Entertainment mogul: Starting his business with the internet

Chapter 468 The First Sister is Very Satisfied
As February arrives, the festive atmosphere of the Lunar New Year grows stronger across the country.

On the evening of the 5th, the Jingyuan Private Residence was filled with warmth.

Inside the restaurant, delicate crystal chandeliers cast a soft glow, and the dishes on the table steamed with warmth, exuding the charm of everyday life.

Seeing that his wife Liu Shishi was constantly fiddling with her phone, Song Ci said with concern, "Shishi, let's eat first."

"Almost done! Just finish posting this Weibo." Liu Shishi's eyes brimmed with undisguised joy as her fingers flew across the screen, editing the post before gently tapping send.

Liu Shishi v: #SilentStenographyFinale# Tune in to CCTV-8's prime time slot tonight at 7:30 PM for the final chapter of "Silent Stenography"!

Song Hongling's story is coming to an end. Thank you to everyone who accompanied and witnessed this thrilling and persevering journey!
Special preview: There's a hidden surprise in tonight's finale! It's a huge surprise, definitely worth watching until the end!
Who is it? Shh... Remember to share your thoughts with me after you finish watching! [Smirk] Tonight, let's all support Song Hongling's final decision. #SongHonglingSilentShorthand#
After posting on Weibo, Liu Shishi picked up her bowl and chopsticks and said with a smile, "Let's give 'Silent Notes' one last push! I hope to use someone's popularity to make the ratings reach a new high."

"It's ending so soon!" Song Ci exclaimed in realization. "Silent Notebook" has a total of 36 episodes, with two episodes airing every day. Counting the days, it really is the finale tonight.

"Then I'll have to watch the last episode properly today."

Liu Shishi chuckled and teased, "Is someone eager to see their screen debut?"

"It was quite a novel experience to have a cameo role in a TV series," Song Ci recalled with a smile as she reminisced about her time filming on set.

I thought to myself, no wonder Ma Jie is so keen on making kung fu short films. He wants to beat up all those famous kung fu stars. It must be really cool.

"Oh, right, there's some good news today."

Is it "Lost in Thailand"?

Liu Shishi immediately beamed with joy and said excitedly, "That's right! The movie was released for 40 days and successfully ended its run yesterday, with a total box office of 13.17 billion yuan, breaking the box office record for Chinese-language films!"

I invested 14 million yuan in "Lost in Thailand," taking a 30% stake. Now I've made a small profit of 150 million yuan. Just thinking about it makes me happy.

"The films 'Goodbye Mr. Loser' and 'Lost in Thailand' have truly propelled Chinese-language films into the billion-yuan era. Next, it's estimated that a large wave of hot money will pour into the film and television industry."

Song Ci couldn't help but sigh. He knew in his heart that from this point on, the Chinese entertainment industry would usher in an unprecedented period of prosperity.

Capital has begun to blindly believe in the formula "IP + traffic stars = box office", and the salaries of traffic stars have skyrocketed, ushering in a crazy era for the entertainment industry.

Liu Shishi nodded gently in agreement: "That's right! Honey, you have no idea, Xu Zheng's net worth has increased tenfold, from 5 million to 50 million."

Huang Bo has become the first actor to win a 50 billion yuan film, with his salary for a single film exceeding 4000 million yuan.

Last year, apart from a few Hong Kong superstars, no mainland A-list star's salary exceeded 1000 million yuan. In just a few months, it has multiplied several times over—it's truly outrageous!

Song Ci sighed softly: "In the next few years, resources in the entertainment industry will become more and more concentrated on the top, and it will only become more and more difficult for small and medium-sized projects to survive."

Liu Shishi glanced at her husband, a smile playing on her lips: "Who cares about sky-high salaries or the dominance of online traffic? As long as you're still in the entertainment industry, who can escape Tengda's grasp? Capital never loses out, so why are you worrying so much?"

Song Ci shrugged, his tone tinged with helplessness: "Personally, I still hope that the film and television industry can develop healthily and pay more attention to the sustainability of content."

However, I need to focus my energy on more important things and don't have time to get involved in these messy things in the entertainment industry. In a few years, when the hype dies down and the bubble bursts, things will naturally return to normal.

Compared to cutting-edge manufacturing and artificial intelligence, which are crucial to the future of the nation, the petty squabbles in the entertainment industry are not worth his time. At most, they are just a diversion in life, something to watch for entertainment.

After dinner, there was still some time before the premiere of "Silent Notes." Song Ci was reading the Daily News, while Liu Shishi was busy scrolling through Weibo, looking at the comments from her fans.

"An Easter egg? What kind of Easter egg? A new character?"

"Li Xuejian's character has already left the show. I hope Hong Ling doesn't sacrifice herself in the end too. Please don't!"

"I'm waiting for the finale! I have to watch until the very last second!"

……

As Liu Shishi interacted with fans and netizens, the time quietly slipped to 7:30, and episode 35 of "Silent Notes" started on time.

In the drama, the Kuomintang army suffers repeated defeats on the main battlefield and attempts to negotiate with the Red Party to divide the country along the Yangtze River.

Song Hongling carries on Lu Chengyu's will and risks her life to deliver vital intelligence. The plot is full of twists and turns, captivating the audience, and Liu Shishi watches with rapt attention.

As the plot unfolds, the Kuomintang retreats to the island, while the Communist Party's million-strong army crosses the Yangtze River, and "Silent Notebook" reaches its highly anticipated finale.

On the screen, the final scene slowly unfolds: April 1949, Nanjing.

The waves of the Yangtze River seem to carry the cheers of victory as they roll eastward. The sounds of cannons gradually subside, and the smoke of battle has not yet dissipated, but the gloom of the old era is being vigorously dispelled by the rising sun.

Inside the city, there was a jubilant atmosphere.

The streets were packed with cheering citizens waving homemade red flags, their faces beaming with unprecedented joy.

"Liberation has begun!" "Long live the People's Liberation Army!"

Cheers rose and fell, forming a powerful and awe-inspiring torrent that swept through this weathered city.

Song Hongling, dressed in a faded old-fashioned cheongsam with a thin cardigan casually draped over it, stood on a slightly elevated stone step, her eyes anxiously searching through the troops entering the city and the surging crowd.

A military jeep stopped at the edge of the crowd. The door opened, and a tall, imposing figure nimbly jumped out.

He was wearing the khaki uniform of the People's Liberation Army, looking travel-worn. The face peeking out from under his hat was that of his long-lost husband, Yang Fan (played by Song Ci in a cameo role).

Time has etched the marks of determination on his face, and his military career has added to his heroic bearing. But when he looks at Song Hongling, all the smoke and dust of battle instantly fade from his eyes, leaving only an intense longing and tenderness.

He spotted her almost instantly amidst the crowd. The figure he had longed for day and night stood there vividly before him.

Across the cheering crowds, across the flames of war and the pain of separation, their gazes transcended time and space, intertwining tightly and firmly.

Song Hongling could no longer hold back; tears welled up in her eyes and silently streamed down her cheeks. This was not sadness, but ecstasy, a tremendous release from long-suppressed repression and waiting that had finally been answered.

Forgetting her composure and where she was, she lifted her skirt and, like a weary bird returning to its nest, stumbled but resolutely ran down the stone steps, through the crowd, and rushed towards that figure without a care in the world.

Yang Fan strode forward, arms outstretched, to welcome his beloved. Bathed in the glow of the setting sun, amidst the vibrant energy of the ancient city of Nanjing, the two finally embraced tightly!
The image freezes at this moment:
Their embracing figures, amidst the sunset, the ancient city, and the cheers of new life, create a breathtakingly beautiful scene.

All the waiting, sacrifice, and thrilling moments have transformed into a silent commitment at this moment.

The screen dims, and the subtitle appears: "The End".

The melodious end credits song flowed through the living room, while a long credits scrolled across the screen.

When the words "Special Guest Appearance: Yang Fan, Song Ci" clearly appeared, Liu Shishi turned sharply to look at her husband, her eyes gleaming with a mischievous yet slightly proud light. "Mr. Song!" she drawled, her smile barely concealed, "How was your screen debut? Tell me, how would you rate yourself?"

Song Ci's gaze was still fixed on the small print on the television screen; the novelty had not yet worn off.

Hearing his wife tease him, he looked away, turned to gaze at her, and smiled: "Well, first of all, I have to thank Director Kong for not making me look too bad in the photos."

His tone became a bit lighter, "Actually, I should thank my wife for her excellent acting throughout, which helped me, a 'newcomer,' get into character and prevented me from looking too out of place."

"Don't give me that!" Liu Shishi laughed at her husband and lightly punched him. "It's clearly you who exudes presence just by standing there, with your posture, your eyes, and your aura."

She recalled the filming scene and the eye contact she had just made across the crowd on the screen, and her heart still fluttered. "The audience must have become your fans. If you don't believe me, look at Weibo. It's probably trending right now."

As I opened Weibo, sure enough, the top five trending topics were dominated by related terms from "Silent Notebook":
"The Silent Memorization Finale," "Song Hongling and Yang Fan's Sunset Reunion," "Song Ci's Cameo," and "The Richest Man's Screen Debut."

Liu Shishi opened her Weibo homepage, and the comment section under the post announcing the finale was refreshing so fast that it was almost impossible to see.

Besides expressing their feelings about the plot, their sorrow for Song Hongling's fate, and their blessings, more than half of the comments were screaming with excitement and wonder at the "Easter egg":
"Mr. Song has an amazing presence! Just standing there, he exudes the composure of a seasoned soldier who has been through the trials of war; he doesn't need to act at all!"

"My brother-in-law's eye acting is amazing! The way he looked into his eyes with his senior sister gave me goosebumps! Their chemistry is incredible!"

"I feel like Shishi really got to perform well in the last scene; her eye acting finally broke through her previous limitations! Of course, we can't rule out the possibility that it was just her natural self! [doge]"

Looking at the screen full of "Mr. Song", "richest man" and "handsome", Liu Shishi couldn't help but feel smug.

Like a kitten that has just stolen some fish, she approached her husband with a hint of smug satisfaction and held up her phone in front of him: "Look, Mr. Song, the audience's evaluation of your 'screen debut' is really high!"

Everyone's praising your 'effective cameo'! They're saying your looks rival John Lone and Louis Koo, and your acting is natural and moving, hmm?

Song Ci glanced at the screen full of compliments, especially the exaggerated praise for his looks, and couldn't help but chuckle: "Netizens are going too far. I'm just standing there, being myself... well, playing a soldier."

He paused, looking into his wife's bright, proud eyes, and his heart softened. He teased her on purpose, "But a man who can make Song Hongling wait for him to come home has to be something, right?"

"You're so vain!" Liu Shishi glared at him playfully, but her eyes were full of sweetness.

She put down her phone, nestled into Song Ci's arms, rested her head gently on his strong shoulder, and let out a long sigh of relief, as if a heavy burden had been lifted from her shoulders.

The warm yellow glow of the crystal chandelier gently enveloped the two of them. The cozy atmosphere of dinner still lingered in the restaurant, while outside the window, the night deepened and the city lights twinkled.

At this moment, all the noise, data, and praise seemed to be seen through frosted glass, becoming blurry and distant.

Feeling the warmth of her husband's embrace and his steady heartbeat, Liu Shishi was filled with a great and peaceful sense of satisfaction. Her drama series had come to a successful end, creating a new ratings legend.

Her beloved husband, in an unexpected yet perfect way, accompanied her to complete the final stroke of this extraordinary work, leaving behind a scene worthy of being recorded as a classic on the screen.

"Are you tired when filming?" Song Ci's deep voice sounded above his wife's head as he gently stroked her hair with his large hand.

Liu Shishi snuggled closer to him, finding a more comfortable position, her voice tinged with a lazy satisfaction: "Tired, but... I'm so happy, so fulfilled."

She looked up into her husband's deep eyes, where her own image was clearly reflected: "Thank you, Yi Yi. Thank you for filming with me, thank you for your cameo... Thank you for always being there."

Song Ci didn't speak, but tightened his arms around Liu Shishi, lowered his head and placed a gentle and solemn kiss on her smooth forehead.

On the morning of the 6th, in the office of Jaywalk Media.

Yang Mi sat in front of the computer, her gaze fixed on the screen, where Liu Shishi had posted a thousand-word message late last night, filled with farewells to the character "Song Hongling".

As she read the contents, a hint of envy flashed in her eyes.

Yesterday, "Silent Notebook" concluded its run perfectly. As Liu Shishi's first work in her transition to serious drama, this series delivered a brilliant result to audiences nationwide:

With an average viewership rating of 3.7%, it captured 23% of the national prime-time viewership share. In particular, the moment when Song Ci made a cameo appearance in the finale, the viewership rating briefly exceeded 5%, making it a phenomenal hit.

"What a lucky woman," Yang Mi sighed softly.

Just as I was feeling sentimental, Zeng Jia knocked on the door and came in, getting straight to the point: "I've secured the lead role for Deng Chao in his movie 'The Breakup Guru' for you."

However, your schedule might conflict with "Swords of Legends," so you'll likely have to film both at the same time.

Upon hearing that she had landed the lead role in the movie, Yang Mi was initially overjoyed, but then she pouted and said helplessly, "So be it, I'm used to it all these years."

As Zeng Jia sat down, he said, "Yesterday, Stephen Chow's 'Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons' was released. The box office results on the first day were explosive, and the online reviews were also high. It might just be another movie that makes a billion-dollar box office."

"Another billion!" Yang Mi's heart skipped a beat. "Lost in Thailand just finished its run, and now another one is coming out?"

Zeng Jia nodded: "You need to put some effort into 'The Breakup Guru.' The film industry is booming right now. With your and Deng Chao's popularity, and with a comedy genre that has a wide audience, it shouldn't be a problem to gross 300 to 400 million yuan at the box office."

Just as Yang Mi was about to reply, her phone suddenly rang. She glanced at the caller ID and saw it was Yu Zheng. She quickly answered, "Mr. Yu, Happy New Year."

"Honey, Happy New Year." Yu Zheng's slightly effeminate voice came through the receiver. "I'm contacting you today because I want to collaborate on a project with you."

Yang Mi's eyes lit up. The company was in a rebuilding phase, so it was open to any project that came its way. She quickly asked, "President Yu, what kind of project is it?"

Yu Zheng got straight to the point: "We would like to invite you to star in the third installment of the 'Palace' series, 'Palace 3: The Lost Daughter,' which will begin filming after the New Year."

Yang Mi looked regretful. If filming were to start after the New Year, her schedule would already be fully booked, and she didn't really want to act in the "Palace" series again.

After hesitating for a moment, I reluctantly declined: "Thank you for thinking of me, Mr. Yu, but I have already accepted a role in 'Swords of Legends' from Huanrui Century and have also booked a movie. I really can't free up my schedule."

"I see." Yu Zheng's voice was tinged with regret. "Then we can only wait for another opportunity to cooperate."

Yang Mi noticed Zeng Jia across from her giving her a series of winks, and instantly understood his intention. She carefully chose her words and said, "President Yu, we have a female artist at Jiaxing Media who is exceptionally beautiful. I wonder if she could audition for one of your roles?"

"Is it that little girl named Dilraba?"

Yang Mi was taken aback, not expecting Yu Zheng to know Dilraba, and quickly replied, "Yes, it's her."

“I have worked with H&R Century Pictures. I saw her at a press conference before and knew she existed,” Yu Zheng explained, then declined, “Her exotic charm is not suitable for my new drama.”

"This..." Yang Mi was disappointed for a moment, but then a thought flashed through her mind, and she quickly said, "President Yu, I can recommend someone else to you. Her name is Yuan Shanshan, she is my classmate from Beijing Film Academy, and her appearance and temperament will definitely satisfy you."

Yu Zheng remained silent for a moment, but ultimately decided to give Yang Mi face: "Have her contact me, I want to audition."

(End of this chapter)