Chapter 103: Deputy Director Zhou

“Really, do you two have to be this formal?” Su Chen ruffled his messy hair as he opened the door and let Lu Yuanqing and Ji Xiangyang in.

“Sit wherever you like!” He waved them to the sofa opposite.

He hadn’t made them wait downstairs. Since there was no rush, he’d simply invited them up. In the room, they briefly discussed what needed to be prepared, had breakfast, and then set off for the TV station.

Zhejiang South Satellite TV was located along a major road at the edge of Hangzhou’s third ring road, occupying a considerable area. Looking out from the car window, one could see the large sign atop a ten-story building: Zhejiang Provincial Television Station. Though the building was showing its age, it stood out prominently in the open grounds of the complex. It was easy to imagine just how grand it must have been back when tall buildings were few and far between.

Because the main road was under construction, the three had to detour into a small alley and enter through a side door. They had deliberately avoided the morning rush, so the complex was relatively quiet. The few people they did encounter hurried by, seemingly there to participate in programs, paying no attention to Lu Yuanqing and his group.

Ji Xiangyang was something of a local here, so naturally, he took the lead.

“Our station has nineteen floors in total. Floors two through five are studios, while the offices for the various programs start from the sixth floor up. The executives are generally on the fifteenth floor and above. Today, we’re meeting with Deputy Director Zhou, whose office is on the seventeenth floor.”

As they entered the building, Ji Xiangyang explained all this to Su Chen and Lu Yuanqing.

“We’re going straight up?” Su Chen asked in surprise.

“It’s fine, I’ve already let them know. In fact, Deputy Director Zhou messaged me early this morning to ask when we’d arrive—he’s free all morning,” Ji Xiangyang replied with a chuckle, glancing at Lu Yuanqing. “With a star like Brother Qing here, Deputy Director Zhou is more than happy to accommodate us.”

Lu Yuanqing laughed and scolded him good-naturedly, to which Ji Xiangyang responded with playful banter.

Unlike the old exterior, the office areas inside had clearly been renovated in recent years, appearing quite modern. The group took the elevator straight to the seventeenth floor.

Knock, knock.

“Come in!”

As soon as they entered the office, they saw a middle-aged man in his fifties behind the desk, looking over some documents.

“Welcome, welcome!” Deputy Director Zhou stood up and came around the desk, warmly shaking Lu Yuanqing’s hand.

“I’ve long heard of the great King Lu. It’s an honor to finally meet you in person.”

Lu Yuanqing hastily replied, “Director Zhou, you’re too kind. I’ve been hoping to visit, and only now has the opportunity arisen.”

After a few pleasantries, they all sat down in the lounge area. When the tea was served and the staff had left, Deputy Director Zhou smiled and got down to business.

“Xiao Ji mentioned the matter to me before. Our station does want to create a variety show IP. But as you know, the industry is struggling these days—ordinary programs hardly stand out. We’ve tried a number of things, but none have really succeeded…”

He sighed, the implication clear: though they had a need, the proposal would have to meet their standards.

Lu Yuanqing exchanged glances with Ji Xiangyang and Su Chen, then quickly responded, “The situation really isn’t optimistic. Even us old hands are finding it hard to survive.”

After a round of mutual commiseration and flattery, Lu Yuanqing suddenly changed tack. “But the program I’ve brought this time—if done well—could definitely become a phenomenon, maybe even revive the entire variety show industry.”

“Oh?” Seeing how confident Lu Yuanqing was, Zhou Qi’s interest was piqued. “Did you bring the proposal?”

Before Lu Yuanqing could give him a look, Su Chen handed over the prepared document.

“The Voice of China?” Zhou Qi glanced at the cover, then began flipping through it. After only a moment, his eyes narrowed and he sat up straighter.

The more he read, the more serious his expression became. Su Chen and the others waited quietly.

At last—whoosh.

Zhou Qi closed the proposal and let out a long breath. He looked up at Lu Yuanqing, his eyes shining with excitement, barely able to contain himself.

As expected, Lu Yuanqing just smiled in response.

“Who came up with this?” Zhou Qi couldn’t help but ask.

Lu Yuanqing and Ji Xiangyang both looked at Su Chen.

“Hm?” Zhou Qi was taken aback. “And this is…?”

“This is Su Chen, the chief planner of ‘The Voice of China,’” Lu Yuanqing introduced.

They had organized this meeting under Lu Yuanqing’s name, with Ji Xiangyang making the connection. All this time, Su Chen had been a quiet presence. Zhou Qi had assumed he was an assistant or a junior employee, and had even wondered why such an important meeting included someone seemingly unrelated.

He hadn’t expected that this young man was the mastermind behind the show.

Taking a closer look, Zhou Qi noticed that, under his gaze, Su Chen remained calm and smiling, exuding a composure beyond his years. Zhou Qi was quietly astonished.

“Incredible—truly, heroes are born young.”

After some praise, Su Chen began to explain the proposal in detail. Zhou Qi had only skimmed it before, but as Su Chen analyzed it, everything suddenly became clear, leaving Zhou Qi even more delighted.

“Su, would you be interested in working at our station?”

“Director Zhou, you’re poaching him right in front of us!” Lu Yuanqing protested, feigning outrage, and Zhou Qi laughed heartily.

Of course, headhunting was just a formality—after all, they’d only just met. It was simply a gesture.

“This proposal is excellent! Even as a professional, looking at it critically, I can’t find any flaws. What’s more, it uses topic-driven marketing to spark excitement, encouraging audience interaction and resonance—a rare feat. It’s truly hard to imagine that someone so young could have conceived it.”

When Su Chen finished his presentation, Zhou Qi gave him a thumbs-up without reservation.

“So, do you have any thoughts on how we might collaborate?” Zhou Qi asked at this crucial moment, actively steering the conversation toward partnership.

Su Chen knew then that Zhejiang South Satellite TV had already made up its mind to choose their proposal. The only thing left to discuss was how much creative freedom and space he would be given in this project.