They're pulling every trick imaginable to boost Company's visibility and exposure.
Though the outside world has sarcastically crowned him "the disciplinary inspector of showbiz",
he's never once been caught in a romantic scandal with any actress.
Rumors that he tries to seduce starlets or longs to become one himself are utterly absurd.
Still, one has to admit Wang Congcong's publicity tactics are remarkably effective.
Although Richest Man Wang topped the Forbes China list for two straight years, 2015 and 2016, giving Wang Congcong the title of son of the richest man,
as early as 2016 Company had already delisted from U.S. markets and signed a valuation-adjustment agreement.
In other words, if Company can't re-list by 2018, Richest Man Wang will be on the hook for thirty billion in debt.
Right now Wang Congcong has no idea his family will soon be crippled by that failed bet.
What Wang Congcong doesn't know, Jiang Cheng understands with crystal clarity.
Company declaring bankruptcy would be huge news.
And the group has long since hit a developmental ceiling.
To make matters worse, whether from hubris or some other motive, Richest Man Wang recently dared to muscle in and snatch a joint project between a Chinese SOE and a foreign partner.
Consequently, every power in play is now squeezing him.
Were it not for the Wang family's remaining clout, Company would have collapsed overnight.
The People's Daily even ran a front-page critique of Company's arrogance.
With insiders stepping in, the hijacked project naturally stalled.
The ten billion in upfront capital they'd poured in vanished without a trace.
Those two disastrous decisions have left the clan badly bloodied.
Amid the shifting corporate undercurrents, without Wang Congcong's constant high-profile appearances to draw attention, Company's plight would be far worse.
Though Wang Congcong flaunts his wealth and hypes himself at every turn,
his popularity with both casual onlookers and devoted fans remains sky-high.
Each public outing almost invariably rockets to the top of the hot search charts.
His antics have delivered a massive reputational boost to the entire group.
So the truly elite Second-generation rich are no idle good-for-nothings.
On the surface they may seem to spend their days in idle pleasure,
but inside they're shrewd and calculating.
Moments later the elevator settled smoothly on the 59th floor.
When the doors glided open, Wang Congcong's figure filled the frame.
Seeing Jiang Cheng step out with Su Wan, Wang Congcong's eyes lit up involuntarily.
Jiang Cheng read the look at once and introduced, "This is Su Wan, an artist under our banner."
Su Wan dipped her head politely. "Young Master Wang, a pleasure to meet you."
Wang Congcong smiled and nodded, but his gaze stayed fixed on Su Wan.
He tugged Jiang Cheng aside and muttered, "From a distance I thought you'd brought your girlfriend. Up close I realized she's a star—no wonder she looked familiar."
Jiang Cheng explained, "Company orders; they want her to see the world."
"Cut the crap—you own the Company, you call the shots," Wang Congconc retorted with a jealous grin.
Seeing Wang Congcong didn't buy it, Jiang Cheng gave a helpless shrug.
He was right: whatever Yu Xiaoxiao arranged was, by definition, Company policy—what was wrong with that?
While they talked they had already entered the executive lounge of the investment summit.
When Jiang Cheng followed Wang Congcong and Su Wan inside, the stars waiting there mistook him for some newly debuted actor.
His looks were simply too striking; even amid glittering celebrities he stood out like a crane among chickens.
One could say his face was one in ten thousand.
Yet the stars merely stole quick glances before shifting their eyes away, feigning indifference.
In their line of work, looks alone aren't enough to impress.
Power, influence, and capital are what truly command attention.
Only those factors can propel a career into the stratosphere.
As for the famous Wang Congconc beside Jiang Cheng, none dared provoke him.
One misstep could land them on Social Media Platform's hot search and ruin their futures overnight.
Jiang Cheng looked around: young actresses in glamorous gowns on one side, middle-aged men in formal suits on the other.
Though several of the men looked unremarkable and none were familiar to him,
many still had starlets orbiting them.
From the actresses' deferential toasts it was obvious these middle-aged men carried serious weight at the summit.
While Jiang Cheng and Wang Congcong chatted, a smiling suit-clad man approached.
"Chairman Jiang!"
Jiang Cheng turned, puzzled.
After a moment he vaguely recalled meeting the man somewhere, though the memory wouldn't surface.
The man stepped up, still beaming, and offered his hand: "Long time no see—never thought I'd find you here."
Noticing Jiang Cheng's slight frown, Wang Congcong cut in: "President Li, surely you know me? I'm a loyal fan of your Sina Social Media Platform."
Li Songbo's attention swung to Wang Congcong, missing Jiang Cheng's expression entirely.
He set aside Jiang Cheng and shook Wang Congcong's hand warmly.
Grinning broadly, he replied, "Young Master Wang, of course I know you. You've sent us loads of traffic; I should be thanking you."
In Jiang Cheng's mind, images flashed rapid-fire.
Sina Social Media Platform… surname Li… Wang Congcong's rescue line was the jolt he needed—he suddenly remembered who the man was. They'd even sat at the same table at the ByteDance gala.