Chapter 105: The Emperor of Part-Time Work

They chatted until late into the night, both host and guest thoroughly enjoying themselves, and Zhuang Chen returned home with a sense of immense satisfaction. On the way back, he couldn't help but sigh: the wealthy of ancient times really knew how to live in style!

Living in a private garden, surrounded by concubines, with a private chef, the scent of perfume in the air, and a house full of children... Once the gates were shut, they were essentially little emperors in their own right!

Reflecting on his time in Beijing, he felt a twinge of regret that he hadn't managed to try the famous Tan Family Cuisine. Well, he decided, he would definitely make it a point to enjoy it next time he returned.

Back at the hotel, feeling full from all the tonics, he called over two models and had them put on maid outfits... A battle of dragons and tigers? No, let's go with one dragon and two phoenixes!

After spending a day in Guangzhou, he headed straight for Shenzhen, the bridgehead of reform and opening up. He had heard of "Window of the World," a man-made theme park famous for its miniature world, which integrated world wonders, historical relics, famous scenic spots, and folk performances into one cohesive space.

After buying his ticket, he chose a professional guide named Li Ya and began to tour the park. Spanning 500,000 square meters, it featured eight themed zones—Asia, America, Africa, Oceania, Europe, a sculpture garden, and an international street—comprising over 130 attractions.

"This is the World Plaza, the heart of the park," the young guide introduced enthusiastically. "It features 108 profound pillars, a 1,680-square-meter relief wall symbolizing world civilization, six gates representing different cultures, and a panoramic global stage embedded within, representing the vast, endless river of history..."

"To the left is the Louvre, built in the 13th century, one of the largest and oldest museums in the world. It is famous for the Venus de Milo, the Mona Lisa, and the Winged Victory of Samothrace..."

"Here is the Eiffel Tower. Between the entrances are six statues. From left to right, they are the Venus de Milo, David, an Indian goddess, a Chinese divine king, an ancient Egyptian princess, and Ashurnasirpal II..."

"The Gate of the Temple of Horus is located in the Edfu region, 110 kilometers north of Aswan. It is the most worthwhile site to visit on the way from Luxor to Aswan. The ancient Egyptian god, depicted with the head of a falcon, is a symbol of royal power and the guardian of the Pharaoh..."

Zhuang Chen listened quite attentively as the young beauty explained the various landmarks. Although the architecture felt a bit disjointed, he considered it a way to accumulate some knowledge in advance, just in case he ever had the chance to visit the real locations.

After passing through the China Gate, he reached the tour vehicle area on the right. Everyone boarded the vehicle for a whirlwind tour. They caught glimpses of the Katsura Imperial Villa of Japan, which showcased royal luxury, with traditional tea and flower arrangement demonstrations evoking the ancient charm of Fusang.

The magnificent Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon, Myanmar, whispered tales of a dynasty's prosperity. India, a land steeped in legend, offered the Modhera Sun Temple, where one could wash away the dust of the soul. The Taj Mahal stood as a testament to the ultimate song of love, while the Southeast Asian water towns created a rich, authentic Asian atmosphere...

Looking toward Europe, traces of the Renaissance were everywhere. The monsoon winds of the Aegean Sea and the Mediterranean sun wove together into a symphony of Europe. The Eiffel Tower stood tall like a pillar supporting the sky, while the Arc de Triomphe bore witness to the vicissitudes of history. Italy raised the sun in one's heart, and St. Peter's Basilica repeated the prologue of Genesis.

St. Basil's Cathedral witnessed the great changes in Red Square, and the bells on Mount Olympus stood as witnesses to vows. On this land carried by Noah's Ark, Shakespeare's poems served as a memorial to yesterday, while Dutch windmills and tulips decorated the home of today.

After a quick lap, feeling as though he had just eaten a chaotic hodgepodge, he left feeling somewhat underwhelmed. He checked into a hotel and heard there was also an Overseas Chinese Town, which he planned to check out in the afternoon.

Suddenly, he received a call from Old Tan, asking if he was interested in attending a startup project investment conference. Tan was already on a plane and, knowing Zhuang Chen was in Shenzhen, suggested they meet at two o'clock.

"Visiting the Tencent headquarters?" Zhuang Chen asked, curious after hearing Tan's introduction. "Will we see Pony Ma?"

"Pony Ma is, after all, the newly minted richest man in China and a very busy person; he definitely wouldn't show up for such a small matter!" Fearing a misunderstanding, Old Tan laughed and explained, "It's actually just an investor meetup held at the Tencent headquarters. There are seven or eight projects seeking investment; if anything catches your eye, we can just play around with it."

Zhuang Chen nodded. He was quite curious about Pony Ma, though even if they met, he doubted they would have much in common. The other man was a business tycoon, while he was merely a wealthy idler with a net worth of over 200 billion, looking down at the crowd from the heights.

Arriving at the entrance of the Tencent Building, he stood before the first technology company in Asia to exceed a $200 billion valuation. This was the second office building built by the company in Shenzhen, capable of accommodating 11,000 employees.

There were dedicated staff at the door to receive them. It was Old Tan's first time there as well, so they started with a tour. True to its status as a tech company, the lobby featured robots and artificial intelligence that could provide various forms of assistance, even guiding visitors to the restroom.

Every floor had facial recognition systems to protect the area, requiring staff to scan their faces to enter. After all, being a high-tech company, they had to ensure the security of corporate secrets while preventing outsiders from wandering in.

Along the way, they saw six or seven gyms, complete with table tennis, badminton, billiards, basketball, and other fitness and entertainment facilities, even including professional coaches.

A massive climbing wall was under construction, and there was a 300-meter indoor circular track 100 meters in the air, spanning the two buildings—it was remarkably imposing.

There were eight cafeterias, with all you could eat of chicken, duck, fish, and meat. The higher they went, the more luxurious it became, with libraries and education centers. He heard there was even a swimming pool on the top floor specifically for executives to relax and enjoy.

Upon reaching the conference room on the 26th floor, he couldn't help but sigh: Pony Ma was indeed wealthy!

Finding a seat before everyone had arrived, Old Tan laughed, "A major event happened in the circle a few days ago—a Tencent executive resigned, and it caused quite a stir."

"Investment executive Jonathan resigned to join the American hedge fund Coatue Management. He was in charge of digital entertainment projects for the past few years and was once incredibly prominent."

Seeing Zhuang Chen's interest, Tan continued, "Tencent is incredibly powerful, a deserved giant of the internet, one of the three major BAT companies, and a listed company with a market value exceeding $200 billion."

"As for company executives, most people outside the industry only know Pony Ma, and perhaps Zhang Xiaolong. The former is the founder and chairman of Tencent, while the latter is the one who single-handedly created WeChat."

"The title of 'founder' is like a golden signboard, often heavily mythologized. In reality, Martin Lau, known as the 'number two' at Tencent, is the real power player running the empire."

"He joined in 2005 directly as Chief Strategy Investment Officer, was promoted to Group President in less than a year, and was appointed as an executive director a year after that. His rise was meteoric and unstoppable."

"There are two 'employee emperors' in the circle. One is Canning Fok, who works for Li Ka-shing; he was promoted to executive director in just five years, a legendary speed. But Martin Lau is even more impressive—from joining to becoming an executive director, it took him less than three years!"

Old Tan knew Zhuang Chen liked to hear gossip and insider secrets from the circle, though he understood in his heart that with the "Hand of God" responsible for his investments, Zhuang Chen probably didn't care about his own minor dealings.

To be a sycophant, one must have the right awareness. Lack of shame is just the foundation; one must cater to the boss's preferences. Only when you can take a bath and play with women alongside the boss can you truly be called a confidant!