Chapter 473 Visiting Seoul
In late February, the chill still lingers in Seoul. Above Incheon International Airport, lead-gray clouds hang low, as if carrying some unusual weight and about to fall.
On the runway, the cold wind blew from time to time, blowing the flags beside the apron, making a rustling sound.
A streamlined Bombardier Global 7500 private jet landed smoothly and slowly slid towards the exclusive VIP parking space. This is the new car of Asia's richest man.
Five jet-black luxury cars waited quietly on one side of the tarmac. Their bodies were sleek, their windows covered in bulletproof dark film, and every detail exuded an inviolable majesty.
Around the convoy, dozens of security personnel in black suits and ear-hook communication devices looked alert, scanning the surroundings like hawks to prevent any accidents from happening.
The plane door opened silently, the gangway docked steadily, and Song Ci and Liu Shishi and his wife appeared at the cabin door.
Song Ci was wearing a dark grey cashmere coat hand-sewn by a top Italian tailor. He looked handsome and his face was as calm as water.
His deep and sharp eyes swept across the reception scene, revealing the powerful aura unique to Asia's richest man and the helmsman of a technological empire. It was the majesty tempered by his long-term position in power and control of a trillion-dollar business empire.
Liu Shishi was wrapped in a high-quality milky white knee-length coat, a light cashmere scarf casually but just right covering her chin, and the sunglasses covering half of her pretty face added to her mystery.
She exudes a cool and aloof temperament, showing the outstanding style of the mistress of the Song family business empire.
Tang Jun, vice president of Dewen Manufacturing, Zhang Heng, president of Qianqian Music under Tengda Group, as well as senior assistants, translators, public relations representatives, personal bodyguards and other accompanying personnel followed the two in an orderly manner.
Lee Boo-jin, the eldest princess of Samsung Group and president of Weibo Korea, who had been waiting there for a long time, immediately came forward with her team.
The eldest princess of Samsung wore a well-tailored beige business suit, a thick black cashmere coat, and her makeup was meticulously done.
His demeanor embodies the grace of a chaebol heir and the efficiency of a professional manager.
Her appearance itself represents the highest level of courtesy and attention given by Samsung Group to the visit of Asia's richest couple.
"President, Madam, welcome to Seoul." Lee Boo-jin bowed slightly and spoke fluent English with a graceful tone.
He expressed respect while maintaining a proper distance. "My father has been looking forward to your visit and attaches great importance to this meeting."
Song Ci stretched out his hand and gently shook hands with Lee Boo-jin, with just the right strength and timing.
His voice was calm and steady, yet it carried a great weight. "President Li, thank you for coming to pick me up personally. Thank you for your hard work. Please convey my gratitude to Chairman Jianxi. It's very polite."
Liu Shishi took off her sunglasses at the right time, revealing a face with exquisite and impeccable makeup.
He nodded and smiled, his eyes moving around in a graceful manner: "Ms. Fuzhen, long time no see." His English was soft and pleasant, with a touch of authentic British accent.
The two had previously met at Paris Fashion Week. At that time, together with Delphine Arnault, the daughter of Europe's richest man, the interaction between the three top socialites from the East and the West had occupied the headlines of the fashion pages.
The greetings were brief and efficient, reflecting the rhythm of the world of top-tier business. There were no unnecessary words, and every glance and every word was loaded with meaning.
Under the tight protection circle formed by bodyguards and assistants from both sides, the group quickly boarded the waiting luxury car.
The convoy left the airport smoothly and quickly like a black undercurrent, and silently merged into the traffic flow leading to downtown Seoul along the dedicated lane.
Outside the car window, the bleak winter scenery passed by quickly.
Inside the car, Song Ci leaned back in the back seat, his gaze sweeping across the strange yet familiar city skyline outside the window. His eyes were calm, but his mind was pondering the negotiation strategy.
Samsung Group, South Korea's largest chaebol, has penetrated every corner of Korean society with its powerful strength.
From birth to death, almost every aspect of life for South Koreans is inseparable from this huge business empire. As the helmsman of Samsung, Lee Kun-seok's power in South Korea can be imagined.
This was his first time dealing with this foreign giant who controlled the economic lifeline of a country. He could not afford to slack off and had to make more plans.
The convoy drove silently into the exclusive underground passage of the Shilla Hotel in Jangchung-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul, completely avoiding all public sight.
Everyone took the elevator directly to the presidential suite area on the top floor.
In the suite, Song Ci and Liu Shishi sat on the sofa chatting and discussing visiting famous attractions in Seoul tomorrow.
The captain of the personal bodyguard team, Tang Yue, brought two assistants and carried out a thorough inspection of the presidential suite, which was over 500 square meters, as well as the connected conference rooms and secretary rooms, equipped with professional anti-eavesdropping and anti-surveillance equipment.
The device scans every corner, including lamps, sockets, decorations, vents, even the inside of furniture and all wiring interfaces.
At the same time, another team of personnel checked the fire safety passages, window strength and emergency escape routes.
"Boss, the safety check is completed, everything is normal." Tang Yue stood with his hands behind his back and reported solemnly, his voice steady and calm.
"Okay." Song Ci asked again: "Is the surveillance barrier open?" A foreign country is different from home. When you are on someone else's territory, you have to be careful about everything and safety comes first.
"Don't worry, it's already open." Tang Yue responded quickly. He had installed the world's most advanced electronic shielding and security monitoring equipment in the suite.
Song Ci nodded slightly, took off his coat, handed it to his assistant, and walked into the spacious living room. From the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, the view of Seoul and the Namsan Tower in the distance was unobstructed.
Liu Shishi, accompanied by a female assistant, went to the master bedroom to rest and change clothes, as she would accompany her husband to a welcome banquet in the evening.
About half an hour later, in the temporary study of the suite, Song Ci sat at the desk, and Zhang Heng sat upright opposite him.
"How's the progress with the two Korean entertainment companies, YG and JYP?"
Zhang Heng immediately reported, "Director Song, we've already made preliminary contact. With the SM collaboration precedent, both YG and JYP have expressed a strong willingness to cooperate."
JYP, in particular, has been actively exploring the Chinese market in recent years and attaches great importance to the user scale and operational capabilities of Qianqian Music.
YG is more impressed by our innovative model in music promotion and fan economy.”
Song Ci tapped the table lightly with his fingertips and said in a deep voice, "Your core goal in coming to Seoul this time is to obtain exclusive electronic copyright authorization from YG and JYP, focusing on the first release rights of new songs and the digitization of the old song library.
The price can be 120% of the market price, but the terms must be favorable to us, the authorization period must be long, and the renewal priority must be firmly in our hands.
If necessary, we can also promise to jointly manage the promotion of their new group, or jointly develop customized online variety shows for the Chinese market."
"Understood." Zhang Heng quickly noted the key points. "I'll make an appointment with JYP's President Park tomorrow morning."
"It's more than just a simple copyright transaction," Song Ci added with a far-sighted vision, "We need to leverage the music copyright opportunity to find a way to penetrate the production chain of the Korean entertainment industry.
Data, traffic, and platform are our core advantages.
Only by gaining the right to influence the future entertainment ecosystem can we truly bind these three major entertainment companies into the Qianqian Music ecosystem."
Digital music copyright is related to the future layout of Tenda Group in the global short video field, so he cannot help but pay attention to it.
"Yes!" Zhang Heng is well aware of the weight of his boss's words. This is not only a commercial expansion for Qianqian Music, but also a key step in Tengda Group's international content strategy.
Night falls and the lights come on.
Deep in the courtyard of the Shilla Hotel, a guesthouse built in the style of a traditional Korean house but incorporating modern luxury facilities is now brightly lit, with an unquestionable majesty in the silence.
The security level at the entrance has been raised to the highest level, and all vehicles and personnel entering and leaving must undergo several strict checks.
A high-profile private dinner was being held here to welcome Asia's richest couple. The invitees were fewer than forty, but included top celebrities from South Korea's political and business circles.
Lee Gun-seok was unable to attend in person due to health reasons, and his eldest son Lee Jae-yong was on a business trip in the United States. Samsung was represented by Lee Boo-jin, and almost all of her core family members were present.
Also among them were powerful figures from the second and third generations of chaebols, including Hyundai Group Vice Chairman Chung Eui-sun, LG Group Director Koo Bon-joon, and SK Group Chairman Choi Tae-won, as well as several politicians and their wives and socialites who accompanied them.
The scene was filled with elegant people, clinking glasses, and the smell of power and wealth was intertwined in the air.
The low voices of conversation switched between multiple languages, with English being the main medium, occasionally mixed with Korean or Chinese.
Song Ci stood straight and looked particularly young and imposing among the chaebol leaders who were either old or fat.
Holding a glass of champagne, he interacted with the crowd with ease and spoke fluent English.
While speaking, he maintained the necessary courtesy towards Korean business seniors, and at the same time, he took the opportunity to discuss cutting-edge technology trends, global market changes and potential cooperation possibilities. He was undoubtedly the absolute focus of the whole audience.
Liu Shishi beside her is the most dazzling pearl.
At this moment, she has changed into a black velvet floor-length haute couture dress tailored for her by a French designer. Her graceful figure is perfectly outlined, and the details show luxury.
She is by no means a beautiful ornament dependent on her husband.
Sometimes, in softly accented English, he would chat in a low voice with the wives of the chaebols beside him about art and charity; sometimes, he would respond to the giants from all walks of life who came forward to greet him with an impeccable and well-measured smile.
Her demeanor is calm and elegant, and she interprets the role of the hostess to the fullest, complementing the powerful aura of Song Ci.
In the relatively relaxed area on the other side of the banquet hall, Qianqian Music President Zhang Heng was also not slacking off and was chatting happily with SM's Lee Soo-man, YG's Yang Hyun-suk, and JYP's Park Jin-young.
"To the three CEOs, K-Pop's global influence, especially its appeal to the younger generation, is truly astonishing."
Zhang Heng raised his glass, his tone warm but clear, "Qianqian Music has the largest library of genuine music in China, the most active paying user community, and the most accurate data algorithm recommendation system.
The future of music lies in deep operation and ecological integration. We very much hope to introduce copyrights, jointly list and deeply promote artists in China.
We will even jointly invest in the production of exclusive online concerts and engage in all-round, strategic cooperation with you.
This is not just about introduction, but about creating value together and opening up new streaming markets in Asia and even the world."
Several entertainment giants were obviously very interested in this, and the conversation continued to deepen. The initial intention of cooperation and the level of subsequent contact were quietly finalized in the midst of chatting.
Beneath the ultimate luxury and superficial harmony, the atmosphere of the dinner party was surging with countless undercurrents and temptations concerning huge future interests.
Everyone knows that this dinner is not just a simple high-level reception, but also a crucial warm-up stage and information exchange venue.
The highlight that will truly influence the overall situation will officially begin after the dinner, between Song Ci and the real helmsman of the Samsung Empire, who did not show up but was omnipresent.
After the dinner, Song Ci, accompanied by Lee Boo-jin, drove quietly to the Samsung family's private residence in Namsan, Seoul.
The convoy wound its way up the mountain road and finally drove into a heavily guarded courtyard shaded by green trees.
Lee Boo-jin led Song Ci into the study, and the heavy soundproof door then closed quietly, completely isolating all sounds from the outside world.
This study combines traditional Korean charm with modern technological convenience: solid wooden bookshelves reach from floor to ceiling, neatly displaying a large number of books.
The air is filled with the elegant aroma of top-grade agarwood, creating a subtle contrast between movement and stillness with the dazzling and dynamic night view of Seoul outside the window.
Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-seok, who is over 70 years old, sits behind a large mahogany desk, looking a little old.
But the gaze through the reading lenses was still as sharp as an eagle, carrying with it the unfathomable majesty forged through decades of ups and downs in the business world.
Tang Jun and two core think tanks who were accompanying him were politely led to the outer room to wait. Only these two giants who could influence the business and technology landscape in Asia and even the world were left in the room.
After pouring hot tea for the two of them, Lee Boo-jin quietly stepped aside and sat down, taking on the role of recording and supplementing.
As the host, Li Jianxi spoke first. His voice was not loud and had the hoarseness typical of the elderly, but every word was clear and powerful.
"Chairman Song, Fuzhen has conveyed in detail Dewen Manufacturing's plans in the field of electronic waste recycling economy, as well as his strong interest in KIST's new biometallurgical extraction technology."
His aged yet steady fingertips gently tapped the brief report on the desk. "Using Samsung as a bridge and cooperating with KIST for development is indeed the most reliable and efficient path at this time."
Song Ci leaned forward slightly, his expression calm, and he spoke freely: "President Li is wise.
I have always been deeply impressed by Samsung's profound accumulation in high-end precision manufacturing, new materials research and development, and global semiconductor supply chain.
KIST's technology has great potential, but its industrialization faces bottlenecks.
If combined with Samsung's cutting-edge patented filtration and separation technologies already used in semiconductor and display production, it will significantly accelerate the industrialization of efficient, environmentally friendly and economical recycling of rare and precious metals in electronic waste.
This is not only about profits, but also about the future green and sustainable development of the company.
For Samsung, building a more stable, environmentally friendly and low-risk supply chain system will produce immediate strategic value.
Dewen is willing to bear the main capital investment and market risks in the industrialization process, and promises to prioritize Samsung's future demand for recycled rare metals within three years."
(End of this chapter)
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