Chapter 32 1/3

At the beginning, attention to “The Road of Life” was almost zero. After all, the original work was not popular, book fans were few, the director was unknown, and the actors were not particularly famous.

However, it was this seemingly nondescript drama that, because of Sheng Quan, the famous tycoon, gained a significant presence.

The gimmick of “wealthy book fan personally supervises filming” alone was enough to attract a large number of viewers, creating anticipation even before the broadcast.

But there were also naysayers who thought everyone should not take this drama too seriously. Even now, there is still a high-profile discussion under a post about the unreleased drama “The Road of Life.”

【Don’t talk about “trusting the aesthetic sense of rich people.” Watching a TV series and filming a TV series are two different things. Just because a TV series is powerful doesn’t mean you can guide filming. Aren’t there many big-budget movies invested by wealthy people that ended up flopping? Not to mention that Sheng Quan is not a professional investor. I remind everyone, she is a complete outsider in the entertainment industry. Even if she started a company, she is still an outsider. An outsider guiding an insider, I can’t even imagine that.】

The reason this comment received high praise was that many people agreed with this netizen’s perspective. Compared to views like “Ah, this actor looks good, I’m in” or “A book fan personally investing, the quality must be okay,” they found this viewpoint more rational.

Sheng Quan did have money; that was undeniable.

But did having money mean that the dramas she invested in would definitely be good? That wasn’t necessarily the case.

Not to mention the low likelihood of this drama being good; just saying, now that the public’s expectations were raised, people were like this. If you thought you were going to the roadside to grab a quick meal and ended up being treated to a feast, that’s a pleasant surprise. But if someone told you they were going to treat you to a feast and it turned out to be a roadside stall, even if the taste wasn’t bad, it would be a letdown.

In summary, there were quite a few people holding such skeptical views, and they weren’t intentionally disparaging. It was just a reasonable inference.

“The Road of Life” premiered under such discussions.

For the cast and crew, the pressure was considerable. That’s how the entertainment industry works. The flow could be excellent before the broadcast, but if the results weren’t good, the previous praise and anticipation would immediately turn into disappointment and resentment.

Even the already-recovered and experienced Wan Bao, who had undergone surgery, nervously avoided opening any electronic devices after the first six episodes aired.

He was confident in his abilities and dedication when filming, even monitoring the crew remotely while recovering in the hospital. He spent almost five hours on the phone with the assistant director every day.

As soon as he could walk, he immediately returned to the crew to continue working. If not for Producer Yu Xiangwan watching over him, he would have worked without sleep to make up for the work hours during his recovery.

But despite his confidence during filming, Wan Bao was not as confident now that the drama was airing.

Although the price for the premiere rights greatly exceeded his expectations, he valued recognition for his work more than the monetary gain.

Not only him, but most of the actors in the crew were uneasy.

They couldn’t help but think, “Did I not perform well? Did I not fully grasp the character I was supposed to interpret? Did I convey the little details of my role well enough? Will the audience dislike the small flaws in my character?”

For all the actors in the crew, this opportunity was too crucial.

At this moment, they didn’t even dare to have too high expectations. They just wanted the results to be better, to meet the standards of a good drama. They were already grateful to President Sheng for that.

But after the first six episodes of the premiere, there wasn’t even a buildup of anticipation. The results directly exploded.

Whether a drama is good or not, you don’t really need to look at backstage data. Just look at the audience’s reaction.

Just after the first six episodes aired, there were already fan editors with eight tentacles, like an octopus, cutting videos. “The Road of Life” original work, which originally had a declining popularity, suddenly surged again.

The audience’s liking was unstoppable. When they thought a drama was good, a significant portion of viewers would excitedly shout, share, and recommend it everywhere on various platforms and even in real life.

The crew was now watching the statements about “unpaid water” from various platforms.

【So good! So good! I cry every episode, but it’s not the kind of suppressed crying. It’s touching, empathetic crying. It’s been so long since I’ve seen a drama that makes people focus so well, making me feel like they really exist. Just at the beginning, I thought Teacher Ma was too fierce, thinking he was bald, fierce, and not clean, but when he sternly put his coat on Xiuxiu when she was on her period, punishing her to clean the toilet, and then stood there cold and embarrassed at the entrance of the convenience store waiting for the boss lady to open, and begged the boss lady to give sanitary napkins to the students, I really… having such a teacher is great!】

【Me too, me too! Especially when Xiuxiu went to the toilet, found blood stained on her pants, was both ashamed and didn’t know what to do, praying for the goddess of the toilet to save her. The boss lady immediately reached over sanitary napkins from the compartment, and Xiuxiu’s face was both bewildered and happy. I really watched that part several times. I initially thought it was the boss lady’s coincidence, only to find out later in the flashback ending that it was Teacher Ma.】

【Teacher Ma = The Goddess of the Toilet】

【When I saw Xiuxiu telling her classmates that the Goddess of the Toilet really exists, I was so happy. Later, seeing the ending flashback, I cried. It’s so good to have such a teacher!】

【I Remembered My Middle School Teacher. She Looked Stern, and I Was Afraid of Her, but When I Lost the Money for My Meals and Couldn’t Afford to Eat, She Brought Me Food Every Day. I want to go back to my alma mater.】

【My first reaction after finishing it was, Where’s the next episode? The second reaction was, I finally have a drama to watch during meals! I want to watch every meal!】

【At first, I thought it was just a bunch of kids believing in the so-called Goddess of the Toilet. Later on, I cried, “Wuwuwu, the Goddess of the Toilet really exists!”】

【Police Officer Qin is really handsome, handsome, handsome! Important things need to be said three times!】

【Excited original work fans say, it’s really faithful to the original! Wuwuwu, every character is so faithfully portrayed. They seem to come alive in front of us. I cried with excitement. Indeed, adaptations with original work fans overseeing should be the way to go!】

【The cool and aloof Officer Qin seems indifferent to everyone, but when the criminals appear, he helps the new colleague without hesitation. He buys headbands and jewelry from the pitiful old lady’s stall when passing by, even though he doesn’t need them. No wonder Sheng Quan likes him; I like him too!】