Huayu: When the director changed his major

Chapter 342 Watching the Scenery Outside the Window with Reba (6K)

After the plenary meeting, everyone left one after another.

The heads of various companies and Reba, Shen Teng, Wen Muye, Guo Fan, Deng Jie and others stayed behind for a closed-door meeting.

Cheng Xi glanced at the dozen or so people. These were basically the core members of the Zuibai faction.

Needless to say, Li Wentao, Zeng Xiongjie and others were all high-ranking officials.

Reba is the company’s current artist representative, the female artist closest to the top, and also a veteran.

Shen Teng is a representative of the Mahua-style actors and will be the focus of future training.

Wen Muye and Guo Fan are currently the two most valuable directors in the Zuibai group besides himself.

Deng Jie is Cheng Xi's secretary, responsible for communicating information and many administrative tasks.

"Everyone is here. The following discussion involves the future direction of the company. Please maintain confidentiality."

When everyone heard this, they all knew that the three points the boss had just mentioned were directed at all Zuibai employees.

Next comes the most important arrangements of the real company.

"We currently have IP, artists, and outlets, but we lack a voice. And our entertainment industry is closely tied to voices, marketing, and channels. Without a voice, we're handing over the right to speak. Only with channels can we control our own destiny to the greatest extent possible."

"Everyone is welcome to speak freely about their ideas. This is our most important task in the next stage."

After Cheng Xi said this, everyone present fell into deep thought.

Except for Li Wentao, it was the first time for everyone else to know what Cheng Xi was thinking.

When it comes to the battle of public opinion, we are all elites in the industry and of course we understand its importance.

But this weapon is not easy to master.

Ten minutes passed, and seeing no one spoke, Cheng Xi began to call out the names of the generals:
"Let's start with Guo Fan."

Guo Fan sat at the last seat among the crowd. Cheng Xi's meaning was very clear, that is, to speak according to the position.

As for Deng Jie, what he said was equivalent to what Cheng Xi said. He only implemented Cheng Xi's decisions and kept silent in the meeting, just as an attendee.

Guo Fan saw the boss pointed at his general, so he thought for a moment and said:
"As for public opinion, perhaps the current marketing team is doing quite well. Perhaps we could allocate some of their staff to create a portal website similar to Sohu."

While Guo Fan was speaking, the others were listening and thinking.

Cheng Xi: "Others continue."

Wen Muye: "Movies are actually a channel for events, but they lag behind a lot. Perhaps we can have a permanent variety show that talks about news and people's livelihoods, or even entertainment news."

Shen Teng: "I don't know much about marketing, but I think it's a good idea to set up a portal website."

Reba: "I think Weibo has a huge influence. Each of us bloggers actually constitutes a collective voice. I think everyone now regards Weibo as an app for reading news. When something happens, Weibo is the first to get the latest information. I think the company should consider investing in Weibo."

Upon hearing this, Cheng Xi nodded. It seemed that Reba had felt the power of tens of millions of fans on Weibo.

But the price of investing in Weibo is very high now.

In 13, Ali spent 45 billion to reach a strategic cooperation with Weibo, holding an 18% stake. It is said that 50 consultations and negotiations were held.

In 14, Weibo started its IPO on Nasdaq, raising more than 40 billion yuan.

With the current development trend, not only are they not short of money, but they are also even less willing to sell shares.

Even with large-scale capital increases, the gains were minimal and the window of opportunity was missed.

There was nothing Cheng Xi could do about it. It was already good enough that Zuibai Group could develop so fast.

Weibo had already started when he made his first money, so it was not his turn to get on board.

Most of the people who spoke later also supported the creation of a portal website or investing in Weibo.

Zeng Xiongjie's proposal is even bolder:

"Boss, I think investing in Weibo is a waste of time. If I'm not a major shareholder, I won't have any voting rights, nor will I have a say. My money will just be wasted."

If you really value it, why don't we imitate it ourselves and launch a similar Weibo. With our system, although it is difficult to be on an equal footing, there is still a chance that we can take advantage of it and become another destination for netizens on Weibo.

For example, after Facebook in the US, there is Twitter, and other small microblog-like websites.”

When Cheng Xi heard this, he seemed to grasp something in his mind.

At this time, Li Wentao also said:

"Boss, I think Mr. Zeng's opinion is good. The overseas website Quora has developed very well."

Quora?

All of a sudden, a platform popped up in Cheng Xi's mind - Zhihu!
The two popular memes, "Thanks for the invitation, I just got off the plane" and "One million per capita", also made Cheng Xi's memory clearer.

This platform, which imitates Quora in the United States, is probably still in its infancy.

I am really confused. Why didn’t I think of this on Zhihu?

But it probably hasn’t gone viral yet. At least there are not many users using Zhihu at the moment, and many people don’t know about it.

“Have you heard of Zhihu?”

When Cheng Xi asked, it was obvious that most people had never heard of it.

We are all in the entertainment industry, so we certainly didn’t know about the Zhihu platform so early.

Li Wentao: "I've heard of this. It seems to be a platform modeled after Quora."

Liu Hongtao: "Boss, I know Zhihu. I'm semi-acquainted with its founder Zhou Yuan. Last time I saw him post a message on WeChat Moments, congratulating Zhihu on reaching 1000 million users."

"His angel round was invested by Kai-Fu Lee, and now the financing seems to have reached the B round, but the money has run out again. Last time, he called me and said he wanted to continue to introduce C round financing."

From idea to implementation, a product generally needs to go through four rounds of financing: Angel Round, A Round, B Round and C Round.

The angel round is at the very beginning, when you have an idea and a small product but lack funds. You may receive investment from friends or angel investors who specialize in initial startups, and the amount is usually in the millions.

The A round means that the product has achieved some success, but the business prospects are unclear and lack more user verification. At this time, more new users need to be introduced, which of course requires money. This round of investment is generally in the tens of millions.

Round B means that the project is indeed good, has been partially verified, and has found a profit model, but it needs to expand the market and form core competitiveness. At this time, the financing is in the billions.

Round C is generally the last round of financing before going public. At this point, the project is basically successful, and the company starts burning money to consolidate the market, expand, and prepare for going public.

Cheng Xi is now a director of several companies, so he is naturally familiar with these business operations.

Since it has just completed the B round of financing, the maximum investment is in the hundreds of millions, which Zuibai Entertainment can afford.

Although Zhihu is not as important as Weibo and other media outlets, it is still in the second tier.

Many people are often not satisfied with reading fragmented news on Weibo, so they continue to go to Zhihu to read the detailed gossip.

Boys, in particular, prefer the Zhihu platform.

The quality of answers to questions on the ancient Zhihu platform is still very high.

He knew Liu Hongtao. He graduated from Yan University and was doing well in the alumni association, so he knew a lot of people.

Cheng Xi nodded when he thought of this and said to Liu Hongtao:

"Hong Tao, since you happen to be familiar with Zhou Yuan, you can work with Wen Tao to get to know the current situation of Zhihu. You can be responsible for testing Zhou Yuan's reaction. He asked you about it anyway, so you can pretend to be concerned about his progress."

"When the time comes, we will compile the materials and information and then evaluate the prospects of this project."

In fact, Cheng Xi certainly knows the prospects of the project.

As long as the world line doesn't change too much, Zhihu will still have a good life in the future.

But when it comes to investment, the scale of investment, investment method and investment time all have to be considered.

One person is short-term, two people are long-term.

Cheng Xi is not someone who refuses to listen to others' opinions.

Zhihu only has 1000 million users now, which is a good time to enter.

“So, about the mouthpiece choice.

First, regarding Weibo, we have asked the marketing department to further strengthen cooperation. In fact, we need each other, and we must grasp this point well.

Second, regarding the portal website, Zuibai Entertainment will take the lead in drawing up a project plan, and we will study and discuss it in depth.

Third, regarding the Zhihu issue I just mentioned, Wentao and Hongtao should cooperate with each other and focus on it.

Our discussion on this matter ends here for now. We will also need to further build up the company's artist structure. Please ask the artist department to give me a list with about 10 vacancies.

The key is to have a wide coverage and fill in the gaps in the types of artists currently in the company."

Finally, everyone discussed other important matters in their respective companies, the difficulties they faced, the support they needed, etc.

This closed-door meeting ended and everyone went about their business.

Cheng Xi kept Reba, and the two hadn't seen each other for a while.

"Come here, give me a hug."

"Brother, I miss you."

Reba glanced at the door. Deng Jie and others had already closed the door after they left.

"Yeah, brother missed you too. Not bad, you've gained a little weight recently."

As soon as Cheng Xi put his hands around Reba's waist, he felt a little bit of fleshiness that he had never felt before.

Very comfortable.

"Oh, I'm so fat! Then I have to start losing weight!"

"Hahaha, don't lose weight. I'll allow you to gain another five pounds. My mom brought you some local specialties, the Dengzhan fruit you loved last time. I've put it in the refrigerator. Go back and ask Auntie to make it for you."

"Hey, thank you, Auntie. I want to eat what my brother made."

Cheng Xi always feels relaxed when he sees Reba's playful look.

"Oh, and my mom is inviting you to go play. When can I take you there?"

"Oh, yeah, what did Auntie say?"

"Says she wants to meet her precious daughter-in-law!"

After saying that, Reba's face immediately turned red.

"Auntie, can you please talk?"

"Don't worry, I'm taking good care of you."

"Oh, then I want to go. I also want to see where my brother grew up."

When Cheng Xi heard this, he also felt happy.

"Okay, after I finish this, I'll take you to Wanxian for a trip."

"Okay, brother, don't lie to me!"

"How could that be? I would never lie to anyone but my eldest princess."

Reba will have more announcements recently.

Because her current popularity is on par with Yang Mi.

So I occasionally get involved in various fashion resources, advertising endorsements, and variety shows, and earn some extra money for the company and myself.

Of course, Cheng Xi has set strict restrictions on Reba's performances in variety shows and money-making events.

After all, Cheng Xi wants to train Reba to become an absolute top star.

This is also due to the growing popularity of League of Legends.

He reaped the benefits of being a male.

Now if you look at the number of Weibo followers, you will know that she had already surpassed Yang Mi by New Year's Day.

At that time, Cheng Xi even congratulated Reba on WeChat.

As for Yang Mi, the victim, she naturally called Cheng Xi to complain.

Yang Mi's Jiaxing Tianxia has been silent for a while since her last conversation with Cheng Xi.

But as soon as the box office results of "The Mermaid" came out, he started answering his phone calls again.

Of course Cheng Xi knew what Yang Mi was thinking.

She doesn't want to be controlled by herself, but she also really wants to endorse her and take advantage of Zuibai's resources.

But there are not so many people in the world who want everything.

Cheng Xi's business was already quite extensive, and honestly, even if Yang Mi wanted to join, Cheng Xi would have to consider it. Although Zeng Jia's agent was indeed quite capable, the entertainment industry wasn't a one-size-fits-all world.

It is difficult to be big and comprehensive.

Just grasp the core of the "Trinity" yourself.

With IP, artists, video terminals, and the weapon of mouthpieces, it can basically ensure that entertainment will always have its own place.

As for Zuibai Games, to be honest, if it weren't for the fact that Honor of Kings really makes money, this project would not be the core.

It's just an extra.

What can Yang Mi bring to you?
It's just about making money.

Reba on her side has similar positioning to hers, and she is confident that she can cultivate a "Yang Mi".

So it’s better to have Fan Binbin than her.

At least there is really no substitute for Fan Bingbing at the moment.

"Brother, I have something to tell you."

Seeing Reba hesitate to speak, Cheng Xi touched the eldest princess' head.

"Come on, why are you being so distant with your brother?"

"Well, before the New Year, the four of us in the dorm got together. Yang Zi mentioned that her artist contract was about to expire, and she wanted to find a new agency."

"The implication is that you want to come to Zuibai Entertainment. Didn't you say you wanted to recruit 10 artists? What do you think of Yang Zi?"

Yang Zi?

Cheng Xi and she are also old friends.

The friendship we had after having dinner together on the first day of college.

The only time he carried Reba to the dormitory, he was caught by Yang Zi who came back suddenly.

Instead of telling him directly, he went the wife route. It seems that he lacks confidence.

He was afraid that if he refused, it would be embarrassing, so he asked Reba to test his opinion first.

Now in their dormitory, Bai Xue and Reba signed with Zuibai Entertainment, and Qin Shiyue was signed into Fan Binbin's studio because of her visit to the set.

When Cheng Xi thought of this, he also felt funny.

Maybe it was fate that made them two mortal enemies, who were supposed to be fighting each other, become roommates sleeping opposite each other, and Reba even came to speak up for her.

What can I say about Yang Zi's acting skills? She is considered to be quite capable among those born in the 90s, and her acting skills are even more impressive than those of some young actresses.

She herself once asked Song Dandan whether she was suitable for the entertainment industry.

Song Dandan certainly knew her subtext. It seemed like she was asking whether it was suitable, but in fact she was asking whether she could provide some help by entering the entertainment industry.

So the answer is:

Not suitable.

In other words, you can go on your own, but I really don't have the resources to help you.

Yang Zi must be very troubled now, as her acting style is the same as Zhang Yishan's.

Because of the roles of "Liu Xing" and "Xia Xue" in "Home with Kids", they have become stereotyped in the audience's minds.

We are all facing a difficult period of transformation now.

At first, she wanted to be an actress and won some awards, but later she changed her mind and became a firm "star".

I have to say, this choice is still good.

From then on, her career went from strength to strength, and she became famous in many dramas. Boys didn't like to watch them, but girls were more attracted to her.

However, becoming the first of the "Four Common People" in the entertainment industry is also due to his appearance, there is really nothing we can do about it.

Signing her will definitely be profitable, as the role she plays does not conflict with Reba.

The face represents two different types of people.

But now she must be in a period of confusion, so she wants to rely on Cheng Xi's resources.

After all, Cheng Xi can even train Jing Tian to be recognizable, and the artists under his name also play to their strengths.

Now that Zuibai's reputation is getting more and more famous, I think more and more people will come to Cheng Xi's place.

So Cheng Xi thought for a while and said:
"The company belongs to me and the eldest princess as well. Since you asked for it, there will definitely be no problem."

Reba was very happy when Cheng Xi said this.

"Then I will share this good news directly with Yang Zi."

"Silly boy, this isn't a good idea. I'll have the artist department follow the normal procedures and talk to her mother directly. Anyway, you guys just had a party before the New Year, and Zuibai Entertainment contacted her after the New Year. I'm sure everyone in your dorm will understand and be grateful for this favor."

"If we say it directly, it won't be pretty, and it will also make us appear non-transparent about signing artists."

Reba is also a smart person, but she just doesn’t pay much attention to business matters. Cheng Xi nodded.

Then I understood the meaning behind it.

So he smiled and said:

"Whatever my brother says is what it is, but brother, I find you so cunning~!"

"Is this treacherous? You haven't seen anything more treacherous yet."

Now that the matter is resolved, Cheng Xi will of course ask for some benefits:

"By the way, since I agreed so readily, did the princess give me any reward?"

"Ah? What reward do you want, brother?"

Hehe, of course Cheng Xi wants to be with Ermei.

But the progress hasn’t reached that point yet, and Nazha is still a little slow in the progress.

"I think the scenery here is nice."

Cheng Xi slowly leaned towards Reba's ear and spoke softly.

The scenery is indeed nice. The buildings around the Cube Building are not high, and there are lakes and parks next to it.

Looking over from the 7th floor, the view is very wide, which is very suitable for exercise.

When Reba heard this, her ears immediately turned red.

He quickly glanced at the door of the conference room to see if it was closed tightly, and then said worriedly:
"Brother, you are lustful, but I don't agree. There are cameras here."

"You agree to no cameras, right?"

"Take the camera off first."

"Hey, no need to remove it. I had the cameras turned off for the day because we have a closed-door meeting today involving a lot of company secrets."

"what!?"

When Reba heard this, she was so surprised that she almost screamed.

Then he covered his mouth and said in an unclear tone:
"Brother, did you plan this in advance?"

"No, how would I know you were going to tell me about Yang Zi?"

"That's right."

Reba is still naive. I asked you to stay after the closed-door meeting. Could it be that you have any other good intentions?
So Cheng Xi went to lock the door of the meeting room without waiting for Reba to refuse.

The curtains were drawn and the lights were turned off.

I started to behave like a nobody.

In the middle of the process, Cheng Xi opened the curtains a little so that both of them could enjoy the beautiful view outside the window.

Reba was afraid of being discovered and kept covering her mouth.

But Cheng Xi likes it very much!

And now that Reba is a little fatter, she feels better to hold.

Smooth, soft and fragrant, it is the best!
But there is one thing that is not so good.

Next time I have to find a good place to watch CCTV's Big Underpants. It must be a different experience.

Then Cheng Xi lowered his head and said:
"Baby, let's go to a place with better scenery next time, okay?"

"not good!"

"What's wrong with that?"

“Don’t look at the scenery!”

"Okay, next time we're in the scenery!"

"Uuuuuuuuuuuuuu"

Looking at Reba looking back, shaking her head and trembling, her back is extremely beautiful.

Cheng Xi works silently.

After the meeting after the Lantern Festival, Zuibai Entertainment entered a busy state.

The box office of "The Mermaid" is still booming.

After 16 days of release, the total box office has reached 19 billion.

And today's box office is still over 5 million.

It has now become the number one domestic film at the box office, breaking Cheng Xi's own directorial record again, as well as Stephen Chow's directorial record.

And it is just one step away from the 4 billion box office record of "Transformers 19.7" in China.

For this purpose, Stephen Chow even called Cheng Xi specifically:

"Director Cheng, I'm so glad you invited me to participate in this "The Mermaid". I never expected the box office to be so high!"

"And it finally allowed me to take the first step towards becoming an actor again. Before, I felt that I was too old and no one wanted to watch the movies I acted in anymore."

Listening to Master Xing's Cantonese, Cheng Xi couldn't help but smile:

"Thank you, Mr. Xing. This movie wouldn't have been possible without you. I just did a small part."

"And Mr. Xing, you have always been my idol. Your performances never get out of date!"

"Really? Thank you, thank you."

Cheng Xi could hear that Stephen Chow was happy.

There's even a feeling of being understood.

That's why I say thank you twice.

As for Cheng Xi, he got the money, and the audience was satisfied with Stephen Chow starring in the film and working with Uncle Da.

Cheng Xi also fulfilled his dream of having his idol appear on the big screen again.

It can be said to win mahjong.

Of course, what the audience is most concerned about is that the box office of "The Mermaid" is about to surpass "Transformers 4".

At that time, the box office record of "Transformers 4" really hit everyone hard.

I originally thought that a talented director like Director Cheng would bring the box office record to the 10 billion level.

It's a great way to show off one's self-esteem.

But I didn't expect that Hollywood would surpass me so much soon.

It’s just like how Chinese film and television practitioners felt desperate when they saw the special effects of "Avatar".

Now the success of Cheng Xi and Stephen Chow's "The Mermaid" has once again allowed Chinese filmmakers to see a broad prospect, and the market has become hot again.

Various film projects are springing up everywhere, and the salaries of good actors and directors are rising.

It can be said that everyone has benefited from this wave of benefits.

And they all thanked Zuibai Entertainment.

Thanks to Cheng Xi for being the trailblazer.

(End of this chapter)