Entertainment mogul: Starting his business with the internet

Chapter 434 Spring is coming
November 7th marks the beginning of winter. Saying goodbye to autumn's beauty, the final chapter of the four seasons begins.

As evening approached, the "Yitian WeChat Group," comprised of eight contracted authors from Qidian Chinese Network, was already bustling with activity as the authors chatted about all sorts of things.

"Another day I don't want to write! It's almost eight o'clock, my mind is blank, I haven't written a single word today, I'm thinking of asking for a day off."

"Same here. I stayed up all night yesterday writing 10,000 words, and I'm feeling really groggy. I just woke up."

"Juju's data today is amazing! It's ranked 13th on the overall best-selling list, actually suppressing the legendary Tomato! That's terrifying!"

"Ju Zi Ju is a top seller with over 10,000 subscriptions. Last time, her best-selling selection was estimated to gain 8,000 new favorites."

"Too strong, Orange's Platinum level."

The author, nicknamed "Orange Giant" by his group members, immediately replied: "Hehe, this is a highlight of my life, I have to take a screenshot to commemorate it! When it's my turn to get recommended, I'll take off again."

This is not an exaggeration. The authors in the Yitian group are different from the ordinary contracted authors of Qidian. They are all elites of Group 8, and their novels must have an average subscription of at least 2,000 to qualify for the group.

Even the lowest-paid author in the group earns several thousand yuan a month in royalties, more than enough to support their family. In Qidian's vast online literature author community, they are definitely in the upper-middle tier of the pyramid.

"My subscriptions have been dropping rapidly lately, and the editor suggested I offer it for free for a limited time, but I'm still undecided."

"Me too, my follow-up subscriptions are less than 200, and readers are criticizing me every day. I plan to finish this book this month, take a few days off, and start a new book."

"Bean God, this book of yours is a masterpiece. You made hundreds of thousands from one book, that's enough to make a profit. Will you release the new book on Douban?"

"No, I'm planning to try Creation Chinese Network next. It's a platform under the Reading Group, and I want to see how it differs from Qidian."

"Then Bean God will go and scout things out over there. Once the new book is released, the brothers will definitely go and support it."

"By the way, guys, I heard some big news from the website operations team today: the novel 'Joy of Life' by the great author Mao Ni is going to be adapted into a TV series."

"Impossible, right? How could a TV series be adapted from a male-oriented novel?"

"Yeah, I guess the operations team is just joking with you."

Everyone thought this was a fantasy. In male-oriented novels, the worldviews of Xianxia, ​​Xuanhuan, and Fantasy are too grand, and the battle scenes often involve landslides and earthquakes.

If it were to be made into a TV series, it would have to rely on special effects, and the production cost would be prohibitively high, something no film and television company could afford.

As for urban and historical novels, the production costs are manageable, but the main characteristics of male-oriented novels are mostly "leveling up by defeating monsters," focusing on quick revenge and exhilarating action, often neglecting character development and emotional depth, and lacking in substance.

Furthermore, excellent male-oriented novels, ranging from a million to three to five million words, are simply not suitable for film and television adaptation.

Not to mention that many novels contain "harem" plots, which run counter to the demands of modern female audiences, leading to the neglect of male-oriented novel adaptations.

Therefore, the film and television industry has always focused on female-oriented novel adaptations, with "Empresses in the Palace" and "Scarlet Heart" being typical examples.

Seeing that none of the group members believed him, the author who revealed the information became anxious and quickly added, "The information is true! Didn't you guys notice?"

"Joy of Life" has been over three years since it ended, but recently it's been unusually featured prominently on promotional pages every day, with simultaneous strong promotion on both PC and mobile platforms. This clearly indicates that the operations team is following orders from above!"

"Now that you mention it, I remember that the recent recommendations for 'Joy of Life' have been really exaggerated."

"To be fair, 'Joy of Life' is different from those fantasy novels. It's an ancient drama with low martial arts and political intrigue. With a few modifications, it seems quite suitable to be made into a TV series."

Authors who weren't writing were speaking freely in the group, discussing the adaptation of "Joy of Life".

At this point, an author posted a screenshot: "Holy crap, it's really going to be adapted into a TV series! What a huge undertaking! It looks like the golden age of male-oriented fiction is finally here!"

Everyone quickly clicked on the image, which was a notice just posted by the official Weibo account of Qidian Chinese Network:

Dear readers and creators of Qidian Bookstore:

Today, we are incredibly excited to announce a landmark piece of news:

Qidian.com, together with Toutiao Video and Tengda Culture, will invest 4 million yuan to transform the best-selling classic male-oriented novel "Joy of Life" into a high-quality TV series of the same name!
This is not only a key step for the excellent online novel IP "Joy of Life" to move towards full industry chain development.

This also marks the grand launch of Qidian Chinese Network's strategy of "adapting male-oriented novel IPs into film and television!" A new era for Qidian's IP development has begun.

. . .

In this collaboration, Qidian.com, as the source of the IP, will fully leverage its deep understanding of the original work and its large fan base.

As a leading online video platform, Toutiao Video provides powerful broadcasting channels and user reach capabilities;

As a top domestic film and television company, Tengda Culture safeguards the project with its superb production standards and successful experience.

This investment will ensure meticulous attention to detail in every aspect, including script polishing, cast selection, set construction, costume and prop design, and post-production special effects, striving to restore the essence of the original work to the greatest extent possible while delivering a brilliant presentation that conforms to the principles of film and television art.

. . .

Singularity Male-Oriented IP Universe: The Journey of Film and Television Adaptation Officially Begins! A New Era Has Arrived, the Future is Limitless! Singularity Chinese Website, More Than Just Reading. Your Passion Will Ultimately Be Seen by the World.

The announcement, which was thousands of words long and claimed to be about creating a "Singularity Male-oriented IP Universe," immediately caused a stir in the group.

"Damn, Mao Ni is awesome! A super production costing 4 million, the copyright fee must be at least several million, right?"

"Is Tengda Group finally going to get serious about its big entertainment strategy? The price of novel copyrights is definitely going to skyrocket!"
"If any film or television company takes a liking to my novel, wouldn't I become an overnight success and achieve financial freedom?"

At this moment, the editor-in-chief, who rarely speaks in the group, suddenly said: "Everyone has seen the announcement, right? The film and television adaptation is only the first step. Qidian has already taken the lead in piloting it and opened up all channels of the group."

Note that the "group" mentioned here is not the Reading Group, but the entire Tengda Technology Group!

Following film and television adaptations, animation, games, audiobooks, and even overseas rights will follow suit! Ladies and gentlemen, the entire world of online literature is about to enter a new era!

"Having a powerful backer makes all the difference; Singularity is about to take off!"

"I'm instantly full of energy, I'm going to start writing!"

The editor-in-chief continued, "Starting next year, the website will undergo a major overhaul. We will utilize Tengda Group's big data technology to launch a more scientific and effective work recommendation mechanism."

Meanwhile, anti-piracy technology will be significantly improved to fully protect authors' rights. The group's legal department has already filed lawsuits against seventeen pirate websites, including Biguge. Authors have always both hated and feared Biguge; they hate it for its rampant piracy of novels, which directly siphons away the revenue that should belong to the authors.

I'm afraid that if my book isn't included in Biquge, and even pirate websites don't bother to crawl it, it would mean that my book has completely failed and I'm done for.

Everyone was overjoyed to hear the editor-in-chief say that the website would focus on cracking down on piracy next year.

"Next year, the website will improve author benefits, from small things like regularly giving away Ma Yinglong ointment to large things like purchasing health insurance for authors... In short, starting next year, Qidian will be different from before."

After all, Tengda Group is different from Shanda Games; it's a large and powerful company and won't be eyeing the small amount of revenue authors earn. The platform will issue a detailed announcement soon, so you should carefully study the new website rules.

"Thanks, boss! Tengda is really reliable, no wonder it's a big company! Unlike Shanda Games, which not only doesn't support Qidian, but also keeps sucking its blood."

"Ma Yinglong is so true! Sitting for long periods of time typing is really unbearable, this is so thoughtful."

"With such favorable conditions for Singularity next year, why would I even bother publishing my new book on Creation?! Loyal to Group 8!"

The news of the adaptation of "Joy of Life" into a film or television series has shaken the entire online literature world like a boulder thrown into a lake. Tonight, countless authors are destined to have a sleepless night because of this sudden change.

Almost simultaneously with the announcement from Qidian, Tengda Culture and Toutiao Video also made their official announcements.

The news immediately became a trending topic on Weibo, causing a huge uproar in the entertainment industry and touching the hearts of countless netizens.

With an investment of a staggering 4 million yuan, this is unprecedented in the domestic TV drama industry. Thanks to this astronomical budget, "Joy of Life" has generated immense buzz and anticipation even before its release.

Around 10 p.m., Liu Shishi had just taken a shower and was still steaming with moisture when she heard her phone ringing melodiously.

Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a call from Cai Yinong. He immediately understood that Cai was probably calling to inquire about the TV series "Joy of Life".

As soon as the call connected, Cai Yinong's urgent voice came through, "Shishi, will you participate in 'Joy of Life'?"

"Sister K, have you even read the original novel? 'Joy of Life' is a male-centric drama from beginning to end!"

The top actress looked helpless and thought to herself: "Sister K is confused. How could she, the number one actress on the small screen, possibly act in a male-centric drama to elevate someone else's status?"

Cai Yinong was taken aback. She hadn't actually read the original novel of "Joy of Life". She had just seen it trending on Weibo and hurriedly contacted the host, but she didn't expect to make such a fool of herself.

So-called male-centric dramas are the exact opposite of female-centric dramas: the entire plot revolves around the male lead's growth, strategies, emotions, and power struggles.

The male lead dominates the screen time, while other characters, even the female lead, are mostly "functional supporting characters" who serve the male lead's growth or career.

Given her current status and position on the small screen, no male actor can persuade her to participate in a leading role in a drama. Even veteran actors like Chen Daoming and Li Xuejian don't have that kind of influence.

"I must have lost my mind!" Cai Yinong slapped his forehead, then immediately pressed for details, "Has the male lead for this drama been cast yet?"

She actually wanted to help Hu Ge get the male lead role, but she also knew that with Tengda Culture's resources, they would definitely not give up the most important role in a project with an investment of 4 million yuan.

Other companies would have to pay an exorbitant price to get the male lead role. So she didn't dare to ask, but that didn't stop her from trying to find out some inside information.

"It's not decided yet! Qiao Zhengyu and Wang Kai don't fit the image and temperament of the male lead, Fan Xian. Liu Rong recommended Chen Xiao, but Wu Wenhui, the president of Reading Group, doesn't approve of him."

Cai Yinong asked in bewilderment, "Isn't Chen Xiao quite suitable for the male lead role? Putting aside his temperament and appearance, he's a near-top-tier star, and he's also an insider at Tengda Culture."

Liu Shishi explained: "Wu Wenhui felt that it would be better to choose an ordinary male actor with a down-to-earth appearance and solid acting skills, which would enhance the male audience's sense of identification. When adapting male-oriented novels, the handsome male route is not very effective."

Cai Yinong's heart instantly burned with excitement, and his breathing became a little rapid: "Shishi, so you mean that the male lead role in 'Joy of Life,' such a hugely popular male lead role in the Chinese entertainment industry, will fall outside the Tengda system?"

"Where would you find such a good thing!" Liu Shishi shrugged. "Tengda Culture invested 2 million yuan in 'Joy of Life,' and Liu Rong has a lot of say in this project."

Her bottom line was: she could do without Chen Xiao, but the male lead had to be signed with Alpha Group.

"Alpha Group?"

"It is a newly established subsidiary of Tengda Culture, specializing in artist management business."

Cai Yinong was greatly disappointed. Hu Ge, the male lead, was out of the running. He couldn't very well let Tangren's top star jump ship to Tengda Culture.

"What about the female lead? Apart from Yang Zi, among the four top actresses under Tengda Culture—Wang, Lü, Yang, and Zhao—I doubt anyone would be willing to play a male-centric drama, right?"

Liu Shishi recalled the scene when they discussed the lead role: "Zi Mei has a friendly appearance, which is very appealing to female audiences."

But she's not stunning enough, doesn't fit male readers' imaginations of a female lead, and can't play the kind of captivating, all-consuming heroine. The lead actress will most likely have to be found outside the industry!

"A beauty that could topple kingdoms!" Upon hearing the top female commentator's description, Cai Yinong immediately pictured Gulnazar's pretty face.

Although the young lady is a bit love-struck, her looks are undeniably stunning; she'd be more than capable of playing a beautiful but ultimately unattractive female lead.

"The production team will be holding auditions soon. K-sister, if you're interested in the female lead, you can have Nazha and Jin Chen audition."

Cai Yi-nong nodded, "Yes, I'll let them give it a try."

“Sister K!” Liu Shishi suddenly called out softly, “After meeting Chen Yao last time, I really like her. I feel that she might really be able to take over my job in the future and support half of Tangren Media.”

I've spoken with Liu Rong and secured her a role in "Joy of Life"—the second female lead, a role with just as much screen time as the lead, and one that, if played well, would be truly outstanding.

Cai Yinong was both surprised and delighted upon hearing this, never expecting such an unexpected bonus! Being the second female lead in a 4 million yuan production is a top-tier resource even in the entire entertainment industry.

It seems that Chen Yao really won the First Sister's favor that day; she's much smarter than Nazha.

"Sister K, Yao is still young and doesn't have much acting experience, so please take good care of her."

"Don't worry, I care a lot about her future plans and won't force her to grow too fast. I'll make sure she attends her regular academic and arts classes."

The primary goal is still to get into one of the top three acting schools. In my spare time on weekends, I'll arrange for an acting coach to provide specialized guidance, laying a foundation for my upcoming roles. This child has the same talent as you; he'll definitely amount to something."

Liu Shishi nodded in relief. Since Cai Yinong valued Chen Yao, he would definitely put in a lot of effort in nurturing him.

(End of this chapter)