Chapter 231: The Microblog Era and Ceng Li's Net Worth

Receiving the transoceanic call from Cao Guowei, Wei Jin was somewhat surprised, but a moment later, a look of joy appeared on his face.

The microblog jointly developed by Shanhe Technology and Sina had completed testing and would officially launch on June 6th; the microblog era of the entertainment industry was about to arrive.

Come to think of it, a microblog is not actually a fresh invention; the earliest microblog should be the foreign Twitter.

There were many social networks in the country with microblog-like characteristics, such as Fanfou, Penguin Taotao, and so on, but these projects all had various problems and remained lukewarm.

In view of this, at first, the Sina side was not interested in the microblog project, but as a person from a later age, Wei Jin was very clear about what kind of achievements the microblog would attain.

Therefore, Wei Jin decisively exercised his rights as a shareholder and vigorously pushed this project within Sina.

On one hand, Wei Jin was very clear that with the arrival of the mobile internet era, the speed of the microblog's rise would be incredibly fast; in his past life, in just a few short years, the market value of the microblog soared to tens of billions of dollars. In this life, with his participation, this speed would be even faster—this was all a massive amount of money.

On the other hand, as a cultural and entertainment group, Shanhe Media needed its own window to speak; after all, if you do not occupy the position of public opinion, you are handing it over to the enemy.

In fact, the company had long ago proposed plans to acquire print media or internet media, but they were all rejected by Wei Jin. He was very clear that traditional print media was already at its sunset, and the internet updated too quickly; rather than painstakingly managing them, it was better to borrow a hen to lay eggs.

And the reason for choosing to cooperate with Sina instead of doing it alone also stemmed from the fact that the former possessed the largest portal website in the country, which was a huge help to the microblog in terms of user traffic diversion and providing material.

For this cooperation, both sides established a new company specifically responsible for the development and operation of the microblog.

In terms of shares, Shanhe Technology held 45% and Sina held 55%. It seemed like Wei Jin was at a slight loss, but one had to know that he held quite a few Sina shares in his hands.

In previous years, Wei Jin already held about 15% of Sina's circulating shares. At one point, he sold off a portion due to the financial crisis, but since the end of last year, Wei Jin had arranged for William to aggressively buy at the bottom, and currently, the Sina shares he held already exceeded 20%.

Calculated, the microblog shares controlled by Wei Jin already exceeded 56%; he was the largest shareholder of the microblog.

Of course, the Sina side did not feel they were at a loss either. With Shanhe Media's status in the entertainment industry and Wei Jin's appeal among artists, the launch of the microblog would inevitably gain the support of a large number of star artists, which was of great help for a new product to seize the market.

In addition, Wei Jin's status as a Twitter shareholder could also introduce a lot of management and operational experience, which could likewise help the microblog avoid many detours.

Therefore, the cooperation between the two sides could be called a strong alliance; this wave was definitely a win-win. — "Li Jie, I have to go back. You just stay here properly. If you have anything, just instruct Zixuan. You must be careful with your footing, and also..."

Time passed slowly, and in the blink of an eye, it was mid-May. Having been in North America for nearly two weeks, Wei Jin had to return to the country.

Looking at the man's incessant, earnest instructions, even though separation was right before her eyes, Ceng Li only felt incomparably happy.

She had been very happy these days. The man's constant companionship and care felt as if they had returned to when they first met, giving her a true feeling of home. She believed that when the child was born, their family would be even happier.

"... Remember to follow the doctor's advice. Once I finish the project at hand, I will come over to accompany you and the child."

Wei Jin held Ceng Li in his arms, greedily breathing in her scent, then squatted down and pressed his ear lightly against her slightly protruding abdomen, as if to feel the child's fetal movement.

"Baby, remember to be good to Mommy..."

Watching Wei Jin's somewhat silly behavior, Ceng Li felt everything was worth it.

"Alright, Xiao Jin, you should set off. The child and I will both be fine."

Although reluctant, Ceng Li also knew that Wei Jin still had his own career.

"Mm."

Wei Jin composed himself, ready to set off; Hunter's car was already waiting outside.

"Lao Zhu, Zixuan, take good care of Li Jie."

"Boss, don't worry."

The two answered in unison.

Soon, the vehicle drove away. Ceng Li knew that the next time they met would be at least three months later.

Wang Zixuan was very perceptive; she helped Ceng Li back into the house and kept her company chatting, finally dispelling this sense of sorrow at parting. — "Eye for an Eye" had finished its theatrical run, with the box office locked at 148 million.

This small-budget martial arts film with an investment of 6 million brought at least 60 million in profit to Shanhe Media from the box office alone, plus 5 million US dollars in overseas copyrights; it could be called a classic work of winning big with a small investment.

Director Lu Yang became a hot commercial director. Many companies in the industry threw olive branches at him, and some even directly offered the treatment of a director's studio, placing him on par with Ning Hao, Xu Laoguai, and others.

Facing various temptations, Lu Yang rejected them all. He knew very well in his heart that the reason for such results was entirely the credit of Wei Jin's script; at best, he was just a qualified executor.

As far as the present was concerned, he was still too far behind Ning Hao and Xu Laoguai.

"Very good, you haven't lost yourself. With this, I can rest assured handing the new project to you."

Regarding Lu Yang's approach, Wei Jin was very gratified. He personally called him to the office to praise him, and then, without waiting for the former to respond, handed over another script.

"This, this..."

Lu Yang took the script and saw "Brotherhood of Blades 2: Xiuluo Zhanchang" written on the cover. For a moment, he was too excited to speak. This was no wonder; "Brotherhood of Blades" was the pinnacle of domestic martial arts films, and its sequel was nothing short of a stimulant for a martial arts enthusiast like Lu Yang.

"Boss Wei, are you really handing this script to me to direct?"

Forcing himself to calm down, Lu Yang spoke with some trepidation; he was afraid that his ability was not enough and he would ruin this series.

"Mm, you do the storyboard first. Don't be afraid, believe in yourself..."

It had been 2 years since this film, and it was time for a sequel. Wei Jin did not want to direct it, and the original director, Lu Yang, was a very good choice.

"There's no rush to start the project; you can take your time. By the way, I won't be attending the celebration banquet. The company will put up 5 million as a red envelope for the main creative team this time; you decide how to distribute it yourself."

When this film was originally shot, the budget was limited, and from the actors up to the director, the pay was very low.

Now that the film was a big hit, Wei Jin naturally would not be stingy. He always believed that profit was the best way to maintain stable cooperation.

Furthermore, by leaving it to Lu Yang to distribute, Wei Jin also had the intention to observe; different handling results would lead to different future paths.

"Okay, then thank you, Boss Wei."

Lu Yang had a smile on his face, clearly very happy; he could finally buy a house in Beijing. — Emperor Motion Pictures held a press conference for Jiang Wen's new film "Let the Bullets Fly," and the actors did not need to attend.

When he received the invitation call, Wei Jin was a bit confused; this had nothing to do with him.

The reason Jiang Wen gave was very strong: the inspiration for the film's title came from Wei Jin, so that was a big connection.

Regarding this, Wei Jin was somewhat dumbfounded, but he still gave face and took the time to attend.

At the press conference, Jiang Wen was in high spirits as he introduced his new film.

After the formal part ended, many media outlets turned the topic to Wei Jin.

"Director Wei, may I ask if you have anything to say about the suppression of 'Nanjing'?"

The box office of "Nanjing" had completely stalled; having been released for more than 20 days, the cumulative box office was 85 million.

The theater chains had already cut the screenings to the limit; although it had not been explicitly pulled from theaters, it was not far off.

Lu Chuan went around complaining that Wei Jin and Shanhe Media were suppressing him, which actually aroused the sympathy of quite a few people. After all, as an insider, he also had a group of supporters around him, including actors, stars, and industry practitioners.

These people dared not criticize Wei Jin openly, but saying a few words in private about Wei Jin being overbearing was still acceptable.

Liu Ye was one of them; he had even called Ceng Li previously, asking her to advise Wei Jin not to be too overbearing.

For these people who put interests first and cared nothing for the greater good, Wei Jin had already sentenced them to death in his heart; cooperation would never be possible in the future.

"Don't always use the word 'suppression.' According to your logic, I am also suppressing 'Curse of the Golden Flower,' but why was it able to gross nearly 200 million?"

"When it comes down to it, it is Lu Chuan, it is the film 'Nanjing' that has problems; the audience is unwilling to pay for it. After all, the eyes of the masses are sharp."

Wei Jin's words were incredibly direct: a bad film is just a bad film.

"Right, Director Wei is correct. I actually went to see that film; it was a real waste of my ticket money."

Jiang Wen was famous for daring to speak his mind; before the reporters could even ask him, he stated his position directly.

Regarding Wei Jin sniping at Lu Chuan, he applauded and cheered; it was simply too satisfying.

For a moment, the two exchanged a glance, and there was even a sense of mutual appreciation. — North America, Beverly Hills.

Ceng Li's mood had gradually begun to improve these days; listening to music and basking in the sun every day, her life was quite comfortable.

Looking at Ceng Li's state, Wang Zixuan felt it was time to give her the things Wei Jin had left behind.

Turning to enter the bedroom, she took out the file bag from the drawer. Although she did not know what was inside, Wang Zixuan firmly remembered Wei Jin's instructions: she must give it to Ceng Li when she was in a good mood and ensure she remained calm.

"Li Jie, this is what President Wei left for you."

Ceng Li was a bit puzzled upon hearing this, but she still took it, opened it, and began to read.

The document was in pure English, making it somewhat difficult to read, but once she understood the content, Ceng Li was already streaming with tears.

"Li Jie, don't cry. President Wei specifically instructed that you must not get emotionally agitated right now."

"Zixuan, I'm not crying; I'm happy."

This was a stock transfer agreement worth hundreds of millions of US dollars. Ceng Li understood that the man was providing the final security for her and the child.

At this moment, the tears Ceng Li shed were tears of happiness. Chapter Two (End of Chapter)