Business Closed Loop: Starting with Ringback Tones to Take Down Giants

"Giants?? I'm going to take down the giants!!" Wang Song typed furiously on the keyboard.

It's a long story, but a long story can be told in short.

A hapless opportunist swept along by the times, doing whatever is hot. When the entertainment industry was booming, he impulsively applied to the Beijing Film Academy, but unfortunately failed the entrance exam.

He got into the Central Academy of Drama on a whim, thinking he was Jiang Wen, and became even more arrogant after graduation.

He died after rejecting bank card investors who viewed the bank card as having a short side that was tall and a long side that was wide.

He created a lot of derivative videos, then started narrating movies and TV series. When short dramas became popular, he picked up his old profession from the Central Academy of Drama and did it with great enthusiasm.

It quickly became the core operator used by Tencent to restrain ByteDance's short dramas.

Unfortunately, the penguins in the ditch use a horse race mechanism, and this so-called core leader has become just one of them.

Whoever wins the race receives the resources; the loser is eliminated, along with their horse and rider. If you don't do it, plenty of others will.

They call it: internal competition, survival of the fittest.

Wang Song could only curse under his breath, "Damn you, old Feng!"

Even after gritting his teeth and winning twice, all that was left was a more luxurious rein, a more luxurious stable, and the chance to run the next race for a more powerful master.

Then a strategic adjustment was completely optimized.

Wang Song had just figured it out when he opened his eyes again.

Okay, I've traveled back to 2005.

At Yenching University, the Central Academy of Drama, just three days into the new semester, Wang Song quickly completed his enrollment procedures, used the 20,000 yuan savings account left by the dean to rent a bungalow off campus, and bought a second-hand computer.

"Damn it!! This is inhuman! I give up."

Wang Song irritably pushed open the keyboard. The first chapter of "The Grave Robbers' Chronicles" was written in half an hour, with three hundred words.

For someone like Wang Song, who has experience as a film and television narrator, a novel is simply about telling a good story.

What storms haven't I weathered?

Even Wang Song, the director of "The Big Short," was determined to explain the plot, development, twists, and turns, as well as the exciting and tearful moments, of a movie or TV series.

Wang Song stared at the few lines of meaningless environmental descriptions and incomprehensible dialogue on the screen, and laughed in exasperation. What he was thinking and what he was writing were completely different.

I could hear the cheerful laughter from next door from the TV show "Home with Kids." Wow! One of them was living a life that most people couldn't achieve in 25 years back in 05.

The loudspeakers in the record store were still playing "June Rain" on repeat.

Liu Yifei's Zhao Ling'er + Xiaolongnu health bars, the 85-star team fought the boss, and they couldn't beat it even after 20 years of grinding.

It's likely that another channel is still airing "The Little Fish and the Flower Without Flaws," a show that has been reduced to just its title after the assault incident, which directly led to Zhang Weijian's removal from the mainland entertainment scene.

Chen Shiren's 300 million yuan investment in "The Promise" is currently generating buzz.

Wang Song remembers clearly that three months later, "A Bloodbath Caused by a Steamed Bun" would suddenly appear, ushering in the era of fan fiction and sparking the first nationwide discussion on copyright.

2005 years.

Gold is everywhere, and opportunities are popping up one after another: film, games, the internet... these are all opportunities that would have been unattainable in a past life.

"I'm such an idiot, opening the door for an idiot."

In my past life at Tencent, I never wrote scripts myself; instead, I led a team to analyze the logic behind hit shows and assign creative tasks.

Some people are focused on pacing, some on filling in the details, and some on market adaptation. Now, after being reborn, I've been reduced to struggling to write all by myself.

What kind of place is this? The Central Academy of Drama in 2005, it was full of talented people who understood the subject matter!

The students majoring in drama have much better storytelling skills than those assembly-line screenwriters in my previous life, but no one gives them a chance.

Directing students are full of ideas, but they lack a project that can be implemented.

Acting students, who are decent in both looks and acting skills, can only play minor roles and film small parts, and rarely even get a chance to show their faces.

Isn't this a match made in heaven?

Open a horse farm ×

People's Entrepreneur √

It was the precursor to a people's entrepreneur program that could provide a platform, ideas, funding, and internship certificates.

Art Content Studio.

With this in mind, Wang Song's back pain subsided, his legs stopped numb, and his mind cleared up. He then efficiently completed the part-time job posting for the content studio.

Without further ado, they covered the signs on the utility poles that read "Old soldier treats kidney deficiency" and "Fantasy Westward Journey leveling service, provides computers, payment per order."

What vulgar guy would use the same utility pole?

Ideal is full, the reality is very skinny.

Wang Song overestimated the number of people who own computers in this era, and also overestimated the attractiveness of his recruitment strategy to students.

The part-time job ad had been posted for several days, and even a harassing phone call was incredibly precious to Wang Song, but unfortunately...

In front of students majoring in drama, would you talk to them about making money through online novels?

What kind of online novel is he trying to piggyback on my art academy's reputation with? His ideal is serious literature, and his first work should at least be a Golden Rooster or Hundred Flowers Award winner.

Wang Song knew where the problem lay. First, it was a characteristic of the times: the more bitter, sentimental, and serious the situation, the better. Second, there were no successful examples; no matter how much you talked about it, it was all just bragging.

The difference between success and failure lies in whether you are riding someone else's position or being ridden.

After two weeks of military training, Wang Song stood at attention, regretting his actions: "Is the 05 acting class at the Central Academy of Drama really this plain? There isn't a single face you can even name!"

Look at the class of 05 from the Beijing Film Academy next door; they have Yang Mi, Yuan Shanshan, and Jiao Junyan.

Oh right, there's also Zhai Tianlin from CNKI, who's an even bigger heavyweight.

As soon as the whistle for a break sounded, everyone collapsed like rag dolls in the shade of the trees.

A thin girl with very large eyes was imitating the instructor's accent and posture with remarkable skill and vivid expression, making the students around her laugh uproariously.

"Finally, I found someone I know."

Wang Song's eyes lit up. She had a natural sense of the camera and a keen eye for social observation. When she was still, she was a fresh and innocent leading lady; when she moved, she was a comedy queen. She was easy to get along with, and when there was work to be done, she was a true actress.

"Jiang Yilei".

He instantly knew that this was the first subordinate he was looking for, not just because she would become Papi Jiang in the future, but because she had already become a living joke.

Military training is finally over.

Wang Song was pondering how to strike up a conversation without seeming like a scammer when he saw Jiang Yilei and several girls rushing toward the bulletin board next to the teaching building.

A new poster has been put up there, red background with white lettering, completely covering up Wang Song's job posting.

The "National Ideological and Moral Public Welfare GG Collection Competition," jointly organized by the Central Commission for Guiding Cultural and Ethical Progress, the State Administration for Industry and Commerce, the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, and the General Administration of Press and Publication, is in full swing.

Themes focus on: harmonious society, moral education for minors, integrity building, resource conservation...

Okay, the imperial edict does make sense.

But the results are undeniable. Who was the one who decided to put the charity video on the children's channel? Wang Song has met so many people, and this is the only one where he didn't have to engage in any backstabbing or intrigue.

It's this group of people who grew up watching guys like this.

Wang Song stood outside the crowd and suddenly smiled. Here comes a successful case! And this time, it's officially certified. He doesn't even need to bother finding his subordinates anymore.

Back in that small house, Wang Song quickly searched through his mind and hazy online memories for scripts that were currently usable.

"Busy! It's good to be busy...tsk, it aired in '99, it's too classic, can't be used."

"《Mom Washes Her Feet》...is also from 99. No."

"The concept of 'ATM Machine Dad' is too advanced, but it needs a more solid localization adaptation, and there's no time to do it now."

Several public service projects that don't fit the times were included, such as the large number of motorcycles returning home for the Spring Festival. These topics, which haven't been reported yet, are not enough to attract viewers' attention.

Wang Song focused his attention on "Caring for Empty Nest Elderly: Packing Up" and "The Silent World".

Just imagining the central image and the line, "This is for my son, he loves this the most," and "Daddy... Daddy, be good..."

There's no complicated plot; just one line is enough to bring tears to your eyes instantly.

It's still touching even 25 years later, and although it carries a touch of nostalgia, it would definitely still be relevant in 05.

"Uh!! This is kind of darkly humorous, isn't it?? Using the most sentimental charity appeal to take the most utilitarian first step in business... Isn't the scope of this approach a bit narrow?"

After finishing writing, Wang Song couldn't help but laugh at himself.

But then I thought about it again and felt justified.

"Focus on actions, not intentions. Even if the starting point is somewhat utilitarian, we are contributing to a harmonious society, and as long as the result is good, that's enough."

"Hey! Let's also address the employment and career development issues for ourselves and our classmates. A win-win situation, a win-win situation."

With this comforting reassurance, his last lingering psychological burden vanished.

The next day, Wang Song, carrying the two heavy pages of the proposal, knocked on the office door of Ding Ruru, their advisor for the 05 directing class.