The battle for traffic in Chinese entertainment

Chapter 514 Trust
The magnificent building.

"I'm so sorry, so incredibly sorry! I really didn't expect things to get this serious. If I had known, I would have done everything in my power to stop Tony. We never want to see our partners in danger. We could have achieved enough success just outside of mainland China, and now 'Childhood Games' has proven that."

Upon seeing Xu Xing, Erika immediately apologized profusely, filled with remorse.

Yesterday, after arriving in China with Bajaaria, Erika considered going to Dandong first to express her apology for the "Childhood Games" controversy.

Before coming to China, a broker also revealed to Bajaria that the publicity incident of "Childhood Games" in China was exaggerated by Zheng Rong. In fact, Zheng Rong's background was enough to suppress such a small incident.

However, the overwhelming condemnation of Zheng Rong by Xu Xing's fans on Chinese social media, and the fact that "Childhood Games" was given the same treatment as other shows when it was released on Tencent Video without any promotion, proves that this incident was not insignificant.

Now that the global wave sparked by "Childhood Games" has lasted for more than half a month, China's attitude has made it clear that Netflix's efforts to re-enter China are futile. Repairing the relationship with Zheng Rong and Xu Xing by all means has become Netflix's top priority in the Asia-Pacific region.

“Erika, didn’t I say that I understand this matter has nothing to do with you and that it’s not particularly serious?” Xu Xing said with a smile. “At least, right now all the problems are Tony’s fault.”

Erika's smile instantly turned ugly.

"No, thankfully, I also bear responsibility, really. I must take responsibility for this. You trusted me so much, and I failed to cherish that trust. But please believe me, from now on, there will be no more things that could create a rift between you and me, between Netflix and Zheng Rong. I promise God!"

Xu Xing was a little nervous; it was the first time she had met Erika, and she had even invoked God.

Xu Xing smiled and shook her head.

“Erika, of course I’ve always trusted you. You might be a little too nervous. Actually, what I mean is, should Tony take responsibility for this mess? Let me clarify, this isn’t Zheng Rong’s request, but rather I want to know Netflix’s decision.”

Erika breathed a sigh of relief and nodded.

"Yes. Actually, Tony helped me a lot when I first joined Netflix. But starting the year before last, he made several irrational decisions in order to maintain his power in the Asia-Pacific region. Headquarters gave him opportunities, but he ultimately betrayed their trust. His unfriendly behavior towards you, in particular, is infuriating. Headquarters has made the decision to transfer Tony, and it will be officially announced soon."

"So, are you the one who replaced Tony?"

Xu Xing asked directly.

Erika smiled briefly, then tried to become serious again.

"Fortunately, all I can say is that I am incredibly grateful to you. Without your help, I might have been ousted from Netflix long ago in its power struggles. Everything has been so successful since we started working together. Especially now, 'Childhood Games' has won all the accolades."

That's quite a euphemism.

However, Xu Xing continued to press for answers.

"When will you officially take office?"

"..."

Erika hesitated, her smile a little awkward, but she quickly recovered.

"Actually, the decision hasn't been officially made yet, but it's 99% complete. I'd love to celebrate this good news with you right away, but it's only just arrived at the door and hasn't been pushed open yet."

Xu Xing seemed to be deep in thought.

"Do we have to wait until Bajaaria is promoted to Chief Content Officer? This news has been circulating in the industry for a while now. The success of 'Childhood Games' should also help Bajaaria secure Sarandos and the board's final decision."

“That’s about right.” Erika finally smiled more easily. “Everyone thinks it’s only a matter of time before Bajaaria is promoted to Chief Content Officer, but it has to be said that the unexpected success of Childhood Games—which, apart from you, was probably crucial to Bajaaria. Bajaaria is about to push open that door.”

Xu Xing understood again, and then thought about it again.

Will the outcome of this trip to China affect whether Bajaaria can open that door? And will it also affect you?

"..."

Erika shook her head; she was about to emphasize that it was only a matter of time.

Someone pushed the door open and walked in, and an unexpected voice rang out.

"Are you talking about Bajaaria?"

The formidable leader, Qu Mingzhen.

Erika looked at Qu Mingzhen, who was smiling meaningfully, in surprise, and then at Xu Xing, who was nodding with a smile and about to speak. She stood up first.

"Hey Mona (Qu Mingzhen's English name), Bajaaria is on her way and will be here soon. I came first to apologize to Xing again in person. Xing is my most important friend in Asia. I still remember the first time we met in the island province. At that time, I felt that I had found the key to success in Asia. Looking back, every step of my success over the years has been inseparable from Xing's help. Therefore, Xing, you must attend tonight's dinner! Mona, you too! Netflix's future cannot do without Xing! Without you all!"

Erika's passionate "confession" left Qu Mingzhen stunned, and she looked at Xu Xing with a rather strange expression.

Fortunately, Erika is even less feminine than Bajaaria, otherwise Qu Mingzhen would have thought they were having an affair.

Xu Xing also realized that Qu Mingzhen was deliberately teasing him, and that he had gone easy on him after last night's lesson.

Qu Mingzhen smiled and nodded, exchanged a few pleasantries with Erika, and then called Xu Xing out.

Step out of the reception room.

Qu Mingzhen asked with a smile.

"You actually managed to get her to say something."

“Your timing was perfect,” Xu Xing said with a smile. “Next, you’ll hint to Bajaaria that Erika has given us a sneak peek at her trip.”

So, after Bajaaria arrived, when they revisited the basic cooperation agreement reached the previous day, Qu Mingzhen changed his mind at the last minute, demanding that Netflix give up another 10% of the revenue from the "Childhood Games" merchandise.

Bajaria glanced at Erika several times, then firmly refused, and the talks were temporarily suspended.

“I’m going crazy. Bajaaria is doubting—Xing, you can’t—no, I mean, Zheng Rong can’t do this. We almost agreed on everything yesterday, and now suddenly, suddenly…Xing, you made Mona take back this condition. Bajaaria came to Zheng Rong with friendship, but she isn’t either…she…”

Erika was extremely frustrated, but she also stumbled over her words.

It's obvious that Qu Mingzhen overheard her conversation with Xu Xing by chance, which led her to add the unreasonable demands at the last minute. Whether it was truly a "coincidence," or whether Xu Xing was intentionally trying to trick her into revealing information, remains uncertain.

But Bajaria already believes she's the mole, and she's doomed!
Only now did Erika truly understand how angry Zheng Rong was about the controversy surrounding "Childhood Games." At such a time, she was made to experience the lesson of not being informed in advance and then disappearing without a word immediately after "Childhood Games" went online.

Erika even suspects that Zheng Rong has now found a more trusted partner within Netflix and wants to take the opportunity to kick her out as well.

The venture capital fund behind Zheng Rong, which has achieved dazzling results worldwide in recent years, possesses an exceptionally wide network of connections. They could easily support a true insider to minimize any potential risks that might arise from future collaborations between Zheng Rong and Netflix…

Who is that person?

Besides panic, Erika was also filled with extreme regret.

After partnering with Zheng Rong, Netflix's development in the Asia-Pacific region went too smoothly, making her increasingly distracted, and she spent most of her time thinking about how to curry favor at headquarters.

Although everything has now been handed over to Tony, Erika was involved in the planning of the promotional strategy for "Childhood Games" in China.

That was a proposal that Zheng Rong and Xu Xing wouldn't like, but that headquarters would definitely be more pleased to see.

The chances of success are slim, but if she can actually push Netflix into China, it would be a monumental achievement for Netflix, a feat that will last for generations, and she might even dream of becoming Netflix's CEO in the future.

The wild and unrealistic fantasy was shattered when almost all the trending topics about "Childhood Games" on Chinese social media were taken down, and then, with a cold and harsh slap, it was completely destroyed.

She herself was about to shatter.

Zheng Rong can indeed forgive Netflix, but there's no need to forgive her.

"Childhood Games" is undoubtedly a success for Netflix, and definitely a success for Zheng Rong... but not necessarily for her.

She should have realized long ago that her foundation lies not in currying favor with Bajaaria, but in the Asia-Pacific region, in Zheng Rong.

“Sigh,” Xu Xing sighed and spread his hands, “I didn’t know she would suddenly change her mind. The surrounding development is not under Bajaaria’s jurisdiction, so it’s pointless for her to make such a condition at the last minute.”

"..."

Xu Xing's reluctance to completely break off relations only made Erika's bitter smile even more unsightly.

He's always been like this—very easy to talk to, very respectable, always successful, and he trusted her implicitly—once.

With a determined look in her eyes, Erika made up her mind.

"Fortunately, I must be honest with you. Because of Mona's sudden change, Bajaaria is already suspecting that I leaked the information to you. In fact, I should have told you and Zhengrong this information in the first place. Because Netflix Asia Pacific is our common cause, and we are the ones who will always stand together, not Bajaaria."

"Bajaria's visit this time carries the mission of repairing the relationship between Netflix and Zheng Rong. If she fails to do so, or even pushes you, or even 'Childhood Games,' to Disney+, then even if Sarandos appreciates her greatly, she must take responsibility. Not only is Zheng Rong too important to the Asia-Pacific region, but Zheng Rong also gave positive signals of repairing the relationship before her arrival."

"Therefore, even if Bajaaria isn't in charge of peripheral development, as Sarandos's favorite, she has the ability to meet your demand for an extra 10% of the profits. As long as you're firm, she will definitely concede, and she's very likely to concede even more. Of course, the problem this brings is that Zheng Rong and Bajaaria will become enemies. "As fellow Asians, Bajaaria originally considered Zheng Rong her most important friend. Please believe this, Bajaaria's future at Netflix is ​​limitless. Even if she fails to complete the mission this time, for her, it's just a major setback, it won't shake her position at headquarters, it will only slow down her rise, her achievements globally are profound enough."

"Therefore, I suggest you persuade Mona to change her mind. However, if you are determined to get Netflix to show more sincerity in their apology, I will do everything I can to help you persuade Bajaaria to accept your terms."

After Erika finished speaking, she felt a strange sense of relief.

Bajaria's failure won't have a fatal impact, but Erika will definitely be out of the picture.

She had no other choice.

Xu Xing thought about it in silence for a while.

I will try my best to persuade her.

"Thank you so much! I'm so grateful!" Erika bowed deeply in gratitude, "Whether I succeed or not, I will always be grateful for your friendship!"

Xu Xing smiled.

"Perhaps you and Bajaaria are both a bit paranoid. Everyone can see Bajaaria's purpose in coming here, and it's not difficult to guess her true intentions. Of course, I personally agree with your point of view; the most important thing is friendship."

The talks resumed.

Qu Mingzhen first provided Bajaria with an analysis report on the soaring production costs of peripheral products due to the pandemic, proving that Zheng Rong's idea was not spur-of-the-moment.

"According to the original profit-sharing ratio, Zheng Rong bore too much of the management costs. The production of the merchandise for 'Childhood Games' was all outsourced to factories under Xu Xing's personal streetwear brand XX. XX is currently the hottest streetwear brand in China and is also developing rapidly overseas. Its profits are far higher than those of the 'Childhood Games' merchandise. Squeezing out production capacity to produce 'Childhood Games' merchandise would naturally lead to a decrease in XX's output."

“Bajaria, as you know, if it weren’t for Zheng Rong’s emphasis on ‘Childhood Games,’ we wouldn’t have decided to use XX factory to produce the merchandise ourselves in the first place. Now Netflix can also choose to have other factories produce the merchandise, and Zheng Rong can accept a smaller share of the revenue.”

The ensuing problem is the increased time cost; how long can the craze for "Childhood Games" last?

Bajaria spent a long time flipping through the analysis report, and when she looked up again, a smile appeared on her face.

“It’s very convincing. Zheng Rong is our most important partner in Asia, and we will not fail to understand our partner during such a difficult time. Although I am not in charge of the production of the merchandise, I will do everything I can to persuade Sarandos to accept this condition. It is a promise.”

Bajaria emphasized this point.

Qu Mingzhen smiled and nodded, shaking hands with Bajaria.

Erika, standing next to Bajaria, wore a deathly pale smile.

As the small dinner party began, Erika, already distracted, became even more distraught because she saw an unexpected person—Kim Min-young, the Korean Deputy Director of Content.

Qu Mingzhen "recommended" her to Bajaaria.

Bajaria's expression also showed that she didn't know that Kim Min-young, who was supposed to be waiting for her to fly over from South Korea, would appear in China at this time.

Netflix's external rivals, Disney+ and WeTV, wanted to poach Zheng Rong, and within Netflix itself, there were naturally many who wanted to curry favor with Zheng Rong and replace Erika.

“You said that Bajaria is not a simple person. She already has suspicions about you, which is why she might continue to support you in managing the Asia-Pacific region.”

Xu Xing's voice rang out beside her.

Erika snapped out of her daze.

"...How is that still possible?"

"Of course it's possible, Bajaaria is smiling at you."

Xu Xing reminded her, and smiled as she met Bajaria's gaze.

Bajaria smiled and nodded slightly.

This wasn't her sending Xu Xing any mysterious signal—well, she was sending a signal, but it meant she saw the good friendship between Xu Xing and Erika.

"Childhood Games" has completely ignited the Asian film and television streaming market. How Netflix changes its management structure in Asia is beyond Zheng Rong's control, but he will not completely ignore it.

Erika's "elbow to the net" this time was something Zheng Rong had to teach a lesson for, which is why, even after forcing her to hand over her pledge of allegiance today, he still insisted on the conditions he had temporarily proposed to Bajaaria.

As for how Netflix will ultimately decide Erika's fate and who will take charge of the Asia-Pacific region, it is not a very important issue for Zheng Rong.

Because no matter who comes in, they will have to appease the current leader.

Erika is still a very good choice because she has completely betrayed Bajaaria.

Bajaria might have such suspicions, but she couldn't be certain that Erika had betrayed her.

It was easy to guess that she would try her best to meet Zheng Rong's requests. In fact, Bajaaria felt that Zheng Rong was too easy to talk to yesterday. Today's little incident was more normal than the harmonious atmosphere of yesterday.

Today's little incident can be seen as Zheng Rong deliberately retaliating against Erika, while Xu Xing's current chat with Erika with a sincere smile can be interpreted as Erika and Xu Xing's friendship still intact.

—If Zheng Rong insists on kicking Erika, Bajaaria definitely will.

However, it is still possible that Bajaaria will continue to support Erika.

Whether it's Erika, Kim Min-young, or other newly appointed candidates, or even Tony, whom Erika mentioned has already been transferred, who will ultimately take charge of the Asia-Pacific region will reveal Bajaaria's true attitude towards Zheng Rong.

Before coming to Zheng Rong today, Bajaaria met with several film and television company bosses from China at the hotel. After reaching an agreement with Zheng Rong, she will fly to Hong Kong and then to South Korea.

Zheng Rong provided her with more decision-making references!
At the end of the dinner, Bajaaria walked towards Xu Xing, while Erika tactfully walked away.

"I heard you're working on your own English album. When will it be released?"

Bajaria asked with a smile.

Xu Xing was quite surprised.

Could it be that she actually has feelings for me...?

Xu Xing had absolutely no interest in her.

"It should be in May or June. I've been squeezing in time to produce the album, but," Hsu Hsing sighed, "I still can't get enough time."

"So artists shouldn't be distracted by too many trivial matters. I apologize again for Netflix's promotional efforts, on behalf of Netflix and myself."

Bajaria was incredibly sincere.

Xu Xing shrugged helplessly.

“I’ve heard this too many times, there’s no need to keep repeating it, really.”

Bajaria smiled and nodded.

"What I mean is, we will never again distract artists. Fortunately, you are a beacon of light for Asian Americans. Your achievements amaze all Asian Americans. You are the pride of all Asian Americans. You have inspired all Asian Americans. You have fought for a wider space for us to live and proved countless possibilities. If you ever have any problems with Netflix in the future, please tell me directly and I will help you solve them as soon as possible."

"Thank you."

Xu Xing smiled sincerely.

Bajaria's smile widened as she shifted her gaze towards Erika.

"So, I'm very unhappy with Erika now. She betrayed your trust."

“Artists don’t care whether they are trusted.”

Xu Xing smiled.

Bajaria looked surprised.

"Including my trust?"

Xu Xing really wanted to complain, but she started to feel good about herself.

In the end, I decided to complain.

Trust takes time to prove, doesn't it?

(End of this chapter)