You call this entrepreneurship?

Chapter 415: It turns out that the target is me

Qin Shaoyan quickly asked his secretary Xiao Chen to book a private room, and several people sat down in high spirits. Qin Shaoyan was particularly generous and ordered a large table of dishes.

Luo Yan dissuaded him, "I'm afraid we won't be able to finish this much order."

"Don't worry, there will be others coming soon, so we are almost enough." Qin Shaoyan said nonchalantly, "It's the company's entertainment fee anyway, so it's a waste if we don't spend it."

Xiong Xiaoge felt something was not right as he was listening to this. The campus network did not make much profit, and most of the money was raised through financing, including investment from IDG.

Qin Shaoyan is being generous to others!

Xiong Xiaoge said in a gloomy tone, "If you can't eat it, take it with you."

"Don't worry, the food here is delicious and I'm sure you'll enjoy it." Qin Shaoyan seemed not to understand.

Soon three more people came into the box, including Kou Hongfei, CEO of Qvod, Edward, Vice President of TNB, and Xia Lian, Director of Qvod Film and Television.

Xia Lian and Xiong Xiaoge's wife Luo Yan are old acquaintances. When Xia Lian was hanging out in Hollywood, she was always by Luo Yan's side. Naturally, the two of them sat together and started chatting very familiarly.

Edward sat down next to Davis. Socializing was his strong point, and soon the two of them were having a very pleasant conversation.

The remaining one, Kou Hongfei, was a purely technical person and could only sit and accompany the boss and Xiong Xiaoge.

Soon the food and wine were served, and everyone was hungry at this time, so they picked up their chopsticks and started eating.

After ten minutes or so, the meal was almost finished and more conversation began.

Qin Shaoyan picked up a piece of tofu and said with a smile: "Tofu may not look impressive, but it tastes different when made by different chefs. It is said that more than a hundred dishes can be made with tofu as the raw material."

"Hmm?" Xiong Xiaoge was a little curious, "Really?"

"Of course, how could I possibly lie to Mr. Xiong?" Qin Shaoyan explained seriously, "There is a tofu banquet in Shandong cuisine, with more than 150 tofu dishes to choose from."

Luo Yan next to her said with great interest: "Interesting, let's try it next time."

"There are more than 150 dishes." Xiong Xiaoge thought that the scene must be very spectacular, and nodded, "Next time I have a chance to treat guests, I will order this. Does Mr. Qin know where I can eat an authentic tofu banquet?"

"I don't know about this, but it should be easy to find out." Qin Shaoyan changed the subject, "Zhang Tianshi is from Shandong Province, he should know."

"Speaking of this, why didn't I see Mr. Zhang today?" Xiong Xiaoge asked casually.

Zhang Pingyi is Qin Shaoyan's right-hand man and true confidant. He can be seen at almost every important meeting, but he was absent today.

"He is in seclusion doing research and development." Qin Shaoyan said mysteriously, "He has a secret mission assigned to him. The first online game operated by the campus network is about to be launched. He has an important task on his shoulders and it is not convenient for him to come out."

"This online game is related to our cash cow for going public, so it is extremely important to have a trusted general in charge."

Xiong Xiaoge was a little curious, "How much can this cash cow you mentioned earn? Can it reach the scale of Shanda?"

Qin Shaoyan smiled slightly, "It's definitely not going to happen in the first year. Right now, NetEase is the most profitable online game company, and Shanda can only rank second."

"NetEase's gaming business accounts for nearly a quarter of China's entire online gaming market, while Shanda only accounts for 20%. It is no longer the time for Shanda to dominate the market alone."

Xiong Xiaoge nodded and said, "It's already amazing to occupy 20% of the market."

"But it's time for them to give way." Qin Shaoyan said confidently, "The goal of our online game is to overwhelm Shanda."

Xiong Xiaoge hesitated for two seconds, "Then how much money do you think your online game can make? One hundred million?"

Qin Shaoyan looked at Xiong Xiaoge with a very strange expression, which made the other party a little confused.

"What are you looking at me doing?"

"Boss Xiong, you are a venture capitalist after all, can you have a bit of vision?" Qin Shaoyan sighed, "Why would I stay in the gaming industry if I can only make 100 million? I should just sell the company and go home and lay low."

"Eh." Xiong Xiaoge was surprised. "I can see that you are very confident. Can you make 300 million?"

Don’t underestimate these 300 million. This is the amount of profit that The9 makes from World of Warcraft in a year.

"Boss Xiong, you know me well." Qin Shaoyan put down his chopsticks and said seriously, "If I make money, it will take at least 500 million a year. If the annual profit does not reach 100 million US dollars, won't our listing be in vain?"

"One hundred million dollars?" Xiong Xiaoge was shocked. "You are not kidding."

"If we can't reach $100 million, how can we talk about overwhelming Shanda?" Qin Shaoyan said disdainfully, "My goal is to make the market value of campus network the first in the domestic Internet industry."

The domestic Internet company with the largest market value is NetEase, which currently has a market value of US$2005 billion and its online gaming business revenue of RMB 13.8 billion in .

"If we can really make a profit of $100 million," Xiong Xiaoge roughly estimated, "the market value of the campus network can be more than $2 billion."

"The market value of 2 billion US dollars is a bit underestimated." Qin Shaoyan said regretfully.

"Twenty times PE is already very high." Xiong Xiaoge was speechless, "And this is based on the campus network's innovative model and e-commerce business."

"That's because the capital market has no vision." Qin Shaoyan sighed, "If it were me, I think the market value of the campus network could reach 5 billion US dollars."

"Why didn't you say 50 billion?" Xiong Xiaoge said unhappily, "Two billion dollars is already quite a lot."

Qin Shaoyan was still a little unsatisfied, "We'll see when the time comes, maybe I can really rush up."

"We'll talk about it later. The specific market value depends on the performance of your online game." Xiong Xiaoge glanced at Qin Shaoyan, "Aren't you confident in online games?"

"Of course I am confident." Qin Shaoyan said confidently, "As long as there are no unexpected situations."

"If there is any unexpected situation, Mr. Xiong can handle it, right?" Qin Shaoyan added, then looked at Xiong Xiaoge with expectation.

Xiong Xiaoge felt puzzled. "What kind of accident could happen? As long as you are not breaking the law... you are not going to do anything?"

"How is that possible?!" Qin Shaoyan denied flatly, "I am a decent, law-abiding citizen, and I always do things within the legal framework."

"I'm afraid that some of my competitors will be unethical and try to trip me up."

"Don't worry about that." Xiong Xiaoge said slowly, "The news that the campus network will be listed has been released a long time ago, and everyone will give face."

"What if someone doesn't give you face?" Qin Shaoyan asked back.

"Someone will naturally come to take care of it." Xiong Xiaoge glanced at Qin Shaoyan, "You don't really want to cause trouble, do you?"

"I'm afraid that others will mess with me." Qin Shaoyan said with lingering fear, "When the campus network was first opened, the competition was so fierce that the good business environment was almost destroyed."

"Just do your own thing and you don't have to worry about the rest." Xiong Xiaoge said with a frown.

After getting this guarantee, Qin Shaoyan felt much more relaxed. Since Xiong Xiaoge said so, he could proceed with the business war with confidence.

"After the campus network goes public, I can focus on Qvod." Qin Shaoyan said excitedly, "With the experience of the campus network, Qvod's listing should be smooth."

"What are you going to do with Qvod?" Xiong Xiaoge asked seriously, "Will you continue to operate IPs like "I Plant Potatoes on Mars"?"

"No, this is just an attempt." Qin Shaoyan waved his hand. He picked up the chopsticks and took a few bites of tofu. He said slowly, "The situation in China is not quite the same as in the United States."

"The development of the domestic Internet has not yet reached a certain scale, so this IP method is the only way to do it in the early stage."

"Actually, my goal is to use this method to get into the entertainment industry."

"Entertainment industry?" Xiong Xiaoge was puzzled. "You want to use these IPs to develop cultural entertainment?"

"It's not IP." Qin Shaoyan said seriously, "In the early stage, we may use IP to intervene in film and television production, penetrate into it as soon as possible, and gain a foothold." "Wait for another two or three years, when the domestic Internet has developed to a large enough scale, then it will be time to prepare for the effort."

Xiong Xiaoge naturally blurted out and asked subconsciously: "How do I exert force?"

"It's still big data operation." Qin Shaoyan replied.

"Didn't you say that we don't need IP?" Xiong Xiaoge didn't quite understand.

"It's not the IP, it's the people." Qin Shaoyan whispered, "Have you studied the TV drama industry now?"

"Nowadays, serious TV dramas are gradually declining, and idol dramas are emerging. They are cheap to produce and the acting is mediocre, but they can get high ratings if they have celebrity idols in the show."

"Is that so?" Xiong Xiaoge had never studied this aspect, so naturally he didn't know what was going on.

"Let's put aside the topic of idol dramas for now." Qin Shaoyan continued in a low voice, "What guarantees a good movie or TV series can achieve in terms of ratings and box office?"

"Is it the script and production? It's the stars!"

"With stars, the ratings and box office are guaranteed."

"So how do you become a star? You act in one play after another, waiting for one play to suddenly become a big hit. That's the first step."

"I have to continue to shoot dramas with high ratings. Who knows, I might become obsolete someday."

"This is just like buying a lottery ticket. You can't predict it. There are many good-looking people, and even more good acting skills, but how many of them are popular?"

"So the success rate of becoming a star is unpredictable."

Xiong Xiaoge's brain was quick, "Do you have any other way to improve the success rate?"

"You could say that." Qin Shaoyan put down his chopsticks again and gestured on the table. He picked up a few cups and placed them neatly in front of Xiong Xiaoge. "These cups are like actors. Traditional film and television companies don't know which actor will be popular, so they can only distribute resources equally."

"This has a very poor effect, and it is easy for people with connections to replace potential stars, resulting in a lower success rate."

"If we rely on piling up resources, can't we pile it up?" Xiong Xiaoge asked back.

"The price-performance ratio is too low. What should we do if some celebrities are not popular no matter how much we promote them?" Qin Shaoyan smiled. "Whether they are popular or not is really a matter of metaphysics, just like winning the lottery. That's why those celebrities are superstitious."

"If you ask me, I think it's because I haven't read enough. There's no superstition, only science!"

"If I have big data to mine and find out which actor is more likely to attract fans, then I can recommend this actor in a targeted manner."

"Let them appear in front of the public in advance as idols, and then use big data operations to boost their popularity."

"If he's popular, naturally there will be film and television companies looking for him." Qin Shaoyan said, "Why are film and television companies willing to give him resources? Of course, they value his popularity, which can drive up ratings."

"This is what they call the person becoming famous before the show even airs!"

"As long as the production of the drama is not too bad, the ratings will definitely not be low. Then the resources will come in continuously."

“If this drama has a popular star and a hit IP, how much do you think it will cost per episode?”

Kou Hongfei said jokingly, "It should be at least two or three million per episode."

"Two or three million?" Qin Shaoyan said disdainfully, "That's the cost! Starting from 40 million! Don't think it's expensive, there are plenty of people who will buy it if you don't."

Xiong Xiaoge was stunned when he heard this. "Are you crazy?"

Qin Shaoyan glanced at him and asked, "Does the more expensive a drama is, the better it is?"

"That's true in theory, but who would buy this at 40 million per episode?" Xiong Xiaoge found it unbelievable.

"Buy it from a video website." Qin Shaoyan smiled faintly, "If I buy the exclusive broadcasting rights, then all the fans and popularity of the star will come to my website, right?"

"No, wait a minute." Xiong Xiaoge suddenly interrupted Qin Shaoyan, "Let me sort it out first."

Xiong Xiaoge found that what Qin Shaoyan said seemed to make sense.

Instead of relying on actors trained in traditional academies, they rely on big data to promote idol stars, which has a higher success rate and cost-effectiveness.

So who can promote idol stars through big data? Naturally, it is the Internet companies, especially those who control social platforms, such as campus networks.

Internet companies launch stars, and then their film and television companies produce film and television dramas, such as Kuaibo Film and Television Company.

After production, it will be bought out and broadcast by video websites, such as Qvod.

This is a closed loop.

So what if it’s 40 million per episode? It’s just money transferred from one hand to the other, and it goes around and around and ends up in the hands of the parent company.

"What about the production cost?" Xiong Xiaoge suddenly asked.

"The production cost is the same as the traditional model, it's how much it should be." Qin Shaoyan replied.

"What about the stars' pay?" Xiong Xiaoge continued to ask.

"The pay is high! It has to be high!" Qin Shaoyan said seriously, "If they don't make 20 or 30 million for a drama, it would be a shame for their status."

"But after all, celebrities are cultivated by companies, so it's okay for the company to take a small portion, like a 90% split."

"No problem." Xiong Xiaoge nodded. The film remuneration went through the agency and came back to him. It was a closed loop.

"Traditional actors will definitely get a pay raise when they become popular, especially the top stars who have more of a cooperative relationship with film and television companies," Qin Shaoyan explained. "Film and television companies also have to be wary of stars jumping ship or being poached."

"It is easier to control the stars we promote ourselves, because without our operation, the star is nothing, and we can always promote another star without him."

“Is it possible to combine big data idols and big data IP together?”

Xiong Xiaoge couldn't help but sigh, "Boss Qin, you are the best entrepreneur in the Internet industry I have ever seen."

"Thank you for the compliment. My approach is actually not new. I just borrowed the Internet model." Qin Shaoyan said modestly.

"This set of stuff really works." Xiong Xiaoge nodded slowly.

"Do you think Qvod's valuation can go up by relying on this set of things?" Qin Shaoyan asked.

"Yes." Xiong Xiaoge answered without hesitation.

"Then I think that the current valuation of Qvod is 1 billion, isn't that very conscientious?" Qin Shaoyan asked with a smile.

Xiong Xiaoge suddenly laughed. He was so angry that he laughed.

It turns out that today's double act is not to play Davis. You have been setting the bait here for a long time just to catch me, right?

"Have you already figured out how to plot against me?" Xiong Xiaoge asked with a cold face.

"What do you mean by calculating? I'm trying my best to cooperate with Mr. Xiong for a win-win situation." Qin Shaoyan said confidently, "In fact, you won't lose anything at all. After Qvod goes public, its market value will reach 3 billion US dollars within two years. Do you believe it?"

"If you don't believe me, let's sign a bet agreement!"

(End of this chapter)