Entertainment mogul: Starting his business with the internet

Chapter 342 Glory Abounds
On the morning of May 13th, members of the "Divas Hit the Road" group were having breakfast in the restaurant of an ordinary hotel in Paris.

Yang Zi was drinking milk while scrolling through Weibo when she suddenly exclaimed, "Wow!"

Liu Tao, who was sitting to the side, was startled by the sudden sound and gave Yang Zi a reproachful look: "What's wrong, Zi Mei? Why are you always so jumpy!"

Yang Zi looked excitedly at Liu Shishi, who was eating quietly: "Sister, you're trending again!"

"What's the big deal? Your senior sister has been trending on social media these past few days!" Huang Xiaoming chuckled as he cut the fruit on his plate.

Since the first female star perfectly embodied Eastern aesthetics in Paris, France three days ago, the entire group of "Divas Hit the Road" has become the focus of the media.

They frequently trend on social media, and now their every move in Europe is closely watched by netizens. In fact, many international students in France have even made special trips to visit them on set.

"Tell me, what's the reason Shishi is trending this time?" Jia Jingwen couldn't hide her envy.

Liu Shishi's popularity has recently skyrocketed, with her Weibo followers seemingly growing constantly, increasing by more than a million in just three days.

Yang Zi swiped her finger across the phone screen and introduced it to her older siblings: "Today, Forbes magazine released its 2011 list of China's most famous people!"

Everyone suddenly realized that with the current status and popularity of the top star, she would definitely be on the list, and her ranking would probably not be low.

Liu Shishi remained calm, but couldn't help asking out of curiosity, "Where am I ranked?"

Yang Zi browsed through the detailed data: "Senior Sister, your overall ranking is 19th, but your income is so high, it's 6400 million. Although Brother Xiaoming is ranked 11th, his income is only 1800 million."

Upon hearing this, the group was greatly shocked by the top star's earning power. An annual income of 6400 million was among the highest in the entire entertainment industry.

"Silly girl, the Forbes Celebrity List only counts the income of celebrities in the entertainment industry. Your brother Xiaoming is a rare investment expert. He has made hundreds of millions just from Huayi Company's stock."

Liu Shishi smiled gently, silently making plans in her heart.

Excluding rental income from her fixed assets, her income last year from investing in "Lost in Thailand" and "iPartment 2," plus her film fees and endorsements, did indeed exceed 60 million yuan.

Yang Zi was so surprised she couldn't close her mouth. At this moment, she had a profound understanding of the commercial value of top celebrities in the entertainment industry.

A hint of pride flashed in Huang Xiaoming's eyes. Subscribing to Huayi's shares was indeed the best decision he had made in the past two years.

Not only did he make a fortune, but because of this, he gained the favor of Huayi Shuangwang, which boosted his status in the company and made him able to access many good resources.

"Don't say that!" Even with the top female celebrity in front of him, Huang Xiaoming still waved his hand modestly: "I can't compare to you, Shishi. Now netizens are saying that you are the richest woman in the Chinese entertainment industry."

"But to be honest, in the past two years, film salaries and endorsement fees in the industry have increased significantly, making it much easier to earn money than before," Liu Tao sighed softly, and took out his phone to check the Forbes Celebrity List.

Chen Hong's expression shifted slightly, and she nodded with deep feeling, recalling the time when she filmed "Palace of Desire" in the year 2000. Back then, a star who could earn a million a year was already at the top of the industry.

Only ten years have passed, and the income of first- and second-tier celebrities has generally increased more than tenfold, making her itchy to return to acting.

As everyone was discussing the changes in the entertainment industry, a commotion suddenly broke out outside the restaurant. Soon after, director Liao Ke strode over, followed by two foreigners in sharp suits.

Liao Kewei stepped slightly to the side and introduced, "Teacher Liu, these two are from Gucci. They need to see you."

Under the questioning gaze of the first lady, one of them spoke first: "Ms. Liu Shishi, hello! I am Kyle, the art director of Gucci, and this is my colleague, Eric, the president of Gucci Asia Pacific."

The visitors were none other than senior executives from the famous luxury brand Gucci! Although she was surprised and didn't understand why the two had come to her door, Liu Shishi still stood up gracefully and politely said, "Good morning, Mr. Kyle and Mr. Eric."

Kyle's eyes were filled with admiration: "Ms. Liu, the photos you took in front of the Louvre have a unique oriental charm and are truly stunning!"
Eric and I are here today on behalf of Gucci to sincerely invite you to become Gucci's global brand ambassador.

The people at the table were stunned, their faces filled with disbelief!
Gucci, one of the six blue-blooded brands, actually invited a Chinese person to be its global brand ambassador, making everyone think that their English was not good enough and that they had misunderstood the meaning of the words!

"Excuse me!" Liu Shishi's voice was cold. "If I heard correctly, you two are inviting me to become Gucci's global brand ambassador?"

“Yes!” Kyle nodded solemnly. “You will be Gucci’s first global ambassador in history!”

After understanding their intentions, Liu Shishi didn't show any joy. Instead, she frowned slightly, suspecting Gucci's motives. A person should know their own limitations; what merit did she possess to deserve this?

Not to mention she can't compare to those international Hollywood stars, she's not even the best among domestic actresses. What qualifications does she have to be Gucci's global spokesperson?

If there's anything special about her compared to other actresses, it's that her man is Asia's richest man. But if the other woman is after her husband, then she has to be cautious.

"May I ask why Gucci chose me as their spokesperson?" The top executive asked calmly, showing no signs of losing her composure despite being chosen by a famous luxury brand.

Kyle replied sincerely, "Ms. Liu, please rest assured, Gucci comes with sincerity. In the future, Gucci will focus on developing the Chinese market, so choosing a Chinese person as a global brand ambassador is only natural."

Furthermore, we have conducted a detailed investigation and found that you are very popular in China, possessing both Eastern charm and modern style, and your commercial value and potential are undeniable.

Eric added at the opportune moment: "Ms. Liu, Gucci values ​​this collaboration highly. If you become our brand ambassador, Gucci will launch a global promotional plan for you!"
We place advertisements in airports and shopping districts in over 50 countries and regions across Asia, Europe, and the world. We also provide top-tier fashion resource support.

Liu Shishi nodded slightly, lost in thought, and suddenly remembered her husband's earlier analysis of the luxury goods market landscape. This unexpected offer might be a microcosm of the shifting power dynamics in fashion discourse between the East and the West.

Although the other party spoke earnestly, the matter was rushed, and Liu Shishi dared not agree rashly. She did not believe that Gucci had chosen her as its first global brand ambassador without considering her husband's influence.

"Thank you Gucci for your interest. I still need to discuss the specifics of the business cooperation with my agent."

“Of course!” Kyle immediately pulled a gold-embossed business card from his suit pocket. “This is my contact information, please accept it.”

I will be in Paris for the next few days and look forward to meeting with Ms. Liu's agent as soon as possible.

Liu Shishi accepted the business card with both hands: "No problem, I'll ask my agent to come to Paris right away."

After watching the two guests leave, amidst the envious gazes of the other members of the "Youth Over Flowers" group, Liu Shishi picked up her phone and said, "Excuse me, everyone."

The eldest sister went aside to make a phone call to her husband and Cai Yinong. The people at the table couldn't help but start discussing it loudly, exclamations of amazement rising and falling.

Liao Ke couldn't stop smiling. The scene of the Gucci executive inviting Liu Shishi had been fully recorded by the camera.

He could imagine the sensation this segment would cause when the full episode aired; the popularity of "Divas Hit the Road" would undoubtedly be unprecedented in the history of Chinese variety shows. In a quiet corner, Liu Shishi was on the phone with Song Ci, softly asking, "Honey, can I take this endorsement deal?"

On the other end of the phone, Song Ci weighed the pros and cons and quickly sorted through the information: "Gucci, PPR Group, the Pinault family of France!"

Liu Shishi didn't urge her husband, but waited patiently. She understood that some things can't be judged by appearances alone. There's no such thing as a free lunch, and there might be more complex considerations behind this matter.

About five or six minutes later, Song Ci slowly spoke: "This endorsement is acceptable. Let Cai Yinong bring a professional team to negotiate the contract details."

Hearing her husband's affirmative reply, Liu Shishi's tense nerves immediately relaxed, and she smiled broadly: "I'll contact Sister K right away."

Three days later, on May 16th, the group of young people who were originally scheduled to go to Germany had to extend their trip in France due to certain circumstances.

On this day, Gucci, one of the world's top luxury brands and one of the six blue-blooded brands, officially announced that Chinese actress Liu Shishi had become Gucci's global brand ambassador.

There was no trial period; he was directly appointed! This is the first time in Gucci's century-long history that a global brand ambassador has been appointed, and he is an Asian.

The news caused an uproar in the entertainment industry, and Liu Shishi once again topped the Weibo hot search list.

"Although the top female celebrity is abroad, she is on the trending topics in China every day, and has been dominating the list for a week!"

"Liu Shishi is amazing. She is the first global brand ambassador in Gucci's 100-year history. She really makes the Chinese people proud."

In the past, foreign luxury brands have always been aloof towards Chinese celebrities and rarely appointed them as spokespeople. This time, Liu Shishi's sudden appearance as a Gucci spokesperson has indeed brought a great shock to the domestic entertainment industry.

While netizens were shocked and proud of Liu Shishi's endorsement of Gucci, some also left sour comments:

"It's all because of connections with men!"

"I'm certain that without Song Ci's support, Liu Shishi would never have gotten the Gucci endorsement!"

However, the domestic turmoil was irrelevant to Liu Shishi at the moment, as she had received a more important mission and had no time to be distracted.

Just half a day after Gucci officially announced its global brand ambassador, Henri Pinault, president of Printemps, one of the world's three largest luxury goods groups, released a major statement on Twitter:
To promote cultural exchange between China and France, he decided to return two Chinese treasures from the Pinault family collection—the rat and rabbit heads from the twelve bronze animal heads of the Yuanmingyuan—to China free of charge.

They also invited Ms. Liu Shishi, the brand ambassador for Gucci under the group, to serve as the cultural relic repatriation ambassador, asking her to bring the rat and rabbit heads back to China.

The news of Henri Pinault returning the national treasure was like a bolt from the blue, instantly shaking the entire country of China and even alarming high-ranking officials of the Chinese government. The Chinese Embassy in France also came forward to confirm the matter immediately.

It was 4 p.m. in Paris, which was 1 a.m. in Beijing.

At this moment, Song Ci was standing on the balcony, bathed in moonlight, answering an overseas phone call.

"President Song, the leaders highly praised your wife's contributions to promoting cultural exchanges between China and France. The Pinault family's willingness to return these two national treasures free of charge is truly inspiring and uplifting to the nation."

Song Ci spoke modestly: "What my wife did is insignificant! It is only because our country is now prosperous and strong that foreigners look at us with respect."

"Henry Pinault specifically requested that you and your wife attend the handover ceremony of the artifacts, and I hope you will not decline."

"Mr. Kong, please rest assured, I will set off for Paris tomorrow to bring back the two national treasures with my wife."

Mr. Kong, who was stationed in France, laughed heartily: "Good, good, good. I'll feel at ease if the rat and rabbit heads return to their homeland as soon as possible, lest things get complicated."

After ending the call, Song Ci couldn't help but chuckle: "Henry Pinault is treating me like a comprador! But it's fine, Tengda does need such a powerful ally in Europe."

At this point, Henry Pinault's scheme became crystal clear.

The Gucci ambassadorship is merely a bargaining chip, while the return of the two national treasures is the key to the Pinault family's full-scale entry into the Chinese market.

Having clarified the matter and understood the key points, Song Ci felt no longer troubled. WeChat's monopoly on the mobile IM market in Europe is now being watched by the EU's communications security authorities.

After cooperating with the Pinault family, with this local power broker mediating, Tengda's pressure will be greatly reduced. However, to get the Pinault family to help Tengda, they will need to offer substantial benefits.

After making a plan in her mind, Song Ci returned to her bedroom, took out her encrypted phone, and made a call to the other side of the ocean.

The call was answered quickly, and a warm voice came through: "Dear Song, what brings you to contact me?"

Song Ci chuckled lightly: "Mr. Paulson, you've made quite a bit of money shorting the euro lately, haven't you?"

On the other end of the phone was John Paulson, the "God of Short Selling" who had previously collaborated with Song Ci to aggressively short US stocks during the subprime mortgage crisis.

Paulson chuckled: "Likewise, I earn more, but doesn't that mean you, Song, earn more too?"

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Song Ci changed the subject and got straight to the point: "Paulson, I'd like to invite another new partner to join us."

"Oh. Who is it?"

Henri Pinault, head of the French Printemps Group.

“A Frenchman!” John Paulson hesitated, a hint of wariness in his voice. “We’re shorting the euro, reaping profits from the EU. You’re planning to invite a Frenchman to join us? Are you sure there won’t be any problems?”

"What does the European debt crisis have to do with the Pinault family? Do you think Henri Pinault would refuse a lot of money?"

Song Ci asked rhetorically, his words hitting the nail on the head: "With the Pinault family, a local powerhouse, joining us, things will be much easier for us in Europe."

“That’s true!” John Paulson asked himself honestly. He too would have been tempted by the money. It was billions or even tens of billions of dollars in profit. Whether the EU was doing well or not was definitely not something Henry Pinault would care about.

"Then it's settled. I'll fly to Paris tomorrow to invite Henri Pinault to join us in shorting the euro."

"Okay! You can decide."

After hanging up the phone, Song Ci gazed at the night outside the window and sighed deeply.

He went to great lengths to build Tenda into a world-class multinational social media giant, and his efforts to win over powerful figures in Europe and America were a last resort. The task ahead is arduous and long!
(End of this chapter)