Chapter 815: The entire world stills!

Translator: Legge Editor: Legge

Central TV Documentary Channel.

Many of their colleagues, including those from Section 1 and 2, had all gathered around at Zhang Ye's Section 3 office space to look at the newly released viewership ratings. As the viewership ratings for documentaries and variety shows were not released together, they did not receive the statistics for their documentary yet. Instead, they were checking out Rise to the Dance's viewership ratings on the Internet like the other netizens.

Ha Qiqi was shocked."1.27%?"

"They really managed to exceed 1%?" Zhang Zuo pulled a long face and said,"And it's not just barely past 1%?"

Little Wang felt depressed and groaned,"What's so good about that lousy show?"

Wu Yi sighed."There were cases of manipulated viewership ratings some years back, but since the strict crackdown, that practice has been quashed. These days, the viewership ratings can no longer be faked."

Tong Fu piped up,"Actually, a 1.27% viewership rating was still within expectations. Don't forget that they invested 100 million or more into this production. They also managed to invite big name celebrities like Huo Dongfang, Fan Wenli, and Shen Lili, while the following and audience viewing habits that The Voice brought to Central TV Department 1 has also helped them a lot. If they did not manage to pass a viewership rating of 1%, it would have been quite an unrealistic outcome."

Some of them glanced at Zhang Ye and saw that he did not have much of an expression on his face.

Yan Tianfei also looked indifferent and did not seem bothered by the high viewership ratings of Rise to the Dance.

After the others grumbled for a while, they didn't say any more as they knew it was not their business whether Rise to the Dance had a high or low viewership rating. No matter how low the viewership ratings were for Rise to the Dance, they still wouldn't have a chance to compete with them.

A staff member from a different department walked with quick strides into the office with a form in his hand."Director Yan, the nationwide viewership ratings for yesterday's documentaries are out."

Yan Tianfei nodded."Great!"

This caught everyone's attention, their hearts jumping into their throats.

Zhang Ye also narrowed his eyes and looked over.

That person left the viewership ratings table behind before departing. After he left, Ha Qiqi, Zhang Zuo, and the others immediately surrounded the area and stared anxiously at that piece of paper.

On the first row, they saw their show indicated as the first name on it!

December 10th.

The nationwide viewership rankings for documentaries:

First place: The viewership rating for the first episode of A Bite of China is 0.32%.

When the program team saw this result, they were a little dumbfounded!

"First place!"

"We're first!"

"It's really us!"

"0.32%?"

"Fuck, how can that be?!"

"This…this is our viewership rating?"

"Are you sure it's not a mistake? It's really 0.32%?"

Yan Tianfei was also shocked and his expression froze for a moment."Let me take a look!" He took the form from them and looked at it carefully. It was truly a viewership rating of 0.32%. They were far ahead, several times ahead, of the second place show, which was an imported documentary also broadcast by their Department 14!

Everyone took a deep breath. The best result for documentaries in the nationwide viewership ratings in recent years was only 0.172%, but the first episode of A Bite of China was already almost two times higher than that figure!

This is too exaggerated!

This is too scary!

It needed be made clear that theirs was just a documentary!

Looking at this, the viewership ratings for the first episode of A Bite of China was almost the same when compared to some of the more average large-scale variety shows and also could be mentioned in the same breath with them. What concept was this? It was a concept that would totally leave people in disbelief!

Little Wang exclaimed,"Holy shit! Our documentary can really compete with a variety show's viewership rating?!"

Yan Tianfei was so excited that he banged his hand on the table."Little Zhang! Beautifully executed!"

Everyone erupted with excitement!

"This is awesome!"

"We're defying all common sense!"

"Comparing a documentary with a variety show? Who would even try to consider this in the past?!"

"Hahahaha! Director Zhang, we've set a new record for documentaries!"

"How cool! I didn't dare to think about the viewership ratings before this. Who could have thought that our viewership rating would be this high? Looking at our share of the viewership, it's already very heaven defying!"

Everyone was celebrating!

Except for Zhang Ye, who asked,"What about the viewership rating for the second episode?"

As it was broadcast separately as two episodes, the viewership rating for the first episode was shown while the statistics for the second episode had not yet been calculated and was thus not included in the report.

Yan Tianfei's secretary said,"In most cases, for the broadcast of back-to-back episodes, the tabulation of the viewership ratings for the second episode is done a little slower, but it should be out soon. Let's wait awhile more, but it should be about the same as the first episode."

...

Online.

Everyone also saw the viewership rating for the first episode of A Bite of China.

"Ah? It's so high?"

"Goddammit, a documentary can achieve such a high viewership rating too?"

"Zhang Ye is too awesome!"

"Fuck, the viewership ratings of a documentary can even compare to a variety show that didn't perform too well? Am I dreaming?"

"Zhang Ye is invincible! Damn!"

"I've already said that A Bite of China is awesome, right?! Hahaha!"

"He has set yet another record!"

"So it turns out that there were actually a lot of people watching A Bite of China?"

"Eh, why isn't there a rating for the second episode?"

"Oh right, where's the second episode's rating? It's not shown?"

"It's still not out yet?"

"Why are they taking so long? Hurry!"

Simultaneously, the industry was also shocked.

The famous documentary director who praised Zhang Ye on Weibo yesterday also posted the documentary viewership ratings table for yesterday's broadcast and wrote on Weibo:"Congratulations to Zhang Ye and A Bite of China!"

Beijing Television's Hu Fei:"@ABiteOfChinaOfficial, you guys are the absolute best!"

Singer Chen Guang:"Oh my god!"

Fan Wenli:"Congratulations to Rise to the Dance and A Bite of China."

Yao Jiancai:"I thought that I was the only one who liked watching A Bite of China, but it's not like that at all?"

An obscure TV show director wryly posted:"Even a documentary can get such a viewership rating? Director Zhang, can you please leave us alone in peace?"

A famous female host of Shenzhen Satellite TV:"I'm dazed! Is this still even an unloved and uncared for documentary?" She posted that along with a cute emoji with rolling eyes.

These discussions and Weibo already reflected clearly what everyone was feeling now!

It was unbelievable!

It could even be said that it was a miracle!

There had never been a documentary in the country that had scored such a shocking viewership rating!

...

Central TV Department 1.

Jiang Naixiong called Jiang Yuan."How did A Bite of China get such a high viewership rating?"

Actually, Jiang Yuan didn't expect it either."I don't know. I never expected that so many people would watch their show. It must be Zhang Ye's hardcore fans supporting him."

"For a viewership rating of 0.32%, how many hardcore fans would he need to have? Over 10 million fans?" Obviously, Jiang Naixiong did not agree with this statement."This Zhang Ye can really stir up things!"

Jiang Yuan replied,"No matter what he does, he won't be able to make a wave. The popularity of a show still depends on its viewership ratings. Even if he can become the best in the documentary industry, but when compared to the variety show industry, his viewership rating can't rank among us. That's why we won't have to worry that he might get somewhere."

Jiang Naixiong just acknowledged that.

...

Elsewhere.

The Rise to the Dance program team was also stunned.

Chen Ye furrowed his brows so much that his eyebrows nearly touched."Is this viewership ratings table reliable?"

"It, it should be correct, right?" answered a staff member with a stutter.

Another male staff member wondered,"Is this viewership rating even possible? It's just a documentary!"

Actually, no one had put Zhang Ye and A Bite of China in their sights before this, so the viewership ratings for the first episode truly startled them. It was way too high and obviously not a viewership rating that a documentary could possibly achieve! What had Zhang Ye done?

"I'm in disbelief."

"This Zhang Ye is really capable!"

"Besides, they even broadcast at the same time slot as our Rise to the Dance. Even so, they can still achieve such a high viewership rating?"

"It means that they have taken part of our viewership rating?"

"It should only happen for the first episode. Don't you realize that the viewership ratings for the second episode aren't out yet?"

"Yeah, everyone was just tuning in for the first episode because of Zhang Ye's popularity. But when it's time to show us what they've got, I don't believe a documentary will have any sustainability in keeping viewers!"

Xu Yipeng interrupted everyone's discussion and laughed,"That's enough. Is a show with only 0.32% of the viewership ratings enough to make you all feel so surprised? This result is just a little more than a fraction of our viewership rating."

When everyone thought about it, it was indeed as he said.

As the executive director, Xu Yipeng thought deeper and further than them. After he saw A Bite of China's viewership rating, he was shocked at first but that quickly turned to joy. It was a good thing that A Bite of China had a high viewership rating. The viewership rating for Rise to the Dance was initially assessed to be not enough, but from the looks of it, that was because A Bite of China had taken a part of their viewership rating. In his opinion, the viewership rating of A Bite of China surely couldn't sustain, as a documentary usually didn't gain a following. There were people who followed variety shows, or followed television dramas, but have you ever seen anyone following a documentary? This was due to a lot of documentaries not having a continuity in their story lines. That was why when A Bite of China lost its momentum, the dispersed viewers would surely come back to watch Rise to the Dance and pull their show's viewership ratings to even greater heights!

After returning to his office, Xu Yipeng sat down and browsed Weibo.

On the Internet, there were also people criticizing A Bite of China!

"What's there to brag about?!"

"Isn't it just 0.32%? Most variety shows easily beat it!"

"Don't talk about how the genre is different or that there's no way to compare a documentary to a variety show. What's the use of saying all that? There's no such thing as fairness in the world. In the end, all that matters is the viewership ratings, isn't that so?"

"Right, it's only a viewership rating of 0.32%. Why would you guys be so shocked like that? That's so uncalled for. Look how our Teacher Chen Ye's Rise to the Dance did. Did we say anything?"

"Well said!"

"This bunch of fans of A Bite of China only know how to find justifications. Actually, they are all excuses!"

Seeing the comments from the Rise to the Dance fans, Xu Yipeng felt good. What they said was quite right. Any reasons or excuses were pointless. As a TV show, whether it was a variety show, talk show, or even a documentary, weren't they all judged by their viewership ratings at the end of the day?

Suddenly, some voices could be heard from outside.

"Ah!"

"Quick, take a look!"

"The viewership rating for the second episode of A Bite of China is out!"

Upon hearing that, Xu Yipeng walked out while smiling."How much is it?"

...

Central TV Department 1 Director's Office.

Jiang Naixiong's secretary knocked on the office door and came in.

The secretary looked a little pale."Director Jiang!"

"What's the matter? Why do you look so panicked?" Jiang Naixiong looked at him.

The secretary wiped his sweat away and said,"Th-this is the viewership rating for the second episode of A Bite of China!"

At this moment, Jiang Yuan also walked in from the outside. He had come to report to Jiang Naixiong about the work done for the advertising arrangements. When he heard what the secretary said, he asked curiously,"How much is the difference between the first and second episode?"

The secretary wiped his sweat away again and said,"I think it's better if you take a look for yourselves."

...

Deputy Station Head's Office.

Deputy Station Head Zhou was sitting at his desk and drinking tea when the telephone rang.

"Hello?"

"Station Head Zhou, the viewership rating for A Bite of China is out."

"Wasn't it already released ten minutes ago?"

"This time it is, it is for the second episode!"

...

Online.

"It's finally out!"

"The viewership rating for the second episode is here!"

"It's taking too long! I've been waiting for such a long time!"

"So what's the viewership rating for the second episode?"

"I hope it'll be at least the same as the first episode. They better not screw up!"

"That's unlikely. Many people started watching from the second episode as they only found out about the show later. Therefore, logically speaking, the viewership ratings for the second episode cannot be lower than the first episode's!"

"Heavens!"

"What?"

"Look at this, quick!"

...

Meanwhile.

The staff from earlier also brought the viewership ratings to Department 14. Even though it was updated on the Internet as well, but out of respect, they still had to hand the internal viewership ratings table to Yan Tianfei or his secretary as it was proper procedure.

However, that staff's expression was completely different from before. No one knew whether it was everyone's misconception that his expression appeared horrified or something else, but when he entered the office, his gaze immediately fell upon Zhang Ye's face as he stared at him for a long time. Only afterward did he hand over the viewership ratings table with a gulp and say,"The viewership rating for the second episode of A Bite of China is out. As there are some changes to the viewership ratings, some of the rankings have been rearranged."

Ha Qiqi's heart skipped a beat."The rankings were rearranged? Did we drop a rank from the documentary viewership ratings?"

That person forced a smile."No. The main changes are the rankings of yesterday's nationwide viewership ratings for all TV shows excluding news-related ones!"

Everyone was dumbfounded!

Yan Tianfei was stunned!

Ha Qiqi and Zhang Zuo were stunned too!

"What?"

"The nationwide viewership rankings for TV shows?"

"Isn't that ranking only reserved for the top 20 highest rated shows by viewership? But we only have 0.32% of the viewership ratings? How can we be in that ranking?"

That staff member thought to himself how the fuck he would know, but…but you have really gotten into that ranking!

Yan Tianfei's secretary hurriedly took the viewership ratings table and looked at it. However, the next moment, he was badly shaken and nearly fainted!

"Aiya!"

"Be careful, be careful!"

"What's the matter?"

"Did you not eat breakfast yet? Is your blood sugar level too low?"

The secretary passed the form to Yan Tianfei with his trembling hands. He was already at a loss for words."Director…Yan. T-Take a look!"

Yan Tianfei took it from him and looked at it suspiciously. However, he nearly fainted from shock as well!

"What's the matter?"

"What's happening?"

"Aiyo, just how much did we get for the viewership rating?"

Ha Qiqi, Little Wang, and the others were already getting anxious and just squeezed in front of Yan Tianfei, desperately trying to get a look at the viewership ratings. Then, everyone's faces revealed a look of horror and they all turned their heads in unison toward Zhang Ye at the very next moment!

The nationwide viewership rankings for television shows broadcasted on December 10th:

First place: The viewership rating for the first episode of Rise to the Dance is 1.27%.

First place: The viewership rating for the second episode of A Bite of China is 1.27%.

At this moment…

The entire office area of A Bite of China fell silent!

The Rise to the Dance program team fell silent!

Central TV went quiet!

The Internet went quiet!