MMB Chapter 174 Going to the Grassroots
Chapter 174 Going to the Grassroots
The next day at noon, in Central, Hong Kong.
A top-tier Michelin-starred private restaurant hidden in the bustling city center, operating on a strict membership system and requiring reservations six months in advance.
Li Feng sat in the quiet private room, while Yang Mi sat beside him, serving him food.
Just now, as they entered the restaurant through the VIP entrance, a small incident occurred in the lobby.
A well-dressed Hong Kong actor happened to see Li Feng and Yang Mi being surrounded by a crowd of celebrities in the restaurant.
The actor's name is Liu Wei. In recent years, he has not been able to make a name for himself in Hong Kong and is preparing to develop his career in mainland China. He has also filmed a few melodramatic dramas in mainland China that did not make much of a splash.
In this industry, everyone knows Li Feng, the powerful boss of Haofeng.
For Hong Kong and Taiwan artists who are eager to find a backer in mainland China, this is an absolutely once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!
He straightened his suit, put on what he thought was a handsome and appropriate smile, and held up his wine glass, trying to get closer to her and say hello, while also using his past collaboration with Yang Mi on a film set as an excuse to establish a rapport.
However, he couldn't even get within three meters of Li Feng.
"Sir, please wait a moment."
Zhang Xinyu coldly blocked his way.
"Hey, hello, I'm actor Liu Wei. Mimi and I used to work on a film set..." Liu Wei tried to squeeze in with a smile.
"Mr. Liu, is that right?"
Zhang Xinyu's eyes revealed contempt, and her tone was formulaic yet cold: "Our CEO, Mr. Li, values his private space very much outside of work hours and doesn't like to be disturbed."
"If you have any business cooperation intentions, please make an appointment with our film and television department at our Jinling headquarters. Now, please step aside."
As soon as several bodyguards in black stepped forward, their menacing aura made Liu Wei's face turn pale, and he could only retreat to the side with his wine glass in hand.
Throughout the entire process, Li Feng didn't even lift his eyelids, as if he were just a wisp of air.
Inside the private room, the air was filled with the fragrance of sandalwood.
Li Feng leaned back in his chair, watching Yang Mi peel shrimp for him, and casually made a joke.
"Do you know that man outside just now?"
Yang Mi's heart skipped a beat, and she stopped what she was doing.
She knew this man too well; a seemingly casual remark often concealed a deadly trap.
"I wouldn't say we know each other... We had a brief collaboration when we were filming a period drama called 'Rouge' in Hengdian, and we rehearsed a few scenes together."
Yang Mi answered cautiously, afraid that she might say something wrong and arouse suspicion.
"Oh? You only rehearsed a few scenes?"
Li Feng reached out and pinched that alluring face, his thumb caressing her red lips.
"But the way he looked at you just now, it seemed like you were quite familiar with each other."
Li Feng's voice carried a hint of casual mockery, "Your belly is getting quite big, so... how about I sign him into the company and have him act as your cuckold, to cover for you?"
Upon hearing the words "green gloves," Yang Mi felt as if all the blood in her body was running backward.
She was so frightened that she slid off the chair and almost instinctively knelt down beside Li Feng's legs.
"Boss! I didn't! There's really nothing between us!"
Yang Mi's voice trembled violently, tears welled up in her eyes, filled with panic and pleading:
"Mimi is yours in life and in death! My body, everything I have, belongs to you! I absolutely do not want any cuckoldry! Please, boss, see the truth!"
She was a woman branded with a mark! She knew how possessive this tyrant was.
If the boss really suspects that she is having an affair with another man, then all the wealth and luxury she has now will vanish in an instant!
Looking at Yang Mi's utterly terrified appearance.
"Alright, it was just a joke. Look how scared you are."
Li Feng smiled faintly and reached out to help her up.
However, just as Li Feng's hand slid down and squeezed the curve of the handle,
"hiss……"
She felt a sharp pain, but she didn't even dare to flinch.
From the pressure from those fingers, she realized that the boss was definitely not joking when he said those words!
……
During his two days in Hong Kong, aside from buying the penthouse at The Grand, Li Feng didn't find any investment inspiration that appealed to him in the city.
This place is too small, with rigid social hierarchies and a hollowed-out physical structure.
Aside from serving as an offshore channel for capital inflows and outflows, it is destined to be marginalized in the future wave of the Internet and hard technology.
"This is pointless, let's go back to Jinling."
Two days later, Li Feng, accompanied by his private team, returned to his loyal Nanjing on a private jet.
Haofeng Group Headquarters.
Sitting in his familiar boss's chair, Li Feng rubbed his temples, a rare hint of melancholy flashing in his eyes.
Time flies! Before we knew it, more than five years had passed since his rebirth.
As time went on and his career expanded rapidly, he discovered an unavoidable problem.
My memories are starting to fade.
The trivial details of his past life, the specific stock market events, the release date of some unknown movie... were slowly fading from his mind.
However, Li Feng did not panic.
"I won't remember the details, but I still have a clear grasp of the general direction and trends."
Moreover, his current wealth and status are enough for him to squander for ten lifetimes, and he no longer needs to memorize which speculative stocks to make quick money.
"Xinyu." Li Feng called over his chief secretary, who was organizing documents.
"Go and make a memo for me."
"By the end of 2016, the group must sell off its 17.5% stake in Nvidia and its 15% stake in Valve in the US at a high point and cash out!"
Zhang Xinyu paused for a moment: "Boss, I understand that Nvidia is sensitive, but Valve... it's just a game platform company, it shouldn't be involved in any technology blockade, right?"
"What do you know?"
Li Feng snorted coldly.
He knew, of course, that in his previous life, when Trump came to power, he mainly targeted hard technology and algorithmic behemoths like TikTok, while he didn't really touch purely entertainment games like Genshin Impact and League of Legends.
But why did he abandon Valve?
"Those Americans at Valve are so stingy!"
Li Feng pointed out Gabe Newell's (GabeN's) inherent flaws: "Steam's revenue looks incredible, but as shareholders, our annual dividends are pitifully small!"
"Right now, the vast majority of my monthly revenue on Steam is still supported by Minecraft! Valve's share of the profits isn't even enough to fill a tooth."
"Since the wind is about to change, keeping these overseas assets with such low returns is just an eyesore."
"Boss is brilliant! I'll record this in my memo right away." Zhang Xinyu suddenly realized.
……
After finishing the long-term overseas plans, Lao Han, the director of the film and television department, knocked on the door and came in, holding the financial and progress reports for the third quarter.
"Mr. Li, the results for our film and television department for the first three quarters are in."
Old Han respectfully handed over the report, "The long-tail revenue of 'Scarlet Heart' has been settled, and the first-run broadcast fees for 'The Return of the Heiress' and 'Xuan-Yuan Sword' have also been received."
"Including copyright distribution from iQiyi, our film and television department's net profit this quarter is approximately 600 million RMB. If we include the fourth quarter, the film and television segment will be aiming for a profit of 2 billion RMB for the whole year."
Li Feng glanced at the report, his expression remaining largely unchanged.
"It's barely passable."
"Compared to the game, it's still far behind."
Old Han could only smile wryly when he heard this.
How could they not be far apart?
According to the finance department's estimate, Haofeng Group's overall after-tax net profit this year is heading towards seven billion yuan!
The revenue from the Chinese server of League of Legends alone, plus the revenue from overseas tournaments, accounts for a full three billion!
Their film and television department works hard to shoot dozens of films and TV series a year, which is only a fraction of what the game department produces. It's really better than nothing.
"However, although the profits are small, the role of the film and television sector is irreplaceable."
Li Feng did not belittle the film and television department because of this; on the contrary, he emphasized its strategic importance: "The core of the pan-entertainment ecosystem is content production and IP incubation!"
"Without the hit dramas you produce, how would Weibo generate trending topics? How would iQiyi attract members? And how would our star-making factory exploit its fans?"
"So, even if we don't make money, we have to keep investing in film and television!"
With this affirmation from the big boss, Lao Han finally felt relieved.
"Don't worry, Mr. Li! We will definitely protect our content moat!"
After finishing his report, Lao Han closed the folder, then, as if remembering something, he hesitated before adding:
"Oh, right, Mr. Li. There's something else."
"Um... Xu Zheng, the director of 'Lost in Thailand,' has already made four or five trips to our Jinling headquarters recently."
"His film was finished editing a long time ago, and now it's just waiting for a release date to be set."
He kept asking to thank you in person for your investment, but I know you're usually busy with work and don't have time to deal with small-time directors like him, so I kept turning him down.
"But this time he seems determined, saying he absolutely has to see you."
Upon hearing Xu Zheng's name, Li Feng paused slightly in his teacup.
He certainly understood what Xu Zheng, the bald man, was planning.
What do you mean by thanking someone in person?
To put it bluntly, before the release of a low-budget comedy like "Lost in Thailand," no one could guarantee how badly it would fare at the box office.
Xu Zheng was unsure of himself!
He was afraid that if the movie flopped in theaters, causing Haofeng Films to lose money and offending him, this powerful and influential investor, he would never be able to attract investment or get any connections in the industry again.
So, this is a preemptive apology, and also a way of giving a heads-up.
"Heh, this bald guy's got a sharp mind."
Li Feng put down his teacup, a smile of interest playing on his lips.
Having been a high-powered capitalist for so long, strategizing in billions and trillions of dollars every day, it must be getting a bit boring.
"Alright."
"Since he's so sincere, I'll meet him."
"By the way, I'll also go down to the grassroots level and get a feel for the people's conditions."
"I've almost forgotten how long it's been since I've attended a dinner party of their caliber."