HuaYu97: Starting as a Singer

Chapter 419 [419] Endorsement fee of 40 million a year, the gold content of a global superstar!
"Mr. Qi, our company still has tens of millions of US dollars in cash, so we are not in a particularly tight cash situation."

How about we talk about other collaborations? You become the spokesperson for our company, Sohu, and we'll convert your endorsement fee into shares for you.

Mr. Zhang made a suggestion.

Unlike NetEase, which desperately needs money to survive, Sohu needs to increase its revenue streams.

In the long-term strategy formulated by Mr. Zhang and the senior management, the media business is a very important component.

In the entire country of China, which celebrity has the highest online traffic? Which celebrity is best at creating big news? It has to be Qi Yuan.

How many big news stories has Qi Yuan made in the last short period of time? Boss Zhang couldn't possibly remember them all.

If we could get Qi Yuan to be the spokesperson for Sohu, and sign an exclusive news agreement with her.

Sohu has secured exclusive reporting rights to a portion of Qi Yuan's story, which will undoubtedly attract a steady stream of new users.

In particular, with Qi Yuan's exclusive overseas news, Sohu can always get first-hand intelligence, and Sohu's traffic will definitely skyrocket.

Higher traffic increases the value of media business, attracting high-value clients in sectors such as finance, automotive, and fashion to advertise.

For Boss Zhang, Qi Yuan's money is not important; Qi Yuan himself is important.

To secure Qi Yuan as their spokesperson, Boss Zhang and his shareholders spared no expense.

They offered a four-year endorsement deal worth $20 million, with $5 million to be paid in cash and the remaining $15 million converted into 15% of Sohu's shares, which would be given to Qi Yuan, thus creating a deep partnership between Qi Yuan and Sohu.

Qi Yuanshuang was numb that night.

He also acquired 15% stakes in Sohu and NetEase, and has connections with three of China's four major portal websites.

He has already gained an advantage in the future internet era.

Both Mr. Ding and Mr. Zhang were happy.

……

The following morning, Qi Yuan signed the relevant agreement with Boss Zhang and Boss Ding.

In the afternoon, Sohu released a major news story that shocked the Chinese entertainment industry.

Global superstar Qi Yuan officially becomes the spokesperson for Sohu, with a four-year endorsement fee of 20 million US dollars!

When this news came out, celebrities across the country were stunned, and fans and the general public were equally dumbfounded.

"Since when did domestic celebrities start calculating their endorsement fees in US dollars? Five million US dollars a year, that's outrageous, it must be the highest endorsement fee ever paid by a domestic artist, right?"

"Forty million RMB a year? Is that the true value of a global superstar?"

"That's normal. Before Qi Yuan went to Europe and America to develop her career, her endorsement fees had already risen to ten or twenty million. Now she is a real global superstar, so this price is reasonable."

"No wonder Zhou likes to impersonate an international superstar so much; it turns out that real international superstars are worth this much!"

"They're mocking the elevator guy again. Be careful, he might come to your place and break your elevator."

……

Zhou Juxing didn't see the comments mocking him, but he did see Qi Yuan's $20 million endorsement fee.

He broke down again.

Why? Brands he endorsed in China have all terminated their contracts with him, and even after he lowered his prices, no one dared to hire him, a celebrity with a ruined reputation, as their spokesperson.

His career took a sharp downturn, which made him very upset.

Seeing that Qi Yuan's career was completely unaffected and continued to break records, he felt even worse, so angry that he almost ground his teeth to powder.

He could only console himself that if he couldn't make it in China, he still had Hollywood.

"Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" really gave him a life extension, allowing him to obtain a life-saving card there. He was the first to criticize Qi Yuan, and he also had some intention of making friends with Wu Baige.

He was treated so badly by Qi Yuan in the country, so Wu Baige will definitely take better care of him.

Last year, Wu Baige won the global annual box office champion. "Windtalkers" will definitely make Wu Baige a top Hollywood director.

With a top-tier director protecting him, what does it matter if he doesn't want the domestic market?

Qi Yuan, that damn bastard, thinks he can just mess with him? Not so easy.

Presumably, Zhou Xingju couldn't stay in Hong Kong any longer after being criticized, so he fled to the United States overnight, determined to develop his career in Hollywood.

He vowed that once he received the same $1500 million plus box office revenue as Jackie Chan, he would slap Qi Yuan across the face.

……

Qi Yuan was unaware that Zhou Juxing was cursing him madly, and he had no time to deal with this clown.

He needs to handle some company matters before joining the film crew for "Hero". Filming is about to begin, and he needs to take care of some company matters.

First, there's "Saw," and this project is progressing more smoothly than Qi Yuan had anticipated.

Warner Bros. immediately took notice of this low-cost project with a promising outlook.

With a total investment of only two million US dollars and Qi Yuan in charge of the film's soundtrack, it would break even if the box office reached five or six million, making it absolutely worth the investment.

They proposed that the newly established Starry Night DreamWorks be affiliated with Warner Bros.

Qi Yuan agreed to the affiliation, which was no problem. It's good to have a powerful backer, and the distribution issue was solved directly. It's one of the best hairstylists.

Qi Yuan declined the offer of investment.

Any company or project that is associated with Warner Music automatically becomes a target of internal strife.

Warner Bros. became a prime example of squandering a winning hand. Despite gaining an early advantage in the superhero genre, they were overtaken by Marvel.

Furthermore, Warner-affiliated companies not only enjoy internal strife, but also have a particular fondness for micromanagement, comparable to Boom Beach.

Warner Bros. is a prime example.

If a film project receives extra attention from Warner Bros. executives, it's highly likely to fail.

On the contrary, those small projects that are not often valued often bring surprises!
The reason is that the higher-ups have taken it seriously; they feel uncomfortable if they don't remotely direct the camera to be moved ten millimeters to the left.

If "Saw" had accepted investment from Warner Bros., and they had sent a producer who would have definitely tried to suppress Ning Hao, the new director, the project might have been scrapped.

Qi Yuanning preferred to bear the production costs and risks independently, at least he could maintain absolute autonomy and control.

Warner Bros. did not make things difficult for them.

This model is very common in Hollywood, with many small film production companies affiliated with the Big Eight film studios.

Furthermore, Qi Yuan was a key figure who helped Warner Bros. make a lot of money, and the "Saw" project was relatively small. They gave Qi Yuan face and only acted as the distributor, collecting distribution fees.

At this point, Qi Yuan's overseas internet and Hollywood film ventures were simultaneously launched.

……

A few days later.

8 month 11 day.

In Dunhuang, Gansu Province, a grand opening ceremony was held for the milestone film "Hero," which officially ushered in the era of domestic commercial blockbusters. Qi Yuan, as the lead actor, attended the event.

Across the ocean in the United States, Warner Music continued its efforts, and with the box office success of "Rush Hour 2" and "The Princess Diaries," they helped Qi Yuan unlock a new achievement that shocked the American music scene!
(End of this chapter)