Chapter 0952: The First Step

For those who are attentive, no matter the time or place, as long as they are earnest, they can discover and comprehend something.

Many times, each of us thinks: if we had a chance to change our lives, what path would we choose? Most people feel that if they had made a different choice at some point in the past, their lives might have turned out differently.

Perhaps they would have become social elites, or tycoons, or at the very least, happy.

But there is no regret medicine in life, so many people complain about the unfairness of fate, complain about everything in the world, and even complain about the opportunities they missed during one choice after another.

Just as Zhang Wei in *Ipartment* once said: 'Opportunities once rained down on me like raindrops, but I missed them time and again.'

Zhao Fusheng once felt the same way, so when he had the chance to change the trajectory of his life, he struggled desperately to make himself stronger, to change his own and those around him's future and destiny.

But this SARS outbreak made him realize that the power of the future and destiny is too strong. No matter what he does, there is a corrective force in the world that keeps the whole world moving in a fixed direction.

In other words, what Zhao Fusheng can change is limited only to what he can influence around him.

The general trend of the world cannot be changed.

Just like the outbreak of SARS, just like the men's football team's defeat in the World Cup.

Well, the latter cannot be changed even by gods.

Understanding this, Zhao Fusheng felt that he could do better and more, and Future Advertising was the starting point he chose.

Naturally, no one had any objections to Zhao Fusheng's plan. This kind of public service advertisement focuses on content, not novelty; it's just that no one had thought of using such a method to enhance the company's reputation before.

Now that Zhao Fusheng, the gold medal planner, had thought of it, everyone was happy to follow his instructions.

The plan was quickly approved within the company. As the company's head, Zheng Yao personally contacted the leaders of CCTV's Advertising Department.

When CCTV received the news, they were also surprised.

“President Zheng, you're not joking with me, are you?”

Wang Yuanfang, the new head of the Advertising Department, looked at Zheng Yao in bewilderment: “You're saying that your Future Advertising plans to produce a batch of public service advertisements for CCTV for free?”

Zheng Yao smiled and nodded: “Director Wang, you heard correctly. Our Future Advertising has just decided that our best advertising planner will personally plan a batch of public service advertisements for CCTV to promote SARS prevention and control. As an advertising enterprise, our company has always upheld national responsibility and pride as our corporate cultural characteristics. At this critical moment when the entire nation is facing the SARS epidemic together, our Future Advertising is willing to make its own contribution.”

If Zhao Fusheng were here, he would definitely give Zheng Yao a thumbs up. Saying such high-sounding words without a change in expression or breath, as calm as eating or drinking, was comparable to a seasoned veteran in officialdom.

But it must be said that on some occasions, the more high-sounding the words, the more pleasing they sound.

Even if Wang Yuanfang was puzzled in his heart, after hearing Zheng Yao's words, he could only reluctantly accept them and praise her words greatly.

There was no other way; this was the effect of political correctness.

Under the current circumstances, anyone who contributes to the prevention and control of the SARS epidemic would be committing a political error if opposed.

In any country, in any era, political errors mean ruin.

Unless Wang Yuanfang was crazy, he would never oppose Zheng Yao's words. On the contrary, after praising Zheng Yao's actions, he decisively stated that he would personally report the matter to the deputy director in charge.

After all, having an advertising company voluntarily approach CCTV to produce public service advertisements for SARS prevention and control was also a good thing.

And Zheng Yao, outwardly unmoved, was overjoyed inside.

This was basically as Zhao Fusheng had predicted. CCTV, encountering this situation for the first time, was certainly a bit stunned, but regardless, a free lunch, and such an enticing one, they simply couldn't refuse.

Sure enough, after Wang Yuanfang reported the matter, the deputy director of CCTV personally received Zheng Yao.

At this moment, Zheng Yao's background—having been a university counselor and having parents who were university professors—played an undeniable role.

Born into a scholarly family, going into business, and repaying the country and society in a time of national crisis.

Such a logical chain was clear to anyone.

Thus, in the eyes of the deputy director, Zheng Yao was a good comrade, and Future Advertising was a conscientious enterprise with social responsibility.

He immediately made the decision to approve Future Advertising's plan, with the specifics to be discussed between Wang Yuanfang and Zheng Yao, and to get the public service advertisements online as soon as possible.

“Rest assured, Director, we have already started filming the advertisements. The company's best planners and best filming teams are all working intensively.”

Zheng Yao said respectfully to the deputy director.

The deputy director was taken aback: “Oh? You started investing so quickly, aren't you afraid that CCTV might disagree and these promotional videos won't be broadcast?”

Zheng Yao smiled, recalling the words Zhao Fusheng had taught her. Although she found them a bit cheesy, she said seriously: “Director, to be frank, my thought at the time was that if CCTV disagreed to broadcast these public service advertisements, then our Future Advertising would self-fund and place these SARS prevention and control promotional videos on various provincial stations.”

Upon hearing this, the deputy director paused, then revealed a meaningful expression. He looked at Zheng Yao and nodded: “Xiao Zheng, not bad, not bad.”

Zheng Yao had no idea about the intricacies involved; she was just following Zhao Fusheng's instructions. Without further pleasantries, she politely took her leave from the deputy director.

She did not know that the words she had just spoken would be passed from the deputy director to the director, then to a certain high-ranking official in charge of propaganda, and later brought up at a high-level meeting.

What was originally just Zhao Fusheng's whim to gain favor with CCTV's leadership was seen by a certain high-ranking official as a model of concern for the country and the people.

“This Future Advertising is very good. Enterprises with such a sense of social responsibility are rare nowadays.”

The high-ranking official's comment circulated only among the upper echelons; no one knew what Future Advertising would gain from it.

……

……

Money makes the world go round—this saying holds true in the business world as well.

Driven by financial incentives, Zhao Fusheng's public service advertisement planning and filming went very smoothly. In just two days, the first batch of five advertisements was completed.

Of course, the cost was nearly a million yuan in production expenses for Future Advertising.

There was no other way: if you want the horse to run, you have to let it eat grass. And Zhao Fusheng and Zheng Yao both understood the principle that a horse won't get fat without night feed. In the current climate of panic and fear of SARS infection and quarantine, there was only one effective way to get people to work overtime.

Pay more!

CCTV was also very cooperative. The completed advertisements were sent to the Advertising Department, where Wang Yuanfang personally led a team to review them. After approval, they were officially broadcast on CCTV that very evening.

Thus, everyone noticed that starting from May 1st, CCTV's various channels began airing public service advertisements on SARS prevention and control in rotation, along with advertisements praising heroes from various industries fighting the SARS epidemic.

Of course, at the end of the advertisements, the words 'Future Advertising' left a deep impression on many.

The industry was shaken!

The entire advertising circle was stunned.

“What's going on? Why would Future Advertising produce something like this?”

“That woman Zheng has gone mad. Filming these advertisements at this time, and for free, must have cost several million, right?”

“Are they burning money?”

Such remarks began to circulate in the advertising circle. Almost everyone thought that Zheng Yao of Future Advertising must have water on the brain, spending millions to produce free public service advertisements for CCTV just for a bit of fame—utterly brainless.

It must be noted that Future Advertising had already become one of the three major advertising companies in the northern region. From the fact that Mercedes-Benz had chosen them as a partner last time, it was clear that they had passed the stage of needing publicity to build reputation. Yet, at such a critical time as the SARS outbreak, Zheng Yao chose such a method—it was simply incomprehensible.

Didn't she know how stingy those officials at CCTV were?

As it turned out, Zheng Yao not only knew, but she knew even better than outsiders. CCTV had always been overbearing, whether in purchasing TV dramas and movies or in advertising matters; there was no place more domineering than CCTV.

But it had to be admitted that as the national official television station, CCTV's influence was unmatched by any local station. Having over a dozen channels broadcast Future Advertising's public service advertisements in rotation—this kind of intangible influence was something other TV stations could not match.

And that was exactly what Zhao Fusheng was after.

Or for him, the purpose of CCTV's existence was to make Future Advertising's知名度 thoroughly known nationwide.