My capital is quite large.

Chapter 106 Pop Mart

In March, the Jiangnan region is still chilly.

In a high-end apartment in downtown Nanjing, Liu Shishi curled up on the sofa in front of the floor-to-ceiling window.

The tablet computer in his hand was displaying the latest real-time popularity ranking of the "Four Emerging Actresses" on Haofeng's Weibo.

Looking at the bright red ranking data on the screen, Liu Shishi felt as if a stone was stuck in her chest.

The top two spots on the list are still a battle of titans.

Liu Yifei and Yang Mi were neck and neck in the votes. Backed by top-tier films and high-end endorsements from Haofeng Film & Television, the two almost divided up half of the most commercially valuable segment of the Chinese entertainment industry.

Third on the list is her best friend, Tang Yan.

With her appearances in several big-budget productions and stunning shows at various fashion events, Tang Yan has firmly secured her position as the "Queen of Sweetness."

However, what truly stung Liu Shishi was the fourth name!

Li Xin!

This newcomer, who was originally inconspicuous in the company and was still serving her tea and water and calling her "Sister Shi Shi," miraculously rose to fourth place on the list, squeezing out the positions that originally belonged to Huang Shengyi, Wang Luodan, and others!

"How could it be so fast..." Liu Shishi bit her lower lip, her eyes filled with disbelief and panic.

But she knew better than anyone that Li Xin's rocket-like rise was no accident.

Around the Spring Festival, "Meteor Shower Again" concluded its run on Hunan TV's prime time slot.

Following that, "iPartment 2" dominated the screens on iQiyi and major TV stations!

Li Xin's portrayal of "Qin Yumo" not only garnered attention for her stunning looks but also resonated with the aesthetic preferences of countless young male fans, making her an overnight sensation as the goddess in the hearts of male fans across the internet.

The combination of being the female lead in two nationally popular hit dramas has propelled Li Xin into the ranks of top-tier celebrities!

"She took that step too..."

Liu Shishi closed her eyes, and Tang Yan's earnest warning to her came to mind.

In this vast arena of fame and fortune called Haofeng Film and Television, there is no favoritism without a reason.

The price Li Xin paid to secure a regular role in "iPartment 2" and enjoy the company's full-channel promotion is self-evident.

Liu Shishi opened her eyes and looked around the empty luxury apartment.

As one of the earliest actresses signed by the company, she once called herself a "veteran" and had a cool and aloof bottom line of not competing or fighting for anything.

But now?

Although filming for "Scarlet Heart" has wrapped up, the later editing and broadcast schedule are still far off.

Her popularity is declining at a visible rate.

In this era where people are forgotten by netizens if they don't appear in the public eye for three months, she watched helplessly as Yang Mi and Tang Yan soared to great heights, and now even her junior, Li Xin, is stepping on her head!

"Am I really going to fall behind?"

The intense sense of loss, the fear of being marginalized, and her stubborn refusal to admit defeat shattered her pride.

If even Li Xin is willing to go all out, what's the point of her holding back?

In this industry, being aloof won't get you resources; it will only get you sidelined and sidelined.

With that thought in mind, Liu Shishi's fingers trembled slightly as she dialed the number.

The phone rang three times before being answered.

"Hello, Shishi?" The voice of Zhang Xinyu, the president's chief secretary, with her ever-present languid tone, came from the other end of the phone.

"Secretary Zhang..."

Liu Shishi tried to make her tone sound more natural. "Is President Li in Jinling recently? I'd like to... I'd like to go to the manor to report to the boss about the work plan after the filming of 'Scarlet Heart' wraps up."

Zhang Xinyu paused for two seconds on the other end of the phone, then let out a soft laugh.

"Oh, Shishi, you've finally taken the initiative to call."

"Unfortunately, the boss is on a business trip to Japan these days and isn't in the country. His schedule is packed, so he probably won't have time to meet you."

Went to Japan?!

Liu Shishi felt a pang of fear, a sense of being rejected washing over her.

"Then...when will the boss be back?" Liu Shishi asked anxiously.

"I really have something important I'd like to ask the boss in person."

"Alright, seeing how sincere you are, I'll make the arrangements for you."

Zhang Xinyu glanced at the schedule. "The boss will probably be going back to China this weekend. Come to the manor in Zijin Mountain next Monday night. Remember to dress nicely; the boss doesn't like wooden people."

"I understand... Thank you, Secretary Zhang. I will be there on time next Monday evening."

After hanging up the phone, Liu Shishi leaned back on the sofa, feeling utterly exhausted.

Taking this step was much more difficult than she had imagined.

But along with it came a sense of relief, as if everything had finally settled down.

……

Meanwhile, in Tokyo, Japan.

Li Feng was naturally unaware of the psychological tug-of-war taking place in Jinling.

At this moment, he is sitting in a joint conference room with a large business team, representing several Japanese copyright giants, including Shueisha and Toei.

It has been less than a year since their last trip to Japan to snap up anime, film and television broadcasting rights and game adaptation rights.

The Japanese executives who initially saw Li Feng as a sucker now look at this Chinese "god of wealth" with a hint of apprehension.

Because Bilibili and iQiyi, both owned by Haofeng Network, have monopolized the legitimate discourse power in China's ACG (Anime, Comics, and Games) market!

"President Li, you've personally flown to Tokyo this time. Is it because you've set your sights on some new IP broadcasting rights?" Shueisha's General Manager Sato accompanied him personally, speaking respectfully.

"I've already bought enough broadcasting rights and game rights," Li Feng said, leaning back in his chair.

"Mr. Sato, I'm here today to obtain the exclusive physical merchandise licenses for your top-tier IPs in Greater China."

"Surrounding businesses?"

Sato paused, somewhat confused. "You mean figurines, posters, gashapon toys, and other derivative products? President Li, the physical merchandise market in China is completely flooded with counterfeit goods from Yiwu. The profit margins are incredibly thin. Why would you be interested in such a small business?"

In their view, it's like using a cannon to kill a mosquito for internet giants to get involved in physical merchandise.

Li Feng simply smiled mysteriously and offered no further explanation.

He turned his head and looked at the somewhat awkward young man sitting behind him.

"Wang Ning, show our design concept sketches to Mr. Sato."

"Yes, Mr. Li!"

When her name was called, Wang Ning quickly stood up, took out a stack of exquisite design brochures from her briefcase, and handed them to the Japanese executive opposite her.

This young man named Wang Ning was none other than the founder of the later Chinese trendy toy empire, Pop Mart!

Coincidentally, just half a month ago, Wang Ning opened his first offline store in Zhongguancun, Beijing, specializing in trendy department stores, and was struggling with a shortage of funds.

Just then, Li Feng appeared out of nowhere and used five million RMB in cash to acquire the shell company that only had one storefront!

After the acquisition, Li Feng not only invested tens of millions of yuan in the company to open directly operated stores nationwide, but also personally gave Wang Ning a business lesson that was enough to overturn his understanding.

"Don't go and run some kind of general store! If you're going to do something, do blind boxes!"

Li Feng imparted the most crucial wealth secrets of Pop Mart from his previous life to the public five years in advance.

"Premium blind boxes of a fixed size, filled with various rare and limited-edition figurines! Exploiting young people's collecting obsessions, gambling mentality, and desire for social status quo, these worthless plastic figures are sold for tens or even hundreds of dollars!"

"And what we at Haofeng Network have in abundance are top-tier ACG (Anime, Comics, and Games) IPs with a wide audience!"

Wang Ning was amazed by this blind selection business logic!

He willingly relinquished absolute control of the company, transforming himself into a senior "product manager" within Li Feng's business empire.

In the conference room.

When Sato and a group of Japanese executives saw the chibi-style figures of characters from Naruto, One Piece, and Bleach in the catalog, designed as exquisite blind boxes, their eyes lit up.

"This sales model... is quite innovative."

Sato nodded. "Since President Lee is willing to pay a generous buyout fee, Shueisha naturally has no reason to refuse."

With the previous successful collaboration as a foundation, and given the generous cash offer from Li Feng, the negotiations for the exclusive licensing of physical blind box merchandise proceeded exceptionally smoothly.

In less than half a day, Li Feng acquired the merchandise licenses for dozens of the most profitable top anime IPs in Japan!

……

That evening, to celebrate the achievement of the cooperation.

Several Japanese conglomerates hosted a top-tier banquet for Li Feng at a high-class restaurant in Tokyo.

The wooden door opened, and the melodious sounds of traditional Chinese string and wind instruments filled the air.

Sato walked up to Li Feng with a beaming smile, his tone both ingratiating and mysterious: "President Li, we know you have very high standards. Tonight, we've specially arranged for two of Japan's most popular national actresses to keep you company for a few drinks."

"Absolutely the top representative of the pure and innocent type. Hope you have a pleasant evening."

As Sato finished speaking, the paper door of the ryotei (traditional Japanese restaurant) was pulled open.

Two young girls with pure and sweet looks walked in with light, delicate steps.

They knelt respectfully on the floor and greeted him sweetly, "President Li, it's a pleasure to meet you. Please take care of me."

Standing behind Li Feng, Zhang Xinyu's pupils contracted sharply when she saw the faces of the two girls.

Even though she doesn't follow the Japanese entertainment industry much, she recognized these two actresses who are extremely well-known in Asia at a glance.

Masami Nagasawa! Yui Aragaki!

These two are the untouchable "national wives" in the hearts of countless otaku! The Japanese side, in order to please their boss, actually sent these national-level actresses to work as hostesses?!

Zhang Xinyu's mind went blank with alarm bells. She looked nervously at Li Feng, fearing that her boss had been bewitched.

however.

Li Feng held his wine glass, his gaze sweeping over the two Japanese actresses who were revered as goddesses by countless people, but his brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.

Innocent? Sweet?

Perhaps it does look good with the help of lenses and filters.

but……

Li Feng's gaze fell on the lines of their kneeling legs.

The slight bowlegs and awkwardness caused by prolonged kneeling and genetic defects in Japanese people are clearly exposed when observed up close in reality.

In addition, there's an excessive humility and pettiness that's ingrained in his very being.

Compared to Yang Mi's charm, Liu Yifei's aloofness, and Tang Yan's tall stature, this so-called "national wife of the East" is nothing special in Li Feng's eyes, which have been spoiled by the top-tier fame and fortune of the Chinese entertainment industry!

"Mr. Sato."

Li Feng gently placed the wine glass on the table, making a muffled "thud".

"Your country's food is alright, but... let's skip this entertainment."

"The cooperation has been finalized, and I need to fly back to China tomorrow to handle official business."

"Xinyu, let's go."

After saying this, Li Feng walked out of the upscale restaurant without looking back, leaving the Japanese executives staring in disbelief.

Zhang Xinyu paused for a second, then followed closely behind, her heart filled with joy.

In the eyes of this capitalist tyrant, no matter what kind of "national wife" she is, if she doesn't meet his top aesthetic standards, she doesn't even deserve to be glanced at!