Entertainment mogul: Starting his business with the internet

Chapter 366 Unexpected Cooperation

At the autograph wall on the Bazaar red carpet, Liu Shishi and Delphine briefly deferred before finally standing in the center. A barrage of flashbulbs instantly illuminated the three figures, making them dazzlingly beautiful.

Reporters below the stage excitedly snapped photos, their flashes illuminating half the night sky.

"Why would Jing Tian walk the red carpet with Liu Shishi?"

"Who is the foreign woman next to Liu Shishi?"

"It's good to be rich. One haute couture gown after another. Liu Shishi's silver battle robe is probably going to dominate Weibo's trending topics again."

As the reporters discussed among themselves, the emcee gracefully stepped forward, holding three neatly arranged pens on a tray.

Liu Shishi turned around with her pen in hand, about to sign her name, when she suddenly remembered the rumors about scalpers reselling celebrity autographs. After a moment's thought, she changed her mind and simply drew a circle on the wall.

Delphine was about to follow suit and sign her name, but when she saw that Liu Shishi had only drawn a circle, she smiled and followed suit.

Only Jing Tian remained serious, signing his name stroke by stroke.

After the three signed their names, they were about to leave when a staff member in a stylish suit quickly stepped forward and smiled, guiding them: "Three distinguished guests, please move over here for a group photo."

Liu Shishi glanced at the Porsche parked to the side, raised an eyebrow, and said with a half-smile, "Porsche didn't pay me an endorsement fee. If this photo is taken today, Porsche will have to give me an endorsement contract."

The staff member froze on the spot, giving an awkward smile, somewhat at a loss. Previously, most celebrities would give the organizers some face, but this was the first time she'd encountered someone so forcefully refuse.

"Mrs. Song, I am Sha Xiaoli, the executive editor of Harper's Bazaar. I'm sorry to bother you."

The top female celebrity nodded slightly, but still walked towards the Porsche. After all, Tengda Weibo was one of the organizers of this year's Bazaar Charity Night, so she had to give them some face.

Sha Xiaoli was secretly delighted. Unexpectedly, things had taken a turn for the better. With Liu Shishi taking a photo with the Porsche, she was likely to receive a significant increase in the final payment from the sponsors.

Inside the gala, crystal chandeliers cascaded down like scattered diamonds, and amidst the clinking of glasses, elegantly dressed women mingled and swayed in the breeze.

"Senior Sister, let's chat later." After greeting the First Sister, Jing Tian lightly lifted her skirt and gracefully left, following the waiter's guidance.

Liu Shishi walked side by side with Delphine, their steps leisurely, toward the main table number one in the center of the front row of the hall.

Song Ci had already arrived inside. He caught a glimpse of his wife and guests out of the corner of his eye, and immediately stood up to greet them, gentlemanly pulling out chairs for them.

Seeing this, Henry Pinault joked, "Song, you are truly an elegant Eastern gentleman. It's a pity you're married, otherwise Delphine would definitely pursue you."

The two ladies nodded to Nick Hayek and Henri Pinault. The First Lady's downcast eyes and gentle smile resembled a lady stepping out of a traditional Chinese ink painting, while Delphine's fluid curtsy carried the lingering elegance of the Left Bank of Paris.

The seating arrangement inside the venue was cleverly designed. The front row of about twenty tables were all for eight people, while the rest were for ten people per table. This move by the fashion group perfectly illustrated the cutthroat world of fame and fortune in the entertainment industry.

Tonight, only five people are seated at table number one. Song Ci is seated at the head of the table, with the two group leaders to his left and his wife and Delphine to his right.

"Delphine, how are you feeling? What are the differences between red carpet events in the East and those in Paris?"

"They are largely the same, with minor differences."

"Backstage just now, nobody recognized Delphine!" A hint of amusement flashed in Liu Shishi's eyes. If those female stars who were scrambling to break into the fashion circle knew that they had missed out on Dior's global president, they would probably regret it to the core.

Song Ci laughed and said, "Previously, the fashion resources in the mainland entertainment industry were scarce, and European luxury brands rarely collaborated with Chinese stars, so naturally not many people paid attention to this area."

To put it jokingly, many celebrities and fans probably can't even distinguish between the titles of brand ambassador, brand spokesperson, and brand friend.

“That’s precisely why it proves the huge potential of the Chinese market.” Delphine’s eyes blazed with ambition.

She came to China at the invitation of Song Ci to investigate the Chinese market, explore new growth points for Dior, and make achievements to solidify her status as the heir to the LVMH Group, in order to deal with her increasingly powerful brothers.

This trip to the East truly broadened her horizons, making it well worth the journey. The prosperity of major cities in China, such as Beiping and Donghai, was in no way inferior to that of Paris and London in Europe.

China is also home to many wealthy people, and luxury goods have a broad market prospect here. Dior's business empire has great potential in the East.

Nick Hayek and Henry Pinault exchanged a glance. They shared the same thought: the European and American markets were nearing saturation, and revenue growth was slowing down, while the Eastern market had a bright future, with the air thick with the scent of money.

At table number one, several people were chatting and laughing. Song Ci invited three foreign guests to open an official brand account on Weibo, while Cai Yinong and Hu Ge were whispering to each other.

"That's Henri Pinault, the head of Kering Group, a super tycoon in the world's luxury goods industry. The bronze animal heads from the Old Summer Palace that Shishi brought back to China were donated by him. I didn't expect Chairman Song to actually invite him here."

Hu Ge was shocked, never expecting such a heavyweight guest to attend the Bazaar Charity Gala: "Sister K, do you know the other person?"

"I don't know him, but he must be someone of equal stature. I just saw Shishi and the Dior president bow to him."

Cai Yinong kept his attention focused on the top female star, observing her every move. From her actions and expressions when talking to the other person, he could tell that the other person was definitely someone of the same level as Henri Pinault.

As the two were whispering about whether to go over and offer a toast to make their presence known, they saw Han Geng, who was currently enjoying great popularity in the industry, and a capable-looking woman walking towards them, guided by a waiter.

"Mr. Cai, Mr. Hu, I've heard so much about you." The lady stepped forward, handed over her business card, and introduced herself: "I am Du Hua, President of Yuehua Entertainment."

Han followed closely behind, politely greeting, "President Cai, Teacher Hu!"

Cai Yinong quickly searched his mind: Yuehua Entertainment, a newly established entertainment company whose core businesses are artist management and music production. It has gained some fame in the industry because it signed Han Geng, a popular idol who returned from South Korea.

"Hello, Mr. Du." After figuring out who the other party was, Cai Yinong and Hu Ge stood up and shook hands with Du Hua and Han Geng.

Du Hua smiled warmly, praising Cai Yinong incessantly and Hu Ge repeatedly, his words full of compliments.

"Mr. Du, you flatter me." Cai Yinong smiled outwardly, but inwardly she was wary. She was a complete stranger to this CEO of Yuehua Entertainment, and his flattery must have some ulterior motive. Sure enough, after a few rounds of pleasantries, Du Hua changed the subject: "Ms. Cai, what are your thoughts on creating an idol group?"

After a moment of thoughtful consideration, Mr. Cai said, "The idol industry can quickly provide the company with new generation artists and lay the foundation for idol management business. South Korea has a relatively mature business system in this regard. However, artists who debut as idols do not have works to support them, and their popularity is relatively superficial."

As he spoke, his gaze inadvertently swept over Han Geng, who was sitting next to Du Hua. This leading artist of Yuehua Entertainment was none other than a representative figure who debuted in a domestic boy band.

Du Hua secretly praised Cai Yinong, saying that experience truly matters and that Cai Yinong had hit the nail on the head regarding the core of idol artists. Han Geng, the company's top star, was currently facing a transitional dilemma, but Yuehua Entertainment lacked film and television resources, leaving Han Geng to find external resources on his own.

She had a sudden inspiration when she met Cai Yinong, the CEO of Tangren Media, today, and wondered if she could bring Tangren Media into Yuehua Entertainment as a strategic investor.

Although Tangren Media's resources are only average in the industry, they are far superior to Yuehua Entertainment, which has no production experience. Most importantly, Tangren Media has a powerful backer.

"President Cai's insights are insightful!" A glint flashed in Du Hua's eyes, and he immediately cut to the chase without hesitation: "I wonder if Yuehua and Tangren can reach a strategic cooperation agreement?"

Cai Yinong was quite taken aback by Du Hua's sudden proposal. She did not expect the other party to propose cooperation so readily on their first meeting. After quickly realizing the other party's intention, she couldn't help but fall into deep thought.

Tangren Media currently has three production teams. One is the veteran team led by Li Guoli. This team is experienced and has top-notch production capabilities in the industry, and is the cornerstone of Tangren Media.

Another team was formed later and currently focuses on producing web series; there's still room for growth. Finally, there's the production team formed by Yijie Studio after acquiring Zhouyi Film & Television; this team also has strong production capabilities.

In terms of production capacity, Tangren Media does indeed have spare capacity.

After weighing the pros and cons, Cai Yinong felt that Tangren Media needed to diversify its development if it wanted to go public. He thought that by cooperating with Yuehua Entertainment, it might be possible to expand into idol artist management and find a new path.

With this thought in mind, Cai Yinong nodded solemnly: "President Du, I've thought about it. Tangren and Yuehua's main businesses do not conflict. Through cooperation, they can complement each other. We can discuss the specific details of the cooperation another day. After all, there are some things I still need to discuss with the company's shareholders."

Du Hua was overjoyed, never expecting things to go so smoothly.

Han Geng, standing to the side, was also overjoyed. Although Tangren Film & Television was only a medium-sized film and television company, it had strong backing and various unparalleled hidden resources.

Take, for example, the splash screen recommendations on Tengda Group's Weibo and Toutiao APP. These are extremely valuable promotional resources that countless artists would flock to.

With a preliminary agreement reached, the atmosphere immediately became lively. Cai Yinong and Du Hua, two strong women, talked about the hardships of starting a business, while Han Geng took the opportunity to humbly ask Hu Ge for some acting tips.

Just then, a clear female voice interrupted: "Sister K, who is this?"

Cai Yinong and Hu Ge looked up and saw that Sun Li, the second-generation leading lady of Tangren Media, and her husband Huang Sanshi had arrived. "Sun Li, Sanshi, it's been a long time. Let me introduce you..."

Just as Cai Yinong was about to make introductions, Lu Yi and his wife Bao Lei were also seated at the table. The group inevitably exchanged more pleasantries.

Lu Yi was somewhat reserved, putting on airs of a senior in front of Hu Ge and Han Geng. Bao Lei, on the other hand, was very enthusiastic and proactive, actively chatting with Cai Yinong and Huang Lei. Seeing her husband's aloof attitude, she kicked him hard under the table.

In the past two years, her husband has focused his main energy on "New Three Kingdoms". Unfortunately, the drama has received a lukewarm response and has failed to bring Lu Yi the expected benefits. Now his career development has stagnated and his resources have been severely downgraded.

Bao Lei was furious with her husband for his lack of ambition. Now that he was in front of several film and television company executives, instead of actively seeking opportunities, did he expect them to come begging to him?

Suddenly, the lights in the venue dimmed, and two spotlights on the stage blazed on. The host slowly walked onto the stage: "Good evening, everyone. Welcome to the 9th Bazaar Charity Night."

"I'm your host, Ke Lan." "I'm your old friend, Wu Dawei."

Ke Lan held the microphone, her eyes scanning the cue cards in her hand, her fingertips trembling slightly: "Before the charity gala begins, please allow me to introduce some distinguished international guests."

Everyone's attention immediately fell on table number one in the center of the front row, and many people were secretly guessing the identities of the foreign guests.

Wu Dawei took a deep breath, his voice slightly trembling with excitement: "Let us welcome Ms. Delphine Arnault, Global President of Dior; Mr. Henri Pinault, Chairman of Kering Group; and Mr. Nick Hayek, Chairman of Swatch Group. Welcome to all three of you!"

The audience fell into an unusual silence. Anyone with a modicum of knowledge in the industry would understand the status of these individuals in the fashion and luxury goods sectors.

Everyone was stunned by the news, never expecting such a heavyweight to attend the charity event tonight. Thunderous applause only erupted in the hall after Song Ci led the applause.

At table number four, Li Bingbing frowned and glanced at Fan Bingbing sitting next to her. She was somewhat exasperated. When the two first met, Fan Bingbing was clearly wearing an ordinary green dress.

But now she's changed into an incredibly gorgeous, gilded haute couture gown. She was puzzled at the time, wondering why she had to change clothes halfway through; was it really necessary to go to such lengths?
This made everything clear. It must be that Fan Bingbing received the news and changed into a dress that better highlighted her temperament and image, all in order to leave a good impression on the luxury goods tycoons.

"Damn it!" Under the eaves of the table, Li Bingbing clenched his fists tightly, a sharp glint in his eyes. "Just wait and see, it's still anyone's guess who will steal the show tonight."

Not far away, at an eight-person table, sat several accomplished actresses: Hai Qing, Jiang Wenli, Qin Hailu, and Yin Tao.

The group discussed the arrival of the three foreign guests.

Haiqing peered through the gaps in the crowd at table number one: "The entertainment industry has changed so much in the past few years. Three or four years ago, our pay was only a few dollars, but now it has increased more than fivefold."

Qin Hai nodded in agreement, sighing softly, "A few years ago, who would have dared to dream of fashion resources or collaborations with luxury brands! I'm afraid the entertainment industry will be a completely different place after today. These three are definitely not here to play around; they'll leave something behind."

Hai Qing sighed: "It's a pity we're not young anymore, otherwise we could definitely compete with those actresses born in the 85s! We were born at the wrong time; the actresses born in the 85s really caught up with the golden age of the entertainment industry!"

Listening to the words of his seniors, Ma Sichun was confused and quietly asked his aunt, "Auntie, I know about Dior, but what do Kering Group and Swatch Group do?"

Jiang Wenli then explained to her niece: "Before its name change, Kering Group was Printemps Group, one of the world's three major luxury goods groups, which owns many famous brands such as Gucci, Paris World, and Boucheron."

The Swatch Group is the world's leading watch manufacturer, owning numerous watch brands such as Longines, Tissot, and Breguet. Their arrival speaks for itself!

Ma Sichun gasped, unconsciously touching her watch. At that moment, she suddenly understood why all the celebrities in the room were on edge. Tonight, what gathered here was not only the halo of charity, but also the key to a top-tier fashion empire.

(End of this chapter)