Entertainment mogul: Starting his business with the internet

Chapter 271 Discovery and Response

In the studio of the TV series "The Myth", as the director announced "Filming wrapped" with a sense of ceremony, the entire crew erupted in cheers and applause.

Liu Shishi stood there, her thoughts slowly drifting away from the character of Lü Su. Her beautiful eyes were hazy and confused as she glanced at the familiar people and things around her, feeling as if she had been transported to another world.

Because of a sudden death in her family, which delayed the filming schedule, she returned to the set and, in order to quickly get into character and improve filming efficiency, she devoted herself to the role of Lü Su.

She poured her heart and soul into every line and every movement, and the emotional resonance she felt made her so immersed in the role that she couldn't quite come back to reality for a while.

"Senior Sister, congratulations on successfully wrapping up filming."

A clear, sweet voice rang out, and it wasn't until Jing Tian, ​​holding a bouquet of flowers, walked up to her with a charming smile that Liu Shishi's eyes regained their clarity.

After a moment of hesitation, she accepted the flowers and smiled slightly: "Thank you, Tiantian."

Hu Ge, dressed in her costume, also offered her blessings: "Shishi, best wishes for a successful wrap-up."

The lead actress nodded and smiled, marking the end of filming all her scenes in the "Myth" series.

Back in the rest area, Liu Shishi casually placed the flowers on the table, lay down on the recliner, and let out a long sigh.

Although Lü Su's role was small, the character was so emotionally draining that she seemed completely overwhelmed by it.

With the recent rush to meet deadlines and continuous high-intensity filming, I was exhausted. I fell asleep almost immediately after lying down.

Seeing that her mistress had fallen asleep, Lin Xia knew that she had been very tired recently, so she didn't dare to disturb her. She quietly took out a blanket and covered her with it, afraid that she would catch a cold.

I slept until sunset, when the sky was dyed orange-red and the afterglow of the setting sun shone on the rest shed.

Liu Shishi slowly woke up, yawned, stretched, and felt refreshed.

"Xiaoxia, what time is it?"

Lin Xia, who was looking down at her phone, heard the voice: "Sister, you're awake. It's already 5 o'clock."

Liu Shishi curled up in the recliner, looking rather lazy: "I've been busy filming all day and haven't had time to check Weibo. Has anything big happened in the entertainment industry lately?"

When the topic of gossip came up, Lin Xia said excitedly, "Sister, I'll tell you about each and every one of them."

Seeing the assistant's excited expression, Liu Shishi also became interested, nodded in acknowledgment, and listened attentively.

The assistant went on and on: "Three days ago, Tengda Culture held a press conference to announce that Yang Mi had officially signed a contract to join Tengda. It was a very lively event, with hundreds of news media outlets in attendance."

"A rising starlet joining a top film and television company—a powerful alliance—naturally causes a stir in the entertainment industry. Mimi has finally escaped Rong Xinda!"

Lin Xia continued, "Sister, a big star in the entertainment industry has secretly gotten married. Can you guess who it is?"

Seeing her assistant's quirky expression, Liu Shishi smiled and asked, "Big star, how big?"

Lin Xia, keeping everyone in suspense, chuckled and said, "Very big! Among the top ones in the industry!"

The top star was slightly surprised and sat up. The most powerful people in the entertainment industry all start as A-list celebrities.

Such a person holds a pivotal position in the industry, and the revelation of their secret marriage would be a major, earth-shattering event.

"Okay, stop keeping me in suspense and just tell me."

"It's Andy Lau!" Recalling the news she saw online, Lin Xia still had an expression of disbelief on her face. "Yesterday, the Heavenly King Andy Lau posted an apology letter on Weibo, admitting that he is married."

Seeing that her mistress remained calm and showed no sign of shock, Lin Xia couldn't help but ask curiously, "Sister, aren't you surprised? These are the Four Heavenly Kings!"

Liu Shishi smiled and shook her head: "What's so surprising about that? Celebrities are human too, and getting married and having children is a perfectly normal thing."

Andy Lau is almost fifty; he can't stay single forever. Everyone has their own life to live, and we should understand.

"That's true. But his announcement has caused quite a stir online."

"What were the reactions of his fans, and what was the public's opinion?"

Lin Xia tried hard to recall the comments she had seen: "Most of the fans were understanding and offered their blessings."

Many people empathize with the Heavenly King's wife's 24 years of forbearance and companionship, and they feel that she has had a tough time and admire her greatly.

Moreover, this incident involving Andy Lau has sparked a huge online discussion, and the buzz hasn't died down yet!

"What are you discussing?"

"It's about balancing celebrity privacy with public expectations. Now, because of this incident, most open-minded fans are gradually accepting the transformation of celebrities into ordinary people."

Liu Shishi sat up and expressed her strong agreement: "That's a good thing. It shows that people's views are progressing."

She's been troubled these past few days because she's getting married to Song Ci soon, and she's also worried about her fans' reactions.

With Andy Lau's situation as a precedent, fans should be able to accept the news of their own marriage when it is revealed.

Are there any other trending topics?

The assistant pursed her lips, nodded, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "There's a very popular TV series lately."

"My Youth, My Choice," starring Wang Luodan, is currently airing on CCTV. It followed "Chinese Paladin 3" and was the highest-rated TV drama of late August.

Wang Luodan also posted on Weibo, implying that she, as one of the "Four Little Actresses," also has excellent works to her name, subtly comparing herself to Yang Mi and her sister, which carried a somewhat provocative tone.

Upon hearing this, the top female celebrity remained completely unconcerned, her face showing no sign of concern. Her career was currently thriving, and her studio had already begun investing in film and television projects.

Her relationship with Mr. Song is about to blossom, and everything is going smoothly and happily. Her mindset is subtly changing; she no longer cares about trivial matters. In her own words, the wife of a tycoon must have a broad mind and a grand vision.

Seeing that the young mistress didn't take it seriously at all, Lin Xia stopped talking. She had only mentioned it briefly.

"Anything else?"

"That's all." Lin Xia shook her head. Apart from these few things, she never bothered to know about the scandals between celebrities or the feuds between two stars on Weibo.

The eldest sister pulled off the blanket and stood up: "The filming of 'The Myth' has finally come to an end. Xiaoxia, let's pack up and go back to the company. We'll head back to Beiping tomorrow. By the way, did Sister K send me my schedule for September?"

“President Cai posted it. I didn’t want to disturb you since you were resting.” Lin Xia replied while quickly taking out her phone and showing Cai Yinong’s September schedule that he had recently posted on WeChat.

Liu Shishi smoothed her hair and straightened her wrinkled clothes: "Tell me, how was it arranged?"

"I'll be shooting a magazine shoot on September 5th, and in the middle of the month I'll be attending two fan meetings to promote the second run of 'Chinese Paladin 3'. I'm not too busy in the latter part of the month, but at the end of the month I'll be attending the Bazaar Charity Gala and the premiere of 'The Founding of a Republic'."

Upon hearing the September schedule, Liu Shishi breathed a sigh of relief. It was a very relaxed arrangement, allowing her to spend more time with Mr. Song and her parents this month.

Gazing at the magnificent sunset on the horizon, with the setting sun casting its rays on my face, I felt exceptionally happy. Here comes the bountiful September!

On September 1st, Beijing was bathed in bright sunshine and a gentle breeze. Universities across the country welcomed the start of the new semester, with countless students bidding farewell to family and friends and embarking on their academic journeys. Zhang Xiaolong strolled leisurely through the Peking University campus, looking at the vibrant students around him, feeling much younger himself, as if he had returned to his own university days.

He is a product manager at Tencent, mainly responsible for QQ Mail. He came to Beijing a few days ago to attend the 28th Asia-Pacific Internet Information Forum.

It's a rare opportunity to visit the capital, so after the conference, I strolled around Beiping (Beijing). It just so happened that it was the start of the university semester today, so on a whim, I went to Peking University to visit the campus and enjoy the scenery.

As he walked along the campus path, intending to visit Weiming Lake and Boya Tower, the actions of a female university student beside him aroused his curiosity.

The girl walked along, holding her phone to her mouth and saying something, but it didn't look like she was making a call.

A moment later, Zhang Xiaolong vaguely heard a "whoosh" sound from the girl's phone. The sound was crisp and distinctive, followed by a short sentence coming from the receiver.

As a product manager at an internet company, he is interested in all the latest internet products.

Because any new development could become an opportunity for industry change, he took the initiative to strike up a conversation without thinking.

"Excuse me, can I ask you a question?"

Seeing that the man was polite and had a gentle manner, the young woman stopped and asked, "Is there anything I can help you with, sir?"

"Excuse me, I just noticed you're using a mobile app to talk. Could you tell me what app it is?"

The goddess paused for a moment, then realized: "You mean WeChat?"

"WeChat!" Zhang Xiaolong silently memorized it, a smile on his face. "Could you tell me a little about it?"

"No problem." The girl nodded, and although she found the person in front of her a little strange, she still introduced him politely:
"WeChat is a mobile communication software that can send text and voice messages. It can be downloaded from mobile app stores and is very easy to use."

With just a simple sentence, Zhang Xiaolong astutely judged that WeChat is an instant messaging tool.

Although he was extremely shocked, having never heard of this app before, he did not show it on his face.

He continued to subtly probe: "Hey, do you find WeChat useful? Do other people around you use it?"

"It's very easy to use. It's very convenient and the interface is clean. My classmates and teachers are all using it. WeChat is quite popular."

Hearing the young girl's high regard for the product, Zhang Xiaolong felt a sense of urgency.

"Thank you for bothering me."

The girl smiled sweetly: "You're welcome."

Before the female student had gone far, Zhang Xiaolong couldn't wait to take out his iPhone and search in the app store. Soon, a green bubble icon caught his eye.

Over 700 million installations! Upon seeing this data, Zhang Xiaolong's pupils widened slightly, his mind reeling.

This only represents the number of installations on iPhones. If we add the number of installations on Android phones, the user base of this product may far exceed his imagination, and it is definitely a software with tens of millions of users.

The WeChat installation package is only 8MB in size, and installation and registration are completed quickly.

After trying it out, Zhang Xiaolong figured out the functions of WeChat, a mobile instant messaging software that had quietly emerged.

Its simple, novel, and unique voice function is quite popular among young users. As an employee of Tencent, how could he not understand the threat this product posed?

What's most terrifying is that without any high-profile publicity and without alerting Tencent, the instant messaging giant, this product has already achieved a breakthrough from 0 to 1. How could this not shock him to the extreme?

Zhang Xiaolong knew this was no small matter and dared not hesitate for a moment. He immediately reported the matter to Chairman Ma Boli via WeChat.

When Mr. Ma received a report from his subordinates that an instant messaging product had appeared on the market, he attached great importance to it. The reason why QQ was able to dominate the market was because Tencent never underestimated any competitor.

Soon, a freshly completed investigation report appeared before Marbury.

"The software developer is Tengda Technology Group!" Mr. Ma's eyes widened in shock, and at the same time, a hint of apprehension arose within him.

Over the past few years, after experiencing one incident after another, many domestic internet companies have developed a certain degree of fear of Tenda, which has never suffered a defeat.

After all, Song Ci was truly extraordinary, with a keen eye and a plan three steps ahead for everything, making him invincible in the business world.

When faced with the Tenda Group, Marbury was uncertain, but Penguin had no choice. Instant messaging was the lifeblood of the entire company, and if QQ failed and was replaced, the entire Penguin company would cease to exist.

That afternoon, Marbury convened an emergency meeting, attended by all of the company's senior executives.

"There is only one topic today: do we need to develop a similar product to compete with Tenda?"

Faced with the chairman's question, the head of QQ's business chuckled confidently:

"Mr. Ma, I've also tried using WeChat, but its functions are nowhere near as good as our QQ. The only redeeming feature is a simple voice function."

Give me three days, and I can give QQ the same functionality. There's absolutely no need for the company to waste resources developing a similar product.

Marbury neither confirmed nor denied this viewpoint; as the company's head, he certainly couldn't easily express his opinion. "Others, please speak up and say what you think."

COO Ren Yuxin shook his head, holding a different view: "Song Ci would not do useless work, we absolutely cannot be careless."

Tenda launched WeChat, but unusually, it didn't promote it aggressively. This clearly shows that they have great confidence in the app and are trying to avoid us, buying time for WeChat to grow.

Fortunately, we discovered it in time. Currently, WeChat's user base is still within an acceptable range. If given more time, once it reaches hundreds of millions of users, it will inevitably have a huge impact on QQ.

"Mr. Ren, you also said that we need to be wary of WeChat impacting QQ. If the company develops a similar product with highly overlapping functions with QQ, not to mention the waste of resources, the new software will need to be promoted, right? Will we be using QQ to support the new software?"

Listening to the QQ manager's reasoned rebuttal, Ren Yuxin was speechless for a moment. He knew what the other party meant: the company's resources and traffic were limited. With more than a dozen departments at Tencent, no one wanted resources to be diverted to support new departments.

"Mr. Ma, I think the company must develop a new product similar to WeChat, given the increasing number of smartphone users these days."

Personally, I think mobile QQ is inferior to WeChat. QQ is just too bloated; it's tolerable on a PC, but it's really uncomfortable to use on a mobile phone. WeChat, on the other hand, is much better, emphasizing simplicity!

Strategic President Liu Zhiping strongly urged Ma Boli to comply. He had conducted in-depth research on the mobile internet and understood that this was a completely new market.

In the past, it was one thing for QQ to have a monopoly, but now that WeChat has emerged out of nowhere, it is very likely to shake the position of Tencent's social media hegemony. Therefore, the company must go all out to develop a similar app to compete with and stifle the growth of WeChat.

Liu Zhiping's words instantly solidified Ma Boli's resolve. During his conversation with Zhang Xiaolong that morning, he had clearly recognized the threat WeChat posed to the company and wanted to develop a similar software to target Tenda, but he still had some reservations.

Liu Zhiping was primarily responsible for the company's macro strategy, and he had never made a mistake in this area. Ma Boli trusted his judgment and immediately made the decision:
"I've made a decision. The company will develop a similar product as soon as possible, concentrate all resources on it, and make sure to suppress the momentum of WeChat."

"Mr. Ma, who will be in charge of the new product?"

Marbury was prepared: "I've already talked to Xiaolong. He'll be back from Beiping tomorrow and will immediately begin developing the new product. By the way, this new product will be called WeChat."

Upon hearing this name, the executives present immediately understood that the chairman had already made his decision, and even the name of the app was full of a confrontational tone with Tenda.

(End of this chapter)