Rebirth 03: Starting a Business After Giving Up a Secure Job

Chapter 37 Organizing a Carnival

A few days later, Lin Feng returned to Chengdu.

It was seven in the morning when I stepped out of the North Railway Station. A cold wind hit me in the face, and I shivered. It felt like a completely different season from Shenzhen.

In Shenzhen, people are still wearing jackets, while in Chengdu, pedestrians are already wearing down jackets and overcoats.

Lin Feng didn't linger and squeezed onto the No. 221 bus back to school.

It was past nine o'clock when I arrived at school.

He ran into a few acquaintances on the street. Some greeted him, some stared at him, and some whispered among themselves.

"Wait, wasn't he rumored to have absconded with the money?"

Lin Feng didn't pay any attention and went straight back to dormitory 407.

Pushing open the door, Li Hao and Zhao Xiaodong were playing games on the computer.

"Brother Feng! You're finally back!"

Lin Feng threw his backpack into the closet and quickly changed into some warm clothes.

While changing clothes, she asked Wang Peng, "Did you receive the MP3 player?"

"No, no one has notified me to pick up the goods yet." Wang Peng looked puzzled.

"Why hasn't the goods arrived yet..." Lin Feng frowned, only then realizing that this was 2003, and logistics speed was far slower than it would be twenty years later.

The MP3 players were transported back from Shenzhen via the old railway, requiring them to be assembled, changed locomotives, and stopped at every station, making the journey slower than a human train.

"How's everyone's doing this month?" Lin Feng asked casually.

"Ever since you went to Shenzhen, there have been constant rumors on the forum that you absconded with the money. Almost every day someone asks when we can get the MP3 player."

"Don't take those posts to heart; it was all Zhou Yang's doing. I've already clarified this multiple times on behalf of the music club."

Lin Feng nodded: "I'm back, the rumors have been dispelled. Let's put that aside for now, let's call a meeting with the core members of the music club tonight."

7 PM, Room 201, Building 3.

All six group leaders of the Digital Music Club were present, along with several key members.

After a month apart, Lin Feng's hair and beard had grown longer.

When they met, Su Wan teased him, "President, did you go to some remote mountain forest?"

Lin Feng then realized he had neglected his appearance and laughed, "I went to the mountains and fought a battle with bandits. Don't worry about such details..."

"Getting back to the main topic, what's the current situation with the music festival preparations? Jingyi, you're the content team leader, you go first."

Shen Jingyi opened the notebook in her hand.

"The basic framework of the program is in place. The main stage will focus on a campus band competition, with four bands and eight original songs submitted so far. There will be two dance performances interspersed throughout, one street dance and one electronic dance. In addition, there will be a guitar performance."

"However... our programs overlap too much with the 'Christmas Party' that the student council is preparing to hold. They also have bands, choirs, and dancers. If it's just a competition of program quality, we don't have an absolute advantage."

"Is the student council going to hold a 'Christmas party'?" Lin Feng asked.

Su Wan explained, "President, you don't know this. The student council originally planned to hold a 'New Year's Party.' But when we started to promote the Christmas Digital Music Festival, they changed the 'New Year's Party' to a 'Christmas Party' and booked the auditorium for the evening of December 24th ahead of us."

Li Hao cursed, "Damn it... they're trying to take our space and start a fight!"

After a moment's thought, Lin Feng confidently replied, "No need to worry!"

"The student council's parties are just traditional song and dance performances, which students and teachers watch in the auditorium. Everyone's tired of that kind of stuff!"

"Our digital music festival needs a different approach, transforming it from a gala into a participatory carnival that is enjoyable to listen to, play with, experience, share, and promote."

"Carnival?" Wang Peng asked, puzzled.

"We need to make music festivals fun!"

"The main stage is just one part of the music festival. We want to turn the entire venue into a large party, creating three or four interactive experience zones. If the weather doesn't rain, the outdoor area will be even better. Let's just choose Mingde Square."

Lin Feng proposed three ideas.

The first one is the "My First Digital Song" workshop.

Get two computers, install Cool Edit Pro, and connect microphones. Let passersby record their voices.

Our staff taught them on-site how to add a simple drum loop and some reverb. Finally, we generated a 30-second audio file for them to copy as an MP3 player.

"So cool!" Shen Jingyi's eyes lit up!

In 2003, for most students, "making music" with a computer was still a mysterious and fashionable thing.

The second is the "Rhythm Challenge" game area.

Make a simple game using Flash and connect it to a game controller. Musical notes will fall on the screen, and the player must press them to score points.

It's simple, highly competitive, and easy to get a queue. The top few get a small gift.

Wang Peng said, "Flash is fine, and the game logic is simple. I'll borrow a game controller, or buy one if necessary."

The third is the ringback tone experience station.

This requires negotiation with the SP (Service Provider) or mobile company. However, if an agreement is reached, a few mobile phones can be displayed so students can listen to the "Lilac Flower" ringtone clip on-site, and we can teach them how to set it up. We can even offer on-site registration for a few days of free trial.

Shen Jingyi couldn't help but ask, "Lilacs?"

"Yes. This is the 'mystery singer' I brought back from my trip to Shenzhen. Tang Lei, the original singer of 'Lilac Flower.' He will be performing live at our music festival on Christmas Eve!"

"Wow! So cool, President!" Shen Jingyi exclaimed excitedly.

"The original singer is coming? Really?" The other members were incredulous.

Su Wan took a deep breath: "President, can we publicize the news that the mystery singer is Tang Lei?"

"No rush!" Lin Feng emphasized, "This matter will be kept secret for now, only those of you here know. In the publicity, just mention 'a mysterious, sentimental singer, the year's most tear-jerking original song.' We'll release the details about who it is and what songs they'll sing three days before the performance. For now, let's promote the concept of a 'Digital Music Carnival'."

"The promotional materials emphasize the word 'carnival.' We invite students to come and enjoy our own digital music festival, and there will also be a mystery celebrity guest."

Su Wan twirled her pen between her fingers: "Understood. Visually, I can design it to be more trendy and interactive, completely different from the student council's 'traditional party style'."

"Yes! In addition, the music festival isn't just for Christmas Eve. We can hold preliminary rounds for original songs, campus bands, and more, allowing the audience to vote for their favorite original songs and bands. On the final night, these audience members will naturally come."

"That's so cool! I'm so excited just thinking about it." Shen Jingyi was completely impressed by the president's idea.

After the program content and promotional strategy were finalized, it was the external relations team's turn to report on the progress of securing sponsorships.

Xu Qiang's external liaison team worked very hard and secured four sponsorships, totaling 2000 yuan.

Lin Feng emphasized that with the concept of a "carnival," when negotiating with businesses, they go beyond simply providing sponsors with a banner; they can integrate sponsorships into the interactive areas. For example, they can involve businesses in interactive activities such as providing equipment and prizes for the rhythm challenge.

Xu Qiang also gained more confidence.

After the meeting, people gradually left, with Shen Jingyi being the last to leave.

Their gaze fell on Lin Feng's left wrist, where a red rope bracelet had appeared out of nowhere.

She wanted to ask, but swallowed the words back.

Turned around and left.

Su Wan was waiting for her at the door. When she saw her come out, she leaned over and asked in a low voice.

"You saw the red string bracelet on the president's wrist too, didn't you?"

Shen Jingyi nodded.