Entertainment mogul: Starting his business with the internet

Chapter 213 New Territory
As July arrives, the summer heat seems to herald an extremely busy period for Song Dynasty poetry.

Tengda Group is currently at a critical juncture in its development. In order to comprehensively and meticulously summarize the achievements of the first half of the year and accurately plan the development blueprint for the second half of the year, the company held a crucial mid-year work conference.

As the key figure in the group, Chairman Song Ci naturally bears the important responsibility of reviewing the business development of various business departments and subsidiaries in the first half of the year.

Looking back at the first half of the year, Tengda Group's performance was nothing short of amazing.

Benefiting from the booming sales of games such as "Happy Farm" and "DNF" and the rapid rise of the Weibo platform, several sectors worked together to achieve success.

The group's revenue exceeded 57 billion yuan in the first half of the year, surpassing the total revenue of last year in just six months. The development of its business can only be described as a meteoric rise.

For the past two weeks, Song Ci's life has been completely filled with meetings. One meeting after another is held in quick succession, and her schedule is packed from morning to night.

Therefore, Song Ci devoted himself entirely to his work and did not return to Jingyuan for several days. In order to make his work more convenient and save time, he simply settled in his office temporarily.

The housekeeper, Sister Li, noticed that the husband was sleeping at the company every day and not coming home, and worried that he was under too much pressure. So she hurriedly informed Liu Shishi about Song Ci's situation, hoping that the wife could persuade Song Ci to take a break.

When Liu Shishi learned of Song Ci's passing, she was extremely anxious. Mr. Song was working day and night when he got busy, which was unacceptable! In her worry, she called him every day to urge him to take a break.

Under Ms. Liu's repeated urging and concern, Song Ci almost had to ask the "Chinese Paladin 3" crew for leave to rush back to Beiping. Only then did she adjust her work rhythm and go home to rest that night.

Before we knew it, it was late July.

On Monday the 21st, as dawn broke, Songci gathered all its senior executives in the conference room early in the morning for a seminar.

Bright morning light streamed into the conference room, where everyone was gathered.

Song Ci sat upright in the main seat, her posture ramrod straight, her eyes bright and piercing as she gazed at everyone, her voice clear and resonant:
"Everyone has worked hard these past few days. Fortunately, most things have been resolved, and we can finally relax a bit and get back to work."

"If anyone wants to take a vacation during the summer break, just let Wang Jing know. Today is just a seminar; there aren't any strict rules or regulations, so please don't be too nervous."

After setting a lighthearted tone in a few words, Song Ci continued, "The Apple App Store has been online for some time now, and it will inevitably have a profound impact on the development of the Internet."

It not only provides mobile users with a more convenient and diverse channel for accessing applications, but also opens a new chapter in the mobile internet era. Feel free to share your thoughts on this.

"Chairman, distinguished leaders, I would like to venture out a few words to start the discussion." The newly appointed president of the mobile game division, Jiang Yuwei, was eager to make a name for himself.

His department was newly established, and unlike the PC game sector managed by Huang Sheng, the new department will focus solely on smartphone game development, a completely new market.

Jiang Yuwei, his suit jacket and hair neatly combed, exuded confidence and eagerness. He cleared his throat, his voice trembling slightly with excitement:
"I believe that the launch of Apple's App Store will greatly promote the development of mobile internet applications. It provides users with more choices and also provides us developers with a broader stage."

Take our department as an example. The two mobile games we launched as trial releases, "Fruit Assassin" and "Happy Match," have achieved very impressive results, far exceeding expectations, and both have earned us US dollars.

Previously, people could only play online games on computers, but now they can do it on mobile phones as well.

"In a few years, as mobile phone hardware improves further, the diversity of mobile games will become more apparent, and the development of mobile business should not be underestimated."

Huang Sheng, who was sitting opposite him, had initially been looking at him with a scrutinizing gaze, but now, piqued by Jiang Yuwei's curiosity, he couldn't help but lean forward and ask, "Mr. Jiang, what are the specific data for these two mini-games?"

Jiang Yuwei's lips curled up, suppressing his inner joy. He coughed twice deliberately, pretending to be calm: "Since President Huang asked, I might as well give the chairman some good news."

These two games have only been online for 7 days, but their revenue has already exceeded one million US dollars.

This was because the game was simple, and we only priced it at $1 as a trial. Even so, it generated 1500 million yuan in revenue for the company in just one week.

The gaming business has always been the main source of profit for Tenda Group and is the most important department of the entire company.

Jiang Yuwei was initially worried that his new department would have little room for development, but judging from the current results, mobile games have great potential and unlimited prospects.

Huang Sheng was dumbfounded. He had heard of the two games from the mobile game department, but they were just trial products developed in a few days, with negligible costs.

Even after deducting platform commissions and taxes, there's still a profit of at least several million, which is even more lucrative than PC games.

Which of the executives present wasn't a seasoned veteran in the business world, meticulous in their calculations? As soon as Jiang Yuwei presented the basic data, everyone immediately realized that a new flagship department of the group was about to be born.

No wonder the chairman overcame all opposition and spun off the mobile game business as a separate entity.

“What President Jiang said just now is absolutely right!” Yang Junfeng, president of Toutiao.com, took over the topic at the right time. “Since the emergence of Apple smartphones last year, our department has been gradually developing mobile applications in accordance with the chairman’s instructions.”

The mobile version of the Toutiao app is currently undergoing final testing and is scheduled to launch on August 1st.

Furthermore, during our research and development, we discovered that mobile applications are more conducive to the application of big data technology, suggesting that Toutiao has even greater potential than the PC version of Toutiao.

Zhang Yong listened attentively, nodding frequently with approval on his face: "President Yang did a great job on this! The launch of the Apple App Store has made it easier to install and use iOS applications."

At the mid-year summary meeting a few days ago, General Manager Song repeatedly emphasized the importance of mobile applications, stating that all departments must expedite the development and launch of their apps in the second half of the year.

Chief Marketing Officer Yu Shengming showed a hint of worry: "We must also pay attention to the challenges posed by Apple's App Store."

As time goes on and the number of applications continues to increase, users' choices will become more diverse, which is undoubtedly a brand new track.

Moreover, based on the current market situation, although smartphones are the future trend, the number of users in China is not very large at present.

It's predicted that it will take at least five more years to reach a peak performance. Five years isn't a long time, but it's not short either. In this special transitional phase, launching a product too early might not always be a good thing.

After all, the overall market size is still not large enough. All our hard work in expanding the market could be reaped by our competitors.

Song Ci nodded: "President Yu, your concerns are not without merit, but we cannot ignore the unique advantages inherent in being a first mover in a product."

Being the first to enter the market can give you a head start, leave a lasting first impression on users, and build a loyal early user base.

Therefore, the apps for each department will not be launched simultaneously; there will be a gradual process. We will first use "Toutiao" to test the waters and see the feedback from the mobile market.

From now on, users will rely more heavily on smartphone apps for their daily needs, from social networks and online shopping to entertainment. This shift will inevitably force internet companies to rethink how their products and services can be adapted for mobile devices.

Ultimately, the key is to continuously improve product quality and user experience in order to stand out in the fierce market competition of the future.

Inside the meeting room, the discussion continued. After Song Ci's repeated emphasis, the senior executives of Tengda Group had a clear understanding of the importance of mobile applications and had made ample preparations for future competition in mobile internet products.

After a busy July, the sweltering August arrives gracefully.

The city of Beiping seemed to be dressed in festive attire to welcome the arrival of the Olympic Games, and everywhere was filled with joy and anticipation.

Colorful flags fluttered in the wind along both sides of the city streets, and various Olympic elements were everywhere, constantly highlighting the approach of this global sporting event.

The ancient yet modern city of Beiping has undergone a complete transformation, radiating new vitality and brilliance to the world.

On August 6th, the sun shone brightly and scorchingly. The Beijing Film Studio's filming base was bustling with activity as the famous "Dream of the Red Chamber" crew was filming there.

Around noon, director Li Shaohong's authoritative voice announced the successful completion of the morning's filming.

The actors in the studio finally relaxed a little, breathed a sigh of relief, and slowly walked towards the rest area.

"Sister Ying, have some water to soothe your throat." A pretty young girl with eager eyes walked quickly toward Zhao Liying and handed her a bottle of mineral water.

"Teacher Zhao, have some fruit and take a rest." Another girl with her hair tied up in a high bun also offered her a plate of sliced ​​fruit.

As soon as Zhao Liying stepped into the rest area, several young girls who played supporting roles quickly surrounded her, showing great enthusiasm.

"Thank you!" Zhao Liying accepted the bottled water with a smile, responding politely and appropriately.

She neither showed arrogance because of the adulation of the crowd, nor was she flattered. Instead, she was poised and generous, leaving no room for criticism.

Since she arrived at the "Dream of the Red Chamber" production team at the end of June, director Li Shaohong, out of respect for Tengda Culture, arranged for her to play the dignified, composed, and well-educated Xing Xiuyan.

As a latecomer to the cast, she immediately pushed out the original actors, causing the other young women in the crew to initially harbor resentment towards her.

But after learning that she was from Tengda Culture, her attitude changed drastically, and she completely changed her tune, becoming all sorts of ingratiating and flattering.

At first, Zhao Liying was a little unaccustomed to such a dramatic change, but after a month, she had gotten used to it.

Having become accustomed to the hidden benefits of being backed by a giant company, it's no wonder that everyone in the industry speaks highly of Tenda and tries every means to join it.

At this moment, Zhao Liying sat comfortably resting, taking small sips of water while waiting for the crew to start their meal.

In a nearby rest shed, Yang Mi, who had taken leave from the "Chinese Paladin 3" crew to return to the "Dream of the Red Chamber" crew, watched as a group of young girls were surrounded by Zhao Liying like stars around the moon.

"Bao girl, who is she?" Yang Mi turned slightly to the side, nudged a girl sitting next to her with her elbow, and gestured with her lip towards Zhao Liying, her face full of curiosity.

The girl Yang Mi calls "Bao Yatou" is named Li Qing. She is a newly signed artist of Rongxingda. Because she plays Xue Baochai in the drama and has a quiet personality, Yang Mi jokingly calls her "Bao Yatou".

Li Qing sat quietly next to his fellow apprentice, looking obedient: "Sister Mimi, her name is Zhao Liying. She's a new artist from Tengda Culture. She joined the cast midway through and squeezed out the actress who was originally playing Xing Xiuyan."

"People from Tengda Culture?" Yang Mi's previously calm expression suddenly changed.

In six months, she will terminate her contract with Rongxingda and join Tengda Culture. At that time, Tengda will sign a new female artist who is about the same age as her, which means that she may receive far fewer resources in the future.

Seeing Yang Mi's shocked expression, Li Qing looked puzzled and blinked his clear eyes: "What's wrong, Sister Mi? Those minor supporting actors are hoping that Zhao Liying can help them in the future. We don't need to care about her."

Looking at Li Qing, who was full of naivety and optimism, Yang Mi felt a mix of emotions, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

She thought to herself: Silly girl, you're from Rongxingda, so of course you don't need to care about her. Your sister is about to join Tengda Culture, and sometimes the competition within the company is even fiercer than outside.

Yang Mi was filled with conflicting emotions and was wondering whether she should call Zeng Jia to find out what was going on.

Just as the thought was swirling in his mind, the stagehand led a young woman toward the rest area.

Yang Mi took a closer look and saw that the woman was holding flowers, wearing a stylish baseball cap, a pure white short-sleeved shirt, and slim-fit jeans, which perfectly outlined her graceful figure.

Her graceful walk and elegant demeanor made Yang Mi immediately recognize her as none other than Liu Shishi, the leading lady of Tangren Media!

"Ah, Shishi!" Yang Mi excitedly got up and ran towards the top sister.

Liu Shishi smiled broadly, hugged her best friend who came up to her, and said with a charming smile, "Honey, I've come to visit you on set."

The day after tomorrow is the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games. It's such a rare and grand event, and Song Ci managed to get a few tickets.

So she asked the crew for leave and returned to Beiping. Now that she had nothing to do, she thought of visiting Yang Mi on the set of "Dream of the Red Chamber".

Some time ago, on the set of "Chinese Paladin 3", perhaps Yang Mi deliberately tried to please her, or perhaps it was a natural affinity between girls from Beiping, Liu Shishi and Yang Mi became closer and closer, becoming best friends, and their relationship was so sweet.

Yang Mi accepted the flowers with a delighted expression, took her best friend's arm, and walked together toward the rest tent: "Welcome! Shishi, what brings you back to Beiping?"

Liu Shishi maintained her gentle and graceful smile and replied softly, "I had some business to attend to in Beiping, so I took a few days off."

Although they were close friends, K-sister had advised her not to mention Mr. Song in front of other women. Liu Shishi kept this in mind; it was best for women in the entertainment industry to avoid contact with Mr. Song.

I recommend a book by a young lady, "Hua Yu: Traffic Glory," where the female lead is a rising star. Those interested can check it out.

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(End of this chapter)