Entertainment mogul: Starting his business with the internet

Chapter 336 Newcomers to Tengda
On the 12th floor of the Yinglan International Financial Center on Beiping Financial Street, UBS Securities, a renowned firm in China's financial industry, is located.

As the first foreign-controlled comprehensive securities company in China, UBS Securities has a wide range of businesses and enjoys a high reputation in the industry.

"Good morning, Mr. Chen!" "Good morning, boss."

"How was your business trip, Mr. Chen?"

Early in the morning, Chen Li, dressed in a sharp suit, stepped into the UBS Securities office area and greeted his colleagues with a smile.

"Hello everyone, it's a new month, I hope you all keep up the good work!"

As Chen Li entered the office, several employees outside began to whisper among themselves.

"Mr. Chen's work ethic is truly exceptional!"

"Nonsense, getting promoted to VP in three years with an annual salary of one million, you'd be just as motivated if you were in that situation."

"Stop being so sour. He's a top student from Peking University's Guanghua School of Management. He earned this VP position through solid achievements. You can't deny it."

In his office, Chen Li quickly browsed through the emails that had piled up during his business trip, then called his assistant in.

What's the progress of the South Beauty case?

In 2010, South Beauty Catering Company began to gradually acquire franchise stores, launched its listing process, and carried out the bidding for listing underwriting.

Ultimately, UBS Securities became the underwriter for South Beauty's IPO, and in March 2011, it formally submitted its listing application to the China Securities Regulatory Commission.

The assistant looked troubled: "Mr. Chen, I was just about to report to you that the regulatory authorities have not approved South Beauty's IPO application!"

Chen Li's fingers, which were controlling the mouse, paused. He looked up at his assistant in disbelief: "Impossible! South Beauty's financial data and compliance fully meet the listing standards. How could it not be approved?"

The assistant, looking worried, truthfully reported the regulatory response: "The reason given by the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) is that food safety incidents have occurred frequently recently, and therefore the approval of IPOs in the catering industry has been temporarily suspended."

"What kind of ridiculous reason is this!" Chen Li slammed his fist on the desk in anger, then controlled his emotions and forced himself to calm down. "Something is definitely up to no good. Could it be that South Beauty is being targeted?"

The assistant asked cautiously, "Mr. Chen, you don't know about what happened a few days ago?"

Chen Li frowned: "What exactly happened? I was on a business trip abroad a few days ago, how could I have time to pay attention to news from China!"

Upon hearing this, the assistant informed the boss about the big star's official announcement that had gone viral online a few days earlier.

"You mean, that person is interfering?" Chen Li narrowed his eyes, his expression suddenly turning somewhat unpleasant.

I never imagined the client would be so foolish. Let alone Asia's richest man, even Wanda Group is not someone that South Beauty can afford to mess with!

"This possibility cannot be ruled out. There is no need for that person to speak up; there are plenty of people willing to use South Beauty to curry favor with the richest man."

"You're more trouble than you're worth! You can go out now, let me think of a solution." Chen Li rubbed his temples, feeling that the situation was extremely difficult.

Pick up your phone, quickly open the WeChat group for the Guanghua School of Management's Finance class at Peking University, and ask your classmates for help.

Chen Li: "Brothers and sisters, I've encountered a tricky problem. One of my clients accidentally offended Song Ci, and the company's IPO is now stalled. What should I do?"

Chen Li's roommate, Li Haiya, cleverly replied: "What to do! Just deal with it!"

Jian Mingyu: "Wow, that's brave. Tell everyone, how did your silly client manage to offend the richest man?"

Chen Li: "Actually, he didn't offend Song Ci, he just accidentally offended Liu Shishi."

Lin Hao: "Isn't that obvious? They're a married couple. What's the difference between offending Liu Shishi and offending Song Ci?"

Lu Yugang suddenly interjected, "Your client isn't South Beauty, is it?"

"It's South Beauty, Brother Gang. Did your ICBC branch also get wind of it?"

"South Beauty has been blacklisted by ICBC, and is prohibited from receiving any form of loan or guarantee. Chen Li, you should just give up on being our customer; there's no hope for you."

Chen Li's heart sank, but out of professional ethics, he still wanted to try his best: "Is there any way I can see Song Ci as soon as possible?"

Lin Hao: "Submit an appointment request on the Tengda Group's official website, or ask the business department for a referral."

After approval by the Tengda Group's General Office, depending on the importance of your visit, a meeting with Song Ci will be arranged, which usually takes about a month.

Even though it would take a month to see Song Ci, by which time it would be too late, Chen Li was still unwilling to give up: "Lin Hao, I know that everyone in your 310 dorm has Song Ci's private contact information. Could you help me ask Song Ci?"

Lin Hao flatly refused: "It's inconvenient!"

Lu Yugang: "Chen Li, save your breath. I reckon Song Ci doesn't even know about this! It's just that someone wants to curry favor with him and try to get in touch with him."

Given Tenda's current scale, it's likely to go public within two or three years, and global investment banks are paying close attention to it.

The same applies to major stock exchanges; no one in the entire financial world would risk offending Song Ci to help South Beauty.

Tengda went public! Chen Li's eyes lit up when he saw the news, and he no longer cared about South Beauty.

Tenda Group is currently valued at $900 billion. Once it goes public, it will definitely be a super giant with a market value of hundreds of billions of dollars.

If I can help UBS become the underwriter for Tenda's IPO, the ED and MD will be easily obtained!

On a sudden inspiration, she changed the subject: "Speaking of which, in two months, it will be our third graduation anniversary. How about we get together? I heard that the accounting class next door has such a plan."

Lin Hao: "I think it's a good idea! We haven't seen each other in a long time, let's call up our homeroom teacher and counselor and have a get-together."

Chen Li inwardly gave Lin Hao a thumbs up; with someone cooperating, the grand show he was orchestrating could continue.

The students in the group all shared this idea and echoed it.

Chen Lizheng was planning to ask Lin Hao to invite Song Ci, but then he thought that he shouldn't be too eager for quick success and that there would be plenty of time to meet Song Ci.

In the WeChat group, once the topic was brought up, everyone started gossiping.

Did anyone watch the Focus Interview program from a few days ago?

"The segment where Shen Sisi interviews Song Ci?"

"@Lin Hao, do you have any new juicy gossip to share with everyone?"

Lin Hao: "Don't make wild guesses. The two of them are just having normal working interactions."

"I don't know what Song Ci is thinking, but Shen Sisi's eyes just can't hide it!"

Bai Xiaoyue: "Back then, on the welcome stage, Song Ci's poem 'The Wind Rises' in a white suit amazed everyone, and I guess many girls will never forget it."

@Lin Hao, I'm still curious, were Liu Shishi and Song Ci already together when we started university?

Lin Hao: "They probably weren't together then. They officially got together in the second semester of their freshman year."

"In the end, it's still because our Peking University girl is so disappointing that Song Ci was snatched away by a girl from Beijing Dance Academy."

"There's nothing we can do. Song Ci is a blockhead; he has absolutely no sense of romance."

. . . . . .

In the female dormitory of the 10 acting class at the Beiping Film Academy, Yang Zi was carefully applying eyeliner in front of the makeup mirror.

She woke up two hours earlier than usual today for a crucial agent interview.

My roommate Xia Qing peeked out from under the covers, still half-asleep: "Zi Mei, didn't you have no classes today? Why are you getting dressed so early?"

"She's definitely going on a date!" He Miao jumped out of bed and peered at Yang Zi's makeup in the mirror. "This is so plain! A date should have a more natural, peach-blossom-inspired makeup look!"

"I'm not going on a date!" Yang Zi shook her head, not hiding anything. "I'm going to meet my agent for an interview."

The two roommates asked in unison, "Which company?"

"Tengda Culture"

The dormitory fell silent for two seconds. He Miao excitedly grabbed Yang Zi's shoulders and shook her: "That's the top talent agency in Beijing! And you still say you're not a rich kid!"

Yang Zi smiled helplessly: "I'm really not a rich kid. My dad is a firefighter and my mom is a voice actress. Today I'm just going to meet with my agent. Whether I can sign a contract is still unknown."

"Anyway, I wish you the best of luck!" Xia Qing said sincerely. "However, for the interview, I think your makeup could be a bit more natural."

"Take another look and see if there's anything else that needs to be improved in my makeup."

"You can try a makeup look like Liu Shishi's, which exudes a gentle and elegant temperament. It's a top pick by the richest man, so you can't go wrong."

Xia Qing glared at her friend: "Please, just because the boss likes it doesn't mean the agent likes it too."

He Miao retorted defiantly, "Don't you even know what 'what the superiors do, the inferiors follow' means!"

Yang Zi checked herself one last time in the mirror: a clean base makeup, natural eyebrows, and a light blush.

"That's settled then. A fresh and elegant look is most important." He glanced at his watch again. "Time to go."

As soon as Yang Zi stepped out of the dormitory, she saw her friend Zhang Yishan waiting outside the gate: "Are you coming with me?"

Zhang Yishan flashed his signature roguish grin: "How could I, Yang's protector, be absent from such an important event?"

Yang Zi shook her head and chuckled softly, "Thank you!"

"How sure are you?"

"I'll just do my best. You know how high the bar is at Tengda. Getting an interview is already a pleasant surprise. My mom even got it through my eldest son's connections."

After turning two street corners, the two arrived at the agreed-upon coffee shop.

Zhang Yishan gave a thumbs-up from the doorway: "Go ahead, I'll wait for you here."

Yang Zi straightened her collar, her gaze quickly settling on the woman by the window who was flipping through documents. The woman was dressed in a sharp business suit, exuding a powerful aura that was impossible to ignore.

"Hello, this is Yang Zi. I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."

"I am Yang Tianzhen, the artist director of Tengda Culture. Let's sit down and chat."

"Hello, Mr. Yang." Yang Zi had been working on film sets since she was a child and had seen the world, so she wasn't nervous at all.

Yang Tianzhen took a sip of coffee, gently set the cup down, and got down to business.

“I have seen your profile. You debuted as a child star at the age of 10. Your most well-known role is Xia Xue in ‘Home with Kids’, which means you have a certain level of national recognition.”

"Yes."

"According to industry practice, the agency contract will split the profits 70/30 between the company and you," Yang Tianzhen said crisply. "Tengda Culture has always been generous; even if we don't have any roles to play, we'll still pay you a salary."

After you get promoted, the revenue-sharing contract can be adjusted. If you become a top-tier star, the company will support you in opening your own studio. Is there any problem with an eight-year contract?

Yang Zi's eyelashes trembled slightly, her mouth opened slightly, and she was stunned for a long time: "President Yang, do you mean that Tengda Culture is willing to sign me?"

“Why would I come all this way if I weren’t going to sign you?” Yang Tianzhen chuckled and asked in return. “You don’t think I, as an artist director, am idle, do you? I don’t need to be there for ordinary artist interviews.”

Things went more smoothly than expected. Yang Zi was still in a dream, feeling that happiness had come a little suddenly.

“Tengda never makes hasty selections,” Yang Tianzhen said calmly, yet with an undeniable authority. “We’ve already conducted a comprehensive evaluation of your background, personality, and audience appeal.”

"I see," Yang Zi took a deep breath, her smile bright. "I'm willing to sign the contract. I hope Mr. Yang will take good care of me in the future."

"Currently, the company has five top-tier artists who don't have a high demand for internal resources, so the company's resource allocation is very flexible."

Speaking more gently to her own people, Yang Tianzhen said, "Regarding actresses, high-quality resources will be prioritized for you and Zhao Liying."

As Yang Tianzhen picked up her coffee cup again, a hint of emotion flashed in her eyes. Tengda Group, as an internet giant, excels at big data analysis.

In the mobile internet era, female viewers are the main consumer group in the film and television market. And Yang Zi's fresh and approachable appearance is precisely what female viewers prefer.

"Thank you, Mr. Yang." Yang Zi's eyes sparkled, full of anticipation for her future career.

Yang Tianzhen nodded slightly and handed the document in front of her to the young girl: "This is a variety show proposal, take a look."

Yang Zi curiously took it and opened the proposal: "Divas Hit the Road, an outdoor travel reality show."

"This is a variety show jointly produced by TT Video Network and Hunan TV. The company will fully cooperate."

Yang Zi understood what her manager meant immediately. She wasn't against variety shows, but there were some things she needed to clarify: "Who are the other guests?"

"I don't know either. If you'd like to go, you can take one spot. There's only one confirmed member..." Yang Tian added meaningfully, "...the Chairman's wife!"

"Madam?" Yang Zi was taken aback, then realized, "Teacher Liu Shishi, right? Doesn't she never participate in variety shows?"

"I don't know the specifics, but I heard that the president of TT Video Network and the director of Hunan TV Program Center personally went to invite her and eventually persuaded my wife to attend."

"I'll participate!" The agent's meaning was very clear, and Yang Zi, being a newcomer, simply couldn't refuse.

After saying that, the young woman raised her hand again, "Mr. Yang, may I ask why the other senior colleagues in the company are not in such a bad situation, but instead give me the opportunity?"

Yang Tianzhen pondered for a moment: "Others have been famous for a long time, and their attitude towards Madam is to keep their distance with respect."

"Understood!" Yang Zi immediately understood the mentality of her seniors. They were all from Tengda, so they wouldn't lack resources. They couldn't afford to offend Liu Shishi, so they could just avoid her.

However, she had no connections or influence at Tengda Culture, so it was necessary for her to curry favor with the boss's wife.

"Let's add each other on WeChat. The company is closed tomorrow for Qingming Festival. Please ask your parents to come to the company on Tuesday to sign the contract."

Yang Zi took out her phone and quickly added Yang Tianzhen on WeChat, and was then added to a WeChat group called "Tengda Stars".

Yang Tianzhen: "This is Yang Zi, a newly signed artist of the company. Let's get to know each other."

Yang Zi: "Hello, senior brothers and sisters, I am Yang Zi. Please guide me in the future."

Zhang Songwen, the nice guy in the group, was the first to respond: "Welcome, we're all family from now on."

Coincidentally, several big stars who are usually busy are all online at this time. Qiao Zhengyu, Lü Yi, Wang Kai, and Yang Mi all welcomed Yang Zi's participation.

(End of this chapter)