Huayu: From charlatan to great entertainer

Chapter 223 No, buddy?

Concubine Liu Yi quarreled with him for a while, and her fair face flushed a little.

She smoothed the hair around her ears and said, "You think about women and money all the time. Can you think of something that's a little bit beyond vulgarity?"

Lu Kuan smiled and said, "You don't like money, right? That's great. In the future, if I sell derivative products, you can be my free endorsement."

"You mean this dress?"

"Of course it's not just clothes, it's also everything you need for food, drink, and entertainment."

"As long as it's related to 'Zhu Xian' and 'Chinese Paladin', it can be sold."

Concubine Liu Yi was surprised: "This... is anyone buying it?"

There was already a blue ocean in front of Boss Lu.

Not only are there people who buy it, there are so many people who buy it.

Disney has a famous "locomotive" theory:
A film project itself may lose money, but the film must drive related industry branches such as DVDs, derivatives, and adaptation rights to make profits.

Later, a princess dress worn by Princess Elsa in "Frozen" alone sold $4.5 million in the year the movie was released, exceeding the film's total box office in North America.

However, the development of the domestic derivatives market has always lagged behind due to many reasons.

For example, the early coal bosses and the later Internet capital looked down on this small amount of money, and there was a difference in the box office sharing ratio at home and abroad.

Another very important issue is copyright protection.

However, after managers put the issue of copyright protection on the agenda, no film and television company or classic IP has come up with any amazing derivative market operation model.

Among these, in addition to the old-fashioned themes such as science fiction, fantasy, and superheroes, which are more suitable for derivative product development, martial arts and fairy tales rooted in Chinese local culture actually have development potential.

Just like the collaboration between Later Mana and "Mojin: The Lost Tomb", as well as "Knife of the Assassin 2" and the 12-inch Zhang Zhen figure produced by a toy company in Yiwu, the sales were pretty good.

And the 2016 animated film "Big Fish and Begonia" sold 5000 million yuan in derivative products two weeks after its release, directly recovering the investment cost of the film.

In the field of TV dramas, the one that can provide reference value for "Zhu Xian" is the later "The Untamed".

Whether it is the personal marketing of traffic stars, the harvesting of fan economy, or the development of derivative products, they are all textbook cases in domestic entertainment.

"The Untamed" has opened an official store on Taobao, launching dozens of derivative products including standees, Q-version pendants, notebooks, etc.

In addition, there are Chinese-style digital albums. The more albums you buy, the more you can unlock stills, behind-the-scenes footage, etc. about the actors and crew that have not been leaked, which successfully stimulates fans' desire to buy.

Boss Lu pondered for a few seconds and said, "Xiao Liu, what do you say about me opening a derivatives store?"

"You want to be a supermarket owner?"

"Online supermarket."

Liu Yifei asked in surprise, "The kind from Taobao?"

“You know Taobao too?”

"Of course, I'll go see how the 'Chinese Paladin' DVD is selling there!"

Taobao was just established in 2003 and took advantage of the epidemic. In less than two months, it had 1.7 registered members, an average of 2.5 daily visitors, and more than 2000 new products.

This year, Aliwangwang was launched to increase transaction convenience, and it will become the largest shopping website in Asia in 2004.

If I remember correctly, SoftBank invested $2004 million in Ali for the second time in 6000, maybe...

Lu Kuan turned to Concubine Liu Yi again and said, "Xiao Liu, when I start an e-commerce website, will you be my spokesperson?"

"Give me money."

"Don't you dislike money?"

Concubine Liu Yi said disdainfully: "You still want to exploit me for the rest of my life? No money, no talk!"

"Xiao Liu, you feel strange to me now."

"What? You idiot, two years isn't enough, you still want to keep being white... me?"

She was too embarrassed to say the word "prostitute".

Boss Lu smiled and said nothing. You think you can get away, right?
In the evening, Lu Kuan immediately gave instructions to Zhong Lifang of Wenjie, asking her to contact Ali in Lin'an directly to seek cooperation intentions.

The best case scenario would be that it would be as smooth as the previous investment in Focus Media, but Lu Kuan knew that Ali and Focus Media were not companies of the same level.

It’s not because of the comparison of their current strength and valuation, but because of the level and pattern of the two leaders.

Zhong Lifang is a comprehensive talent in the film, television and media industry. Later, she helped Xiaoma Paofeng complete a sky-high financing of US$7.5 million.

He also broke into New York Manhattan and Hollywood alone to fight head-on, and finally won the famous American special effects company Digital Domain.

But the opponent she faced this time was too strong. She tried every possible means to persuade Ma Yun in Lin'an for three days but still didn't even see him.

Ali’s official response is that they are not considering financing for the time being, which means it is an ugly rejection.

Until Boss Lu received an unexpected call during the break in the fourth day of filming.

"Hello, Yin Zhiping, I'm Feng Qingyang."

Boss Lu was just about to curse and hang up the phone, but suddenly he remembered it was you!
Ma Yun likes to give nicknames to the members of the entrepreneurial team, and because he loves Jin Yong, he calls himself Feng Qingyang.

"Hello, Feng Qingyang!"

"Hahaha, Director Lu is indeed a wonderful person. No wonder he can make such a good movie."

Boss Lu was also very curious about this person: "Where is Mr. Ma? We are filming a fairy tale drama, flying around is quite interesting, come and give us some guidance if you have time."

"Oh no! How can I guide a Golden Lion Award-winning director like you?"

"I just got back from Japan, and I heard from the office that you're interested in working together, but the situation is indeed rather special right now. I appreciate your kindness, Director Lu."

It's nothing special, it's just another piece of cake from Masayoshi Son.

"Haha, no problem. Even if the deal doesn't work out, there's still righteousness. By the way, if Taobao wants to advertise, they can contact us at Focus Media. Our target audience is pretty similar."

"Oh? Mr. Lu is actually a major shareholder of Focus Media? I'm truly ignorant!"

Ma Yun was very surprised. She thought this was just a director who was full of money and was busy making lavish purchases. But it turned out that he was also a versatile person with cross-industry management skills.

Lu Kuan watched as Assistant Director Wu Ershan gestured to him, exchanged a few more words with Ma Yun, and then hung up the phone.

Just as expected, entrepreneurs like Ma Yun don't want anyone's money.

Ali introduced SoftBank to solve the urgent financial needs.

It is more about considering the convenience that SoftBank, the largest telecommunications company in Japan, brings to its development in the field of e-commerce.

SoftBank's capital penetration in the Asian market has enabled Ali to gain more development experience and resources than just the money.

But to Feng Qingyang, his film and television company seemed to have nothing to do with him and they were not from the same family.

He then gave Zhong Lifang, who had just returned from a business trip, another task: "Go to Zhongguancun, find a store called Jingdong Multimedia, and ask for the owner's number."

"I'll leave the show early this afternoon and tell him I'll go find him myself."

Old Ma, Old Ma, if you don’t appreciate my kindness today, I will make it so that you can’t reach me tomorrow!

It just so happens that Dongzi is just about to enter the online market this year, and we will cultivate a competitor for you from scratch.

Boss Lu should be given a ridicule voice-over here.

He was reborn, but all he knew was the film industry. It was impossible for him to be good at everything and make all the money.

Whether it is blogging or e-commerce, a business leader who can stand on his own is indispensable.

It all depends on whether Dongzi is good at fooling people and whether he can control the situation in the later stage.

Today is Valentine's Day. At 4: p.m., the thoughtful boss Lu gave the crew an early day off.

He was thinking about how to attack Dongzi that night, and then prepared to get in the car to start the Zhongguancun dungeon.

"Hey!"

What the hell!

When Lu Kuan opened the car door, he was startled by the lurking Liu Yifei and almost punched her!
"You can scare people to death, don't you understand? I didn't have time to stop you just now, and you won't even be able to film tomorrow!"

Concubine Liu Yi jokingly said, "With your mediocre skills, I just dodged it easily, okay?"

Boss Lu couldn't do anything about her: "Xiao Liu, your aunt and grandmother are coming to Peking. Why don't you accompany them after the show?"

The little girl's eyes rolled around. Today is Valentine's Day...

She didn't have to live with the washing machine, but she wanted to make sure he didn't live with anyone else!

"They...my mom took them to the Sand City to play, and they won't be back for long!"

"No, I have a business dinner tonight, and it's not appropriate for you to come along."

Concubine Liu Yi complained: "What's wrong with that? Just an extra pair of chopsticks! I can't eat much."

"Are you planning to do something bad?"

"To tell you the truth, I'm going to trick people, and you're affecting my performance!"

Concubine Liu Yi was even more excited: "It's good to fool people! I love watching you fool people the most! Come on, come on, Miss Liu will pay for tonight."

At 2004 p.m. on February 2, 14, in the basement of Yinfeng Building, Suzhou Road, Zhongguancun.

Dongzi stuck his head out to look at the darkening night sky, sighed, and returned to the store.

"Brother Zhang, it's okay to close the shop at 8: and take a rest. Today is Valentine's Day, go home and spend time with your sister-in-law."

Zhang Qiang is Dongzi's fellow villager from Suqian. He takes his frail wife to work in Peking while seeking medical treatment.

Jingdong Multimedia on Suzhou Road was the first store opened by Dongzi in 2001. Although it has now developed into a chain of more than ten stores, he usually still stays here.

He felt relieved to leave the Longxing store to the care of his simple and honest fellow villager.

"Don't worry, Mr. Dong, your sister-in-law is cooking porridge and making dumplings at home today. You'll be alone when you go back, so why don't you go home and eat?"

Liu Qiangdong's face darkened. He couldn't blame his honest fellow villager for speaking his mind. There was a big gap between his family and his girlfriend's.

Today is Valentine's Day, and the two of them should be spending it together, but his girlfriend is not ready to tell her family about him.

Dongzi's girlfriend is now in politics. She has served as director of the Policy Research Department and the Comprehensive Business Department of the Housing Reform Office.

"Lao Zhang, I really want to go eat there, especially the pancakes with fried shrimps that my sister-in-law made last time. They were so delicious!"

Ke is a dialect from northern Jiangsu and a universal verb.

Eating can be called "kefan", drinking can be called "kejiu", playing with women can be called...

Normally he would have accepted the invitation from his fellow villager, but since the boiling point last year, the sales of several stores have not been very good this year.

In the middle of the year, he saw Taobao's online model and had been thinking about the future development of Jingdong Multimedia.

The young man from northern Jiangsu who truly started from scratch has always been holding a grudge in his heart. This grudge makes him full of motivation but also brings pressure.

"By the way, Lao Zhang, if someone comes to see me later and says they're from a film company, ignore them."

Old Zhang was stunned. "That lady from the day? She doesn't look like a scammer to me. The one driving a Mercedes?"

"Haha, nowadays scammers drive all kinds of cars. People who drive Mazdas try to trick people into thinking they drive Mercedes-Benzes, and people who drive Mercedes-Benzes try to trick people into thinking they drive Rolls-Royces."

Although I don’t have a Rolls-Royce yet.

But what the woman said was too perfunctory. She said, "Our boss will treat you to a drink in the evening, and you just need to wait for him in the store."

This is a serious business talk, a movie director, looking for a guy who sells consumer electronics to have a drink, and on Valentine's Day.

What's going on?

When asked, she hesitated and said nothing.

I felt guilty for waiting in the store until six o'clock. It was dark and very cold outside.

Forget it, let me go back and research Taobao online.

It was in 2004 that Dongzi launched Jingdong Multimedia Network. A year later, realizing the blue ocean online, he closed all offline stores.

While Liu Qiangdong was thinking silently, the voices of a young man and woman came from far away.

"Is this the place? You took me to the wrong two stores."

"The way we came back was different last time. I don't remember!"

The girl's chirping complaints were crisp and lively, reminding Dongzi of his encounter with his girlfriend during their freshman year.

How nice it would be if life could always be as simple as in the ivory tower.

"Last time? You're so busy, how can you still find time to hang out in Zhongguancun?"

Boss Lu remained silent.

The last time was in 2020 in the previous life. Zhongguancun North Street here had been demolished several times.

It was dark and he didn't have any navigation to help him. How could he find the way back to his hometown?

"Here! Right here!"

The whole street was muddy after the snow melted, and there happened to be a pool of black mud in front of the store. Boss Lu, grunting, carried two bottles of wine and jumped onto the steps.

"Come up, I'll pull you up."

He reached out to Concubine Liu Yi, pulled her hard and jumped over.

The little girl felt the warmth of his palm and felt very comfortable in her heart. She wished she could stay with him like this every day and go to a few more wrong shops.

Dongzi looked at the student couple as they entered the room with an auntie's smile on his face.

"Two handsome men and beautiful women, what would you like to buy?"

Even though he was already the owner of more than ten chain stores, Dongzi still had not forgotten his instinct as a gold medal salesman and was ready to start selling products skillfully.

"Our store has the most comprehensive product range in Zhongguancun, with clear prices and absolutely no counterfeits! You can shop with confidence."

Thinking that the best-selling product in the store recently was Lenovo's new MP3, he hurried to the counter to take out a sample before the customer could reply.

"This is the Lenovo MX8610, the hottest seller recently. It has great sound quality and long battery life."

"Does Concubine Liu Yi know? It's that Zhao Linger! She's the spokesperson!"

Dongzi spoke for a while and saw the two people in front of him looking at him in a daze. He thought they didn't know Zhao Linger and Liu Yifei.

"No."

"Have you seen the latest Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils? Wang Yuyan, here! Wang Yuyan!"

He pointed at the Lenovo advertising poster of Liu Yifei on the wall, leaving Lu Kuan and Xiao Liu, who were standing opposite him, speechless.

Liu Yifei: Are you okay?
Xiao Liu whispered in his ear, "You're trying to fool someone who's a fool, right? I can do it, too!"

Boss Lu was stunned!

No, buddy, are you really face-blind?
An injustice that will last forever! An injustice that will last forever!
I admit that I have misunderstood you and thought you were showing off for decades!
Old Zhang couldn't bear to watch any longer and ran out of the cashier's counter, panting: "Boss Dong, this lady is... Liu Yifei!"

"what?"

Dongzi's signature service smile, which he usually used to train sales staff, froze and fell from his face like a broken mask.

He took another deep breath and looked at her intently. Why wasn't this girl wearing the winter hat Zhao Linger?

Holy shit! I'm blind.

Dongzi's mind raced. The actress was here. Could this young man be the film director?

A film director who drinks with himself on Valentine's Day?
His eyes quickly locked onto Lu Kuan and the paper bag he was holding.

Yanghe Dream Blue.

Dongzi’s hometown is Suqian, the wine capital, so how could he not recognize this new product that was released last year after the winery was restructured.

He walked out of the counter excitedly and grabbed Boss Lu's hand: "Oh! I'm really confused. Why is my vision so bad?"

"I'm sorry, Miss Liu. It's my fault."

Liu Yifei smiled and said, "It's okay, it's okay. Thank you for your support of the products I endorse."

Lu Kuan smiled and said, "Don't be polite, Mr. Liu. I'm Lu Kuan. Did Xiao Zhong from our company come here today?"

"It's my fault too. I'm not familiar with the roads here. I just walked around a few times before I found the place. I'm sorry you kept waiting."

Dongzi has a generous personality. Although he still hasn't figured out why this person wants to see him, he believes that guests are guests and it is the first month of the year, so there is no reason to let the guests stand there stupidly.

"Director Lu, it's time for dinner. Can we talk while we eat?"

Then he pointed at the wine bag in his hand and said, "You came prepared! You even brought some wine from my hometown."

Boss Lu smiled and said, "I'm from Jiangsu Province too. This wine isn't just from your hometown."

It is said that Dong Dongzi is a man of temperament, and Lu Kuan is fighting a prepared battle today, deliberately catering to his preferences and wanting to get drunk with him!
Zhang Qiang was a straightforward person. Upon hearing this, he exclaimed in surprise, "Oh my! We're all from the same hometown. It's not easy to meet each other out there!"

"Boss Dong, why don't you invite Director Lu to my house for dinner? I'll buy some snacks and have my wife cook some home-cooked dishes."

Liu Qiangdong didn't know Lu Kuan's character, and was thinking about how to refuse with an embarrassed look on his face.

"Okay! Let's go. The restaurants outside are not clean. It's more comfortable to eat at home."

Dongzi saw that he didn't seem to be being polite, so he smiled and agreed, and then told Lao Zhang to lock the rolling door.

Zhang Qiang rents a house near North Street. Although it is not big, it is clean and tidy.

Dongzi and Lao Zhang led the way in front, and Liu Yifei followed closely on Lu Kuan. The wild cats around them were howling, which frightened her a little.

"You like cats, don't you? You know you're afraid, don't you?"

Seeing that she was pulling his sleeves tightly, Lu Kuan smiled and teased her.

"These kittens must be hungry. Shall we bring something to feed them later?"

Old Zhang said, "Miss Liu is really kind-hearted. She doesn't act like a celebrity at all. But don't worry, my husband often feeds the wild cats around here, so it's nothing to worry about."

"Really? That's great!"

Pushing open the old unit door and entering the rental house on the first floor, the small dining table was already filled with local delicacies.

"Wow! You've worked hard, Mrs. Zhang."

Lu Kuan smiled as he opened the bottle of wine and said something politely while looking at the dazzling array of dishes on the table.

Concubine Liu Yi considerately wiped the table in front of him and set the table, just like a sensible young wife.

Zhang Qiang's wife spoke in broken Mandarin: "Oh! I'm so happy that a big star can come to our house for dinner. I'm just worried that the food is not up to standard. You..." The little girl waved her hands repeatedly: "It's okay, it's okay. I'm not picky about food. I like everything."

Liu Qiangdong has often gone out for business and social events in the past two years. It is estimated that a favored daughter like Liu Yifei is probably similar to his girlfriend.

I never tire of fine food, and I feel that I have wronged them today.

"How about I ask a nearby restaurant to order two more dishes?"

"I'm just afraid of offending the two distinguished guests, haha."

Lu Kuan waved his hand: "Really, no need. We are not picky people. Xiao Liu is also very down-to-earth."

A country girl.

There's no point in saying more! You'll see how much she eats!
The three men filled their small glasses with about three taels of wine.

Liu Qiangdong raised his glass first: "Director Lu, how should we drink this wine today?"

"I'm fine with anything according to your Suqian rules."

Dongzi and Lao Zhang looked at each other and knew that this person was a man of great character, so they would not be hypocritical.

"It's the first month of the year, how about a four-four-ruyi first?"

Boss Lu smiled without saying anything, clinked glasses with them, and drank it first.

"Great! Great!"

"As expected of a man from Su Province, he's awesome!"

Concubine Liu Yi was secretly shocked when she saw this. She had seen Lu Kuan drinking many times, but tonight he was a little too much.

A 3-liang cup will make you happy right away.

I lost more than a pound and that’s it?
You won’t find any cold dishes like this outside that can satisfy your drinking needs!

"The food is served! Miss Liu, please be careful not to burn yourself."

Old Zhang's wife brought a pot of Jianghuai specialty dishes and placed it in front of everyone, steaming hot.

Concubine Liu Yi was also a little hungry at this moment. The fragrance filled her nose, making her appetite grow.

"Sister-in-law, what is this dish called?"

Lu Kuan explained to her, "This is small fish pot stickers, a home-cooked dish in the Jianghuai region."

The Jianghuai region relies on water for its livelihood, and this dish originated from Hongze Lake, one of China's four largest freshwater lakes.

Many boatmen keep the big fish to sell after catching them, and cook the tender small fish directly in the clear lake water and add spicy seasonings.

Then take the batter and spread a thin layer around the pan, it will be fresh, fragrant and delicious.

"It's so fragrant!"

Liu Jingze held the bowl and ate the pot stickers dipped in soup. He was so hot that he gasped and couldn't put his mouth down, but he was reluctant to give up this delicious bite.

Lu Kuan found her grinning face a little funny, and thought to himself that she was indeed a good dining partner, and everything she ate was delicious.

Dongzi has been observing secretly from the opposite side.

Why did Director Lu Kuan come to see me?
In addition, let's gossip about his relationship with the Lenovo MP3 spokesperson.

After three rounds of drinks, seeing that the time was almost ripe, Boss Lu decided to start luring Dongzi.

"Mr. Liu, we're from the same hometown. You're seven or eight years older than me, so I'll call you Brother Shengdong!"

Liu Qiangdong quickly waved his hands: "No, no, Director Lu, you're putting me off a bit."

"You're an internationally renowned director, and you bring glory to our country everywhere you go. How can I, a lousy street vendor, let you call me brother?"

Boss Lu feigned anger: "Oh! Why are you saying that? We're all from the same hometown. Money and power are just external things. There's no distinction between high and low at this table today."

"Besides, I'm not afraid of exposing myself. What director artist? The purpose of making movies is to make money!"

Liu Qiangdong laughed out loud, but became more cautious in his heart.

On Valentine's Day, he brought a little beauty, a big star, and two bottles of white wine from his hometown to compete in drinking with me, and he was very humble in his words and deeds.

What the hell is this all about?

Am I, Liu Qiangdong, also a hidden second generation?

Is there any uninherited inheritance that I don’t know about?

Dongzi searched his mind but couldn't find any place in his parents' home where there was any possibility of burying gold.

"Director Lu, we're all men, so just tell me what you mean. Don't mention anything else. Just let us enjoy this drink today."

"If I can help, I, Liu Qiangdong, will do it without hesitation!"

Boss Lu smiled and put down his wine glass. Liu Yifei, who was standing beside him, knew from seeing his desperate expression that he was up to no good. This was the pre-casting process.

"Brother Dong, is business in brick-and-mortar stores good right now? Regarding home appliances and consumer electronics?"

Zhang Qiang was already a little drunk, and before he could even complain, Liu Qiangdong interrupted him.

"That's great. Now I have 12 stores, and my daily sales can basically reach 1 to 2."

This boast made Boss Lu's mouth twitch.

Later, Dongzi recalled the difficulties of starting a business. He mentioned that after the boiling point, the inventory backlog was serious, and more than 40 million worth of goods were stuck in the warehouse and could not be shipped out.

During the epidemic, he tried to find buyers by posting online, and unexpectedly found that the effect was very good. This gave him the idea of ​​doing e-commerce.

It was because he took this right step that he was able to completely clear out his inventory at the end of 2004, making a comeback and achieving total revenue of 3000 million.

Now facing the difficulty of Lukuan, he was like Cao Cao at Guandu, facing Xu You's test about the remaining military rations.

He would rather die than tell the truth, because he still didn't understand the purpose of this fellow villager.

"Brother Dong, let's be frank. I don't think the inventory in your dozen or so stores is less than 3000 million."

"Oh? Where did Director Lu come up with this conclusion?"

Boss Lu opened his phone and showed him Ma Yun's name in the address book.

"I wonder if you've heard of Mr. Ma, the guy who runs Taobao."

Dongzi's mouth twitched. He had not only heard of this person, but had also been studying him for a while.

"I talked to him today. He's in the e-commerce business and has experience with many offline stores. It's no secret that you have an inventory backlog after the epidemic."

"Please explain in more detail. All appliance manufacturers have sales targets. If you don't purchase goods, they won't be able to complete their targets."

"If you buy less, you won't be able to benefit from the policies and rebates, and your costs will be high. So no matter how raging the boiling point is, you dare not not buy, right?"

Liu Qiangdong remained silent. He didn't expect that a film director knew so much about the consumer electronics industry.

In fact, it’s not that Lu Kuan understands the consumption of electrical appliances. Because he worked in a public relations company in his previous life and was responsible for welcoming and seeing off guests, he did understand the characteristics of tobacco and alcohol consumption.

Taking any offline tobacco shop as an example, the tobacco certificates they obtain from the Tobacco Bureau are divided into different levels.

Different grades can be used to purchase different cigarettes. The higher the grade, the smaller the quota and the greater the profit.

During the boiling point era and the mask era of later generations, tobacco shops may not stock other goods, but they must stock up on cigarettes regardless of cost.

Because if you fail to complete the sales target this time, your tobacco license will be downgraded in the next period.

Once the epidemic is over, it will be impossible to buy the highest grade and most profitable cigarettes.

The same is true for appliance dealers.

Seeing that Dongzi remained silent, Boss Lu directly extended an olive branch.

"Mr. Liu, the shift of consumption from offline to online is a major trend. Taobao, which was established last year, is now performing very well in terms of membership numbers, store occupancy, and transaction volume."

"I think with your business acumen, you can't miss the opportunity here."

Dongzi burst out laughing: "Director Lu, we didn't know each other before, did we? Could it be that you have secretly investigated me?"

"Oh! Actually, it's a coincidence!"

Boss Lu was thinking about how to cover this up naturally.

"Xiao Liu! Yes! Xiao Liu."

"Liu Yifei is the spokesperson for the MP3 product, so the company is conducting research on the product's sales."

"We found your post online, as well as the promotion you did for the Jingdong store on your blog, and that's how we found you."

Liu Qiangdong got to the bottom of it: "You're a director, why are you interested in this industry?"

Let me explain, let me explain!
"There are many ways to make money in the film and television industry, and the derivatives market is a big piece of the pie."

"Derivatives?"

"That's right, just like the celebrity-endorsed products in your store, you can think of the derivatives as your own products."

"For example, I shot a science fiction blockbuster with different character designs, weapons, and costumes."

"I can find a factory to produce it myself and just put a brand on it, or I can directly license it to other manufacturers and charge a licensing fee."

Liu Qiangdong finally realized: "You want to sell this derivative product online?"

"That's right. The audience for derivative products is nationwide, even global, and offline stores can't reach that. That's why I thought about e-commerce."

Dongzi said embarrassedly, "But I sell electrical appliances. I've never done anything like clothing, toys, or souvenirs!"

"Oh! It's too easy, I have her!"

Boss Lu pointed at Liu Yifei, and everyone looked at the little girl, who was carefully picking out fish bones, with her lips red from the spiciness.

Xiao Liu was concentrating on eating while listening to his conversation, and his vivid eating posture suddenly caught everyone's attention.

Hmm... I wasn't being polite just now, I'm really not a picky eater.

"Director Lu, what are you saying?"

"Derivatives are the product of fan economy. As long as the work and the actors are popular, there is no need to worry about sales. You just need to control the channels and costs."

"Let me give you an example. Do you know 'Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone'? Last year, its domestic box office debuted at 5600 million RMB. Do you know how much its Hollywood spin-offs sold?"

Boss Lu counted on his fingers and told him: "Magic robes, wands, magic hats and other miscellaneous items, sold for $2 million."

Not to mention Zhang Qiang and his wife, even Dongzi couldn't help but gasp.

Are foreigners all fools?

What's the point of buying that crap? You can just find a branch and carve it yourself.

"If you want to do e-commerce in the country, first you need to have stores, and second you need customers to buy from you."

"Work with me and I can solve two problems for you. We produce at least five or six films and TV series every year, and there are countless derivative products we can develop and sell. You'll be one step ahead of Taobao right from the start!"

Dongzi was moved.

He only knew about the box office success of Director Lu's movies, but "Chinese Paladin" really became popular all over the country in just one summer vacation!

If there are so many idiots selling magic wands and robes abroad, then you can just find a T-shirt in China with some character portraits printed on it, and sell it for dozens with a cost of a few dollars!
No! No.

Dongzi thought of a serious problem: "Lu Dao, this thing is very easy to imitate, and the current domestic control of this area is..."

Boss Lu pointed at Concubine Liu Yi and said, "She is here!"

"They infringed our rights by using our logo and characters on clothes without our consent. These can be imitated."

“But we can provide additional services!”

"For example, each piece of clothing has the autograph of Liu Yifei, the goddess of fans. If you buy it, you can enter a lucky draw to attend a fan meeting, or participate in a tour of the crew and visit the set."

Boss Lu slammed his wine glass down on the table!
"Our quality is high, our service is excellent, and if our fans choose to buy from our online store, is that still a problem?"

"Besides, we'll investigate anyone who infringes on copyright. Several of my films are being investigated for piracy, and I'm familiar with the National Office Against Pornography and Illegal Publications. Don't worry."

Concubine Liu Yi looked at him with resentment.

Sign your sister's name! Bringing all the names from all over the country to me for signature, it will tire me to death!

This bastard only knows how to make money from himself.

A beautiful business picture suddenly appeared in front of Liu Qiangdong's eyes. He felt that the wine in his stomach was sweet and the pie in front of him was tempting.

"Director Lu, thank you for your kindness, but I have one last question that I really can't help but ask!"

"explain."

"You've been in contact with Mr. Ma from Ali, so why didn't you invest in him?"

Damn, you are really talking about something that is irrelevant to the topic. I didn’t even laugh at your face blindness.

"Hey, to be honest, Dong Ge, I really don't know anything about doing business. I'm afraid of being cheated!"

"Cough, cough, cough!"

Just as Boss Lu began to express his emotions, Concubine Liu Yi beside him started coughing violently!

What do you mean? Are you trying to sabotage me?
"No, I just got stuck by a small fish bone. It's okay."

Boss Lu silently picked up a pot sticker and put it in her bowl.

"Don't talk too much while eating fish. It's dangerous."

"Brother Dong, where were we just now? Oh! I really don't know how to do business."

"The only thing I know how to do is make movies and play around with...light and shadow art! So in this line of work I have to find someone I can trust to work with."

"Mr. Ma, a Zhejiang businessman, is well-known for his business acumen. If he tries to play tricks on me, I really won't be able to handle it."

"But you're different! We're all from the same family, we know each other well. I'll leave the money and resources to you, I'm at ease!"

Boss Lu slammed the table in a pretentious manner!
"I'll put in 3000 million, which means I own 70% of the shares. Your brother will invest in management and start setting up this business first."

"Let's discuss it together. I'm usually too busy creating to take care of it. You can take full responsibility, okay?"

Dongzi rubbed his hands with a smile. His total revenue last year did not exceed 3000 million, and he still had so much inventory backlog.

Now they have the resources and the money, which is equivalent to giving me so many shares for free without interfering in the management.

Maybe this is an excuse, but it doesn’t matter!

In 2005, after Liu Qiangdong completely switched to online sales, he suffered a setback. Sales did not see significant growth compared with the previous offline distribution. The total revenue in 2005 was about 1200 million.

That year, a businessman from Zhejiang offered 1800 million to buy his website. Dongzi signed the contract at one point, but finally decided to stick with it after being persuaded by several veterans.

Like most self-made tycoons, Dongzi, who came from a poor family, showed little strategic determination in the early stages of his career development.

From opening a restaurant to selling CDs, he wanted to emulate Gome and become an offline giant, and then switched to online after the boiling point.

The most difficult time was in August 2006. In order to expand its scale, Dongzi borrowed 8 million yuan from a venture capital firm at an interest rate of 10%, which shows how embarrassed it was.

At this point in time, facing such a sponsor who provides money, channels, products, spokespersons, and ideas.

If he was not more than ten years older than Lu Kuan and was not a man, he would have almost thought that he was being tricked into replacing Concubine Liu Yi.

"No more words, brother, just drink!"

Dongzi's blood boiled, and he took out a highball glass from the storage compartment in the restaurant and filled it with at least 4 or 5 taels of liquor.

"Director Lu, no! Mr. Lu, this is a toast from me, Liu Qiangdong, to show my respect and thank you for your consideration! I'll drink it!"

Dongzi gulped down half a pound of wine and sat down steadily without feeling drunk at all.

He has already begun to look forward to the day when he becomes successful and his girlfriend's whole family will treat him differently!

The night was dim, and Boss Lu refused Zhang Qiang and his wife's offer to see him off, but he could not resist Liu Qiangdong's enthusiasm, and the two walked side by side.

With a small tail on the side of its body, it playfully stepped on the wide shadow of the road.

"Brother Dong..."

"Oh! Mr. Lu, it's really inappropriate if you keep calling me that. We're all from the same village!"

"Well, you can call me Dongzi, that's more friendly, isn't it?"

Boss Lu was amazed in his heart, thinking that people like Dongzi and Guoli were capable of accomplishing great things. No matter how much they drank, their minds were still clear and their words were not confused at all.

Those who should flatter, those who should be humble, and those who should express themselves passionately are all included.

"Okay! Dongzi, just be at ease with me! You're 30 this year, right? You'll definitely be able to find an 18-year-old college student to be your wife!"

Liu Qiangdong was dumbfounded. He never thought that the artist and director who had been speaking sincerely all night could say such unscrupulous words.

Concubine Liu Yi rolled her eyes silently.

You don't think about good things every day! And you instigate others.

"I wouldn't dare! I wouldn't dare! Hey, I'm in a relationship too, I'm not any younger than you guys."

Boss Lu looked at Lao Bangcai showing off, smiled and said nothing.

Years from now, the boasts you made today will hit you right between the eyes like a bullet.

Boss Lu was in a good mood today. Although the crew was delayed for a few days due to costume issues, they finally developed a new business without much waste.

E-commerce may burn money, but this huge gold mine of derivatives must not be given up. If it can be really done, it will definitely be worth the money.

At this point, the film industry chain planned by Boss Lu has added an important link - derivatives.

It can also be used as a cash cow in the later stage.

"Let's go, let's take you home."

"Are you going back to Changping or the Hutong?"

Lu Kuan didn't hear her words, and when he turned around, he saw that she was still stepping on the shadow!
"It's only 9 o'clock, why are you in such a hurry?"

Damn, it’s Tiangang who’s in control.

If you say you're going home after dinner, then go home now.

Xiao Liu, is this what you mean?

"My mom is still on the highway. It's not safe for me to go back alone now!"

Boss Lu was speechless. Thank you for your trust in me, but I don’t quite believe in myself!

(End of this chapter)