Entertainment mogul: Starting his business with the internet

Chapter 95 Back to Campus (Long Chapter)
Having done pre-meeting rehearsals, Liu Shishi's answers to reporters' questions were standard and formulaic, lacking any eye-catching originality.

But it's truly flawless; it portrays the cautiousness and trepidation of a newcomer actor who has just transitioned into a new field.

As the reporter from Toutiao.com asked questions, several other media outlets turned their attention to the female lead and asked a few questions in succession, all of which Liu Shishi skillfully dealt with.

The press conference proceeded smoothly and ended without any major incidents.

Before the event ended, the production crew prepared a small gift for each reporter.

This is also a common practice at press conferences in the entertainment industry. After all, people are indebted to those who give them money, and the production team hopes that reporters will be lenient in their reports and focus on positive publicity.

Backstage at the press conference, seeing Liu Shishi looking relieved, Qiao Zhengyu, dressed in stylish casual wear, asked with a smile, "How was your first time attending a press conference, junior sister?"

He didn't expect to collaborate with Liu Shishi again so soon. The young girl was quite capable to squeeze out Wang Luodan and Lü Yi to become the female lead in "Nightclub".

As Liu Shishi drank water and caught her breath, the press conference ended smoothly, and the tense nerves in her mind finally relaxed.

As a novice, she was afraid of saying something wrong and having it reported by the media. In addition, she was somewhat socially anxious and not good at speaking, so she was always on high alert and cautious throughout the process.

"I was so nervous, but I finally made it through."

"It's normal to be a little nervous during your first interview. Your performance today was perfect."

Recalling his own flustered reaction when he was first questioned by a reporter, Qiao Zhengyu was generous with his praise.

Director Xu Zheng, who was standing to the side, nodded in agreement: "Liu Shishi, you did a really good job just now. You were poised and confident in front of a group of reporters, and your answers were flawless. Very good."

Liu Shishi was a little embarrassed by the praise and quickly said modestly, "I still have a lot to learn from Director Xu and Brother Yu."

Xu Zheng smiled. The girl seemed quite kind at first glance, but he would have to wait until the film crew started shooting to get to know her better.

He couldn't help but sigh inwardly, realizing the immense pressure he was under as the director. Assistant director Ma Xin was clearly dissatisfied with him and was constantly plotting to seize power.

The female lead is a relative with unknown background, and the second male lead is the top investor. They want to get the entire crew under their control and make a good movie. It's a long and arduous task!

See you all on set tomorrow.

Xu Zheng waved his hand and gave an instruction before heading back to quickly refine the filming plan.

The following day, several media outlets and portal websites published news about the movie "Nightclub".

Southern Metropolis Daily: Xu Zheng's crossover work showcases an actor with lofty ambitions and continuous improvement.

Yangtze Evening Post: Tengda Culture Officially Enters the Big Screen Market

Film Journal: The Director Support Program heralds a flourishing of the film and television industry.

Headline Entertainment: The Path to Acting: The Transformation of a Fresh School Beauty
Sina Entertainment: Is a new director's insistence on casting new actors a sign of stubbornness or overconfidence?
Entertainment City Daily: Gao Yuanyuan's Waterloo, Losing a Movie Leading Lady
Zhang Zhao is currently at the company reviewing the various information collected by his employees.

Aside from Sina Entertainment's report, which was somewhat sensational and subtly malicious, other media outlets generally reported on the interactions and exchanges during the interviews as normal.

Zhang Zhao nodded slightly and instructed Li Feng, the publicity director sitting across the table, "Keep a close eye on online reports about 'Nightclub' these next few days. If any negative news appears, report it to me immediately."

After saying that, he turned to his secretary and asked, "Is there anything else going on lately?"

The secretary quickly replied, "Mr. Zhang, the TV series 'Bright Sword,' which our company co-produced with Hairun, will be broadcast on CCTV-1 in mid-next month. Hairun has asked us to cooperate in the publicity and create momentum for 'Bright Sword.'"

The secretary stared at Zhang Zhao, afraid that he might not take the matter seriously. After hesitating for a moment, she added a reminder: "Bright Sword was a key project that General Manager Wang Jing was in charge of at the time."

Zhang Zhao nodded. Being able to appear on CCTV-1 would at least guarantee a certain level of viewership, and if it resulted in success, he would be the one to benefit.

He added one more instruction to Li Feng: "Fully cooperate with Hairun Company in promoting 'Bright Sword,' and submit an application if you need funding."

Li Feng rallied his spirits and assured him, "Don't worry, Mr. Zhang! Our department will definitely do a good job in publicity."

In August, listen to the cicadas chirping and enjoy the taste of the hot summer. But unlike the scorching heat of July, the warm breeze begins to take away the intensity and usher in the gentleness of autumn.

The first half of the month was filled with major events in China's internet industry. On August 5th, Baidu was listed on the Nasdaq in the United States.

The stock was priced at $27 per share. On its first day of trading, it opened at $66, reaching a high of $151.21 before closing at $122.54, a gain of 354%. The company raised $1.09 million and had a market capitalization of $39.58 billion.

This marks the highest first-day gain for a Nasdaq IPO in five years since the dot-com bubble burst in 2000.

Song Ci naturally wouldn't miss such a feast. He entrusted a securities firm to buy a portion of Baidu shares, intending to hold them for a period of time and sell them at a high price before Google sells its Baidu shares in June next year.

On August 8, Tengda Group's first self-developed large-scale online game, "Wulin Conflict," was launched for public beta testing. Thanks to extensive pre-launch promotion, 250,000 people flooded into the server within 30 minutes of its launch, with the peak concurrent users reaching 350,000.

On August 11, Alibaba Group acquired all of Yahoo's assets in China, received a $1 billion investment from Yahoo, and gained exclusive rights to use the Yahoo brand and technology in China, including its subsidiaries Yisou and 3721. Yahoo America acquired a 40% stake and 35% voting rights from Alibaba Group.

From then on, Baidu focused on search, Tencent on social networking, Alibaba on e-commerce, and Tenda on portals and games. All four companies had their own core businesses, and the landscape of China's four major internet companies began to emerge.

On August 13, Song Ci couldn't attend to company affairs for the time being. In two days, he would be going to school to report for military training. Liu Shishi had mentioned several times that he had to visit the set of the TV series "Nightclub".

Because "Nightclub" is a location-based film, the filming location was very convenient; it was just a supermarket in Beiping.

The supermarket owner was very cooperative when he learned that the film crew wanted to shoot a movie in the supermarket, since it would be good for the supermarket's publicity. He even gave a discount on the venue rental fee.

With the addition of several brand sponsorships, the film has already recouped most of its costs before filming even started, and it's certain to make a profit when it's released.

Song Ci visited the set as a screenwriter. Although she was there to see Liu Shishi, she couldn't go to the film set empty-handed, so she brought some fruit and drinks for the crew because of the hot weather.

Xu Zheng is currently filming an indoor scene. As a novice director, he strives for perfection and meticulously polishes every shot, often requiring reshoots, which slows down the progress.

As soon as a scene was finished, the production assistant rushed over, "Director Xu, the screenwriter is here to visit the set!"

"The screenwriter?" Xu Zheng looked doubtful, patted his smooth, shiny forehead, and then realized that Zhang Zhao had indeed told him yesterday that the screenwriter of "Nightclub" was coming to visit the set.

"Look at my memory, where is he?"

The stagehand immediately replied, "He also brought some drinks and fruit outside the supermarket, which the logistics department is handling."

Xu Zheng was somewhat exasperated. The production assistant usually seemed clever, but he made a fool of himself at a crucial moment. The screenwriter had come all the way to visit the set; at least he should have invited him in first. He really had no sense of propriety at all.

"Hurry up and bring him over!"

Although Chinese screenwriters do not have the same status as their South Korean counterparts in the industry, established screenwriters still have considerable influence. Xu Zhenggang has just transitioned to directing, and good scripts are hard to come by, so this is the time for him to build a wide network of connections.

Watching the crew members rush out in a panic, Xu Zheng shook his head, then picked up the walkie-talkie and ordered, "Stop filming, everyone take a break!"

Hearing the commotion, Qiao Zhengyu, Liu Shishi, and the others in front of the camera also came to the monitor to find out what was going on.

"Director Xu, why has filming stopped again?" Qiao Zhengyu asked, somewhat annoyed, as he walked over to Xu Zheng.

It was hot, and he had just gotten into the zone. Coupled with the fact that he was already behind schedule, he didn't know what the director intended.

Tengda Culture is the investor, and Qiao Zhengyu, as Tengda's top executive, is someone even Xu Zheng can't control on set. Lacking authority, when questioned, Xu Zheng helplessly explains, "The screenwriter came to visit the set! Let's all meet him."

Liu Shishi, dressed in a supermarket uniform, couldn't hide her beautiful face. Standing behind Qiao Zhengyu, she beamed with joy upon hearing that her boyfriend had come to visit her on set.

"Screenwriter Song came to visit the set?" Qiao Zhengyu glanced at Liu Shishi and guessed that Song Ci had come to visit his girlfriend on set.

Upon hearing this, Xu Zheng asked, "Does Zheng Yu know the screenwriter?"

Qiao Zhengyu nodded, and naturally praised Liu Shishi enthusiastically.

"Screenwriter Song is a real talent. Several of our company's works are written by him. The first TV series I acted in at Tengda, 'So Young,' was written by him. And his appearance, tsk tsk, Director Xu, you can tell at a glance!"

A glint flashed in Xu Zheng's eyes, and he felt even more eager and impatient to get to know this praised screenwriter.

Soon, Song Ci was led to the film studio by the production assistant. It was his first time on a film set, so he was naturally curious. He looked around and saw that the small space was filled with various equipment, screens, and monitors, all in an orderly manner.

Upon seeing Song Ci's appearance, Xu Zheng immediately understood Qiao Zhengyu's meaning: With such a face, she should debut as an idol! She clearly has good looks, but she has to rely on her talent to make a living!
Thinking back to his past self, Xu Zheng felt somewhat dazed, unable to recall when he had gone bald.

Xu Zheng stepped forward and went to greet Song Ci. The two shook hands politely, like old friends.

"Director Xu!"

"Screenwriter Song, I've long admired your name!"

Song Ci glanced at Liu Shishi without making a sound, and said politely to the director, "I'm sorry to bother you, Director Xu. Everyone is working hard on the filming. I brought some things for everyone; they're in the logistics department."

Xu Zheng was very shrewd and spoke very frankly.

"Teacher Song, you're too kind. You're the screenwriter of 'Nightclub' and also one of the organizers. You're giving everyone a treat, so how can you say it's bothering you?"

Then he loudly announced to the crew: "The screenwriter has brought some refreshing drinks and fruits for everyone. Go to the logistics department to get them and take a rest."

"Thank you!" "Thank you, screenwriter!"

Everyone thanked them and left their workstations to head to the logistics department.

"Teacher Qiao!"

"Teacher Liu!"

Song Ci shook hands with Qiao Zhengyu and Shi Ye, one genuinely and the other feigning, as if they were reunited after a long separation. Liu Shishi gave Song Ci a mischievous glare, and while shaking hands, she scratched her boyfriend's palm, saying in a pretentious tone, "Teacher Song, you've worked hard, coming to see everyone in such hot weather."

She didn't want outsiders to know about her relationship with Song Ci, so she specifically told her boyfriend to keep it a secret from the crew when he came to visit the set. Now that she saw that her boyfriend was acting well, she was relieved.

Qiao Zhengyu knew about the relationship between the two and could clearly see their flirtatious glances. He found it amusing that they were trying to hide their relationship and didn't point it out. He thought to himself that young people had many tricks up their sleeves.

The stagehands brought over a few stools, and everyone sat together and started chatting.

Seeing Song Ci's outstanding looks, Xu Zheng felt a strong urge to try it himself and suggested, "Teacher Song, why don't you make a cameo appearance as a customer shopping at the supermarket?"

Liu Shishi stared intently at Song Ci, her heart filled with anticipation for her boyfriend to star in a movie with her.

Song Ci ignored the poet's pleading gaze and politely declined. He was going back to Peking University the next day to prepare for military training, and playing a cameo role would be time-consuming and laborious, and meaningless to him.

Song Ci didn't linger for long; after chatting for a while, the group prepared to get up and say goodbye.

Qiao Zhengyu, being quick-witted, wanted to create an opportunity for the young couple, "Shishi, why don't you see Teacher Song off?"

Liu Shishi was overjoyed and extremely grateful to this senior brother. Even Song Ci glanced at him a few more times, never expecting that this top guy from Tengda would be so understanding.

Outside the supermarket, Liu Shishi felt a pang of melancholy. Her boyfriend was going to military training, and they wouldn't see each other for another two weeks. The couple, deeply in love, didn't want to be apart for even a moment.

"Shishi, school starts tomorrow, remember to miss me!"

She wanted her boyfriend to visit her on set at the beginning of August, but Song Ci had been dragging her feet for several days. Liu Shishi huffed in a huff, "I don't want to."

Upon hearing this, Song Ci suddenly embraced Miss Liu, disregarding whether anyone was paying attention to them, and lowered his head to kiss Shi Ye's luscious red lips fiercely.

Before Liu Shishi could react, Song Ci had already turned and left, laughing as she walked away, "Even if your mouth is tough, it's soft when you kiss me!"

Two weeks passed in a flash, with Liu Shishi filming on the set of "Nightclub" and Song Ci returning to the Peking University campus.

On August 15, 2005, more than 3000 undergraduate students from the Class of 2004 of Peking University ended their summer vacation early and returned to the school from their hometowns to prepare for the intensive military training.

When Song Ci returned to dormitory 310 around 9 a.m., his three roommates had already arrived at school and were doing a big cleaning session, working enthusiastically.

Although she was already worth hundreds of millions, Song Ci was not a self-righteous person. She had always participated in the dormitory's labor activities, and upon seeing this, she quickly took off her backpack and was about to join in.

When the three roommates saw Song Ci return, they were naturally overjoyed at the long-awaited reunion and happily exchanged pleasantries.

Song Ci looked at his three good buddies. It had been a month and a half since he last saw them. Lu Yugang and Tang Xiaochuan hadn't changed much since the last semester. Only Lin Hao looked a bit thinner and his skin was tanned darker than before.

Song Ci stepped forward and patted Lin Pangzi's sturdy shoulder, jokingly saying with a smile, "Fatty, you've gotten much stronger, but you've gotten darker. Where did you go to have fun during the summer vacation?"

Lin Hao, holding a broom, was sweating profusely in just a tank top and shorts, panting heavily as he replied, "Don't even mention it. I signed up for a driving course during the summer, and the weather in Nanjing is unbearably hot. The sun is so strong that it almost turned me into a tanner."

Lu Yugang, who was busy on the balcony, also complained: "The sun is getting hotter every year. It's close to 30 degrees Celsius in Harbin. You can imagine how hot it is in the south."

Song Ci picked up a rag and wiped the dusty table while asking about tomorrow's military training, "How is our military training arranged?"

The military training at Peking University differed from that of other universities. While most universities in China conduct military training for freshmen in September after they register, Peking University conducts a two-week closed-door training program at a base in mid-August of the following summer.

Lu Yugang is the dormitory head, and he is responsible for relaying notices from the college and department to his roommates, so he has a lot of information.

"The school leaders held a meeting this afternoon to discuss the work of the military training team leaders. Tomorrow, all the students from the Class of 04 will be going to the base. Our School of Management should be going to the Daxing base."

The living conditions at the base are far worse than at school, so be prepared for hardship. We're leaving very early tomorrow morning, so I need to get some rest early tonight.

Fatty Lin was most afraid of physical training activities like military training. Upon hearing this, he cursed and said, "Damn it, with this awful weather in Beiping, if I stay in this sun for another two weeks, I'll really turn into a nigger."

Tang Xiaochuan, usually a man of few words, rarely joked: "It doesn't matter if you're dark-skinned or not. I think Lao Si should take better care of himself with sun protection. The female students will feel sorry for the school heartthrob if he gets tanned."

Song Ci didn't care about getting tanned during military training. He believed that a man shouldn't be too fair-skinned, and his favorite skin tone was a healthy wheat color.

Unfortunately, because I spend a lot of time studying and working indoors, my skin is quite fair and tender. It would be good to train my masculinity during military training.

The four of them chatted and laughed, and worked diligently together all morning to finally clean their dormitory room, which had been idle and messy all summer, until it was clean and tidy again.

Exhausted, Lin Hao slumped into a chair and lazily asked Song Ci, who was making the bed, "Fourth brother, why did Senior Sister suddenly go to film a movie, and as the female lead at that!"

Song Ci glanced at Fatty Lin and teased, "You seem to care a lot about my girlfriend, don't you?"

Lin Hao muttered, "No, I just saw photos from the movie premiere on my senior sister's QQ space, and then I searched online and found out she was acting in a movie. I was just curious!"

QQ Space, launched by Tencent in April this year, aims to create a personalized online home for users. It has successively launched features such as logs, photo albums, and message boards, further consolidating its dominant position in the social networking field.

Countless netizens showcase themselves and exchange ideas by posting photos, writing logs, and leaving messages, enjoying the interaction and expression on QQ Space.

As a girl addicted to the internet, Liu Shishi naturally fell in love with the novel QQ Space, posting a few photos and writing a few blog entries every now and then.

Lin Hao and Liu Shishi were QQ friends. During the summer vacation, Lin Hao looked at Liu Shishi's QQ space and learned that she was going to act in a movie. He was curious and wanted to ask Song Ci about it.

In response to Lin Pangzi's curiosity, Song Ci replied matter-of-factly, "Isn't it normal for an actress to make movies?"

Upon hearing the news, Lu Yugang asked with great interest, "When will the movie be released? Since it stars Lao Si's girlfriend, we should go see it and contribute a movie ticket."

Lin Hao quickly introduced, "It's a comedy film, and the news says it will be released during the Spring Festival."

"By the way, Fourth Brother, Senior Sister will be a big star soon! Could you please meet my goddess Liu Yifei and get me an autographed photo?"

Song Ci thought to herself, "My poet is still far from being a big star!"
"I definitely can't help you now. Shishi is still a nobody in the entertainment industry and has no connection with your goddess, the big star Liu Yifei. But I should be able to in a few years."

Song Ci was telling the truth. After the broadcast of "Chinese Paladin 1", Liu Yifei's popularity soared, and she was even selected as the first Golden Eagle Goddess next year.

Once "The Return of the Condor Heroes" aired, she completely ascended to the status of Liu Yifei, entered the big screen, and did not come down to earth to film TV series for more than ten years.

However, his girlfriend is no less impressive; she'll be a Golden Eagle Goddess in a few years. The two Lius are evenly matched; as long as they have faces, their careers will endure.

Lin Hao was somewhat disappointed. He was curious about the entertainment industry and occasionally paid attention to celebrity gossip. He had finally met a friend in the industry and thought he would try to find out more about Liu Yifei.

Just as Lin Hao was about to ask another question, Song Ci's phone rang, playing the melodious tune of "The Wind Rises." It was Shen Sisi calling.

"Sisi! I'm back at school, yes, I'm in my dorm right now. Are you downstairs? I'll come down right away."

Lin Hao was filled with envy upon hearing this. "Tsk tsk tsk, the beautiful Shen really cares about you, Fourth Brother. She came to see you on her very first day. With two women on either side, what a happy trouble."

Tang Xiaochuan nodded in agreement with envy. He was struggling financially and didn't even dare to think about pursuing girls. He could only put aside all distractions and bury himself in his studies.

Lu Yugang knew that Song Ci didn't like people talking about his gossip, and fearing that he would get angry, he quickly changed the subject.

"Fatty, change your clothes and come with me to the homeroom teacher to get your military training uniform. You're all fat, you need to move around more."

Seeing that Lin Hao was unwilling to move and was dawdling reluctantly, Tang Xiaochuan chimed in, "Let's go together as a trio, get our uniforms, and have lunch right away."

As soon as Song Ci hung up the phone and stepped out of the dormitory building, he saw Shen Sisi waving excitedly at him from afar.

The sun was high in the sky, and the midday sunlight was extremely dazzling.

Song Ci squinted and saw Shen Sisi wearing a light blue dress. When she waved, the hem of the dress swayed gently, showing a refreshing summer look.

She wore a pair of simple and comfortable white canvas shoes, and carried a white bag over her shoulder, which complemented the color of her dress and added a touch of casual beauty.

Perhaps due to the hot weather, Ms. Shen tied her hair into a low ponytail, appearing gentle and quiet. Even after a summer vacation, her charm remained unchanged.

Seeing Song Ci walk to her side, Shen Sisi's smile instantly blossomed. Her eyes, like crescent moons, were filled with warmth and joy. Her sweet smile was like a refreshing summer spring, pleasant and relaxing.

Noticing the beads of sweat on Miss Shen's forehead and nose under the scorching sun, Song Ci frowned and asked with concern, "Why did you come out in such hot weather at noon? Don't get heatstroke."

"It's nothing, it's nothing. I was just about to go to the cafeteria for lunch. I brought you a bottle of sunscreen because I was thinking about military training tomorrow."

Hearing Song Ci's slightly concerned words, Shen Sisi happily took out a bottle of men's sunscreen from her bag and handed it to him.

Song Ci was a little at a loss for words. In the period following the birthday party, he and Miss Shen got along quite well, talking about literature and novels, keeping things in line with propriety and not touching on anything else.

He thought the other party had given up on pursuing him, but seeing the love in Miss Shen's eyes today, he immediately realized that she had been faking it all for the past few months, using roundabout tactics to get closer to him.

Shen Sisi actually wanted to gradually and subtly approach Song Ci, but after not seeing him for a whole summer, she missed him terribly and couldn't help but want to see him as soon as school started. It was only when her true feelings were revealed that she was caught.

Faced with Miss Shen's expectant and eager eyes, Song Ci remained silent for a long time, but finally couldn't bear to disappoint Miss Shen's kindness and accepted the sunscreen.

The small bottle of sunscreen felt incredibly heavy. Song Ci sighed and said, "Shishi also prepared one for me. She will always prepare one for me. You will probably never need this one."

Shen Sisi pursed her lips, feeling as if she had fallen into an ice cellar. She stared at Song Ci with resentment. She naturally knew that Song Ci was implying something, but she pretended to be stupid and pretended not to understand.

"Song Ci, what have you been busy with this summer vacation? Have you finished writing 'Emperor Xiaowen of Northern Wei'?"

Previously, she could subtly inquire about Song Ci's situation with Little Lion, but ever since that day when she asked about Song Ci's food preferences, when they contacted each other again on QQ, Liu Shishi only replied with one sentence: "Bad woman! You still want to lie to me? No way!"

Then she blocked her directly, so although she occasionally contacted Song Ci on QQ during the summer vacation away from school, she knew nothing about Song Ci's specific situation.

(End of this chapter)