MMB Chapter 71 Return and Planning
Chapter 71 Return and Planning
Lin Feng returned to Xichuan, where spring was much warmer than in Beijing.
After about a week of running around, he finally got the most important thing done. He took a taxi directly back to Xichuan University of Technology.
Students are returning to school one after another, and the campus is starting to come alive again.
Lin Feng returned to dormitory 407.
"Brother Feng, you're back!"
Li Hao was playing Counter-Strike on his computer when he heard a noise and turned around. His character in the game was immediately shot in the head.
Wang Peng immediately stood up to greet him: "Brother Feng, how's everything going?"
"It's settled." Lin Feng put his backpack into the wardrobe.
"Awesome!" Li Hao rubbed his hands together. "Did you really get that 'Mouse and Rice' song?"
"《Mice Love Rice》." Lin Feng corrected him, "The copyright has been completely cleared, and we even re-recorded a version in the best studio in Beijing. Give it a listen."
He took out a USB drive and handed it to Li Hao.
Li Hao plugged the USB drive into the computer and found the audio file.
As the intro began, Li Hao raised an eyebrow. When Yang Chengang's voice came on, he clicked his tongue: "I must say, this version is better than the one circulating online. The vocals are much clearer."
Wang Peng listened attentively, and only spoke after the chorus had finished: "This is a bit explicit, is it suitable as a ringtone?"
"suitable!"
"How much did it cost?" Li Hao asked.
"Thirty-five thousand. We've spent everything we needed to; now it's just a matter of whether we can earn it back."
"Definitely!" Li Hao said confidently. "You have no idea how popular our song 'Lilac Flower' is right now. I went to the convenience store yesterday, and the female owner's phone ringtone was this song. This song, 'Mice Love Rice,' has such a down-to-earth name, it'll definitely work too."
Wang Peng adjusted his glasses: "However, the two songs are quite different in style. 'Lilac Flower' carries a touch of melancholy, while 'Mice Love Rice' is much sweeter. Perhaps we should change our promotional strategy?"
"We'll discuss this in the meeting tomorrow." Lin Feng glanced at the time; it was almost seven o'clock. "Have you guys eaten yet?"
"No, not yet," Li Hao grinned. "Let's go, the cafeteria probably doesn't have much good food left. Shall we grab some from the food stalls near the side gate?"
"OK."
The three went downstairs. The streetlights on campus were sparse. The food street near the side gate was bustling, with many returning students gathered in front of the shops, and the restaurants were full.
They went to their usual Sichuan restaurant and ordered a few dishes. While waiting for the food, Li Hao started talking about his winter break.
"You wouldn't believe it, but all the music stores near my house are playing 'Lilac Flower.' When I told my mom we were collaborating with the singer of this song to develop ringtones and sell MP3s, she just wouldn't believe me."
Wang Peng laughed: "My cousin went even further; she copied the song lyrics into her diary, saying she wanted to show it to the boy she had a crush on. Is this how young girls express themselves these days?"
"It's a hit song." Lin Feng poured himself a cup of hot water and covered it with his hand.
The dishes were served, and the three of them ate and chatted. Lin Feng gave a general account of his trip to the capital.
Afterwards, Lin Feng called Xu Qiang. Following Lin Feng's instructions, Xu Qiang rented an office at the startup incubator. The office was basically ready in the last few days and would be usable tomorrow.
"The office?" Li Hao, who was standing nearby, heard this and his eyes lit up.
"Yeah, I rented a room." Lin Feng hung up the phone. "It's on the second floor of the startup incubator. We can't keep talking in the dorm or activity room all the time."
"It should have been done a long time ago!" Li Hao nodded. "We have a company now, we need to have a storefront."
The next morning at 10:00 AM, Room 207, second floor of the business incubation center.
The room wasn't large, about 30 square meters, with white walls and light gray flooring. Several desks were placed against the wall, equipped with computers and printers.
Several cardboard boxes were piled up in the corner, containing newly arrived office supplies. In a small partition on the other side, there was a rectangular conference table surrounded by several folding chairs.
Xu Qiang, Su Wan, Liu Qian, Tan Zhao, and Shen Jingyi all arrived early. Wang Peng and Li Hao arrived on time with Lin Feng.
"Please sit down."
Everyone was present. Lin Feng glanced around and announced a few things.
"First, with the new semester starting, the Digital Music Club's activities need to resume. Jingyi, you'll be in charge of leading these activities, including recruitment, daily activities, and monthly themes. You'll be responsible for the plans, and anyone needing assistance can contact me or others."
Shen Jingyi nodded: "Okay. I'll come up with a plan this week."
"Secondly," Lin Feng looked at Xu Qiang, "regarding the MP3s, please summarize the sales situation of the various campus agents. The first batch of goods after the Spring Festival is already on its way; once it arrives, distribution needs to be expedited. Also, start expanding the agent network to new schools; the agent model can be replicated."
Xu Qiang pulled a small notebook from his pocket: "I was just about to tell you. Several students from the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, the Sports University, and the Minzu University of China have contacted me, wanting to become my agents. I had a preliminary chat with them, and it seems to be going well. Shall we arrange to meet them this week?"
"Sure. You take charge, character and execution are paramount," Lin Feng emphasized. "The pricing policy will remain the same. The first batch can be smaller, and we'll see how it performs."
"clear."
"Third, the ringback tone service. How are the data for 'Lilac'?"
Liu Qian opened the ledger: "Stable. The daily download volume is maintained between 800 and 1,200, and can reach 1,500 on holidays. Last month's settlement payment has been received, and the portion allocated to Tang Lei according to the agreed ratio has also been transferred."
"Hmm." Lin Feng opened his laptop, clicked on an audio file, and said, "This is a new song, 'Mice Love Rice.' I went to Beijing this time and got the ringtone rights for this song."
He pressed play.
The song filled the office. The simple melody and straightforward lyrics made it far superior in quality to the versions circulating online.
After listening to it once, Xu Qiang spoke first: "This song... is quite catchy."
Wang Peng said, "It's better than those online before."
Su Wan thought for a moment: "It feels like a completely different style from 'Lilacs.' This one is more... direct?"
"Yes, 'Lilac Flower' relies on a story and emotions, and needs to be built up. This song doesn't need that; it just needs to be heard, and ideally, people should be able to remember the melody after hearing it only once."
Lin Feng continued, "What we need to do is implement it on campuses. Once I've finalized the deal with XunJie and launched the ringback tones, we'll arrange for Yang Chengang to come to Chengdu for a campus tour. Just like when Tang Lei came last time, he'll sing live and promote the show on the spot."
"Is Yang Chengang coming in person?" Xu Qiang asked.
"Yes. I have no problem having him come," Lin Feng said. "Jingyi, you can plan something. This semester, the Digital Music Club could organize a 'Campus Folk Song Festival' and include Tang Lei and Yang Chengang. You can think of the specific format, but it needs to be something that can boost ringtone downloads."
Shen Jingyi's eyes lit up: "That's a good idea. We can do a series of performances based on a theme, highlighting one song at each show, and encouraging audiences to download the songs on stage."
"That's the idea," Lin Feng nodded. "But this time we need to be faster. As soon as XunJie goes live, our event needs to follow suit. We can't let the momentum die down."
"Site, equipment, approvals..." Shen Jingyi had already begun to plan.
"Make a list of these, and we'll work together to figure out the solutions for anything that needs coordination," Lin Feng said. "Tan Zhao, you'll work with Jingyi; you're familiar with the campus channels."
"Okay. No problem."
"Finally, we're short-staffed. Xu Qiang has to handle agency work, Su Wan has to manage publicity, Jingyi is in charge of events, Wang Peng handles all the technical aspects, Liu Qian manages finances, and Tan Zhao manages logistics. We need to hire more people."
"What kind of people are you looking for?" Su Wan asked.
"Two types," Lin Feng said. "One type is someone who can run around and talk a good game, helping Xu Qiang expand and maintain campus channels. The other type is someone who can create content, helping you with copywriting, design, and online management. Part-time or full-time is fine, but they need to be reliable and hardworking."
He looked at Su Wan and Liu Qian: "Which of you has time? Put up a job posting this week, post it on the school bulletin board and also on the school intranet. The salary will be market rate, but make sure it's clear that this job is demanding and stressful, and there will be bonuses for good performance."
"I'll draft it," Su Wan said. "Liu Qian, you oversee the compensation section."
Liu Qian nodded.
"Okay, that's settled then." Lin Feng glanced at his watch. "Xu Qiang, you start contacting agents this afternoon. Wang Peng, process the audio files; I'm meeting with Manager Zhang from XunJie Audio later. Jingyi, give me the club activity plan for this week. Meeting adjourned."
Everyone stood up. Lin Feng called out to Su Wan, "Come with me to see Manager Zhang from XunJie Audio. You can discuss the promotion strategy for this song with him."
"No problem," Su Wan readily agreed.