Entertainment mogul: Starting his business with the internet

Chapter 318 Family Banquet
The Beiping Hotel, a luxurious landmark in Beijing where celebrities and scholars gather, features cloisonné private rooms that perfectly blend royal elegance with modern luxury.

Inside the private room, a gilded lotus chandelier hanging from the glazed tile dome cast a warm, soft yellow glow, creating a dreamlike atmosphere.

The Song and Liu families gathered together to celebrate Song Ci's 24th birthday.

Before everyone, a blue-and-white porcelain plate with intertwined branches slowly rotated, presenting one delicacy after another.

Each of the twelve dishes is like a fine work of art, showcasing the chef's ingenuity in everything from plating to color scheme.

"Yiyi, try this Wensi Tofu." Liu Shishi, gentle and virtuous, served the dish to her husband.

Now, after returning from the press conference, she has changed into a sea-blue cheongsam, her hair reaching her shoulders, and her figure graceful.

The jade bracelet on her wrist had a warm luster and an elegant demeanor, just like a wealthy lady from a prominent family during the Republic of China era.

In the delicate white porcelain bowl, the tofu shreds are as distinct as hair, with amber-colored crab oil floating on top, making one's mouth water at first glance.

Song Ci picked up a piece of tofu with her chopsticks and savored it carefully. The tender tofu spread on her tongue, accompanied by the savory aroma of crab oil, and the taste was indescribable.

A smile instantly spread across her face: "It's truly delicious, and the knife skills are amazing. Shishi, please serve some to Mom and Dad."

The six members of the family sat together, laughing and chatting in a warm and harmonious atmosphere, while eating.

"Son-in-law, how's work going lately?" From the start of the dinner, Mrs. Liu's smile never faded.

"Everything went very smoothly. The group's revenue exceeded 30 billion, and the profit will not be less than 10 billion." Song Ci said with a beaming smile.

Although Tengda Group's full-year financial report for 2010 has not yet been officially released, the general operating data is already clear. Revenue and profit have both increased significantly compared to 2009, which is an impressive achievement.

"The profit margin is so high! Is the gaming business really that profitable?" Mr. Liu was secretly shocked as he listened from the side. His "Kids King" had a net profit margin of about 10%, while Tengda's profit margin was truly terrifying.

Song Ci nodded slightly. They were all family, so there was no need to hide anything. "Games are indeed extremely profitable. In fact, the internet industry is all the same. Ultimately, the biggest profits come from only four parts. If you can get even one of them, you can become a small giant."

"Which four parts?" Mr. Liu asked curiously.

The rest of the family also looked at Song Ci, for this was the family's richest man's summary and conclusion of the industry.

"Advertising, games, selling goods." Song Ci paused slightly, then added one last point, "And lending!"

"Loan sharking." The family looked at each other in bewilderment. The first three points were not hard to understand and were very common in the internet industry.

For them, lending by internet companies is still a new concept.

Of the five, only Liu's mother was a housewife who did not work. The others were all top performers in their respective fields and had extensive knowledge. However, they still did not quite understand the fourth point mentioned by Song Ci.

"Once smartphones become ubiquitous, the mobile internet will enter its next phase: the era of internet finance. This is also the focus of Tenda's future development."

Song Ci didn't want to say much. He simply introduced an industry trend, then stood up, raised his wine glass, and said, "Today is my birthday. First of all, thank you to my wife for everything she has prepared for me."

I also want to thank my parents and in-laws for their care and love for us. Shishi, let's toast our parents together.

Liu Shishi rose gracefully, her figure slender, holding a wine glass in both hands, the red wine in the glass swirling slightly. She stood side by side with her husband, toasting their parents together.

Song Zhang and Liu Xiaoxian quickly waved their hands, their eyes full of affection as they looked at their son and daughter-in-law: "Yuandan, Shishi, sit down quickly. We don't do this kind of thing at home, just make yourself at home."

Whether it was the drinking or the joyful atmosphere of the birthday celebration, Song Ci was particularly excited today. After taking a big gulp of red wine, he said with great enthusiasm: "At the beginning of the new year, everything is renewed."

This year, Dad is running for academician, Mom is applying for professorship; Father-in-law's company is thriving, Mother-in-law is getting younger and younger—our family is prosperous and thriving! Come on, Shishi, let's raise another glass.

Seeing her husband down the glass of red wine in one gulp, Liu Shishi quickly stopped him, saying, "Husband, drink slowly."

The four elders beamed with joy upon hearing Song Ci's words. Indeed, the Song and Liu families had been flourishing like spring flowers in recent years.

What makes the parents most gratified is that Song Ci and Liu Shishi live a harmonious and happy life together, which is more precious to them than any wealth or achievement.

Just then, there was a knock on the door, and the door to the private room slid open gently. A man in a suit and tie walked in with two female waitresses.

The conversation abruptly stopped. Looking in the direction of the sound, two female waitresses were clearly dividing their tasks behind the man.

The woman on the left is holding a wine basket covered with white silk in both hands, while the woman on the right is pushing a food cart with several plates of colorful and tempting seasonal fruits and vegetables arranged in a neat and orderly fashion.

The man in the suit approached the table, bowed slightly, and said humbly, "I am Chen Ming, the hotel manager. Hearing that it is Mr. Song's birthday, the hotel has specially opened a bottle of 82 Lafite as a token of our appreciation. We hope Mr. Song will accept it."

Song Ci nodded in response: "Manager Chen, thank you for your kindness."

Seeing that the richest man had accepted his offer, Chen Ming was overjoyed. After waiting for a while and seeing that his subordinates had not made a move, he turned slightly to the side.

He noticed the waitress standing there, staring blankly at the customer. His heart tightened, and he quickly gave her a meaningful look, his eyes full of warning.

The waitress noticed the manager's gesture out of the corner of her eye, and then, as if waking from a dream, she quickly lifted the white silk and placed the Lafite wine from the wine basket steadily on the table.

"Mr. Song, would you like to open it now?"

"Everyone says that the 82 Lafite is a masterpiece among red wines, so it's a good day to taste it. Manager Chen, please arrange for someone to open it, let it breathe, and then send it over."

Upon hearing this, Chen Ming asked another waitress to bring a fruit platter, then picked up the red wine and left the private room with the two waitresses.

The door to the private room closed again, and Liu Shishi immediately asked with concern, "Honey, are you still drinking?"

Song Ci patted his wife's soft hand: "It's all from their heart. I'll just have a few bites. The 82 Lafite is very famous."

Song Zhang chuckled from the side, "None of us in our family are big drinkers, so we probably drink the same vintage wines all the same. My dear in-law, do you know anything about wine?"

Mr. Liu was a little reserved in front of his father-in-law, who was gentle and highly educated: "I don't like drinking either, and I don't know much about red wine."

Hearing Liu's father's insincere words, Liu Shishi and Liu's mother exchanged a glance, covered their mouths and chuckled, not exposing his lie.

Inside the private room, everyone was having a good time, while outside, Liu Ming was sternly reprimanding his female subordinate.

"Wu Fei, what was wrong with you just now? Where did your usual quick wit go? And you were even staring at the customer! That's extremely rude, you know? Do you even want to keep your job?" Wu Fei lowered her head and bowed repeatedly: "I'm sorry, Manager, please forgive me this time. I was a little stunned when I saw Liu Shishi sitting next to Song Ci."

Chen Ming pointed at his subordinate with a serious expression and icy tone: "I'm warning you, the guests in the private room are all high-ranking officials and dignitaries. You better keep your mouth shut. If you leak their privacy, you'll be in big trouble."

"I assure you, I will absolutely not disclose any client information to any third party."

“Zhang Yue, you should take this as a warning!” Chen Ming then turned his gaze to another waiter. “I’ll let it go this time, but don’t let it happen again. You two go and decan the red wine, then send it to Mr. Song. There can’t be any mistakes.”

Zhang Yue immediately replied, "Don't worry."

Seeing the manager turn and leave, Wu Fei breathed a sigh of relief and patted her chest: "I've dodged a bullet."

As the manager walked away, Zhang Yue leaned closer to her companion with a gossipy look on her face: "I can't believe I saw Liu Shishi! She's still trending on social media!"

After the press conference for "Goodbye Mr. Loser" ended in the afternoon, news from the scene quickly spread online, and reporters reported extensively that the popular young actress and Tangren Media's top female star had fallen in love, resulting in Liu Shishi becoming the first trending topic of the new year.

Wu Fei belatedly realized, and looked incredulous: "So, does that mean Liu Shishi's rumored boyfriend is Song Ci?"

Zhang Yue shook her head, quite certain: "It's not just about the rumored boyfriend! Didn't you hear what the manager said? Today is Song Ci's birthday, and his wife is celebrating it with a family dinner."

Wu Fei's eyes widened in surprise, her mouth agape. It took her a while to recover before she stammered, "Liu Shishi is Song Ci's wife. They were married a long time ago?"

"Didn't you see it with your own eyes?"

Wu Fei's face flushed with anger: "Damn it, what makes Liu Shishi so special? What makes her worthy of Song Ci? Is the richest man blind?!"

Seeing her colleague's indignation, Zhang Yue chuckled and said, "I think they're a perfect match, a handsome man and a beautiful woman. The richest man really loves his wife, so it's none of your business to object."

Looking back now, Liu Shishi was indeed low-key. Her husband was so amazing, yet she never revealed a single thing about him to the outside world. She truly didn't compete or fight for anything.

Wu Fei, now that you know Liu Shishi's background, will your "family" still dare to badmouth her?

Wu Fei was still unconvinced and forced herself to argue, "Maybe one day Song Ci will get tired of her and dump her."

Zhang Yue shook her head helplessly, feeling that these fans and haters were all a bit unreasonable.

Too lazy to continue the conversation, I changed the subject: "What they do is none of our business. Let's go, let's get to work."

Meanwhile, since Liu Shishi trended on Weibo, her fan groups have been in an uproar once again.

"Sister Shishi, do you really have a boyfriend?" A new fan asked first, followed by a series of surprised emojis.

"My sister has already tacitly agreed, and Hu Ge also let it slip, so how could it be false?"

"What's the big deal? When 'Chinese Paladin 3' aired, Yuanyuan's assistant already said that her sister had a boyfriend."

"Yes, Teacher Yanzi even knows who her brother-in-law is. @Little Swallow, come out and chat for a bit."

"So much time has passed, I wonder if the man who was exposed is the same person that everyone was talking about back then."

"Sigh, there's only a blurry silhouette, it's so hard to guess. I've compared it to more than a dozen male celebrities who have worked with Shishi, but none of them seem to fit the bill. It's so difficult to pinpoint my brother-in-law's identity!"

Just then, Little Swallow appeared and sent a message: "Didn't I say it repeatedly before? My brother-in-law is not in the entertainment industry, he's not a celebrity at all. Also, my sister and brother-in-law have a great relationship, they are each other's first love."

"Little Swallow, my good sister, please, stop keeping us in suspense and tell us who your brother-in-law is."

Fans in the group kept asking Xiao Yanzi questions, using all sorts of cute and charming tactics, but Xiao Yanzi remained unmoved. After chatting for a bit, she quickly went offline again, leaving many fans greatly disappointed.

"I wonder which man is so lucky to win Shishi's heart. I wonder if he is worthy of my goddess."

Yang Liuyi: "Don't worry. Before we knew who my brother-in-law was, people might have been wondering and marveling at how lucky he was to be dating a top female celebrity."

But once you know who he is, you'll understand how lucky your sister is. What more could a woman ask for than a partner like that!

"Damn it, Yang Liuyi, have you seen that guy too? You and Xiao Yanzi don't share information. Can we still be friends in the future?"

Faced with the criticism from fans in the group, Yang Liuyi remained unusually calm: "Everyone should focus more on Shishijie's works and not concern themselves with her private life. It's human nature for men and women to enjoy each other's company, so why dig into it?"

But the group members were not about to give up. They kept pressing and cajoling, but Yang Liuyi remained adamant and refused to reveal any information.

Yuanyuan: "It's so lively today. Good evening everyone, I have a few things to tell you."

The fans in the group all know that the group owner, Yuanyuan, is Liu Shishi's work assistant. When she appears, they all patiently wait for her to speak.

Yuanyuan: "First of all, let me make it clear to everyone that Shishi has always had a partner, and this has never changed over the years. This has been mentioned in the group before."

Also, Lin Xia, Shishi's personal assistant, will be taking over as my new work assistant. From now on, everyone will be handling fan club and support group affairs with Lin Xia.

Yang Liuyi: "Sister Yuanyuan, what will you do in the future?"

Yuanyuan explained, "I am actually Shishi's executive agent, and also the agent for Sun Yizhou, an artist signed to her studio."
In order to better serve Shishi and Sun Yizhou's career development, starting this year, I will devote myself wholeheartedly to the work of an agent.

So, Lin Xia will handle the fan management. Oh, and Shishi will be hiring a new personal assistant soon too.

"Oh, my sister is hiring a personal assistant, can I be one? I'm very serious about my work."

“I’m from Donghai, and my home is right next to Tangren Company. I can take good care of my sister’s daily life.”

As soon as Liu Shishi announced that she was recruiting a new assistant, the group chat instantly went wild, with many fans eager to apply.

Upon seeing this, Yuanyuan immediately replied: "If you really have this idea, you can submit your resume to Tangren Film and Television. As long as you go through the normal recruitment process, you will have a chance."

Also, Shishi's new drama "Scarlet Heart" is scheduled to air on February 4th. Please help promote it, thank you!

(End of this chapter)