Start by Spending One Billion [Entertainment Industry] Chapter 55

Yu Miao had watched The Cultivator twice before, so she was naturally familiar with all the special effects scenes. Back in the cinema, she had been utterly awestruck by them.

But this short video was different from The Cultivator. She couldn’t quite put her finger on why at first.

Maybe it was because she had just visited the Ten Great Immortal Palaces.

Maybe it was because the people in the video were dressed in modern clothing—a detail so ticulously crafted that it felt almost too polished for a short video—giving her the illusion that the mythical creatures and wonders of the Ten Great Immortal Palaces had truly co to life.

Even though she knew it wasn’t real, she couldn’t help but marvel at the visuals, fantasizing about how thrilling it would be if it were.

What do you do after stumbling upon a beautifully crafted, technically impressive video?

Of course, you click into the creator’s profile to see if there are more videos like it.

The bio listed the company na as Tianying and noted that it was a subsidiary of Starlight Entertainnt.

Starlight Entertainnt…

Yu Miao felt the na was vaguely familiar. A quick search reminded her—wasn’t this the company founded by Sheng Quan? The Starlight Manor she’d heard about in gossip circles probably took its na from Starlight Entertainnt.

A surge of pleasant surprise washed over her. Though she was only a casual fan of Sheng Quan, the thought that "the people associated with soone I follow are truly exceptional" added an extra layer of appreciation.

Eagerly, she hit the follow button and began watching the handful of videos available.

There were only five in total. The first four were straightforward introductions to the company’s services, packed with stiff, uninspired ad copy that desperately tried to convey their team’s professionalism through words alone.

Had she co across these videos before seeing the fifth one, Yu Miao would’ve scrolled past without a second thought. Who promotes themselves like this? No tangible proof of skill, just dry, self-praising monologues.

But now, after witnessing that mind-blowing special effects showcase, her reaction was: Do you even know how to advertise? No one’s going to hire you like this!

Even as a college student who hadn’t yet entered the workforce, she knew this wasn’t how advertising worked. Though she’d only just followed them, Yu Miao already felt an itch to step in and offer advice—she couldn’t stand seeing a good company go unnoticed.

By the fourth video, the company finally started showcasing its capabilities, but unfortunately, it was all stuff Yu Miao had zero interest in: high-end servers, outrageously expensive work computers, rendering software, a workspace bustling with hundreds of employees.

Her reaction: …What’s the appeal here?

Just as she was about to dismiss it, she absentmindedly clicked into the comnts—only to find them flooded with laughter.

"LOL, as a VFX artist, I can confirm they’re genuinely showing off the most valuable and impressive aspects of their company."

"HAHAHAHA anyone else here from the Ten Great Immortal Palaces video?"

"Hey, dude with the white-streaked hair, listen up—this isn’t how you promote your services. Just replicate your latest video, and your company will blow up for sure."

"Only those in the know understand how hard this company is trying to market itself."

The top-liked comnt wasn’t recent. The comnter, seemingly sharing Yu Miao’s sentints, had earnestly offered suggestions:

"Watched the first few videos. You’re clearly putting in effort, and as a VFX artist, I can see how top-notch your equipnt is. But most people won’t get it. If you’re trying to promote your company, you should make a VFX demo reel. You’re a VFX studio—show off your skills to attract clients."

This comnt resonated deeply with Yu Miao. Tianying had replied at the ti:

"Got it, thank you so much! Our marketing team hasn’t been hired yet, so it’s just us tech folks handling promotions. We’re not great at it. Appreciate the advice—next video will be a VFX showcase. Thanks again!"

The comnter replied: "If you’re not in a rush, maybe wait until your marketing team is in place. Tech people doing marketing sounds like a nightmare."

Tianying: "(Facepalm) Our parent company is running a contest where rankings are based on video engagent. So us tech geeks are scrambling to figure this out."

"Is the contest mandatory? Your bio says the company’s pretty new—can’t you just skip it?"

Tianying: "It’s optional, but the prize is three months of double salary (shy) plus an all-expenses-paid trip to see giant pandas—travel and tickets covered by HQ. We really like pandas (shy)."

"…Are you hiring? DMing you."

This exchange was from five days ago, back when the first four videos had little traction, so only these two were talking.

But now? The engagent had exploded.

When Yu Miao stumbled upon the Ten Great Immortal Palaces VFX video, its comnts had already surpassed 10,000.

And clearly, she wasn’t the only one digging through the archives.

Under this five-day-old thread, over a thousand new comnts had piled up.

"Coming from the Ten Great Immortal Palaces video—this company actually listens to feedback!"

"At first, I thought ‘ugh, another corporate contest, just let people work in peace.’ Then I saw ‘three months of double pay.’ BOSS, ARE YOU HIRING? I’M GREAT AT VIDEO EDITING!"

"HAHAHAHA this guy’s reaction to the prize is so relatable."

"FYI, my friend works at Starlight Entertainnt. She confird the contest is real—there’s an internal leaderboard updated daily. Apparently, this VFX subsidiary was dead last until today LOL."

"With those first four videos, no wonder they were in last place HAHAHA."

"You can tell they REALLY love pandas."

Yu Miao, like the other comnters, found the whole thing delightfully entertaining.

After finishing the video, she imdiately searched Starlight contest and found a flood of related content.

Dance performances, singing covers, cody skits—all high-quality, with every on-screen person boasting above-average looks.

The HR departnt posted makeup and styling tutorials.

Finance shared accounting-related skits.

Procurent fild transformation videos using random office supplies.

Marketing, true to its na, mastered the art of virality.

They first showcased their most attractive colleagues flaunting their fit physiques, then revealed their before photos, sharing weight-loss journeys and hosting live workouts of trending exercise routines to motivate followers.

Every departnt was pulling out all the stops, and nearly every video had impressive engagent.

Yu Miao had even co across several of these videos before and had liked them. If it weren’t for stumbling upon this compilation now, she wouldn’t have known that these high-quality videos were all produced by various departnts of Starlight Entertainnt.

This is absolutely amazing!

How is it possible for every departnt to create such outstanding work?!

After Yu Miao left this comnt, soone quickly replied:

[Well, not every departnt is this impressive. Just look at the special effects subsidiary Tianying next door—hahahaha! If it weren’t for netizens giving them suggestions, they’d still be stubbornly filming their servers.]

Tianying gained so popularity.

This special effects subsidiary quickly beca a viral topic among netizens due to its amusing approach of "technicians making videos to enter a competition."

Alongside [Tianying, the Company That Can’t Promote Itself], another trending topic was [Starlight Entertainnt: A Talent Factory].

At so point, it’s unclear which departnt started it, but gradually, participants began sneakily praising their company’s chairman, Sheng Quan, in their competition entries.

"Look at this makeup—it’s all done! Isn’t it stunning enough to outshine everyone? Could our boss be outshined? No way! Our boss is so beautiful she breaks the sky!"

"Today’s wealthy-thed shoot features clothes, shoes, and bags all generously provided by our beloved Chairman Sheng! Love you!"

"Why is our company’s gym so huge? Because our boss is kind and beautiful, of course! She loves working out here too—oh! Speak of the devil, here she cos! Look at how amazing her figure is!"

This widespread flattery amused netizens, who even joined in the fun.

So were puzzled: [What’s so fun about sucking up to the boss? I hate that kind of thing!]

Soone imdiately replied: [We’re not obsessed with flattering the boss—we’re obsessed with flattering a boss who’s approachable and generous with employee benefits. It’s like how I never want to participate in my own company’s competitions, but I’d jump at the chance to join Starlight Entertainnt’s contests.]

[Why? Because at my company, we have to pay for our own costus for the annual party, and the best prize is a single phone shared among a bunch of people. anwhile, Starlight’s competitions let you borrow filming and prop equipnt from the company, and the prizes range from first to fifth place—first prize gets three months of double salary! Tell , with a boss like that, how could you resist praising her?]

This reply quickly rose to the top of the likes, with everyone agreeing wholeheartedly.

[My boss watched these videos yesterday and asked why employees at other companies are so talented. I was screaming internally—if he didn’t force unpaid overti, I’d be busting out talents left and right for him to see.]

[Wow… I last paid attention to Starlight Entertainnt when it was just starting. Now it’s grown this big?]

[To the comnt above—the chairman is Sheng Quan. Of course it’s huge.]

[Speaking of which, Sheng Quan seems pretty active online. Does she watch these employee videos? If she sees sothing really good, would she give rewards? Didn’t she once reward the original author of "The Road of Life"?]

Sheng Quan, who happened to be scrolling through videos and saw this comnt, could answer honestly: Yes, she would.

The fundantal purpose of this [Company Competition] was to promote the subsidiary Tianying. Whether dostically or internationally, the best way for a special effects company to attract clients is through advertising.

For well-known special effects companies, every blockbuster film they work on essentially serves as their advertisent.

Sotis, these companies even take on big projects at a loss just to showcase their technical prowess.

But in today’s internet era, where short videos dominate, using them for promotion is a brilliant idea—especially since Tianying’s major projects haven’t been released yet.

Sure, it’s costly upfront, but Sheng Quan isn’t afraid of spending money.

The [Starlight Competition] was part of the promotional strategy. No matter where it’s seen, those jaw-dropping, budget-burning special effects would undoubtedly stand out and generate buzz.

Of course, in the entertainnt industry, technical skill alone isn’t enough—there needs to be engaging storytelling.

Thus, the topic [How Technicians Entered the Competition] was born.

Instead of "a subsidiary submitting a special effects video so stunning it instantly wins first prize," audiences preferred "technicians obsessively showcasing their server hardware and software, languishing in last place until netizens intervened, leading to a teoric rise to first place with a special effects masterpiece."

It had everything: audience participation, humor, an underdog story, and quirky technician personas.

From there, Tianying only needed to keep releasing eye-catching special effects videos.

They’d naturally carry their own viral appeal.

[What kind of videos do technicians make for promotions? Hahahaha, the way they proudly introduce their servers is hilarious!]

[I’m dying! Anyone who’s worked in special effects knows how ti-consuming this stuff is, yet Tianying is insanely productive. And after noticing other departnts praising their boss, they jumped on the bandwagon too. Clearly, they really love giant pandas.]

[HAHAHAHA I just saw footage of Tianying filming their video—they’re performing so seriously while bystanders look at them like they’ve lost their minds!]

[These technicians might suck at promotions, but their special effects are legit!! Omg, I feel like they’re on par with Hollywood blockbuster-level CGI!]

[I bet tons of films will approach Tianying for effects work. This quality is perfect for big-budget spectacles!]

Indeed, film studios were already reaching out to Tianying.

Most of the company’s special effects artists were forrly part of Mirage Studios. When Tan Hongguang recruited them, they deliberated carefully before joining.

No one expected Tianying to gain fa this quickly.

The technicians truly weren’t good at promotions—every move they made was guided by Starlight’s team.

Then, as if in a dream, after posting just a few special effects videos on a short-video platform, the company suddenly blew up.

Amid the celebration, Tan Hongguang turned down a well-funded film studio after several discussions.

The team was baffled. In their Mirage days, they’d have clung to such an opportunity like a lifeline.

"Their tiline is too tight. Chairman Sheng has made it clear—Tianying prioritizes quality above all. If negotiations don’t align with that, we walk away."

Tan Hongguang’s hair was still streaked with white, but his deanor had transford. With a calm smile, he added:

"Don’t worry about lacking projects. From now on, most of Starlight’s ventures will assign work to us."

The mont these words were spoken, everyone froze.

It took a good ten seconds before a female colleague with similarly graying temples asked in a slightly excited tone, "So, does this an we can focus solely on producing masterpieces from now on?"

No ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‍one enjoyed churning out garbage. Given the chance, who wouldn’t want their work to be praised by the masses, or their company’s na to evoke admiration whenever ntioned?

The colleagues fell silent, their gazes—filled with the sa anticipation—turning toward Tan Hongguang.

Under their collective stare, Tan Hongguang smiled and nodded slowly.

At that mont, everyone erupted into uncontrollable cheers!

So, who were avid TV drama fans, even shouted:

"Long live Chairman Sheng!!"

"Long live!!!"

anwhile, the very Chairman Sheng they were practically ready to worship was reviewing a project in her hands:

"Interstellar?"

Gu Zhao nodded. "The investnt required is enormous, and the production tiline will likely be lengthy. The total cost could exceed a billion, possibly even more. If it fails to deliver, even Starlight Entertainnt would suffer significant losses."

Interstellar blockbusters were rare in China. In her previous life, Sheng Quan had watched a few, but in this world, the genre was even more niche than xianxia. While xianxia at least had so presence in TV dramas, interstellar was undeniably a cold market in every aspect.

Yet globally, interstellar thes were wildly popular, frequently appearing in annual lists of hit productions.

To put it simply, it wasn’t that interstellar was unpopular—it was just that no one in China had dared to tackle it.

The reason remained the sa: the investnt was simply too massive.

Sheng Quan looked at Gu Zhao. "What do you think?"

Gu Zhao’s expression, as cool and composed as ever, betrayed no hesitation. "I think we should do it."

He lifted his gaze, his striking light gray eyes eting hers. His magnetic voice, usually laced with detachnt, now carried a hint of warmth:

"I’ve reviewed Tianying’s footage. This film might just be their debut."

Sheng Quan smiled.

Gu Zhao had never been one for conservatism—especially not when his boss wasn’t either.

She closed the file in her hands. "Start the preparations. It’s been a while since I’ve seen a good interstellar movie."

Co to think of it, interstellar thes often involved cutting-edge technology.

And as everyone knew, cutting-edge technology ant exorbitant costs.

Since her financial restrictions had been lifted, Sheng Quan’s disposable personal funds—after deducting expenses for Tianying—currently stood at three hundred million.

A thoughtful expression crossed her face.

If she spent so of that money to develop high-tech equipnt for the film…

Wouldn’t that be perfectly reasonable?