Pei Qian knew it was time to shoot the next episode.

Three episodes had been prepared before the New Year, and they had all been released.

If they wanted to release the fourth episode within three days, they needed to get to work quickly.

However, for videos like “Mr. Pei’s Daily Life,” once the script was written, the filming, editing, dubbing, and other work would only take a few hours in total. It was perfectly suited for a highly productive model!

So, from a time perspective, there was no problem—they even had some room to spare.

Pei Qian had no choice. The contract was signed, and since he couldn’t afford the penalty for breaking it, he might as well shoot honestly.

After all, it was a single cut either way; extending his neck a bit might reduce the pain.

Soon, the fourth episode was successfully shot.

Zhu Xiaocai, holding his DSLR camera, looked at the footage and made an OK gesture.

“Perfect! Mr. Pei’s acting is still as good as ever, fantastic.”

“Indeed, a game designer who doesn’t aspire to be an award-winning actor can’t be a good boss!”

“By the way, Mr. Pei, regarding video commercial collaborations, Huang asked me to check with you, so…”

Zhu Xiaocai glanced at the reception room nearby.

Pei Qian instantly understood—he wanted to talk privately.

For other matters, Pei Qian would likely wave his hand dismissively and let Zhu Xiaocai and Huang Sibo handle things as they saw fit.

But upon hearing it was about commercial collaboration, Pei Qian perked up.

“Let’s go to the reception room.”

Video commercial collaboration, colloquially known as “cashing in on food” (making money from sponsorships).

This was something Pei Qian needed to care about!

If Huang Sibo and Zhu Xiaocai hadn’t brought it up, Pei Qian wouldn’t have dared to ask.

After all, the 1 million yuan was Pei Qian’s investment, and before giving it, they had agreed that he wouldn’t interfere with anything. Now that the video was made and popular, it would be inappropriate for him to suddenly start meddling.

That could damage his public image.

Once people lost faith, the team would be difficult to lead!

But now that Zhu Xiaocai had brought it up, Pei Qian had room to maneuver.

Entering the reception room, Pei Qian listened attentively.

Zhu Xiaocai seemed a bit excited: “Mr. Pei, our team received the first advertisement the day before yesterday! Ahem, that is to say, we can make money from sponsorships now!”

“…”

Damn, that was too fast!

Pei Qian had thought it would take two or three more weeks or even a month to receive sponsorship offers.

But they received a sponsorship offer after just a few days of broadcasting?!

Pei Qian maintained a calm expression: “Hmm, what’s the offer?”

Zhu Xiaocai said, “It’s an advertisement for an online clothing store. They want us to incorporate their new T-shirt designs.”

“We’d need to have a supporting actor say an advertising line and wear their clothes. But I think viewers should understand this, so it shouldn’t be a big issue.”

Pei Qian was silent for a moment, then asked, “What about the price?”

“Five thousand yuan! Well, it’s not much, but this is just the beginning, the first step,” Zhu Xiaocai said.

Damn!

Five thousand for the first sponsorship???

Pei Qian was a bit dumbfounded.

Such a high amount?

Although Pei Qian didn’t have a particularly clear understanding of the exact price range for video content creators’ sponsored videos, he did have some indirect knowledge.

In the 2010 environment, the vast majority of people looked down on video creators, even viewing those who made a living by producing videos as shameful.

Most creators who became popular had their main careers; full-time creators were extremely rare.

Pei Qian remembered watching a video by Ao Changzhang, where in 2019 he reflected on his first sponsorship: In 2011, with his videos getting only about 100,000 views per episode, he received a sponsored advertisement from “League of Legends,” which started his journey of making money from sponsorships.

So, how much was Ao Changzhang paid for that sponsored video?

1,000 yuan.

Yes, for such an important game, such a big company… only 1,000 yuan!

Although each episode of “Mr. Pei’s Daily Life” currently has 500,000 views, it has only been popular for a few days! Who could guarantee that the creator of this series wouldn’t quickly run out of ideas and be buried in the river of history?

So, the 5,000 yuan offer was a reasonable price, even considered generous.

Of course, this was considering the standard for individual content creators’ sponsorships.

If considering series IP, exclusive broadcasting rights, etc., that would be a completely different matter.

Pei Qian pondered for a moment.

“My suggestion is… to reject it.”

Zhu Xiaocai was quite surprised.

The money was invested by Mr. Pei.

Shouldn’t Mr. Pei be more eager than anyone to recover costs and make a profit?

“I don’t quite understand. Please enlighten me, Mr. Pei,” Zhu Xiaocai said very humbly.

After all, no matter how talented he was, he was still just a senior in college.

When faced with Mr. Pei’s suggestions, he had to listen.

Pei Qian considered for a moment and said, “In entrepreneurship, the most important thing is to have a long-term vision!”

“Indeed, a 5,000 yuan sponsored video looks very tempting.”

“Just make a small placement in the next episode, and 5,000 yuan is in hand. Where else in the world can you find such a good deal?”

“But you also need to consider that, to incorporate this T-shirt, it either feels forced or requires adjusting the plot. Would it still have the same program effect as before?”

“This would damage our reputation.”

Pei Qian’s expression was somewhat pained, as if he foresaw the consequences of ruined credibility.

“Next time, what if someone looking for a sponsorship is selling cosmetics, shower gel, or shampoo? How can you perform at your best if you’re creating content just for sponsorships?”

“If a major IP withers because of many 5,000 yuan deals, wouldn’t that be a loss that outweighs the gain?”

Zhu Xiaocai was stunned.

Indeed, when Mr. Pei spoke, his vision was different!

My focus was on the 5,000 yuan.

While Mr. Pei’s focus was on the IP value of this series of short videos.

This… could this be the difference in perspective…

Pei Qian paused and continued earnestly, “You and Huang Sibo should never feel pressured!”

“It’s just 1 million yuan. What happens if we lose it all?”

“That’s a minor issue!”

“When doing big things, you should prefer to have nothing rather than settle for less. Either become wildly popular or lose everything while gaining a reputation. Never let it be that you didn’t make much money, and your reputation was also ruined. That’s the stupidest outcome, understand?”

Zhu Xiaocai nodded vigorously: “Yes, Mr. Pei, I understand!”

Pei Qian calmly took a sip of tea and said meaningfully, “So, if you’re willing to listen to me, why not set a sponsorship standard for this video series.”

“Product placement? Too forced, don’t do that.”

“If you accept sponsorships, accept high-end customization!”

“One sponsored advertisement, 10,000 yuan! But this isn’t an arbitrary price. While other video creators do mindless placements, you can do high-end customization.”

“A short video, from beginning to end, while ensuring quality, all revolves around the sponsor’s product.”

“This way, you ensure the viewer experience, guarantee the advertising effect, and maintain the video’s reputation—accomplishing three things at once.”

Zhu Xiaocai looked troubled: “But Mr. Pei, isn’t this requirement too high? It’s already not easy for someone to approach us for sponsorship, and we still need to create quality videos centered around their product. This…”

Pei Qian gently shook his head, sipping his tea, his gaze toward Zhu Xiaocai full of trust: “I believe in your talent, and you must also believe in yourself.”

Zhu Xiaocai opened his mouth but said nothing.

Mr. Pei’s gaze had already said everything!

“Alright, Mr. Pei, I understand!” Zhu Xiaocai nodded firmly.