After watching the first episode, Wang Fangfang found it quite interesting and enjoyable.
"Sister You, this documentary is really good. It makes you want to keep watching. Even someone like me, who usually doesn't watch documentaries, found it captivating."
"Yeah, a lot of documentaries out there seem high-end and grand, but they're not relatable to ordinary people. The masses don't enjoy them, and they only circulate within niche circles," Zhou You said honestly.
"It's a shame it airs late at night. If it were in prime time, it would definitely have more viewers," Wang Fangfang said, still wanting more.
"No worries, it'll definitely get reruns," Zhou You thought to himself, and not just one round—many rounds.
This documentary could be considered a national sensation. It generated far more buzz than many TV dramas and movies airing at the same time, maintaining high popularity day after day.
Everyone involved gained widespread fame. Even the post-production music, which had previously gone unnoticed, became widely recognized.
After watching it, Zhou You felt the production was more polished than before. The extra money he had invested had clearly made a significant difference.
Over on the other side, Director Chen and Director Ren had also finished watching. As the documentary came to an end, they both breathed a sigh of relief. Regardless of how it turned out, it was still their work. Though they felt good about it, whether it would gain market and public approval depended entirely on the numbers.
Director Ren didn't feel much emotional fluctuation after watching. She had directed many documentaries before, and sometimes, even with excellent production, it didn't guarantee widespread reach or popularity.
Many of the documentaries she had worked on in the past were essentially assignments with predetermined themes. To be honest, the directors didn't pour much personal emotion into them, and often, the result lacked depth—just completing a task.
From the documentary crew's perspective, this was just an experiment. And with a documentary, how much viewership could you really expect?
But as the documentary continued airing, everyone's feelings began to shift. Director Chen and Director Ren were all smiles every day. When asked, they revealed they had been praised in meetings—the documentary channel's ratings were actually higher than those of TV dramas airing at the same time.
Moreover, audience retention was incredibly high. Most viewers watched from start to finish.
By the final episode, ratings peaked, far surpassing the TV dramas and movies airing concurrently.
Only then did everyone realize this documentary was different—it had become a hit.
Soon after, it began airing in reruns on the main channel, and during prime time at 8:30 PM.
With the prime-time broadcast, viewership grew rapidly. Word of mouth spread gradually, with friends recommending it to friends, relatives to relatives, and classmates to classmates. The ratings exploded.
Director Ren even got a taste of what it felt like to be a celebrity. As an associate director and executive director, she had previously been virtually unknown.
The documentary had only seven episodes, airing one per day, so it was over quickly.
After the prime-time broadcast, the documentary completely blew up.
The food and characters featured became hot topics of discussion. Some ingredients were even snapped up immediately.
Online, any products similar to those in the documentary were sold out.
Many viewers left comments after the show.
Some expressed their love for the food.
Some reminisced about their hometowns.
Some missed their loved ones.
Others yearned for the future.
With the documentary's soaring popularity, what had once seemed like a sure loss turned into a profit of tens of millions, with even more sustained earnings to come.
Advertising sponsorships and copyright sales were booming.
Director Ren called enthusiastically: "President Zhou, congratulations! This documentary is a massive hit. Your investment didn't go down the drain."
"Haha, yeah, I never expected to recoup the investment, let alone make a big profit. It's all thanks to your skill, Director Ren," Zhou You said cheerfully. After all, who wouldn't rather make money than lose it?
Zhao Yun also called promptly: "Brother You, you're truly amazing. I'm in awe. You casually invest in a documentary, and it becomes a smash hit. Your reputation in the documentary investment circle is already red-hot—blazing like the sun at noon!"
"Huh, a documentary investment circle? Didn't you say before that I was the only investor? Or is it just me in this circle?" Zhou You joked with him.
"Oh, come on, I was just kidding! Besides, the documentary film festival is coming up. I can introduce you to a few more directors then?" Zhao Yun quickly tried to make amends.
"President Zhao, you just said I'm blazing like the sun at noon. Do I still need you to introduce me? Huh?" Zhou You couldn't resist teasing. The days of being a passive investor were over; from now on, the sky was the limit.
Unexpectedly, Wang Le also called: "Brother You, you're awesome, you're a legend! I told my classmates you invested in this documentary, and none of them believed me."
"Don't believe it? That's fine, no big deal. Are you starting to admire your Brother You more and more now?" Chatting with his younger buddy was always easygoing.
"Come on, Brother You, they all think this documentary is incredibly well-made," Wang Le couldn't help but keep praising. After all, Zhou You was his father's disciple and close to him.
"Alright, I'll send you a few photos later—some group dinner shots and behind-the-scenes from the documentary shoot. Just don't share them outside," Zhou You said casually. Eventually, a lot of behind-the-scenes content would be released anyway.
After receiving the photos, Wang Le showed them to his dormmates. It wasn't about showing off; everyone just found it fascinating. They felt a strange connection to this wildly popular documentary, as if it somehow involved them indirectly.
It was a peculiar feeling—whether it was pride by association or a desire to latch onto fame.
Just like the celebrity effect, people naturally want to link themselves to things that are famous and glorious.
As the documentary continued to gain traction, everyone who found out Zhou You was the investor behind it called to congratulate him.
That included Shi Wenxiu, who was busy filming: "Brother You, I heard 'A Bite of China' was your investment. You're amazing!"
"How did you find out? Not many people should know about this," Zhou You said curiously.
"Wang Le told me. He heard about my situation recently, probably from Uncle Wang," Shi Wenxiu explained.
"Oh, I invested in it a while ago. No big deal. How's your filming going? Anyone giving you a hard time?" Zhou You asked with concern. After all, she was the daughter of his future teacher.
"It's going well. I've been on a few sets before, but this time has the best treatment and benefits. Thanks, Brother You," Shi Wenxiu said. She wasn't a naive rookie; after four years in school and a few stints on film sets, she knew the ropes.
When had she ever received such treatment before? Even with the school's name behind her, the Beijing Film Academy graduates hundreds of students each year, and only a few make it big. At best, she was a step above an extra.
Shi Wenxiu almost felt flattered, still not quite used to it.
Others ride horses while I ride a donkey. When I think about it, I'm not as well off. But when I look back, there are still those carrying loads on foot.