Entertainment mogul: Starting his business with the internet

Chapter 487 Junior's Bond
"Good! It's good that you have confidence!" Chen Mingyu breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this.

As the vice president in charge of platform content, I desperately need hit projects to support my performance KPIs.

He leaned back to a more comfortable sitting position and said frankly, "Dapeng, to be honest, the situation back then was unavoidable!"

"With General Manager Yu suddenly transferred and General Manager Zhou taking over, she insisted on canceling the 'Men's Diary' project. Although I felt it was a great pity, there was really nothing I could do."

Dong Dapeng also sighed in agreement: "President Chen, I completely understand your difficulties. I am already extremely grateful that you spoke up for me in that situation."

These words were half genuine gratitude and half workplace politeness, but they were spoken with such sincerity that no one could detect any flaws.

Chen Mingyu waved his hand, seemingly unwilling to dwell on the past, and then smiled and said, "But now it seems that every cloud has a silver lining."

You're now at Tengda Culture, where I've heard they value content creation a lot, which has given you more room for growth. It's a case of hard work paying off.

Are there any specific plans for the future?

Tell me, if it's a good project, what kind of support does the platform need? Don't hesitate to ask.

Upon hearing this, Dong Dapeng's heart skipped a beat. He subconsciously rubbed the warm teacup, his lips trembling as he hesitated, wondering whether he should speak and how he should say it.

Seeing that he seemed hesitant to speak, Chen Mingyu smiled and encouraged him, "Hey, what can't you tell me? Where did your courage go when you dared to stop the chairman's car? Just say it!"

Spurred on by Chen Mingyu's words, Dong Dapeng steeled his resolve, abruptly raising his head with a burning gaze filled with determination and longing: "President Chen! I want to be a director! To make movies! To make big-screen movies!"

These resounding words caused Chen Mingyu's smile to freeze slightly: "Making a movie? Dapeng, this isn't a short drama; the film industry is something else entirely."

It demands far more from a director's storytelling ability, mise-en-scène, team management, and financial control than shooting a short skit that's only ten or twenty minutes long. "How did you suddenly come up with this idea?"

Dong Dapeng's gaze was unusually firm, clearly indicating that this idea had been lingering in his mind for a long time and was by no means a momentary impulse.

Taking a deep breath to calm his excited emotions, he explained, "Mr. Chen, I was both stimulated and inspired."

Look at that recent movie, *Tiny Times*. It grossed 7300 million yuan on its opening day! Industry insiders predict the total box office will approach 5 million yuan! That's an amazing achievement!

As he spoke, his tone became slightly unconvinced and even resentful: "But is this movie really that high quality?"
I went to see it in the theater myself, and so many film critics and audience members online are also complaining. To be honest, I think I could have done it too!

Dong Dapeng became more and more excited as he spoke, as if he had found a kindred spirit, and his words poured out like a machine gun: "And I've figured it out! In today's market, sometimes whether a movie is good or not is not necessarily the deciding factor for box office."

As long as the IP is popular enough, the fan base is solid enough, the publicity and marketing are done well enough, and the topic is hyped up enough, it can attract a large number of viewers to make purchases!
When it comes to humor, relatability, and engaging the audience's emotions, I think I have a clear advantage over director Guo Jingming! If he can succeed, why can't I? In fact, I'm confident I can do even better!

Chen Mingyu listened quietly, his fingers unconsciously tapping lightly on the sofa armrest. As a senior executive of the platform, he was naturally extremely sensitive to market trends and box office data.

The success of "Tiny Times" has indeed overturned the perceptions of many traditional filmmakers, proving the enormous power of "fan economy" and "topical movies".

Although Dong Dapeng's words were blunt and even somewhat arrogant, they were not entirely without reason.

"Men's Diary" itself has proven its ability to capture popular humor and online trends, and has a huge grassroots fan base, which is indeed a huge advantage in transitioning to commercial comedy films.

However, the risks of investing in films are far greater than those of online short dramas. If a film fails, the losses could be in the tens or even hundreds of millions.

After a moment's hesitation, seeing the burning desire and fighting spirit in Dong Dapeng's eyes, I knew it was not the right time to dampen his enthusiasm.

After all, Dong Dapeng is now backed by Tengda Culture, and may even have caught the eye of Chairman Song. The relationship that has just been repaired needs to be maintained.

After thinking it over, Chen Mingyu decided to take a more prudent approach: "Dapeng, it's good that you have this ambition. Young people should dare to think and act."

Okay, talk is cheap. You should calm down, write a movie script, and then submit it to Tengda Culture for evaluation.

Then, a clear commitment was made: "If the proposal is indeed solid and passes the evaluation, then I can state here that Toutiao Video is willing to participate in the investment."

They could even act as one of the main producers, providing maximum support for your film project.

Upon hearing this, Dong Dapeng's eyes lit up with surprise. He had only proposed this seemingly arrogant idea with a try-it-out mentality, but he did not expect to receive such a positive and enthusiastic response!

"Thank you, Mr. Chen!" Dong Dapeng's fighting spirit was ignited, and his voice trembled slightly with excitement. "Don't worry! I'll start working on the notebook as soon as I get back!"

After seeing off the excited Dong Dapeng, Chen Mingyu glanced at his watch; time was running out.

He quickly straightened his suit and strode towards the human resources center conference room located on the other side of the building.

Today was the final round of interviews for the Toutiao Video Management position, and he was one of the interviewers, as a core senior executive in the business line.

Upon arriving at the conference room, the atmosphere inside was serious and focused.

One side of the long conference table was almost full of people, with HR President Zhou Yu sitting at the head of the table, flanked by five director-level interviewers from the Human Resources Department, Finance Center, and Strategic Development Department.

Zhou Yu looked up at the sound of his voice: "President Chen, we've been waiting for you."

"I just finished taking care of something." Chen Mingyu sat down in the reserved seat.

"Is everyone here?" Zhou Yu asked the HR coordinator beside her.

"President Zhou, all eighteen candidates are ready."

"OK, let's begin. Please have the first person come in, in order." Zhou Yu said succinctly.

The interview process has officially begun.

In the conference room, well-dressed and meticulously prepared young people walked in one after another, and within fifteen to twenty minutes, they did their best to demonstrate their talent, potential and ambition.

A moment later, the conference room door was knocked softly and then pushed open, and a girl with exquisite makeup and outstanding temperament walked in.

She wore a purple Chanel-style suit, her long hair was slightly curled and draped over her shoulders, and she had a perfectly appropriate smile on her face, which showed both respect and confidence.

Walking up to the conference table, I bowed slightly to the interviewers with an elegant posture: "Hello, teachers."

Zhou Yu glanced up and looked her over, then opened the resume in her hand: "Please sit down. Let me briefly introduce myself first." The girl sat down as instructed, poised and confident, showing none of the typical stage fright of a recent graduate. She smiled sweetly, her voice clear and melodious:
"Hello everyone, my name is Huang Huiwen, and I graduated from the Art Management major at the Central Academy of Fine Arts. Today, I am applying for the position of 'Animation IP Planner' at Toutiao Video."

The process proceeded step by step.

A male interviewer, around forty years old, was the first to ask a question. He adjusted his glasses and said with a hint of doubt, "Mr. Huang, I see that you study at the Central Academy of Fine Arts, but the address on your resume is Tsinghua University Zhaolanyuan Campus?"

Upon hearing this, Huang Huiwen smiled easily and explained, "Oh, that's my home address. My parents both teach at Tsinghua University, so we've always lived on campus." Her words were as casual as if she were talking about something completely ordinary.

"A Tsinghua University alumnus!" The interviewers exchanged glances subconsciously, each seeing a hint of amazement in the other's eyes.

Both parents are professors at top universities in China, which not only means a superior upbringing and educational resources, but also a deep network of academic connections.

In the domestic workplace, where background and resources are highly valued, this is undoubtedly a significant advantage.

Zhou Yu coughed lightly, interrupting the subtle commotion and steer the conversation back on track: "Very good."

"So, Huang, could you share your understanding of the 'Anime IP Planner' position, and what initial plans or ideas you would have for this field if you were to take the job?"

When the topic turned to her professional field, Huang Huiwen's eyes instantly brightened and she became more focused, speaking fluently and confidently:

"I believe that the core of animation IP planning goes far beyond simply acquiring the rights to popular Japanese or domestic animations. It should be about being a builder and operator of an IP ecosystem..."

The viewpoints are clear, insightful, and unique, and even cite several successful domestic and international IP operation cases as evidence, clearly demonstrating thorough research.

Zhou Yu nodded repeatedly, his eyes showing appreciation. Turning his head to Chen Mingyu on his right, he respectfully asked, "Mr. Chen, you are the business manager, what's your opinion?"

Chen Mingyu clasped his hands on the table and gave a fair assessment: "Your thinking is clear, and your understanding of the position exceeds that of most recent graduates."

He thinks even deeper than some industry professionals who have only worked in the field for a year or two. He has great potential.

He paused, then added the crucial sentence, "Let's stay here for now."

"OK." Zhou Yu understood and gave Huang Huiwen an approving smile. "Huang, your performance was excellent. Please go outside and rest for a while, and wait for our final notification after all the interviews are completed."

Huang Huiwen knew perfectly well that "staying first" meant that she had successfully entered the final selection pool, and as long as no overwhelmingly superior candidates appeared later, this offer was almost a sure thing.

She calmly stood up, bowed slightly again, and said, "Thank you, teachers." Then she gracefully left the meeting room.

The interviews continued. Candidates came and went, some performing exceptionally well, others unremarkable. The interviewers, under intense mental strain, were gradually showing signs of fatigue.

When the clock struck eleven, Zhou Yu glanced at the list and rubbed his temples: "How many are left?"

"Mr. Zhou, there's only one left."

"Call in."

The last person to enter was a young man, wearing a large, brand-new suit, with barely concealed nervousness on his face.

"Hello everyone, my name is Chu Jingzhao. I am a student at Guanghua School of Management, Peking University, majoring in Marketing with a focus on Data Science, specializing in big data analysis and business decision-making. I am applying for the Toutiao Video Content Operations position."

"Peking University's Guanghua School of Management?" Zhou Yu and the other interviewers perked up slightly. This school held a special place within the Tengda system.

However, after several rounds of standard questions, Chu Jingzhao's performance was somewhat disappointing.

The answer was conventional and based on solid theoretical foundation, but it lacked highlights and unique insights, appearing somewhat rigid and showing signs of naiveté.

Compared to Huang Huiwen's previous stunning performance, his performance can only be described as barely passing.

Zhou Yu looked at Chen Mingyu, seeking his opinion with her eyes. Chen Mingyu shook his head almost imperceptibly. From a purely professional standpoint, Chu Jingzhao was not an ideal candidate.

Zhou Yu had already made up her mind and was preparing to politely decline according to procedure. At this moment, a female interviewer next to her suddenly remembered something, quickly turned aside, covered her mouth, and whispered a few words in her ear.

Zhou Yu's expression subtly shifted from confusion to surprise to seriousness. She lowered her voice to confirm, "Really? Is the news accurate?"

The female deputy director nodded vigorously, her voice extremely low: "Absolutely true! Many people saw it in the lobby on the first floor this morning."

Chairman Song took the initiative to chat with him, and even mentioned a professor from Guanghua School of Management. Before entering the elevator, he personally wished him "good luck"!
Mr. Zhou, this is a direct descendant of Guanghua, Chairman Song's junior from school, and he even received encouragement from the Chairman in person. If we just kill him outright, wouldn't that…?

The rest is self-explanatory; Zhou Yu fully understood the subtext. At Tengda, Peking University's Guanghua School of Management is a special label, representing a powerful alumni network and potential connections.

Rejecting a "mediocre" Guanghua student might not be a big deal, but rejecting a Guanghua student who has just received goodwill and encouragement from the chairman in public could be interpreted as an unnecessary gesture, or even cause unnecessary trouble.

Zhou Yu's fingers unconsciously tapped the line "Guanghua School of Management, Peking University" on her resume, and she fell into a long silence.

The air in the meeting room seemed to freeze. The other interviewers also sensed something was amiss and waited quietly.

Ability? Or interpersonal relationships and potential risks? A few minutes later, Zhou Yu took a deep breath, as if she had made up her mind.

Raising his head, a professional smile returned to his face, he said to the nervous Chu Jingzhao, "Chu, your professional background is a very good fit for our data analysis direction in content operations."

Young people have potential; learning ability is key. Congratulations, welcome to Toutiao Video. Our HR team will contact you regarding further offer details.

Chu Jingzhao was overjoyed and could hardly believe his ears. He thanked him repeatedly and left.

The conference room door closed, and silence fell. Zhou Yu closed all the resumes and said calmly, "That's enough for today. The final list is here."

Chen Mingyu didn't speak, but silently picked up his things. He understood that today they would ultimately choose not the person with the highest score in terms of ability.

Rather, it is the "safest" or even "most advantageous" option that is considered comprehensively within the complex workplace ecosystem.

Huang Huiwen was selected based on her absolute strength, while Chu Jingzhao secured the other spot thanks to that unexpected "elevator encounter" and his powerful alumni network.

That's often how it is in the real workplace!

(End of this chapter)