Huayu 2011: Starting with Hilarious Men

Friday, September 16th.

After school, Zheng Nan and Reba went to the train station to take the high-speed train to Beijing.

Before going, Zheng Nan specifically asked Ding Xiu if he wanted to come along.

Having just weathered a storm, Ding Xiu was still worried about Zheng Nan and asked what business she had in going to the capital.

Zheng Nan said she was going to record a program for Sohu and would also accompany Dilraba to an audition for a film.

Ding Xiu had originally planned to go with Zheng Nan, but when he heard that Dilraba was also going, he immediately refused: "You're a grown woman, do you need me to accompany you to record a show? Aren't travel expenses a thing? You don't know the cost of living until you're in charge! Go by yourself."

"If I'm not going, I'm not going. Why are you criticizing me?" Zheng Nan could only think this to herself.

So Zheng Nan had to go to Beijing alone with Dilraba.

On the bullet train, Dilraba was curious about what would happen next, but seeing that Zheng Nan was busy, she didn't ask any more questions.

"How many SPs have you contacted?"

Zheng Nan and Aya discussed the matter of making the song "You Exist in My Song" a ringtone.

"TOM, Longteng Sunshine, and Kongzhong Network, three nationwide SPs, as well as two local SPs in Shanghai, are all interested in 'You Exist in My Song'."

SP companies are also ranked. Local SPs are inferior to all SPs on the network. Zheng Nan directly eliminated two local SPs.

"What are the prices from the three major online service providers?" Zheng Nan continued to ask.

Making money in the ringback tone business is very dependent on popularity. Right now, "You Exist in My Song" is very popular, so entering the ringback tone market quickly is the best option.

"TOM offered a one-time buyout of 450,000, Longteng Sunshine will give 35% of the second-tier revenue share, and Kongzhong will give 30% of the second-tier revenue share," Aya explained quickly.

The revenue from ringback tone information fees is first distributed between the operator and the service provider (SP). The operator takes 25% of the revenue, and the SP gets 75%.

Then comes the second-tier revenue sharing, where the SP and the record company (CP) further divide the profits. The usual ratio between the two parties is 40/60, with the SP taking the lion's share of 60%.

Sennan Entertainment is still a small company. For a hit song like "You Exist in My Song", Longteng Sunshine is already being very generous by giving them a 35% share of the revenue.

"Talk to Longteng Sunshine and see if they can offer a 40% commission rate for the second-tier division. If they really can't, then let them take 'The Song of Wonderful Abilities' as well." Don't be shy when doing business; talk when you need to. You can only make more money if you're shameless.

"I continued to talk to them, but I want to emphasize one thing: our company does not have the ability to regulate SP companies," Aya said upfront.

Because the download data for ringback tones is extremely opaque, and the revenue sharing is often based on what the service provider (SP) pays, singers and musicians often criticize it as a mess.

"The big SP companies will only embezzle a portion at most. If they embezzle too much, we'll sue them." Zheng Nan said this with great confidence. The song "You Exist in My Song" has even attracted the celestial beings to descend. Which SP company would be so blind as to embezzle money from this song?

After hanging up the phone, Zheng Nan noticed that Dilraba had been staring at him, and casually asked, "What are you looking at?"

"It's nothing, you look kind of handsome when you're focused on your work." Dilraba blurted out what was on her mind.

As soon as she said it, Dilraba realized her mistake and quickly covered her mouth with her hand, her ears turning red with embarrassment.

"Just a little bit?" Zheng Nan raised an eyebrow. He was quite confident in his looks, only slightly inferior to the readers.

"Hmph, so vain."

"To tell the truth, how can that be called being vain?"

"If Sister Mi invites me to join her company during my job interview in Beijing, should I accept?"

Before going to Beijing for the audition, Dilraba did a lot of research, such as Yang Mi establishing her own team in June of this year and starting to independently manage her performing arts career.

Yang Mi's move clearly indicates that he is preparing to recruit soldiers and expand his influence further.

"Micro Era" is Yang Mi's first time serving as producer and starring in a youth drama, and it is also an early talent incubation project of Jaywalk Studio.

To get a lead role in this drama, it would be difficult without joining Yang Mi's team.

It was precisely because she understood this that Dilraba asked Zheng Nan at the bar last time if his company was short-staffed and how she was doing.

"What, is the beautiful Dilraba going to abandon me?" Zheng Nan didn't answer Dilraba's question, but instead asked her directly.

After this Weibo battle, Zheng Nan figured it out: what's wrong with a guy who's been reborn being a little unrestrained?

There's a saying that goes: Don't let down a good girl, and don't waste a bad girl.

Now Zheng Nan's gaze towards Dilraba is much more intense.

Dilraba felt shy under Zheng Nan's gaze and whispered, "Who abandoned you? It was clearly you who didn't answer my question last time."

"Last time it was because I was afraid of jeopardizing your future."

"What about this time? Not afraid anymore?"

"I'll make your future happen." Zheng Nan's thinking was simple: his buddy had a winning hand, so what was a few top stars to push out?

Once the company has money, he will select some good scripts for Dilraba to act in, and also get rid of the title of future queen of water.

That's so blunt. Zheng Nan dared to say it, but Dilraba wouldn't dare to listen.

"How do you plan to achieve this?" Dilraba asked softly after a moment's pause.

"I should be preparing for my first movie next year, and I'll reserve a role for you then. I'll also write up various roles that suit you for you to play!"

Dilraba's acting skills are still quite immature, and Zheng Nan hasn't decided which movie to film yet, so he hasn't made any grand promises like reserving a leading role for her.

"Once I get a role in one of your movies, I'll join your company."

On the bullet train, a 19-year-old boy and girl made a promise to each other.

The bullet train arrived in Beijing on the morning of September 17th.

Zheng Nan and Reba each booked a room, washed up and rested for a while, and then Zheng Nan accompanied Reba to her job interview.

The interview took place at H&R Century Pictures.

After arriving at her destination, Reba called Zeng Jia to tell her that she had arrived.

Zeng Jia is Yang Mi's agent. It was after watching Dilraba's audition video that she was impressed by Dilraba's appearance and temperament, and invited Dilraba to Beijing for an audition.

Zeng Jia is no ordinary person either. When she was an agent at Rong Xinda in her early days, she handled artists such as Zhou Xun, Chen Kun, and Zeng Li.

She then left Rongxinda for Mei Ya, stayed there for two years, and then jumped to Huanrui, where she became Yang Mi's exclusive agent.

After the establishment of Jiaxing, Zeng Jia served as the chairman, general manager and legal representative of Jiaxing.

On May 8, 2023, Yang Mi officially announced his departure from Jaywalk Studio, while Zeng Jia remained as the chairman and general manager of Jaywalk Media and the actual controller of the company.

"Sister Zeng." Reba greeted Zeng Jia immediately upon seeing her.

"Hello Dilraba, you're much prettier in person than in the video. Is this Zheng Nan?" Zeng Jia praised her first, then looked at Zheng Nan.

Zeng Jia had never watched the web series "Hilarious Men" and didn't know Zheng Nan before. It was only after the recent Weibo battle that Zeng Jia had some impression of Zheng Nan.

"It's me, Sister Zeng. I'm here to accompany Reba to her interview. I hope I'm not causing you any trouble?" Zheng Nan said with a smile.

"No, Yang Mi is inside. Let's go in first."