Boss Lu: A reborn life is destined to be without regrets!
Chapter 162 - 137. Planning for the Future_2

Chapter 162: 137. Planning for the Future_2

He looked on with interest but heard an unexpected answer.

"Rui Rui isn’t quite up to it."

"?"

Before Zhong Ruixi herself could respond, Wu Zizhi was the first to speak up, "No, buddy..."

"Do you even have any taste?"

"How is she worse off than Fairy Miao, except for not being able to dance?"

Everyone cast curious glances at Lu Jincheng, waiting for him to continue.

In fact, Zhong Ruixi had been quite renowned since her high school days.

Every now and then, people would post on the school forum:

[Sincerely asking, I saw a beauty today at the north gate after school, around 172 cm tall with a high ponytail, so pretty my friend and I couldn’t look away, couldn’t even remember to take a photo, does anyone know who she is?]

[Oh right, she got into an Audi A6.]

At this point, forum members usually knew at a glance, and kind souls would even reply below.

[There are plenty of beauties at No.1 Middle School, but the only one that would make you stare dumbfounded must be one person, little brother.]

[Class 8 of senior year, newly enrolled, right? And you don’t know this?]

[Do more digging, I’ll only give you three letters, and admins please show mercy, zrx.]

If it weren’t for Zhong Ruixi’s dad picking her up every day, the swarm of admirers around her would probably have included a few more of higher calibers.

In the pre-internet boom era of high school, Zhong Ruixi had such an influence, and you’re saying she’s not cut out for live streaming?

Not only was Wu Zizhi puzzled, but the other classmates also didn’t quite understand.

"Actually... I’ve asked him this question a long time ago."

Zhong Ruixi, the person in question, turned and looked at Lu Jincheng’s expression and smiled as she began to speak.

"He said that with my personality, this path isn’t suitable for me, I’m too straightforward."

"Ah?"

"Why?"

Tan Huilin and Pan Xuan asked in unison.

"I was actually talking nonsense at the time."

Lu Jincheng shrugged his shoulders, helped himself to another bite of food, and added leisurely,

"Mainly because..."

"Live streaming is really hard work. It’s tiring, draining, and you have to face a lot of negative energy."

"I’m very protective. I can’t bear to let Rui Rui suffer like that."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than the other classmates, except for Pan Xuan and Zhong Ruixi, took several seconds to understand his meaning.

So Lu Jincheng was...

Was he showing off their love?

Indeed he was!

Zhong Ruixi’s lips were slightly pursed as she turned her head to glance at Lu Jincheng, her eyes shyly reproachful as her cheeks began to show a hint of blush.

"Wow..."

"We’ve got a moment here!"

"Is this the domineering CEO? Can’t bear to let his petite wife suffer even a little!"

Pan Xuan clapped her hands with glee, always the first to join in the teasing.

"Would you pipe down a little!"

Zhong Ruixi didn’t deny it, she merely winked at Pan Xuan.

At this point, even if the rest of the group was slow to catch on, they all fully understood.

Zhong Ruixi and Lu Jincheng...

They’re together?

Wait, when did he end up with Zhong Ruixi?

Damn it, Lu Jincheng deserved to die!

Wu Zizhi stood there stunned, swallowing dryly, unwilling to believe it.

But observing the tacit acknowledgment in Zhong Ruixi’s conversations, the tender affection in her eyes, and the way her body leaned closer, every detail seemed to remind him.

The two were in a relationship!

Wu Zizhi grabbed the glass in front of him and gulped it down with a chilling sensation.

Clown.

A complete clown.

Just moments ago, he was feeling indignant for Zhong Ruixi, saying that Lu Jincheng had no taste.

Damn it, the next thing you know, they’re together!

The beer just taken out from the fridge, with its bone-chilling coldness, seemed warmer compared to the coldness in his heart.

Being the butt of the joke, it felt so cold.

"You two... this is..."

Liu Zhe was a single-celled guy, not only slow on the uptake but also needed someone to provide clear signals before he could be certain.

"Yes, it’s what you’re thinking. Can’t you see?"

Pan Xuan, intent on following the gossip, flashed a smug smile, held up a finger, and circled it in the air around Zhong Ruixi and Lu Jincheng by her side.

"Last time I stealthily snapped a photo of the two of them, I felt they were a perfect match, and look!"

"Not long after, it became a reality, right?"

"Congratulations, congratulations, but Lao Lu, this treat can’t count, you gotta treat us again next time!"

Liu Zhe said, his mouth agape with surprise at Lu Jincheng’s progress while also offering his blessings.

"No problem, no problem at all."

Lu Jincheng smiled and nodded.

"So, are you treating us today to make an official announcement in front of all us single dogs?"

Tan Huilin also joined in the gossip, took a sip of her drink, and asked with narrowed eyes.

"That’s not it."

Lu Jincheng shook his hand and said seriously, "Actually, I wanted to ask if anyone is interested in helping out with some campus promotions."

"Campus promotions?"

Everyone looked at each other, curiosity in their eyes.

"We’re no longer called a studio, we’ve registered our own company, called Golden Stone Media."

Mr. Lu patiently explained.

"So, in recruiting our signed talents, we also need to diversify. Each of you is in a different school, and each school has its own characteristics, which are sure to uncover some truly potential influencers."

"Of course, I wouldn’t have you help out for nothing; there will be commissions for promotion."

"How much?"

Liu Zhe immediately asked.

"It depends on the influencer’s potential, but to start, 1000 for a successful signing. And if you can dig up someone on the level of Fairy Miao, the price is negotiable."

Lu Jincheng wiped his mouth, his face beaming with a smile.

"That much?"

Not only did Liu Zhe’s eyes light up at the price, but Tan Huilin also felt somewhat tempted.

yuan, in 2014, was equivalent to many students’ living expenses for a large part of the month.

Just doing some promotions and discovering a potential influencer to sign would earn you 1000 yuan – that was a lot!

It sounded like a straightforward task, yet Lu Jincheng was willing to pay so much...

"So, what do we need to do?"

Tan Huilin continued to ask.

"You won’t need to worry about materials and copywriting; we have a professional team for that. You might just need to run some ground promotions or proactively contact some campus celebrities."

Lu Jincheng explained.

This strategy actually originated from some later-era MCN organizations that deeply embedded themselves into the campus field and carved out a niche for themselves.

In the later era, over 90% of top influencers on platforms were controlled by top MCN companies.

Under the Matthew effect, the market’s potential bloggers were either already signed or were being targeted by multiple MCN companies.

In such a competitive environment, university amateurs were like an untamed primordial forest.

The advantage of amateurs is that they don’t use any particular tricks or camera operations; they often shine by simply documenting their lives.

This dovetails with the most top-quality influencers, who almost all present their genuine selves after reverting to simplicity.

In the early days of the era’s development, the rapid rise of short video and live-streaming platforms attracted a large number of college students. Campus internet celebrities often emerged from students in art and performance majors, typically breaking out due to their looks combined with musical or dance talents.

But as time slowly passed, more strategic MCN organizations began selecting web celebrities from universities, learning to filter talent from upstream.

They didn’t limit themselves to high-appeal influencers but favored content creators with a more comprehensive set of skills.

Mr. Lu once read a report titled "KOL Ecology Study" from KARST data.

The report showed that in the fastest-growing TOP500 accounts, attractiveness, music, emotions, beauty makeup, and dance were all declining.

The tracks themselves were crowded, and the content lacked innovation.

That is to say, art students needed more than just "good looks"; in the increasingly intense competition, they needed to have a composite competitive edge.

Therefore, launching a major school recruitment campaign and attempting to explore talents from upstream by investing more human and financial resources was a key step to plan for the future.

If he didn’t grab them, competitors would eventually come to snatch them up.

All companies were absolutely sparing no effort in investing time, personnel, and financial and other resources in cultivating influencers.

The cost of hatching an internet star by an MCN was not low.

The main cost came from the configuration of team personnel, including a content team composed of veteran directors and editors, a post-production creativity team made up of photographers, editors, and designers, as well as business, PR, and channel management teams.

"Would our contacts be useful?"

"In other words, will they pay us any attention?"

Liu Zhe was skeptical.

He really wanted to earn that money.

"As long as they want to walk this path, we are the best choice."

The current Mr. Lu was undoubtedly a top player.

Lu Jincheng played with his phone casually, looking relaxed, and inadvertently pressed a button.

It seemed like a mistake, as the sound of a voice message abruptly played through the speaker.

[Mr. Lu~ When will we get paid for the night teaching session?]

The voice was sweet and familiar.

The students sitting there suddenly widened their eyes.