Chapter 400: New Cooperation

There is no banquet that doesn't end.

Everyone knows the truth, but when facing parting, not many people can really do it with a normal heart.

The late-night posts of Xin Zixing and *Jump Up* gave a heavy blow to Ye Mai Network, which had just announced *star! *.

They didn't mention the bad things about Ye Mai Network in every word, but announcing it at such a time point, almost back-to-back, you say you are creating a new magazine, and I leave, who wouldn't think too much when the two things are put together.

A hot search entry quietly appeared:

What happened between *Jump Up* and Ye Mai Network?

The heat of this entry was even higher than "Jump Up announced no longer cooperating with Ye Mai Network".

Liu Qiao said angrily on the phone: "Even if you don't cooperate with us, you should inform us first, right? Why didn't you even say hello to us and announced this matter directly on the internet? This makes us very passive."

Chen Siqi said indifferently: "President Liu, when you and Yu Jiang announced that you were going to create a new magazine *star! *, didn't you also not say hello to us?"

Liu Qiao: "That's two different things! Our creation of *star! * has nothing to do with *Jump Up*."

"But Yu Jiang and I fight every three days, do you say it has nothing to do with it?" Chen Siqi's tone suddenly changed, "Since you don't care about my face, why should I care about your face? Before you call to question me, ask yourself, what did you do to me!"

After speaking, Chen Siqi hung up the phone.

Liu Qiao looked at the hung-up phone in astonishment, and didn't come back to his senses for a while.

Chen Siqi actually complained first?!

Isn't the reason why they want to establish *star! * because your *Jump Up* refuses to renew the contract?!

Wait, *Jump Up* never said this matter either.

It was all their judgment and expectation.

If Liu Qiao called again to talk about this matter, Chen Siqi definitely wouldn't admit it.

Or rather... Liu Qiao's eyes changed.

The information that *Jump Up* refused to sign the one-year cooperation agreement was all conveyed by Xin Zixing.

So is this information true or false?

Was it Xin Zixing who deliberately stirred up the water in the middle?

When the news that *Jump Up* was leaving Ye Mai Network spread, major portal websites also started to have ideas. 【4

For them to start an electronic magazine from scratch would be very laborious, and the return on investment would not be high.

But if they were to cooperate directly with an already mature magazine, and one with hundreds of thousands of readers, they would certainly be willing to cooperate.

The number of phone calls Lu Yan He and Chen Siqi received suddenly increased.

Among them, the one that surprised Lu Yan He the most was the 24-hour convenience store brand, Lansen.

Lansen had reached out through Lu Qingzhen's connections.

Lu Qingzhen said, "Although Lansen is a chain of convenience stores, they focus on a brand image of urban 'petit bourgeois' lifestyle. They have a dedicated brand website and app to build the concept of an online community, with tens of millions of members active on their website, app, and mini-programs. They want to discuss a digital copyright partnership for 'Jump Up' with us. They don't need it to be exclusive; it would be similar to a channel. If we are willing, they would put the digital version of 'Jump Up' on their community platform, and they are willing to split the revenue 80/20, with them only taking 20 percent."

After Lu Qingzhen finished explaining the situation, Lu Yan He and Chen Siqi both fell silent in thought.

"A non-exclusive channel?" Chen Siqi spoke first. "Actually, not doing exclusive sales is quite good. Treating 'Jump Up' as a product and putting it in various supermarkets to sell—the more supermarkets there are, the more foot traffic there is, and perhaps the more copies will be sold."

Lu Yan He asked, "And the downsides?"

"The downside is that we don't know what kind of impact and consequences it will have if such a magazine is put into multiple channels for sale," Chen Siqi said. "Because we also know that just because you give something a larger market, it doesn't mean it will get better feedback. Previously, 'Jump Up' was able to succeed on the Ye Mai website because there was a significant overlap in their audiences. But putting it on a convenience store brand's community platform is not necessarily the same. It's possible that once the magazine is put up, it will be full of negative reviews, which would instead affect the image of 'Jump Up'."

Lu Yan He asked, "Sister Qingzhen, what do you think?"

"I won't comment on other platforms for now, but I think Lansen's community platform is worth a try," Lu Qingzhen said. "Because Lansen convenience stores have always been pushing the concept of urban 'petit bourgeois' life, and a large portion of their registered users fall within this range—they are users that 'Jump Up' can cover. In fact, if 'Jump Up' wants to further expand its influence in the country and increase its sales, cooperating with a brand like Lansen convenience stores, which has a wide user base, is a method worth trying."

Chen Siqi: "This is indeed an opportunity worth trying."

Lu Qingzhen said, "It's just like physical books looking for bookstores; you want to get your book into as many bookstores and onto as many prominent shelves as possible."

"Of course, I think there is another very important reason why they want to come and cooperate with 'Jump Up'," Lu Qingzhen added. "They want to invite you both to be their spokespeople."

Lu Yan He was stunned.

Chen Siqi was also stunned.

It is very normal for someone to want to find Lu Yan He to be a spokesperson.

Lu Yan He currently receives over ten business cooperation offers every month.

However, both of them noticed that Lu Qingzhen did not say "you," but "you both."

Lu Qingzhen said, "So this is also why they are willing to cooperate with 'Jump Up' using an 80/20 split, a price that completely defies market standards. What makes Lansen convenience stores most different from other supermarket-type stores is that it has always been trying to shape a lifestyle, and uses this lifestyle to shape its own brand image. The alignment between 'Jump Up' and the urban 'petit bourgeois' lifestyle is one aspect, and the sense of young elite status that you both possess is another."

The so-called sense of young elite status means being young, yet already becoming a leader among young people.

Lu Yan He and Chen Siqi are indeed representatives of this type.

Lu Qingzhen said, "On one hand, you two have never done an endorsement together. If you endorse it as a couple, the topic-worthiness will definitely be very high, which can bring Lansen a huge amount of buzz and discussion. On the other hand, by using you as young elite spokespeople to shape this brand image, it makes young people feel that becoming a Lansen member is a lifestyle, something similar to a sense of identity. These two things are what they proposed together."

According to Chen Ziyan's original design, Lu Yan He generally would not take an endorsement like Lansen convenience stores.

Even if it is one of the largest convenience store brands in the country.

Up until now, Lu Yan He has not taken a single endorsement for a fast-moving consumer goods brand. This is not only Chen Ziyan's requirement, but Lu Yan He himself also agrees with this point. Lu Yan He does not want to consume his fame and goodwill to take on endorsements of a relatively lower tier—after all, he is not short of money now, so he doesn't need to try every possible way to make money; when he had no money, that was a different story.

However, Lansen is a bit different.

Just as Lu Qingzhen said, its brand image distinguishes it from other chain convenience store brands; in people's minds, it is not that kind of very ordinary convenience store.

Moreover, it is actually very similar to the stationery brand "Bai Xing" that Lu Yan He previously endorsed; both are brands with very high national recognition.

Lu Yan He's only concern was whether taking this endorsement together with Chen Siqi would have any negative impact later on.

Chen Ziyan specifically and seriously had the team research and evaluate this matter, and the final conclusion was that him taking this endorsement together with Chen Siqi is actually beneficial to Lu Yan He's public image.

"Lu Yan He's achievements in his career are currently too dazzling. Almost every time he appears, it is related to things like his acting—good acting skills, nominations, or winning awards. If he can give people a few more impression points or memory points, it will be very beneficial for enriching his public image and maintaining the public's curiosity and attention toward him."

Chen Ziyan understood what this meant as soon as she heard it.

To put it simply, it's that Lu Yan He is too excellent—

Saying it this way might sound a bit like a humblebrag, but the fact is just that: a person who is too excellent and too perfect is actually, to some extent, very easy to make people feel a sense of distance. So-called high-quality idols often, while being extremely popular, also set a cage for themselves and trap themselves within it.

"Another thing is that Lu Yan He and Chen Siqi have long since made their relationship public, but because they are often separated, there are always some groundless rumors that their relationship has problems or that they aren't close. Having such a collaborative endorsement can also solidify their intimate relationship in the public eye. The fact that Lu Yan He is dating Chen Siqi, especially his statements and actions in public with her on several occasions, gives him a sense of being a 'living person,' allowing people to receive the side of him that is an ordinary person. This is a crucial thing."

Chen Ziyan nodded.

"Okay, then I understand."

Chen Ziyan made a prompt decision and finalized the acceptance of this endorsement.

Thus, Lu Yan He received the highest endorsement fee since his debut.

Ten million a year.

This number was so high that it shocked him.

Of course, this was for both him and Chen Siqi, and it had to be split. At the time, Lansen had asked whether the endorsement fee for the two should be discussed separately or together.

Lu Yan He knew that if they were discussed separately, Chen Siqi's endorsement fee would definitely not be high, so he requested they be discussed together.

Chen Ziyan then negotiated such a considerable figure.

When Lu Yan He felt shocked by this endorsement fee, Chen Ziyan said, "You don't even think about what kind of influence you have now. You have almost reached the super first-tier position; you are only missing a Best Actor award."

The so-called super first-tier position is the position currently held by Chen Pinhe, Shang Yongzhou, and Chen Bige.

Lu Yan He: "I don't think so."

He always felt that he was still far behind them.

"I am not telling you lies," Chen Ziyan said. "This is the market's judgment of you. You lack the seniority, works, and awards compared to them, but you have more national goodwill than them. In terms of artist image, the entire entertainment industry might not be able to find anyone who can rival you, and when it comes to representative works of the last two years, even they cannot compare to you."

In the entertainment industry, there are only a handful of celebrity artists with an annual endorsement fee of over ten million.

It is mainly because Lu Yan He had four consecutive hits this year; the most popular movies and TV dramas all came from Lu Yan He.

It is no exaggeration to say that if Lu Yan He dares to say his achievements are second this year, no one dares to say they are first.

Including those who won Best Actor and Best Actress.

With four hit works in hand, his status is like being welded under Lu Yan He's feet.

This is the greatest confidence behind the soaring of Lu Yan He's endorsement fee.

Lu Yan He met with the head of the media public relations department of Lansen convenience stores.

This time, it was the person who pushed for the cooperation.

The other party was a forty-year-old woman. Judging by her appearance, she was a woman with a slightly round face, and she had a very approachable smile.

"Sister Hong," Lu Yan He called out immediately.

Liang Hong smiled broadly, reached out to shake Lu Yan He's hand, and said, "I finally get to see you in person. I am your fan."

Lu Yan He was flattered and held Liang Hong's hand with both of his, bowing slightly. "Thank you for your support, and thank you for connecting us so we could cooperate."

Liang Hong said, "I used to be a magazine editor, and later, by a twist of fate, I came to Lansen. When I found out that you and Siqi were going to make a magazine together, I was shocked. I didn't expect you to really overcome all difficulties and do it. I bought every issue, and I often recall the time I spent as a magazine editor. I miss it very much."

Lu Yan He asked with some pleasant surprise, "Which magazine did you work for as an editor? Siqi and I had this idea after the college entrance exam precisely because we love reading magazines."

Liang Hong smiled and waved her hand. "You definitely haven't seen it, 'Natural Biology,' a name that sounds very much like a science magazine, but in reality, it was a comprehensive magazine."

Lu Yan He nodded, suddenly realizing.

"Actually, Sister Hong, after knowing that you wanted to release the digital version of 'Jump Up' on Lansen's community platform, I was especially happy because this is an attempt we didn't even dare to think about before," Lu Yan He said. "We all know that this will bring in a great many unfamiliar potential readers, and we don't know what people will think after seeing such a digital magazine."

Liang Hong said, "It's okay, Yan He. Good things will definitely find their soulmates. Many of our Lansen members are people who are willing to pay for literature, art, and good content. We just need to create an opportunity to bridge the gap between them."

These words were very comforting to hear.

Lu Yan He said thank you.

He said, "Actually, Sister Hong, there is one more thing we would like to ask for your opinion on."

"Hmm?" Liang Hong was a bit puzzled. "What is it? Are there any other requirements? Feel free to bring them up."

"It's not a requirement, no," Lu Yan He hurriedly shook his head to deny it and explained, "It's about the physical book of 'Jump Up' magazine. I was wondering, could we try to put the physical books on the shelves for sale in Lansen convenience stores?"