Entertainment mogul: Starting his business with the internet

Chapter 461 Four-Line Negotiation
On Yang Mi's Weibo page, a line of carefully crafted text immediately catches the eye:

"From today onwards, I have a new identity: #BossYangofJaywalkMedia#"
But the name I cherish most in my heart is always actress Yang Mi.

The boss personally took charge of the new company's first 'strategic project'!

In the TV series "Swords of Legends", I will play the role of Feng Qingxue. @Li Yifeng @Dear-Dilraba
'You saved this life, you can take it anytime!'

Tomorrow, filming for "Gu Jian Qi Tan" will begin. Stay tuned!

Special thanks to Mr. Zeng (@Jaywalk Media), who approved the boss's paid leave to join the production team.

In the newly rented office space of Jiaxing Media, Yang Mi stared at the copy that the operations team had been repeatedly refining. After confirming that it was correct, she lightly touched the send button.

Currently, topics related to her and "Jaywalk Studio" are dominating the trending searches. This wave of popularity cannot be wasted; it's a perfect opportunity to promote her first major drama after leaving Tengda Culture, "Swords of Legends".

The Weibo post had barely been published when Dilraba, standing next to her, immediately leaned down and replied in the comments section: "Sister Mi, Dilraba, the number one employee of Jaywalk Studio, reporting for duty! @YangMiV"

After the interaction, Yang Mi put down her phone and looked at Zeng Jia opposite her: "Sister Jia, everything is going according to your plan."

Zeng Jia smiled confidently.

Today's small test has already given the company a lot of exposure, successfully launching a successful campaign and even putting Zhang Ziyi in the spotlight, truly killing two birds with one stone.

"At tomorrow's press conference for the start of filming of 'Gu Jian Qi Tan' by Huanrui Century, you'll inevitably be asked about Jiaxing Media, so you need to be aware of the situation."

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing," Yang Mi nodded in agreement. Having been in the entertainment industry for many years, handling reporter interviews was second nature to her.
Turning to Dilraba beside him, he said gently, "Dilraba, I will find an opportunity to introduce you to the media tomorrow. You will definitely be asked questions, so be prepared in advance."

Dilraba nodded vigorously, her little face full of seriousness.

"Be careful what you say in front of reporters, don't say anything carelessly. With your sister Mi here, she'll take care of you," Zeng Jia still reminded her worriedly.

She has high hopes for Dilraba Dilmurat. If she can cultivate another top-tier female star, Jaywalk Studio will be able to gain a foothold in the film and television industry with two top-tier stars in hand.

"Hmm." Dilraba became a little nervous after hearing that.

"Mimi, for now, you take Dilraba to film some outside scenes. I'll assemble the company's production team. Once the team is in place, we can start our own film and television projects."

“Okay.” A hint of anticipation flashed in Yang Mi’s eyes. “Sister Jia, please keep an eye out for resources in the industry for me. I’ll accept any leading role as long as it’s for the female lead.”

“Oh right, I almost forgot.” Zeng Jia slapped his forehead. “I heard that Deng Chao is currently working on a movie project called ‘The Breakup Guru.’ He’s directing and starring in it and wants to find a popular actress to play the lead role. I’m in talks with him and there’s a good chance I can land it.”

Upon hearing this, Yang Mi's expression immediately turned strange. An image of a certain famous director and his eight assistant directors flashed through her mind. She asked suspiciously, "Deng Chao? Can he really make movies?"

Zeng Jia, however, didn't seem to care much: "He's transitioned from acting to directing, and this is his first time doing so, so he'll definitely take it very seriously. If you and he star in it, with your combined popularity, the box office is sure to be a success."

“That makes sense.” Yang Mi thought about it and agreed.

The lobby of the Westin Beiping Hotel was not yet fully awake the next morning.

Huanrui Century's press conference for the start of filming of "Gu Jian Qi Tan" was scheduled for 10:00 a.m., and there was still more than an hour before the start.

The organizers' staff had just started working outside the venue, and most of the media reporters had not yet arrived.

However, a few astute reporters had already staked out the hotel, including Xiao Kong and Xiao Li.

The two individuals work for different media studios and are responsible for news reporting and writing about the entertainment industry in Beijing. Both received invitations to the press conference today.

As colleagues, we often meet at various events. When we met now, we chatted in a corner of the lobby, exchanging the latest gossip in the industry.

As they were talking, Xiao Kong suddenly caught a glimpse of a figure walking through the hotel's revolving door out of the corner of his eye. He stopped abruptly, and his fluent words instantly came to a halt.

All that remained was a stammering, breathy voice: "It's Song, Song..."

Seeing his expression change drastically and his eyes filled with shock, Xiao Li couldn't help but turn his head to look curiously. Just one glance was enough to make him gasp in surprise.

He lowered his voice and blurted out, "Why would the richest man be here?"

Song Ci was walking side by side with a refined-looking elderly man, and the two seemed to be talking in hushed tones.

He was followed by a dozen or so entourage members, and there were also many security personnel in black suits vigilantly scanning the surroundings, forming an invisible barrier.

Xiao Kong was the first to come to his senses. He suddenly tugged at Xiao Li's arm, and the two of them crouched down and quickly hid behind a pillar not far away. He quickly took out his phone, opened the camera, and pointed it in the direction of Song Ci.

"Song Ci appearing here at this time definitely means something big is happening! Maybe we can get an exclusive front-page spread!"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Li's eyes lit up instantly, and he hurriedly took out his phone, his fingers flying across the shutter button, afraid of missing any moment.

Only after Song Ci and his entourage had passed by them not far in front of them and disappeared into the depths of the corridor leading to the elevator did the two dare to peek out from behind the pillar.

"I think I was caught on camera by the richest man's bodyguard just now..." Xiao Li was still a little shaken.

"What's there to be afraid of?" Xiao Kong waved his phone, and several photos on the screen clearly captured the scene of Song Ci walking with the old man. "Look around, aren't the hotel staff and guests also secretly taking pictures?"

He stared at Song Ci's profile in the photo and couldn't help but click his tongue in amazement. "This is the first time I've seen the richest man in person. His looks are just too stunning. Heaven is so unfair. He's rich, powerful, and handsome. He gets all the advantages."

Although Xiao Li was also impressed by Song Ci's aura, he was more concerned about something else: "Who is that old gentleman next to him? He looks extraordinary."

"Investigate quickly!" Xiao Kong urged. "Look at the name tags of the people behind the old man; the word 'bank' is faintly visible. Investigate in this direction!"

Xiao Li immediately opened his phone and searched, his fingertips flying across the screen. A moment later, he suddenly exclaimed, "Found it! It's Mr. Jiang, the president of the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China!"

The two exchanged a glance, both seeing excitement in each other's eyes. To be able to walk alongside the richest man, one must be a top figure in the banking system. They first investigated the president of the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, and their investigation hit the mark on the first try.

Xiao Kong couldn't contain his excitement: "Holy crap! Asia's richest man meets with the president of ICBC? This is definitely a big deal! If this news gets out, it'll be way more exciting than any press conference!"

Just as the two were secretly pleased, another group of people walked by from the other side of the lobby. The leader was wearing a well-fitting dark jacket, with a tall and straight figure and a calm and dignified air between his brows. He was extraordinary at first glance.

"Judging from this setup, it's most likely a bank," Xiao Kong guessed, squinting his eyes.

Xiao Li's phone gave the answer almost immediately: "Mr. Zhang, Vice President of the Agricultural Bank of China!"

"My God!" Xiao Li gasped. "Is Song Ci going to have a meeting with the top executives of the four major banks today?"

Before they finished speaking, another group of people entered the hotel. The two men were already familiar with the place and quickly identified the leader as Mr. Li, the president of the head office of Huaguo Bank, and Mr. Yang, the vice president of the head office of China Construction Bank, who followed closely behind.

Within just over ten minutes, all the top-level leaders of the four major state-owned banks appeared.

"Hahaha! This incredible wealth has actually fallen into our laps!"

Xiao Kong grinned from ear to ear, then pulled Xiao Li a few steps back to a corner. "Quick, post on Weibo! Use the studio account! Say that Asia's richest man, Song Ci, had a secret meeting with the heads of the four major banks at the Westin Hotel!"

With a few quick taps on the screen, two Weibo posts featuring blurry photos of the scene were instantly published.

When the notification popped up that the message had been successfully sent, both of them were beaming with barely suppressed excitement. They knew that once the news spread, it would definitely cause a huge uproar online.

In the top-tier VIP conference room on the hotel's rooftop, the air was so still that you could hear the low hum of the central air conditioning.

The manager personally supervised the staff in serving the top-grade white tea. The tea leaves unfurled in the celadon gaiwan, exuding a delicate fragrance. Once everything was in place, he bowed and quietly withdrew, closing the heavy solid wood door behind him.

Outside, it was the dead of winter, with the north wind whipping up snowflakes that rattled against the windowpanes, but inside, it was warm and cozy.

The nearly ten-meter-long mahogany conference table, with its warm luster, clearly separated the two groups of people at opposite ends.

Song Ci sat in the main seat on the left, flanked by Wu Yi, president of Tengda Group's WeChat business group, Lin Haifeng, head of YiPay, and others, all with composed expressions.

On the right sat, in order, President Jiang of ICBC, Vice President Zhang of ABC, Vice President Yang of CCB, and President Li of CCB. The four heads of state-owned banks had solemn faces and a restrained yet dignified presence.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Vice President Yang of China Construction Bank broke the silence first, his tone cold and hard like metal.

"Chairman Song, we just restricted Alipay's quick payment limit a few days ago. You should know the reason behind it."

"At this point, coming to us with the 'WeChat Wallet' solution, do they think they can easily cross the bottom line of the four major banks?"

President Hua immediately chimed in: "Yu'ebao has only been online for twenty days, yet it has already caused the four major banks to lose nearly 100 billion yuan in demand deposits."

Tenda's WeChat currently boasts 6 million monthly active users, and its fund holdings are several times larger than Alipay's. If they were to launch a product similar to Yu'ebao, would they be trying to starve banks?

Song Ci picked up the covered bowl and gently skimmed off the foam. His expression remained calm and his tone unhurried: "President Yang, President Li, please be patient."

"It was precisely because we saw the industry-shaking impact of Yu'ebao that we approached the negotiations with a more conservative solution, rather than launching the product directly. This is what sets Tenda apart from other companies."

Yang and Li exchanged a glance, their sharp edges softening. Vice President Yang nodded and said, "Chairman Song, please feel free to speak your mind."

Song Ci smiled slightly and gave Wu Yi beside her a wink.

Wu Yi immediately understood, opened the document in front of him and said loudly: "Distinguished leaders, WeChat Pay and Alipay have fundamentally different genes. Alipay is a pure payment tool, while the core of WeChat is a social platform."

Our users keep their WeChat balance primarily for small transactions like sending red envelopes or paying utility bills, with an average transaction amount not exceeding 800 yuan. This completely overlaps with the large-sum savings customer base of banks.

He paused, glanced at the bank leader across from him who was listening intently, and continued, "These fragmented funds might have been lying dormant in users' bank cards or scattered outside the system as cash."

What WeChat Pay aims to do is to aggregate these "fragmented coins" into "ingots" and deposit them into the four major banks through money market funds. This isn't about grabbing deposits, but rather helping banks absorb funds that were previously flowing out of the country.

"That sounds nice," said Vice President Zhang of the Agricultural Bank of China with a sneer. "Didn't Yu'ebao also claim to be 'inclusive finance' back then?"
The result? The interest rate on negotiated deposits was raised to 6%, forcing us to raise savings rates as well, and banks were barely able to cover their costs.

"This is precisely the core of our negotiations with the four major banks today," Song Ci continued, her tone earnest yet confident. "WeChat Wallet's money market fund is willing to accept a negotiated deposit rate 10 basis points lower than that of Yu'ebao."

More importantly, Tenda can sign "liquidity mutual assistance agreements" with the four major banks. When money market funds experience large-scale redemptions, the partner banks will provide short-term lending support, and we will pay the excess penalty interest, ensuring that the banks never bear the liquidity risk.

Finally, President Jiang of ICBC, who had been silent all along, spoke. He was the most senior and highest-ranking person present, and although his voice was not loud, it carried an undeniable weight.

"Chairman Song, can Tengda really guarantee that these funds will not impact our retail business?"
WeChat's social sharing and viral marketing capabilities are far more formidable than Alipay's payment scenarios; WeChat Pay is now the dominant player in the online payment industry.

“We can set a tiered transfer limit,” Song Ci said, her expression turning serious as she gave a clear response.

"For single transactions exceeding 5 yuan, an appointment must be made 24 hours in advance, and the funds can only be returned to the user's linked savings card at the same bank."

This approach not only mitigates liquidity risk but also keeps the funding loop within the partner bank's system.

After a brief pause, he offered an even more attractive offer: "In addition, WeChat is willing to open its payment gateway to drive traffic to the credit cards and wealth management products of partner banks."

Users can see the bank's promotional link on the WeChat Life Services page and click to make a purchase directly.

This is a traffic pool of hundreds of millions of active users. If the four major banks were to build such a channel independently, they would need to invest at least several billion yuan.

President Jiang's fingers stopped on the edge of the table and began to tap slowly, producing a rhythmic, soft sound.

The conference room fell silent for a moment, with only the sound of knocking echoing in the air. The eyes of the other three bank managers were all on him.

After a long pause, President Jiang glanced at everyone and finally spoke again, his tone softening slightly: "Chairman Song, WeChat's proposal is indeed more sincere than Alipay's, but the four major banks need to form a united front."

Let's choose a bank to pilot this first, and implement it according to the interest rate and mutual aid agreement you mentioned.

If no large-scale deposit outflow occurs within three months, and the fund stability meets the standards, the other three institutions will follow suit.

Song Ci breathed a sigh of relief, but his face remained calm: "No problem. We suggest that the pilot bank be ICBC, which has the most solid foundation in retail business, so that the security of the plan can be better tested."

In addition, regarding the interest calculation method for negotiated deposits, we hope to adopt a "daily accrual and monthly settlement" approach, which will make the calculation of money market fund returns more transparent.

President Jiang nodded slightly: "Specific details can be discussed further by the risk control departments of both parties. But there is one point that WeChat must promise:"

We will not advertise "higher returns than bank deposits" in any public setting, and all promotional materials must be reviewed by our partner banks.

“That’s absolutely no problem!” Wu Yi replied immediately.

"WeChat Pay is not here to disrupt the industry, but to work with banks to expand the market. After all, WeChat users are also potential customers of banks."

"I hope so." President Jiang sighed, stood up, and extended his hand. "I wish Tengda Group and ICBC a pleasant cooperation."

Song Ci quickly stood up, and the two clasped hands tightly in the center of the long table.

Everyone present knew that the battle between internet finance and traditional banking had only just begun.

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(End of this chapter)