The Wealthy Tycoon's Game of Life

Chapter 1562: Chapter 624: Strategy and...

As the president of one of Korea’s top three entertainment companies, a figure whose mere footstep can cause a ripple throughout half of the entertainment industry, Jin Zhijie turns 45 this year.

Forty-five is a distant age for young people who can still be described as youthful, but to reach this position at this age, Jin Zhijie can be considered to be ”spirited” and ”young and promising” in the eyes of outsiders.

But don’t be deceived by the fact that Jin Zhijie is surrounded by admiration wherever he goes, and that his words and actions can determine the fate of most people; only he himself knows the precariousness of his position, like drinking water where only he knows its warmth or coldness.

YG Entertainment, as a listed company, currently has a total market value exceeding 300 billion Korean Won, equivalent to over 1 billion RMB.

But looking at the other two of the top three companies, one can see that the second-ranked SM Entertainment’s market value is close to 2 billion RMB, while the first-ranked HYBE is indisputably the leader in Korea’s entertainment industry, with a market value exceeding 6 billion RMB, far ahead of the others.

There’s no need to mention HYBE; it has been the dominant force in the entertainment industry for a long time, with the backing of the Samsung Group. YG Entertainment’s initial goal wasn’t to surpass it, but the problem is...

SM Entertainment wasn’t as good as YG Entertainment initially.

When Jin Zhijie took over YG Entertainment, it was ranked second in the entertainment industry. Three years later, under his leadership, YG Entertainment dropped to third place.

Jin Zhijie feels it’s really not his fault, because the two core reasons for YG Entertainment’s market value decline are Bigbang’s nominal ”disbandment” and BlackPink’s contract expiration two years ago. Although they renewed their group contract, their individual contracts were all terminated, and each member started their own studio.

In a sense, this is one reason why Jenny and Rose aren’t so wary of Zhou Wang.

After all, BlackPink’s fame was already established, and they don’t have many group activities now; even if Zhou Wang wants to freeze ”BlackPink,” what’s it to Jenny and Rose?

But Jin Zhijie feels wronged.

Bigbang’s ”disbandment” happened without any involvement from him; it occurred just as he took over. As for ”BlackPink,” they were always the company’s mainstay, with decision-making power not in Jin Zhijie’s hands from the start. Major decisions regarding them have always needed board approval, and Jin Zhijie is, at most, a puppet responsible for signing.

Yet when things went wrong, and YG Entertainment’s market value declined, he was the one who had to take the blame—wasn’t that ridiculous?

Although Jin Zhijie finds it laughable, it doesn’t stop him from frequently reviewing in board meetings and expressing his determination to lead YG Entertainment back to its peak.

However, regardless of the circumstances before, he always had the strong support of the previous chairman who appreciated his talent, so life wasn’t too difficult.

He still remembers a week ago when the previous chairman hosted him at a night market, patting his shoulder and saying:

”Zhijie, keep up the good work. I’ve been lobbying the board, and after the annual meeting, I’ll draft a stock incentive contract with you...”

Even if it’s only 1% of the shares, once that step is crossed, Jin Zhijie would no longer be just an employee, but a capital owner beyond low-level interests.

But Jin Zhijie was excited for a whole night; the next day, before his hangover could wear off, he received the news... the chairman had been replaced.

The financial tycoon that was originally YG Entertainment’s major shareholder transferred over 60% of its shares to an unknown Huaxia person within just two hours.

... At least before that day’s public incident, Jin Zhijie had never heard of Zhou Wang’s name.

He was even thinking at the time, maybe this is some acquisition tactic, where one must self-sabotage before becoming chairman to make the acquisition easier?

But regardless of the truth, Jin Zhijie knows his fate has reached a crossroads. Whether he can continue to shine in the president’s position at YG Entertainment, or even take a step back and retire steadily from this position, now depends on that Huaxia man’s disposition...

As Jin Zhijie’s thoughts were scattered, the door to the tea room opened, and the first thing he saw was the beautiful secretary who had brought him in. Her naturally graceful beauty, unique to Huaxia women, left a strong impression on Jin Zhijie.

However, he dared not look more and immediately shifted his gaze away. When he saw a pair of slippers enter his peripheral vision, Jin Zhijie immediately bowed deeply:

”Chairman, good evening!”

Zhou Wang raised his hand, signaling Jin Zhijie to rise. After Zhou Wang took his seat, Jin Zhijie sat down, perched on the edge of the chair, and deftly began brewing tea before Xu Wenqian even had to move.

Even though the tea ceremony’s status in Korea isn’t as exaggerated as in Japan, it’s still a mandatory course at the upper echelons. Jin Zhijie seemed very accustomed to it and shortly placed a fragrant cup of hot tea in front of Zhou Wang and brewed another cup for Xu Wenqian.

Throughout the tea brewing process, Zhou Wang didn’t speak but merely observed Jin Zhijie’s demeanor. Seeing his respectful manner and cautious movements, Zhou Wang could understand his mindset, so he knocked lightly on the table.

Jin Zhijie immediately sat up straight, adopting a listening posture.

”I want to fully control YG Entertainment in the shortest time possible. Do you have any ideas?”

This sentence was spoken by Zhou Wang but translated by Xu Wenqian.