Chapter 95: President Pei's Advice — No Selling Out!
Pei Qian knew—it was time to start filming the next episode.
They had already aired all three episodes prepared before the New Year.
The fourth one was scheduled to go live in three days, so they had to pick up the pace a bit.
But a series like "President Pei's Daily Life"? Once the script was done, the rest—shooting, editing, dubbing—could be wrapped up in just a few hours. It was tailor-made for high-efficiency, mass-production… like a sow giving birth to piglets!
Time-wise, they were totally fine. In fact, maybe even a bit ahead of schedule.
Pei Qian had no choice. The contract was signed, and since he couldn't afford the penalty for breaching it, all he could do was shoot the damn thing honestly.
Either way, the blade was coming down. Better to stretch your neck and get it over with quickly.
Before long, Episode 4 was finished without a hitch.
Zhu Xiaoce peered through his DSLR camera, then flashed an OK sign.
"Perfect! President Pei's acting is as top-notch as ever. Absolutely brilliant."
"As expected, a game designer who doesn't dream of being a movie king isn't a true boss!"
"Oh right—President Pei, Brother Huang asked me to talk to you about a potential sponsorship deal…"
Zhu Xiaoce glanced over at the guest lounge.
Pei Qian instantly understood—he wanted a private chat.
If it were any other topic, Pei Qian would've waved it off and told Zhu Xiaoce and Huang Sibao to handle it themselves.
But the moment he heard the words "sponsorship deal," he perked right up.
"Let's talk in the lounge."
A sponsorship deal… or, in simpler terms, selling out.
Now this was Pei Qian's territory!
If Zhu Xiaoce and Huang Sibao hadn't brought it up, he wouldn't have felt right asking. After all, this was a one-million-yuan investment out of his own pocket. He'd said upfront that he wouldn't interfere, and now that the show was gaining traction, it'd be a bad look to suddenly start micromanaging.
That would ruin the image he'd worked so hard to build.
If the trust was gone, the team would be impossible to lead!
But since Zhu Xiaoce brought it up himself, he finally had some room to maneuver.
In the lounge, Pei Qian leaned in, serious and attentive.
Zhu Xiaoce looked excited. "President Pei, two days ago, we got our first advertisement! Ahem… in other words—we can sell out now!"
"..."
What the hell?!
That fast?!
Pei Qian had expected it to take at least another two or three weeks, maybe even a month, before the first ad deal rolled in.
But the show had barely been airing for a few days, and they already had an offer?!
Keeping his expression calm, Pei asked, "What's the deal?"
Zhu Xiaoce replied, "It's a clothing e-commerce brand. They want us to feature their new T-shirts in an episode."
"They're asking us to have a supporting character say a line of ad copy and wear the shirt. But I think the viewers will understand—it shouldn't be a problem."
Pei Qian went silent for a moment.
"The price?" he asked.
"Five thousand yuan! Not much, I know," Zhu Xiaoce said with a chuckle, "but hey, it's just the beginning. First step and all."
What the actual—
Five thousand yuan?! On the first deal?!
Pei Qian was utterly baffled.
They were offering that much?
Pei didn't have an exact grasp of the going rate for ad placements in web series, but he had a rough idea.
Back in 2010, the general public still looked down on video creators. People who made videos for a living were seen as something close to a joke—some even thought it was disgraceful.
Most content creators with any level of popularity had day jobs. Full-timers? Rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns.
Pei Qian remembered watching a video by Ao Factory Director, where in 2019 he looked back on his first ever sponsorship: In 2011, when his videos only had about 100,000 views each, he landed a promo deal from League of Legends.
And how much did that sponsorship pay?
One thousand yuan.
Yeah. One-freaking-thousand.
Yes—that game, that massive company… and the sponsorship was only 1,000 yuan!
And now his team was being offered five times that amount—right out the gate?!
Even though President Pei's Daily Life was now pulling in 500,000 views per episode, it had only just gone viral! Who could say for certain if this series wouldn't suddenly run out of steam and vanish into the sands of time?
So truth be told, that 5,000 yuan offer was actually pretty reasonable. One might even call it generous.
Of course, that's using the standard rate for regular solo video creators.
If you factor in elements like being part of an IP, exclusive broadcasting, and so on—well, that's a whole different ballgame.
Pei Qian thought for a moment.
"My suggestion is… reject it."
Zhu Xiaoce was visibly surprised.
This was President Pei's own investment.
Surely he should be the one most eager to recoup the cost and turn a profit, right?
"I'm not quite sure I understand. Please enlighten me, President Pei," Zhu Xiaoce said sincerely.
No matter how talented he might be, he was still just a senior in college.
When President Pei spoke, it was always worth listening carefully.
Pei Qian paused thoughtfully, then said, "When starting a business, the most important thing is to think long-term!"
"Sure, a 5,000 yuan sponsorship sounds great."
"All you'd need is one little product placement in the next episode, and boom—easy money. Where else can you find such a sweet deal?"
"But you also need to consider what it would cost you. For one T-shirt placement, it'll either feel stiff and forced, or you'll have to alter the storyline. Would that episode still have the same charm?"
"That's how you ruin your own reputation."
Pei Qian's expression was full of pain and righteous concern, as if he were witnessing the tragic fall of a once-beloved show.
"Next time, what if a cosmetics brand comes knocking? Or a shampoo or body wash company? If your creations revolve around chasing ads, how can you ever do your best work?"
"A strong IP—if it dies because of a few 5,000 yuan sponsorships—wouldn't that be a total waste?"
Zhu Xiaoce was shaken.
As expected—when President Pei speaks, the world just looks different!
I was focused on that 5,000 yuan.
But President Pei was focused on the long-term value of the show's IP!
Is this… what they call vision?
Pei Qian paused again, then spoke with heartfelt sincerity: "You and Huang Sibao—don't feel pressured."
"One million yuan—so what if we lose it all?"
"That's a small matter!"
"To do great things, you must hold firm to your standards. Either the show becomes a breakout hit, or we lose all the money but earn our reputation. The dumbest outcome would be taking tiny profits while destroying our reputation. Got it?"
Zhu Xiaoce nodded like a drumstick hitting a war drum. "Yes, President Pei! I understand!"
Pei Qian calmly took a sip of tea, then said meaningfully, "In fact, if you're open to it, why not establish a sponsorship standard for this series?"
"Product placement? Too crude. Don't even think about it."
"If you take a sponsorship, make it premium custom only!"
"One ad—100,000 yuan! But we're not just being greedy. While others shove in random product shots, you do premium work."
"Each episode, from start to finish, is designed around the client's product—but without compromising on quality or narrative."
"This way, the viewers get a great experience, the sponsor gets great exposure, and the show keeps its good name. It's a win-win-win."
Zhu Xiaoce looked conflicted. "But President Pei, isn't that… asking a bit much? Just getting sponsorships is already hard enough. Now we have to build a high-quality episode around a product too? That's…"
Pei Qian gently shook his head and smiled, tea cup in hand. His gaze toward Zhu Xiaoce was filled with quiet confidence.
"I believe in your talent. And you must believe in yourself too."
Zhu Xiaoce opened his mouth to speak—but no words came out.
President Pei's eyes… had said it all.
"…Yes, President Pei. I understand!" Zhu Xiaoce nodded, this time with full conviction.
<+>
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