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

In the studio of Senmei.

"So, we really have 15 songs? How come I didn't know?"

Wang Song said earnestly, "Vice President Jiang, your thinking still needs improvement."

"15 songs? The PowerPoint says 30 is enough. If we can't finish, we'll all starve."

"So," Wang Song patted Jiang Yilei on the shoulder.

"So that our shares don't become worthless."

"So that we can all live in an office building by the end of the year."

"You know how to keep them on their toes, right?"

Jiang Yilei was stunned for a moment. "Can you even be a decent human being?"

Simply put...

Wang Song promised Kongzhong.com 15 new songs for the Super Girl contestants.

Three songs from the second phase of the ringback tone service have been delivered.

Chang Sisi and Yao Beina were directly sent to the judges' table through the online platform Kongzhong.com, which reduced the difficulty of the preliminary selection.

Correspondingly.

If both of them are eliminated in the regional competition.

Then these 15 songs can't be considered by anyone else, only by SkyNet.

Jiang Yilei complained, "I have no clue what to do with my new video, and they've dragged me into this mess again."

Wang Song checked the forum's popularity and duration.

It's almost the potato's 1st anniversary celebration, and if we don't take advantage of it now, we really won't have another chance.

"Okay, I'll do it with you."

Jiang Yilei revised the script four times.

The first version was too much like a film review, the second version was too much like a rant, and the third version was too much like a thesis defense.

The fourth version is finally correct.

"Hello everyone, I'm Papi Jiang."

In the shot, Jiang Yilei sits in front of the white wall of his studio, holding a steamed bun in his hand, with a serious expression.

"There's a movie called 'A Bloodbath Caused by a Steamed Bun' that's been incredibly popular lately."

"But today we're not going to talk about how well it's filmed; we're going to talk about why it became so popular."

"..."

"We believe this is the future, and we call it: self-media."

The video ends, and a line of white text appears on the black screen:

"Each of us can be a media outlet."

"Xianming Studio, February 28, 2006."

Wang Song watched the finished product on his computer and nodded.

"Okay, go ahead and post it. Stick to the original plan: use forum posts and images to drive traffic."

"Can it really work?"

Jiang Yilei was a little uncertain: "Are we really that shameless when it comes to creating original terms?"

Wang Song turned off the player, "Let's secure this understanding first."

"By the time others realize they need to define this era, the term is already associated with us."

"What if people say I'm bragging?"

"Then let them talk," Wang Song laughed. "Isn't black and red red? Hair."

Jiang Yilei took a deep breath and clicked upload.

The essence of the video was then combined with keywords such as self-media and democratization of video creation, compiled into a long post with pictures and text, and submitted to the four major forums.

Two days later.

Jiang Yilei's post only sparked a few scattered discussions.

But the internet is always so unpredictable.

In the world of online literature, it first exploded with popularity.

A post with a long title was quietly pinned to the top of Tianya·Lianpeng Ghost Stories, posted by the ID "Bookworm Lao Yang".

The main post is nearly a thousand words long!

I have been following tomb raiding stories for more than half a year.

"The Grave Robbers' Chronicles" was first published at the end of last year, and "Ghost Blows Out the Light" became a hit this spring. Both are among the best in their respective genres.

Firstly...

Secondly...

I encourage everyone to participate in the discussion.

The post quickly garnered over two hundred replies, mostly consisting of rational discussion rather than heated arguments.

It discusses feng shui, narrative, rigor, innovation, and readability.

This was the forum in 2006. The poster had to explain the whole story, and the replyer had to follow the logic.

Each article is a lengthy treatise, full of academic discussion.

Of course, the insults weren't censored, and they were even harsher.

Inside the bungalow, Ma Xiaojun stared at the computer screen, his face flushed.

That's angry.

His fingers flew across the keyboard, wanting to register an account and then refute the argument.

"Why do you say they each have their own merits? Our 'Tomb Raiders' Chronicles' was released first! And the settings are more detailed!"

Wang Song walked over and held his hand: "Don't be impulsive."

Ma Xiaojun was so anxious he jumped up and down, "I was just about to contact Tianxia Bachang to discuss the copyright."

"Now that this has happened, he definitely knows his book is a hit, so he'll have to raise the price, and acquiring the copyright will be even more difficult!"

Wang Song glanced at the discussion in the post: "You are the author now, not the reader. If you get involved, even if you are right, you will be wrong."

The flames of war seem to have no end, spreading all the way to the neighboring forum for discussing history over wine.

An ID named "Is that all?" posted a message saying:

A post titled "Those Things About the Ming Dynasty: History Can Be Written in an Engaging Way".

Those who were drawn in by the "debate over who is the pioneer of tomb raiding" seem to have been moved by this new story.

As a result, the conflict did not escalate on this forum.

But the post continues to gain traction.

The forum is not the main battleground.

The trend of comparison has been pushed to its extreme in the world of sports.

Although the forum's original poster tried their best to guide rational discussion, some comments still inevitably appeared in the comments section:

"Ghost Blows Out the Light is the only authentic one!"

"The Notebook is even better!"

The smell of gunpowder grew stronger.

However, Ma Xiaojun and Tianxia Bachang both remained silent.

This silence, in the eyes of fans, became a kind of contest, making the debate seem even more profound and unpredictable.

The editorial department of a certain Chinese website also noticed this sudden surge in traffic.

"How can our website, a certain Chinese website, only have one book? You like to compare? Then let's put it on the charts, hehehe."

The entertainment gossip section of Tianya Forum.

The debate over whether "The Grave Robbers' Chronicles" or "Ghost Blows Out the Light" is the originator of the genre.

A sharp-eyed moderator added a "hot" tag to it and pushed it to the front page of the forum.

This move instantly escalated the conflict.

The influx of people was no longer limited to the core readers of the two novels, but also included a large number of gossipy onlookers who loved the drama.

The buildings were constructed very quickly.

The discussion has expanded from simple literary comparisons to arguments about the author's identity, update speed, and even which is more frightening.

The trend of comparison on the forum finally couldn't be suppressed.

The editors at a certain Chinese website acted swiftly.

Between the time the post appeared and the time it gained traction, Ghost Blows Out the Light was released!

According to helpful netizens.

Regarding gifts and subscription revenue sharing, they've given away at least several percentage points of the profits.

The editors at a certain Chinese website watched the clicks and recommendations frantically jumping in the background.

Amidst the ever-evolving flame war in the book review section, a satisfied smile crept onto my face.

Let's chart!

"You like comparing? Then let's have a good comparison."

Inside the Xianming Studio, Wang Song kept a close eye on the forum's trends and quickly issued instructions.

"Ma Xiaojun!! Stop watching the forum flame wars and hurry up and write a new chapter, the topic is coming up."

"Liu Jianjun is in charge of negotiating with the editors about the high revenue sharing from gift subscriptions for 'The Lost Tomb'!!"

Ma Xiaojun took a week off.

He said he was taking leave, but in reality he just stayed in the bungalow and wouldn't move.

My eyes were swollen when I arrived in the morning, and red when I left in the evening.

For seven days, Ma Xiaojun typed away on his keyboard, filling the ashtray again and again.

A newcomer whispered to Liu Jianjun, "What's Brother Ma doing?"

Liu Jianjun didn't even look up: "Big update, ranking!"

On the seventh night, the ranking competition ended.

Liu Jianjun refreshed the page and shouted, "We won!"

Everyone in the room crowded around.

"The Grave Robbers' Chronicles" won the first week's ranking event thanks to its home advantage of being released first on a certain platform.

The filaments collectively disagreed.

Ma Xiaojun stared at the screen, remaining silent for a long time.

Wang Song walked over and patted him on the shoulder: "The data is out. Donations, subscriptions, and gifts total..."

He paused, then said, "Forty-two thousand."

"According to the new rules, you can get 40%, which is 16,800 yuan. This is a special commission for ranking, not a regular royalties."

There was a moment of silence in the room, then it exploded.

Holy crap!

"Brother Ma is treating!"

"Sixteen thousand? That's my parents' annual salary!"

Ma Xiaojun was stunned and looked down at his hands.

These hands worked for over a hundred hours in seven days, producing 16,000 pieces.

Wang Song pushed the money in front of him; the bank seal hadn't been removed yet.

Looking at the stack of money, Ma Xiaojun suddenly said, "Boss, I don't want cash."

Wang Song looked at him.

"I want to... buy stock options in the IP group, just like Jianjun."

One of the newcomers gasped in surprise: 16,000, no cash, in exchange for shares?

Liu Jianjun raised his head, glanced at Ma Xiaojun, his lips twitched, but he didn't say anything.

Wang Song smiled and took the cash back: "Have you thought it through?"

"I've thought it through. I trust you, and I trust the studio."

"Okay." Wang Song turned to Jiang Yilei, "Vice President Jiang, register, Ma Xiaojun, IP group options, subscription amount 16,000."

Ma Xiaojun grinned and turned to the two newcomers, saying, "See? Work hard from now on, and you'll have your day too."

The newlyweds nodded vigorously.

One of the girls asked in a low voice, "Brother Jianjun, how much do you earn a month now?"

Liu Jianjun glanced at her: "Don't ask questions you shouldn't ask. Focus on finding IPs. If you find one, you can sit here too."

Meanwhile, Jiang Yilei returned to his computer and refreshed the backend again.

The video still has over two thousand views and a few dozen comments.

She sighed deeply.

Ma Xiaojun observed Jiang Yilei's reaction.

He patted his chest and shouted, "Vice President Jiang, I'll go to the fan group and give you a shout-out!"