There is a high-end club in the PD district of Shanghai.
This high-end club is member-based and not open to the public.
The membership requirements are very strict; simply having money isn't enough to get in, one also needs corresponding status and position.
However, true business moguls have their own private clubs or fixed venues, so no one goes to great lengths to come here.
Over time, this high-end club became a gathering place for the rich second generation.
In the club's second-floor hall, Wang Cong and Qin Fen were both present.
Their relationship had always been good.
Wang Cong once left a message on Weibo,
'I don't care if my friends have money, because none of them are as rich as me anyway.'
Qin Fen replied,
"What about me?"
In the end, Wang Cong deleted the Weibo post.
Qin Fen was indeed a bit more low-key than Wang Cong, but not by much.
His most famous incident was probably when his Ferrari was smashed to pieces, yet he calmly sat in the car playing on his phone, looking indifferent, showing no signs of distress.
Everyone knew he was rich, but few knew his family's background.
Wang Cong, who played well with him, naturally knew this very clearly.
Qin Fen's father is the boss of David Group, rumored to have his own gambling companies in Hong Kong and Macau.
He started as a junket operator, just like Xi Mihua; everyone knows what kind of work they do.
But the most impressive thing is Qin Fen's dating rumors, like Gillian, Wei Xue, those who know, know.
Wang Cong, with an arm around a girl, was on the phone with Zhao Shaoyang.
Wang Cong was a frequent patron of Chen Pingjiang's bar, spending a lot of money, and over time became familiar with Zhao Shaoyang.
Wang Cong also wanted to use Zhao Shaoyang to connect with Chen Pingjiang, but Zhao Shaoyang didn't agree several times, finding excuses to brush him off.
Zhao Shaoyang liked to play, but he wasn't stupid.
Although Chen Pingjiang and Wang Cong were the same age, their social status gap was too large.
Bringing Wang Cong to meet Chen Pingjiang would be asking for trouble.
They belonged to two different circles.
How could a rich second generation get along with a self-made billionaire?
In Zhao Shaoyang's eyes, Chen Ge's friends were at least on the same level as Wang Cong's father; as for Wang Cong, he was still a bit too green.
"Shaoyang, how long have you been in Shanghai without telling me? If I hadn't seen you in the news, I would have thought you were still in Dongjiang."
On the other end of the phone, Zhao Shaoyang chuckled,
"Cong Ge, I'm sorry, haven't I been busy with Renren Pictures lately? Running around making connections and meeting friends."
Wang Cong said,
"If it's about the entertainment industry, come to me! Don't you know my nickname, the 'Discipline Inspection Commission of the Entertainment Industry'? Even if we take a step back, you can't forget my family's Wanda Pictures, right? I'll send you an address later, let's hang out tonight."
After hanging up, Wang Cong smiled mockingly and quietly cursed him as a fool.
If it weren't for Chen Pingjiang's sake, a mere Zhao Shaoyang wouldn't even be fit to carry his shoes; the two were not from the same world.
Seeing Wang Cong cursing, Qin Fen asked curiously,
"Who was that?"
"A younger brother of Chen Pingjiang. Isn't that Renren Entertainment Group quite popular lately? He's the CEO of Renren Pictures within it."
Qin Fen teased,
"Why are you getting involved with someone's 'little brother'? It's beneath you. Next time we go out, don't say you know me."
Wang Cong defended,
"He's called a 'little brother,' but actually, they were college roommates and have a good relationship. Besides, Chen Pingjiang and I have even had drinks together. It's just that this guy can hang out with me."
Upon hearing Chen Pingjiang's name, Qin Fen became energetic, putting his phone game aside.
"I heard in Hong Kong that this guy is quite divine. Is he really that impressive? Is his nickname 'God of Wealth'?"
"He is indeed impressive. Didn't you see the US stock market recently? His net worth is about to explode; it would send my old man off the planet."
"Since you know him, can you introduce me later? I also want to start a business to show my dad that I'm not just a rich second generation waiting to die."
This made Wang Cong a bit difficult.
Ultimately, he knew that Chen Pingjiang was on his father's level, a different social class from him, but he didn't want to lose face in front of Qin Fen.
"Small matter, I'll arrange it later."
That evening, after seeing Zhao Shaoyang, Wang Cong brought up the matter, then affectionately put his arm around Zhao Shaoyang's shoulder.
"Brother, you have to help me. Usually, it's fine, but this time it's about my reputation. This Qin Fen is even more arrogant than me; it's rare for him to ask me for a favor."
Zhao Shaoyang chuckled awkwardly, cursing under his breath.
It was hard enough for him to even meet Chen Ge alone.
Do you think Chen Ge is available nationwide, to be seen whenever one wishes?
Zhao Shaoyang was very clear in his mind that his boss was a bit annoyed with this kid.
Wang Cong saw Zhao Shaoyang's reluctance and lack of straightforwardness, knowing this guy wouldn't act without seeing a benefit.
"How about this, brother? Your Renren Entertainment plans to get into the cinema chain business, and I recently heard you're acquiring small cinema chains, right? Let me meet with CEO Chen, and I can help you talk to my old man about investing in Wanda Cinemas."
Zhao Shaoyang's breathing immediately quickened.
This proposal was very tempting, after all, Wanda was the leading cinema chain in China.
After hesitating for a long time, Zhao Shaoyang nodded heavily,
"Alright, no problem, I'll handle this."
......
This time, the Gulfstream G550 flew directly to Shanghai, not Dongjiang, as Chen Pingjiang still had business here.
Empress Dowager Xu and Chen Guangming had to go back a step early to discuss the engagement banquet with Li Yuhua.
"Let's not make this engagement too complicated. Both families' relatives can just meet, have a meal, and witness it,"
Chen Pingjiang said.
Chen Guangming asked with some concern,
"But it depends on what the bride's family thinks, doesn't it?"
"You don't need to ask me, I know Uncle Yan also wants to keep it small-scale. After all, his status is there; if you don't believe me, ask him later."
Chen Pingjiang also had no intention of making it public.
Once it was announced, countless people would come, which would be incredibly annoying.
It was clear without thinking that classmates, colleagues, He Zhiyu and An Qunren, and government officials would all come, and in the end, dozens of tables might not be enough.
It was just an engagement; there was no need.
As soon as the Gulfstream G550 landed at Pudong International Airport, the attention-grabbing Zhao Shaoyang eagerly rushed over.
He had come with Li Fu.
When he saw him, Chen Pingjiang was puzzled,
"Why did you come?"
Zhao Shaoyang diligently took over Li Fu's task, taking Chen Pingjiang's carry-on suitcase.
"Wang Cong looked for me, saying he wanted to meet you. He heard we're acquiring small cinema chains and wants to broker an investment in Wanda Cinemas for us."
Chen Pingjiang waved his hand,
"No, I'm not seeing him. If I wanted to invest in Wanda Cinemas, I could just go directly to his father, why talk to him? What kind of say does he have in Wanda Cinemas?"
Zhao Shaoyang gave a wry smile,
"He's just come to me for a favor. He's asked me several times, and I refused the previous times, but this time I really couldn't get out of it. If I refuse again, he probably won't hang out with me anymore. He's also an SVIP at our Tiangong Bar. Besides, I'm in the film industry now, and whether it's movie releases or supporting artists, Wanda Pictures is unavoidable."
"Just consider it supporting my work, Chen Ge."
Chen Pingjiang got a headache from his nagging and quickly said,
"Alright, stop talking. Don't come to me with such trivial matters next time."
"Got it, no problem."
Zhao Shaoyang immediately beamed with joy.
Renren Entertainment Group's headquarters this time was not located in Dongjiang, but in Shanghai.
There was no other way; due to the industry's specific nature, Dongjiang had no entertainment industry genes whatsoever.
Most celebrities were concentrated in Shanghai and Beijing, giving rise to the terms 'Shanghai Circle' and 'Beijing Circle.'
Even first-tier cities like Shenzhen and Guangzhou weren't suitable, let alone Dongjiang.
Renren Entertainment directly rented an entire five-floor office building for its initial development this time.
When Chen Pingjiang arrived at Renren Entertainment headquarters, Wan Yuqian had just finished a meeting.
"How did you end up like a pimp, introducing people to the big boss?"
After hearing about the Wanda Cinemas matter, Wan Yuqian glared at Zhao Shaoyang irritably.
"Your Chen Ge is at a stage where he needs to protect his reputation. If the media catches him going in and out of entertainment venues with that kind of rich second generation, what will people think? They won't think you're discussing business; they'll just think you're birds of a feather! Other entrepreneurs will think Chen Pingjiang has truly fallen, to be hanging out with that kind of playboy."
Zhao Shaoyang was scolded mercilessly and dared not retort.
Not to mention that Wan Yuqian was his direct superior now, even in the past, he wouldn't have dared.
She was his senior, and she even dared to confront Chen Pingjiang normally; compared to her, he was nothing.
Chen Pingjiang was somewhat touched by Wan Yuqian's "concern."
"My senior truly understands me!"
Have you ever seen Jack Ma, Pony Ma, Li Yanhong, and Wang Cong eating together? No, right!
In high society, it's all about circles.
The rich second generation has their circle, and self-made entrepreneurs also have their separate circles.
There's the 'Beijing Circle' in Beijing and the 'Shanghai Circle' in Shanghai.
"Senior, I know I was wrong, please stop scolding me. I couldn't help it, wasn't I just trying to do things well?"
Seeing Zhao Shaoyang's aggrieved expression, Chen Pingjiang smiled and waved his hand,
"Just this once, don't let it happen again."
......
Fortunately, the meeting place wasn't a nightclub.
It seemed Wang Cong was quite clear-headed, having booked an entire restaurant on the 67th floor of the Jin Mao Tower.
As Chen Pingjiang and Zhao Shaoyang stepped out of the elevator, they saw Wang Cong and Qin Fen standing at the restaurant entrance, rubbing their hands together.
"Chen Ge, ah, we've finally been looking forward to your arrival, please come in quickly."
Wang Cong greeted him familiarly.
Qin Fen, who was standing by, also bowed and introduced himself,
"Chen Ge."
Chen Pingjiang smiled and nodded,
"Don't be so formal, you two. You might even be older than me by a few months, so just call me by my name."
"How can that be? If my old man found out, he'd say I'm ignorant. Although I am indeed older than you by a few months, in terms of career, you're in the same generation as my dad. Calling you 'Ge' is no problem."
Chen Pingjiang didn't bother to correct him, slowly walking into the restaurant under the enthusiastic 90-degree bow of the greeter at the door.
Qin Fen, walking behind, nudged Wang Cong with his elbow,
"Holy crap, his aura is quite strong. If you don't look at his appearance but his demeanor, you'd truly think I met someone from our dads' generation."
Chen Pingjiang looked around curiously, noticing there was no one else in the restaurant, and asked,
"You didn't book the whole place, did you?"
"Of course. It's rare to dine with CEO Chen, so it definitely needs to be quiet."
"No need, it's too expensive."
"It's only right, only right. Dining with Warren Buffett costs twenty million; this is nothing in comparison."
Chen Pingjiang gave these two rich second generations a deep look.
To be honest, these two were barely acceptable in character, especially Wang Cong, who showed quite a bit of manliness in the Panda TV incident.
"This French restaurant has received Michelin three-star ratings for many consecutive years, and the chefs are all foreigners. Please try it later, and if anything isn't to your taste, just say so."
After sitting down, Chen Pingjiang said,
"Young CEO Wang, I've heard about the matter. I'll be honest with you, I'm not considering Wanda Cinemas. Today, let's just have a meal and chat. In the future, I hope you'll take good care of my brother who's working in the entertainment industry."
After discussing with Wan Yuqian and considering various factors, Chen Pingjiang still didn't want to get involved in Wanda's complicated situation.
On one hand, he had a good relationship with He Zhiyu.
He Zhiyu's Yuanfang commercial real estate projects currently had twenty-five locations nationwide, which was not a huge gap compared to Wanda's thirty-five.
Currently, Yuanfang Plaza had also established a deep cooperation with Renren Pictures.
Wherever there was a Yuanfang Plaza, there would inevitably be a Renren Cinema.
In the future, as Yuanfang Plaza continued to expand downwards, Chen Pingjiang indeed wouldn't need to consider Wanda much.
On the other hand, Wang Jianlin was in his prime right now.
The real estate industry had flourished in the past two years, and commercial real estate benefited accordingly.
It could be said that Wanda should not be short of money.
Even if shares were to be released, Chen Pingjiang would only get a very small portion and would be subject to restrictions.
Chen Pingjiang never engaged in partnerships without a say.
He might not hold a controlling stake, but he absolutely had to have a voice.
Therefore, Chen Pingjiang had little interest in Wanda.
Wang Cong was momentarily stunned, but then felt somewhat relieved.
He had initially invited Chen Pingjiang to dinner under the guise of cooperation, and he didn't care or have confidence in whether this cooperation would succeed.
After all, he hadn't inherited his father's business to work at Wanda.
He had some say, but not much; others, even if they were to consider it, would still look to his father's opinion.
"That's good, that's good. Let's just talk about other things today."
Qin Fen didn't think Wang Cong's attitude was overly fawning.
If it were him, he'd probably be the same.
After all, the person in front of them was a leading domestic internet entrepreneur.
"Chen Ge, I wonder if I could ask you about some business questions?"
Seeing Chen Pingjiang nod, Wang Cong continued,
"I took 500 million from home and set up an investment company. But I only have money, no resources. Those large companies with potential don't look at me, and those that do are small companies, but investing in these small companies carries particularly high risks. I want to ask if there are any good industries or projects? If possible, please introduce them to us brothers. Don't worry, I understand about consultation fees."
Looking at the eager, expectant eyes of Qin Fen and Wang Cong, Chen Pingjiang suddenly wanted to laugh.
No wonder people outside say they don't fear a rich second generation squandering wealth, only a rich second generation starting a business.
Wang Cong also demonstrated through his actions how correct this view was.
Just think, the 2 billion loss from Panda Huyu, if saved for Wang Cong to squander, even if he spent 100 million a year, it would last him 20 years.
Chen Pingjiang had thought about this kind of thing very clearly.
If his children were also to become spoiled playboys, then he would simply let the family fund provide them money, raising them like pigs, which would be better than letting them start a business or handing the company over to them.
The most famous example is the Metersbonwe family successor, who lost 3.1 billion in 7 years, eventually forcing the elderly father to come out of retirement again.
Some people are simply not suited for entrepreneurship or running a company.
After thinking for a moment, Chen Pingjiang still nodded,
"If you ask me, if I had your identities, I wouldn't have gone out to start a business back then. Entrepreneurship is for the poor, and it's inherently a very high-risk endeavor. With money in hand, there's no need to work yourself to death. Isn't 'lying flat' good? Don't think 'lying flat' is a derogatory term. On the contrary, I think it's about enjoying life."
Wang Cong chuckled awkwardly, exchanging glances with Qin Fen beside him, who was also a bit bewildered.
Thinking about these words coming from the mouth of the number one person in the internet industry now, it was somewhat comical.
You yourself work so hard and so desperately, yet you're teaching others to 'lie flat'.
Your net worth is over 300 billion now, and we haven't seen you 'lying flat'.
Chen Pingjiang saw their expressions, probably not quite believing his words, and didn't take it to heart, immediately dropping the subject.
Let go of the urge to help, respect others' destinies.
Perhaps only after Wang Cong loses 2 billion from Panda Fuyun will he realize that he's not cut out for it.
"CEO Chen, we brothers understand what you mean, but frankly, our fathers are quite successful, and we fall far short in comparison, usually having no say at home. We also want to have our own careers, to prove to outsiders that we are not rich second generations who just coast through life, and to prove to our fathers that handing the family business over to us in the future would be worthy of their trust."
After thinking, Wang Cong said,
"Chen Ge, could you let us younger brothers tag along? You eat the meat, and we'll just have some soup. Don't worry, we won't tell anyone outside."
Qin Fen also nodded repeatedly,
"Chen Ge, if you ever need help in the future, you can directly come to us brothers. As long as it's within this small corner of Shanghai, there's nothing we can't handle. Oh, and Dalian too."
"Alright, since it's come to this, and Wang Cong also knew me before, I'll point you in a direction. Whether you succeed or fail, you're responsible. Do it or don't do it, you decide; I'm just offering a suggestion."
After a slight pause, Chen Pingjiang continued,
"The next big trend might be blockchain. Bitcoin is already out; you can hoard some yourselves, or you can focus on blockchain trading platforms."
Wang Cong was startled,
"Chen Ge, I've heard of blockchain, and I've heard of Bitcoin too. Is that stuff really as miraculous as you say?"
"Don't ask me about this, I wouldn't know even if you did. Believe it or not, make up your own minds."
Chen Pingjiang was purely being generous at others' expense; he wasn't planning on speculating in Bitcoin anyway, just moving his lips to introduce a project to others.
Why not?
For a moment, Chen Pingjiang wondered if he could also imitate Buffett and hold a lunch auction in the future.
He just wondered how much his own meal could fetch at auction.
However, it was fine if Wang Cong himself hoarded Bitcoin, but if he imitated Zhao Changpeng and set up a crypto exchange platform, he wondered if his father would be able to handle it in the future.
(End of chapter)