8:01 AM, 36Kr | Multiple airlines respond that tickets cannot be sold for less than 200 yuan; "Ne Zha 2" becomes the only non-Hollywood film in the top 30 global box office; The preferential period of DeepSeek has ended and the price has been raised.

TOP3 Big News

Several airlines respond that tickets cannot be sold for less than 200 yuan: No relevant notice received

Recently, some media reported that the relevant departments require airlines not to sell tickets for less than 200 yuan. This regulation has been implemented since December 2024, and airlines found selling tickets for less than 200 yuan will receive a "warning". In response, the relevant personnel of China Southern Airlines said, "We have not received the relevant notice for the time being." The customer service of Air China replied, "We can provide you with consultation on the relevant aspects of ticket services, but we cannot answer the question you mentioned for the time being." The customer service of Sichuan Airlines said, "We really haven't received this notice. The ticket price is subject to the actual inquiry." The customer service hotline of the airline responded, "The ticket price fluctuates up and down according to market demand." However, the special air tickets of several airlines have not seen ticket prices lower than 200 yuan. (The Paper) 

"Ne Zha: Devil Child Causes Havoc in the Sea" Enters the Global Box Office Top 30

36Kr has learned that according to the global box office list of Dengta Professional Edition, as of February 10, the total box office (including pre-sales) of the film "Ne Zha: Devil Child Causes Havoc in the Sea" has exceeded 1.152 billion US dollars, surpassing "Aquaman", entering the top 30 of the global box office history. It is also the only non-Hollywood film in the top 30 box office films.

The preferential period of DeepSeek-V3 API has ended, and the price per million output tokens has increased from 2 yuan to 8 yuan

On February 9, the 45-day preferential price experience period of the DeepSeek-V3 API service has ended. From February 9, it will be adjusted to a new price: 0.5 yuan per million input tokens (cache hit) / 2 yuan per million input tokens (cache miss), and 8 yuan per million output tokens. Previously, during the preferential period, the API price of DeepSeek was 0.1 yuan per million input tokens (cache hit) / 1 yuan per million input tokens (cache miss), and 2 yuan per million output tokens. (Jiemian News)

Big Companies / Major Events

Heytea Announces the Suspension of Accepting Business Partnership Applications

36Kr has learned that Heytea has sent an internal email to all employees titled "Not Participating in Digital Games and Scale Involution, Returning to Users and the Brand". In the email, Heytea stated that it refuses to engage in store-scale involution and temporarily stops accepting business partnership applications. Heytea claims that the new tea drink industry is still in its early stages, and the "digital games" in the industry have come to an end. Meaningless price, revenue, and scale involution have seriously consumed users' love for new tea drinks. In 2025, Heytea will continue to adhere to "Not Engaging in Low-Price Involution" and not playing "Digital Games". 

$8 million for a 30-second Super Bowl ad, and the total advertising sales amount to hundreds of millions of dollars in 25 years  

How much is the average cost of a 2025 Super Bowl ad? Peter Bray, the founder and executive creative director of advertising agency Bray & Co., said advertisers paid nearly $8 million for a 30-second ad slot during the Super Bowl. He estimated that during the approximately three to four hours of the broadcast over 25 years, about 51 minutes of advertising time has been sold, bringing the total advertising sales to hundreds of millions of dollars. 

The price tag of nearly $8 million is nearly $1 million higher than the $7 million cost for a 30-second ad slot during the 2024 Super Bowl. The 30-second ad time during the 2023 NFL Championship was also approximately $7 million, a 55% increase from 2019. Bray said the cost of Super Bowl ads is "gradually increasing", and he believes the advertising sales for the broadcast will soon reach $1 billion. (Global Market Broadcast) 

"Fengshen II" Denies Rumor that Yin Jiao's Dharmakaya Was Produced by an Outsourcing Company for 4,500 Yuan, with a Production Cycle of Over 18 Months  

On February 9, the visual effects management company Magic Image of "Fengshen Part II: Battle in Xiqí" released a statement saying that the rumor that the three-headed and six-armed Yin Jiao's Dharmakaya was "produced by an outsourcing company for 4,500 yuan" is untrue. The statement said that the feature film "Fengshen Part II" uses approximately 2,000 visual effects shots, which were jointly completed by 10 domestic and foreign visual effects companies. Among them, the three-headed and six-armed Yin Jiao's Dharmakaya was produced by Scanline VFX, whose representative works include "2012", "Game of Thrones", "Interstellar", "Life of Pi", "Aquaman", "Godzilla vs. Kong", etc.  

The statement also revealed that the production cycle of the three-headed and six-armed Yin Jiao's Dharmakaya is over 18 months. Visual effects shots account for 86% of the entire film, and more than 70% of the visual effects shots were completed by the Chinese team. The core visual creation departments such as keyframe concept design, character and strange beast concept design, character styling design, and art scenes were all completed by the Chinese team. (Sina Finance)  

The interest rates of medium and short-term deposits in several banks are inverted, and the industry claims it is not widespread.

Recently, Mr. Li, who works in Shanxi, found that the one-year deposit interest rate of a rural commercial bank where he often deposits has just been raised to 1.75%, while the two-year fixed deposit interest rate remains "unchanged" at only 1.45%, with an "inversion" of about 30 basis points (BP).

Unlike the previous "inversion" of three-year and five-year deposit interest rates, the "inversion" of interest rates seems to have spread to medium and short-term deposits. According to the incomplete sorting by reporters, the one-year and two-year deposit interest rates of several small and medium-sized banks such as Huairen Rural Commercial Bank, Shuozhou Rural Commercial Bank, Lingchuan County Credit Union, and Mizuho Bank have shown equal or "inverted" situations recently. Many industry insiders interviewed believe that the "inversion" of one-year and two-year deposit interest rates is not a common phenomenon, but a short-term strategy adopted by specific banks based on their own liability structure. (Yicai Global)

Huawei Watches Purchased with Medical Insurance Need to be Activated on the Spot, and Some Pharmacies Sell at a Premium  

Recently, the news that "using the personal medical insurance account to purchase the Huawei WATCH D2 blood pressure measurement watch at the pharmacy" has attracted the attention of netizens in many places. On February 8, relevant persons from many chain pharmacies in Guangdong, Hunan, Fujian and other places said that some stores had been selling the Huawei WATCH D2 before the Lunar New Year, because products that have obtained the medical device registration certificate can be paid with medical insurance. The staff said that each medical insurance account is limited to one purchase, and consumers will be required to activate it on the spot when purchasing to prevent the reselling of watches for profit.  

It is understood that some pharmacies sell this product at a premium of more than 3,000 yuan. An interviewed clerk said that the previous selling price in the store was 2,988 yuan, and the price of the new batch of arriving products is not yet clear. Purchasing with a personal medical insurance account cannot be combined with any discounts. (National Business Daily)  

Selling counterfeit plaques of the food platform "Must-Eat List", the store illegally profits over one million yuan

Recently, the online store owner claimed that by spending only 100 yuan to buy a logo plaque, one doesn't need to work hard in the catering industry for decades, nor does one need to be a century-old brand. One can become a "Black Pearl" or "Must-Eat List" restaurant on the food ranking list and have a continuous stream of customers. In just two years, this store has illegally made a profit of more than one million yuan. On February 10, the reporter learned from the Shanghai Public Security Bureau that the Putuo Police in Shanghai, under the guidance of the Economic Investigation Corps of the Municipal Bureau, recently quickly investigated and solved a case of selling goods with counterfeit registered trademarks. The main members of the gang have all been arrested and have been legally subject to criminal coercive measures. This is the first case in Shanghai of selling logo plaques of the food platform. (The Paper) 

"Ne Zha: Devil Child Comes Ashore" Merchandise Sells Like Hotcakes, Manufacturers Resume Production Ahead of Schedule

With the box office success of "Ne Zha: Devil Child Comes Ashore", the movie-related toys have also been snapped up by fans. The popularity of domestic animation has allowed businesses to find new growth points. The "difficulty in finding a box" on the sales end has prompted manufacturing enterprises to go all out and resume production ahead of schedule. A certain toy manufacturing enterprise in Hunan is the authorized manufacturer of 3D plastic food toys related to the movie "Ne Zha: Devil Child Comes Ashore". In the enterprise's production workshop, more than 500 employees returned to the workshop in advance on the fifth day of the Lunar New Year to rush to produce products. (CCTV Finance)

Dong Yuhui withdraws from the shareholder list of Yu Hui Tong Xing. The company's latest response: It is a requirement for the normal business development.

Regarding the market news that "Dong Yuhui withdraws from the shareholder list of Yu Hui Tong Xing", the Yu Hui Tong Xing side responded that this matter is a requirement for the company's normal business development. Tianyancha App shows that recently, Yu Hui Tong Xing (Beijing) Technology Co., Ltd. has undergone industrial and commercial changes. The original sole shareholder, Dong Yuhui, has withdrawn from the shareholder list, and Zisan Sheng (Beijing) Technology Co., Ltd. has been added as a shareholder with full ownership. Dong Yuhui's shareholding has changed from direct to indirect. Currently, Dong Yuhui is still the ultimate beneficiary of the company. (China Securities Journal) 

500 million yuan of Shanghai Consumption Coupons are coming, and the catering and tourism consumption coupons adopt the "lottery and winning" model

On February 10, the Information Office of the Shanghai Municipal Government held a press briefing to introduce the issuance of the 2025 "Le · Shanghai" Service Consumption Coupons. Zhu Min, the director and Party Secretary of the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce, introduced the overall arrangement. This round of service consumption coupons involves an investment of 500 million yuan of municipal financial funds, with the allocation as follows: 360 million yuan for catering, 90 million yuan for tourism, 30 million yuan for movies, and 20 million yuan for sports. Consumers can sign up for the lottery of catering and tourism consumption coupons as early as February 22. All consumption coupons will be verified and written off starting from March 1 and will be issued by June. (The Paper) 

Mercedes-Benz China Initiates Cost Reduction and Efficiency Enhancement: Introducing OKR System, Inefficient Production Lines May Be Shut Down

36Kr has learned from multiple sources that Mercedes-Benz China has announced several adjustment strategies. Among them, the R&D center will gradually start to adopt the OKR (Objectives and Key Results) assessment system to conduct a more clear job assessment for employees; the production department is adjusting the production lines, including considering merging some less efficient production lines. Regarding the above news, 36Kr sought verification from Mercedes-Benz, and the official response from Mercedes-Benz is: "The employee performance evaluation system of Mercedes-Benz China has not been adjusted", "In the R&D department of Mercedes-Benz China and Beijing Benz, we are making necessary adjustments to prepare for bringing a series of new products to be produced in Beijing Benz to Chinese customers".

To Address Aging Issues, Seoul Plans to Reward Married Couples with 1 Million Won

It is reported that on February 9 local time, the Seoul Metropolitan Government of South Korea announced that it plans to provide newlyweds who register their marriage with 1 million won (approximately 5,000 yuan) as a "marriage preparation fee". This policy is expected to be implemented as soon as October 2025. According to the detailed rules, newlyweds who register their marriage in Seoul from January 1, 2025, and whose household income does not exceed 150% of the average income in Seoul, can receive the reward in the form of cash or community points. The Seoul Metropolitan Government estimates that about 20,000 couples will benefit from this.

This policy is regarded as another measure by South Korea to address the issues of low fertility rate and aging. The Seoul Metropolitan Government revealed that the number of births in Seoul in 2024 was 42,588, an increase of 7.9% compared to 2023, partly attributed to the previously introduced rental subsidies, medical subsidies, and support policies for families with multiple children. (Times Finance)

Meta is preparing to start layoffs on February 10 and simultaneously accelerate the recruitment of machine learning engineers

According to an internal memo seen by the media on February 7, Meta Platforms, the owner of Facebook, informed its employees that the company plans to conduct expected layoffs company-wide in the following week while accelerating the recruitment of machine learning engineers. According to a memo issued by Meta's Head of People, Janelle Gale, starting at 5 a.m. local time on February 10, notifications will be sent to laid-off employees in most countries, including the United States. Employees in Germany, France, Italy, and the Netherlands will be exempt from layoffs "due to local regulations," while employees in more than a dozen other countries in Europe, Asia, and Africa will receive layoff notifications between February 11 and February 18. (Sina Finance) 

Trump Signs Executive Order to Impose 25% Tariffs on All Steel and Aluminum Imports to the US

On February 10 local time, US President Trump signed an executive order, announcing the imposition of a 25% tariff on all steel and aluminum imported into the United States. Trump also said that day that there are "no exceptions and exemptions" for the relevant requirements. Trump also said that he will consider imposing tariffs on automobiles, chips, and pharmaceuticals. (CCTV News) 

Mass Strike by Public Transport Workers in Berlin, Germany, Seriously Affecting People's Travel

On February 10 local time, employees of the Berlin Transport Company in the German capital went on a 24-hour strike. The subway, buses, and trams were completely suspended throughout the day, with only the intercity light rail operating normally, causing great inconvenience to people's travel. Due to the unsuccessful progress of labor negotiations, in response to the call of the German Service Industry Union, different cities in several federal states in Germany have been starting transportation strikes one after another since February 6. In addition to Berlin, several cities in Baden-Württemberg and North Rhine-Westphalia also experienced a large-scale disruption of public transport due to the strike on February 10, with some train lines forced to suspend operations. On February 11 and 12, the strike will spread to more than 30 other cities and regions. (CCTV News) 

New Zealand Lowers "Golden Visa" Threshold, Drops English Language Requirement

New Zealand will simplify its so-called "Golden Visa" program, including dropping the English language requirement, to attract wealthy immigrants and help boost the economic recovery. New Zealand Immigration Minister Erica Stanford said on February 9 local time that from April 1, the "Active Investor Plus" visa will be narrowed down to only two categories, and the acceptable investment scope will be expanded. She said that in addition to eliminating the language test, other potential investment barriers, such as the time investors must stay in the country, will also be adjusted. (Jiemian News) 

Tour groups from ASEAN countries can enter Xishuangbanna, Yunnan without a visa starting from February 10.

36Kr has learned that the National Immigration Administration issued an announcement on February 10. From now on, a visa-free policy for tourist groups from ASEAN countries entering Xishuangbanna, Yunnan will be implemented. Tourist groups (with 2 or more people) from 10 ASEAN countries including Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, Singapore, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, and Cambodia, holding ordinary passports and organized and received by travel agencies in China, can enter and exit as a whole group without a visa through the Xishuangbanna Gasa International Airport Port, Mohan Railway Port, and Mohan Road Port. The activity area is the administrative region of Xishuangbanna Prefecture, Yunnan Province, and the stay period does not exceed 6 days. 

Nokia: Appoints Justin Hotard as the Next President and CEO

Nokia announces a leadership transition. Nokia's President and CEO Pekka Lundmark has informed the board that he will step down. The board has appointed Justin Hotard as Nokia's next President and CEO, and Hotard will assume the position on April 1, 2025. (Jiemian News) 

The first batch of FF China's FX 6 prototypes is about to be shipped to the US headquarters to start the development and testing of the 6-series products

On February 10, Faraday Future announced that it will transport two FX 6 prototypes from FF China to the US headquarters this month. In the US, this model will officially enter the development and testing stage, and continuous road tests will be conducted on multiple systems. After arriving in the US, the FX team will conduct compliance verification on the FX 6 model and conduct in-depth tests in key areas such as the Autonomous Driving Assistance System (ADAS) and autonomous driving, powertrain, smart cockpit, and the overall user experience. In the future, the FX 6 model will complete the vehicle assembly at FF's factory in Hanford, California, which is currently being used for the production of FF 91 2.0. (Jiemian News)

The Forefront of AI

DeepSeek Has Been Recognized by the Top-Level Domain ai.com

Reporters found that now, typing ai.com in the browser will directly redirect to the official website of DeepSeek. It is understood that the positioning of the ai.com domain is regarded as a symbol of cutting-edge AI. Previously, this domain was long positioned to the official websites of ChatGPT and Elon Musk's xAI. (China News Finance) 

Meta Develops Non-invasive Brain-Computer Technology, with AI Reading Brain Signals for Typing with an Accuracy Rate of Approximately 80%

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg previously disclosed that the company is developing a brain-computer technology, enabling users to directly input text through their brains in the future. According to the MIT Technology Review, this tech giant has actually successfully created this system, mainly by combining an AI model with specific hardware to map the user's brain signals into specific keyboard characters, with an accuracy rate of approximately 80%. That is to say, it can correctly determine the keys that the user is "tapping". This device relies entirely on an external brain-computer to read the user's brain signals without the need for implantation or other invasive operations. (Sina Finance) 

Elon Musk Reportedly Leads Group to Acquire OpenAI, and the Company's CEO Altman Responds "No Thanks"

Elon Musk reportedly leads a group of investors to propose the acquisition of OpenAI, but the CEO of this ChatGPT parent company, Sam Altman, rejects it. Citing a report from Elon Musk's lawyer Marc Toberoff, the proactive offer worth $97.4 billion was submitted to the OpenAI board on February 10. In response, Altman posted on Musk's social media platform X, saying: "No thanks, but if you'd like, we can offer $9.74 billion to acquire Twitter." (Sina Finance) 

OpenAI is preparing to have TSMC manufacture its self-developed AI chip design in the first half of 2025.

Source: OpenAI is preparing to have TSMC manufacture its self-developed AI chip design in the first half of 2025. OpenAI always regards its self-developed chips as a bargaining chip in negotiations with chip suppliers. (Sina Finance) 

Gurman: Apple is accelerating the home robot project and has recently increased the recruitment scale

According to the "PowerOn" newsletter released by journalist Mark Gurman on February 9, Apple is increasing its investment in robot technology and has recently posted more job recruitment information related to it, hoping to bring a smarter experience to its products. Currently, the team is developing smart home devices with basic personality characteristics. (Sina Finance) 

Big Company Financial Reports

McDonald's fourth-quarter revenue was $6.39 billion

McDonald's fourth-quarter revenue was $6.39 billion, compared with $6.406 billion in the same period last year; adjusted earnings per share in the fourth quarter were $2.83, compared with an estimate of $2.84. The company's same-store sales growth in the fourth quarter was 0.4%, compared with an estimate of a 0.93% decline. (Caixin)

Fortinet: $5.96 billion in revenue in 2024, with a year-on-year growth of 12.3%

36Kr has learned that Fortinet recently released its financial report for the fourth quarter and the full year of 2024. The financial report shows that in the fourth quarter of 2024, Fortinet achieved a revenue of $1.66 billion, with a year-on-year growth of 17.3%; GAAP operating profit was $574.1 million, and the GAAP operating profit margin was 34.6%. For the full year of 2024, the revenue was $5.96 billion, with a year-on-year growth of 12.3%; GAAP operating profit was $1.80 billion, and the GAAP operating profit margin was 30.3%. 

Investment and Financing

"Ladder Healthcare" Completes RMB 350 Million Series B Financing

36Kr learned that the implantable brain-computer interface enterprise "Ladder Healthcare" has recently completed a RMB 350 million Series B financing. It is jointly led by Qiming Venture Partners, OrbiMed, Lilly Asia Ventures, and industrial investment institutions. The angel round investor, Yuanlai Capital, continues to follow the investment, and Qifeng Capital serves as the financial advisor. It is understood that as of now, this is the highest financing amount in the domestic implantable brain-computer interface field. This round of funds will be used to promote the clinical trial of brain-computer interface products, the research and development of a new generation of technologies, and the construction of a medical-grade MEMS production base, accelerating the clinical application and commercialization process of brain-computer interface technology.

"Jimeiruisheng" Secures Tens of Millions of Yuan in Series B+ Financing

36Kr has learned that "Jimeiruisheng Regenerative Medicine Group" has recently completed tens of millions of yuan in Series B+ financing. The investor in this round of financing is Cedar Brook Capital, and the raised funds will be mainly used for the clinical research and development and application of the company's related stem cell products. Jimeiruisheng was established in 2015 and focuses on the field of regenerative medicine for human organs using stem cells. By developing innovative cell and gene therapy products, it aims to achieve the repair, regeneration, and enhancement of human tissues and organs. 

Cool Products

The Thinnest Foldable Flagship OPPO Find N5 Will Be Globally Launched on February 20

36Kr has learned that OPPO announced that the world's thinnest foldable flagship Find N5 is scheduled to be globally launched on February 20, and the fully intelligent flagship smartwatch OPPO Watch X2 will also make its appearance at the same time. 

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