Entertainment mogul: Starting his business with the internet

Chapter 442 Ultimate Reversal
Inside the Donghai Tangren Film and Television Studio, red silk and gold ornaments intertwine to create a strong festive atmosphere, and the background is decorated in a joyous and peaceful manner.

Liu Shishi wore a red turtleneck sweater, her hair loosely tied up, her cool and aloof eyes revealing a touch of restrained gentleness, creating a subtle balance with the lively atmosphere around her.

Director Lin Yufen was frowning and adjusting the monitor.
"The New Year's greeting video is aimed at a national audience. The middle-aged and elderly audience is more sensitive to color, so we need to focus on enhancing the texture of the eyebrows and making the lip contour clearer."

"Okay, director." The makeup artist responded softly, her fingertips carefully blending the makeup on the actress's face, fulfilling the director's requirements one by one.

Lin Yufen pondered for a moment and then instructed: "President Liu, Hu Ge, the total length of the New Year's greeting video should be 15 seconds, and the blessing should be timed precisely at 12 to 14 seconds, with a speaking speed of 3.5 words per second."

Micro-expressions need to be well-managed; blinking frequency should not exceed 5 times per minute. When initiating a smile, the apple cheeks should engage before the corners of the mouth to avoid giving a fake smile.

"Thank you, director. I will pay attention during filming."

Hu Ge, standing to the side, could not hide his excitement. Apart from the top female star, he was the only one from Tangren who was selected by Tengda Group to shoot a WeChat "shake" New Year's greeting short video.

Although it was only a short 15-second video, Cai Yinong took it very seriously:

The company's studio was renovated and decorated, and a professional director like Lin Yufen was invited to oversee the project, striving to present the company's top male and female stars in the most perfect light to the national audience.

Inspired by this, she also asked all the artists in the company to film a blessing video, which was then posted on Weibo on New Year's Eve. As a result, all the artists under Tangren Media were present today, making it a rare reunion.

Outside the photography studio, Chen Yao gazed at the lead actress's high-necked outfit with envy in her eyes. That gentle elegance was exactly the kind of look she longed for.

Gulinaza, standing beside her, pursed her lips. Recently, all the best resources had been allocated to Chen Yao, who had joined the company later, and she hadn't even gotten the chance to participate in the New Year's greeting video. This made her feel suffocated.

"I also want to film a New Year's greeting video on WeChat," Hu Bingqing murmured softly, his tone full of longing.

“You guys are just starting out, you have a long way to go.” Yuan Hong pouted, looking indignant.

After becoming a sensation for his role as the Demon Lord in "Chinese Paladin 3", he should be considered a second-tier actor, so why wasn't he allowed to appear at the Tengda event?
Everyone knows that Tengda Group's WeChat celebrity Spring Festival greeting event has gone viral online.

Many professional bloggers have analyzed and dissected the issue: WeChat has over 6 million monthly active users, the Spring Festival Gala reaches 10 billion viewers, and the "shake" activity reaches almost all age groups and all regions.

For celebrities who can get on this bandwagon, it's like getting a ticket to national-level exposure.

What's even more ingenious is that users inevitably encounter videos while participating in the Spring Festival Gala activities, and these celebrity videos are "unexpected surprises," thus circumventing the psychology of avoiding advertisements and making it a "forced attention-grabbing" experience.

In addition, short videos can be saved and forwarded, creating secondary dissemination in WeChat groups and Moments. Its long-tail effect is almost comparable to starring in a phenomenal hit TV series.

For middle-aged and elderly users outside the traditional fan base, as well as people in third- and fourth-tier cities, this may be their first encounter with the celebrity, making it an invaluable shortcut to broadening the national audience.

It's a pity he didn't get a share of this good thing, which is really infuriating.

Over there, Liu Shishi quickly finished touching up her makeup.

"Mr. Liu, the phone has a small vertical screen, so you need to control the height of your gestures and make sure they don't go off-screen."

Liu Shishi nodded slightly and adjusted her posture in front of the camera.

"The Spring Festival is here, may good fortune surround you, and may everyone enjoy family reunion, happiness, and good health." Liu Shishi recited her lines fluently, a perfectly timed smile on her face.

"May we all have something to look forward to and achieve something in the new year."

As soon as he finished speaking, the camera slowly zoomed in, clearly showing the "福" (Fu, meaning good fortune) character written with a calligraphy brush.

"Wishing you great fortune and all your wishes fulfilled in the Year of the Snake!"

"Cut! Excellent." Lin Yufen praised repeatedly, the boss's shot was completed in one take, his sense of camera presence was indeed outstanding.

"Add some upbeat electronic folk music that's both traditional and modern, and you can send it to Tengda Culture. Hu Ge, your turn!"

"Here I am." Hu Ge took a deep breath and stepped towards the camera.

Outdoors, Tangren Media artists are chatting.

Gulinaza glanced at Chen Yao and snorted sourly, "Yao-mei, I heard that Senior Sister has promised you the second female lead role in 'Joy of Life'?"

Chen Yao smiled obediently at Na Zha, but didn't reply. Although she was valued by Cai Yinong and favored by the top female star, she was still too inexperienced and had never acted in a single film. It was better to keep a low profile to avoid attracting jealousy from the other actresses in the company.

"Yao Mei..."

Gulinaza was about to say something more when Cai Yinong, who had just arrived at the photography studio, interrupted her: "You don't need to worry about Chen Yao's affairs. Just mind your own business!"

"Sister K." "President Cai."

Greetings rose and fell, and Gulinaza shrank back, looking like a mouse that had seen a cat, hiding to the side and not daring to make a sound.

She was severely reprimanded by Cai Yi-nong for two consecutive relationships, and she is still afraid that her boss will get angry and scold her again.

Cai Yinong looked at Nazha's beautiful face with its exotic charm, shook his head almost imperceptibly, and secretly regretted that such a face was wasted.

The successive exposure of her relationships completely shattered her "pure" image, causing her public image to plummet and making it almost impossible for her to escape the negative news.

Cai Yinong entered the photography studio, and Gulinaza, seeing that Chen Yao didn't reply, felt awkward. Jin Chen, Hu Bingqing, and the others also ignored her, and out of boredom, they took out their phones to browse Weibo.

"Oh my, Senior Sister is trending again."

Hearing Naza's exclamation, everyone became curious and took out their phones to find out what was going on.

The trending topic "1. Liu Shishi sits at the main table" caught everyone's attention, and they quickly clicked the link to see the content.

[A stunning reversal! Mainland socialite Liu Shishi, presiding over the main table, outshines Hong Kong celebrities; the Huo family's hospitality is exceptional!]

The wedding of "Jinggang" was a star-studded affair. Liu Shishi, the wife of Song Ci, the richest man in mainland China, made a low-key trip to Hong Kong. She was thought to be just an ordinary guest, but the banquet arrangements surprised the whole city!

This newspaper exclusively reports that Liu Shishi was arranged to sit at the head table, on equal footing with Superman Li Jiacheng and Uncle Four Li Zhaoji!

Such arrangements far exceed those of ordinary political and business figures, and even surpass those of Hong Kong's wealthy patriarchs. The Huo family's move sends a strong signal, demonstrating an astonishing level of importance they place on this "newly rich from the mainland," which cannot be explained simply as "flattery."

The involvement of the Tengda Group may have been a major shock to Hong Kong media outlets that had previously reported on Liu Shishi's alleged attempts to curry favor with the Huo family.

[Mrs. Song has arrived! The mystery of Liu Shishi's main table shakes Hong Kong; the Huo family treats her with utmost courtesy! Li Jiacheng and Li Zhaoji accompany her; the wife of the mainland's richest man commands the entire room with her charisma!]

Who was the most "mysterious guest" at the Fok family wedding banquet? The answer is revealed: Liu Shishi, wife of Song Ci, the richest man in mainland China! Mrs. Song arrived at the banquet discreetly, and upon entering, she was personally welcomed to the head table by core members of the Fok family. Even more striking was that her table was arranged alongside two of Hong Kong's top tycoons, Li Jiacheng and Li Zhaoji. Mrs. Song represents the Tengda Song family, forming a "three-giant" structure with the Li families of Cheung Kong and Henderson Land Development.

This image is extremely impactful, instantly shattering previous speculations that it was an attempt to "climb the social ladder."

Hong Kong media were shocked: Liu Shishi was not sitting at an ordinary main table, but on a throne symbolizing the highest level of power! The influence of the Song family was shaken throughout Hong Kong by this single seat!

[The main table's code has been cracked! Liu Shishi's mysterious seating arrangement has been revealed. She's seated next to Li Jiacheng, and Huo Zhengting is personally toasting her! Hong Kong media: Her status is approaching that of the Superman family!]

The guest list at the head table of the Huo family wedding banquet is a true symbol of status. Our in-depth investigation reveals that the seating arrangement for mainland actress Liu Shishi is truly exceptional!
She not only sat firmly in the central circle of the main table, but was also positioned right next to Li Jiacheng, the "Superman," and next to Henderson Land Development Chairman Li Zhaoji. Huo Zhengting even personally toasted Liu Shishi, displaying a humble attitude.

This scene drew the attention of the entire Hong Kong media and numerous Hong Kong tycoons.

Such treatment goes beyond the word "importance"; it is on par with the status of the heads of the most prestigious families in Hong Kong. Liu Shishi represents the power of the Song family on the mainland, which is unfathomable.

. . .

Phrases like "stunning reversal," "unconventional," and "unfathomable" are used throughout, making it clearly the work of Hong Kong media.

Gulinaza's eyes widened in disbelief: "Things have really taken a turn for the better!"

Everyone looked at each other, bewildered, as if in a dream. The extensive reports by Hong Kong media were still fresh in their minds:
Articles like "Mainland socialite Liu Shishi eagerly travels to Hong Kong, seemingly paving the way for her husband to curry favor with the Huo family" and "Liu Shishi arrives in Hong Kong with gifts—smiling and toasting—in exchange for leaked resources from the Huo family" are circulating online.

The barrage of sarcastic remarks, laced with a blatant display of Hong Kong's superiority, was tantamount to deliberately offending the richest man.

At the time, Liu Shishi didn't take these reports seriously at all, and didn't bother to respond at all. Now, as details of the Huo family wedding banquet are being revealed one by one, the plot has taken a complete turn.

"Senior Sister is amazing!" Gulinaza exclaimed in shock, her fingers flying across the screen to check the comments from netizens.

"Hong Kong media outlets that accused our Shishi of 'groveling' to the Huo family, get out here! Don't you feel ashamed? This is clearly the Huo family using the 'highest level of courtesy' to receive the queen of mainland capital!"

"Let me write a scene: At the wedding, a reporter spotted Shishi and sneered: 'Does a nouveau riche even deserve to marry into a wealthy family?'"
The head of the Huo family strode forward: Mrs. Song, your seat is at the head table!
Li Ka-shing stood up and pulled out a chair for Shi Shi: "When I was working with Mr. Song, I felt that Madam was no ordinary person."

@Hong Kong media, hurry up and copy my homework! Is my storyline enough for 30 headlines?

"The person upstairs is amazing! Go write some awesome, face-slapping novels on Qidian. You'll be the next platinum author!"

"I suggest Hong Kong reporters rewrite the '2012 Forbes Global Billionaires List' and take a look at Song Ci's asset data. Is Shishi's approach this time a case of looking at things from a lower dimension?"

"The Hong Kong media were joking before. Tengda Group is at its peak, does it need the Huo family's approval? Clearly, it's the Huo family that needs the mainland capital empire behind Shishi!"

"Could any expert provide an in-depth analysis of the assets of Li Jiacheng (CK Hutchison Holdings), Li Zhaoji (Henderson Land Development), and Song Ci (Tengda Group)?"

Upon seeing this, Gulinaza suddenly looked up, her pretty face full of excitement: "Who do you think is richer, Chairman Song, Li Jiacheng, or Li Zhaoji?"

Lin Gengxin pondered for a moment, then hesitated and said, "Although Chairman Song is firmly the richest man in mainland China, the four major families in Hong Kong have accumulated their wealth over decades, and many of their hidden assets are not listed on the list."

I think Song's experience and background are still not as good as Li Jiacheng and Li Zhaoji, but if Tengda goes public in the future, it might surpass them.

“Geng Xin is right.” Yuan Hong nodded in agreement. “Did you notice the wording used by the Hong Kong media?”

They only refer to Mr. Song as the richest man in mainland China, clearly not acknowledging his status as the richest man in Asia. It's obvious that in the minds of Hong Kong people, the richest man in Asia is still Li Ka-shing.

As everyone chatted about the assets of the three top Asian billionaires, Naza suddenly exclaimed, "They're out!"

"Naza, can you stop being so jumpy?" Lin Gengxin was startled by Naza and quickly asked, "What came out?"

Gulinaza tapped the screen with her finger, speaking rapidly: "An inventory of the three's assets! Someone has compiled it, take a look!"

Upon hearing this, everyone immediately looked down and refreshed their phones. Wealth is always one of the most captivating topics.

An article by a prominent financial blogger was prominently displayed: "I am an analyst at Standard Chartered Bank, with many years of experience in the financial industry, and I have long been concerned with the asset dynamics of Asia's top billionaires."

Today, I'd like to take this opportunity to review a couple of points. While there may be omissions, the general framework should be fairly consistent.

First, let's look at Li Zhaoji's asset size. His core business assets are mainly concentrated in real estate and energy:

Henderson Land Development Company Limited currently has a market capitalization of approximately HK$1200 billion. Li Zhaoji holds 72.5% of Henderson Land's shares through a family trust, corresponding to an asset value of HK$870 billion.

Hong Kong and China Gas Company has a market capitalization of approximately HK$1240 billion, with Li Zhaoji holding 41.53% of the shares, corresponding to assets of approximately HK$515 billion.

The second part is about investments and other assets: In 2004, Li Zhaoji invested HK$500 billion to establish Zhaoji Finance, an investment platform that focuses on stock and financial asset investments.

By 2007, the platform's assets had doubled to HK$1200 billion, but nearly half of them were lost due to the global subprime mortgage crisis in 2008.

As of October this year, the valuation of its investments in companies such as China Life Insurance and PetroChina has rebounded to HK$60 billion.

In addition, his private properties include a luxury mansion on Barker Road on The Peak in Hong Kong and multiple properties around the world, with a total estimated value of approximately HK$50 billion.

In summary, the Li Zhaoji family's total assets amount to approximately HK$2000 billion, equivalent to approximately US$238 billion.

"Over 2000 billion, what an outrageous amount of wealth!"

"As expected of one of the four major families in Hong Kong, their wealth is comparable to that of a country."

The crowd gasped in amazement, swiping their fingers to continue viewing.

"Looking at Li Jiacheng, his assets are even more astonishing! According to the Li family trust distribution plan:"
His eldest son inherited the equity of all 22 listed companies held by the family trust, valued at over HK$8500 billion, covering core assets such as Cheung Kong Holdings, Hutchison Whampoa, and Cheung Kong Infrastructure.

The second son received 1500 billion yuan in cash for independent investment.

In addition, the Li family controls 30% of the UK’s household energy supply, 28% of passenger rail services, and multiple ports, with related assets exceeding HK$3000 billion.

Other overseas assets include European telecommunications business, the global retail network Watsons, and Oriental Plaza in mainland China, with an estimated value of no less than HK$2000 billion.

The family's actual assets are around $1500 billion, far exceeding the $255 billion figure reported by Forbes.

Finally, the article turns to the name that everyone is most concerned about: "Next, let's take stock of the assets of Song Ci, Asia's richest man."

(End of this chapter)