I'm Really a Superstar

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Later in the afternoon.

Around 3 PM.

With the jingling of keys opening the door, Zhang Ye pushed it open from the outside and walked into his house. The moment he stepped in, he could hear a singing program currently playing on television and knew his parents were already awake from their nap.

“Little Ye?” His mother stepped out to take a look.

“It’s me.” Zhang Ye bent down to remove his shoes. “Did I wake you?”

His mother said, “I just woke up. Where did you go?”

Zhang Ye took the newspaper from the mailbox and passed it to his mother. “Nowhere important. Someone came to look for me from Beijing Television Station, so I went out for a short meeting.”

“They were looking for you?” His father also looked over and asked.

His mother also guessed what was going on and said, “They’re meaning to ask you to go back?”

Zhang Ye nodded and said, “They want me to go back to help them with a primetime slot on Friday nights. It’s a program handled by my ex-leader, Hu Fei.”

His mother asked, “What did you tell him then?”

“I said I needed some time to consider and will only let him know tomorrow,” Zhang Ye said as he sat down.

His father gave him a look and said, “If you are willing to go back, then go. Don’t be bothered by any other things. It’s the satellite channel? A Friday primetime slot is quite good; it’s one of the best already. Since they came over to find you to discuss this, it can be seen just how sincere they are. I suppose the salary is quite good too?”

Zhang Ye looked a little unexcited and said, “I didn’t talk about that with them, but I don’t suppose it is low paying.”

His father nodded and said, “Alright then.”

His mother was strongly opposed to Zhang Ye going back to help out Beijing Television Station last time, but this time she kept silent for a while before saying, “If you really wish to go back, I won’t stop you. It’s already been so many days now and there hasn’t even been a television station that contacted you. I guess there is no point in waiting any further.”

Zhang Ye shook his head.

“Just what are you thinking?” his mother asked.

Zhang Ye threw up his hands and said, “I’ve already made up my mind. I have no plans of returning to Beijing Television Station yet.”

His mother wondered, “Then why did you go and help them?”

“I helped because I was returning a favor to my ex-leader. I did not take a fee for it either, so that is different from working.” Zhang Ye was also struggling over his decision. He said, “But right now, I am also undecided, because first off, being able to sign with a satellite channel is really tempting. Although many people are calling me a famous host and what not, those in the industry all know that I’m not one yet. I’ve only hosted at a radio station, a provincial channel, and an online television station before. I have never done any work at a satellite channel before. No matter how well known I am, I would only be considered a host who is not too bad and would not yet qualify to be called a famous host yet, so of course I hope to go on and become a host at a satellite channel next. Second, Beijing Television Station has freed up a Friday primetime slot now. That’s really tempting as well. Third, because Hu Fei was the person who brought me into the television industry and Dafei, Xiao Lu, Hou Ge, and Hou Di are also considered good friends, it would definitely be easier working with them, since I’ve grown accustomed to their work habits. Finally, it’s also as you have said, there are no other television stations that have approached me yet.”

His mother said, “Then go.”

“A good horse would never turn round to graze on an old pasture.” Zhang Ye shook his head.

His mother remarked snidely, “It’s still a better choice than having no job. You might not even get such a good chance at all in the future. If you really pass up this opportunity, you could even end up staying home for the next few months?”

Zhang Ye did not say anything.

His father advised, “When they fired you back then, it was difficult to pinpoint who was supposed to be blamed and the matter was already in the past anyway. Well, forget it. I won’t say more. You should decide on your own.”

“I’m going back to my room to lie down for a while,” Zhang Ye said.

His mother said, “I will wake you up when it’s time for dinner.”

“Sure.” Zhang Ye went back into his room, took off his slippers and crawled into bed.

The decision this time was really difficult for Zhang Ye to make in his current situation. It was an unimaginably difficult choice to make that no one else would understand. He knew that under his circumstances right now, Beijing Television Station should have been his first choice. It was his old employer and this time he would be signing with a program on the satellite channel. It was even a primetime slot and he would be working with his old team. Right now, when no one else wanted him, it would appear to others that this would be Zhang Ye’s big break in recent times, and perhaps the only break he’d get. If it were anyone else, they would probably take the offer, since in the entertainment industry, leaving and rejoining a company was very common. No one would find it strange. Besides, when Zhang Ye was helping Beijing Television Station in the urgent public service announcement incident, many of the media outlets had already speculated that Zhang Ye might be joining hands with his old employer once again as everything seemed to have played out according to script. In his meeting in the afternoon, Hu Fei even questioned him on more than one occasion about why he was hesitating, why he would even have to consider when given such a good opportunity had fallen from the heavens for him?

Yes, so why was it like this?

Zhang Ye did not seem to know the answer either. He had done a lot of things and was very different from most people. There were many other incidents that happened to him that also did not seem to have a reason for its occurrence.

He just did not wish to go!

At least for now, he did not wish to go!

He took out his cell phone, checking for someone to call and talk with.

Wu Zeqing? No, Old Wu was working at the moment.

Zhang Yuanqi? Forget it, she probably did not even switch on her cell phone.

Rao Aimin? Come on, if he called her, he would probably be listening to all her derogatory comments about him.

Then, Zhang Ye thought of Dong Shanshan. His old classmate who was also a broadcast host like himself. And so, he made the call to her.

Du…

Du…

“Sorry, the number you have just called is currently busy.”

Only after two rings, the call was cut off.

Zhang Ye was speechless for a long time. How dare she hang up on me? Could it be that she was busy with a new program? He had promised Dong Shanshan in the past that if she was lined up to do a new program, he would help contribute some ideas to her. And so, he called her again, but like earlier, was hung up on again. Zhang Ye keenly realized that this was a little odd. After some hesitation, he made a call to his old workplace at the online television station. He called the WebTV department straight on its direct line.

It got through.

“Hello, Weiwo Online television station.” A man answered.

Zhang Ye said, “I am Zhang Ye, may I know who I am speaking with?”

When the person heard this, he laughed and said, “Ah? Teacher Zhang? It’s me, Ah Qian!”

“Ah Qian, no wonder I thought it was a familiar voice. Why is it you answering the phone?” Zhang Ye was not exactly close to him but had come into contact quite frequently before when he was working there.

Ah Qian said, “It’s a little busy at the department today, so there’s only a few of us at our desks. Why did you call here?”

Zhang Ye still knew quite a number of people at the online television station, like Director Wang who had a pretty good relationship with him. But Zhang Ye did not call him because his goal was no longer at the online television station. He was instead aiming to join a satellite channel. He was afraid that if he called Wang Xiong, he might attempt to invite him back to the online television station and it would be difficult to reject him. So for this reason, he might as well have just called the department directly instead. He said, “Hai, it’s nothing much. I just wanted to call to ask how everyone is. I am still at Beijing and can’t go over to Shanghai. Oh yes, where’s Teacher Shanshan? Is she at the office? Is she busy with a new program?”

Ah Qian was a little taken aback and said, “Oh, you didn’t know?”

Zhang Ye was also taken aback by this and said, “Know about what?”

Ah Qian sighed and said, “Teacher Shanshan has already resigned.”

Zhang Ye said in surprise, “When was this? That can’t be. I saw her posting on Weibo just some time ago to ask her fans to support her new program!”

Ah Qian said, “It happened just yesterday. Teacher Shanshan and the staff of our program planning team had come up with a few proposals for the new segment but they were all rejected by the management. They felt that it wouldn’t work. A solution was then proposed by the leader instead for her to continue doing her original program for a second season as the program itself had pretty acceptable results before. The station didn’t want to take this risk. However, Shanshan wanted to take up something new for her development with a new program and a consensus could not be reached. Teacher Shanshan and the leader eventually fell out over this and she decided to resign.”

Zhang Ye said, “Then where is she now?”

“I don’t know, but I heard that she went back to her own home,” Ah Qian said.

Zhang Ye frowned, “Then does she not plan on working as a host anymore?”

Ah Qian said, “It might be that she hasn’t found another place to work at yet. After all, a host at our online television station is not as accepted by the traditional media as it isn’t as mainstream. So it also reflects as not too popular or stable for a host yet. This is how it is, but of course, you’re an exception.”

Zhang Ye said, “I understand. Thank you, Ah Qian.”

“It’s nothing,” said Ah Qian.

After hanging up, Zhang Ye finally understood why Dong Shanshan had hung up on him twice. He also knew that she was caught in a very unfavorable situation at the moment.

After pondering about this for a few minutes.

Zhang Ye sent a message over to her: “Answer the phone! (I’m not looking for a loan!)”

A moment later, Dong Shanshan returned his call and the first thing she said was: “You should have said so earlier. I thought you wanted to borrow money from me, so I did not dare answer your call.”

Zhang Ye was a little speechless at this but said: “Why are you so stingy?”

Dong Shanshan said girlishly: “Did you only just know that?”

“Don’t try to change the topic. What are you doing now?” Zhang Ye asked immediately.

“Me? I am busy with my new program. Didn’t you see my Weibo?”

“What program?”

“I’m still planning it. It hasn’t been confirmed yet.”

“How’s it going then?”

“Pretty good.”

“Oh, where are you now?”

“At the site having a meeting, that’s why I did not answer your call.”

“Oh. Which site?”

“Weiwo television station of course, where else? Alright, if there’s nothing, I have to hang up. I heard that you might be going back to your old employer? It must be a satellite channel this time, right? Let me congratulate you in advance then. When I go to Beijing next time, the first thing you must do is treat me to a Beijing restaurant, hur hur. That’s it then, I have to go now.”

After only talking for half a minute, the phone call ended.

Zhang Ye put down his phone and did not feel too good. This old classmate of his really never spoke a word of truth. He had always known this and was used to it, usually just smiling at what she said, but today when he heard Dong Shanshan’s lies, Zhang Ye could no longer smile at them.

Busy with a new program?

Even having a meeting at the online television station?

If Zhang Ye had not given a call to Weiwo Television Station, he would really have been fooled by Dong Shanshan. He understood that she did not say the truth so that he wouldn’t have to be worried for her. Even though Dong Shanshan was a woman, and a very sexy and feminine woman at that, she was also a very strongly independent person. She had mentioned that she still did not wish to get married early—something that could possibly be one of the few truths she had spoken before. So naturally, her focus and goals in life would definitely be on her work. Leaving her job this time would surely have messed up her plans. The fact that she did not tell this to anyone was understandable to Zhang Ye as he also thought the same as her. This was the reason why Zhang Ye did not expose her.