Entertainment mogul: Starting his business with the internet

Chapter 440 Paying the Money!

The afternoon sun of winter was streaming into the large conference room of Tengda Group's headquarters through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows.

The CCTV Spring Festival Gala investment promotion conference had just concluded in the morning. After a brief luncheon with Jiang Tao, Song Ci rushed back to the company to preside over the deployment meeting for the Spring Festival Gala WeChat red envelope project.

At the head of the table, Song Ci's face was serious as he glanced at everyone present: "This strategic cooperation between the group and CCTV will affect every household on the Spring Festival Gala stage, and we absolutely cannot tolerate the slightest mistake."

The company has invested over a billion yuan in this project, so everyone must be extremely focused.

Zhang Yong was the first to speak on behalf of the attendees: "Chairman Song, rest assured, I will personally take the lead in overseeing this matter."

Song Ci nodded slightly; Zhang Yong's execution ability has never been a concern.

The conversation then shifted to the core issue: "The Spring Festival Gala red envelopes are a scenario with extremely high concurrency. How well has WeChat prepared its technical solutions?"

Wu Yi immediately responded: "Chairman Song, we have done peak estimation, and the highest request volume may reach 6 million times per minute."

In response to this situation, the technical team decided to establish a dual-center architecture, with user requests being routed to the East South and North Pingbei data centers based on geographical proximity.

After a moment's thought, Zhang Yong pressed on, "Is one data center enough for the North? The Spring Festival Gala audience has always been more in the North than in the South."

Zhang Ke, head of the WeChat red envelope R&D team, quickly added: "Don't worry, Mr. Zhang, red envelope grabbing by users in the same area will be processed in a closed loop within this center in principle."

However, we will also monitor northbound and southbound traffic in real time in the background and dynamically adjust request allocation. If traffic overload occurs, we will quickly switch over.

Wu Yi then reported: "On New Year's Eve, WeChat will temporarily disable the 'Shake for People' and 'Shake for Songs' functions, and switch the 'Shake' entry point to 'Shake for Spring Festival Gala' to the greatest extent possible, so as to reduce the user's operating threshold to the greatest extent."

To avoid the monotony of a single red envelope grabbing mode, we designed a multi-layered interactive approach:

The first type is simply grabbing cash red envelopes. You can randomly receive cash by shaking your phone during the time indicated by the Spring Festival Gala host.

Secondly, there will be celebrity New Year's greetings. I've spoken with Mr. Liu from Tengda Culture, and we'll have over a dozen celebrities pre-record their New Year's greetings. Users can unlock these celebrities' Spring Festival wishes by simply shaking their phones.

Upon hearing this, Song Ci interjected, "This idea is feasible. Once the list of celebrities to record the videos is finalized, send it to me, and I will arrange for someone to verify it, making sure to avoid any risky artists."

"Understood." Wu Yi replied and continued, "Users can also shake to get a smart friend recommendation list, directly send small-amount red envelopes or customized greeting cards preset by the system, and also shake to get a surprise page."

Finally, we need the cooperation of the Spring Festival Gala production team: users upload family photos of reunion, and we will select the best ones to project onto the live broadcast of the Spring Festival Gala.

After listening to the report, Song Ci nodded in approval: "The matters requiring the cooperation of the Spring Festival Gala program team will be raised one by one at the subsequent coordination meeting."

Wu Yi quickly jotted it down in his notebook and then asked, "Chairman Song, what aspects of the plan do you think need improvement?"

After pondering for a moment, Song Ci suggested, "I think we can add two more points. First, the system should be synchronized with the Spring Festival Gala live broadcast schedule, so that users can shake their phones to bring up the program list, making it easier to plan their participation time."

Secondly, outside of designated red envelope periods, the interface displays the time when the next red envelope will be distributed, maintaining user anticipation.

Wu Yi immediately picked up his pen to take notes: "You are absolutely right, I have written it all down."

Song Ci racked her brains for details, striving for a comprehensive solution, and added: "By the way, in case a 404 page appears, design the background image as a cartoon of 'firecrackers exploding the server' or a heartwarming scene of 'embracing in love,' so that even technical glitches can have a touch of emotional warmth."

We must not take the security of funds lightly. As for the details of technical security, I'll hear from you another day.

After finalizing the core plan for WeChat red envelopes, Song Ci changed the subject and looked at Wang Jing: "I have promised CCTV that 5 million red envelopes will be distributed on the day of the Spring Festival Gala."

Mr. Wang, I previously asked you to lead the design of a plan to have the partner brands cover the 5 million yuan in cash costs through a tiered investment promotion approach. Has that plan been finalized?

Wang Jing was prepared and responded quickly: "The plan has been drafted, please review it."

As soon as he finished speaking, a cooperation proposal PowerPoint presentation popped up on the electronic screen in the conference room.

Wang Jing introduced in a clear voice: "Chairman Song, the planning department, in conjunction with the WeChat team, has designed two tiered cooperation plans. By differentiating brand budgets and corresponding benefits, we ensure efficient resource allocation:

First, there's the brand package deal, with a cooperation threshold of 100 million RMB in cash plus 600 million RMB in consumer vouchers. Only three slots are available, corresponding to the prime time slots of 9:00, 10:00, and 11:00 AM.

The partner brand will be the only brand featured during these three specific time slots of the Spring Festival Gala, with the host providing real-time verbal guidance, such as "XXX company is giving away red envelopes."

Regarding the allocation of red envelope amounts, 90% will be distributed during brand-exclusive periods, and the remaining 10% will be included in the midnight random red envelope pool for all users.

Song Ci glanced at the screen and casually asked, "What are the estimated exposure results?"

The PPT slides flipped in sync with Wang Jing's voice: "The big data center uses the 'Tianwen' satellite to estimate that a single brand will reach 5000 million users. With the addition of viral spread through WeChat Moments, the total exposure will be no less than 5 million times."

Song Ci chuckled upon hearing this: "These exposure figures are quite impressive; many brands should be eager to collaborate with us."

Wang Jing smiled and replied, "The second cooperation plan is a random red envelope, with a threshold of 2000 million yuan in cash plus 1.2 million yuan in consumer vouchers. There is a limit of 10 slots, and the red envelopes will appear at midnight during the Spring Festival Gala."

These ten brand red envelopes are randomly allocated only during the nationwide red envelope grabbing period at midnight of the Spring Festival Gala, and the frequency of exposure depends on the proportion of the red envelope amount in the total pool.

It is estimated that the single-product exposure can reach 1000 million users, with a total of approximately 1.5 million impressions. The two plans can raise a total of 5 million in cash and 30 billion in coupons.

Mr. Song, this concludes the Spring Festival Gala WeChat red envelope sponsorship cooperation plan. Do you see any areas for improvement?

Song Ci praised, "The plan is very comprehensive. Let's implement it accordingly. We should identify the cooperating brand as soon as possible and submit it to CCTV for record-keeping."

Wang Jing then asked, "Do I need to ask you whether the company should charge advertising fees?"

Song Ci waved his hand: "For this event, WeChat only serves as a traffic entry point and does not charge any advertising fees. The brand's investment will be 100% converted into user red envelopes."

However, if the brand wants to maintain exposure, WeChat can open up the nine-grid layout in Moments for a period of time, which will be charged normally.

Wang Jing and Wu Yi replied in unison, "Understood." "Okay."

Song Ci gave a few more instructions, then announced, "The Spring Festival Gala red envelope project is basically settled. Zhang Yong, keep a close eye on it. If there's nothing else, the meeting is adjourned. Mr. Wang, Wu Yi, you two stay behind."

The group filed out, and soon only three people remained in the large conference room.

After everyone else left the meeting room, Song Ci got straight to the point and asked, "What's the current progress on our cooperation with the three major telecom operators to enable WeChat phone bill top-up?"

Wu Yi solemnly reported: "China Unicom and China Telecom are still observing. China Mobile has reached an agreement; they are willing to develop a port and try to open a WeChat phone bill recharge channel. General Manager Wang is coordinating the time with China Mobile. We need you and General Manager Xi from China Mobile to sign a strategic cooperation agreement on behalf of the two major groups so that I can continue to advance the follow-up work."

Song Ci considered her recent work arrangements: "I can find the time before the end of the month to coordinate with China Mobile as soon as possible. I will personally visit General Manager Xi to finalize this matter."

The telecom and Unicom companies are also trying to reach an agreement, and I'll communicate with them to resolve the issue. I think that once the group successfully partners with China Mobile, enabling WeChat phone top-ups with Telecom and Unicom will be a natural progression.

He is extremely concerned about cooperating with the three major telecom operators. The WeChat phone bill recharge function may seem simple, but it is actually a key fulcrum in the WeChat Pay ecosystem and an important part of improving the mobile payment ecosystem.

Mobile phone top-ups are a necessary activity for users, occurring once or twice a month, and thus naturally possess a high-frequency attribute.
WeChat uses this to embed the payment function into users' daily lives, lowering users' psychological barriers to trying it with its small amount and low threshold features.

By combining it with scenarios such as water and electricity bill payments, the payment scenarios are extended to the "vacuum areas" that traditional financial tools cannot cover, thereby significantly increasing users' reliance on and trust in WeChat Pay in emergency situations.

At the same time, it is accumulating user behavior data to provide data support for the future of internet finance.

Wang Jing nodded in agreement: "I will coordinate with the mobile company within a week and finalize the cooperation as soon as possible."

"Don't slack off on the technical aspects." Song Ci looked at his subordinates and solemnly instructed them, "When cooperating with these large state-owned enterprise groups, there is no room for the slightest mistake."

"The three major telecom operators have different interface protocols, but we have upgraded WeChat Pay and improved the interface and protocol configuration, which is now compatible with China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom."

"I won't go into the details. The technical team should focus on coordinating with the mobile team. I just want the results."

November 22nd is Thanksgiving, a traditional Western holiday.

In a tastefully decorated little teahouse in Beiping, Yang Tianzhen leaned lazily against the window, letting the morning sunlight fall on her face.

This well-known agent in the entertainment industry was browsing Weibo's trending topics at the moment. When he saw the top topic, "WeChat phone top-up," he clicked on it out of curiosity.

[Toutiao Technology News] Yesterday, Tenda Group and China Mobile Communications Group held a strategic cooperation signing ceremony in Beiping, announcing that they will jointly promote in-depth cooperation in the digital ecosystem.

Song Ci, Chairman of Tengda Group, and Xi Guohua, President of China Mobile, led their core management team to attend the meeting and officially signed the "Strategic Cooperation Framework Agreement on WeChat Pay and China Mobile Phone Bill Recharge".

This move marks the first time that the two tech giants have achieved interoperability in the field of basic communication services, ushering in an era of "one-click phone top-up" for hundreds of millions of users.

With the joint witness of senior executives from both sides, Song Ci and Xi Guohua reached a high degree of consensus on system innovation of "mobile Internet + communication services".

Song Ci stated: "WeChat serves as a platform connecting people and services..."

Xi Guohua emphasized: "This cooperation is a milestone in the integration and development of operators and Internet companies. China Mobile will develop core recharge interfaces and work with Tenda to create a new experience of 'smart services at your fingertips' for users."

After reading this report, Yang Tianzhen couldn't help but sigh, "The group is getting stronger and stronger, and it has begun to penetrate into all aspects of people's daily lives."

She had used WeChat to pay her electricity bill before, which was indeed convenient and fast, and now she can also top up her mobile phone credit.

If things continue to develop this way, this initially unremarkable mobile chat tool will truly live up to the chairman's bold claim: "WeChat, connecting everything!"

Lost in thought, a young woman approached the tea table with a tray, ready to serve tea to the teahouse's only guest.

Yang Tianzhen subconsciously turned her head to look, and was immediately stunned by what she saw. She secretly praised her: What a sweet girl, just like a new tea in early spring.

The girl in front of me had a perfect oval face with exquisite features, soft and smooth facial lines, and gentle and beautiful bone structure.

What's most eye-catching are her clear and bright almond-shaped eyes, with slightly upturned corners that curve into crescent shapes when she smiles. They are lively and charming, with a natural sparkle in her eyes and a fresh and sweet temperament.

"Guest, please have some tea." The woman's voice was also very gentle.

Yang Tianzhen's eyes lit up. After carefully examining the girl, he found that she was outstanding in every way, including her figure and posture. She was exactly the kind of promising young woman he had been looking for.

Seeing an opportunity, she was delighted and quickly took out her business card and handed it over: "Miss, I am Yang Tianzhen, the artist director of Tengda Culture Company."

Alpha Group is still relatively unknown, and when recruiting people outside, she still uses her old identity, since Alpha Group and Tengda Culture are essentially one company.

The young woman paused slightly, then took the business card.

She knew about Tengda Culture and had watched many of the TV series produced by them.

"Hello, I am Li Yitong, the owner of this teahouse."

Having finally found a gem, Yang Tianzhen was in high spirits and went straight to the point: "Hello Li Yitong, I think you have outstanding looks and great potential. Are you interested in becoming an actress?"

Li Yitong was both surprised and delighted. As a dance major, she had seen many dance students switch careers to become actors. She herself had also dreamed of becoming a dazzling star. She never expected the opportunity to come so suddenly.

But then she hesitated, and asked timidly, "Mr. Yang, I graduated from the Beijing Dance Academy, but I have no acting experience. Can I do this?"

"You're from the Beijing Dance Academy?" Yang Tianzhen was even more delighted to hear this. So you studied dance. No wonder you have such an outstanding temperament.

"Mmm," Li Yitong responded softly.

Yang Tianzhen was overjoyed. The more she looked at Li Yitong, the more pleasing she became, and she was secretly amazed.

She had arranged to meet Yang Yang here to discuss some business, but unexpectedly ran into a self-employed Beijing Dance Academy student who ran a teahouse.

"Beijing Dance Academy is great. Tengda Culture likes to cultivate artists who graduated from Beijing Dance Academy. You know Qiao Zhengyu, right? Have you heard of Lü Yi? They are both from Beijing Dance Academy. Before entering the industry, they had no foundation, just like you, but now they are top-tier stars."

"I know." Li Yitong breathed a sigh of relief, and the doubts in her heart gradually dissipated.

Yang Tianzhen's smile deepened, and her tone was light: "At Tengda Group, being a graduate of Beijing Dance Academy is actually an advantage."

"Why?" Li Yitong asked curiously.

Yang Tianzhen chuckled and explained, "You know, love me, love my dog, right? The big boss of the group has a particular fondness for someone who graduated from the Beijing Dance Academy."

A beautiful and gentle face flashed through her mind, and Li Yitong blurted out, "Senior Sister Liu Shishi."

(End of this chapter)