Chapter 448 Lost Money
The night is dark and the moon and stars are sparse.
After the premiere, Liu Shishi returned to Jingyuan, but her husband was nowhere to be seen in the huge living room.
"Sister Li, where's Mr.? Is he upstairs?"
When the housekeeper saw his wife return, he quickly stepped forward to take the windbreaker she had taken off: "Madam, the master had something to do and went to see Mr. Lei next door."
Liu Shishi lowered her eyes and glanced at the delicate watch on her wrist, a trace of concern flashing across her brows: "It's already past 10 o'clock, why haven't you come back yet? How long has the master been gone?"
Sister Li calculated the time silently: "Before my husband left, he was on the phone with Mr. Lei at 9 o'clock, so it was almost an hour."
"Okay, I get it. Please prepare some midnight snacks for Mr. Jiang. The shark fin soup that Chef Jiang made last time was pretty good."
"Yes, ma'am."
After Liu Shishi gave the instructions, she took out her cell phone and sent a WeChat message to Song Ci, asking him when he would be home.
In the reception room of Villa No. 8 in Jingyuan next door, the atmosphere was a bit heavy.
At this moment, Lei Jun's face no longer had the warm smile of the past, and his expression was full of confusion.
Just now, the richest man came to visit in person, hoping that the Redmi phone that Xiaomi will launch next year will be pre-installed with the TenOS system developed by Tenda Group.
Redmi pre-installed TenOS means giving up Xiaomi's self-developed MIUI system, which makes him very embarrassed.
"Mr. Lei, MIUI is essentially a customized system based on Google Android, not a truly independent mobile phone system. Running Android on low-end phones like Redmi is subject to severe lag.
TenOS 1.0, meticulously developed by Tenda Group, focuses on popular needs, offering power saving, smooth operation, and high performance at a low price.
Adapting to run on low-end hardware can help Redmi penetrate the mass market, especially in China's third- and fourth-tier cities and rural areas."
Song Ci did not urge Lei Jun to make a decision by using any high-sounding excuses such as instructions from higher-ups. Instead, he started from the product itself and patiently persuaded him.
Although Lei Jun was somewhat tempted, he pondered for a long time but still could not give a definite answer: "Mr. Song, I'm sorry that I can't give you an immediate answer.
After all, your company's mobile phone system is still under development. I have never doubted Tenda's technical strength, but whether TenOS will be truly compatible with Redmi in the future will have to wait until TenOS is released and tested before we can make a final conclusion.
"It should be so." Song Ci nodded slightly. He came today just to give Lei Jun a mental preparation in advance. He didn't expect it to be accomplished overnight. Business cooperation between large groups has always been rigorous and solemn.
"Thank you for your understanding." Lei Jun breathed a sigh of relief. He had a close relationship with the richest man. They were both business partners and neighbors. Unless it touched upon the bottom line of principle, he really did not want to have a falling out with the richest man.
Song Ci was about to say something else when his phone suddenly vibrated in his pocket. He took it out and saw that it was a WeChat message from Shishi. The corners of his mouth unconsciously raised slightly.
I quickly replied: "Chatting with Mr. Lei for a while, I'll be back later."
Lei Jun saw the gentle smile on the rich man's face and jokingly said, "It must be Shishi who sent some news."
"She was invited to attend the Chenglong Film Premiere tonight and just got back." Song Ci explained with a chuckle, then changed the subject, "By the way, Mr. Lei, how is the development of the fingerprint recognition technology for the Xiaomi 3rd generation phone?"
Lei Jun's expression froze, and he said seriously, "The Xiaomi 3 will be equipped with a press-type capacitive fingerprint sensor. The phone will unlock much faster than a traditional password, and it will also support payment verification."
Last year, Xiaomi and Tenda Group jointly acquired the biometrics company AuthenTec. After more than a year of hard work, they finally applied fingerprint recognition technology to mobile phones.
This is the first step for Xiaomi to enter the high-end market, but whether users will buy it or not depends on market feedback.
Song Ci said confidently: "Relax, smartphones are just becoming popular now, and every technological innovation can arouse users' curiosity and encourage them to try it."
"I hope so." The richest man's words made Lei Jun feel a little relieved, but he couldn't help but sigh, "A while ago, iPhone 4s' first smart voice assistant Siri was amazing!
It supports voice commands for basic tasks like setting alarms and checking the weather. Apple's integration of AI into its phones is truly impressive, further solidifying the iPhone's premium position and setting it apart from other brands.
"Mr. Lei, do you envy Siri's functions?" There was a hint of inexplicable temptation in Song Ci's voice.
"Of course I'm envious! If Xiaomi phones can also be equipped with intelligent voice functions and fingerprint recognition, I wouldn't say they are high-end, but they can definitely occupy a firm position in the mid-range market." Lei Jun admitted.
He knows that high-end smartphones involve chips, operations, systems and other aspects. Xiaomi and Apple have a gap in hardware power, but functional innovation can make up for this gap.
"Do you want it?"
"I dream about it!" Lei Jun blurted out, but before he finished speaking, he was suddenly stunned.
Looking at the half-smile on the richest man's face, he reacted instantly, and a light bulb went off in his head. He suddenly remembered the majestic artificial intelligence research and development center of Tengda Group in Donghai.
He asked tentatively, "Mr. Song, has Tengda Group made any breakthroughs in the field of AI?"
"Tengda has been planning artificial intelligence since its inception. It is no exaggeration to say that Tenda has the world's leading AI technology." Song Ci's eyes were deep.
Over the years, Tenda Group has invested countless R&D funds in the field of artificial intelligence and has already accumulated many world-leading achievements. The intelligent voice function on mobile phones is just a piece of cake for it.
Lei Jun immediately rubbed his hands together with excitement, his eyes full of anticipation: "Mr. Song, can Xiaomi and Tenda have in-depth cooperation in the field of artificial intelligence?"
"No problem!" Song Ci chuckled. The fish had finally taken the bait. Once Xiaomi and Tenda were deeply integrated and TenOS was promoted in the future, there would be more room for negotiation.
"Thank you, Mr. Song." Lei Jun's heart was burning with joy.
He understands that there is no free lunch in the world. Using Tenda's technology will inevitably require an exchange of interests, and he will most likely have to switch to Tenda's mobile phone system in the future.
But making Xiaomi a high-end brand is his obsession and dream, and it is worth paying a small price for it.
Song Ci glanced at his phone. It was almost half past ten. Worried that Liu Shishi would get anxious waiting, he stood up and said goodbye: "Mr. Lei, it's getting late. I'm going back now. We'll discuss the details of the cooperation another day."
"I'll visit Tengda some other day." Lei Jun stood up to see him off, then suddenly remembered something. "Xiaomi plans to raise funds next year. I'll let you know the specific time."
The two chatted as they went downstairs. Zhang Tong was watching TV in the living room. Seeing Song Ci finishing her conversation with her husband and about to go back, she quickly stood up and asked, "Is Director Song back home?"
"Well, thank you for bothering me today."
Zhang Tong smiled gently: "No, we are neighbors, we should visit each other more often."
Mr. and Mrs. Lei accompanied Song Ci to the outer door of the villa. Song Ci stopped and said, "Mr. Lei, Sister Tong, please stay!"
The couple said in unison: "Mr. Song, take care."
When Song Ci returned home, the warm yellow light in the living room reflected Liu Shishi's figure. She was leaning on the sofa watching TV. When she saw her husband come in, she raised her eyes and smiled: "You're back."
Song Ci was wearing a thin coat. Liu Shishi stood up and walked forward, reaching out to hold the back of his hand. The cold touch made her brows furrow slightly, and her tone was filled with resentful concern:
"It's freezing cold, why don't you put on more clothes? What if you catch a cold?"
"It's just a few steps away. Mr. Lei's house has plenty of heating." Song Ci smiled.
Liu Shishi wrinkled her delicate nose slightly and pulled him towards the sofa. "You can't be careless. Your health is your capital. Sister Li asked the kitchen to prepare some midnight snacks. Would you like some?"
"I'm actually a little hungry." Song Ci sat down and glanced at the TV screen. He casually asked, "Is Chenglong's 'The Twelve Chinese Zodiac' any good?"
"Not bad," said Liu Shishi as she ordered the housekeeper to serve midnight snacks. "He's still in his usual 'life-threatening' style. There's a scene where he falls from a high altitude in a volcano crater, and it was actually filmed on location. It was really thrilling to watch. But he does look older, and his movements aren't as agile as before."
I paused, remembering a film review I just read: "Many people online praised the action design and the desperate spirit, but the plot was criticized as "routine", still based on the framework of early treasure-heist films, a bit of a cliché and lacking in novelty."
As he spoke, the butler brought over a bowl of braised shark's fin soup. The blue and white porcelain bowl made the soup even richer. "Sir, please."
Song Ci took the bowl, and Liu Shishi said softly beside him, "Master Jiang specially added dried scallops and scallops to enhance the flavor. Come and try it."
Song Ci scooped a spoonful into his mouth and commented, "The shark fin is soft, glutinous and translucent, and the soup is thick and mellow. It's obvious that they put a lot of thought into it. It tastes really good."
"Jiang learned this skill from her senior brother," Sister Li said, laughing. "Her senior brother, Chef Sui, is the executive chef of Hilton. His cooking skills are amazing."
"Oh? That Master Sui is also a disciple of the state banquet chef," Liu Shishi joked. "Let's get him to the Four Seasons Hotel someday." Seeing her husband finish a bowl of soup, she asked, "Would you like another bowl?"
Song Ci waved his hand: "It's too late. I feel uncomfortable if I eat too much before going to bed."
Sister Li hurried forward to clean up the dishes and tactfully left.
"By the way, I spent 126 million to go to the premiere today." Liu Shishi suddenly said.
Song Ci was slightly startled: "Discussed a new project?"
"Yeah!" Liu Shishi's eyes sparkled with excitement, and she spoke faster, "First, Deng Chao approached me and said he wanted to become a director and shoot 'The Breakup Guru'. I invested 50 million.
Then I met Han Geng, and I invested another 13 million in the movie "Ex-Files" starring him.
Finally, I ran into Chen Kai. He was in the process of preparing his new film, "The Taoist Goes Down the Mountain," with a budget of 200 million yuan. New Classics Media invested 70% and I co-invested 30%. The three films combined cost a total of 123 million yuan.
Song Ci raised an eyebrow and joked, "Sister Yi is really rich and powerful."
Liu Shishi was very excited. "How much do you think these films can earn?"
"Not every movie can make money." Song Ci shook his head.
His wife had been lucky in her previous film and television investments, having barely lost money. But this business is inherently risky, and success is unpredictable. Especially with her investment in Chen Kai's film, he knew it was coming.
Mrs. Liu knew her husband very well and immediately understood the hidden meaning behind his words: "Do you mean you are not optimistic about the future?"
"It's definitely not a loss overall." Song Ci passed it over vaguely, thinking that even if "The Taoist Goes Down the Mountain" lost some money, "The Breakup Master" and "The Ex-Files Guide" would make up for it.
"It's the one starring Brother Chen Kai, right?" Liu Shishi guessed it after a moment's thought.
This was Deng Chao's first time as a director, and there was no precedent to follow. Even if her husband was very far-sighted, he could not predict the profit or loss based on the title of a film.
Han Geng's film is a low-budget comedy, so it won't be hard to make a profit. If we're talking about risk, it's the big-budget "The Taoist Goes Down the Mountain."
Seeing Liu Shishi's shrewdness, Song Ci smiled and said, "Brother Chen Kai has won the Palme d'Or after all, and his films have a market overseas. Even if the domestic box office falls short, the overseas copyright may be able to make up for it, and maybe even make a small profit."
Knowing that her husband was trying to comfort her, and that "The Taoist Goes Down the Mountain" would most likely lose money, Liu Shishi shrugged helplessly: "I've already promised Brother Chen Kai and Chen Hong, so let it lose money."
Seeing that his wife didn't care much, Song Ci didn't care about this little money at all: "Shishi, if you are really interested in investment, why don't you set up a professional investment company?
Your current studio is a makeshift one after all. It's OK for investing in film and television projects, but it's not good enough for venture capital."
The next few years will be a period of rapid development for mobile Internet, and high-quality companies will emerge in large numbers.
Tengda Group's Industrial Investment Fund has been looking for targets, and China New Investment and Shanhai Capital have also been active.
Although Song Ci looked down on this investment income, which was nothing compared to the money he made through financial means in the foreign exchange and futures markets, it was not bad to let Liu Shishi get involved and earn some pocket money.
"Okay." Liu Shishi thought for a moment and agreed. She also wanted to find something else to do besides filming.
"I'll ask Sister Tong to help me manage the charity fund. It's a bit of a waste of her talent."
Song Ci nodded with a smile: "Sure. Find some professionals to form a team, and you will find that investing is not that difficult."
Liu Shishi stood up and took her husband's arm: "It's getting late, let's wash up and rest."
"Together?"
"You wish!"
The next afternoon, in the deputy director's office of the CCTV building.
Jiang Tao took the invitation from Song Ci and put on a sincere smile. "Congratulations, Mr. Song. I wish you and Liu Shishi a long and happy marriage."
"Mr. Jiang, you are so polite." Song Ci came to CCTV today to attend the "China Economic Person of the Year" award ceremony and brought over the wedding invitation.
Jiang Tao was in charge of the financial channel, so he naturally knew the purpose of the richest man's visit. He gestured sideways, "Please sit here for a while. The ceremony will still start for some time."
Song Ci did not refuse and sat down on the sofa.
"How's the preparation going for the interactive red envelopes Tengda promised for the Spring Festival Gala?" Jiang Tao changed the subject, his tone becoming more serious. "With one billion viewers nationwide, we can't afford to make even the slightest mistake."
"Don't worry, Mr. Jiang, I guarantee it will be foolproof."
Jiang Tao nodded, looking the young richest man levelly. After a moment of silence, he slowly spoke: "After the parliament in March next year, I may have to make some moves."
Song Ci's expression froze upon hearing this, and he asked seriously, "Is it a promotion? Or a transfer?"
"Promotion? It's not that easy." Jiang Tao laughed bitterly, "I plan to be sent to a distant place and try my luck."
Song Ci shook his head, his expression solemn: "Jiang Tai, forgive me for being blunt, but your resume is not comprehensive enough. Without grassroots training and experience in managing a region, I'm afraid it will be difficult for you to achieve anything even if you are sent out."
Jiang Tao had already made up his mind and naturally understood that what Song Ci said was true. He couldn't help but ask, "So, what do you think, Director Song? Should I continue to stay in the office?"
Song Ci carefully suggested: "It's good to make some moves, but it's best to do it through the publicity channel."
"Which department?" Jiang Tao leaned forward slightly, a hint of inquiry in his eyes. While the Ministry of Rites had many subordinate units, its influence might not surpass that of the Central Radio and Television Station.
Song's tone was meaningful: "Nowadays is the era of the Internet. The Internet Office, which was just established last year, is quite good. If I transfer there as a deputy and make achievements, I may be able to gain recognition from the higher-ups."
Jiang Tao narrowed his eyes, seeming to be lost in thought. He tapped the tabletop lightly with his fingertips and said thoughtfully, "I understand what you mean. Thank you, Director Song. However, I need to think about this matter a little more and report it to the editor-in-chief."
(End of this chapter)
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