Chapter 39

Before leaving work.

Zhao Guozhou called Zhang Ye to his office, "Xiao Zhang, it's just the two of us now, let's have a good talk." He said earnestly, "You were recruited by me, and the facts have proven that I didn't misjudge you. Your abilities have been recognized by everyone, and by the audience. But in this society, a person is not an independent entity. You need to eat, to survive, to cater, to be tactful. The station has been planning the 'Ghost Blows Out the Light' project for a long time, even forming a dedicated planning team. Your refusal to sell has ruined all the plans of the station's leadership. How can the station not be angry? This time, I had no choice but to put pressure on you. Do you understand what I mean?"

"I understand," Zhang Ye said expressionlessly.

"That's good. About the copyright issue..." Zhao Guozhou tried to persuade him.

Zhang Ye didn't hesitate for a moment, "I won't sell."

Zhao Guozhou was both angry and frustrated, "You never give me a moment's peace!"

Zhang Ye also spoke from the heart, "Director Zhao, I know you value me. I was able to join the station because of your recommendation, and I will remember this favor for life. I understand that the station wants to discipline me, and I don't mind how you treat me, but on the issue of the copyright, my answer will always be the same: I won't sell!"

"Are you willing to never appear on any shows again?" Zhao Guozhou asked, regretting the loss of talent.

Zhang Ye replied, "I still have a show, and I will make it successful!"

Zhao Guozhou tapped the table, "The listening rate for the noon broadcast has already come out. Although it will be announced tomorrow, I can tell you in advance that 'The Old and Young Story Hour' is still in last place. This show can't be revived, no matter who comes. Your talent deserves a bigger stage, but why are you so stubborn? ... Forget it, let's not talk about it. You can go back now."

Another last place?

Really can't be revived?

Zhang Ye refused to believe it. If two episodes didn't work, he would record a third. If three didn't work, he would record a fourth. He still had three days, and a chance to turn things around!

...

When he got home, the sky was still bright.

The rented house was quiet, reflecting his current situation.

Zhang Ye opened his computer and absentmindedly watched the news. He analyzed that the reason the listening rate hadn't increased wasn't because of the stories. How could there be a problem with 'Snow White' and 'The Emperor's New Clothes'? These were classic fairy tales in his world. The issue clearly lay in the listening habits. The number of people who listened to the show was limited, and new listeners were either disappointed or bored with the current fairy tales. There was no new audience to bring in, so it was no wonder the listening rate was low!

How to attract new listeners?

He thought he needed a breakthrough, otherwise it would be difficult!

Zhang Ye put down the mouse and turned on the TV to watch the news, as a media worker, watching the news was a daily necessity.

"Today, another shocking child abduction case occurred in Jingcheng. In a residential area in the southern part of the city, a four-year-old child named Wenwen was left alone at home while her parents were at work. According to police investigations and surveillance footage, Wenwen opened the door for a man around 35 years old. The man somehow gained Wenwen's trust, not only taking her away but also stealing almost all the valuables from the house. The surveillance footage shows that Wenwen did not cry or struggle. The police are now conducting a full-scale search for the suspect. This is the photo of the suspect taken from the surveillance. If you see any suspicious individuals, please call the number displayed on the screen!" The female anchor on CCTV News said with a mix of seriousness and indignation.

The segment then showed interviews on the street and at schools.

A woman carrying a basket of vegetables said, "This is the fourth time this month that a child has been abducted from their home. It's despicable! These people should be executed!"

An elderly man said, "Why do these incidents keep happening? Why do children open the door for strangers? I think it's an educational issue!"

At a kindergarten, a reporter interviewed a school's promotional event. The playground was crowded with teachers, students, and parents.

"Children, remember, never open the door for strangers when you are alone at home. Do you hear me?"

"We hear you!"

"Can you remember?"

"Yes!"

The scene returned to the studio, where the female anchor said, "In the early childhood education system, the message 'do not open the door for strangers' has been repeated countless times, and children know it. But when they encounter a stranger who claims to be 'Dad' or 'Mom's colleague,' they often open the door. Four cases have occurred this month, and I don't know if it's a problem with our education. Perhaps we should use a more child-friendly approach to warn them, rather than just repeating the message. A week ago, the Jingcheng Education Department organized the largest-ever fairy tale writing contest, titled 'Fairy Tales to Teach Children Not to Open the Door for Strangers.' The aim is to use fairy tales, which children are interested in, to warn them and help them understand the importance of protecting themselves."

Fairy tale writing contest?

Zhang Ye immediately felt that this was his opportunity!

But the next words from the female anchor cooled his enthusiasm, "Submissions began last week, and the deadline is midnight tonight. During this period, the Education Department will use a public voting system to fairly and openly select the top story, which will then be widely promoted in kindergartens, primary schools, and other educational institutions!"

It was already seven o'clock!

Less than five hours left?

Zhang Ye turned off the TV and hurriedly opened the dedicated webpage for the Jingcheng Education Department's writing contest. There were many promotional images, showing the faces and photos of children who had gone missing in Jingcheng over the past year, as well as the anguished expressions of their parents. The slogan was simple: "Please use your words to help the children." Seeing this, Zhang Ye felt a heavy heart, a sense of suffocation. He had been looking for an opportunity to boost the show's listening rate, but with the deadline at midnight, he knew it was impossible. The others had accumulated votes for a whole week, and he only had a few hours. How could he possibly catch up? But after reading the stories of the abducted children, Zhang Ye decided that no matter what, he had to write one. It wasn't about his show or anything else; he wanted to contribute his share!

What difference would it make?

He would do it, and that was enough!

...

This social incident had caused a huge stir, on the streets, on buses, online, and in the media. Everyone was reflecting and discussing, a topic of universal concern. Children's issues always tugged at people's hearts, so the series of heinous cases in Jingcheng had attracted widespread attention, leading to an exceptionally popular fairy tale writing contest. Many people had submitted their stories.

The most famous was Tao Xueru, the highest-earning female fairy tale writer in the country.

Next was Xiao Hong Mushu, a pseudonym for another female children's writer, whose sales were lower than Tao Xueru's, but who had written the most famous fairy tale in the country.

Together, they supported half of the domestic children's literature market.

There were also other children's literature authors, many of whom had written well-known fairy tales from their childhood, contributing stories to the contest.

The current rankings were as follows:

Xiao Hong Mushu: 28,018 votes.

Tao Xueru: 24,311 votes.

Old Li: 17,223 votes.

Zhang Qiang: 16,976 votes.

The contest was verified, with participants like Xiao Hong Mushu and Tao Xueru confirming their identities. The fourth-place Zhang Qiang was also a children's literature worker, while the third-place Old Li might not be in the field, as his verification only listed "company employee."

Zhang Ye read through the stories one by one. Since entering this different world, he always felt a sense of superiority, but after reading the top-ranked stories, he was quite impressed. They were indeed top-notch in children's literature, especially the story by Xiao Hong Mushu, which could be adapted into a high-quality animated film in his world.

But they still fell short, not in terms of story quality, but in complexity. This was a fairy tale to warn children not to open the door for strangers, and the children who needed this warning were very young. They couldn't be expected to understand overly complex stories. Xiao Hong Mushu's 8,000-word story was excellent, but with too many characters, Zhang Ye doubted that children could read it with interest.

The lower-ranked stories were even worse.

Some non-professionals were expected to be bad, but how could some verified children's literature writers also be so poor? These stories had serious issues, either being too childish, to the point where even children might find them幼稚, or too adult, with a completely adult mindset throughout. How could children understand these?

None of them worked!

None of the stories were suitable!

Zhang Ye rolled up his sleeves and got to work. He had a story that he believed was the most suitable, a summary of the best in his world, perfect for this contest. No story could be more fitting.

Zhang Ye first verified his identity on the education website using his Weibo information. After confirmation, he started typing, uploading the story with a flurry of keystrokes!

Story title: "The Good Little Rabbit."

The rabbit mother had three children: one named Red Eyes, one named Long Ears, and one named Short Tail.

One day, the rabbit mother said to her children, "Mom is going to the field to pull carrots. Watch the house and keep the door closed. Don't open it for anyone, and only open it when Mom comes back."

The rabbit mother took a basket and went to the field. The little rabbits remembered their mother's words and kept the door tightly closed.

After a while, the big gray wolf came. He wanted to break into the little rabbits' home, but the little rabbits had the door closed tightly, and he couldn't get in.

The big gray wolf sat at the door of the little rabbits' home, squinting and thinking of a bad idea. Suddenly, he saw the rabbit mother returning, and he quickly hid behind a big tree.

The rabbit mother walked to the door, pushed it, but it was tightly closed. She knocked on the door and sang, "Good little rabbits, open the door! Open it quickly, I want to come in."