Translator: Ink Hub

Editor: Yoog

“How can Lin Ji not play by the rules?” Qin Yi’s agent’s fury was uncontainable as he stared at the image on Lin Ji’s Weibo. “He was the one who came begging us in the first place. It’s not like we asked him for anything!”

Lin Ji’s move was a blatant slap in the face. It was intentional: a calculated strike meant to destroy the “gentle and upright” image Qin Yi had so carefully maintained.

In the entertainment industry, there was a tacit rule: you could see through a lie, but you never exposed it. One didn’t take the initiative to stand out. Did the fans not know Qin Yi hadn’t actually gone on a business trip? The netizens probably guessed it too, but Lin Ji insisted on dragging the truth into the light.

A cloud of displeasure also hung over Qin Yi’s brow, but his concern wasn’t actually on Lin Ji. “I only just heard the news that Chen Cheng took a role in Code 11.”

As he asked this, Qin Yi’s gaze remained fixed on his agent. Sure enough, he saw the man’s eyes flicker with avoidance.

This agent had a bit of cleverness and handled matters efficiently enough, but he was prone to making mistakes after drinking, often letting slip things that shouldn’t be said. They had known each other for a long time and had supported each other from the lowest points of their careers to the present, so Qin Yi had never considered replacing him.

But now, whether it was Lin Ji’s visit to discuss the script or Chen Cheng joining Code 11, everything gave Qin Yi the feeling that the situation was slipping out of his control.

His gaze toward the agent grew dark.

* * *

Between Code Falcon and Code 11, the one to broadcast first was Code Falcon.

Maple Leaf TV had seized the initiative. Ten days before the premiere, they began interspersing promotional advertisements for Code Falcon throughout the station’s various programs. A horde of marketing accounts on Weibo followed suit, posting links alongside massive posters for the show.

The posters perfectly outlined the bleak atmosphere of the war of resistance. The protagonist, Yan Ying, wore an expression of compassionate sorrow.

Despite being mocked by Lin Ji, Qin Yi remained dutiful in promoting the new show. He did not miss a single event organized by Maple Leaf TV. At the press conference for the premiere, he even bowed on stage to publicly express his “apologies” to Lin Ji.

Perhaps it was because Qin Yi didn’t want to provoke Lin Ji further, but the two days following the broadcast of Code Falcon were quiet. No one stepped out to intentionally put down Code 11.

Of course, both Maple Leaf TV and Sunrise TV understood that this peace was merely temporary.

On this day, Lin Ji tuned his remote to Maple Leaf TV and waited for Code Falcon to begin.

He was quite curious about the quality of Gu Lenian’s new work. According to the netizens, the protagonist Yan Ying originally had no code name. Since Maple Leaf TV had specifically changed the title, would the content have changed as well?

As the theme song began, Lin Ji shifted his posture, sitting up straight to watch seriously.

The first two episodes served as a simple introduction to the background. In early 1937, Yan Ying was assigned by his superiors to infiltrate Shanghai and assassinate the Japanese intelligence chief, Matsuta Issei.

The pacing of the first two episodes was good, and the atmosphere was rendered quite well. It was more than a level better than Gu Lenian’s previous work, Siege Operation.

“A thousand words reduced to two: Good show!!”

“Qin Yi’s portrayal of Yan Ying is truly incredible. Actors with actual skill are just different.”

“Looking forward to the rest! I feel like this show is more tense and exciting than the spy dramas I’ve watched before. When Teacher Cui called out to Yan Ying, my heart leaped into my throat, scaring me to death.”

“The rhythm is fast, no dragging at all. In the end, it still takes a veteran to do the job.”

“I want to interview Qike Video to see how they feel right now.”

On the night of the broadcast, hashtags related to Code Falcon filled the trending lists. Netizens discussed everything from the plot to Qin Yi’s acting, and even the screenwriter, Gu Lenian, trended for a moment.

Just as Gu Lenian climbed to the bottom of the trending list, Qike Video posted a new image in the discussion area.

It was a character with a massive, round head and a tiny body, much like Doraemon. On the tiny body was a single, concise character: Sucker.

“Got it in one second: The Big Sucker.”

“Hahaha, Qike Video is going to be the death of me. It’s been almost a year, and their resentment still hasn’t vanished.”

“Qike Video: Grudge +1 +1 +1.”

“Qike Video is truly miserable, alright? The promotional effort for Siege Operation back then wasn’t any less than Code Falcon. Yet look at the quality of Code Falcon compared to the quality of Siege Operation.”

“Sh*t, otherwise known as ‘filth.'”

* * *

After the day ended, the satellite TV ratings rankings became the focus of Qin Yi’s fans.

During this week, it wasn’t just Maple Leaf TV launching a new show; several other satellite stations had premieres as well.

Competition between satellite stations was different from the battle between video platforms like Chaoxing TV or Qike Video. There were many stations, and their areas of expertise were distinct. On the prime-time ratings list, the ranking from 1st to 30th was exceptionally clear. The reason A-list stations were called “A-list” was precisely because of their years of leading dominance in the ratings.

On this day, Code Falcon ranked 4th.

“Number 4! Badass!!”

“1.962% ratings! We’re flying, we’re flying!!”

“Normally, the first two episodes are when a show’s ratings are relatively lower. Once more episodes air, the ratings for Code Falcon should be able to soar even higher.”

“Maple Leaf TV is badass! Qin Yi is badass!!”

This viewership data was the best opening for Maple Leaf TV this year!

Maple Leaf TV’s ratings usually hovered between 5th and 10th. But regardless of where the ratings eventually settled, this was the first time in history that their opening episodes had entered the top 4.

For Qin Yi, such an opening was also perfect.

Usually, one of the dramas he starred in would air on Dajiang TV each year. On a top-tier platform like Dajiang, he basically didn’t need to worry about ratings. But on other platforms, he would be anxious for quite a while regardless of whether the numbers were high or low.

Before Code Falcon aired, his heart had been hanging in suspense. Now, he could finally let it go.

With his mood lightened, a relaxed expression appeared on Qin Yi’s face. He idly pressed the remote and accidentally landed on Sunrise TV. At this moment, Sunrise TV was broadcasting a video introducing greenhouse vegetable planting techniques. The station logo was still that dull, earthy yellow.

Precious prime-time wasted just like that.

On a whim, Qin Yi went online to search for the ratings of dramas aired on Sunrise TV over the past three years.

The results did not surprise him in the least: almost every single drama on Sunrise TV ranked below 25th. Since there were only about 30-plus satellite channels, in other words, Sunrise TV was a permanent bottom-dweller.

Qin Yi felt he had been overthinking things, actually worrying that Sunrise TV’s ratings might surpass Maple Leaf TV.

How was that possible?

Even if Code 11 had Chen Cheng’s participation, she wasn’t the type of actress who could carry a show’s ratings alone.

* * *

At the moment, Chen Cheng’s fans were the group most concerned about the ratings of Code 11.

It wasn’t that Sunrise TV itself didn’t care; it was just that the ratings for the first two episodes of Code Falcon were too high. They were so high that Sunrise TV didn’t even dare to imagine what they could use to surpass them. Although the station was full of confidence in the quality of Code 11, in reality, unless a miracle occurred, Code 11 had zero possibility of surpassing Code Falcon.

Nevertheless, Sunrise TV was very dissatisfied with Maple Leaf TV’s actions. Although Sunrise TV’s ranking was low and its public recognition was insufficient, no platform enjoyed being treated as cannon fodder by a rival.

“Don’t worry about the ratings for now. It’s no good to let the pressure crush you.” Before the show even aired, the producer gave Lin Ji a preemptive warning.

A win and a loss between Code 11 and Code Falcon were inevitable. Gu Lenian was determined to trample Lin Ji under his feet. With Code Falcon making such an excellent start, the producer was worried Lin Ji would be in a bad mood and specifically ran over to comfort him.

“I’m not worried.” Lin Ji’s expression was perfectly calm.

The producer stared at him from head to toe. Lin Ji’s expression truly showed no sign of a ripple; he was exceptionally steady.

The producer found himself at a loss for words and could only ask, “Do you want some sweet embryo milk tea?”

“Yes, I want two cups.”

This was a local specialty milk tea unique to the Sunrise region. Lin Ji couldn’t get it at all in C City. Whenever he hit a bottleneck while writing, he would have a cup.

After ordering, Lin Ji silently looked at the producer. “It’s your treat, right?”

“…My treat.”

This man was generous enough to pay for Cheng Yuan’s travel and accommodation and was willing to take a pay cut on his screenwriting fee, yet for a small matter like drinking milk tea, he always insisted on the producer and director paying.

However, Lin Ji was easy to get along with. Whatever he promised, he would do. He wouldn’t push back at the start, nor would he raise his price halfway through the work.

He wasn’t like other screenwriters who required five-star hotel butler service or Michelin meals. He would be perfectly happy if they bought him milk tea. He had tried almost every milk tea shop near the station building. Whenever a new flavor came out, he had to give it a taste.

The milk tea arrived, and the first episode of Code 11 began. Lin Ji, the producer, and the director huddled together, watching the first episode with great interest.

Cheng Yuan came over as well. Although he had landed the male lead for Code 11, he was still idle. Recently, several management agencies had wanted to sign him, but after hesitating for a while, Cheng Yuan decided to wait until the show aired before making a decision.

Nie Ou had also switched the channel to Sunrise TV.

Her father glanced over. “Why have you started watching Sunrise TV? You wouldn’t watch a single episode of Code Falcon last night.”

Nie Ou’s dad actually wanted to watch the third and fourth episodes of Code Falcon, but since the remote was in Nie Ou’s hand, he had no way out.

He could only sit with her.

When the opening song played, Nie Ou’s father was still rambling, “It definitely won’t be as good as the one yesterday. Your mom doesn’t even like watching Sunrise TV’s dramas…”

Nie Ou ignored him completely.

At the junction of summer and autumn in 1937, Yuzhou became the provisional capital. From 1938 onward, the Japanese Empire conducted a five-year bombing campaign against Yuzhou. Amid the mist lingering over the mountain city, the Japanese established a solid intelligence network.

Wangjiatuo had once been a Japanese concession. Here, Japanese espionage activity was frequent. At daybreak, a burst of gunfire shattered the silence of the streets.

“The victim is He Jianye, a captain in the Military Bureau of Statistics. Soviet-made pistol…”

The opening scene was the death of a Juntong captain. The assassin struck with a steady and precise hand, taking the life of this small-time leader active on the front lines of intelligence.

Before the shadow of He Jianye’s death could dissipate, the Japanese bombing of Yuzhou continued. On this day, inside the office of the Yuzhou Central Daily newspaper, a figure slowly walked out. This person’s pace was neither fast nor slow. He wore narrow black-framed glasses and spoke at a moderate speed. When other reporters lamented how the times were becoming increasingly difficult, he followed suit and echoed them.

“You’ve only just started a family. How can your life be as hard as ours?”

The man only smiled, and after a moment, he walked to a corner and buried his head in revising an article.

His fellow reporters exchanged looks and said no more, only whispering in private, “Who told him to have a brother-in-law in the Juntong? This kid has a bit of luck.”

After Yuzhou was designated as the provisional capital, the Intelligence Section expanded into the Juntong. The chief was the notorious Dai Yunong. Figures like Ji Hongchang and Wang Yaqiao were assassinated at his instigation, and Generals Zhang and Yang were also placed under house arrest by him.

The reporter in the corner finished his article and took his bag out of the newspaper’s main gate. He first called a rickshaw, and by the time he reappeared, he was inside an alleyway in Caiyuanba, silently and seamlessly sending out a secret letter.

* * *

Before they knew it, the entire forty-plus minutes of the episode had finished. Nie Ou naturally waited for the second episode, finding even the intervening advertisements superfluous. This was mainly because Sunrise TV couldn’t pull in any decent sponsorships—what kind of satellite station aired fertilizer commercials during prime time?

Nie Ou looked up and saw her father staring at the screen with his eyes sparkling. He no longer complained about Nie Ou hogging the remote, nor did he complain that Sunrise TV had no good dramas. Instead, he asked her, “Only two episodes a day?”

Nie Ou nodded.

“This show is good. Better than the one yesterday.”

It was hard for Nie Ou’s father to describe exactly what made it better from a professional standpoint. But placing the two shows side-by-side, the male lead of Code Falcon, Yan Ying, was too dazzling: he gave off a feeling that the spotlight of the entire scene was concentrated solely on him. Code 11, on the other hand, was much more grounded. At the very least, what attracted her father more was the plot itself rather than a specific major character.

It wasn’t that the lead of an espionage film couldn’t be dazzling; it was normal for a show’s highlights to concentrate on the protagonist. However, those highlights shouldn’t create a barrier between the character and the plot or the other characters. Although this issue wasn’t glaringly obvious in Code Falcon, and the audience might not realize it at first, that was only if the audience hadn’t seen Code 11.

With the comparison existing, the highlights concentrated on the lead in an espionage film seemed a bit unnatural.

Although the first two episodes of Code 11 weren’t as thrilling as Code Falcon, they could attract the audience to keep watching.

Nie Ou’s father nudged her. “Are we watching tomorrow?”

“Yes.”

“What about your mother?”

When it came to snatching the remote, Nie Ou’s mother was the true champion of the household. Since she wasn’t home today, the father and daughter could frolic freely.

Nie Ou silently took out her tablet and opened The Heiress Conceals Her Identity but Gets Dumped. “Here, the divine weapon!”

Nie Ou felt Code 11 was excellent, but she discovered that the online discussion for the show was far less than for Code Falcon. Although today was the premiere of Code 11, Sunrise TV hadn’t even bought a trending topic. The Super Topic looked desolate, with only a few familiar accounts recommending it, all being old fans of Chen Cheng.

Nie Ou sighed and began to work hard on writing a recommendation for Code 11. “The best drama I’ve watched this year, personally. Even though Sister Cheng hasn’t appeared yet, this show already has all the elements of a good drama in my heart…”

Her Weibo post had a few likes, but it wasn’t nearly as many as back when she recommended Secretly in Love with You. Her circle of friends consisted of young girls who had limited interest in serious dramas.

Nie Ou specifically paid attention to the ratings list for that day. Code 11, with its two premiere episodes, ranked 19th. Meanwhile, Code Falcon had aired its third and fourth episodes, and its ratings had already leveled with the new drama on Xingzhou TV. Tomorrow, it would likely rise to third place.

NOTES

Milk tea with sweet embryos (甜胚子奶茶): A specialty drink made with fermented oats/grains, popular in Northwestern China.

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