The Birth of Shanghai's First Conglomerate

Once you get involved with the word "power," you're doomed.

That's harder to give up than anything else, because it symbolizes being powerful and influential, able to command thousands with a single word.

When the desire for money reaches a certain point, people often begin to yearn for power.

Tengyou Media is not just a simple commercial group; it has a dominant position in the influencer industry, live-streaming e-commerce, and even the entertainment industry.

A single sentence from the president of Tengyou is enough to influence tens of millions of people working in this industry.

Zhang Wanyi wants to cultivate her children into the next generation of Tengyou leaders, so naturally she must also clear away all obstacles on their path to succession.

For example, a one-man show.

It doesn't matter about ability, it only matters whether you're completely on her side.

The consequences of this were undoubtedly astonishing. Tencent Media has been stagnant for ten years, and there is even a possibility that it will be overtaken by major companies.

The market has stagnated for the past decade, and there are reasons why its market value has dropped by a third.

Zhang Wanyi, the media queen in the eyes of outsiders and the most inspiring woman in the entire group, ultimately did something that greatly damaged the group in the latter half of her glorious career.

Mulan Qing, standing to the side, didn't dare to eat a single bite of food. Is this what they mean by "the lighter the words, the bigger the matter"?
Such a topic is not something an outsider like her should be listening to.
Zhang Wanyi asked, "Uncle Chen, did you already have a feeling about this a long time ago?"

"Although I am retired, my eyesight is not yet failing."

Chen Pingsheng said, "Your contributions to the development of Tengyou Media are unparalleled. It's just that the excessive concentration of power in the group and the fact that you've been there for too long have made it almost your own."

“Wanyi, listen to my last piece of advice. Once the group reaches a certain size, it can’t belong to just one person, let alone be decided by just a few people. It should always maintain its absolute fairness and impartiality, allowing truly capable newcomers to rise to the top. You, including myself, cannot stand in their way. Once you do, you will harm both others and yourselves.”

Zhang Wanyi gazed thoughtfully out the window. The sun had been shining brightly just moments before, but now it was pouring rain.

The torrential rain soaked countless passersby.

"Uncle Chen, do you think a rainbow will appear after the rain stops?"

"Probably not. I've never seen a rainbow in Guangdong. But those short dramas you guys make are ridiculous. To create a romantic atmosphere, you actually have to make artificial snowfall in June to create so-called romance for the male and female leads."

"Uncle Chen, you are not only my boss but also my mentor. Tengyou Media is the career I am most proud of in my life."

Zhang Wanyi said, "You once said that if this trip to the south succeeded, you would receive unparalleled glory that I had never experienced before. I did it, and I have the glory, but you never told me that I would be so obsessed with the glory that I almost forgot what you once said."

Chen Pingsheng said, "It's not too late to think about it now."

Zhang Wanyi shook her head. "What if I still can't remember?"

"Then I can only try to think of something for you."

“As expected…” Zhang Wanyi smiled faintly, “Uncle Chen, you are still the greatest guardian of our entire group. Ten years have passed, and people have forgotten your name. Even the new people who joined the group can’t remember that there was a founder like you. Only when we are lost will you appear in front of us in such an ordinary way.”

In a small Hunan restaurant, no one knew that a single meal would determine the future of a Guangdong media queen for the next twenty years.

Zhang Wanyi didn't need to hold an umbrella herself; a large group of people came to pick her up.

When the Rolls-Royce convoy disappeared from this small restaurant, Tengyou Media also underwent a dramatic change.

Zhang Wanyi's two longest-serving vice presidents resigned, giving their positions to two newcomers in the group.

These two former vice presidents had been working alongside Zhang Wanyi for over twenty years, providing tremendous support during the early stages of the company's development.

In the process of future progress, it has also blocked too many more capable people.

This led to these people leaving and subsequently investing in or establishing their own media companies, creating considerable obstacles and competition for Tengyou Media's overall development. Zhang Wanyi knew very well that if it weren't for Chen Pingsheng's meal today, as long as she was there, these two vice presidents would still be there.

If she refuses to step down now, she may only face Chen Pingsheng again, who will hold a video conference and dismiss her on the spot as the chairman and CEO who has devoted half his life to Tengyou.

She didn't actually have many choices!

Chen Pingsheng still gave her the most dignified way to leave, but Zhang Wanyi's actions still caused a huge storm in the entire group.

First of all, Chu Qiuyan received the news immediately, and the two had a very good relationship in private.

Furthermore, the profit-sharing rights of Tengyou Media have always belonged to the second young lady, Chen Xinyi, and the second young lady herself would never interfere in the internal affairs of Tengyou Media.

Almost everyone in the group knows that Tengyou Media is about to be taken over by the Zhang family.

This Zhang, of course, refers to Zhang Wanyi.

She was the absolute queen of Tengyou; no one dared to disobey her.

Today, she actually cut off her own arm by voluntarily firing the two vice presidents who had always been by her side.

They also replaced him with a genius from the Economic Research Institute, who had been sent to the top-level successor training class of Tengyou Media eight years ago.

The successor training program is also divided into levels, and this plan was initiated by Chen Pingsheng.

Every year, 500 of the world's top talents, covering various disciplines, are recruited and sent to this training program for further education.

Then they are sent to various groups in batches, starting from the grassroots level and working step by step.

These people are all geniuses among geniuses, with inspiring experiences, and with the Economic Research Institute sparing no expense in their training, they can rise rapidly in no time.

Thus, they can serve the group.

Chen Pingsheng has always regarded talent as the top priority for the group's development.

Chu Qiuyan was naturally aware of what had happened around Zhang Wanyi. Over the years, in order to concentrate the power of the group in one person's hands, she had fired many capable and young managers.

This is why Tengyou has been stuck in a rut, even though the Economic Research Institute and its advisory group have made several direct suggestions, Zhang Wanyi has been ignoring them.

She lets Tengyou Media make all the decisions.

The building is about to collapse, and it is teetering on the brink of collapse.

Although Tengyou Media is far from reaching that stage, the signs are already emerging.

What made Zhang Wanyi so readily willing to cut off her own arm and have all those who trusted her voluntarily step down?

There will be no one else in the entire group.

There was only one, their shared Uncle Chen.

Tengyou Media will not be handed over to someone else from Zhang Wanyi all at once; there will be a long transition period in between.

This transition mainly involves the transfer of talent.

As expected, the entire group is about to undergo another epic change, and it is unknown how many long-time employees who should have retired but have not will leave their positions.

Whether to voluntarily step down or to have someone ask them to leave is not actually a difficult choice.

(End of this chapter)