I'm Really a Superstar

The both of them were still disputing.

Jiang Yuan: "No, definitely not Zhang Ye!"

Yan Tianfei sneered. "Then were you just making an empty offer!?"

Jiang Yuan said, "Old Yan, I was only giving you face by letting you pick a person. It's not like our Department 1 owes your Department 14 anything. If you want to be that way, then just take it as if I'd never offered at all!"

Yan Tianfei replied, "Department 1 has badly fallen out with Zhang Ye, even going all the way to court for a lawsuit. You people no longer have plans to arrange any work for Zhang Ye, but with a person like him whose popularity ranks within the top three at Central TV and is able to plan programs and even host them, he's just going to be doing nothing all day long at your department with that cold storage treatment, right? Since you have no plans for him? Then Department 14 will make plans for him! We lack talent on our side. Just tell me, which TV channel works in such a way like you do? With such a top host in your ranks, you've chosen to censor him instead! A bunch of prodigals!"

Jiang Yuan was furious. "How can you talk that way, Old Yan!"

Yan Tianfei rebuked, "Since you have taken my people, then you ought to make it up to me!"

They did not notice Zhang Ye who had just came out of the elevator not too far from them. Zhang Ye caught a glimpse of them and overheard most of what they said, but did not go up to greet them. He just made his way back to his program team office.

Half the staff were here, while the other half had not arrived yet.

Little Wang's eyes lit up. "Director Zhang!"

Ha Qiqi also smiled and greeted, "Good morning, Director Zhang."

"Good morning, everyone." Zhang Ye smiled back at them.

"Those words you said yesterday were amazing!"

"Yeah, it made my blood boil with excitement after hearing it!"

"What a great 'Feats or faults, leave it to future generations to judge for themselves!' I got goosebumps all over when I heard that!"

"That's the strong spirit our Director Zhang carries. Not mentioning the entertainment circle, even in the academic world through the ages, there haven't been many people who carry that strength of character and domineering spirit like Director Zhang!"

All of his staff immediately started flattering him.

Hearing that, Zhang Ye could feel his face flushing and he couldn't help but laugh, "Oh come on. What strength of character could I possibly have? You're all praising me to the heavens too much."

A person said, "It's just a pity about that international award."

Another person beside said, "What's there to pity? Even if Director Zhang didn't receive the award, what he did was even more prestigious than receiving the award! Who wouldn't give Director Zhang the thumbs up if they saw him now? That Abel Prize and its undeserved reputation—it's better not to receive it!"

"Haha!"

"That's true."

Little Wang suddenly looked in the direction of the door and asked, "Listen, does it sound like someone is arguing outside?"

Zhang Ye laughed and said, "You're really nosy, just get on with your work." Then, suddenly remembering that his program team had not had much to do since half a month ago, he corrected himself. "Just get on with whatever you're playing."

Little Wang giggled. "Then I'll continue playing Plants vs. Zombies!"

Zhang Zuo said, "Director Zhang's game is still the most interesting. I heard that the sales volume of Plants vs. Zombies has already exceeded 20 million copies. It basically steamrolled all other foreign and domestic video game titles that were released around this time period!"

Those playing, played. Others chatted.

Zhang Ye went into his own office. After getting Little Wang to bring him a cup of tea, he sat there and started watching movies too. These were leisurely days indeed.

As for that altercation that happened outside their office earlier? Zhang Ye did not take it seriously or to heart. Central TV Department 14? Back in Zhang Ye's previous world, if he didn't remember incorrectly, Channel 14 was a children's channel. But over in this world, it was definitely not the same. The children's channel over here should be on either Channel 11 or 12. But whatever channel it was, it didn't mean anything to him now. It wasn't that Zhang Ye did not want to switch over. He had been put into the freezer by Central TV Department 1 and definitely wouldn't be able to do any work before his contract ran out, so of course it would be great if he could switch departments and start doing a new show. From the contractual terms, Zhang Ye was allowed to since he was bound by his contract to Central TV, and not specifically Central TV Department 1. Therefore, he could in principle transfer over to any department within Central TV.

But he knew that Central TV Department 1 would surely not allow him to go. He had fallen out with them. Central TV Department 1's aim now was to freeze him so that he would not get another chance to do a show for the remainder of the year. Since that was their objective, why would they agree to let him go to another channel? Even if those channels had comparatively much poorer viewership ratings than Central TV Department 1, it was still impossible. As long as they had a hosting position with a chance to be on camera, then Central TV Department 1 definitely wouldn't agree to it. As a result, Zhang Ye simply did not take it to heart or treat it as anything serious.

Dong dong. Someone knocked on the door.

Zhang Ye looked up. "Come in."

AD Zhang Zuo came in and closed the door behind him. "Director Zhang, I've just heard something."

"What's the matter?" Zhang Ye asked.

Zhang Zuo blinked. "The Mid-Autumn Festival is almost here, and the Gala broadcast has been scheduled. Since it is not going to be a live broadcast, the recording was almost completed last night. A friend of mine who was in charge of the stage effects this year told me that Ningxia Television and Zhejiang Television have both been in contact with Central TV Department 1 about inviting you over to attend their provincial satellite channels' Mid-Autumn Festival Gala. As Ningxia Television does not have any outstanding hosts, they were hoping that you could go and guest host for them. Meanwhile, Zhejiang TV had originally planned to invite you and Teacher Yao Jiancai to perform a crosstalk act for their event. They got in touch several times with Central TV. Zhejiang TV even offered an appearance fee of 2 million RMB for you!"

There are still television stations that want me?

Zhang Ye felt very grateful. "Then what happened?"

Zhang Zuo said angrily, "Central TV Department 1 rejected all their approaches!"

Zhang Ye nodded, not surprised at all. "As expected."

"Director Zhang, Department 1 has really gone overboard. Do they really intend to cut off all your paths? Not only you, even the group of us were utterly disappointed when we heard about that!" Zhang Zuo sighed.

However, Zhang Ye wasn't disappointed. Since his relationship with those executives of Central TV Department 1 was already irreconcilable, there was nothing in it for him to be disappointed in them.

What Zhang Zuo had just told him about the other television stations attempting to temporarily borrow him had happened before, but it just wasn't a common occurrence. Further, paying an appearance fee of 2 million RMB to borrow someone was even rarer. But that showed just how much value they saw in Zhang Ye's position in the hosting world.

However, it did not matter how much they were willing to pay. Even though Zhang Ye was not constrained by Central TV and had the freedom to pursue other activities, like writing songs, painting, or whatnot, within the television industry, his contract had some limitations to it. Without Central TV's permission, he could not take part in another television station's activities or recordings; not even interview programs were given the green light. If Zhang Ye went ahead and recorded an interview and Central TV found out about it, then all they needed was a lawyer's letter to stop the interview from airing. That was how bad Zhang Ye's situation was at this moment! If he sought to increase his popularity now, he could only do so through other means. His main job of producing and hosting his own show was completely held back and restrained by Central TV Department 1!

...

Zhang Zuo left the office.

After he finished watching the movie, Zhang Ye started to feel bored. He casually browsed the Internet and looked at several TV shows that had aired recently. Hai, how boring, there was nothing to do at all. If he knew it would be so boring, he would rather have stayed home to laze in his own bed.

Suddenly, he saw a post sent out by Central TV Department 1's official Weibo. It was a promotional post for a recently broadcast new show on Channel 1 called Traveling the World. It wasn't truly a variety show but was more of a travel documentary show. Zhang Ye quickly went online to check out the first episode of this show but was left seething almost immediately.

What crap was that!

There was no sincerity in the presentation of the show at all!

On Weibo, there were also many netizens who were arguing with the director of that program team.

Netizen: "This show is truly boring!"

The director replied: "The original intent of this show has never inclined towards variety."

Another netizen: "But it's still not professional enough to be called a travel documentary either. There's so much nonsense in it. It makes me wonder if your travel host has even traveled before! It looks like she's going out of Beijing for the first time in her life, doesn't it?"

Perhaps due to the poor viewership rating for the first episode, that Central TV Department 1 director and his program team staff did not seem to be in a good mood either, and they exchanged some words with the netizens. This was an online activity for Traveling the World to engage their audience by letting them ask questions or give suggestions, with the program team answering them. However, looking at it now, it didn't seem like there was any intention to answer any questions. The program team's attitude clearly said it all: Our program is already very good. Even if we try to explain it to you, you wouldn't understand!

The director was someone Zhang Ye had met before but never spoken to. However, Zhang Ye knew that he was rather chummy with Jiang Naixiong.

In the end, Zhang Ye decided to comment on the post: "This is the lousiest show I've watched this year. Nothing could be worse than this!"

With Zhang Ye appearing, the netizens who took part in this question and answer session started getting livelier as well!

"Wow! Did I see that wrong?"

"Aiya, it's Zhang Ye!"

"Pfft! Teacher Zhang has shown himself!"

"Quickly come and see this. Teacher Zhang is blasting Traveling the World!"

An internal rift at Central TV Department 1? Everyone was tickled by this as their interest was immediately perked up!

Traveling the World's director and staff were all exasperated by this, speechless.

But before another five minutes could pass, Zhang Ye posted another Weibo message. It directly attacked his old foe, the Spring Festival Gala host Chen Ye's interview show. "I thought that Traveling the World was the lousiest show I watched this year, but who could've guessed that Chen Ye Interviews was even worse!"

Chen Ye: "…"

Chen Ye's fans: "…"

Another five minutes later.

Zhang Ye started firing at another Central TV Department 1 show again. "I thought that Traveling the World and Chen Ye Interviews were already the worst there was, but it seems like there are mountains beyond mountains and more 'able' men behind other 'able' men. Having looked around, I think your program is the worst of all! I don't even get what the program was about! Did the director graduate from a sports school?"

The directors and the hosts of those related shows had all stirred up trouble for Zhang Ye when he declared war on Central TV Department 1 back then. They criticized Zhang Ye both privately and in public, but as Zhang Ye had too much to handle at that time, he did not have time to get even with them. But now that this fellow was so free that his balls were aching, he naturally had to get back at them one by one with his scolding!