I'm Really a Superstar

The news blew up!

On that same afternoon, the news started spreading!

"The Spring Festival Gala's executive director quits?"

"Director Li clashes with the leaders!"

"Li Ke calls it quits!"

"Central TV has confirmed the news!"

"A gloom cast over the Spring Festival Gala. No one to take the job?"

"The public calls for the Spring Festival Gala to be canceled!"

"Where will the Spring Festival Gala go from here?"

Central TV issued a statement very quickly.

Immediately after, Li Ke also issued a statement. He simply explained his reasons for withdrawing from the Spring Festival Gala's production team, albeit being relatively tactful about it. But reading between the lines, it could be felt that Li Ke was rather emotional about it.

At this point in time the previous years, Central TV's Spring Festival Gala would already have assigned a director for the job. In fact, the first approval session would even have almost been completed. However, this year, the appointment of the executive director was still not confirmed, much less the first approval session. They had finally convinced Li Ke to take the role after dragging on the matter for a long time, but it still ended up with him quitting. Did they have to do everything all over again?

To restart the process of selecting a director?

To redo their plan anew?

To invite the performers from the beginning again?

They hadn't even gotten the stage setup ready yet!

Would there still be enough time to get everything together?

As such, when this news was revealed, it caused quite a stir in the country. The public's view of this matter was more pessimistic. They already did not have much hope for this year's Spring Festival Gala, but this news put even more doubt into their minds.

On Weibo.

"Even Director Li has quit?"

"He never wanted to take this 'hot potato' of a job in the first place!"

"Yeah, Director Li is already doing very well on his films. He should just stick to that and not get his hands dirty by taking the Spring Festival Gala job. That's only finding trouble for himself."

"Well now, they don't even have an executive director to handle things anymore!"

"Who else can they get?"

"I don't know, they've probably approached everyone that they could already."

"Yeah, they're really shuffling through a lot of people for the Spring Festival Gala's executive director role in recent years. They've already used almost every first-rate director in the country, even getting those famous directors from the film industry and those who are based overseas. Just from the Central TV system alone, there's already Old Hai, Old Qu, and Old Li. Who hasn't been considered for the role before? But as it stands? They're all getting worse and worse with each passing year. The same goes for the viewership ratings and the reputation of the gala, both of which are declining as well. There are almost no examples of an executive director getting reelected for the role in the following year. Everyone who takes the job would only end up taking the rap for the poor showing, and then that repeats for the next person in line after that."

"They're probably not going to be ready in time this year, right?"

"I think so too. There might not even be a broadcast of the gala anymore."

"That's not going to happen. The Spring Festival Gala will surely take place."

"But there's no one left to choose from anymore. The big directors have all been used already."

"But there are still many smaller directors around."

"There may be a lot of them, and they are surely eyeing the directing of the Spring Festival Gala as well, but the higher-ups would have to be willing to settle for them first. This is not a job that anyone can do. If you want to direct the Spring Festival Gala, you have to have some achievements first, don't you? You have to show some capabilities and results first, right? Otherwise, who would be convinced by you? Actually, a lot of people might be criticizing and flaming the Spring Festival Gala harshly each year, even threatening not to watch it anymore. The organizers are also often ridiculed year after year too. I remember that such things have been going on for the past four to five years already, hasn't it? But in the end? When we come to the night of Lunar New Year's Eve, aren't we all still always sitting in front of our televisions and waiting there eagerly? Hai, everyone still has feelings for the Spring Festival Gala, after all. That's why we're so pissed about it. We all have our expectations and just hope that it will be well produced."

"Yeah, my childhood memories are all of the Spring Festival Gala."

"Yup, those were the days. I really miss them."

"Let's see who they get this time to save the day."

"In any case, I can't think of a suitable candidate."

On Weibo.

In the discussion forums.

On the social networks.

On the streets.

In the companies.

The people were heatedly discussing it!

Then the media joined in!

The people's attention of the Spring Festival Gala reached a peak. All the citizens were paying attention to the developments of the matter and were waiting for the latest news updates to come from the top!

…

There was also chaos within the arts circle!

At Zhang Ye's Studio.

Ha Qiqi, Zhang Zuo, and the others were all frowning.

Little Wang didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "Director Li is really not going to continue working? Then what should we do?"

Zhang Ye said, "Who knows what we can do?"

Tong Fu said, "We don't care who becomes the director. All we want is for them to let us get on the Spring Festival Gala."

Ha Qiqi said helplessly, "The problem is that other than Director Li Ke, none of the other big directors in the country are on good terms with Director Zhang, right? Even if they do give face to our Director Zhang, they wouldn't possibly stand their ground to invite Director Zhang against Central TV's wishes, would they?"

Zhang Zuo said angrily, "Just tell me, what is this? The show was all prepared and the script was nearly approved too. With Director Li leaving at this time, everything will have to restart from scratch. The invite list to the performers that Director Li drew up definitely won't count anymore. To think that we were still banking on the Spring Festival Gala to push us to the S-list!"

Then, Zhang Ye's cell phone rang.

It was from the famous skit actress, Ci Xiufang.

"Auntie Ci."

"Boss Zhang, I heard that you were there when it happened? What went on in there!"

"I'm not too sure either. Old Li seemed like he got into a fight with the higher-ups and then suddenly said that he was quitting. I couldn't persuade him since he wasn't willing to listen at all."

"Hai, then what will happen to our show?"

"You were invited as well?"

"Yes, that's why I am so anxious about this. So do we continue preparing for it or not?"

"Who knows!"

Afterwards, Zhang Xia also called.

Zhang Xia was also one of the invited performers for this year's Spring Festival Gala.

"Zhang'er, has Central TV contacted you yet about the show matters?"

"Not yet, how about you?"

"They didn't contact me after that either. I've already asked, but they've been plunged into chaos over there."

"Hai, all the plans have been messed up!"

"Yes, this came too suddenly. There were no signs of it happening at all. We can only wait for the new director to be appointed before the new program list gets drawn up again."

"I guess we can only wait then. There's no other way about it."

…

At the organizing committee for the Spring Festival Gala.

In the large conference room, several dozen people were in a terrible fix.

There were people from Central TV in here, as well as comrades from the Ministry of Culture and leaders from the SARFT. Every one of them was worrying over the Spring Festival Gala's executive director role!

"Old Li went too far!"

"Yeah, how can he just quit like that!"

"There's no point arguing about it anymore. What candidates do we have? Please make a few recommendations!"

"Chief Chen, what do you think of Director Wang Qi?"

"Wang Qi is not good enough."

"Yes, he doesn't have enough experience."

"What about Li Chaoran?"

"Little Li is a masterful director in the world of theater, but that's too different from the stage of the Spring Festival Gala. It's too big of a jump, so appointing Little Li to head the Spring Festival Gala would make it into a laughing matter for sure."

"Then there really isn't anyone else!"

"Yeah, there are only so many best directors we have in the country. They can all be counted on two hands. Even if we were to lower the requirements, there shouldn't be more than 20 people we can consider. A majority of these people have already taken the Spring Festival Gala job before, but their results weren't exactly good either. What's more, perhaps due to there being too much criticism afterwards which affected their reputations, many of these top directors are no longer willing to take on such a 'hot potato' role. All of them are hiding as far away from it as possible."

"Is there really no one else?"

"In the camp of top directors, there really isn't anyone else."

"That might not be true."

"Oh? Old Han, who else is there?"

"That person…forget it. Take it that I didn't mention anything."

"What's with the suspense? Hurry up and say it."

"That person's status is a little bit special."

"Special? Is he a top director?"

"He is a top director. In fact, he's definitely one of the best in the country. He's also quite different from Li Ke. Although Li Ke is a top director in the film industry, he cannot be considered the best. At most, he is one of the top three directors in film. But that person is definitely the top in his industry, without anyone coming close."

"He's number one?"

"Yes."

"Is there a big difference in his role in the industry from the gala's director role?"

"Not much. In fact, it might even be a smaller jump than a film director's role."

"So who is it? Don't keep us in suspense, Old Han!"

"But that person…well, his temper isn't really that good."

A silence fell upon the large conference room!

Everyone gasped!

"You're talking about him?"

"It's him?"

Everyone was looking at each other, clearly having guessed who Old Han was referring to!