Chapter 824: Chapter 230: The Battle for YouTube
The matter in Hong Kong concluded just like this--oh, there’s a small endnote, Adrian had just left when the Hong Kong newspapers published reports with big headlines and a somewhat blurry photo titled "Media Mogul Adrian Cowell Visits Hong Kong?"
After all, the paparazzi in Hong Kong have inherited from the UK, pursuing news with all kinds of vigor. So even though Adrian kept a low profile in Hong Kong as he did in mainland China, he was still spotted by a keen fellow who secretly snapped a photo. Anyway, necessary social engagements had to be attended, and every party was filled with Hong Kong’s prominent figures, so the paparazzi naturally kept an eye on Adrian. If he appeared more than just a couple of times, they would definitely pay attention and start digging into his information.
Unfortunately, they discovered him a bit too late. If they had been a little earlier, they might have caught a big scoop by staking out at the Peninsula Hotel.
Even so, the news quickly spread among the Chinese communities in East Asia, like the mainland or... Taiwan, sparking countless discussions. Some speculated on what he was doing here, some regretted missing the chance to see the Miracle Director up close, and others...
"They say you came here for ’Infernal Affairs.’ Is that true?" Jerry Yang asked curiously, flipping through the newspaper while sitting in the suite chair.
"Sort of. I just came to take a look and to discuss ’Infernal Affairs’ adaptation rights," Adrian replied with a smile. "In any case, Hong Kong cinema dominated all of Southeast Asia for the past ten or twenty years, worth reminiscing about. Plus, I’ve only been here once in ’96, so it’s almost been eight years now; it’s nice to see what’s changed."
He had just left when Media Asia seized the opportunity of Hong Kong media reporting the visit of a Hollywood media mogul to announce that the adaptation rights of ’Infernal Affairs’ had been officially sold to Universal Pictures. Although not a word about Adrian was mentioned, and they responded with ’no comment’ when questioned by reporters, the more they did so, the more people were convinced that Adrian’s visit to Hong Kong was largely for this film. He’s not just a media mogul but also the Miracle Director. ’Infernal Affairs’ immediately attracted numerous attentions again, building a significant momentum for the upcoming release of ’Infernal Affairs.’
Adrian found these reports amusing but simply shrugged his shoulders. After all, Media Asia did not breach any contracts, right? Those who confidently claimed that the Miracle Director might direct the Hollywood version of ’Infernal Affairs’ were merely making guesses based on information they gathered, typical of how paparazzi turn even the smallest chances into certainties, isn’t it?
Adrian thought with a slight malicious delight about how interesting the expressions would be when Hong Kong folks realized later that someone else was directing and producing the Hollywood version.
"You shouldn’t have talked to me, Jerry. You should’ve reached out to Victor; he’s the CEO of the network group, isn’t he?" Adrian said, waving his hand. He knew Jerry Yang came over for a specific purpose.
"Yes, I know, but I think his understanding of the internet is not as deep as yours," Jerry Yang pushed his glasses up, "Of course, I’m not saying that Mr. Victor Cowell lacks anything in this aspect, but clearly you understand more what YouTube means to Yahoo."
"Yes, I understand, but you need to understand, Jerry, that YouTube won’t be profitable for a long time, and in fact, neither will Facebook. Despite their broad influence, Victor is extremely cautious while managing them," Adrian explained. "So if Yahoo acquires YouTube, it would likely just be shouldering another burden. Victor declining your proposal wasn’t unwarranted."
Hearing this, Jerry Yang fell silent, removed his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose. "So, you agree with Victor Cowell’s perspective, Ed?"
"Tell you what," Adrian smiled, "I’ll have you guys over for a detailed market analysis and discussion when I get back to the United States, how’s that?"
"Alright." Realizing he couldn’t achieve his objective, Jerry Yang nodded and then got up to leave.
Watching him leave with regret, Adrian just shrugged, though internally he quite admired his perseverance for chasing from the United States all the way to Taiwan. Most internet pioneers have seen the potential of YouTube, a site that in less than six months has outpaced many established sites. After the burst of the 2000s dot-com bubble, few websites reached such a level.
Unfortunately, despite many internet companies eyeing YouTube, few actually took action. The name Adrian Cowell among its founders says it all. Taking anything from AC Media is never easy, even though the network company owning YouTube appears unrelated to AC Media.
Speaking of which, many people have to lament again. Among the rapidly developing websites post-2000, two were co-founded by that Miracle Director, that media mogul—how exactly did he do it?!
In this situation, Jerry Yang running around for Yahoo deserves a thumbs-up. However, he’s not the only one taking action; the two founders of Google are also frequently in contact with Victor and Adrian. YouTube and Facebook are different; the latter is huge with its unique ecosystem, much like a comprehensive department store, while the former is flexible and easily adaptable, somewhat like a specialty shop. Cooperation works best with the former, while incorporation into one’s system suits the latter better. Achieving this could be invaluable to the site’s growth.
Of course, the ability of Google and Yahoo to do what other sites couldn’t or struggled to, primarily relies on having shares from Adrian or AC Media.
Unfortunately, Adrian isn’t planning to sell to any of them, at least not now. Of the three famous online communities from the prior life, only Twitter remains, which could go live by January next year at the latest. So even if there are any plans, it’s best to wait until they have taken shape to discuss in detail.
Moreover, he still has more confidence in Google. Although Google is a new site, still preparing for an IPO, its future might not even be fully understood by itself—except for Adrian. More importantly, some things are not so easily offset. Adrian’s quick rise and his standing in Hollywood owe quite a bit to his identity.
But even if Google eventually wins out, Adrian won’t allow it to become too large, instead gaining more influence within them. A single dominating company benefits AC Media not at all, so supporting Yahoo to balance their power is necessary, even if it only follows behind Google. It’s better than having no threat at all.
"Innie, remember to give Victor a call. I need to have a good talk with him once I’m back," Adrian then made a call to his secretary.
"Got it. There are many invitations here. Should I decline them all?" Ivanka’s cold voice came through. Since reaching the mainland, she turned herself into an invisible figure, watching his antics with indifference; not displaying dissatisfaction in some way would be unusual.
"Of course," Adrian laughed, "You know, soon..."
Before he finished speaking, the doorbell rang.
"Listen, she’s here, I’ll talk to you later," Adrian immediately hung up the phone, chuckling and shaking his head as he headed for the door.
Upon opening the door, a dazzling figure enveloped in a fragrant breeze rushed into his embrace, kicking the door shut ungracefully and locking her arms around his neck to kiss him. Adrian wrapped his arms around her waist, kissing fervently while retreating until they landed on the sofa, their passionate kiss continuing for several minutes before breaking apart.
"Do you know how much I’ve missed you, Yuanyuan?" He cupped the woman’s face, looking at her with an earnest expression.
"Really?" Gao Yuanyuan blinked, her lips curving as if with disbelief.
"Of course," Adrian immediately wore an expression of "How could you say that?" "Do you need me to prove it to you right now?"
"No!" Gao Yuanyuan blushed, instantly hitting him. She knew, of course, what he meant by proving it to her.
Adrian laughed heartily, then snuggled with her for a bit before saying, "How do you feel about this place? It’s Taiwan, with many things that seem similar but are, in reality, quite different in charm."
"It’s okay, it’s just that the scale of some entertainment programs is a bit large," Gao Yuanyuan shrugged, then thought of something and laughed, "Most of them ask me about my opinion on ’Heavenly Sword Dragon Slaying Saber’, but they don’t mention ’Battlestar Galactica’ at all. Even if someone asks unintentionally, it’s quickly brushed aside."
Hearing this, Adrian couldn’t help but laugh, these people are really so petty.
After he arrived in Taiwan, ’Battlestar Galactica’ finally aired its first episode in the mainland. Without a doubt, as the first American sci-fi series introduced, the ratings were quite impressive, and the discussions online were even more fervent. Especially since Adrian had deliberately brought forward the kind of treatment the mainland would only have years later, having someone re-edit it specifically, and pulled the original team leader to supervise it, ensuring quality while increasing Gao Yuanyuan’s scenes. One can imagine how excited the Chinese audience was when they saw this.
Moreover, Gao Yuanyuan did an outstanding job. Not to mention her acting skills, which were specifically honed, the first season didn’t require showing many different character transitions. Just her short hair alone, looking so valiant, was enough to win over a large crowd. So much praise was being lavished on her across major portal sites that they nearly lifted her to the position of top domestic TV actress.
Of course, this had something to do with Huayi, under Adrian’s guidance, taking further steps into internet promotion, but most people were genuinely praising her. Network hype was just beginning at this time, far from the point of being off-putting as it would be in a few years. Plus, she was collaborating with Hollywood and had ample screen time. Naturally, people highly praised her while feeling a sense of pride.
Mainland was happy, but Taiwan inevitably felt some envy. Although Lin Chi-Ling had become an iconic figure on the island and her collaboration with Will Smith was well-known, she wasn’t developing her career domestically; she was mostly doing endorsements or appearing in entertainment programs. Moreover, she had already obtained American citizenship in the middle of the year. Even if Taiwan admits dual citizenship, those people still couldn’t help but feel upset.
Yet, they couldn’t possibly target Lin Chi-Ling, who is a notable figure on the island. At this point, Gao Yuanyuan, also collaborating with Hollywood and winning much attention, came over to promote her drama. It’s normal for them to choose to ignore her out of indifference since, after all, they’re locals with a somewhat small-minded nature.
"Don’t worry about them. The more they act like this, the more you should perform brilliantly, and the more brilliant you are, the more their faces will be slapped by an invisible hand," Adrian comforted her.
"Alright." Gao Yuanyuan’s eyes curved, cuddling in his arms, they chatted affectionately for a long time until the clock chimed.
"Oh dear, there’s a show to attend tonight." After checking the time, Gao Yuanyuan hurriedly sat up.
"What, not even dinner with me?" Adrian sighed, spreading his hands, "I turned down many invitations."
"Sorry," Gao Yuanyuan said with a bit of a spoiled tone, "I’ll make it up to you later when I have time."
"Make it up to me? You said it?" Adrian raised an eyebrow.
"What... what bad idea did you come up with again?" Gao Yuanyuan warily shrank her neck.
"Nothing, just..." Adrian leaned into her ear and whispered a few words.
Gao Yuanyuan first widened her eyes in surprise, then bit her lip shyly, and finally, her eyes turned complicated.
"This time you..." Her hands rested on his shoulders, pursing her lips, cheeks puffed, "Did you and Sister Jingwen also..."
"You know, I’m quite a philanderer." Adrian’s finger traced her lips, "Don’t worry, you’re different from them. You’re very precious. Ten Alyssa Chia can’t compare to one you."
Gao Yuanyuan hummed softly, sighed, and then poked his chest with her finger, speaking in an exasperated yet helpless tone, "Alright, you, you scoundrel, you bad egg!"
The word "bad egg" was said so coquettishly that Adrian couldn’t help but block her mouth again.
Actually, his request was quite simple—enjoying the blessings of "Zhao Min" and "Zhou Zhiruo" in Hong Kong, of course he should indulge again here. Miss Jia should be very willing, especially since Lin Xilei is in Taiwan. Naturally, Lin Chi-Ling wasn’t here; she had a movie to shoot, and she knew he couldn’t help but wander, so she didn’t come to disrupt his fun.
However, though he had to wait until tomorrow, Adrian had a disc of appetizers to enjoy, as Guo Feili, who played "Yin Susu," was quite a delight, and she’s from Singapore, here in Taiwan.
The former... well, in Asia, having experienced Japan, Korea, Taiwan, plus Hong Kong, the mainland, and India, how could Singapore be missing if someone suitable came along? As for the latter, in the mainland and Hong Kong, there were some scruples, but in Taiwan, the region where AC Media developed the deepest, he had fewer concerns.
The specific process is not worth mentioning, but under the instigation of certain individuals, Guo Feili served him very well and even agreed to act as Yin Susu. Unfortunately, out of consideration for Gao Yuanyuan’s feelings, he couldn’t gather Yin Susu, Zhou Zhiruo, and Zhao Min together. He had thought about it, but after another plan was put into action—calling Hong Kong only to end up facing a scenario where he had to deal with two pairs of Zhou Zhiruo and Zhao Min.
Although Adrian was satisfied, Gao Yuanyuan was particularly displeased, finding it hard to accept. When they were alone, Adrian coaxed her for a long time before she felt a little better.
"That Yu-something, she seemed so innocent, but actually..." she complained, still touching her behind.
Adrian couldn’t help but laugh out loud. That bold woman was indeed too daring; the other three were caught from behind and attacked alongside him, of course, she was eventually thoroughly ravaged by the other three in alliance.
"Okay, I promise, there won’t be a next time." Adrian finally swore solemnly, naturally, shelving the original ideas for the time being.
Subsequently, Adrian ended his trip to Taiwan and headed to South Korea. Gao Yuanyuan didn’t accompany him. Although her promotional schedule was over, she had several commercials on the mainland, all coming in due to ’Battlestar Galactica’s’ popularity. He thought she could totally skip those, as her future fame would only grow, but Gao Yuanyuan felt they were nice, seeing them as a form of affirmation. She can do as she pleases, as Adrian had instructed her team to carefully manage her image, avoiding overhyping her and tarnishing her reputation, like some others had.
Moreover, in just over a week, Gao Yuanyuan would return to the United States to continue her acting classes—the previous ones were targeted training. Adrian also had significant plans for her, which required her to adapt to Hollywood’s pace and environment, similar to Lin Chi-Ling. Besides, he was heading to South Korea, not directly back to Los Angeles.
The reason Adrian was going to South Korea, aside from checking out Samsung’s situation and furthering his plans, involved another reason: his little beloved was having a concert in Seoul.
As previously mentioned, though Britney was in further studies, she had been releasing singles and occasionally appearing in media to maintain her popularity. This year, she decided to hold a few small-scale concerts.
Thanks to Adrian’s influence, her reach had extended to East Asia early on, yet she hadn’t held many concerts, and her world tour before further study only went to Tokyo, making it somewhat lacking. Thus, this time, she decided to stage her concerts in East Asia, focusing on Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. After all, the scale wasn’t large. (To be continued. If you like this work, we welcome you to cast recommendation votes and monthly votes on Qidian (). Your support is my biggest motivation.)