Chapter 101: Off the Charts

Wang Ze was a thirty-two-year-old bachelor well past the usual marrying age. His life was monotonous and predictable—just a straight line between work and home. Apart from his job, he would hide away in his apartment, playing video games or watching TV dramas and movies.

He rarely even met up with friends.

Tonight, like any other, after dinner, he sat in the living room, preparing to watch some television. Holding the remote absentmindedly, he flipped through channels one after another. Just as boredom overwhelmed him and he was about to turn off the TV to play games, a show suddenly caught his eye.

On the screen, a host stood on stage, calm and composed, delivering his opening remarks: “Welcome to the large-scale matchmaking and friendship program ‘If You Are the One,’ proudly sponsored by Manfu Foods. No matter where you come from, what you do for a living, or how you look, as long as you are single and brave enough to step onto this stage, you have a chance to start a warm and romantic date. Hello everyone, I’m your host, Han Bin.”

“If You Are the One? A matchmaking show?” Wang Ze muttered, placing the remote on the coffee table.

He had never heard of the show before. Despite spending much of his time online gaming, he never browsed forums or fan sites, nor was he a follower of celebrities. He rarely watched variety shows either. If it weren’t for the in-game event time not yet arrived, he wouldn’t have bothered sitting here watching a dating program.

At that moment, the host introduced two guest experts, both professors from a well-known university—one specializing in relationships, the other deeply versed in personality studies.

Then, twenty-four female contestants walked out in two rows, stepping rhythmically to the music.

Wang Ze’s eyes lit up. The contestants were quite attractive, especially the first few—long legs, great figures, and pleasant faces.

Suddenly, his interest was piqued, and he settled deeper into the sofa, watching with growing fascination.

The host was witty, especially when chatting with contestant number two, eliciting many laughs. The studio audience was bursting with laughter, and even Wang Ze, who prided himself on having a high threshold for humor, couldn’t help but chuckle several times.

Soon, the first male contestant appeared—a rather ordinary-looking man who seemed nervous.

Wang Ze was unimpressed. In matchmaking, first impressions mattered greatly. No matter who you were in daily life, failing to make a good first impression was a wasted effort.

Indeed, the first contestant’s fate was sealed as a tragedy before it even began. More than half of the twenty-four lights went out immediately. What kind of game was this?

Wang Ze scoffed but remained glued to the screen. His interest was now fully engaged.

Time slipped by unnoticed. When he finally remembered to check his game, over half an hour had already passed.

...

Huang Hai was a senior executive at a company who often had to entertain clients late into the night to close deals. Tonight was better than usual—he was home before nine and had successfully signed a contract, leaving him in high spirits.

But when he opened the door, he found his wife sitting on the living room sofa, her nose running, tears streaming down her cheeks, sobbing uncontrollably.

Crumpled tissues littered the floor and coffee table—evidence of her tears.

Huang Hai was stunned. He feared nothing more than seeing his wife upset, not even the slightest grievance.

“Darling, what’s wrong? Did someone hurt you?” he asked, striding over with concern and urgency.

Yet, his wife barely acknowledged him, waving him off and murmuring through her sobs, “Dinner’s in the kitchen. Heat it up yourself.”

Huang Hai was speechless. He glanced at the TV and realized it was just a variety show. Since his wife wasn’t actually hurt, he turned and headed to the kitchen.

Just as he began warming his food, a sudden scream echoed from the living room, followed by uproarious laughter.

“What the hell? Has she been possessed?” Huang Hai worriedly dashed out of the kitchen.

Returning to the living room, he was dumbfounded.

His wife sat there, fully engrossed in the television. On screen, a man was singing a song Huang Hai had never heard before.

“That guy looks familiar… could he be Lin Chuan?” Huang Hai thought hard before recalling the name.

Many young colleagues at his company were fans of Lin Chuan. Outside work, they often talked about the man, his music, and his personal life—rumors even claimed he had a son.

Frowning, Huang Hai was about to return to the kitchen when his wife grabbed his arm and said, “Honey, watch this ‘If You Are the One’ show with me. It’s really interesting…”

Helpless against her coaxing, Huang Hai’s resolve melted. Though uninterested in such programs, he sat down beside her.

Before long, he too was captivated. The show was unique, with a host whose humor effortlessly energized the audience. The expert panel’s comments were incisive and on point.

Time passed quickly without them noticing. Suddenly, a strange smell wafted into the living room.

At first, Huang Hai paid no mind, still discussing the new male contestant with his wife. But as the odor intensified, he snapped to attention, leapt up, and shouted, “Damn it, the food’s burning!”

...

At Quancheng Television Station,

‘If You Are the One’ had been airing for over an hour, with less than twenty minutes left until the finale.

During the broadcast, the ratings center had been sending periodic updates.

From an initial 0.8%, the ratings steadily climbed to 3.2%, and showed no sign of stopping, continuing to rise.

Such results were nothing short of a miracle for everyone at the station. None had ever dreamed Quancheng TV would achieve such high viewership.

A wave of happiness swept through the staff, their faces beaming with pride.

Yet, two people—Bald Man and Shen Hong—were exceptions. They stared at each new ratings report with growing dread, their faces turning green.

“This… how is this possible? It’s just a matchmaking show, how can the ratings be this high? No, there must be something fishy…” Bald Man trembled, clutching the latest report.

Beside him, Shen Hong was speechless. A 3.2% rating left her at a loss for words, especially recalling what she had said an hour earlier—it now sent chills down her spine.

Just then, Yuan Ye strolled over, a playful grin on his face. “Hey, Boss Zhu, Miss Shen, still sitting here? The show ends in twenty minutes. Shouldn’t you be calling to book a table or something? The guys have been working all night and are starving. Tonight we have to eat well and recharge!”

Hearing this, Bald Man and Shen Hong nearly collapsed. Bald Man weakly stood, forcing an awkward smile. “Uh… Little Yuan, isn’t it a bit late? If not, maybe we can celebrate another day. Don’t worry, Zhu won’t forget this meal.”

“No way, Boss Zhu! Tonight is a historic day for our station. We can’t postpone the celebration. Everyone’s hungry and can’t wait. I say we do it tonight. Go on, call and book a table. I have some work to attend to—don’t forget, okay?” Yuan Ye said, then turned to leave.

Immediately, Bald Man and Shen Hong slumped in their seats like deflated balloons, utterly dispirited.

“Yuan Ye, teasing Boss Zhu again?” Lin Chuan laughed.

“Teasing? I don’t have time for that. I just reminded him and Shen Hong to hurry up and book the spot. We’ll head straight there after,” Yuan Ye chuckled.

“Does he even have money? I was just joking,” Lin Chuan added, laughing.

“Well, I’m not getting involved. He’s still a company boss and a board member here. Treating everyone to a meal is normal. If he’s short on cash, he can find a way—ha!” Yuan Ye said loudly.

While they talked, a young man named Song Gang approached hurriedly. At twenty-five, he was head of the advertising department and the youngest among the station’s senior staff.

“Chairman Lin, Director Yuan, we just received several hotline calls from companies interested in collaborating with us,” Song Gang reported.

“Why come ask us? Accept them all. Have them prepare contracts and schedule meetings for tomorrow,” Yuan Ye commanded.

Song Gang nodded and turned to leave, but Lin Chuan stopped him. “Wait. How many companies are interested?”

“About six or seven,” Song Gang replied after considering.

“Hold off. These are just small fry, nothing significant. We’ll make the final decision tomorrow,” Lin Chuan said.

“Understood. I’ll back up their information,” Song Gang said, then left.

At that moment, Du Mo rushed over. Since the show began, he had been exhausted as the person responsible for transmitting all ratings data.

“Good news! The ratings… have surpassed 5%!” he panted loudly before reaching them.

This drew many eyes.

Lin Chuan and Yuan Ye quickly examined the report, their expressions shifting. Fifteen minutes ago, the rating was 3.2%, and now it had broken through 5%.

Suddenly, Yuan Ye shouted, “The ratings have exploded!”