April 25th, ten thirty in the morning.
The RM lobby's press conference hall was packed.
Brother Long, half an hour late, appeared before the media, accompanied by the chairman of Xinri Group.
Although he was half an hour late, the media seemed to be accustomed to it.
In the entertainment industry, such tardiness seems commonplace, with a sense that the longer one is late, the higher their status.
Brother Long entered the venue with a relaxed expression, smiling and waving to the reporters and the fans who had won tickets to attend, drawing endless cheers from the fans and a frenzy of camera flashes.
A simple endorsement press conference could attract dozens of media outlets, including dozens of print and photo journalists, not counting the media Zhang Congxun had arranged in advance.
"His popularity is so high, President Zhang is really generous," Tan Jincheng exclaimed.
Even though Brother Long had the "whoever he endorses goes bankrupt" meme in later generations, one has to admit that in this era, his popularity alone was enough to help an unknown company grow and take off.
Before his halo shattered, his box office performance, industry standing, and status in the hearts of movie fans were all unrivaled.
"Old Zhang ambushed us, I didn't expect him to pull such a big move,"
Dong Jinggui said sourly.
Hearing that the two had come to the Imperial Capital, Zhang Congxun invited them to the event, not without a hint of showing off.
Nowadays, their company's spokesperson is arguably the weakest, barely better than some lesser-known brands, maybe even worse than some.
Let's put it this way: a company called Byvin Electric Vehicle put out rumors that they were going to sign with Hua Zai.
You tell me if their girl group is good or not.
"Yeah, to actually choose to hold the press conference here, that's amazing. How did President Zhang pull that off?"
Tan Jincheng didn't seem too bothered; he had a backup plan.
"Actually, it's not very difficult. You just need to book in advance. Besides having more requirements, it doesn't cost much,"
Dong Jinggui then explained the ins and outs to Tan Jincheng.
The auditorium has 8 exhibition halls available for rent, and the press hall is one of them.
Besides having more rules and requiring advance booking, the cost is actually not expensive.
"Oh, so all those stars who bragged about holding concerts in the auditorium were just showing off,"
Tan Jincheng chuckled in amusement.
In his previous life, he had heard some things, but he hadn't paid much attention and didn't know much about the inner workings.
If it came down to it, holding a concert in the auditorium was much simpler than in the Hong Kong Coliseum.
The Coliseum wasn't something just anyone could book.
"Exactly, it's just a publicity stunt, and Old Zhang is using it now too."
Dong Jinggui also said with a smile, but then he curiously asked Tan Jincheng,
"No, Old Zhang holding a press conference now is clearly aimed at the Olympic selection process. Brother Long's influence is still very strong. Why do you seem not at all worried?"
"Why should I worry? It's no use even if I do. Can I go on stage and snatch his pen?"
Tan Jincheng shrugged.
"So you have no counter-measures at all?"
"What can I do? I can't invite Li Xiaolong over; he's an international superstar. Besides, I believe my design is currently the best, and I also believe the committee members will consider it fairly. Later, I have to go find Brother Cheng for a photo and an autograph. Are you coming?"
"If you dare to go, I dare to go. What's there to be afraid of?"
Dong Jinggui said, speechless.
"Then I can get a few more signed photos. My dad really likes watching his movies, so I'll get one for him too, hehe."
Tan Jincheng's attitude truly baffled Dong Jinggui.
As the first electric vehicle company in the industry to sign a spokesperson, he couldn't believe Tan Jincheng didn't understand what Brother Long endorsing Xinri meant.
The Guanneng series currently has no brand spokesperson.
In terms of brand influence, it is certainly not as good as the high-end Xinri series endorsed by Brother Long.
As a globally significant event, the organizing committee will certainly adhere to the principles of fairness and impartiality, but will also definitely consider brand influence.
Shanchi made so many preparations in the early stage, boasting about its sales, and showcasing the unmass-produced Guanneng series at the Shanghai exhibition.
Then, under the guise of "a tribute to the Olympics," it launched a large-scale publicity campaign.
All of this, anyone with eyes could see, was preparation for the design proposal on the 28th.
Yet, just days before the official announcement, Xinri ambushed them by signing a spokesperson.
But now, there was no reaction at all, even wanting to ask for an autograph from a competitor's spokesperson?
Isn't that a bit unreasonable?
In fact, after each company's design proposals were released, the highest online buzz was for Xinri and the Fengchi Guanneng series.
Xinri's reputation was built on its high-end models, while Guanneng had the implication of catching up from behind.
There would only be a few thousand vehicles for the Olympics.
With Shanchi Technology's current strength, and more than two years until the official Olympic delivery, Shanchi Technology, leveraging its corporate strength, was fully capable of taking on this sponsorship and competing with Xinri.
"Don't worry, President Zhang has connections, and I'm not without support either."
Seeing Dong Jinggui's puzzled expression, Tan Jincheng subtly revealed a little.
The 2008 Olympics was a grand event eagerly anticipated by the entire nation.
As a domestic brand sponsor, Shanchi Technology naturally couldn't even dream of being a top-tier sponsor like an Olympic Global Partner or an Imperial Capital Olympic Partner.
Simply put, they couldn't afford the money.
The threshold for a Global Partner was 65 million US dollars, equivalent to over 500 million RMB, and the threshold for an Imperial Capital Olympic Partner was also 300 million RMB.
Even for the Imperial Capital Olympic sponsor tier, with a threshold of 130 million RMB, Shanchi Technology couldn't afford it.
Shanchi Technology was aiming for the fourth-tier sponsor, which was the exclusive supplier slot.
Yes, they could afford this, with a threshold fee of 41 million RMB.
As for the lowest-tier ordinary supplier, 16 million RMB was cheap, but meaningless.
If they were going to get anything, it had to be an exclusive supplier, otherwise it would be pointless.
"Oh, are you talking about Beicang District government or Yongcheng City government?"
Dong Jinggui immediately understood.
The reason he was so unconcerned about this design proposal was actually because the local government of Xishan District supported Xinri.
Otherwise, did they think he didn't want to try?
Olympic brand sponsorship is not only a way for companies to promote themselves, but also an opportunity for local governments to showcase.
If Zhang Congxun was active, Tan Jincheng would naturally be active too.
When Tan Jincheng expressed his intention to participate in the Olympic design competition, the district was very supportive.
Compared to the competition between Xinri and Yadi in Xishan District, Shanchi Technology was a unique star in Beicang District.
As long as Shanchi Technology demonstrated its capabilities and could qualify, Beicang District would fully support it.
"Yes, I'm not afraid of what comes next. I also believe President Zhang will compete honorably. The rest I'll leave to fate; there's nothing to be anxious about gaining or losing."
Hearing this, Dong Jinggui was silent for a while before speaking,
"I didn't expect a young person like you to have such a clear perspective. You're right, just do your best."
——
Fate?
Of course, it's best to hold it in your own hands!
Tan Jincheng used the same tactic as when he invited Xu Wei for a commercial performance last time.
After getting Chairman Zhou's contact information, he used a song called "Jialan Yu" to open his mouth.
They say creators have a habit of writing songs in advance and releasing them a couple of years later.
Tan Jincheng didn't know if that was true or false, but he really didn't dare risk using classics like "Bencao Gangmu," "Qinghua Ci," or "Lanting Xu."
So he chose "Jialan Yu," also known as "Yan Hua Yi Leng," which was supposed to be released around 2010, about four years later.
Tan Jincheng himself quite liked this song in his previous life.
Separated by four years, there shouldn't be much of a problem, right?
He couldn't compose music, but for this favorite song, Tan Jincheng remembered the lyrics.
As for whether he remembered them incorrectly, he didn't care; as long as he generally remembered them, he'd give them to him and let Old Fangtou make revisions.
As for the melody, it seemed he had created it himself; anyway, they would find a way.
The main point was being unprofessional; just an attractive bait was enough.
Sure enough, on the night he sent it, already into the early hours, Tan Jincheng received a response:
"Oh, not bad! How did you come up with that? What kind of background would inspire these lyrics?"
"I also do some advertising planning myself. While promoting our Shanchi electric vehicles in Luoyang, I thought of some ancient events and just jotted them down. What do you think? Can they be lyrics? By the way, I'm your fan, a real fan!"
"Why emphasize being a 'real' fan? Is there some meaning to it?"
"Oh, that's not important. What do you think? Is it okay? If so, it's yours. The premise is that I hope you can accept our company's endorsement contract for the Guanneng series products."
"It's definitely good, I really like these lyrics, but there are still some places that need revision."
"If it needs changes, just find someone to revise it; I don't mind. Consider this my sincerity."
"Haha, then this sincerity is quite significant! I already have a rough idea for the melody; I feel it could be a hit. I'll learn about your company's products tomorrow, and if there are no issues, I can endorse them, but my endorsement fee isn't cheap!"
"The product is definitely fine. Our product has already participated in the Olympic design competition and made it to the shortlist. It's currently receiving high praise online; you can check it yourself. Additionally, our company has two other spokespersons. If you know them, you can also learn about our product's reputation through their connections."
"As for the endorsement fee not being cheap, well then, make it a bit cheaper! Given my sincerity, of course, I won't ask for it to be exceptionally cheap. Just give us your normal quote, as long as you don't overcharge us. As a fan, I highly respect your commercial value."
"Alright, tomorrow I'll talk to my agent and then discuss these lyrics with Wenshan. Don't worry, if I actually sing it, your name will be added to the lyrics, co-credited with Wenshan."
As a creator, he knew the quality of the lyrics.
Moreover, these lyrics were somewhat similar to a few songs in his album scheduled for release in September this year, both belonging to the Chinese style and ancient rhythm genres.
If added to the album, it wouldn't feel out of place and could even enhance the album further.
"Then I'm going to be famous? Haha, but compared to that, I'd rather you sign with us."
Tan Jincheng didn't refuse.
Although gaining fame with someone else's work might be a bit shameless, after being reborn, why care about such things?
Rebirth itself was the biggest shameless act!
(End of chapter)