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

The door to the bungalow was gently pushed open.

Yao Beina and Chang Sisi stood at the door, dragging their suitcases. Tears welled up in Chang Sisi's eyes.

The room fell silent for a moment, then everyone crowded around.

"It's good that you're back, it's good that you're back." Jiang Yilei stepped forward and took their suitcases.

He spoke very softly, as if afraid of shattering the two girls' carefully constructed composure.

Ma Xiaojun scratched his head, and after a long pause, he finally managed to say, "It's okay, Sister Na, Sisi, let's not play with that lousy stage anymore!"

Liu Jianjun, Li Ran, Zhou Tao, Chen Shu, and Zhang Zhen were all gathered around.

No one mentioned being eliminated, no one asked about the details of the live stream, and the only thing repeated over and over was the most basic sentence.

"It's good that you're back."

Ringtones have been removed from all platforms, and musicians are collectively avoiding the public eye.

The two girls stood on the stage, enduring the disdain of the entire industry, having already given it their all.

Everyone was holding their breath, and even if they didn't advance, they would still watch them appear on stage that night.

Look at them after they finished singing those two songs that they had spent countless sleepless nights revising.

"Here it comes!"

"Quiet down! Listen to the intro! It's 'Bubble'!"

The expected full stage performance did not appear, nor did the contestants' close-ups.

The camera didn't focus on Yao Beina in the center of the stage at all; instead, it frantically swept across the audience and the judges' seats.

After finally getting a wide shot and a close-up of Yao Beina opening her mouth, the camera immediately switched to the audience applauding below the stage.

The breathing inside the room stopped instantly.

Ma Xiaojun's concerned expression froze, and he couldn't utter a single word.

The song has ended.

The studio erupted in applause. Judge Eric Moo, microphone in hand, had just begun to say, "Your song..."

The screen suddenly cut to GG, and when it returned, the elimination results were announced.

They didn't even get to pronounce Yao Bei's name; just that one word, "you," shattered everyone's expectations in the studio.

There were no acceptance speeches, no pre-recorded personal segments, and no follow-up comments from the judges.

Chang Sisi makes her appearance.

What I Miss

No, still no.

The camera still drifted by, and there were still no interviews, no behind-the-scenes footage, and no contestants' remarks.

In the two-hour live stream, all that remained of their content were a few fragmented clips of their faces.

All told, it was two people, two minutes and twelve seconds.

Even when the host read their names, it was so fast that it was hard to hear.

On the screen, the next contestant is being interviewed, smiling broadly as if mocking everyone watching.

Ma Xiaojun put down the can in his hand. His previous anger had subsided, leaving him only with a feeling of helplessness.

Jiang Yilei forced himself to comfort Chang Sisi, who was already in tears.

Yao Beina sat there motionless. After a long time, she smiled, a smile that looked more like a grimace.

"It's good, the haircut is quite clean."

In the corner, Li Ran and Zhou Tao exchanged a glance.

Zhou Tao took out his phone, found a number, hesitated for a long time, and finally pressed the dial button.

"Hello, teacher...it's me, Zhou Tao."

A strong, resonant voice came from the other end of the phone: "Xiao Zhou, how's it going over there?"

Zhou Tao was silent for two seconds: "Teacher, about that... let's forget about it."

"What? Weren't we supposed to be recording a song?"

"I'm not recording anymore," Zhou Tao said, his voice dry.

"Thank you so much, but... no need."

After hanging up the phone, he looked at Li Ran, who was leaning against the wall with her eyes closed, saying nothing.

They waited outside the teacher's house for an entire afternoon just to invite him.

The teacher finally relented and agreed to help, even offering to bring in graduate students to record the video.

But now, I don't even want to make songs anymore.

My spirit is gone.

Misfortune never comes singly; all sorts of underhanded tricks have been used against Xianming.

The night after the Super Girl eliminations, Gao Xiaosong's interview clips were broadcast simultaneously on major TV stations and music platforms.

Host: "Teacher Gao, that Xianming Studio seems to be quite popular lately?"

Gao Xiaosong chuckled: "Famous? Weren't we just eliminated from Super Girl?"

The host paused for a moment, then asked, "You've followed this?"

"Everyone in the industry is talking about it." The short, tall man leaned back on the sofa, his tone as gentle as if he were having a casual chat.

"To be honest, I was actually quite looking forward to seeing how far they could go."

"And the result? They were eliminated in the regional rounds, falling into the top 10 of the top 20."

He shrugged: "What does this mean? It means the audience isn't buying it. What's the point of having a great song if nobody votes?"

Host: "But they seem to be quite controversial..."

Gao Xiaosong interrupted him: "I'm not saying they necessarily have a problem."

"But anyone who makes music knows how much behind-the-scenes work is required to create a song, from inspiration to mixing and mastering."

"Did they list all these people's names? No."

"They only promote singers, only Wang Song."

Host: "I see that it's a joint project between three universities, so the universities must have contributed."

The short, tall man leaned close to the sofa, smiling like an elder.

"Collaborative innovation between universities? The university provides the venue, resources, and connections, while student teams work on projects under the guidance of teachers."

"But Xianming, they have already registered an independent company, independently undertake commercial projects, and independently connect with capital."

"The school just put up a sign for them."

He leaned forward.

"I'm not targeting anyone in particular, I just feel that a school's reputation should not be used as a shield for commercial activities."

"Think about it, what if all student entrepreneurs used the school's name to attract investment and negotiate partnerships?"

"If problems arise, will the school be held responsible? Will it have to cover the losses? Once this loophole is opened, how will it be cleaned up later?"

Host: "So, Professor Gao, what do you think will happen to the 'Immortal Name' model in the end?"

Gao Xiaosong remained silent for two seconds.

Then he smiled, as if he didn't bother to answer the question:

"What will happen? He'll walk himself to his death."

"Because what they're doing isn't music, it's business. One's heart is set on songs, the other's heart is set on money."

"What good stuff can you expect from someone whose heart is set on money?"

He paused.

"Of course, this is just my personal opinion. Maybe they really can find a new path? If so, I congratulate them."

This statement served as a signal, and mainstream music media outlets collectively followed suit and reposted it.

Overnight, Xianming went from being a role model for student entrepreneurship to a disruptor in the industry and a cancer in the music market.

It quickly escalated to the point that Chinese music is dying.

First label them, then they choose sides; their tactics are still those of the old guard.

"Damn it! What right does he have to bring up their elimination?!"

Ma Xiaojun, panting heavily, asked again.

"Boss, should we list out the names of all the behind-the-scenes artists involved in the arrangement, mixing, and recording?!"

Wang Song smiled and said, "If we really added them, they would be unhappy. Is it really wrong for our model to belong to the creators?"

Ma Xiaojun shook his head violently.

"Then that settles it; the only sin is being a pure and upright person."

Jiang Yilei took a deep breath, looked at Wang Song, and said in a slightly trembling voice, "Boss..."

"Hmm, what's wrong?"

"The contract with Tudou.com is still under legal review and cannot be signed in the short term. The investors have put pressure on them, and there's nothing they can do."

She paused, then added, "But they said the video will absolutely not be taken down, nor will its reach be limited."

This is the most sincerity Tudou.com can offer.

The room fell even more silent.

The girl who used to come to the studio every day hasn't been here lately.

Sister Lin called and said, "The preparation for the 'A Little Thing Called First Love' project will be temporarily suspended until the public outcry subsides."

They didn't withdraw their investment, nor did they break off relations, but they clearly chose to wait and see.

As bad news kept pouring in, the atmosphere in the room grew increasingly heavy.

Even the usually boisterous Ma Xiaojun fell silent, sitting in front of the computer, repeatedly refreshing the message interface.

Just when the deathly silence in the room was almost suffocating, Ma Xiaojun suddenly stood up.

stab.

"It's done! The author, Tianxia Bachang, replied! It's done!"

Everyone immediately swarmed around it.

On the computer screen was a message from Tianxia Bachang on QQ, filled with exhilarating joy:

"I'll take the collaboration. Just based on your rule of fully transparent costs, I'm definitely going to do it."

"I know about your situation. I'll open up my entire readership to you so we can work together on merchandise."

Looking at the records, Ma Xiaojun said, "Haha, I've pre-sold to 1,000 people, making a profit of 20,000. Once it's linked with Ghost Blows Out the Light..."

"Both sides benefit, and prices can rise further!!"

The deathly silence of the room was finally broken by this cheer.

Jiang Yilei covered his mouth, and tears immediately fell down his face.

Liu Jianjun stared at the screen, and his shoulders, which had been tense for several days, finally relaxed a little.

Their ringtone distribution channels were blocked by the record company, their television footage was cut, and all paths in front of the stage were blocked.

But in the hidden corners of the internet, unseen by record companies, they managed to carve out a niche for themselves.

Wang Song looked up and scanned the room at everyone whose eyes were red but whose smiles had returned.

He smiled and broke the silence: "Want to order something extra?"

"Hahahaha!! I want to eat braised chicken with potatoes!!"

"I want to eat dry pot! The extra spicy kind!"

"We have everything."

Amidst the noise, Wang Song closed the Baidu MP3 interface on his computer screen.

Since things have come to this, let's eat first.