Entertainment mogul: Starting his business with the internet

Chapter 448 Losing Money

The night was deep, and the moon and stars were few.

After the premiere, Liu Shishi returned to Jingyuan, but her husband was nowhere to be seen in the large living room.

"Sister Li, where's your husband? Is he upstairs?"

When the housekeeper saw the lady return, he quickly stepped forward and took the overcoat she had taken off: "Madam, the master has something to attend to and has gone next door to see Mr. Lei."

Liu Shishi glanced down at the exquisite watch on her wrist, a hint of concern in her eyes: "It's already past 10 o'clock, why haven't you come back yet? How long has the master been gone?"

Sister Li silently calculated the time: "When the gentleman was on the phone with Mr. Lei before he left, it was 9 o'clock, which means it was about an hour."

"Okay, I understand. Prepare some late-night snacks for the master. The shark fin soup that Chef Jiang made last time was quite good."

"Okay, ma'am."

After giving her instructions, Liu Shishi took out her phone and sent a WeChat message to Song Ci, asking him when he would be home.

The atmosphere in the reception room of Villa No. 8 in the neighboring Jingyuan Garden was somewhat somber.

At this moment, Lei Jun's face no longer held its usual warm smile; his expression was full of conflict.

Just now, the richest man personally came to my door, hoping that Xiaomi's Redmi phone, which will be launched next year, will be pre-installed with the TenOS system developed by Tenda Group.

The fact that Redmi comes pre-installed with TenOS means that Xiaomi has to abandon its self-developed MIUI system, which puts him in a very difficult position.

"Mr. Lei, MIUI is essentially a customized system based on Google's Android, not a truly independent mobile phone system. Low-end phones like Redmi experience severe lag when running Android."

TenOS 1.0, meticulously developed by Tenda Group, is designed for the needs of ordinary users, offering power saving, smooth performance, and high performance at a low price.

Its compatibility with low-end hardware allows Redmi to penetrate the mass market, making it particularly suitable for third- and fourth-tier cities and rural areas in China.

Instead of using grand pronouncements like orders from higher authorities to pressure Lei Jun into making a decision, Song Ci patiently persuaded him by focusing on the product itself.

Although Lei Jun was somewhat tempted, after pondering for a long time, he still couldn't give a definite answer: "Chairman Song, please forgive me for not being able to give an immediate reply."

After all, your company's mobile operating system is still under development. I have no doubt about Tenda's technical capabilities, but whether TenOS will truly be compatible with Redmi in the future remains to be seen until TenOS is released and undergoes testing.

“That’s how it should be.” Song Ci nodded slightly. He came to visit today only to give Lei Jun a heads-up, not to expect things to go smoothly. Business cooperation between large corporations has always been rigorous and serious.

"Thank you for your understanding." Lei Jun breathed a sigh of relief. He had a close relationship with the richest man, being both a business partner and a neighbor. Unless his principles were violated, he really didn't want to fall out with the richest man.

Just as Song Ci was about to say something more, her phone suddenly vibrated in her pocket. She took it out and saw that it was a WeChat message from Shi Shi. The corners of her mouth unconsciously turned up slightly.

He quickly replied, "I'll chat with Mr. Lei for a while and get back later."

Seeing the gentle smile on the richest man's face, Lei Jun joked, "It must be a message from Shishi."

"She was invited to the premiere of Cheng Long's film tonight and just got back," Song Ci explained with a light laugh, then changed the subject, "By the way, Mr. Lei, how's the development of the fingerprint recognition technology for the Xiaomi 3?"

Lei Jun's expression hardened, and he said seriously, "The Xiaomi 3 will be equipped with a press-type capacitive fingerprint sensor, which will unlock the phone much faster than traditional passwords and will also support payment verification."

Last year, Xiaomi and Tenda Group jointly acquired biometric company AuthenTec. After more than a year of hard work, they finally applied fingerprint recognition technology to mobile phones.

This can be considered the first step for Xiaomi to break into the high-end market, but whether users will accept it remains to be seen from market feedback.

Song Ci said confidently: "Relax, smartphones are only just becoming popular. Every technological innovation can arouse users' curiosity and encourage them to try them."

"I hope so." The richest man's words reassured Lei Jun a little, but he couldn't help but sigh, "The other day, the iPhone 4s's debut of the intelligent voice assistant Siri was amazing!"

It supports voice commands for basic tasks such as setting alarms and checking the weather. Apple's integration of AI interaction into mobile phones is truly remarkable, further solidifying the iPhone's high-end position and widening the gap with other brands.

"Mr. Lei, are you envious of Siri's features?" Song Ci's voice carried a hint of inexplicable allure.

"Of course I'm envious! If Xiaomi phones could also add intelligent voice functionality and fingerprint recognition, I wouldn't dare say they'd be high-end, but they could definitely secure a place in the mid-range market," Lei Jun frankly admitted.

He understands that high-end smartphones involve many aspects such as chips, operation, and system. Xiaomi and Apple are far apart in terms of hard power, but functional innovation can make up for this gap.

"Want it?"

"I dream about it!" Lei Jun blurted out, but before he could finish speaking, he suddenly froze.

Seeing the ambiguous smile on the richest man's face, he instantly realized what was going on. A flash of inspiration struck him, and he suddenly remembered the magnificent artificial intelligence research and development center of Tengda Group in Donghai.

He tentatively asked, "Chairman Song, has Tengda Group made a breakthrough in the field of AI?"

“From its inception, Tenda has been investing in artificial intelligence. It’s no exaggeration to say that Tenda possesses world-leading AI technology.” Song Ci’s eyes were deep.

Over the years, Tenda Group has invested countless funds in research and development in the field of artificial intelligence, and has already accumulated many world-leading achievements. The mere intelligent voice function of a mobile phone is just a piece of cake.

Lei Jun immediately rubbed his hands together excitedly, his eyes full of anticipation: "Chairman Song, in the field of artificial intelligence, can Xiaomi cooperate deeply with Tenda?"

"No problem!" Song Ci chuckled. The fish had finally taken the bait. Once Xiaomi and Tenda were deeply integrated, there would be more room for negotiation in promoting TenOS in the future.

"Thank you very much, Chairman Song." Lei Jun felt a surge of warmth in his heart.

He understood that there was no such thing as a free lunch. Using Tenda's technology would inevitably require an exchange of benefits, and he would most likely have to switch to Tenda's mobile phone system in the future.

But making Xiaomi a high-end brand is his obsession and dream, and paying a certain price for it is worthwhile.

Song Ci glanced at her phone; it was almost 10:30. Fearing that Liu Shishi was getting impatient, she got up to say goodbye: "President Lei, it's getting late. I'm going back now. We can discuss the specific details of the cooperation another day."

"I'll visit Tengda another day." Lei Jun stood up to see him off, then suddenly remembered something, "Xiaomi plans to raise funds next year, I'll let you know the specific time later."

The two chatted as they went downstairs. Zhang Tong was watching TV in the living room when she saw Song Ci and her husband finish their business and were about to leave. She quickly stood up and asked, "Mr. Song, are you going back?"

"Yes, I'm sorry to have bothered you today."

Zhang Tong smiled gently: "Not at all, we're neighbors, we should visit each other more often."

Mr. and Mrs. Lei escorted Song Ci to the outer gate of the villa. Song Ci stopped and said, "Mr. Lei, Ms. Tong, please wait!"

The couple said in unison, "Please take care, Mr. Song."

When Song Ci returned home, the warm yellow light in the living room illuminated Liu Shishi's figure. She was leaning against the sofa watching TV. When she saw her husband come in, she looked up and smiled slightly: "You're back."

Song Ci was wearing only a thin coat. Liu Shishi stood up and walked over, reaching out to hold the back of his hand. The cool touch made her brows furrow slightly, and her tone carried a hint of reproachful concern:

"It's freezing cold, why don't you wear more layers? You'll catch a cold."

“It’s just a short walk, and Lei Jun’s house is nice and warm.” Song Ci smiled. Liu Shishi wrinkled her delicate nose slightly and pulled him towards the sofa: “But we can’t be careless, health is the most important thing. Sister Li has asked the kitchen to prepare some late-night snacks, would you like some?”

"I'm actually a little hungry." Song Ci sat down casually, glancing at the TV screen, and asked, "Is Cheng Long's 'Chinese Zodiac' any good?"

"It's alright," Liu Shishi said while instructing the housekeeper to bring out a late-night snack. "He still has his usual 'life-risking' style. There was a scene where he fell from a high altitude at the crater, which was actually filmed on location. It was really exciting to watch. It's just that he does look older, and his movements aren't as nimble as before."

After a pause, I remembered the movie review I had just read: "Many people online praised his action design and his daring, but the plot was criticized for being 'formulaic,' still using the framework of early heist films, relying on old tricks and lacking originality."

As they were talking, the butler brought over a bowl of braised shark fin soup, the blue-and-white porcelain bowl making the soup appear even more mellow. "Sir, please enjoy."

Song Ci took the bowl, and Liu Shishi said softly from the side, "Chef Jiang specially added dried scallops and dried scallops to enhance the flavor, please try it."

Song Ci scooped up a spoonful and put it in her mouth, commenting, "The shark fin is soft, tender, and translucent, and the soup is thick and rich. It's clear that a lot of effort was put into it, and the taste is indeed excellent."

"This skill was learned by Sister Jiang from her senior apprentice," Sister Li chimed in with a smile. "Her senior apprentice, Chef Sui, is the executive chef at the Hilton. His skills are amazing."

"Oh? Then Chef Sui is also a disciple of the state banquet chef," Liu Shishi joked. "I'll try to recruit him to the Four Seasons Hotel sometime." Seeing her husband finish his bowl of soup, she asked, "Would you like another bowl?"

Song Ci waved her hand: "It's too late, eating too much before bed will make me uncomfortable."

Sister Li quickly stepped forward to clear away the dishes and tactfully withdrew.

"By the way, I spent 126 million yuan to go to the premiere today," Liu Shishi suddenly said.

Song Ci was slightly taken aback: "You've discussed a new project?"

"Hmm!" Liu Shishi's eyes gleamed with excitement, and she spoke faster. "First, Deng Chao approached me, saying he wanted to switch careers and become a director, making a film called 'The Breakup Guru.' I invested 5000 million yuan."

Then I encountered Han Geng, and I invested another 1300 million yuan in his film "Ex-Files".

Finally, I met Chen Kaige. His new film, *Monk Comes Down the Mountain*, was in pre-production with a budget of 200 million yuan. New Classics Media was the main investor, investing 70%, and I co-invested 30%. The three films together cost exactly 123 million yuan.

Song Ci raised an eyebrow and joked, "The First Sister is really rich and powerful."

Liu Shishi asked with great interest, "How much do you think these films can earn?"

“No movie can make money every time.” Song Ci shook his head.

His wife had been lucky with her film investments, almost never losing money, but this industry is inherently high-risk, and success can't always be guaranteed. Especially after investing in Chen Kaige's film, he already knew what was going on, and now his good fortune had arrived.

Liu Shishi knew her husband well and immediately understood the underlying meaning: "Does what you're saying mean you don't think it's going well?"

"Overall, we definitely won't lose money." Song Ci vaguely said, thinking that even if "Monk Comes Down the Mountain" lost some money, "The Breakup Guru" and "Ex-Files" could make up for it.

"It's the one starring Chen Kaige, right?" Liu Shishi guessed after a moment's thought.

Deng Chao was directing for the first time, and there was no precedent to follow. Even if her husband was very farsighted, he couldn't possibly predict the profit or loss based on the title of a film.

Han Geng's film was a low-budget comedy, so recouping its costs shouldn't be difficult. If we're talking about risk, then it's the big-budget film *Monk Comes Down the Mountain*.

Seeing Liu Shishi's shrewdness, Song Ci smiled and said, "After all, Chen Kai has won the Palme d'Or, and his films have a market overseas. Even if the domestic box office is a bit poor, the overseas rights might make up for it, and we might even make a small profit."

Knowing that her husband was trying to comfort her, Liu Shishi shrugged helplessly, saying that "Monk Comes Down the Mountain" would probably lose money: "I've already promised Brother Chen Kai and Chen Hong, so let it be a loss."

Seeing that his wife didn't seem to care much, Song Ci was even less concerned about this small amount of money: "Shishi, if you're really interested in investing, why not start a professional investment company?"

Your current studio is, after all, a makeshift operation. It's passable for investing in film and television projects, but it's not good enough for venture capital.

The next few years will be a period of rapid development for the mobile internet, with a surge of high-quality enterprises emerging.

Tengda Group's industrial investment fund has been looking for targets, while China-Singapore Investment and Shanhai Capital have also been making frequent moves.

Although Song Ci looked down on this investment return, which was insignificant compared to the money he made through financial means in the foreign exchange and futures markets, it wasn't bad to let Liu Shishi get involved and earn some pocket money.

"Okay then." Liu Shishi thought for a moment and agreed. She also wanted to find something else to do besides filming.

"I'll ask Sister Tong later to help me manage the charity foundation. It's a bit of a waste of her talents."

Song Ci smiled and nodded: "Sure. Find some professionals to form a team, and you'll find that investing isn't actually that difficult."

Liu Shishi got up and took her husband's arm: "It's getting late, let's wash up and rest."

"Together?"

"Think beautifully!"

The following afternoon, in the office of the deputy director of CCTV building.

Jiang Tao accepted the invitation from Song Ci, a sincere smile spreading across his face: "Congratulations, Chairman Song! I wish you and Liu Shishi a long and happy marriage, and peace and joy."

"Jiang Tai is too kind." Song Ci came to CCTV today to attend the "China's Economic Figure of the Year" awards ceremony and took the opportunity to deliver her wedding invitation.

Jiang Tao, who was in charge of the financial channel, naturally knew the purpose of the richest man's visit. He stepped aside and gestured, "Sit here with me for a while. The ceremony will start in a while."

Song Ci did not refuse and sat down on the sofa.

"How's the preparation for the Spring Festival Gala interactive red envelopes that Tengda promised?" Jiang Tao changed the subject and became serious. "We can't afford to make any mistakes when facing a billion viewers across the country."

"Jiang Tai, rest assured, everything will be foolproof."

Jiang Tao nodded, looking directly at the young tycoon, and after a moment of silence, slowly said, "After the council meeting next March, I may need to make some changes on my end."

Upon hearing this, Song Ci's expression hardened, and he asked seriously, "Is it a promotion? Or a lateral transfer?"

"A promotion? It's not that easy." Jiang Tao gave a wry smile. "I'm planning to be transferred to a local post and try my luck."

Song Ci shook his head, his expression grave: "Jiang Tai, forgive my bluntness, but your resume is not comprehensive enough. You lack experience in grassroots work and managing a region. Even if you are transferred to a post outside the capital, I'm afraid you will not achieve much."

Jiang Tao had already made his own plans and naturally understood that what Song Ci said was true. He couldn't help but ask, "Then, according to Chairman Song's opinion, should I continue to stay at the station?"

Song Ci carefully suggested: "It's good to make some changes, but it's best to keep it within the propaganda sphere."

"Which department?" Jiang Tao leaned forward slightly, a hint of inquiry flashing in his eyes. Although the Ministry of Rites had many subordinate units, in terms of influence, it might not surpass the Central Radio and Television Station.

Song's words were full of meaning: "Now we live in the era of the Internet. The online office that was just established last year is quite good. If I am transferred there as a deputy and can achieve results, I may well gain the appreciation of my superiors."

Jiang Tao narrowed his eyes, lost in thought, and tapped the table lightly with his fingertips. He pondered, "I understand what you mean, thank you, Chairman Song. But I need to think about this matter some more, and I also need to report to the editor-in-chief."

(End of this chapter)