Mei Xinghe rubbed his eyes and stared at the download data in the app store, his jaw dropping.
"They wouldn't have faked the numbers, would they?"
"Mr. Mei, this is the official download store. They wouldn't be able to fake the data."
Many mobile app stores are filled with inflated numbers, with apps claiming hundreds of millions of downloads that are mostly hot air.
But the data they had was real. Just a few days ago, SouTu Video's download count was around 100 million.
They hadn't cared about such a small video platform before. The download gap was tenfold, and the active user difference was even greater—they were in completely different leagues.
Yet in just five or six days, SouTu Video's download count had soared from 100 million to 300 million.
This growth rate was terrifying.
Could *Bright Sword* really elevate SouTu Video to become the fifth-largest video platform?
If their download count broke one billion, they would be neck and neck with them.
Although they couldn't reach ten billion downloads in the short term, if they continued to develop at this pace, they might truly rival them.
Mei Xinghe immediately called his boss to report the situation.
If buying the rights to *Bright Sword* was solely to make a profit, spending a hundred million to earn a few tens of millions would have been pointless.
But now, the situation had changed. They needed to counter their competitors.
This money had to be spent.
If SouTu Video gained momentum, their future losses would far exceed this amount.
The Four Major Platforms had maintained a delicate balance, competing healthily and dividing the market.
The sudden emergence of SouTu Video threatened to disrupt this equilibrium.
After discussing the matter with his boss, Mei Xinghe decided to acquire the rights to *Bright Sword*.
First, he called President Wu of Xiao Zhi Entertainment, informed him of their decision to breach the contract, and proposed negotiating the penalty fee.
Since both parties had a cooperative relationship, the breach of contract penalty was negotiable.
President Wu and Li Zhilin were sitting in the office, sipping tea, when they received a call from Mei Xinghe. President Wu seemed troubled.
"It's clear Tianxun Video is determined to breach the contract. If we demand the full penalty stipulated in the contract, it might cost us some face."
"But if we ask for too little, I'll feel a bit resentful."
Li Zhilin said, "President Wu, I'm very confident about our next project. I think we should just ask for a symbolic penalty. Otherwise, it might hinder our future collaboration with them."
President Wu nodded, agreeing with Li Zhilin.
Demanding the full contractual penalty would indeed bring in tens of millions of yuan, but it would also burn their bridges—a case of killing the goose that lays the golden egg.
Moreover, Tianxun Video's desire to breach the contract this time wasn't primarily to support *Bright Sword*; it was mainly to suppress SouTu Video.
After some discussion, they decided to give Tianxun Video some face.
The compensation demanded was 20 million, significantly less than the contractual penalty. If the other three companies also breached their contracts, that would bring in 60 million.
Combined with the buyout fee from the TV station and the streaming royalties from the Four Major Platforms, the drama could at least break even.
However, the other three companies might not breach their contracts, so whether they could break even still depended on luck.
Not losing money while avoiding offending anyone—that was Xiao Zhi Entertainment's highest expectation for *True Colors of the Anti-Japanese War*.
President Wu sighed. *When did our goal for making TV dramas become merely breaking even and not offending anyone?*
Big Fei's drama, with a budget of only 20-30 million, had achieved such remarkable results. It was truly baffling.
When Mei Xinghe received the news, he was overjoyed. He immediately went to Xiao Zhi Entertainment, signed the contract, and wired the compensation that same day.
He wanted to finalize the matter quickly to avoid complications. The sooner they secured the rights to *Bright Sword*, the greater the blow to SouTu Video would be.
*What kind of waves could a tiny SouTu Video possibly stir up?*
***
Ji Tienan sat in his office, his brow furrowing slightly as he stared at the soaring data.
Lu Duoduo walked in and said, "President Ji, the numbers are in. We've gained over two hundred million downloads in the past two days, and *Bright Sword*'s viewership has surpassed five hundred million. We should be able to pay Big Fei around ten million in revenue share this week."
"I was thinking, why don't we pay him weekly? It would make our company seem more generous."
Though SooRabbit Video Company was much larger than Big Fei's team, Lu Duoduo's stance was clear: they needed Big Fei's dramas to grow, so they had to be very polite.
Ji Tienan nodded. This attitude was essential. They were thinking about long-term development.
This time, when the Four Major Platforms targeted Big Fei, they had proactively partnered with him. They had to be impeccable with the revenue share and timely with payments. That way, Big Fei would likely continue working with them on his next project.
After two consecutive hit dramas, everyone knew Big Fei's capabilities.
In the film and television industry, no one would doubt Big Fei's talent anymore.
However, Ji Tienan's concern wasn't this, but the data's growth rate, which had become too rapid in the past two days.
The rapid growth of their data made them an easy target.
"Xiao Lu, wait here for a moment. I need to make a few calls to gather some information."
Ji Tienan pulled out his phone and made several calls. Soon, his expression turned grave.
"Xiao Lu, notify everyone to gather for a meeting."
The company's key executives immediately convened in the office. Everyone had been working with renewed vigor lately, thanks to the company's impressive growth and soaring download numbers. Many users were already switching from Tianxun Video to SouTu Video.
Most users only subscribe to one platform. Those who subscribe to multiple platforms are exceedingly rare.
By attracting these users, their rivals' memberships would naturally expire the following month.
If this trend continued, by the time *Bright Sword* finished its run, their download numbers could reach at least six or seven hundred million.
After the TV station finished airing *Bright Sword*, they wouldn't immediately rerun it. They would insert another drama in between, creating a gap.
During this interval, viewers would have no way to watch *Bright Sword* except on SouTu Video.
This was their golden opportunity to explode.
Ji Tienan sat in the conference room and said, "I just heard that Tianxun Video has decided to breach their contract and pay Li Zhilin and his team a sum of money. Their next move will undoubtedly be to acquire the rights to *Bright Sword*."
"Once Tianxun Video starts streaming *Bright Sword*, our advantage will vanish completely."
"Let's hear your thoughts."
Everyone frowned. They hadn't expected Tianxun Video to breach their contract with Li Zhilin just to acquire the rights to *Bright Sword*.
*Bright Sword* had already aired one-third of its run. For Tianxun Video to buy the rights now, it couldn't be about making money. It had to be about targeting their own SouTu Video.
The director of operations raised his hand. "President Ji, wouldn't it be simple to just persuade Big Fei not to sell to them?"
"That sounds easy, but you're forgetting," Ji Tienan replied. "When Big Fei signed with us, he explicitly refused to grant exclusive rights. Why? Because he wanted to sell the rights to multiple platforms."
"Before, none of the Four Major Platforms bought it, so we got lucky and had it all to ourselves, as if it were exclusive."
"Now that Tianxun Video is willing to breach their contract just to get *Bright Sword*, do you really think Big Fei won't sell to them?"
Lu Duoduo frowned. "President Ji, perhaps we should talk to Big Fei about securing exclusive rights?"
Ji Tienan nodded. "That's our only option now."
"But the chances of success aren't high. Big Fei clearly wants to profit from multiple buyers and doesn't want to put all his eggs in one basket."
"If we want exclusive rights, we'll have to pay at least as much as the other buyers combined."
"The broadcast rights for this series were bought for forty-five million. With four buyers, that's over two hundred million."
"We can't afford to spend two hundred million."
Ji Tienan was truly short on cash. If he had the money, he would have gladly spent two hundred million to buy the exclusive rights from Big Fei.
After all, with the current momentum, *Bright Sword* could really allow him to compete with the Four Major Platforms.
But two hundred million—where would he find that kind of money?
"How much cash do we have in the bank right now?"
The finance manager checked and replied, "Less than one hundred million."
After discussing with everyone, Ji Tienan turned to Lu Duoduo.
"Xiao Lu, this matter is still yours to handle. I'll give you sixty million. Go talk to Big Fei and see what you can negotiate."
Lu Duoduo took a deep breath, suddenly feeling nervous. She had just graduated and was being entrusted with such a massive business deal.
"Understood, President Ji. I'll contact you immediately if anything comes up."
***
Lu Duoduo acted swiftly, hailing a taxi to Liangyin Media.
Minutes later, she was seated in Big Fei's office.
"President Liang, this is our company's sincere offer. I know this amount may not be enough to secure exclusive broadcasting rights, but we hope you'll give us a chance, Brother Fei. We're prepared to offer you the highest revenue share on the entire network."
"Moreover, we're committed to a long-term partnership, extending to our next project as well. We'll settle the revenue share weekly, and you'll have full transparency into all financial records. You can even visit our company's financial backend to verify everything."
Lin Chudong and Liang Yin exchanged glances.
"Xiao Lu, let me and President Liang discuss this. Please wait a moment."
Lin Chudong and Liang Yin stepped out, whispering to each other for a few minutes.
"What do you think?"
Liang Yin said, "The vice president of Tianxun Video just called. They're interested in acquiring our rights and offered 40 million, slightly less than CCTV's bid. But considering it's not a premiere and not exclusive, the price is quite reasonable."
"Do you think the other three platforms will also try to buy our rights?"
Lin Chudong smiled faintly. "Most likely not. Their primary goal in acquiring rights this time is to suppress SouTu Video. Since Tianxun Video has already made a move, the others won't need to bid."
Liang Yin nodded. The idea of all Four Major Platforms simultaneously breaking their contracts to acquire *Bright Sword* was perhaps too idealistic.
Now they faced a choice:
Accept Tianxun Video's buyout offer, allowing the series to stream on two platforms simultaneously, earning both a flat fee and a share of the revenue.
Removing the costs, this show should easily generate over a hundred million yuan in revenue.
Another option was to reject Tianxun Video, accept SouTu Video's sixty million yuan, and put all our eggs in one basket.
According to Big Fei's previous principles, he didn't want to release the show on just one platform.
But SouTu Video was so sincere—their revenue sharing and payment speed made them feel very comfortable.
Liang Yin asked, "What do you think? I'll follow your lead."
Lin Chudong smiled.
The moment he smiled, Liang Yin knew his decision.
"You've had this planned in your heart all along, haven't you?"
"You're the type to hold grudges and repay kindness. You were already upset when Tianxun Video made our show *Beginning* free."
"Later, when SouTu Video approached us with such good terms, even though you didn't say it out loud, you felt like they were a lifeline in our time of need."
"So you're going with SouTu Video this time, right?"
Hearing Liang Yin's analysis, Lin Chudong smiled.
"You really know me well."
"I'm a bit petty. If you don't mind, we'll sign with SouTu Video. Let's help each other out."
Liang Yin nodded. "I'll follow your lead. Whatever decision you make, I'll support you unconditionally."
Half an hour later.
Lin Chudong signed a strategic partnership agreement with SouTu Video, receiving an upfront payment of sixty million yuan to make Bright Sword an exclusive broadcast.
Adding the ten million yuan in royalties from the previous week, their total revenue reached seventy million yuan.
After Lu Duoduo left, Liang Yin whispered, "Big Fei, our company account has surpassed one hundred million yuan again."
"Have you thought about what our next project will be?"
Liang Yin was growing impatient. Making money from filming was truly exhilarating.
Though film production cycles were long, the lump sums were staggering.
Lin Chudong replied, "Not yet. For the next project, I plan to invest more and cast Qi Qi as the lead actress."
Liang Yin nodded. "With our current funds and sponsorship money, we can definitely afford a major star."
"You're not still waiting for Li Zhilin to start his next project just to compete with him, are you?"
Lin Chudong smiled. "Isn't it perfect? Li Zhilin always inspires my best ideas. Opposing him is just a convenient bonus."
Liang Yin shrugged. Big Fei was truly vindictive. He wouldn't rest until Li Zhilin was driven to bankruptcy.
"Boss, now that we have the money, let's prioritize setting up our film and television department."
During the production of Bright Sword, they had relied on an external film crew, which proved inefficient and costly.
If it were their own company's film and television team, they would be willing to pay any amount.
But with an external team, once they're gone, the company has no further connection to them. No matter how generous the benefits, there's no long-term return.
Liang Yin nodded. This matter would be put on the agenda.
If all else failed, they could simply acquire a struggling film and television company.
"When the money comes in, transfer fifteen million to me."
"Got it."
The production cost of *Bright Sword* was around thirty million yuan, and the revenue had already exceeded one hundred million.
Future income would depend solely on the advertising revenue sharing with SouTu Video and CCTV.
CCTV's share wouldn't be substantial. Few networks offered such arrangements, and this was only granted as a favor to Huang Wei.
The profit margin would be minimal, but overall, they should still make twenty to thirty million.
How much they earned from SouTu Video would come down to luck.
In total, the drama should generate between one hundred and one hundred fifty million yuan.
Lin Chudong sighed. "Why doesn't Li Zhilin stir up any trouble? I could sue him and make a fortune."
Liang Yin's mouth twitched. *Is he treating Li Zhilin like an ATM now?*
***
At 6 PM, Magic City Publishing House suddenly announced the news:
"The Three-Body Problem wins the Hugo Award for Best Novel."
The moment the news broke, the official Weibo account of the Aurora Science Fiction Award was flooded with comments.
"Where are all those people with eyes on their asses now? *The Three-Body Problem* won the Hugo Award—why aren't you saying anything?"
"This is ridiculous! A work that won an international grand prize only got a silver medal at the Aurora Science Fiction Award. No wonder Big Fei refused to accept the award."
"Where's Teacher Zhou? How's your condition? Hurry up and come out and see—Big Fei has surpassed you. He's already won the award you've dreamed of your whole life."
"The Aurora Science Fiction Award is a joke—just a bunch of old men rigging the results among themselves."
"Fellow writers are enemies. Big Fei said it himself—stand-up comedians wish death on their rivals, and novelists are no different. They can't stand to see Big Fei succeed."
"Teacher Zhou has lived a worthwhile life. Big Fei even wrote songs and poems for him—not everyone gets such treatment."
"Haha, Big Fei even personally annotated Teacher Zhou's works. He truly loves him!"
"Old dog Zhou, stop playing dead and speak up!"
At that moment, Zhou Shifang lay in his hospital bed. Seeing these news reports, he suddenly kicked his leg in anger, and a sharp pain shot through his wound.
The ward was filled with another round of groans.
*Lin Chudong, I'll never forgive you!*
***
At 7 PM, *The Pastoral Life* aired, a prime-time slot that had been moved up an hour.
There was no choice. *Bright Sword* was so popular that even *The Pastoral Life* had to avoid its competition.
A new member arrived at the Mushroom House: Deng Siqing.
As soon as Deng Siqing appeared, the internet exploded.
"Sister Deng is so beautiful! No one can deny she's the number one 'big sister' type in China."
"I disagree. She's the number one 'big sister' type in the world."
"Vote for Sister Deng on the Goddess Ranking!"
"What's the Goddess Ranking? I've never heard of it."
"The Golden Phoenix Goddess Ranking—Sister Deng is currently second, behind Zhang Yiran."
"Guys, let's go! Crush Zhang Yiran!"
"..."
On the show, Deng Siqing, Big Fei, and Tian Yingxiong were sitting together. Deng Siqing said, "Big Fei, I've collected some questions from netizens for you. I saw how quickly you answered the ones on the little notes before. Let's see if you can answer this one."
Lin Chudong nodded. "Sure, I'm game for anything."
Deng Siqing pulled out a piece of paper from her pocket, regaining her CCTV host demeanor.
"A netizen asked a legal question. It goes like this:
"Teacher Big Fei, I'm 23 years old. My wife, who was 65, recently passed away. Can I demand that my 45-year-old stepson continue to support me?"
Lin Chudong: "??"
-----------------------
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