Chapter 469 New Era
February 9th, New Year’s Eve.
Around five o'clock in the afternoon, the sun sets in the west, and the sky is dyed with a gorgeous sunset glow, adding a bit of warmth to this reunion day.
Lights are on in thousands of homes, and it is time for families to gather together. However, in the Hengdian "Han Yun" crew, the scene is bustling with activity. In order to catch up with the progress, everyone is working overtime.
In front of the monitor on the set, Lin Yufen stared at the performance of the leading actors on the screen. He frowned slightly, then slowly relaxed his brows. He nodded with a hint of "not so bad" and said loudly, "Cut! Passed."
In front of the camera, Lin Gengxin, Jiang Jinfu and Chen Yao, who were dressed in ancient costumes, all breathed a sigh of relief and were about to adjust their state to get into the next scene when the director's voice sounded again.
"Today is New Year's Eve, so we're wrapping up early. The crew has prepared a New Year's Eve dinner, so let's have a great time together. Tomorrow is New Year's Day, so we'll give everyone a half-day off in the morning."
"Great!" "Thank you, director!"
In an instant, cheers filled the entire studio, dispelling the fatigue of the past few days.
Chen Yao breathed a sigh of relief. Although she had received systematic acting training, she was still a newcomer after all. The high-intensity shooting pace was a bit too much for her. She was exhausted both physically and mentally and could not keep up with the progress.
To her, having half a day to rest and adjust tomorrow is like a blessing after a long drought.
Lin Gengxin stretched his muscles and turned to invite Chen Yao: "Sister Yao, let's go take off our makeup together."
Jiang Jinfu agreed with a smile and suggested, "How about calling Sister Jinchen to join us and playing cards while watching the Spring Festival Gala?"
The two male protagonists have always been polite to Chen Yao, the young senior sister who just joined Tangren Film and Television.
The two looked at each other and had a tacit understanding in their hearts. Judging from the resources Chen Yao had obtained, any discerning person could see that she should be the next number one sister supported by Tangren.
Her debut work was the leading female role in the sequel of the hit drama "Xuan-Yuan Sword". In addition, she played the second female role in Tengda Culture's 400 million production "Joy of Life" and the second female role in the movie "My Deskmate".
Such resources are among the best in the entire entertainment industry and are simply unimaginable for a newcomer.
More importantly, the little girl has won the favor of the senior sister Liu Shishi, and her future is obviously limitless.
Chen Yao shook his head upon hearing this, with an apologetic look on his face, and said softly, "Sorry, Senior Brother, I've been really tired lately. I just want to rest early and recuperate."
Jiang Jinfu scratched his head awkwardly: "Okay, then you should have a good rest."
Lin Gengxin noticed Jiang Jinfu's warmth towards Chen Yao and shook his head secretly. It was a bit too obvious that Fuzai had feelings for Yaomei.
He and Jiang Jinfu have recently had a tense relationship because of their competition for the male lead and second male lead in "Han Yun", and fans of both sides have been quarreling with each other online.
After all, both of them are strong contenders for the future "number one" position of Tangren, and they need to fight for resources, so friction is inevitable.
Previously, Jiang Jinfu became famous with the hit "Xuan-Yuan Sword"; and he also became popular with "Legend of the Fish" produced by Yijie Studio, and his momentum is no less.
In addition to the fan base he accumulated for playing the Fourteenth Prince in "Scarlet Heart" in his early years, he is slightly better than Jiang Jinfu in terms of popularity and status.
In the end, after much deliberation, Cai Yinong gave the role of the male lead Huangfu Chaoyun to Lin Gengxin, hoping that with the help of this drama, he could take his career to the next level and be promoted to the first-line as soon as possible.
In the styling room, the makeup artist was removing makeup from Chen Yao and Jin Chen. Her hands were constantly moving and she was chatting.
"Today, WeChat, Weibo, Toutiao and other Tengda Group apps are all promoting Spring Festival Gala benefits. I really don't know what surprises are hidden."
"The company filmed a New Year's greeting video for a senior and a senior before, right? I heard it was related to Tengda's Spring Festival Gala event."
"The WeChat shake function has changed. It looks like it's for sending red envelopes. I don't know exactly how to do it, but it's quite exciting."
Chen Yao listened to the makeup artists' chatter, and curiosity piqued. She pulled out her phone and opened WeChat. Sure enough, the familiar shake icon had changed its appearance.
The original simple linear figure has turned into a festive and golden "Spring Festival Gala" icon.
Clicking on the icon, the interface is completely new, with the words: "Shake it and get millions of red envelopes to celebrate the New Year!"
"On New Year's Eve, tune in to the CCTV Spring Festival Gala and the host will tell you to 'shake it'!"
"Shake out red envelopes of real money, New Year's greetings from celebrities, and family reunion photos to appear on the Spring Festival Gala! There are also cards from friends and surprise Easter eggs waiting for you to discover!"
After reading the concise and clear introduction to the event, Chen Yao subconsciously shook his phone, but there was no response, and there was no usual "click" sound.
On the side, Jin Chen chuckled: "Sister Yao, you are too impatient. The event will not start until the Spring Festival Gala begins."
Upon hearing this, Chen Yao playfully stuck out his tongue and casually opened his WeChat Moments. He discovered that many of his friends were forwarding topics related to "WeChat Shake for Red Envelopes", and the screen was filled with festivity and excitement.
Jin Chen looked at Chen Yao through the dressing mirror. Chen Yao was the successor chosen by Cai Yinong. Her eyes were full of envy and a bit of sadness.
Before, there was Gulinaza standing in front of him, but fortunately the other party was a love-brained person and was always busy with love affairs, which made Cai Yinong disgusted with her.
She originally thought that if she could make it through, she would be promoted by the company, but she never expected that Chen Yao would come and enjoy the treatment of Tangren's "daughter". This made her very angry, and she really couldn't understand why she couldn't catch Cai Yinong's eye.
After calming down, Jin Chen suppressed his emotions and asked with a concerned look, "Sister Yao, will you feel uncomfortable spending the New Year on the set this year?"
Chen Yao's eyebrows curved, and his tone was cheerful: "It's okay. It's my first time celebrating the New Year like this, and it feels quite novel."
Jin Chen chatted with Chen Yao for a few words, then calmly inquired, "Sister Yao, you have to eat more for the New Year's Eve dinner. You're too thin. Celebrities have to maintain their figure, but they can't skip meals. Your body can't handle it."
You've been filming one drama after another. After finishing "Han Yun", you'll soon be filming "Joy of Life", "My Deskmate", and "The Breakup Master". You have a lot of roles in each, so it's not good if you don't replenish your energy."
"Thank you, Sister Chen, for your concern." Chen Yao thanked her first, then froze for a moment, and subconsciously said, "'The Breakup Master'? Is that the movie that Senior Sister Shi's studio invested in? I didn't act in it."
"Really? There's a rumor in the company that you're going to play the second female lead." Jin Chen pretended to be surprised, but was secretly delighted in her heart.
She was planning to compete for the second female lead in this movie, and was always afraid that the first sister would directly choose Chen Yao. Now that she had put it to the test, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Chen Yao didn't notice Jin Chen's thoughts and explained with a smile: "Sister Chen, you must have heard it wrong. I don't have that schedule."
Jin Chen suppressed his joy and quickly responded, "Is that so? Then maybe I really heard it wrong."
As dusk falls, lights gradually light up in thousands of homes across China, and the aroma of warm food, mixed with the festive atmosphere, permeates the air.
Song Ci and Liu Shishi finished their New Year’s Eve dinner in their grandparents’ courtyard and returned to Jingyuan.
On the television screens, large red lanterns and festive songs and dances juxtaposed, igniting the reunion nights of thousands of families. Amid the lively atmosphere of the opening song and dance, hosts Dong Qing, Zhu Jun, Shen Sisi, and others stood beaming on stage.
"Sisi is becoming more and more generous now. In a few years, when Dong Qing is old, she will probably become the number one anchor of CCTV."
Liu Shishi looked at Shen Sisi on the screen, dressed in a brightly colored dress, and whispered a sigh of admiration. Seeing this old friend again now, she felt a peaceful state of mind, no longer troubled.
Song Ci glanced at his wife, thought about it, and still didn't respond.
After a few warm-up New Year's greetings, Zhu Jun's voice sounded with excitement and solemnity:
"Dear audience friends, on this New Year's Eve when families are reuniting, we would like to express our special thanks to Tenda Technology Group for sponsoring this year's Spring Festival Gala!
Tengda Group has prepared an unprecedented New Year's gift for everyone: by 'shaking' your WeChat account at a specific time tonight, you can win a real cash red envelope!
Dong chuckled and added, "That's right! Tonight at 9 o'clock, 10 o'clock, 11 o'clock, and when the New Year's bell rings, as long as you open WeChat.
Enter 'Shake', listen to the host's prompts, shake your phone vigorously, and you will have a chance to take home a red envelope! The maximum amount can reach 888 yuan!
Please prepare your phones and tune in to the CCTV Spring Festival Gala. Don’t miss out on the excitement! "
Liu Shishi took out her phone to shake the red envelope later, and moved closer to her husband's arms, leaning on his chest: "Yi Yi, are you going to the company tomorrow morning?"
"I'm going. Sister Jing was originally on duty this year, but I happened to be going to the company to check on the WeChat red envelope data tonight and to comfort the employees."
The couple chatted about family matters while sending New Year greetings to their elders, relatives and friends. Before they knew it, it was nine o'clock and the party reached its first climax of the night.
The camera cuts to the host, deep in thought, as she announces in a passionate voice, "Dear friends, it's time for JD.com to give out red envelopes! Now, pick up your phone, open WeChat, and shake it!"
Liu Shishi perked up and started shaking her phone excitedly.
At the same time, it was as if an invisible command spread across the country.
In the living room, at the dining table, on the sofa, and even in the busy kitchen, countless people who have been waiting for a long time raised their mobile phones and shook them vigorously with anticipation.
"Swish, swish, swish... swish, swish, swish..." The sounds of countless mobile phone acceleration sensors being triggered converge into a strange and modern background sound, intertwined with the cheerful music from the TV programs.
"Oh, I won it! 8.8!" The housekeeper Sister Li's surprised voice came.
Liu Shishi looked at her phone screen, pouted, and muttered unhappily, "Why is it a 5 yuan coupon from JD.com! Brother Dong is really a jerk, using this kind of coupon to trick people."
Song Ci smiled and said, "There are still a few more chances later. If you don't win a red envelope tonight, I'll give you a big one."
Liu Shishi chuckled: "How big is it? If it's a good deal, I won't shake it later."
Song Ci raised his eyebrows and said with a wicked smile, "A big red envelope of several hundred million."
Liu Shishi was stunned at first, then she reacted and spat softly: "You stinky man, you're making fun of me again."
The Haier red envelopes at 10 o'clock and the China Mobile red envelopes at 11 o'clock, every time at the top of the hour, a new wave of red envelope grabbing will be set off among the whole nation.
Every time the phone shakes, there are shouts and laughter of surprise or frustration.
Friends and relatives compared the amounts and coupons they had grabbed, and discussed the stars who would appear next. The festive atmosphere was pushed to an unprecedented climax by this online "red envelope grabbing war".
Song Ci kept an eye on the WeChat work group from time to time, and Wu Yi, who was working overtime in the company, was always reporting the latest data.
At every hour, the server has to withstand the impact of hundreds of millions of WeChat red envelope requests per minute. Tenda Group's North and South Data Centers operate efficiently in the background, and the engineers on duty are on high alert to ensure the smooth progress of this national carnival.
In addition to the incentive of real money, another big surprise of the WeChat red envelope activity is the celebrity New Year greetings video.
When users shake their phones with great anticipation, and instead of the red envelope amount popping up on the screen, the smiling face of a popular star suddenly appears, they can also feel an indescribable joy.
"Wow! It's Jay Chou! He's wishing me a happy new year!" The star-chasing girl screamed excitedly. On the screen, Jay Chou said in his signature accent, "Happy New Year, give me the red envelope!", with a carefully designed festive scene in the background.
"Oh, it's Liu Shishi! I got Shishi! She's so beautiful and has such a great temperament!" The fans were overjoyed when they saw the blessings from the No. 1 sister on their phones.
"Yang Mi! It's Yang Mi! I got Qingchuan, I'm going to post it on WeChat Moments!" The mother who loves watching TV series couldn't help but join in the sharing.
Andy Lau, Huang Xiaoming, Jacky Cheung, Zhou Xun... More than ten top stars carefully selected by Tengda Culture and personally reviewed by Song Ci, "shaked" New Year's greetings into thousands of mobile phones in this private yet highly contagious way.
These videos were screenshotted, forwarded, and discussed crazily. The celebrities gained explosive national exposure and favorability on New Year's Eve with their unprecedented interactive methods.
This is not only a New Year's greeting, but also a phenomenal celebrity "people-friendly" marketing.
When the clock struck midnight, a flood of red envelopes swept the Internet, pushing the atmosphere to a climax, and the data in the background of the WeChat team was also jumping wildly.
That night, hundreds of millions of users did something that many people had never done or rarely done: bind their bank cards in order to grab red envelopes.
Guided by the temptation of red envelopes and the simple process, countless middle-aged and elderly users and users in third- and fourth-tier cities, either with the help of their children or by figuring it out on their own, completed their first WeChat Pay binding.
"Dad, click here, enter the card number, and then enter the password... That's right, you can withdraw cash now!"
"Can this red envelope money really be withdrawn to a bank card? Is it that convenient?"
When the amount of the red envelopes actually appears in the WeChat wallet and can be easily withdrawn or spent, users' trust and dependence on WeChat Pay increases sharply.
"WeChat Pay", a term that was originally unfamiliar to many people, became a household name and deeply rooted in people's hearts overnight.
Countless users who had never been exposed to mobile payment crossed that threshold that night and became loyal users of WeChat Pay.
A milestone moment for mobile payment began with the nationwide "shake" campaign on New Year's Eve 2013.
Song Ci watched the data briefings constantly coming to his phone, his heart pounding with excitement! WeChat red envelopes had become a phenomenon! A new era of mobile payments had begun.
(One update today, two updates tomorrow)
(End of this chapter)
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