The Heiress's Game

Gu Yunjin and Zhou Ji held a video conference.

"Let me tell you the good news first." Zhou Ji unscrewed the bottle cap, his tone carrying the lightness of someone finally seeing the end of a long journey.

"The relocation of Yunwhale Capital back to China is progressing faster than expected. The main registration, license application, and QFLP channel in the free trade zone have all been completed, and the bank custody account will be activated this week."

The financial office that Lu Xiao was in contact with was very cooperative, saying that we were the fastest cross-border capital transaction to complete the entire process this year.

It is expected that Narwal's new office in Dahai City will be officially opened before the end of the month.

Gu Yunjin leaned back in her chair and let out a soft breath. She had been planning this move since last year, and now it had finally come to fruition.

"Thank you for your hard work. How are the moving arrangements going?"

"Ye Ming has already packed all the boxes for the moving company; she's more efficient than I expected."

Zhou Ji chuckled. "She's even enrolled the kids in the international school in Dahai City, saying she'll take them to eat Tim Ho Wan's crispy char siu buns as soon as they land—after so many years, they're finally able to come back."

"I'll treat you when you get back."

Gu Yunjin smiled.

"Let's get down to business." Zhou Ji put the sparkling water aside, leaned forward slightly, and switched his expression from relaxed to working mode.

I watched the first episode of "Walking with Brilliance". Ye Ming dragged me to watch it with her.

The data is very impressive, with viewership, interaction rate, and social media buzz all exceeding expectations.

The key point is the extremely high proportion of tap water, which is almost unprecedented in reality shows featuring ordinary people. What are your plans next?

"Sponsors have approached us; there are currently over a dozen."

"More than a dozen? That's a good thing."

"I don't plan to accept all offers. I'll just choose one or two of the most suitable ones for brand collaborations and turn down the rest."

Gu Yunjin's tone was very calm, as if she were talking about something extremely ordinary.

"Sponsoring someone else's brand is not as good as sponsoring myself."

Zhou Ji's eyebrows twitched slightly, but he didn't speak, waiting for her to continue.

I read the comments section and the bullet comments.

What viewers are most interested in isn't what kind of "GG" was inserted into the show—there wasn't any "GG" in the first episode at all—what they're most interested in is what kind of earrings Chen Cui wore, what kind of dress the younger sister wore, and what pattern the scarf the mother wore was.

Each comment requesting a link gets over ten thousand likes. All this traffic used to go to waste, either snatched up by other brands or left to rot in the comments section.

Gu Yunjin picked up the tablet, facing the camera. The screen displayed screenshots of comment data that she had Li Chunjing compile.

"I want to do it myself—I'll hire designers to create patterns, find suppliers to produce small batches, use variety shows as a promotional platform, and launch sales simultaneously on e-commerce platforms."

Clothing, jewelry, cosmetics—every category that catches the eye of the audience can become my own brand.

Variety shows aren't the product's weakness; variety shows themselves are the strength, and they're more effective than any other weakness.

There was a full three or four seconds of silence on Zhou Ji's end.

"Your line of thinking—" He carefully chose his words, speaking a beat slower than usual.

"I really didn't expect that the traditional monetization path for variety shows is nothing more than GG and membership revenue. You've essentially turned the variety show itself into an e-commerce platform with its own traffic."

Every episode is a new product launch, every main character is a model, and every shot is a product detail page.

But the costs will be extremely high—designers, supply chain, quality control, inventory management, e-commerce operations—each line requires significant capital investment. Are you sure you want to do this?

"The risks are calculable. But if we succeed, the rewards will be substantial."

Gu Yunjin's tone remained calm, but every word seemed to have been carefully considered.

"Sponsorship is someone else's brand, and the money is a one-time thing. But the brand is your own, and the assets will continue to appreciate."

Even if the show ends after its third season, the brand can still operate independently, and the market will remember it.

Yunwhale Capital has set aside a separate brand incubation program within its cultural industry fund to invest in this project.

Zhou Ji put on his glasses and tapped his fingers lightly twice on the table.

"Yes, I suggest launching the clothing, jewelry, and cosmetics lines in stages."

The clothing line can be prioritized because outfits are featured most frequently in variety shows, and audience feedback is the most direct.

Jewelry and cosmetics can be introduced later, once the apparel line is running smoothly, to reduce trial-and-error costs. Regarding funding—how much do you need?

"The initial funding was 30 million, with additional funding to be added based on market feedback."

I've already started contacting designers. For the supply chain, have your team help me find someone, preferably with experience in small-batch flexible customization.

"Flexible customization—that goes up the cost again."

Zhou Ji's tone didn't imply any opposition when he said this; he was simply stating a fact.

"Small batches mean higher unit costs and compressed profit margins."

However, the advantage is that there is less inventory risk, and styles can be quickly updated based on market feedback.

This strategy was correct for the initial positioning of the brand.

"I never intended to make fast-moving consumer goods from the beginning," Gu Yunjin said.

"What I want to do is 'variety show-style products'—things that viewers see on the show can be bought on the same platform."

This "what you see is what you get" experience is something no traditional gamer can provide.

Zhou Ji was silent for a moment, then he chuckled softly, a smile that contained both appreciation and emotion.

"I've put together the plan and will send it to you tomorrow."

Gu Yunjin added, "The funds will go through Yunwhale's cultural industry fund. Have your legal department review the structure."

"Don't worry. I'll arrive in Dahai City at the end of the month and meet with you in person."

By the way, my sister-in-law asked me to ask you if the pearl earrings Chen Cui wore in the first episode are still available for purchase.

She'd already boasted in the parents' group that it was the first model from her future brand, and she'd be ashamed if she couldn't buy it.

Gu Yunjin laughed out loud, a rare occurrence, and the video screen even trembled slightly.

Tell her to reserve three pairs for the initial batch and let her choose.

Gu Yunjin turned off the video and leaned back in her chair.

The osmanthus trees outside the window rustled in the wind. She stared at the light and shadow on the ceiling for a while, then picked up her phone and sent a message to Li Chunjing:

"Send me the new designer's resume today. Also, contact a OEM factory with experience in flexible customization, requiring a minimum order quantity of no more than fifty pieces, and provide me with samples within this week."

Less than twenty seconds after the message was sent, Li Chunjing replied with "Received".