I can become stronger by paying salaries. I have one billion employees!

Chapter 580: 80 in initial investment, a staggering 7600 million in profit! Lease termination, goodbye Liu Muyan!
March 15th, an ordinary Saturday.

At 10:00 AM, "Reborn in 2010, I Teach Chen Yansen How to Do E-commerce" updated with 10 episodes as scheduled.

What surprised netizens was that each episode's play button in this update had an additional "lock" icon.

0.2 yuan per episode, 2 yuan for 10 episodes!
It doesn't seem expensive, but with 10 episodes totaling only 30 minutes of runtime, it immediately deterred most of the viewers.

No matter how good a short drama is, it instantly loses its charm once money is involved.

However, Douyin and Kuaishou have a large enough user base, and their daily active users of 1.1 million are not inflated.

Adding to the fact that it was a weekend, and the storyline happened to be about the protagonist leading FoxTao to dominate the shopping guide e-commerce field and about to make a name for themselves, the number of paying users soared rapidly.

In just two hours, the number of subscribers exceeded 1000 million, and revenue reached 2000 million yuan.

"An investment of 80 yuan, 12 days of filming, and a profit of 2 million yuan in just two hours! How did Wanhe Tianyi achieve this with its new short drama?"

"80 yuan investment leverages tens of millions in profit, a small investment yielding huge returns—the wealth-creating myth of short dramas!"

"The story behind how a short drama raked in 2000 million yuan in just two hours!"

In a short time, a large number of related promotional articles appeared on multiple platforms such as Douyin, Kuaishou, Toutiao, Lingxi Search, and Xiaohongshu.

The report shocked not only netizens but also the entertainment industry.

It's important to remember that in early 2014, the film industry had not yet entered an era of explosive box office growth.

If a domestic film's box office exceeds 3 million yuan, it's something to brag about.

However, with a box office of 3 million, the production company can only get about 1 million. After deducting production costs and marketing expenses, the final profit is actually very small.

But now someone is telling film and television professionals: Wanhe Tianyi only spent 80 yuan and 12 days, and earned 2000 million yuan in just two hours?
What's the difference between this and robbery?!
Entertainment companies in Shanghai, Beijing, Hong Kong, and Northwest China all asked around to confirm the accuracy of the news.

Meanwhile, the first 10 episodes of "The Immortal King Reborn: I Spoil My Wife to the Heavens" were released, and another 10 episodes of "Back to the Tang Dynasty to Be a Prince" were uploaded.

Three novel vertical-screen short dramas have gone viral!

Each episode is about 3 minutes long, which can meet the audience's fragmented viewing needs. You can watch more than ten episodes in one go on your way to and from get off work.

Even when I'm on paid leave taking a dump, I can still squeeze in a couple of episodes to watch.

While viewers were cursing the plot as being brainless, they were also busy spending money to pay for the content.

Viewers who weren't satisfied flocked to the Douyin and Weibo accounts of Yi Xiaoxing, Bai Ke, Zhang Benyu, and others, urging for more episodes: "10 episodes a day? Who can watch that? If those foreigners find out, they'll think I can't afford it!"

"Ten episodes for each person, hurry up and update! Dad has already topped up the account!"

"Update soon! Even just one episode would be fine. I'm itching to watch it, I can't stand it if I don't watch it!"

After consulting with Fang Xiang, Yi Xiaoxing immediately changed the update strategy and released another 10 episodes.

There are 40 episodes in total. The first 20 episodes are free, and the last 20 episodes are paid.

By midnight, the paid revenue of "Reborn in 2010, I Teach Chen Yansen to Do E-commerce" had exceeded 7600 million yuan.

This astonishing figure left everyone in the film and television industry completely stunned.

However, they were unaware that of this revenue, 5400 million yuan would be paid to Douyin and Kuaishou for traffic acquisition expenses.

"7600 million a day? There are so many fools!"

"Even people with questionable IQs love watching this!"

"Does anyone actually watch something this cringeworthy?"

"Stop scolding! My dad loves watching it, especially the show 'Back to the Tang Dynasty to Be a Prince'."

"Haha, my mom loves watching 'The Immortal King Reborn, I Spoil My Wife to the Heavens.' I forced myself to watch two episodes yesterday, and I got more and more hooked."

Many netizens left comments in the comment section, making the topic increasingly heated.

Those who had never been exposed to short dramas were intrigued and wanted to click to see what magic these short dramas had that could attract millions of people to pay for subscriptions.

With an initial investment of 80, they raked in a staggering 7600 million!
The benchmark has been set!

The following morning, the research report on the short drama industry was delivered to the desks of the CEOs of major film and television companies.

No one feels they're making too much money, and no one is willing to miss out on opportunities to make money.

Is the short drama low-quality?

Is money categorized into high and low classes?
Low my ass!
Besides large companies, many studios have also set their sights on this lucrative opportunity.

Compared to movies and TV series that cost millions or tens of millions of dollars, short dramas have lower production costs, shorter production cycles, and faster feedback, making them a highly sought-after "low-risk, high-return" option for small and medium-sized studios.

Spend tens of thousands of yuan to buy the copyright, then invest hundreds of thousands more to produce a short drama, and then spend money to buy traffic on Douyin and Kuaishou. If the paid conversion data is good, continue to increase traffic investment, and you can recoup your investment in a short period of time, or even make a fortune.

Even if the results are poor, cutting losses in time will not cause serious damage, which is much less risky than investing heavily in long videos only to face box office failures and dismal viewership.

Moreover, this "small and fast" model is particularly well-suited to the current market pace.

From purchasing the copyright to filming and releasing the film online, the entire process can be completed in as little as one or two months.

More importantly, the profit model of short dramas is simple and straightforward.

Relying on platform traffic recommendations to drive paid subscriptions, the data is clear at a glance, and there's no need to worry about theater scheduling like with movies.

For studios, as long as they choose the right subject matter, control costs, and conduct initial traffic testing, they are likely to make a profit.

Faced with a tangible opportunity to make money, many studios are eager to enter the market and grab a share of the blue ocean market of short dramas.

Orange Literature's IP operations department immediately became very busy.

The number of buyers coming to discuss the adaptation of short dramas is increasing, and the copyrights that could be bought for 6 or 8 yuan have quickly risen to more than 10 yuan.

At the same time, the Orange Short Drama App was launched, offering 10 VIP episodes as a free gift upon registration.

To watch more VIP episodes for free, you can also gain additional viewing privileges by watching ads, downloading partner apps, or shopping on the platform.

Of course, users who don't mind spending money can also choose to pay to unlock all episodes with one click.

Chen Yansen's three-pronged approach is interconnected: first, he creates typical cases to lure people in; then, he provides publicity and distribution channels; and finally, he introduces Orange Literature.

By leveraging short dramas, the businesses of Orange Literature, Douyin, Kuaishou, Kuaiying, and Orange Short Drama can be linked together to form an ecological cycle.

……

……

The virtual college, downstairs in the teachers' apartment building.

The moving company staff loaded the packed bags onto the truck one by one. The young man in the lead said to Chen Yansen, "Boss, everything is packed."

"Thanks for your hard work."

Chen Yansen smiled and nodded.

He terminated the lease on 0418, threw away most of the things in the room, and kept a small number of items, which he planned to send to his villa in Luzhou.

After saying that, he turned and walked towards Xueyuan Supermarket.

The campus is deserted on weekends. Those who love to study are in the library, those who love to have fun are in KTV, shopping malls and cinemas, and couples are mostly in hotels.

Chen Yansen, dressed in casual clothes and wearing sunglasses, strolled leisurely along Xuehai Road.

About 30 meters behind him were two security personnel.

To the east of the first canteen is a row of shops on campus, mainly milk tea shops, printing shops, fruit shops, laundromats, bookstores, and digital product stores.

I don't know when, but a Mixue Ice Cream shop opened at the corner of the intersection, right next to Xueyuan Supermarket, at the intersection of Xuelin Road and Xuehai Road.

Excellent location!

When Chen Yansen walked over, there were four employees in the store, all busy with their work.

Two college students were standing in front of the cashier, and there were five people in the waiting area next to them.

Chen Yansen stepped inside and stood in line behind the two college students.

"Senior?" A cute girl with side-swept bangs suddenly looked up and saw Chen Yansen standing in front of her. "Hello, junior."

Chen Yansen replied in a calm tone, just like a classmate greeting each other.

"Wow! Senior Chen, are you here to inspect our work? I'm Qi Zhen from the School of Fine Arts, a freshman this year. Thank you for installing air conditioning for us, otherwise I would have frozen to death last year."

Qi Zhen acted like she knew everyone, chatting and laughing nonstop.

The other students in line to order and wait to pick up their meals turned to look when they heard the commotion. After confirming Chen Yansen's identity, they all greeted him with smiles and gave brief self-introductions.

After all, Chen Yansen might just be his future boss.

"boss!"

"Brother Sen!"

The four Mixue Ice Cream employees, who were busy at work, quickly put down their tasks and greeted the staff warmly and respectfully.

"Two glasses of lemonade, three parts sugar."

Chen Yansen responded to each student's question, and only spoke after the students in front of him had placed their orders.

“Okay, Brother Sen,” the cashier replied immediately.

Chen Yansen leaned against the bar, chatting casually with a few employees.

Only the store manager is a full-time employee; the rest are all part-time college students, which provides a few work-study opportunities for their juniors.

At this moment, a woman in her late twenties, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, with a plump figure and a baby face, walked in and immediately fixed her gaze on Chen Yansen.

"Chen Chen, classmate."

After hesitating for a few seconds, Liu Muyan still addressed him as a teacher.

"Sister Mu Yan, I ordered you a lemonade. Would you like it with ice?" Chen Yansen turned around and asked casually.

"Thank you, Chen. There are still two months left on the lease. I'll transfer the rest of the money to you in a bit."

Liu Muyan said.

She never imagined that the college freshman who rented her apartment on that summer afternoon would become the world's richest man three years later.

"A one-month contract is fine. According to the contract, it's my breach of contract," Chen Yansen said, waving his hand.

"I'm a teacher, would I take advantage of you? Don't worry, I'm not afraid of not being able to rent out a place that Chen has rented before."

Liu Muyan teased with a smile.

"Sister Mu Yan, then I won't stand on ceremony with you and will take advantage of you a little!" Chen Yansen smiled and did not refuse.

"Time flies. Back when I was helping you with your finances at the startup park, you and Wang Zihao were freshmen."

Liu Muyan looked at Chen Yansen and sighed with emotion.

"Yes, Zihao even wanted to pursue you."

Chen Yansen joked.

Upon hearing this, Liu Muyan blushed, her delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly, and she said righteously, "I am a teacher."

The implication is that firstly, the school wouldn't allow it; secondly, it would sound bad if word got out; and thirdly, Wang Zihao isn't handsome enough.

Moreover, at the time she was heartbroken and hadn't completely forgotten that scumbag Zhou Yuwen.

"Yes, yes, Ms. Liu, here's the key back!"

Chen Yansen patted his pocket and handed the key to room 0418 to Liu Muyan.

"Chen, is your company still short of an accountant?"

After taking the key, Liu Muyan remained silent for a few seconds before suddenly asking a question.

"Sister Mu Yan doesn't want to be a teacher anymore?" Chen Yansen understood what she meant.

"The main reason is that I don't want to stay in the virtual city."

Liu Muyan's smile was bitter.

Encountering a scumbag can ruin your life; Zhou Yuwen left her with deep psychological trauma.

In recent years, friends, relatives, and colleagues in her department have introduced her to potential partners, but she seems to have developed PTSD. When someone tries to hold her hand, she instinctively tries to avoid them, exhibiting a kind of psychological aversion.

Privately, she even saw a psychologist, but her condition did not improve at all.

"Which project would you like to participate in, Sister Mu Yan?"

Chen Yansen readily agreed.

He had worked with Liu Muyan for a year and knew her abilities.

"I will follow Chen's arrangements."

Liu Muyan tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and said nonchalantly.

"Boss, your lemonade," a Mixue employee reminded him.

"Thank you, keep up the good work!" Chen Yansen picked up two glasses of lemonade, then gave one to Liu Muyan, while also encouraging the employees of Mixue.

There was a "pop" sound!
Chen Yansen inserted the straw and left the milk tea shop with Liu Muyan, strolling along Xuelin Road.

"How about Orange Technology?" Chen Yansen asked after thinking for a moment.

"Sure, I hope you'll take good care of me in the future, Chen."

Liu Muyan said gratefully.

"Still calling me Chen?" Chen Yansen asked deliberately, his face stern.

"Yes, yes, Mr. Chen." Liu Muyan put the straw in her mouth, took a sip of lemonade, and smiled gently.

"I'll give you my assistant's phone number. You can call him later and he'll arrange it for you."

Chen Yansen added.

Liu Muyan hummed in agreement and then said thank you.

As he passed the library, Chen Yansen waved goodbye to the other party, and then went to Tang Qingshan's office and sat for more than ten minutes.

On the other hand, LeEco, Lenovo, iQiyi and others have launched 4K smart TVs, adopting a strategy of high configuration and low price, shifting profits to later service fees, advertising and fan economy.

The promotional song "Little Apple" for the movie "Old Boys: The Way of the Dragon" surpassed 1 million views in just 11 hours and 27 minutes after being released on multiple platforms such as Douyin, Kuaishou, Weishi, and Miaopai.

Following this, Ali announced that it would acquire UC Browser for US$43.8 billion, and Yu Yongfu would serve as the new chairman of UC.

Former CEO He Xiaopeng has completely withdrawn from UC and focused his energy on the car manufacturing business.

Half an hour later, Tencent Literature was established, marking the beginning of its expansion into industries such as literature, animation, film and television, and games.

It's clear that Ma Wenteng also wants to make a fortune in the interactive entertainment industry.

Not long after, Tiangong Technology's official Weibo account released two new products, namely Tiangong B100 and Tiangong C100, and announced that a new product launch conference would be held at the Luzhou Conference Center on March 21.

At the same time, this is also a procurement negotiation meeting for the mobile phone industry.

Zhou Hongyi was the first to retweet this Weibo post, adding the comment: "I believe in the power of China's self-developed chips!"

Lei Yijun, Wu Hongxin, Ding Lei, Yu Chendong, Jia Yaoting, and others followed suit and immediately forwarded their statements.

Upon receiving the news, Qualcomm's Paul Yamason cursed under his breath. He knew that Chen Yansen's style of doing things would never allow him to stay put.

If Tiangong Technology is allowed to continue developing, it's possible that in a few years, the company will break out of Asia and compete with Qualcomm in the global mobile processor market.

After thinking for a moment, he called Morris Chang of TSMC in Taiwan.

(End of this chapter)