Chapter 184: Prime Advertising Time

"Boss Zhou, it's a pleasure to meet you."

This was a common greeting, but to Li Hu's ears, it was like a thunderclap. He was momentarily stunned, watching Liang Gang and Zhou Ming shake hands, his mind going blank.

He could hardly believe what was happening. To him, Zhou Ming and Su Han should have been nothing more than poor folks from Linyang's Factory 760. How could they know people in Yanjing, and why was even Liang Gang, the deputy director at CCTV, greeting Zhou Ming and calling him "Boss Zhou"? How could someone from a factory like 760 be considered a boss? This was simply unbelievable!

But if this scene had merely shocked him, the subsequent developments made him feel like the world was upside down.

"Mr. Du, it's a pleasant surprise to run into you here! It's truly a stroke of luck!" 

A voice came from behind. Li Hu turned around to see a young man stepping out of the Hongqi sedan that Liang Gang had arrived in. The Director Hu Li Hu had invited was greeting him warmly, but Mr. Du, whom Li Hu had invited, only nodded coldly in response.

Li Hu could hardly believe this was real. He had worked hard to invite Director Hu, who was rumored to be a descendant of a powerful family from the central government, someone who was rarely controlled by others in Yanjing. Yet, this person was showing such respect to someone even younger than himself.

This young man was clearly Du Peng. He completely ignored the frozen Li Hu and went straight to Zhou Ming, greeting him with the same respect as Liang Gang.

Director Hu then approached Li Hu and asked, "Director Li, do you know Mr. Du and Director Liang?"

Faced with Director Hu's question, Li Hu was at a loss for words. He could only respond with, "Director Hu, who is Mr. Du?"

"Don't you know Mr. Du?" Director Hu asked, surprised. "He's the grandson of Central leader Du Zhongyuan. That's why you see Director Liang treating him so politely. Since Mr. Du is so courteous to Zhou Ming, his identity must be significant."

Director Hu's revelation hit Li Hu like a bolt of lightning. Although he had suspected it when Director Hu called Mr. Du "Mr. Du," he had not dared to think it through. Now, confirmed by Director Hu, and hearing the speculation about Zhou Ming's identity, Li Hu felt as though the heavens were playing a cruel joke on him. Could it be that Zhou Ming, whom he thought of as just a poor factory worker, was actually a wealthy figure in Yanjing? Even the deputy director at CCTV was treating him with respect?

Liang Gang was a deputy director at CCTV, a position higher than the secretary of the Linyang Municipal Committee. Even if the Linyang Municipal Committee Secretary came to Yanjing, he would have to show respect to such a figure.

When Li Hu felt like everything was going wrong, Director Hu asked, "I saw you talking with them earlier. Aren't you all together?"

Li Hu's face twitched in discomfort. He thought back to his conversation with Zhou Ming and felt an urge to dig a hole and hide. He had offered Zhou Ming one or two thousand yuan to give up the room and bragged about inviting a CCTV leader. Now, reflecting on it, he felt utterly embarrassed.

However, he still had to respond to Director Hu's question. Li Hu forced a smile and said, "Boss Zhou and I are both from Linyang. Naturally, we should chat when we meet."

But just as Li Hu finished speaking, the opposite was immediately confirmed. After chatting with Liang Gang and Zhou Ming, Liang Gang pointed to Li Hu and Director Hu and asked Zhou Ming, "Boss Zhou, are those young colleagues of yours as well?"

Zhou Ming shook his head and said, "No."

Slap!

Li Hu felt as though Zhou Ming's response was a loud slap to his face. Facing the look of embarrassment from Director Hu, he felt utterly ashamed.

If Zhou Ming's answer had only slapped Li Hu in the face, their subsequent actions would have made him feel like vomiting blood.

Zhou Ming and the others went upstairs, completely ignoring Li Hu, which felt like a blow to his pride. If Zhou Ming had mentioned the incident with him in front of Liang Gang, it would have been considered revenge. But Zhou Ming didn't mention it at all, which was a blatant act of disregard!

At that moment, Li Hu wanted to confront Zhou Ming, demanding an explanation for why he didn't bring up the incident, even if it meant getting slapped. Being ignored like this made him feel extremely resentful.

Of course, Li Hu didn't actually do that. After all, he was a reasonable person. Doing so would have been beneath him.

While Li Hu was feeling aggrieved, Zhou Ming remained unconcerned. Although Li Hu and Zhang Li's behavior earlier had annoyed him, Zhou Ming wasn't petty enough to use it to make things difficult in front of Liang Gang. This was a sign of Zhou Ming's magnanimity and disregard for Li Hu, who wasn't even worth his time for revenge.

Zhou Ming's thought was simple: if a dog barks at you on the street, would you bark back? Normal people wouldn't do that.

If Li Hu could read Zhou Ming's thoughts, he would likely rush at him, demanding retribution, even hoping for a physical confrontation to feel better.

---

Zhou Ming, Su Han, Du Peng, and Liang Gang settled into the private room. Du Peng promptly ordered wine and dishes, requesting Moutai. As the service staff opened the bottle, the rich aroma of the liquor filled the room. Liang Gang, savoring the scent, praised, "Moutai is truly our national treasure. I had it once at the Great Hall of the People a long time ago, and it was unforgettable!"

Seeing Liang Gang's enjoyment, Zhou Ming said, "If you like it so much, I'll arrange for more bottles for you to take home, so you can enjoy it at your leisure."

Liang Gang waved his hand and replied, "Although Moutai is excellent, one shouldn't overindulge. I enjoy drinking but only occasionally. Drinking it every day would be too much for my health!"

Hearing this, Zhou Ming didn't press the matter. The times were different from later years. The anti-corruption campaigns had only just begun, and officials at various levels were still cautious. Accepting expensive liquor like Moutai might cause trouble later, unlike in twenty years when even high-ranking officials like Liang Gang might comfortably indulge in it daily.

"Boss Zhou, I've heard from Mr. Du about your achievements—winning the top land in South Jiang and making millions in the stock market in a single day. That's impressive!" Liang Gang praised Zhou Ming.

"Director Liang, you flatter me. If this were twenty years ago, I'd be seen as a capitalist to be condemned. Your praise is undeserved. It's you who are remarkable, running CCTV, spreading messages nationwide—it's something we can't compare to."

Zhou Ming flattered Liang Gang in return before getting to the point. "The reason I invited you out today is to ask for your assistance."

Liang Gang was prepared for this and nodded, saying, "Boss Zhou, feel free to ask."

"Well," Zhou Ming began, "I'm involved in a state-owned enterprise reform pilot in Linyang. I bought a factory and am starting a new project to produce a type of Eight Treasures Porridge. I want to use CCTV to promote it nationwide and build brand recognition."

"That's a great initiative!" Liang Gang said enthusiastically. "Eight Treasures Porridge is a traditional Chinese food. Your plan to produce it is a contribution to our cultural heritage and deserves support. We'll be adjusting our advertising schedule after the Spring Festival, and I can reserve a two-minute slot for your ad. Will that work for you?"

"That's perfect," Zhou Ming agreed. "However, I'd prefer the ad to be shown repeatedly from 6 to 7 in the morning and from 6 to 10 in the evening. The rest of the time is flexible. How does that sound?"

Liang Gang was puzzled. "Why those specific times?"

Zhou Ming countered, "It's simple. When do you usually go to and from work?"

"Of course, I go to work at eight in the morning and leave at five-thirty in the afternoon," Liang Gang answered without hesitation. He then realized Zhou Ming's point. "You're thinking that these times have the highest viewership, so the ad will have the best effect, right?"

Zhou Ming nodded, and Liang Gang sighed, "Boss Zhou, you're truly impressive. I didn't expect you to understand TV advertising better than I, a vice-director at CCTV. I'm feeling quite embarrassed!"

Zhou Ming smiled and said, "You're too kind. Actually, I'm just proposing the concept of prime time advertising. In later years, it will become common knowledge, but back then, TV was still a luxury, and advertising was not well understood. The concept of prime time wasn't yet established, so the costs for prime time ads were not yet differentiated."

Zhou Ming's thought was straightforward: he could take advantage of the current lack of differentiation in ad rates for prime times to secure a good deal now. 

"Is this the true face of a capitalist?" Zhou Ming joked, then asked, "Will there be any issues with this arrangement?"

"No," Liang Gang replied generously. "I'll make sure your ad is scheduled during those times after the Spring Festival."

"Still two minutes?" Zhou Ming asked.

"Of course, two minutes," Liang Gang

 confirmed.

Zhou Ming finally relaxed. In later years, securing a two-minute ad during prime time on CCTV would be unimaginable—not because companies couldn't afford it, but because it was simply not feasible. But in this era, where advertising was not yet fully appreciated, securing such a slot was quite normal. Zhou Ming even considered whether he could secure more prime time slots and sell them later when the concept of prime time became more recognized.