Chapter 485: Second in the World

It was late at night, and the black Maybach drove smoothly into Jingyuan.

After sending her sister-in-law Liu Yuqing back to school, Liu Shishi finally returned home.

"Madam, you're back." Sister Li, the housekeeper, came forward, her voice gentle and respectful.

A faint smell of barbecue smoke wafted quietly in the air. Sister Li's eyes couldn't help but fall on the bag in the hostess's hand that was wrapped in layers of thermal bags, and she instantly understood what was going on.

He was very tactful and didn't ask about the "midnight snack". He just took the coat that Liu Shishi took off and put it away skillfully.

"Is the gentleman upstairs?" Liu Shishi was changing her shoes, her tone filled with a bit of relaxation after returning home.

"The master is holding a video conference in the study upstairs." Sister Li responded in a low voice, and at the same time signaled the servant to prepare hot towels and calming tea.

Liu Shishi nodded, and without letting the servant follow her, she carried the bag of still warm barbecue and tiptoed up to the second floor.

The door of the study was not closed tightly, and a warm light shone through. From inside, the deep and clear voice of her husband Song Ci could be heard, interspersed with a few words of English conversation from time to time.

Liu Shishi quietly moved closer and saw through the crack in the door that the huge LCD screen was divided into several windows.

In addition to Song Ci, Zhang Yong, and Wang Jing, core figures of the Tenda Group, there were also faces of Wilson, President of WeChat North America, and several other senior executives.

He didn't go in immediately, but just stood quietly outside the door, listening to the discussion inside.

On the other side of the screen, Wilson seemed a little excited and spoke quickly: "Boss, those student founders of Snapchat are crazy!

60% of the shares for $500 million! That's an outrageous valuation. I think we should hold off a little longer and apply some pressure.

Perhaps we can have our Seattle lab immediately launch a product that disappears after reading, spread the word, scare them a bit, dampen their enthusiasm, and then we can negotiate the price later."

Although Liu Shishi didn't fully understand business, she knew that this was a common negotiation tactic, and she couldn't help but wonder how her husband would respond.

Song Ci sat in the large leather chair, pondered for a moment, and then made a decision that surprised Wilson: "No need. Promise them $500 million. Get those 60% shares as soon as possible, quickly."

Wilson was visibly stunned, his face filled with confusion and reluctance. "Boss, isn't this too hasty? We have enough leverage..."

Song Ci waved his hand to interrupt him, his tone calm but unquestionable: "Wilson, I know what you think, first the military and then the courtesy, this is the common practice.

But have you ever considered that North American companies fully supported Guanhai's rise to prominence, investing a lot of resources and connections, and now that the results are showing, WeChat is enjoying a rare 'honeymoon period' in the United States."

He paused, then looked at the screen sharply: "This window of opportunity won't remain open forever, the wind direction can change at any time.

We must seize the opportunity now, while all relationships are running smoothly, to implement these key strategic investments as soon as possible. Delaying this will only lead to problems.

If Google and Facebook react and get involved, or if something unexpected happens at the policy level, this matter will most likely fail.

$500 million is certainly not cheap, but compared to the risk of missing out on the entire track, it’s worth it.”

This explanation was so clear and logical that not only did Wilson on the other side of the screen suddenly understand and nod his head repeatedly, but even Liu Shishi outside the door nodded slightly.

Zhang Yong and Wang Jing in the conference room also exchanged glances, obviously agreeing with Song Ci's judgment.

The reluctance on Wilson's face disappeared, replaced by urgency and determination: "I see, Boss! I understand!

Please rest assured, ten days, give me ten days, and I will definitely get this thing completely sorted out!"

After a few more details, the video conference finally ended.

Song Ci let out a long sigh, leaned back in his chair, raised his hand and rubbed his temples vigorously, his face revealing an unconcealable fatigue.

The national conference had just ended, and he had to make the final decision on the large amount of work that had been piled up at Tengda and Dewen companies after the conference.

The continuous overload of work for several days was a bit too much even for someone as energetic as him.

Fortunately, the most urgent matters have been basically dealt with. Tomorrow is Sunday, and I can finally take a breath and adjust my pace.

The study door was gently pushed open, and Liu Shishi walked in with a smile, holding up the thermal bag: "Honey, is the meeting over?

I brought you some delicious food from the new barbecue restaurant next to my sister's school. She highly recommended it and it's really delicious."

Song Ci only then noticed his wife's return. The fatigue on his face was instantly dispelled by a gentle smile: "Oh? What's delicious? How was the movie?"

Liu Shishi walked to the desk, unpacked the layers of packaging, and handed the skewers of meat, which were still steaming and had an enticing aroma, to her husband.

While pouting, he complained: "Don't even mention the movie, it's so boring, the plot is so awkward, my little sister and I left halfway through.

I heard that Yang Mi and Ni Ni had a rather interesting private fight over the film's ranking.

Song Ci laughed when he heard this and took the skewers his wife handed him. He usually ate light food, and it had been a long time since he had tasted the "hot" food of the streets and alleys.

I took a bite and the charred meat mixed with the rich aroma of cumin exploded in my mouth, giving me a simple and direct sense of taste satisfaction.

"Hmm! It smells really good! It's really a unique experience to try these occasionally."

Liu Shishi pulled up a chair and sat opposite her husband, supporting her chin with both hands, watching him lovingly as he devoured his meal, enjoying this rare warm moment in daily life.

Song Ci didn't eat too much. He took a few bites to satisfy his craving, then put down the bamboo stick and took the hot towel handed to him by his wife to wipe his hands and mouth.

Seeing that her husband had stopped eating, Liu Shishi ordered the servants to come in and clean up the mess. She naturally took her husband's arm and said, "Are you tired? Go to bed early."

The two returned to the spacious and warm master bedroom together.

Song Ci went to the bathroom to wash his hands first. Liu Shishi followed him in, gently hugged her husband's waist from behind, pressed her face against his broad and strong back, closed her eyes and felt the reassuring warmth and breath.

Under the warm yellow light in the bathroom, the atmosphere is particularly peaceful and warm.

Song Ci washed and dried his hands, then turned around and hugged his wife in his arms. He kissed her smooth forehead and cheeks several times and said softly, "I won't accompany you to the auction tomorrow."

"I know, you're a busy man." Liu Shishi pointed at her husband's chest with her finger in a coquettish manner.

"I'm just going to choose a birthday gift for my father and get a feel for the atmosphere. It seems Simong will be there too. I heard he's going to take a picture for his father."

"Yeah, Boss Wang likes that." Song Ci nodded and explained, "Actually, people like us usually don't go to those kinds of occasions in person.

If there's something I really want, I'll ask my assistant or art consultant to call and bid on it. Those scenes in novels where the boss goes to the auction in person and gets slapped in the face are all bullshit."

Liu Shishi smiled and said, "I understand. If it weren't for showing my appreciation to Dad, I wouldn't have bothered to join in the fun."

Song Ci was amused by his wife's words and tightened his arms around her.

It was late at night and it was past ten o'clock.

After the couple chatted for a while, Song Ci went to the bathroom to wash up.

Liu Shishi was leaning against the headboard, browsing Weibo, the warm yellow light of the bedside lamp illuminating her plain face.

I thought the flashy lights and shadows of "Tiny Times" would dominate the hot searches tonight, but the moment I tapped the screen with my fingertips to light up, I was suddenly stunned.

The top ten hot searches are all about husbands.

"2013 Forbes Global Rich List", "Song Ci Retains Title as Asia's Richest Man", "Song Ci's Wealth Exceeds Bill Gates"...

Behind each entry is a striking crimson word "爆".

Liu Shishi's heartbeat suddenly quickened, and she quickly clicked on the link at the top. Sure enough, Forbes magazine on the other side of the ocean had just released the 2013 Global Billionaires List.

The list shows that Mexican telecom tycoon Carlos Slim has retained his position as the world's richest man for the fourth consecutive year with assets of US$73 billion.

Her husband is closely behind with a net worth of $71.7 billion, surpassing Microsoft founder Bill Gates' $67 billion for the first time and ranking second in the world!

At this moment, the entire Chinese Internet was in an uproar.

For most Chinese people, Carlos Slim is just a distant and vague symbol.

But Bill Gates is different. He is the totem of an entire era and the synonym of "the world's richest man"!

From textbooks to financial magazines, from urban elites to rural teenagers, everyone knows his name.

His Microsoft empire defined the personal computer era, and his wealth story inspired countless entrepreneurs.

Today, a young man from China has surpassed this long-standing peak in terms of wealth.

The sense of honor, intertwined with incredible shock, turned into a complex and surging emotion that swept over everyone who paid attention to this matter.

Liu Shishi swiped the screen with her fingertips, and the comment section was frantically refreshing at a rate of several posts per second:

"Song Ci is awesome!!! Go for it! I'll be the richest man in the world next year!"

"Haha, Forbes is being so discriminatory! Are they deliberately undercutting us? Have you forgotten that blogger's analysis from last time? Tengda alone is worth more than that! Did you just eat up those tens of billions of dollars from Shanhai Capital?"

"They obviously didn't take into account the 8% stake in Tengda's employee option pool! Are they using these little tricks just to prevent a Chinese person from becoming the world's richest person? Disgusting!"

"It doesn't matter! With the speed of Tengda Technology's development, it will definitely reach the top next year! Just wait and see if Forbes can be slapped in the face!"

"Oh my god! Surpassing Bill Gates? Am I still asleep?"

"I used to think rich lists were just a game for foreigners, but today Song Ci taught the world a hard lesson! Chinese culture is the best!"

"@宋词v, V me 5 billion, let's see my strength!"

Liu Shishi looked at them one by one, and her mood gradually changed from initial surprise to a sense of excitement and honor.

Only then did she realize that the fact that her husband's wealth surpassed Bill Gates' had far greater symbolic significance than the number itself.

This seems to be a declaration, announcing the rise of China's emerging technology capital on the global stage.

Even several authoritative official media outlets commented on it, praising it as "a vivid manifestation of the country's economic construction and reform and opening-up achievements," and attached even greater importance to it than when Song Ci first became the richest man in Asia.

What makes people feel most reassured and proud is that this time, many authoritative official media outlets quickly spoke out, gave high recognition and positive guidance, and everything is moving in a good direction.

At this time, the bathroom door opened, and Song Ci came out wiping her wet hair, with fresh water vapor on her body after showering.

Liu Shishi immediately jumped up from the bed, knelt on the soft mattress, and waved her phone in her hand, her face full of uncontrollable excitement and pride. "Husband! Congratulations! You're the second richest man in the world! We've made it!"

Song Ci walked to the bedside, looked at his wife's excited expression, and just smiled calmly: "Just take a look at Forbes, don't take it too seriously. This kind of list only counts the numbers on the surface.

Take Bill Gates, for example. His family office, Cascade Investments, holds countless assets, and his actual wealth far exceeds estimates on the list.

"I know, classmate Song Yiyi, you are the only one who is clear-headed!" Liu Shishi smiled and glanced at him coquettishly, but the joy in her eyes was almost overflowing.

No matter how low-key and indifferent her husband is, it cannot change the fact that he has already stood at the top of the business world, and she is his closest witness and sharer.

Song Ci looked at his wife's gentle smile under the lamp, and his heart warmed. He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek, saying softly, "Okay, Mrs. Rich Man, go take a shower."

Liu Shishi responded with a smile, put her phone on the bedside, jumped off the bed lightly and walked towards the bathroom.

The sound of running water could be heard. Song Ci lazily curled up at the head of the bed, picked up his phone and looked through the hot discussions on the Internet.

The corners of his lips curled up slightly, his eyes lingered on the entry "second in the world" for a moment, and then passed by.

The phone suddenly vibrated and a familiar number popped up on the screen.

Song Ci quickly answered the phone and said respectfully, "Director Li, why haven't you rested yet so late?"

A calm and smiling voice came from the other end of the phone: "Xiao Song, several leaders were just talking about you. This time you have made us Chinese proud."

Song Ci responded modestly: "You are too kind. This is all due to catching up with a good era."

"Don't be so modest." Director Li's tone turned serious, "The commander specifically asked me to convey his congratulations.

He said that seeing our young entrepreneurs achieve such success on the world stage shows that the path of reform and opening up is correct and that the vitality of China's market economy is being fully unleashed.

Song Ci's expression became serious. "Thank you for your affirmation, Chief. I will definitely live up to your expectations, continue to run the business well, and contribute to the development of the country."

"Okay, that's good." Director Li softened his tone, changed the subject, and talked about the real important matter of the night.

“The chief has instructed that you serve as a financial advisor.

I hope you can apply your cutting-edge vision from navigating the global market and your deep understanding of the technology industry to the formulation of our economic strategy and provide advice for our next steps in reform and development."

Song Ci's heart trembled slightly when he heard this. This title sounded ordinary, but it carried great weight.

Its advisory team is composed of academic giants or experienced policymakers. Inviting a young private entrepreneur like him to join is undoubtedly an unprecedented trust and a bold attempt.

This is far more than an honor, but also a heavy responsibility. It is a great opportunity for him to give back to the times and apply his personal abilities on a bigger stage.

Without the slightest hesitation, he responded firmly and sincerely, "Thank you for your trust, Commander! I am honored to have this opportunity and will definitely live up to this trust."

"Excellent! We need responsible and capable young comrades like you." Director Li's voice was filled with satisfaction. "The comrades from the General Office will contact you later regarding the specific procedures and letter of appointment. Get some rest early, Counselor Song."

After the call ended, Song Ci stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, holding the phone, looking at the stars in the sky, with a heart full of lofty sentiments.

(End of this chapter)