Chapter 45

Chapter 45

At Jiaxing Media Headquarters, Yang Mi had completely lost it. Cushions from the sofa were strewn all over the floor. The head of the drama department, Sister Qin, stood nearby, not daring to breathe too loudly.

After venting her frustration, Yang Mi pointed at Sister Qin, her eyes red with fury.

“Prepare 10 million for me! Once the next round of the competition starts, no matter the price cap, we bid! I want to secure a spot in the Top Five at all costs!”

“Yes, boss!”

Sister Qin nodded frantically.

Yang Mi collapsed onto the sofa, clenching her silver teeth in frustration. Jiaxing Media had signed a profit-sharing agreement with several major investors—three years to generate 300 million yuan.

If they had secured Breaking the Ice, just one drama could have fulfilled that entire goal!

“Damn you, Lu Chen! Why didn’t you sell me the script? What terms couldn’t we negotiate?”

Yang Mi clenched her fists, seething with frustration.

_____

At iQIYI, a similar scene played out—shock, regret, and deep frustration. But among all the companies, the ones who regretted it the most were Light Media, Xinli Media, and Youku—the three companies that withdrew their bids at the last minute.

Why?

Because they had been influenced by Chen Sicheng!

They dropped out just before finalizing the deal.

Now, watching Breaking the Ice dominate the industry, the executives of all three companies were going insane with regret.

Late into the night, emergency board meetings were called. At Light Media, two executives were fired on the spot. At Xinli Media, it was even worse—six executives were let go!

But the most ruthless of them all?

Youku.

CEO Gu Yongqiang purged the entire drama production department. Ten senior executives were fired immediately. And mid-level management? The company began a total overhaul.

Internal emails announcing employee terminations flooded inboxes every ten minutes.

The entire Youku staff was panicking. And it made sense—they had already secured a Top Five bid, but withdrew at the last moment.

Now?

They had become the biggest joke in the industry!

______

Huayi Brothers Film & Television.

The Wang brothers, Wang Zhongjun and Wang Zhonglei, sat in silence. Wang Zhongjun took a sip of red wine—but unexpectedly, the usually composed wine connoisseur choked and started coughing violently!

“Brother, are you okay?”

Wang Zhonglei quickly handed him a tissue. Wang Zhongjun wiped the wine from his lips, still coughing a few more times before finally recovering.

“Brother, don’t worry. It’s just one hit drama. And this is just the beginning—what if the quality drops later? What if the reviews collapse?”

Wang Zhonglei tried to reassure him. But Wang Zhongjun let out a long sigh, a half-smile forming on his lips.

“Five million wasn’t enough for him? These young people… they get a little success and suddenly think they’re untouchable.”

“Brother, rest assured! Everything is in place! Lu Chen won’t make it past this round!”

Wang Zhongjun nodded.

“Just keep it clean—no loose ends.”

“Brother, do you not trust me?” Wang Zhonglei patted his chest confidently.

“Oh, by the way—should we bid in the next round?”

“Why bother? We already know the result.”

“Haha, true! Losing Breaking the Ice made our stock drop 20%, if we step in again, the capital markets will riot.”

“Stock prices fluctuate—who cares? The important thing is to send a message: Don’t mess with us.”

“Understood, Brother!”

Wang Zhonglei poured another glass of wine and smirked.

“But let’s be real—one lucky hit doesn’t mean he can do it again. Maybe last round, he just stepped in dog sh*t and got lucky with an idea. Tomorrow’s match? He might be completely exposed.”

“Maybe…”

Wang Zhongjun swirled his wine glass, but for some reason, a sense of unease lingered.

______

“BANG!”

Inside a hotel suite, a loud crash echoed. Chen Sicheng had just punched the coffee table again. The poor table, already battered, finally cracked.

“One hit show doesn’t mean a second!”

“Lu Chen, your first drama started this strong—have you even thought about what’s next?”

“I refuse to believe you can write another Breaking the Ice!

“Flying high feels good, doesn’t it?

But watch out—the fall is going to be brutal!”

In a fit of rage, Chen Sicheng smashed two more glasses.

_____

The next morning, the official ratings for Breaking the Ice were released—9.2/10. It dominated both viewership numbers and trending charts!

Lu Chen called Hou Hongliang to congratulate him. After a round of mutual compliments, Lu Chen focused back on the competition. He got a haircut, freshened up, and changed into clean clothes, preparing for the big night.

At 5:30 PM, he arrived at the competition venue—the same building as last time. As soon as he walked in, a group of female fans who had been waiting screamed in excitement. Lu Chen felt embarrassed.

After taking a few pictures, he finally managed to escape and head to the competition hall. Inside, the crowd was noticeably smaller—after all, half of the contestants had been eliminated.

As soon as Lu Chen entered, people swarmed him with praise. More awkwardness. Meanwhile, the Top Three contestants stood to the side, their faces dark.

Lu Chen might still be ranked fourth, but his work had already been made into a TV show—and it was dominating the entire country. The real awkward ones weren’t him. It was them.

_____

6:00 PM – The Live Broadcast Begins!

Instantly, millions of viewers flooded in.

【OMG, Lu Chen! We missed you!】

【Lu Shen! Go crush this round!】

【Write something even better than Breaking the Ice!】

【That’s hard… Uncle Dong is literally the best villain ever.】

【Yeah! I both love and hate him!】

【How can you not love a villain who just wants to build an ancestral shrine?!】

【Lu Shen, just match Breaking the Ice and we’ll be happy!】

The entire comment section was buzzing with anticipation and fear. Because Lu Chen’s first work had set the bar impossibly high!

_____

Moments later, the side door opened. The host, Sa Beining(Xiao Sa), entered with the judging panel. A wave of applause erupted.

“Ladies and gentlemen, good evening!

Welcome to Season 4 of Divine Pen Competition!

The previous round has ended, and we now have our Top 32 contestants!

Tonight…

It’s time for the Round of 16!

The competition will be fiercer than ever!

Let’s first welcome our four judges!”

“Judge Shu Ping!”

“Judge Liu Heping!”

“Judge Yan Gelin!”

“And our guest judge—Chen Sicheng!”

“Hello, everyone!!”

The four judges waved as the crowd cheered.

Sa Beining made some small talk for about three to four minutes, then finally got to the main event.

“For the Round of 16, let’s invite Judge Shu Ping to announce…

Tonight’s official theme!”