FYN Chapter 10 This is not a test recording.
Chapter 10 This is not a test recording.
At nine o'clock in the morning, Shen Yan had just finished washing her face when Zhou Qiming called her into the small conference room.
He hadn't slept all night, his eyes were bloodshot, he held a cup of convenience store coffee in his hand, and his shirt sleeves were rolled up to his elbows. He didn't look like he had just won a battle, but rather like he had just escaped from the editing room.
Zhou Qiming sat at the conference table, with the playback record of last night's sample video laid out in front of him.
"The formal project approval meeting will be held later."
He spoke quickly, clearly having been anxious all morning.
"The channel director, sales representatives, marketing and distribution staff, legal counsel, and producers will all be there. Lu Jingran will be there too."
Shen Yan took a sip of coffee.
"Lu Jingran?"
"His second season of 'Sisters' Afternoon Tea' just got an additional budget approved. There are only so many studio variety show resources, so of course he has to be in it."
Zhou Qiming looked up at him.
"Don't think that just because the sample footage passed Bai Lulu and Yang Mixue's side last night, it's a sure thing for today. It's one thing for the artist to be willing to negotiate, but it's another thing for the company to be willing to invest resources."
"I know."
"Good to know."
Zhou Qiming pushed a document to him.
"Don't say anything like 'aggressive' or 'admit you're not to be messed with' today. You can say those things to Yang Mixue's team, but don't say them in company meetings. It'll give the investment department a headache, and the legal department will want to quit."
Shen Yan smiled.
Zhou Qiming glared at him.
"You're still laughing?"
"I'm not laughing anymore."
"When they ask you about the risks, just talk about the plan; when they ask about the budget, talk about the breakdown; when they ask about the artists, talk about the schedule. Don't talk in vague terms."
Shen Yan flipped through the documents.
The above is a summary of the project information that Zhou Qiming compiled overnight.
[Project tentative title: Celebrity Detective]
[Type: Immersive Studio Celebrity Mystery Show]
[Current progress: Internal test recording completed, sample footage approved by Bai Lulu's team, Shen Teng's studio confirmed the test recording was valid, and Yang Mixue's studio has entered formal recording negotiations.]
[Pending issues: formal project approval, budget level, studio hours, guest contracts, publicity and marketing positioning, legal boundaries]
Zhou Qiming looked at him.
"Shen Yan, let me remind you one last time."
"Um."
"You're not here today to show off your creativity."
Zhou Qiming tapped on the table.
"You're here to convince them that this thing can be broadcast, sold, and won't explode."
Someone knocked on the door outside the meeting room.
The assistant poked his head in.
"Mr. Zhou, the meeting room is ready."
Zhou Qiming stood up.
"Walk."
The formal project approval meeting was held in the main conference room.
When Shen Yan went in, almost everyone had already arrived.
Channel director Xu Nan sat in the main seat. She was in her forties, with short hair and a detached expression. She was the one who truly made the decisions for Xinghe Video's variety channel. She didn't usually participate much in the initial pilot episodes, but after the sample recording of "Celebrity Detective" was submitted last night, she replied at 5 a.m.:
Meeting tomorrow morning.
These four words are more effective than any praise.
Two people from the investment promotion department arrived.
Three people from the publicity department came.
The legal counsel was sitting at the very edge, already holding a pen in his hand.
The production team leader was also there, his face clearly saying "It's going to cost money again."
Lu Jingran sat on the right with a computer in front of him. He nodded when he saw Shen Yan come in.
Neither enthusiastic nor indifferent.
Xu Nan didn't exchange pleasantries.
"Let's begin."
Turn off the lights.
The large screen lights up.
Shen Yan didn't explain the plan first, but instead played the three-minute sample video that she had edited the night before.
The scene shows a long table, dim lighting, and an ID card.
Zhou Chi pushed out the call log.
Bai Lulu is suspected.
She paused, then smiled and took out the photo.
"Jiahe, you just said you've been in the dressing room since nine o'clock."
"Is that you?"
Lin Jiahe panicked.
Shen Teng's line, "Now it's really starting," followed.
This is followed by a recording reversal.
Bai Lulu asked Zhou Chi with a smile:
"You were helping him revise the contract while simultaneously recording it. Were you trying to save your own life, or were you trying to blackmail him?"
In the end, Tang Zhou's staged scene was exposed, and Shen Teng brought it to a close:
"I really didn't expect that the most honest kid would be the best at setting up the scene."
Sample video finished.
The meeting room was silent for a few seconds.
The person from the investment promotion department spoke first.
"Bai Lulu's story has a potential for spread."
The publicity person nodded.
"She used to be all about laughing emojis, but this one is different. It'll make the title easier too."
The legal department flipped through the documents.
"But if Yang Mixue were to be replaced in the official recording, the risk would be much higher."
Xu Nan looked at Shen Yan.
"You go first."
Shen Yan stood up and switched to the first page.
[Official Project Proposal for "Celebrity Detective"]
"This show is neither a traditional mystery variety show nor an ordinary interview."
He paused for a moment, without using the term "Tai Xu".
"At its core, it uses case rules to pull celebrities out of safe chat."
The screen cuts to a recording clip of Bai Lulu.
"Bai Lulu's past problem with variety shows was that she was often treated as a mood-maker. After we put her in the reasoning game, her laughter was no longer just a reaction, but a test and a counterattack."
Cut the vine again.
"Shen Teng isn't here to provide all the laughs. His role is to disrupt things and make the other guests slip up when they're relaxed."
Finally, the camera cuts to Yang Mixue's identity card.
[Producer Yang]
[The last person the missing producer saw before his death]
"If Yang Mixue joins the official recording, she's not there to explain her new drama or do an image interview. Her role on the show is to be the one who controls the flow in the first episode."
Xu Nan raised his eyes upon hearing this.
"Put it on the table?"
Shen Yan nodded.
"Bai Lulu is responsible for getting people into the game, Shen Teng is responsible for stirring things up, and Yang Mixue is responsible for making the long table truly feel oppressive."
Someone in the meeting room was taking notes.
People from the investment promotion department raised their hands.
"I'll ask about the business risks first."
Xu Nan nodded.
The investment promoters looked at Shen Yan.
"This show has elements like disappearances, suspects, lying, and crime scenes. Most of the brands we work with now prefer safe, bright, and relaxed exposure environments. If your main visual is too dark, the brand will worry about its tone."
Shen Yan switched to the main visual page.
There was no blood, and no horror elements.
The scene shows a long table, several ID cards, and studio lights in the distance.
Title:
They weren't there to chat.
"The official promotional materials will not feature murder or horror. The 'disappearance' in the first case will be downplayed as an event within the program, and the main visual keywords will be celebrity deduction, immersive interviews, and role-playing games."
He continued:
"Brand exposure should not be integrated into the core case. For example, beverage, cosmetics, and lifestyle brands can be placed in the guest entrance, waiting area, and debriefing area, without being associated with bloodstains or suspicious clues."
The investment promotion person asked:
"Can we put branded items on the table during the main filming?"
"Yes, but it can't be used as a clue."
Shen Yan answered quickly.
"Sponsored drinks are allowed on the table, but designs that suggest 'a certain brand of beverage is poisoned' are not allowed. Brands only participate in the setting, not in negative narratives."
The two people from the investment promotion department exchanged a glance and didn't press the matter further.
Legal department to follow.
"What I'm concerned about is celebrities accusing each other."
She pushed up her glasses.
"Identity cards, lies, mutual suspicion—if these aren't edited well, they can incite fans to attack each other. Especially for someone of Yang Mi Xue's status, if she says something, other artists' fans might feel she's domineering; if others doubt her, her fans might retaliate against the production team."
Shen Yan switched to the rules page.
"All questions must be linked to clues."
An editing rule appears on the screen.
No evidence, no escalation.
"During the official recording, guests can joke and express doubts, but the final edit will not retain any purely personality-based attacks. Every conflict must be presented to the audience with a reason: call logs, timeline, physical evidence, and character motivations."
Legal counsel asked:
"What if someone blurted it out in the audience?"
"Don't include the behind-the-scenes footage. Cut it from the main film."
Shen Yan said.
"A show can have tension, but it can't rely on maliciously creating hype."
The legal representative lowered his head and wrote two strokes.
The publicity department spoke up.
"What should the positioning be? A mystery variety show, a talk show, or a celebrity reality show? The promotional message can't be too confusing."
Shen Yan switched to the publicity and distribution plan.
"In the first stage, we won't focus on the difficulty of the reasoning; we'll first highlight the contrast with the celebrities."
Three preset slices appear on the screen.
Bai Lulu: Don't believe her when she's laughing.
[Shen Teng: He doesn't solve the case, but he makes everyone in the room lose their composure]
[Yang Mi Xue: She's not here to explain herself; she's here to interrogate others.]
The PR team members raised an eyebrow when they saw the third point.
Will Yang Mi's team accept this headline?
"It won't be that sharp when it's officially out in the public eye."
Shen Yan said.
"This is the internal direction. For external use, it can be changed to 'Yang Mi Xue's first challenge in an immersive reasoning game,' but the overall feel of the editing should follow this direction."
The head of the publicity department nodded.
"This direction is worth discussing."
The production team leader finally couldn't hold back any longer.
Let me be realistic.
He opened the budget sheet.
"You're currently working on a low-cost studio-based variety show as a pilot program. For the official recording, you'll need Yang Mixue, Bai Lulu, and Shen Teng. The studio will also need to be transformed into a crime scene, with at least six cameras. The post-production work will also be much more extensive than for a regular interview. With this budget, it's impossible for you to stick to the original pilot program format."
Zhou Qiming coughed.
The production manager glanced at him.
"Mr. Zhou, I'm not trying to undermine you, I'm just stating the facts."
Shen Yan nodded.
"The official budget cannot be calculated according to the original experimental plan, but it is not necessary to go for S-level from the beginning."
He switched to the recording setup.
"The first phase was completed indoors, with three main scenes: a long table discussion area, the producer's office, and a dressing room. There were no outdoor scenes, no large-scale set design, and no extras. The real additions were to the camera, lighting, props, and post-production."
"I suggest approving the project as an A-level experimental project, not as an S-level variety show project."
The production manager frowned.
"Was Yang Mi Xue invited to participate in the A-level test file?"
"She hasn't signed yet."
Shen Yan did not avoid the question.
"Therefore, the budget is divided into two tiers. The first tier is based on Bai Lulu, Shen Teng, and second-tier replacement guests. If Yang Mixue signs a contract, then additional budget will be used. This can prevent the project from reaching its full budget before it is even confirmed."
These words made the production manager's expression soften.
Xu Nan looked at Shen Yan.
What is Yang Mi Xue's current situation?
Everyone in the conference room looked over.
That's the key issue.
If Yang Mixue comes, this show has the potential to break into a wider audience.
Even if Yang Mixue doesn't come, it can still do it, but the buzz will be a level lower.
Shen Yan did not blow it.
"She hasn't signed it yet."
The atmosphere in the conference room became slightly somber.
Shen Yan continued:
"But she had already seen the internal sample footage, participated in an ID card clue test, and suggested that the formal case shouldn't be too simple. Liu An's side said that they could proceed to formal recording negotiations."
Xu Nan asked:
"What if we can't reach an agreement?"
"The first phase can still be done."
Shen Yan switched to the backup lineup.
"Bai Lulu, Shen Teng, Lin Jiahe, plus a second-tier actress and a popular male celebrity, can complete the recording of the first episode. After the program format is established, we can also invite Yang Mi and Xue to join as guests."
Lu Jingran then spoke.
"But if Yang Mixue isn't in the first episode, the promotion will be much weaker."
He spoke calmly.
"Bai Lulu has a chance to make a comeback, but she can't carry the whole new show. Shen Teng has a fan base, but he's not the core selling point of this show."
Shen Yan looked at him.
"Therefore, I need to escalate the first case before formal negotiations begin."
How do I upgrade?
Lu Jingran asked.
Shen Yan switched to the formal case page.
[Case 1: The Vanished Producer - Official Version]
The trial version of the case is very simple, mainly involving the verification rules.
In the final version, He Yuan is not just the producer who disappeared.
He holds control over a new program, contracts with several artists, altered recordings, and old documents that could affect the reputation of a big star.
The lineup of official guests has also been rearranged.
Bai Lulu is a former assistant who was exploited.
Shen Teng is an old friend who owes money and is responsible for causing trouble.
Yang Mixue was the production partner and the last person to see He Yuan before his death.
Lin Jiahe, as a new host, continues to serve as the audience's entry point.
We are still missing a variable guest.
Xu Nan asked:
Who is the variable guest?
Shen Yan said:
"Fish feels at ease."
Several people in the conference room looked up.
The publicity department was the first to react.
"Yu Shuxin? The one who's been getting all the rage lately?"
"right."
Yu Shuxin has been a hot topic lately.
She's sweet-looking and outgoing, often trending on social media for speaking without thinking. Fans say she's genuine, while haters say she's pretentious. Her team has been trying to find a show to shift the "pretentious sweet girl" label towards one of cuteness and strong intuition.
Xu Nan asked:
"Is she suited for deduction?"
"She's not suited for serious deduction."
Shen Yan said.
"So she's a good fit."
The meeting room fell silent for a moment.
Shen Yan explained:
"This show doesn't require everyone to be a detective. Yu Shuxin's strength is to say what others dare not say. Her logic may be flawed, but her intuition is very accurate. Once she guesses the key point by chance, the show will be very entertaining."
The publicity manager immediately responded:
"If Yu Shuxin says something wrong, it can be a source of laughter; if she says something right, it creates a contrast."
"right."
Shen Yan said.
"Bai Lulu was trying to get information out of people with a smile, Yang Mixue was putting pressure on and controlling the situation, Shen Teng was stirring things up and covering for them. Yu Shuxin was responsible for creating uncontrollability."
Lu Jingran looked at the screen and didn't question it anymore.
He had to admit that Shen Yan's system of assigning roles to guests was well-established.
It's not about inviting whoever is popular.
Instead, everyone was placed in a specific position.
This is more like a real program design than most studio variety shows.
Xu Nan paused for a moment, then asked Zhou Qiming:
What do you think?
Zhou Qiming hadn't slept much since last night, and his complexion was still bad, but he answered quickly.
"The project can be formally approved."
The production manager frowned.
Zhou Qiming added:
"Approved as a Level A test. Filming is scheduled for the first phase, with no commitment made for the second phase."
Xu Nan looked at the investment promotion.
The investment promotion department said:
"If Yang Mi signs with the company, sponsors can contact brands in advance. Before signing, we will only communicate our intentions."
Legal counsel says:
"The contract must clearly specify the character's behavior, editing boundaries, and artist confirmation process. The identity card must be given to the team for confirmation in advance, but the killer and the complete truth cannot be given out."
Shen Yan nodded.
"Can."
Publicity Department asked:
"Has the program title been decided?"
The people in the conference room looked towards Shen Yan.
Shen Yan switched to the last page.
Celebrity Detective
subtitle:
They weren't there to chat.
As soon as this line of text appeared, the people in the publicity department visibly brightened up.
short.
direct.
There is a contrast.
This also aligns with the shift from interviews to reasoning.
Xu Nan looked at the screen.
"The official project name is tentatively titled 'Celebrity Detective'."
She closed the documents in her hand.
"The budget will be based on the Level A test standard."
"Within 24 hours of its initial release, the show garnered over 3 million views, with a completion rate of no less than 25% and an interaction rate of no less than 3%."
"If the target is not met, no additional budget will be allocated for the second phase."
The meeting room fell silent.
This metric is much higher than the original low-cost trial version.
But that's normal.
With this group of people, the platform can no longer measure success by one million views.
Zhou Qiming looked at Shen Yan.
"Did you hear that?"
"I heard you."
Xu Nan said:
"Shen Yan, you'll be in charge of program concept and on-site execution. Zhou Qiming will be the executive producer. Tang Wan will handle artist communications, and the legal department will be involved throughout. Lu Jingran—"
Lu Jingran looked up.
Xu Nan looked at him.
"You also participated in the post-launch marketing review of the first two phases."
Lu Jingran was slightly taken aback, then nodded.
"clear."
Shen Yan glanced at him.
This is Xu Nan trying to maintain a balance.
"Sisters' Afternoon Tea" has already passed the test, so it's impossible to leave Lu Jingran out of the picture just because of Shen Yan's new project.
But letting him participate in the debriefing is also like letting him watch "Celebrity Detective" move forward with his own eyes.
The meeting ended close to noon.
People left one after another.
Zhou Qiming walked to Shen Yan's side and lowered his voice:
"The project has been approved, but don't be too happy yet."
"I know."
"Yang Mi Xue hasn't signed yet, Yu Shu Xin hasn't been negotiated, and the formal case hasn't been finalized. You've only climbed halfway back from the edge of a cliff."
Shen Yan smiled.
"Half a foot is enough to stand for a while."
Zhou Qiming glanced at him.
"You'd better stand firmly on both feet."
After he finished speaking, he took the documents and left.
As soon as Shen Yan left the conference room, Tang Wan caught up with him.
"Yu Shuxin's team just replied."
Shen Yan stopped.
"How so?"
Tang Wan's expression was somewhat subtle.
"They watched the sample clip of Bai Lulu and were quite interested. But they asked if the show could stop having Yu Shuxin pretending to be smart."
Shen Yan smiled.
"Tell them."
"What we want is for her to stop pretending."
Tang Wan paused for a moment, then smiled.
"Should I just repeat what you said verbatim?"
"You can be a little more polite."
"for example?"
"For example, the show will retain her most genuine intuitive reactions."
Tang Wan rolled her eyes.
"You planners really know how to translate plain language into business jargon."
She looked down and sent a message.
Shen Yan stood in the corridor and opened the guest list on his phone.
Bai Lulu.
Shen Teng.
Yang Mi Xue.
Fish is at ease.
In addition, there's Lin Jiahe.
This table is finally almost full.