Chapter 497 Heavy Trust

The cabin was filled with the unique tranquility of high altitude, and outside the window was the thick night. Occasionally, scattered lights from cities on the distant continent could be seen below.

Liu Shishi curled up on the sofa, with a thin blanket covering her body, her head resting lightly on her husband's shoulder.

Song Ci put his arms around her, and his fingertips stroked her arms from time to time, bringing waves of warmth.

On the table in front of the two people, the tablet screen was lit, and disaster news was scrolling silently on it.

"One by one." Liu Shishi's voice was a little hoarse, breaking the silence. She tilted her head slightly and looked at her husband's well-defined jaw. "How much should we donate?"

Before boarding the plane, Zeng hurriedly called Cai Yinong.

Cai Yinong was also in a very difficult situation. After all, her identity as the No. 1 sister was too special, and the conventional standards of the entertainment industry did not apply to her at all.

She understood what Cai Yinong had not yet expressed.

As the top star on the Forbes Celebrity List and with an annual income of over 100 million yuan, he is no longer just an actor, but also a symbol that has attracted countless attention.

Good deeds will be magnified and scrutinized, and any slight "shortcoming" may cause controversy.

For ordinary stars, donating one or two million is a gesture of kindness and a role model; but if she only donated this amount, she would probably be immediately overwhelmed by spitting of being "unkind" and "stingy".

Song Ci was silent for a moment, his gaze shifting from the screen to the boundless darkness outside the porthole, as if weighing his options. The soft cabin light cast subtle shadows in his deep eyes.

After a moment, he lowered his head and gently rubbed his wife's head with his chin: "30 million in cash, plus 20 million in emergency supplies, that's about it."

This number matches Liu Shishi's identity, so that she does not appear frivolous in the face of a huge disaster and retains the proper style.

Liu Shishi suddenly felt more confident and nodded immediately, "Okay, I'll have Sister Tong transfer 50 million from the foundation to the China Red Cross account as soon as possible."

Although she has a "Poetry Charity Foundation" under her name, which is managed by a professional team, she still decided to donate through the Red Cross.

First, avoid being caught in a situation where you are in trouble.

If the funds are still operated in the foundation, even if they are all used for disaster relief in the end, it will easily give people a reason to criticize them and be accused of "fake donations."

It is better to donate directly to large public fundraising foundations, which is clean and has greater credibility.

Second, her foundation's main focus is donating money to support education and helping poor children, and it lacks experience in emergency disaster relief.

As soon as he finished speaking, Liu Shishi felt her husband's body pause almost imperceptibly.

He shook his head slowly, his tone calm but with an undeniable denial: "Let's go to another one."

Liu Shishi was slightly startled, raised her head, and there was a hint of doubt in her eyes.

Her husband did not explain the reason, but she, as his closest companion, instantly grasped that it was a judgment that went beyond public cognition.

Without asking "why", her absolute trust made her understand that her husband's caution and decisiveness in such matters were far beyond her reach.

There must be profound truths behind the information and judgments Song Ci possessed. So, Liu Shishi quickly responded, "I understand."

So, which one should I switch to?

Just as she was thinking, Song Ci seemed to suddenly remember something and said, "You can donate it to the Han Hong Charity Foundation."

"Han Hong?" Liu Shishi was genuinely surprised this time, her eyes slightly widening. "She also has a foundation?"

In her impression, Han Hong is a talented singer with a generous personality and enthusiasm for public welfare. She is often seen in the news, but she did not expect that her husband would directly name this relatively "non-mainstream" foundation.

"Yes, that's her." Song Ci nodded and explained patiently, "It may not be as big as the state-owned giants, but its execution is well-reputed.

Han Hong personally led the team to the front lines, ensuring high transparency of funding. "When it comes to disaster relief, efficiency is sometimes more important than scale."

No other organizations were evaluated, only the advantages of the Han Hong Foundation were highlighted, but this is enough.

The doubt in Liu Shishi's eyes instantly turned into enlightenment and recognition.

She believes that Song Ci's vision and judgment far exceed media reports or public impressions. When it comes to disaster relief, what could be more important than "efficiency, transparency, and directness"?

"Okay!" Without further hesitation, he sat up straight and took the satellite phone. "I'll notify Sister Tong right away."

The call was connected quickly, and after the instructions were given, I breathed a sigh of relief, as if a heavy burden had been lifted from my shoulders.

Leaning back into Song Ci's arms, she felt his reassuring warmth and strength.

Song Ci kissed her forehead approvingly and whispered, "Well done, wife."

"It's because you are here." Liu Shishi responded softly, clasping her fingers together.

Song Ci pulled the blanket higher and covered his wife's shoulders: "Sleep for a while, it's still early before you fall to the ground."

Beijing time, April 20, 11:00 p.m., Capital International Airport.

The plane landed smoothly, the cabin door opened, and a cool night breeze blew in, but it could not blow away the heaviness and fatigue between Song Ci's brows.

Seeing Song Ci and Liu Shishi stepping down the gangway, the assistant who had been waiting for a long time immediately stepped forward.

"Chairman, Madam, the car is ready. We're heading directly to the group headquarters. Mr. Zhang, Mr. Wang, and other senior executives are already waiting in the conference room."

Song Ci nodded slightly, without any unnecessary greetings, and simply said, "Let's go." Then he got into the car with Liu Shishi.

In the top-floor conference room of the Tengda Technology Building, the lights are on.

Wang Jing had just finished a brief call, put down her phone, and looked across at CEO Zhang Yong. "Mr. Zhang, Mr. Song's motorcade has exited the airport expressway and is expected to arrive at the company in twenty minutes."

Zhang Yong nodded, his face solemn. He tapped his knuckles lightly on the polished conference table, interrupting the scattered whispers among the executives.

"Everyone." The voice was steady and powerful, instantly attracting everyone's attention. "Director Song will be here soon. Time is running out, so let's start the meeting first.

Liu Yan, please first report on the overall public sentiment on social media and the public statements of major companies."

The Weibo president who was named immediately sat up straight.

As the helmsman of the country's largest public opinion platform, she has also been under tremendous pressure in the past ten hours.

It is necessary to monitor the platform dynamics 24 hours a day to prevent the spread of rumors, guide public sentiment, and pay close attention to the reactions of all sectors of society.

Liu spoke quickly but clearly: "Public sentiment is mainly one of grief, prayer and concern.

At the same time, there is a strong demand for real-time disaster information and rescue progress, and unprecedented interest in donations from celebrities, businesses, and wealthy individuals.”

After a pause, he concluded: "The public opinion field is forming a 'big test' on corporate social responsibility.

The public expects leading companies, especially platform-based technology companies like us, to step forward.”

Wang Jing immediately responded with a firm tone, "The group must make a statement as soon as possible and put real money into action."

Zhang Yong nodded and glanced around the entire audience: "Director Song and I discussed this before the plane landed.

His opinion was very clear: the country and society are facing great difficulties, and Tengda, as a company that has benefited from the development of the times, must shoulder its due social responsibilities and take on as much as possible.

Based on this principle, I tentatively propose that the group donate 300 million yuan in the first instance for emergency relief and subsequent post-disaster reconstruction. What are your thoughts?"

300 million! This number caused a brief silence in the conference room.

It far exceeds the donation amount of all its current peers, demonstrating Tenda's courage as a top giant.

But the executives all knew that this was most likely a consensus reached long ago by Zhang Yong and Song Ci, and that the proposal at this moment was more about following procedures and unifying ideas.

Sure enough, after a brief silence, CFO Chen An was the first to speak out: "I agree. The amount is appropriate, which not only demonstrates sincerity and strength, but also won't be too abrupt and cause unnecessary pressure."

Other presidents echoed this sentiment, believing the amount was appropriate and responsible.

"Okay, since everyone agrees, it's settled," Zhang Yong agreed, adding, "In addition, Chairman Song will personally donate 200 million yuan through compliant channels.

The public relations department should unify its propaganda and ensure that information is released in a timely and accurate manner.

"Understood." Wang Jing and the head of the public relations department responded at the same time.

Wang Jing quickly estimated in her mind: 300 million from the group plus 200 million from the chairman. She and Zhang Yong are also at the top of the rich list, so they donated 50 million each.

The total amount of the "Tengda Group" is at least 600 million, which is enough to be one of the highest donations made by private enterprises and entrepreneurs across the country in this disaster. No one can find fault with it, whether in terms of amount or attitude.

At this moment, clear and hurried footsteps were heard outside the door, approaching from afar. Then, the door was pushed open by the assistant.

Song Ci strode in, dusty and exhausted, and sat down directly at the main seat: "Everyone, continue. There is no time for formalities."

Zhang Yong quickly reported the key points of the meeting.

Song Ci nodded with satisfaction: "The amount is fine. This is the principle."

Then he emphasized his tone, looked at the chairman of the Tengda Charity Foundation who was attending the meeting, and reminded him: "The Tengda Charity Foundation must plan, implement, and implement this money.

Every expenditure, every purchase and distribution of supplies must be absolutely open and transparent.”

"Don't worry, Chairman. The foundation will ensure that the donations are used wisely, transparently and efficiently." The chairman immediately stood up and solemnly promised.

Song Ci nodded and turned to the presidents of WeChat and Weibo: "On the way here, I received a call from a leader. The leader hopes that Tengda will provide a convenient channel for national donations.

The official designated public welfare donation platform was urgently launched on the core entrances of WeChat and Weibo to accept donations from users.

Wu Yi and Liu Yan looked at each other and instantly understood the deep meaning and weight of it.

The authorities obviously want to use the huge user scale and influence of WeChat and Weibo to turn them into "amplifiers" and "connectors" of social goodwill.

Lower the donation threshold, gather the small kindnesses of Chinese people across the country and even around the world, and form a torrent of donations worth billions or even tens of billions to support rescue and reconstruction.

"WeChat is fine!" Wu Yi immediately declared, "I'll organize a technical team to get this done overnight."

"Weibo is the same!" Liu Yan followed closely. "We've pinned the trending searches to the top, highlighted them on the startup page, and officially promoted the donation portal. We've also launched a special 'micro-charity' program."

"Okay!" Song Ci said emphatically, "Technology, traffic, and operations are all green-lighted, and all group resources will be prioritized for cooperation. This isn't a commercial project, it's a political task."

In a slightly old office in Jingxin Building.

It was late at night, but the lights in the office were still on.

The famous singer Han Hong, with a hoarse voice, was having a heated discussion with a few of the foundation's initial employees.

"Yes, that's it. Tents, emergency lights, convenience foods, medicines... everything on the list must be loaded into the truck tomorrow!"

Han Hong pointed her finger at the southwest location on the map and said, "I'll personally take the car there!"

Her "Han Hong Charity Foundation" was only established last year. It is small in scale and not well-known.

Compared with the hundreds of millions of funds mobilized by major official agencies and well-known foundations, this amount of power seems insignificant.

Most of the donations she has received so far come from some old friends in her circle who trust her. The amount is limited, but it is also a token of her appreciation.

The office door was suddenly pushed open, and the finance girl ran in, her face full of shock and dullness, holding a freshly printed A4 paper tightly in her hand.

"Sister Hong! We received a large donation!"

Han Hong was busy checking the list, and without looking up, she waved her hand: "How much is it? Now, any amount is a token of my appreciation, just keep a record of it."

I thought, with the foundation's current popularity, the so-called "large amount" would be at most one or two million, and it was probably a friend who came to help out.

The little girl's voice was still like a dream: "No, Sister Hong, it's 50 million! It just arrived, 50 million!"

"How much?!" Han Hong stood up suddenly, a look of disbelief on her face, staring intently at the finance department: "Fifty million? Are you sure?"

"That's right! Sister Hong, this is the online banking electronic receipt that I just printed out!"

Han Hong snatched the paper and glanced eagerly at the remitter information column and the remarks column.

Remitter: Peking Poetry Charity Foundation

Amount: 50,000,000.00

Note: Liu Shishi's charity fund is used to support emergency rescue in the southwest China earthquake (20 million yuan of which is designated for purchasing emergency supplies)

"Liu Shishi's charity foundation?" Han Hong was stunned, and countless thoughts flashed through her mind.

How did the wife of the richest man know about this newly established, little-known foundation and specifically donate such a huge sum of money there?

This is so unreasonable!

With the strength of Liu Shishi and Tengda, they have too many options. They can donate to large state-owned foundations or operate through their own channels. Why did they choose her?

Just when I was feeling confused and puzzled, my cell phone rang. After hesitating for a moment, I picked it up.

"Hello, is this Ms. Han Hong?" The voice on the other end of the line was calm, professional and polite.

"I am, who are you?"

"I'm Zhang Tong, the chairman of the Poetry Charity Foundation."

Han Hong was shocked and immediately responded politely, "Chairman Zhang! I just received a very large donation from your foundation. I'm surprised and grateful, and I haven't had time to thank you yet."

"You're welcome. This donation was a personal decision made by Ms. Liu Shishi."

The communication was brief and efficient. After hanging up the phone, Han Hong stood in the simple office, feeling uneasy for a long time.

Although she didn't fully understand why Liu Shishi trusted her so much, this phone call made her clearly feel the heavy expectations and entrustment behind this huge sum of money.

This is the biggest opportunity since the foundation was founded, but also an unprecedented challenge. Since I started working in philanthropy in 2008, I've seen a lot and know the depths of this industry.

Her idealistic enthusiasm repeatedly collided with the hard wall of reality, and she even experienced powerlessness and frustration. It was this experience that prompted her to establish her own foundation four years later.

Accepting the 50 million now is equivalent to having a relationship with Liu Shishi and Tengda.

This was enough to bring the "Han Hong Charity Foundation" into the public eye overnight, make it famous, and gain unprecedented attention and resources.

But this is also a huge pressure, like a double-edged sword.

Countless pairs of eyes will immediately stare at you, and some of them will be scrutinizing, suspicious, and even critical.

Every penny of this money will be magnified and scrutinized.

Any slight omission, unclear accounts, or incomplete purchases will lead to devastating public backlash, which will not only damage her personal reputation but may even ruin her reputation.

"We must make good use of this money!" Han Hong took a deep breath, her eyes extremely determined.

Then, I realized that there was something I had to do immediately.

In the dead of night, Han Hong sat in front of her computer, typing a blog post very seriously. It was not only a thank-you letter, but also a military order and a public commitment to the whole society.

(End of this chapter)