Rebirth 2010: I taught Mr. Lei how to make a mobile phone

Chapter 1016 Chen Mo Gets Electrocuted
"Based on the above, many people regard LeEco as an anomaly."

If the subtext of 'outlier' is new thinking, new models, and new strategies that differ from tradition,

LeEco was indeed an anomaly—a 'new species' born on the eve of the next era of the Chinese internet.

"In this 'blind rush,' as you can see in the videos, we LeEco employees have fallen, been injured, and gotten back up, until we achieved one real leap after another."

It is through this kind of 'trial by fire' that we are able to go further and further on the road to becoming a great company.

"Everyone, in the past two years, LeEco's ecosystem has created too many miracles."

I used to say, "LeEco may succeed, or it may fail on the road to success." Now I have given my entire fortune and even my life to my dream, and I believe I will definitely be among that 1%.

We must believe that if you can also give your all and go all out for your dreams, you too can become that 1%.

We firmly believe that the world will make way for those who go all in, and for LeEco.

At LeEco's headquarters, Jia Yueting stood on the stage, delivering a passionate and impassioned speech.

Only now did he belatedly realize how much he had boasted back then, daring to fabricate and spout any kind of nonsense.

The lyrics were the same old ones; he could recite them after just a quick glance. Jia Yueting felt that his performance this time was acceptable. Although it couldn't match the almost "martyr-like" spirit he had back then, it still captured about 70-80% of the essence.

However, the cheers and applause from the extras in the audience, though impressive, lacked genuine emotion. Each person had a different expression, but the only thing they had in common was the absence of fervor.
It turns out that the employees in the audience were "real, veteran employees" of LeEco who were invited to make a cameo appearance and play themselves.

What Jia Yueting could see through, director Da Peng, who was watching from behind the monitor, saw even more clearly.

"Crack!"

He immediately called for a stop, staring at the close-up expressions of the audience on the screen, and felt a headache coming on.

Expecting this group of people to act like they're "pretending to be ignorant" is indeed asking too much—after all, not everyone has the same strong mental fortitude as Jia Yueting.

Da Peng went on stage, attempting to explain the emotion he wanted to convey to the group of "extras":
"Everyone should get excited, get enthusiastic, and regard Chairman Jia as your spiritual leader! You are all veterans of LeEco, and you should all have experienced that feeling—rediscovering the feeling of those days!"

In fact, the LeEco employees in the audience understood these principles, and they tried their best, but indeed...
Because nowadays, LeEco is no longer the beast that pursued ecological transformation and frantic expansion.

Without Jia Yueting and without huge debts, LeEco not only did not go bankrupt, but thrived and became an "alternative" internet company in China.

Over the past few years, with further business adjustments and natural attrition, LeEco's workforce has been continuously streamlined from its peak of over 10,000 employees to a very compact level—now, only about 300 people remain.

This small but highly skilled team is primarily responsible for maintaining the company's core, cash-flow-generating business operations, including:

Copyright operation and maintenance: Managing the authorization, distribution, and legal affairs of core film and television copyrights such as "Empresses in the Palace";
LeTV Video App daily operations: ensuring the app opens and plays normally, and performing basic content updates and user services;
Technical maintenance and administrative finance: Maintaining the normal operation of the basic technology platform and the company's back-office functions.

It is this small but elite team that has supported LeEco's current "laissez-faire" survival mode.

LeEco Building was reduced from being entirely self-owned to only two floors. Relying on the substantial film and television copyright revenue from early sales and licensing to "The Other Shore," as well as the rental of some floors, the company was able to survive steadily.

Without competition, there was no pressure, and LeEco employees lived a self-sufficient life.

There is no involution or 996 work schedule, they live off "rent collection" without KPI pressure, and there is not even a boss - only a professional manager with a finance background appointed by Jia Yueting before he left to serve as general manager.

Therefore, LeEco employees are now hailed as among the "happiest employees" in China:

In short, LeEco is now like an old ship that has experienced glory, been caught in storms and waves, and finally escaped the trap and docked on the other side.

Although it no longer sails, the ship remains sturdy, allowing the sailors to enjoy a rare period of leisure.

In today's fiercely competitive internet environment, LeEco's "lying flat" state has become an unexpected and somewhat enviable alternative.

Although its compensation is not as good as that of "other" companies, its "Buddhist-like" attitude is even better - it is also the first Internet company in China to implement a "four-day work week".

For this reason, LeEco won second place in the "2018 Annual Employee Happiness Company Ranking" by Zhiyan.

The champion remains the unchanging other shore, while the third place goes to Sohu, whose boss is obsessed with live physics broadcasts every day, making it almost the same as not having a boss at all, earning it the reputation of an "internet retirement home".

Coincidentally, both companies rely primarily on rent for their revenue, leading some netizens to jokingly remark that the ultimate goal of internet companies is real estate.

A speech needs feedback, and the audience's emotions were not right, causing Jia Yueting's performance to fluctuate.

He had barely finished speaking when, without the director even needing to say anything, he shouted, "Cut!"

He then rushed off the stage as if fleeing.

Director Dapeng looked somewhat worried. "Mr. Jia, you seem a bit... how should I put it, a bit..."

"Can't push it up?"

"Yes, you need to get everyone excited to create the kind of fervor you're talking about, that do-or-die, get-over-the-worst atmosphere—that'll create a strong contrast with the subsequent strong rebound after hitting rock bottom."

"Indeed, then... shall I make some more adjustments?"

Jia Yueting was well aware of the problem.

The film ultimately adopted the chapter-based structure proposed by Dapeng, consisting of five chapters:
Prologue: Hello everyone, I am Jia Yueting.

Chapter 1: Rise to Power: The 'Disruptor' Who Left Shanxi;
Chapter Two: The Glamour of the LeEco Empire;
Chapter Three: Avalanche - Winter Has Arrived;

Chapter Four: Redemption: The Miracle of Livestream E-commerce;
Final Chapter: The True Story of Repayment!

Before the movie started, he shared Chen Mo's opinion, thinking that if he held back, he could easily dominate the role.

That's the good thing about documentary films; they're basically all made up of the original cast and crew, and many celebrities and business tycoons even make cameo appearances without pay.

Despite earning billions of yuan annually as the "top influencer on Douyin," Jia Yueting's influence remains considerable.

Of course, aside from Chen Mo, because of his schedule, not only Jia Yueting, but even the other side's Lao Dong was helpless.

All scenes involving him were skipped, and other parts were filmed first. As a result, over the course of two months, the first, third, and fourth chapters, along with the final chapter, progressed smoothly and seamlessly.

This second chapter, however, presented the entire production team with one obstacle after another – either Jia Yueting wasn't in character, or there were issues with the extras' performances.

The difficulties can be summarized as "things remain the same, but feelings have changed."

It's like going to a bathhouse, going up to the eighth floor, ordering the top-rated masseuse, only to find out that the masseuse who comes in is your first love, someone you've never even kissed—that complex feeling of mixed emotions is truly indescribable.

Actually, Da Peng did have an easier way: he could directly edit and post-process the old video footage.

Yes, this method is low-cost and easy to film. There is basically no difficulty in filming, but in this way, it is not a complete movie, but a "pieced-together movie".

If you're going to make a movie, you have to live up to the audience's expectations.

Everything must follow the script as closely as possible to reality so that the audience can better immerse themselves in the story and see a glimpse of the magnificent waves that swept across that era.

Those old videos will be shown as end credits, making them even more memorable and evocative.
After all, many viewers were also participants in those events.

Just as he was pondering this, a cell phone rang, interrupting Da Peng's thoughts. He took out his phone and immediately beamed with joy:

"Great! That's wonderful! I'll get right to it; two days should be more than enough!"

After hanging up the phone, he first informed Jia Yueting that Chen Moming would be making a cameo appearance the day after tomorrow, and then announced it to the film crew:
"Thank you all for your hard work today, let's call it a day early!"

Then, he led the relevant personnel to urgently prepare for the filming in the next two days.

Fortunately, the filming location was inside the Bi'an Science and Technology Park.

Because Jia Yueting and Chen Mo only have three scenes together, all of which are meetings and conversations, and all are set in the Beyond Science and Technology Park.

June 26, afternoon, Beyond Science and Technology Park.

As usual, Xiao Li, an employee of the company, entered the main building and walked towards the elevator, but felt that something was wrong.

Stepping back a few steps, I saw a man standing at the front desk, seemingly waiting for someone. Meanwhile, a number of people on the second and third floors were gathered around something.

He looked closely—oh, isn't that "Old Jia" from Douyin? Upon closer inspection, his pupils dilated in shock: the big boss was there too!

There were people and equipment not far away. Was they filming a movie? This reminded him of a previous media report that said Jia Yueting was going to film something called "The True Repayment Story." Could it be that the chairman...
Xiao Li's eyes lit up, and he ran up the stairs to the third floor in two quick steps—the second floor was already crowded with people, and he even found many of his colleagues from his department watching, as well as a few lunch buddies.

He joined in, quickly blending in, and everyone started chattering amongst themselves:

"Mr. Mo is over there."

"You're late. Mr. Mo just greeted us."

"I saw this scene a few years ago. Mr. Jia was right here then, standing there like Meng Jiangnu (a legendary figure known for her tragic fate) for a long time."

"What kind of metaphor is this? Does it mean that General Mo is the Great Wall?"

A female colleague's eyes lit up, "I think President Jia and President Mo have a lot of chemistry."

"Don't just pick at everything, it'll harm you. Look how old Old Jia is."

Everyone eagerly awaited their arrival. Fortunately, the other side implemented a flexible work schedule, so there was no question of being late.

The fact that classes can be started anytime is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Jia Yueting stood there, gazing at the unfamiliar yet somewhat familiar surroundings.

Because his role was small and no one else knew the content of his conversation with Chen Mo, he had only given director Da Peng a brief outline of the plot.

Therefore, the scenes performed these past two days were basically improvisations without a script or lines.

Looking at that tall figure not far away, Jia Yueting was filled with mixed emotions.

Recalling the first time he waited for Chen Mo here, he closed his eyes and concentrated, trying to recapture the feeling from back then.

Seeing that Jia Yueting and Chen Mo both gave the "OK" sign, Da Peng raised a megaphone:

"17 scenes, 1 shot, 1 take, Action!"

As the clapperboard sounded, the camera's red light came on.

Filming officially began, and the entire set was very quiet.

The automatic door opened, and Chen Mo, dressed casually, took the lead, explaining work to Leng Ning as he walked, followed by other department heads.
"Mr. Chen, we've been waiting for you to come back." Jia Yueting greeted him with a beaming smile and great enthusiasm.

A hint of surprise flashed across Chen Mo's face, followed by a polite smile: "I've been really too busy lately, I apologize for neglecting you."

The two hands clasped together, marking this historic moment.

"Cut! That's a wrap!" The group prepared to move on to the next scene.

Da Peng instructed another photographer: "Use the drone to take a panoramic shot of the Bi'an Science and Technology Park, then swoop down to the main building entrance for the view."

"Good director!"

As the film crew was about to leave, they heard someone on the second floor shout:

"Boss, when will your movie be released?"

Chen Mo stopped upon hearing the sound. His stop caused the entire film crew to halt as well.

"Uh, it should be during the summer season. You'll find out the exact date when it comes out. Alright, that's enough excitement, let's all go!"

Chen Mo smiled and waved, then led his men upstairs.

The reception room on the other side.

[17 scenes, 2 shots, 1 action!]

"Mr. Chen, the second half of the internet era is not about fighting alone, but about an ecosystem war!"

With a wave of his arms, as if outlining a grand vision, Jia Yueting said, "LeEco is the final piece of the puzzle for the other side's ecosystem. Mr. Chen, have you considered what it would be like if our two companies joined forces?"

"I haven't thought about it." Chen Mo's answer was crisp and straightforward, showing no mercy whatsoever.

Unfazed, Jia Yueting continued his enthusiastic pitch: "LeEco phones will sell 500 million units this year, each pre-installed with WeChat and a game center, bringing at least 3000 million new users to the other side."

"I have millet."

"We have LeEco Video; cooperation would be possible."

"I have Bilibili and Bilibili videos."

"We hold a massive amount of copyrights, so we can..."

“Otherworld has Qidian and animation platforms under its umbrella, so it doesn’t lack your content incubation capabilities.”

Jia Yueting's smile gradually froze, and he threw out several more cooperation ideas, all of which were casually rejected by Chen Mo.

[17 scenes, 5 shots, 1 action!]

"No need for further introduction, LeEco's business is all available on the other side;"

Even if not, the other side has a powerful system to complete the ecosystem.

It can be said that everything LeEco has, the Beyond Group not only has, but also has even stronger capabilities.

Everyone's businesses are roughly the same, but LeEco is inferior to the other side in every aspect, so…

Chen Mo slowly crossed his legs, placed his hands on his knees, and looked up at Jia Yueting, who was standing not far away explaining. Although he was sitting, he gave people an unseen sense of looking down on him.

He spoke slowly, his words carrying a unique rhythm:
"Why should I cooperate with you?"

Lies won't hurt, the truth is the sharpest knife!

Jia Yueting's fingers trembled slightly as he flipped through the PowerPoint presentation, and even his throat tightened a little.

That damn feeling is back. Everything is back.

No, the sense of oppression he faces now is even stronger than it was back then.

Even Jia Yueting, who has remained calm and composed in front of hundreds of millions of viewers during countless live broadcasts, almost couldn't withstand the pressure at this moment.

Silence, deathly silence
Jia Yueting, who hadn't fully gotten into character before, was suddenly jolted back to his younger self by Chen Mo's provocation.

[17 scenes, 9 shots, 1 action!]

"Next, LeEco will manufacture cars."

He flipped to the last slide of the PPT as if grasping at the last straw, “With LeEco Auto and the traffic and capital from the other side, the ‘ecological synergy’ of a trillion-dollar market is within reach!”

"I have no interest in building cars." Chen Mo withdrew his gaze, waved his hand listlessly, and, despite not giving a definitive answer, said, "How about this, if LeEco can survive until next year, I'll help you."

"A gentleman's word is his bond?"

"You'll keep your word. I have other things to do, so I won't keep you for dinner today." Chen Mo picked up his teacup and took a small sip.

Jia Yueting looked somewhat dejected as he packed his belongings and left alone, leaving behind a lonely figure.
The meeting room door closed again.

The scene should have ended there, but Chen Mo had almost finished his cup of tea and still hadn't heard a sound.

He turned to look at Dapeng, who seemed to be contemplating the meaning of life.

"Director, we're done filming, aren't you going to yell 'cut'?"

"Click! Pass!"

(End of this chapter)