Financial freedom starts with smiling at life

Beicheng Hotel, Beijing Branch.

The wine tasting event jointly hosted by JD.com and Moutai was held at the Beicheng Hotel Guozijian branch.

Understated luxury, showcasing sophistication.

The night before the banquet, Jiang Beicheng went to the restaurant to have dinner and chat with Da Dongzi and two baijiu industry giants.

"You've all arrived. This must be your first time visiting, elders. How are you finding it?"

Jiang Beicheng entered the private room in the three-courtyard house and warmly welcomed the guests.

The Guozijian Inn has four courtyards. Normally, ordinary customers sit in the outer courtyard, while those with a bit of wealth and power in the capital sit in the second courtyard.

The guests who visited the three courtyards were all prominent and wealthy individuals from across the country, as well as some politicians from Beijing.

The main gate of the fourth courtyard does not open outwards; there is another gate that leads directly to an important location.

Few people know what the inner courtyard is like.

It was just a guess that all the people dining in the inner courtyard were important figures.

Similarly, the main venue for this wine tasting event was the Third Surgical Hospital.

Liu Qiangdong has visited this place more than once, knows the situation in the inner courtyard, and has also dined with some important figures in the inner courtyard.

However, such public activities must not expose the situation within the inner court. Having lived in the capital for so long, he understood this rule.

Tonight I had dinner with two baijiu connoisseurs, and we booked a private room at the Sanjinyuan restaurant.

"Mr. Ji, Mr. Song, let me introduce you both. This is Jiang Beicheng, the founder of Beicheng Hotel. In business, we are friendly partners, and in private, we are good brothers."

Da Dongzi put his arm around Jiang Beicheng's shoulder and introduced him to Elder Ji and Elder Song.

Jiang Beicheng understood Da Dongzi's purpose in inviting these two people to the banquet.

It's no secret that JD.com is going to enter the hotel and travel industry. At the last media reception, Da Dongzi (JD.com's CEO) made it clear that JD.com was present at the time.

When interviewed by reporters, Jiang Beicheng replied, "Da Dongzi, just name your price."

This means that the cooperation between the two will not be limited to the single business of JD.com's food delivery service, but will be a comprehensive and in-depth strategic partnership.

No one in China dislikes a partner like Jiangbei City, and the reason is simple: they have too much cash.

He will never hold back when his partners need money.

Jiang Beicheng is a director of JD.com, and although he is a non-executive director, he has a very high level of influence and status.

Especially among JD.com's delivery and courier staff, his status within the JD.com Group is second only to Liu Qiangdong.

Because he had publicly promised that if Liu Qiangdong backed down and quit the food delivery business, he would lead his team to continue.

People were still a bit skeptical before.

However, the social reputation and influence of Jiangbei City now are incomparable to what they used to be.

As long as he is a shareholder, everyone feels at ease.

The hotel and travel industry is also very competitive, and it was the only business in which Baidu was not left behind by Tencent and Alibaba during the BAT (Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent) era.

Robin Li should thank James Liang, the founder of Ctrip, for taking the initiative to discuss cooperation with him. The acquisition of Ctrip and Qunar through a share-for-shares deal facilitated the merger, and Baidu became one of Ctrip's major shareholders by transferring its shares in Qunar.

They benefited from this wave of opportunities.

After BAT (Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent), Wang Xing's boundless approach has made Meituan a formidable competitor in the hotel and travel industry.

Of course, he also represents Tencent's interests.

Tencent and Baidu are reaping huge profits in this arena.

Taobao's aggressive entry into the food delivery market has nearly crippled Meituan, suggesting a vengeance that's never too late.

He slapped Wang Xing twice, venting his anger at Meituan's past bias against Tencent.

JD.com's entry into this market at this time, whether it's targeting lower-tier markets and adopting a "rural-to-urban" strategy or focusing on high-end, customized services, will once again trigger a major battle among internet giants.

Tomorrow's wine tasting event will be Liu Qiangdong's stage for making a pledge.

If two industry giants are needed to oversee things.

Professor Ji and Professor Song are the most suitable.

Another reason, which is even more obvious, is that since JD.com is co-hosting the wine tasting event with Moutai, it is even more difficult to find the two masters, Mr. Ji and Mr. Song.

One of them is the fourth head of Moutai.

Mr. Ji is a well-known and respected figure in the liquor industry and business world.

The 86-year-old man has dedicated his entire life to the liquor industry.

It was dedicated to the Moutai Distillery.

He was the first winemaker to propose the concept of "aroma type" baijiu.

He also contributed to the listing of Moutai, and today Moutai, with a market value of nearly two trillion yuan, was founded by Mr. Ji.

It was he who led Moutai to become the number one in sales and profits nationwide, defeating Wuliangye.

His self-evaluation was: I have no regrets about Moutai.

Of course, there is another reason why he can firmly hold his position as a titan in the liquor industry.

From the fifth to the ninth head of Moutai, only one person has secured a safe position.

The others were either investigated or dismissed...

None of them are any good.

The comparison highlights the great achievements of Professor Ji.

His status and influence in the liquor industry are comparable to those of academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering in their respective fields.

Another Mr. Song is the president of the China National Association of Liquor Industry.

To put it simply, he has the authority to speak on various aspects of domestic baijiu evaluation, the definition of different aroma types, and various baijiu competitions.

It's safe to say that a wine tasting event that can invite these two titans must be the most prestigious wine event in China.

Da Dongzi has the face and the ability to back it up.

The two elders were willing to stand up for him.

Mr. Ji smiled and shook hands with Jiang Beicheng. "I've heard so much about you, Mr. Jiang. Your reputation is legendary in the business world. I'm honored to meet you in person today."

He truly is a promising young talent.

This 86-year-old man has met business elites from every era.

A few words of praise elevated Jiangbei City to a very high level.

Jiang Beicheng humbly replied, "I have read about Old Master Ji's legendary struggles several times and have benefited greatly from it."

"Hahaha, young man, you're not as flamboyant as the outside world makes you out to be," Old Ji said with a laugh.

Jiang Beicheng chimed in, "If the media doesn't exaggerate a bit, who will pay attention? Don't you think so, Mr. Ji?"

“Yes, yes, Mr. Jiang is absolutely right. These media outlets are all the same these days,” Old Ji chimed in.

He picked up his wine glass from the table, intending to clink glasses with Jiang Beicheng.

Jiang Beicheng raised his glass and politely addressed Song Lao.

Liu Qiangdong then drank a glass with him.

After finishing his drink, Jiang Beicheng sat down to dine with his guests.

"What do you think of the party setup and flow? Give me some feedback, and make improvements to any shortcomings overnight," Liu Qiangdong asked Jiang Beicheng.

Jiang Beicheng joked, "President Liu chose to hold the wine tasting at the Beicheng Hotel Guozijian branch."

Even if you do nothing but simply invite people to dinner, this reception will still be quite high-class.

"Hahaha, you're a bit like a peddler praising his own wares, but what you're saying is the truth," Liu Qiangdong laughed.

Old Song chimed in, "There are countless luxury hotels in the capital, and countless clubs and private clubs that were once glorious."

"Right now, if you're asking which place best represents the powerful and wealthy in Beijing, it has to be President Jiang's Beicheng Hotel." "Mr. Song, your words compel me to offer you another toast," Jiang Beicheng said, raising his glass.

Old Song raised his glass as well.

If his words can be considered flattery, then they were quite sophisticated.

While seemingly referring to the status of Beicheng Hotel in the hearts of Beijing's officials and nobles, it actually speaks of the connections and relationships within Jiangbei City.

Although their main industries are not located in Beijing, their personal network of connections in Beijing is deeper and stronger than that of the heads of major Beijing companies like Da Dongzi.

Mr. Ji praised again, "You don't look thirty at all."

I'm over eighty years old, and I'm still not as good as you.

Jiang Beichen didn't mince words this time, cleverly responding, "Elder Ji, are you and Elder Song planning to get me drunk tonight?"

It means that I have to have another drink with you, Professor Ji. I am very proud of your appreciation and affirmation.

Liu Qiangdong quickly said, "President Jiang, please don't get these two key figures I invited drunk. Their presence is the foundation for my confidence in hosting this wine tasting tomorrow."

"Stop it here!"

"Hahaha, you shouldn't force others to drink. The joy of drinking isn't something you can force or get drunk on; it's something you can appreciate."

"This is the master's understanding."

"Professor Ji truly deserves to be called a leading figure."

The four of them joked around for a while.

"I heard you've been wandering around the ministry these past few days. What earth-shattering plan do you have?" Liu Qiangdong asked while eating.

Jiang Beicheng stated bluntly: "Some Western capital is testing my stance."

I need to quickly show my attitude to my superiors.

Liu Qiangdong smiled, didn't reply, and clinked glasses with Jiang Beicheng again.

In terms of stance and attitude, both of them are as righteous as can be.

No further explanation is needed.

After finishing his drink, Jiang Beicheng returned to the topic of the previous party, saying, "The setup and process are all OK now, but the coffee tasting area is a bit subpar."

The guests even said, "You, Da Dongzi, only serve this kind of coffee to your guests?"

Or is this the only level of JD.com's global supply chain?

Liu Qiangdong frowned slightly, "You've reminded me that I haven't paid much attention to the coffee, desserts, and cocktails... these aspects."

Their main focus was on the drinks on the table, which were all 50-year-old Moutai, or at the very least 30-year-old.

President Jiang is right. We can't start strong but finish weak, or have a top-heavy approach. We need to raise the bar in every aspect.

He concluded with a joke, "It's okay if I and JD.com lose face, but don't lose face for President Jiang and the Guozijian Store."

As soon as he finished speaking, he sent a message in the JD.com Global Procurement Business Unit group.

Before the cocktail party starts tomorrow, we will purchase the best coffee raw materials from around the world.

Jiang Beicheng said, "The colleagues in JD.com's purchasing department must be having a headache."

I'm guessing I'm going to get a scolding from you this time.

Liu Qiangdong looked at Jiang Beicheng with a puzzled expression.

Jiang Beicheng said, "It is globally recognized that these are the world's finest coffee beans. Does Mr. Liu know about them?"

Sister-in-law should know that, in my impression, you are not the kind of person who really likes to drink coffee.

When Mr. Lei visited Jiangnan City last time, in addition to tasting a whiskey worth millions, he also took several hundred grams of coffee beans from me.

He is a devoted coffee lover.

The few hundred grams of coffee beans he took were the top lot in this year's Panama BOP Geisha coffee auction.

Even with JD.com's strong global supply chain, it's currently impossible to buy BOP-grade coffee beans.

The Geisha coffee mentioned by Jiang Beicheng is known as the "Queen" of the coffee world. Although it is produced in Geisha Mountain in Ethiopia, it was Panama that truly made it famous.

The Boquette region of Panama is where Geisha coffee made its name. Thanks to its excellent climate and volcanic soil, it produces the world's most renowned BOP-grade Geisha coffee.

BOP is an annual coffee competition held by some of Panama's top coffee estates, including Ellida Estate, Emerald Estate, Mule Estate, and other world-class coffee estates.

They will bring out the best coffee beans of the year, the ones with the most exquisite processing techniques, to compete.

The best of the bunch is this year's Geisha coffee top lot.

Then it can be sent to an auction house, or directly to a local estate for bidding.

It attracts coffee enthusiasts and wealthy businessmen from all over the world.

Jiang Beicheng is a true coffee enthusiast.

This year's top-selling Geisha coffee in Panama sold for a total of 20 kilograms.

The total value exceeds 2000 million.

Jiangbei City received four or five catties of beans.

These four or five kilograms of coffee beans were the best from the winning batch, costing him two or three million.

Lei Jun took those few hundred grams, which were worth hundreds of thousands of yuan.

Liu Qiangdong doesn't really like coffee; his knowledge of alcohol is much deeper than his knowledge of coffee.

Judging from Jiang Beicheng's tone, he guessed that the best Geisha coffee had already sold out.

"Is Mr. Jiang planning to sponsor tomorrow's cocktail party?" Liu Qiangdong asked with a smile.

It means, if you have it, show it to me and give me face.

Tomorrow, there will be plenty of 50-year-old Moutai. Let's not let small details like coffee and desserts cause any complaints and affect the overall quality and experience of the event.

"Mr. Liu, you're being too polite with me. I'm a director of JD.com, after all," Jiang Beicheng said with a smile.

Liu Qiangdong chuckled, patted Jiang Beicheng on the shoulder, and raised his glass again, saying, "Thank you for the expense, my good brother Beicheng."

He didn't even ask the price.

Since Jiangbei City can give Lei Jun a gift, what's a little more profit to him?

Besides, would this young tycoon who claims to be the cash king of the business world be so stingy?

When Lei Jun hosted a dinner party for friends in the automotive industry in Jiangnan City last time, he was embarrassed by being teased as the "Cash King." Jiang Beicheng helped him out of the awkward situation by jokingly taking the title of "Cash King" away.

It quickly spread and became a topic of conversation among business leaders.

However, people don't seem to care much about his title of "Cash King".

The main purpose was to help settle Wang Jianlin's debt of over 10 billion yuan, which was very generous.

"I heard you're going to do a live stream tomorrow?" Jiang Beichen asked curiously. "A real person or AI?"

Da Dongzi did a live stream, but he used his own AI-generated human-like image.

"It's my first time doing a live stream after so many years in the industry, and I'm still quite nervous. But this era of internet traffic is too exaggerated, and I have to keep up with the trend." Liu Qiangdong looked at Jiang Beicheng, "If Mr. Jiang is interested, how about we do a live stream together?"
Your personal short video account hasn't been updated in a long time. With your current high level of fame, if you continue to build your personal brand, its commercial value and influence won't be inferior to the personal brands of entrepreneurs like Lei Jun and Yu Chengdong.

Jiang Beicheng shook his head and smiled.

The reason he hasn't updated his short videos in a long time is because the Douyin platform has been too lenient with him.

There are no controversies or negative comments about him.

I see flattery in the comments section every day, but it's really not that interesting.

I casually asked, "What are you planning to broadcast, Mr. Liu?"

"Stir-fry?"

Jiang Beichen laughed, "Inviting me to your cooking livestream is a bit of an insult to yourself." (End of Chapter)