Huayu: From charlatan to great entertainer

Chapter 545 I will live and die with the nation; who can kill me?
On October 7th, Beijing time, Legend Capital, a wholly-owned investment company under Lianxiang, issued an announcement stating that after communication and negotiation with shareholders of Wanda, Ali, and Baidu, and with the unanimous resolution of the shareholders' meeting, it was decided to transfer its shares in Damai.cn to Wenjie Holdings.

Before the initial announcement could even cause a ripple, companies like Ali, Wanda, and Baidu successively released similar announcements through various means, such as interviews with reporters and Weibo posts.

That is to say...

Damai.cn, which was founded last April and is a joint venture between several well-known internet companies in the industry and Wanda, the king of cinema chains, and backed by Taishan Club, surrendered without a fight.
Then several strikingly obvious related events came to the attention of users, financial magazines, and industry insiders—

The article discusses various companies, including Hong Kong's Hongmeng Capital, a company involved in mixed-ownership reform, Hongmeng Technology, and a newly established company that has entered the mobile phone market. The latter is led by Zhuang Xu, former vice president of Wenjie.

What are the connections between these complex events?
To outsiders who are unaware of the situation, this appears to be a gentleman's deal between Zhuang Xu's Hongmeng Capital, Hongmeng Technology, and Liu Chuanzhi.

The former participated in the mixed-ownership reform of Lianxiang, injecting new vitality into the company, while the latter streamlined its operations and "removed the dross and retained the essence," cutting off the non-core Damai.com business and handing it over to Wenjie Holdings, where Zhuang Xu previously worked and still holds shares. This is clearly a win-win situation between "great" companies.

The so-called win-win situation means that I, Wenjie, won twice.

Of course, in the whole confusing incident, Boss Lu's name was not mentioned much, and it was difficult for the general public to see his role in it.

Even many people within the system don't quite understand the inherent logic behind Leader Liu's decision to remain inactive, travel to Europe for inspection, and then return to legally and compliantly support the participation of municipal enterprises in mixed-ownership reform.

The initial surprise and inquiries from movie fans were quickly soothed by the smooth and orderly reception and arrangements made by the ticketing agency.

As long as one's rights are still protected, and there's no worry about Huang He running away with his mistress, having Wenjie's endorsement to continue providing services is not bad; in fact, it makes them even more professional.

The latter has launched an online ticketing subsidy program for "2012," which premiered in China on November 13, continuing the previous offers.

Subsidies can be gradually reduced and rebranded as points programs, but newly acquired customers of Damai.cn should not be cut off abruptly to avoid damaging the company's reputation.

Laurent Romain, the director of *2012*, was also the jury president for *The Curious Case of Benjamin Button* at the Berlin International Film Festival, where it won the Golden Bear. He was fairly familiar with Mr. Lu and was happy to cooperate and participate in such marketing. (Chapter 254)
The "mixed ownership reform battle," which nearly altered the life trajectories and business empires of Ma Yun, the former chairman, and others, has subsided. While onlookers are still digesting the words in the announcement, a new game has quietly begun on another chessboard.

Another person, Little Ma, who had been preparing for Zhang Xiaolong's departure long ago, has entered the fray at some point, or perhaps already has. (Chapter 543)
On October 7th, just two days after the entire crew of "Ball Lightning" arrived in North America, a set of blurry, long-distance photos suddenly appeared on an aviation enthusiast forum.

The poster, "Flight Observer," claimed to have spotted a Bombardier Global 6000 with a distinctive paint scheme at a remote parking position at Nanjing Lukou Airport. The eye-catching "Liiiu" lettering on the tail fin was particularly noticeable in the morning light.

The post initially went unnoticed until a sharp-eyed netizen noticed that the arrangement of the three letters perfectly matched Liu Yifei's Mother's Day Weibo post on May 10th.

Soon after, another person, "Airport Xiao Chen," released a clearer photo. In the photo, Liu Yifei is wearing a baseball cap and a mask, with the private jet in the background.

Perhaps fearing it would affect her work, the account quickly deleted the content, but screenshots had already gone viral on gossip forums. Some fans dug up Iris Chang's tweets from late September, mentioning a return to her homeland, a timeline that perfectly matches.

Thanks to Weibo's topic feature, more netizens who were pushed the information also sent in photos of the private jets they had taken, and posted discussions under related topics, gradually revealing the truth of the matter.

This "Liiiu" is the private jet purchased by the richest man, and it is already in use.

In fact, this was the tool provided for Liu Yifei, Zhang Chunru and others to travel while the plane was left in China for inspection. Liu Yifei can only stay abroad for a day at most now. If the time is longer, her baby will not be able to leave her and she will not feel at ease. So it has become their exclusive aircraft for traveling to and from the "two-hour tourism circle of the capital".

The advantage is that you no longer have to worry about being surrounded by fans and paparazzi, and the environment and conditions for private flights are more private and comfortable;
The trouble is that you have to report in advance, go through the approval process and apply for the route, or, like now, it will cause public discussion and there will still be some discordant voices.

Some of these comments came spontaneously, while others were fueled by Nanfang and Gongzhi. These maggots have become accustomed to babbling and trying to gain attention and ride the wave of popularity. They dare to criticize even those in Haizi's works, so why would they be afraid of a billionaire like you?
If you don't allow me to speak, it means you're using Weibo to engage in literary persecution and censorship, which undermines the platform's credibility!

This has led to a resentment towards the wealthy, questioning the legitimacy of the law:

"Taxpayers' money has fattened up capitalists, who then turn around and buy hundreds of millions of dollars worth of toys? The cultural industry subsidies that Wenjie received last year could have built so many Hope Primary Schools. Is this how they satisfy their selfish desires?"

"Ordinary people have to go through security checks for ages just to squeeze onto a train, but these people can come and go freely in the sky. Who knows if the planes are carrying people or shady stuff? Let's check if they've paid all their taxes!"

It involves moral blackmail and links to social conflicts:
"Millions of people in the Northwest are suffering from drought and waterlogging, while how many homes have been destroyed by floods in the South? The richest man in China doesn't use his money for poverty alleviation and disaster relief, but instead spends hundreds of millions on toy airplanes to give his wife a 'two-hour travel circle'. Is this what they call 'the rich helping the poor'? I think it's just the rich showing off their wealth!"

Some comments were directed at Xiao Liu, mocking her for being pretentious:
"A certain 'goddess of beauty' used to say in her press releases that she wore the same clothes for years and sat in the same chair for a long time. Now she's been proven wrong, hasn't she? 'Afraid of being surrounded by paparazzi'? Laughable. If there are no paparazzi, can you still be called a celebrity? Hypocritical, riding in a private jet to claim you're down-to-earth. I'm disgusted. I still support Yang Mi."

Some people incite class antagonism and stir up emotions:

"What's the difference between them looking at us from the airplane window and us looking at ants carrying food? 'Liiiu'? A code name for a happy family of four, but behind it are thousands of working-class families who can't even afford a down payment on a house! This is a blatant declaration of class consciousness. Wake up, fans who are still foolishly chasing after celebrities!"

These are all familiar phrases to later generations; whenever the topic of national prosperity and strength is mentioned, these public intellectuals invariably use them:

You're still living in a rented room. What does the wealth and power of the adults have to do with you? Have some pity on yourself!
From the perspectives of communication studies and social psychology, the core of this kind of anti-rich rhetoric lies in "cognitive hijacking that prioritizes emotions over facts," simplifying complex socioeconomic issues into personal moral flaws and amplifying the responsibility of the target through "fundamental attribution bias."

However, such arguments might hold true and resonate with the general public when applied to other wealthy individuals.

For example, regarding Ali Ma Yun, netizens would say, "Give me back the money I spent on counterfeit goods on Taobao!"
For example, with Penguin My Pony, netizens would say, "Give me back the money you tricked me into spending money on in-game purchases!"

For example, Wang Shitou of Vanke, netizens would say, "Give me back the reduced and shared area of ​​my house!"

The resentment of the rich in this era is, in a sense, also due to the improper conduct of entrepreneurs, especially the real estate company owners who have benefited greatly from the era's top dividends.

Wang Shitou's "area magic" in his Vanke fully furnished apartment was exposed by CCTV for secretly altering the proportion of shared area. His aristocratic lifestyle of mountain climbing, studying abroad, and falling in love with Tian Pujun forms a sharp irony with the "10 yuan donation scandal" during last year's disaster.
Pan SOHO's project caused great controversy due to forced demolition, but he turned around and talked about low-carbon and environmental protection on Weibo as an "architectural artist". It was also discovered that he donated $1.5 million to Harvard.

How could the people not be outraged by this? At least try to cover it up!

But the same rhetoric and public opinion manipulation were quickly proven ineffective with washing machines...

The netizens who spontaneously rallied to defend him and Liu Yifei overwhelmed the yin-yang people and the Nanfang and Gongzhi factions who were deliberately stirring up trouble, silencing their occasional probing and grumbling.

"Since 2004, the washing machine has donated more than 100 million yuan to build schools and save so many children in Sichuan Province because of the movie 'Tangshan'. Are you selectively forgetting? Did he steal your shared area like a real estate tycoon, or did he use some privilege to steal your child's opportunity to go to school? You are blind and heartless!"

“Ignoring the ‘separation of people and chickens’ feature of the washing machine, and the irreconcilable hatred that he stole my wife Tianxian, I can hardly find any flaws in him. He is a completely great person. He donated buildings and money during disasters, his movies do not deceive the audience, he clarifies the truth of history, and the Beijing Olympics shocked the world. No matter how rich he is, I am not jealous.”

"Undeniably, since the reform and opening up, some people's wealth accumulation process has indeed been questionable, which is why everyone criticizes them so vehemently. But Lu Kuan's wealth comes from legitimate sources, even from abroad, and his way of giving back to society is admirable. Don't judge a truly good person with the same eyes you would a thief, unless you're also a envious thief!"

"I saw on an aviation forum that this plane is only worth a little over $1 million. It doesn't seem like a luxury item compared to his net worth. I don't know what you guys are barking about. The most valuable luxury item he ever owned was his wife; that's what deserves our barking! You road-killing dogs..."

On October 8th, the first day after the National Day holiday, "The Message," produced by Huayi Investment (the predecessor of Wuyue Culture), raked in 180 million yuan at the box office, becoming the champion of the National Day box office.

It is reported that "The Message" attracted a large number of viewers during the Golden Week holiday, with nearly 3000 screenings per day in Beijing and Shanghai alone, and "The Message" dominated cinemas across the country.

With no major films scheduled for release soon, and a significant number of viewers returning from vacation to theaters, "The Message" will have its run extended to the entire month of October, allowing the film to capitalize on the pre-Lunar New Year holiday box office boom.

Bingbing capitalized on the trending topic, posting photos of the 500,000 yuan red envelopes that her company awarded to the lead actors of "The Message," including Zhou Xun and Huang Xiaoming, as well as various red envelopes for all other crew members. She then jokingly commented on Weibo:
"We nouveau riche just made the money from one airplane wheel from Boss Lu, and we're already excitedly thinking of rewarding ourselves with a luxury car. He's honestly and openly earning his income from his artwork to buy a plane for his wife after she gave birth. What business is it of yours?"

He then posted another message, showing off the red commendation certificates of more than a dozen Beiping companies, including Wuyue Culture and Wenjie Holdings, for being awarded the "2008 Tax Credit Grade A Enterprise", as well as a photo of the crystal trophy for "Top Ten Taxpayers in the Cultural Industry" issued by the Beiping Municipal Taxation Bureau.

Tax credit rating A is the highest rating, which requires meeting conditions such as "annual evaluation index score of 90 or above, timely and accurate tax declaration, and no record of tax evasion, fraud or resistance".

In 2009, when laws and regulations still had loopholes that allowed unscrupulous individuals to exploit, such a certificate was something not every company could produce.

Besides Bingbing, who has a large following, Benshan Daye, who rarely speaks out on social media and may not even know how to use Weibo, also posted a status in support and called Boss Lu to inquire about the price of private jets.

In fact, Old Zhao also benefited from Lu Kuan's influence in this life; otherwise, he would have been the first one to be criticized for flaunting his wealth.

The surge in private jet purchases among domestic celebrities began after 2010, with Zhao being the first to spend over 2 million RMB on a Challenger 850 business jet.

Although the excuse given was to facilitate the performances of Zhao's troupe members and avoid delays due to the shortage of regular flight tickets, it ultimately attracted ridicule because it was not low-key, and he later regretted it.

Unlike the wealthier Lao Wang, who quietly made his fortune, he purchased a Gulfstream G550 in 2011 and a few years later acquired the world's only Sunseeker 108-foot special edition luxury yacht, which few people knew about.

In the same year, Mr. Xu, the "Belt King," spent 2.47 million yuan to buy the G450.

In August of that year, Guangzhou Evergrande drew 1-1 with Beijing Guoan in Guangzhou. In preparation for the friendly match against Real Madrid, Mr. Xu's private jet brought the main players back to Guangzhou overnight, which can be considered a fancy way of showing off his wealth.

Subsequently, in 2013, Ali Ma Yun spent approximately 3.1 million RMB to purchase a Gulfstream G550, which was then leased back to Ali, primarily for official business.

Following the Bayview supermarket's discounts, Baidu's Robin Li and Suning's Zhang Jindong both purchased G550s in 2013, triggering a buying frenzy among domestic internet and real estate tycoons.

In this lifetime, Lu Kuan pioneered the "private jet" trend among domestic private business owners, using a top-of-the-line Bombardier Global 6000 worth over 6 million RMB. It's not that other wealthy individuals can't afford it, but given the current public opinion, they consider that they should do some public relations work in advance.

They don't have many impressive "public welfare hedges" to offer, nor do they have the omnipresent power to dictate public opinion. If things really escalate, it won't look good.

Besides Bingbing, Lao Zhao, and others, a large number of critics, Weibo influencers, young film critics, and Hu Xijin, a "Lu Xijin fan," who were not authorized or organized, also spontaneously supported him and published their own comments, completely suppressing the clamor of the bookworms in terms of both volume and quality.

In 2009, Lu Kuan, who was in power, did not even need to use his power to provoke such probing attacks that took advantage of the chaos. In fact, before he had even heard of such discussions, the discordant voices had already gradually subsided.

After the time traveler did good deeds and didn't worry about the future, a great Confucian scholar spoke up for me.

Coincidentally, mid-to-late October is also the time when Hurun releases the rich list. As a result, the attention of online public opinion and onlookers shifted from whether or not people resent the rich to the topic of "how much does a washing machine actually cost".

How did Mr. Lu acquire the title of the richest man in China?

First listed in 2006;
When the Hurun Rich List was released in October 2007, his actual assets were estimated by Lang Xianping to be 80 billion RMB, but he ranked only sixth due to his proactive public relations efforts to lower the figure.

In April of the same year, after Country Garden went public, Yang Huiyan became the top person on the Hurun Rich List with an estimated asset value of over 4 billion yuan.

However, with the imprisonment of Huang Guangyu, who was once the richest man in China, and the return of Weibo, Blogcn, and other companies to the Wenjie Holdings system, making them part of Lu's business empire, the title of "richest man" can no longer be suppressed.

On October 14, 2009, the annual Hurun Rich List was released, and it was widely reprinted by major portals and discussed on Weibo.

What shocked netizens who came to see how much the washing machine cost was that they went from the first place to the hundredth place and couldn't even see a single word about the road!
Naive netizens, when Hurun was still gaining momentum, a certain behind-the-scenes manipulator was able to lower Hurun's ranking. Now, they've simply removed themselves from the list. Is that so difficult?
The number of immortals not appearing on the list is countless.

Thus, the 2009 list became a medal list for real estate developers who benefited from the era's dividends. Of the top ten richest people (including those tied), eight were from the real estate industry.

Among them, Mr. Wang, the CEO of BYD, who has already reached a battery project cooperation agreement with DJI, tops the list.

Lu Zhiqiang of Panhai, who has "dealt with" Wenjie, and Zhu Mengyi, another bigwig of Taishan Club, ranked 5th, while Wang Jianlin of Wanda ranked 9th.

Wahaha ranked 13th, and Pony Ma ranked 16th.

Rupert Hoogewerf's Weibo account was quickly flooded with comments. Aside from casually hurling insults at the unscrupulous real estate developer, eight out of the ten most popular replies raised questions:

Where's the washing machine?

Where do you place my "replacement"?

Everyone is familiar with how Mr. Lu rose to prominence over the years: born an orphan, he truly started from scratch without any background, yet he has dominated both China and the United States, with verifiable achievements.

The reason why netizens jokingly call him a "substitute" is essentially because they treat his life experience as their own "spiritual substitute" and "feel-good novel template," especially after his many years of love and hate with the fairy and the birth of their children.

Following this online debate about resentment towards the rich, Mr. Lu's wealth accumulation has been given a "narrative of justice":
Every penny comes from innovation and transnational competition in the cultural and media industry, not from real estate bubbles or rent-seeking.

Viewing Hurun's rich list from this perspective is like watching a thrilling drama unfold before checking your "points" in your simulated life achievement system.

Points are a form of RMB that reflects the size of one's wealth.

But Hurun, that foreign devil, is so audacious that he didn't even dare to exclude my washing machine from the list?
Rupert Hoogewerf is in a bind. It's not that he doesn't want to let go, it's that he's damn afraid to!

This time, it wasn't Chen Zhixi from Wenjie who personally handled the public relations. As early as last month, personnel from relevant confidential departments contacted his office in Beiping and informed him that Lu Kuan's asset information was not allowed to be listed.

The reason given was that it involved state secrets.

This is a clever trick by Mr. Lu, who asked military personnel to "expand" the confidentiality requirements for DJI's military-civilian cooperation, turning it into a requirement for Hurun's team to conceal all of his assets.

This can be attributed to the time traveler's caution. Even if such a cover-up can only be kept secret for a while, the public is generally ignorant. This approach is better than having the scale of assets openly displayed on the entire internet.

Under pressure, and also to capitalize on the trend, Rupert Hoogewerf personally appeared in a video, solemnly stating:
"First of all, I must admit that our list cannot achieve 100% coverage. There are limitations in the statistical methods, especially for some huge business empires with extremely complex asset structures that are not fully listed. Accurately assessing their personal wealth is a global challenge."

“Mr. Lu Kuan’s asset situation is particularly unique.”

"First of all, many core assets such as Weibo and e-commerce are in a quiet period before listing. During this sensitive period, both the company itself and its founders are strictly restricted from disclosing financial data. Moreover, there is indeed great difficulty in valuing them before their true market value is revealed in the public market."

"Secondly, his assets in the United States include a large number of unlisted assets and cross-shareholdings. It would be extremely irresponsible to give a figure rashly without sufficient transparent data."

"Therefore, in the face of such a complex situation and insufficient information disclosure, in order to avoid unreasonable figures and rankings, we have ultimately chosen a more prudent and conservative assessment stance. We ask for your understanding!"

The person who makes a living from this ranking would never dare to risk being censored by private media and targeted by official secrecy agencies by recklessly insisting on publishing this figure.

Who says foreigners are straightforward? Foreigners are the most adaptable.

However, such an excuse could not dispel netizens' obsession and also attracted the attention of some media people with different stances who were secretly watching.

For example, Hu Suli left Caixin, China's largest financial media outlet, to found Caixin Media.

Editor-in-Chief Hu is a prominent figure in China's financial magazine industry, with an impressive background. Overall, she has contributed to press freedom, particularly the standardization of the domestic securities market. Opinions about her stance and character are varied, including the numerous accolades and recognitions she received from Western foundations and journalists' associations, and her later support for Lian Xiang, among other things. Those interested can investigate further.

Two sentences illustrate her importance: the former president couldn't buy her services, and when Editor-in-Chief Hu was studying abroad, he received meetings and lectures from top Western leaders and think tank heads.

A public idiot like Shiba Inu isn't even worthy of carrying her shoes.

These past two months, the thought of mixed-ownership reform has kept Editor-in-Chief Hu deep in her mind. The old chairman's downfall has surprised her even more, so she had the idea of ​​digging deeper into the secrets of this hidden tycoon.

Knowing that Lu Kuan was a man of great power and influence, and that Huang Guangyu, the richest man who was imprisoned last year, was nothing compared to him, Editor-in-Chief Hu carefully started with the total assets that netizens across the country were paying attention to this time, and instructed his editors to do a special report like Lang Xianping did in the past few years.

She naturally knew why Lang Xianping dared not publish this time, but she wasn't afraid, as long as he didn't delve too deeply into certain angles.

The fact that only a small fraction of his assets has been revealed is already astonishing.
-

Caixin Special Investigation: What is the actual valuation of Mr. Lu Kuan's business empire, the hidden billionaire?
After "unintentionally" omitting this most outstanding young richest man since the reform and opening up from a certain list, this magazine intends to try to estimate the core asset size of this hidden richest man by using publicly available information and industry benchmark companies.

Since DJI and HarmonyOS Technology, both under the HarmonyOS system, are not publicly listed companies and their asset and liability information and shareholder details are unclear, they are not included in the consideration at this time.

[Weibo]: Weibo currently has 1.8 million registered users. Since Twitter in the United States was also initially scheduled to be listed on NASDAQ in 2010, it is compared with Facebook at the same time.

Facebook currently has approximately 3.5 million users and a market valuation of around $85 billion. Using the "single-user value method," a common Wall Street method for valuing high-growth, unprofitable social media platforms, we initially estimate Weibo's value to be around $45 billion.

Considering that Facebook serves a global audience while Weibo primarily focuses on the Chinese market, and that the potential user value and risks differ significantly from those of global platforms, a discount factor was introduced, resulting in a valuation of approximately $32 billion after the discount.

[Zhijie Video]: Zhijie Video has a total of 1.8 million registered users and is a major copyright holder among domestic video websites. There are no comparable companies in China. Referring to YouTube abroad and using the same valuation method for Internet companies, its valuation is about 23 billion US dollars.

【Wenjie Mall】: Wenjie Mall currently has a total of 1.6 million registered users and 1.2 million users of its payment platform. Compared with Ali, which is listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, and considering the synergy of the mall within the Wenjie system and the added benefits of logistics construction, its valuation is US$65 billion, with Lukuan holding 70% of the shares, which is approximately US$45.5 billion.

This is the largest single subsidiary of Wenjie, and in the future, it will be able to rank among the top three businesses in terms of scale, alongside DJI and the mobile phone business within the HarmonyOS ecosystem. This is why Liu Qiangdong was promoted to vice president.

Both Wenjie Jiahe and Focus Media are listed companies in Hong Kong and the United States.

The former has a market value of 13 billion and the latter has a market value of 11.5 billion US dollars. Based on Lu Kuan's multiple increases in holdings and the shareholding ratio after the issuance, his share valuation is 10.2 billion and 5.98 million respectively.

Among them, Golden Harvest has the second largest market share among private cinema chains in mainland China, second only to Wanda. However, it is considered to be among the top in Asia in terms of 4K and IMAX construction. With the acquisition of Damai.cn, it should theoretically have a greater overall synergy than Wanda. However, industry experts are unable to give these two sectors a reasonable valuation before the release of Avatar.

In addition, there is Travel Channel, a joint venture with China Film Group with New World Development as a shareholder. The total valuation is 8 million, with New World Development holding 51% of the shares and Lu Kuan himself holding 25% of New World Development, which is approximately 1 million US dollars.

And [Butian Pictures], a wholly-owned subsidiary that has been investing in technology at a loss, is valued at $8 million.

The valuation of Butian Pictures here is slightly inflated. In the previous life, in 2012, Galloping Pony only spent $3020 million to acquire Digital Domain, even though it was an empty shell.

As for the other peripheral departments and little-known internal organizations of Wenjie Brokerage and Wenjie Holdings, the editor will ignore them for the time being.

The article carefully considered the overseas assets of the "traitor" mentioned by the former chairman, suggesting that the implied meaning was even richer:
As for Mr. Lu Kuan's assets abroad, the acquisition prices of Marvel and Netflix were both public information. Netflix has been in a dormant period before producing its own series for the past two years, and its valuation has decreased compared to the beginning. However, Marvel's value has soared after two consecutive blockbuster super movies.

Compared to the six major Hollywood independent studios and related film companies, Marvel is valued at $25 billion, Netflix at $22 billion, and Quantum Toys, a derivatives company jointly invested in by Hong Kong's toy tycoon, is valued at $0.7 billion.

Because Android was not publicly listed, his 31.06% stake was unknown and therefore not included in the calculations. Moreover, the company's value was far from being realized in 2009.

The reporter concluded by writing:
In summary, we can remove the mysterious Hongmeng system, whose connection to Mr. Lu Kuan is uncertain.
And consider the approximately $400 million worth of Lianxiang shares held in the Lianxiang mixed-ownership reform in August;

After deducting the 6.5% stake in the parent company held by the suspected senior executives Zhuang Xu and Dong Shuangqiang, and without considering the subsequent redistribution of equity after the listing of numerous subsidiaries, the author estimates the following incomplete figures regarding Mr. Lu Kuan's assets:

211 billion US dollars!
Based on the RMB to USD exchange rate as of October 15, 2009, the date of this article's publication, it was approximately RMB 1382 billion!

Boss Lu still has a lot of influence; Hu Suli personally wrote an "Editor's Note" at the end of the article:
This figure may only be the tip of the iceberg. The scale of Mr. Lu Kuan's cultural and media empire is astonishing, and it even vaguely touches on the national strategic field. Its true capital reach and influence are probably difficult to capture even by public market valuation models.

The strategy of mixed ownership reform, the "invisibility" of the HarmonyOS system, and some secrets that we do not know about—are they all based on pure business logic or a deeper strategic layout?

When the "invisibility" of an entrepreneur's wealth sparks speculation, the public has the right to ask:
Is this a market miracle or a metaphor for the times?
The answer will be revealed one day.
-

Although the Caixin reporter's so-called revelation was ill-intentioned, his calculation method was not significantly flawed. Once the Zhijie system went public in 2010, his calculations would soon be put to the test.

The key point is that in October 2009, the market capitalization of Wuyue Culture, the first listed film company in China, was stable at around $2 billion. The IPOs of LeTV Culture, Huace Film & TV, Songcheng Group, and Shanghai Film Group were all underway. At that time, the entire industry's focus had shifted from simply knowing:

Oh, Wenjie is very powerful, and Boss Lu is very rich!
Now that we have truly and clearly seen the main combat forces within the Wenjie Holdings conglomerate that are currently willing to be revealed—

Whether it was Ma Huateng, Ma Yun, Li Yanhong, Chen Tianqiao, Wang Jianlin who were paying attention to this matter, or the members of the Taishan Club led by Liu Chuanzhi and Lu Zhiqiang, they suddenly realized that they were fighting against an Internet + film company and a cultural media group of what size.

From this perspective, the surprising anti-French alliance, including Damai.cn, and the recent much-discussed meeting between Ma Ying-jeou and Ma Huateng at West Lake become less difficult to understand.

This idea was too tough and too difficult to handle. Even an army group like the "Anti-French Coalition" was beheaded by Napoleon. Without the help of three people, there was no chance of winning.

Ma Huateng and others were of course unaware that Wenjie Holdings' expansion had always revolved around the internet and cultural media sectors, and had always been restrained.

In his eyes, the tentacles of this terrifying creature have already reached into social networking and games (farming), so he can't help but take precautions.

Netizens who were shocked by the figures of "211 billion" and "1382 billion RMB" will find when they look back at Hurun's rich list that this is almost the sum of the assets of the top four richest people and their families.

Indeed, putting this four-digit number on the list looks quite odd...

He should be placed on the list of the world's richest people. Bill Gates, the world's richest man, has a net worth of around $42 billion, and Warren Buffett has around $38 billion. Mr. Lu should have no problem ranking in the top 20.

In the Chinese-speaking world, it is second only to Li Ka-shing's $230 billion, whose net worth has multiplied in recent years thanks to the real estate industry.

The netizens who were clamoring to see how much the washing machine actually cost were silenced; in everyone's eyes, that number was already equivalent to the truth.

However, Hu Suli's attempts to test and provoke public opinion did not achieve their intended goals. For netizens who earn 5000 yuan a month, what difference does it make to me whether you are worth 300 billion or 1300 billion?
However, the attention from both the government and the business community as a whole has become increasingly complex and cautious.

This is something that cannot be resisted; even if the person involved deliberately keeps a low profile and hides their wealth, there will always be smart people who can see and calculate it.

If it weren't for the "notorious reputation" he's earned through violence and brawling over the past seven or eight years, he probably would have followed the same path as many of his predecessors who were among the richest men in China.

This peace was won through struggle.

After a long silence, netizens continued to spout nonsense. "I'm going to criticize my colleague who earns a few thousand yuan more than me, but what about those washing machines that cost 211 billion yuan more than me? What the hell am I supposed to criticize?"
Of course, you should immerse yourself completely!

"Considering your net worth of $211 billion... buying a $1 million plane is fucking frugal!"

"When will you surpass Li Ka-shing to become the richest Chinese person? It's said that he's the one who made this shared area in my house so popular, what a relief!"

"I'm not jealous of washing machines at all. No matter if you're from a 211 or 985 university, I'll always be most envious of your wife."

"Now I believe the washing machine truly loved Sisi. With that much money, you could hire tens of thousands of top beauties to play with the human centipede, right? Now it's all gone to waste. Sigh!"

"I hereby declare that I have gained another internet father. Dad! I am your long-lost son, Laundry Detergent! I don't want your money, I just want to fulfill my filial duty!"

"Actually... the fairy was pregnant with triplets. I lost contact with you a long time ago, my respected father!"

"Damn, if I weren't menopausal, I'd definitely compete with Liu Yifei for a man. It's so exciting! Ohhh~"

"Just wondering, in the movie 'Under the Hawthorn Tree,' it was said that the washing machine and the fairy didn't sign a prenuptial agreement. Now that they're divorced, will the fairy get over 100 billion US dollars? Sigh, if I could marry Liu Yifei, I'd be willing to be the richest person in the world!"

……

At 1 PM Beijing time on the 16th, which was 10 PM in Vancouver, Canada, the couple had their routine video call.

During my ten-plus days in North America, I've developed a fixed habit: I usually choose the evening hours when the washing machine is nearby. I don't know why, and I dare not guess.

Boss Lu: "Where's the kid?"

"I'm asleep, aren't I enough for you to look at?" Liu Yifei said with a hint of dissatisfaction, looking at the washing machine with a disappointed expression. "You've shown your true colors as soon as you leave home. Now you don't care about the old flame anymore, huh?"

"Or did you suddenly realize you're so rich that you want to find a stepmother for your child?"

Lu Kuan laughed and said, "You're so jealous! You're even jealous of Youyou and Tiedan?"

"Haha! Just looking for an excuse to tease you a bit, just for fun." Xiao Liu smiled and said, "But is it really okay for Caixin to be promoting you so openly now?"

"There will be some impact, but it's just a minor inconvenience that can be handled." Boss Lu calmly flipped through tomorrow's shooting schedule, seemingly not too worried.

Caixin has disrupted Rupert Hoogewerf's low-key approach to public relations, essentially exposing him as a "fat sheep" to all those capable and willing to take him on. However, this is not necessarily an irreversible crisis.

For a reclusive tycoon whose business has reached this level, whose personal wealth has accumulated to this extent, and whose public reputation remains high, the collapse of their empire requires two prerequisites:
First, his moral reputation and public support collapsed rapidly, making him a parasite that everyone in the media condemned.
Secondly, acts of illegality, disorder, or treason that have solid evidence, even if based on mere speculation, could have incalculable and serious consequences.

Only then will official forces intervene.

Otherwise, if one dares not eat what one can eat, and cannot eat what one dares to eat, one will always face the backlash of the public's calls for justice, or the counterattack of the support from the upper echelons, ultimately plunging oneself into a deep abyss and leading to one's death.

Moreover, he had already laid a solid foundation and tightened the groundwork before and after the Olympics, and his preparations were no less than those for the Black Sea.

Considering the global reach of both domestic and international broadcasts and the united front value of international citizens, those who are eyeing the situation will always exist, but those who dare to take immediate action are almost nonexistent.

This is a matter of cost-effectiveness.

While surfing, Liu Yifei chatted with her husband: "It's actually quite interesting. Originally, some people were resentful and criticized you for being rich, but now that this exaggerated number has appeared, it's all about teasing and joking."

Lu Kuan laughed and said, "I'm not some rich young master born with a jade pendant. I've worked hard to earn my wealth. Everyone may feel unbalanced, but when you think about it carefully, they still have a stronger sense of recognition for me than for others."

Xiao Liu joked, "You're so cunning. You created an imperfect persona for yourself a long time ago, which makes people think you're real and believable."

Humans are naturally inclined to avoid two types of personalities: pure villains and perfect saints.

According to Lao Zong, even if the washing machine is exposed to have an illegitimate child in the future, it will not collapse; it will only become a laughing stock.

Ordinary people feel a sense of closeness and identification with him, a "good person with some flaws" whom everyone has watched grow up.

Liu Yifei sighed, "Actually, I was quite worried just now, after all, there are examples like Huang Guangyu... and all the other rumors I've heard..."

After finishing his work for the day, the diligent young director looked up at his wife and earnestly explained, "From the very beginning, we didn't follow Huang Guangyu's path. When I earned my first million, I was already thinking about how to spend it to make sure I could hold onto it when I earned ten million."

"Over the years, the business has grown larger and larger, and we have united more and more people, enabling us to truly integrate into the development trend of the industry and the country, and represent the most advanced cultural direction."

"The country is developing rapidly, but in terms of culture, only Wenjie can represent Dongda University overseas and exert a sustained influence."

"First, our status as a private enterprise is not sensitive. Second, Wenjie's domestic and international layout has already shown initial results, and its role far exceeds that of institutions such as the Confucius Institute. This is the source of our confidence."

The young director confidently stated, "If a company can achieve the state of 'sharing the fate of the nation,' even the founder himself cannot destroy it, let alone outsiders."

"Most importantly, I am the absolute soul of this company. Without me, no one can make it work."

Just like Warwick in later generations.

If we consider it a top-tier enterprise related to the nation's core technological development, then Wenjie is the global engine for enhancing the cultural influence of Dongda University in the future. It's hard to say which is more important.

Moreover, there are also time travelers among the current Warwick, which is a double guarantee for the future.

As the content provider, Lu Kuan's role in Wenjie is clearly more significant than Ren's role in Huawei. Coupled with his absolute authority within the company, no one can replace him.

However, based on Xiao Liu's current understanding and measurement of the evil of human nature and the ferocity of struggle in this world, he is still unable to see the intention behind these arrangements.

Boss Lu displayed his domineering aura for a moment, then yawned wearily and comforted his wife: "Whether it's Liu Zeyu and Zhou Jun in the past, or many more people with ulterior motives in the future, those who want to pick flowers will eventually become fertilizer for the world. Don't worry."

He had anticipated this situation when he decided to get involved in Lianxiang's mixed-ownership reform, and he was even prepared for the possibility that his overseas funds might be discovered.

Liu Yifei chatted with her husband for a while, and the storms of the day seemed to vanish without a trace. All the malice was kept outside the door, making her feel increasingly at ease.
She suddenly turned her head and heard what sounded like a baby crying next door. Just as she was about to get up to see what was going on, a message popped up on her phone, making Xiao Liu panic.

"The road is wide..."

"what happened?"

Liu Yifei's voice trembled slightly: "Last month, Wenjie arranged a physical examination, and Su Chang and I gave the extra spots to Yao Beina and a few others."

"Yao Beina...it seems Yao Beina has been diagnosed with breast cancer."

(End of this chapter)