with high risks, but the official seal is in your own hands. No one can use a contract to force your hand.”
“Earn a bit less in the early stages; you can make up for it later.”
Jiang Yue pondered for a moment. “Understood.”
Hanging up the phone, Jiang Yue called Su Qing up to the second floor.
He asked Su Qing to add three standard columns to the initial screening sheet for commercial deals: brand alignment, competitor relations, and exclusivity scope.
Tangible brands with high national recognition and stable reputations could enter the second round of screening.
High-quality digital and automotive products would undergo independent background checks.
Offers with unclear qualifications, short-term cash grabs, requests to tie in private-life hype, or those that did not allow material reviews were to be rejected directly.
After writing it down, Su Qing looked up and asked, “Even those with exceptionally high offers?”
Jiang Yue pushed one of the documents back.
“Money isn't the only standard. At this stage, accepting the wrong endorsement is more troublesome than missing out on three.”
Su Qing nodded and went downstairs to modify the sheet.
As June arrived, the promotion for 《The Grand Game》 kicked off in full swing.
Subway stations, bus stops, and the splash screens of major video apps were all covered with release date posters.
Jiang Yue's Weibo followers steadily rose, approaching one million.
In the afternoon, Jiang Kaiwen walked up to the second floor carrying a financial report.
“Brother, we need to get a car.”
Jiang Kaiwen placed the report on the desk.
“Yesterday, when Su Qing went to pick up a package, there were several proxy photographers squatting at the entrance of the Creative Park.”
“They're already taking note of our usual pick-up and drop-off points for ride-hailing cars. They've even been making up jokes online, saying you enter the park on a delivery tricycle. Fortunately, they didn't capture you yourself, so it hasn't spread very widely.”
From downstairs, Chen Fei added, “I saw the screenshots. They've even marked our frequently used entrances.”
Su Qing looked up to chime in.
“If we keep relying on ride-hailing to go to jobs, our license plates and routes will easily be figured out. Once they get familiar with them, it'll be inconvenient to go anywhere.”
Jiang Yue glanced at the account balance and directly allocated a budget.
“Go buy one.”
He instructed Jiang Kaiwen.
“Prioritize practicality. It needs to have plenty of space and good privacy. We don't need a luxury car, but it must be able to fit the four of us and our equipment.”
Two days later, Jiang Kaiwen drove back a black seven-seater business van.
The vehicle wasn't a top-tier luxury car, but it was spacious and sturdy. The windows were fitted with privacy tint, and the trunk could easily hold camera bags, wardrobe cases, and everyday promotional materials.
Jiang Kaiwen put the keys and a document folder on the desk.
“The registration, insurance, and dashcam are all sorted out. The spare key is inside as well.”
Down in the underground garage.
Chen Fei went first to check the equipment space in the trunk.
Su Qing took photos for the records and logged it under fixed assets.
Jiang Yue opened the door and sat in the back row, testing the seat support.
The new vehicle quickly came in handy.
During the next few trips in and out of the Creative Park, Jiang Kaiwen intentionally changed exits and routes, successfully shaking off the several waves of paparazzi squatting at the gates.
On a day in mid-June, Xu Pingqiu's call came through.
“Next Friday, on Xiangcheng TV, the main cast is going on 《Star Weekend》 to promote 《The Grand Game》. You should go show your face too.”
《Star Weekend》 was a classic, household-name variety show that had topped the ratings for years.
Jiang Yue wasn't too surprised by the news, as Director Xu had mentioned it before.
“Who else is going?”
“Zhao Songcheng, Zhang Yu, and Su Yao.”
Xu Pingqiu gave him no room to decline.
“Li Changming is older, and recording this kind of show is physically draining. A variety show geared toward younger audiences doesn't offer much benefit to him anyway.”
“The platform specifically requested you, so you'll fill in.”
“Variety shows easily magnify the smallest details. If you perform well, you can win over casual fans. If you don't, you'll easily suffer a backlash from the traffic. You're smart, so just play it naturally.”
Jiang Yue agreed.
Hanging up the call with Xu Pingqiu, Jiang Yue pulled up Han Song's WeChat and made a voice call.
Han Song picked up quickly.
“What a rare guest! Does Boss Jiang have any instructions for me?”
Jiang Yue went straight to the point: “Brother Han, I'm recording 《Star Weekend》 next week. Is there anything I should watch out for?”
Han Song curled his lips into a smile, his voice relaxed.
“Going to promote 《The Grand Game》, right? I heard about it. Did Director Xu push you forward?”
“Yeah.”
“I'm familiar with that show. I've been on it several times to promote my works. The five hosts on the show call themselves the 'Star Family.' They're all old hands and are best at manufacturing entertainment value.”
Jiang Yue didn't interrupt, gesturing for Han Song to continue.
“You're not a variety show regular, so don't force yourself to play along with their jokes. It's easy to backfire.”
“Just maintain your current state. Do whatever they ask you to do seriously. Your advantage is the contrast—an Academic God who plays a villain is already quite a selling point in itself.”
“The more serious you are, the easier it is for the audience to remember you.”
Speaking up to this point, Han Song thought of something, and his tone grew slightly more serious.
“They take the game segments quite seriously, and the competitive vibe is strong. You have good physical skills, so show them off a bit if you can, but don't overdo it.”
“Okay, thanks, Brother Han.”
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