National Tide 1980.

"Moreover, China has never lacked cultural advantages."

Ning Weimin's tone carried a hint of pride, "We have our own mythological system and deeply ingrained cultural figures. Sun Wukong, Nezha, Chang'e, the Eight Immortals, the Three Star Gods of Fortune, Prosperity, and Longevity... these mythological figures have been passed down for thousands of years on the land of China and have long been engraved in the bones of every Chinese person. In terms of recognizability and mass appeal, they are no less than Disney's animated characters and fairy tales. After all, Disney is an American company, and their country has only been established for less than two hundred years. Their cultural foundation is too weak, so they can only create secondary works based on the stories of other countries and races."

At this point, the corners of his mouth curved slightly, revealing the real bombshell.

"Furthermore, we also have our own national animation industry. Although this industry is currently facing considerable problems and is far less prosperous than the animation industries in the United States and Japan, it also has many advantages, such as its monopolistic nature and its pure artistic integrity, unaffected by capital influence and interference. Currently, there is only one animation production unit in my country, the Shanghai Animation Film Studio, with no other branches. As a result, from 1949 to the present, everyone born in this country has seen the animated films produced by the Shanghai Animation Film Studio. Every animated film and character is familiar to everyone. Many works have also won international art awards. These characters can be said to have accompanied the growth of several generations of Chinese people; they are truly national-level animated figures. For this reason, I have already established a deep cooperative relationship with the Shanghai Animation Film Studio, not only acquiring the copyrights to all their classic animated characters for commercial use, but also providing them with long-term funding to support them in creating more new commercially viable works while maintaining their artistic direction. This will become the core cultural foundation for my operation of the Beijing Amusement Park."

"what?!"

Ike clenched his fist tightly, his knuckles turning white, and all composure vanished from his face.

He had only vaguely heard of the Shanghai Animation Film Studio, but he knew that its ink-wash animation and puppet animation had won international awards.

The influence of the characters he portrayed in China is indeed not to be underestimated.

Moreover, he suddenly realized that in China, these copyrights seemed to be worth very little money.

Perhaps all the copyrights combined are only equivalent to the copyright price of a single popular Japanese manga.

Ning Weimin actually acquired all the copyrights?

This forward-thinking move is simply amazing!
Why didn't he think of this beforehand?

Otherwise, wouldn't he be monopolizing the high-quality resources of China's animation industry?

His Kowloon Amusement Park probably wouldn't be worrying about a lack of sustainable visitor numbers like it is now.

Huang He was so shocked that his mouth gaped open, and he couldn't speak for a long time.

He originally thought that Ning Weimin's so-called "cultural performance" was just a gimmick, but he did not expect that the other party had such a heavy trump card.

"More than these."

As if the shock wasn't enough, Ning Weimin continued, "I also own my own Chinese restaurant and fast-food chain brand. My personal company, Pierre Cardin, besides its main clothing business, also operates French restaurants and French casual dining. You see, these are all my business resources, which can directly address the catering and merchandise needs of visitors by setting up shop in the park. I also have long-term cooperative OEM relationships with many handicraft workshops and state-owned factories in Beijing, giving me the ability to develop unique peripheral products. In addition, because Pierre Cardin is based in the fashion industry, I have long had good cooperative relationships with cultural performance departments, drama troupes, dance troupes, model performance groups, and even film and television production companies and well-known artists in China, which is enough to tailor-make exclusive stage plays and musicals for the park."

Seeing the shocked expressions on their faces, he spoke with increasing composure.

"Besides these, I established long-term and stable cooperative relationships with all the renowned art academies in China long ago. If I were to take over the Beijing amusement park, aside from the functional design of the themed pavilions, all other designs—such as the exterior of the pavilions, the layout of the gardens, the landscaping, and even some of the props—could be handled entirely by these top-notch artists. For China, while modern industrial manufacturing capabilities are a weakness, our strength lies in the creative ability and production costs of arts and crafts works and artistic creations that require professional talent, based on our rich cultural heritage. I would even say that our cost-effectiveness in employing artistic talent is currently the highest in the world. Compared to other parts of China..." In the current environment, we Chinese may not be able to create the electric rides commonly found in modern amusement parks, but we can use malleable materials to create mythological and animated worlds with the most distinctive Eastern charm. Through interactions between visitors and professional actors in lifelike costumes, we can fulfill the public's yearning for animated characters. Furthermore, the audiovisual enjoyment created by professional stage design and actor performances will satisfy the public's entertainment needs. Such a park may not have as many dazzling electric rides as Tokyo Disneyland, but it possesses unparalleled scenery, magnificent performances, and a rich cultural core, offering a sense of intimacy and charm that can immerse the whole family. Essentially, it is no different from Disneyland.

Ning Weimin picked up his teacup, took a small sip, and looked intently at Chi Jing. "General Manager Chi Jing, this is, after all, my motherland, the place where I was born. The resources and conveniences I have here are unmatched by any outsider. Do you still think my plan is unrealistic?"

Sometimes, intimidating others doesn't necessarily require being aggressive.

In fact, using the most understated tone to reveal the most formidable strength is the most effective way to strike at someone's heart.

This is practically a crushing, dimensional-reducing attack.

Chi Jing and Huang He were completely stunned, their minds buzzing with shock, overwhelmed by the sheer volume of information they had to process.

But they finally realized that they had underestimated this young man from the very beginning.

Ning Weimin not only has substantial capital, but also a vision, accurate insight, and comprehensive resource allocation that far surpasses theirs.

He was not just making empty promises; this seemingly "impractical" blueprint became incredibly clear and enticing because of him.

Looking at Ning Weimin's calm and confident demeanor, Chi Jing felt nothing but admiration.

Ning Weimin's plan was too brilliant. He deliberately avoided the shortcomings of China's industry, but took full advantage of China's low labor costs and made the most of its cultural advantages.

Such a layout is not something an ordinary person could come up with, and even if someone could come up with it, they could not possibly do it like him.

Once such a theme park is built, its commercial value will likely be even greater than he imagined.

Huang He also completely abandoned all arrogance, and his eyes were full of awe when he looked at Ning Weimin.

His previous arrogance and contempt had now turned into a heavy shock that made it hard for him to breathe.

This mainland Chinese man, whom he once thought was "living off his wife's good fortune," turned out to be such an unfathomable business genius.

How can you afford to offend someone like that?
This inevitably made him feel uneasy, worried that the role he was playing today might bring a lot of trouble in the future.

After the initial shock and admiration subsided, Ikei quickly calmed down, and his sharp gaze returned.

He instantly realized that Ning Weimin's unveiling of so many trump cards was enough to demonstrate the crucial importance of the Beijing amusement park to him, a core step in building his business empire. The more Ning Weimin did, the more it proved that he would not easily give up this opportunity.

A thought quietly took root in his mind—since Ning Weimin was determined to get it, and the Kumagai Group currently held the initiative in the equity transfer, why not take the opportunity to demand a higher price?

While Ning Weimin's previous promises were certainly tempting, they paled in comparison to the long-term benefits Ning Weimin could gain from the amusement park.

"Mr. Ning's plan is indeed meticulous, and the resource allocation far exceeds my expectations. I must say, I admire your foresight and boldness. However..."

Ikei smiled, his gaze fixed on Ning Weimin, and said, word by word, "After all, we've already invested a lot of effort and resources into this project. Mr. Ning, you can't just ask us to hand it over and we'll give up. At least one theme park renovation project isn't enough. You need to offer more sincere terms in exchange. Or, we could share these shares of the Japan-China joint venture. You get half, I get half, our Kumagai Group will handle the construction, you'll be responsible for the operation, and we'll become true partners, sharing the future profits equally. What do you think?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the atmosphere in the private room became subtle again.

Chi Jing's intentions were clear—he was impressed by Ning Weimin's plan, but he also grasped Ning Weimin's "weak point".

He began to take the opportunity to extort money, demanding far more than originally expected, and even fantasized about having Ning Weimin pull his rickshaw for free.

Huang He, who harbored ulterior motives, also had a sudden flash of inspiration.

His perception has changed; he now knows that the chances of sabotaging this event are slim.

Now, if we change our minds, we might as well change our attitude and support cooperation between the two sides.

After all, once a cooperative relationship was established between the two parties, Ning Weimin couldn't very well hold a grudge against him for the sake of the bigger picture.

So he chimed in at the opportune moment, "That's right! Our general manager is right. Giving up equity would be a significant loss for us, Mr. Ning. Didn't you admit that China is weaker than Japan in terms of equipment and maintenance? Our cooperation can make up for your shortcomings. Isn't that a good thing?"

However, their back-and-forth, each with their own ulterior motives, were utterly insignificant in Ning Weimin's eyes.

After listening, he simply raised his eyes slightly, a faint smile playing on his lips, his tone calm yet carrying an undeniable firmness.

"General Manager Ikei's words are unfair. The conditions I offered were already more than sincere. The profits you can make from the amusement park renovation project are far more lucrative than if you operated the amusement park yourself. Frankly, if you hadn't taken the initiative to get involved, I would have had at least three large Japanese construction companies bid for this project; you might not have gotten the chance. It's unreasonable for you to want more. As for sharing shares with you, I've never considered it. The core of the entire plan is my resources and philosophy. Apart from the district government, I don't need any other partners; I only need service providers. I'm very sorry, but these are all the conditions I can offer you."

Ning Weimin's refusal was crisp and decisive, without any hesitation, directly shattering Chi Jing's wishful thinking.

Ikei's smile froze for a moment, then returned to normal, as if he had planned it in advance.

"Mr. Ning, please don't rush to refuse. I know you want to merge the aquarium into the operation as well. Perhaps you think you're investing too much and losing out, but that's not the case. We don't intend to take advantage of you. Our Kumagai Group also owns the Kowloon Amusement Park in the suburbs of Kyoto. It's an amusement park resort themed around dragons and Eastern mythology, which we built at a cost of 6.6 billion yen. It fits your plans perfectly. We'd be happy to offer it as capital injection and entrust it to you for operation. In this way, you'll essentially get the management rights to two existing amusement parks. Isn't that icing on the cake for you?"

Upon hearing this, Huang He immediately chimed in, "Yes, Mr. Ning! Kowloon Amusement Park has only been operating for a year. When it opened, the line of tourists stretched for miles. Moreover, it has all the necessary infrastructure, such as restaurants and hotels. It meets your needs even better than the amusement parks in Beijing. Our general manager and you are of the same mind. If our two companies join forces, we will definitely achieve great things."

But Ning Weimin scoffed after hearing this, his eyes filled with a clear understanding of everything.

"No, no, no, you two, your plan is far too ambitious. Kowloon Amusement Park? If I remember correctly, that place is remote, inconvenient to get to, the rides are too expensive, and the number of visitors has been declining since it opened. It's long been a burden on your assets, hasn't it? You want to use this inferior asset as a bargaining chip to get half of my shares, have me help you clean up the mess for free, and also use my business resources to increase your income and get out of your predicament. It's a win-win situation. But I don't think it's worth it."

Ning Weimin's words were like a sharp knife, instantly piercing the essence of the matter and making the two of them quite embarrassed.

Especially Chi Jing, who did not expect that Ning Weimin was so familiar with the operational difficulties of Kowloon Amusement Park, which made him feel uneasy.

But he still tried to remain calm.

"Mr. Ning's statement is too one-sided. Kowloon Amusement Park is only facing temporary difficulties; it still has potential..."

“If you’re willing to sell, I’m willing to acquire your Kowloon Amusement Park for 5 billion yen. But if you want to use it as a bargaining chip to exchange for shares in the Beijing Amusement Park, you’re dreaming.”

Ning Weimin interrupted Chi Jing, stating his price directly with a hint of impatience in his tone, "Let me be frank, I absolutely will not allow anyone else to share the profits of such a core project. Moreover, the social responsibility that Beijing Amusement Park needs to bear is more important than commercial interests. This will become a new starting point for the commercialization of China's animation industry, and it is not appropriate to allow foreign companies to invest. Now you only have one choice: accept the conditions I offer and gracefully exit with the profits from the renovation project."

Having been completely seen through and rejected, Ikei's pretense was shattered, and her patience ran out.

His tone instantly turned icy, carrying a blatant threat.

"Mr. Ning, are you forcing me? Since you're so insistent, I might as well be frank. I'm very grateful that you were so candid about your specific business ideas today, which has inspired our thinking to some extent. Although your plan is too ambitious, and you have unique advantages in resources that we can't match, even just imitating a part of it will greatly increase our profit sources. It's the most cost-effective business direction that you helped me see. At worst, we won't sell the shares to you. We'll try to operate according to your ideas. Even if we can't compare to you running it yourself, I'm confident that we can break through the current ceiling of visitor traffic to the Beijing Amusement Park, at least doubling it. And we'll improve the current operating situation of the Kowloon Amusement Park."

These words, besides being smugly sarcastic, also carried a hint of wanting to blackmail him to the end.

The atmosphere in the private room instantly plummeted to freezing point.

Huang He looked at Ning Weimin nervously, afraid that he would completely turn against him. He wanted to smooth things over and make peace, but he was also afraid that the general manager would take offense. He didn't know what to do.

Regardless of their inner thoughts, Ning Weimin remained calm, picked up his teacup, took a slow sip, and when he put it down, his gaze was sharp as a knife as he stared directly at Chi Jing.

"General Manager Ikei, do you think I'm a naive kid? Since I dared to tell you all my plans, my strengths, and my business methods, I'm not afraid of you doing the same. What you perceive as a threat is nothing to me. On the contrary, if you actually do it, you'll be in even bigger trouble, and you'll help me make even more money. Do you believe me?" (End of Chapter)