Entertainment mogul: Starting his business with the internet

Chapter 485 Second in the World
As night deepened, the black Maybach smoothly drove into the scenic area.

After sending her sister-in-law Liu Yuqing back to school, Liu Shishi finally returned home.

"Madam, you're back." Butler Li greeted her, her voice gentle yet respectful.

A faint smell of barbecue smoke drifted over, and Sister Li's gaze fell on the bag wrapped in layers of insulated bags in the hostess's hands, and she instantly understood.

He was very tactful and didn't ask a single question about the "late-night snack." He simply took the coat that Liu Shishi had taken off and skillfully tidied it up.

"Is the gentleman upstairs?" Liu Shishi asked, changing her shoes, her tone relaxed with the relief of returning home.

"The master is having a video conference in his study upstairs," Sister Li replied softly, while gesturing to the maid to prepare hot towels and calming tea.

Liu Shishi nodded, didn't let the maid follow her, and quietly went upstairs to the second floor carrying the bag of still-warm barbecue.

The study door wasn't closed tightly, letting in a warm light. From inside came her husband Song Ci's deep, clear voice, occasionally interspersed with a few sentences of English conversation.

Liu Shishi quietly approached and peered through the crack in the door to see that the huge LCD screen was divided into several windows.

Besides Song Ci, Zhang Yong, and Wang Jing, key figures in the Tengda Group, there were also faces of Wilson, President of WeChat North America, and several other senior executives.

I didn't go in immediately, but just stood quietly outside the door, listening to the discussion inside.

On the other end of the screen, Wilson seemed a little excited, speaking rapidly: "Boss, those student founders of Snapchat are absolutely insane!"
60% of the shares for $5 million! That valuation is outrageous. I think we should stall a bit longer and apply some pressure.

Perhaps we could have our Seattle lab immediately develop a 'disappearing message' product, spread the word, scare them a little, and deflate their egos. That way, we can negotiate the price more easily later.

Although Liu Shishi didn't fully understand business, she knew this was a common negotiation tactic and couldn't help but wonder how her husband would respond.

Song Ci sat in the large leather chair, pondered for a moment, and then made a decision that surprised Wilson: "No need. $5 million, agree to it. Take that 60% stake as soon as possible, quickly."

Wilson was clearly stunned, his face filled with confusion and reluctance: "Boss, isn't this too hasty? We have enough leverage..."

Song Ci waved her hand to interrupt him, her tone calm but unquestionable: "Wilson, I know your thinking. Force first, then diplomacy, that's the usual practice."

But have you considered that the North American company previously fully supported Guan Hai's rise to power, investing a great deal of resources and connections? Now that the results are showing, WeChat is enjoying a rare 'honeymoon period' in the US.

He paused, then looked sharply at the screen: "This window of opportunity won't stay open forever; the winds can change in an instant."

We must take advantage of the current smooth relations on all sides and implement these key strategic investments as soon as possible. Delaying them will only lead to unforeseen changes.

If Google or Facebook realizes the situation and gets involved, or if some unexpected policy issues arise, this project could very well fall through.

$5 million is certainly not cheap, but it's worth it compared to the risk of missing out on the entire market.

This explanation was so clear and logical that it not only made Wilson on the other side of the screen suddenly understand and nod repeatedly, but also made Liu Shishi outside the door nod slightly.

Zhang Yong and Wang Jing exchanged a glance in the meeting room, clearly agreeing with Song Ci's assessment.

Wilson's reluctance vanished, replaced by a sense of urgency and determination: "I see, Boss! I understand!"

Please rest assured, give me ten days, and I will definitely get this matter completely resolved!

After giving a few more detailed instructions, the video conference finally ended.

Song Ci let out a long sigh, leaned back in her chair, raised her hand and rubbed her temples hard, her face revealing undisguised fatigue.

The national conference had just concluded, and he was responsible for making the final decisions on a large backlog of work for Tengda and Devon.

Even with his energy, he was starting to feel the strain of working overtime for the past few days.

Fortunately, the most urgent matters have been mostly dealt with, and tomorrow is Sunday, so I can finally catch my breath and adjust my pace.

The study door was gently pushed open, and Liu Shishi walked in with a smile, holding up the insulated bag: "Honey, is the meeting over?"

I brought you some good food. It's from a new barbecue restaurant that opened near my younger sister's school. She highly recommended it, and it really is delicious.

Song Ci then noticed his wife's return, and the fatigue on his face was instantly dispelled by a gentle smile: "Oh? What's good to eat? How was the movie?"

Liu Shishi walked to the desk, unwrapped the layers of packaging, and handed the still steaming and enticing meat skewers to her husband.

While pursing her lips and complaining, "Don't even mention the movie, it was incredibly boring, the plot was so cringeworthy it made my toes dig into the ground, my sister and I left after watching half of it."

I heard that Yang Mi and Ni Ni had a rather interesting private argument over who should be billed in this movie.

Song Ci chuckled upon hearing this and took the meat skewers his wife offered. His usual diet was bland, and he hadn't tasted this kind of street-side "warmth" in a long time.

I took a bite, and the charred, fragrant meat, mixed with the rich aroma of cumin, exploded in my mouth, giving me a simple and direct sense of satisfaction.

"Mmm! It really smells delicious! It's a real treat to have these every now and then."

Liu Shishi pulled up a chair and sat opposite her husband, resting her chin on her hands and watching him eat heartily with affection, enjoying this rare and warm everyday moment.

Song Ci didn't dab too much; he took a few bites to satisfy his craving, then put down the bamboo skewer and took the hot towel his wife handed him to wipe his hands and mouth.

Seeing that her husband had stopped eating, Liu Shishi instructed the servants to come in and clean up the mess. She then naturally took her husband's arm and said, "Are you tired? Get some rest."

The two returned together to the spacious and cozy master bedroom.

Song Ci went to the bathroom to wash his hands first, and Liu Shishi followed him in. She gently hugged her husband's waist from behind, pressed her cheek against his broad and strong back, closed her eyes, and felt the reassuring warmth and presence.

The bathroom was bathed in warm yellow light, creating an exceptionally peaceful and cozy atmosphere.

After washing and drying his hands, Song Ci turned around and embraced his wife, kissing her smooth forehead and cheeks several times. He said softly, "I won't go to the auction with you tomorrow."

"Okay, busy man," Liu Shishi said coquettishly, tapping her husband's chest with her finger.

"I'm just going to pick out a birthday gift for my dad and soak up the atmosphere. I think Si Cong will be there too; I heard she's there to help her father photograph a painting."

“Yes, Mr. Wang has a taste for that.” Song Ci nodded and explained, “Actually, we don’t usually go to those kinds of occasions in person.”

If there's anything I really want, I'll have my assistant or art consultant bid for it over the phone. Those scenes in novels where the domineering CEO personally goes to the auction to humiliate his opponent are all nonsense.

Liu Shishi smiled and said, "I understand. If it weren't to express my feelings to my father, I wouldn't have bothered to join in the fun."

Song Ci was amused by his wife's words and tightened his grip on her arm.

It was late at night, past ten o'clock.

After chatting for a while, Song Ci went to the bathroom to wash up. Liu Shishi leaned against the headboard, scrolling through Weibo, the warm yellow light from the bedside lamp illuminating her clean face.

I thought the trending topics tonight would be dominated by the glitz and glamour of "Tiny Times," but the moment I tapped the screen and it lit up, I was stunned.

The top ten trending topics were all about the husband.

"2013 Forbes Global Billionaires List", "Song Ci Retains Title of Asia's Richest Man", "Song Ci's Wealth Surpasses Bill Gates"...

Each entry is followed by a striking dark red "爆" (explosive) character.

Liu Shishi's heart suddenly raced, and she quickly clicked on the link at the top. Sure enough, Forbes magazine on the other side of the ocean had just released its 2013 list of the world's billionaires.

The list shows that Mexican telecommunications tycoon Carlos Slim has been the world's richest man for the fourth consecutive year with a net worth of $730 billion.

Moreover, her husband, with a net worth of $717 billion, closely followed her, surpassing Microsoft founder Bill Gates' $670 billion for the first time, and becoming the world's second richest man!

At this moment, the entire Chinese internet was in an uproar.

For most Chinese people, Carlos Slim is nothing more than a distant and vague symbol.

But Bill Gates is different; he is an icon of an entire era and a synonym for "the world's richest man"!
From textbooks to financial magazines, from urban elites to rural teenagers, everyone knows his name.

His Microsoft empire defined the era of the personal computer, and his wealth story has inspired countless entrepreneurs.

Today, a young man from China has surpassed this long-standing peak in terms of wealth.

That sense of pride, intertwined with an unbelievable shock, transformed into a complex and surging emotion that swept over everyone who was paying attention to this matter.

Liu Shishi swiped her finger across the screen, and the comment section was refreshing at a rate of several messages per second:

"Song Ci is awesome!!! Let's go! We'll be the world's richest person next year!"

"Heh, Forbes is so blind! Deliberately trying to drive down the price, huh? Forgot that blogger's analysis from last time? Tenda alone is worth more than that! Did you guys eat up those tens of billions of dollars from Shanhai Capital?"

"They clearly didn't include the 8% equity stake in Tenda's employee stock option pool! Playing these underhanded tricks, they just don't want a Chinese person to become the world's richest person, right? Disgusting!"

"Whatever! With Tenda Technology's growth rate, it will definitely reach the top next year! Just wait and see if Forbes proves us wrong!"

"My God! Surpassing Bill Gates? Am I still dreaming?"

"I used to think that the rich list was just a game for foreigners, but today Song Ci has taught the world a lesson! Chinese culture is truly the best!"

"@Songciv, give me 50 billion V's, let's see your strength!"

As Liu Shishi read through the list, her initial surprise gradually turned into a feeling of pride and excitement.

Only then did she belatedly realize that the symbolic meaning of her husband's wealth surpassing that of Bill Gates far exceeded the numbers themselves.

This seems like a declaration, announcing the rise of China's emerging technology capital on the global stage.

Several authoritative state media outlets even commented on it, praising it as "a vivid manifestation of the country's economic construction and reform and opening-up achievements," showing a greater level of attention than when Song Ci first became the richest man in Asia.

What is most reassuring and makes us proud is that this time, many authoritative official media outlets quickly spoke out, giving high praise and positive guidance, and everything is developing in a positive direction.

At that moment, the bathroom door opened, and Song Ci walked out, drying her wet hair and carrying the fresh scent of her shower.

Liu Shishi immediately jumped out of bed, knelt on the soft mattress, and waved her phone, her face filled with barely suppressed excitement and pride: "Husband! Congratulations! You've become the world's second richest person!"

Song Ci walked to the bedside, looked at his wife's excited appearance, and just smiled calmly: "Just take Forbes with a grain of salt, don't take it too seriously. These lists only count the numbers that are publicly available."

Take Bill Gates, for example. His family office, Cascades Investments, holds an untold amount of assets; his actual wealth far exceeds the estimates on the list.

"I know, Song Yiyi, you're the only one who's clear-headed!" Liu Shishi chuckled, giving him a playful sidelong glance, her joy almost overflowing.

No matter how low-key and indifferent her husband is, it cannot change the fact that he has already stood at the top of the business world, and she is his closest witness and sharer.

Looking at his wife's gentle smile under the lamplight, Song Ci felt a warmth in his heart. He leaned down and kissed her cheek, saying softly, "Alright, Mrs. Richest Man, go take a bath."

Liu Shishi smiled and agreed, placed her phone on the bedside table, and lightly jumped out of bed and headed for the bathroom.

The sound of rushing water reached Song Ci, who was lounging lazily on the edge of the bed, picking up her phone to browse trending topics online.

A slight smile played on his lips as his gaze lingered briefly on the phrase "second in the world" before moving on.

My phone suddenly vibrated, and a familiar number popped up on the screen.

Song Ci quickly answered the phone, her tone respectful: "Director Li, you're still up so late?"

A calm, smiling voice came from the other end of the phone: "Little Song, several leaders were just talking about you. You've really made us Chinese proud this time."

Song Ci humbly replied, "You flatter me; it's all thanks to being born in a good era."

“No need to be so modest.” Director Li’s tone turned serious. “The leader specifically asked me to convey his congratulations.”

He said that seeing our young entrepreneurs achieve such success on the world stage proves that the path of reform and opening up was the right one, and that the vitality of China's market economy is being fully unleashed.

Song Ci's expression turned solemn: "Thank you for your affirmation, sir. I will certainly live up to your expectations, continue to run the company well, and contribute to the country's development."

"Good, it's good that you have the intention." Director Li's tone softened, and he changed the subject to reveal the real important matter of the evening.

"The commander instructed that you be appointed as a financial advisor."

I hope you can apply your cutting-edge perspective from competing in the global market, as well as your profound understanding of the technology industry, to the formulation of economic strategies, and offer advice and suggestions for our next steps in reform and development.

Upon hearing this, Song Ci felt a slight tremor in his heart. This title sounded ordinary, but it carried immense weight.

His advisory team consists entirely of academic giants or experienced policymakers. Inviting a young private entrepreneur like him to join is undoubtedly an unprecedented act of trust and a bold attempt.

This is far more than an honor; it is a weighty responsibility and an excellent opportunity for him to give back to the times and put his personal abilities to use on a larger stage.

Without the slightest hesitation, he responded firmly and sincerely: "Thank you for your trust, sir! I am very honored to have this opportunity and will never let you down."

"Very good! We need young comrades like you who are responsible and capable." Director Li's voice was filled with satisfaction. "The staff in the General Office will contact you later regarding the specific procedures and appointment letter. Get some rest, Advisor Song."

After the call ended, Song Ci stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, holding her phone, gazing at the starry sky, her heart filled with boundless pride.

(End of this chapter)