Capital Gambling Why Don't You Just Fly to the Sky

After chatting with Third Sister for quite a while, they also touched on some investment topics.

Third Sister’s situation was good—everything was stable and smooth.

There was really no need for Young Master Cao to worry.

Back in his own room, he took a shower and changed clothes.

He washed away the lingering smell of alcohol.

Then he opened his computer.

He glanced at the recent posts on the forum.

Ever since the "Stock God" said his farewell with a “see you later,” the forum had been thick with despair.

Now, some posts were even pleading for the Stock God to come back.

People, huh.

Only after losing something do you realize what it means to cherish it.

Those who used to curse the Stock God had mostly gone silent.

Even in casual chats, the name Stock God would pop up from time to time.

No matter the grudges or hatred, that was all in the past.

Looking back now, the Stock God really had something special.

What he said—did we miss it?

Apparently not.

Compared to those dumbass experts, the Stock God was definitely a breath of fresh air.

Though his insults were a bit harsh, thinking back, he was mostly cursing those who spoke rudely or other so-called experts.

For ordinary doubts and insults, the Stock God rarely bothered to respond.

Various emotions piled up more and more.

The longer he was gone, the more everyone missed him.

But Cao Cheng still ignored it all, just browsing the forum to see how everyone was doing.

Seeing that things weren’t going well for them, Cao Cheng finally felt a bit relieved.

This is just the beginning...

Even though the market had dropped significantly, it was still fluctuating above 4200 points.

4200 points, my friend—that’s a rare high level for the future.

Just wait a little longer.

Soon it’ll fall to 3000.

Once it breaks 3000, that’s when I’ll come out to harvest the wave of emotions...

Satisfied, he drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

...

The next day,

A piece of insider news shook half the entertainment industry.

Talent shows had been all the rage these past two years.

Now suddenly, some ‘capital’—a rich second-generation heir—was stepping in to cash in, and people could understand that.

Making money isn’t shameful.

Take last year’s "Happy Boys" for example—they made a full 200 million yuan.

And the top contestants from the show kept generating income afterward, continuously making money. The profits were huge, who wouldn’t be jealous?

What does 200 million mean?

Nowadays, there’s no short-video craze, no era where everyone makes a billion yuan, so 200 million is still a lot of money.

To put it simply,

The highest-grossing domestic movies barely make over 200 million yuan, like last year’s "Transforming Steel" and "The Warlord’s Oath."

After splitting profits, how many thousands could investors actually make?

So,

All the capable TV stations were running talent shows.

“What?”

“Du Shao?”

“Fifty million to hire program mentors?”

“Four mentors? That’s, that’s... two hundred million just for mentors? Is he crazy?”

“Add production, sound, labor, stage costs, promotion, and so on—it’ll cost three hundred million?”

“Does Miracle Media have that kind of money?”

“This rich kid must be an idiot. Why doesn’t he just fly to the sky?”

Once the news broke,

Many entertainment departments at TV stations were stunned.

They swore openly.

Last year, the "Happy Boys" budget was officially reported as 60 million.

Yet, just at the start of the year, while everyone was still preparing new shows,

Miracle suddenly came in and threw out a three hundred million price tag?

They’d lost their minds.

Miracle’s move was basically wrecking the market’s pricing system.

In plain terms, it was price gouging.

So,

Miracle offered this price.

So, does this mean the fees for judges and mentors on other shows will have to go up too?

We’re all in the same circle—similar reputations, similar status. We see each other all the time. If they’re asking for fifty million, can’t I just ask for twenty million and call it even?

It’s not about the money.

It’s about the level of prestige.

That’s what the entertainment industry cares about the most!

Four judges on “Happy Boys” alone—that’s eighty million already.

That’s almost the entire production budget from last year.

Damn.

When did money become so worthless?

…

People inside the industry quietly started to ask around.

Honestly, the news is spot on.

It was none other than the big boss of Miracle Media, the legendary “foolish” rich second-generation heir, Young Master Cao, who personally made the call. He said if you can’t get people to come, it’s because you’re not offering enough money.

Look at how bold he is!

Right after, he immediately raised the mentor fees to fifty million.

Is he treating money like toilet paper?

Doesn’t he realize fifty million could produce an entire show?

There’s also talk that Miracle Media is aiming to create the most badass talent show in the country.

All other shows are garbage in comparison.

The last part wasn’t confirmed, but that’s how the rumor spread.

Can anyone tolerate this?

Several talent show production companies and TV stations teamed up and quietly issued a warning within the circle—a kind of soft boycott.

They told everyone not to collaborate with a flashy rich kid like Miracle Media.

This show is doomed to fail.

“Old Yang, I know fifty million is a lot. Believe me, I’m tempted too. But… this kind of deal is a one-time thing. If we agree to this demand, we’re basically offending half the industry. It’ll be hard to survive later on,” Old Yang’s manager was trying to persuade and comfort him.

Singer Yang gritted his teeth: “Talent shows are easy work and pay well. They make more money than my concerts.”

“I know, I know. But, Old Yang, we have to think long-term. Miracle Media may have money, but no matter how rich they are, they can’t afford to take losses repeatedly.”

The manager analyzed, “This rich kid is probably just spending family money. It’s not like his family prints money. This time, he openly broke the industry’s pricing system and went against everyone. How many people do you think he’s pissed off? Who wants him to succeed?”

“If this new show tanks in ratings, advertisers won’t come.”

“Whatever they spend, they’ll lose.”

“Think about it—how many companies can afford to lose three hundred million in one go?”

“Even the richest would be badly hurt.”

“So…”

“This kind of company is destined to be a firework—bright and dazzling, but short-lived.”

The manager’s words made sense.

But,

Old Yang shook his head: “The higher the industry’s price standard, the better it is for us. We shouldn’t help those people suppress Miracle Media. Even if we don’t work with them, there’s no need to make enemies. We might as well fan the flames—it won’t hurt us.”

The manager was surprised: “I didn’t expect this from you, Old Yang. That’s a refreshing way of thinking. Very good, really good…”

He laughed: “You’re right. The more you earn, the better it is for both of us. But first, we have to make sure we can stay popular and survive in this industry.”

“Besides, this time Miracle raising the mentor fees actually has its hidden benefits. Other companies will inevitably follow suit and raise their prices, so don’t worry, I’ll help you negotiate this.”

“After all, you’ve turned down Miracle twice already. They even said that this year’s Fast Girl contest will give you a judge mentor spot.”

“Those Fast Girl contestants, don’t you think they’re quite appealing? Hehehe…”

Singer Yang grinned widely: “Hehehe…”

Every circle is about interests.

Especially the entertainment industry—a stage for fame and fortune.

If you don’t get fame, you have to get benefits. That’s non-negotiable.

So,

those mentors who previously rejected Miracle definitely got something in return. Otherwise, only fools would say no.

This time was no different.

Even though Miracle put a five-million price tag on the table to invite Singer Yang, Singer Sun, and that other singer again,

the three seemed to hesitate for a moment.

But just two days later, they refused again.

It was expected.

…

Miracle.

Sister Ali called Cao Cheng and explained the whole situation.

Cao Cheng chuckled, “I figured as much. Keep moving forward with the plan, then come see me openly. Let’s keep stirring up the entertainment industry.”

“Got it, boss.” Sister Ali hung up.

Soon,

a buzz spread throughout the circle.

Sister Ali personally called various friends and spread the word.

It was basically an official announcement from Miracle.

“Five million mentor fees, first come, first served. Only four seats available, vacancies waiting to be filled. Interested parties can contact Miracle Media privately.”

“Additionally, TV stations cooperating on variety shows can receive corresponding revenue shares. We’ll sign a performance-based contract: if the ratings don’t reach 2, and the average ratings can’t secure first place in the full time slot, we’ll compensate the cooperating station with 100 million yuan!”

“I’m not targeting anyone in particular, but all the talent shows here are garbage!”

Arrogant, domineering.

In short,

money paves the way.

Pure nouveau riche swagger.

It made insiders feel as if they’d just eaten something foul.

Who in the industry can make this kind of money?

Throwing this much cash at a lousy show?

Is this even playable?

And daring to sign a performance contract with TV stations?

This was exactly what the TV variety departments loved most—guaranteed profits from a show, and if the ratings hit the mark, everyone gets credit.

Even if they don’t, there’s still the 100 million compensation.

No way they’d lose money!

The term ‘capital performance contract’ was still pretty new in China.

The first case was only a few years ago, between Morgan and Mengniu.

Reportedly, Morgan won four hundred million yuan.

But the losers also gained a lot in the end, with their Hong Kong stocks soaring.

It was a win-win.

So,

in the entertainment world, this was still a novel concept. Many TV variety departments started making moves.

As news spread, TV stations across the country began contacting Sister Ali, inquiring about the performance contract details.

This made other entertainment companies uneasy.

But it seemed impossible to suppress.

After all, it wasn’t a hard ban; everyone was still in cooperative relationships or just watching from the sidelines.

If there’s profit to be made, who wouldn’t be the first to jump in?

In just a short time, this single piece of news almost declared the disbanding of the villain alliance within the industry.

Having money really does let you do whatever you want!

But…

The story didn’t end there.

A few industry giants raised some doubts.

“Does Miracle really have that much money? Throwing around three hundred million one minute, betting a hundred million the next…”

“I wouldn’t even dare to burn that much money as a ritual offering.”

“Is Miracle just full of hot air?”

In response to everyone’s skepticism,

Miracle quickly fired back.

Sister Ali personally went to Rich Bay to find the Miracle heir.

The word on the street was that the rich second generation was so arrogant he slammed down a bank card showing a balance of three hundred million in cash.

Granted, this was a personal account, separate from the company’s official funds.

But still,

It indirectly proved that the heir was genuinely wealthy.

Who would just leave three hundred million sitting idly in a bank card?

Don’t they know how much money they’re losing every day by doing that?

Those with connections did a little digging and actually confirmed through a commercial bank that the heir was indeed loaded — those three hundred million were real.

Now…

Forget about the radio station’s variety show department, even the industry giants swallowed hard.