Chapter 446: Opening the Golden Finger

"As for the third category, sports programs, there's no need for planning—just conduct a market survey to see which types of sports shows the audience prefers. If the market demand is strong enough, we can broadcast the relevant sports events. It's that simple!" 

Xia Yu spread his hands casually and moved on from discussing sports programs.

"The fourth category, cultural and entertainment programs, is currently the largest segment in the market. The drama market is the biggest within this, and the scriptwriting department next door is already working on the scripts for *The Transformation of the Silkworm* and *A Step into the Past*, so there's nothing to worry about."

"In the future, you don't need to worry about the drama side of things. It will be handled by the scriptwriting department."

"What you need to focus on is planning variety shows, which make up the second largest market segment in the entertainment category."

"I happen to have an idea for a show that should be pretty good!"

Xia Yu paused here, causing Xiao Ruoyuan and the others to perk up, eyes bright with anticipation. Their current planning included three variety show ideas, but Xia Yu had critiqued them as not particularly impressive. After Xia Yu's previous insights, they were eager to see what his new idea might be.

They didn't doubt Xia Yu's idea would be great; they were more interested in the inspiration they could glean from him.

"This show is called *Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?*, a thrilling and challenging quiz show where contestants can make money with their knowledge. There's no restriction on the contestants' backgrounds—they can be students, teachers, doctors, butchers, or even beggars. As long as they have the ability, they can make it through the preliminary rounds and stand on the stage. Contestants must correctly answer 15 consecutive multiple-choice questions, each with four options. If they manage to answer all of them correctly, they will win a huge cash prize of one million Hong Kong dollars!"

Xia Yu's eyes flashed with a glint of excitement, his face showing a faint smile as he spoke calmly.

Though his tone was light, his words thundered in the minds of Xiao Ruoyuan, Xu Xiaoming, and the others, leaving them dumbfounded.

Xiao Ruoyuan was the first to recover and began analyzing the concept from a professional perspective.

"The lure of a massive cash prize, participants from all walks of life, a wide audience appeal, intense psychological struggles, and a game filled with suspense... every aspect is designed to capture the audience's attention. How could the boss come up with such a show?"

"If this show were really made, it would absolutely cause a sensation in Hong Kong. A million Hong Kong dollars would drive countless people crazy!"

"The only downside is the high cost—what if someone actually wins and takes the million dollars?"

Xiao Ruoyuan considered this but then remembered the boss's staggering wealth, which made him smile bitterly. To him, a million was a lot, but to Xia Yu, it might as well be nothing.

"But if it really becomes a hit show, advertising fees alone would easily cover the costs!"

"Plus, we can always adjust the difficulty of the questions to ensure that the million-dollar prize isn't won too easily!"

"Boss, your concept is fantastic! If it's turned into a show, it will definitely achieve sky-high ratings!"

"Yes, boss, you're amazing! We would never have come up with this idea."

"..."

Hearing their sincere praise, Xia Yu smiled lightly without any arrogance. After all, this idea wasn't originally his; he was simply following the "borrow-and-use" principle.

"Alright, there's no need for flattery. You guys will handle the refinement of this show idea. Take note of the key points."

Xia Yu waved his hand, interrupting their compliments.

The group refocused, and Xia Yu continued, "The most important aspect of this show is to create suspense, keeping the audience hooked. Then there's the sense of involvement—contestants should have three lifelines. They can call a friend within 30 seconds for help with a question..."

"Got it?"

"Got it!"

"Good. Now, let's move on to the last segment—lifestyle programs."

Xia Yu paused, taking a sip of water before continuing. "With the establishment of the Independent Commission Against Corruption, the overall social environment in Hong Kong has improved. However, there are still many areas that need attention, especially those affecting the lives of millions of ordinary citizens."

"Our TV station has a duty to fulfill its role in public supervision through media. This not only benefits the public but also quickly establishes our authority and credibility."

"Based on this, we can create a program that investigates and reports on various illegal and criminal activities in everyday life through undercover journalism and interviews, fulfilling the TV news program's role in public supervision."

"I call this program *Focus Report*. Its core feature is 'speaking through facts.' It will cover hot social topics and invite experts, scholars, citizens, and government officials to discuss these issues, guiding public opinion and pushing for reforms through media scrutiny."

"Whether out of curiosity or due to its relevance to daily life and personal interests, I believe most citizens would watch this program, so ratings shouldn't be an issue."

"What do you think?"

Xia Yu asked, observing their bright, admiring eyes and enthusiastic nods before continuing.

"The last one is an emotional program. Every family has its own set of conflicts, big or small, and often people don't know how to handle them."

"Leveraging human nature's curiosity and love for gossip, viewers will naturally be interested in others' family matters. We can create a program called *Golden Mediation*, providing a platform for citizens to air their grievances."

"The format involves inviting one or multiple parties with conflicts to the studio, where hosts and authoritative mediators help resolve the disputes, showcasing the wisdom of conflict resolution and the art of negotiation. The show will blend real-life situations with entertainment, creating a whole new program model."

"It will highlight human compassion and psychological guidance, advocating for a civilized and positive social atmosphere. I'm confident its ratings will be excellent!"

"With these new programs, plus the existing ones, we should have more than enough to compete, right?"

Xia Yu concluded with a smile.

"It's more than enough! Now, we just need to adjust the scheduling."

TV station director Huang Xizhao quickly responded, his face beaming with joy.

With the backing of these shows, defeating TVB would be a piece of cake—how could he not be pleased?

"Boss, can I ask you some questions? There are a few points I haven't quite grasped."

Xu Xiaoming asked courageously.

"Go ahead."

"Thank you, boss!"

Xu Xiaoming's questions were promptly and effectively answered by Xia Yu, and seeing how approachable he was, others also seized the opportunity to ask questions.

Xia Yu patiently answered, sharing all he knew with them.

Before they knew it, over an hour had passed.

Xiao Ruoyuan and the others were brimming with newfound knowledge, looking at Xia Yu with eyes full of awe.

"Alright, these programs need to be refined and perfected. When it comes to the technical aspects like lighting, equipment, and hosting, make sure everything is top-notch."

"Once they're ready, register patents for all these shows under Huang Xizhao's management. From now on, all company-planned programs must be patented. Understood?"

"Understood!"

Everyone responded in unison.

After that, Xia Yu left the planning department amidst eager and regretful looks.

As for adopting so many programs that belonged to CCTV in later years, Xia Yu thought, who would know they were copied?

"Huang Xizhao, when these programs start production, make sure everything is coordinated perfectly. We want these shows to be the best they can be!"

Xia Yu instructed earnestly.

"Don't worry, boss. I will."

Satisfied, Xia Yu patted Huang Xizhao on the shoulder, signaling him to leave.

Afterward, Xia Yu met with Zhong Jinhui to review the business under his management. Before departing, he instructed him to expand the scale of Universal's artist training classes and improve standards across the board to cultivate more potential talents.

With everything set in place for Universal TV, Xia Yu finally felt completely at ease.

Armed with the brilliance of future programs and powerful financial backing, Xia Yu didn't believe TVB could hold out against them!

"Soon, TVB's glory days will be over…"

"The future of the media and entertainment market will belong solely to Universal, starting right here with this TV station…"