Chapter 141: The Cultural Industry Chain
“Boss Tang, long time no see. How have you been lately?”
Tang Long didn’t encounter Shan Xiu, but he ran into Xu Shiyun, who squinted playfully at him with a smile. She stood on tiptoe, hands behind her back, radiating youthful energy as she spoke.
Tang Long gave a wry smile. “Long time? I seem to recall you were just at Fishhead Village three or four days ago.”
Xu Shiyun wasn’t embarrassed. Still smiling, she said, “Absence makes the heart grow fonder. Whether it’s three or four days, or even just half a day, it feels like a long time, doesn’t it?”
Before Tang Long could reply, she shifted the topic, lowering her voice. “I heard from Jiang Xue that Fishhead Village now has a ‘guardian mythical beast’?”
“Jiang Xue told you that?” Tang Long asked with a smile.
Xu Shiyun nodded. “Yes, she told me she almost got taken away by that creature for dinner. Luckily, Boss Tang risked his life to save her!”
Hmm?
Tang Long rubbed his nose. Perhaps those words did come from Jiang Xue’s mouth.
“There’s definitely some kind of creature, but it’s not as mystical as you all make it out to be,” Tang Long said, not wanting to take undue credit or seem opportunistic.
Xu Shiyun blinked, curious. “So is Fishhead Village going to develop a ‘mythical beast economy’?”
“Exactly!” Tang Long nodded, smiling. “So, the legendary ‘female Zhuge Liang’ is interested in our Fishhead Village?”
“Of course. These days, not just anyone can come to Fishhead Village, right?” Xu Shiyun hinted.
Tang Long chuckled. “That depends on who wants to come. If Miss Xu wants to visit, Fishhead Village will welcome you with open arms!”
“I’ve told you before—not to call me Miss Xu. I don’t like being called that. You can call me by my name, or Shiyun, or even ‘Little Sister Xu,’ but never lady or miss,” she said firmly.
Tang Long smiled at her. They had chatted before, and he’d heard from Jiang Xue that Xu Shiyun was extraordinarily intelligent. With her grades and talents, she could have entered any top university in the country—Tsinghua, Peking University—or even the most prestigious foreign institutions. Yet, she chose to stay in a second-tier domestic university near the bottom of the rankings.
Regardless of truth, the impression she left on friends spoke volumes.
Moreover, she had a special gift for investment. Jiang Xue said she was wealthier than any of them, earning tens of millions from the stock market each month, though no one knew exactly how much.
A woman of substantial means, yet of unknown scale. Clearly, a girl of remarkable depth!
How old was she?
Xu Shiyun smiled gently. “Boss Tang, why don’t we partner up for a little business?”
“A little business? What kind of little business?” Tang Long asked, neither agreeing nor refusing outright. He was curious about what she had in mind.
Xu Shiyun blinked. “I want to take over the souvenir shop in Fishhead Village and run it independently. How about that?” She paused, then added, “Of course, it’s not just about paying rent. I’d share a portion of the profits with Fishhead Village. We’d run it together and share the gains!”
Tang Long was momentarily stunned, intrigued by her interest in the souvenir business.
“Why the look? You think partnering with Boss Tang means you’ll have to sacrifice your charm?” she teased, hands behind her back, smiling at him.
Tang Long shook his head. “No need for any charm. But I’m afraid you won’t be able to take over the exclusive souvenir business here.”
Xu Shiyun frowned slightly, surprised. “Why not? No one else seems to be profiting from this area yet.”
The ‘mythical beast economy,’ to thrive long-term beyond just attracting tourists, must develop its own unique ‘character’ and ‘culture.’
And the main vehicle for spreading Fishhead Village’s mythical beast culture, besides word of mouth, is precisely these ‘souvenirs’ officially sold by the village!
Tang Long thought for a moment. “Do you want me to tell the truth or spin a tale?”
Xu Shiyun replied calmly, “Of course the truth. What good is a lie?”
Tang Long smiled. “The truth is, with respect to the Fishhead Village souvenirs, or rather the development of cultural peripheral products, our village places great importance on this. It’s not about underestimating your ability; it’s about the high level of ‘positioning’ we have for it.”
He paused, then continued, “Of course, we warmly welcome collaboration on developing Fishhead Village’s culture and related products together.”
Xu Shiyun furrowed her brow, curious. “Are you planning to handle this area alone?”
“Yes!” Tang Long laughed. “But the fact you see the potential here shows you have remarkable insight.”
Ignoring Tang Long’s friendly tone, Xu Shiyun frowned again. “What’s your plan? If there isn’t one, why not leave it to me? I promise I can do better than you.”
Tang Long shook his head but then smiled. “Actually, it’s possible to let you take charge of this area, but you can’t have the entire cultural industry chain of Fishhead Village. At most, you can have a part of it. Of course, you’d have to prove you have enough strength first.”
Xu Shiyun blinked. “Which part do you want to give me? Also, I’m curious—has Fishhead Village already begun developing cultural peripheral products?”
Tang Long smiled. “I’m planning a trip to the provincial capital soon to contact the Northern Mint there, to produce a batch of gold, silver, and copper commemorative coins specifically for Fishhead Village. I also want to find designers to create a line of accessories, possibly cooperating with large domestic and international jewelry companies.
“Additionally, we’ve invested heavily to acquire the county’s Baofeng Carving Factory to produce custom jade carvings.
“Besides that, we’re looking to buy a publishing house at the city or provincial level to commission writers to pen legendary tales about Fishhead Village. Developing signature clothing, shoes, and hats is also on the agenda. That’s about all I can think of for now.”
Xu Shiyun was speechless, then took a deep breath and genuinely praised Tang Long. “As expected of Boss Tang, I’m humbled!”
She hadn’t expected Fishhead Village to have such profound and expansive plans for its cultural industry chain. This wasn’t some reckless venture—only those with vision would see the potential of the cultural industry here. And in the future, it might be the most influential factor in Fishhead Village’s value.
Looking at major American film companies, what do they prize most? IPs!
Entertainment, whether tourism or culture, should be an inseparable whole. Focusing solely on tourist spots and making superficial money is too shallow!
After pondering, Xu Shiyun asked, “Boss Tang, what about letting me manage a portion of Fishhead Village’s cultural industry chain?”
Tang Long smiled. “That’s possible. It depends on how much capital you’re willing to put in and how determined you are. Whether it’s souvenirs, commemorative apparel, jewelry, or even IP-related fields, if you’re willing, you can give it a try. After all, we’re old friends now.”
“What about profits?” Xu Shiyun was no fool; she wasn’t going to be easily swayed.
Tang Long laughed. “We can discuss details later. Roughly, if Fishhead Village company and you co-invest, the village takes 75% of the profits. But if you want to go solo, our company only requires 45%, with the condition that we have supervisory rights. Any product you develop must be approved by Fishhead Village company before carrying our unique mark and going to market.”
Black!
Xu Shiyun rolled her eyes in secret. She knew exactly what that ‘roughly’ meant.
If she invested alone, she’d still be under Fishhead Village’s cultural industry chain oversight, subject to their approval, and ultimately have to give away 45% of the profits.
Not a small amount.
Currently, Fishhead Village’s name alone wouldn’t command such value.
But if the village truly revealed its mythical beast and developed the ‘mythical beast economy,’ that would be another matter.
Before she could speak, Tang Long continued with a smile, “Also, if you want to set up your own company and join Fishhead Village’s industry chain, there’s a threshold: the minimum registered capital can’t be less than 50 million yuan; 100 million yuan is ideal.”
Fifty million? One hundred million?
Xu Shiyun wasn’t intimidated but was curious. Though Fishhead Village’s ‘scale’ had grown, could it really expand dozens or hundreds of times overnight?
Such ‘expansion’—wouldn’t a tiny village like Fishhead risk blowing itself up?
“Well, let me think about it,” Xu Shiyun nodded, tilting her head to Tang Long. “Boss Tang, you used to be in the military, right?”
“Yes!” Tang Long laughed. “I was a soldier. Why? Any questions?”
Xu Shiyun smiled gently. “No questions—I’m just curious. How does a former soldier know so much about economics and culture? That requires a broad vision, not just ordinary insight.”
Tang Long laughed. “Maybe I was a soldier, but a different kind!”
“Are you not afraid that the ‘mythical beast economy’ will fizzle out halfway, killed off by someone’s blow?” Xu Shiyun mused quietly.
In this country, ‘mythical beast economies’ aren’t things anyone can just start and succeed with.
Tang Long smiled. “Afraid? Will that help? If you don’t try, how will you know? You’ve got to risk it to win it.”
If not for ‘Big Black,’ the mascot, and Warm Spring being the ‘old ox,’ lending Fishhead Village one billion yuan interest-free, would the county value Fishhead Village so highly?
Profit has always been mutual, never one-sided. Only by dispersing benefits can you gather enthusiasm.
“Risk it to win it?”
Xu Shiyun repeated the phrase everyone knew, then looked up at Tang Long, clenching her teeth. “I’ll put up 20 million to establish Fishhead Village Cultural Apparel Co., and 30 million to set up Fishhead Village Precious Metal Souvenir Co., giving Fishhead Village 35% of the shares. How about that?”
Tang Long smiled. “That’s a bit low. How about this: Fishhead Village puts in another 30 million to invest in the apparel company and 20 million in the precious metals company, but both retain 65% of the shares. Does that work?”
Xu Shiyun frowned, a little exasperated. “Boss Tang, you really won’t let me take advantage at all! I can provide the money, but the key is the shares. As you said, risk is necessary to turn a bike into a motorcycle. You have to let me have a chance to go all in, right?”
Tang Long smiled thoughtfully. “For the apparel company, you invest 50 million and get 49%. For the precious metals company, you invest 100 million and get 49%.”
Xu Shiyun sighed. “With such big investments, can’t I be the majority shareholder?”
“You can. But if you hold the majority, the two companies can only lease the Fishhead Village brand; they can’t have exclusive rights.”
Tang Long’s smile faded as he spoke seriously. “If Fishhead Village holds the controlling shares, then you’re the exclusive operator in these fields. I can promise, from Fishhead Village’s side, we won’t interfere in management or operations.”
He paused briefly, then added, “Of course, if you don’t have strong faith in Fishhead Village’s cultural industry chain, you should be cautious. Besides profits, there’s risk of losses as well.”
Tang Long inwardly sighed. These ladies were all wealthy—talking tens of millions as if it were nothing. Their composure showed they came from substantial backgrounds.
Xu Shiyun blinked and lowered her voice. “Boss Tang, don’t you ever think about yourself? It’s all Fishhead Village’s now, but you’re the boss today. That boss might not always be you in the future.”
Tang Long laughed lightly. “I’m not afraid of that. I came back to lead Fishhead Village to prosperity. Of course, everyone has selfish motives. I hold 15% of the company’s shares myself, so the bigger Fishhead Village grows, the more I personally benefit.”
Fishhead Village Company was a village collective enterprise and also a joint-stock company. Tang Long and Zhang Xiu’e held large shares totaling 30%. The entire village collective—meaning all villagers—held 20%, with dividend rights only.
This was decided after a village-wide discussion before the company’s founding, with 90% of villagers agreeing and signing their approval!