Entertainment mogul: Starting his business with the internet

Chapter 533 Another Decade

The accompanying assistant quickly set up a simple interview area and adjusted the lighting.

Tan Chonghan, a top media professional, sat relaxed opposite Song Ci, without any prepared remarks, and his opening was direct and powerful:
"Mr. Song, after several discussions, the editorial department hopes to invite you to be the cover star of the first week of July. Would you be willing to accept?"

"Sure," Song Ci answered readily, then inquired further, "The US main edition, or the Asian edition?"

“It’s the Asian version.” Tan Chonghan’s expression turned serious as he solemnly explained, “After careful evaluation, the editorial department believes that Tenda Technology is the number one internet company in Asia. Asia is undoubtedly your home turf.”

The readers here—elites and emerging middle class across Asia—are precisely the group most deeply influenced by Tenda Technology and most likely to resonate with your story.

He paused again, then added a detail that demonstrated his professionalism: "Do you need to prepare an interview outline in advance?"

“No need.” Song Ci smiled calmly, her expression composed. “Except for parts involving personal privacy, Editor-in-Chief Tan is free to elaborate.”

A flicker of shock crossed Tan Chonghan's eyes. This young man before him had achieved such astonishing accomplishments, yet he himself remained as calm as a deep sea.

He showed a calm and composed attitude beyond his years in the face of various accolades and even the honor of being featured on the cover of Time magazine.

He has interviewed many successful people, including those who deliberately put on a show or are nervous and reserved in front of the media. But it is rare to find someone like Song Ci who seems to be just attending a tea party with old friends.

After obtaining Song Ci's consent, the assistant turned on the recorder and camera. The red indicator light lit up, marking the official start of the interview.

Tan Chonghan took a deep breath and delivered his long-prepared opening remarks in a sincere and direct tone: "Mr. Song, thank you very much for agreeing to see me."

Before coming here, I kept thinking about this question: Why does the founder of a company that has built products connecting two billion people worldwide always choose to stay out of the spotlight?

He didn't give Song Ci time for polite modesty, continuing his speech steadily yet with every word carrying immense weight:
"But with Tengda Technology's current size and your current status, keeping a low profile may have become a luxury. You can't hide it anymore."

Every decision you make affects the nerves of global technology and reshapes the ecosystem of countless industries.

Ten years ago, the world was talking about Steve Jobs and his iPhone, which redefined mobile devices;

Twenty years ago, people looked up to Bill Gates and his Windows, which opened the door to the PC era.

And now, observers worldwide are saying that you and your WeChat are destined to be the face of the business world for the next decade. You are defining 'connection' itself.

These resounding words placed Song Ci (a type of classical Chinese poetry) directly within the grand sequence of technological and commercial history. Liu Shishi, who was sitting quietly to the side, listened with her beautiful eyes sparkling with admiration.

The cover of Time magazine is a globally recognized passport to influence, which means that her husband is rising from a successful entrepreneur to a world-class business leader who can stand shoulder to shoulder with legendary figures such as Bill Gates and Steve Jobs in terms of media influence.

Upon hearing this high praise, Song Ci merely smiled slightly, her expression remaining calm, as if the other person were talking about someone else completely unrelated to her.

Tan Chonghan keenly observed that Song Ci was not swayed by this "sugar-coated bullet," and immediately changed his tone, his voice becoming deeper and more powerful:

"Throughout my career, I have had the privilege of interviewing almost all of China's leading business figures since its opening up to the outside world. They are all outstanding and are the heroes of China's economic take-off."

However, it cannot be denied that during their most glorious periods, most of them were still in the stage of learning from and catching up with Europe and America. You, Mr. Song, are an exception.

Tan Chonghan stared intently at Song Ci, his voice clear and firm:
"You are the first Chinese entrepreneur to make Silicon Valley giants feel strategic anxiety and have to humble themselves and seriously study, learn and even imitate their business models."

Tenda Technology is not chasing after existing tracks; you are pioneering entirely new tracks.

The fact that a Chinese company was the first to propose and successfully implement the grand concept of 'connecting everything' is itself a landmark event.

He paused briefly, allowing the power of his words to settle, before delivering his final piece of advice, his tone carrying a weighty historical significance:
"Looking at the world's young generation of entrepreneurs, no one can surpass you. This era, this position, needs you to step forward."

This is not just your personal honor, but a symbol. It represents China's technological strength, truly placing it at the forefront of the world and allowing it to compete head-on with European and American giants.

This is a historical responsibility that you cannot shirk, a responsibility you cannot shirk.

These words, like a pebble thrown into a lake, finally stirred a ripple of deep thought in Song Ci's usually calm eyes. She did not refute or evade the issue with humble words as before.

He had indeed been used to staying behind the scenes in product development, but Tan Chonghan's words made him clearly realize that the situation had changed.

Tenda Technology, this giant ship, has grown up. It needs a bright flag and a loud voice to convey its ideas and propositions to the world.

Song Ci slowly raised her head, her eyes becoming incredibly deep, as if reflecting the future stars and the sea.

After a moment's thought, he followed the editor-in-chief's words and made his first public, kingly declaration in front of a world-renowned media outlet.

“Editor-in-Chief Tan, you’re right. Tengda is indeed trying to do something different.” Song Ci’s voice was not loud, but it was incredibly firm.

Tan Chonghan smiled expectantly and asked, "Is it about 'connecting everything'?"

“No!” Song Ci gently shook her head. “The word ‘connection’ has been used too much, and it has become somewhat generalized, making it seem superficial.”

WeChat itself is not the ultimate goal; it's merely a digital highway we've built.

Song Ci used a vivid metaphor to begin explaining his business philosophy: "Mr. Bill Gates brought computers into every household; he was the founder of the PC era."
Mr. Jobs put the internet in our pockets; he was a revolutionary of the mobile internet.

They were all great definers, creating groundbreaking products. What Tenda aims to be is a founder of an ecosystem.

“We build roads, establish safe and efficient traffic rules, and then open the roads so that all people, goods, services, information, and ideas can travel freely and smoothly on this highway.”

WeChat Pay is more than just a payment tool; it's the essential fuel station that allows the "transaction" engine to speed up.
Tenda Cloud is more than just a business; it's the intelligent roadbed system that underpins the robust operation of the entire digital highway.

"All of this means that my ultimate vision for Tenda Technology has never been the ultimate achievement of any single product."

Rather, it is a core concept: to improve the efficiency of the entire society.

When this road is wide enough, well-connected, and links everything, the real value created by Tengda will far surpass the illusory titles of 'world's number one' or 'richest man'.

That will be a completely new digital world, full of endless possibilities.

Tan Chonghan listened intently, nodding unconsciously.

This young man before us has long transcended the realm of "product design," elevating his strategy to the level of "ecosystem founder" and "rule designer." This is a high-dimensional business philosophy, carrying a vision and perspective that transcends its time.

At this moment, he deeply understood why WeChat was able to develop amidst the encirclement and suppression of giants and build such a huge ecosystem; it was precisely because of the dimensional reduction of its concepts.

In the ensuing interview, Song Ci spoke eloquently, covering topics ranging from the future of artificial intelligence to the theory of big data, and the profound impact of mobile payment on social structures.

His insightful views and rigorous logic demonstrate his strong leadership and profound business philosophy, while also revealing many forward-looking perspectives on the future of the technology industry.

Tan Chonghan was deeply moved, feeling that the words of Song Ci revealed grand ideas that were several steps ahead of their time, and were full of wisdom in using Internet technology to transform the world and benefit the masses.

As the interview drew to a close, Tan Chonghan, as is customary, asked a relatively personal question:
"Mr. Song, having become the richest man in Asia and even among the world's richest, what is the deepest feeling you have about this rapid accumulation of wealth?"

Upon hearing this, Song Ci smiled calmly, her words carrying an inscrutable tranquility:

"Wealth is merely a byproduct of hard work and the opportunities of the times; it has never been my goal."

Sometimes, too much wealth makes me feel... well, tired.

"..." Tan Chonghan was speechless for a moment. He opened his mouth, but couldn't say anything for a long time.

I really want to ask: Mr. Song, are you feeling tired because you have so much money that you can't spend it all?

This Versailles-esque style of speaking goes beyond the scope of his collected interview quotes.

Even Cai Yinong, who had remained silent throughout, couldn't help but glance at Liu Shishi beside him, his eyes clearly conveying:
"Does your man usually act this 'pretentious' at home too? The key is that he does it so naturally and effortlessly that it's impossible to argue with him!"

When Liu Shishi received K-jie's gaze, she could only respond with a helpless yet slightly proud smile. She often couldn't keep up with her husband's erratic thinking.

"Mr. Song, thank you very much for accepting this interview. I have benefited greatly from our conversation."

Tan Chonghan sighed sincerely, then gestured to his assistant with his eyes.

The assistant understood and immediately took out several carefully printed renderings from his briefcase and handed them to Song Ci.

Tan Chonghan then introduced, "Mr. Song, these are several cover designs that the editorial department has created for you, including the main title and visual concept."

Song Ci took the book and examined it with great interest. The main title was very concise and powerful: "THE CONNECTOR".

The cover image is a concept sketch of his profile, with his gaze fixed on the distance.

The background, on the other hand, is a constantly flowing, shimmering blue torrent of data representing two billion users worldwide, creating a powerful visual impact.

Liu Shishi also came closer to take a look and couldn't help but praise, "The design is very cool and futuristic."

Seeing the satisfied look on Song Ci's face, Tan Chonghan felt somewhat relieved and pressed on to the next step:
"Mr. Song, when would be a convenient time for you? We can arrange for a professional photography team to take official cover photos for you."

Song Ci never liked to procrastinate, so she said directly, "There's no time like the present. I'll change my clothes, and we can start filming now."

Tan Chonghan was taken aback: "Now? Here? Isn't this a bit too... casual?"

Upon seeing this, Liu Shishi couldn't help but chuckle and explained, "Editor-in-Chief Tan, don't forget, this is Hengdian, one of the most professional film and television shooting bases in all of China."

What kind of backdrop do you want? We have professional makeup artists, stylists, and photographers—everything you need is available here, even better than many professional photography studios.

Upon hearing this, Tan Chonghan suddenly laughed and slapped his forehead: "I was stuck in my mindset! Well then... I'll trouble Mr. Song to change my clothes."

About half an hour later, Song Ci changed into a well-tailored dark suit and reappeared in the makeshift photography studio.

Simply by changing his clothes, his entire demeanor transformed from the casualness of the lounge to the composure and competence of a business leader. His handsome face was even more defined under the professional lighting, exuding an imposing aura.

Tan Chonghan watched from the side and was amazed.

It must be admitted that Song Ci is the most outstanding in appearance among all the entrepreneurs he has ever met. No wonder she is known as the "Asian Goddess of Beauty" by netizens. She is simply a favorite of God.

Several photographers and crew members in the production crew also heard the news and curiously gathered around to watch, all wanting to witness the shooting process of the Time magazine cover shoot firsthand.

Following the photographer's guidance, Song Ci calmly took more than a dozen sets of footage, sometimes sitting, sometimes standing, sometimes lost in thought, sometimes gazing into the distance, in conjunction with different sets of scenery and lighting, for the editorial department to select from later.

Tan Chonghan looked at Song Ci and Liu Shishi standing together, and a sudden thought struck him. The scene before him was incredibly dramatic:

Song Ci, in his sharp suit, is handsome and refined, exuding a modern urban vibe; Liu Shishi, in her exquisite attire, is beautiful and gentle, imbued with the charm of ancient history.

The two are equally attractive, one modern and one traditional, creating a strong visual contrast, as if it were a dialogue across time, beautiful and harmonious.

A thought flashed through his mind, and he immediately seized the inspiration, suggesting, "Mr. Song, Madam, would you mind taking a few photos of the two of you together? Also, I would like to take a few solo photos of Madam."

"Me? A solo photo?" Liu Shishi was slightly taken aback. She could understand a group photo, but taking a photo of her alone was a bit of a surprise.

Tan Chonghan explained with a smile, his tone carrying a hint of foresight: "There are quite a few Chinese celebrities who have graced the cover of Time magazine; Wang Fei, Cheng Long, and Jay Chou have all received this honor."

But I have a strong feeling that, with your ever-growing influence, Madam, you will soon grace the cover of Time magazine. This, perhaps, can serve as a wonderful prelude.”

"Am I really okay?" Liu Shishi's eyes sparkled as she looked at her costume. "Do I need to change into a modern dress?"

"No, no, no." Tan Chonghan waved his hands repeatedly, his eyes full of appreciation. "This ancient costume is perfect!"

One is a technology leader who defines the future digital world, and the other is a well-known actor who carries on the legacy of Eastern classical aesthetics.

Seeing each other in such a setting is inherently story-driven and engaging, which is precisely the charm of cultural exchange.

Upon hearing this, Liu Shishi nodded happily, a bright smile curving her lips: "Then let's listen to Editor-in-Chief Tan and film a period drama."

Inside the studio, the lights came on again, enveloping the extraordinary couple.

(End of this chapter)