Chapter 159: Voting Concluded

Two days later, the voting came to an end.

Lin Chuan secured the top spot with a commanding lead of over fifty thousand votes. The majority of these votes came from his dedicated fans who rushed to show their support upon hearing the news, while a significant portion was cast by numerous netizens who held a deep fondness for Lin Yiyang.

Ranking second was the acclaimed film emperor Jiang Tao, who garnered over forty-five thousand votes—less than five thousand behind Lin Chuan.

Naturally, such vote counts did not signify everything, nor did they imply a lack of fans for these veteran actors.

From the opening of the voting polls until their close, Jiang Tao had not engaged in any lobbying or vote-soliciting efforts. It was simply that some fans, aware of the poll, volunteered to join in for the excitement.

In third place was Qiao Yuankai, the leading man of urban dramas. With his slightly smaller eyes and a perpetual, easygoing smile, he carried no airs and was never known for putting on star attitudes. He was exceptionally warm-natured and enjoyed remarkable popularity.

Especially among the middle-aged demographic, he was dearly loved by aunts and grandmothers alike. Thus, it came as no surprise that he secured nearly forty thousand votes to take third place.

Moreover, Yuan Ye had previously hinted that Qiao Yuankai was already slated to be a predetermined guest for the show.

After reviewing the election results, Lin Chuan let out a helpless sigh and shut down his computer. Having clinched first place meant that he had no choice but to participate in the variety show *Where Are We Going, Dad?*

Just at that moment, his phone suddenly rang. It was Chu Fei calling.

Ever since the commercial performance right before the New Year, he had rarely seen this quirky young man, largely because the New Year was approaching and the company had stopped taking on any new events, granting everyone an extended vacation.

And right now, just as the New Year holiday had ended, Chu Fei was already on the phone.

"Hello!"

"Hey, Brother Chuan! Did you get online? Did you see the voting results? Hahaha, participating in a reality show, this is fantastic news... I never expected our Brother Chuan to be so popular, actually beating out Teacher Jiang and Teacher Qiao." The moment he opened his mouth, Chu Fei's natural penchant for goofiness was fully exposed.

"This doesn't prove much. It was merely an online poll, nothing too grand, and not many people knew about it," Lin Chuan said calmly.

"You call that not proving much, Brother Chuan? You've got to realize, you're going on a reality show, and you're appearing alongside those seasoned veterans. Who knows, once the show airs, you might become even more famous, hahaha..." Chu Fei laughed heartily.

In this world, reality shows similar to this one were not entirely nonexistent, but they were scarce. Furthermore, the production quality of these programs was quite crude, lacking any real highlights overall.

Much like the world Lin Chuan came from before, prior to the emergence of hit reality shows such as *Where Are We Going, Dad?*, *Keep Running*, and *Go Fighting!*, the developmental focus of variety entertainment had primarily remained indoors.

However, this did not mean that reality shows lacked a market. On the contrary, whenever a new reality show appeared, it would invariably become a massive sensation for a time, and every celebrity participating in it would attract considerable attention.

Yet, it was always just a fleeting craze. Without fail, after the first episode finished airing, viewer ratings would plummet in a straight line until, ultimately, they became miserably low.

The reason for this outcome was simple: all these reality shows, regardless of their content or novelty, followed the exact same formula—changing the liquid medicine without changing the herbs, offering nothing truly new.

The only things capable of driving up viewership were the novelty and curiosity that celebrities and audiences held toward the program.

Once this initial freshness faded, the show would inevitably grow increasingly frigid.

Because recording a reality show required massive amounts of human and material resources, not to mention substantial funds, the guest stars alone constituted a considerable expense.

Consequently, many television stations were unwilling to try it lightly, and some even treated it like a plague to be avoided.

However, with the strong sponsorship of the Bemini Corporation, funding was not an issue for the Quan Cheng Television Station. With money in hand, would they ever lack talent?

Furthermore, the proposal for *Where Are We Going, Dad?* put forward by Lin Chuan genuinely possessed remarkable highlights. Both Yuan Ye and the sponsors were brimming with confidence that once this program was broadcast, it would definitely not follow in the footsteps of its predecessors, nor would it wither away halfway through its run...

After hanging up the phone, Lin Chuan turned his head to glance at Yangyang, who was taking an afternoon nap, a comforted expression appearing on his face.

Suddenly, his mobile phone rang once more. This time, the call was from Uncle Gao.

He hurried out of the bedroom and into the living room.

"Hello, Uncle Gao!" Lin Chuan said in a low voice.

"Ah, Chuan, lad, are you at home?" Uncle Gao asked loudly, sounding in exceptionally high spirits.

"I'm at home. Is there anything going on at the company?" Lin Chuan asked.

"Nothing bad, don't you worry. Isn't it because you're about to go on that show *Where Are We Going, Dad?* Yuan just called me to discuss the appearance fee. I told him to forget about it; aside from anything else, given my relationship with Old Yuan, how could we even mention money? Besides, you and Yuan have been close since childhood, and you're even the chairman of the television station, so we definitely shouldn't be asking for a fee."

Uncle Gao was straightforward, yet he had many considerations on his mind. He made this call merely to give Lin Chuan a heads-up that, given the numerous ties between their two sides, they should waive the payment.

Upon hearing this, however, Lin Chuan knitted his brows slightly and said, "Uncle Gao, let's look at this objectively and put all these personal relationships aside. Within the company, I am merely a singer under its umbrella, not the chairman of the television station. Any commercial performances or activities I participate in must be approved by the company, and the expenses should be calculated exactly as they ought to be."

"This... Chuan, wouldn't that look a bit inappropriate? That may be how it is, but we still have to account for human sentiments and relationships. If we accept this money..." Uncle Gao found himself in a difficult position.

"It's fine. You don't need to overthink it; just negotiate it properly," Lin Chuan's tone was resolute.

He had his own concerns as well. If he were to participate in *Where Are We Going, Dad?*, he would definitely do so in the capacity of an artist signed to Sky Earth Culture. Yet, in reality, he was also the chairman of the television station. To outsiders, this would undoubtedly look like pulling strings through the back door.

Just think about it: among the veteran figures who participated in this voting process, which one of them wasn't a renowned heavyweight in the industry? By contrast, what about Lin Chuan? He was merely a newcomer who had just debuted.

Such a circumstance alone would inevitably spark a wave of public opinion. If, on top of that, he refused to take a fee, allowing Sky Earth Culture to provide talent for free? Well then! You took all the credit, and you pocketed all the money yourself. Once word of that got out, it certainly wouldn't sound very pleasant.

Most importantly, the company's current financial situation was not exactly well-off. Although it primarily relied on various commercial performances, and things had improved significantly thanks to Lin Chuan joining, people still needed to eat, and money still needed to be earned, right?

Uncle Gao hemmed and hawed for a long while before finally gritting his teeth and saying, "Alright then. I'll give Yuan a call later. But... lowering the price a bit, that should be fine, right?"

"Well, you're the boss, you can decide that yourself." Suddenly, Lin Chuan's attitude softened completely, adopting an obedient demeanor of absolute compliance.

On the other end of the line, Uncle Gao chuckled wryly and shook his head. Now you remember that I'm the boss? (To be continued.)