Chapter 1082: Work Meeting

Life has always been so unpredictable; you can never anticipate whether something will bring you an unexpected surprise or twist at some point.

This is probably what is called the power of fate.

Even Zhao Fusheng himself never imagined that one day he would have to set foot in an industry he had never touched before.

And the more so, the more cautious he became, step by step, afraid that some mistake of his might become a stepping stone for others.

After returning to the capital, Zhao Fusheng immediately summoned Dong Chenxi and others to hear their reports on what had happened during his absence from the country.

On the Future Advertising side, we have recently slowed down our expansion, mainly digesting the markets we previously occupied while stabilizing relations with our cooperative partners,” reported the deputy under Zheng Yao, respectfully addressing Zhao Fusheng.

Although the outside world was not clear, within Future Advertising and other companies, especially among senior management, Zhao Fusheng's identity was no longer a secret.

This was also a decision Zhao Fusheng made after careful consideration.

After all, he couldn't stay behind the scenes forever; one day he would have to step onto the stage, and when that time came, he couldn't really have a group of company executives asking him, 'Who are you?' like in TV dramas.

That would be too ridiculous.

Therefore, it was necessary to disclose his identity within a small scope.

Of course, this scope had to be limited to a very small extent; otherwise, it would also be a disturbance to his life.

Be sure to pay attention to CCTV,” Zhao Fusheng said to Zheng Yao after a moment of thought. “For a period of time, CCTV still represents the main viewership ratings, and our advertising should mainly be placed there.”

Got it,” Zheng Yao nodded, indicating she understood what to do.

This was a major direction at present. In an era when internet media was not yet developed, the role of television media was irreplaceable, especially for top platforms like CCTV. Whoever could take the lead would be one step ahead of others.

Do not underestimate this step; in commercial competition, the significance represented by this step is no small matter.

Future Advertising, now one of the top three advertising companies in the north, has already secured its position. There is no need to risk certain experiments; stabilizing the market is the most important thing.

As for Future Film and Television, it is currently focused on two projects: 'Kung Fu Hustle' and 'Soldiers Sortie.'” Bai Jie had personally returned from Hong Kong to attend this meeting and reported to Zhao Fusheng.

Zhao Fusheng nodded. There was nothing more to say; Future Film and Television's energy would likely be devoted to these two projects for the next year.

Future Investment...” Dong Chenxi glanced at Zhao Fusheng and finally shrugged. “Our main target was originally the U.S. market, but after investigation, I found that they are not very welcoming of our investments. Or rather, given our current situation, it is not yet suitable for us to enter the U.S. market on a large scale.”

She spoke so cautiously because her words essentially negated the development strategy Zhao Fusheng had previously set for the company. In other words, she was going against the boss.

Although they had exchanged some thoughts when she returned to the country earlier, Zhao Fusheng hadn't asked much, and Dong Chenxi hadn't explained much then. Now that she was bringing it up, she was truly uneasy.

Zhao Fusheng's reaction was quite calm. He smiled and said, “As for this issue, you can discuss and decide among yourselves. I won't interfere.”

In fact, Dong Chenxi had misunderstood his meaning. As the saying goes, if you trust someone, don't doubt them; if you doubt them, don't hire them. In Zhao Fusheng's view, since he had chosen her to lead Future Investment, he naturally wouldn't care about such things.

In other words, what use would a general manager who dared not decide what industries the company should invest in be to Zhao Fusheng?

This was a fact that could not be changed, no matter how good the personal relationships among them were.

Zhao Fusheng could not allow Dong Chenxi to hold such an important position as head of Future Investment while being incompetent just because they were friends. If she lacked the ability, he would have no choice but to let her go.

Hearing Zhao Fusheng's words, Dong Chenxi's eyes lit up. She naturally understood what he meant; it seemed he was ready to delegate authority to her.

“Our next strategy is to prioritize stability.” Zhao Fusheng's gaze swept across the room, passing over the many senior executives, and he said calmly, “The company's integration plan should produce a complete proposal as soon as possible. I have only one requirement: after integration, the company must be a comprehensive, diversified group. Our vision should not be limited to one corner; we must be forward-looking and purposeful. I hope that everyone here can become pillars of the company.”

Although he was younger than the vast majority of those present, at this moment, no one dared to take the young boss's words lightly.

The power of authority lies in its disregard for age, gender, and all other external factors. As the owner of the entire Future group of companies, Zhao Fusheng naturally had a deterrent effect on everyone here.

If he were a rich second-generation, perhaps everyone would look down on him, thinking he might be outwardly impressive but inwardly worthless, not worth paying attention to.

But as it happened, Zhao Fusheng had started from scratch. He himself had been a top planner at Future Advertising, and many projects under Future Film and Television and Future Investment had developed under his push.

In other words, he had single-handedly built such a vast enterprise. Among these people, who could not feel a sense of awe?

After all, they depended on Zhao Fusheng for their livelihood, and one must always show sufficient respect to the person who pays their salary. These people were not yet capable of picking up their chopsticks with a smile and cursing the meal once they put them down.

……

……

After the meeting ended, Dong Chenxi and Bai Jie left the Future Advertising headquarters with their respective teams, while Zheng Yao personally accompanied Zhao Fusheng back to her office.

"So, I heard the trip to the US didn't go smoothly?" Once inside the office, Zheng Yao poured a glass of water for Zhao Fusheng and asked.

Zhao Fusheng thought for a moment, then smiled and said, "It's not exactly that it didn't go smoothly; I'd say there were both good and bad aspects."

"Hmm?" Zheng Yao was a bit puzzled, looking at Zhao Fusheng in surprise.

Clearly, she didn't quite understand what Zhao Fusheng meant, because what she had heard from Dong Chenxi was not the same as what Zhao Fusheng was saying.

Could it be that these two had some secret?

The thought flashed through her mind, but Zheng Yao said nothing more, because she felt that if Zhao Fusheng wanted to talk, he would naturally speak up; if he didn't intend to tell her, asking would be useless.

"Actually, it's nothing much. I went to see two people this time," Zhao Fusheng explained with a smile. "One is a website I invested in earlier; it's developing well, and I'm very satisfied, so I decided to continue with additional investment. As for the other, we've basically reached a preliminary intention to cooperate, but the specifics will depend on what happens next."

"And what about Chenxi?" Zheng Yao frowned and asked.

As the CEO of the integrated company, she had to be concerned about these matters.

Zhao Fusheng shook his head: "The plan she had before was to test the waters in the US and invest in several companies. But the results weren't good, so she only made seed investments."

Facing Zheng Yao, he naturally didn't need to hide anything.

"The Americans are really despicable." Zheng Yao's delicate brows furrowed as she said disapprovingly.

Naturally, she was speaking on behalf of Dong Chenxi and Zhao Fusheng; in her view, the Americans' unwillingness to accept Future Investment's venture capital was simply ingratitude.

Zhao Fusheng chuckled: "You can't say that; it's perfectly normal. The problem now is that we don't fancy projects with poor prospects, while those with good prospects are already being eyed by others. Unless we keep an eye on these projects from the very beginning, it won't be easy to get a foot in the door later."

He paused and shrugged: "Don't forget, after all, we're Chinese."

Zheng Yao was taken aback, then immediately understood what Zhao Fusheng meant. After all, although the US keeps shouting about democracy day in and day out, in reality, it's the most xenophobic place in the world.

For a Chinese company to enter the US market is always extremely difficult. The predicament Future Investment now faces is actually quite normal.

In fact, Zhao Fusheng himself was considering how to maximize profits once projects like Twitter and Facebook matured.

As it stood now, the best approach was to sell off his shares before they were diluted.

As for who would be the right buyer, Zhao Fusheng was still considering it, but he believed someone would be willing to take that role.

"By the way, I feel like you've gained weight?"

Squinting at Zheng Yao, Zhao Fusheng blinked and teased.

Then, in that instant, he suddenly felt the air around him turn cold.

Zheng Yao looked at Zhao Fusheng and squeezed out a sentence through gritted teeth: "Where do you see that I've gained weight?"

"Just a feeling," Zhao Fusheng shrank his neck and said cautiously, "Uh, am I wrong?"

Staring coldly at her boss, Zheng Yao said flatly, "I've gained five pounds. You have good eyes. What, are you secretly in love with me?"

Ah?

Looking up at Zheng Yao with a bewildered expression, Zhao Fusheng then shook his head: "Secret love? No. I just think your waist is thicker."

The next moment, he stood up neatly, walked to the office door before Zheng Yao could react, and said to her, "I'm going on vacation soon. Before the company integration plan is finalized, don't come to me unless it's something important. That's it."

With that, he quickly disappeared from Zheng Yao's sight, leaving behind a furious General Zheng.

"Zhao Fusheng! Don't let me catch you! You're dead!"

Zheng Yao shouted angrily, causing many executives who knew Zhao Fusheng's identity to shrink their necks upon hearing this.