Entertainment mogul: Starting his business with the internet

Chapter 116 Extreme Resistance
Cai Yinong inquired a few more questions about Liu Shishi's daily life in the company's small white building before stating the main purpose of today's conversation:
"Shishi, the TV series 'My Own Swordsman' that you starred in is currently airing on CCTV and is a huge hit. How much screen time do you have in this show?"

Liu Shishi carefully recalled the script and the filming schedule at the time: "Not much, I only had three episodes of screen time in the whole series."

"My Own Swordsman" has been airing for two weeks now, and Zhan Hongling has already appeared in episodes 5 and 29. She should have one more episode to appear in.

Cai Yinong couldn't help but lament, "What a pity!"

If she had known that "My Own Swordsman" would become such a hit, she should have stepped in to help Liu Shishi get more screen time.

Now, thanks to this hit drama, the previously unknown lead actors have all become overnight sensations.

The male lead, Qiao Zhengyu, who already had a popular base, became even more famous, frequently appearing on various variety shows and dominating entertainment headlines, becoming one of the most sought-after male stars at the moment.

Cai Yinong sighed softly. Hindsight is always 20/20. Back then, Liu Shishi was just a nobody in the company, and she didn't pay much attention to her.

If Liu Shishi hadn't taken the initiative to greet her, she wouldn't have known that her artist had participated in "My Own Swordsman".

"Forget it, let's not dwell on what's past. With the popularity of 'My Own Swordsman,' the company will help you with some marketing, release a few press releases to ride the wave of popularity and boost your fame."

Hearing that the company was finally starting to value her, Liu Shishi's eyes crinkled into crescents with joy, and she sweetly said, "Thank you, Sister K! Sister K is the best."

Seeing his beloved sister looking so adorable, Cai Yinong couldn't help but smile.

After taking a sip of his fragrant tea, Cai Yinong had a sudden inspiration and suggested, "Shishi, I have a way to quickly increase your popularity. Would you like to try it?"

Liu Shishi's eyes lit up; who wouldn't want to become famous quickly? She was filled with anticipation. "What method, Sister K?"

"Create a scandal!" Cai Yi-nong said confidently. Marketing and hype are Tangren's forte.

"The best person for a scandal is Qiao Zhengyu. He's very popular right now, so we can totally ride his coattails. We can do it like this: as long as we have a few pictures..."

"Sister K." Liu Shishi interrupted Cai Yinong sharply, her pretty face flushed red with anger, her eyebrows raised, her eyes wide open, and a raging fire burning in them.

Cai Yinong was still engrossed in his self-constructed hype plan when Liu Shishi suddenly interrupted him. Displeased, he frowned slightly.

Liu Shishi clenched her teeth, the muscles in her cheeks trembling slightly, as if she was trying her best to suppress her anger, and said, word by word, "Sister K, I will absolutely not create scandals with anyone!"

In the spacious and bright office, the atmosphere was as oppressive as a volcano about to erupt because of Liu Shishi's stern refusal.

Cai Yinong stared intently at his sister, his expression inscrutable, somewhat surprised by her overly intense reaction.

Thinking that Liu Shishi was worried about her senior from the same school, Qiao Zhengyu, she paused for a while before trying to persuade her further:
"Shishi, let me finish what I have to say. I just plan to take a few photos of you and Qiao Zhengyu together and then have entertainment reporters publish a few articles to generate some buzz."

"After a few days of this going on, you can come forward and clarify. That way, you'll get the buzz, and Qiao Zhengyu won't blame you; he'll just think it's paparazzi spreading gossip."

Liu Shishi shook her head repeatedly. She didn't want to hear a word of Cai Yinong's bad idea and refused with an extremely firm attitude: "Sister K, I will absolutely not agree to create a scandal with anyone."

Cai Yinong frowned, somewhat exasperated by Liu Shishi's unyielding attitude, and suddenly raised his voice:
"Liu Shishi, why don't you understand? The entertainment industry is so competitive now, creating scandals can quickly boost your popularity and generate buzz."

This will greatly benefit your career development. Clarifying it afterward won't have any negative impact on you, so why not?

Liu Shishi clenched her fists tightly, her body trembling slightly, her chin slightly raised, her eyes filled with stubbornness:

"Sister K, I have principles. I would never resort to such underhanded methods. Even if I want to become famous, I will rely on my own efforts."

Not to be outdone, Cai Yinong prepared to teach Liu Shishi a lesson, and said disdainfully:
"Can principles feed you? If you don't seize the opportunity now and rely solely on acting, who knows how long it will take to make a name for yourself in the industry. Don't worry, I'll arrange everything for you."

Seeing that Cai Yinong insisted on his opinion, Liu Shishi's eyes grew even colder, and her tone became icy: "Sister K, this is my bottom line!" If Cai Yinong did not compromise, she would not hesitate to terminate her contract with Tangren!
The two glared at each other, and the air in the office seemed to freeze, creating an extremely oppressive atmosphere.

Cai Yinong was puzzled by Liu Shishi's overreaction. He had only offered a suggestion, and his intention was to help her. Besides, they were still discussing it. The young girl was far too agitated!

Suddenly thinking of those Hong Kong and Taiwanese actresses, Cai Yi-nong looked suspicious and tentatively asked:
"Shishi, you're not thinking of marrying into a wealthy family, are you? So you're avoiding scandals and trying to cultivate your image as a pure and innocent girl!"

The more he talked, the clearer his thoughts became. Cai Yinong suddenly felt enlightened and realized that he had grasped the key points of the matter.

Liu Shishi remained silent, her eyes lowered to avoid Cai Yinong's probing gaze. A hint of panic flashed across her face. Although Sister K's words were not entirely correct, they were pretty close to the truth.

The person she wanted to marry was Song Ci, but now her boyfriend is one of the top ten richest men in China, with a net worth of nearly 10 billion yuan. He is jokingly called a "noble young master" by netizens, which is quite fitting for a wealthy family.

She refused to engage in hype because she was mindful of Song Ci's feelings. If rumors of her having an affair with a male celebrity were to spread, how would the young man feel in front of his family and friends?
Cai Yinong clearly saw Liu Shishi's expression and immediately thought he had guessed the truth. He never expected that his top sister would have such an ambitious yet foolish idea.

Cai Yinong felt disgusted. How come Tangren's top actresses are all like this, all thinking about getting married and not striving for anything?

So he spoke up in advance to give Miss Liu a heads-up:

"Shishi, you're so naive! You should know how many of those actresses who married into wealthy families are truly happy."

Even if your husband's family is good, it's not as good as having your own. Don't think about getting married at such a young age. Focusing on your career and earning more money is the right thing to do. Alright, I won't pressure you today. Think it over carefully."

Seeing that Cai Yinong was no longer pressuring her, Liu Shishi stopped talking.

She had nothing more to consider. Logically and emotionally, she wouldn't create a scandal. She couldn't let K-sister's bad idea cause her to lose her childhood sweetheart. If she missed Song Ci, she would regret it for the rest of her life!
"There's no filming today, you should go home and get some rest." After saying that, Cai Yinong was about to send him away. His good mood was completely ruined, and he had no interest in continuing to talk to Liu Shishi.

Liu Shishi was also furious, and the two parted on bad terms.

"I'm going back to the dorm, Sister K." Just as she was leaving the office, Liu Shishi slapped her forehead; she had almost neglected her business. She turned back and said:

"Sister K, I need to take a few days off next week. Director Xu Zheng has informed me that I need to go back to Beiping to attend the premiere of the movie 'Nightclub'."

After that, I have to participate in promotional activities, followed by the Lunar New Year. I probably won't be able to return to the film set until after the New Year.

Upon hearing this, Cai Yi-nong exclaimed with delight, "Nightclub is going to be released so soon! What's the exact date of the premiere?"

"January 25th, three days before Lunar New Year's Eve. It's scheduled for the Spring Festival period."

This is the first film starring their top female star, and it's also Tangren's first step into the big screen. Cai Yinong takes it very seriously. After thinking for a moment, he said:

"Hu Ge and I will go with you to support you. Send me the exact information about the premiere later, and I'll book the plane tickets in advance."

She had originally planned to take Hu Ge to Beiping to visit Zhang Zhao before the Lunar New Year.

First, there were New Year's greetings and expressions of gratitude to Tengda for giving Hu Ge a leading role. Second, there were discussions about collaborating on Tangren's next drama, "The Legend of the Condor Heroes," which happened to be conveniently done at the time.

For the TV series "The Legend of the Condor Heroes", Tangren Media and Tengda Culture have reached a cooperation agreement in the early stage, with each party contributing 50% of the investment to jointly produce the series. The project is scheduled to start after the New Year.

Liu Shishi nodded. Xu Zheng would surely welcome Cai Yinong and Hu Ge's willingness to attend the premiere. "Understood, Sister K. I'll let you know once Director Xu and I have finalized the time."

Watching Liu Shishi quietly leave the office, Cai Yinong felt a deep sense of emotion. His eldest sister was gentle on the outside but strong on the inside, and even he couldn't control her temper when it flared up. It seemed that he would have to pay more attention to her in the future and not let her act out.

While Liu Shishi was on vacation, her boyfriend was still working overtime at the company.

Peking University has already started its winter break, and Song Ci is extremely busy at the end of the year, with various matters of the group awaiting his decision.

He has been practically stationed at Tengda Group for the past few days, and has been attending various meetings for three days in a row.

The company's 2005 year-end summary meeting was held yesterday. Tenda Group achieved a perfect end to the year with revenue of 33.05 billion yuan, making it the undisputed number one internet company in China.

At this moment, Song Ci was having the last meeting before the end of the year with the group's senior management, which was also the most important one, to discuss the development plan of Tengda Group in 2006.

In the spacious and bright conference room, Song Ci sat in the center at one end of the conference table, with Zhang Yong on his left and Wang Jing on his right, his two capable assistants, sitting on either side. Other senior executives of the group were also seated in turn.

A huge electronic screen hangs on the wall of the conference room, displaying the Tenda logo and the theme of today's meeting.

The warm winter sunlight streamed through the window and fell on the table, adding a touch of warmth to the otherwise serious meeting room.

Zhang Yong has always chaired these high-level meetings. Today, he was dressed in a dark suit, looking capable and energetic, and he started the meeting:
"Ladies and gentlemen, we are gathered here today with only one topic: to discuss the Group's development plan for 2006."

We all know that the internet industry changes rapidly, and we must always maintain keen insight and be innovative in order to seize opportunities and ensure the company's continuous development.

The group's CMO, Chief Marketing Officer Yu Shengming, then spoke, holding a thick stack of market analysis reports to provide development references for the group's senior management:
"According to market research, most of the company's major business segments are experiencing rapid growth, but the portal website has reached a bottleneck."

Toutiao currently boasts the largest user base in the domestic industry, making explosive growth unlikely. Its growth will likely rely on PC user growth to drive overall website user growth. Alternatively, it could expand beyond China, targeting the Asian market and launching an international strategy.

After speaking, Yu Shengming looked at Song Ci, who was sitting at the head of the table. He knew that in order to cope with the bottleneck of the portal website, the company originally planned to launch the "microblog" project in January this year, but the chairman suddenly postponed the launch time. He didn't know the specifics.

After listening to Yu Shengming's report, Song Ci lowered her head and fell into deep thought.

He naturally knew that portal website business would temporarily hit a bottleneck before the advent of the mobile internet era; otherwise, he wouldn't have thought of developing Weibo.

However, launching Weibo at this time has a major problem: if Tencent copies it and then uses QQ to drive traffic, it will inevitably become a formidable rival to Tencent Group.

Although he is confident that he can defeat his opponent, if he cannot gain a decisive advantage in a short period of time, the company may be caught in a protracted tug-of-war in order to continuously grab users.

Although Sina Corporation won the final victory in the "microblog" battle in its previous life by leveraging celebrity influence and topical marketing, it was also because Tencent decided to focus all its efforts on promoting WeChat and voluntarily abandoned the microblog project.

If Weibo had been launched in 2006, Song Ci is certain that Tencent would have leveraged its dominant position in the social networking field to seize this lucrative opportunity.

With no other key projects diverting Tencent's attention, this will inevitably be a tough battle for Tenda Group. Therefore, Song Ci has postponed the launch of Weibo, waiting for a suitable opportunity.

"Let's put the Weibo project on hold for now. After much consideration, I've decided that the timing isn't right yet and we'll wait two years before launching it."

"Let's proceed with the development of Toutiao.com according to their department's self-reported plan. Yang Junfeng wants to start a blog, right? Let's support him!"

While blogs are more like online diaries where users can publish articles, thoughts, and opinions, they are usually longer and emphasize personalization and depth.

Weibo, on the other hand, is a real-time, dynamic information flow platform where users post pictures and videos, emphasizing timeliness and interactivity, and information spreads very quickly.

However, both are essentially online information publishing and sharing platforms, and have certain commonalities. Developing blogs can lay the foundation and test the waters for the future launch of microblogs.

Zhang Yong noted down the chairman's instructions: "After the meeting, I will discuss the development of Toutiao.com this year with General Manager Yang in detail, and ask him to make the plan more detailed before submitting it to you for review."

Although the launch of Weibo has been shelved, Songci has another new project planned for this year. Looking at the lady in the middle row on the right, she is Xiao Yue, the group's Chief Financial Officer:
"Mr. Xiao, I have a new project that needs to be launched and promoted. Is the company's finances tight right now? Can you squeeze out some funds to support the new project?"

Song Ci knew that although Tengda Group's revenue exceeded 30 billion yuan this year, it was a large company with many expenses.

This year, the company not only plans to build an office building, but also, following the acquisition of NBA online broadcasting rights, plans to introduce one of Europe's top five football leagues to completely seize the market in the internet sports sector. These two initiatives alone will require a large amount of capital.

(End of this chapter)