Entertainment mogul: Starting his business with the internet

Chapter 258 A Small Gift
In the spacious and luxurious living room of the Jingyuan Villa, Song Ci sat leisurely on the soft sofa.

She was toying with a trophy that shone with a golden luster in her hand; it was the "Most Popular Actress" award that Ms. Liu had won not long ago at the College Student Film Festival.

Although it was just a popularity award, Ms. Liu won it entirely on her own merit.

In Song Ci's view, this was undoubtedly a recognition of his fiancée's strength and charm by the public, which made him feel proud, even more so than when he himself received various honors and titles.

The small, exquisite trophy spun slowly between his fingers, reflecting a soft yet dazzling light under the bright living room lights, highlighting the pride and joy on his face.

After returning home from the film festival ceremony, Liu Shishi had just finished washing up and felt refreshed.

With a faint fragrance from her bath, her hair still exuded a misty vapor, and a few stray strands of hair clung to her fair cheeks, adding a touch of unintentional charm.

At this moment, she was barefoot, lying lazily on one side of the sofa, looking at her phone.

Suddenly, a mischievous smile appeared on her face, and then she quietly extended a delicate, smooth, and warm jade-like foot.

With gentle movements, she first cautiously approached her fiancé, then lightly and slowly brushed her toes against his chin, the touch carrying a hint of coolness and a subtle teasing.

Song Ci was startled by the sudden intimate contact, then a doting smile appeared on his lips. He put down the trophy in his hand, gently held Miss Liu's ankle, and tickled the sole of her foot with his fingers.

"It tickles, oh!" Liu Shishi couldn't help but giggle, twisting her delicate body. Her clear and melodious laughter echoed in the living room.

Song Ci feigned annoyance: "Still being naughty? Using your stinky feet to stink me up."

"Nonsense! I just took a bath and I smell wonderful. If you don't like it, then don't touch me tonight." Miss Liu frowned, protesting angrily, looking charming and cute.

Song Ci chuckled lightly: "You little rascal, you can't take a joke."

"Hmph!" Liu Shishi turned her head arrogantly, thinking to herself, "Song Yiyi, you actually said my feet smelled, and you blamed me for not being able to take a joke. You're such a bad guy."

"Alright, alright, my Shibao smells so good." After saying that, Song Ci gently kissed his fiancée's smooth instep.

Liu Shishi subconsciously pulled her little foot back, recalling the electric-like tingling sensation on the instep just now, and felt a surge of joy in her heart. Mr. Song really loves me!

After playing around for a while, Song Ci looked at the trophy in front of her and said happily, "I've already told Sister Li to buy a few display cases tomorrow. Then my husband and I can have a competition to see who has won more honors."

Liu Shishi nestled in Song Ci's arms, understanding the unspoken meaning. With a curious look, she blinked her bright, watery eyes and asked, "Yiyi, you won an award too?"

Song Ci nodded slightly: "It's the May Fourth Youth Medal! The relevant authorities are recognizing my charitable act of generously donating during last year's major disaster."

Last year, the top leader had already spoken with him, saying that he would gradually receive the honors and semi-official status he deserved. The "May Fourth Youth Medal" was just the beginning, and a wider world awaited him in the future.

"So amazing!" Looking at Song Ci's domineering and confident demeanor, Miss Liu looked at her fiancé with admiration.

She then pouted, with a hint of coquettishness, and said, "I definitely can't compare to you. Besides, your 'May Fourth Youth Medal' is more valuable than many awards in the entertainment industry. I won't compete with you."

"Let's just compare quantities." Song Ci held the beauty in his arms, lowered his head slightly, and smelled the fresh and elegant fragrance emanating from Miss Liu's hair. It was the unique scent of Xiao Qingmei, which made him feel at ease and comfortable.

"Just comparing numbers is fine. Oh, by the way, darling, I remember you said last time that if I win an award at this film festival, you have to give me a gift to celebrate my first award. Where is the gift?"

Liu Shishi sat up straight, stretched out her fair hand, palm facing up, her eyes sparkling with anticipation, and asked her fiancé for the wedding gift that had been agreed upon long ago.

"I've never broken a promise I made to you. 'Chinese Paladin 3' is going to be broadcast on TV, right? I'll give you a recommendation." Song Ci said simply, keeping everyone in suspense.

Miss Liu immediately became interested, affectionately took Song Ci's arm, and asked curiously, "What recommendation? Tell me quickly."

Do you know about Toutiao?

Liu Shishi nodded: "I know, it's the mobile version of Toutiao. I often read it too. Speaking of which, I was just about to ask you about it, darling."

That day, I had a gathering with Lao Hu, Mimi, and the others. Everyone had "Toutiao" (Today's Headlines) on their phones, and we only realized during a casual conversation that everyone was reading different content.

The app mostly recommends cosmetics and menswear to me. Lao Hu usually sees content about cars, while Toutiao (a Chinese news aggregator) recommends cosmetics and real estate to Mimi.

"Everyone is looking at different things, so aren't we all using the same website?" Ms. Liu said, gesturing with her hands, her face full of confusion.

"This is the core big data technology of Tengda Group. Toutiao will select different content to recommend to customers based on users' needs and preferences."

The poem is a simple and understated piece, yet the pride in its expression is undeniable.

"Tengda's technology is so amazing." Liu Shishi couldn't help but cover her mouth and exclaim in surprise, then immediately understood what Song Ci meant.

As a female celebrity, I have a great need for cosmetics and skincare products, so the app recommends these.

As for men's clothing, it must be because I often buy clothes for Mr. Song. It seems that Toutiao can indeed accurately grasp user needs.

"Without some core technology, how do you think Tenda Group could sit firmly in the top position of China's Internet industry?"

"My husband is amazing." Miss Liu tilted her pretty face up and gave Song Ci a gentle kiss on the cheek, offering him her full admiration and maximizing the emotional impact.

"I've gone off on a tangent. I was just talking about giving 'Chinese Paladin 3' a recommendation. Specifically, before it airs, users of the 'Toutiao' app will see a splash screen recommendation about this TV series."

Liu Shishi seemed to understand, but not quite. Although she didn't have a deep understanding of the technical principles and promotional methods involved, she knew in her heart that this recommendation from her fiancé would definitely be of great help to the promotion of "Chinese Paladin 3". This gift was full of his support and love for her career.

Seeing Miss Liu's bewildered expression, with a hint of adorable naiveté in her clear eyes, Song Ci suppressed a smile and continued:
"Shishi, we live in an era of fragmented reading. Once users open an app, they don't stay focused on reading for the entire time. Take yourself for example, when you read Toutiao, do you read it continuously?"

"No. I usually only check Toutiao during my breaks from filming, or I alternate between browsing Weibo when I have free time."

"Users browse Toutiao intermittently every day. Every time they open the app and launch the program, a 3-second advertisement appears on the screen. The advertisement time is very short, so it has little impact on the user experience, but it has a very significant effect on ad delivery."

Song Ci patiently explained, his tone filled with confidence in his company's product technology.

App splash screen recommendations are currently Tenda Group's ultimate application of mobile traffic. With the continuous growth of smartphone users in China, the effectiveness of these recommendations will inevitably become increasingly apparent. This small recommendation for my fiancée is also a trial run for splash screen usage. If the results are satisfactory, the Toutiao splash screen can officially begin advertising, fully expanding our business scope.

After hearing the detailed explanation, Liu Shishi's eyes lit up, and she understood that once this brand-new publicity method was implemented, the effect would be extremely significant.

She could already imagine that a mobile phone user who saw the "Chinese Paladin 3" splash screen recommendation several times a day would find it hard not to be interested in watching one or two episodes when the TV series aired.

"That's wonderful! With this recommendation from you, my dear, I won't have to worry about promoting 'Chinese Paladin 3' anymore. Now K-sister shouldn't pressure me anymore!" Miss Liu patted her chest, her face beaming with joy.

"Cai Yinong forced you?" Song Ci frowned slightly, her mind extremely sensitive.

Seeing that her fiancé had misunderstood, Liu Shishi hurriedly explained, "Darling, it's not what you think. Sister K just hopes that I can go on an episode of Happy Camp with Lao Hu and Mimi to promote 'Chinese Paladin 3,' but I don't want to go."

Song Ci suddenly realized that Cai Yinong, such a shrewd woman, wouldn't do something so foolish as to court death. She then asked with concern, "What's wrong? It's just a variety show appearance. Don't you want to go?"

Ms. Liu responded timidly, "I'm slow to react, and I'm afraid I'll embarrass myself if I can't keep up."

In such trivial matters, Song Ci always indulged Xiao Qingmei, agreeing with her and saying, "If you don't want to, then don't. If Cai Yinong has any objections, you can have her call me."

"It's just Happy Camp, nothing special. The show is the same every year, no originality whatsoever. In a few days, I'll arrange for TT Video and Tengda Culture to plan a few variety shows to give the entertainment industry a real shock."

Liu Shishi's curiosity was immediately piqued: "Yiyi, is Tengda going to make variety shows too?"

"Yes." Song Ci simply nodded. He naturally couldn't say it outright at this moment, but the trend of video websites producing their own variety shows to attract users was inevitable.

"how is it like?"

Song Ci thought for a moment and casually said, "There are many kinds: travel, lifestyle, romance, reality shows, etc. You can watch Korean variety shows when you have time; they are much more interesting than domestic ones. I have already sent someone to acquire the copyrights."

"Are there any events suitable for couples or spouses to participate together?" Liu Shishi's eyes were bright as she secretly planned to show off her love with Mr. Song in front of the audience in the future.

Seeing his fiancée's expectant expression, Song Ci knew exactly what she was thinking and teased her, "Shishi, didn't you say you didn't want to go on variety shows?"

Seeing the mischievous grin on her lover's face, Miss Liu puffed out her cheeks: "Song Yiyi, don't play dumb. Just tell me, is there any show that would be suitable for us to do together?"

Song Ci chuckled lightly, extended a finger to lift Miss Liu's delicate chin, and teased, "So what if I have it, so what if I don't? What, Sister, have you thought it through? Are you ready to go public with me?"

Liu Shishi immediately deflated like a punctured balloon: "Give me a little more time, darling. In about two more years, I will definitely be able to hold my own in the top tier. At that time, I will make an official announcement in front of everyone, making all those women in the entertainment industry extremely envious."

"Alright, I don't care. You can do whatever you want." Song Ci no longer insisted on the official announcement. After saying that, he picked up his fiancée around the waist and said, "My wife, it's getting late. Let's go and rest."

At the end of April, Tenda Group suddenly announced that it would officially become the agent for the operation of Blizzard Entertainment's phenomenal online game, World of Warcraft.

The news caused an instant uproar throughout the internet industry.

"The9's stock price plummeted 18% in early trading!"

"Perfect World held an emergency investor conference call."

NetEase protests against Tenda Group's use of unfair competition tactics.

Major media platforms pushed out related reports, and the discussion among netizens skyrocketed.

As a game with a huge player base and extremely high popularity, the change of World of Warcraft's distribution rights has undoubtedly sent shockwaves through the industry.

With this major news, Tengda Group's status in the online gaming industry has been instantly elevated, giving it a dominant and monopolistic position.

Numerous gaming companies, internet enterprises, and industry observers have reacted strongly to this.

Many companies are envious of the huge profits and market influence brought by World of Warcraft and are unwilling to see Tengda Group swallow this tempting cake alone.

Some competitors have begun to urgently adjust their strategies, trying to find new breakthroughs in order to gain a share of the fierce market competition.

At this moment, Song Ci was sitting in her office, carefully checking relevant news online.

Industry experts pointed out that Tengda Group's successful acquisition of the rights to "World of Warcraft" will not only further expand its market share in the online game market, but will also have a profound impact on its brand image and overall strength.

Other companies, however, face even greater challenges. Finding a suitable development path under the strong pressure from the Tengda Group has become a difficult problem for them.

"An official from the State Administration of Radio and Television revealed that they are closely monitoring market dynamics and considering strengthening regulation of the online game industry."

Does Tenda Group constitute a monopoly in the gaming industry?

The earlier news was alright, but when I saw these last few, my pupils contracted, and I muttered to myself, "A storm is brewing."

Meanwhile, several CEOs of domestic game companies are secretly contacting each other via encrypted phone to discuss countermeasures.

"Old Chen, this move of yours will injure the enemy a thousand, but also hurt yourself eight hundred. Be careful."

"That's better than a slow death, isn't it?"

"Mr. Ding, what do you think?"

"No matter how strong Tengda is, there are still people playing our game, and we can still make money. Some people are more anxious than us and are almost bankrupted by Tengda."

"Does Mr. Ding mean to let Kuaibo make the first move?"

"This is a brilliant idea. Let's give it a push and add fuel to the fire."

"That works. Let's see how powerful that young nobleman is and whether he can withstand Kuaibo's counterattack."

(End of this chapter)