Entertainment mogul: Starting his business with the internet

Chapter 358 The Richest Man Appears
August 5th, Friday, 9 PM.

Liu Shishi's fan group was buzzing with activity, with messages popping up one after another:
"My sister's first variety show is about to air! Are you all ready, sisters? I can't wait!"

"Didn't the trailer show scenes of them filming at a guest's house? I'm curious what Shishi's mansion looks like?"

"Only ten minutes left, eagerly awaiting the broadcast of 'Divas Hit the Road'. I've already prepared snacks and drinks!"

In Beiping, Li Lingyan, after taking a bath, sat cross-legged on the sofa, holding a plate of strawberries in her hands, eating them one after another with great relish.

"Is there another Liu Shishi drama airing today?" Li Zhong sat down next to his daughter, watching his precious daughter unusually glued to the TV, and he knew exactly what was going on.

If my daughter, who should be lying in bed scrolling through her phone at this hour, is sitting obediently in front of the TV, it must be because her idol's new drama is about to start airing.

"Yes, my sister has a new variety show airing today." Li Lingyan casually picked up a strawberry and stuffed it into her father's mouth.

"My sister is so good to me. Last time she helped me get revenge and kicked that bad woman out of the crew. When Yuqing and I left Hengdian, she even had her assistant send me a whole bunch of gifts."

When his daughter brought it up, Li Zhong was instantly enraged.

He raised Li Lingyan with utmost care since she was a child, never laying a hand on her or even uttering a harsh word to her. How dare that obscure actress hit his precious daughter?

"Liu Shishi does have the air of an idol, knowing how to protect her fans. But all they did was kick her out of the production crew and issue a blacklist, which is too lenient on that shrew," Li Zhong said indignantly.

On the television, after a few minutes of commercials, the self-guided travel reality show "Divas Hit the Road," co-produced by Hunan Satellite TV and TT Video Network under Tengda Group, officially began airing.

The scene slowly unfolds, and the first guest to appear in front of the camera is Yang Zi. The little girl is all smiles and enthusiastically waves and greets the audience.

Li Zhong was watching the show with his daughter when he felt that the girl on the screen looked familiar: "This girl looks a bit familiar?"

"Xiaoxue from 'Home with Kids'!"

"So it's her!" Li Zhong looked at her more closely, but he felt that the girl in front of him was a little different from Xia Xue in his memory. "Girls change a lot as they grow up, I didn't even recognize her!"

Li Lingyan excitedly shared the gossip with her father: "She must have had surgery, which is why you didn't recognize her at first. Teacher Song Dandan said she looked too ordinary and wasn't suitable for the entertainment industry, so she got some work done."

"No wonder he looks a little different than before."

Li Lingyan put down the fruit plate, picked up her phone, and watched the program while interacting with her fans in the fan group.

"Yang Zi is doing well now. She was robbed of a role back then, but now she can even appear on a variety show with her sister."

"She is now a contracted artist with Tengda Culture, which is a meteoric rise, so she can be considered a half-ally."

The show continued, and the second guest, Huang Xiaoming, made a dazzling appearance.

As a household name and a big star, Li Zhong recognized him at a glance: "Huang Xiaoming seems to have not changed at all over the years."

Li Lingyan nodded and smiled, "Master Huang is still very handsome and takes good care of himself, so he does look young, but compared to my brother-in-law Song Ci, he is still far behind."

After the director issued the assignment, Yang Zi and Huang Xiaoming, knowing their roles as tour guides, immediately set off for the China-Europe Cultural Exchange Center to welcome their travel companions.

"It's Chen Hong!" When the camera switched and a charming and beautiful woman appeared on the screen, Li Zhong exclaimed in surprise and sat up straight excitedly.

Li Ling glanced sideways at her father, whose eyes were gleaming: "Chen Kai's wife hasn't acted in years! Dad, why are you so agitated?"

Li Zhong stared intently at the screen and sighed softly, "Chen Hong and I are the same age, both born in 68. Back then, she was recognized as the most beautiful woman in mainland China, the dream girl of so many people. It's such a good thing that Chen Kai got such a good deal."

Li Lingyan covered her mouth and chuckled, "So, Dad, your goddess is Chen Hong!"

When a female celebrity of his own age appeared, Lee Jong watched the scene with great focus.

Following the camera, viewers toured Chen Hong's luxurious residence, a large, single-level apartment decorated in a European neoclassical style, simple yet grand.

A painting of eight horses, worth tens of millions of yuan, is the finishing touch to the entire home in the living room.

The camera panned across the simple and elegant wooden coffee table and the valuable artworks on display. Li Zhong nodded repeatedly: "Brother Chen Kai is indeed a great director. He has a real cultural background. The house is decorated in an antique style, and his taste is excellent."

"Pshaw, so what if he's a big director? He's a scumbag! His movies are boring."

Hearing the disdain in his daughter's tone, Li Zhong couldn't help but sigh, "It's truly a pity about Ni Ping!"

While the father and daughter were chatting about Director Chen's love history, guests Alyssa Chia and Lin Gengxin appeared on the screen one after the other.

Since the two did not have a fixed place to stay in Beiping, this segment could only be filmed in a hotel. Perhaps the production team also understood that the audience was not interested in the hotel interior, so after a few shots, it was Liu Tao's turn to appear.

"Almost there, after the virtuous wife Liu, it's the elder sister's grand finale appearance."

"Liu Tao's villa looks quite nice. It seems her husband, Wang Ke, was quite capable before he went bankrupt."

"Tch, who knows if this house belongs to Wang Ke or Liu Tao?"

Fans have been eagerly anticipating the arrival of the seventh Jia Yi Jie, Liu Shishi, who is about to make a grand entrance.

Li Lingyan forgot about chatting and focused intently on the TV screen, eagerly anticipating her idol's appearance.

The scene shifted, and unlike the previous direct appearance of the guests, the program crew was first shown being strictly checked at the gate.

In the five-minute clip, one shot after another flashed by, and the production team finally got the security guard to let them through. However, the rapidly spinning clock on the screen made it clear to the audience that they had been stopped and questioned outside for more than an hour.

"My God, is the security this tight? They're checking people and searching their bodies!"

"The directors and their crew were completely worn out and had no temper left!"

Li Lingyan glanced down at the group messages, her slender fingers quickly typing a brief explanation: "Senior Sister lives in a place called Jingyuan, where top-tier wealthy people live, the kind on the rich list."

After going through numerous checks, director Liao Ke and his entourage were finally able to enter Jingyuan and followed the security guards to Liu Shishi's residence.

Because I was warned before entering the park that I could not take pictures inside, I don't have any detailed pictures of the park.

But even the fleeting glimpse of the scene allowed viewers in front of their televisions to see the lush greenery, bridges, and flowing water within the garden.

"Dad, can you afford a villa in Jingyuan?"

Looking into his daughter's bright eyes, Li Zhong turned his face slightly away, avoiding his daughter's expectant gaze.

Although he is the CEO of a listed company with a net worth of hundreds of millions, it is still beyond his means to spend hundreds of millions of cash to purchase a luxury mansion in Jingyuan.

The scene then shifts again, and Liu Shishi, dressed casually at home, appears before the audience.

The eldest sister was poised and elegant, with a gentle demeanor. She greeted everyone softly, "Hello, everyone."

After much anticipation, the queen finally appeared, much to the excitement of the little lions.

"Ahhh, Shishi is finally out! She's so beautiful, her aura is amazing!"

"Wow, this living room is huge! It's magnificent and dazzling. How much did the renovation cost?" "The value of being the top female star in the entertainment industry is still rising. You can see from this villa why so many female stars are desperate to marry into wealthy families."

Amidst the praise from fans, Liu Shishi received her task card and, like the previous guests, set off for the Sino-European Cultural Exchange Center.

The seven guests set off, and a series of interesting scenes unfolded before the audience. At the mission location, the seven members of "Divas Hit the Road" officially assembled.

As the director announced the travel rules and the budget, viewers understood the show's main purpose.

Soon, 45 minutes had passed, and the first episode was halfway through, entering commercial break. Fans chatted enthusiastically, all feeling that this program was very novel and different from current mainstream variety shows.

"Seven people need 1000 euros a day, including food, clothing, accommodation and transportation. The budget is a bit tight."

"It's a bit difficult. Summer break is the peak season for travel in Europe, and many attractions will raise their ticket prices."

"Fortunately, there are 18 attractions that you can choose freely, depending on how the tour guide plans them."

"I'm really looking forward to seeing what kind of stories will unfold between Shishi and the others in Europe."

The second half of "Divas Hit the Road" is different from the first half. Liu Shishi is the first to make a surprise appearance, accompanied by the richest man.

Li Zhong was slightly surprised: "Song Dynasty poetry is here too!"

Li Lingyan glared at her father: "Please, Shishijie and Song Ci are husband and wife. What's so strange about him being in his own home?"

"What I mean is that he has always kept a low profile and rarely appears in front of the media. He usually only appears on CCTV financial programs, so it was quite unexpected to see him on a variety show."

Fans were equally surprised and discussed the matter extensively.
"I've never seen anything like this before. My brother-in-law only appears on camera once every few hundred years, and the chances of him appearing in the same frame as Shishi are even fewer."

"The young master and the young lady are a perfect match."

"Are there any variety shows featuring married couples in China? I hope Shishi can bring Song Ci to participate."

"Impossible. People who participate in reality shows need to be outgoing. With Song Ci around, everyone else will definitely be too restrained."

Liu Shishi introduced her luggage to everyone, and when her gaze turned to Song Ci, she asked, "Yiyi, can you help me see if anything is missing?"

In the scene, upon hearing this, Song Ci's gaze swept over his wife's luggage: "We're missing a power adapter..."

Li Lingyan chuckled curiously to herself, "Song Ci's nickname is Yi Yi. I'll ask Yu Qing about it another day?"

When Liu Shishi called out Song Ci's nickname, the fan group instantly went wild.

"The case is solved. The song 'Because of Love' that Shishi sang was written and composed by a person named Yi Yi. It turns out it was a Song Dynasty poem."

"I get it now. Song Ci's birthday is January 1st, so his nickname is Yi Yi. How interesting."

"When she calls me Yiyi, the way she does it so affectionately and naturally is so sweet. This is the love between childhood sweethearts, so sweet."

"Wow, Song Yiyi and Liu Shishi, the Tang and Song poetry CP fans are going to be so excited they can't sleep tonight."

"...Bring some instant noodles and sauce, just in case we need something to eat in a pinch."

As soon as Song Ci finished speaking, Li Lingyan couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, "So even the richest man eats instant noodles!"

Li Zhong remarked with deep feeling: "Song Ci was a pioneer who started from scratch. He must have experienced hardship. He could accept both delicacies and simple meals. That's the style of a true master."

The newly created celebrity travel reality show "Divas Hit the Road" has captured the hearts of countless viewers since its premiere with its unique program format and luxurious guest lineup.

The following morning, as the first rays of sunlight touched the earth, the seven celebrities were already dressed and ready to head to the Capital Airport, about to embark on their European tour.

The scenes of Liu Shishi traveling remain a major focus for viewers, with the row of luxury cars parked at the richest man's house being truly breathtaking.

Other guests could depart in one or two cars, but Liu Shishi's group had a long, luxurious motorcade with bodyguards and the production crew to take her to the airport, making quite a spectacle.

Upon arriving at the airport terminal and passing through security, Liu Shishi lightly leaped onto her suitcase, gazing longingly at her husband, hoping that as he pushed the suitcase away, she would capture the hearts of countless young women.

As the celebrities hurriedly slipped into the VIP lounge amidst a crowd of enthusiastic fans, the first episode of "Divas Hit the Road" captured this dramatic moment, leaving viewers with endless imagination.

"Please replay this! I could watch Shishi's glance back at the suitcase a hundred times!"

"TT Video will resume broadcasting after 12 o'clock."

"I really want to watch all twelve episodes in one go, and watch the behind-the-scenes footage. It feels like the later episodes will be even more exciting."

Li Lingyan browsed the messages in the group and opened Weibo. As expected, the trending topics on Weibo were dominated by "Divas Hit the Road".

1. Song Yiyi

2. Beiping Jingyuan Garden

3. The most beautiful woman in mainland China and Taiwan.

. . .

Li Lingyan opened the trending topics one by one and browsed the netizens' comments with great interest, preparing to stay up until 12 o'clock to watch the program's rebroadcast on TT Video.

"Song Yiyi, what an amazing nickname! It's so interesting!"

"Didn't Liu Shishi's fans used to claim they wanted to do archaeological research? Be serious, Song Ci's nickname was only revealed today."

"The richest man is truly multi-talented and has hundreds of millions in assets. So it turns out that 'Because of Love' is his song. It's practically a love confession he tailored for himself and Liu Shishi."

Tonight, topics related to "Divas Hit the Road" are being widely discussed by netizens.

The next morning, in the director's office at Hunan Provincial Television Station.

Station director Ouyang Changlin looked at the freshly compiled viewership report that his secretary had submitted that morning, and could not hide his delight.

Han Yue, director of the Hunan Provincial Satellite TV Program Center, and Liao Ke, director of "Children and Teenagers," sitting opposite him, were also beaming with joy.

"The premiere ratings broke 3%, which is the best result for a variety show in the past two years. 'Divas Hit the Road' is a huge success." Ouyang Changlin put down the documents and breathed a sigh of relief.

Han Yue excitedly added, "Divas Hit the Road will be another flagship program for Hunan TV."

Ouyang Changlin nodded slightly: "Happy Camp and Day Day Up have been broadcast for many years, and the audience is tired of them. The ratings have been declining year by year. Now that we have 'Divas Hit the Road' to support us, I feel much more at ease."

Taking the opportunity, Han Yue suggested: "Director, I plan to strike while the iron is hot and continue to cooperate with Tengda to launch another variety show, 'I Am a Singer,' to take over the time slot of 'Divas Hit the Road.'"

(A patch was added to one of the chapters yesterday)

(End of this chapter)