Chapter 105: Confronting the young ones, the older ones come forward
Meng Yuan’s description of the situation made Yu Nian laugh. With one hand holding his phone and the other being pulled by Xie You, he walked out of the cabin door. On the phone, Meng Yuan was still talking.
“He said that you are just a fame-seeking individual, but in his opinion, the real fame-seeker is that professor,” Meng Yuan explained.
Curious, Yu Nian asked, “Why does he say that?”
Meng Yuan replied, “You know Zhao Shuya, right? He’s a master at marketing and entertainment in the industry. Many artists have been manipulated and used by him for publicity.”
Yu Nian acknowledged it with a nod. Fenghe Entertainment had a poor reputation in the industry, and he had personal experiences with it.
Meng Yuan continued, “Zhao Shuya might not excel in other areas, but he mastered the art of publicity. After you all gave him a 5-point rating, his company released a single for him in no time. The quality was mediocre, to be honest, even a bit unpleasant to listen to. But thanks to his solid fan base and their willingness to spend money on him, they artificially boosted the data.”
Meng Yuan explained further, “Zhao Shuya’s father is a renowned national painting master, teaching at an art academy. So this Professor Zhao quickly capitalized on his son’s fame to promote his new book. His fans readily bought it, regardless of its content quality or readability, and it shot up to the top of the online sales chart, giving him even more recognition and solidifying the image of Zhao Shuya’s intellectual background and scholarly family.”
Understanding the situation now, Yu Nian asked, “But why did Professor Zhao suddenly mention me?”
“After deliberately seeking out a reporter, Professor Zhao did an interview about his new book, mainly discussing traditional Chinese painting and art. During the interview, the reporter asked a question about Yu Nian’s action of buying back a bronze artifact from abroad to prevent it from being acquired by a private museum owner in the island country. Professor Zhao responded with the same negative comments he made earlier, emphasizing that Yu Nian’s behavior is despised by literati.”
Yu Nian didn’t really care and just chuckled, saying, “Looks like I offended their family.”
Meng Yuan made a playful comment, pretending to hold his nose and speaking, “Yeah, even though he was supposed to be pre-selected, he didn’t get promoted and received a 5-point rating.”
Yu Nian laughed and said, “Brother Meng, don’t talk like that, I’m not used to it!”
“Hahaha, okay, okay, I’ll talk nicely!” Meng Yuan replied. “It’s not a big deal anyway. I took the liberty to influence public opinion a bit, but at least netizens weren’t completely fooled by Professor Zhao.”
They planned to meet later at Xingyao. After ending the call, Xie You asked, “What happened?”
“It’s just a minor thing, nothing significant,” Yu Nian smiled. “But recently, Sister Rou Rou has been saying that Brother Meng protects me like a baby bird and can’t stand anyone saying anything negative about me. I realized it might be true.”
Xie You thought to himself, “I can’t stand it either; my Nian Nian is perfect in every way.”
As they got into the car that came to pick them up from the airport, Yu Nian opened Weibo, which he hadn’t checked throughout the journey. He found his name prominently trending at fifth place with the hashtag #YuNianBeingCritiqued#. In the original interview video, both sides of the online battle were stirring up discussions, and amidst the sea of comments, various opinions were voiced.
[What’s going on with this interview? He spent a huge amount of money and went through all the trouble to buy back a national treasure from the island country to protect it, and now he’s being criticized? Hey, Professor, why don’t you cough up the money and buy it yourself? It’s easy to criticize from the comfort of your chair!]
[I’m so fed up with this celebrity’s publicity stunt. Buying antiques and cultural relics since university, then reaching the peak of bargain hunting, selling a broken bowl for three billion, and now buying bronze artifacts. I bet it won’t be long before these bronze artifacts are sold again to make headlines. It’s all about buying and selling, making money, but where’s the bottom line? Making money by trading precious artworks is one thing, but it shouldn’t be used for publicity! Professor Zhao is right; the scent of copper overpowers any literary image!]
[They say Yu Nian is into publicity, but where’s the evidence? If there’s no proof, stop ranting!]
[He invests in real estate, jewelry, and antique collectibles. Let him invest in whatever he wants. Doesn’t Professor Zhao also write books for money? If you’re truly an advocate for a clean stream, leading a frugal life, then why charge for your books? You should give them all away for free, benefiting the public, right? Selling books for fifty yuan each, it truly taints your literary image!]
After glancing over the comments, Yu Nian closed the interface.
Seeing Xie You looking concerned, Yu Nian leaned over and kissed Xie You’s cheek with a relaxed smile. “Life isn’t that long, only a little over 30 million minutes, 600,000 hours. Why waste time on irrelevant people when I can spend more time with the ones I love?”
He then blinked and asked playfully, “So, who do I love?”
Xie You blushed a little but looked happy. “Me.”
“Correct! Your reward is a kiss from me.”
Xie You’s eyes sparkled with a smile as he leaned in and kissed Yu Nian.
After properly storing the Chang Fang Zun in the insurance vault, Xie You went to handle the piled-up work at the company, while Yu Nian went to Xingyao Entertainment to meet Meng Yuan for the report.
In the office, as soon as Meng Yuan saw Yu Nian, he exclaimed, “I shouldn’t have let you go out alone. Every time you go out, you bring back big news! Buying local specialties, huh?”
Yu Nian handed the souvenir he brought to Meng Yuan and slyly replied, “Brother Meng, I didn’t go alone, I was with Xie You. If you want—”
“Forget it, forget it, take back what I just said. Pretend I didn’t say anything!” Meng Yuan instantly backed down. “Going out with President Xie is asking for trouble.”
Yu Nian couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
Meng Yuan waved the gift in his hand, “You do have a conscience!” Seeing Yu Nian still laughing, he stared at him, “You haven’t finished laughing yet? Hurry up, finish laughing, and let’s talk business.”
Taking the bright tablet from the table, Meng Yuan brought up some documents and explained in detail, “Firstly, the finale of ‘Let Me Sing’ aired last night, and the viewership has increased significantly. It’s undoubtedly the top-rated show of the year.”
“After that, the official account conducted a judge’s vote, and you received a really high number of votes, being named the most professional and elegant judge. The production team sent a big red envelope to everyone, including Bai Yan, all with the same amount.”
Yu Nian was very happy, “I thought I offended the production team last time, so I didn’t expect to receive a red envelope.”
Meng Yuan chuckled, “The production team isn’t foolish, but I checked the data. Although President Xie invested twice the funds, he’s still making a profit.”
Speaking of Xie You, Yu Nian’s smile deepened, “Xie You is quite smart. His analysis team made predictions, and although it was mainly because of Tang Xiaoke’s incident, it wasn’t reckless spending.”
Uninterested in this public display of affection, Meng Yuan continued, “The second matter is related to the Ri Yao Mobile’s program, assisting children in mountainous areas. You are the brand spokesperson, and they are asking if you want to participate. The requirement is for you to personally visit the mountain areas and produce a documentary-like episode.”
Yu Nian agreed without much thought, “I’d like to participate. It happens that I have a relatively open schedule during this time.”
Meng Yuan warned him, “Be clear about it, though. It won’t be convenient for you to bathe in those small mountain villages.”
Yu Nian didn’t mind, “I was with an archaeological team digging sand in Ancient Yang River, which was in the desert. The environment there should be more challenging than in the mountains.”
“That’s good,” Meng Yuan nodded, “I think it’s a good idea to participate. It will only take four days, and it will greatly help in establishing your positive image. Alright, it’s settled then. Once Ri Yao Phone’s activity is planned, we’ll set off.”
After making a note, Meng Yuan remembered something, “I just heard that Professor Zhao, Zhao Shuya’s father, Zhao Chunming, has been invited to ‘The Grand Lecture.’ Originally, he wasn’t supposed to go, but because of his recent popularity, they invited him.”
“‘The Grand Lecture’?” Yu Nian recalled, “I know that show. During the first season, my senior, Xu Lianyan, went on and talked about the restoration of ancient paintings.”
“All your senior brothers are really talented!” Meng Yuan remembered Yu Nian’s teacher and his senior brothers clearly. Holding the tablet, he joked, “One Zhao Shuya is not enough trouble; it seems his father is also seeking attention. I hope he won’t drag you into his publicity stunt again.”
However, things didn’t go as planned. After the episode of “The Grand Lecture” hosted by Zhao Chunming was aired, Yu Nian was dragged into the discussion again.
The reason was that Zhao Chunming talked about ancient paintings and art during the show and mentioned beauty and aesthetics. He said that art and aesthetics have a high threshold, and if people can’t even afford takeout, how can they talk about the perception of beauty? If they don’t have money, they’ll only appreciate the beauty of money, putting money first. For example, they would look at a painting like looking at a stack of banknotes, completely devoid of the perception of beauty.
Netizens have a good memory, and when they saw the phrase “can’t even afford takeout,” they immediately knew who it referred to. So, in a flash, Yu Nian was @ in numerous posts, and the topic trended again.
Even Meng Yuan felt helpless, “This Zhao family father and son, if they don’t involve you, will their lives be tasteless and meaningless?”
Hearing the commotion, Yu Nian found that Meng Yuan was watching Zhao Chunming’s video. Meng Yuan was puzzled, “What are you doing watching the video?”
Yu Nian explained, “I saw a screenshot, and it might be taken out of context, so I watched the entire video. But as it turns out, there was no misunderstanding.”
Meng Yuan found it reasonable, “And then?”
“Then, I offended them, right? So, I might as well offend them thoroughly,” Yu Nian said as he switched to the Weibo interface and began typing without hesitation.
After a while, Meng Yuan came across Yu Nian’s latest Weibo post.
“Yu Nian: Perception of beauty is innate to human beings, and this perception gives birth to art. In the places where early humans lived, there were necklaces made of animal teeth, simple drawings on rock walls, and fish carvings on pottery. These are all human perceptions of beauty and are all forms of art.
The perception of beauty should not be judged by high or low, nor should it be a narrow concept. I may not be able to afford takeout, but even when eating steamed buns, I still notice the bright sunshine, how beautiful the world truly is.”
Soon after, various marketing accounts started reposting screenshots, asking for opinions on Yu Nian’s response.
[I stand with Yu Nian in this wave! What is that professor talking about? Are those who earn two thousand yuan a month and eat buns every day for breakfast not allowed to perceive beauty? I love looking up at the vast starry sky, and I believe my life is not just about getting by!]
[Yu Nian said it right! Besides, can’t we appreciate the beauty of money? I think the color, design, and proportion of the one-hundred-yuan banknote are all beautiful! What’s the problem?]
[What’s wrong with pretending to be highbrow? Just based on that one statement from the professor, it’s full of flaws and illogical! Does this professor think that poor people can only see money and cannot perceive art and beauty? Countless literati and painters’ coffins will not be able to suppress the anger!]
[Originally, I didn’t think the professor would go this far, but looking at the way things are going, is he deliberately targeting Yu Nian? Why so biased? And then, upon investigation, oh, he’s the father of Zhao Shuya, the Chinese painting master…]
Yu Nian didn’t avoid the situation but instead fanned the flames directly. Afterward, he planned to put down his phone and stop paying attention to the matter. However, as soon as the phone was placed on the table, it vibrated.
Seeing the contact’s name – Director Gan Zhou from the Ningcheng Museum, Yu Nian didn’t move and answered the call right in the office.
“Director Gan, hello.”
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Gan Zhou got to the point, “Nian Nian, are you busy recently?”
“Not particularly. My schedule isn’t too tight. Is there something you need?”
“Yes, I have something. There’s a program called ‘Treasure Hunt,’ somewhat similar to the previous antique appraisal programs. However, the difference is that this program focuses not on the authenticity of the treasures but more on the people, the treasures themselves, and the stories between them.
I value the humanistic sentiment in it, so I agreed to the program’s invitation and became one of the three appraisers. You also know the other appraiser; it’s Lao Gu Yiyan.”
Yu Nian was surprised, “Grandpa Gu?”
“Yes, that’s right. Lao Gu said he doesn’t understand things like viewership ratings or advertising investment; he only values the fact that this program can help the masses understand that every ancient artifact has a story given by time.”
“Grandpa Gu is right.” Yu Nian understood Gan Zhou’s purpose now. “So, Director Gan, are you trying to get me involved too?”
“Haha, you figured it out!” Gan Zhou laughed heartily and straightforwardly said, “The production team wants to invite a celebrity to participate to expand the show’s audience and increase its popularity. The production team, me, and Lao Gu all thought of you. So, today, I’m shamelessly calling to ask.”
Yu Nian was very tempted but didn’t immediately agree. Instead, he said, “It involves work, so I need to discuss it with my agent.”
“I understand. I’ll wait for your good news!”
After the call, Yu Nian recounted Gan Zhou’s proposal. Meng Yuan was thoughtful and made a few phone calls to understand the details of the program.
“This program seems reliable, planned by the national channel. Its purpose is educational, but it also carries some official intentions to regulate the antique collection market. Gan Zhou, the director of Ningcheng Museum, and Gu Yiyan, the expert in cultural relic appraisal, have already been confirmed. Recording shouldn’t be too difficult, not too much script.
If you want to go, you can. But this project has been delayed for a while, and once the cast is confirmed, recording will likely start within a few days.”
Yu Nian didn’t hesitate much, “Brother Meng, please help me contact them. I’m not concerned about the appearance fee; I really want to participate.”
“Sure, no problem!”
Chapter 105: Confronting the young ones, the older ones come forward
Meng Yuan’s description of the situation made Yu Nian laugh. With one hand holding his phone and the other being pulled by Xie You, he walked out of the cabin door. On the phone, Meng Yuan was still talking.
“He said that you are just a fame-seeking individual, but in his opinion, the real fame-seeker is that professor,” Meng Yuan explained.
Curious, Yu Nian asked, “Why does he say that?”
Meng Yuan replied, “You know Zhao Shuya, right? He’s a master at marketing and entertainment in the industry. Many artists have been manipulated and used by him for publicity.”
Yu Nian acknowledged it with a nod. Fenghe Entertainment had a poor reputation in the industry, and he had personal experiences with it.
Meng Yuan continued, “Zhao Shuya might not excel in other areas, but he mastered the art of publicity. After you all gave him a 5-point rating, his company released a single for him in no time. The quality was mediocre, to be honest, even a bit unpleasant to listen to. But thanks to his solid fan base and their willingness to spend money on him, they artificially boosted the data.”
Meng Yuan explained further, “Zhao Shuya’s father is a renowned national painting master, teaching at an art academy. So this Professor Zhao quickly capitalized on his son’s fame to promote his new book. His fans readily bought it, regardless of its content quality or readability, and it shot up to the top of the online sales chart, giving him even more recognition and solidifying the image of Zhao Shuya’s intellectual background and scholarly family.”
Understanding the situation now, Yu Nian asked, “But why did Professor Zhao suddenly mention me?”
“After deliberately seeking out a reporter, Professor Zhao did an interview about his new book, mainly discussing traditional Chinese painting and art. During the interview, the reporter asked a question about Yu Nian’s action of buying back a bronze artifact from abroad to prevent it from being acquired by a private museum owner in the island country. Professor Zhao responded with the same negative comments he made earlier, emphasizing that Yu Nian’s behavior is despised by literati.”
Yu Nian didn’t really care and just chuckled, saying, “Looks like I offended their family.”
Meng Yuan made a playful comment, pretending to hold his nose and speaking, “Yeah, even though he was supposed to be pre-selected, he didn’t get promoted and received a 5-point rating.”
Yu Nian laughed and said, “Brother Meng, don’t talk like that, I’m not used to it!”
“Hahaha, okay, okay, I’ll talk nicely!” Meng Yuan replied. “It’s not a big deal anyway. I took the liberty to influence public opinion a bit, but at least netizens weren’t completely fooled by Professor Zhao.”
They planned to meet later at Xingyao. After ending the call, Xie You asked, “What happened?”
“It’s just a minor thing, nothing significant,” Yu Nian smiled. “But recently, Sister Rou Rou has been saying that Brother Meng protects me like a baby bird and can’t stand anyone saying anything negative about me. I realized it might be true.”
Xie You thought to himself, “I can’t stand it either; my Nian Nian is perfect in every way.”
As they got into the car that came to pick them up from the airport, Yu Nian opened Weibo, which he hadn’t checked throughout the journey. He found his name prominently trending at fifth place with the hashtag #YuNianBeingCritiqued#. In the original interview video, both sides of the online battle were stirring up discussions, and amidst the sea of comments, various opinions were voiced.
[What’s going on with this interview? He spent a huge amount of money and went through all the trouble to buy back a national treasure from the island country to protect it, and now he’s being criticized? Hey, Professor, why don’t you cough up the money and buy it yourself? It’s easy to criticize from the comfort of your chair!]
[I’m so fed up with this celebrity’s publicity stunt. Buying antiques and cultural relics since university, then reaching the peak of bargain hunting, selling a broken bowl for three billion, and now buying bronze artifacts. I bet it won’t be long before these bronze artifacts are sold again to make headlines. It’s all about buying and selling, making money, but where’s the bottom line? Making money by trading precious artworks is one thing, but it shouldn’t be used for publicity! Professor Zhao is right; the scent of copper overpowers any literary image!]
[They say Yu Nian is into publicity, but where’s the evidence? If there’s no proof, stop ranting!]
[He invests in real estate, jewelry, and antique collectibles. Let him invest in whatever he wants. Doesn’t Professor Zhao also write books for money? If you’re truly an advocate for a clean stream, leading a frugal life, then why charge for your books? You should give them all away for free, benefiting the public, right? Selling books for fifty yuan each, it truly taints your literary image!]
After glancing over the comments, Yu Nian closed the interface.
Seeing Xie You looking concerned, Yu Nian leaned over and kissed Xie You’s cheek with a relaxed smile. “Life isn’t that long, only a little over 30 million minutes, 600,000 hours. Why waste time on irrelevant people when I can spend more time with the ones I love?”
He then blinked and asked playfully, “So, who do I love?”
Xie You blushed a little but looked happy. “Me.”
“Correct! Your reward is a kiss from me.”
Xie You’s eyes sparkled with a smile as he leaned in and kissed Yu Nian.
After properly storing the Chang Fang Zun in the insurance vault, Xie You went to handle the piled-up work at the company, while Yu Nian went to Xingyao Entertainment to meet Meng Yuan for the report.
In the office, as soon as Meng Yuan saw Yu Nian, he exclaimed, “I shouldn’t have let you go out alone. Every time you go out, you bring back big news! Buying local specialties, huh?”
Yu Nian handed the souvenir he brought to Meng Yuan and slyly replied, “Brother Meng, I didn’t go alone, I was with Xie You. If you want—”
“Forget it, forget it, take back what I just said. Pretend I didn’t say anything!” Meng Yuan instantly backed down. “Going out with President Xie is asking for trouble.”
Yu Nian couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
Meng Yuan waved the gift in his hand, “You do have a conscience!” Seeing Yu Nian still laughing, he stared at him, “You haven’t finished laughing yet? Hurry up, finish laughing, and let’s talk business.”
Taking the bright tablet from the table, Meng Yuan brought up some documents and explained in detail, “Firstly, the finale of ‘Let Me Sing’ aired last night, and the viewership has increased significantly. It’s undoubtedly the top-rated show of the year.”
“After that, the official account conducted a judge’s vote, and you received a really high number of votes, being named the most professional and elegant judge. The production team sent a big red envelope to everyone, including Bai Yan, all with the same amount.”
Yu Nian was very happy, “I thought I offended the production team last time, so I didn’t expect to receive a red envelope.”
Meng Yuan chuckled, “The production team isn’t foolish, but I checked the data. Although President Xie invested twice the funds, he’s still making a profit.”
Speaking of Xie You, Yu Nian’s smile deepened, “Xie You is quite smart. His analysis team made predictions, and although it was mainly because of Tang Xiaoke’s incident, it wasn’t reckless spending.”
Uninterested in this public display of affection, Meng Yuan continued, “The second matter is related to the Ri Yao Mobile’s program, assisting children in mountainous areas. You are the brand spokesperson, and they are asking if you want to participate. The requirement is for you to personally visit the mountain areas and produce a documentary-like episode.”
Yu Nian agreed without much thought, “I’d like to participate. It happens that I have a relatively open schedule during this time.”
Meng Yuan warned him, “Be clear about it, though. It won’t be convenient for you to bathe in those small mountain villages.”
Yu Nian didn’t mind, “I was with an archaeological team digging sand in Ancient Yang River, which was in the desert. The environment there should be more challenging than in the mountains.”
“That’s good,” Meng Yuan nodded, “I think it’s a good idea to participate. It will only take four days, and it will greatly help in establishing your positive image. Alright, it’s settled then. Once Ri Yao Phone’s activity is planned, we’ll set off.”
After making a note, Meng Yuan remembered something, “I just heard that Professor Zhao, Zhao Shuya’s father, Zhao Chunming, has been invited to ‘The Grand Lecture.’ Originally, he wasn’t supposed to go, but because of his recent popularity, they invited him.”
“‘The Grand Lecture’?” Yu Nian recalled, “I know that show. During the first season, my senior, Xu Lianyan, went on and talked about the restoration of ancient paintings.”
“All your senior brothers are really talented!” Meng Yuan remembered Yu Nian’s teacher and his senior brothers clearly. Holding the tablet, he joked, “One Zhao Shuya is not enough trouble; it seems his father is also seeking attention. I hope he won’t drag you into his publicity stunt again.”
However, things didn’t go as planned. After the episode of “The Grand Lecture” hosted by Zhao Chunming was aired, Yu Nian was dragged into the discussion again.
The reason was that Zhao Chunming talked about ancient paintings and art during the show and mentioned beauty and aesthetics. He said that art and aesthetics have a high threshold, and if people can’t even afford takeout, how can they talk about the perception of beauty? If they don’t have money, they’ll only appreciate the beauty of money, putting money first. For example, they would look at a painting like looking at a stack of banknotes, completely devoid of the perception of beauty.
Netizens have a good memory, and when they saw the phrase “can’t even afford takeout,” they immediately knew who it referred to. So, in a flash, Yu Nian was @ in numerous posts, and the topic trended again.
Even Meng Yuan felt helpless, “This Zhao family father and son, if they don’t involve you, will their lives be tasteless and meaningless?”
Hearing the commotion, Yu Nian found that Meng Yuan was watching Zhao Chunming’s video. Meng Yuan was puzzled, “What are you doing watching the video?”
Yu Nian explained, “I saw a screenshot, and it might be taken out of context, so I watched the entire video. But as it turns out, there was no misunderstanding.”
Meng Yuan found it reasonable, “And then?”
“Then, I offended them, right? So, I might as well offend them thoroughly,” Yu Nian said as he switched to the Weibo interface and began typing without hesitation.
After a while, Meng Yuan came across Yu Nian’s latest Weibo post.
“Yu Nian: Perception of beauty is innate to human beings, and this perception gives birth to art. In the places where early humans lived, there were necklaces made of animal teeth, simple drawings on rock walls, and fish carvings on pottery. These are all human perceptions of beauty and are all forms of art.
The perception of beauty should not be judged by high or low, nor should it be a narrow concept. I may not be able to afford takeout, but even when eating steamed buns, I still notice the bright sunshine, how beautiful the world truly is.”
Soon after, various marketing accounts started reposting screenshots, asking for opinions on Yu Nian’s response.
[I stand with Yu Nian in this wave! What is that professor talking about? Are those who earn two thousand yuan a month and eat buns every day for breakfast not allowed to perceive beauty? I love looking up at the vast starry sky, and I believe my life is not just about getting by!]
[Yu Nian said it right! Besides, can’t we appreciate the beauty of money? I think the color, design, and proportion of the one-hundred-yuan banknote are all beautiful! What’s the problem?]
[What’s wrong with pretending to be highbrow? Just based on that one statement from the professor, it’s full of flaws and illogical! Does this professor think that poor people can only see money and cannot perceive art and beauty? Countless literati and painters’ coffins will not be able to suppress the anger!]
[Originally, I didn’t think the professor would go this far, but looking at the way things are going, is he deliberately targeting Yu Nian? Why so biased? And then, upon investigation, oh, he’s the father of Zhao Shuya, the Chinese painting master…]
Yu Nian didn’t avoid the situation but instead fanned the flames directly. Afterward, he planned to put down his phone and stop paying attention to the matter. However, as soon as the phone was placed on the table, it vibrated.
Seeing the contact’s name – Director Gan Zhou from the Ningcheng Museum, Yu Nian didn’t move and answered the call right in the office.
“Director Gan, hello.”
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Gan Zhou got to the point, “Nian Nian, are you busy recently?”
“Not particularly. My schedule isn’t too tight. Is there something you need?”
“Yes, I have something. There’s a program called ‘Treasure Hunt,’ somewhat similar to the previous antique appraisal programs. However, the difference is that this program focuses not on the authenticity of the treasures but more on the people, the treasures themselves, and the stories between them.
I value the humanistic sentiment in it, so I agreed to the program’s invitation and became one of the three appraisers. You also know the other appraiser; it’s Lao Gu Yiyan.”
Yu Nian was surprised, “Grandpa Gu?”
“Yes, that’s right. Lao Gu said he doesn’t understand things like viewership ratings or advertising investment; he only values the fact that this program can help the masses understand that every ancient artifact has a story given by time.”
“Grandpa Gu is right.” Yu Nian understood Gan Zhou’s purpose now. “So, Director Gan, are you trying to get me involved too?”
“Haha, you figured it out!” Gan Zhou laughed heartily and straightforwardly said, “The production team wants to invite a celebrity to participate to expand the show’s audience and increase its popularity. The production team, me, and Lao Gu all thought of you. So, today, I’m shamelessly calling to ask.”
Yu Nian was very tempted but didn’t immediately agree. Instead, he said, “It involves work, so I need to discuss it with my agent.”
“I understand. I’ll wait for your good news!”
After the call, Yu Nian recounted Gan Zhou’s proposal. Meng Yuan was thoughtful and made a few phone calls to understand the details of the program.
“This program seems reliable, planned by the national channel. Its purpose is educational, but it also carries some official intentions to regulate the antique collection market. Gan Zhou, the director of Ningcheng Museum, and Gu Yiyan, the expert in cultural relic appraisal, have already been confirmed. Recording shouldn’t be too difficult, not too much script.
If you want to go, you can. But this project has been delayed for a while, and once the cast is confirmed, recording will likely start within a few days.”
Yu Nian didn’t hesitate much, “Brother Meng, please help me contact them. I’m not concerned about the appearance fee; I really want to participate.”
“Sure, no problem!”
