Financial freedom starts with smiling at life

Chapter 344 You, the Emperor of the North?
The person who was happiest about Zheng Jiamin, an artist from Yizhi Culture Media, being able to enter the finals of iQiyi's music variety show was not actually Jiang Beicheng, the boss.

It was Ishikawa, the head of iQiyi's entertainment division.

He can finally put his mind at ease.

Because of his previous battle of wits with Liu Tao, CEO of Yizhi Culture Media, he made it clear that he wanted the program team to kick out Zheng Jiamin, a popular contestant, in the semi-final round of the top five to top three.

After learning about Jiangbei City's strength from his father, he quickly instructed the production team to do everything they could to ensure Zheng Jiamin made it to the finals.

If Zheng Jiamin is eliminated in today's semi-final, even if it's due to her poor individual skills or an off-beat performance, Ishikawa feels he should also be blamed for it.

He was the most nervous when Zheng Jiamin was performing on stage.

Fortunately, it was a close call.

I did not offend President Jiang.

After watching the recording of this episode in the studio, I felt relaxed and called my good friend Wei Cong, who was visiting today and was known as the "Emperor of the North," to go for a drink.

Wei Cong's father and Shi Chuan's father were old friends and were among the earliest entrepreneurs in China to work in investment banking.

The two families have a good relationship.

Wei Cong followed Shi Chuan away from the recording site.

As they sat down at the restaurant, he smiled and asked Ishikawa, "That short-haired girl named Zheng Jiamin on your show is pretty good, isn't she? Based on my years of experience picking up girls, she's probably still a virgin."

Let's meet up for dinner sometime.

Ishikawa was startled upon hearing this.

It's normal for men to talk about women in private, and they often make lewd jokes.

If it were any other girl, it wouldn't matter, but Zheng Jiamin's background is unusual.

"Zheng Jiamin, you can't touch her," Shi Chuan said directly as he poured wine for Wei Cong.

"I know, one should not covet a friend's wife," Wei Cong joked.

He assumed that Ishikawa had taken a liking to the girl.

He can give way.

This musically talented woman is indeed very attractive; she has excellent qualities in all aspects.

With her current popularity, dating her would give me a strange sense of accomplishment and excitement.

In Wei Cong's opinion, newly debuted female celebrities are the easiest to woo.

"You've misunderstood, Young Master Wei. Zheng Jiamin has powerful backers," Shi Chuan reminded him.

"Hahaha, how much capital do you have?" Wei Cong said with a laugh.

Don't take it seriously.

After all, his family is in the investment banking business, and it's a well-known investment bank in China. He has a strong sense of superiority and basically doesn't take anyone seriously unless they are exceptionally outstanding.

“Yizhi Culture Media,” Ishikawa said. “That entertainment company that just raised several hundred million.”

Wei Cong smiled again, eating his food, and said, "Brother, why do you seem to have become more and more timid since you came back to China?"

Let me analyze it for you: the relationship between artists and their management companies is based on mutual benefit.

If the interests of the brokerage firm are harmed, they may step in to protect their own.

How much does an artist's private life relate to their management company?

Do entertainment agencies force their female artists to not date or get married?
No socializing, no networking?

They'd love for artists to socialize more and expand their connections in the entertainment industry, so that management companies could also profit.

Do I need to elaborate on how dirty the entertainment industry is?
I bought that third-rate actor for two million last time.

This Zheng Jiamin is a newcomer, she wants money and resources. To be blunt, let her give me a price quote, and I'll pay her.

If that doesn't work, try a more tactful approach: invite her to any event so she can gain popularity and earn money at the same time. Wouldn't she be tempted?

Wei Cong smiled and patted Shi Chuan on the shoulder: "Brother, I returned to China a few years before you, so I understand the entertainment industry in China all too well."

I've dated so many female celebrities and internet personalities I can't even count them on several hands.

Ishikawa was certain of Wei Cong's family's wealth and knew his character well. He was nothing like his father, Wei Hua, a typical spoiled brat. He was just like that when he was studying in Australia.

He's full of tricks and adept at using coercion and enticement.

He appears in those explicit videos leaked online, only his face is covered.

Ishikawa heard that some girls had made a fuss, but they were all scared off by Wei Cong's family background, and in the end, they were compensated with some money and the matter was dropped.

This young master is incorrigible.

"Young Master Wei, please reconsider," Ishikawa finally advised.

He always felt that Zheng Jiamin was not just an artist under Yizhi Culture Media.

How could an ordinary girl with no background be elevated to such a big stage? I heard that she bought the spot through connections when Liu Tao was in charge, and she is also a successor cultivated by a group of folk music veterans. Do you think she has no connection with the senior management of Yizhi Culture Media?

Who believes?

Ishikawa even felt that Zheng Jiamin and President Jiang had an ambiguous relationship.

There's just no evidence.

It's not that he doesn't understand the Chinese entertainment industry; it's that he understands the importance of assessing the situation better than Wei Cong.

Young Master Wei has been spoiled rotten by his dear mother. He loves to show off and is very arrogant.

He insisted on banging his head against the wall, and Ishikawa couldn't stop him. As a friend, Ishikawa felt that he had already reminded him, which was enough.

"Alright, alright, why are you getting so serious? My good brother, let's not talk about her anymore, let's eat. I'll toast you and apologize, okay?" Wei Cong smiled, raised his glass, clinked it against Ishikawa's, and downed it in one gulp.

……

"Uncle, I'm going to perform in Qingdao, are you coming?" Zheng Jiamin, who had just finished an intense competition, was about to throw herself into a commercial performance.

When she learned that Jiang Beicheng had spent so much money on her and paved the way for her to pursue her dreams, she vowed in her heart that she would earn more money for Jiang Beicheng.

She is now very popular online, and many music festivals have offered her performance fees comparable to those of top-tier artists.

She'll definitely answer.

I don't mind being a little tired, I just want to earn more money for the company and give back to Jiangbei City.

Jiang Beicheng felt sorry for her best friend; she really had an iron body.

"Do you want me to go?"

"Yeah!" Zheng Jiamin nodded.

Jiang Beicheng smiled and nodded.

She is quite dependent on herself emotionally, so she should spend more time with her best friend whenever she has free time.

"You can have dinner with Secretary Shen. I have a business dinner tonight," Jiang Beicheng said.

Zheng Jiamin nodded.

That evening, iQiyi CEO Gong Yu hosted a dinner party, inviting Jiang Beicheng and Liu Tao to join him.

Nine times out of ten, it's to apologize for the recent cancellation of the collaborative project between the two parties, and then to discuss a new collaboration.

If it's Ishikawa organizing the event, Jiang Beicheng can just have Liu Tao handle it; why not take advantage of the money iQiyi is offering?

However, since CEO Gong Yu personally extended the invitation, he felt he could go and have a seat.

Firstly, content providers like Yizhi Culture Media have intricate relationships with several major internet platforms, and pursuing a win-win situation is definitely better than a hostile relationship.

The stalemate a while ago was ultimately caused by Ishikawa's foolishness.

Gong Yu was definitely unhappy, but he didn't break off relations because of his father, Shi Yixue.

In addition, there are two prominent figures in the equity structure behind iQiyi: Baidu is the major shareholder, and Xiaomi Group is an important shareholder.

Jiang Beicheng's assessment of Robin Li is hard to put into words; his family has pushed Baidu to the brink of collapse.

However, Jiang Beicheng still admires Mr. Lei and hopes to have the opportunity to learn from him how to build a successful entrepreneur's personal brand and how to market products effectively.

Jiang Beicheng has not figured out how Xiaomi can be transformed into a national icon.

The intricacies involved are definitely more complex than what you see or hear online.

As a way of giving Mr. Lei face, I'll go and meet this Mr. Gong.

"President Jiang, I've heard so much about you."

Upon seeing Jiang Beicheng, Gong Yu stood up to greet him and shook hands warmly, saying, "Congratulations to Yizhi Culture Media on successfully completing its financing."

"Thank you, Mr. Gong," Jiang Beicheng said politely.

"President Jiang, please have a seat," Gong Yu invited.

Ishikawa went up first and pulled out a chair for Jiang Beicheng, smiling and gesturing, "Mr. Jiang, please."

Jiang Beicheng nodded. "Mr. Shi's son, right?"
I've heard your father mention you. It's good that young people have ideas and drive, but your methods need some refinement.

"I will keep in mind the teachings of President Jiang and my father, and learn from President Jiang," Shi Chuan humbly accepted.

He then addressed her with a smile as "President Liu Tao".

The two shook hands.

After competing with Liu Tao, Ishikawa realized his own limitations; compared to a veteran in the entertainment industry like Liu Tao, he was still lacking in experience.

"Ultimately, it's because I, as CEO, failed to fulfill my supervisory role properly; otherwise, this unpleasant incident wouldn't have happened." Gong Yu smiled and raised his glass, saying, "President Jiang, I apologize to you."

This toast was meant for Jiang Beicheng, as well as for Ishikawa and his father.

Gong Yu has very high emotional and intellectual intelligence in the workplace.

Ishikawa reacted quickly, raising his glass to Jiang Beicheng, "President Jiang, President Liu Tao, please forgive me for any shortcomings I have made as a newcomer."

I will find an opportunity to make up for the losses incurred by Yizhi Cultural Media.

Jiang Beicheng smiled and waved his hand: "It's not a loss, but a blessing in disguise. Those projects have gained a few more buyers."

I have great respect for your father, a senior figure in the financial world, and we learn from him.

Ishikawa: "Thank you, Mr. Jiang."

After a few polite exchanges, we sat down to eat.

Gong Yu and Jiang Beicheng, the two leaders, discussed further cooperation.

To allay Jiangbei City's concerns and avoid a repeat of the previous unpleasantness, Gong Yu also proposed releasing a certain number of shares to Yizhi Culture Media, which he would personally propose at the board meeting.

Releasing shares is just a gimmick; it's simply a way to appease the partners.

The percentage of shares released will be very small, a fraction of a percent, or even a fraction of a percent.

However, Gong Yu did show some sincerity.

Yizhi Culture Media's investment in iQiyi will make the cooperation between the two parties more stable.

Jiangbei City instructed Liu Tao to follow up.

The meal was quite enjoyable.

After the meal, Gong Yu and Shi Chuan escorted Jiang Beicheng out.

Suddenly, Ishikawa said, "President Jiang, could I have two minutes of your time?"

Jiang Beicheng nodded.

Gong Yu didn't think much of it, guessing that Ishikawa wanted to take the opportunity to curry favor with Jiang Beicheng and further resolve the unpleasantness.

Jiang Beicheng followed Shi Chuan to the restaurant's tea room, where the tea master poured tea for the two of them and then left.

"President Jiang, I have something to tell you about, it's about your artist Zheng Jiamin," Shi Chuan said.

"We respect your rules for the finals. She's already exceeded expectations to get this far." Jiang Beicheng expressed his respect for iQiyi, saying there was no need to forcefully take the championship.

Zheng Jiamin's current abilities are not yet at that level. While she is popular, she also faces a lot of controversy. For a newcomer, starting too high may not necessarily be a good thing.

Reaching the finals and securing a place is just right; it saves both face and substance.

"Thank you for your understanding, Mr. Jiang." Shi Chuan said, "I want to talk about something else. I have a friend who has his eye on Zheng Jiamin."

Jiang Beicheng frowned slightly, understanding what he meant by "being targeted".

Ishikawa continued, "Wei Cong is the son of Wei Hua, the founder of Rongkai Capital."

He is a bit dissolute and likes to date female internet celebrities and newcomers in the entertainment industry.

I told President Jiang about this today in the hope that he can protect his artists.

Of course, if it's the artist's own choice, then Mr. Jiang, just pretend I didn't mention this today.

Ishikawa gave himself a way out.

If Jiang Beicheng values ​​Zheng Jiamin, then what I said today is a favor to President Jiang.

If President Jiang only sees her as a tool to make money, then he has been presumptuous.

Jiang Beicheng nodded and muttered, "Rongkai Capital, I've heard of it."

Rongkai Capital has a history of two or three decades, making it one of the longest-lived and most established new-type investment banks in China.

I currently manage these two international funds.

One RMB fund and one USD fund engage in investment banking business globally.

Assets exceeding 10 billion.

Wei Hua, the founder of Rongkai Capital, has been ranked as one of the best investors in China and even Asia on multiple occasions.

Although it is not as glorious as it was ten years ago, the financial street has a very deep foundation.

This young master Wei comes from a very powerful family.

"Wei Hua is an outstanding senior figure in investment banking. I never expected his son to be like this," Jiang Beicheng said sarcastically, shaking his head.

Ishikawa said, "Wei Cong has lived abroad with his mother for a long time and has been spoiled by her."

He'd be a spoiled brat like this abroad.

Jiang Beichen recalled his own playboy ways during the first two years after returning to China. In terms of picking up girls, he was even better than Wei Cong.

However, he never uses coercion or bribery to force women.

Either you get an equivalent exchange, or you're always looking for an object.

In terms of character, he is much better than Wei Cong.

At least no girl ever made a fuss about it, and many of his ex-girlfriends even thought he was a good person who never let any girl suffer.

"I understand," Jiang Beichen replied simply.

He wouldn't tell Ishikawa too much, leaving Ishikawa to guess his relationship with Zheng Jiamin, thus voluntarily handing over his weaknesses to her.

He raised his teacup and toasted Ishikawa, saying, "Thank you for your kindness."

"Of course, Mr. Jiang."

After the two finished their evening tea, Jiang Beicheng said goodbye to Shi Chuan and got into the car sent by the hotel to pick him up, then went back to the hotel to rest.

I didn't mention Wei Cong's situation to Zheng Jiamin, but reminded her agent to be careful.

If it involves the struggle between capital and power, he can handle it himself.

However, Jiang Beicheng still inquired with Young Master Li about the Wei family's connections in the capital's political circles.

Li Xiancheng's tone was slightly sarcastic, "Is the 'Northern Emperor' that Little Jiang is talking about, the one who's been hyped up online?"
His father was indeed a remarkable person, he…

Young Master Li simply chuckled twice.

“If he causes trouble for CEO Jiang in Beijing, just send me a message,” Li Xiancheng said readily.

(End of this chapter)