Entertainment mogul: Starting his business with the internet

Chapter 45 Domain Names
Song Ci waited for about half an hour before Wang Jing finally arrived at Tengda Technology.

As soon as Wang Jing sat down in the office, Song Ci got straight to the point and asked, "The things weren't clear on the phone just now. What's the actual situation now?"

Wang Jing took a breath and hurriedly explained, "There's an internet company in the US called Facebook. They contacted me through an intermediary, hoping to buy the Facebook domain name that you own, Mr. Song."

Song Ci remembered that in his previous life, he bought the Facebook domain name for $20 in 2005. Although the timeline had moved forward, it didn't stop him from taking advantage of Zuckerberg. So, he asked expectantly with a happy mood, "How much is Facebook asking for?"

Wang Jingxing replied excitedly, "10 US dollars."

Song Ci immediately frowned and scoffed, "Trying to send a beggar away!"

Although Wang Jing felt that $100,000 was not a small amount, upon hearing Song Ci's extreme dissatisfaction with the price, she asked, "Should I reject the offer directly, or should I raise the price?"

Song Ci hesitated. Facebook is in its early stages and probably doesn't have much funding. Asking for an extra tens of thousands of dollars would be meaningless to him. However, as the future largest social media company in the United States, Facebook's value is not yet apparent.

"After negotiating with Facebook, we tried a different approach. The domain name is worth $200,000. I can add some more money to it as an investment in Facebook, in exchange for 15%, which means I want 10% of the shares."

Considering the restrictions on foreign investment in technology companies in the United States, Song Ci proactively lowered his shareholding requirement to 10%. After Facebook raises more funds and dilutes the shares several times, it will definitely be less than 5%, so he doesn't have to worry about being harassed by the Americans.

"Mr. Song, you're going to invest in Facebook?"

Wang Jing asked in confusion, thinking she had misheard. How could her boss suddenly and inexplicably decide to invest in an American company? He shouldn't waste money like this.

Song Ci replied without much confidence, "Yes, I want to invest in Facebook."

Facebook shares will be very valuable in the future, whether you sell them later or exchange them for shares with other companies.

Wang Jing will carry out Song Ci's insistence on things without any compromise, and many things in the company have already proven Song Ci's foresight.

"I will convey your message to Facebook."

Song Ci nodded. There were some things he couldn't explain, and Wang Jing just needed to do as he was told.

Seeing that Wang Jing was a bit tanned, Song Ci guessed that she had been working hard on set recently, and asked with concern, "How's it going on on set?"

Reflecting on the past ten days, Wang Jing sighed, "There are so many things to manage. We have to take care of the food, drink, and daily needs of the hundreds of people in the crew. The various industry associations at the film and television city are also very difficult to deal with. It's really not easy to make a TV series."

Song Ci comforted her, saying, "Everything is difficult at the beginning, but once you get through this period, things will go smoothly."

"President Song!" Wang Jing called softly.

Seeing Wang Jing staring intently at him, Song Ci asked in confusion, "What's wrong?"

Wang Jing said, word by word, "Are you really not considering debuting?"

Song Ci replied irritably, "Here we go again. Why bring this up again out of nowhere?"

Wang Jing said excitedly, "Your song 'The Wind Rises' is really popular! I didn't even know you could write songs!"

Although only snippets of the song have circulated online, it's still clear that "The Wind Rises" is of extremely high quality and is a rare gem.

"I'm a well-known writer and screenwriter, isn't it reasonable for me to write songs?" Song Ci said matter-of-factly. Wang Jing still persuaded her, "With a little training, your singing ability can rival that of professional singers. Coupled with your looks and talent, you have huge potential and may become a superstar in the future. It would be a real pity if you didn't debut."

Song Ci impatiently refused, saying, "Alright, let's not talk about this anymore. I write songs purely out of hobby."

Seeing Song Ci's strong aversion, Wang Jing dared not bring it up again and could only reply regretfully, "I understand, but I suggest you record the complete version of 'The Wind Rises.' It should be very popular as a ringtone and could help the company generate revenue."

“Recording songs is no problem; ringtones have been a lucrative business these past few years.”

Song Ci nodded in agreement. Since Wang Jing was present, he decided to arrange some things along the way.

"My third-quarter royalties will arrive after the holiday. Keep ten million and proceed with the investment in 'My Own Swordsman' as agreed."

After thinking for a moment, Song Ci added, "Also, after 'My Own Swordsman' starts filming, leave a suitable role for Shishi to make a cameo appearance. As for which role, you can make the decision."

Wang Jing looked at the boss and asked in surprise, "Is Shishi making a cameo appearance? Is she going to be an actress?"

Song Ci nodded. "Yes, she's been selected by a film crew and will be filming soon. She might make a living as an actress from now on."

Naturally, the future boss's wife should be given priority in projects invested in by the family. Wang Jing tentatively suggested, "Then Director Shang and I will ask for another female lead for Shishi."

Song Ci waved her hand, "No need for that. Shishi doesn't have much acting experience and isn't ready to play the lead role yet. She can just play a supporting role to practice. If we ask Director Shang for a lead role, we'll probably fall out with him, and the project might be canceled."

Shang Jin, the male lead of "My Own Swordsman", wanted Sha Yi to play the role. However, Tengda Culture, as the investor, insisted on using Qiao Zhengyu, the company's top executive. Fortunately, Qiao Zhengyu lived up to expectations and passed the audition smoothly, which finally made Shang Jin compromise and agree.

If the female lead were replaced with Liu Shishi, given Liu Shishi's current acting skills, she could probably force Shang Jin to turn against her.

Wang Jing suddenly remembered something, "Does Shishi have a management company yet?"

"Not yet," Song Ci admitted frankly.

Wang Jing's eyes lit up immediately, "Then how about Shishi signs with our company?"

Song Ci is somewhat complicated. In her previous life, Shi Shi signed with Tangren Media, which is still the leader in period dramas and has a certain influence on the small screen.

"We'll see. I'll ask Shishi what she thinks and see if she'd like to sign with Tengda Culture. Anyway, even if she doesn't sign with the company, we'll still consider her when there are acting opportunities."

Wang Jing replied with a smile, "Okay, if Shishi is willing to come to our company, I will personally be her agent."

But in my heart I was complaining that the boss was really biased. Why should he open up resources to outsiders if he doesn't sign with the company?

While Song Ci was having a headache over Liu Shishi's agency, Liu Shishi's pleasant National Day holiday officially began after participating in the National Day cultural performance at the Beiping Dance Academy.

I spoke with Song Ci on the phone and originally wanted to visit Tengda Technology, but the young man told me to go straight home, so I had to give up my idea of ​​going to the company to make my presence felt.

However, when Liu Shishi invited Song Ci to her home for dinner that evening, he surprisingly agreed without hesitation, which delighted her.

In the dormitory, Liu hummed "The Wind Rises" cheerfully as she packed the clothes she planned to take home for the holidays, stuffing them one by one into her suitcase.

(End of this chapter)