This director is vindictive.

Chapter 280 Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan netizens are overjoyed: Domestic welfare is really amazing!

While the outside world was going crazy over this live stream, what was Chen Mo doing?
Chen Mo leaned back on the sofa, closing his eyes to rest. Gao Yuanyuan sat beside him, gently massaging his temples with her fingers. Her technique was skillful, and the pressure was just right, easing his tense nerves slightly.

Since having children, Gao Yuanyuan has essentially retired from the entertainment industry, partly because she is not as career-driven as the others.

She's not the ambitious type who's driven by fame and fortune. She prefers the hustle and bustle of the spotlight to her current life—family, children, and occasional leisure time. Besides, given her current financial situation, she no longer needs to struggle to make ends meet.

Recently, Chen Mo's live stream announcement caused a huge stir around the world, and she was certainly aware of it. She also understood what this live stream meant for Chen Mo—the higher the attention, the greater the pressure.

The data compiled by the media is staggering: after his Weibo post, the number of views, discussions, and reposts of related topics all increased exponentially. Countless people are speculating whether this live stream will break records and become a phenomenon.

Well, actually, this is already a phenomenon; the only question is how exaggerated the outcome will be.

“Didn’t you do a great job last time?” Gao Yuanyuan said softly, her fingertips slowly circling his temple. “This time it’s just a bit bigger, but in essence, it doesn’t seem to be any different, does it? No matter how much overseas media hype it up, your target audience is still domestic viewers. Don’t let them lead you astray.”

Chen Mo sighed: "It was still a bit impulsive... Luckily, we didn't set a specific date, so there's still time to adjust."

However, after Gao Yuanyuan said that, Chen Mo suddenly realized something.

Indeed, regardless of how overseas netizens or media fanned the flames, his live stream was actually aimed at domestic netizens.

After all, overseas is not Chen Mo's home turf! It's all just wishful thinking on their part from beginning to end, okay?

However, the surge of interest among overseas viewers actually increased the value of the live stream. After all, the domestic market share is already quite large for leading domestic platforms, but it's not so easy to promote overseas.

In fact, this wave is really crazy. It's not just the brands that are crazy, but also the domestic live streaming platforms, and even several e-commerce platforms have rushed to compete for the ownership of this live streaming platform.

Needless to say, several platforms that are already related to live streaming have also joined, such as Tencent Video, which has collaborated with them before. Others, including Ali, Pinduoduo, and JD.com, have also come to participate.

However, it's not hard to understand. After all, live-streaming e-commerce is incredibly popular right now, and everyone can see the impact of Chen Mo's live stream!
For these e-commerce giants who spend exorbitant amounts on advertising every year, the cost of Chen Mo's live stream is really nothing.

However, Chen Mo first ruled out these e-commerce platforms, including Alibaba, JD.com, and Pinduoduo.

Although Chen Mo felt some pressure due to the unexpected enthusiasm of overseas netizens, after calming down, he felt that using overseas profits to take advantage of more merchants and give back to the domestic people was also a good business opportunity.

However, these e-commerce platforms are actually almost entirely limited to the domestic market, even Ali.

Therefore, they naturally diminish the value of overseas popularity, or rather, for them, the value brought by overseas popularity is far less than that of companies like ByteDance.

ByteDance has been spending a lot of money promoting its international version of TikTok, and the overseas traffic brought by Chen Mo has actually increased its appeal to them.

As expected, ByteDance ultimately showed its utmost sincerity and won Chen Mo's live stream with a price that was drastically higher than the other companies.

Of course, the price ByteDance paid was considerable, so much so that it affected other companies, including the deep-pocketed Tencent Video and Alibaba Group.

Chen Mo stared at the numbers on the contract, his fingertips unconsciously tapping the table—ByteDance's offer had indeed exceeded his expectations. A full 1 billion yuan in cash guarantee, plus a deep traffic tie-in with Shengshi Pictures' content library, the entire deal was worth over 2 billion yuan. And this was just for an exclusive signing fee for a single live stream.

This is just a live stream!

"This is insane," Chen Mo muttered to himself, but then he realized he understood ByteDance's decision-making logic. This live stream, originally targeted at the domestic market, unexpectedly became a phenomenon in overseas media. Continuous coverage by international media such as the BBC and CNN garnered over 30 billion views on overseas social media platforms even before the live stream began.

ByteDance's overseas expansion is now showing its strategic value. When the official announcement was made that the live stream would be launched globally on Douyin on August 14, 2021, coinciding with Qixi Festival (Chinese Valentine's Day), the data monitoring curve immediately began to surge:
On that day, ByteDance's registered users, both domestic and international, began to surge.

ByteDance already has a huge user base in China, but they soon discovered that most of the new users were actually older people.

According to data, the number of registered users aged 50 and above in China surged by 217% in a single day!

The coverage rate in third- and fourth-tier cities and lower-tier markets increased by 11 percentage points!

The platform's daily active users have surpassed 6 million for the first time!
The situation is even more outrageous overseas. Here's a look at TikTok's international data:
More than 2200 million new users were added in 72 hours!
Installations in Southeast Asia increased by 400% month-on-month.

Although ByteDance has not released this data to the public, it is not a secret to many people in the industry.

This has made the other platforms extremely regretful. In fact, when they first learned that ByteDance's terms were so outrageous, the other competitors all shook their heads in disapproval. But now, they realize that they themselves are the ones who are being humiliated.

These new users alone are enough for ByteDance to recoup its investment many times over in terms of valuation.

Not to mention, this grand show hasn't even really begun yet.

The mere announcement of which platform the live stream belongs to has already had such an exaggerated effect!
It can be said that in this business game, everyone underestimated the multiplier effect of content breaking out of its niche—when the momentum of dissemination reaches a critical point, what the platform gains is no longer just advertising revenue, but an entry ticket to reshape the industry landscape.

Netizens expressed their anticipation and excitement for the live stream on social media:

"I'm watching the live stream on Qixi Festival! Chen Mo is going all out this time, there must be some juicy gossip!"

"Even my grandma registered on Douyin just to watch Chen Mo's live stream. That's incredible influence!"

"ByteDance made a killing this time; the increase in new users alone is worth the price!"

"I wonder how much perks Chen Mo will be able to give out this time. It was 500 million before, this time it'll probably be doubled, right?"

"Absolutely! You can always trust Chen Mo's vision!"

"ByteDance's contract alone exceeds 10 billion. Chen Mo has earned so much. Given his ambition, this live stream is worth looking forward to!"

Netizens were incredibly excited, hoping ByteDance would spend more money, since Chen Mo is known for being very wealthy and truly giving away money!

Chen Mo gave away the previous 500 million yuan without hesitation, but this time the impact is even greater, and it has even gone overseas. So what netizens are saying about doubling the amount is really just a basic living allowance.

In fact, Shengshi Pictures had been besieged by several brands for several days.

Chen Mo hadn't initially intended to make money from this live stream, but the enthusiasm of the audience was overwhelming.

In fact, several manufacturers, including Xiaomi, BYD, and Vanke, who had previously collaborated with Chen Mo, were among the first to secure sponsorships for this live stream.

Chen Mo still used the same method he used when he was at Tencent Video: no money required, just a direct discount on the product.

On Xiaomi's side, Lei Jun gave away 100,000 Xiaomi phones this time, with a total value of over 200 million yuan!
That's a truly extravagant investment.

Not to be outdone, Wang Jianlin of BYD also brought out 1,000 new Song PLUS vehicles, which, based on the retail price, are worth more than 200 million yuan!
Wang Jianlin from Vanke is even more impressive. He offered 100 houses, all of which are small units due to the special nature of the real estate market. These houses can be exchanged for properties of similar value in the winner's local area, with a total value exceeding 200 million yuan!

Chen Mo felt like they had all gone mad! This was just from these three companies, and it already exceeded the total value of the benefits from the previous live stream.

The key point is that it includes taxes!
Of course, these are the benefits of products with higher unit prices. Chen Mo actually prefers products with lower unit prices.

Because it's clear that the number of viewers for this live stream far exceeded expectations, he's hoping for a larger quantity of products with lower unit prices.

That way, more people can receive benefits.

Otherwise, let's take a hundred houses as an example. If there are hundreds of millions of people in the live broadcast room, the odds of winning would be too low.

Therefore, the majority of the items, including food, snacks, and beverages, are the latter.

After Chen Mo did the math himself, he found that even after he had carefully selected the products, the total value of the goods sponsored by the brands in this live stream had exceeded 20 billion yuan!
Even the smallest company offered products worth nearly 100 million.

Chen Mo was actually under a lot of pressure, mainly because there was just too much of it.

Therefore, he repeatedly communicated with ByteDance to ensure the smooth running of the live broadcast. At the same time, Chen Mo repeatedly emphasized that the lottery must be open and transparent.

As confirmed brands began announcing their perks for participating in the live stream, discussions on social media surged once again!
"Xiaomi is going all out with 10 phones?! Lei Jun is really going all out this time!"

"Based on the last live stream attracting 100 million viewers, even if the number doubles this time, the odds of winning are five times higher!" "Lei Jun is so generous! Xiaomi did a great job this time, and it's not a Redmi budget phone, but a phone in the 2,000 yuan range!"

"BYD and Vanke are the real tycoons!"

The Weibo hashtag #BYD1000SongPLUS# reached third place on the trending topics list, with car enthusiasts joking: "Last time it was only 100 Qin PLUS, this time not only is the number 10 times, but it has also become the more valuable Song Plus! Awesome!"

"Isn't the most strategic approach the tax-inclusive model?"

"@Boss Zhou, you should learn from this!"

Vanke's announcement of 100 properties has sparked humorous comments such as, "The first thing I'll do after winning the lottery: quit my job and go collect the property!"

"Wow, this is incredible! Giving away a house in a raffle! I'm wondering if Chen Mo will have to go up the stakes next time he does a live stream?"

"Just go for it! I've already registered an account and am waiting for the stream to start!"

"With the whole family involved, you can win a house and have everything!"

Subsequently, other brands announced their sponsorship of the event.

Netizens discovered that in addition to "hardcore" prizes such as mobile phones, cars, and real estate, more brands that are closer to daily life have joined this carnival.

Many netizens noticed that daily necessities, food, and beverages accounted for the highest proportion of the deals, such as Three Squirrels' million-pack of snacks, Coca-Cola's Qixi Festival limited edition, and small appliances. Xiaohongshu user @MilkTeaNoSugar shared a list of brands: "These are inexpensive but plentiful. My mom said she wants to get the whole family to watch the live stream together!"

"My mom asked me why I was kneeling to watch the live stream, and after I told her, she said she'd call me to join her!"

In fact, the mere announcement of this list of benefits has already garnered these brands a significant amount of attention.

The value of the products ranges from millions to tens of dollars, with a total quantity of nearly fifty million!
The odds of winning are frighteningly high.

"This is what you call giving away freebies! Even with 500 million people online, the odds of winning are still one in ten. This is what you call a grand vision!"

"Chen Mo is awesome! To be honest, this really caters to everyone. The unit price is low, but the quantity is large; the quantity is small, but the unit price is high. Small surprises and big surprises come together, perfect!"

ByteDance, on the other hand, started its pre-event promotion by opening a reservation channel.

As a result, the number of reservations exceeded 200 million in just one day!
Moreover, the data continues to surge, which gives you an idea of ​​how crazy this live stream was.

The rules for this lottery were announced in advance.

There are three rules in total.

Rule 1: Participants in the lottery must be registered with their real names and leave a detailed shipping address!

Rule 2: Due to technical reasons, this rule is only applicable to users of Chinese nationality!

Rule 3: The lucky draw will use a uniform random red envelope opening mode. Winners will not need to pay any additional fees (including taxes). All costs will be borne by this event!

The results of this event will be announced after its conclusion!

The announcement of these ridiculously simple rules has once again sparked heated discussions among netizens.

"What do you call vision? This is what you call vision! Not only is the winning rate high, but the key is that it's truly barrier-free!"

"Who said there are no requirements? You at least have to be a Chinese citizen and have your address in China, haha!"

"The key point is that there's no extra shipping fee for remote areas, great! (Just kidding!)"

"Real-name registration and transparent lottery, Chen Mo's live streams never involve any tricks."

"Loose-priced snacks are plentiful, and expensive houses are also available, perfectly covering all needs!"

"Tax-inclusive pricing is truly generous; some platforms should take note!"

It has also spawned many popular memes.

For example, the free shipping to remote areas has garnered praise from netizens in Xinjiang, snowy regions, Inner Mongolia, and other areas.

"This is real sincerity! Goodness, in the past, whether it was participating in other live stream raffles or buying things, they never offered free shipping here!"

"Chen Mo is awesome! He really is amazing! I'm so moved! He covered all the expenses without any additional costs. That's true generosity!"

However, many netizens believe that the "tax-inclusive details" are the real magic!

A popular post on Zhihu analyzed the brand's promise of "all taxes and fees included," with the most upvoted answer stating: "Chen Mo's team has solved the personal income tax issues that the winners might face; this is true benefit."

"In the past, many lotteries and car giveaways would come up with some kind of 'right of use' scheme to avoid taxes. They weren't even giving away the benefits properly. They were already giving away such high-value items, why would they care about a little bit of tax?"

"No problem. Tax-inclusive is definitely the most sincere clause. They've already said it's a benefit, so they should be generous. Kudos to the brand and Chen Mo!"

Actually, this was also Chen Mo's request. To be honest, Chen Mo didn't understand why so many businesses held product lotteries, but the result was either giving away "usage rights" or making the winners bear the taxes.

They've already given away a car worth hundreds of thousands, so why would they care about a little tax?

If you're going to give out prizes, do it thoroughly so that winners have no worries.

Meanwhile, netizens from Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan also joined the discussion.

A user whose IP address indicated Hong Kong Island asked: "Are Hong Kong Island users eligible for the lucky draw? And if we win, will we not have to pay any additional fees?"

This issue has also attracted the attention of many netizens in Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan.

Overseas netizens are paying so much attention, wanting to take advantage of the deals and get free benefits, and netizens in Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan are no exception, but they have always overlooked this point.

After all, it wasn't specifically mentioned in the rules.

Chen Mo responded immediately this time, taking a screenshot of the published rules and posting it on Weibo with the caption: "Please note the word 'domestic.' Mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong are all part of China, so there is naturally no difference. The lottery will be conducted equally, and the rules apply to you all!"

Chen Mo's reply immediately garnered countless likes.

"The big picture has been opened up! No doubt about it! Domestic, domestic, domestic—I'll say it three times because it's important!"

"This is awesome! And the best part is free shipping, dear!"

"We have to give Chen Mo a thumbs up! Haha, our compatriots in Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan can rest assured now, right?"

"Not engaging in regional discrimination is true class. I don't understand why so many businesses still refuse free shipping to remote areas after all these years. Look at Chen Mo, learn from him!"

Indeed, it's no wonder netizens are giving it a thumbs up. Although Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan are all part of mainland China, the shipping costs for mainland businesses to send packages to customers in these regions are higher.

Chen Mo, however, treated everyone equally, offering free shipping and taxes included.

Chen Mo would naturally not make such a basic mistake. Besides, since he had already given away billions, why would he care about a little bit of shipping and tax?
The key point is, none of this cost Chen Mo a single penny more!

You see, the taxes and fees are covered by the sponsoring merchants, and the shipping costs are covered by the sponsoring courier companies. For them, although it's a bit of a hassle, they've already covered the bulk of the costs, so what's a little more?

Chen Mo's response quickly gained widespread support from netizens in Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan, who believed that the use of the term "domestic" reflected equality and respect, and especially appreciated the "free shipping and tax included" clause.

(End of this chapter)