At noon, the Wu family's residence.
Wu Hao rushed into the room, exclaiming, "Sister, it's bad! Your plan has failed!"
Wu Lingxuan, however, remained composed and calm.
She smiled at Wu Hao and asked, "How has it failed?"
Wu Hao replied with urgency, "It just failed! Mingyue Zhai didn't back down. They didn't pay a cent and held on. In the end, the television station had no choice but to air their program for free. Oh, all our calculations were wrong."
Heh, not wrong at all.
Wu Lingxuan said, "Helping Mingyue Zhai with their program for free is even more beneficial to us. This way, we won't have to do anything and can watch Mingyue Zhai collapse."
Her words were so sudden that Wu Hao didn't quite grasp them at first.
A moment later.
Wu Hao frowned and said, "Sister, did you say something wrong, or did I hear you wrong? Mingyue Zhai is getting free airtime, how can they collapse?"
Wu Lingxuan chuckled coldly.
She explained seriously, "Little brother, misfortune is the harbinger of good fortune, and good fortune is the harbinger of misfortune. Everything has two sides. When looking at things, never focus solely on the benefits without seeing the dangers."
Wu Hao still didn't understand.
Getting free airtime, what danger was there in that? He couldn't fathom it at all.
Wu Lingxuan said, "Whether it's Director Chang Yunwei or Station Manager Xue Hong, they are both greedy characters. Do you think they would help Mingyue Zhai for free? Under normal circumstances, if Mingyue Zhai didn't pay, they wouldn't have done this program at all."
But... it's not normal now!
Not only did they do it, but they did it for free.
Wu Lingxuan said, "When something is out of the ordinary, there's always a reason. There's only one possibility for them to act this way—retaliation. I fear that in this episode, they will brutally expose Mingyue Zhai's flaws, twist the truth, and maliciously attack them. The television station will make Mingyue Zhai famous, but in a 'notoriuosly famous' way! They'll make Mingyue Zhai infamous, letting the whole country know how terrible Mingyue Zhai is, turning them into a negative symbol."
Is this... possible?
It's too exaggerated, isn't it?
Wu Hao found it hard to believe. While not a kind person, his mind was relatively simple. Would someone really do something so self-defeating?
Wu Lingxuan smiled and said, "It's not self-defeating. The television station has a lot to gain. They can kill the chicken to scare the monkeys, deterring others from following Mingyue Zhai's example. At the same time, notoriety also brings fame and traffic. The television station will still receive a lot of advertising revenue."
After explaining the reasoning, Wu Hao nodded affirmatively and said, "There's so much complexity involved. Indeed, this is very beneficial to us. My elder sister is truly amazing. If it weren't for you, I probably wouldn't have understood any of this."
Wu Lingxuan smiled, "Little brother, you still have much to learn."
...
At the same time, at Mingyue Zhai.
The same logic was explained by Lu Ming to Su Wanran, leaving her head spinning.
She had thought that getting free airtime would be a good thing, but who knew...
"Alas," Su Wanran said pessimistically, "Lu Ming, according to your explanation, we might as well not go on the show. If we focus on our business, we can slowly prosper. Going on the show would lower our standards and tarnish our reputation, which is hardly worth it."
Withdrawing voluntarily could also be a wise move.
It was a way to protect themselves.
However, Lu Ming had other ideas.
He chuckled and said, "Retreating whenever you encounter problems isn't a good approach. You know, 'A Bite of Misty Capital' is an excellent program with very high viewership. If we can seize this opportunity to become famous overnight, we'll have a much shorter path to success. What we need to consider now is how to avoid being maliciously smeared by the television station and ensure they promote us correctly."
Su Wanran was amused and distressed.
If it were that easy, she wouldn't have chosen to withdraw.
Just because Su Wanran couldn't do it, didn't mean Lu Ming couldn't.
He glanced at his watch and said, "Don't worry, I have a solution. In a little while, a turning point will arrive."
A turning point?
"What are you going to do?" Su Wanran asked.
"You'll know when you wait and see," Lu Ming said mysteriously.
About half an hour later, a black car stopped across the street, very discreetly.
The car door opened, and an elderly man stepped out.
It was none other than Xie Yuqing, the food critic who recommended Mingyue Zhai for the program.
"Old Mr. Xie?" Su Wanran was slightly surprised to see Xie Yuqing.
Xie Yuqing seemed a bit flustered, his steps a little unsteady, as he hurried into the shop. Upon entering, he tried to appear sophisticated, forcing a smile and saying, "Hello, Chairman Su, Mr. Lu."
Su Wanran returned the greeting, "We're fine. Old Mr. Xie, why have you come?"
Xie Yuqing said, "The television station people came today, didn't they? Did the discussion about your program go smoothly?"
Uh...
Just as Su Wanran was about to pour out her troubles to Xie Yuqing.
Unexpectedly!
Lu Ming interjected, "Extremely smoothly. The television station has already tailored an episode specifically for us, and we're just waiting to start filming."
Huh?
Su Wanran looked at Lu Ming with confusion, not understanding why he wasn't telling the truth.
But in reality, what would telling the truth achieve?
Could Xie Yuqing, a retired employee, really go up against the television station's director and manager?
If the truth were revealed, it would only make things difficult for Xie Yuqing.
Moreover, everything at this point was merely speculation. There was no concrete evidence, and Xue Hong hadn't smeared Mingyue Zhai yet.
Most importantly, Lu Ming could see through Xie Yuqing's intentions. His real purpose wasn't about the program.
As expected.
Xie Yuqing immediately said, "It's good that everything is going smoothly. By the way, are you not doing business at Mingyue Zhai today?"
Su Wanran nodded, "Yes, due to the television station matter, we've suspended operations for a day."
"Oh," Xie Yuqing said with some disappointment.
Lu Ming quickly replied, "While we rest for others, we can certainly make an exception for Old Mr. Xie. It's just about lunchtime. Old Mr. Xie, we'll prepare a medicinal meal for you right now, so you can enjoy a hearty meal."
Xie Yuqing's disappointment turned to joy.
He glanced around and said mysteriously, "I do need you to prepare a medicinal meal, but not for me. It's to help someone else."
This was the key point!
If Lu Ming's information was accurate, this person could help Mingyue Zhai overcome their crisis.
Lu Ming feigned ignorance, "Who are you helping?"
Xie Yuqing whispered, "Yao Wenxian, the deputy director of the Misty Capital Radio and Television Bureau."
The Radio and Television Bureau?
Su Wanran's expression immediately changed. This was a major development; it was the supervisory body of the television station, directly overseeing Misty Capital Television.
Lu Ming's expression sharpened, and joy bloomed in his heart.
This was exactly what he was waiting for!