Chapter 27 Premiere (Part 1) (First Update Seeking Recommendation)

  "What's the bet?" An Junhe glanced at her.

  Xu Zhiying said: "Bet on the ratings, I heard from seniors in the industry that there has always been this tradition, betting on box office numbers for movie premieres and TV drama ratings, everyone says it's to get a good start, how about it, do you want to open a book?"

  An Junhe hadn't even responded yet when Zhang Gensheng beside him shouted out: "Alright alright, I'll bet 10%!"

  Really found a notebook, Xu Zhiying, who was about to start writing, wrote Zhang Gen's name on it and looked down on him, saying: "So lacking in ambition, only 10%, it's embarrassing to say it out loud!"

  "Heh heh, leave some room for the seniors in the back to shine, 10% isn't bad either, after all it's a popular drama series!"

  Zhang Genxiao smiled, and he wasn't wrong. Generally speaking, if a drama's premiere ratings reach 10%, it can be considered a popular show. With such a starting point, unless the plot is too bad, it won't be a problem for the average ratings to exceed 20% later on. Once it crosses this line, depending on how exciting the plot itself is, there may be ups and downs afterwards, but basically, it can already establish a solid foundation for becoming a huge hit.

  So his excuse wasn't that bad after all. Xu Zhiying pouted and reluctantly agreed with his reason, then asked An Junhe: "Junhe, what about you?"

  "You haven't even found a decent job... Are you just playing around? Not interested." An Junhe shook his head.

  "Of course I won't take the money, do you want me to get caught? Just guess, consider it a way for me to vent online." She said coquettishly.

  The so-called online backlash, of course, started before this, and as the premiere date approached, another batch of people attacking the "Sorry, I Love You" production team and Ahn Joon-Hee jumped out online. They were basically some relatively unknown self-proclaimed veteran actors who seized on Ahn Joon-Hee's reputation to continue stirring up controversy, saying that Director Lee Hyung-Min and KBS TV would pay the price for their careless casting decision. Some even joked that this drama's ratings might not even reach 5%, completely flopping.

  An Junhe never put those people's clamor in his heart, but Xu Zhiying was always resentful and occasionally had free time to go online and wear a horse jacket, playing the role of An Junhe's supporter and scolding people.

  "Yeah, brother, take a guess!" Zhang Gen Shuo also said beside him.

  An Junhe, who was annoyed by them and couldn't bear to look at the script anymore, could only helplessly lift his head, think for a moment, and then smile: "Then... 15%?"

  Xu Zhiying smiled and quickly recorded it, "Up 5% at once, Junhe, your ambition is not small!" After that, she picked up her notebook and ran to find others to continue this betting game. Maybe in the entertainment industry, there really is a tradition of betting on ratings, and most people don't refuse. Laughing, they told Xu Zhiying their guessed numbers, including Li Hengmin and Lee Kyung-hee, who both participated. The former, like Ahn Junhe, guessed 15%, while Lee Kyung-hee jokingly guessed 20%.

  Before long, Jieun returned after making a round, the paper was filled with names, Junhyeok took a glance and didn't look again, letting her excitedly discuss with Joonsuk whose guess was closest to the result.

  After a brief rest, the crew resumed filming, and time flew by in smooth shots. By 9:30, it was as if they had made an appointment, and the entire crew's busy atmosphere suddenly became slack. The cameraman, script supervisor, and other staff members, as well as the actors participating in the shoot, all suddenly became absent-minded, frequently making mistakes and NGs.

  Lee Hyung-min, who knew what they were thinking, tried hard for a while and found it completely ineffective. He had no choice but to stop working reluctantly and shouted: "Forget it, take a break. You, you, and you, go get the TV set, we'll watch the premiere too!"

  The originally quiet atmosphere around suddenly became noisy with his words, and the crowd cheered "Long live the director", putting down their work with great enthusiasm, starting to find a place to sit down. The three staff members who were named also ran out excitedly, and soon came back with a TV set, followed by some TV station employees who joined in the fun. With over 100 people from the entire crew gathered in this spacious studio, the atmosphere was extremely lively, just like watching an outdoor movie many years ago.

  At 9:55, as the last advertisement ended, the TV in front of everyone in the decorated room began to play Ahn Jun-hee's "Snow Flower".

  A gentle, lingering song, only a very short segment, then the camera cuts to an editing room, and on the screen appears footage similar to an interview, of one by one overseas Korean adoptees, expressing their resentment towards their biological parents who gave birth to them but abandoned them. Until, chewing gum, with a big pompadour hairstyle, held back by a headband, "Cha Woo-hyuk" appears in front of the camera.

  A stark contrast to the resentment and bitterness of the previous two, optimism and hope filled his words. As the production team considered cutting out Wu He's conversation with his mother, a faint sense of sadness began to spread, and the plot unfolded into a tragic tale amidst this melancholy.

  "Sorry, I Love You", from the very beginning, whether it was Lee Kyung-hee who wrote the script, or Lee Hyung-min who filmed it, or KBS TV station which produced it, never thought of making a purely commercial drama. Since it is a gift for the 50th International Adoption Year, it naturally focuses on the hardships and sufferings of children abandoned by their biological parents.

  Sitting in the front row, watching the role he played come to life on the screen, An Junhe felt a strange and indescribable feeling rising up inside him. It was as if he was looking through a window, peeking into another world where his fate had taken a drastically different turn. The scene was a bit bizarre, a bit absurd, but mostly it brought back memories of filming those scenes.

  Familiar Melbourne streets, familiar lines that can be recited by heart, familiar characters' inner struggles, but all of this looks very strange from an outsider's perspective.

  He slowly narrowed his eyes, is... this really my TV series?

  For a moment, I felt somewhat perplexed in my heart.

  At this time, a cool small hand suddenly grasped his, he turned to look, it was Lin Xiujing sitting beside him, at this moment she stared wide-eyed, nervously watching the screen, her character En Cai, like a lost little deer, wandering aimlessly in the chaotic streets.

  That tension, of course, was not for the fate of "En Cai", perhaps also like him, it was caused by the sudden observation of strangers.

  He smiled slightly and squeezed her hand, the warmth of his palm quickly dispelling the chill on her hand. She was startled and turned to look at him, then looked at their clasped hands, her eyes fluttering in embarrassment as she tried to pull away, whispering: "......Sorry, I'm a bit nervous......"

  "It's okay!" An Junhe smiled and continued to hold her hand, "Don't worry, you did a great job."

  Lin Xiujing lowered her head, pursed her lips and smiled, the tense emotions in her heart dissipated a little after these words of encouragement. As she felt the warmth transmitted from his palm, that scorching body temperature seemed to have also transmitted his strong willpower over, giving her immense strength.

  At this time, An Junhe had once again focused his attention on the TV.

  The first episode doesn't have much of a story, it just unfolds at a leisurely pace, gradually introducing the main characters. Cha Woo-hyuk, who ran away from his foster home as a child and grew up on the streets, surviving by scamming; Choi Yoon, born into a celebrity family, always surrounded by pampering and a bit childish; Song Eun-chae, who has known Choi Yoon since childhood, taking care of him like a sister and secretly having a crush on him; Kang Min-ju, born with a silver spoon, due to her parents' divorce, treats love as a game of Starcraft.

  As if by fate, their destinies intersected in Melbourne, Australia.

  For the entire sixty minutes, there wasn't much **ups and downs**, occasionally some joyful moments flashed by, but the sorrowful and oppressive atmosphere tightly grasped the audience's heart, making them become immersed in it, slightly fluctuating with the characters' joys and sorrows. Until the end, Cha Moo-hyuk, for the sake of bread rather than love, leaves Ji-young who is getting married to someone else, blocks a bullet, the suddenly paused music, Moo-hyuk's gradually losing spirit eyes, in the airport waiting hall, as if sensing each other's hearts, Eun-chae suddenly gazes far away... Such a series of colors, only then did the accumulated sorrow burst out.

  An Junhe, who had exceptionally good hearing, had already faintly heard that behind him, a relatively emotional woman had started to sob lightly. Occasionally, when he turned his head back to look, he could also see that not a few of the staff members' eyes were red-rimmed.

  As the ending song slowly started, an hour's broadcast quickly passed by. At the moment when the first episode ended, after a few breaths of silence in the entire recording studio, everyone spontaneously began to applaud. The applause from over 100 people gathered together was like thunder, shaking the eardrums.

  Lee Hyun-min, who was sitting with Ahn Jun-hee, had a slightly tense face that relaxed a bit in the applause and showed a smile, also clapping his hands, then hugged Ahn Jun-hee tightly again, laughing and looking at him. Although it's still unknown how the ratings will be, the people watching here are all crew members, and their viewing stance can't help but be biased, but such enthusiastic applause is already enough to encourage him.

  "Jun-heok, you acted really well, it was very infectious!" Lee Hyung-min said with a trembling voice as he hugged him, whispering in Ahn Jun-heok's ear.

  An Junhe chuckled and patted his back hard, "Your shots are great too!"

  Lee Heng-min burst out laughing and then let him go, turning around to shake hands with the other actors and staff on the other side, beaming with joy. Meanwhile, Ahn Jun-hee opened his arms wide to Lim Soo-jung and said, "Hehe, not a hug?"

  With the applause all around, Lin Xiujing's face flushed slightly, looking a bit flustered. She was stunned for a moment before coming to her senses, her lips tightly pursed in a shy smile, then she rushed into his arms.

  "Wow, so much energy." With a casual joke, An Junhe gently patted her shoulder, "Hearing such warm applause, aren't you less nervous now?"

  "Hmm..." Lin Xiujing buried her face in his chest, nodded vigorously, then paused and muttered: "......I don't know, what's the ratings like."

  "Don't worry, it will definitely be fine."

  He is so sure and firmly believes that although there are no ratings data in the dream, this play is not all the original team, and there are many unexpected factors, but he believes it is still a classic!

  This is his confidence in himself.