Chapter Eighty: Repeatedly Setting New Records

Filming, editing, special effects... Chen Qi personally handled every aspect, so busy he hardly had time to breathe. By three in the afternoon, the second episode was finally completed. He handed the finished episode to Xu Bu Nian, and seeing the daylight still lingering, continued preparations for the next installment. He was responsible only for the production of the series; the subsequent steps were entirely left to Xu Bu Nian.

Perhaps it was the sense of fulfillment in such a hectic routine, but after a long day of work, he didn’t feel tired at all. Amidst the relentless activity, evening arrived swiftly.

At eight o’clock sharp, the second episode went online. Countless viewers logged onto Simple Video right on time, clicking into the new episode. The exaggerated performances, the hilarious plot, the joyful and mischievous lines remained unchanged.

But when the guest actress appeared, almost every viewer felt a spark of surprise.

“Oh wow, there’s a female actress now!”

“Goodness, what a surprise, isn’t it?”

“Where did they find this young lady? She’s so beautiful!”

The viewers’ astonishment was evident from the barrage of comments. The appearance of this lovely actress was a delightful surprise. To be precise, she was the first female character in “Whatever.” The eye-searing ones certainly didn’t count!

The wacky episode quickly concluded, and the highly anticipated end credit advertisement was about to begin. Interestingly, perhaps because the previous ad was so eye-catching, many viewers now looked forward to the ad even more than the main show. Some irreverent fans even dragged the progress bar straight to the end credits at the start, intent on seeing what innovations the shameless fellow would present this time.

“Recently, many advertisers have approached us, but I said before, I am a pure artist. A pure artist always keeps promises to the audience, so when I said I wouldn’t embed ads, I absolutely won’t embed ads. Yes… that’s how stubborn I am!”

In the end credit ad, Chen Qi stood at a conference table, solemnly addressing Wang Da Chui and the others. If the camera didn’t move, it would have sounded quite serious. But as the camera slowly panned, the words “Half Cup Milk Tea” written huge on the blackboard behind him came into view.

“Hahahahaha…”

Seeing this shot, the audience, already smiling, burst out laughing. Especially when they noticed several small words listing different flavors beneath the bold letters, the comment section simply exploded! The whole screen was filled with laughter, and viewers shamelessly debated which flavor tasted best.

Perhaps speaking so long made him thirsty; Chen Qi, still standing, reached for a drink on the table and took a sip. Yes, it was red bean-flavored milk tea. The camera helpfully zoomed in for a close-up. The laughter in the comments grew even more unrestrained.

“Hmm…” After a sip, Chen Qi seemed to notice something, looked down, and praised, “This milk tea is actually quite good.”

“Hahahaha…” The audience’s smiles grew even wider.

After saying this, Chen Qi nonchalantly resumed his lecture.

“I know those advertisers want to force me through various channels, but it’s impossible. No one can coerce me! It is precisely because we have such unwavering integrity that more viewers appreciate us.”

“Here, I also advise wealthy advertisers not to use money to corrupt artists like us, okay?” Chen Qi’s face was grave.

“Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap!”

The camera shifted, showing Wang Da Chui and the others gathered around the conference table, applauding with deep conviction. Then, the audience saw that each of them had a milk tea in front of them, each a different flavor.

And so, the episode ended.

Viewers, still savoring the experience, didn’t rush to close the page; instead, they dragged the progress bar back to the beginning to watch again. Unlike the first time, this time the focus was on the comments. The irreverent fans’ comments alone could keep the laughter going for more than half an hour!

...

On the third day, the crew remained bustling with activity. Chen Qi immersed himself in filming, almost deaf to the outside world. He knew the quality of “Whatever” and wasn’t worried about its performance at all. His task was simply to ensure the crew operated smoothly, never holding things up. As long as they could update continuously, he didn’t want to break the streak.

Even the performance reports Zhao Qingqing sent twice daily, he only glanced over briefly.

Perhaps because of the daily release schedule, the popularity and attention of “Whatever” season two were clearly much higher than the first.

According to Zhao Qingqing, even many professionals in the entertainment industry had noticed the show and held mixed opinions.

Chen Qi was aware of this too, since Xu Bu Nian had recently told him that many peers had contacted him, all hoping for collaboration.

For now, Chen Qi simply didn’t have the time to deal with them. As for occasional criticism within the industry, he ignored it entirely, not bothering to read.

“All right, it’s a wrap!”

Thanks to thorough preparation the day before, the third episode was fully filmed before lunch. After finishing post-production, Chen Qi threw himself into preparations for the next episode.

It’s worth mentioning that that afternoon, President Han of Half Cup Milk Tea called Xu Bu Nian, excitedly. The ad had been online for only two days, but their three stores in Beijing saw a surge in customer traffic!

Their revenue nearly tripled, and this was just the beginning—they sensed even more growth ahead.

According to President Han, this was the most effective advertisement they had ever run!

On the phone, Han repeatedly urged Xu Bu Nian to notify him if there were any suitable future projects.

Chen Qi merely smiled, unconcerned, not taking it to heart. Such shameless advertising had brought viewers so much joy—it was only natural that they’d support these products. After all, a cup of milk tea wasn’t expensive.

As for future collaborations, he listened but didn’t dwell on it. He hadn’t even decided what to do next; how could he cooperate? If future projects were too large, this client obviously wouldn’t be suitable.

That evening, the third episode was released right on schedule. Its popularity only grew, with both the main show and the end credit ad receiving enormous attention.

Then came the fourth episode...

The fifth...

The sixth...

Simple Video released a new episode every day without interruption, and their promotional efforts never ceased.

With their vigorous promotion and the enthusiastic recommendations of countless viewers, the clicks for “Whatever” climbed ever higher. Unbeknownst to all, this low-cost mini-series, each episode only six or seven minutes long, had become the hottest show of the moment—its popularity surpassing even major dramas airing on satellite TV…