I'm Really a Superstar

At Central TV.

Department 2.

"Have you heard?"

"About what?"

"Zhang Ye just arrived at Central TV!"

"Ah? What?"

"I saw him with my own eyes. He's at the office of the Spring Festival Gala's production team!"

"The Spring Festival Gala invited him?"

"Heavens! Who could have invited someone like him!"

"How can they allow him on the Spring Festival Gala!"

Department 6.

"Nani?"

"Zhang Ye came back?"

"Damn, what is he doing here!"

"Is he going to wreak havoc at Central TV again?"

"I don't think he is. He's just there to have a 'talk' with them."

"Talk about what?"

"God knows, why don't you go and take a look to find out?"

"Up yours!"

Department 1.

"Let's go, everything's been settled."

"Little Qi, where are you going?"

"Where? I'm heading to the Spring Festival Gala's production team office to get something."

"You can't do that now."

"They said that it was urgent."

"It's better if you go over in the afternoon."

"Why's that?"

"Zhang Ye is sitting in there."

"Damn! You should have told me earlier! I'll go over later!"

The news of Zhang Ye's return instantly spread.

As their biggest enemy in the history of Central TV, the return of Zhang Ye was being talked about across the ranks of the station. They felt that this fellow was haunting them at every opportunity. Since the day he left, no one had expected that Zhang Ye would come back one day. Zhang Ye was the first artist to sue Central TV in history. He was also the first person to have won a court case against Central TV. He led Central TV Department 1 to create a viewership rating legend, but he also brought Central TV's shows to their knees. The love-hate relationship between Zhang Ye and Central TV was convoluted and complex. It was so complicated that it could never be unraveled.

…

On Weibo.

And the news.

This information was also revealed.

"Zhang Ye returns to Central TV?"

"Someone witnessed Zhang Ye's car driving into Central TV!"

"Zhang Ye's honeymoon ends!"

"The executive director of the Spring Festival Gala, Li Ke, invites Zhang Ye to take part?"

"Will Zhang Ye be able to get on the stage of the Spring Festival Gala?"

"Shocking! Zhang Ye to appear on the Spring Festival Gala?"

"Zhang Ye breaking into the S-list!"

"With the leadership changes at Central TV, and a prior relationship with Li Ke, a huge turnaround chance for Zhang Ye to appear on the Spring Festival Gala he has long been missing out on?"

The Lunar New Year was approaching.

Online, news regarding the Spring Festival Gala was also getting increasingly prevalent. Any news about the program lists or the invited performers were being reported on regardless of it being real or fake. And today, the moment the news broke of Zhang Ye appearing at Central TV, the topic of the Spring Festival Gala got pushed even higher!

…

At a crosstalk society.

"What?"

"Zhang Ye went there?"

"Th-This—"

"What is that Li Ke thinking!"

"Don't panic, the first approval session hasn't even begun. Zhang Ye definitely won't be chosen."

"Yeah, the requirements for a Spring Festival Gala performance are really strict. Strictly speaking, none of his works would qualify."

…

At a skit studio.

"Zhang Ye?"

"We're done for."

"It's going to get really competitive this time."

"Yeah, there are only those few spots for the performances. If someone else gets chosen for one, that's one fewer chance for us!"

…

However, the netizens were delighted!

"Really?"

"Does this fellow have the qualifications to appear on the Spring Festival Gala?"

"Well, he does have the qualifications since he's such a big name. Domestically, I doubt there's any other celebrity on the level of Zhang Ye who hasn't been on the Spring Festival Gala before!"

"Right, this is not a matter of qualifications. The issue here is that he has offended too many people, especially after being locked in a fierce struggle with Central TV. No matter how you think about it, it's impossible that he could appear on the Spring Festival Gala. But all of that has now changed with Central TV's leader replaced, and the deputy directors and related staff of Central TV Department 1 getting transferred out, possibly due to those incidents that showed that they were indeed in dereliction of duty. Coupled with the fact that Zhang Ye and Li Ke know each other, the last hindrance preventing Zhang Ye from appearing on the Spring Festival Gala has been removed. As for the industry-wide ban? Hur hur, let's ask Zhang Ye's wife first if she is agreeable to that!"

"I'm so looking forward to it!"

"Me too, I'm looking forward to seeing Zhang Ye's new work!"

"Will it be a crosstalk?"

"A skit might be possible too!"

"Ahhh, I'll have to catch the Spring Festival Gala this year!"

"Bringing Zhang Ye onto the Spring Festival Gala is indeed quite good publicity for it. This is a big move that the Spring Festival Gala is resorting to just to bring in viewership. But I don't suppose that even with Zhang Ye's show, they'll able to save the Spring Festival Gala. The gala is getting worse and worse in recent years. It's an accumulated weakness that has caused everyone to lose confidence in it."

"Yeah, I can't help but complain about that too."

"The Spring Festival Gala is dead!"

"I stopped watching it a long time ago."

"We can't put it that way. The issues regarding the Spring Festival Gala are slightly more complicated. It's not an ordinary gala but one that carries political leanings. Together with the increasing standards and nitpicking that the audience has for it, it's unavoidable that it would disappoint. Everyone should understand that. I still have hopes for it this year since a big name director like Li Ke has taken on the responsibility of heading it. So perhaps that might bring about some changes to the Spring Festival Gala."

"I hope so."

"We're depending on Director Li this year."

"He's a big director in the film industry, so hopefully he can handle an event like a gala."

"I doubt it. Actually, Li Ke is already on the brink, and he's only here to right the ship. The waters of the Spring Festival Gala run too deep, so no one is willing to take it on."

…

At Central TV.

In the office of the Spring Festival Gala's production team.

Zhang Ye kept making small talk with those people.

Outside, Yu Yingyi came in with a smile on her face. "Zhang'er, Shanshan."

Zhang Ye turned his head. "Hey, what are you doing here?"

"I learned that you three had come, so I came over to have a look." Yu Yingyi was a host at Central TV Sports Channel, so it was just a stone's throw away for her.

Dong Shanshan smiled and said, "How did you know that we were here?"

Yu Yingyi rolled her eyes and said, "Do you need to ask? The moment Zhang Ye arrived, the news already started spreading all over the station. Even if I don't wish to know about it, I can't." Then she looked at Zhang Ye and asked, "Have they really invited you?"

Zhang Ye nodded. "Yeah."

Yu Yingyi gave him a thumbs up. "Nice!"

Zhang Ye smiled. "It was mainly due to Director Li's influence."

Yu Yingyi said in a low voice, "Right, if it were any other executive director, they might not dare to invite you at all. But since Director Li has a pretty good relationship with you and you've both worked together before, he was willing to take the risk."

Zhang Ye said, "Haha, I'll have to treat Old Li to a meal after this!"

As they were chatting, Li Ke came back to the office!

The Spring Festival Gala's production team saw him and finally heaved a sigh of relief.

Zhang Ye and the others also saw Li Ke coming in and stood up with a smile.

What happened next dumbfounded everyone!

When Li Ke pushed open the glass door, he looked infuriated as he yelled, "Old Qi, Old Qu, pack up. It's time to leave!" He was calling out to the staff from his own team.

His team was startled.

"Old Li, what's wrong?"

"Director Li, what happened?"

"We're leaving? To where?"

Li Ke said loudly, "To where? We're going home! This job is impossible! How can it even be done? Can someone make them tell me how I should do it?! They can't accept this, and they won't approve that, yet they're asking me to innovate and turn the decline around for the Spring Festival Gala. How am I supposed to innovate? How can I turn things around? All of the requests and suggestions that I gave did not even make it past approval! Why don't you all show me the way, show me how I should do it? Am I supposed to achieve it through magic? I'm not going to put up with any of this. They can find someone else to do it!"

Clearly, Li Ke must have been angered during the discussion with the organizing committee!

The production team staff were all shocked beyond belief!

Damn!

Director Li is quitting?

Yao Jiancai was dumbfounded!

Dong Shanshan and Yu Yingyi exchanged glances!

Zhang Ye very nearly fell over and hit his head!

You're quitting?

Damn!

If you quit, how am I going to appear on the Spring Festival Gala!

Zhang Ye quickly said, "Old Li, calm down, calm down."

Li Ke finally saw someone with a familiar face. He immediately said, "Boss Zhang, you don't understand. I can't communicate with them at all! They're making things too difficult for people! And it's not just this issue. There's still the program list and invited performers. Most of it cannot be decided by me. A lot of the shows were set in stone a long time ago, but when I saw what they were, I had to roll my eyes. If those shows made it onto the Spring Festival Gala, it would be a wonder for the gala to do well!"

Zhang Ye tried to calm him down. "It's not easy; we know it's not easy."

Li Ke said, "Boss Zhang, you're a director yourself, so you should understand what I mean. Oh, if they're going to decide on the shows and the format of the gala, why would they still need me as a director? I'm not important at all. At most, after the gala is broadcast, I'll bear the brunt of the negative comments!"

Zhang Ye said, "You can't say that, Old Li. The entire country's citizens are counting on you, so you've got to stand firm. Please endure it for everyone's sakes."

Li Ke waved him off. "I can't suffer through this. My temper is usually quite good, but if it were you talking to them just now? You'd surely have come to blows with them! I don't want to endure this either. I've already told the leaders from the organizing committee that I'm not going to stay on as the executive director. I'll just go back to wherever I came from!"

Zhang Ye said in panic, "Don't!"

Li Ke packed up and left with his team in all haste!

Zhang Ye shouted after him.

"Old Li!"

"Old Li!"

"Aiyo, what are you doing!"

"Impulsiveness is the devil itself, Old Li!"

Everyone on the Spring Festival Gala's production team could only stare with wide eyes in shock!

Yao Jiancai threw up his hands. "Well, looks like we're done for!"

Dong Shanshan laughed and said, "We've been blinded this time."

Zhang Ye facepalmed and speechlessly turned to the Heavens for an answer!

This was a chance they had in the palm of their hands!

And it was almost time for the first approval session!

But it's over!

It slipped away!