Chapter 198: Lord Savior

The ink on Fang Huan's contract with Netflix hadn't even completely dried when a massive sum of three billion US dollars poured into Netflix's nearly dried-up account like a celestial river overflowing its banks.
Now, Netflix was truly on its feet.
To put it bluntly, they were like a supercar with everything in place—top-of-the-line performance, design, and drivers—but the fuel tank was completely empty, gathering dust in the garage.
Now, Su Hao had arrived in a tanker truck, and a fully fueled one at that.
The accelerator was welded shut; nothing was to be feared!
Thus, Netflix, with an almost savage approach, brazenly launched its streaming service war into 130 countries worldwide, its expansion speed breathtakingly fast.
However, amidst this frenzied, triumphant advance, a huge weight remained hanging over CEO Rod's mind.
That weight stemmed from a ridiculously outrageous and domineering clause imposed by their mysterious benefactor—Su Hao.
"All resources, go all in on one show—Stranger Things!"
Three billion US dollars, all in on one show.
This is an unprecedented and insane move in the entire industry!
But this is a major investor who didn't hesitate to throw in three billion US dollars, kicking the company back from the brink of collapse!
Their word is law!
Although the equity agreement accompanying this investment was so harsh it was practically humiliating, unprecedented in the entire industry, what could they do when the offer was simply too much...?
There was nothing they could do; they were at the mercy of the investors.
No matter how uneasy they felt, the contract, in black and white, stipulated that Netflix had to obey unconditionally.
Thus, an unprecedented, insane marketing storm swept the globe.
All marketing firepower was aimed at Stranger Things, launching an indiscriminate, carpet-bombing attack.
The lead actors were bundled into top talk shows, social media ads were everywhere like free flyers, and television commercials were playing a 24/7 brainwashing game…
It seemed like no place on Earth with a screen could escape the brainwashing clutches of *Stranger Things*.
“This is… isn’t this going a bit too far?”
In a conference room at Netflix headquarters, an executive stared at the water-like marketing expenses, his eyelids twitching.
“What’s the panic? Have you forgotten what our ‘savior’ said? Marketing expenses, no limit! Throw it all in!”
That’s right, “savior.”
That was Netflix headquarters’ internal code name for Su Hao.
A company that almost filed for bankruptcy protection was pulled back from the brink by him—what else could he be but a savior?
Even so, this gamble of putting everything on the line still made everyone uneasy, as if it were about to backfire at any moment.
Netflix, caught in a state of extreme euphoria and anxiety, held its breath as it awaited Judgment Day.
They knew perfectly well that three billion dollars had been burned through, and if this global expansion failed, everything would be wiped out, perhaps even worse than before.
However, this wait was unexpectedly short.
"Explode...Explode!"
For the first few days, the data was lukewarm, keeping everyone on edge.
But then...
Boom!
The number of subscribers exploded exponentially, as if it had taken off on a jet rocket!
The curve representing the number of subscribers suddenly drew a line that defied the laws of physics, soaring skyward!
Straight upward!
Like a golden sword piercing the heavens!
"Holy crap! This...this thing...is this hot?!"
The popularity of *Stranger Things* can no longer be described as "phenomenal"; it's a cultural tsunami sweeping the globe!
Countless people unhesitatingly paid to subscribe just to watch this show, and social networks worldwide were flooded with discussions about *Stranger Things*.
On major film review websites, it not only dominated the top of the search rankings with overwhelming force, but its ratings were also ridiculously high. Countless harsh film critics seemed to be under a spell, using all their knowledge and the most superlative vocabulary to praise it!
The eloquence was so beautiful that even Shakespeare would be moved to tears.
"Although...although we thought the show was quite interesting during our internal screenings, but..."
"But who the hell could have imagined it would become this popular!"
"That's right! Not just us, but every single director and actor who made this show, not one of them, dared to boast about this success before it aired?"
"...Except for one person."
Upon hearing this, everyone in the meeting room fell silent. Everyone present knew perfectly well who that sole exception was.
"Our savior...how did he know that *Stranger Things* would become such a sensation?"
This was the most fantastical part of the whole affair.
According to the information at the time of contract handover, Su Hao hadn't even watched the show!
He hadn't seen the finished product, not even a single trailer!
Yet he dared to invest three billion US dollars, forcing Netflix to bet everything on this one show through a contract.
This whole thing was incredibly bizarre, completely beyond their comprehension.
"Do you think... he might have conducted some top-secret market research behind our backs?"
"Research my ass! If market research could predict hits so easily, film companies would be printing money like cash cows!
He clearly hasn't even seen the show!"
"But then again, aren't there actors like that?
They just glance at the script outline and can declare, 'This show will be a hit,' and then every role they play is a success."
Indeed, there's a small group of actors who seem to have a "hit radar," making every show they star in a hit.
Acting skills are certainly important, but ultimately, it's about having a keen eye for scripts, as if born with a pair of "eagle eyes" that can see through the potential of a work.
"So you mean... our big spender also has this kind of innate talent?"
"Otherwise, how do you explain this investment? Three billion US dollars!
To specifically name and invest in a drama series, who among ordinary people has that kind of boldness?"
A financial tycoon, seemingly unrelated to the film and television industry, possessed a keen insight surpassing all industry experts, accurately predicting the phenomenal success of a TV series!
Moreover, it was precisely his forceful marketing strategy that fueled the phenomenal success of *Stranger Things*!
Thinking this, CEO Rod's eyes flashed, and he slammed his fist on the table, as if he had discovered a gold mine leading to the future!
"Give me a complete list of all the projects the company plans to launch this year and next, as well as those currently in production! Immediately! Right now!"