Chapter 125: The Official Beginning of the War Against the Entertainment Industry

When Xiao Kaitian arrived at Qing Tang Tianxia, Chen Jingming, Jameson, Ling Xuan, and the head of the newly established film and television department were already fully prepared.

The filming, editing, and post-production of the teaser had been completed, and the next step depended on how it would be promoted. On this matter, Zhao Qixi proposed a plan.

Partnering with major websites or high-traffic video platforms was the conventional approach, but aside from cost considerations, such partners often imposed harsh conditions, leveraging their dominance.

Zhao Qixi’s strategy, however, took a different path. Her plan argued that since the topic already enjoyed some heat online, simply by re-engaging with this buzz through the teaser’s release, attention would naturally follow.

Accordingly, Wang Dong’s website column was brought into play. The teaser would be shown exclusively on the Today’s Focus website—free for the first five minutes, with a fee required thereafter.

This was a wildly audacious marketing strategy. As they reviewed the plan, everyone fell silent. No one had ever done something like this before. The purpose was to promote the film, yet charging viewers what was that about?

Of course, the fee was modest—three yuan per viewer after registering as a member.

Wang Dong wholeheartedly approved of this plan; for his company, it was all gain with no downside.

“This is just the initial phase,” Bai Kou read from the proposal. “Later, we’ll still rely on our original online supporters. After months of hype, the public has developed a certain immunity to the negative comments about ‘Beyond the Firmament.’”

As the saying goes, too much of a bad thing can backfire. Excessive smearing had left audiences fatigued, paradoxically sparking their curiosity about the film. That’s just how netizens think.

“Additionally, we’ll deploy another wave of supporters to stir the pot. The detailed tactics are all outlined here. We’ll also reactivate previous participants from Qixi Media Consulting—they are genuine fans, and their influence is not to be underestimated.”

The group eyed the seemingly paradoxical marketing plan and couldn’t help but lick their lips. Chen Jingming, being a director, was less familiar with promotions; Ling Xuan was the only one with some insight. She swept her long hair aside. “I think it’s worth a try.”

“No, it should be executed,” the new head of the film and television public relations department raised his glasses. “This is a counterintuitive approach. If it goes well, it could hit the mark perfectly.”

“Looking at each element separately, none would be very effective in creating buzz. But when combined, as we’ve discussed, the chance of success is very high.”

“First, the teaser itself is a subversion of traditional technology; it will surely pique public curiosity. Then, charging for viewing will inevitably draw criticism, but that itself creates new discussion. The cumulative effect will be far more than just one plus one equals two.”

That was a very astute observation. Xiao Kaitian lightly tapped his fingers on the polished redwood table. “Wang Dong’s Today’s Focus and Qing Tang Tianxia are probably going to get a lot of flak for a while.”

His comment drew laughter. Wang Dong shrugged. “In our line of work, being criticized is normal. It’s actually another form of fan recognition. The real key is whether the teaser is solid enough.”

Jameson spread his hands in a gesture of uncertainty, while Chen Jingming sneered, “When it comes to film, no one here knows more than I do.”

“Of course,” Wang Dong smiled and turned his face away. Don’t think I don’t know you’re just a mediocre director, but he kept that to himself.

“Then let’s proceed with execution,” Xiao Kaitian decided, officially opening the battle with the entertainment industry.

The teaser’s release was scheduled for 8 p.m. three days later, requiring some preparatory work. Tang Tian contacted well-connected friends, and Guo Lei carefully conveyed the information to everyone who had attended the discussion sessions.

This venture was crucial to Qing Tang Tianxia’s future, so all existing company resources were fully invested.

Yang Damei, a senior in the Economics and Management Department at Haidu Transportation University, had attended two discussion sessions and was an ardent fan of Qixi Media Consulting’s work.

After receiving a confirmation call and a text about the release time, he rubbed some saliva into his palm excitedly, warming his hands.

His upper bunk roommate rolled over and called down, “Damei, there’s a social event with the girls’ dorm tonight. Let’s go have a drink; those girls are pretty generous.”

“A social event?” Yang Damei shook his head quickly. “No thanks, no fun, just a waste of money. Besides, I have plans tonight—I’m going to watch the live stream.”

“What live stream?” His roommate’s interest was piqued. He jumped down and peered at the computer screen. “Some new internet celebrity?”

“Come on, do you think I’m that lowbrow?” Yang Damei crossed his legs and lit a cigarette. “It’s Qixi Media Consulting, or rather, the teaser for Qing Tang Tianxia’s movie, the one they mentioned at the press conference.”

“They say it can create artificial organs or something—it’s supposed to be a cutting-edge technological innovation. I’ve been to a few of their sessions; it’s pretty novel.”

“Man,” his roommate frowned. “That’s just movie props, made to look real. With post-production CGI, it’s all illusion. You really believe that stuff? Sounds like a publicity stunt to me.”

Yang Damei exhaled smoke, not so easily swayed. “I don’t think so. Qing Tang Tianxia is a big project. Plus, they’re challenging Su’s Film Group from the entertainment industry—no way they’d fake it.”

“Hmm,” his roommate scoffed. “I checked out Qing Tang Tianxia—it’s run by some graduate from Zhen’an University named Xiao something. Everyone says he’s an idiot.”

“That just makes it more interesting,” Yang Damei said, ignoring his roommate. He quickly typed the URL from the message and switched to the Today’s Focus column page.

The four bold characters “Beyond the Firmament” stood prominently at the top center of the page. Since the film hadn’t started yet and no original artwork was available, the page looked a bit plain. Below were a few scattered promotional articles, but the most eye-catching element was the link to the teaser.

Clicking in revealed a red countdown timer.

“Building anticipation, huh?” Yang Damei blew out smoke. “Not sure how good the teaser is. Qing Tang Tianxia’s first battle against the entertainment industry—if they lose, things will get tricky.”

As he muttered, he overlooked the small paid viewing notice below and opened Weibo to check the trending topics related to the teaser.

Sure enough, it was a topic that had maintained steady heat recently. With the teaser’s buildup, it was already on the verge of entering the list of hot topics.