48: The Traffic Secrets in Chapter 48, "The Star Anchor Project"

Shen Du hung up the phone and tossed it onto the desk.

He looked at the Xinghuo Software UI icon on the computer screen, which was still in its embryonic stage.

His second chain plan, which was also the core monetization fuse for this three-in-one platform, was about to be lit by Red Phoenix herself.

Shen Du leaned back into his boss chair.

His deep gaze passed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, penetrating the steel and concrete of the city.

The reason he summoned Red Phoenix at this critical juncture was definitely not to raise funds from her.

In this era, if Shen Du simply wanted to make money, he could have taken his Meituan shares and knocked on the door of any foreign bank in Lujiazui.

Those bank presidents would pounce on him, begging to approve hundreds of millions in mortgage loans for him.

What he wanted was the secret network of connections in Red Phoenix's hands.

For the Xinghuo Software "three-in-one" platform, although Technical Expert Su Hua and his team were working day and night on the technical architecture, technology alone wouldn't be enough to instantly retain grassroots users during the initial launch phase.

There had to be a "spark" that could ignite traffic.

Shen Du's goal was to utilize the background in the nightlife industry that Red Phoenix had accumulated in Shanghai.

To pre-select a group of women for Xinghuo Software who were above average in appearance and knew how to please men.

He wanted to personally take charge and create a professional vanguard livestreaming team in 2011, a time when "influencer agency" was still unknown—what would later be known as the "first-generation guild matrix."

Shen Du setting up this scheme was certainly not to compete for jobs with future streamers. As the platform owner, his vision wouldn't be that narrow.

He did this to "set an example" for the entire internet. In the early stages of any emerging industry, ordinary people would adopt a wait-and-see attitude. The only way to get people to flood in was to create gods.

Shen Du wanted to use this team of beauties as a template, slamming the revenue statements directly in front of the world, letting everyone in the world understand: So, by wiggling their waists and acting coy in front of the camera, they could earn that much money from livestreaming.

"Desire is the underlying need of human nature, and even more so, the driving force behind the flow of wealth."

Shen Du tapped his fingers lightly on the desk. He understood the psychology of netizens in this era too well.

For a startup platform, just having user registrations wasn't enough; it had to have content that could attract eyeballs.

And those beauties who were seven or eight out of ten in looks, with a little dressing up and paired with the Xinghuo Software "god-tier beauty filter," were the sharp weapons to retain male users and make them open their wallets.

As long as this batch of first-generation female streamers could stabilize the initial traffic pool with their looks and prove their money-making ability to the outside world, then Shen Du's goal would be achieved.

Driven by profit, subsequent guilds and studios from all over the country would definitely spring up and flood into Xinghuo Software like bamboo shoots after rain.

By that time, the closed-loop ecosystem would be completely finished. Sitting on the platform, Shen Du would only need to set the rules and sit back to collect the 50% commission toll. This was his true billion-level industrial blueprint.

The gloomy sky of the magic city tore open a slit, and a few rays of sunlight shone through the clouds. A black Mercedes-Benz sedan slid into the underground garage of the IFC International Finance Centre.

Red Phoenix had changed into a capable and refreshing professional suit today, shedding the gaudiness of her past days spent in the nightlife scene.

She stepped in high heels, and under the guidance of Xu Hao, walked into the exclusive elevator that went straight to the 55th floor.

When the elevator doors opened, the moment she stepped into the base camp of Jiyuan Technology, a flash of shock appeared in Red Phoenix's eyes, which had seen countless people.

This vast space with a minimalist industrial style, this atmosphere of technology that exuded precision and coldness everywhere, was a completely different world from the underground casinos and nightclubs she was familiar with in the past.

When she walked through the corridor and arrived at the "Sky Screen Command Center," this contrast reached its peak.

Red Phoenix walked into this office somewhat awkwardly. The 270-degree floor-to-ceiling window facing the Bund and the Oriental Pearl Tower pulled the prosperity of the magic city into the room.

"As expected of Young Master Shen..." Red Phoenix looked around and couldn't help but exclaim, "Your office is even more impressive than those so-called big shots in Shanghai..."

"That's enough." Before Red Phoenix could finish her flattery, Shen Du coldly raised a hand, interrupting her small talk.

Here, there was no need for such hypocritical and worthless pleasantries. His deep eyes swept over Red Phoenix.

He pointed to the leather chair opposite the desk and said in a flat tone, "Since we're already familiar, let's skip this nonsense. Sit."

Red Phoenix's heart tightened. She immediately put away her smooth and slick demeanor and sat down obediently opposite Shen Du.

Unexpectedly, this high-and-mighty Young Master Shen actually picked up the purple clay teapot on the table and personally poured her a cup of tea.

Just as Red Phoenix was flattered and preparing to take the tea, Shen Du pushed a freshly printed top-secret document across the obsidian desktop toward her.

On the cover of the document, five bolded black characters were printed: "Star Streamer Plan."

Red Phoenix didn't speak, but with a hint of reverence, she opened the business plan with both hands. In the office, only the faint sound of paper turning remained.

However, as her eyes scanned between the lines, Red Phoenix's breathing became rapid. The more she read, the more the waves in her heart churned.

The business model depicted in this plan shattered the street smarts she had built up over half her life.

In the past, when she led her girls to make money in the nightlife scene, what did she rely on? It was faking smiles and drinking in private rooms, being groped by tacky bosses, walking on the edge of the law, and constantly risking being cracked down on by the police.

Every penny earned was hard-earned money risked with dignity and flesh.

But what did Shen Du write in this plan? It only required finding a room with air conditioning and setting up a smartphone.

As long as they opened a livestream on Xinghuo Software and paired it with the "god-tier beauty filter," even an ordinary girl who was only a six or seven out of ten in looks could transform in front of the camera.

They didn't need to pay any substantial price. They just needed to sit in front of the camera, call out a few "big brothers," sing a few love songs, and they could make men willingly open their wallets and send "virtual gifts."

No physical contact, no alcohol poisoning, no safety risks. This wasn't just making money; this was clearly taking a sack and scooping money out of the pockets of men all over China.

This was simply a devastating blow to her life experience. Red Phoenix's fingers holding the plan turned slightly white from the force.

She even doubted what kind of low-end industry she had been struggling in for all these years in the gray areas. Her social skills, which she was so proud of, were like cavemen playing with mud in the face of Shen Du's internet capital harvesting.

And when she turned to the second half of the plan, an even more subversive model appeared: livestream e-commerce.

Shen Du's ambition was far from just draining men's tips. It was written clearly in the plan.

When these beautiful streamers accumulated hundreds of thousands of fans, they could directly promote cosmetics, clothes, and jewelry in front of the camera...

One person promoting to one hundred thousand viewers—the sales for one night could possibly be more than the monthly revenue of a bustling shopping mall in the magic city.

When Red Phoenix finally finished digesting this content that was enough to subvert an era and turned the plan to the last page.

Her whole body was like it had been drained of strength, and she slumped in the leather chair. In her eyes looking at Shen Du, there was only a kind of reverence, as if looking at a god.

Just then, Shen Du picked up the purple clay teacup in front of him and gently skimmed the foam off the surface of the water. He raised his eyes and looked at the Shanghai big sister who had already been conquered.

The corners of his mouth curled into an arc, and he slowly spoke, "So, how is it? This plan is pretty good, right?"