Jiang Ning hadn’t been exposed to these before.
This kind of setting, with all the formalities, wasn’t really her style.
So, after meeting with several leaders from the local cultural and tourism bureau, she wasn’t overly proactive, mostly sitting back and listening quietly.
Of course, if Shen Zha or someone else mentioned something, Jiang Ning would smile and occasionally share a few of her opinions.
Overall, this seemed like it was going to be a good collaboration.
Both the local cultural bureau and the show crew came with sincerity, and the conversation was quite enjoyable.
As for the contract, the cultural bureau would draft it and then contact the show crew and Jiang Ning.
Lunch was hosted by the local cultural bureau.
Originally, they wanted to invite the show crew to the city for a meal, but considering the distance, Shen Zha politely declined.
In the end, they chose to dine at a local farmhouse restaurant.
Although it was supposed to be a day off today, Jiang Ning ended up working for half a day before she even realized it.
After saying goodbye to the leaders from the cultural bureau, Shen Zha, possibly having a change of heart, offered to take Jiang Ning around for a walk.
Coincidentally, today was market day in Hetian Town.
The streets were a lot busier than usual.
After finishing lunch, Jiang Ning wasn’t planning to head back to Sanwan Village immediately. The one-and-a-half-hour car ride through winding rural roads, even though paved, was still quite tiring.
Even if Shen Zha hadn’t suggested it, Jiang Ning intended to take a stroll around the town.
Initially, Chen Yan also planned to walk with them, but after taking only a few steps, he received a work-related phone call and had to leave in a hurry.
Shen Zha gave the accompanying staff half a day off, allowing everyone to move about freely, then leisurely wandered through the town with Jiang Ning.
Finding that simple wandering was a bit dull, he bought two cups of lemonade, handing one to Jiang Ning.
Gulping down half the lemonade in one go, Shen Zha suddenly realized that although he’d known Jiang Ning for a while, the opportunities for them to chat had been very few, almost non-existent!
No wonder Jiang Ning never proactively contacted him and hadn’t even considered him as an agent!
Intending to get closer to Jiang Ning, Shen Zha looked at the flow of people passing by and casually remarked, "Today is market day in Hetian Town. There are quite a lot of people, but at a glance, it’s almost entirely older people and children. The young ones have all gone out for work. I wonder when this will change."
Jiang Ning slowed her pace, "Do you have any thoughts, Director Shen?"
Shen Zha shook his head, "This has to be handled by the state, an ordinary person like me can’t change it."
Actually, the state is quite diligent, and seems to be trying to change this situation, which can be seen from recent years’ policies of rural students and helping agriculture.
However, the effects aren’t visible yet.
Jiang Ning asked, "Why did you choose to come here for a variety show?"
Shen Zha was stunned.
This was the first time Jiang Ning had asked him a question.
He glanced at Jiang Ning, who seemed calm as if it was just a casual question.
So Shen Zha casually answered, "I always had the idea of doing a variety show in the countryside, visited several points, and went to quite a few villages. Originally, there were places with better environments and houses more exquisite and rustic, and my initial filming location wasn’t here, I favored two other villages more suitable for filming."
"Sanwan Village is my classmate’s hometown. Shi Qing is his cousin. He complained to me many times, saying his cousin graduated from a top 985 university with a master’s degree, and would rather give up a high-salary job in the big city to return to the village. Everyone waited for him to regret it, but in a blink of an eye, he’s been stationed in the village for ten years."
Upon hearing this, Shen Zha immediately became interested.
Middle-aged now, though not as passionate as when young, there’s an underlying admiration in the heart for those who still have it, even if outwardly calling them foolish.
His classmate was , outwardly saying the cousin was foolish, yet secretly advocating for his cousin’s hometown by appealing to Shen Zha.
And after arriving, successfully changed his mind.
Initially, his intention was to film a variety show: find a picturesque place for filming, placing guests there for a month, then editing after filming, and releasing it on a collaboration platform.
After coming to Sanwan Village, he changed his mind.
No demand for picturesque scenery, nor convenience of transportation.
As long as the village was remote enough!
He wanted to invite Jiang Ning, just like the last variety show! Full-day live broadcast! To create another live broadcast variety show!
The last show was entirely supported by Qi Xingzhou’s team’s holographic technology, otherwise, he wouldn’t have managed it.
After ’Survive for 30 Days’, Shen Zha tried contacting Qi Corporation for further collaboration on another holographic variety show, willing to share profits as long as they provided technical support.
But Qi Corporation declined without any consideration.
Shen Zha has wide connections, later faintly learned that Qi Corporation wasn’t dissatisfied with the show crew, but the technology had been nationalized.
Then watching Qi Xingzhou, a young heir of Qi Corporation, stick by Jiang Ning after the show, following her all around the country, Shen Zha suddenly understood.
He always thought it was his show that completely cleared Jiang Ning’s reputation.
In truth, if you trace back, it should be Qi Corporation’s holographic technology that truly helped Jiang Ning!
After all, before Qi Corporation contacted him, his plan for the show was entirely different.
The more Shen Zha thought, the more apprehensive he became.
Jiang Ning didn’t notice his expression, her gaze shifted elsewhere, "So, the repeated calls you made to me were decided after seeing this village? If I ultimately hadn’t agreed, would you not have come to this village for the live broadcast?"
"I think so." Shen Zha admitted openly.
He’s a director, everything has to be considered from the show’s ratings.
To put it bluntly, without Jiang Ning, the traffic queen, not only would it be a futile effort to hide the guests in the mountains for a live broadcast, even if they were streaming in a big city, netizens wouldn’t bother going offline to see it.
Unlike now, with netizens eager to dig out the show’s filming location iP, queuing from Earth to the moon.
Upon hearing Shen Zha’s answer, Jiang Ning suddenly chuckled.
"Oh, I have a question too." Shen Zha rubbed his hands, suddenly feeling a bit shy.
Jiang Ning: "You... ask."
"Um, I’ve also watched many videos online, the ones of you catching criminals, and they all seem coincidental." Shen Zha couldn’t understand, "How exactly do you identify those people as criminals?"
Jiang Ning suddenly lowered her tone, "Do you want to know?"
Shen Zha nodded eagerly, of course!
He wondered if once he knew, he could catch a few criminals to show netizens, just like Jiang Ning.
"Here, take it." As Jiang Ning finished speaking, something cold was thrust into Shen Zha’s hands.
Before he realized it, the person beside him had already dashed out like the wind.
Jiang Ning, turned into a shadow, swiftly passed through the crowd, directly tackling a man at the center, who was smiling while taking money, to the ground!
"Hey! What are you doing!" The man was furious.
The onlookers hadn’t reacted yet.
"Let go of me! Help!" The man kept shouting and called for help from the surrounding people, "Help me! Help!"
"Shut up! Stay put! Cheating money, you think you’re justified?" Jiang Ning kicked him once, firmly pinning him to the ground.
The crowd surrounding grew larger, watching Jiang Ning’s unhidden face, while Shen Zha stood still holding two bottles of chilled lemonade, his mind buzzing.
It’s over, it’s over, he had a premonition, the secretive and supposedly safest Sanwan Village might be exposed now!
If they hurriedly relocate the show crew and guests overnight, can they still make it?