章節 453: Chapter 453: The Beginning of Rise
After a long while, Xia Yu finally put down the report in his hands and looked at Huang Xizhao, who was sitting upright. He praised him, "The TV station has performed quite well recently! You've done a great job!"
"Boss, it mainly relies on the quality and influence of the anime *Dragon Ball*. We didn't do much," Huang Xizhao said modestly, but the smile at the corner of his mouth revealed his inner satisfaction.
"No need to be modest. Of course, *Dragon Ball* is a factor, but aside from the times when *Dragon Ball* is aired, the viewership ratings of Global Television have also increased significantly. It shows that you have managed it well," Xia Yu said with a smile, affirming his achievements.
"I heard that Wireless introduced a Japanese anime the day before yesterday. It seems like they should have failed, right?" Xia Yu glanced at the ratings and asked Huang Xizhao.
The report only mentioned Global Television's development and did not cover Wireless Television's situation. However, seeing that the ratings for the latest two episodes of *Dragon Ball* remained above 34%, Xia Yu could deduce that Wireless must have failed. After all, *Dragon Ball*'s premiere ratings had not dropped below 30% on Saturdays over the past two weeks, and each week had been higher than the last. The premiere ratings the day before had even set a new record, indicating Wireless Television's plan had failed.
Indeed, Huang Xizhao's response confirmed Xia Yu's guess. "Yes, boss. Wireless Television spent a lot on advertising, but unfortunately, the anime they brought from Japan didn't have a viewer base and had little impact."
"Also, I watched the anime that Wireless aired. Although they showed it on both Saturday and Sunday, the translation issues and the Japanese songs made it seem awkward. The quality couldn't compare to our *Dragon Ball*."
"So, the premiere ratings on Saturday were very low. I heard they were only 6.7%, and they didn't even recoup their costs."
"By Sunday, it was even worse. They encountered our *Dragon Ball* re-run. They aired episodes three and four, and the ratings were even lower than on Saturday, only 5.8%. It seems the audience didn't like it."
Huang Xizhao couldn't help but relish the misfortune of others as he spoke.
Xia Yu was a bit surprised but shook his head and did not ask further. After all, he had been deeply involved in the manga and anime industry for so long, and the fan base was already established. It was unrealistic to expect Japanese imports to compete with *Dragon Ball*. Times had changed; now even *Zhiyin Manke* was making strides in the Japanese manga market. Japanese anime couldn't make waves in Hong Kong Island anymore.
He wasn't particularly concerned about TVB. It was only a matter of time before TVB was overshadowed by Global Television, and TVB's misstep now was just better for him.
"Looking at your report, *Millionaire* is all set and ready to go?" Xia Yu asked.
"Yes, everything is ready. I'm here to consult with you about when to start," Huang Xizhao responded.
"No need to wait. Just proceed according to the plan. For the first episode, give all the advertising slots to other brother companies. After the show proves effective, then seek out advertising sponsors. The more buzz you create, the better."
"For the first episode, lower the difficulty level. You need to figure out how to give away one million Hong Kong dollars. Create a stir with the public, but make sure there's no tampering. Understand?"
Xia Yu's tone was very serious as he spoke.
"Understood!" Huang Xizhao said, nodding heavily. He was well aware that he needed to pay attention to this point. After all, the program was directed by the boss, with limitless prospects. Naturally, it couldn't be ruined under his watch. He couldn't afford such responsibility.
---
That evening, the marketing for *Millionaire* was launched.
Right after the most-watched program on Global Television, a promotional short film aired, featuring an enticing female voice that reached thousands of households.
"Do you want to become a millionaire?"
"Do you want to get rich overnight?"
"Do you want to change your destiny?"
"Can your knowledge earn you one million?"
"…"
At the Xia residence, after dinner, Xia Yu was watching TV with his family. As soon as the short film started, Xia's parents, who had been chatting, immediately stopped and stared at the TV.
After the short film ended, Xia Yu's father, seeing his eldest son Xia Yu's satisfied expression, quickly asked, "Ah Yu, is it really true that answering 15 questions correctly will win one million Hong Kong dollars?"
"Of course, it's true, and there will definitely be people who win one million Hong Kong dollars!" Xia Yu said with a smile, nodding.
"Ah Yu, did you put up the money for this? How can you give away so much, one million dollars? Just like that, you're rewarding others. You…"
Seeing Xia Yu admit it, his mother became a bit anxious and spoke with a pained expression. She had many things she wanted to say but found it hard to criticize her eldest son, which made her feel uncomfortable.
Xia Yu smiled and said softly, "Mom, you don't need to worry. If I can put up one million dollars, I can definitely earn it back. There are people who do dangerous things, but where have you seen a businessman doing a losing deal?"
His father, initially taken aback, thought about it and said to his wife, "Yes, Ah Mei, Ah Yu is right. In business, you need to invest money. Ah Yu can earn it back, so let's not worry about it."
"Alright! I don't know much about business, so I won't say anything more," Xia's mother said, nodding in a daze.
"Let's continue watching TV…"
---
That night, at least one-third of the residents of Hong Kong had learned about Global Television's upcoming *Millionaire* show and the specific rules. As long as one could answer 15 questions correctly on stage, they would win one million Hong Kong dollars!
And if one withdrew midway, they could still take home the accumulated cash, though not as much as one million Hong Kong dollars, but tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands were also possible!
The chance to get rich overnight was laid bare before everyone, and the lower-class people who heard the news went completely crazy.
Many people immediately called their friends and family after hearing the news, urging them to watch Global Television's program and wait for the ad replay.
Due to this phenomenon, Global Television's overall viewership rating that night actually surpassed TVB, reflecting the viewers' enthusiasm.
By the next morning, with newspapers like *Jiu Ding Daily* and *Fengyun Daily* hitting the stands, news about Global Television's *Millionaire* program flooded Hong Kong.
Public opinion surged to a peak.
No one doubted the authenticity of the program. After all, almost everyone knew that Global Television was owned by the stock market genius Xia Yu.
Since the stock market genius could easily make more than one million with a hair, it was absolutely impossible for him to ruin his reputation over one million Hong Kong dollars.
Many even saw *Millionaire* as the stock market genius's generous giveaway, wanting to participate and benefit from his good fortune.
On buses, at schools, in offices, on trading floors, in restaurants, and everywhere else, people discussed *Millionaire* with great interest. Many were confidently heading to the sea selection points set up by Global Television.
In no time, all ten sea selection points had long queues.
When this phenomenon reached Global Television, everyone was invigorated. Huang Xizhao quickly ordered to ensure the smooth progress of the sea selection and to have all departments check again to ensure the program proceeded smoothly.
---
At Wireless Television.
Shao Yifu sat in his office, looking solemn after hearing his subordinate's report. He sent the subordinate away and had a grave expression.
The manager Fang Yihua came up behind Shao Yifu and began massaging his temples, speaking with a hint of bitterness, "Yifu, Global Television must have too much money to spend. They are actually offering one million Hong Kong dollars for a single program. I don't believe they will actually give it away. We'll see how they end up."
"No, you're mistaken. One million is nothing to that young stock market genius. He's at least putting out one million Hong Kong dollars for the program. Didn't you see the rules? The ones who answer all 15 questions correctly get one million Hong Kong dollars, while those who answer seven or eight questions and then quit will still get several tens of thousands in prizes."
Shao Yifu analyzed with a serious expression, feeling a lot of pressure.
He even felt a bit of pain for Xia Yu. With his meticulous nature, he would never put out so much money for a program unless he saw sufficient returns.
"Facing a well-funded opponent, it's indeed a big problem. They are using money to create difficulties for me. This… sigh…" Shao Yifu sighed deeply, feeling bitter.
What frustrated him most was that he wanted to compete with others in talent, but others were using a direct and crude monetary assault. This taste was truly uncomfortable.
Isn't this just bullying?
Having money is impressive, huh?
"Then Yifu, how should we respond? Given the current situation, this program seems likely to succeed, and we will face a big problem."
"Should we create a similar program?"
Fang
Yihua asked seriously.
Shao Yifu thought for a moment and shook his head, "It's too late to create one now. Firstly, we don't know how effective *Millionaire* will be. Secondly, we don't know the essence of the program. Rushing to make a similar one won't be very effective."
"Then we can only watch?"
Fang Yihua asked, feeling a bit unwilling.
Shao Yifu's mood was complex as he slowly nodded, "Yes, the best approach now is to wait and see, and then move when the opportunity arises. This is the best strategy."
"Alright!"
"Then I'll send people to keep a close watch and report immediately if anything happens."
Fang Yihua said.
"Yes, arrange it, but remember not to do anything inappropriate. The situation is different now. Business competition is normal; we need to get used to it slowly."
Shao Yifu thought for a moment and agreed with Fang Yihua's idea while reminding her.
Although he had observed some of Fang Yihua's previous actions against Jia Shi and Li's Television and had not stopped her because he wasn't worried about other two TV stations, he was now uncertain and naturally had to remind her to avoid difficulties later.
Fang Yihua was taken aback and then nodded silently, "I understand."
Although Fang Yihua had previously used petty tricks against Jia Shi and Li's Television, it didn't mean she was foolish.
Now, Global Television was different. Boss Xia Yu was not a benevolent figure. With the various negative rumors surrounding this young man, Fang Yihua was somewhat apprehensive and dared not use any petty tricks.
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