The Entertainment Industry in Turmoil: Young Actresses All Want to Rise to the Top

Wuzhen in November was bustling with activity due to the first World Internet Conference.

The ancient town with its white walls, black tiles, small bridges, and flowing water has a thousand-year history, forming a wonderful symbiotic landscape with the suit-wearing, tech elites who shuttle through it.

When Shen Mo arrived at the venue, Ma Yun's speech on stage had already been going on for quite some time.

He went straight to Zhang Yiming and sat down next to him.

"Why is Mr. Shen only arriving now?"

Shen Mo straightened his suit and smiled.

"It's a bit congested outside, and I live a bit far away."

"How was it? Did you find it helpful?"

Zhang Yiming shook his head. "The leaders have finished their speeches, and Mr. Ma has only just started speaking. I haven't been able to make heads or tails of it yet."

Shen Mo looked around and smiled and nodded at the familiar faces.

There are three main groups of people present today.

Successful internet moguls, investors with huge sums of money, and internet upstarts looking for investment opportunities.

He could clearly feel the scrutiny from all sides.

His excessive youth, coupled with his control over both Mohen Capital and the media sector, made him stand out among many seasoned business leaders.

Some people were curious, some were inquiring, and some were dismissive.

Photos and videos taken by the media at the scene were continuously uploaded to the internet as the conference progressed.

Keen-eyed netizens immediately spotted Shen Mo among them.

"What's he doing here? Isn't he an actor?"

"The person upstairs is short-sighted. Besides being an actor, Shen Mo is also the head of an investment company."

"I know his company. He just runs two small funds, right? All the internet industry tycoons here have assets of tens or hundreds of billions."

"Is he just trying to ride the wave of popularity?"

"Small fund? Are you kidding me? Two billion-level funds under management, and you call that small? You really think that's a small goal?"

"It's not about riding the coattails of others. He has invested in quite a few internet companies, such as Xiaomi, Meituan, Toutiao, and Bilibili."

Putting aside the online doubts and public opinion, Shen Mo did manage to connect with many of the future internet upstarts present during the tea break.

He Xiaopeng, who recently sold UC to Alibaba, is here today to solicit investment.

He plans to abandon the internet industry and turn to car manufacturing.

As a former investor in UC, Lei Jun was naturally his first choice.

Although Lei Jun was also optimistic about the industry, in order to spread the investment risk, he also wanted to bring in some other people.

He then thought of Shen Mo, whom he had invited to dinner earlier that day; this young man was now a wealthy man.

Therefore, he took it upon himself to invite He Xiaopeng to the evening party.

The official agenda of the conference proceeded in a solemn atmosphere until the final forum, marking a perfect end to the conference.

Not far from the main venue, a private restaurant that requires navigating through several quiet alleys to reach is now brightly lit.

This is not a restaurant open to the public, but a private banquet hall of a local gourmet, which has been completely booked out today.

The rustic hall is decorated in an elegant yet comfortable manner, with a large round table in the center and the sound of flowing water outside the window.

Shen Mo, as the host, was the first to arrive.

He changed out of his formal daytime suit and into a soft, dark gray cashmere sweater, looking casual yet composed.

Chen Jun, who arrived early, carefully checked the menu, drinks, and seating arrangements again before going outside to wait for a greeting.

Soon, the invited guests began to arrive.

Lei Jun was the first one, arriving in a flurry of activity; his voice preceded his arrival.

"Shen Mo! You've found a place that's both secluded and elegant!"

He patted Shen Mo's shoulder forcefully.

"The conference was so stressful, it's so peaceful here!"

He stepped aside, clearly revealing the person who followed him in to Shen Mo.

"Let me introduce He Xiaopeng, the co-founder of UC."

"Hello Mr. Lei, hello Mr. He, welcome to join us."

"Mr. Shen, it's a pleasure to meet you."

He Xiaopeng stepped forward and offered his hand.

"I have long admired your reputation. I apologize for disturbing you and hope you will forgive me."

His gaze swept quickly and carefully over Shen Mo, with obvious scrutiny and assessment.

Shen Mo's smile remained unchanged, but he instantly understood.

Lei Jun's intention in bringing people here on his own initiative is self-evident.

He reached out and shook hands firmly with He Xiaopeng.

"Mr. He, you're too kind. UC is a trendsetter of the times, and your name is well-known. Mr. Lei's friends are my friends. Please come in."

He stepped aside and led the two into the hall, while giving Chen Jun a wink.

Chen Jun understood and quietly stepped back half a step to adjust the subsequent arrangements.

"Little Peng now has even grander ideas."

Lei Jun walked along, speaking loudly, making no attempt to hide his admiration for He Xiaopeng.

"We just got UC, this 'old ship,' ashore, and now we're going to build a 'new car'! A four-wheeled, actually running one!"

"I truly admire that kind of courage!"

He Xiaopeng felt a little embarrassed by Lei Jun's words and pushed up his glasses.

"Mr. Lei, you flatter me."

"I just feel that the battle for mobile internet rights has come to an end for me."

"I am more optimistic about the next battleground brought about by the development of the Internet."

"The deep integration of intelligence and hardware, especially the intelligence and electrification of transportation, may be a huge historical opportunity."

I want to give it a try.

Shortly after the two sat down, the other invited guests arrived one after another.

Cheng Wei, Wang Xin, Chen Rui, Gong Yu, Sun Zhonghuai, and Zhang Yiming also came in one after another.

They were all a little surprised to see He Xiaopeng, but they quickly returned to normal and exchanged pleasantries.

They all naturally recognized this internet tycoon who had just cashed out and left the scene. They each had their own thoughts about his appearance at the dinner party, but on the surface, they all gave him enough respect and welcome.

Everyone took their seats.

The exquisite Jiangnan-style cold dishes have been laid out, and the warm Shaoxing wine exudes a mellow aroma.

Shen Mo raised his glass to deliver a welcoming speech, expressing his sincere gratitude to everyone for taking the time to attend.

The atmosphere quickly warmed up under the influence of alcohol and food, and everyone started chatting about their experiences at the conference and interesting industry stories.

After a few rounds of drinks, the conversation, subtly guided by Shen Mo, gradually shifted from lighthearted banter to more forward-looking discussions.

We happened to be talking about He Xiaopeng's choice to go into car manufacturing.

He Xiaopeng was clearly prepared. He pushed up his glasses and took the opportunity to start a conversation about his own views, using Shen Mo's words as a starting point.

From the selection of technology paths, the initial conception of the supply chain, and the financial planning, to the vision of the future travel ecosystem.

Although many details are still rough, the framework is clear, and passion and rationality coexist, showing that he did not act on a whim.

Shen Mo listened quietly the whole time, his fingers unconsciously swirling the warm wine glass.

He understood the future He Xiaopeng described better than anyone else present, because he had seen it for himself.

Weilai, Xiaopeng, Lixiang...

These brands will shake up the entire industry landscape in the coming years.

He Xiaopeng is one of the key trendsetters in this field.

He waited until everyone had paused their discussion before slowly speaking, inviting He Xiaopeng to continue the conversation in detail.

He Xiaopeng smiled slightly and exchanged a glance with Lei Jun, as if he saw the possibility of achieving the goal of this trip.

In the latter half of the dinner, the conversation returned to a broader range of topics.

There are jokes about what I saw at the conference, private comments on some of the speeches, and interesting stories from within the industry.

Lei Jun also shared Xiaomi's "magical" experience in the Indian market, which made everyone laugh.

Cheng Wei spoke with deep emotion about being mistaken for a fraudster when he was promoting Didi in his early days.

Gradually, the topic shifted to deeper waters.

"President Shen," Lei Jun said, picking up a piece of steamed white fish with his chopsticks and looking at Shen Mo.

"Your Inkprint Animation is making a big splash in the market—your personal pocket library, accessible anytime. And your 'Monkey King: Hero Is Back' project…"

Is it genuine optimism about the animated film market, or just hype?

"This thing costs even more money than making a mobile phone, and it takes much longer to see results."

Shen Mo smiled slightly.

"Mr. Lei, the content industry is a long-term endeavor. And animation is an even longer-term endeavor."

"What I'm optimistic about isn't just a single film, but the potential of turning traditional culture into an IP and the production of animation."

"Just like Xiaomi does more than just make phones; it makes it an entry point to smart living."

"Monkey King: Hero Is Back is a beginning for us, a beginning of testing the limits of the market and technology."

Gong Yu picked up the conversation, clearly very interested in it.

"Actually, Kiwifruit is also increasing its investment in animation, but good production teams are too scarce."

"If 'Monkey King: Hero Is Back' becomes a success, it will be a shot in the arm for the entire industry."

"At that time, we will definitely give our full support to the broadcasting platform."

"I agree with what Mr. Gong said."

Sun Zhonghuai nodded.

"Tencent Video is also investing in domestic animation. In Shengda, which we recently acquired in cooperation with Mr. Shen, there are many good IPs that we plan to adapt into animated series."

"Perhaps our cooperation with President Shen will deepen further in the future."

Chen Rui, on the other hand, had a smile on his face.

"It's a coincidence that the section you've all created happens to be Bilibili's greatest strength. We'd love for everyone to work together to make this section bigger and stronger, because only in this way can Bilibili have a broader platform to thrive."

The topic then expanded to deeper discussions on content and channels, technology and creativity, and short-term returns versus long-term brand building.

As the dinner party drew to a close, everyone was slightly tipsy, and the atmosphere reached its most harmonious moment.

Lei Jun couldn't help but exclaim, "This is a great event! If we participate again next year, I'll have to treat everyone!"

After a brief group photo, everyone dispersed one by one.

The following morning, the group photo from the previous night was leaked through the WeChat Moments of one of the bigwigs present and quickly spread across social networks.

The most eye-catching figure in this photo is Shen Mo, who is sitting in the center, slightly towards the head of the table. Then there are Lei Jun, Zhang Yiming, Cheng Wei, Wang Xing, and others on his left and right, all of whom look relaxed.

The background features the faintly visible windows of a waterside town and warm yellow lighting, creating a private and upscale atmosphere.

This photo initially began circulating in small WeChat groups and forums within the tech and venture capital communities.

"Holy crap! There's a dinner party here too! President Lei, President Zhang, President Cheng... what a lineup!"

"Who's that young man in the middle? He looks familiar... Wait, isn't that Shen Mo from the ink-stained painting? The one who does investments?"

"That's him! How did he get into this circle? And he's in the center position? Is he that qualified?"

"He Xiaopeng is here too! He just sold UC, what's he up to?"

"Why aren't you qualified? Apart from He Xiaopeng, Shen Mo owns shares in all the other companies here, okay?"

"So, He Xiaopeng also went to Shen Mo to ask for investment?"

"Ding Lei's side are old money in the internet industry, while Shen Mo's side can be classified as internet upstarts. Interesting."

Gradually, major financial media outlets also took notice of the circulated photo.

Those that reacted quickly have already begun to move.

"Quick! We've got the direction for this in-depth article: 'A Night Banquet in Wuzhen: Two Tables of Food, Half a Chronicle of the New Landscape of China's Internet World!'"

"Comparison charts can be created! Ding Lei's dinner party VS Shen Mo's dinner party, traditional old money in the internet industry VS emerging players in the internet industry."

"It's been so long since we've seen Shen Mo in the financial world! His sudden appearance really startled us! Quick, let's analyze what they might have talked about!"

"What exactly is it about Shen Mo that's so appealing? These big shots are actually buying into it!"

As the discussion gained traction, the photos and related information quickly climbed to the top of Weibo's trending topics.

#WuzhenDinner#

#ShenMo'sDinnerParty#

#Shen Mo, Lei Jun, and Zhang Yiming in the same frame#

#Ding Lei's Dinner Party vs. Shen Mo's Dinner Party#

The comments section exploded.

"This whole table must cost tens of billions, right?"

"Who do you look down on? Xiaomi and Meituan together are worth almost a hundred billion."

"My God! Shen Mo is actually sitting in the center! I saw him there yesterday and thought he was just there to ride the wave of popularity, but I didn't expect him to be the one who organized the event!"

"Upstairs Village gets internet access? Have you heard of Inkstone Capital? They're big shots in the financial world! Every single person in the photo has some kind of shareholding in them. Even Xiao Peng, if he doesn't have any now, he probably will soon!"

"This photo contains so much information! Cell phones, cars, algorithms, platforms... Just how huge a web is Shen Mo trying to weave?"

"Am I the only one who noticed how young and handsome Shen Mo is? He holds his own among a group of big shots! He's like a novel's male protagonist come to life!"

"Ding Lei's team has many familiar faces, while Shen Mo's team has a lot of fresh blood, but just looking at the lineup, it's not inferior at all."

"Even with Shen Mo's status, he still acts to make us laugh. You have to admit, he still loves acting!"

A popular question has also appeared on Zhihu.

How should we evaluate the group photo of the "Shen Mo dinner party" that leaked during the 2014 Wuzhen Internet Conference?

The highly-rated answer provided a very logical and well-reasoned analysis.

-

The symbolic meaning of this group photo may outweigh its actual commercial significance.

It marks the establishment of the "Ink Trace System" ecosystem centered on Shen Mo's ink traces.

The dinner party guest list is intriguing, covering almost all the key areas of the second half of the mobile internet era and the future of smart living.

Shen Mo's ability to organize this event and occupy such a position in the group photo illustrates several points.

On the one hand, Inkstone Capital's strength and investment performance have received top-level recognition.

On the other hand, Shen Mo has established a strong reputation and personal charisma that transcends his age and background.

Thirdly, the formation of the Mohen Group indicates that Mohen, or rather Shen Mo, is no longer just an investor, but a connector for cross-domain resource integration.

Comparing the photos of Ding Lei's dinner party that were leaked at the same time reveals more clues.

Ding Lei's dinner party is a feast for traditional internet users, while Shen Mo's dinner party is a gathering of internet upstarts.

The parallel development of these two aspects perfectly outlines the dual trajectory of inheritance and evolution in China's internet landscape.

-

The media naturally discussed Shen Mo's dinner party and Ding Lei's dinner party side by side, using headlines such as "Twin Stars of Wuzhen", "Dialogue Between the Old and the New", and "The Two Sides of the Internet World".

The initial shock and curiosity on the internet quickly evolved into in-depth analysis, comparison, and speculation.

Overnight, Shen Mo's name went from being a regular in the entertainment and finance sections to breaking out of its niche and becoming an unavoidable symbol in the technology, venture capital, and even public opinion sections.

The websites of Mohen Media and Mohen Capital have seen a surge in traffic, and the company’s public email and phone numbers have received a large number of cooperation inquiries and media interview requests.

Shen Mo also received many inquiries on his personal WeChat account, asking if he was optimistic about the car manufacturing industry, and some even asked if he could mentor someone because they admired his investment abilities.

Even on the social media accounts of artists under Mohen's management, such as Li Yitong and Bai Lu, there have been many messages asking about "President Shen's dinner party".

In his office in the capital, Shen Mo calmly browsed the heated online discussions.

Chen Jun stood to the side, reporting the results of public opinion monitoring.

"Everything was expected."

Shen Mo closed the webpage, his expression indifferent.

"Public opinion is generally positive and respectful, which greatly enhances your personal image and company reputation."

Chen Jun concluded.

"But there are also some dissenting voices, who think you are too high-profile, or question whether you have the ability to organize and manage such a huge network of resources."

"High-profile? We just had a meal together."

Shen Mo chuckled softly.

"As for ability... time will tell."

"Now, it's time to get down to business."

"Go and follow up on He Xiaopeng's investment. We had a brief discussion yesterday, and 30 million yuan for a 3000% stake should be possible."

"Also, you should take note of the follow-on investment in Xiaomi's Series E round."

"Yes, Mr. Shen."

Chapter update reminder: Chapter 231 Shen Mo's Dinner Party, reading address.