Rebirth 04: Starting from Taking an Unconventional Approach

"Are you ready?" Zhang Ruiyi asked.

Han Fei looked at her and felt that his palms were sweaty, not because of the heat, but because of the complex feelings of anticipation and nervousness that arise when facing the unknown.

"It was my first time doing something like this," he said, "so I was still a little dazed."

Zhang Ruiyi smiled and said, "Take a deep breath. Dizziness is normal."

Han Fei did as instructed, taking deep breaths in and out.

"Hey," Wen Jie said, "Are you two done talking? It's almost midnight, are you going to go online tonight?"

Han Fei turned his head and saw Wen Jie sitting in front of the computer, his right index finger hovering above the Enter key, ready to press it at any moment. Four windows were open on the screen: the website backend management system, the SP billing interface real-time monitoring, the database query interface, and a simple real-time data display.

They are in Han Fei's office at Qingniao Publishing House.

Han Fei and Wen Jie had not slept for more than forty hours.

Zhang Ruiyi didn't get home until after 10 p.m. last night, but she returned before 7 a.m. this morning.

The editorial team worked through the night to finish the promotional copy.

The novel and test number have been entered.

With just the press of a button, this groundbreaking new model can be officially launched.

Han Fei glanced at his watch.

The second hand ticks around the dial, one tick at a time.

Han Fei counted to three in his mind.

Let's begin!

Wen Jie pressed the Enter key.

All three of them looked at the screen at the same time.

A set of statistical data tables appeared on the real-time data display panel on the screen:

Registered users: 0

Paid subscription: 0

SMS sent: 5000/5000

Conversion rate: 0%

As planned, they selected 5000 phone numbers as the first batch of test subjects, and evenly distributed the opening content of 10 novels. Each novel was accompanied by three different styles of copywriting.

Han Fei let out a long sigh of relief.

All that's left to do is wait.

......

Chen Zhengyuan lay on the bed in a presidential suite at the Bund Source Hotel.

Wang Yu was taking the elevator up to find him. He called to say he was waiting in the room and slightly opened the door. Soft cotton underwear clung to his body, which was slightly warm from drinking.

The melody of "Come Away With Me" emanates from the sophisticated speakers of the Bose sound system. These speakers are hidden in every corner of the room, delivering a mellow and magnetic sound.

This hotel is located in the heart of the Bund Source area of ​​Shanghai, overlooking the most elegant curve of the Huangpu River and facing the skyscrapers of Lujiazui across the river.

The hotel was originally the Asian Cultural Association building from the 1920s, and one of the earliest modern museums in the country. Now, within its restored Art Deco exterior, it incorporates the world's top design, technology and luxury services, making it completely transcend the scope of "top-tier accommodation" and become a landmark that combines historical depth, cultural influence and extreme privacy.

This place doesn't pursue a large number of rooms; it only caters to a select few who truly understand its value. In other words, only those who truly possess wealth and power are qualified to stay here.

Chen Zhengyuan heard the rapid, determined click-clack of her high heels on the corridor floor. He was absolutely certain he could get her...

Wang Yu appeared at the doorway, the moonlight streaming over the Huangpu River illuminating her silhouette. She smiled at him, loosening the belt of her thin white dress, which fell to the floor.

Chen Zhengyuan looked at her and swallowed.

She wore black lingerie as he requested, which accentuated the fair glow of her skin. She walked to the bedside and reached out to stroke his body.

"I can smell your scent from a mile away, you little slut!" Chen Zhengyuan's hands roamed familiarly over her body, sliding down her spine and onto her thighs.

"I want to be in the bathroom," Wang Yu said.

"You bitch... I asked you to investigate something, and it's been...it's been days already?"

Chen Zhengyuan stood at the end of the bathtub.

"Found it...found it!"

"What's your name?"

"Blue...Bluebird!"

"Bluebird what?"

"Bluebird Publishing..."

"Publish what?"

Wang Yu looked at Chen Zhengyuan's chest.

"society!!!"

......

A heavy silence filled the office.

More than two hours have passed since the first batch of test briefings were sent out.

The numbers on the real-time data instrument dial remained unchanged.

Han Fei looked out the window. The streets were deserted except for one car, and a few streetlights cast dim yellow halos in the night fog.

"Brother Fei," Wen Jie said in a nasal voice, "do you think... it might be a problem with the SP interface?"

Have you checked the logs?

"I've checked it more than ten times." Wen Jie clicked the mouse. "All SMS messages were successfully sent to the mobile gateway, and the status codes are all 200, indicating successful transmission. The billing interface on the mobile side is also normal, with no error records."

"Then it's not a technical problem. It's probably just that the users haven't realized it yet. At this hour, most people should already be asleep." Han Fei opened the window, poked his head out slightly, and tried to find comfort in these words.

"But there are also a lot of night owls," Zhang Ruiyi's sleepy voice came from behind the desk. "Aren't there three of us here?"

Han Fei turned around. Zhang Ruiyi rested her elbows on the table, her hands supporting her face, and her eyes closed.

"Wait a little longer," Han Fei said, as if talking to himself. "It's only been a little over two hours, there's no rush."

He said that, but deep down he suddenly started to feel uneasy.

His past experience told him that the paid model for new media novels only truly took off around 2017, a result of a combination of factors including the widespread adoption of mobile payments, the formation of user habits, and the maturity of social media dissemination. Now, in 2004, text messaging was still the mainstream communication method, mobile internet access was a luxury for a minority, and users' habit of paying for virtual content was virtually nonexistent.

He brought this model forward by a full thirteen years.

Is it too early? Is the market really ready?

Han Fei took out a cigarette case from his pocket, put a cigarette in his mouth, but did not light it.

"I've got it!" Wen Jie suddenly shouted.

Han Fei whirled around, the cigarette in his mouth falling to the ground and bobbing near his feet. Zhang Ruiyi abruptly stood up, knocking her chair backward with a bang.

Wen Jie pointed at the screen, his voice regaining its energy: "The first paying user! Just completed the subscription!"

Han Fei and Zhang Ruiyi rushed to the computer at the same time and leaned over to look at the screen.

The numbers on the dial jumped:

Registered users: 1

Paid subscription: 1

SMS sent: 5000/5000

Conversion rate: 0.02%

"Which story?" Han Fei asked, unaware that his voice trembled slightly.

Wen Jie quickly accessed the user's subscription details: "User 139****4021 activated the monthly subscription mode through the promotional copy of 'Borrowing Seeds,' and was charged 10 yuan. Subscription time... 2:41 AM."