Chapter 442 - 425: Dimensional Gala

Chapter 442: Chapter 425: Dimensional Gala

December 31st, 2011.

First thing in the morning, the hashtag "Which New Year’s Eve Gala to Watch?" shot to the top of Weibo’s trending list.

In addition to the galas from established broadcasters like CCTV, Xiangnan Satellite TV, Jiangsu Satellite TV, and Eastern TV, Dili Dili’s first-ever foray, the Dimensional Gala, also appeared as a choice in the polls—and it was polling quite well.

The traditional New Year’s Eve galas from the satellite TV stations were star-studded affairs designed to capture ratings. Each station competed for the most popular celebrities on the market, all in pursuit of better commercial returns.

But as a rising star trying to disrupt the status quo, D Station took a different approach. It advertised itself with the trendy, youthful ACG culture, successfully differentiating itself from the celebrity-packed satellite galas and managing to stand out from the crowd.

There were no particularly famous A-list celebrities involved. Instead, the news that broke revealed passionate performances from many high-quality UPs and major figures from the art world. It was no longer a kingdom of clout, but a realm where content reigned supreme.

But as for what the final show would actually be like, and whether it could live up to the flowery, exaggerated descriptions in its widespread promotions, that would only be revealed tonight.

At 8:00 AM, D Station’s official account released another promotional poster for the Dimensional Gala. It featured an anime-style mascot with a Somersault Cloud-topped mini-television for a head, riding a lucky cloud. Surrounded by various anime elements, it soared toward a mysterious and magnificent sea of stars.

In contrast, the posters for the other satellite TV galas were just a collage of celebrities. They would likely feature the same old uninspired singing and dancing, possibly without even being performed live. It was all hype and no substance.

By comparison, D Station was like a breath of fresh air that refused to follow the crowd, making it seem exceptionally unique. Netizens’ curiosity about the Dimensional Gala grew even stronger.

By noon, the Gen Z demographic, who are fans of ACG culture and heavily overlap with D Station’s user base, had pushed the hype for the Dimensional Gala to its peak. The number of votes in the "Want to Watch" poll quickly surpassed Jiangsu Shu TV, pushing it into the top three.

「Meanwhile, backstage at the Bird’s Nest.」

As the producer, Jiang Xia was there, making the final preparations for the evening’s gala.

"The hype outside is incredible. We’ve already hit third place in the Weibo ’Want to Watch’ poll. Maybe after tonight, our Dili Dili Dimensional Gala will become the best New Year’s Eve show, bar none," Jiang Xia said to Zhou Lu with a faint smile.

"I’m looking forward to it, too," Zhou Lu replied with a slight smile.

She was the chief planner of the Dimensional Gala and knew just how different this New Year’s Eve show was from the traditional satellite TV broadcasts. If there was one platform today that truly understood young people, it was undoubtedly D Station.

"How are the ticket sales?" Jiang Xia asked.

"They sold out long ago. You can’t find a ticket online now. Even the 280-yuan entry tickets are being scalped for 880," Zhou Lu said, her face alight with excitement.

For the current Qitian Company, the cost of booking the Bird’s Nest wasn’t too expensive—around three million yuan, which included staff expenses, stage construction, and teardown.

However, Dili Dili had spent over two months preparing for this New Year’s Eve gala, with total expenses exceeding 20 million yuan.

The Bird’s Nest could hold over seventy thousand people in the spectator stands alone, not counting the field area. The revenue from ticket sales had already covered all the initial investment, and even turned a significant profit.

If the gala became a massive hit and successfully boosted Dili Dili’s brand recognition, more and more advertisers would choose to partner with D Station in the future.

This was all hidden value.

It was no wonder so many celebrities loved holding concerts. You not only make money but also build your reputation. The returns were incredibly high; it was truly a highly profitable venture.

"Xiao Lu, we’re counting on you for tonight’s show," Li Weiya said with a smile.

"Haha, I’m not the one going on stage."

"Isn’t this grand gala that’s about to begin your masterpiece?"

Zhou Lu just gave a faint smile.

’It had been an absolutely brilliant move for Jiang Xia to invite Zhou Lu to be D Station’s COO.’ From the initial live stream of the Apple conference to organizing this New Year’s Eve gala, she always knew how to drive traffic to D Station at the most critical moments.

’You could say she was the single greatest contributor to D Station’s growth to its current scale in just over a year.’

While Qitian Company’s second and third-in-command chatted idly, Jiang Xia slipped away to see his wife.

Right now, Lin Yanwan was having her makeup done. She was performing on stage today, and she had quite a few numbers.

"You’ll be on stage soon. Feeling nervous?"

Jiang Xia sat beside her, watching his beautiful wife get her makeup done perfectly. His mood lifted unconsciously.

Normally, outsiders weren’t allowed in the dressing rooms, but Jiang Xia wasn’t an outsider. He was the boss.

"A little," Lin Yanwan said, taking a sip of warm water. She felt a slight knot of nervousness in her stomach.

Although she had rehearsed her numbers for a long time, this was her first time performing in front of tens of thousands of people. It would be a lie to say she wasn’t nervous.

After all, this wasn’t her own recording studio.

"Don’t overthink it. You won’t be nervous once you’re on stage," Jiang Xia said with a smile.

"I hope so." She let out a soft breath.

’Back when she had just been reborn, Lin Yanwan’s dream was to plagiarize songs, become a diva, and then go on a national tour.’

’Even though she hadn’t entered the entertainment industry, performing on stage at the Bird’s Nest was, in a way, the fulfillment of that original wish.’

"Honey, are you hungry?"

"I’m fine, not really hungry."

"Want to eat a little something?"

"No, I’m worried I’ll have to use the restroom later."

Jiang Xia was exasperated.

"Alright, you finish up here. I’m going to check on things elsewhere."

After leaving the dressing room, Jiang Xia found Zhou Lu, who was conducting a final check for any potential issues.