Rebirth 08: Can a mobile game company also build a tech empire?

Completing the song production is only the first step.

How to effectively promote a song.

It is also deeply integrated with the upcoming Conquer Online 1.

That's the real challenge.

Lu Chen naturally thought of Cheng Lin, who had once promoted the Journey Z1.

This first-generation internet celebrity was successfully associated with the Journey Z1.

This resulted in a textbook-worthy publicity case.

She promotes it naturally.

It has a strong appeal among young users.

That photo of her with her smiling eyes.

A snippet of using the Z1 in daily life.

There wasn't a single hawking cry.

Yet it has captivated countless young people.

Ultimately, this translates into actual orders.

Her recommendation was unlike GG's.

It's more like a senior student sharing her daily life.

If we could invite her again.

She was asked to post a video of her cover of "The Brightest Star in the Night Sky" on her QQ space.

And subtly showcase Journey 1 in the video or text.

The effect is definitely much better than hard advertising.

Moreover, in Lu Chen's memory...

This is the influencer-driven product recommendation model.

Its power will be amplified many times over in the era of widespread mobile internet access.

It has become a standard feature of brand marketing.

And Cheng Lin,

It is the earliest and most suitable medium of this era.

Lu Chen opened QQ.

I found that friend who had Cheng Lin's photo as their profile picture.

This is a profile picture of her smiling with her eyes squinting in the sunlight.

The background is the school playground, exuding youthful energy.

The last time we talked was before the release of the Conquer Online Z1.

He contacted her on a whim.

Hopefully, she can share some photos of herself holding the Z1 on her social media.

Cheng Lin readily agreed without even discussing the cost.

The conversion rate from that set of photos was astonishing.

Cheng Lin also gained even more fame thanks to that wave of popularity.

The two had a pleasant working relationship to begin with.

He organized his thoughts and sent the message:

Hello, Cheng Lin.

I am Lu Chen from ZhengTu Technology.

Our company is about to launch an important new product.

He also composed a theme song for it.

The song is of very high quality.

I think it suits your style perfectly.

Would you be interested in collaborating?

The format is for you to cover a song and record a video.

Publish it in your space.

Looking forward to your reply.

After the message was sent.

Lu Chen closed the dialog box and continued working on the documents at hand.

But I kept glancing at the penguin icon in the bottom right corner of the screen out of the corner of my eye.

In the past, Cheng Lin's replies were not exactly instantaneous.

But a response is usually received within one or two hours.

However, this time...

The sky outside the window gradually turned from noon to the dusky yellow of evening.

Lu Chen has already processed three documents.

I had a meeting with Hong Feng.

They also discussed several new features of Z-Dimension with Xu Yi.

As a result, the entire afternoon passed.

The dialog box remained silent.

Lu Chen frowned slightly, a hint of doubt rising in his heart.

Open the chat window again and send another message:

Are you busy?

Or could we communicate by phone?

The matter is urgent; it concerns the promotion of a new product.

Please reply if you see this.

There has still been no reply.

It wasn't until after 9 p.m. that Lu Chen was preparing to end his day's work.

Cheng Lin's penguin avatar then started to move.

Lu Chen immediately clicked on it.

However, the reply made Lu Chen's heart sink.

"Mr. Lu, I'm sorry."

I've been busy with personal matters lately.

It's also not very convenient to accept new promotional collaborations.

Thank you for your invitation. Wishing you success with your new product!

The tone was polite, but it conveyed a clear sense of estrangement and resistance.

Lu Chen keenly sensed that something was wrong.

Based on the previous cooperation and Cheng Lin's demonstrated business acumen.

She was well aware of what the collaboration with Journey Technology could bring.

So she shouldn't have reacted that way.

Even if I really don't have time or don't want to answer.

They will usually explain it in a tactful way.

Or politely suggest that you might have the opportunity to work together again next time.

Instead of a flat rejection like this.

There must be other reasons behind this.

Without any hesitation.

Lu Chen immediately picked up the phone and dialed Susie:

"Susie, are you still at get off work?"

Please check for me.

In the last two weeks,

Is there any particular public opinion about Cheng Lin online?

For example, negative news, or controversies.

Pay special attention to Baidu Tieba and Tianya.

And those early blogging platforms.

"Yes, Mr. Lu, I'll check right away."

Susie responded crisply and decisively.

The feedback came back quickly.

Half an hour later, Susie knocked on Lu Chen's office door.

He was still holding several printed screenshots of web pages in his hand.

"Boss, I've found it."

Susie walked to the desk and laid the screenshot on Lu Chen's desk.

At the same time, he began to report at a very fast pace.

"Starting from around last year,

Suddenly, a large number of accounts impersonating Cheng Lin appeared online.

Scammers impersonated her and established romantic relationships with male netizens.

After gaining trust through showing concern and care

They induced the other party to recharge Penguin Coins, activate Yellow Diamond memberships, and purchase virtual gifts.

They even demanded cash transfers.

Lu Chen took the screenshot, his brows furrowed.

"And this too."

Susie pointed to another one.

"Since the end of last year, when we started working with Cheng Lin,

They used IDs similar to Cheng Lin's original name.

Send GG messages on various forums, Baidu Tieba, and QQ groups.

It is said to be Cheng Lin herself.

Then, they purchased the Conquer Online Z1 at the internal employee price.

They scam people out of money under the guise of fan welfare giveaways and other similar schemes.

At least several dozen people were scammed.

The amounts defrauded ranged from several hundred to several thousand yuan.

Susie then pulled out other pictures.

The most troublesome thing is,

Some people, after being scammed, simply don't believe that the person contacting them was a scammer.

They insist that Cheng Lin herself took the money but did not deliver the goods.

This severely damaged Cheng Lin's personal reputation.

It has even affected the brand reputation of our Journey Technology!

After all, the scammers are using our product as a front."

Susie's words were very serious.

Lu Chen did not speak.

He looked at each one, his expression gradually becoming serious.

In the screenshot,

The real Cheng Lin and her friends and classmates.

They issued repeated statements and clarifications on multiple platforms, in addition to filing reports.

We urge everyone not to fall for this scam.

However, these approaches have yielded little result.

The imposters would fire one shot and move on to another.

One account is banned and another one pops up.

In that primitive era of the internet where identity verification was lacking.

It is difficult for ordinary users to distinguish between genuine and counterfeit products.

The incident continues to escalate.

Although it hasn't been featured in traditional media yet.

But in Cheng Lin's active online circles.

This has already caused considerable damage to her personal reputation.

No wonder she's been updating her social media less frequently lately.

What's even more infuriating is that...

Someone is actually committing fraud under the name of Journey Z1.

This has severely damaged the reputation of Journey Technology.

"She must be in a complete mess right now."

Susie concluded,

"Suspending all business cooperation is the safest option."

They were afraid of being dragged into any potential disputes.

"No wonder..."

Lu Chen understood.

Although he knew that Cheng Lin had chosen to completely quit the internet around 2010.

I've closed my QQ space and am refusing to add any friends.

He disappeared from public view for nearly ten years after that.

However, he was not a witness and did not fully understand the situation Cheng Lin encountered back then.

And this time, it was because of Lu Chen's butterfly effect.

Actively collaborate with Cheng Lin to promote the Journey Z1.

And it achieved great success.

Cheng Lin's fame is greater than it was on the original timeline.

This undoubtedly made Cheng Lin's predicament even worse.

If this trend continues...

This could very likely lead to Cheng Lin's early retirement from the internet.