Chapter 437 - 265: Qin Yangyang Meets Her Mother-in-Law (Part 3)

"Fuck!"

Zhou Jin kicked his office desk.

He was about to explode with rage just thinking about it.

Because if it were him, he’d want to watch the cheerleading competition too, and that was the most infuriating part.

"Increase the prize money a bit more and give them some promotional support."

After thinking for a long while, Zhou Jin said, "The winners of the competition, or any other valuable individuals, our company’s MCN agency can offer them contracts..."

"President Zhou, we have a problem!"

His female secretary burst through the door, cutting Zhou Jin off.

"What is it?"

"Super Play just announced a ’Future Star Program.’ The winners of their competition will have a chance to sign with their newly formed media company and will be given significant roles in their upcoming movies."

"They’re actually pulling this crap!"

Zhou Jin couldn’t sit still anymore.

He could copy their other rewards, but this was something he truly couldn’t replicate.

He knew all too well how tempting an offer like this was to young women.

Zheng Tongbiao was also getting restless. He felt like he’d been sucker punched.

His side was still playing around with traffic and prize money, while the competition was already making movies and creating their own stars.

The gap was huge; they were a full version ahead of him.

In comparison, the prizes offered by Trendy World seemed paltry.

"President Zhou..."

Just then, the company’s director of operations walked in.

"Four teams have submitted withdrawal requests. They’re not planning to participate in the rest of the competition."

Zhou Jin’s brow furrowed even more deeply.

The jazz dance competition had already reached the round of 32.

If four teams were to drop out, the impact on the event would be massive.

"Did they give a reason?"

"Well..." The operations director hesitated.

"Spit it out! Why are you dithering?!"

"They also registered for Super Play’s cheerleading competition. The schedules conflict, so they don’t have the energy for our event..."

Zhou Jin said nothing, but a vein throbbed on his forehead.

"President Zhou, calm down. Now’s not the time to lose your temper. That won’t solve anything. Since this has happened, we need to figure out how to respond."

Zheng Tongbiao stepped forward to reason with him.

"We can find other contestants to fill their spots. It definitely won’t affect the competition’s schedule."

"Throw in another million in prize money! I refuse to believe they won’t be tempted by the cash!"

"President Zhou, please calm down. They’ve started a media company and are offering winners a chance to get signed. The appeal of that to young women is unimaginable. Even if we add another million in prize money, we might not be able to draw them over. I do have another idea, though."

Zhou Jin lit a cigarette and opened the window. The cool night air blew in, clearing his head a little.

"We should spread the prize money out. If only the top few finishers get a payout, the rest of the contestants won’t be as motivated. After all, everyone in this circle knows each other. Many of them already know they don’t have a chance at the grand prize, so their enthusiasm for the competition is bound to be low. If we distribute the prize money more widely, we can mitigate that problem."

After Zheng Tongbiao finished, Zhou Jin didn’t respond right away. He was mulling over the plan’s feasibility.

"I was a bit impulsive earlier. Your idea is good, but it only treats the symptoms, not the root cause. It won’t solve the fundamental problem."

No one else in the office spoke, waiting for Zhou Jin to continue. They guessed he might have thought of a counter-strategy.

"We can give them a taste of their own medicine. We’ll fund a movie of our own and steal back the spotlight. That’s the most effective solution right now."

At these words, the three of them looked at each other.

Zheng Tongbiao looked hesitant.

It was indeed a good idea, but it would be very difficult to execute.

"President Zhou, we only have 30 million in our accounts. For investing in a movie, that’s just a drop in the bucket. Besides, that money is also earmarked for our subsequent ad campaigns. It would be better to be more cautious."

At this point, the director of operations also spoke up.

"According to the original plan, the jazz dance competition was just a tool to generate traffic. We have other events planned to launch afterward. But because of Super Play, we’ve already spent more than double our budget on this competition. Funds for the other events were already tight. If we invest in a movie on top of that, we probably won’t be able to launch our subsequent events anytime soon."

Everyone in the room understood that Zhou Jin’s idea was good and would certainly be effective.

But it was simply too expensive. Trendy World’s cash flow couldn’t support such a venture.

As the president of Trendy World, Zhou Jin was well aware of the company’s financial situation.

He silently faced the window, taking several drags from his cigarette.

"I’ll figure out the funding. For now, you all go and start making arrangements. The movie has to be released at the same time as theirs."

"But..."

The others looked at each other in dismay. Zheng Tongbiao said,

"Isn’t the timeline a bit too rushed? If we release at the same time, it’s like we’re challenging them to a duel."

"That’s exactly the effect I’m going for. We have to beat them head-on. That’s the only way Trendy World can defeat Super Play!"

Flicking his cigarette butt away, Zhou Jin said,

"If we can cultivate our own celebrities or girl groups, we can then use their popularity to promote our company’s products. It creates a virtuous cycle. It would be a shot in the arm for Trendy World’s growth. Do you see what I’m getting at?"

"We understand. The core issue right now is still funding. If we can secure investment, none of this will be a problem."

"I’ll handle the funding. You guys take care of everything else. Pick a script, lock in the cast and director, and then draw up a budget for me."

After speaking, Zhou Jin fell silent for a moment, thinking for a few seconds.

"Keep the budget under 50 million. Any more than that, and I can’t guarantee I’ll be able to raise the funds."

"Understood."