Even two decades later, when China's film industry appeared to reach its peak, its annual box office revenue would still pale in comparison to a niche industry like crayfish farming. While Chen Qing couldn't foresee the future, she responded to Zhu Momo's question without hesitation: "Maybe it really isn't necessary."
Zhu Momo's eyes widened slightly. Her wit and experience were no match for Chen Qing's, so she blurted out, "I'll tell Simon about this."
Chen Qing gave her a disdainful look. "Only kids run to tattle."
Zhu Momo instinctively wanted to stand up to showcase her height but ultimately held back. Unable to think of a sharp comeback, she merely snorted angrily and focused on eating.
Satisfied with asserting her dominance, Chen Qing refrained from pressing further. She briefly cast a triumphant glance at the other women around the table before returning her attention to her meal.
After dinner, everyone dispersed.
Back in her room, Lin Su saw Chen Qing, wasting no time, take a stack of documents from Lily Favell and settle on the sofa to read. Lin Su sat beside her, receiving her own file from Favell. She glanced at it and realized it was the agenda for the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications' information industry seminar scheduled for the next day.
Unaware that Chen Qing had already obtained this, Lin Su had only intended to attend the seminar as a formality. However, seeing the detailed topics now, a sense of responsibility stirred within her. As she began to read, she asked, "Do you really think it's unnecessary for the boss to pay attention to China's film industry?"
Chen Qing didn't answer immediately, instead countering, "What do you think?"
Lin Su thought for a moment before responding, "I think the boss is planning ahead. He always has a long-term vision. China has 1.2 billion people. It might not be promising now, but one day, the industry will find its footing."
Chen Qing shrugged slightly. "Maybe."
"You don't seem convinced."
Turning a page in her file, Chen Qing suddenly smiled. "I think the boss's involvement in China's film industry might just be an excuse to date beautiful women."
Lin Su frowned immediately, displeased. "How can you think of him like that?"
"Ah, listen to yourself," Chen Qing teased, mimicking an affectionate tone. "The way you said 'him' was dripping with emotion."
"…"
Chen Qing chuckled at Lin Su's slightly flushed face, her annoyance evident. "Alright, alright. But I genuinely think so. Right now, or even in the foreseeable future, investing in almost any other sector in China would be more lucrative than film and entertainment. That means one thing is certain: the boss isn't doing this for the money."
"Then what is it for?"
Chen Qing shook her head. "How would I know?"
Lin Su pondered briefly but couldn't figure it out. If it were for cultural influence—a concern many had raised in recent years—then expanding Hollywood's market share in China would make more sense than supporting the local film industry.
Chen Qing, less prone to overthinking, didn't dwell on the matter. She quickly finished her reading and started jotting notes in a planner. Without looking up, she said, "Since the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications invited you, you should make an impact. I'll have Sister Ran and the others draft a speech for you overnight. At tomorrow's seminar, you should focus on two points: drastically lowering internet access fees and allowing private capital to enter the ISP market."
"The government has already started working on reducing fees earlier this year. As for opening up the ISP sector to private investment, do you think that's realistic?"
"It's unlikely, but it's important to raise the point. Even if they don't agree to private investment, they might open up to foreign investment, which would give us an opportunity."
"…"
Noticing Lin Su's puzzled expression, Chen Qing rolled her eyes. "What are you looking at me like that for? The Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications has already been working with AOL on some technical collaborations. You could also study AOL's case as a reference for tomorrow. But the main focus should still be on reducing internet access fees. That's what the boss personally approved back in the U.S.—a $29 flat-rate package that propelled the industry into high-speed growth and led to the current internet boom there. In comparison, even with recent adjustments, internet access fees in China are still too high, which remains the biggest obstacle to the development of the information industry here."
Lin Su paused, then nodded in agreement.
The two continued discussing the agenda and tomorrow's schedule, finally wrapping up around 11 p.m.
---
The next day was Friday.
Most of the women in the courtyard woke up early. By 6:30 a.m., Zhu Momo and Li Youhu were already in the adjacent garden practicing their lines, under the guidance of Teacher Yu. Both young women, determined and resilient, seemed even more motivated after Chen Qing's remarks the previous evening, focusing diligently on their work.
At 7:30 a.m., breakfast was served, but not as a group gathering.
After a brief exchange of greetings, Zhu Momo and her group left for the Central Academy of Drama, where they had rented a small classroom for rehearsals. The rental was more of a favor given their connections, with several academy leaders personally visiting to offer assistance.
This left Teacher Yu feeling a little awkward.
As a graduate of the Beijing Film Academy, she was keenly aware of the rivalry between her alma mater and the Central Academy of Drama. It felt like she was infiltrating enemy territory—not as a spy, but as someone who didn't quite belong.
Meanwhile, Chen Qing and Lin Su left the courtyard around 8 a.m. Their packed schedules, planned until the following week with no free weekends in sight, left little room for leisure.
Lin Su's unexpected inclusion in the Forbes list had also led to many adjustments in their work.
For instance, Lin Su had originally planned to attend a Levisson Group meeting regarding the Levisson International Center's planning. Since the meeting minutes had to be submitted directly to Simon, she couldn't skip it. Instead, Chen Qing had to attend on her behalf.
To make matters more complicated, Lin Su's father, Lin Yuandong, called again after breakfast, announcing that he would fly to Beijing that morning. While he claimed there was no specific purpose, his intentions were obvious. As a dutiful daughter, Lin Su couldn't take a hard stance like Chen Qing. She arranged for someone to pick him up and planned a lunch meeting.
The Levisson International Center project was still in the early demolition phase, so today's meeting was more of a routine check-in, lasting two hours.
Chen Qing wrapped up her meeting by 11 a.m., an hour shorter than the three-hour seminar at the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications.
Initially considering squeezing in some other tasks, Chen Qing instead decided to personally handle Lin Su's father. Her primary concern was Lin Su potentially being persuaded to make impulsive financial decisions. Simon's pairing of the two women had proven effective, as Chen Qing instinctively treated Lin Su's finances as closely linked to her own.
Lin Yuandong had brought along a sizable entourage from Zhejiang Province, including government officials and Lin Su's younger sister, Lin Lan, with her husband, Qin Yusong. Their presence made it clear that his visit wasn't casual.
The conversation at lunch began diplomatically. Chen Qing carefully brought up a pre-discussed explanation: "Uncle Lin, you and Auntie might already suspect this, but our situation isn't for public discussion. You're familiar with the term 'nominee shareholder,' right?"
Hearing these words, Lin Yuandong's confidence faltered. As a government official, he understood the implications.
Chen Qing's suggestion made sense, given how implausible it seemed for Lin Su to have amassed such wealth in just two years.
However, Lin Yuandong quickly recovered. Despite nearing retirement age, he couldn't resist the prospect of leveraging his daughter's connection to Simon Westeros, whose $1.5 trillion fortune dwarfed even China's GDP at the time. A fraction of that wealth could create monumental political achievements.
Chen Qing noticed his shifting mood and realized her words had fallen flat.
While Simon's earlier visit to China had already brought substantial investment to Zhejiang, it seemed nothing was ever enough.
Frustrated, Chen Qing grew visibly colder in her demeanor.
When Lin Su finally arrived, her father's unyielding persistence left her at a loss. Were it not for Lin Lan and her husband keeping the atmosphere light, the meal might have ended on a sour note.
After lunch, Lin Yuandong declined Lin Su's offer to accompany him and returned to the Zhejiang Province liaison office with Qin Yusong. Lin Lan, however, chose to stay, expressing a desire to spend time with her sister.
Chen Qing immediately grew wary of Lin Lan. Though they shared some similarities, Chen Qing felt Lin Lan had an unmistakably shrewd edge.
Initially planning for Lin Su to spend the afternoon sightseeing with her family, Chen Qing decided instead to keep her close. By 2 p.m., they were on their way to Xiangshan in western Beijing, where the Levisson Group was exploring another real estate project.
Unlike the Levisson International Center, still in its demolition phase, this project was in the early stages of negotiation, with its feasibility and scope yet to be determined.
Privately, Simon intended to include a personal estate in the Xiangshan project.
If realized, Levisson
would carve out 2,500 acres at Xiangshan: 800 for a luxury villa district, 1,500 for a golf course, and 200 for Simon's private estate.
Additionally, the planned golf course would anchor a new club.
The Westeros System had been quietly cultivating its global network of connections, with private clubs proving to be an efficient tool for forging relationships. In Europe and the U.S., Sophia oversaw the development of several clubs. In China, Simon had entrusted the task to Chen Qing.
The first Chinese club, already in the works, had even been named by Simon himself: Renjian Club, inspired by Wang Guowei's verse: "Time cannot hold beauty still; youth fades, flowers fall."
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