When Yu Shuman went to work on January 2nd, she still felt a little dazed. She had actually taken an entire day off, even enjoying a nap in the afternoon of the first day. The fatigue from her hangover was completely gone. After not having a good night's sleep for over ten days, Yu Shuman finally had a day of proper rest.
On the 2nd, Yu Shuman went back to work, and Qin Ran didn't sit idle either. She arranged for a private lounge through the production crew and called the producer over for a meeting. The producer came in a bit shaky, knowing that on December 31st, Qin Ran was surely unhappy about how the director had been harsh on Yu Shuman.
Seeing the producer's nervous expression, Qin Ran smiled at him. "No need to be so tense; I just want to discuss some minor things."
Despite Qin Ran's soothing words, the producer was still sweating profusely, wiping his forehead with a tissue. "Please go ahead."
"Well..." Qin Ran looked regretful. She didn't demand the director be replaced or ask him to be kinder, nor did she complain about how the director berated Yu Shuman daily. While strictness could be good, constant berating wasn't productive. With the way things were going, even the behind-the-scenes footage wouldn't be usable. If any raw, unedited clips were released, all anyone would hear would be continuous censor beeps.
Qin Ran didn't directly ask for the director to be swapped out or to change his ways. Instead, she mentioned that 99 Entertainment was currently facing financial constraints and might need to reduce future investments in the project.
The producer frowned. He understood that Qin Ran was sending a warning to the director: if he didn't change his attitude, it would be difficult for the project to secure further funding from 99 Entertainment.
He acknowledged her concerns and expressed gratitude for the support 99 Entertainment had already provided to the crew. The producer wasn't too worried just yet, as there were still other companies that had invested in the project. What he didn't realize was that those companies were also owned by Qin Ran.
Being foreign companies, it was impossible to trace the real owner.
Qin Ran could tell the producer felt confident, thinking he still had backup options and wasn't overly concerned. But that didn't matter—he'd start to panic in a few days.
Qin Ran planned to leave soon. Watching Yu Shuman working so hard on set, even though she knew Yu Shuman enjoyed being diligent, still tugged at her heartstrings. She feared that if she stayed longer, she might impulsively whisk Yu Shuman away and upset her.
Before leaving, Yu Shuman walked her out. Seeing the paparazzi outside with their long lenses ready, Qin Ran frowned and said, half-joking, "Shuman, how about I hire you a bodyguard? One for close protection. We can also get a security team for when you travel, just in case you get harassed by paparazzi or fans."
There was genuine concern in her voice.
Yu Shuman smiled and teased, "You want to get me a bodyguard? Get one for yourself first. You're the rich one—aren't you worried about being kidnapped?"
"Then let's both get one."
Yu Shuman didn't refuse but just urged Qin Ran to head home.
On the way back, Wu Special Assistant was already contacting security companies and also informing managers at Qin Ran's other companies to start pulling back or reducing their investments in the production.
Qin Ran was a calculated person and a patient hunter. She enjoyed slowly wearing down her prey. Although it was a bad habit, setting long-term traps always yielded bigger rewards.
With her careful planning, the once-complacent producer soon started to panic. Other companies began pulling their funding, which meant he would need to find new investors to secure enough promotional funds. Without it, the drama was at risk of becoming a flop.
Trying to secure new funding at this stage was nearly impossible. Most of the roles had already been cast, leaving little leverage for negotiating with potential investors. Changing the cast now might upset the current actors, and upsetting just Yu Shuman or the leading actress backed by another major company could spell disaster.
In his attempts to bring in more investment, the producer hit wall after wall, largely due to the director's reputation. His bad attitude and arrogance, although paired with some talent, had earned him many enemies in the industry. No one wanted to work with him, instead hoping to see him fail.
They had only gotten this far thanks to 99 Entertainment's initial investment, which had attracted other investors. The director was highly demanding, insisting on the most realistic props and sets. As a result, most of the initial funds had already been spent, and they were waiting for the next round of investments.
By the time the producer realized that 99 Entertainment was holding their project by the throat, it was too late. Other investors, fearful of offending Qin Ran, wouldn't dare take further risks. Although the producer didn't fully understand why everyone was afraid of Qin Ran, it was clear how powerful she was.
The producer wasn't a fool—fools couldn't become producers.
While the producer was in a state of anxiety, Qin Ran returned to Beijing. The claw machine arcade she and Yu Shuman had planned during a date had officially opened on January 1st. Since January 3rd was still part of the holiday period, Qin Ran, accompanied by Wu Special Assistant, decided to visit the mall and check out her new store.
She had named the arcade "Bunny Paradise." At the entrance sat a huge stuffed rabbit, looking cute and well-behaved. If it were to stand up, it would be about three meters tall. Many children gathered around the large bunny, occasionally poking and touching it. Inside, the place was packed with people.
The tokens at Bunny Paradise were sold at a 1:1 rate, with no special discounts. Compared to the claw machine arcade next door, which offered 140 tokens for 100 yuan along with a guaranteed win card, Bunny Paradise didn't seem attractive at first. But when passersby noticed how easy it was to grab a prize, they were quickly drawn inside.
Qin Ran wasn't running Bunny Paradise for profit, so she had the machines set to be very easy to win. Prizes were one token per attempt, and on average, five tokens would win you a prize. That meant spending 100 yuan could get you 20 to 30 stuffed animals. Back when Qin Ran and Yu Shuman had gone to the neighboring arcade, they had spent 200 yuan to win 20 prizes. Bunny Paradise's win rate was nearly double that, and the prizes were much cuter.
In reality, stuffed animals are quite cheap, with the cost of 20cm toys ranging between 2 to 5 yuan. Most are around 3 yuan. The expensive part is labor and rent. If customer traffic is low, the store would bleed money. But given the low cost of toys, charging more than 10 yuan per toy would be absurd. After all, the quality of claw machine prizes is average at best, and most aren't even licensed, meaning the big companies don't bother pursuing royalties.
Qin Ran estimated that if she followed the same pricing model as the neighboring arcade, she could earn about 100,000 yuan a month. But Bunny Paradise was currently operating at a loss, and it would take another month or two just to break even. Beyond that, she would likely only maintain a balance, with any real profit coming from major holidays.
But Qin Ran didn't mind. She wasn't in it for the money. That's why she had splurged on making the arcade look especially attractive, even including seating areas for customers.
Most importantly, the shopping bags were free.
Anyone who won a prize could request a free shopping bag of the same quality as the neighboring arcade's at the service counter. Qin Ran was petty like that, still remembering the five yuan they had charged her last time.
Today, Qin Ran didn't enter Bunny Paradise because it was too crowded. The holiday rush would probably bring in enough to cover this month's rent, labor costs, and machine expenses. But the renovation costs would take longer to recoup. Without a free space to stand in Bunny Paradise, the contrast made the neighboring arcade seem all the more desolate.
Qin Ran and Wu Special Assistant decided to visit the neighboring arcade instead. She exchanged 100 yuan for tokens and started playing. With 140 tokens and two tokens per play, they quickly ran through the credits.
At Bunny Paradise, 100 yuan would get you 100 plays, but here, you only got 70. Worse, the store owner had clearly tweaked the win rate. Out of their combined 70 attempts, she and Wu Special Assistant only won eight prizes.
Wu Special Assistant adjusted his glasses and explained, "Last time you and Miss Yu Shuman came, it seemed like this place had just opened."
Got it—like many arcades, they had increased the difficulty after their initial opening. Even someone as skilled as Yu Shuman probably wouldn't be able to win ten prizes with 100 yuan now.
Qin Ran smirked, carrying her prizes to the counter to bag them up. Just like last time, the arcade wanted to charge her five yuan for a shopping bag. With a mischievous grin, she taunted, "The arcade next door doesn't charge for bags."
The clerk replied, "They just opened, so they're running special promotions. Their win rates are also part of their grand opening deals. You can always store your prizes in your member account and redeem them for higher-value items later."
Qin Ran glanced at the rack behind the counter, filled with knock-off figurines of anime characters. She didn't know the exact prices, but seeing the 120-point labels made her wince.
Given that 100 yuan only got you eight prizes, it would take about 1,000 yuan to earn enough points for one of those knock-offs.
Ridiculous—absolutely ridiculous.
Qin Ran had no intention of giving them any more money. She and Wu Special Assistant each grabbed a few toys and left without buying a bag. Wu Special Assistant still didn't quite understand why Qin Ran had opened a barely-profitable arcade right next to this one, but now it was clear.
She was petty and vengeful. The neighboring arcade had charged her five yuan for a bag, and now she was determined to drive them out of business.
Still, that arcade was petty too. When Qin Ran had mentioned "free bags next door," they had gone on a long rant about Bunny Paradise, but the fact remained—their bags were free. A stingy store like that wouldn't last long.
Wu Special Assistant internally calculated how long it would take Bunny Paradise to stop losing money and sighed. It might not last long, but at least it was profitable.
As for their own arcade, it was running at a pure loss.