I’m Really a Superstar

Translator: Legge Editor: Legge

The next day.

At the studio.

It was 9 in the morning when Yao Jiancai arrived wearing a down jacket.

"Teacher Yao, you\'re here?"

"Where\'s Director Zhang?"

"He\'s upstairs on the balcony basking in the sun."

"Heh, what sun can there be in the middle of winter?"

"The work progress for the Spring Festival Gala has been shelved, so there\'s nothing for Director Zhang to do at the moment."

"I\'ll go look for him."

Out on the balcony.

Zhang Ye really was basking in the sun in a chair.

Yao Jiancai said in a speechless manner, "Kid, aren\'t you cold?"

"Old Yao, you\'re here?" Zhang Ye crossed his legs and put on the demeanor of an artistic youth. "Of course I\'m cold, but it can\'t be colder than what I\'m feeling in my heart. In this cold wind, I can feel the loneliness of the world."

Yao Jiancai rolled his eyes. "Why are you quoting some essay?"

"Then what should I do?" Zhang Ye said idly.

Yao Jiancai asked, "You didn\'t arrange any events?"

Zhang Ye shrugged. "For the Spring Festival Gala, I\'d turned down all of my other work. There\'s nothing for me to do in the coming two months, so I can only lay here and bask in the sun."

Ding dong.

Ding dong.

The doorbell rang from downstairs.

Yao Jiancai asked, "Is that Shanshan?"

Zhang Ye shook his head. "I don\'t know."

Then Ha Qiqi shouted from downstairs, "Director Zhang, we have guests."

"Who is it?" Zhang Ye shouted downstairs.

Ha Qiqi said, "It\'s an executive from Central TV."

Central TV?

And it was even an executive?

Zhang Ye and Old Yao were stunned to hear that.

When they went downstairs, Zhang Ye saw who had come. It turned out to be a deputy station head of Central TV. He went by the name of Hong, and Zhang Ye also knew him too. However, they\'d never crossed paths back at Central TV. This Deputy Station Head Hong should be the only executive at Central TV who hadn\'t had a falling-out or quarrel with Zhang Ye. Deputy Station Head Hong brought quite a few people along with him. There were men and women, totaling around eight people.

What was with this group?

What were they here for?

Zhang Ye wondered.

Ha Qiqi, Zhang Zuo, and the others were also confused.

Zhang Ye smiled and stretched out his hand. "Station Head Hong, what brings your important self here?"

"Boss Zhang, you\'re too polite." Deputy Station Head Hong shook hands with him. "I hope I\'m not bothering you?"

Zhang Ye smiled and said, "No, I\'m not doing anything at the moment. What brings you here, Station Head Hong?"

Deputy Station Head Hong said, "I\'m here today regarding the Spring Festival Gala."

Zhang Ye was taken aback. "The Spring Festival Gala?"

"Yes." Deputy Station Head Hong looked around the office. "Can we talk somewhere?"

Zhang Ye called out to his assistant, "Little Wang, get the conference room ready."

Little Wang answered, "Got it!"

The two groups of people proceeded to the conference room and sat down across from each other.

Before the guests could speak, Zhang Ye started rambling, "Station Head Hong, I would also like to talk about the Spring Festival Gala with you all. Just what is going on? Are we still supposed to continue rehearsing our act? Will the first approval session still be held? Everyone is really confused. For a good person like Old Li, you all should have just allowed him to work. But look at this, he got driven away in anger by you all. It\'s not that I\'m trying to put the blame on you, Station Head Hong, but this matter was really not handled well."

Deputy Station Head Hong said, "Hai, we also have our hands tied regarding this matter. Boss Zhang, the truth is that the decision-making process for the Spring Festival Gala is no longer under Central TV\'s jurisdiction, but we still have to abide by the guidelines issued from above. We\'d gone through the few proposals that Old Li wrote up, and I agree with him on one or two of them too. Central TV is actually very supportive of him, and we would also like to make those changes and innovate. But as long as the higher-ups don\'t agree to it, we won\'t be able to implement them. The Spring Festival Gala is not just a simple gala. There are too many levels of decisions involved that aren\'t easily explainable with a few words."

Zhang Ye threw his hands up. "Then what about our act?"

Deputy Station Head Hong said, "As long as the executive director is not appointed, the issue of the acts will be left hanging."

Zhang Ye didn\'t care about anything else. All he wanted to know was whether his act would be chosen for the Spring Festival Gala or not. "Then why don\'t you all quickly appoint someone for the role? There isn\'t much time left."

"That\'s right."

Zhang Ye said, "Yes, that\'s right."

"Yup."

What are you yupping about?

I\'m getting anxious over here!

Zhang Ye looked at him bewilderedly.

Only to see Deputy Station Head Hong pondering for a long time. Then he said in seriousness, "This is why I brought my team here today. Boss Zhang, after getting a recommendation from the Spring Festival Gala\'s organizing committee, and going through a selection and voting process, we received an approval from the higher management\'s leaders. On behalf of the Spring Festival Gala\'s organizing committee, I officially invite you to take charge of this year\'s Central TV Spring Festival Gala!"

His words were too shocking!

Yao Jiancai was stunned!

Ha Qiqi was stunned!

Zhang Zuo was stunned!

The staff of Zhang Ye\'s Studio were dumbfounded!

What?

Get Zhang Ye to take charge of the Spring Festival Gala?

What the fuck, are you all crazy?

Dead silence fell upon the entire conference room!

Deputy Station Head Hong called out, "Boss Zhang?"

Zhang Ye pointed at himself with wide eyes. "Me?"

Deputy Station Head Hong nodded. "Yes."

"You guys are inviting me?" Zhang Ye immediately said, "Can you not tease me?"

One of the chiefs who had come along said with a bitter laugh, "Boss Zhang, we\'re not joking. The higher-ups have already given the nod, and the Spring Festival Gala\'s organizing committee has also held a meeting to discuss this. You\'re the most suitable candidate, so as long as you accept the job, you\'ll become this year\'s Spring Festival Gala\'s executive director!"

Zhang Ye said dumbfoundedly, "But I\'ve never taken charge of a gala before!"

A female executive adjusted her glasses and said, "You might not have experience in directing a large-scale gala, but that won\'t stop an excellent variety show director like you. No, calling you excellent does not describe it well enough. You\'re now the best director in the country when it comes to variety shows, a director who can be considered one of the very best across the fields in the industry. Since we could invite Director Li Ke to take the role, why can\'t we extend our invitation to you? You\'re both top directors in your respective fields. And if we consider the difference in jumps between the fields, be it your I Am a Singer or The Voice, those competitions and show formats are all closer to a gala\'s style than directing a film."

Zhang Ye waved his hands, then covered his face and rubbed it. "Let me get over this. I\'m still quite shocked."

Deputy Station Head Hong said, "Boss Zhang, do accept the invitation. It\'s very chaotic, and the media is speculating as well. Everyone is in a panic regarding the executive director\'s role being empty, and that\'s delaying all the work related to the gala." With a pause, he said, "I also know that the executive director role for the Spring Festival Gala is not an easy job since there are so many rules to adhere to and there\'s a limit to how much you can control for the event. But I feel that this would be a good test of your directing skills, and I\'m sure that there would be no problem if we have you leading the production team."

No problem, my ass!

You\'re putting it so simply!

Who do you think you\'re fooling!

Zhang Ye said, "I like the Spring Festival Gala very much too. I\'ve watched it since I was young and have a lot of feelings for it, but how can I possibly handle this job? This is not a situation that can easily be saved! Just look at Old Li. Even before he could start directing the Spring Festival Gala, he had already been so harshly scolded! Look at how badly he has been criticized! If I were to accept the role, if I finish directing the Spring Festival Gala, then wouldn\'t I get scolded like a dog?! What will happen to my reputation then? My honor is at stake here!"

Deputy Station Head Hong: "…"

The accompanying staff: "…"

They were all speechless at this!

Reputation?

Since when did you have any reputation!

Getting scolded?

You\'re speaking you don\'t be scolded just because you\'re not directing the Spring Festival Gala!

But of course, they couldn\'t say that out loud.

Deputy Station Head Hong said, "Boss Zhang, don\'t joke with us. You\'re so battle hardened. Surely you don\'t care about a little criticism, right? If you say that Old Li is hopping mad after getting scolded by people, I\'ll believe that. If you say that the other Spring Festival Gala directors can\'t bear to be criticized by people, I\'ll believe that too. But you, Boss Zhang? I really don\'t believe it. You\'ve been through so many more storms than everyone else. How could that gossip and chatter possibly bother you? Surely it doesn\'t!"

Zhang Ye\'s temper rose!

Your sister!

You\'re putting it as though I\'m really that thick-skinned!

This bro has got pride too, alright!

Zhang Ye said, "I have to consider it first."

Deputy Station Head Hong said, "Sure, of course you have to."

Zhang Ye looked at them. "Then why don\'t you all lea—"

"That\'s not necessary, Boss Zhang." Deputy Station Head Hong said, "We\'ll wait right here. Just let us know after you\'ve decided. It\'ll be easier for us when we go back to answer to the management."

Zhang Ye was taken aback. "No, I was saying that you all should leave first."

Deputy Station Head Hong said, "This is an urgent matter that has to be decided immediately. Even if we go back, there\'s nothing for us to do. Just take your time to consider it while we wait for your news."

Zhang Ye could only say, "Little Zhou, entertain the guests for a bit."

Little Zhou stayed behind to attend to them.

Zhang Ye and the others went outside and headed upstairs to discuss it.

"What do you all think?" Zhang Ye immediately asked them when they were upstairs.

He had thought that his group would object to it, but who knew that it was actually the opposite!

Little Wang shouted, "Accept it!"

Tong Fu said excitedly, "Of course you should take the job!"

Zhang Zuo was panting excitedly. "Director Zhang, this is a great chance. If you can direct the Spring Festival Gala well, that would immortalize your reputation forever!"

Zhang Ye rolled his eyes, "Immortalize my reputation? I\'m just afraid it would condemn me to eternity!"

Yao Jiancai said, "But you\'re already condemned anyway. Even if you don\'t direct the Spring Festival Gala, you\'re still getting scolded by so many people every day, isn\'t that so? So how bad can it be? Other people are afraid of ruining their statuses and wasting their accumulated reputation, but you have nothing to be afraid of! You\'ve none of that!"

Zhang Ye said angrily, "Fuck you!"

Ha Qiqi could barely hide her excitement. "Director Zhang, take the job!"

"Yeah!"

"Let\'s do it!"

"Who\'s afraid of who!"

"Such an opportunity only comes once in a lifetime!"

"There are so many people who wish to direct the Spring Festival Gala but don\'t have a chance to do so!"

"Right, let\'s accept it first and see how it goes!"

This was a huge affair!

This was much bigger than anything Zhang Ye had ever done before!

This was the Central TV Spring Festival Gala and the role of the executive director that they were talking about. The higher-ups would be watching, the media would be watching, the citizens would be watching, and all of the Chinese people around the world would have their attention turned here. If it was directed well, that wouldn\'t be so bad. But if there were any slip-ups, wouldn\'t Zhang Ye become a cultural sinner? Honestly, Zhang Ye only wanted to perform in a skit or do a crosstalk on the gala. He had never thought about anything else. As a result, he was totally unprepared for this. The invitation has come too suddenly! Even though he has always been a very decisive person in the past, he was now hesitating!

Should he take it?

Should he really accept the job?

The studio\'s staff were staring at him, waiting for him to make his decision.

Zhang Ye clenched his teeth. "Then let\'s leave it to science to decide!"

Science?

What science?

Everyone was taken aback.

Then Zhang Ye took a coin out of his pocket and piously flipped it up into the air. "Believe in science. If it lands heads, I\'ll take the job. If it\'s tails, I\'ll reject it."

Clink, clink, clink!

Under the speechless gaze of everyone, the coin landed!

It was heads!

"Wow!"

"It\'s heads!"

"Take it!"

"Take the job, Director Zhang!"

Zhang Ye hesitated. "Why don\'t I flip it again?"

Everyone went silent.

Zhang Ye heaved a deep sigh. "Alright then, it\'s only the role of the Spring Festival Gala\'s executive director, isn\'t it? It\'s just a role that requires me taking the rap, right? I\'ve already taken the rap for plaza dancing anyway, so it\'s not like I can\'t take another! I\'ll accept it!"