Financial freedom starts with smiling at life

Liu Yifei's answer left Liu Chong speechless.

It's not that I can't keep up with the conversation, but rather that I feel like I'm being a bit wishful.

He was still thinking like an artist, concerned about his friend Liu Yifei's future development and how she could take another step forward and become a highly respected senior artist.

At her age, she really should start thinking about establishing herself as a "senior" figure.

To establish the image of an actress who embodies the "leading lady" role.

However, Liu Yifei has completely stepped out of the entertainment industry. "Entrepreneur," "philanthropist," "cultural ambassador"... these highly social identities are the values ​​she pursues in the second half of her life.

In the social hierarchy, the identity of an artist definitely ranks after those of politicians, businesspeople, organizations, and groups.

99% of artists are stuck in the entertainment industry for their entire lives, not because they don't want to leave, but because they lack opportunities and can't accept the risks of leaving.

After all, the entertainment industry changes too quickly, and the profits are very tempting.

From a purely financial perspective, staying in the entertainment industry is actually the safest choice for female artists of Liu Yifei, Yang Mi, and others in this age group.

However, with the Jiang family as her backer, Liu Yifei can easily obtain the identities she desires.

"Why aren't you saying anything?" Liu Yifei asked Liu Chong with a smile.

Liu Chong also smiled and pointed to his head, saying, "Having not seen her for more than half a year, my thinking can no longer keep up with Qianqian."

I need to improve myself, otherwise I won't know what to talk about when we meet again.

"That's too much, Editor-in-Chief Liu. Let's talk about life, fashion... or if all else fails, gossip is fine too, unless you don't intend to be my friend."

The last sentence startled Liu Chong: "Now the Queen of the Chinese Entertainment Industry is my friend of many years. I often wake up laughing in my dreams."

Only a fool would sever this friendship because of a change in status or a huge difference in circumstances.

The queen of the entertainment industry already wields immense power, especially with the Jiang family behind her.

This is a relationship that countless people would kneel and lick, yet still fail to achieve.

I'm not that stupid.

On the contrary, he felt very honored that Liu Yifei still considered him a friend.

Liu Yifei was amused by Liu Chong's excited reaction.

"What are you so happy about?"

When Jiang Beicheng returned after seeing Zhang Zetian off, he saw Liu Yifei smiling and asked her a question out of curiosity.

He welcomes Sisi's friends to come over and chat with her to relieve their boredom.

The late stages of pregnancy are too restrictive for mothers.

I can't go to the places I want to go, and I can't do the things I want to do; I'm just wasting time.

So when we were hosting Zhang Zetian today, Wu Wen also called Liu Chong over, the intention being to let Qianqian get together with her friends.

He couldn't possibly provide all the emotional value Liu Yifei needed. Humans are social animals with many needs, and friends are one of them.

"Liu Chong was just pledging his loyalty to Bei Bei," Liu Yifei joked.

Liu Chong did not deny it, nor did he feel that Qianqian's words would make him lose face or self-esteem.

I just flattered Xixi a couple of times, but what I really meant was that I hoped to establish a friendly relationship with the Jiang family.

The phrase "showing loyalty" aptly describes the need for subordinates to cultivate good relations with superiors.

Choosing to leave his position as editor-in-chief of Vogue China and join Shangcheng as editor-in-chief, taking a second-in-command position, is just because Shangcheng has the support of the Jiang family behind it, isn't it?
He definitely had ulterior motives; his friend Qianqian simply revealed them to Jiang Beicheng in front of him.

Jiang Beicheng looked at Liu Chong and said, "There is only one reason why Shangcheng went bankrupt: the Jiang family went bankrupt."

"Thank you for your high regard, Mr. Jiang!"

Liu Chong quickly stood up to express his gratitude. Although the sentence did not mention him at all, he fully understood the meaning.

The fate of "Shangcheng" is tied to the Jiang family. As long as he does a good job as the editor-in-chief of "Shangcheng", the Jiang family will definitely not treat him unfairly.

Jiang Beicheng's words were not just a casual remark.

Fashion magazines are a cultural symbol.

This culture cannot be allowed to remain under the control of the West.

This is the main reason why he supported "Shangcheng", and it has nothing to do with how much profit it brought.

Perhaps in the eyes of Chinese entertainment artists, "Shangcheng" is a golden spoon in their mouths and very valuable, but in the Jiang family's business, its actual value ranks last.

A year's net profit may not even cover the expenses of a private estate.

"You guys continue chatting." Jiang Beichen prepared to go to the music room to put on a DJ set and clear his mind.

"It's getting late, I won't disturb Qianqian's rest any longer. I'll come back later to chat with her," Liu Chong said goodbye.

Liu Yifei smiled and nodded, acknowledging that it was indeed time for her to rest.

Jiang Beicheng instructed the housekeeper to arrange a driver to take Editor-in-Chief Liu.

The butler nodded.

They beckoned Liu Chong out and arranged for a Bentley Flying Spur to take him there.

It certainly can't compare to guests like Zhang Zetian, who are picked up and dropped off by private business helicopters, but using a Flying Mercedes worth several million to transport him is already quite prestigious.

Wu Wen didn't leave. In the evening, she accompanied Jiang Beicheng to listen to music, chat, and have a couple more drinks.

……

The following morning, Aunt Shen delivered the ironed formal attire to the room on time.

Today we're going to visit the city government.

There is a city-wide economic symposium, and as a key figure in the General Chamber of Commerce, he will definitely have to attend.

Local protectionism exists everywhere.

Various favorable factors are converging on you, providing the external conditions for your rapid rise.

Jiang Beicheng remembers the kindness of the leaders.

Especially the secretary who had high expectations for him.

Today's meeting was chaired by the mayor because the Party Secretary was unable to attend due to a meeting in Beijing.

This meeting will address the economic development issues and opportunities brought about by the new administrative divisions of Jiangnan City.

This is tantamount to "revealing" firsthand information.

This is a businessman's best resource.

After dressing herself and being satisfied with her appearance in the mirror, Aunt Shen went out, got into a business car, and went to the municipal government for a meeting.

In such situations, people generally don't make a big fuss by using private helicopters or luxury cars worth tens of millions of dollars to enter and exit the city government building.

The issue of the private estate has already brought considerable public pressure to the municipal government.

A business vehicle is sufficient for daily commuting.

Upon arriving at the parking lot, Jiang Beicheng got out of the car, and members of the General Chamber of Commerce greeted him with smiles.

Some were afraid that if Jiang Beicheng entered the conference hall a few seconds later, they wouldn't be able to greet him in time, so they ran over directly.

It's no exaggeration to say that I was even more excited than when I met my boss.

It has indeed been a long time since we've seen President Jiang.

However, they have been paying close attention to the major news and influence that President Jiang has generated internationally.

I have the utmost respect for him.

"President Jiang is a very busy man; I haven't seen you for months."

"President Jiang, did you just return to China?"

"Mr. Jiang, what's the investment situation like in Southeast Asia?"

"President Jiang, I heard you've set up an industrial park in Thailand. When are you planning to attract investors?"

"Oh my, Mr. Jiang is a rare guest. I guess only a few high-ranking leaders in the city can get you to come."

"..."

Some will flatter you, others will talk about work; they'll just find something to talk about and try to make their presence felt in your presence.

They don't expect to close any big deals in the short time it takes to walk here; they just want to use this as an excuse to catch up, say hello, and leave an impression on you.

In Jiangbei City, the usual response to such situations is a polite smile.

For them, a smile is the best response; they feel you've already given them a lot of face. Upon entering the conference hall, Jiang Beicheng, as the representative of the General Chamber of Commerce, took his seat on the dais, followed by the other two old friends, the top two leaders of the General Chamber of Commerce.

They are all wealthy businessmen in Jiangnan City with assets worth hundreds of billions.

When Mr. Zhang, the general manager of Xiaokang Holdings Group, greeted Jiang Beicheng, he had a bright smile on his face.

When Jiang Beicheng shook hands with him, he used a casual tone to say that he was laughing so hard he was splitting his legs, and told him to calm down.

He is now the richest man in Jiangnan City.

Sokon Holdings Group's subsidiary, Seres Automotive, has just been listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, with a market value exceeding 200 billion yuan. As a result, the Zhang family's wealth has increased by tens of billions of yuan.

Huawei is truly a lucky star for their family.

Thinking back to our collaboration with Huawei back then, I'm so happy I could laugh in my sleep.

"Haha, Mr. Jiang is teasing me again. You're the top businessman in Jiangnan City. If you don't sit there, no one else will," Mr. Zhang said modestly.

The wealth of Jiangbei City remains a secret to outsiders.

Various institutions have calculated and calculated, but still cannot arrive at an accurate figure.

Just as a new figure is calculated, Jiangbei City immediately pours billions or even hundreds of billions into a completely new field.

This is completely beyond the scope of what the organization can statistically analyze.

They stopped counting it altogether, and those rankings no longer included Jiangbei City.

There's only one widely accepted saying circulating within the industry: Jiang Beicheng is now the "Cash King" of China.

Therefore, Mr. Zhang, the nominal richest man in Jiangnan City, dared not flaunt his power in front of Jiangbei City.

As the chairman of the General Chamber of Commerce, he should, in principle, be sitting in the top position in the Jiangnan City business community.

For the past few years, I have indeed been sitting on my own butt.

But things changed starting last year.

Jiangbei City has too high a reputation and too strong a demand.

If it weren't for the city's consideration and the Chamber of Commerce's regulations, he probably would have had to step down before his term was up.

He wasn't flattering Jiang Beicheng when he said those words; he was simply stating the truth.

The seat of the top business leader in Jiangnan City is currently vacant.

When the Chamber of Commerce is about to hold its leadership transition, Jiang Beicheng will naturally take the seat.

"I still want to congratulate Mr. Zhang on the successful listing of Seres," Jiang Beicheng said with a smile.

"Thank you, thank you," Mr. Zhang said politely.

Jiang Beicheng shook hands with Mr. Jiang from Zhifei Biological again, and said in the same joking tone, "Mr. Jiang, you've lost weight recently."

President Jiang instantly understood Jiang Beicheng's meaning and smiled.

Knowing that he was using Mr. Zhang's wealth to make fun of him, the Jiang family's wealth had shrunk quite a bit.

He smiled and replied, "I've been practicing internal energy cultivation lately."

Jiang Beicheng then quipped, "Before, you were all bark and no bite; now you're all bark and no bite?"

President Jiang then laughed and said, "President Jiang, you flatter me too much."

"I hope President Jiang's trip to Southeast Asia went smoothly?"

Jiang Beicheng: "If things don't go smoothly, I won't be able to attend the meeting with the two representatives."

Both General Manager Jiang and General Manager Zhang smiled at the same time.

"It's always a pleasure to see old friends."

The mayor suddenly walked in and then smiled.

The venue gradually quieted down.

Jiang Beicheng and his two old friends respectfully addressed him as "leader".

"Please sit down. On behalf of the municipal government, I would like to express my gratitude to President Jiang for making it back to attend today's economic symposium." The mayor smiled and shook hands with Jiang Beicheng.

The mayor took his seat and presided over the meeting.

This meeting presents a great opportunity for the entrepreneurs present today.

The new administrative plan, and the fact that it's a national-level new area, has given businesses a shot in the arm.

Jiang Beicheng, as a representative figure of local entrepreneurs, highly praised the government and leaders for their emphasis on the development of private enterprises during his speech. He also expressed his commitment to continuing to be rooted in the local area and to working with the local government to look forward to the development of the national-level new area and open a new chapter in the economic development of Jiangnan City.

As for how much money to invest, how many projects to take over... those are matters that can be discussed privately.

After the meeting, Jiang Beicheng moved to the mayor's office and sat for a while.

While having tea, the mayor took the initiative to talk to him about the situation in Southeast Asia.

Someone of his caliber must have access to information that the general public doesn't know.

Jiang Beicheng didn't hide anything and revealed some information, taking the initiative to communicate with his superiors.

Despite the leaders saying countless times that there is "great potential" and "a bright future," they still sighed and praised them when they said goodbye.

We had lunch in the city before leaving.

Instead of returning to the manor, they had the driver take them to Wanhua's mansion.

I called my best friend Liu Shuyun from the car. "Are you at the company?"

"What instructions does President Jiang have for the Catering Association?"

When answering the phone in public, should you address the person by their title?

Liu Shuyun was actually quite nice; she could even casually call him "Jiang Jiang" affectionately.

However, considering his own status, doing so would damage the image of Jiangbei City.

"I'm on my way to Wanhua," Jiang Beicheng said.

Liu Shuyun immediately understood, "I still have a little thing to take care of here, I'll come over as soon as I'm done."

She and her best friend Zheng Jiamin both own properties in Wanhua.

It was after Zheng Jiamin became famous that she saved up several million to buy the large apartment.

Given their current net worth, they can choose any of the top luxury homes in Jiangnan City.

However, the two still did not move.

Because Jiangbei City also owns a property in Wanhua, which is a small prime building.

It's inconvenient to get in and out of the Jiang Family Manor, but it's very convenient to get in and out of the Wanhua Mansion in Jiangbei City.

After Jiang Beicheng hung up the phone, Liu Shuyun tagged Zheng Jiamin in her group chat with her three best friends.

"Jiamin, have the aunt tidy up the room, Jiangjiang is here."

Zheng Jiamin sent a few embarrassing emojis, saying, "I'd better get myself ready first, I just woke up."

Jiang Beichen teased her, "Don't tidy up, I just want to see you look embarrassed."

Zheng Jiamin: "Oh!"

Liu Shuyun: "You guys aren't allowed to start working first. You have to wait for me to come back."

Zheng Jiamin: "Sweating! Sweating! Sweating!"

Jiang Beicheng smiled as he looked at the chat history.

The two best friends are one outgoing and the other reserved, and he pretends to be steady while being sandwiched in the middle. Their daily interactions are quite interesting.

Dou Liu Shuyun: "It all depends on whether you can catch it while it's still fresh."

Liu Shuyun: "Jiang Jiang, what are you saying? [Covering mouth and laughing] I don't understand."

Zheng Jiamin has made several more embarrassing meme-worthy expressions.

Liu Shuyun: "I'm still confident in Jiamin. Her fighting ability is average. Jiangjiang only needs to show some effort, and she'll be satisfied."

Zheng Jiamin: "[Angry] You're just average."

He sent another "I'm so awesome" emoji.

Jiang Beichen replied with a smile, "I think this 'girlfriends' group can be directly renamed a 'flirting group.'" (End of Chapter)