Chapter 501 Cost Economic Account
On the last day of April, Peking was shrouded in drizzle, and gray clouds hung low like a layer of gauze.
In the office on the top floor of the Science and Technology Building, Song Ci stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, looking at the city skyline blurred by rain, while the latest developments of the "forced donation incident" were displayed on the screen of his mobile phone.
This sensational storm was finally stabilized under the strong control of Tengda and relevant departments, and the heat gradually subsided.
Even without counting Liu Shishi's donation of 50 million, the total donations from the entire literary and art community exceeded 140 million in just ten days.
This scale far exceeds any previous fundraising, which shows how great the impact is.
The sound of rain pattered, and a crisp knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. Song Ci turned around and saw his secretary Jian Ning pushing the door open. "Director Song, Professor Liu and Mr. Zhang are here."
"Mom, Xiaoping, please come in." Song Ci put down his phone and a gentle smile appeared on his face.
"New Year's Day, your environment is more magnificent than I imagined."
Liu Xiaoxian walked to the panoramic glass curtain wall, looked at the car lights flowing downstairs, and chuckled, "Beijing in the rain has a unique poetic feeling."
Song Ci pulled out a chair for his mother. "It's all just for show. Jian Ning, make a pot of Zhengshan Xiaozhong."
He immediately turned to Zhang Xiaoping and said warmly, "Xiaoping, is the road clear?"
"Fortunately, the rain is not too heavy." Zhang Xiaoping bowed slightly and took out a black folder from his briefcase.
"Mr. Song, the first hovering test of the rocket recovery is scheduled for late May, and the launch pad is being built at a rapid pace."
Song Ci's movements of reaching out to take the document became noticeably faster.
I stroked the rocket logo on the cover with my fingertips and took a deep breath. After a year of investing regardless of cost and a long journey, I was finally taking the first step.
"Okay, okay, okay!" He said "Okay" three times in a row, his eyes still fixed on the schedule. "Mom, Xiaoping, what do you think the chances of success are for this first experiment?"
Zhang Xiaoping pushed up his glasses. "Mr. Song, the hovering technology itself is not complicated. We have conducted a lot of real-life simulation tests with the help of the digital twin system of Beihang University's Aerospace Laboratory. The success rate should be very high."
After a pause, he added cautiously, "Of course, there are always uncertainties in space experiments."
"Don't worry, take it one step at a time." Song Ci raised his head, his eyes burning with a blazing light. "I will definitely be there on the day of the test."
Liu Xiaoxian raised her eyebrows in surprise: "You're going there on New Year's Day? The conditions there are very difficult."
"How can we miss such a grand debut of our own Rockets?" Song Ci chuckled, his tone extremely firm.
"It's good to go and take a look." Liu Xiaoxian took a sip of black tea, put down the teacup and said with a smile, "By the way, I have good news to tell you.
The country's policies on the aerospace sector are about to be relaxed, and private capital will soon be allowed to fully enter the industry."
"Great!" Song Ci's face lit up with joy upon hearing this, and he clapped his fists together, making a crisp sound. Suddenly, he laughed out loud: "Without policy support, I was really restricted. From now on, I can show my strength."
"The information revealed by Principal Huai is basically correct." Liu Xiaoxian was also happy when she saw her son's rare excitement.
Zhang Xiaoping on the side also laughed. The relaxation of policies means that Dewen no longer needs to use the name of Beihang University to conduct many experiments, and its R&D efficiency will be greatly improved.
"Giving Principal Huai a favor for Xu Cairen's little matter was a great deal," Song Ci muttered, stroking his chin. Then, his expression became serious. "But after all, it's the general trend, isn't it?"
"Indeed." Liu Xiaoxian nodded, her scholarly nature naturally revealed, "The national team's energy and funds are now focused on key tasks such as Beidou navigation and lunar exploration.
The already mature disposable rocket technology route is more reliable and has controllable risks. It is impossible to switch to rocket recovery technology, which requires huge initial investment and is extremely risky.
He looked at his son with pride in his eyes: "Since you have the ambition to open up a new era in China's aerospace industry, the higher-ups will naturally be happy to see it happen."
Zhang Xiaoping suddenly sighed, "In fact, the national team has already conducted detailed research on rocket recovery technology."
Seeing the mother and son looking at him, he said in a deep voice: "But in the end, I chose to give up! Not only based on the current technological and economic status, but also due to risk considerations.
Rocket recovery is like accurately throwing a pen into a pen holder on the ground from a 100-story building. It’s too difficult.”
"I understand." Song Ci had a subtle smile on his face, and he understood in his heart that if he could not make money from Europe and the United States in the financial market and get hundreds of millions of dollars in research and development expenses, he would not be able to afford to burn money like this.
Although we have abundant funds and have invested regardless of cost in the early stage, we still have to consider the economic costs if we want to achieve sustainable development.
His fingers tapped unconsciously on the table as he casually asked, "Xiaoping, how many times does it take to recycle a rocket to break even?"
Zhang Xiaoping gathered his thoughts and replied very rigorously, "Mr. Song, we have done detailed calculations.
If the engine or first-stage rocket body can be successfully recovered and reused more than five times, economic benefits will be realized; if it can be used more than ten times, the cost advantage will be extremely obvious.
Song Ci immediately understood the subtext: five times to recover the investment, ten times to make a huge profit. He couldn't help but think of Musk's Falcon rocket in his previous life, which could be recovered more than thirty times. No wonder it could support the intensive launch of the Starlink project.
Zhang Xiaoping continued to explain: "The main costs of each recovery are refurbishment, inspection, secondary manufacturing, as well as propellant and launch service fees.
Every additional use of a recycled component is equivalent to saving the cost of new manufacturing, and the marginal cost will drop significantly."
Liu Xiaoxian picked up the teacup, blew on it gently, and added: "New Year's Day, the return on investment cannot be determined by the number of recycling times, but also the actual cost of renovation and maintenance.
And most importantly, the launch market demand. There must be enough launch missions to absorb reusable rockets, otherwise no matter how many are recovered, they will just sit idle.
Song Ci nodded. The economics of rocket recovery is essentially to dilute the cost of a single launch by reusing expensive hardware.
As for the profit model, I already have a plan in mind.
Once the technology matures, we can cooperate with domestic giants such as Huawei to build a satellite network belonging to Dewen, and that will be the real blue ocean.
After discussing a few more technical details, Zhang Xiaoping stood up to leave. The office door closed quietly, leaving only mother and son.
"Shishi is going to join the crew again?" Liu Xiaoxian asked casually, her fingers lightly stroking the rim of the cup.
"Yeah." Song Ci responded, his eyes fixed on the city outline outside the window.
Seeing that her son didn't seem to care, Liu Xiaoxian hesitated for a moment and gently advised: "It doesn't matter whether Shishi is an actress or not. The important thing is to give you a child as soon as possible. It's time to think about the issue of heirs."
"I know." Song Ci turned around and smiled gently, "She took on this drama a long time ago. The crew has been waiting for half a year, so it's inconvenient for her to regret it. After filming this one, she won't take on any new dramas."
Hearing that her son and daughter-in-law had already made plans, Liu Xiaoxian felt a little relieved and stopped asking any more questions.
Outside the window, the rain stopped at some point.
A ray of sunlight broke through the clouds, illuminating a family photo on a corner of the desk. In the photo, Song Ci and Liu Shishi smiled at each other, as if foreshadowing the future of this family.
In May, early summer, everything is flourishing.
In the dressing room of Donghai Tangren Film and Television, Liu Shishi ended her half-year leisure state and was about to join the crew.
At this moment, I sit in front of the mirror and let the stylist's deft fingers shuttle through my hair.
The styling in "The Imperial Doctress" is extremely delicate and complicated, and it takes nearly an hour just to style the hair.
Liu Shishi looked at herself in the mirror, and in a trance she seemed to have really returned to the Ming Dynasty, where elegance and power were intertwined.
"Senior sister, your hair is in great condition. It is very easy to style." The stylist praised softly as she fixed the last hairpin.
Liu Shishi smiled faintly and turned her gaze to Jiang Yuanyuan who was flipping through documents beside her.
While the stylist was getting her headdress, Jiang Yuanyuan seized the opportunity to report: "Shishi, the total investment in Wolf Warrior is estimated to be 120 million yuan, and the box office needs to be over 360 million yuan to break even.
Although Wu Jing has good abilities, she is not a traffic star after all, and has not demonstrated strong box office appeal before.
Even with the current market enthusiasm, it will be difficult for this film to recoup its investment.”
Liu Shishi listened quietly, with approval in her eyes.
After two years of experience, Jiang Yuanyuan has been able to calmly and objectively analyze project risks and has grown into a qualified manager.
"That's a very thorough analysis." He quietly confirmed and spoke after careful consideration.
"However, 'Wolf Warrior' is, after all, a military film and has received strong support from the military. Considering this alone, it deserves more attention."
Liu Shishi paused, her gaze gradually becoming profound. After so many years in the film and television industry, she had come to understand that sometimes investment cannot be judged solely by immediate economic benefits.
As the top actress in the industry, I have the responsibility to support some novel themes and outstanding creative talents.
"Wu Jing only needs 40 million, which isn't a lot. Let's invest!" Liu Shishi finally made the decision, calmly and easily, "Give him a chance, and give this type of subject matter a chance, too."
Jiang Yuanyuan nodded in understanding and neatly marked the document: "Understood. I'll arrange it right away."
For her, since Sister Yi has made the decision, she just needs to execute it perfectly.
Even if there is a loss of tens of millions of dollars in investment, it is just a matter of swiping Boss Song’s card. The thing that the Song family has the most is money.
In another corner of the dressing room, the semi-invisible people Li Chengyuan and Jin Chen, as well as the little-invisible people Hu Bingqing and Yuan Bingyan, were stunned when they heard what they heard.
They exchanged envious glances with each other and secretly admired Sister Yi's wealth and decisiveness.
After finalizing the investment for Wolf Warrior, Jiang Yuanyuan continued to report on other work:
"On 'The Breakup Guru', Yang Mi has already joined the crew and is currently filming. 'Day and Night' pre-promotion has already begun, and it's set to premiere exclusively on Toutiao Video on July 1st..."
The studio's recent key projects were reported one by one in a clear and organized manner and handled in an orderly manner.
Liu Shishi nodded from time to time and occasionally asked a question or two. The entire dressing room seemed to have turned into a temporary meeting room.
After more than two hours, Liu Shishi's makeup was finally complete. With the help of her assistant, she changed into an exquisite Ming Dynasty costume.
The light green long skirt is embroidered with delicate floral and bird patterns, and the wide cuffs are embroidered with cloud patterns in gold thread, which glows softly under the light.
Cai Yinong rushed over after hearing the news. As soon as he entered the dressing room, his eyes were immediately attracted by Sister Yi's look and he couldn't help but stop to take a closer look.
"Sister K, what do you think?" Liu Shishi smiled softly, spread her long sleeves, and turned gracefully. Her gorgeous clothes fluttered like a blooming green lotus.
Cai Yinong's eyes lit up with surprise. He walked around Sister Yi and praised her repeatedly: "So beautiful! This look is tailor-made for you."
She carefully examined every detail of the dress: "The light green makes your skin look as white as snow. The embroidery is so exquisite that you have an air of elegance when you walk."
The hair accessories are even more exquisite. A phoenix hairpin with kingfisher feathers is inserted diagonally in the bun, with fine tassels hanging down, swaying gently with the movements of the sister, which is luxurious and elegant.
The overall design highlights Liu Shishi's temperament as both elegant and noble, while also revealing the wisdom and gentleness of a doctor.
"This look alone is enough to attract a large number of fans," Cai Yinong said confidently.
She has high hopes for "The Imperial Doctress", hoping that the drama can become another hit for Tangren after "Scarlet Heart" and "Xuan-Yuan Sword".
Liu Shishi looked at herself in the mirror and was very satisfied with the look: "Director Li's aesthetic is truly unique."
Suddenly remembering something, she turned around and asked, "By the way, Sister K, is Director Li really retiring after filming 'The Female Doctor'?"
Cai Yinong sighed, his face filled with helplessness: "Yeah, he said he won't be a director anymore, and he might just be called a producer in the future."
Li Guoli's retirement is undoubtedly a big blow to the company as it is at a critical time for Tangren Film and Television to go public.
Liu Shishi consoled him gently, "Everyone has their own aspirations; there's no need to force them. Director Li has toiled for decades, so it's only natural for him to want to rest. Perhaps after a few years of rest, he'll find the urge to re-emerge."
"I hope so." Cai Yinong forced a smile and clapped his hands. "Let's go, Shishi. It's time to take the final photos. The two male leads are already waiting in the studio."
They arrived at the studio and saw Chen Xiao and Huang Xuan waiting there. When Cai Yinong and Liu Shishi arrived, they immediately came forward to greet them.
"Mr. Chen, long time no see." Liu Shishi chuckled and teased.
Hearing Liu Shishi greet him using her online nickname, Chen Xiao scratched his head a little embarrassedly: "Senior Sister Shi, please stop making fun of me."
Liu Shishi turned her gaze to Huang Xuan and saw that he was slightly hunched over. She couldn't help but shake her head: "Teacher Huang, when filming a costume drama, you have to stand tall and straight to show your temperament."
Huang Xuan was stunned at first, then he straightened his back and responded humorously, "Thank you for your advice, Mr. Liu. I'll go order a Beibeijia tomorrow."
Everyone was amused, and the atmosphere in the studio suddenly became much more relaxed.
The photographer guided the three main actors to stand in front of the backdrop.
The lighting technician adjusted the lighting, while the assistant busied herself with adjusting the hem and cuffs. Liu Shishi's ornate dress looked even more gorgeous under the strong light, the embroidery on the fabric reflecting a delicate sheen.
"Okay, let's take a solo photo first." The photographer said, "Senior Sister, please stand here. Yes, slightly sideways, and look this way..."
Liu Shishi quickly got into the mood, and every look and every movement was precise and precise.
Her extensive dancing skills made her posture impeccable, and her every move showed the demeanor of a lady from a noble family in the Ming Dynasty.
The photographer kept pressing the shutter, praising repeatedly: "Great! This angle is perfect!"
The shooting lasted a whole afternoon, and when the last photo was taken, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
Liu Shishi gently stretched her stiff neck, and she couldn't wait to send the final photo of her phoenix gown to her husband.
(End of this chapter)
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