Who would still start a business seriously after being reborn?

Chapter 551 The Highest Standard in Handong

After finishing his sentence, Johnson stood up, swirling his wine glass in front of the huge floor-to-ceiling window. He looked down at the neon-lit cityscape of Seoul, his expression becoming much more complex.

In less than a year, Momo Group's growth rate has become somewhat out of control.

Johnson, as the main person in charge of mediating the matter, is under a lot of psychological pressure right now.

"Showing off muscles?" Lee Jae-yong snorted coldly, feeling very uncomfortable.

Lee Jae-yong held a preliminary report on the Shilla Hotel Management Group's escort service plan in his hand, his face growing even more gloomy.

Momo Group not only made him lose face and lose Actoz and 30 billion yuan in deposits, but now it is also deeply involved with his sister Li Fuzhen, using the hotel industry he sold at a low price to do this kind of shady business.

This is a disgrace to the Samsung family!

What angered him even more was that the overwhelming propaganda from Universal Television allowed Momo Group and Jingzhou to quickly replace some of Samsung's influence in Asia.

"Aren't you angry?" Johnson glanced at Lee Jae-young and smiled.

Li Zairong tossed the report aside, looked at Johnson with displeasure, and said, "Mr. Johnson, did you come here just to make sarcastic remarks?"

Johnson smiled and said, "Of course not. Momo Group is too high-profile. We need to find a way to suppress them."

"Suppress? How can you suppress me? My $30 billion deposit is still held in a Swiss bank," Lee Jae-yong said somewhat unwillingly.

“We also have a truce agreement with Momo Group, but what good is that?” Johnson laughed. “Many things don’t require us to do them ourselves. A small live broadcast mishap is enough to turn this hugely expensive event into a global joke. These kinds of cyberattacks are just a matter of mutual buck-passing; they can’t be traced back to us at all.”

Lee Jae-yong's eyes gradually brightened.

Yes, he could easily hire companies that are unrelated to them to do it.

Globally, there are countless cybersecurity companies that excel at cyberattacks.

Johnson smiled and said, "As far as I know, your sister Li Fuzhen has been involved with Cheng Yi for a long time. They deliberately put on an act to make you give up the hotel business."

"?" Although Lee Jae-yong had suspected this before, the fact that Johnson had brought it into the open still made him somewhat annoyed.

He didn't care about the hotel industry, but he couldn't tolerate this kind of mockery.

Now, the only thing missing for Samsung's hotel business is to have Cheng Yi's name attached to it.

If the hotel industry is like his newlywed wife, then Cheng Yi is the ultimate cuckold.

Whether it was out of shame or because he had drunk too much red wine, Lee Jae-yong's face was flushed.

He gritted his teeth and said, "You're right, I have to add something to their annual party."

Johnson laughed and said, "However, we still need to give them face on the surface. You should also send a regional president to support them. I've sent Chen Yongzheng, the newly appointed president of Microsoft China Region."

“Okay.” Lee Jae-yong’s eyes slowly turned sharp.

January 24, Jingzhou, Momo Group headquarters building.

An awkward atmosphere permeated the modern rehearsal hall, which could accommodate a symphony orchestra of a thousand people.

The all-star lineup of China's golden generation of internet entrepreneurs is now standing on the stage, each of them wearing the same bewildered expression as Huang Wenrong, wondering, "Who am I? Where am I? Why am I doing this?"

This was a rehearsal for the large chorus, and Du Yusheng and others also participated. He stood on the temporary conducting platform, with Cheng Yi, Huang Wenrong and Zhang Lingyu standing next to him.

These four individuals are already considered to be extremely influential figures in China's internet industry.

With those four leading the team, the other internet moguls naturally wouldn't dare to act like big shots.

Following Teacher Xiaogang's gesture, everyone began to sing "Tomorrow Will Be Higher," a song they had practiced at home for many days.

Gently wake up the sleeping soul.

Slowly open your eyes.

Look at the busy world.

Is it still spinning alone...?

Wearing his signature turtleneck sweater, Ma Huateng frowned, his eyes behind his glasses filled with confusion, as he awkwardly tried to keep up with the clapping of the staff next to him.

Ma Yun appeared much more lively, occasionally waving his arms to try and liven up the atmosphere. However, his singing was severely off-key, causing Ding Sanshi next to him to frown and mutter under his breath in dissatisfaction.

Zhang Chaoyang stood stiffly in the front row, his hands and voice trembling slightly...

These bigwigs, who usually wield immense influence and command respect on the internet, now resemble a group of schoolchildren who have been temporarily conscripted, looking uneasy and even somewhat comical.

Jiang Yuxi, as the director of the Huaxia Operations Center of Huanyu Vision, personally participated in the rehearsal recording. She was dressed in a smart business suit, with an impeccable professional smile on her face, and she arranged everyone's positions in an orderly manner.

But when her gaze swept over Cheng Yi on the stage and Zhang Lingyu, who exuded professional charm beside him, a barely perceptible hint of sadness flashed deep in her eyes.

"Gentlemen, relax a bit." Du Yusheng picked up the microphone and shouted with the confidence he had gained from using a million-dollar sound editing device: "We're mainly just going through the formation and getting familiar with the process and rhythm. As for the sound, everyone's focus is on participation. As long as the energy is there, that's enough. I'll personally lead the singing later."

“Chairman Du, I do have that imposing presence, but I’m worried that if I open my mouth, I’ll scare the audience away.” Ding Sanshi’s shout drew a burst of extremely suppressed laughter.

"Mr. Ma, it's good that you have a loud voice, but could you tone it down a bit? Can you follow the tone? You've led our whole area astray. I've always had a very good ear for music." Liu Qiangdong, standing in the second row, looked at Ma Yun with dissatisfaction.

Ma Yun smiled somewhat embarrassedly and said, "Okay, okay, I'll keep my voice down."

Although Ma Yun readily agreed, as soon as the accompaniment started, he began singing on his own again, successfully leading the group of people next to him astray once more.

Chaos erupted in the rehearsal hall, with all sorts of strange tunes mixed together, and the scene nearly spiraled out of control.

In the back-end monitoring room, Glenn, the captain of the Dark Lance team responsible for providing technical support for the live broadcast of Universal Television, and his team members looked at each other in bewilderment as they watched the chaotic images transmitted back in real time.

"Can this really be streamed live?" Adeline asked softly. She was in charge of audio recording, and the noise coming from her headphones made her frown.

“Their singing has nothing to do with us. We just need to make sure the live stream goes perfectly,” Grann said in a deep voice.

His fingers tapped rapidly on the console as he said, “Lilith, double-check all the backup lines and jamming devices. Poos, Lyotard, keep a close eye on network traffic and prevent any possible DDoS attacks. The boss has made such a big fuss this time; Microsoft should have some tricks up its sleeve.”

"Use force? Isn't it a truce period now?" Lilith asked curiously.

Grann scoffed, "As long as it's not brought up in the open and we can't find any evidence, then we'll remain in a truce."

The group of internet moguls rehearsed until after 4 p.m., and it finally came to an end.

The rehearsal was still so-so; out of 200 points, Xiao Gang thought it wouldn't even get 20. But sometimes, being so-so is a kind of gimmick. The internet is a magical place. To become an internet celebrity, you either have to be so outstanding that everyone admires you, or you have to be so weak that everyone laughs at you.

The worst off are those who are stuck in the middle, never able to get ahead.

After the rehearsal ended, Cheng Yi began arranging the airport pick-up.

The distinguished guests from China arrive as early as 2 PM, and are received by the reception office of the Handong Provincial Government Affairs Association and the public relations department of Momo Group. They are accompanied by 43 internet tycoons, including Ma Huateng. The prestige is impeccable.

Most of the overseas guests arrived around 7 p.m. tonight, some by passenger plane and some by private jet.

With such a large scene, the airport reception work became the top priority.

At 7 p.m., Gyeongju International Airport was brightly lit under the night sky, resembling a city that never sleeps.

Unlike the usual hustle and bustle, the airport was filled with a solemn atmosphere tonight.

A huge electronic banner that read "Warmly welcome guests from all over the world to Jingzhou" was particularly eye-catching outside the terminal building, and a red carpet stretched from the VIP entrance all the way to the depths of the tarmac.

Inside and outside the airport, there are guards every three steps and sentries every five steps.

In key positions at the airport, pairs of sharp eyes scan every corner.

Within the airport area, Black Panther Security's elite personnel, dressed in uniform dark suits and equipped with miniature communication devices, either stood guard at key points or discreetly blended into the crowd, creating an impenetrable protective network.

The beams of searchlights occasionally pierced the night sky.

The security level for the entire area has been raised to an unprecedented level.

Cheng Yi stood at the exit of the VIP passage, his posture upright, wearing a well-tailored dark suit, with a perfectly composed smile on his face.

Beside him was Jiang Zhixue.

Behind Jiang Zhixue were key leaders from various departments of Handong Province, as well as Wang Zhiqiang, president of the Jingzhou Municipal Government Affairs Association, and others.

Their gazes frequently drifted towards the tarmac, their eyes burning with intensity.

A subtle, silent pressure could be felt in the air.

Those arriving tonight are all heavyweights who will shape China's international image and development opportunities.

"Cheng Yi, we absolutely cannot afford any mistakes this time." Jiang Zhixue looked at the tense scene before him and said in a low voice, "Just tell us what you need. The province and the city will give us their full support. We must make sure this conference is foolproof and show the world the image of Handong."

"Yes." Cheng Yi nodded quickly.

Beside him, Jiang Zhixue's secretary, Zhou Mingyuan, said with a smile, "President Cheng, originally, Yanjing wanted to send people to assist with the reception, but Chairman Jiang refused."

"Oh?" Cheng Yi was taken aback.

Jiang Zhixue smiled and said, "We don't need their help. Our own people can't even steal the limelight from our Handong Province."

Jiang Zhixue turned to look at Wang Zhiqiang and said with a smile, "Zhiqiang, Cheng Yi has set up such a big stage for you. You must make good use of this opportunity to attract investment. The fact that your Jingzhou City can give birth to a Momo Group is already quite a big deal."

Wang Zhiqiang quickly replied, "Yes, we will definitely do our best."

As soon as he finished speaking, a deep rumble came from afar.

A Boeing 777 aircraft painted with the Singapore Airlines logo, led by a guide vehicle, slowly taxied to the designated VIP parking position.

The hatch opened and the gangway was lowered.

The first person to come down was a sprightly elderly Chinese man with gray hair; he was Chen Xuan, a senior advisor to the Economic Development Board.

Following closely behind were officials from the economic departments of several Southeast Asian countries, their faces filled with curiosity and caution as they surveyed the Eastern city that had risen to fame because of the Momo Group.

With the almost demonizing portrayal by Western media, many people harbor a natural fear of the mysterious East.

If it weren't for the fact that this was being broadcast live globally by a global television station, they probably wouldn't have dared to come.

Cheng Yi stepped forward unhurriedly and warmly shook hands and exchanged pleasantries.

"Advisor Chen, you must be tired from your journey. Welcome to Jingzhou!" Cheng Yi spoke fluent and clear Mandarin.

"President Cheng, I've heard so much about you! I really look forward to a deeper collaboration with Momo Group!" Chen Xuan said with a smile, his gaze sweeping over the tight security and the local officials who were there to greet him. He had a new assessment of Momo Group's capabilities.

The other officials from Southeast Asian countries also shook hands with Cheng Yi one by one.

After Cheng Yi suppressed Samsung, Momo Group's status also rose accordingly, and it has now joined the ranks of Asian conglomerates.

Soon, Cheng Yi led Chen Xuan and the others to Jiang Zhixue.

Chen Xuan and the others were also quite shocked.

Chen Xuan immediately went up to greet them and shook hands with Jiang Zhixue very respectfully. Jiang Zhixue exchanged a few pleasantries with them, and Zhou Mingyuan, who was standing to the side, chuckled and said, "You have come from afar, you must be tired. We have prepared a hotel for you all. Let's go to the hotel to rest for a while. We will have a large welcome banquet later."

Chen Xuan smiled and said, "President Jiang, Secretary Zhou, let's accompany them to receive them. Perhaps some of our old friends will be coming over."

Jiang Zhixue and the others knew what Chen Xuan was thinking. These people were all investment promotion specialists from various countries, and they naturally wanted to get acquainted with the guests who had come.

They didn't object and immediately arranged for chairs to be brought to Chen Xuan and the others.

Before the pleasantries had even finished, another private jet from Europe landed smoothly.

The hatch opened, and a middle-aged white man with elegant manners and an air of British aristocracy led a group of people out.

Cheng Yi had seen the list of attendees and remembered each one very clearly.

This is Andrew Rothschild, the representative of the UK branch.

The appearance of members of the Rothschild family immediately attracted the attention of many people.

Cheng Yi walked over slowly and smiled, "Mr. Andrew, was your journey smooth?"

“Of course, thank you for your concern, Mr. Cheng. This night in Jingzhou is more vibrant than I imagined.” Andrew smiled, his gaze sweeping over the tight security and the local officials who came to greet him, a hint of appreciation flashing in his eyes.

He smiled knowingly, making a double entendre: "It seems that your group's influence in China is just as impressive as that of Enze Capital in Europe."

(End of this chapter)