Huayu: From the Era of Ringtones to Becoming a Legend

Lu Jiuge didn't answer directly, but instead threw the question back at her:

"Mr. Zheng, how much money can you come up with right now?"

A hint of embarrassment flashed across Zheng Lin's face, and he gave a wry smile:

"Don't laugh at me, Mr. Lu, but I don't have a single penny of cash on hand right now!"

"The company's accounts are empty, and I personally owe more than 400,000 yuan in debt to the bank and two friends..."

Zheng Lin hadn't finished speaking, but Lu Jiuge already understood his situation and calmly offered her advice:

"Why don't you just package up Qianshan Jingyin along with its domain name, code, and user data and sell it to a buyer?"

"Use the money from the sale to pay off your debts. Whether it's 100,000 or 80,000, invest it all in the new company. I'll still give you 30% of the shares!"

Zheng Lin was stunned:

"This... Mr. Lu, this is inappropriate. Using the money from selling the company to pay off debts is my personal matter, and even if there's some left, it's completely disproportionate to the technology and capital you've invested. This 30% is too hot for me to handle."

"That's not how the proportions are calculated."

Lu Jiuge looked at him:

"I'm investing in the technology and seed funding; you're investing in the whole person!"

"As you know, I know absolutely nothing about technology. The future of this new company depends entirely on you taking the helm and putting in the effort!"

"My job is just to distribute the money and give the orders! Taking 70% of the shares means I've made the profit!"

Zheng Lin didn't mince words, nodded, and earnestly requested:

"Mr. Lu, then send someone from the finance department to oversee the process, ensuring fairness in the transaction and preventing misappropriation of funds!"

"Need not!"

Lu Jiuge blurted out, meeting Zheng Lin's gaze:

"Mr. Zheng, if we don't even have this basic level of trust, how can I entrust the company to you? Don't have any reservations, get on with it quickly!"

Zheng Lin was stunned for a moment, then expressed his gratitude:

"I'll handle everything myself and won't bring any trouble into the new company!"

Lu Jiuge nodded:

"You handle this as you see fit!"

He changed the subject:

"I plan to locate the new company's office in Hengdian World Studios in Zhejiang Province. My core team and content creation team are all there, making coordination easier."

"Is your tech team willing to move south?"

"No problem!"

After thinking for a moment, Zheng Lin replied:

"The core team consists of thirteen people, including myself. Apart from two people with families who might need some adjustments, the rest are all single, tech geeks. We provide them with a good computer, fast internet, a cafeteria, and dormitories—it's the same wherever we go!"

"Then it's settled. You're in charge of convincing the team and arranging the relocation. I'll be in Hengdian, and I'll get the office and accommodation sorted out within two days. I'll be waiting for you to come!"

"good!"

Zheng Lin nodded emphatically.

……

After returning to the film studio and resting for the night, Lu Jiuge shouted loudly as soon as she stepped into the company the next morning:

"Teacher Liu, Old Chen, Old Zuo, Sister Huizhen, come to my office for an emergency meeting!"

The four quickly gathered in the office, and Lu Jiuge got straight to the point:

"Old Zuo and I went to Kyoto; the deal is done. Zheng Lin will be there with Qianshan Jingting's technical team in two or three days!"

After listening, Liu Sixi took the lead and reported:

"Regarding the office space and accommodation, I've already finalized the agreement after receiving your call yesterday. The lease and rent for the entire building were paid to the landlord yesterday!"

"In terms of planning, a recording studio and reception area will be added to the second floor, offices will be on the third floor, and dormitories and a canteen will be on the fourth and fifth floors. Construction is already underway!"

"Well done!"

Lu Jiuge nodded in satisfaction and turned to Chen Bin:

"Old Chen, you handle the company transfer process for Zheng Lin, and while you're at it, purchase office equipment according to the list he gave you. The key is high-spec computers and high-speed servers; a tech geek's lifeblood can't be compromised!"

Chen Bin took out his notebook and wrote:

"Don't worry, I've already checked the list with Zheng Lin, and we can place the order today."

"Time is short, you guys go and keep an eye on things, make sure nothing goes wrong!"

After Liu Sixi and Chen Bin left, Lu Jiuge looked at Li Huizhen and handed her a stack of A4 papers:

"Sister Huizhen. Your new album has ten songs, and the lyrics, music, and arrangement are all in there. Take a few days to digest them, and after we finish this current task, I'll personally accompany you to the recording studio!"

Li Huizhen took the manuscript, took a deep breath, and nodded vigorously:

"Okay, Mr. Lu, I'll follow your instructions!"

After Li Huizhen left, only Lu Jiuge and Zuo Wei remained in the conference room.

The relaxation on Lu Jiuge's face vanished, and she said seriously:

"Old Zuo, my bet with Luo Zhiqiang only has four days left!"

He directly accessed the ringback tone download data page:

"Currently, Luo Zhiqiang's 'Road to Glory' has 8.1 million ringtone downloads. We only have 4.3 million, a difference of more than double!"

The person on the left is staring at the data, their voice deep:

"They're opening up all their channels and burning money to boost sales. We're completely blocked; normal channels are blocked. Four days, a shortfall of four million..."

"So we don't go through the normal channels."

Lu Jiuge interrupted him:

"This 4.3 million was obtained under duress; what does that signify?"

The left shows a slight movement of the eyes:

"Does this mean the song itself is good, and the fanbase is solid?"

"right."

Lu Jiuge closed the page:

"What we need to do now is not to beg those channels that are blocking us for traffic. Instead, we need to turn the fact that we are being besieged into the biggest explosive event!"

Go ignite those ordinary people who love the song but can't stand seeing capital bullying the weak. In the final forty-eight hours, I need you to wage a blitzkrieg of public opinion.

"I see!"

A glint of light flashed in Zuo Wei's eyes:

"Emotional marketing, leveraging their power against them. Use their ban to support our victim persona!"

"That's right!"

Lu Jiuge thought for a moment and emphasized:

"Old Zuo, remember, the timing of the announcements must be precise; they can't be released ahead of schedule!"

"We're in a dangerous situation now; we can't give Luo Zhiqiang and Yawei Records any time to react!"

The person on the left is taking a deep breath.

"Great! I'll go back and prepare a complete plan right away! I guarantee I'll handle this perfectly!"

"Okay, go ahead!"

After speaking, Lu Jiuge remembered the matter of Mirror World Media and added:

"By the way, Lao Zuo, take some time to think about Mirror Media's development plan!"

"Once this is over, I'll have Zheng Lin's tech team help build a dedicated entertainment portal website!"

"Your team needs to grow stronger as soon as possible. In the entertainment industry, not having a voice is incredibly frustrating!"

"Okay, I understand!"

Zuo answered once and turned to leave the office.

Lu Jiuge leaned back in her chair, her consciousness sinking into the system, staring blankly at the rapidly increasing negative faith value.

……

Two days later, a bus pulled up right downstairs at Qianxing Entertainment.

Zheng Lin arrived a day later than scheduled, accompanied by thirteen technicians.

Looking at the technicians, all dressed in plaid shirts and wearing black-rimmed glasses, carrying heavy laptop bags, Lu Jiuge felt very reassured.

He knew that these thirteen people were his trump card for turning things around.

The technicians had barely put down their luggage and entered the second-floor office area, which was still under renovation and only had a few rows of temporary desks, when they couldn't wait to start shouting:

"Mr. Zheng, where's the Lingyun algorithm? Show it to me quickly, I can't wait any longer! I want to see if this audio optimization algorithm you've been touting is truly living up to its reputation!"

Others gathered around, shouting all at once:

"I heard it can output studio-quality sound for MP3s? That's incredible! Bring it out!"

……

"Don't rush, let's settle in first!"

Lu Jiuge walked forward with a smile, holding a USB flash drive in her hand:

"I've brought the algorithm, and the office and servers are all set up, with a high-spec computer for everyone and gigabit-speed internet as fast as possible. But let's make it clear first, testing is one thing, but tonight it's my treat—we have to have a good meal first!"

"What we eat isn't important, let's look at the algorithm first!"

The lead technician's eyes lit up, and he reached out to take the USB drive, but Zheng Lin stopped him.

"How disrespectful! The confidentiality agreement hasn't even been signed yet! How can you be so ignorant of the rules!"