The last time Lin Jihuan posted pictures from Si Fuqingâs birthday party, her followers increased significantly.
The fans all knew she was a wealthy woman with a prosperous family business.
Getting the viewership ratings from Starlight TV was an easy task for her.
But these two ratings charts shocked not only the gossip-loving netizens but also the fans who had full confidence in Si Fuqing.
[??? The highest rating broke double digits? Donât scare me, dad.]
[Even without the highest rating, the average rating of the second episode is god-tier! It broke 9! Who else can compete?]
[As a passerby, my parents were watching yesterday. My mom got so into it that she chased my dad around for a while, and theyâre both almost seventy.]
[Ahhhh, congratulations to Si Fuqing for becoming a top star with just one drama! Congratulations! The future looks promising!]
Last year, several so-called phenomenal dramas on satellite TV didnât even break 2 in ratings.
Although some web dramas boasted over a billion views, the authenticity of these numbers was questionable.
Rumor had it that after filtering out fake views, the actual number of plays was just in the tens of millions, even with fans constantly rewatching.
This was nowhere near the success of âCrossing the Demon Realm.â
After eight years, the television industry saw such high ratings again.
No one had expected this, including Si Fuqingâs rivals.
But this time, Si Fuqingâs performance showed everyone that even established stars werenât qualified to be her rivals.
After these two ratings charts were released and confirmed by Starlight TVâs official account, even the rival fans fell silent, unable to find a flaw to attack.
âGreat Zhao Dynastyâ still had its ratings posted on the official Weibo, with Tong Luoyunâs fans celebrating in the comments. But the comparison was now too stark, and deleting the comments wouldnât be quick enough.
Tong Luoyunâs team also fell silent.
Netizens who hadnât watched the drama saw the record-breaking ratings and were intrigued enough to watch the replay on Starlight TVâs app.
Another large group of viewers was hooked.
However, even the best dramas receive criticism, and there are always trolls and keyboard warriors.
[It wasnât that great, really fake, I donât see whatâs so good about it. You guys must not have seen good dramas.]
[The hype is overblown, and the special effects are ugly.]
Such comments were not uncommon but were quickly drowned out by the legion of fans following the drama.
While Starlight TV celebrated, Great Xia TV was holding an emergency meeting.
Purchasing dramas wasnât something that usually required the network head involvement.
But a 12.9% rating was nearing the highest viewership record Great Xia TV had seen in years.
He knew that with fewer people watching TV nowadays, the same ratings now couldnât be compared to the past.
Originally, âCrossing the Demon Realmâ was supposed to air on Great Xia TV!
âA 12.9% rating!â The network head of Great Xia TV took a deep breath. âDonât tell me you didnât assess the potential of both dramas before buying them?!â
The head of programming and several other executives were in misery.
It was precisely because they had comprehensively assessed the potential of both âCrossing the Demon Realmâ and âGreat Zhao Dynastyâ that they chose to purchase the latter.
When âCrossing the Demon Realmâ aired on IFTV, the head of programming could still comfort himself that historical dramas from Great Xia Empire werenât well-received internationally and that âGreat Zhao Dynastyâ was primarily aimed at domestic viewers.
But now that the ratings for both dramas were out, the head of programming could no longer comfort himself.
Who could have predicted that newcomer Si Fuqing, leading her female-lead drama, would crush Tong Luoyun, who had over a decade of experience in the entertainment industry?
Tong Luoyun was a Triple Golden Film Awards Winner!
Even if she moved to TV dramas, she was not someone ordinary TV drama actors could compare to. How did she lose?
âLook at the reviews for both dramas.â The network head of Great Xia TV slammed the table. âAnd donât tell me you didnât predict the audienceâs reaction either!â
The head of programming braced himself and read the comments.
[Actually, Tong Luoyunâs performance this time is commendable, and itâs at her usual standard. The opening fight scene was also very good, but to be honest, since it happened to air at the same time as âCrossing the Demon Realmâ, after watching âCrossing the Demon Realmââ¦]
[Itâs worse than her movies, with too many filters, and the episode count is too long. Over eighty episodes, I canât finish it.]
[LOL, movies and TV dramas are inherently different. Queen Tongâs acting was rusty because she hadnât filmed TV dramas in a long time. Try comparing her movies instead?]
[I LOLed too. At first, it was about who aired on better channels. Then they brought out IFTV. Then it was about ratings, and they came up with double-digit ratings. Still want to compare? Soon, you wonât even have your pants left.]