Who would still start a business seriously after being reborn?

Chapter 547 This year, 2005.

On the huge electronic screen woven from countless LED screens, real-time weather maps of major ports around the world, logistics tracking information, and equipment receiving progress bars for various branches of the Shilla Hotel are displayed in split screens.

Green dots, indicating that the equipment has been delivered, have also begun to spread across the map of Asia.

Cheng Yi stood in front of the screen, looking at the data charts before him, and couldn't help but feel a surge of pride.

According to the Gregorian calendar, they have entered 2005.

2005 was the most exciting year of the Internet era.

The many changes that occurred that year were once the subject of much discussion in the media.

That year, the number of Chinese internet users exceeded 100 million for the first time, making China the second largest internet power after the United States.

That year, the second wave of internet companies going public in the US surged, and Baidu successfully rose to prominence.

That year, Ma Yun secretly founded Taobao and received a $10 billion investment from Yahoo.

That year, Ma Huateng faced a challenge from Microsoft MSN and acquired Zhang Xiaolong's Foxmail.

That year, Liu Qiangdong abandoned retail stores and transitioned to e-commerce.

That year, Zhou Hongyi resigned from his position as president of Yahoo! China and founded 360.

That year, Google entered China and invited Microsoft executive Kai-Fu Lee to take the helm.

That year, Jia Yueting met Ling Wancheng, who was using the alias Wang Cheng, and began his meteoric rise in Beijing.

That year, Sun Hongbin's real estate company expanded rapidly.

That year, Ganji.com, 58.com, Xiaonei.com, PPTV, and Douban were all launched.

That year, Shengda Company President Tang Jun and Chen Tianqiao joined forces to acquire Xinlang, forcing Xinlang to implement the "poison pill plan" to cut off its own arm and survive.

That year, Shengda Company went public in the United States, and 31-year-old Chen Tianqiao became the richest man in China...

Now, Shengda Company no longer exists, and the richest man in China is Ding Sanshi.

Most importantly, this year marked the official transition of the internet industry from the Flash era to the video era.

At this moment, Cheng Yi was wearing a dark gray turtleneck sweater with a well-tailored black suit over it. He looked less sharp and more composed than usual.

Based on his experience from his previous life, Cheng Yi had already guessed what kind of opponent he was about to face.

This time, Microsoft will most likely join forces with Google to launch a sweeping attack on the Chinese internet industry.

Du Yusheng, as the recognized godfather of the internet industry, will undoubtedly be at the forefront.

Thinking of Du Yusheng, a smile appeared on Cheng Yi's lips.

Sometimes being a celebrity isn't a good thing. Many people enjoy a glamorous life and being in front of the media camera, like Du Yusheng, who really liked that kind of life.

But this comes at the cost of a complete loss of private life.

They can only control domestic news, but not foreign news. There are even photos of Du Yusheng using the toilet in foreign media.

Illegitimate children, polygamy, domestic violence, sugar daddies...

There are far too many scandals and accolades surrounding Du Yusheng.

Du Yusheng simply visited one of his artists' companies, and foreign media outlets portrayed him as the head of a conglomerate who manipulated and kept celebrities.

Du Yusheng was a college student who graduated in September 2004. After graduation, he was invited by Jingzhou Vocational College to become the president of the alumni association of Jingzhou Vocational College. Due to Du Yusheng's influence, Jingzhou Vocational College shifted its focus to the computer field and established the Du Yusheng Computer Research Institute, which, together with Guolong Software R&D Center, became the two pillars of Jingzhou Vocational College.

Compared to Du Yusheng, Cheng Yi is much more low-key.

He and Du Yusheng were distinctly different.

Du Yusheng traveled around making visits, behaving like a chairman of the board.

As the president, he was stuck doing a miserable job within the group.

However, there are many advantages to keeping a low profile. Many politicians do not like to associate with well-known entrepreneurs in the public eye, because the more flamboyant these entrepreneurs are, the greater the possibility of them going out of business.

For example, Du Yusheng, despite holding many government titles, only maintained his close circle of acquaintances at the municipal level. As he progressed further, many leaders chose to maintain a distant, platonic relationship with him.

Cheng Yi, on Huang Fei's advice, only developed a small, fixed circle of friends, and made a name for himself within that circle, becoming a close friend of many influential figures.

In Huang Fei's office there is a piece of calligraphy, the author of which is someone that ordinary people wouldn't even dare to imagine.

In short: a hidden dragon should not be used.

This is also Huang Fei's motto for dealing with people and situations.

Everyone knows that the richest man in Yantai City is Bai Biao, but no one knows that Bai Biao is just Huang Fei's driver.

This is the meaning of "a hidden dragon should not be used".

Soon after, Lin Qingyin, Huang Wenrong, Kong Feng, Zhang Lingyu and other core executives arrived at the Momo Group command center.

"The goods from Tokyo and Osaka, Japan, have cleared customs smoothly and are being received and installed by the engineering team at the Shilla Hotel, with a progress of 30%." "In hotels in major cities of Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand, the equipment reception rate is 85%, and installation and debugging are proceeding simultaneously. The signal test of the Global Vision system is going well."

"There are some minor problems in Mumbai and New Delhi, India. Li Xiang is handling them, and Chen Zhi is also helping to coordinate."

"The political situation in Manila, Philippines is a bit unstable. Our transport convoy was harassed twice by local gangs. People from Black Panther Security's overseas business division have intervened. It's not a big problem, but it has delayed us for a few days."

The person in charge of this transportation project first reported on the current work in front of many senior executives.

Cheng Yi nodded, his gaze sweeping over the several managers, and said with a smile, "You've worked hard. This is the first time that Momo Group has launched hardware products to the overseas market on a large scale and in a systematic way. There will definitely be difficulties, but we must find ways to overcome them. Your success this time will become the best textbook for all our departments."

Several people in charge responded quickly, their expressions quite excited.

Momo Group's promotion system is very fair; as long as you make contributions, you can get promoted.

Cheng Yi quickly looked at everyone present and said, "Everyone, now we have the right timing, the right place, and the right people. We also have the Shilla Hotel Asia as our base. Before the annual meeting, we must sort out everything at hand."

He looked at Zhao Gang and said, "Mr. Zhao, you are the Vice President of Universal Vision and the Director of the China Operations Center. Could you tell us about the current situation?"

Zhao Gang immediately stood up and said with a slightly excited voice, "Okay, then I will report the situation to President Cheng and everyone else."

Zhao Gang walked to the conference table, first inserting his USB drive into the projector. He turned on the projector, pointed to the image on the screen, and said, "The Blizzard Cup has now entered the most crucial World Finals stage, and the hype is far exceeding expectations."

“Over the past three months, we have strictly followed the plan and established deep partnerships with top media outlets in various countries, including Zee TV in India, Asahi Broadcasting in Japan, Workpoint TV in Thailand, and RCTI in Indonesia. These local giants have almost turned the Blizzard Cup qualifiers into a national event, with an average viewership share of 17% during the qualifiers, far exceeding that of local prime-time dramas.”

"As the exclusive signal source and content provider, Global Vision's brand awareness has surged by more than 200% in the target countries."

On the screen, images of huge crowds at the qualifying events in various countries flashed by, along with photos of front-page headlines from local mainstream newspapers.

Blizzard Cup, Universal Television, and satellite dish distribution rights have become frequently used buzzwords.

"Regarding the satellite dish production line, this is thanks to the group's huge investment in the early stage and localized cooperation. Our production capacity has been fully unleashed in 16 core countries in Asia with a population of over 6000 million, as well as 31 production bases that radiate to surrounding areas! At present, the yield rate is stable at 71%, and the total output has exceeded 7800 million units."

Zhao Gang paused for a moment, then said proudly, "We have fully met the distribution needs of the competition's prize pool, and have left ample reserves to cope with subsequent market surges."

On the screen, real-time production data from the major production bases and images of warehouses filled with satellite dishes were quickly displayed.

"Currently, a total of 219 teams have registered for the competition, with each country and region sending three teams. As of yesterday, 73 countries and regions have confirmed their registration. The athletes' village, competition venues, media center, and the Global Vision global live broadcast center are all ready. More than 200 mainstream media outlets and 1200 journalists worldwide have registered to report on the event, including top international media such as CNN, BBC, NHK, and Al Jazeera. Global Television's multilingual channels will also provide 24/7 live broadcasts of the event, athlete interviews, highlights, and special reports."

Zhao Gang switched the scene to the brightly lit Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre in Singapore and said, "The finals will be officially held on May 1st and will last for 21 days. Seven Shilla Hotels in Singapore and 11 hotels designated by the Singapore government will provide free accommodation for the contestants."

Zhao Gang quickly opened a carefully edited short film on the USB drive and said, "Our headquarters at Universal Vision is starting to create the most touching stories and topics around the world. This is one of our sample short films."

The short film focuses on a Filipino boy with a determined look in his eyes and dressed simply.

"This is Rodriguez, a player from the Manila slums. He is the manager of a local illegal internet cafe. From the start of the competition, he has been far ahead of the competition and has reached the top of Philippine e-sports. In an interview during the qualifiers, he said that winning the national championship has changed his family's fate. This time, he wants to break into the world's top 16. After we followed and reported on his story, it triggered a frenzy of attention and support from the entire nation in the Philippines. Every match he plays touches the hearts of countless ordinary people."

The short film shows Rodriguez training in a simple internet cafe in the early stages of his career. His teary eyes when he looks at photos of his family and his roar after a desperate comeback in the qualifiers are both very moving.

“Similar stories abound among athletes in countries like India, Vietnam, and Indonesia. They are not fighting for some vague honor, but for something that can change their lives. This hunger and the stories of grassroots success are the most popular topics for global media, and also the most powerful vehicle for spreading our global values.”

The short film ends with a close-up of Rodriguez clenching his fists, his eyes burning with passion.

After Zhao Gang finished his report, everyone in the conference room spontaneously applauded.

Cheng Yi looked at Huang Wenrong and said, "Mr. Huang, could you please tell us about the financial situation?"

Huang Wenrong adjusted his glasses and said, "Okay, Mr. Zhao's data just now was very encouraging. As for the financial aspect, although the initial investment was huge, the brand premium brought by the competition and the advertising revenue of Universal Vision have gradually taken effect. Based on Mr. Cheng's suggestion, we plan to add a voting component during the competition and set up a voting area on the Universal Vision official website. Users can use MoPay to spend 0.1 US dollars to vote for the contestants. We will then select the top ten most popular contestants based on the number of votes."

Finally, Cheng Yi looked at Zhang Lingyu, who was eager to try, and said with a smile, "President Zhang, why don't you give everyone a report on the situation of the domestic selection competition?"

Zhang Lingyu couldn't wait any longer. Before Cheng Yi had even finished speaking, she stood up abruptly.

Over the past few months, Zhang Lingyu has devoted herself wholeheartedly to the selection competition, witnessing it grow from nothing to become a household name.

She said proudly, "I won't go into the details, I'll just tell you what I mean by sensational."

"In the final match of the qualifiers, the Zhonghai team faced the Yanjing team, and the peak number of viewers on the Huanyu Esports Channel reached 23 million!"

"But this is just the tip of the iceberg!"

Zhang Lingyu continued, "From first-tier cities to small towns, wherever there is a Momo Internet cafe, it's packed with people. Small shops, barbershops, restaurants—anywhere you can get a signal from Huanyu—became temporary viewing spots. We gave them a lot of signs that said 'Watch esports for free and cheer for the country,' combining the competition with winning glory for the country. We also invited many Olympic athletes to help with the promotion, turning this competition into a mini-Olympics that connects people's hearts."

"This time, as long as our team upsets the United States, even if we don't win the championship, it will still trigger a second wave of public opinion in China," Zhang Lingyu said. "Seven of the top ten trending topics on major forums are related to our Blizzard Cup qualifiers and our three teams that won the championship, runner-up and third place. Of course, all of this is thanks to the group's operations department."

Zhang Lingyu glanced at Cao Zhengze.

Cao Zhengze now concurrently serves as the Deputy Director of the Operations Department of Momo Group, which means he has stepped into the senior management of the group.

Cao Zheng lowered his head somewhat embarrassed. In the past few months, in addition to stirring up trouble on the Asia Forum, he had also been pestering the heads of several major portal websites, asking them to help him pin trending topics to the top of their backends.

Everything is for the sake of generating buzz.

Zhang Lingyu said, "Many people may not remember the names of Sun Baxin, Dong Can, and Liu Chenxing, but if you ask 'those three Chinese teams that are preparing to compete in the World Championships,' almost everyone will know them."

"Now we have won the hearts and minds of the people and created a great trend in the competition. This competition is no longer just a game competition, but our young people are fighting for their country and for a sense of pride and face in the international community."

"We have arranged the best training venues for the three teams, and based on videos of matches from other countries, they still have a good chance of entering the top three in the world," Zhang Lingyu said somewhat conservatively.

(End of this chapter)