Unboxing, Director!

Chapter 37: Seizing the Opinion Front
When I arrived at Wang Changtian’s company, as soon as I got out of the car, Wang Changtian came to greet me with a smile.

"Hello, Lu Jiang, I'm Wang Changtian, and this is my brother Wang Hongtian."

"Hello, Mr. Wang."

After a brief greeting, both parties came to the company and sat down to discuss in detail.

Wang Changtian, born in 65, is only 34 years old this year. He is a little thin and looks very capable, completely different from his later appearance after gaining weight.

Wang Hongtian didn't say much, just poured tea silently.

After sitting down, Wang Changtian handed over the plan first.

This made Lu Jiang's heart light up.

Proactively providing a business plan shows that the other party is indeed not opposed to investing.

Sure enough, a new treasure chest appeared above Wang Changtian’s head.

This is the first treasure chest that appears after the Gold Finger upgrade.

Wang Changtian hopes that the host will do his utmost to help him implement his plan, and promises in a contract that he will not compete with other companies, will not participate in decision-making, will not actively transfer shares, and will invest one million yuan. He is willing to pay 20% of the equity for this.

Wang Changtian’s bottom line is clear at a glance.

Goldfinger's intelligence function has once again come in handy.

But the problem is that the treasure chest is only green, and there is no upgrade prompt.

After thinking about it, Lu Jiang figured it out.

The other party has set a series of restrictions in mind, but is only willing to give 20%, which is obviously an exorbitant price.

This also shows that Wang Changtian still has strong confidence in this project and his attitude remains high, so the demand for financing is not particularly strong.

Whether there is Lu Jiang or other bigger stars or capital, it actually doesn’t matter to him.

All he needs is a little help and some limited competition so he can get off to a good start.

Even without any help, he was still confident that he would succeed. It was just a matter of time.

In fact, Wang Changtian did think so.

After his first business venture failed last year, he asked a TV station leader how much it would cost to produce a program on the TV station.

The other party’s answer was at least 10 million, the more the better.

It is for this reason that Wang Changtian turned his attention to small programs.

If you can’t do the big one, then do the small one.

The brothers started planning the new project in January.

In March, the rental policy was implemented.

According to the plan, we will recruit people in March, start shooting in April, make a demo tape in May, hold a media screening in June, and start distributing the film in July.

Wang Changtian used his connections to get a directory of celebrities in the film and television industry from an entertainment reporter. "Start as a small star, no appearance fee is required, just boxed lunches are provided."

But the result is that, so far, apart from renting a house, everything else has been very difficult.

For example, finding young celebrities.

They said they were looking for small stars who didn't ask for appearance fees, but small stars rarely have stories that can attract ratings, after all, they are small stars.

So far, although Wang Changtian and his team have prepared some plans, all the friends at the TV station shook their heads after seeing them, thinking they were boring.

Seeing that half of the funds had been spent and the business still had not taken off, the two brothers began to get anxious.

But it’s actually okay, because Wang Changtian already has new ideas for the program.

It just so happened that the landlord Lu Jianguo introduced himself and said that he was Lu Jiang's father and could ask Lu Jiang for help.

Then the Wang Changtian brothers learned about the wonderful fate between Lu Jianguo and them.

This made the two brothers a little excited.

Lu Jiang is currently one of the most popular singers in mainland China and even across the Taiwan Strait and Hong Kong. Many media have called him the new king.

If "China Entertainment Report" could report his story at the beginning, the program content would be greatly enriched and the audience would definitely be happy to watch it.

The most important thing is that Lu Jiang’s circle of friends must be quite large.

If he can interview some big stars and keep the program going, then "China Entertainment Report" will have taken the first step to stabilization.

But Lao Lu said he wanted to invest, which made Wang Changtian's brothers feel a little embarrassed.

It's human nature that no one wants outsiders to come into their home.

However, Wang Changtian's thinking is not that of an ordinary person after all.

He felt that there was no problem in investing, as long as the other party was willing to provide enough money and connections to allow him to get off to a successful start.

This is a normal financing behavior. All large enterprises in the new era must go through this stage. If they do well in the future, such things will definitely happen more frequently.

However, the share ratio must be controlled, and various restrictions must be set at the same time. We must not end up being constrained by the other party. At the same time, we must have a detailed discussion with Lu Jiang to see how much value he has, and at the same time, test his character to see if he is really suitable for cooperation.

If he thinks it is feasible and the other party can agree to his exorbitant price, then of course he can cooperate.

If the other party doesn't want to, that's not a big problem.

Who knows who will be the most awesome in the future.

After knowing the other party's situation.

Lu Jiang also felt relieved.

It will be easy if we have a reserve price.

At the very least, the deal can be completed at the other party's reserve price.

Is this reserve price acceptable?

Of course there is no problem with that.

Do not engage in competition with the same industry.

Lu Jiang had never had this idea.

Not involved in decision-making.

He is Wang Changtian, the founder of this business in China, a top-level figure, a man who has built a business from 10 to tens of billions. If he influences his decision, does Lu Jiang have nothing better to do?
Do not actively transfer shares.

Needless to say, only a fool would sell it.

Finally, the investment was one million.

It is a huge sum of money for Wang Changtian now, but it is a small amount of money for Lu Jiang.

Of course, the bottom line is the bottom line.

If you can strive for more, you should naturally strive for more.

It’s not possible to just say how much he said.

The most important thing is the shares.

How much is appropriate?
In his previous life, Lu Jiang had come into contact with similar financing institutions when he ran a fried chicken shop.

The behavior of the Lu family father and son today is actually angel round financing.

It is not appropriate to take too much angel round financing.

For example, the mouth opening needs to be 34% or more, which is basically impossible to achieve.

Because holding 34% of the shares gives one a veto power, the founder will lose absolute control and his enthusiasm will be gone. How can he get anything done?

It is not a good idea to take too little, for example, less than 10%, as you will not have much voting rights and will easily be kicked out when raising funds in the future.

Therefore, most angel rounds take between 10% and 33% to balance their own investment risks and returns, so that they will not be easily washed out in multiple rounds of investment in the future, and at the same time maintain the enthusiasm of the founders.

20% is actually very suitable. The "equity method" can be used in the company. The interests of all parties are most balanced and it is most acceptable to the founders. Wang Changtian has obviously done relevant research.

For Lu Jiang, of course he has to keep the other party motivated.

He is here to invest, not to help him do things.

If the other party loses their enthusiasm and ends up doing things on their own, then there's no point in investing. It's better to just do it yourself from the beginning.

So the goal this time is to maintain the bottom line of 20% and strive to get 33%.

Of course, if Wang Changtian gave up absolute control, Lu Jiang would also take it over, but this is obviously unlikely.

With the psychological expectation in mind, the next step is how to strive for 33%.

Money is one thing, and showing value is another.

But the problem is that Lu Jiang’s value is actually not as great as it seems.

The most important thing about "China Entertainment Report" is the TV station resources.

Lu Jiang, the so-called quasi-superstar, looks powerful, but he is just an entertainer.

It is not possible to say that they can definitely appear on TV shows, let alone ask them to give them a time slot to do the show.

So it is definitely not okay to fire blanks from this perspective.

After thinking about it, Lu Jiang felt that he had to start with deterrence.

What the other party fears most.

What he fears most is that you are richer, more famous, and have more resources than him, and he is also more thoughtful and harder-working than you.

So after some thought, Lu Jiang decided to "intimidate" them first.

After reading the plan, Lu Jiang calmly said:
"Actually, my dad has thought about letting me do a show like this myself, and I do have this idea."

When the Wang Changtian brothers heard this, their backs tightened.

That's what they're most worried about.

He is a quasi-superstar, so it is much easier for him to accomplish something than for me.

This is why they are willing to sit down and talk today. They don't want their second entrepreneurial plan to fail in the womb.

However, Wang Changtian quickly calmed down.

Just because Lu Jiang said he had an idea didn’t mean it was reliable.

Everyone has ideas, they are all wild and imaginative, and they all look good.

But implementing it is another matter.

Lu Jiang said he had an idea right away, but that didn't mean anything.

However, what he didn't expect was that Lu Jiang started talking about his ideas directly.

Lu Jiang has a lot to say on this point. Even though Lu Jiang is not in the entertainment industry, he knows what the audience likes to watch.

This is gossip news. As a later-generation person, Lu Jiang reads too much of this kind of stuff, including the early "China Entertainment Report".

What stories about drifting to Beijing and Hengyang, and how much money can you make from filming a scene.

Which big director or big star is going to shoot what movie next?

Who had a conflict or interaction with whom.

What are the investment costs and returns of movies and TV series? Are they really that profitable?

The real scenes behind the scenes when celebrities are filming, etc.

This kind of thing represents traffic in the later information age.

This was especially true in 99 when there was already a severe shortage of entertainment programs in mainland China.

Lu Jiang also directly pointed out the shortcomings in the plan.

The idea in Wang Changtian's plan is to interview young celebrities and talk about unknown stories in the entertainment industry that the public is interested in, but the content of the plan is currently a bit boring.

In Lu Jiang's opinion, it is too literary. For example, he interviewed Zhang Ziyi, who had just finished filming Zhang Yimou's "My Father and Mother", and asked her to talk about her feelings after filming and her understanding of the movie.

Zhang Ziyi is not famous at all now. If you ask her to talk about this, you might as well ask her what Zhang Yimou likes to eat, whether he likes to curse, etc.

After hearing this, Wang Changtian suddenly had an epiphany. His thoughts were broadened a lot, and he thought to himself that Lu Jiang knew more about making programs than him.

Of course, the alarm bells in my heart were also ringing wildly.

Lu Jiang continued to pursue the victory and put forward a practical plan.

For example, you can use yourself as material in the shooting plan.

The production status of the new album, the shooting scene of the new album, who is the heroine of the new album, and what her daily life is like, etc.

As a quasi-superstar, this will definitely boost ratings, and other stars can also do the same. Lu Jiang now knows a lot of people and can bring them over.

In addition to these, "Return of the Condor Heroes" is also a super topic.

"Return of the Condor Heroes" is currently at its peak popularity.

The audience will definitely love to read the behind-the-scenes stories of "Return of the Pearl", information about "Return of the Pearl 2", the profits of "Return of the Pearl", etc.

It was extremely difficult for Wang Changtian to contact the crew of "My Fair Princess" and conduct an in-depth interview, but it was not difficult for Lu Jiang.

The new king’s influence is still acceptable.

Fan Binbin called a few days ago and asked about the start of filming for the new album, and revealed that He Xiuqiong also wanted her to pass on a message, wanting to find out whether it is possible to let the actors under her work together on the MV, including Xiaoyanzi, to form a powerful combination.

So if you really want to make a program around "Return of the Condor Heroes", Lu Jiang can do it.

After hearing this, the Wang Changtian brothers felt heartbroken.

But Lu Jiang wasn't done yet.

He then began to demonstrate his professional directorial skills.

How to handle entertainment news footage, how should the host report, how should the picture be set up, and how should the sound effects be created.

You can't be as rigid as CCTV News.

You have to be lively and vivid.

This kind of advice seems very ordinary and like nonsense to later generations.

But anyone who has watched TV programs these days knows that TV programs these days are nothing but serious.

The color tone, font and so on are all rigid and lifeless.

The only not-so-serious ones are a few satellite TV variety shows like "Happy Camp".

This is also the reason why their ratings are getting better and better.

In addition to these, there is also the issue of how to deal with advertising.

The most common reminder in later generations, "Don't go away, come back right after the commercial," was actually invented by Wang Changtian. Just think about how beneficial this reminder is to advertisers.

Lu Jiang didn't know that the inventor of this sentence was Wang Changtian, but he noticed that this sentence didn't exist in those days, so he used it as an example.

And after he said it.

The Wang Changtian brothers were already sweating profusely.

Lu Jiang is richer and more famous than them, and he knows how to make a show better than them.

The ideas I have come up with during this period are simply not worth mentioning in front of him.

How the hell can we compete?

Stop playing around or else just hang out with him!

For a moment, his younger brother Wang Hongtian was ready to surrender.

But Wang Changtian calmed himself down again.

He realized that Lu Jiang said so much to them not just to attack him, but his purpose was still to negotiate for a stake, and he actually had no intention of operating alone, at least not now.

In other words, this matter can still be discussed.

And the situation is even better than it was at the beginning.

Because Lu Jiang knows more than them, the project has a greater chance of success.

So Wang Changtian asked directly: "Lu Jiang, let's not mince words, how do you want to cooperate?"

Lu Jiang did not answer this question directly.

Instead, he looked at him and said, "I think your bottom line is about 20% equity. You still want me to pay a lot of money, I guess about a million. You also want me not to participate in decision-making and voting. You think I just need to pay the money and be a sucker. Am I right?"

After hearing this, Wang Changtian suddenly felt something stuck in his throat and his ears began to buzz.

To say that I broke out in a cold sweat after hearing Lu Jiang's thoughts just now, at most I just felt a huge threat.

But if he really had to compete with Lu Jiang, Wang Changtian was still confident and even eager to fight. He felt that it would not be shameful even if he lost.

But now, Lu Jiang directly and accurately revealed his bottom price, which was a bit scary.

I feel like I am transparent in front of him, he can see through me at a glance, and I have no privacy at all.

Especially at this kind of negotiation table, the act of suddenly speaking out and directly pointing out one's bottom line is particularly intimidating.

For a moment, Wang Changtian's remaining fighting spirit began to dissipate rapidly.

Fortunately, Lu Jiang thought the same as he did. He was not here to attack anyone today, but still came with the purpose of cooperation.

So Lu Jiang finally smiled and said, "It seems that I was right."

Wang Changtian didn't respond and looked a little embarrassed.

Lu Jiang smiled and said, "Let's raise the bottom price. We are all people who get things done. We should be honest with each other, cooperate sincerely, and build a big business together. That's the right thing to do, Mr. Wang, right?"

After a day of detailed discussions, Lu Jiang and Wang Changtian formally signed the investment agreement the next day.

According to the agreement, Lu Jiang holds a 34% stake and has a veto power. Lu Jiang promised that it would not use the shares for at least three years and would not engage in competition with peers. The other party was very satisfied.

The investment amount is still 100 million.

To use Lao Lu’s words: At the last moment you still have to rely on money, and once you hit them, no one will say a word!

But Lu Jiang knew that without the previous deterrence and demonstration of value, Wang Changtian would not agree no matter how much money was spent.

In the end, this money is just a psychological compensation for facilitating the deal and allowing them to give a veto.

Collaboration is complete.

After the two sides had a simple meal together, the Lu family father and son left.

On the way back, Lu Jiang finally breathed a sigh of relief.

One million, bought 34% of Guangxian shares.

Through multiple rounds of financing and listing in the future, this 34% is estimated to be diluted to within 15%.

But this is enough, and he is still one of the major shareholders.

With 15% of the valuation of tens of billions in hand, the Lao Lu family can rest easy from now on.

Of course the most important thing is.

At this point, Lu Jiang has completely taken over a solid position in public opinion.

Just like in the original time and space, "China Entertainment Report" has time slots for broadcast on one or two hundred TV stations across the country, and the content can be almost independently set.

In the era of television, this is the top exposure platform and public opinion position besides CCTV!

With the right to speak in public opinion, it will be much more comfortable for her to survive in the circle than other stars in the future!

This also made Lu Jiang look towards the south.

The exposure platforms and public opinion fronts of the television era have already been copied.

Well, in this Internet age, you have to find out the truth when you have time!

(End of this chapter)