"Changed? Rented the venue to us for the entire day? And even offered a discount?!"
Du Xingbang had to pinch his thigh hard to believe he wasn't dreaming!
Good heavens, in his twenty years in the industry, this was the first time he'd ever heard of a TV studio rental coming with a discount.
After all, whether a show became a hit had nothing to do with the studio. They just earned rental fees. Had anyone ever seen a "special thanks to XX studio" at the end of a program?
The other party was quite accommodating. The station had already held a meeting and collectively approved it. The matter was settled, with just one request—
Keep Niangniang under control, and don't let her show up again.
One wrong word and she'd bring out snakes, one wrong word and she'd bring out snakes...
Unbearable!
Du Xingbang was thrilled when he heard this.
While the arrangement sounded bizarre, if Xiao Liang'er had pulled it off, then it was plausible.
However, being able to rent the venue at such a cheap price made him feel like he could wake up smiling from his dreams!
On the day of the official recording, Du Xingbang arrived at the studio early in the morning.
This was a studio belonging to Ye Shi. Thanks to the immense success of "Courage," the platform leaders cherished Xia Wei Liang like precious treasure. Knowing that she was in charge of the variety show, they would coordinate the schedule favorably, even without Xiao Lan's assistance.
But the discount? That was definitely Xiao Lan's doing!
From the moment Xia Wei Liang woke up, she had been receiving voice messages from Du Xingbang non-stop—
"Xiao Liang'er, you have to get here early, support your Xiao Du Ge!"
"Liang'er, are you up yet?"
"Liang'er, I've arrived..."
"Liang'er, I've seen Ma Xiao's people! Damn it, they're here to spy!"
"Liang'er..."
Xia Wei Liang was almost driven mad by his calls. While brushing her teeth, she replied, "Xiao Du Ge, you're an old hand, this is small potatoes for you. Relax, don't be nervous!"
"Wei Wei Jie, what should I wear today?" Xiao Nuo Mi peeked her head in and asked.
"Low-key. Just wear something that doesn't highlight my beauty too much."
"Oh dear, that's a difficult request."
Looking at this honest child, Xia Wei Liang smiled with relief.
The Ye Shi platform had a 4k studio occupying over two thousand square meters in Jiangcheng Great Factory Film and Television City. Large-scale talent shows like the previous ones were initially filmed here.
Du Xingbang was immensely satisfied with being able to rent this studio!
By the time Xia Wei Liang arrived, his team was already busy with various arrangements. The team's coordination was quite synchronized.
Director Du had shed his usual greasy and ostentatious attire, opting for practical and down-to-earth clothing.
"Liang'er, you're finally here!"
"Xiao Du Ge, you've done a great job!"
He waved his hands dismissively, "This place is nothing. The key issue is those few 'grandpas' backstage!"
"Oh, what's happened to them?"
"Ah, you'll know when you go see for yourself."
Someone called him from over there, and he quickly said, "I'll leave them to you!"
"No problem~"
Xia Wei Liang brought Xiao Nuo Mi to the backstage. The moment she entered the lounge, she was stunned.
In the room, four men in their late forties, dressed as trendy uncles, sat in a line with their arms crossed, their expressions tense, and their eyes sharp.
It felt like if there were a few shovels of Luoyang here, a fight would have broken out.
Director Wang, Wang Qiancheng, was crouching in a corner. The moment he saw her, he almost burst into tears. He quickly ran over, tugging at her clothes, and said, "This show is too scary, I don't want to do it anymore, I want to go home!!"
"What's going on?"
Wang Qiancheng leaned into her ear and whispered, "They're arguing about the order of appearance!"
"But wasn't that already decided?"
Wang Qiancheng shook his head slyly, "Old Du is a cunning fox. He wouldn't do anything that offends people, so he found this little girl to placate us."
"..."
Xia Wei Liang understood.
This was a trap for her!
Wang Qiancheng spread his hands, "That's the situation. Anyway, I don't care which position I appear in, but these gentlemen, any one of them is a label of an era, and it's hard to offend any of them."
He gave her a look of "good luck" and then obediently returned to his corner, crouching down. From now on, he was a mushroom. Sudan Novel Network.
"Hey, girl! Are you from the production team? Go call Du Xingbang here!"
The first person to speak was a bald uncle. Despite being middle-aged, he had a muscular physique and a loud, imposing voice.
This was Shen Zhong, a martial arts star who dominated the screen twenty years ago.
The refined man sitting next to him, dressed in a Zhongshan suit, said slowly, "What's the use of calling him? Can't you see? He wants to pass the buck, so he found a young girl to deal with us."
Xia Wei Liang recognized him immediately. He was her great aunt's idol when she was young, a representative of the younger generation of actors who had now become middle-aged stars, Gao Xiujie.
Unlike Shen Zhong, Gao Xiujie had remained active on screen. Inviting him was truly a favor from Du Xingbang's father. He was an academic, a former student of Old Du.
The uncle sitting on Shen Zhong's other side, wearing a pair of sunglasses, spoke listlessly, "Hey, girl, we're not trying to make things difficult for you, but as you can see the situation now, I must be the finale! As for the others, your production team can arrange them as you see fit."
Xia Wei Liang had seen his profile before and knew he was also the lead singer of a once-influential rock band, Brother Duan. Now, known as Grandpa Duan, his acting career had been halted due to several willful experiences, but his defiant personality remained unchanged.
"Heh heh..."
The uncle in the center, dressed in a white Tang suit, spoke up, "Wanting to be the finale is fine, but have you asked your strength? Does it agree?"
Xia Wei Liang was incredibly excited to see him, Master Zhang—Shao Rufu!!
His portrayal of Master Zhang was considered an unsurpassed classic. It was no exaggeration to say that in that era without the internet, it caused a nationwide sensation, with people flocking to see it, and it was even said that crime rates had decreased.
However, what made him famous also contributed to his downfall. His character in the play was too classic, making it difficult for audiences to get into his subsequent roles. He had become quite Buddhist, essentially semi-retired. He enjoyed gardening, growing flowers, and playing with his grandchildren.
Seeing that these few were about to start fighting again, Xia Wei Liang quickly went over to appease them.
"Gentlemen! Let's not argue for now! Listen to me, the issue of who goes last is actually very easy to solve!"
They stopped and looked at her in unison.
Xia Wei Liang smiled charmingly, "Why don't we all appear together! Line up, and reveal yourselves simultaneously, and everyone will see, wow! Everyone is the finale!"
They were momentarily stunned and looked at each other.
Brother Duan: "Then I want to go first."
Shen Zhong: "Don't you want to be the finale? Then you should go last!"
Gao Xiujie: "Not fighting for the finale but wanting to snatch the head position? Heh, Master Zhang is right, have you asked your strength?"
Master Zhang: "So, do we need to discuss this again?"
Wang Qiancheng: Who am I? Where am I?
Xia Wei Liang: "Gentlemen! Coincidentally! I just have another idea!"