How can you become a star without money?

Chapter 269 What? Are you possessive of your food? (Two chapters combined)

Meanwhile, after ending his call with Zhang Yimou, Wang Yao turned to Ni Ni and shared his information.

"Huh? They're breaking up?" Ni Ni had clearly stumbled upon some juicy gossip.

"It seems so, but it still depends on Zhang Yi's choice. If he rejects me, you probably won't get the lead role. I'll find you a similar role when you get back; consider this time as extra tutoring for your art exams." Wang Yao smiled.

"Huh? We're going to invest in a similar film too? To compete with 'The Golden Hairpin'?" Ni Ni suddenly became interested.

"Yes, you should have read 'The Diary of John Rabe.' It features a female school principal named Minnie Vautrin, who is also the prototype for the missionary in 'The Golden Hairpin.' Her Chinese name was Hua Qun. During that time, she protected tens of thousands of victims and left behind important diaries that became crucial evidence exposing the crimes committed by the Japanese."

"Having witnessed the tragedy, she returned to China and was consumed by endless inner turmoil and self-blame, ultimately choosing to commit suicide. She left behind a suicide note, 'Eternal Life in Jinling,' a script written from her perspective," Wang Yao said.

“Huh? Why isn’t it in the information about ‘The Golden Hairpin’?” Ni Ni was taken aback.

"Who knows?" Wang Yao scoffed.

"Should I continue to wait for news?" Ni Ni asked hesitantly.

To be honest, she felt that "Eternal Life in Nanjing" was more suitable for her. It was obviously a female-oriented film with a wider audience and character design.

“Wait a minute, your value in ‘The Golden Hairpin’ is even greater.” Wang Yao pondered for a moment.

Ni Ni needs to stay in "The Golden Hairpin" to generate buzz for "The Golden Life," because the former is likely to lose money, while the latter, with its lower production costs, can recover its losses at the box office.

“Okay, I’ll listen to you.” Ni Ni didn’t question it, chatted for a while, and then hung up the phone.

Wang Yao went to have a meal with Zhang Meng.

"I can't eat anything cold today," Zhang Meng chuckled.

"Then eat something warm." Wang Yao glanced at her.

"Let's have hot pot. Quan Ge's shop is currently having its grand opening promotion," Zhang Meng said with a charming smile, pointing in a direction for Wang Yao.

"What about the Shadow's endorsement? Can you sign Yunshang?" Zhang Meng asked, snuggling into Wang Yao's arms after ordering the food, trying to gather intelligence.

Zhao Liying's sudden rise to fame, coupled with her predominantly female fanbase, makes her a highly valuable brand for women's clothing and cosmetics. Zhang Meng is preparing to sign her.

Yunshang positions itself as a light luxury high-end women's clothing brand. Currently, apart from her serving as the manager and spokesperson, it has not dared to sign any other spokespeople, for fear of affecting the brand's image. Due to its positioning and promotional disadvantages, compared to the fast-moving consumer goods attributes of the "fairy-like" style, and with the endorsement of two top celebrities, Gulnazar and Zhang Tianai, its sales have recently fallen into a disadvantage.

However, Yunshang sells quite well overseas and across borders.

“I’ve raised Zhao Liying’s endorsement deal to 1000 million RMB. Will Yunshang be able to break even?” Wang Yao’s hand seemed to be automatically navigating.

"Be gentle! There are nodules!" Zhang Meng scolded playfully, then frowned and said, "Who in China can afford such a high endorsement fee? Fan Bingbing's endorsement fee in China is only 800, right?"

“Prices will go up in the future. Zhao Liying has only recently become famous, and her commercial value is still uncertain. I’m just seeing if any international brands can try her out first. However, I’ve signed her to be a food brand ambassador,” Wang Yao said with a smile.

"What kind of food company has such high profits? Haidilao?" Zhang Meng asked in surprise.

“Baixiang Fast-Moving Consumer Goods,” Wang Yao said.

"Instant noodles? Isn't that a bit low-class?" Zhang Meng was taken aback.

“Whether it’s low-end or not depends on the product line. I signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Baixiang, with a 20% equity stake as a performance-based incentive. First, I’ll help them increase their online sales, and then we’ll form a joint venture sub-brand to take the high-end route,” Wang Yao said with a smile.

“Even the most high-end version is still instant noodles,” Zhang Meng said, frowning.

“If you switch instant noodles to soup noodles, wouldn’t it seem more upscale? Change the brand and the packaging, and the average order value is 18. Is that still considered low-class?” Wang Yao laughed.

"Huh? 18 yuan for instant noodles? I can get a bowl of three-delicacy noodles for only 16 yuan at a restaurant, who would buy that?" Zhang Meng exclaimed.

“It must be sisters who have high standards for life,” Wang Yao said.

"By the way, Zhou Dafu's batch of 'lucky charms' is ready. Take a look and see if they look good." Zhang Meng raised her wrist, which was adorned with an exquisite silver chain. The chain featured gold beads and crystals, and the overall design was somewhat reminiscent of Van Cleef & Arpels.

"Not bad." Wang Yao examined and played with it for a while.

He collaborated with Zhou Dafu on a batch of lucky charm beads, styled after Van Cleef & Arpels. Each bead was made of 2-3 grams of pure gold, a sterling silver chain, and various crystals. The cost was less than 1000, but he sold them for 2999.

The selling point is good luck + Chinese metaphysics. The main business is selling celebrity-endorsed products. He has already laid the groundwork for Kim Ji-won's "good luck sister" persona in the Korean market, and has also spent more than a month laying the groundwork for astrology, crystals, and Chinese metaphysics. He is just waiting for the "Produce 101" talent show to start airing so he can launch another round of similar products.

Wang Yao from Produce 101 reserved two spots for Nana and Suzy. Their main persona on the show is "lucky girl". He designed many mystical scripts and then secretly promoted them on MLS/MS platforms, attributing all luck to wearing these lucky charms.

Once the hype is generated in Korea, the products will be exported and then sold domestically. With the help of the socialite group from Ma Ruo's side and the double filter of Korea, the domestic market will easily become popular.

However, in China, in addition to the co-branded version, there is also a basic version priced at one-third of the original price, mainly to help JD.com and Chow Tai Fook boost their sales figures.

Yunshang and Fairy Fan are not simply clothing brands, but rather so-called fashion brands. In the future, they will open a large number of offline stores, covering everything from clothing to accessories. This lucky charm is for the first batch of users of Yunshang Circle.

"Let's eat, let's eat." Zhang Meng straightened up, tidied her clothes, and started helping Wang Yao cook hot pot.

"Oh right, I signed a painter." Zhang Meng suddenly remembered.

"Hmm? A painter? From the art world?" Wang Yao asked casually.

"No, haven't you seen that trending live stream about catching someone cheating on MS recently?" Zhang Meng started explaining to Wang Yao.

Amidst the overwhelming popularity of the captain's incident, another hot topic emerged on MS: a female painter livestreamed her experience of catching her husband cheating on her, exposing domestic violence, financial disputes, and other internal matters. Because it was done under her real name, it sparked heated discussions.

Even the official women's rights association was alerted. After a week of investigation and with the attention of millions of netizens, they finally helped the female painter win her rights.

This may be the first case where netizens participated in catching adulterers from a 'judge's perspective' throughout, so it is of great significance. Zhang Meng noticed the popularity of this female painter and directly signed her to the studio, preparing to support her to become one of the first artists incubated by Yunshang.

Yunshang's affordable luxury positioning, coupled with these popular artists, can significantly boost the brand's appeal.

"It sounds like it was premeditated," Wang Yao commented after listening.

“Yes, that girl did prepare for a while, but the work is really good. By the way, how about we try to catch up with the Paris Fashion Week at the end of the month?” Zhang Meng asked.

“We can try to get one. I’ll see if I can get someone to help me get an invitation.” Wang Yao nodded.

The two ate and chatted, and after they had eaten and drunk their fill, Zhang Meng had a plate of pineapple brought out and kept feeding it to Wang Yao.

"I don't really like pineapple that much." Wang Yao was a little full.

"I like to eat." Zhang Meng smiled charmingly.

On September 22nd, before the captain returned to China, amidst heated discussions among netizens, "22" officially surpassed 500 million yuan at the box office, and will soon catch up with "Tang Zhen" in two months in just half a month. It is estimated that it may top the box office charts next week.

After disappearing for half a month, the "Daughter of China" finally posted an update, officially announcing on MS that she has become the spokesperson for Baixiang Foods.

With such a large following and a halo, the first post wasn't a statement of support for the captain or a blessing for the movie's box office, but rather an official announcement of an endorsement. This move immediately sparked condemnation from many troublemakers.

However, He Ji's aura was too great, and these voices were quickly suppressed.

However, soon, a topic titled "[The Last Pure Land of Chinese Instant Noodles]" quietly climbed to the top of the trending search list. The topic was a long post that introduced the landscape of Chinese instant noodles, which had all been invested in by Japanese capital, except for Baixiang, which firmly refused. It also explained the reasons for refusing Japanese investment and Baixiang's background.

The chairman, a retired soldier, made it clear that if Baixiang were to be controlled by Yingzi, China's instant noodle market would lose its voice. Baixiang would rather go bankrupt than allow Chinese consumers to eat safe and reliable instant noodles.

The atmosphere of anti-Japanese sentiment was already tense, and now that even instant noodles, which most netizens use daily, were almost controlled, it suddenly ignited everyone's emotions.

Then I suddenly understood why Zhao Liying's first appearance was through an official announcement and endorsement with Baixiang. It turns out that this was her way of expressing her attitude!
At this moment, the fusion of He Ji's on-screen and off-screen personas with Zhao Liying reached its peak in the eyes of netizens and fans.

As public attention to Baixiang increases, more information is being unearthed. Starting from the millennium, Baixiang has been employing disabled workers on a large scale, calling them "self-reliant employees," and investing over one million yuan annually to upgrade its production lines to meet the needs of disabled workers. One of the reasons for rejecting Yingzi's investment is concern about the future careers of these self-reliant employees.

Because Yingzi, for the sake of its own interests, demanded that the number of self-reliant employees be reduced from 30% to 5%.

Moreover, the firm refusal led to a price war initiated by Yingzi Holdings' Kangshuaifu and Chongyi brands, which drove the price of bagged instant noodles down to below 1.5 yuan. As a result, Baixiang's sales of low-end and mid-range products plummeted by 30%, and in less than half a year, the company went from being profitable for more than ten years to being at risk of losses.

"The only tough nut to crack in the instant noodle world; from now on, I'll only eat Baixiang noodles."

'No wonder we haven't seen Baixiang in the supermarket for so long, now we know why! That wicked Xiaoyingzi!'

"My uncle works at Baixiang. He has hearing problems, but he's been working there for six years. It's truly a conscientious company."

"Tears welled up in my eyes. This is the sense of responsibility and commitment that Chinese enterprises should have."

"You really have no mercy on me! From now on, I'm not eating rice; I'll only eat Baixiang instant noodles!"

"It's terrifying to think about. The supermarket downstairs from my house really doesn't carry Baixiang noodles, but I saw they have an official online store on JD.com, and the prices are really good."

'Other people's land gets darker the more they dig, but Baixiang gets redder the more they dig. What's going on?'

Under the influence of the huge hype, the sales department of Baixiang was inundated with calls in less than an hour. Offline distributors who had been out of contact for almost half a year expressed their desire to restock, and were even willing to pay cash.

Baixiang's inventory, which had been piling up for more than a year, has finally begun to be shipped out.

Subsequently, Baixiang's official account also posted a message with a picture and a sentence.

A cute little elephant is carrying a beautiful new boat while simultaneously breaking something that looks like a patrol boat with its foot.

"Baixiang has commissioned a new boat for the captain, and we're waiting for him to return and inspect it."

Even though his own company was about to go bankrupt, he was still worried about the country and its people. Netizens were deeply moved and started placing orders on JD.com.

Looking at the hundreds of thousands of sales figures changing every second in the backend, Wang Yao nodded in satisfaction and turned to Chen Nian, the CEO of Vancl, and said, "President Chen, have you seen the results?"

"That's terrifying." Chen Nian swallowed hard.

Since Dangdang and JD.com announced their joint expansion this month, it has had a significant impact on Vancl. Vancl is a clothing company with limited traffic, and now that Dangdang and JD.com are also competing, its customer acquisition costs have increased dramatically.

Although the overall sales have increased after cooperating with Mulan Street, if there are no other ways out, it is easy to be sucked dry by these two companies in the future, so we can only ask Wang Yao to think of another solution.

Let's finish the previous 1 million bet first.

Wang Yao suggested a collaboration to capitalize on the popularity of the "Hundred Elephants" (a popular online cultural phenomenon). Vancl would release a batch of T-shirts featuring the "Hundred Elephants on a boat" theme, offering "Hundred Elephants noodles" as a free gift with the purchase of the shirts. Since Wang Yao would receive a 60% commission, he could simply use some of the money to buy "Hundred Elephants" products and then bundle them with the T-shirts for sale, thus riding the wave of popularity. "Unfortunately, such opportunities are rare, but the T-shirt collaboration business still has potential. Bilibili has many targeted customers. You could try collaborating with Baoman (another online comic platform) first," Wang Yao said with a smile.

Bilibili has recently signed two prominent self-media figures, Baoman and Aochang, who have both amassed nearly 500,000 followers with an activity rate approaching 30% thanks to Bilibili's platform.

"Okay." Chen Nian nodded. He didn't have any other growth opportunities right now, so even a small thing was still something. "However, I have something else I want to discuss with you this time."

"What? Is there something more important than Vancl?" Wang Yao joked.

"Have you heard about the recent 3Q War?" Chen Nian sighed.

“I saw the trending topics earlier,” Wang Yao said with a smile.

As one of the essential plot elements in urban business novels, Wang Yao was quite familiar with it, but he didn't know what its connection was with Chen Nian.

“I’m on the same forum as Zhou Hongyi, Lei Jun, and Ding Lei. We get along pretty well. He asked me to ask you if you’d be interested in doing some 360 ​​marketing.” Chen Nian scratched his head.

This statement was somewhat awkward, as it essentially meant that Wang Yao was directly offending Tencent, a tech giant.

"How could I possibly dare to offend a penguin?" Wang Yao chuckled.

“Okay, I’ll reply to him then.” Chen Nian nodded without saying anything more.

"Wait, is President Zhou planning to fight to the bitter end?" Wang Yao asked rhetorically.

"Of course, this involves a fundamental battle, with almost no way out. Just like after JD.com opened its book section yesterday, it became a life-or-death struggle with Dangdang. That's how ruthless business competition is." Chen Nian sighed.

You haven't seen the crueler side yet.

Wang Yao chuckled: "Actually, business competition is just competition between people. Guo Degang has a good joke: whoever lives the longest is an artist. Although I have never met President Zhou, I admire his perseverance. I hope to achieve other collaborations in the future. Please be careful."

"Okay, I will definitely pass it on." Chen Nian was stunned for a moment upon hearing this, unable to tell whether Wang Yao was offering a friendly reminder or simply being polite.

be safe?

What danger could there be?
After seeing Chen Nian off, Wang Yao reminded all departments in the company not to use 3Q antivirus software recently, to avoid system crashes.

"Mr. Wang, I've brought Paris." Zhu Zhu knocked on the office door, followed by a typical blonde, blue-eyed fashion beauty.

Yesterday, Zhu Zhu contacted Paris to discuss cooperation, but coincidentally, she had an event in Hong Kong at the time, so she flew over directly after it ended today.

"Hello, Mr. Wang." Paris's makeup was heavy, and she wore a loose-fitting tank top and a mini skirt. Her standard model pose exuded a rebellious yet noble aura, and her gaze as she looked at Wang Yao revealed a strange light.

It was as if the mother leopard had spotted her prey.

“Miss Paris, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” Wang Yao stood up and shook hands with her.

“Mr. Wang is even more handsome than the one Zhu Zhu photographed for me.” Paris scratched Wang Yao’s palm with her finger and revealed a big smile.

“Paris, our CEO is quite handsome,” Zhu Zhu said with a smile.

“No, I think he’s as beautiful as a porcelain doll. You Eastern women don’t understand this kind of beauty.” Paris tilted her head and stared at Wang Yao.

"Would you like some tea?" Wang Yao asked with a smile.

“Either is fine.” Paris sat down and crossed her legs, completely unconcerned about the risk of accidentally exposing herself.

"Did Miss Paris go to K11 from Xiangjiang Road?" Wang Yao asked.

“Of course, it’s a must-visit place now. I even went to see the shop called Yunshang that Zhu Zhu recommended. It has a very unique style, and I like it,” Paris said with a smile.

K11 has now become a must-visit spot for socialites on Mulan Street/MLS. Zhang Meng opened a physical store there for Yunshang to showcase and enhance the brand's image. It is also the main base for Ma Ruo's "Yingluo Club" member-only service.

Zhu Zhu, being shrewd and resourceful, naturally gave Paris the questions in advance.

"Would this style have a market in the United States?" Wang Yao asked.

“Of course, besides Asians, Yunshang’s Chinese style has a unique sense of mystery. Although the cuts and styles are not very trendy, the patterns on it still attract a lot of attention. Fashion only needs to grasp one point.” Paris smiled. She was indeed very qualified to speak on the field of women’s consumption.

Before 08, it was once called a shopping spotlight by major fashion magazines; otherwise, it wouldn't have been able to build its own perfume brand.

"Yunshang has been operating in the Asian market for six months, and its revenue is approaching 5 million US dollars, with a total membership of nearly 20,000," Wang Yao introduced.

"Oh? It's only been six months and it's already this big?" Paris was a little surprised. Her own perfume brand only has sales of less than 40 million a year, and she has been running it for four or five years.

"Actually, sales have only officially started in the last two months, but the repurchase rate is pretty good. We expect the number of members to exceed 50,000 by the end of the year, and to grow to 200,000 next year," Wang Yao said with a smile.

"Wow, Yunshang's average order value is quite high. Does it really have such a large customer base in China?" Paris was somewhat surprised.

The reason she hasn't entered the Chinese market is twofold: firstly, her brand recognition hasn't yet reached that area, and secondly, she doesn't believe that consumer spending power is a priority, and that the market still needs to be cultivated.

“Although China is a developing country, there are still many women with spending power, but they don’t know how to spend their money,” Wang Yao said with a smile.

“Oh? Teaching others how to spend money is something I’m quite good at.” Paris raised an eyebrow slightly.

“Of course, we invited you here so that you could utilize your expertise. Take a look at this app.” Wang Yao handed over the tablet and opened MLS.

With Zhu Zhu's help and explanation, Paris quickly mastered the various functions of MLS. The diverse array of features displayed on the smooth waterfall interface made his originally smiling expression turn serious.

“This app is like a free magazine that’s updated 24/7. Although the quality of the content varies, the sheer volume of content could cause a major disaster for the entire fashion industry. When everyone is qualified to talk about dressing and fashion, fashion will cease to exist,” Paris said in a deep voice.

The fact that she was able to grasp the core value of social media so quickly shows that she is not just a glamorous pretty face.

“Key Opinion Leader, that’s the new name I’ve given to bloggers on this platform. It’s not just about fashion and consumption; if they say something right in any field, it will influence consumers’ decisions. The larger the scale, the greater the influence.” Wang Yao nodded.

“KOL, that’s a clever description. It’s a unique culture based on the internet age. I’m a little worried that this app might get banned,” Paris said with a laugh.

“MLS will soon receive funding and resources from Yahoo; the trend of the internet is unstoppable.” Wang Yao shook his head.

"Was this app also invested in by Mr. Wang?" Paris asked, staring at Wang Yao.

“Yes, I hope Miss Paris can become the first authoritative KOL in MLS.” Wang Yao nodded.

"What can I get in return?" Paris didn't object.

"A professional content creation team can package you into a more comprehensive and perfect public figure. Combined with the film and television or entertainment resources of the Skyfire Group, at least in terms of exposure, you will be inferior to Hollywood's top stars," Wang Yao proposed.

“That sounds tempting, but what’s the price?” Paris raised an eyebrow slightly.

“The standard endorsement commission is usually 10-15%, but I can give you 20% of the revenue. That's just for KOL collaborations. If it's film or television, you can sign your studio over, and I'll take 50% of the commission,” Wang Yao said with a smile.

"Beneath Mr. Wang's handsome exterior lies a heart colder than a vampire's," Paris couldn't help but roll her eyes.

“At least the company can guarantee you enough exposure every year, which is something many agencies can’t do. I heard you just terminated your contract with Hua Na. Although Tian Huo can’t compare in terms of scale, it has a lot of experience in internet operations. Currently, the total number of fans of all the artists in the Tian Huo system has reached the billion level.” Wang Yao said with a smile.

"How much?" Paris's eyes widened.

“We already have two artists with over 100 million fans in Asia. We’re just getting started in the European and American markets. Miss Paris could become the first public figure in the US to have over 100 million fans worldwide.” Wang Yao squinted.

"Lady Gaga only reached 10 million followers on Facebook last month, how did you manage to do that? Oh, 'the whole internet' means all platforms combined? That's a bit of an exaggeration." Paris was shocked.

She has been following the development of social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter since 08, and she has millions of followers. Even if you add up all the messy campus networks, it still wouldn't reach ten million.

Is the internet in China developing this fast?

Fan Bingbing and Zhao Liying have indeed surpassed 100 million fans across the internet. However, the total number of fans on just two platforms, MS, is close to 50 million (some of which were inflated on foreign websites). The total number of fans on major domestic websites such as Weibo, Renren, and Mulan Street, as well as more than a dozen other platforms, is indeed that many.

Tianhuo's advantage lies in its full-channel operation coverage.

If Paris Hilton joins, as long as she continues to generate buzz, leverages traffic from China, and further develops her social media presence, it shouldn't be difficult for her to surpass 100 million views within the next six months. She could then apply for a Guinness World Record and create a buzz.

“There’s a huge topic behind MLS that could potentially reach 200 million netizens worldwide. Miss Paris, you should seriously consider this. Opportunities like this don’t come around often.” Wang Yao didn’t explain further and continued to tease.

"It seems MLS really received a huge marketing budget, which gives them the confidence to run such a large event." Paris didn't question whether Wang Yao was just making empty promises or bragging, after all, there are 200 million netizens in Asia alone.

Wang Yao smiled but remained silent.

"If it's not me, who are the other candidates for Mr. Wang?" Paris asked.

"The Kardashian family, I suppose," Wang Yao said frankly.

Paris's face immediately darkened. Her feud with Kim Kardashian had long since reached an irreconcilable point, especially in the last two years when Kardashian's momentum had intensified.

During Paris Hilton's lowest point in 07, Kim Kardashian even released a private photo scandal, directly replacing Paris's top socialite image. After all, her stylist and best friend at the time had copied and replicated her path to fame and then trampled on her. This kind of backstabbing is something that no one can tolerate.

She will absolutely not tolerate Kardashian having a smooth ride again.

“Miss Paris is also an entrepreneur, so she should know what is most important to a businessman.” Wang Yao’s smile deepened.

“If I ever get the chance to get you into bed, I’ll show you what it means to not mess with women,” Paris said, glaring fiercely at Wang Yao.

"Hey, you're being a bit too presumptuous," Zhu Zhu said, patting Paris on the shoulder as a reminder. This is China, after all.

"What? Are you possessive of your food?" Paris scoffed.

Zhu Zhu blushed and glanced awkwardly at Wang Yao.

“I have one request: I need to create a scandal with you. American netizens are tired of the scandals involving second-generation businessmen, celebrity athletes, or artists. A strange and mysterious Asian face might bring a new kind of excitement.” Paris curled her lips into a wicked smile.

"Hey." Zhu Zhu frowned. She had vaguely heard rumors that Wang Yao didn't like to show his face in public.

Just as she was preparing her words to brush off Paris, she heard Wang Yao's laughter.

"no problem."

(End of this chapter)