Chapter 10

Shengshi Film and Advertising Company.

Looking at the financial report the accountant had just organized for last month, Gu Hongzhou's head began to throb again.

Since the beginning of this year, the company's accounts have been in the red for four consecutive months. If this continues, not only will the company lose its Grade III advertising qualification, but it will also struggle to continue operating.

Shengshi's decline began with Liu Lei's departure. Not only did he take away a large number of key personnel, but he also repaid kindness with malice, tarnishing Shengshi's reputation everywhere. Poaching, gift-giving, networking, and even bribing internal staff to steal advertising ideas—Liu Lei used all sorts of despicable means. As a result, Shengshi lost all its major clients, and the company's core team was almost completely drained.

Years have passed, and Shengshi is no longer the glorious company it once was. For several years, it has failed to produce any outstanding work. Even if Huan Yu did not deliberately target it, Shengshi would still find it difficult to secure contracts from large and medium-sized brand companies.

Decline is the label the industry has attached to Shengshi, and Gu Hongzhou is at a loss as to what to do.

He comes from a technical background; making advertisements is no problem for him, but navigating the cutthroat business world is beyond his capabilities.

"Knock, knock, knock."

Someone knocked on the door.

"Come in." Gu Hongzhou put down the report and massaged his forehead weakly.

It was his secretary, a young man in his twenties.

"Mr. Gu, Mr. Mai from Mengren Film and Advertising Company is here to see you. He says he has something to discuss with you."

"Mengren Film and Advertising Company?"

It sounded familiar, but where had he heard it before?

"It's the company that won the Dove Chocolate contract yesterday," the secretary reminded him.

It's them.

Gu Hongzhou remembered.

The news that the Dove Chocolate contract had been won by a small company had already spread throughout the Beijing advertising industry by yesterday evening.

Huan Yu began to smear Mengren Film and Advertising Company relentlessly, spreading the word that it was a shell company with fewer than ten employees, only two months old, and no previous work. They were accused of using sweet talk to deceive Dove and winning the contract through despicable means.

Now, many people are watching the situation unfold as a spectacle.

It's said that Dove's competitors, such as Cadbury and Nestle, are also waiting to see the outcome.

Why are they here?

Do they want to outsource the project?

Given their capabilities, they indeed can't handle such a large contract, so outsourcing would be a wise choice.

What price?

Forty thousand?

Thirty thousand?

The minimum should be twenty-five thousand, otherwise, the advertisement won't be watchable!

He guessed the beginning but not the outcome.

Mai Xiaoyu indeed does not plan to produce the advertisement himself, but they are not outsourcing; they are seeking a partnership!

"Partnership?" Gu Hongzhou was confused. "How do we partner?"

"I provide the creative ideas, and you produce the advertisement."

"What about the cost?"

"Five hundred thousand."

"Five hundred thousand?"

Gu Hongzhou was stunned.

The production cost for the Dove Chocolate advertisement is five hundred thousand, which is no longer a secret. Mengren took the contract for five hundred thousand and is now offering it to Shengshi for the same amount. What do they stand to gain?

"I've said it before, I make money from creativity."

The decision to outsource the advertisement at the original price was made after Mai Xiaoyu and his two partners discussed it.

They lack the capability and experience to produce advertisements, so outsourcing is inevitable. As for the price, Mai Xiaoyu, being a professional con artist, focused on the professional aspect.

Instead of making a profit of ten to twenty thousand by outsourcing, it would be better to let the advertising company focus on producing a high-quality advertisement. Mai Xiaoyu values the creative fee and the future opportunity to work with Dove!

After the "Window Display" series, there are the "Woman" series, the "Reading" series, the "Casual" series, the "Postcard" series, and the "Snickers" series...

Is this a stroke of luck?

It should be...

It is a stroke of luck!

Gu Hongzhou suddenly perked up and seriously examined his young partner for the first time. "Why choose Shengshi?"

"Three reasons. First, a dead camel is still bigger than a horse; second, you and Huan Yu are mortal enemies; third, you are currently very weak."

Even though Shengshi is a once-renowned advertising company that has declined, its foundation cannot be underestimated. Mengren and Huan Yu are also mortal enemies, and Huan Yu has even threatened to blacklist Mengren. Because Shengshi is weak, it needs an opportunity to prove itself. Faced with the olive branch extended by Mai Xiaoyu, Shengshi will certainly cherish it and put all its efforts into producing the advertisement.

This young man is not simple!

Gu Hongzhou no longer dared to look down on him, urging his secretary to serve tea and asking again, "Mr. Mai, are there any additional conditions?"

"Look, I knew you were a smart man." Mai Xiaoyu and Xiao Xing exchanged a smile. "Two conditions. First, the female lead in the advertisement must be her; second, our company's talent scouting department has discovered many new members. In the future, when Shengshi produces advertisements, we hope you will prioritize our company's members."

Just these two conditions?

Gu Hongzhou, with his professional eye for advertising, appraised Liu Tao, who was standing next to Mai Xiaoyu, and nodded inwardly.

Her temperament, appearance, figure, and image are all good, meeting the standards of a model. Her cultural foundation, personality, and presentation skills need to be evaluated, but since Mai Xiaoyu strongly recommends her, she should be competent.

The key is that Gu Hongzhou has no choice!

There is no profit margin in the five hundred thousand, and it's a partnership, not an outsourcing deal. The two major opportunities have left Gu Hongzhou defenseless.

"Mr. Mai, the first condition we can guarantee through a contract, but the second condition... I can't guarantee it."

"Your promise is enough."

"I promise. In the future, when Shengshi produces various types of advertisements, as long as the role is suitable, we will prioritize your company's members." After saying this, Gu Hongzhou paused, "Is such a promise useful?"

"Of course it is. I trust your character; otherwise, you wouldn't be on the verge of being ruined by Liu Lei."

Gu Hongzhou: "..."

The partnership undoubtedly injected a strong dose of motivation into Shengshi, and the entire company was invigorated.

Gu Hongzhou selected the best team members to form the strongest production team. Following Mai Xiaoyu's creative ideas, they worked overtime to produce a qualified draft in the shortest time possible and accompanied Mai Xiaoyu to Dove Company.

The biggest difference between a partnership and an outsourcing deal is that Shengshi can proudly tell others that they produced the advertisement, which will be very helpful when they pitch to potential clients.

Shengshi's weakness lies in its business capabilities, not in its professional expertise. However, this is no longer the era where good wine doesn't fear a deep alley. Excellent business personnel can revive a failing company, while a technically proficient company can still starve without such personnel.

The partnership allowed both parties to complement each other's strengths. The plan produced according to Mai Xiaoyu's creative ideas was approved by Dove, and the five hundred thousand production budget was promptly transferred. Dove also sent a dedicated team to Shengshi.

They threw out five hundred thousand, so they need to keep an eye on things, right?

If they end up with a five-thousand-dollar advertisement, who will Dove complain to?

These days, Mai Xiaoyu has been busy coordinating with Shengshi's team and preparing for the pre-production work, which has left him exhausted. This is not a job for a normal person, and his leisure time has been severely compromised. Fortunately, the filming starts tomorrow, and he can let go of the responsibility.

Returning home close to midnight, he took a shower and lay in bed, idly browsing his phone.

It's been a while since he went to a nightclub.

Should he invite a friend over?

Who should he invite?

As Mai Xiaoyu was checking the contacts in his "friends" list, someone knocked on the door.

"Mr. Mai."

Liu Tao, wearing a nightgown, exuding a fresh scent from her bath, with her snow-white legs exposed, stood at the door, slightly bashful...