After the call with Ye Zhou, Xu Wei sat in her office, unable to regain her composure for a long while, her heart filled with indescribable emotions.
Noticing her unusual demeanor, her assistant inquired with concern, “Wei-jie, are you alright?”
Xu Wei’s trance was broken by her assistant’s voice. She shook her head, “It’s nothing, just thinking.”
During this period, she had been running back and forth for the platform’s affairs, encountering obstacles time and again. As Xu Wei’s assistant, she had witnessed it all. After much hesitation, she mustered the courage to console her, “Wei-jie, don’t be too anxious about the platform’s matters. Our program’s quality is out there, and our contestants are so outstanding. Gold will shine wherever it is placed. Even if things don’t go as planned temporarily, there will always be a solution.”
Xu Wei paused for a moment, fell silent for a few seconds, then said pensively, “I’m not anxious.”
“Ah?” The assistant was confused, unsure of her meaning and dared not speak further.
Xu Wei smiled, “Perhaps this issue will be resolved soon. Let’s slow down our communication with the livestreaming platform for the next couple of days. Wait for my update.”
The assistant grew even more confused, completely baffled by how Xu Wei, who had been frantic and slammed her fists on the table, glaring at the livestreaming platform just moments ago, suddenly became unruffled after a single phone call.
“I have something to attend to this afternoon and may not be in the office. Call me if there’s anything.” Without further explanation, Xu Wei grabbed her bag and left.
On her way to meet Ye Zhou, Xu Wei received a call from the person in charge of Blueberry Live.
“How about it, Ms. Xu? The terms offered by Blueberry Live are unmatched in the livestreaming industry. It will be difficult for you to find such generous treatment. I’ve worked hard to secure these favorable terms for you. If you’ve made up your mind, we can sign the contract anytime.”
Though the inquiry was polite, the Blueberry Live representative’s tone carried an air of superiority, implying, ‘You should be grateful that I’ve stooped to consider your talent show. If you have any sense, you’ll hurry and sign the contract.’
Had it not been for her boss’s call earlier, Xu Wei would have swallowed her discomfort and grudgingly accepted, regardless of her feelings. However, after learning of her boss’s intentions, she no longer felt the need to indulge them.
“I’m sorry, Manager Li. Thank you for your kindness, but your offered terms are not within our consideration. Let’s put the collaboration on hold for now.” Xu Wei’s voice remained steady as she spoke.
Manager Li fell silent for a moment on the other end. Just as Xu Wei was about to hang up, his voice rang again. This time, his tone was not as condescending as before, but it was a little more mocking.
He scoffed coldly, “This isn’t a trivial matter, Ms. Xu. You should think it through carefully before making your decision. Talent shows are far from their heyday now. With so many of them every year, not only do they fail to break even, but even throwing massive amounts of money and resources at them might not garner any attention.”
“The fact that Blueberry Live is willing to offer a recommended slot already represents a significant risk and great sincerity on our part. If you refuse now, any future collaboration, should you come begging, will never receive the same treatment.”
His words were harsh, but they spoke the truth.
As mentioned previously, the oversaturation of talent shows in recent years had led to audience fatigue. Talent shows were no longer the phenomenon they once were. Although some smaller TV stations stubbornly attempted to revive the genre each year, only to face lackluster outcomes.
The last truly popular talent show was a few years ago.
Xu Wei’s recent struggles in securing partnerships with livestreaming platforms were, in part, due to the show’s format. Had she opted for a currently popular variety show theme, platforms would have been more receptive.
Manager Li thought his blunt words would prompt Xu Wei to apologize and meekly finalize a contract with Blueberry Live if she had any sense.
However, contrary to his expectations, instead of an apology, he was met with a busy tone after being hung up on.
Sitting in his office and listening to the tone, Manager Li was so furious that he nearly smashed his phone.
In stark contrast, not only did Xu Wei hang up, but she also added the Blueberry Live representative’s number to her blacklist.
Upon arriving at the agreed-upon location to meet Ye Zhou, Xu Wei exited her car and was led by a server to a relatively quiet and secluded spot to wait for Ye Zhou to arrive.
Ye Zhou arrived at the cafe ten minutes later and took a seat across from Xu Wei. Clicking his tongue lightly at the dark circles under her eyes, he remarked, “What could possibly be so serious that it has you this troubled? You haven’t been resting well these past few days, have you?”
Embarrassed at being called out, Xu Wei did not dare to admit it, mumbling, “It’s alright, it’s alright.”
Ye Zhou clearly didn’t believe her but didn’t press further. Instead, he placed a few thick file folders on the table and slid them towards Xu Wei, saying, “Let’s skip the pleasantries and get straight to the point.”
“Since we’re planning to run our own livestreaming platform, I’ve asked some friends to gather relevant information over the past few days. I’ve also consulted industry insiders. Given the time constraints, starting from scratch is clearly not feasible, so acquiring an existing platform seems more suitable for our situation.”
Saying this, Ye Zhou opened one of the file folders and took out a stack of documents, explaining, “Here are three livestreaming platforms that have been preliminarily screened. Take a look and see if you like any of them.”
Xu Wei stared at the documents before her, utterly dumbfounded. She obviously did not expect Ye Zhou’s swift actions. Just that morning, he had mentioned buying a livestreaming platform, and in the afternoon, he had already brought the relevant materials, appearing ready to make a selection and payment.
“Mr. Ye, isn’t this a bit… rushed?” Xu Wei asked cautiously.
Ye Zhou shook his head, “I’ve had this idea since you first mentioned the livestreaming platform to me. I’ve been doing research these past few days, and the three platforms before you are the ones my friend and I have carefully considered.”
In fact, Ye Zhou had been frequently visiting Boss Jiang’s office when he had the time to discuss the acquisition extensively with him. He had greatly benefited from their conversations, and his thoughts were now crystal clear.
Had the suggestions come from someone else, Ye Zhou might have hesitated. But these were chosen together with Boss Jiang. Who was Boss Jiang? He was practically a walking embodiment of a genius. What else could Ye Zhou not trust? Of course, he believed in Boss Jiang’s judgment.
Upon hearing Ye Zhou’s words, Xu Wei began carefully examining the thick documents before her.
The three livestreaming platforms selected by Ye Zhou and Jiang Tingyuan were Durian Live, Pineapple Live, and Beansprout Live.
The first two were once hugely popular, well-established veteran livestreaming platforms, while the last was a newcomer that had been around for less than two years but was growing rapidly.
As one of the earliest livestreaming platforms, Durian Live had once dominated the industry for a long period. However, due to management and decision-making mistakes, it became embroiled in negative publicity, leading to a steady decline from its former glory. Years later, the glory it once had was no longer there. Although it had been losing money annually, the proverbial skinny camel was still larger than a horse and could limp on for a few more years.
The advantage of this platform was that after operating for so many years, Durian Live had established a stable audience base with far greater loyalty than newer platforms, resulting in the lowest user attrition rate among the three.
If Ye Zhou took over this platform, at least he wouldn’t have to worry about starting from scratch, which was a relatively secure option.
Although not as established as Durian Live, Pineapple Live was still considered a veteran in the industry, popular for its e-sports livestreaming. At its peak, it had secured exclusive livestreaming rights for dozens of e-sports events annually, even spending heavily to sign contracts with professional gamers and inviting those with existing fan bases onto the platform.
Initially, Pineapple Live was highly popular, with massive traffic and daily revenues in the tens of millions. However, just as the platform was entering a critical development stage, a major internal conflict erupted.
The platform’s founder ran away with the money, leading to a cash flow crisis. Unable to afford the hefty contracts and exclusive broadcasting rights, the platform quickly gained notoriety and faced widespread criticism. Hosts began leaving in droves, and within a mere three months, the once prominent platform was forced to declare bankruptcy.
Pineapple Live subsequently changed hands several times, but none of its new owners could revive it. Now under its fifth owner, the platform is barely hanging on and nearing the end of its lifespan.
The final platform, Beansprout Live, was a recent sensation that has skyrocketed in popularity over the past few years. Adopting a novel approach, it collaborated with Apple TV to secure livestreaming rights for several variety shows and attracted several celebrities to join the platform, generating massive traffic. Although it could not compare to some major established platforms, Beansprout Live undoubtedly had the best traffic among smaller platforms.
After an entire afternoon, Xu Wei had finally finished reviewing the thick stack of documents and gained a decent understanding of the three livestreaming platforms.
Seeing her set the documents aside, Ye Zhou asked, “What are your thoughts?”
Without beating around the bush, Xu Wei selected Beansprout Live’s file and slid it towards Ye Zhou, stating candidly, “In terms of genre, style, and target audience, Beansprout Live aligns most closely with our show.”
“Forty percent of its users are celebrity fans, which is the demographic we’re most likely to convert. So personally, I’m inclined towards Beansprout Live.”
This answer did not surprise Ye Zhou since Beansprout Live was also the platform he and Boss Jiang had discussed as being the most suitable for ‘Starlight Youth Development Program.’
“Alright.” Ye Zhou collected the documents, returned them to the file folder, and looked at Xu Wei, “I’ll get in touch with Beansprout Live over the next few days, but don’t get your hopes up too high.”
“While Beansprout Live is the best fit for our platform, it’s still in its profit-making stage, making it the least likely of the three to accept an acquisition. I can try negotiating, but you should also mentally prepare yourself.”
Xu Wei nodded, “Don’t worry, I’ll understand whatever the outcome may be.”
She smiled and confessed candidly, “In fact, I’m already deeply moved by your decision to acquire a livestreaming platform for us.”
“I have said words of gratitude too many times, and they are no longer enough to express my gratitude to you.”
Xu Wei bowed slightly, looked at Ye Zhou seriously, and said with utter sincerity, “The only thing I can do is to make ‘Starlight Youth’ a success.”
“Mr. Ye, thank you, and please believe that this talent show will undoubtedly surprise you.”
Ye Zhou helped Xu Wei up and his expression turned solemn as he responded, “I’ve always believed in your ability.”
If his initial decision to invest in these three seemingly impractical projects was simply an attempt to waste his money, then after spending so much time interacting with the people leading these projects, Ye Zhou’s perspective gradually shifted without him realizing it.
Whether it was Xu Cheng’s esports team, He Feiyang and Liu Zhao’s film, or Xu Wei’s talent show – these projects that appeared unrealistic and foolish to outsiders were the very dreams that these individuals tirelessly pursued and strived to achieve.
Ye Zhou would never mock those who gave their all in pursuit of their dreams.
If they failed, Ye Zhou wouldn’t blame them. They could simply pack up their bags and embark on a new journey. If they succeeded, although he might feel a tinge of disappointment at failing to squander his money, he would nonetheless be equally generous with his applause and cheers.
Upon deeper reflection, wasn’t he living the same way? When he transmigrated into this unfamiliar world, despite his daily proclamations of wanting to spend money, the amount he actually spent on personal indulgences was pitiful.
There was no need to work hard for a living or chase after money in this lifetime. He could have chosen a more relaxed path, yet he stubbornly reclaimed his role as a director, investing most of his wealth into filmmaking.
Essentially, he was no different from them – they were all dreamers, were they not?
Instead of wasting money on meaningless pursuits, why not use it to… make dreams come true?
Investing in those preposterous, foolish, crazy, and unrealistic dreams that were repeatedly denied for various reasons – perhaps this was the true meaningful endeavor.
The day after meeting Xu Wei, Ye Zhou contacted the person in charge of Beansprout Live. Upon hearing his intentions, the other party was slightly hesitant, saying they would discuss it internally first before providing Ye Zhou with an answer.
A week later, Ye Zhou finally received a call from Beansprout Live’s president, who expressed a willingness to meet and discuss the matter.
During their meeting, the president of Beansprout Live hinted at an unwillingness to sell, but mentioned a potential partial stake for Ye Zhou if he was interested.
Ye Zhou mentally prepared himself for their refusal to sell, so he wasn’t too surprised. After confirming their lack of intention to sell, he didn’t press further and instead began contacting the other two livestreaming platforms.
However, who would have thought that just as Ye Zhou was about to negotiate with Pineapple Live half a month later, Beansprout Live called again, seemingly to probe Ye Zhou’s price range.
The reason was simple. Beansprout Live’s most popular boy group had recently overturned. First, there were rumors of discord among members, followed by a marriage scandal involving the leader. Then, during an event, several members got into a physical altercation right in front of the cameras, creating an extremely negative impact.
As the livestreaming platform tied to this boy group, Beansprout Live’s stock price plummeted during this period. With fans leaving in droves, the platform suffered a massive drop in users and a significant impact on its operations.
Even worse, several of Beansprout Live’s pillar hosts were poached by competitors with lucrative offers during this time. Within just two weeks, Beansprout Live’s market value evaporated by hundreds of millions. If this incident wasn’t handled properly, Beansprout Live would likely begin its downward spiral soon.
On one hand, they were at their wits’ end, unsure if they could overcome this crisis. On the other, there was a willing buyer interested in taking over. Selling now would not only stem their losses but also provide funds to potentially start a new platform from scratch.
After days and nights of agonizing contemplation, Beansprout Live’s president finally made up his mind to reach out to Ye Zhou.
After discussing with Xu Wei and comparing Pineapple Live and Beansprout Live once more, they still believed Beansprout Live had a better chance of penetrating the market. Thus, they agreed to the negotiations.
Boss Jiang didn’t say anything when he learned about this. However, on the day Ye Zhou scheduled the meeting with Beansprout Live, Boss Jiang insisted on accompanying him despite his objections.
Ye Zhou wasn’t oblivious. How could he not know that Boss Jiang wanted to be there to support him? When his attempts to dissuade Boss Jiang failed, Ye Zhou felt a warmth in his heart.
Initially, Beansprout Live viewed Ye Zhou as an outsider and planned to demand an exorbitant price of 1.8 billion. However, upon greeting Ye Zhou and recognizing the man accompanying him as Jiang Tingyuan, the president of the Jiang Corporation, they were stunned.
Naturally, that outrageous price tag was instantly abandoned, and throughout the negotiations, Beansprout Live’s executives were on edge. Even though Jiang Tingyuan just sat quietly next to Ye Zhou and rarely spoke, his formidable presence alone had them sweating profusely.
Ultimately, Beansprout Live quoted a price of 1.5 billion. This amount would have been reasonable before the incident, but with Beansprout Live’s current state, demanding their peak valuation was simply unrealistic.
Upon hearing the price, Ye Zhou didn’t argue. He stood up, nodded politely to them, and said, “It seems you have no genuine intention to sell. In that case, we won’t impose any further.”
With those words, Ye Zhou gestured for Boss Jiang to leave, showing no hesitation or lingering sentiment.
How could Beansprout Live’s team just let them walk away like that? The quoted price was merely a starting point for negotiation. Was this not customary in bargaining? If Ye Zhou thought it was too high, they could sit down and discuss it further. How could they just let him leave?
After much persuasion, they finally managed to stop Ye Zhou from leaving. This time, when negotiating the price, Beansprout Live dared not quote an exorbitant figure, fearing Ye Zhou would walk away again. After exchanging glances, the management team lowered their asking price further.
After a round of negotiations, both parties finally reached an agreement. Ye Zhou acquired Beansprout Live for 1.25 billion, and they officially signed the contract three days later.
Ye Zhou only paid 200 million himself, with Boss Jiang covering the remainder as a friendly gesture of support. Originally, Ye Zhou intended to place Beansprout Live under the Jingzhe, but Jiang Tingyuan declined, stating that the livestreaming platform was a gift for Ye Zhou and had no association with the Jiang Corporation.
Ye Zhou was overwhelmed by Boss Jiang’s generosity and would have cried out “Daddy!” while hugging his leg if such requests were permitted.
He had previously heard that for truly wealthy people, money was just a string of numbers, which he dismissed as mere showing off. However, after meeting Boss Jiang, Ye Zhou realized that money truly was just a string of numbers!
After finalizing the deal with Beansprout Live, Ye Zhou thought the matter was settled and was only waiting for the contract to be signed to formalize everything.
However, the day before the scheduled signing, Ye Zhou received another call from Beansprout Live’s representative. The representative stammered that someone was willing to offer 1.4 billion and asked if Ye Zhou would consider raising his bid.
Ye Zhou was nearly amused to exasperation. After consulting with Boss Jiang, he bluntly stated that they could find another buyer if they wished, as he was no longer interested.
While Ye Zhou was decisive, Beansprout Live was left dumbfounded.
After the initial agreement, Beansprout Live’s management felt the price was too low. This led to two days of debates before making this call to probe whether Ye Zhou would raise his offer. Had he refused, they would have accepted it, but his outright rejection caught them off guard.
Upon learning of the collapse in negotiations with Beansprout Live, Pineapple Live’s owner immediately approached Ye Zhou with a contract, offering a 20 million discount from the original price. As long as Ye Zhou agreed, the contract could be signed that day.
With his straightforward approach matched, Ye Zhou swiftly became the new owner of Pineapple Live at a final price of 330 million.
A few days later, Pineapple Live ushered in a wave of drastic reforms and issued a two-month suspension notice for restructuring. Within that month, in addition to overhauling the entire management, all existing systems and regulations were drastically revised.
On December 1st, the restructuring concluded, and the platform was officially relaunched as Zhaixing1摘星 – Reach for the Stars, hence the chapter title Live.
On the first day of service resumption, the newly minted Zhaixing Live’s official Weibo account posted three updates.
The first was an announcement of a partnership with the talent show ‘Starlight Youth Development Program.’ For the next six months, ‘Starlight Youth’ would be livestreamed exclusively on Zhaixing Live. Adopting a fully enclosed format, in addition to broadcasting official competitions, each contestant would have their own dedicated livestreaming room.
The second update stated that prior to the conclusion of the talent show, the contestants’ livestreaming rooms would be open 24/7.
By entering a contestant’s livestream room, viewers could follow their favorite participant’s daily routine, including resting, training, interacting, and socializing, extending the show beyond the confines of brief competitions. This provided audiences with greater opportunities to understand and interact with their favorite contestants while witnessing their growth journeys firsthand, truly embodying the concept of “development” beyond mere rhetoric.
This format was highly novel. Although many current talent shows claimed to be “real,” none had dared to adopt a 24-hour live streaming approach like ‘Starlight Youth Development Program,’ broadcasting not only the recorded show but also the contestants’ off-stage lives in real-time.
As soon as this news was released, this groundbreaking format instantly made ‘Starlight Youth Development Program’ a hit before its premiere, generating considerable online buzz.
The third update announced that Zhaixing Live had successfully signed exclusive livestreaming rights with the Chenzhou e-sports team, including its captain Xu Cheng and four other members. After their outstanding performance that season, they secured second place in the overall standings through their remarkable talent.
The fourth update released the ‘Zhaixing Dream Nurturing Program,’ a nationwide open recruitment for livestreamers, welcoming both newcomers and experienced broadcasters without any barriers to entry.
Such a recruitment drive was typical for new livestreaming platforms. At first, everyone didn’t pay attention to it, but when they took a closer look at the support program’s details, everyone gasped in astonishment.
The standard competition prize pool of 50 million was already a generous sum, but the subsequent rule was even more staggering.
During the platform’s first three months, any broadcaster streaming for at least four hours a day and consistently completing 25 days each month would receive a base salary of no less than 2,000 yuan, with the potential for increases based on viewership.
This 2,000 yuan should not be underestimated. This rule had no entry requirements, meaning anyone could participate. Even ordinary individuals would receive compensation from Zhaixing Live as long as they met the stipulated duration.
Additionally, there were various incentives, support funds, and attendance rewards, leaving readers dazzled and awestruck by the extensive offerings.
This program practically had “rich and powerful” written all over it, leaving people speechless.
The program concluded with a beautiful promotional tagline:
[Dream as big as you dare; Zhaixing will fund your fare.]2First of all, I’m so sorry, this is a horrible slogan. I spent almost an hour on this, but I’m still not satisfied. The slogan basically conveys the idea that one should dream fearlessly and ambitiously, with the assurance that Zhaixing will provide the necessary resources.
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