Entertainment mogul: Starting his business with the internet

Chapter 343 French Socialite
In the Denon Room of the Louvre Museum in Paris, the Baroque reliefs on the dome gleamed in the morning light, exuding a solemn and sacred aura.

In the center of the hall, the rabbit and rat heads of the twelve zodiac animals from the Yuanmingyuan Garden are quietly displayed in a showcase.

The two national treasures are covered with patina, and the varying depths of the patterns resemble the warp and weft of time, yet they cannot conceal the spiritual charm flowing in the eyes of the animal heads.

With their ears slightly twitched as if listening intently, and their tails curled as if ready to leap, it's as if time has turned back to the 18th century, and they still stand in front of Haiyan Hall, singing joyfully to announce the time with the water jets.

As Henri Pinault's specially invited ambassador for the return of cultural relics, Liu Shishi, carrying a mission, stood dignifiedly in an elegant moon-white cheongsam beside the display case.

Mr. Kong, who was stationed in France, stood side by side with Ms. Liu Shishi, their eyes fixed on the two national treasures on the display stand, their expressions filled with excitement.

On the other side of the display case is Henri Pinault, the current head of the Pinault family, a giant in the world of luxury goods.

After Mr. Kong signed the handover documents on behalf of the Chinese government, the entire hall erupted in enthusiastic applause, signifying that these two treasures, after a century of vicissitudes, could finally return to their homeland.

Reporters in the media area raised their cameras, and the sounds of shutters and flashes filled the air, capturing this historic moment forever.

During the interview, France's largest news agency spoke first: "Mr. Pinault, I am a reporter from AFP. Why did you suddenly return two treasures from your collection to China? Is there any special consideration behind this?"

Henry Pinault, dressed in a haute couture suit, a sapphire brooch gleaming on his chest, exuded extraordinary poise as he calmly delivered his grand and dignified reasons:
“These cultural relics originally belonged to their homeland, and I am simply returning them to their rightful owner today.”

"Ms. Liu Shishi, I am a reporter from The Times of London. I understand that you are an actress from China, but you were not well-known internationally before."

Why were you chosen as Gucci's global brand ambassador and the ambassador for this cultural relic repatriation?

The atmosphere on the scene became tense for a moment, as the British female reporter's interview was clearly tinged with a hint of provocation.

Mr. Kong glanced at Liu Shishi beside him with a hint of worry, fearing that the actress, making her first appearance on the international stage, might mishandle the situation and create a negative impact.

Liu Shishi smiled slightly, without a trace of panic, gracefully displaying the elegance of a Chinese woman, and speaking fluent English with a pure British accent:

“I am honored to have been selected by Gucci to be its global brand ambassador! And standing here today as an ambassador for the return of cultural relics has nothing to do with my identity or profession, but is my responsibility as a Chinese person.”

The powerful answer drew another round of applause from the audience. Song Ci, standing in the crowd, looked at the composed and poised Liu Shishi with eyes full of satisfaction. Her daughter Liu's first international appearance was truly outstanding.

The British female reporter exclaimed with some surprise, "Ms. Liu, your English is very standard and fluent."

A faint smile appeared on Liu Shishi's lips. It was worth it for her previous crazy practice of spoken English and pronunciation with a high-end private tutor. Now it was finally coming in handy.

Fearing that foreign reporters would continue to make things difficult for Liu Shishi, Mr. Kong took over the topic at the right time: "The return of cultural relics is a bridge for friendship between China and France."

Ms. Liu Shishi's participation added a greater human touch to this cultural exchange. This also proves that people from all walks of life can contribute to cultural exchange.

As dusk falls, the Fontainebleau estate, surrounded by a tributary of the Seine, is brightly lit.

The extended Lincoln limousine slowly rolled over the century-old cobblestone road and finally came to a steady stop in front of the manor's archway. The door opened, and Asia's richest man, Song Ci, and his wife, Liu Shishi, appeared gracefully.

Henri Pinault, who was talking with the French Finance Minister, immediately went to greet her: "Song, welcome Mrs. Hehe!"

The luxury goods guru gave Song Ci a warm hug, and when his gaze swept over Liu Shishi, a look of amazement flashed in his eyes.

The richest woman wore a brocade cheongsam adorned with Suzhou embroidery and magnolias, her hair tied up with a jade hairpin, exuding a unique oriental charm amidst a sea of ​​haute couture gowns.

On the west terrace of the manor's banquet hall, three Parisian socialites dressed in Dior haute couture leaned against the carved railing, gazing at the evening's protagonists, Song Ci and Liu Shishi, and whispering among themselves.

Margaux Bourbon swirled the champagne in her glass and chuckled softly, "I heard that Mrs. Song is a television actress?"

Audrey Geiss gently touched the family heirloom sapphire necklace around her neck, her words tinged with disdain: "Asian nouveau riche always like to use celebrities to decorate their image, just like the antiques they collect, which are hard to distinguish from the real ones."

Delphine Arnault looked at Song Ci with great interest: "I have to say, this richest man in Asia is really charming, isn't he!"

Of all the men I've met, only Hollywood's Leonardo DiCaprio can rival him in terms of charisma and looks. I'd really like to get to know him.

These three socialites, Margaux and Audrey, came from families that were prominent in French history, but in modern times they have gradually declined and their influence is not what it used to be.

Delphine's father, Bernard Arnault, is the richest man in France, and the family's LVMH Group is at its peak, with businesses covering fashion, perfume, wine, watches, jewelry and many other areas.

Delphine herself is also very capable. In 2001, she was responsible for developing and promoting new Dior perfumes, which were a great success in the global market.

At the age of 29, she became the only female member of the board of directors of the Louis Vuitton Group, was regarded as the heir to the Arnault family, and was one of the most powerful women in the French business world.

Therefore, the entire French socialite circle revolves around Delphine Arnault.

Margot Bourbon and Audrey Guise exchanged a glance. Seeing that Delphine Arnault greatly appreciated Song Dynasty poetry, they cleverly changed their attitude and began to flatter her.

"Song Ci is indeed very elegant. The media reports that he is the most handsome man in Asia. It is said that even Her Majesty the Queen of England has praised his charm."

"Come on, let's go and get to know them too." Delphine Arnaud grew increasingly fond of the Song Dynasty poems as she looked at them, lifting her skirt slightly with her fingertips as she walked towards the Song Dynasty poems displayed in the center of the banquet.

Over there, Henri Pinault was introducing several French dignitaries to Song Ci.

"This is François Bettencourt Meijer, President of L'Oréal Group; this is Axel Dumas, President of Hermès..."

With a smile on her face, Song Ci shook hands with each of the French celebrities, her demeanor gentle yet carrying a subtle sense of detachment.

In another corner of the banquet hall, several young heirs watched their elders' actions with curiosity and calculation in their eyes.

Why was Uncle Henry so enthusiastic towards this new Far Eastern tycoon, not only hosting a grand welcome party for him but also introducing him to political and business elites?

"Our family business has no connection with internet companies?" Roddy Dumas, the second son of Hermès president Axel Dumas, was very curious. He was always outspoken.

Catherine Pinault took a sip of her red wine and looked up at her brother, Paul Pinault, the future head of the family. She was also puzzled as to why her father was going to such lengths to curry favor with Asia's richest man. "The elders have their reasons for doing this," Paul Pinault said calmly, his words perfectly sealed despite knowing his father's intentions.

The families present today, the Arnault family and the Bettencourt-Méjart family, are currently the wealthiest families in France, controlling LVMH and L'Oréal respectively.

The once-powerful Giese and Schneider families have gradually faded into obscurity, their influence in the business and political spheres rapidly declining.

As for the Pinault and Hermès families, they have formed an alliance to perpetuate their family influence through the luxury goods industry, but their businesses are being eroded by the ambitious Bernard Arnault.

As the head of the family business, Henry Pinault naturally hoped to take the family business to the next level and to successfully open up the Far East market with the help of Asia's richest man.

"Tch, how boring." Seeing that Paul Pinault was tight-lipped and he couldn't get any information out of him, Roddy Dumar immediately lost interest. He straightened his suit and prepared to meet a few socialites for a romantic encounter.

After Paul Pinault left, only the brother and sister remained. Catherine Pinault, no longer holding back, said, "Father has always wanted to transform the family business. Is he pinning his hopes on this person?"

Paul Pinault nodded: "The luxury goods industry has a limited impact on the national economy, especially with the rise of countless new brands."

LVMH Group is pressing harder, and my father is under immense pressure; otherwise, he wouldn't have offered two precious treasures as bargaining chips to win over Song Ci.

"Does this richest man in Asia really have that much power?" Catherine Pinault stared at the young and handsome Song Ci from afar, her face filled with disbelief.

Paul Pinault glanced around, and seeing no one was nearby, whispered to his sister, "Father revealed that Song Ci and Wall Street... shorting... have already made our family this much money."

"Those vampires on Wall Street actually cooperated with him!" Catherine Pinault exclaimed, then realized she had spoken too loudly and hurriedly covered her mouth.

Their gazes toward Song Ci grew intense. The financial market was ever-changing; even large families like theirs dared not easily attempt futures and foreign exchange trading. They never imagined that Song Ci could make such a fortune in the financial market.

“That’s why Father is so enthusiastic.” Paul Pinault wore a matter-of-fact expression. As long as it could bring the Pinault family a lot of money, he would treat them not only as honored guests but also as ancestors.

At this moment, Delphine had already walked up to Song Ci. The beloved daughter of France's richest man first gracefully bowed to elders such as Henri Pinault, and then slightly parted her red lips:

“Mr. Song, I’ve long admired your name. I am Delphine Arnault, President of Dior.”

"Hello, Miss Delphine." Song Ci calmly sized up the Queen Dior before her.

The rich scent of her perfume, mixed with an alluring aroma, made her resemble a rose adorned with poison.

Henry Pinault grinned mischievously. "Song, Delphine, you young people chat! I have other guests to entertain, please excuse me for a moment."

Several French business tycoons understood the unspoken message and each sought out new targets for conversation.

“Mr. Song, you are truly captivating to women, and your business acumen is equally astounding.” Delphine’s gaze was intense, making no attempt to hide her admiration for Song Ci.

"You flatter me!" The French woman's blatant gaze and direct approach were a bit overwhelming for Song Ci.

Not far away, Liu Shishi, who was chatting with several diplomats' wives, noticed a foreign woman harassing her husband. Her face darkened immediately, and she was about to step forward to assert her sovereignty.

Before he could take two steps, he was blocked by Delphine's two henchmen.

The two socialites spoke at length in French, which Liu Shishi couldn't understand a word of. She frowned and said, "I'm sorry, I don't speak French."

Margot Bourbon and Audrey Guise exchanged a glance, both with haughty expressions, and then asked in English, "So you're Liu Shishi, the Gucci spokesperson?"

The two men's condescending attitude greatly displeased Liu Shishi: "I am Liu Shishi, what brings you two here?"

“Delphine is discussing important matters with Song Ci. You shouldn’t disturb her. Going there now would be extremely impolite!” Margot Bourbon raised her chin, completely disregarding Liu Shishi.

"Do we know each other? What gives you the audacity to talk to me like that?" Liu Shishi laughed angrily. Someone was making a move on her husband, and the other party was so shameless. She told her not to bother them.

Seeing the tense atmosphere, Madam Kong, fearing a conflict between Liu Shishi and the two socialites, quickly stepped forward to smooth things over.

Song Ci noticed the commotion on his wife's side: "Miss Delphine, who are those two?"

Delphine followed Song Ci's gaze and said casually, "They are Margot Bourbon and Audrey Guise, both from families with a long history."

"History?" Song Ci scoffed. "The old aristocracy of Paris always thought that bloodline was more eternal than the stars, but they ignored the fact that we live in a technological age."

Do these women, who maintain a respectable life by selling off their ancestral property, understand the impact of future technology on the world?

Delphine was struck by the imposing Song Dynasty poem, and couldn't help but think of the tech upstarts in Silicon Valley who were constantly vying for power with old money families.

Suddenly, I understood why the Pinault family valued Song Ci so much. He was the head of a world-class internet company and the only one who could rival Silicon Valley giants.

"How dare you speak to me like that?" Margot Bourbon and Audrey Gies couldn't believe that an Eastern actress would dare to talk back to them.

He roared in fury, "You vulgar woman, do you even know the prestige of the noble surnames Bourbon and Guise?"

Liu Shishi smiled dismissively; she had just learned about the two men's backgrounds from Madam Kong's introduction.

They were just two declining families, their former glory long gone, and the two men had no right to act arrogantly in front of the wife of Asia's richest man.

"I heard that your family is short of funds and is struggling with the restoration of the castle. Would you like my foundation to donate some money for the repairs? Otherwise, it would be difficult for you if the ancestral property suddenly started leaking one day."

Liu Shishi's words were truly scathing, precisely striking at the two socialites' most painful wounds and deeply provoking them.

Margot Bourbon and Audrey Guise were so angry that they trembled and were speechless for a moment.

Liu Shishi, beaming with joy at her triumphant start, saw Song Ci already by her side. Under the watchful eyes of everyone, she affectionately took her husband's arm, ruthlessly crushing the so-called aristocratic dignity.

(End of this chapter)