-15- Thirty thousand
Zhao Jinghuan's self-study didn't cover all the industry awards. Seeing her about to pull out her phone for help, Lu Kai succinctly saved her the trouble: "Every industry has its own Oscars. The Mini Awards are one of the six or seven awards in the trendy toy industry that claim to be worthy of the title of 'Toy Oscars.'" Like many industries in China, the trendy toy industry has achieved world-leading production capacity and market dominance, but domestic awards haven't kept pace. This creates an awkward situation: the funding and market are here, but the awards have to be awarded overseas. Dorasi had applied for and been shortlisted for this year's Mini Newcomer Award. To Lu Kai, Fanqie, and the others, this was clearly a great opportunity. Everyone gathered around their computers and searched the Mini Awards' official website. Sure enough, Dorasi's name and her work, Little Freckles, were listed on the Newcomer Award shortlist on the homepage. They also noticed that the other three nominees were all young, white men, giving them the uncanny feeling that if Dorasi wasn't awarded, the Mini Awards officials would be in trouble. But Lu Kai and his colleagues didn't dare to really determine anything based on a few photos, so some of them sent WeChat messages and some made phone calls. When they went to work the next day, they summarized the information at hand and felt that this matter was more reliable: Although the Mini Award is an award that is relatively recognized by the industry, it has always lacked stable financial support. Since last year, there have been news that the Mini Award's judging committee is in contact with a large domestic company and is preparing to move all subsequent selections to the country. It is said that the government of a northern city is very interested in this matter, but feels that the Mini Award is not well-known enough in the country, so they have not been able to make up their minds. "This time, the Mini Awards included Dorasi on the Newcomer Award list. This is clearly a gesture of goodwill towards China. And, if you think about it, it's actually quite a cunning decision." Lu Kai said, "If Dorasi is promoted in this way as the first domestic winner of the Mini Awards, it's not only building momentum for Dorasi, but also educating the public about the existence of the Mini Awards. More importantly, it only gives out the Newcomer Award. The most prestigious Mini Design Award is still in their hands. After securing funding and landing in China, they can award it to a designer associated with the domestic organizer." Sister Zou waved her hand and said, "That's not our concern. What we need to know now is what is the probability of Dorasi winning the award." Lu Kai said, "Ninety percent." Sister Zou asked, "How did you calculate that?" "Mental arithmetic." ...
Zhao Jinghuan's self-study didn't cover all the various awards in the industry. Seeing her about to pull out her phone for help, Lu Kai succinctly saved her the trouble: "Every industry has its own Oscars. The Mini Awards are one of the six or seven awards in the trendy toy industry that claim to be worthy of the "Toy Oscars."
Like many industries in China, the trendy toy industry is also a world-leading industry in terms of production capacity and market position, but domestic awards have not kept up. Therefore, there is an awkward situation where the funds and market are here, but the awards have to be awarded abroad.
Dorasi signed up and was shortlisted for this year's Mini Newcomer Award. To Lu Kai, Fanqie and others, this was obviously a great thing.
Everyone gathered in front of the computer and looked for the official website of the Mini Awards. Sure enough, on the homepage's list of nominees for the Newcomer Award, they saw Dorasi's name and her work, Little Freckles.
At the same time, they also found that the other three finalists were all young white men, giving people a strange feeling that if the award was not given to Dorasi, the Mini Award officials would be in trouble.
But Lu Kai and his team didn't dare to rely on just a few photos to confirm anything, so they sent WeChat messages and made phone calls. By the next day at work, everyone had summarized the information they had and felt that this matter was increasingly reliable:
Although the Mini Award is a widely recognized award in the industry, it has always lacked stable financial support. Since last year, there have been reports that the Mini Award judging committee is in contact with a major domestic manufacturer and is preparing to move all subsequent selections to the country. It is said that the government of a northern city is very interested in this matter, but feels that the Mini Award is not well-known enough in the country, so it has not been able to make up its mind.
"This time, the Mini Awards included Dorasi in the list of newcomer winners, which is clearly a gesture of goodwill towards China. And, if you think about it carefully, this decision is actually quite cunning."
Lu Kai said, "If the first domestic winner of the Mini Newcomer Award is promoted using this term, it will not only build momentum for Dorasi, but also educate the public about the existence of the Mini Award. More importantly, it only gives the Newcomer Award. The most prestigious Mini Design Award is still in his hands. After obtaining financial support and landing in China, he can give it to a designer related to the domestic organizer."
Sister Zou waved her hand and said, "That's not our concern. What we need to find out now is what is the probability of Dorasi winning the prize."
Lu Kai said: "Ninety percent."
Sister Zou asked, "How did you figure that out?"
"mental arithmetic."
Sister Zou rolled her eyes at him, and Tomato added, "Looking at the conditions TD offered Dorasi, they probably think Dorasi's winning the award is a sure thing."
The three of them were silent for a moment, and then they looked towards the workstation by the window. Dorasi was sitting next to Wanfeng, watching him adjust the white film seriously. She had no idea that she was sitting too close, so close that she didn't maintain a polite enough social distance. Wanfeng was obviously aware of this. Although he didn't say anything, his face, which was red to purple, and his hands that were even trembling slightly, said it all.
Lu Kai called out to Dorasi, "Doraxi, stop teasing Wanfeng. Are you really not going to consider TD? Once you win the award, your new series will definitely be a big hit."
Fanqie also encouraged him: "Yes, and now I think that 30,000 first orders is a bit too little. Last year, Pop Mart had 11 or 14 IPs with sales exceeding 100 million yuan. Now the market is rising..."
Lu Kai asked him, "Is it sales exceeding 100 million? Why do I remember it was sales exceeding 100 million?"
Tomato was stunned for a moment, then waved his hand. "Not really. With 14 products selling over 100 million units, Pop Mart should be buying Disney." He continued to say to Dorasi, "You have the gimmick of winning an award. Maybe if you ask for a 100,000 yuan first order, TD will give it to you."
Zhao Jinghuan was confused as she listened. She understood that Lu Kai and Fanqie didn't want Dorasi to miss the "good thing" that fell from the sky, but what confused her was that there were obviously other ways to receive this "good thing" that fell from the sky.
Zhao Jinghuan slowly raised her hand, indicating that she had something to say: "Since Dorasi's next work is likely to be a big hit, why don't we make it ourselves?"
Tomato said, "Because we can't come up with that much capital. According to TD's practice, with a 30,000 yuan initial order and a 9+1 price tag, that means we need to make 300,000 blind boxes in the first batch. If we cut the cost of each blind box down to 15 or 13, that would cost over 4 million yuan, not even counting the subsequent promotional expenses. Ask Lu Kai if he can come up with that much money."
Tomato turned his head and looked at Lu Kai with a wry smile, but Lu Kai did not smile. His brows were furrowed, as if he was thinking about something.
The expression on Tomato's face gradually stiffened, and Lu Kai finally looked up and met his gaze.
Tomato was a little dumbfounded: "Dude...are you that fucking rich?"
Lu Kai said, "With my savings and the working capital in the company's account, we can make up the money..."
There was no one speaking for a long time, until Sister Zou finally broke the silence: "So?"
"So what, I..." Lu Kai took a deep breath: "I... I need to think about it, I need to... I need to go out for some fresh air." As he spoke, he pushed the door and left. From the corridor came the sound of Lu Kai coming down the stairs, hurriedly and staggering, as if he was being chased by something.
Lu Kai left with a distraught look, which made Zhao Jinghuan feel like she'd done something wrong, as if she'd given him a hard time. She looked at Sister Zou for help, wondering if she shouldn't have said anything. Sister Zou shook her head, reassuring her. Tomato, standing nearby, said slyly, "Why not? You've got a proven track record of 'making a man spend five million yuan with just one sentence.' You could even start a Douyin course later—it'd be better than the 2,500 yuan you earn here."
Sister Zou told him to stop talking nonsense. Tomato snorted and started muttering again, "Lu Kai, that kid, takes the bus, brings his own lunch, and owes property management fees, and yet he still has so much money hidden away. Should I ask him to give me a raise?"
Sister Zou said, "Then you might as well kill him. How do you think he saved all that money? He must have scraped it out of you bit by bit."
Tomato said, "That's tough. Even if I scratch my hemorrhoids until they burst and my hands bleed, I still can't get 5 million."
Sister Zou scolded him with disgust on her face, "Your words are the most disgusting."
Zhao Jinghuan was so preoccupied with Lu Kai that she barely listened to their conversation. Seeing her absentmindedness, Sister Zou patted her on the shoulder and said, "Don't worry, that kid will be back soon." She suddenly turned and asked Fanqie, "Want to make a bet?"
Tomato was amused by her. "How do we play it? You know he'll pay in the end, and I know he'll pay too. We're both on the same side, guessing the coin and choosing the flower. How do we play it? How long will it take him to come back?"
Zhao Jinghuan was a little surprised. Would Lu Kai really take such a large sum of money?
Sister Zou said, "We've all willingly worked for this idiot for four years. He's got to have some good qualities, right?"
Tomato nodded: "Yes, being stupid is his greatest strength." He turned his head to look at Wanfeng and Dorasi, who seemed to be living in a parallel world by the window, and said with some disdain, "Why are you two acting like nothing happened? Can you please stop being so annoying?"
"Ah?" Wan Feng looked up with a red face. He was about to argue when the door was opened with a "bang". The sound of the door frame hitting the wall was even several times louder than the time when Zhao Jinghuan first came to the studio a few days ago and came back to "answer Sister Zou's questions".
Lu Kai, standing at the door, was panting, his face flushed, but he looked inexplicably excited, as if he had run out and drunk half a liter of gasoline.
He stood at the door and suddenly pointed at the evening breeze:
"Evening breeze, where did that line from Slam Dunk come from?"
Wanfeng was stunned for a moment: "Coach, I want to play basketball?"
"Not this one!"
Tomato said, "Coach, he wants to play basketball?"
"Stop making a fuss! Where did the third person come from?" Lu Kai was so anxious that he jumped up and down. "That sentence, that sentence..."
Zhao Jinghuan was a little confused and asked Sister Zou what they were talking about. Sister Zou replied, "It's an old-fashioned cartoon about basketball. My parents loved watching it when they were young."
Lu Kai's hands trembled in the air for a while before he finally thought: "Right, right! 'Old man, when was your most glorious moment?'
Tomato and Evening Breeze obviously remembered this sentence, and said in unison with Lu Kai:
"And I am now!"
After shouting this line, Lu Kai's face turned even redder. He took a few steps into the room, as if to encourage himself: "Opportunities like this don't come around every day. If we miss this one, it could be a lifetime loss. So... let's do it!" He suddenly raised his voice:
"Make 30,000 of them and spend 5 million of them!"
Zhao Jinghuan was infected by him, and goose bumps stood up on her arms. Sister Zou beside her seemed a little disgusted, tilting her head and muttering:
"I don't know what you're burning about."
Lu Kai suddenly turned his head to look at her: "Don't you know what I'm burning about?"
The two met each other's eyes and remained silent for a moment. After a moment, Sister Zou suddenly smiled.
In the half month since Zhao Jinghuan started working, this seemed to be the first time she saw Sister Zou smile at Lu Kai.
Sister Zou's tone softened: "Yes, I know."
"Fuck!" Sister Zou paused and imitated Lu Kai's tone:
"It costs 30,000 fucking dollars and costs 5 million fucking dollars!"
Author's Note
Yaunai
author
05-08
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