I am a literary giant in Europe

Chapter 818 Funeral
It's still the same small Vietnamese restaurant, but the store has expanded quite a bit.

The last time Liu Jin came here was in 06, with Mr. An.

It was a small restaurant back then, but now it has expanded at least three times in size, swallowing up the shops on both sides.

The boss is still the same boss.

He is of Chinese descent from northern Vietnam and his surname is Nguyen.

He also remembered Liu Jin. When Liu Jin walked in, he led him directly into a private room.

Liu Jin always felt that this Mr. Ruan's shop was more like a contact point.

Mr. An has arrived.

There was also a man who looked to be in his fifties, with gray hair, dressed very well, and exuding an air of authority.

“Mr. Kong, you should have met him before.”

Liu Jin suddenly realized.

Mr. An has a very close relationship with DSG.

In 08, Zhao DS stepped down and was replaced by a DS surnamed Kong.

Mr. Kong's identity is self-evident.

But I miss Mr. Lu so much... It's just a pity that Mr. Lu probably won't be coming back for another eight or nine years.

During this period, he was apparently still the director of the African Affairs Department.

Liu Jin had actually been following Mr. Lu's career closely. He first served as Counselor in the African Affairs Department, then Counselor in France, then Deputy Director-General of the African Affairs Department, and later went to Senegal as a Special Envoy for Africa. After that, he returned to the African Affairs Department.

However, he's been promoted to the official position!

Liu Jin remembers that in a few years, he will take up a new post in a local government.

He was then transferred back to the Foreign Affairs Working Group Research Bureau, and only after that would he return to France.

In his past life, Liu Jin developed a newfound liking for Mr. Lu because of his tough stance towards others, and even went so far as to check his resume.

Liu Jin knew nothing about Mr. Kong and was not familiar with him.

But since he was here, it was already a sign that he was giving Liu Jin a lot of face.

Therefore, Liu Jin also showed sufficient attitude.

The food at this small restaurant is mostly in the style of Guangdong and Guangxi, which suits Liu Jin's taste perfectly.

After all the dishes were served, the three of them ate a couple of bites and then put down their chopsticks.

"Xiao Liu, I have a letter from your father here."

Mr. Kong did not reveal his identity, but instead chatted casually and handed a letter to Liu Jin.

The letter didn't say anything, it just told Liu Jin to follow the instructions.

However, this is enough to show Liu Dasheng's attitude.

"Mr. Kong, what are your instructions?"

Mr. Kong poured a cup of Maozi for Liu Jin.

It's not the kind of Maotai sold on the market; it's a special edition.

"This wine was brought to me by Old Liu; consider it a way of offering something to someone else."

There are still two boxes in the car, Xiao Liu must have driven it...

"It's open, there's a driver."

Liu Jin's words can be seen as a statement of his stance.

You can drink alcohol!

Being able to drink means you have something to talk about.

"Old An, have someone take the wine over in a bit and let Xiao Liu take it away."

This kind of Moutai, specially supplied to the military region, is very rare. It's just making me crave it. I should send it away quickly so I don't have to think about it every day.

Mr. An smiled and agreed, then got up and walked out.

"Amos, what kind of car do you drive?"

"The Mercedes S700 at the entrance is being driven by a woman; she's my bodyguard."

Mr. An nodded and left the private room.

"Xiao Liu, about that La Cinq TV network today..."

"its mine."

Liu Jin didn't hide anything.

"The reason I didn't tell anyone was firstly to prevent COFRAC from blocking me."

As you know, governments around the world take these kinds of media organizations very seriously. Especially after President Sarkozy took office, he once again promoted the concept of 'cultural exception,' and since I am Chinese, they will definitely make things difficult for me.

In fact, the focus on media channels like television is the same in all countries.

A hint of joy appeared in Mr. Kong's eyes.

He got two pieces of information from Liu Jin: one was that Liu Jin was Chinese; the other was that he was indeed the boss behind La Cinq.

Having a Chinese-run television network in France is of great significance for China's propaganda efforts.

This is why Mr. Kong immediately invited Liu Jin after watching the press conference.

"Another reason for not publicizing it is that I don't trust the domestic confidentiality procedures."

I concealed my existence from France; I also needed to keep it a secret from my home country, otherwise the news might leak out.

If the French government finds out that I'm behind La Cinq, they'll likely invoke security laws to force me out. Although I invited Ms. Taska to endorse me, the French will show no mercy if this is exposed.

Hehe, even though in many people's eyes I'm a French son-in-law..."

Mr. Kong frowned.

He pondered for a moment, then said softly, "I will report this to my superiors and keep the information within a small circle."

Liu Jin shrugged, indicating his acceptance.

Mr. Kong's attitude was also very clear: they would initiate confidentiality procedures.

Do you need help?

I heard that La Cinq's operations weren't doing very well before.

"Don't help if it's not good!"

Liu Jin's answer was very concise and to the point.

"Mera told me that several Chinese companies are looking for advertising partnerships."

I hope that this won't be pushed forward on a large scale for the time being, which also implies that the TV station and China have close ties. COFRAC isn't stupid; although France is currently shifting towards the left, it certainly won't want to accept having its media controlled by foreigners... Of course, if I were American and of Jewish descent, then it wouldn't be a big problem.

But I'm not..."

Mr. Kong's eyes flashed.

Liu Jin spoke in a very cryptic way, but he understood the meaning behind it.

The left wing is a regime infiltrated by America and Jews, and is very likely to be controlled by them.

He didn't respond to that question, but simply nodded.

"I will advise those in China to be mindful of their approach."

"Furthermore, I will not deliberately favor China, otherwise the Attali Committee may have some misunderstandings."

What I can do is to incorporate some Chinese content while promoting various cultures, but it will never be the primary focus. I hope Mr. Kong can convey my message to the people back home; some things require considerable patience.

Mr. Kong smiled.

"The reason I came to see you today is actually about this matter."

I'm worried that you're too eager for quick results and are shifting your focus towards China... The best approach is to let things develop gradually, like boiling a frog in warm water.

France is a very important partner and a key point for our future cooperation with Europe.

Don't let them have a stress response, take it slow, we have plenty of time..."

Liu Jin breathed a sigh of relief.

He was genuinely worried that some of the older generation in China, once they learned about the ownership of La Cinq, would be too eager to act...

Mr. Kong seems to be quite lucid.

"Xiao Liu, I know you're not particularly willing to have any dealings with people in China."

I understand your thoughts and difficulties... I came here in 08, so it's been two years now. I have some understanding of the situation of Chinese people overseas. But I hope we can have more cooperation.

You are weak if you fight alone.

Even if you are now very wealthy…

I understand the reasoning!

But to be honest, I'm not at ease.

However, now that things have come to this point, Liu Jin remained silent for a moment, then took a notebook from the cabinet, secretly wrote down a piece of paper, and wrote three names on it: Mick Wallace; Claire Daly; and Joe Lane.

He handed the paper to Mr. Kong without saying a word.

These three individuals are likely to be the leading figures in the European Parliament who will firmly support cooperation with China in the future.

However, Wallace and Claire were later expelled from the European Parliament before Liu Jin's time travel due to their pro-China stance.

Mr. Kong glanced at it and looked puzzled.

"China needs to have a voice in the European Parliament in the future."

These three individuals are people I have confirmed to have goodwill towards China, based on my investigations. I don't know if Mr. Kong has the ability to support them so that they can enter the European Parliament as soon as possible, which would be very important to us.

Whether it's Europe or America, both are societies where wealth controls power.

If we don't occupy certain positions, others will, and we will be in a very passive position.

As you know, I initially studied finance and economics, and I've been observing all along...

Mr. Kong was silent for a moment, then picked up the lighter on the table, lit the paper, watched it turn to ashes, rinsed it with water, and threw it into the trash can.

"Xiao Liu, thank you!"

Liu Jin smiled slightly, picked up his wine glass with both hands, bowed slightly, and clinked glasses with Mr. Kong.

They both laughed at the same time, and then drank it all in one gulp.

"I heard you have similar plans in Italy?"

“Yes, I’ve brought Mara Kani and Giorgia Meloni in.”

Mr. Kong was taken aback, looked at Liu Jin, and suddenly burst out laughing.

He must have heard about the rumors between Liu Jin and Mara.

However, Liu Jin and Mara didn't have much interaction afterward, leading many to believe it was just a rumor.

But now...

You're really capable!

The Youth Affairs Department was indeed a powerless and ineffective department.

However, it is also a very important department within the Italian government.

So you're telling me you brought that minister over? And you say there's nothing wrong between you two?

"Melone seems to be an extreme right-winger..."

"What is left-wing or right-wing? In the end, it's all about interests."

"You're absolutely right!"

"However, I would like to take this opportunity, through Mr. Kong's words, to remind the domestic population."

That means we shouldn't think too highly of Western politicians; they're just a bunch of people who waver for their own interests. If we invest in Europe and America in the future, we'd better be careful and not trust them too much.

This includes what they call the law and the spirit of contracts.

"Forehead?"

"The so-called Western legal spirit and contract spirit, to put it bluntly, means that if the rules I set are in my favor, I will follow them; but if I still cannot gain the upper hand within the rules I set, I can break the contract or even amend the law until I can gain the upper hand."

We Chinese people always tend to think too highly of those people.

When did China begin to recognize the true nature of the West?

It was probably 16 years later, under gradual coercion, that I slowly came to realize the truth.

“Xiao Liu, your perception seems to be a little different from that of other Chinese people I know who have lived in Europe and America for a long time.”

Mr. Kong smiled, raised his glass, and clinked it against Liu Jin's again.

“We have been fooled many times, and as a result, we have given up many advantages.”

"for example?"

"Does a chip count?"

"Um……"

"The future development of the world will inevitably move towards networking and artificial intelligence."

Today, Google developed Android and Apple developed iOS, both in preparation for this. Symbian will be replaced and abandoned... At that time, the computers and mobile phones we use will be subject to external control.

As Liu Jin spoke, he took out a Coolpad phone from his pocket.

"To be honest, I'm a major shareholder of Apple, but when it comes to some important topics, I prefer to trust domestic mobile phone manufacturers. I usually use Apple products, but at certain times… Early last year, I secretly acquired $300 million worth of Nvidia stock. Hehe, it was during a stock market downturn; Nvidia had fallen from $39 in 2007 to $6…"

Many people say I'm stupid!
But because Intel announced the termination of Project Larrabee, by the end of the year, the $300 million had turned into $600 million…

Liu Jin seems to be bragging to Mr. Kong.

But Mr. Kong understood what Liu Jin was trying to say: chips are an important part of future development.

He silently made a mental note of this, and his gaze toward Liu Jin softened even more.

He knew that Liu Jin was issuing a warning to China in his own way.

Since chips are so important, they can be considered a vital national asset.

Therefore, it must be firmly in our hands.

I don't need to use it, but I must have it.

Moreover, while chips from 10 years ago are still of great significance, they have not yet become the game-changing tools they will be in the future.

It's not too late to develop now!
……

When Mr. An returned, he found that Mr. Kong and Liu Jin had already drunk half a bottle of wine.

It should be noted that Mr. Kong was always very restrained when it came to drinking.

In the past, it was just three cups.

But now, it feels like I've had at least ten cups!

"Little Liu, you're thirty-five this year, aren't you?"

"I'll be 36 soon!"

"It's time to settle down..."

"Home? I have one."

“I know, I know, but we also need to consider having a real home.”

"Hehe, I have five children now, so it's a real family."

"but……"

"Uncle Kong, the thoughts and ideas of young people are different from those of the past."

I can give them a title, but I will absolutely not register them; it feels like I'm being treated like a commodity.

"Your idea is incorrect."

Mr. An frowned slightly.

Are you done talking?
How did this turn into the topic of 'getting married'? Of course he knew about Liu Jin's affairs, and that's precisely why he was strongly against Tianxian having too much contact with Liu Jin.

But the problem is...

The celestial being is also a woman of her own mind.

Most importantly, she has developed much better than in the original timeline!
The Blood Bull has a deep foundation and has not been depleted at all.

Having won both the Palme d'Or and an Oscar, he is now considered a prominent figure overseas.

At least in France, thanks to the film "The Bélier Family," she can be considered the third-ranked Chinese actress, after Gong Li and Maggie Cheung. The difference? Only a prestigious individual award.

But in terms of connections, she is by no means inferior to those two.

Mr. An had also read "The Bélier Family".

The celestial being's performance in it was beyond his expectations.

Anyway, it's much better than those movies that were made in the country before.

Therefore, Mr. An was also very conflicted.

On one hand, he hoped that Tianxian and Liu Jin would get closer, which would be beneficial to her future development; but on the other hand, if Liu Jin weren't so promiscuous, he would actually be a good choice. The problem is, this guy is too much of a womanizer.

It seems that she has become more restrained after having children.

Here's the key point: he has children, five in total...

And it was with three women...

Mr. An absolutely could not accept this!

"Amos, I heard the contract between the Celestials and the Scattering Waves is about to expire?"

"I'm not sure!"

"Could you please ask her what her plans are?"

Liu Jin was taken aback and asked in confusion, "Old An, why don't you ask him yourself?"

"I asked her, but she wouldn't tell me!"
Don't even mention me, this girl is getting more and more stubborn now that she's grown up.

Xiaoli also asked her about it, saying that CAA was interested in signing her, but she directly retorted that her mother didn't need to worry about it.

Her mother was saddened for a long time because of this.

Is that true?

This was the first time Liu Jin had ever heard of it.

Tianxian signed with Scatterwave in 05, which is the company under Leonardo DiCaprio's control.

At the time, it was signed for six years.

If you calculate the time, it's almost due, isn't it?
Eva's contract has already been terminated.

Her management contract is now with SNEG, making her an artist under Alizée's management on the surface, but Alizée doesn't really care about her at all.

She handles most of her film contracts herself now.

They can film whatever they want without Liu Jin having to worry about anything.

Putting everything else aside, the copyrights that Liu Jin holds alone are enough for Eva to cause all sorts of trouble.

As for the celestial being...

Liu Jin always thought that Aunt Liu was helping with the operation.

But now it seems that Aunt Liu can't control her anymore!

"I'll ask her about it later, but I can't interfere with her decision."

"You just need to keep an eye on her and make sure she doesn't get scammed."

I heard that in Hollywood...

"it is good!"

Liu Jin thought about it and decided that it wasn't a big deal.

After all, as long as his brand remains intact, there won't be any problems for Michelle Yim in Hollywood.

Of course, if this girl goes through her rebellious phase, then it's hard to say... but at least, we can guarantee she won't suffer any losses.

……

After Mr. An returned, Mr. Kong stopped drinking.

The three talked about many things, but did not delve into any deeper conversations.

There are some topics that are fine when Liu Jin and Mr. Kong are alone.

But if we join Mr. An... it's not that he's unreliable; being the principal of X Academy means he's definitely reliable.

However, some topics are not suitable.

This meal took an hour and a half to eat.

The guests and hosts enjoyed themselves immensely, and then each departed in their respective carriages.

Liu Jin sat in the car, feeling a little tipsy.

Leah was driving ahead and glanced at Liu Jin a few times through the rearview mirror.

"I didn't drink too much!"

"Hehe, I know."

After Leah finished speaking, her eyes darted around, and she suddenly asked, "Boss, what are you planning to write next year?"

"I haven't thought about it yet... Hey, why did you suddenly ask this question?"

"It's Sister Germa, she's your fan."

Guess what your favorite book is?

Liu Jin opened the refrigerator in the back seat, took out a bottle of mineral water, and took a big gulp.

"what book?"

"Hehe, you'd never guess..."

Leah paused for a moment, then said, "It's a summoning of spirits!"

"Summon the spirit!"

Liu Jin rubbed his temples and finally remembered the book.

This work was created at the end of 2008 and was submitted to HarperCollins for publication.

After that, he stopped paying attention to the book, which was published around Halloween in 09.

On October 30th of this year, he received a sales list from HarperCollins.

From last year to October this year, just before Halloween, global sales were approximately 4.8 million copies.

Nancy Miller also seems to have contacted him, saying that Lionsgate is interested in buying the adaptation rights.

Liu Jin entrusted this matter to Nancy, but so far, Nancy has not sent any news back, so it is estimated that no agreement has been reached yet.

But it shouldn't be a big problem.

Two years have passed since the completion of The Conjuring 1.

The second book is about to begin.

Thinking about it this way, the direction of my work next year suddenly seems clear.

If we're talking about the Conjuring Universe, I need to write at least two or three books. Also, I need to continue with The Book of Spirits and the Mysterious Detective, so let's make it three books in total.

I'll take a break from writing any major books next year.

Therefore, the main task is those few series of novels...

That should make things much easier!
However, Amos's Fantastic Journey 4 has been on hiatus for two years.

How about a horror album?
Liu Jin closed his eyes and began to think about more horror works.

But perhaps because of the alcohol, I couldn't remember any of them for a moment.

"Boss?"

Leah's voice woke Liu Jin from his reverie.

He rolled his eyes and said, "Is it you who wants to see it, or Germa?"

"I never watch horror movies!"

"Tch, I wonder who it was that was watching a horror movie in Salerno and screaming in the middle of the night, waking everyone up."

"Boss!"

Leah's face flushed red instantly.

Liu Jin didn't want to tease her any longer, so he smiled and said, "Next year, I'll definitely write a sequel to 'Summoning the Soul' next year."

Is it The Conjuring 2?

Or Annabelle?

To be honest, Liu Jin thought Annabelle was scarier.

Let's go with Annabelle then. I think there are two movies in the series?
By the way, write about The Conjuring 2!

In the blink of an eye, Liu Jin had already decided on the novel he would write next year.

What was the plot of Annabelle again?

Liu Jin closed his eyes again.

……

Christmas Eve, December 24th.

The Christmas tree in the apartment has been set up, with twinkling lights and lots of gifts.

But it wasn't Liu Jin who put it up; it was Alizee and Eva who did it.

They all appeared at the apartment door on the 24th... but they were accompanied by Eva's twin sister, Joey and his wife, and Alizee's brother. With the four children, the apartment suddenly became quite lively.

Originally, Liu Jin planned to have AA come as well.

As a result, on the same day she attended the press conference, she boarded the "Batisian" and flew directly to the capital to celebrate the holiday.

After all, Camille was in the capital, and she hadn't seen Camille for a long time.

After Christmas, Liu Jin returned to Toulouse with his family.

Mela and Chloe also returned, while Catherine Tuscalo took charge of the television station.

The former Minister of Culture, who had just gone through the Charles Paka embezzlement case, was exceptionally energetic.

With her control and the cooperation of Olivier Chiapado and Lala, the television network launched smoothly with almost no obstacles.

The 500-plus episode series "Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf" is very popular.

Meanwhile, the documentary series "Zheng He's Voyages to the West," which airs every weekend, was also released online.

However, the broadcast of "Zheng He's Voyages to the West" was different from that of "Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf".

The difference is that it airs during prime time every Saturday.

After each episode airs, the television station invites French professors, scholars, and sinologists to participate in related discussions.

Each session consists of three to four people who debate the original story of Zheng He's voyages to the Western Ocean.

After all, when Zheng He made his voyages to the Western Ocean, Europe had only just begun to recover from the Dark Ages.

Columbus, Magellan...

Compared to Zheng He, they were all just a bunch of younger brothers.

Liu Jin received viewership reports and related surveys from Lala in Toulouse.

It's clear that Europeans know very little about Zheng He's voyages to the Western Ocean. When they learned that Zheng He was the first person to explore the world, they were somewhat taken aback.

The discussions and debates among scholars and professors further piqued the interest of many.

This is a good beginning!
This also filled Liu Jin's heart with confidence.

Next year, the first season of Bear Grylls' Survival Classroom will premiere.

I believe it will have a good result... After all, Liu Jin's production of "Bear's Survival Classroom" includes Melissa, who is skilled in adventure, and also features three celebrities: Mélanie Bernal from France, Victoria Puccini from Italy, and Jenna Michel from Spain.

Victoria and Jenna were both actresses recommended by Liu Jin.

Bale is in trouble this time!
Of the four women, only Melissa had wilderness survival experience; the other three were novices.

However, Liu Jin felt that this guy seemed to be enjoying it!

After all, having one dragon and four phoenixes, all of whom are top-tier beauties, is a privilege not everyone can enjoy.

……

Eva and Alizee took their children to the Gruson Estate.

Germa went along with them.

On the Toulouse side, only Lia, her assistant, and the fairy remained.

The reason he didn't go with them was because Liu Jin had some things to take care of in Toulouse.

Ms. Sylvie has passed away!

On Christmas Eve.

Liu Jin was going to attend her funeral, and Joan P also rushed back from Great Britain.

This was also the great woman who provided Liu Jin with tremendous help after he arrived in France.

She had been receiving treatment in America for years and returned to Toulouse this August. Liu Jin visited her in the hospital at that time.

He made a promise with Ms. Sylvie that once she recovered, he would take her on a trip to China.

But I didn't expect...

Liu Jin's first work was "Amélie".

But the person who truly made him famous and helped him establish himself in the literary world was Sylvie Delphine.

She handed the book "The Old Man and the Sea" to Pierre Poncena, the editor-in-chief of "Reading".

It was also because of her that Pierre Poncena recommended "The Old Man and the Sea" in the opening recommendations of the 2002 issue of "Lire".

After that, Liu Jin's writing career progressed smoothly.

Liu Jin was grateful to Sylvie.

So he stayed behind specifically so he wouldn't miss her funeral.

After the funeral, Liu Jin took Lao Qiao to a coffee shop on Lafayette Street.

"Are you really planning to retire next year?"

"Ok!"

"How is Zhou Shouzi doing?"

“Very good... He is currently in the capital and has already made a breakthrough.”

Joan P took a sip of coffee, looked at Liu Jin, and suddenly laughed, "Why do I get the feeling that you're about to make a big move?"

"Next May, I have an extreme plan."

"What operation?"

"Don't ask, I'm here to ask you to wait until the end of next year to retire."

Joan P lit a cigarette and fell silent.

After a moment, he said softly, "I will definitely retire next year, but if I retire at the end of the year, it will still be next year. I have no problem with that."

What do you need me to do?

"I'll let you know in advance when the time comes."

(End of this chapter)