Chapter 458 Resource Regeneration
January 5th, Minor Cold.
The chill has not yet dissipated, but the afternoon sun has broken through the clouds, casting a blanket of warmth.
In the conference room of Tangren Film and Television, Hou Hongliang, the producer of "Silent Shorthand", was operating the mouse, and one PPT after another was flowing on the electronic screen.
Liu Shishi, who was sitting opposite, leaned forward slightly, her eyes focused on the content on the screen, her expression showing a hint of caution.
"Mr. Liu, the crew has cut several versions of the trailer, including suspense, emotion, and climax conflict.
I plan to invest in Weibo, Toutiao, Tieba, and other major portals and forums." Hou Hongliang's voice was steady and clear.
Trailers of different lengths, such as 15 seconds, 30 seconds, and 60 seconds, were played one after another, and the light and shadow in the camera and the plot gradually unfolded.
Liu Shishi looked at the carefully edited clips, a satisfied smile on her lips, and nodded slightly: "Very good."
Cai Yinong tapped the table with his fingertips, and after a moment's hesitation, he said, "Mr. Hou, I think the copy could be refined to reveal the core selling point.
For example, the profound sense of the times, the rivalry between powerful actors, and the appeal of Mr. Song’s original work should all be highlighted.”
Hou Hongliang nodded and said solemnly: "That makes sense. Noon Sunshine really needs to learn more from Tangren in terms of publicity and promotion." Cai Yinong's suggestion happened to hit the point he had not thought about carefully.
"This drama is CCTV-8's opening drama of the new year. The station attaches great importance to it and has arranged special interviews for programs such as "China TV Drama Report" and "Film and Television Synchronous Sound".
I'll have to trouble you, Mr. Liu, as well as Teacher Li, Wang Kai, and Wan Qian to attend."
Liu Shishi readily agreed: "No problem, I will make time."
"In addition, we have also contacted mainstream print media such as Guangming Daily and Youth Daily, and plan to publish a press release in the cultural section, focusing on the social value of Silent Shorthand..."
Hou Hongliang continued, explaining the entire promotional plan in detail. Finally, he looked up at everyone and said, "Everyone, take a look. Are there any areas that need further polishing?"
Jiang Yuanyuan, who was sitting at the end of the seat, suddenly straightened her posture and raised her hand. Her serious look attracted everyone's attention.
Seeing her serious look, Liu Shishi couldn't help but smile: "Yuanyuan, tell me."
"Serious dramas are different from youth idol dramas. The audience is not just young people. The middle-aged and elderly groups should not be left out in publicity and promotion." Jiang Yuanyuan's voice was clear.
"I was thinking, while we're vigorously promoting the new media matrix, can we also take radio stations into consideration? Many elders still like to listen to the radio."
"That's a great idea!" Hou Hongliang's eyes lit up, and he praised her repeatedly. "I really did neglect the traditional radio station area. I'll arrange for follow-up work right away."
Cai Yinong then added, "Shishi, can you try to get splash screen recommendations on apps like Tengda Group's Weibo and Toutiao?"
Liu Shishi shook her head slightly. "I'm afraid it won't work recently. The splash screens for those Tenda apps all have other important arrangements."
A trace of regret crossed everyone's face upon hearing this. The Tengda app's flash screen recommendation traffic was staggering, undoubtedly a valuable asset for TV series promotion.
Hou Hongliang cleared his throat. "Then let's follow this plan for the pre-airing promotion. I'll adjust the promotional strategy during and after the broadcast in real time based on the ratings."
"Thank you for your hard work, Mr. Hou." Liu Shishi nodded.
After the promotion and marketing arrangements were finalized, Hou Hongliang changed the subject, opened a new PPT, and said solemnly, "Mr. Liu, Mr. Cai, I'm here today to ask for another matter: to secure investment for Noon Sunshine's new film and television project."
The three large characters "Nirvana in Fire" appeared on the screen, and a hint of interest flashed in Liu Shishi's eyes. "Nirvana in Fire? I remember the copyright is on Qidian Chinese website. Has Noon Sunshine already acquired it?"
"Exactly." Hou Hongliang nodded and began to introduce the project. "This is a classic work from Singularity Women's Channel. Director Kong plans to adapt it into a TV series, with a tentative schedule of fifty episodes."
"What's the cost budget?" Liu Shishi went straight to the point.
Hou Hongliang took a deep breath and reported the figures: "The production cost of each episode is two million, and the total budget is one hundred million."
"One hundred million?" Cai Yinong asked in a daze. Nirvana in Fire was merely a fictional historical drama, lacking the expensive special effects of Xuan-Yuan Sword. The fact that the cost was so high was truly staggering.
Seeing Liu Shishi frowning slightly, Hou Hongliang quickly explained: "Mr. Liu, Noon Sunshine has been determined to go the boutique route since its establishment.
The construction of the thousands of costumes, Su's house and other scenes in the play alone would have cost a lot of money.
More importantly, in order to achieve movie-quality images, we plan to use high-definition digital cameras from ARRI and RED, which will incur substantial costs.”
"Using movie equipment to shoot a TV series?" Cai Yinong glanced at Hou Hongliang, then looked at Kong Sheng who had remained silent.
I secretly sighed at how bold these two were, thinking they were going to crush their peers. Then I thought about how the production costs of the film and television industry had been rising steadily over the past two years, so it wasn't entirely surprising.
Liu Shishi pondered for a few seconds and asked, "How much does Noon Sunshine plan to invest?"
"The company will invest 30 million first, and we hope to raise the remaining 70 million through financing."
Liu Shishi thought about it in her mind.
Hou Hongliang and Kong Sheng, the master and apprentice pair, have always been a golden signboard in the TV drama circle. They have produced countless classic works. The prospects of the "Langya Bang" project are indeed worth looking forward to.
However, she has recently been learning investment from her husband and Zhang Tong, and her temperament has become more stable. She no longer likes to take on everything as before.
"My studio will invest 30 million." She immediately decided and then looked at Cai Yinong: "Sister K, do you want to invest as well?"
Cai Yinong pondered for a moment and nodded slowly, "Tangren should invest 20 million. By the way, Mr. Hou, has the male lead for Nirvana in Fire been decided?"
Hou Hongliang and Kong Sheng exchanged a glance and answered truthfully, "To be honest with Mr. Cai, Director Kong currently favors Huang Xiaoming."
Cai Yinong refused to give up and turned to Kong Sheng and recommended him earnestly: "Director Kong, I think you can consider Hu Ge.
I was listening to the story of "Nirvana in Fire" just now, and I always felt that the protagonist Mei Changsu's experience of rebirth from the ashes was strangely similar to Hu Ge's experience back then.
With his understanding, he will definitely be able to handle this role."
"I'll consider it," Kong Sheng said noncommittally. As a renowned director, he always had his own principles when it came to casting, and he never easily compromised with investors.
"Director Kong, Hu Ge has been performing in dramas to hone his acting skills recently. You might as well go and have a look if you have time." Liu Shishi also chimed in.
She knew that Hu Ge had been looking forward to a successful transformation, and now that there was such an opportunity, she naturally had to help him.
After all, the words of the eldest sister carried a different weight, so Kong Sheng immediately relented: "Then I'll find time to meet with Hu Ge and have a chat."
"Thank you, Director Kong." Cai Yinong secretly breathed a sigh of relief. She believed that Tangren's top player would be able to seize this opportunity.
Hou Hongliang couldn't hide his joy. "Thank you, Mr. Liu and Mr. Cai, for supporting Nirvana in Fire! I think the remaining 20 million won't be a problem."
With the support of Liu Shishi Studio, he is confident in selling the remaining shares to Toutiao Video.
After seeing off Hou Hongliang and Kong Sheng, Liu Shishi turned around and talked with Cai Yinong about the cooperation on the movie "Lost in Thailand".
After listening to Cai Yinong's explanation of Xu Zheng's demands, a sarcastic smile appeared on Yijie's lips: "Old Xu is really getting cocky.
Without investing a penny, he expects to take 15% of the box office revenue of "Lost in Thailand" just by directing and starring in the film, or even take away 35% of the profits? There is no such thing as such a huge profit without any investment.
Cai Yinong sighed helplessly, "After the huge success of Lost in Thailand, he became extremely popular.
Before his downfall, film and television companies treated him like a hot commodity, and he had no trouble getting investment for his films.
Liu Shishi scoffed, "Profit-seeking is human nature, but he shouldn't forget that without my investment and the strong support of Tengda Culture's publicity and promotion resources, the "Lost" series might not be as successful as it is today.
Now that you've achieved success and fame, you want to kick the old hands off? It's not that easy to take advantage of the entertainment industry."
She paused for a moment, then calmed her tone, "Xu Zheng is both the director and the lead actor. The power is too concentrated. It's best to separate these two identities.
I remember that Huaying also invested in "Lost in Thailand" and Lai Peikang was the producer. I will talk to Mr. Lai later to see if we can change the director."
"That's a feasible idea." Cai Yinong nodded in agreement. "You represent Tengda, and President Lai represents Huaying. If you two can reach a consensus, Xu Zheng will have to reconsider his ideas."
She couldn't help but sigh, "After all, the entertainment industry is still dominated by the strong. It's not that easy to turn from the front stage into capital."
After finishing the business, Liu Shishi started chatting with Sister K: "By the way, Sister K, please have someone share my wedding candy with everyone."
"I've already told Xiaoxiao to do it." Cai Yinong replied with a smile, "Those little lions are urging you on Weibo every day, hoping that you will post more wedding photos. They are almost pining for it.
The little yellow dress you wore on your return home is sold out on Taobao."
The eldest sister's eyebrows curved into crescents: "I can feel the enthusiasm of the little lions.
It's not that I don't want to post it, but there were so many dignitaries and celebrities at the wedding that I can't share the details. I'll share it with everyone once the video is edited."
Thinking of the several heavyweight leaders he met at the wedding, Cai Yinong's expression became stern and he said solemnly, "We really need to be more cautious and not be careless."
At the same time, in Peking, Dewen Manufacturing Headquarters.
Just after the wedding leave ended, Song Ci No. 4 finished handling the backlog of official business at Tengda, and drove to Dewen Manufacturing to work early in the morning on the 5th.
Dewen, an industrial fortress carrying cutting-edge manufacturing, is advancing its core business in an orderly manner:
The drone department is tackling the key hovering technology, the design drawings of the new electric car are spread out page by page at the R&D center, and the rocket project team has just reported back exciting breakthrough news.
Only photovoltaic energy storage is slightly delayed due to market fluctuations, while other sectors are running at high speed like precision instruments.
In the office on the top floor with a wide view, Tang Jun was reporting work progress to the boss.
Half a year ago, in order to cooperate with the supply chain company's strategic demand for precious metals, he insisted on establishing a scrap metal recycling company. Now it has been realized from the blueprint, and "Dewen Resource Recycling Company" is officially in operation.
"Director Song!" Tang Jun said clearly, holding a report in his hand. "Cobalt and lithium recycling is our focus. We mainly target power batteries and electronic waste, and accurately extract high-value material components such as lithium cobalt oxide and ternary lithium.
As for rare earths, the target is permanent magnets in waste motors and wind power equipment, as well as phosphors in scrapped lamps.
We also plan to tie up with core customers and work with automakers and wind turbine manufacturers to build a recycling and regeneration industry chain, following the collaboration model between Honda and Yiqiu Resources.
"That's a good idea." Song Ci listened very attentively.
Dewen is rooted in hard-core manufacturing, which is completely different from the asset-light Internet path. Every step requires exploration in the deep waters of entities and technology, and he is also constantly learning through practice.
“How is the scaled capacity planning progressing?”
Tang Jun continued his report: "Our 100,000-ton waste battery and metal waste processing base is expanding production in phases.
The first phase of the cobalt and lithium recovery line is under construction smoothly, with a target annual production capacity of 2,500 tons of cobalt. After the first phase is put into production, the second phase of the rare earth permanent magnet regeneration line will be immediately put into operation.
"Very good." Song Ci nodded in approval. Tang Jun's plans were always comprehensive. "In terms of recycling network construction, we can actively work with local governments to build a system.
The "home appliance trade-in" program regularly promoted by the state is a good entry point."
"I understand, we're already coordinating." Tang Jun responded, "In addition to the domestic layout, I also plan to use my financial advantages to establish an overseas procurement center.
By leveraging Yiqiu Resources' global scrap aluminum procurement network, we can acquire high-grade electronic scrap and magnetic scrap from Europe, the United States, and Japan."
"Technically, where is the biggest bottleneck right now?" Song Ci got to the heart of the matter.
Tang Jun's expression suddenly became serious. "Mr. Song, the key lies in the cutting-edge technology of rare earth recycling. I originally planned to acquire the fiber adsorption technology from KIST (Korea Institute of Science and Technology) in South Korea.
This technology can efficiently separate rare earths with a recovery rate of up to 90%, and is also a global leader in the development of high-performance fibers.
But the resistance is huge, and the business negotiations with the other party have reached a deadlock and are difficult to break through."
"KIST of South Korea..." Song Ci narrowed his eyes, tapping his knuckles unconsciously on the smooth tabletop, and fell into deep thought.
For a moment, the only sound in the office was the low hum of the air conditioner.
After a long while, he finally spoke: "You continue to promote public relations through normal channels. Don't stop. I'm also... thinking of other ways."
He thought about it for a long time: If he wants to leverage this national research institute in South Korea, perhaps the only hope is to leverage the huge network of Samsung Group behind Lee Boo-jin.
But there is no free lunch in the world, and it will inevitably be exchanged for profit.
"Okay, Mr. Song." Tang Jun agreed promptly.
“What about other areas? Are there any thorny issues in the field of cobalt and lithium recycling?”
"I don't dare bother you with anything else," Tang Jun replied quickly. "The low-temperature solid-phase reaction process required for cobalt and lithium recovery can be imported from Germany through normal channels, and it's progressing smoothly.
In addition, I have started applying for the "National Resource Recycling Demonstration Project," hoping to leverage the national strategy and secure policy support."
Song Ci raised the corners of his lips, revealing a faint smile. He was not opposed to Tang Jun's idea: "Well, we should use the policy dividends when necessary. As long as Dewen works hard to get things done, the foundation will naturally be solid."
(End of this chapter)
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