"It's precisely because Xingyi Video's hit dramas have no pirated versions that their membership numbers have surged. Let's get him some pirated copies and upload them online!"
"Good idea, hahaha!"
"Once pirated resources for 'Northern Love' and 'The Cliff' are all over the internet, fewer users will subscribe to Xingyi Video memberships."
"Also, pirate all of 'Xia Lan' for him. Aren't they attracting members with an annual series? We'll pirate it annually! Make sure that as soon as Xingyi Video updates, the pirated version is immediately available!"
"Excellent! Let's do it!"
Listening to everyone's words, iQiyi Chairman Sun Yu beamed with delight:
"Get this done immediately. Remember not to use our own people; hand it over to professional piracy websites to handle! If something really goes wrong, it has nothing to do with us."
iQiyi Vice President Lin Dong nodded:
"Chairman, don't worry, I'll arrange it right away. I happen to have some resources in this area."
Another supervisor also agreed:
"Who told Xingyi Video to sue us for copyright infringement? We must pirate their content."
Hearing this, Sun Yu frowned:
"The court date is approaching, isn't it? How are the preparations going?"
Lin Dong sighed:
"No notification yet, probably after the New Year. There's nothing much to prepare for; our copyright infringement of Xingyi Video is a foregone conclusion. When the time comes, it'll just be a formality, a bit of wrangling, and finally, we'll negotiate compensation. It's best if we can settle out of court."
"Hmm. First, make sure this piracy thing is done well. We absolutely cannot let all members flock to Xingyi Video, and even more, cannot let Xingyi Video's members have any hope of surpassing iQiyi, otherwise, it will be our doom!"
"Yes!"
The executive meeting ended, and Vice President Lin Dong returned to his office. He first turned on his voice changer before dialing a number:
"Old Wei, you guys aren't doing well. 'Xia Lan' has been airing for so long, how come there are no pirated copies?"
Wei Fei couldn't help but curse:
"Damn it, if I could pirate it, I would have long done so! Don't you know, Xingyi Video uses self-developed H.265 decoding; it's impossible to handle. You can't even play it after downloading! No way!"
Lin Dong smiled:
"If downloading doesn't work, can't you just screen record? Use a screen recording plugin."
"Idiot! Xingyi Video has anti-screen recording features, screen recording plugins can't be used."
"..."
Lin Dong's mouth twitched, then he continued:
"You can physically record the screen, that method can't be blocked, right?"
"Stupid! Physical screen recording has low resolution and is troublesome. 'Xia Lan' airs one episode a week; I'd have to record it every week. Why bother with all that effort? With that much effort, I might as well pirate your iQiyi shows, that's much simpler!"
"Holy crap! @#￥%&!..."
Lin Dong was extremely angry,
"That really stings!"
"Old Wei, in your eyes, is our iQiyi easy to bully? Are our iQiyi's anti-piracy measures merely for show?"
Wei Fei didn't hold back at all:
"Nonsense! Your iQiyi resources can be directly hotlinked, with ads removed, hahaha. It's much simpler, unlike Xingyi Video, which is so troublesome and complicated."
Lin Dong's mouth twitched, but there was nothing he could do.
Currently, pirated resources are rampant, largely due to insufficient anti-piracy measures, with pirated resources everywhere.
Not to mention screen recording, direct hotlinking is even possible.
Even major platforms have hotlinked each other's content.
Lin Dong made up his mind that when he got back, he would suggest to the chairman to establish an anti-piracy department.
If there are no anti-piracy measures, iQiyi will be ruined!
Lin Dong took a deep breath:
"Let's not talk about iQiyi's matters, Old Wei, see if you can pirate all of Xingyi Video's exclusive dramas!"
"You mean..."
Wei Fei had a guess in his mind, but decisively refused:
"Troublesome, too troublesome. We pirate to make money. For example, by inserting 'XXX platform, live female dealers, online card dealing,' for this one ad, gambling websites will pay us a lot of money!
The more videos we pirate, the more ads we insert, the more we earn. The time it takes to pirate one Xingyi Video show is enough for us to pirate ten shows from your iQiyi and other platforms. Your side is more cost-effective and profitable!"
"Damn it!"
Lin Dong was extremely angry.
Wei Fei was a typical pirater.
When iQiyi was cracking down on piracy before, they contacted him, but couldn't locate him, even suspecting he was overseas.
Since they couldn't do anything about him, Lin Dong instead exchanged contact information, often using Wei Fei to be the first to pirate competitors' hit new dramas!
Just like now!
"Ten thousand yuan, immediately pirate Xingyi Video's 'Xia Lan,' 'The Cliff,' and 'Northern Love'!"
"This..."
Wei Fei thought for a moment:
"It's not impossible, but you know, their shows require physical screen recording, which is very troublesome. How about this: fifty thousand yuan, and we'll handle the follow-up, pirating all of it!"
"Fifty thousand is too much, thirty thousand."
"Thirty thousand really won't do. 'Xia Lan' is an annual series, one episode a week, all year round. We have to arrange people to physically record it every Saturday, which is very troublesome!"
"Alright, fifty thousand it is then. But you have to ensure it's recorded clearly, with good quality, and widely disseminated!"
"Don't worry, we have well-established channels and professional equipment. We guarantee clear recordings that will quickly spread across the entire internet!"
"Good. As for the payment, I'll give you ten thousand as a deposit first, another ten thousand after the pirated versions are uploaded, ten thousand after 'The Cliff' concludes, ten thousand after 'Northern Love' concludes, and ten thousand after 'Xia Lan' concludes!"
"This payment method of yours is quite a hassle, fine! Transfer the money as soon as possible; I'll arrange for people to record it right away. This afternoon you'll be able to see the pirated resources for 'Northern Love,' and by tonight, the pirated resources for all three shows will be all over the internet! You know the strength of our Feifan Film and TV Resource Network."
"I like this efficiency!"
Lin Dong beamed with delight; this matter was settled.
As for the efficiency of Feifan Film and TV, he was perfectly clear.
It was one of the top five pirated resource websites in the country, with a large user base.
Once Feifan Film and TV Resource Network released it, it was as good as being available across the entire internet.
Although it cost fifty thousand yuan, the losses caused to Xingyi Video would exceed fifty million, or even hundreds of millions!
Kill ten thousand enemies, lose ten of your own, very cost-effective!
Lin Dong went to the chairman's office, with a smile on his face:
"Chairman, everything is arranged. By tonight, you'll be able to see the pirated versions of Xingyi Video's three exclusive hit dramas!"
"Very good, I'd like to see how many new members Xingyi Video can still get with pirated copies around, hehehe."
Sun Yu crossed his legs and excitedly lit a cigar.
"Yes, indeed. In such a short time, Xingyi Video's paid members exceeded ten million simply because there were no pirated copies, forcing users to become members. Now that piracy is out, their good days are over."
Lin Dong said, then changed his tone:
"However, Xingyi Video's anti-piracy measures are really good: anti-hotlinking, anti-screen recording, plus H.265 encoding. Even if downloaded, it can't be transcoded; only physical screen recording is possible. Wei Fei found it troublesome. I offered him one hundred thousand, but he refused, insisting on five hundred thousand! Finally, after much persuasion, he agreed to three hundred thousand."
Sun Yu blew out a smoke ring:
"Three hundred thousand it is then. This physical recording thing is simple, just assign anyone to do it, but the influence of Feifan Film and TV Resource Network is not to be trifled with. Three hundred thousand is just a small sum; you handled this matter well. The expense can be charged to company team building."
"Okay."
Lin Dong was in a great mood, 250,000 yuan in hand!
A fifty thousand yuan bill, reported as three hundred thousand, a six-fold inflation, all reasonable inflation, no one will notice anything wrong.
No way, if he only relied on the meager salary of a vice president, how could he afford young models?
Feifan Film and TV Resource Network's efficiency was very high. As soon as the ten thousand yuan deposit arrived, they immediately started frantic recording and pirating.
Around 3 PM, the pirated resources for the first six episodes of "Northern Love" had already been recorded and fully uploaded.
It also included "www.6x6x.com, Hongtu International Gambling, famous Japanese adult film stars, online card dealing" ...
Being able to earn an extra advertising fee from a gambling website, Wei Fei of course wouldn't refuse.
Next, they began pirating "Xia Lan."
"The Cliff" had aired sixteen episodes, the most in number and the largest workload, so they put it last.
As soon as the pirated version of "Northern Love" was uploaded, Feifan Film and TV Resource Network's traffic began to increase.
Many people watched online or downloaded.
At Wang Yi's request, Xingyi Video had comprehensive anti-piracy mechanisms, with people monitoring the major piracy platforms every day.
Therefore, Ye Changpeng immediately received the news:
"What? The pirated resources for 'Northern Love' are out? That fast?"
"Okay, I understand."
Ye Changpeng's expression changed drastically, and he quickly went to Wang Yi:
"Chairman, Feifan Film and TV Resource Network has pirated 'Northern Love,' using physical recording!"
"What was bound to come, has come!"
Wang Yi took a deep breath:
"What about 'The Cliff' and 'Xia Lan'?"
"Not yet, I estimate they are currently being pirated."
Wang Yi nodded:
"Good, immediately activate the anti-piracy response strategy; use watermarks to identify the corresponding accounts!"
"Chairman, they've already been identified. Should we immediately ban their accounts?"
Xingyi Video's eight-fold anti-piracy measures included watermark anti-piracy, and it was a random watermark, one code per device.
By different watermarks, it was easy to identify the other party's VIP account, and banning it directly was very easy.
"Ban them? It's not that simple!"
Wang Yi coldly smiled:
"'Northern Love' just aired, and Feifan Film and TV Resource Network is already pirating it wildly. If this continues, it could cost us hundreds of millions in membership revenue. How can we let them off lightly?"
"Chairman, you mean..."
Ye Changpeng couldn't help but say. He knew Wang Yi was about to make a big move.
"Immediately lock down all of their member accounts, locate their IP addresses, have lawyers collect evidence, and prepare to sue. At the same time, gather evidence, report to the police in the Imperial Capital, arrest the individuals, and wipe out the entire piracy gang!"
"Okay!"
Ye Changpeng replied.
He knew this was Wang Yi's style.
He doesn't act unless necessary, but when he does, it's with thunderous force.
If they pirate Xingyi Video's exclusive dramas, Xingyi Video will send them to jail!
Such a large piracy website, pirating so many resources and involving such a large amount of money, their outcome would naturally not be good.
Wang Yi then dialed Director Qin's number:
"Director Qin, I need your help with something."
"Chairman Wang, just say it. But let me be frank upfront: within the rules, I will help you with all my might. Outside the rules, I can't help."
Wang Yi smiled; he appreciated people with principles like that:
"Naturally, it's within the rules. It's like this: our top-rated Xingyi Video drama 'Northern Love' has been pirated by Feifan Resource Network. We used watermark anti-piracy to identify their account and IP..."
"I understand. Cracking down on piracy is our responsibility. It coincides with the official call to crack down on piracy and protect intellectual property rights. Let this 'Northern Love' piracy incident be a breakthrough point to launch a special campaign against piracy!"
"Thank you for your hard work, Director Qin."
"It's my duty."
"Director Qin, Xingyi Video's technical team can provide comprehensive data and assistance."
"That would be excellent; I'll arrange for someone to go to Xingyi Science and Technology Park shortly."
Director Qin was in a great mood. He was originally worried that the anti-piracy efforts would be difficult to advance due to lack of clues.
Now, it's perfect; the opportunity came directly to his doorstep, and it's one of the top five piracy websites in the country, complete with IP addresses!
Isn't this an accomplishment delivered right to his doorstep?
Wiping out one of the top five piracy giants in one fell swoop would be a significant achievement anywhere!
Moreover, the authorities already had this plan.
Director Qin personally led, and a special task force was quickly established.
The leader of the command team, along with several technical personnel, went directly to Xingyi Science and Technology Industrial Park:
"Chairman Wang, hello. I am Yang Huai'an, the leader of this operation team. Thank you for providing the valuable clues."
"You're too kind, Team Leader Yang. Being able to take down the piracy organization is also of great benefit to our Xingyi Video."
Wang Yi said with a smile:
"Xingyi Video's technical department has prepared all the data and information. Please come this way!"
"Okay."
The group arrived at Xingyi Video's technical department. Wang Yi looked at the technical supervisor:
"Supervisor Xu, this is Team Leader Yang, the head of this operation. You are to fully cooperate."
"Yes, Chairman!"
After some communication, with the data and IP information provided by Xingyi Video's department, they immediately pinpointed the other party's location.
Yang Huai'an beamed with delight:
"Although the gang is in another province, they are not overseas, which is excellent. We just need to contact the local police through cyber police for cooperation."
"Thank you for your hard work."
"Chairman Wang, you exaggerate; it's my duty."
Afterwards, Yang Huai'an and his team left Xingyi Science and Technology Park directly and began their operation.
Wang Yi didn't need to concern himself with subsequent matters, just waiting for the final results.
This kind of gang, if they were overseas, they would be truly difficult to handle.
But domestically, it's a different story!
6 PM.
Wei Fei looked at the recorded videos and dialed Lin Dong's number:
"After an afternoon of hard work, all aired videos for 'Northern Love,' 'Xia Lan,' and 'The Cliff' are ready and are being uploaded to the server, and will soon be popular across the entire internet."
"Very good, as expected of Feifan Film and TV, the efficiency is indeed high."
Lin Dong was very satisfied, as if he saw Xingyi Video's exclusive hit dramas' pirated resources flying everywhere, and Xingyi Video's new member numbers plummeting, with only one in ten remaining.
Wei Fei chuckled:
"Our efficiency is naturally high, but shouldn't your payment efficiency also be a bit higher? The second ten thousand yuan, it's time to transfer it."
"Okay, go ahead and update it online; we'll transfer the money right away!"
"Deal."
Wei Fei hung up the phone and looked at his subordinate:
"Update it."
"Yes!"
Soon, the pirated resources for "Xia Lan" and "The Cliff" also began to be uploaded to Feifan Film and TV Resource Network.
And they placed the covers of the three hit dramas in the most prominent position on the homepage, as if afraid others wouldn't know their website had resources for the three major hit dramas.
Wei Fei was in a great mood:
"Now this is great. We can earn fifty thousand from iQiyi, and also earn one hundred and fifty thousand from the gambling websites. That's two hundred thousand yuan in total, a profitable business!"
His subordinate couldn't help but say:
"Brother Fei, you mean people actually believe such stupid advertisements from gambling websites?"
Wei Fei gave a dismissive laugh:
"Why wouldn't there be? These days, scammers aren't very smart, but the people being scammed are even dumber! There are always some people who fantasize about getting something for nothing and being able to seize an opportunity to make a fortune quickly. But how easy is it to make a fortune?"
"People like us wait for daily recordings and work hard for a long time just for two hundred thousand yuan! How much more so for them, thinking they can hit the jackpot and earn millions, tens of millions in one go? Hmph, a bunch of idiots!"
"That's true, there are always people who have unrealistic fantasies."
Hearing this, another subordinate's expression became erratic.
Wei Fei saw everything and said faintly:
"If you follow me, you can all make big money. No need to believe that stuff. If you believe that and lose everything, don't blame Brother Fei for not warning you."
"Yes, Brother Fei, we understand."
Wei Fei nodded:
"Mmm, put the three shows 'Northern Love,' 'The Cliff,' and 'Xia Lan' all in the top three of our resource site's download rankings!"
"Yes!"
The subordinate quickly took action.
Wei Fei was in a great mood:
"Next, we just wait for iQiyi to transfer the money. Today is a good day, a good day for the God of Wealth to bring money..."
As he was singing, the door was suddenly kicked open.
"What are you doing!"
Wei Fei's expression changed sharply.
Just as he stood up, a group of police officers rushed in, armed and ready.
"Police!"
"Everyone!"
"Hands off the computers!"
"Squat down!"
"Hands on your head!"
"Don't move!"
Instantly, everyone was subdued, pinned to the ground, trembling.
Wei Fei's face turned even whiter.
Some police officers quickly rushed to the computers, took control of all computers, preserving evidence.
Others frantically took photos to secure evidence.
Seeing this scene, Wei Fei's face turned pale:
"Big trouble, we've been completely busted!"
Piracy is definitely illegal.
If the circumstances are minor, it would be fine.
But for a site like Feifan Film and TV Resource Network, which made it into the top five nationwide, operating for so many years and involving so many interests, it would be difficult to say.
As the core leader, Wei Fei would definitely face conviction, possibly spending his life in prison.
The leading police officer looked around with a very complex expression:
"Feifan Film and TV Resource Network, so it was in our city all along. If the Imperial Capital hadn't provided intelligence, we wouldn't have known!"
The deputy team leader also sighed with emotion:
"Yes, indeed, it seems our work is still not thorough enough. We'll have to do more investigations in the future."
The captain nodded:
"Take everyone back, conduct an overnight interrogation. All hard drives, equipment, and evidence, secure all evidence!"
"Should we immediately 404 the server?"
The captain thought for a moment:
"Leave it for now, see if we can follow the vine to find the melon and also catch that gambling website! First, cancel the upload of any Xingyi Video's three dramas that haven't been uploaded, and delete all that have already been uploaded!"
"Yes!"
Seeing this scene, Wei Fei's face turned ashen; how could he not know he was finished?
His subordinates might get a few years less in prison, as for him, the big boss, he would face a heavy sentence.
Only by confessing and rendering meritorious service could he receive a lighter sentence.
In this situation, even if he didn't confess, his subordinates would sell him out!
Wei Fei understood everything clearly, and as soon as he returned to the station, he spilled everything.
The police officers were stunned:
"You mean someone from iQiyi gave you fifty thousand yuan and commissioned you to pirate all of Xingyi Video's 'The Cliff,' 'Northern Love,' and 'Xia Lan' and put them online?"
"Yes, it was their person."
"Which one?"
"I don't know who exactly. He only talked to me using one number, and his voice was distorted by a voice changer."
The police officer's eyes lit up, grasping the key point:
"When was the last time he contacted you? What did he say?"
"About ten minutes ago, urging them to settle part of the bill."
Wei Fei confessed truthfully.
"Settle part of the bill? How was it to be settled?"
"Ten thousand deposit, ten thousand when the pirated resources are uploaded, the remaining thirty thousand after the three shows conclude."
The police officer handed Wei Fei his phone:
"Immediately contact the other party, tell them this job is difficult and ask them to pay an extra ten thousand!"
"Okay, I'll say it, I'll say exactly what you told me to say!"
Wei Fei quickly agreed and dialed Lin Dong's number.
On the other side, the technical department was also ready to track and locate the other party's phone number.
Lin Dong, unaware of all this, activated his voice changer as usual and answered the call:
"Hello, Old Wei, what's up again? Haven't I already transferred the money to you?"
"Not enough, that's only twenty thousand. 'Xia Lan' is a weekly show; you can't possibly wait until the end of the year, can you? Transfer another ten thousand!"
Lin Dong frowned slightly:
"Didn't we agree on this? Why are you changing your mind again?"
"The main thing is that this job requires physical recording, which is very troublesome, and my brothers need to eat, right?"
"You..."
Lin Dong was speechless, but thinking of this deal, where he would pocket 250,000 yuan, he decided not to bother arguing:
"Alright, I'll have someone transfer another ten thousand to you."
"Okay, as soon as possible. My brothers have been working hard all day; I'll take them out for a good meal!"
"Heh heh, you're quite conscientious."
Lin Dong said, then hung up the phone.
Little did he know, this call had already been traced.
"Captain, location locked: in Tiantai City, Imperial Capital!"
"Good, immediately notify the Imperial Capital side, make arrests!"
"Yes."
Wang Yi was unaware of these developments, but when he opened Feifan Film and TV Resource Network again, the website was still there, but all resources for Xingyi Video's three dramas had been deleted!
Wang Yi smiled slightly:
"It seems to have succeeded."
"What succeeded?"
Lin Shu, across from him, had a clueless expression.
"Hmm... A bunch of bad guys got wiped out. I estimate it will be reported in a couple of days!"
"Oh, that's great!"
Lin Shu was overjoyed:
"Were they bad guys who were detrimental to Xingyi Technology?"
"Yes, they were. They pirated Xingyi Video's exclusive dramas, uploaded them to their website, wanting us to lose hundreds of millions!"
A major reason why video platforms aren't profitable right now is too much piracy.
Many people watch pirated content instead of legal content, leading to low membership revenue.
But with less membership revenue, video platforms don't have enough profit to buy more new dramas.
So later, all video platforms started frantically cracking down on pirated resources.
Another reason for losses was that they all raised prices, increasing the cost of dramas.
Five years later, the exclusive online broadcasting rights for a hit drama cost five to six hundred million, or even seven to eight hundred million yuan.
It wasn't until later, when major platforms suffered heavy losses, that they began to give up frantically buying dramas and instead focused on platform-produced dramas and self-produced variety shows.
After all, producing an S-tier blockbuster currently only cost seventy to eighty million yuan, and even five years later, it would only be two to three hundred million yuan.
Five years later, buying one hit drama would cost seven to eight hundred million yuan, enough to produce two or three S-tier blockbusters!
Clearly, self-produced dramas were more cost-effective.
All major platforms would do this math!
It was precisely for this reason that many years later, iQiyi, Youku, and Tencent all gave up frantically buying dramas and turned to self-produced dramas.
With fewer buyers, the film and television industry returned to a stage of oversupply. The prices of those hit dramas also began to plummet, and coupled with other factors, actors' salaries also began to decrease.
Everything returned to how it was many years ago.
The film and television industry is a cycle.
Wang Yi naturally understood this development trend.
Therefore, in 2012, when exclusive online broadcasting rights for film and television dramas were not expensive, he still frantically bought exclusive dramas and hit dramas.
A few years later, when online copyrights for film and television dramas surged, with one costing seven to eight hundred million yuan, Wang Yi would no longer play along.
At most, he would buy a few of the biggest hit dramas.
For the others, he would self-produce and film them himself!
For those hit dramas, Wang Yi would provide the ideas and outlines, have top writers from Meiyou Novels write them into novels and screenplays, and Xingyi Media would film them!
Not only would he save more funds for buying dramas, but also earn more.
Wang Yi had little interest in money-burning wars in any field.
Unless absolutely necessary, he would not participate at all.
"Hundreds of millions?"
Lin Shu was very surprised:
"These people are too bad, they should be brought to justice!"
Wang Yi hugged Lin Shu:
"Yes, indeed, I also want to bring Xiaoshu to justice!"
"Oh? What are you doing!"
Lin Shu was startled.
Wang Yi, however, untied Lin Shu's ribbon and tied Lin Shu's hands.
"You bad guy! You can't do this!"
Lin Shu was startled, and her pretty face flushed.
"Hahaha. Just kidding."
Wang Yi said with a smile, untying the ribbon.
"Hmph! I'm not talking to you anymore!"
Lin Shu ran out, blushing.
Wang Yi chuckled in amusement:
"Shubaobao is still a good girl. It seems it will take some more time to make her mischievous. Never mind, let's talk about it next year, the New Year is approaching."
Tiantai City.
Lin Dong, looking at Feifan Film and TV Resource Network, was completely unnerved:
"What's going on? Where's 'Northern Love'? Where's 'The Cliff'? Where's 'Xia Lan'?"
"How come they were just here, and now they're gone?"
"What's going on?"
"Damn it! Could it be that Old Wei, that bastard, took my money and didn't do the job? Or did Xingyi Video offer more, and they took the money and deleted all the resources?"
"Possibly. Old Wei likes to play both sides, he has no integrity!"
"Bastard."
"I'll call him right now and get to the bottom of this!"
However, just as Lin Dong was about to make a call, a knock on the door sounded.
"Who is it, at this hour?"
Lin Dong walked out of his study. His wife had already opened the door, and several police officers were standing at the entrance:
"Mr. Lin Dong, we need you to come back with us for questioning and cooperation in an investigation."
Lin Dong's expression changed slightly; he had an ominous premonition.
"What's going on? Could it be that my previous corruption has been exposed?"
"Okay, comrades, I'll go with you."
"Papa..."
His daughter, still in kindergarten, ran over, somewhat worried.
Lin Dong stroked his daughter's hair with full indulgence:
"Xuanxuan, be a good girl and listen to Mommy at home. Papa will be back soon."
"Okay, Papa, bring me a chocolate cake when you come back!"
"Okay, Papa will buy you a big one, an extra-large one!"
Lin Dong hugged his daughter and turned to leave.
Little did he know when he would return after this departure!
His wife, watching Lin Dong's departing back, her heart filled with worry, could only hug her child tightly.
She knew a little about her husband's affairs.
(End of chapter)