The Heiress's Game

"Mr. Nan, I'd like to make something quite clear to you today. I plan to make a significant adjustment to Xingyao Media's future business direction."

Nan Zhenquan sat up slightly.

"My original plan was to take a two-pronged approach. 'Walking with Brilliance' would be a variety show and its spin-offs, while 'Countdown to Love' would be a content IP. Once these two projects were running smoothly, the next step would be to move into film and television production."

Gu Yunjin gave a self-deprecating laugh.

"I had a good plan at the time—variety shows are cash flow, and film and television are brand premium. The two lines support each other, and within three years, we will make Xingyao a leading comprehensive entertainment company in China."

"But Randy's case made me realize something completely."

"What's the problem?" Nan Zhenquan asked.

"people."

"When we create content, the most uncontrollable factor is always people."

A popular celebrity can command a salary of tens of millions of yuan, accounting for 30% to 40% or even more of a project's cost.

You invite him in, treat him like royalty, and invest all your publicity resources in him, but halfway through the show—his career collapses.

Overnight, all the investment was wiped out, with no chance of recovery.

"So the countdown to falling in love won't restart."

Gu Yunjin said, "It's not just this season, it's that we won't be doing it again in the future."

Xingyao will not touch any content that relies on a single popular celebrity as its core selling point.

"From today onwards, Star Media will have only one core business—'Together with Brilliance' and its derivative business ecosystem."

Nan Zhenquan remained silent for a few seconds, then slowly nodded.

He wasn't surprised. In fact, from the moment Gu Yunjin announced in the conference room that the countdown to "Heartbeat" was being suspended, he had already vaguely guessed that this was going to happen.

"I understand," he said.

"From a commercial return perspective, the spin-off story of 'Brilliant' is indeed a more worthwhile bet than film and television production."

"Tell me your thoughts," Gu Yunjin gestured for him to continue.

"The apparel line is already running smoothly. We've spent two years refining the entire chain, from design to production to sales."

Now, we can basically launch the same products as the season's programs, making our turnover rate almost twice as fast as traditional clothing brands.

Nan Zhenquan counted on his fingers, one item at a time, "Although the jewelry line was only launched last quarter, the data is already very impressive. Especially Dong Yuwei's Flying Apsaras series—"

"The Feitian series was launched across all channels last week, and it sold out within twelve hours on the first day."

The sales revenue of this single product alone has already exceeded the total revenue from product placements for the entire season of Countdown to Love.

"We really struck gold with Dong Yuwei," Nan Zhenquan couldn't help but exclaim.

"In the jewelry design industry, seniority and background are the most important factors. Which design director of a major brand didn't graduate from a top foreign university?"

She's a girl without formal training, relying entirely on self-study and talent, and within just two years of graduation, she created a series with such explosive commercial success—a miracle in the entire industry.

Gu Yunjin nodded; she agreed with Nan Zhenquan's statement.

"There shouldn't be any problems in Milan, right?" she asked.

"Everything is arranged," Nan Zhenquan continued.

"Although she is talented, she still needs to improve her basic skills. She has already taught herself all the subjects that can be learned in China, such as materials science, gem identification, and workshop practice."

"I'll be spending the next month in Europe learning intensively from the masters."

"Fang Jin's team is currently working on selecting suppliers for the beauty line. According to the current schedule, the beauty line can be officially launched when the next season of 'Brilliant' airs."

"By then operating across the apparel, jewelry, and cosmetics lines simultaneously, Xingyao's derivative businesses will essentially form a closed loop."

Gu Yunjin went through the logic of these three lines in her mind again.

"What's your opinion on Chen Cui's side?"

Nan Zhenquan was stunned for a moment, then realized that she wasn't asking about Chen Cui's commercial value, but about the risks.

Chen Cui is the central figure in "Walking with Brilliance".

To put it simply, this show revolves around her and her family; she was discovered and promoted by Xingyao.

From an ordinary person to a phenomenal IP, the entire process can be described as a textbook example of artist incubation.

But precisely because of this, her stability directly determines the fate of "Brilliant".

"Chen Cui and Randy are completely different people." Nan Zhenquan carefully considered his words.

"Randy's career peaked right from the start; everything came too easily, and he didn't know how to cherish it."

Chen Cui is different—she truly climbed her way up from the bottom.

"She has an almost instinctive awareness of everything she has. There was something she said to me that I remember very well—she said, 'Mr. Nan, I know I'm standing on a cloud now, but I've never forgotten what it's like to be on the muddy ground.'"

The way this kind of person cherishes opportunities is something that someone like Randy, who was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, will never understand.

Nan Zhenquan continued, "Moreover, Chen Cui is a smart person."

It's not the kind of clever trickery; it's genuine emotional intelligence and insightful understanding.

Her persona on the show is that of a "sharp-tongued queen" who speaks without holding back, but have you noticed that none of the people she offended actually turned against her afterwards?

She knows exactly what to say in front of the camera and what to say in private; she has an excellent sense of propriety.

More importantly, she has a very clear plan for her life; she is ambitious but not greedy.

She's not in a hurry to expand her business empire, accepting only two endorsements per season, each one carefully selected to perfectly align with the style of "Brilliant."

"You speak highly of her," Gu Yunjin said.

"Because she truly deserves it," Nan Zhenquan readily admitted.

"But I will not relax my risk management just because I admire her personally."

Randy's case teaches us all a lesson—a building collapses not because you're not good enough, but because you let your guard down at some point.

Although Chen Cui has a clean background and a clear mind, her exposure is increasing.

The circles she enters are becoming increasingly complex, and the number of people who covet her, are envious of her, and want to drag her down will only increase.

"So?" Gu Yunjin raised an eyebrow at him.

"So I will have a private talk with Chen Cui later."

"I will work with her to conduct a comprehensive risk assessment, as a friend and partner."

Her social media posts, business collaboration screenings, and private social circles all require a management mechanism.

I will lay Randy's case out in front of her—let her see how someone standing at the top of the pyramid can be shattered overnight.

Gu Yunjin smiled with satisfaction.

"President Nan, it's really worth it to have you here at Xingyao," she said.

Nan Zhenquan lowered his head slightly.

"I'll arrange a meeting with Chen Cui as soon as possible. She's a smart woman; I don't need to say too much, just a few words will suffice."

She herself is probably more sensitive to risk than we managers are.

Ultimately, we lost—we lost money; she lost her entire life.