Chapter 1006 The Birth of Commercials
Lao Nanfeng had never heard of such a proposition. "Help you promote?" he asked, intrigued. "How exactly would that work?"
Liu Maopao explained, "I'd like to invite Miss Chen to wear one of the wool sweaters woven at my factory, and then film a short video where she displays a very happy, warm expression and says, 'This wool sweater makes me feel so warm I could just doze off.'"
Lao Nanfeng looked utterly bewildered. "That's it?"
Liu Maopao nodded. "Just like that!"
Lao Nanfeng pressed, "So, you just want that one line, filmed into a short video, and then handed over to you?"
Liu Maopao nodded. "Yes, and I'm willing to pay a hundred taels of silver for this short film."
"A hundred taels?" Chen Yuanyuan gasped, astonished. That sum was more than what Zhu Piaoling had paid to buy her freedom from the Pear Garden. Such a massive amount of money, just for her to speak a single sentence and star in a short video? It seemed utterly extravagant.
She couldn't believe she was worth that much.
Lao Nanfeng's curiosity was piqued. "Son, you're shelling out so much for a mere clip. Isn't that a losing venture? How many sweaters will you have to sell just to break even?"
Lao Nanfeng stared blankly.
Liu Maopao elaborated, "Before each of your film screenings, there's a brief interval, isn't there? That moment when the audience is finding their seats, before the movie officially starts?"
Lao Nanfeng nodded slowly. "Yes, there is that interval."
Liu Maopao continued, "Then, sell me that time for a hundred taels of silver. We'll use it to play the short video Miss Chen and I just filmed."
Lao Nanfeng scoffed, "Young man, what good is that 'dead air' time to you? It's just a fleeting moment. You'll show Chen Yuanyuan speaking one line, and you expect to sell sweaters? And you're willing to pay a hundred taels for it?"
Liu Maopao chuckled. "An astute businessman understands the true value of time."
Lao Nanfeng could only shake his head, a mixture of amusement and exasperation on his face. "An astute businessman, he says? This is just a child's folly!" He added, "This is madness. Does your father, who's rolling in money, know about this recklessness?"
Liu Maopao calmly replied, "My father doesn't need to involve himself. Every share of the Warm and Sleepy Textile Factory belongs to me; he doesn't own even a tenth of it."
Lao Nanfeng stared in shock.
That put Lao Nanfeng in an awkward spot. "I wouldn't dare take a hundred taels from you," he admitted. "People would accuse me of being greedy. How about this: I'll screen it for you for free."
"Oh? Free won't do at all," Liu Maopao declared with a stern expression. "Uncle Nanfeng, things given for free rarely last."
Lao Nanfeng blinked.
Liu Maopao explained, "Once my advertisement becomes a sensation, other merchants will undoubtedly imitate my strategy. They'll come to you, Uncle Nanfeng, wanting to secure that brief pre-movie slot. If you give me that time for free, but others offer to pay, you'll surely sell it to them."
Lao Nanfeng laughed. "You little rascal, are you really so confident that brief moment will become such hot property?"
"Absolutely!" Liu Maopao stated, earnest and unwavering. "To ensure they won't dare to snatch it, or won't be able to afford to, I'm paying a hundred taels upfront to secure that slot. And in the future, depending on demand, I'll even increase the price. So, if anyone offers more than me, please, Uncle Nanfeng, don't just sell the time to them directly. Contact me, and I can raise my offer further, within reasonable limits, to ensure that time remains exclusively mine."
Lao Nanfeng realized he was starting to lose track of what these youngsters were thinking.
This generation of youngsters, like Liu Maopao, had grown up studying the Heavenly Books bestowed by the Heavenly Lord. They had all absorbed, to some extent, knowledge from the celestial realm, which to Lao Nanfeng, was nothing short of divine scripture itself.
Lao Nanfeng sighed. "Fine, then, but don't come sniveling to me if you lose your money. I can't stand a crying child; it's more vexing than a battle on the front lines."
Liu Maopao smiled confidently. "Don't worry, Uncle Nanfeng."
And so, the deal was struck.
Zhebu unslung a small bundle from his back, revealing several beautifully knitted wool sweaters inside. Chen Yuanyuan selected two of the most appealing ones and slipped into the dressing room.
A moment later, she emerged, snugly wrapped in a wonderfully warm wool sweater.
The Stars Performing Arts Agency already had a camera ready. She stepped in front of the lens, turned to face it, and offered a sweet, blissful smile. "Wearing this wool sweater," she said, "I feel so warm I could just doze off."
And just like that, the filming was complete!
A perfect take!
Chen Yuanyuan gracefully stepped aside, and Zhebu and E'zhe took her place before the camera. They, too, had changed into traditional Mongolian attire, each holding a generous handful of wool. Together, they presented guileless, earnest smiles to the lens. "We are descendants of Genghis Khan," they declared, "and we have always raised sheep on the grasslands. Our wool is truly the finest!"
Only then did Liu Maopao step into the frame from off-camera, his hands resting on the shoulders of the two Mongolian youngsters. He smiled at the camera. "Warm and Sleepy brand wool sweaters," he announced, "woven from the finest wool of the Mongolian grasslands, will keep you cozy all winter long."
"Cut!"
Filming concluded.
Lao Nanfeng's staff quickly performed some light post-production on the video, enhancing the visuals, adjusting the colors, and creating a backup.
They then copied it onto a memory card and handed it to Liu Maopao. "This memory card was bestowed by the Heavenly Lord, a divine artifact from the heavens," the staff member cautioned. "You must transport it with extreme care, store it safely, and return it immediately after use."
Liu Maopao nodded. "Understood! I'll take this card with me. As for the pre-movie slot, I'll leave that in your capable hands, Uncle Nanfeng."
Lao Nanfeng waved a dismissive hand. "Don't worry, I'll have it scheduled momentarily."
Liu Maopao paid his two hundred taels of silver, instructed the two Mongolian youngsters to carry the oversized memory card, and the trio swiftly boarded a train back to Gao Family Village...
Lao Nanfeng watched their retreating figures, shaking his head in bewildered amusement. "These youngsters nowadays are truly something," he muttered. "I'll never understand the things they've got rattling around in their minds."
Cai Lin smiled. "You don't need to understand those things, Brother Nanfeng. You are a general who conquered an empire; simply hand the reins to them and watch these lads do their thing."
Lao Nanfeng chuckled. "Hahaha, you're right."
An hour later, at the Puzhou Grand Theater.
A crowd of moviegoers streamed into the theater, scanning the seat numbers to find their places. It wasn't even time for the show to begin, yet the enormous screen suddenly flared to life.
Everyone exchanged startled glances. "Huh? We haven't even found our seats, and the movie's starting already? What's going on?"
But they quickly realized it wasn't the feature film.
It was an advertisement for wool sweaters.
Chen Yuanyuan, her sweet smile gracing the screen, addressed the audience beyond the lens: "I feel so warm I could just doze off..."
With that single line, the audience was utterly captivated.
The moment the movie concluded, that same captivated audience streamed directly to the Warm and Sleepy Puzhou branch store.
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