Rebirth at the Start: This Fate is Too Explosive!

Chapter 370 What the hell is going on with internet celebrities!

Ye Fan smiled and bumped fists with him: "Luckily, we caught the wave."

Even the usually composed Fang Yu put down his teacup, his eyes filled with genuine admiration, and said, "It's more than just a trend. I saw your video too."

He made a punching motion: "You're a real hidden talent. I didn't expect you to be so skilled. Tsk, comparisons are odious."

The tone was a good-natured teasing.

"Just a casual practice session, nothing more than scratching the surface." Ye Fan waved his hand and sat down in the reserved seat with a smile.

His gaze swept over Qin Fei, Wang Zhui, and Lin Feng. They also had smiles on their faces, but their postures were noticeably more reserved. They simply nodded politely and did not say anything more.

The social circles of the wealthy second generation are deeply entrenched by invisible class barriers.

The waiters, dressed in simple and elegant attire, filed in and began serving the dishes.

The exquisite dishes are served in elegant tableware, and the plating is highly artistic.

Qin Kun warmly invited, "Come, come, Lao Ye, try this signature private dish from Gassho-zao. It's really delicious! Especially this pufferfish sashimi with pufferfish hot pot, it's prepared perfectly, fresh, sweet and chewy, it's a classic here."

He pointed to a piece of crystal-clear, paper-thin sashimi in the middle and a steaming hot pot next to it, and introduced it.

As they savored the rare delicacy, they chatted about interesting things on campus and their recent experiences, creating a harmonious atmosphere in the private room.

After a few rounds of drinks, the conversation gradually became more in-depth.

Fang Yu put down his chopsticks and cut to the chase, looking intently at Ye Fan: "Old Ye, how's that 'internet celebrity incubation' project you mentioned last time coming along? I think the timing's about right, it's time to launch it?"

His tone was filled with anticipation.

Ye Fan took a sip of sake and nodded: "Yes, the groundwork is almost done. It's time to officially put it on the agenda and start operating."

Fang Yu's smile widened, and he leaned forward slightly: "It's a deal then, you have to include me! We agreed before, no backing out!"

The words carried a hint of half-joking emphasis.

Ye Fan naturally remembered.

He deliberately separated "Luming Culture" from the Hongdou Group to facilitate cooperation with Qin Kun, Fang Yu and others on this project.

He gave a knowing, slight smile: "You're still interested? Aren't you afraid of losing everything?"

Fang Yu leaned back in his chair, his relaxed posture carrying a hint of nonchalance befitting his social class: "So what if I lose money? Anyway, I can't get involved in the family's serious businesses for the time being, so I'm just sitting around doing nothing. I'll treat it as an investment for fun, similar to how I used to throw money at supporting minor celebrities. At least it's for fun."

This confidence in treating money as just numbers is a standard feature of top-tier rich kids.

"Okay." Ye Fan nodded in agreement, then turned his gaze to the others at the table, his tone casual but with a clear invitation, "What about you guys? Interested in contributing as well?"

Qin Kun immediately slammed his hand on the table, exclaiming with boundless enthusiasm, "Hey! Do you even need to ask, Lao Ye? You absolutely have to count me in! If you're going to build a business, forget about becoming an internet celebrity, even if you were to open an underwater world in the Pacific Ocean, I'd follow you! Absolutely support you!"

Ye Fan: "..."

What the hell is this about internet celebrities...?

As soon as Qin Kun finished speaking, his cousin Qin Fei immediately followed up, his tone respectful and cautious: "Brother Fan, the three of us (gesturing to ourselves and Wang Zhui and Lin Feng beside us) have also been wanting to learn something from you and find something to do. It's just... we have very limited funds on hand, so we probably can't offer much. We can only offer a token amount, so please don't mind."

Wang Zhui and Lin Feng quickly nodded in agreement.

Ye Fan waved his hand casually, his smile carrying a hint of something unfathomable: "It's alright, we'll raise as much as we can."

He glanced around at everyone and said, "Besides, whether this project will succeed or make money is still far from certain. It's too early to talk about these things now."

Ye Fan put down his teacup, his gaze calmly sweeping over the people present. His voice, though not loud, carried an undeniable weight: "Since everyone is interested in participating, I will lay out the preliminary plan. The initial funding for this influencer incubation project is tentatively set at one billion RMB."

He paused, then clearly stated the allocation plan: "The original plan was for my Hongdou Group to contribute 500 million yuan, and I would personally add another 500 million yuan, as the initiator and core resource provider."

Ye Fan's gaze sharpened: "Now that you've joined us, I personally, along with the Hongdou Group, must hold at least 60% of the project's shares. The remaining 40% will be distributed among you according to your investment proportions and your own wishes."

As soon as he finished speaking, the private room fell into a brief silence, with only the low hum of the air conditioner and the faint sound of the Qinhuai River flowing outside the window.

"Ten...ten billion?" Even Fang Yu, the most composed person in Jinling's second-generation elite circle, couldn't help but gasp and his pupils contracted slightly.

He originally thought that Ye Fan's "playing around" would only involve spending a hundred or two hundred million, which would be considered a big deal in the circle of rich second-generation, but he never expected that Ye Fan would throw out an astronomical figure of one billion at the beginning!

This scale completely exceeded his understanding of the emerging phenomenon of "influencer incubation".

Qin Kun hissed, his eyes filled with shock and a barely perceptible fervor as he looked at Ye Fan.

This kid is either a madman or he's holding an ace in his hand that they can't understand at all!

That was fucking ruthless!

Fang Yu quickly suppressed the turmoil in his heart, leaned forward slightly, and asked with unprecedented seriousness and inquiry, "Old Ye, this is a huge undertaking! Have you discovered a new approach to this project that we haven't yet explored? What exactly is the plan?"

He asked bluntly, the core of which was: Why invest 1 billion yuan? How will you make it back? At this point in 2014, the concepts of "internet celebrity economy" and "live streaming monetization" were still very vague, let alone the terrifying potential they contained.

Ye Fan seemed to have anticipated this question, and his expression remained calm: "The approach isn't exactly new. The first step is simple: large-scale recruitment and screening. We'll gather a group of girls with good basic qualities in terms of appearance, talent, and personality, and then carefully select a few outstanding and promising talents from among them."

He tapped the table lightly with his finger: "Then, we'll concentrate the company's resources on marketing and packaging, creating a comprehensive persona for them—they could be talented individuals, fashion bloggers, beauty experts, travel enthusiasts, and so on. The core goal is to quickly accumulate a considerable number of followers and generate buzz on mainstream platforms like Weibo, Baidu Tieba, and forums, as well as our own Weiming App, to build up momentum first."