Program Center Director's Office.
"Director, here's yesterday's audience rating report."
"Just leave it on the desk."
Yang Lin finished the last two drags of his cigarette, stubbed it out in the ashtray, and then picked up the report.
[ Listen First is Fast ]: 22%. As expected, it maintained its position as the top-rated morning program, earning its place among Yanjing Radio Station's "Top 10 Listeners' Favorite Programs."
[ City-Wide Song Request ]: 17%. The flagship midday program continued to climb in ratings, fostering a city-wide atmosphere where listeners could request songs from anywhere.
[ Chinese Pop Chart ]: 23%. The prime-time evening show shone brightly, captivating audiences and leading the year's music competition.
Looking down at the report, Yang Lin saw a sea of red, indicating consistently high audience ratings. A smile crept onto his lips.
But his smile froze when he reached the last program: Midnight Melodies, with a 9% rating, down another percentage point from the previous day.
"Wu Zhoutong, Wu Zhoutong, where are your so-called brilliant ideas getting us?!" Yang Lin fumed, itching to curse.
It seemed this program needed a complete overhaul—or perhaps replacement.
Just then, another staff member entered to report. After hearing the report, Yang Lin asked incredulously, "Are you saying we received over twenty calls in just two hours about last night's Midnight Melodies?"
"Yes, Director," the staff member replied. "Specifically, they were asking about Shen Lang's performance of 'Lonely Sandbank Cold.'"
Yang Lin knew Shen Lang—a recent graduate from China Media University assigned to Wu Zhoutong as an assistant, currently on probation. "He performed one of his own songs?"
The staff member nodded.
Yang Lin frowned slightly. Wu Zhoutong hadn't mentioned this at yesterday's meeting. "Alright, I understand."
He didn't think much of it.
Audience ratings affected performance results, and performance results affected promotions. He was already weighing whether to keep or scrap Midnight Melodies.
Midday in Rongcheng.
A couple strolled hand-in-hand through the park, their faces radiant with happiness. They nestled close, whispering softly one moment and bursting into laughter the next. The park's picturesque scenery perfectly complemented their joy.
Who could have guessed that after two years of dating and two years apart, they had just reconciled hours ago?
"You mean you called me because of a song and some words from a radio host?" Yu Xinyue asked in surprise.
"Yeah, he woke me up," Wang Cheng nodded.
Indeed, this was the couple Shen Lang had dedicated his song "Lonely Sandbank Cold" to.
"What song was it?" Yu Xinyue wondered. What kind of magic could make him change his mind and take this step?
"Lonely Sandbank Cold," Wang Cheng replied.
"Lonely Sandbank Cold?" Yu Xinyue frowned.
"Yes, Lonely Sandbank Cold," Wang Cheng paused, gathering his thoughts. "That's the song's title. I just wanted to dedicate a song to make you feel better, and the host played this one he wrote himself."
"But I didn't hear it," Yu Xinyue said. Unaware that he had requested the song for her, she hadn't tuned in to last night's Midnight Melodies.
"I was too caught up in reliving our happy moments and crying to record the song, but a few lines stuck with me," Wang Cheng said, having been too overwhelmed with emotion to think clearly at the time.
"Sing it for me," Yu Xinyue urged.
"Ahem, listen carefully..." Wang Cheng cleared his throat and began to sing: "When the threads of memory tangle past's shattered fragments, panic seizes the heart. Flowers dance with butterflies, lone geese find their mates, and I wander alone in the quiet of the night."
When he stopped, Yu Xinyue asked, "That's it?"
Wang Cheng scratched his head sheepishly. "Yeah, that's the only part I remember. But let me tell you, the host sang it beautifully, like a professional singer."
Yu Xinyue rolled her eyes. "What's the point of telling me? I want to hear it."
Naturally, Wang Cheng wanted to fulfill his girlfriend's request. After a moment's thought, he said, "Okay, I'll call in and request the song. Plus, I was too rushed to properly thank him last night when I called you. This is a good way to thank him on air."
"But didn't you say his show is on in the early hours?" Yu Xinyue asked.
"Let's give it a try," Wang Cheng replied. "It's all Yanjing Music Radio. It's noon now, perfect timing for their dedicated request show, City-Wide Song Request."
As he spoke, he pulled out his mobile phone and dialed the hotline.
Luck was on his side.
Just like the previous night, his call went through on the first try.
"City-Wide Song Request—touching hearts across the capital! This is your host, Han Li. Thank you for calling. Would you like to request a song or make a wish?"
City-Wide Song Request was a newly launched program featuring a novel format. Through song request boxes and wishing walls scattered throughout Beijing, it captured listeners' immediate emotions, allowing them to relive those moments on the air.
The program offered multiple ways to request songs, including reservations, random selections, and real-time telephone hotline interactive requests.
"Hello, my name is Wang Cheng. Last night, during Midnight Melodies, host Shen Lang played his song Lonely Sandbank Cold, which helped me win back Yu Xinyue, the girl I love most. I'd like to request that song again to thank Shen Lang—he's our love angel..."
After Wang Cheng finished speaking, Han Li glanced toward the broadcasting booth.
His broadcasting editor and director exchanged puzzled looks and shrugged, indicating they didn't have the song.
Fortunately, Han Li thought quickly. "Mr. Wang, first of all, congratulations on reconciling with your girlfriend. We wish you eternal happiness. I'm afraid Shen Lang's song is likely unreleased. We currently don't..."
Yang Lin burst into the room, holding a CD. "Shen Lang's 'Lonely Sandbank Cold' has been extracted from last night's Midnight Melodies recording," he announced. "Play it if anyone requests it, and remember to pass it on to the next program during the shift change."
Just an hour earlier, a series of work reports had flooded in, all related to last night's Midnight Melodies and Shen Lang's Lonely Sandbank Cold. Yang Lin sensed something unusual.
Upon investigating, he discovered that Shen Lang's Lonely Sandbank Cold had unexpectedly boosted the popularity of Midnight Melodies. Although the Audience Rating Report didn't reflect this, the overwhelming number of hotline calls spoke for themselves.
Only then did Yang Lin take the situation seriously. He ordered staff to extract Lonely Sandbank Cold from the Midnight Melodies recording. In a sense, the song had temporarily saved the program.
The Broadcasting Editor took the CD, pressed the mute button, and immediately told Han Li, "Han Li, we've got it—Shen Lang's 'Lonely Sandbank Cold'!"
After handing the CD to the Broadcasting Director, he restored the audio.
Han Li quickly corrected himself. "We've just received the audio of Shen Lang's 'Lonely Sandbank Cold'," he announced. "This song is dedicated to Mr. Wang, Ms. Yu, and all our listeners tuning in."
The music and Shen Lang's voice filled the air.