socalfunplaces Chapter 238 Inviting Xu Manlin to be a judge
Chapter 238 Inviting Xu Manlin to be a judge
"Sister Manlin," on the way to Xingyao, Lu Ran seemed to have thought of something and asked again, "I have no objection to Myth Entertainment joining. We'll have the legal department handle the specific terms of cooperation later. But there's a question I'd like to ask first—"
"What's the problem?"
"What was Tencent's reaction after you rejected them?"
Xu Manlin thought for a moment: "There's been no reaction yet. But I reckon they won't let this go easily. After all, they've already taken over sixteen companies, so one more won't make a difference. But if we publicly side with TUTU, they'll definitely cause trouble."
Lu Ran nodded.
Of course he knew.
Tencent's sixteen companies are just the first wave.
At this rate, the second and third waves will come soon.
At that time, all the prominent entertainment companies in China will be involved.
"Moreover," Xu Manlin added, "I heard that Tencent is also in contact with several larger companies. Huayi Brothers, Tianyu Media, and Shaocheng Entertainment are all on the list. If these companies are also acquired, your three-way alliance might not be able to withstand the pressure."
Lu Ran was thinking as he drove.
Huayi, Tianyu, and Shaocheng—these three companies, while not as large as Xingguang Xinghua Xingyao, are not far behind.
Huayi, in particular, has several top-tier artists under its wing, and its fan base is quite solid.
If Tencent were to acquire them, along with those sixteen mid-sized entertainment companies, their combined strength on paper would indeed surpass that of the "Sanxingdui Group".
We need to be prepared for a protracted battle with Weibo, WeChat, and Tencent, the company behind WeChat.
Lu Ran's side certainly won't collapse so quickly, so Tencent needs to acquire more companies. That way, even if Lu Ran's side ultimately loses, Tencent can use the entertainment companies it acquires to form a new group, exclusively under the Tencent umbrella.
However, Lu Ran was no pushover either.
If Tencent keeps spending money to acquire users, Lu Ran might actually worry that he won't be able to survive until the end, but with so many entertainment companies acquired, Lu Ran isn't afraid at all.
In terms of his works, the works in his mind are more than all these companies combined.
What he has in abundance is his body of work.
Moreover, in the battle for users, they haven't really fallen behind. As long as they maintain this pace, it won't be so easy for Tencent to snatch users from them.
Lu Ran countered, "Sister Manlin, do you think I won solely based on my theoretical abilities?"
Xu Manlin did not understand what Lu Ran meant.
Lu Ran continued, "Tencent has money, people, and resources; they can acquire as many companies as they want. But what happens after they've acquired them? Can those artists and their fans seamlessly transition to WeChat Weibo? Can they feel a sense of belonging like the 'Left-Behind Rabbits Alliance'?"
"No," he answered himself. "Because they have no roots. Their roots are in their original company and platform. WeChat Weibo is just a new channel, a tool. No matter how good a tool is, users won't have any emotional attachment to it."
"But TUTU is different. TUTU users truly consider this place their home."
Xu Manlin listened, seemingly lost in thought.
She understood what Lu Ran meant.
It's not arrogance, it's clear-headedness.
He knew where his strengths lay, and he also knew where his opponent's weaknesses lay.
"So," she asked, "what are you planning to do?"
"There is definitely a solution, but before that, I'd like to ask you for a favor, Sister Manlin."
"What kind of help?"
Lu Ran smiled but didn't say anything, glancing at Shen Yuege out of the corner of his eye.
Shen Yuege understood and said, "Sister Manlin, there's something I'd like to ask you for help with."
"you say."
"The Super Girl finals are about to begin," Shen Yuege said. "The top 36 will be narrowed down to 20, then 20 to 12, 12 to 6, 6 to 3, and finally the grand finals—all broadcast live. I'd like to invite you to be a judge."
Xu Manlin was stunned.
Judges?
Super Girl?
she?
"Are you...are you sure?" she asked uncertainly.
The Super Girl competition has become increasingly popular recently, and she had long been optimistic about the show.
After thinking about it, she felt that Shen Yuege's invitation to her to be a judge was partly an acknowledgment of her status, and partly an attempt to help her return to her peak.
After six months of silence, Xu Manlin's fame has faded considerably.
Although her return to China this time is intended to revitalize her career, if she can really become a judge on "Super Girl," she will definitely use this show to regain popularity.
If he could prove his abilities on the show, he could maximize his exposure.
Xu Manlin couldn't even think of a reason to refuse.
"Okay." She nodded. "Since you've invited me, I'll come."
Shen Yuege smiled: "Then it's settled. You'll be a guest judge for the top 20 elimination round next week. The production team will coordinate the process with you in advance."
"OK."
Lu Ran watched this scene from the side and silently gave Shen Yuege a thumbs up in his heart.
That was a brilliant move.
Having Xu Manlin as a judge would not only demonstrate the unity of the alliance, but also give Xu Manlin some exposure and make her feel more at home in the alliance.
Killing three birds with one stone.
Of course, this suggestion was something he and Shen Yuege had thought of on their way here, and he didn't expect Xu Manlin to agree so readily.
"Oh, right," he suddenly remembered something, "Sister Manlin, besides the Myth Entertainment matter, do you have any other plans for coming back this time?"
Xu Manlin thought for a moment and said, "I want to release a new song."
"A new song?"
"Yes," Xu Manlin said. "During the past six months abroad, I've learned a lot and written a few songs. Although they can't compare to your masterpieces, I think they're alright. I'd like to find an opportunity to release them."
Lu Ran nodded: "I can help you with the song release promotion later. TUTU can also provide you with some resources."
"That's great," Xu Manlin laughed. "But let's make it clear first, I don't have any money to pay for the 'GG' fee."
"No need to pay." Lu Ran smiled as well. "Consider it a welcome gift for our new teammates."
"Hahahaha..." The group burst into laughter.
...
After signing the contract, Lu Ran also saw Xu Manlin off.
As soon as Lu Ran drove away, Xu Manlin took out her phone and sent a message to Xu Manxue:
I met your boss and his wife today. Your boss's wife is really impressive.
Xu Manxue replied instantly:
Of course! Sister Shen is my idol! Sister, you finally admitted it!
...
That evening, in the study.
Lu Ran sat in front of the computer, while simultaneously monitoring the popularity score on the system panel in his mind.
Current popularity rating: 78,234,567
Sixty-eight million.
During this period, TUTU users surged, "Super Girl" continued to be a hit, and with the influence of WeChat, Lu Ran's popularity rose faster than expected.
"Sixty-eight million..." Lu Ran muttered to himself, "Spending a few million to download songs isn't too much, is it?"
He typed in the search box:
【华语乐坛1990-2025年经典歌曲500首（非2000-2010年TOP100）】
—The search requires 5,000,000 popularity points. Confirm?
five million.
For Lu Ran, who now possesses 68 million, it's nothing.
confirm.
The next second, a massive amount of information flooded into my mind—
TOP500 Jin Haixin's "So Proud", TOP499... (2000 words omitted here to avoid getting beaten up.)
...