Entertainment mogul: Starting his business with the internet

Chapter 437 Jealousy
Huo Zhengting, beaming, introduced her in a lighthearted tone: "Fourth Uncle, let me introduce you. This is Mrs. Song."

Despite his advanced age, Li Zhaoji was still vigorous, his bright eyes revealing a warm smile. He nodded and greeted her, "Mrs. Song."

"Greetings, Fourth Uncle!" Liu Shishi rose gracefully, gave a polite bow, and exuded elegance in her demeanor.

The other party is both a business tycoon in Hong Kong and an elder. It is only proper and reasonable to greet them politely. We must not allow the Hong Kong elite to look down on the Song family's manners.

Upon hearing the address "Fourth Uncle," Li Zhaoji was slightly taken aback at first, but then his smile deepened.

He always liked it when outsiders addressed him that way, as it conveyed a sense of closeness and warmth. At this moment, he simply took it as a gesture of goodwill from the Song family, and felt a surge of affection for them.

"Please sit down, please sit down. Mrs. Song, you're being too polite." Li Zhaoji quickly waved his hand to signal Liu Shishi to sit down, then turned to look at his son, Li Ershao, and daughter-in-law, Xu Ziqi, behind him.

He commanded sternly, "What are you all standing there for? Quickly greet Mrs. Song."

Li Zhaoji was always the one to keep his word at home, so the two of them dared not be negligent and immediately greeted her in unison, "Hello, Mrs. Song."

"Mr. Li, Mrs. Li," Liu Shishi nodded in greeting.

As her gaze swept over the fleeting reluctance on Xu Ziqi's face, a subtle ripple suddenly stirred in her heart.

This is probably the allure of power. This "billion-dollar daughter-in-law," praised throughout Hong Kong, can only stand there with her hands at her sides, offering her greetings.

The online mockery and ridicule directed at her over the years now seem so insignificant.

"Fourth Uncle, you all chat first, I'll go and attend to the other guests." Seeing the harmonious atmosphere at the main table, Huo Zhengting took his leave at the opportune moment.

Watching his departing figure, Li Zhaoji turned to Liu Shishi and sighed, "It is truly a pity that Mr. Song could not come in person today and I was unable to meet him. I will definitely pay him a visit when I travel north another day."

Liu Shishi responded politely: "If Fourth Uncle comes to Beiping, my husband and I will definitely welcome him with open arms."

“Mr. Song is a leading figure in the scientific and technological field. I must seek his advice in person at that time.” Li Zhaoji’s words came from the bottom of his heart.

Although Sun Hung Kai Properties and Henderson Land Development are real estate giants with properties all over Hong Kong and hold a pivotal position, discerning individuals can understand that the future belongs to the technological age.

Emerging tech billionaires are becoming increasingly powerful, wielding greater influence on the global economy and politics. In contrast, Hong Kong's real estate market has already peaked; where are there many new plots of land available for development?

Sun Hung Kai Properties and Henderson Land Development have faced numerous challenges in their transformation. Without reliable partners, he has never dared to act rashly. However, if he could cooperate with Tenda Group, he would be willing to take the gamble.

Liu Shishi smiled gently, responding with composure and grace: "Fourth Uncle, you are too modest. You are a legendary figure in Hong Kong's business world, renowned and respected. My husband should be learning more from you."

Both Mr. Lis are business prodigies and will surely bring great success to your family.

"Mrs. Song is giving them too much credit." Li Zhaoji shook his head slightly, a hint of sobriety in his eyes.

No one knows a son better than his father. Although his two sons are considered qualified among the successors of Hong Kong's wealthy families, they both have obvious character flaws. They are good at maintaining the status quo but not good at innovation, and they are far from being "geniuses".

Looking at the present, only the leader of Tenda is truly a trendsetter who leads the times.

With this thought in mind, Li Zhaoji suddenly made up his mind: "Mrs. Song, I heard that your wedding with Mr. Song is coming soon?"

"Yes, it's set for New Year's Day next year."

Li Zhaoji chuckled and asked, "May I have the pleasure of sharing a drink at the wedding?"

Liu Shishi was taken aback, not expecting Li Zhao to take the initiative to attend the wedding. After a moment's thought, she replied, "I would be most grateful if Fourth Uncle would come."

Before setting off for Hong Kong, Song Ci had discussed with her the matter and made decisions accordingly.

The other party has adopted such a humble attitude at this moment, she really has no reason not to give them face.

“Okay.” Li Zhaoji nodded in satisfaction. He had heard that none of the Hong Kong elites had been invited to the Song family’s New Year’s Day wedding banquet, and now he was the first to receive such treatment.

At this moment, He Lian walked briskly to Liu Shishi's side. She had come with her elders to attend the Huo family wedding.

"Senior Sister." The lively and sweet-talking girl greeted Li Zhaoji again, "Uncle Li."

Li Zhaoji responded with a smile, knowing that his old friend had difficulty moving around, so he got up and went over to say hello.

He Lian leaned closer to Liu Shishi, her face full of curiosity: "Sister, I just saw you chatting animatedly with Uncle Li from afar. What were you talking about?"

In her view, the Song and Li families had never had any contact, and the two were half a century apart in age, with a serious generation gap, so they shouldn't have any common topics.

Liu Shishi chuckled and explained, "It's nothing, I'm just inviting my fourth uncle to my wedding."

He Lian was very surprised: "Uncle Li is going to Beiping to attend a wedding?" Seeing her father-in-law go to the next table to chat with the gambling king, Xu Ziqi, who finally had a free moment, finally had a chance to speak: "Mrs. Song, I wish you and Mr. Song a son soon."

As soon as Xu Ziqi uttered these auspicious words, the atmosphere at the scene instantly became subtle. Everyone present could hear clearly that she deliberately dragged out the sound of the word "Zi," clearly hiding a different meaning.

Everyone knows that Liu Shishi and the richest man, Song Ci, were childhood sweethearts with a deep affection for each other and had been together since childhood.

However, the richest man's wife has not conceived in all these years, and the Song family's huge internet empire still has no successor. There have long been rumors that one of the richest man and his wife must have health problems.

Xu Ziqi's insincere wish for the richest man to "have a son soon" was clearly a sarcastic remark.

Seeing this, Li Ershao realized that his wife had misspoke and quickly smoothed things over: "Mrs. Song and Mr. Song are a perfect match, with a very deep affection for each other. They are truly a model couple among the wealthy."

After saying that, she turned her head and glared at Xu Ziqi, signaling her to shut up.

Xu Ziqi felt a slight chill run down her spine as her husband's sharp gaze swept over her, and she couldn't help but feel a pang of regret.

I was so consumed by jealousy that I blurted out something I couldn't help but want to upset Liu Shishi.

Why is it that, despite both marrying into wealthy families, she goes to great lengths only to end up as a "caged canary" who appears glamorous on the surface but is actually constrained in every way?
Liu Shishi, on the other hand, not only married her childhood sweetheart with whom she shared a deep affection, and was deeply loved by her husband after marriage, but she also had her own career, living a free and unrestrained life, radiating charm.

Thinking back to what had just happened, the other party was able to sit on equal footing with her father-in-law, whom she usually fawned over and dared not disobey in the slightest, and chat and laugh with him.

She could only stand helplessly to the side, and this huge psychological gap finally made her unable to hold back, and she said a few barbed words to Liu Shishi.

Liu Shishi remained calm and unperturbed by Xu Ziqi's sarcastic remarks. She was not unaware of the gossip circulating online, but she and her husband were both healthy, and there was no need to take it to heart.

However, young people today are not as eager to have children as the older generation, so they were not in a hurry to have children in the first two years. After their wedding on New Year's Day, the couple decided to have a new life to continue the Song family line.

The child she and Song Ci hoped for was the fruit of their love, not the product of a Hong Kong tycoon family where having a son is a must and they immediately start trying to conceive after marriage.

"Thank you, Mrs. Li. You are a blessed person. You and Mr. Li have been married for a short time and now you have children all around you. You are truly the envy of others."

The pity in Liu Shishi's eyes stung Xu Ziqi like a needle, and her agitated fingernails dug deep into her palms.

Since marrying into the Li family in 2006, she had been trying to have a son. Unfortunately, fate was unkind, and her first two pregnancies resulted in daughters, which greatly disappointed Li Zhaoji.

In their quest for a son as their third child, the Xu family spent a fortune relocating their ancestral graves and altering the feng shui, while she herself went around burning incense and praying to Buddha.

In order to consolidate her position, she immediately started trying to conceive as soon as she recovered from her illness. Fortunately, her third child was a son, which finally made her father-in-law treat her well again.

What frustrated her even more was that most of the assets she received from the Li family were gifts from Li Zhaoji as rewards for childbirth, such as yachts and land. They seemed glamorous, but in reality, they were only nominally wealthy. Her wealth was always dependent on her husband, and she had no independent control over it.

Unlike Liu Shishi, who owns multiple luxury homes and buildings, as well as her own company and business, and can invest freely, her husband simply lets her do as she pleases without interfering at all.

So when Liu Shishi officially announced her assets on Weibo, she couldn't help but leave a sarcastic comment. In the end, it was just jealousy! Aren't the other wealthy ladies the same?
Marrying into a wealthy family is like participating in a meticulously calculated survival game. They exchange childbirth and freedom for material security, but the control of their assets is always in the hands of their husband's family. Once they lose their usefulness, their status becomes precarious.

Everyone lives like this, and they all get along peacefully. So why is Liu Shishi an exception? Why does she live such a carefree and unrestrained life? And why doesn't the man surnamed Song restrain her, making her such an eyesore?

Liu Shishi's glance completely shattered Xu Ziqi's psychological defenses. Just as she was about to launch a hysterical counterattack, Li Zhaoji happened to return.

Seeing his father-in-law return, Xu Ziqi immediately deflated like a punctured balloon, suppressing all his resentment, anger, and indignation deep inside, daring not to reveal a trace of it.

Liu Shishi watched Xu Ziqi's face change instantly in front of Li Zhaoji, his sharp edge concealed, and she curled her lips in disdain. She thought to herself, "You think you're worthy to compare yourself to me? You probably don't understand the true value of childhood sweethearts and first love—'If it's not mutual, everything else is just a compromise.'"

"Chao Lian, take me to meet the elders of the Xia family."

"Sister, this way please."

After exchanging a few pleasantries at the next table, Liu Shishi was about to take her leave and return to the main table.

He Lian suddenly leaned closer and whispered in her ear, "Sister, that Xu guy is ungrateful. It's not appropriate for you to take action in this situation, so I'll vent your anger for you."

Liu Shishi hurriedly warned, "Don't do anything reckless. If you ruin the Huo family's wedding, everyone will be embarrassed."

He Lian's eyes darted around: "Don't worry, sister, I know what I'm doing. But if a conflict really breaks out, you'll have to stand up for me."

Liu Shishi thought to herself, Xu Ziqi has provoked her time and time again, so it would be good to let Chaolian teach her a lesson.

So he nodded slightly and replied with a promise: "Of course, but remember to be careful not to go too far."

(End of this chapter)