Chapter 62: We Agreed to Take Three Steps, But You Fired Early?

The next day.

Trending on Weibo:

#1: Su Mu! “Nirvana in Fire” hot↑
#2: Penguin officially announces “Nirvana in Fire” exclusive premiere tomorrow!
#3: Love how Penguin is never on time!
#4: Su Mu’s drama stills are so handsome!
#5: Li Xinjie...
#...: “Flower Demon...”
#...: Penguin is really fast#...

It was nine o’clock in the morning.

All the previous trending topics were instantly pushed aside by “Nirvana in Fire.”

All the major official accounts, including the “Nirvana in Fire” team led by Zhang Huaimou, as well as actors like Su Mu, simultaneously released announcements for the new drama.

The hype soared rapidly.

After all, Penguin is a major platform, and spending money to drive publicity is second nature to them. All it takes is buying a day’s trending spots, and it’s easy to become the center of attention.

Meanwhile, Penguin Video’s homepage was updated at ten o’clock.

[Trailer: “Nirvana in Fire” exclusive premiere on Penguin tomorrow night at 8:30!]
[VIP members can watch six episodes in advance; regular members get two new episodes daily!]

The main feature highlighted the official drama stills from “Nirvana in Fire!”

Su Mu’s poised and handsome appearance in the show instantly caught everyone’s eye.

Immediately afterward, behind-the-scenes footage was posted seamlessly.

Seeing the director and cast lineup, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

After all, this wasn’t some clichéd historical romance, but a drama focused on political intrigue.

If the cast had been filled with unknown, inexperienced actors, it would never have held the audience’s attention.

But with a production by Zhang Huaimou—though not every show is a masterpiece—the cast is never subpar, which is a reputation he’s built over years.

So the moment the official announcement dropped—

The internet exploded!

[Comments: Holy crap, here it comes!
Su Mu’s new drama “Nirvana in Fire”—even the name sounds epic!
Man, publicity one day and it’s already premiering! Hahaha!
I knew Su Mu’s bold personality wouldn’t let Li Xinjie’s arrogant fans run wild without a response. So he was holding back a big move!
This is awesome. I can’t wait! Hope it doesn’t tarnish the “Raging Storm” brand!
Yeah, it has to be great—super great! Only then can certain fans finally shut up!
Damn, I’m getting nervous. It premieres tomorrow, a good half-month earlier than the other shows!
How eager are they for us to watch this!

Guys, I’ve been thinking—if… just if, this Su Mu drama turns out to be amazing, and our standards go up after watching it, what are we supposed to do with the shows that follow? Won’t they pale in comparison?
Pfft, hahaha! Leaving no room for others to survive, are we?]

The new drama was announced and set to premiere the very next day.

The impact of this news was no small thing.

After all, everyone thought the real competition between major streaming platforms would happen in April.

That’s when all the highly anticipated historical romance dramas were scheduled to premiere.

The battle for viewership, ad sponsors, and VIP memberships was expected to begin then.

For the past two years, Kiwi and Oil Depot were fighting tooth and nail.

Penguin Video, however, missed the boat during those years due to missteps and failed to seize the trending genres.

Many believed this year would be a repeat—one platform watching from the sidelines while the other two fought fiercely.

But just as some were smugly convinced they had it in the bag—

This sudden storm of new drama promotion completely disrupted the schedules of every platform!

Damn it, the plan was for everyone to take three steps back to back, then turn and fire to see who’s fastest.

But you—you just took one step and fired early.

No sense of honor!

…

Once Penguin played its trump card with “Nirvana in Fire,”

It caught Oil Depot and Kiwi completely off guard.

Both platforms immediately called emergency meetings for their drama departments.

They were scrambling to figure out a response.

Each year’s flagship drama is crucial for a major video site.

Just like a singer’s album—there are many songs, but only a few can be the main hits.

Usually, it’s just those few that are the real selling points.

This year, that selling point was undoubtedly historical romance dramas.

But now, being preempted by a competitor was a bitter pill to swallow.

…

Capital City, Kiwi Video headquarters.

“Director Zheng, it’ll be difficult to adjust the premiere schedule now.”

At the head of the table stood a middle-aged man in a suit with a stern expression.

He was Kiwi’s strategic director.

Zheng Quan had done very well in recent years.

Compared to the old giants, Penguin and Oil Depot, they were a rising star among video platforms, having carved out their share step by step.

It was all thanks to his keen market instincts and forward-thinking vision.

Each season’s trends and the audience’s tastes—he always nailed them.

This had helped them amass a huge user base in just a few short years.

They had firmly secured their place among the top three video platforms.

But at this moment,

Zheng Quan, usually so confident, couldn’t shake off a sense of foreboding.

He spoke: “Difficult? Why?”

“Director Zheng, our new drama was scheduled for an exclusive premiere at the start of April, along with the broadcast rights for ‘Flower Demon Under the Moon’ and ‘The New Four Talents.’

But there are a lot of dramas lined up for March and April. The schedule has long been set. If we try to change it now, all the subsequent shows would have to be rescheduled too.

It would be a domino effect—really hard to coordinate.

Besides, we believe that even though Penguin played their hand first, it doesn’t guarantee they’ll win over the users.

It’s all about content. If the drama isn’t good, it’ll only make our subsequent shows look better in comparison.”

Zheng Quan shook his head. “No, I know Yu Hong well. He’s always been cautious. He wouldn’t make such a move without a solid plan and backup.”

“But no matter how good a drama is, no matter how high the ratings, the hype always drops once it ends. Even if they premiere first and raise the audience’s expectations, they still can’t lock in the users.”

“Have you checked with Oil Depot? What are they saying?”

“It’s been a day, and they haven’t made any moves. I guess, like us, their schedule is set and it’s hard to change it now.”

“Alright, that’s all for now. Meeting adjourned.”

Once everyone had left the conference room,

Zheng Quan narrowed his eyes, his stern look unrelenting.

After a moment’s thought,

He took out his phone and dialed a number.

Soon, a voice answered:

“Zheng Quan, Director Zheng, what brings you to call me at this hour?”

Zheng Quan chuckled, “Zhao Zhouming, don’t pretend to be so calm. I bet you guys at Oil Depot are also in emergency meetings today, right? So, what do you think of Yu Hong’s move?”

Zhao Zhouming replied, “What else is there to say? Honestly, it doesn’t matter who premieres first or last—it’s all about quality. But I don’t think there’s any need to worry. Let them premiere first. When they’re done, we can roll out our shows. Won’t they just be watching us then?”

Zheng Quan said, “No, Yu Hong is such a cautious man. Can you believe he’d do this without a plan?”

Zhao Zhouming responded, “Of course not. He’s got more cards to play. I heard Zhang Huaimou is about to start shooting a new drama. Don’t play dumb—you surely know that too.”

Zheng Quan gave a helpless laugh, “A few months ago I thought Yu Hong was banking on Zhang Huaimou this year, but now I’m not so sure.”

“What do you mean?” Zhao Zhouming asked.

“Su Mu is an interesting actor,” Zheng Quan said.

“Oh? So you’ve noticed too…” Zhao Zhouming replied.