Chapter 889
MP3 Samples Produced
How much money can you make by making movies?
Even if you make a blockbuster commercial film that is both critically acclaimed and commercially successful, how much profit can you actually make?
And music.
Promoting a superstar can certainly generate substantial profits, but that's about it.
Lu Yang's goal was never these small-scale industries.
Even if it meant acquiring Jay Chou, the future king of Mandopop.
It was simply because it happened by chance.
It just so happens that Lu Yang needs digital music copyrights to realize his MP3 digital music copyright plan.
Otherwise, given his status as a reborn individual, knowing the precarious situations of so many singers and actors before they became famous and were at the bottom of society, he could sign whomever he wanted, if he so desired. He might not be able to catch them all, but he could definitely catch 80% of the fish in the pond if he cast his net.
That would be so boring.
Lu Yang wasn't reborn to become some kind of entertainment industry godfather.
He shook his head slightly, his fingertips unconsciously tapping the smooth walnut tabletop, producing a low, thumping sound.
"Music seems a bit better? Producing a superstar can indeed bring a continuous and considerable cash flow through endorsements, commercial performances, and record sales. Jay Chou... his talent is beyond doubt, and his name will be remembered in the Chinese music scene ten or even twenty years from now."
However, a faint, almost indifferent smile appeared on his lips.
"But that's all, just a small-scale operation." These four words came out of his mouth with a clear and decisive overview of the whole situation. "The profits brought by a superstar are just a small ripple on the surface of a vast business empire."
A knock on the door broke the brief silence.
"Enter."
Lu Nini pushed open the door and entered. She walked quickly to the desk and gently placed several brand-new MP3 players of different colors on the table. "Boss, Langke really does have samples! And not just one color. They asked me to take a few more to try and give feedback." Her tone was cheerful, and her love for the new products was evident.
Lu Yang glanced at the "new members" that had suddenly appeared on the table. In addition to the ones that were already in his drawer, there were now several more brought by Lu Nini. They were red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue and purple, like scattered little gems, sparkling with the beauty of industrial design in the morning light.
He casually picked up a frosted silver one, feeling the texture and weight of the casing with his fingertips. Compared to the thinner and larger products he remembered from later generations, it did seem a bit rougher and slightly larger.
"Hmm," he responded, his gaze not lingering on the MP3 player, but instead turning to Lu Nini, "How's the sample finalization progress on Wei Shu's side? What did she say herself?"
"Sister Wei Shu said there's still room for improvement in the casing craftsmanship, and she feels that 10 songs is a bit too few in terms of storage capacity, but she's satisfied with the sound quality. She said she's still doing the final checks, and she'll show you the finished product once it's confirmed," Lu Nini reported truthfully.
“10 songs…” Lu Yang repeated in a low voice, his brows furrowing almost imperceptibly.
This capacity may be mainstream under current technological conditions, but it is still far from his vision of a "mobile music library".
However, this is just the beginning.
His fingers traced across the table before finally landing on the pure silver sample. "Tell her the finish on the casing must be upgraded; it's the first impression the user gets, and that's crucial. As for the capacity..."
At this point, he paused for a moment, "Ten songs are a bit few, but as a first-generation product, it's acceptable. However, the R&D department must immediately work on the adaptation plan for the next generation of larger memory chips, which is the key to core competitiveness."
“Okay, boss!” Lu Nini nodded quickly and wrote it down.
Lu Yang's gaze turned to the window again, as if piercing through the city's concrete jungle to see a more profound layout.
“Nini,” his voice regained its usual calm, “how is the acquisition of digital music rights progressing?”
"Very smoothly, boss!" Lu Nini said with certainty.
"Following your instructions, we began our secret planning last year, contacting numerous record companies and independent musicians. Thanks to your full support in allocating funds, and the efficient negotiations of Sister Wei Shu's team, we have essentially secured the exclusive digital rights to the most popular tracks from major record companies over the past five years, as well as long-term priority licenses for a large number of emerging singers and independent musicians. In the existing market, we have already controlled at least 70% of the core resources. As for new works, the contracts have also secured priority rights for the next five years. The resistance... is much less than expected, after all, most people haven't yet realized the true value of digital copyrights."
There was a hint of admiration in her voice. "Low resistance is a good thing, but it also means the market hasn't woken up yet." Lu Yang's lips curled into a knowing smile. "Let's get started."
Lu Nini's heart skipped a beat: "Activate... the MP3 project?"
“Yes, we can start now.” Lu Yang’s tone left no room for doubt. “Inform your sister Wei Shu that I need to see the final confirmed mass production sample of Century Langke MP3 within 10 days, not those half-finished products on her desk that she’s nitpicking.”
He emphasized the words "mass production sample".
"Ten days?!" Lu Nini exclaimed softly, her big eyes filled with surprise. "Boss, isn't that too tight a timeframe? Sister Wei Shu just said she was strictly controlling the process..."
Lu Yang raised his hand, interrupting her, his deep gaze seemingly seeing through everything: "Don't worry, your sister Wei Shu always plans things out before acting. From the moment I instructed you to acquire digital music copyrights on a large scale, she should have already started to sort out, evaluate, and upgrade the existing production lines of Langke Company. With her efficiency and foresight, the first-generation MP3 engineering prototype might already be somewhere on her desk. It's just that in her eyes, the 'sample' is not perfect enough and has not yet met her own review standards, so it hasn't been sent to me."
He looked at Lu Nini's skeptical expression, smiled slightly, and said with a strange certainty: "Don't believe me? You can go to her president's office again right now and ask her yourself if what I said is right. While you're at it, take my opinions about the casing and capacity with you."
Looking at her boss's confident expression and then at the dazzling array of MP3 samples on the table, Lu Nini's doubts were replaced by intense curiosity.
She nodded vigorously: "Okay, I'll go ask Sister Wei Shu right now!" With that, she picked up her notebook, turned around and left again with light steps.
The door to the chairman's office closed gently, leaving only Lu Yang in the large space.
He slowly leaned back in his chair, his gaze returning to the colorful trinkets on the table.
The immense information gap for the reborn individual is like an invisible giant net, allowing him to clearly see the disruptive power represented behind these "little boxes." These boxes will completely change the medium, dissemination methods, and consumption habits of music, ultimately unlocking a massive market worth hundreds of billions. Musical geniuses like Jay Chou, Alpha Studio, and even Lou Hua's struggling art films are merely pawns he casually placed in this grand blueprint to obtain crucial "fuel," contributing to the relentless progress of this chariot called "Century Langke MP3."
He opened the drawer, and sure enough, there were more MP3 prototypes of slightly different colors and styles lying quietly inside, as well as an internal evaluation report on flash memory chip technology paths.
These were all "homework assignments" personally delivered by Deng Guoshun and Cheng Xiaohua, the key technical figures at Netac, with utmost respect and trepidation, hoping to receive guidance from the "big boss."
At the time, he criticized the two of them with a stern face for being too impatient, sending the product here before it was finalized.
Thinking of this, Lu Yang couldn't help but shake his head and chuckle.
He reached for the internal phone on the table and dialed the president's office number.
The call was answered almost instantly, and Wei Shu's clear and efficient voice came through: "Boss?"
“Sister Wei Shu, it’s me.” Lu Yang’s voice was emotionless. “I suppose Deng Guoshun and Cheng Xiaohua have sent you a lot of ‘homework’ too?” He deliberately used the word “homework”.
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, followed by Wei Shu's slightly mischievous laugh: "Boss, you really have a keen eye. Those two... are indeed very proactive. My place is practically an MP3 sample exhibition hall."
"How does it feel to use?" Lu Yang asked.
"The feel and sound quality are acceptable, but there is still a lot of room for improvement in the craftsmanship and user experience, especially the feedback you just had Nini convey: the texture of the casing and the capacity are key pain points." Wei Shu's answer went straight to the heart of the matter.
“Hmm.” Lu Yang tapped the silver-white sample lightly with his fingers. “How about this, let’s not keep them waiting. In a couple of days, you arrange your schedule, and we’ll go to Langke’s product R&D center together. I’ll also go down and take a look, and while I’m at it… give them some pointers.”
"Guides?" Wei Shu's voice carried obvious surprise and a hint of barely perceptible amusement.
She knew that her boss's strategic vision and business acumen were extraordinary, but why did he personally step in to guide the specific design of the MP3 product?
This was a bit beyond her expectations.
"What, you don't believe me?" Lu Yang understood her subtext, his tone calm but full of absolute confidence. "Just think of it as... providing them with some 'user experience reports' from the future. Arrange a time and let me know."
“…Okay, boss!” Wei Shu quickly suppressed his surprise and his tone returned to professional crispness. “It is a blessing for the Langke R&D team to have you, the ‘Future Experience Officer,’ personally provide guidance, and it is also a boon to our products. I will arrange the schedule immediately and report to you after confirmation!”
After hanging up the phone, Lu Yang picked up the slightly rough, silver-white MP3 player and fiddled with it between his fingertips.
Sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting a deep silhouette on his sharply defined profile.
His eyes reflected the small metal box, as if he could see it pierce through time and space, witnessing its sparking of a digital music storm that swept the globe, ultimately providing him with crucial leverage in the grand scheme encompassing technology, finance, and industry. (End of Chapter)