Entertainment mogul: Starting his business with the internet

Chapter 399 Devon Manufacturing

The next morning, the air in the dressing room of the lead actors of "Silent Notebook" seemed to be filled with a subtle tension.

Wan Qian was putting on her makeup in front of the mirror. The makeup artist was busy applying juice and powder to her face, but her eyes kept glancing at the animated figure beside Liu Shishi.

Inside, the stylist, makeup artist, and Liu Shishi's assistant all quietly pricked up their ears, listening to the man who had arrived at the film set early in the morning vividly recount interesting stories.

The leading lady's eyes were half-closed, and as time passed, her face, adorned with exquisite makeup, shone with a pearly, radiant glow.

Leaning back lazily in the chair, letting the makeup artist work on him: "Ah Hao, what brings you to the film set so early in the morning?"

"Shishi, isn't the Qinhuai Lantern Festival beautiful?" The person who came was Lin Hao, who was smiling brightly. "You and Lao Si are trending on social media for kissing passionately on a cruise ship. You know how to pick a place."

Hearing Lin Hao's teasing, Liu Shishi's ears instantly turned red. The scene of her taking off her mask and embracing and kissing Song Ci last night seemed to reappear before her eyes.

From tourist photos to trending topics, the story of her and her husband boating on the Qinhuai River that night, indulging in a tender moment, has spread across the internet, making others envious.

Lin Hao shook his head and said, "To be fair, the netizens have great photography skills. They captured you and Lao Si very beautifully. The couple in the lantern light and the sound of oars are so romantic that even I, a rough man, find it romantic."

In the corner, Su Xiaoxiao gently nudged Lin Xia's arm and whispered, "Sister Xia, who is this fat guy? He seems to have a close relationship with Senior Sister Shi."

Lin Xia had met Lin Hao once before and knew something about his identity: "He is a good friend of President Song, and it seems to be the president of an investment company."

"A friend of President Song!" Su Xiaoxiao's pupils contracted slightly. "He's in finance, a big shot indeed. You really can't judge a book by its cover!"

Lin Xia smiled enigmatically: "What, you have an idea?"

Su Xiaoxiao quickly shook her head: "With my looks, the big boss wouldn't be interested in me. But if word gets out about his identity, there will be no shortage of female celebrities in the crew trying to curry favor with him."

Lin Hao chatted and laughed with Liu Shishi: "Shishi, the film and television industry is booming right now. I'm planning to invest in a film and television company. Would you like to take a stake?"

"Sure!" Liu Shishi readily agreed. "But Hao, the entertainment industry is a murky place. Without someone knowledgeable keeping an eye on things, it's easy to lose money!"

"Don't worry! I've found a reliable partner. He's Lu Chao, the general manager of Dongying Yinghuang Film and Television Company, and he has a wealth of experience in the industry."

Lin Hao didn't care at all. "Besides, I'm a director of Tengda Group. The entertainment industry is just a shallow puddle at best."

Upon hearing Lin Hao introduce himself, the others in the room were secretly shocked. They never expected that the unassuming fat man was actually a director of Tengda Group.

Although he can't compare to the husband of the top female star, he's still a formidable figure in the entertainment industry.

"Then it's settled. You and your partner can discuss the equity distribution. My studio will take all the rest." The top female executive said casually, but it exuded a strong sense of dominance.

"OK! The company is called Yaoke Culture. I'll bring Lü Chao to visit you another day."

"By the way, Hao, my husband went to inspect the factory construction site today. Why didn't you go with him?"

Lin Hao smiled wryly: "My father and people from the Jinling government are all here. My presence would only put Song Ci in a difficult position. It's better to avoid suspicion and not go!"

Meanwhile, Song Ci and Wang Fengying, accompanied by the mayor and deputy mayor of Nanjing and other officials, were conducting an on-site inspection for the selection of a new factory site for Devon Manufacturing.

With a calm and composed demeanor, the mayor pointed into the distance and leisurely introduced: "Chairman Song, the Jiangbei area is already applying for national-level new area status."

With its advantageous location on the Yangtze River and a well-developed highway network, investing and building a factory here offers unparalleled convenience.

Song Ci subtly winked at his subordinate.

Wang Fengying understood immediately and took the lead, striving to secure more favorable policies for Dewen Manufacturing: "To be honest, Mayor, while the Yangtze River Delta consumer market is vast, the development potential of Jiangcheng in the middle reaches is equally enormous."

Moreover, construction costs are lower. More importantly, Jiangcheng and even the entire Hubei province have introduced special support policies for the new energy vehicle industry.

Vice Mayor Lin quickly reassured him, "Chairman Song and President Wang, rest assured that Jiangsu Province will offer even more favorable support policies than Hubei Province."

Our province is one of the top economically strong provinces in the country, and we have ample matching funds for tax incentives and financial subsidies.

Song Ci nodded slightly, he had no doubt about Jiangsu Province's economic strength: "Leaders, how much support can you provide in terms of land policy?"

Vice Mayor Lin said confidently: "Chairman Song, the city has held a meeting to discuss this. As long as your company is willing to settle here and build a factory, we can approve the sale of 2000 mu of industrial land. Not only will the land price be 7% of the market price, but installment payments will also be allowed."

They also pledged to build two river-crossing tunnels within five years, connecting them to the national expressway network, including the Shanghai-Chengdu Expressway and the Shanghai-Chongqing Expressway, to ensure unimpeded supply of auto parts and regional distribution of finished vehicles.

Song Ci and Wang Fengying exchanged a glance. The four major processes of the vehicle factory—stamping, welding, painting, and final assembly—as well as supporting facilities such as test tracks and R&D centers, require a large area of ​​well-organized land. Jinling's willingness to offer 2000 acres of land was indeed very tempting.

"Can the power supply be guaranteed?" Wang Fengying then asked. The stamping and painting processes in automobile manufacturing consume a huge amount of electricity, and insufficient power supply would seriously affect production capacity.

Vice Mayor Lin smiled and said, "Please rest assured, there is absolutely no problem with the electricity! The power grid in the Jiangbei area has sufficient capacity and high stability."

Chairman Song and General Manager Wang, you can look into this: large companies like Jinling Steel, Yangzi BASF, and TSMC are all located here, and they've never had any power supply problems.

Seeing that Song Ci and Wang Fengying were still weighing their options, the mayor added: "Chairman Song, Nanjing has many universities and has a sufficient talent pool in professional fields such as automotive engineering, mechanical engineering, and electrical engineering."

The municipal government can also act as a bridge to help your company collaborate with research institutions on research and development, thereby promoting technological innovation in the field of new energy.

"If there are any problems, I will answer them on the spot if I can, and if I cannot, I will go back and report to the provincial authorities for coordination."

After careful consideration, Song Ci finally stated: "Today's inspection has made me feel the sincerity of Nanjing. If the policy conditions are truly as promised by the leaders before, I agree to locate the automobile factory here."

Previously, he was not optimistic about Nanjing's business environment, but this time the Nanjing government offered extremely favorable conditions for attracting investment. After Wang Fengying's detailed evaluation, these policies were indeed of great benefit to the company's development, which led to this on-site inspection.

Upon hearing the richest man's decision, the mayor and his entourage could not hide their joy. The successful introduction of a large new energy vehicle manufacturing company will have a multi-level and systematic driving effect on the city's development, and may even reshape the city's industrial landscape.

"Chairman Song, the city has prepared a welcome banquet. I have prepared a small feast at the guesthouse. I hope you will come and join us."

The mayor was all smiles. According to preliminary estimates from relevant departments, the investment in Devon Manufacturing could directly create at least 2 jobs in the future.

Significantly boosting GDP growth and generating substantial tax revenue is undoubtedly a remarkable achievement that will greatly benefit his promotion.

"The mayor's invitation is too kind to refuse," Song Ci readily agreed. Although he disliked official socializing, such occasions were unavoidable. As April arrived, the entertainment industry was abuzz with major news.

At the beginning of April, the "Tiny Times" production team officially announced that Yang Mi, Ni Ni, Huo Siyan, and Guo Biting would star in the film.

At almost the same time, writer Han Han also announced his transition to directing, collaborating with Tengda Culture to produce the film "The Continent," showing a strong intention to compete with Guo Jingming in the film and television industry.

After the Qingming Festival, important news came from across the ocean:
Besides the six major Hollywood film studios, Lionsgate, North America's most successful independent film company, acquired Summit Entertainment for $4.5 million through a combination of cash and stock.

Since Tenda Group holds a 40% stake in Summit Entertainment, after the completion of this acquisition, Tenda Group will directly become a shareholder of Lionsgate, holding a 12.41% stake.

This move was seen by the entertainment industry as Tengda sounding the clarion call to enter Hollywood.

On the same day, Ma Xin, the "billion-dollar director," made the following announcement:
The new film, adapted from the first novel "Left Ear" by the richest man in China, has cast Chen Duling, a campus beauty from Beiping University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, as the female lead after multiple rounds of casting.

The girl was the champion of the 2011 Headline Star Campus Beauty Contest and received much attention.

On April 9, Meituan.com, a leading online group-buying platform in China, announced the establishment of Maoyan Movies in partnership with LeTV Pictures, Huayi Brothers Media, and Bona Film Group.

Focusing on group buying of movie tickets and online movie distribution, it rivals Nuomi Time, an online distribution company under the Tengda Group.

The entertainment industry was rife with scandals in early April, while major events in the internet industry emerged one after another in mid-April.

First, Tencent announced the dismantling of its Weibo business unit and the shutdown of Weibo servers. Subsequently, Sohu, NetEase, Sina, and other companies also announced the closure of their Weibo services.

This four-year-long battle over Weibo ultimately ended with a complete victory for Tenda Group, leaving Tenda Weibo as the only remaining Weibo company in China.

After shutting down its Weibo business, Tencent has released a series of major announcements, planning to shut down its Weibo servers starting May 1st, merge user data with mobile QQ, and completely abandon its competition with Tenda Group for dominance in the mobile IM field.

Tencent also announced plans to reduce operating costs, rely on QQ to adopt a stable business strategy, and choose to change tracks to avoid the booming Tenda Group.

Furthermore, Tencent acquired AcFun, the video-sharing website known as A-site, the birthplace of danmaku culture in China, and spun off its game live streaming business to form a new live streaming business segment called Douyu Live.

Late spring has quietly arrived, and in the blink of an eye, it's already late April.

In the main conference room of Devon Manufacturing's headquarters in Beiping, a group of senior executives gathered together, the newly established company brimming with vitality.

Song Ci sat upright in the main seat, radiant with confidence, his eyes as bright as when he founded Tengda Group.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the main topics of today's meeting are: company restructuring and announcement of personnel appointments."

The meeting room was silent and solemn. Everyone had a premonition that as Devon Manufacturing gradually got back on track, this young leader would inevitably reorganize the company's organizational structure.

Song Ci picked up the document beside her and said in a firm and clear voice, "Wang Fengying is appointed as the company's CEO, Tang Jun as the executive vice president, and Song Xueying and Yang Bowen as vice presidents. The specific assignments of the four presidents will be issued in the form of an official document later."

As each name was read out, the appointees stood up and nodded to the crowd.

With the appointment of the four core executives completed, Song Ci solemnly declared, "From now on, the company's daily operations will depend on you all."

Wang Fengying immediately responded: "Please rest assured, Chairman, I hereby declare that I will definitely unite the team members and manage the company well for you."

Tang Jun quickly chimed in, "Don't worry, Chairman Song, we will do our utmost to develop the company well."

Song Cichong, sitting in the first seat on the right, nodded to his trusted lieutenant and instructed him: "Manufacturing is not like the Internet. You should consult with President Wang more often."

Wang Fengying gave her deputy a meaningful look. She had specifically looked into it and found that this executive vice president was originally the president of WeChat at Tengda Group and was deeply trusted by the boss.

If it weren't for the fact that different industries are like different worlds, and that I have extensive experience in the manufacturing sector, I probably wouldn't have gotten the CEO position.

Looking at the other two vice presidents, one is the boss's former secretary and the other is an externally hired senior executive. Their future management path is long and arduous.

Just as Wang Fengying was lost in thought, Song Ci continued to announce: "The company has established five core business divisions, each with independent accounting."

The New Energy Vehicle Business Unit is responsible for the full-stack R&D and production of passenger vehicles and commercial vehicles. The General Manager of the unit is concurrently held by President Wang Fengying.

The Aerospace Science and Technology Division focuses on reusable rockets and commercial satellites. The division's general manager is Zhang Xiaoping.

The Intelligent Aerospace Business Unit is mainly engaged in the research and development and production of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The general manager of the unit is Xue Ning.

The Photovoltaic-Energy Storage Integration Business Unit focuses on the integration of photovoltaic power plants and energy storage systems. The General Manager of the unit is Sun Jialiang.

The Advanced Materials Research Institute is responsible for supporting the material needs of various business units; the department head is Shen Cong.

"In addition, four strategic empowerment platforms have been established directly:"

The Technology Sharing Center manages the functional patent pool and facilitates cross-business unit technology transfer; the person in charge is Zhou Ziyu.

A super supply chain company that coordinates and centrally procures minerals such as lithium, cobalt, and rare earths, and has a global mining footprint. General Manager: Lu Chenggong.

The Digital Infrastructure Business Unit is responsible for the company's system development and is headed by Feng Hexiang.

The Strategic Investment Incubation Center is responsible for acquiring key technology companies and incubating innovative projects. The person in charge is Yang Jie.

As for the middle and back-office modules such as the finance center and human resources, I won't go into detail; department heads will issue official documents on these as well.

After announcing the key personnel appointments, Song Ci paused briefly to give everyone time to process the information before continuing:

"The company is in dire need of rebuilding. Department heads need to finalize the list of middle-level managers as soon as possible and submit it for approval within a week. Tang Jun, please follow up on this matter."

"Yes, Mr. Song."

"In addition, the company's salary system and personnel regulations will be released successively, and we welcome everyone's suggestions. The following meeting will be chaired by President Wang Fengying. President Wang, you may begin."

Wang Fengying's eyes shone brightly as she officially began a new chapter in her career as president of Devon Manufacturing.

(End of this chapter)