I changed the world.

Page 340

"Okay...okay...goodbye."

After hanging up the phone, Zhang Jing placed it back on the table. Sun Zhonghe had called, naturally about the private investment fund; Zhang Jing had previously signed a series of authorization agreements authorizing Sun Zhonghe to handle related fund matters.

These types of private equity funds are not open to the market for fundraising and are used entirely for personal investment, so the process is quite fast, especially since Sun Zhonghe has used some connections and the preliminary process has already been completed.

The next step is to set up a team and rent a venue, since it's a 3 million yuan investment and a team is needed to handle the related business.

Zhang Jing didn't interfere too much in his work, except for the financial aspects. Similar to the "Historical Relics Protection Foundation," Zhang Jing had his investment advisor, Wei Manling, contact Guanghe Accounting Firm for coordination. Subsequent financial procedures and audits would be handled by Guanghe Accounting Firm.

For Zhang Jing, this is a relatively simple solution. He doesn't currently have his own dedicated finance team, so this approach is quite effortless. Furthermore, without excessive scrutiny, specialized accounting firms like Guanghe, due to their professionalism, can effectively protect their clients' personal interests.

However, as his wealth grows and he may be involved in some relatively sensitive financial information in the future, as his plans become more in-depth and the people and things he is involved in become more private and sensitive, he will need to build his own dedicated financial team.

Or rather, he needs someone like a "chief steward" to help him manage some of the day's affairs. Of course, this can be put on hold for now; Zhang Jing plans to deal with this matter in the future.

After finishing his meal, Zhang Jing asked the maid to clear away the tableware. He then took some fish food and fed the fish in the inner courtyard. Zhang Jing had gradually raised some koi in the fishpond, and arranged some aquatic plants such as calamus around it. He would come over to feed them whenever he had free time. Zhang Jing quite enjoyed the leisurely pleasure of feeding the fish, and also used it to cultivate his mind.

Because Zhang Jing would come over to feed them from time to time, the dozen or so koi in the pond had become familiar with him. When they saw him coming, they would swarm to the shore, their little mouths crammed together on the surface of the water.

Zhang Jing took out some fish food and lightly scattered more than ten grains on the water. The surface of the water immediately rippled, and the fish scrambled together.

While feeding the animals, Zhang Jing silently pondered the arrangements he had made in Grand not long ago. At the Baladil National Museum, every move of Akbar and Mr. Valentine had been carefully considered beforehand.

In Zhang Jing's previous plans with Zhang Taihe, they had devoted considerable effort to studying Western history. Zhang Jing discovered that a military religious order called the "Knights Templar" truly existed in the world, operating roughly between the 11th and 14th centuries. It rose to prominence due to the Papacy's wars and expansion to the East, and was ultimately destroyed by the greed of King Grand.

Chapter 677 Things are going to get messed up if this continues...

Throughout history, the downfall of this knightly order has been shrouded in numerous mysteries and rumors: their prowess in battle, their piety, their wealth, their treasures, their betrayal… In particular, the last Grand Master's curse before his execution at the stake—that the Pope and King Grand would face eternal judgment within a year—is said to have indeed come true. Pope Lustow II died suddenly a month later, and Bonois I died suddenly while hunting six months later.

In addition, there are numerous tales about their wealth, their treasures, their revenge, and even the rumor that after Philip II was beheaded, someone dipped their finger in the blood and shouted: "This is Owen Lane's revenge!"

Because of the many mysterious rumors surrounding this organization that had been extinct for hundreds of years, Zhang Jing subconsciously recalled the conspiracy theories surrounding a certain bestselling religious novel in his previous life, which had swept the world and were difficult to distinguish between truth and falsehood. Therefore, he decided to start from this point as a foothold for his plans in the West.

It seems that everything is indeed proceeding according to his plan, and Mr. Jean Plantard has already begun working to revive this defunct organization...

Just as Zhang Jing was pondering silently, the doorbell rang outside the main gate. A maid went to open the door, and shortly after, footsteps came from the main gate through the hanging flower gate and towards the inner courtyard where Zhang Jing was.

Hearing only footsteps and a few questions, Zhang Jing already knew who it was. Since they were acquaintances, there was no need to be too polite, so he just continued feeding the fish until the footsteps came from behind him. He then turned around and smiled, "It's Hanxin."

"Big brother! Big brother! I have good news to tell you!" A cheerful voice with a smile entered his ears, followed by a soft and plump body hugging his arm.

Turning her head, a delicate fragrance of cardamom and vanilla wafted into her nostrils, carrying a slightly alluring lingering scent. Soft, flowing hair, a baby-faced, chubby face, slightly full lips, and watery eyes that were now smiling like crescent moons—it was Wei Hanxin.

Although Wei Hanxin was very busy with work, she would still find time to visit every one or two weeks. She would also call from time to time, and their conversations had evolved from initially discussing music to talking about all sorts of things. As a result, their relationship had become much more familiar than it had been at the beginning.

Perhaps due to her initial career as a singer and dancer, and her long-term dancing experience, Wei Hanxin has a tall and slender figure with a very full figure. After Zhang Jing's cultivation, his height has adjusted again compared to when he first transmigrated, reaching a height of 1.9 meters. He looks tall and strong, and Wei Hanxin standing next to him does not appear short at all; her height reaches his earlobe.

Zhang Jing felt his arms being pressed against by two extremely full, soft, and oppressive objects. Based on certain normal physiological reactions, some erotic thoughts involuntarily arose in his mind.

"What's wrong? Why are you so happy all of a sudden?" Zhang Jing was only slightly taken aback, then asked with a smile.

"Hmm... guess?"

"How could I possibly have guessed that?"

Wei Hanxin hugged Zhang Jing's arm and shook it a couple of times before happily saying, "Guose's advertising department has been communicating with my studio, hoping that I can shoot an advertisement for them, in addition to an endorsement contract."

Zhang Jing understood almost immediately: Wei Hanxin's recent meteoric rise had attracted the attention of brands, and for celebrities, endorsement contracts represented a significant portion of their income. However, this was a perk reserved for top-tier stars; Wei Hanxin's previous fame wouldn't have been enough to secure such endorsements.

In Zhang Jing's mind, Guose is not one of the top-tier brands, but rather a second-tier domestic cosmetics brand. However, the income from such an endorsement is generally not small.

"How much did they pay for the endorsement?" Zhang Jing asked curiously.

"Two million!" Wei Hanxin didn't let Zhang Jing guess anymore, and held up two slender fingers in front of Zhang Jing.

Zhang Jing thought back for a moment. To be honest, he didn't know much about this market. Because there wasn't the massive inflation and excessive money printing problems of his previous life, the purchasing power of currency in this world was much stronger. Therefore, the income of celebrities wasn't as extravagant as it had been in his previous life. However, in his memory, the endorsement income of top-tier celebrities, sometimes revealed by the media, often reached tens of millions. Therefore, while 200 million was a considerable sum, it probably didn't belong to the top tier.

Seeing Zhang Jing's thoughtful expression, Wei Hanxin asked somewhat nervously, "Does Big Brother feel that something is amiss?"

“Oh, no.” Zhang Jing shook his head: “I think you can accept it, but it’s best not to sign a contract that’s too long, or you can agree to discuss the endorsement fee once a year.”

"You are currently in a period of rapid growth, and your endorsement fees should have a lot of room for increase in the future. You should consider this carefully."

"Okay..." Wei Hanxin said without thinking, her voice filled with dependence, "I'll listen to my brother." At the same time, she gently pressed her face against Zhang Jing's shoulder, still holding onto his arm, showing no sign of letting go.

Wei Hanxin was wearing a fitted V-neck black knit top that accentuated her figure. From Zhang Jing's angle, he could see her clearly defined collarbones and her cleavage, which was being squeezed and deformed. Since Wei Hanxin's upper body was pressed against his arm at this moment, he could even feel the woman's soft waist tightening rapidly.

As a male who is both physiologically and psychologically normal, and whose desires are even stronger than those of the average person, Zhang Jing felt a surge of desire at this moment, wanting to reach out and embrace her...

In particular, he knew very well that if he did this, the woman in front of him would absolutely not put up any resistance.

"Big brother is so strong... so hard." Wei Hanxin's soft voice rang out. She hugged Zhang Jing's arm and reached out to knead it. Zhang Jing's arm did not appear to have exaggerated muscles, but when touched, it felt extremely tough. The tendons were like twisted steel wires, containing powerful explosive strength.

Sensing the ambiguous atmosphere, Zhang Jing thought to himself that things were going to get out of hand, so he casually handed over a handful of fish food: "Here, Hanxin, feed them some too."

Wei Hanxin did not refuse upon hearing this. She pouted slightly, then finally let go of Zhang Jing's arm, took the fish food from his hand, picked up a piece, and tossed it into the pool.

Chapter 678 Wei Hanxin's Personal Studio

Then, she was drawn to the plump koi in the pond.

"Eat, eat!"

"Big brother, look, that gun is really fierce..."

"I'll share some with the smaller one; it keeps getting taken..."

Having become familiar with her personality, Zhang Jing understood that this woman actually had a somewhat silly and cute side, and wasn't a very scheming person.

He noticed a packed package on the ground next to Wei Hanxin and laughed, "You're here, why bring anything?"

"These are some desserts I made recently, I brought them over for my older brother to try." Wei Hanxin pointed to the package beside her and emphasized, "I made them myself!"

Perhaps because Zhang Jing had praised her skills a few times before, Wei Hanxin would always find different ways to "feed" Zhang Jing whenever she came over. It has to be said that her skills were indeed quite good, no wonder her family used to run a pastry shop.

Zhang Jing didn't stand on ceremony and gestured for the maid to take the package next to her, while also giving her more fish food.

Just then, a shadowy figure approached Zhang Jing and Wei Hanxin's location silently, as if stealthily moving. Zhang Jing frowned, turned his head, and scolded, "Xiaotian, you're up to your old tricks again!"

In an instant, the shadowy figure broke free from its dazed state, wagging its tail and circling around Zhang Jing and Wei Hanxin. It was an extremely large dog, none other than Xiaotian.

As Xiaotian grows up, it has begun to exhibit many habits different from ordinary domestic dogs. For example, it has a strong ambush hunting instinct and often wanders around the Zhang family's area in a stealthy manner. In fact, even An Huiling cannot find it in this state. It enjoys using this trait to play with people, seemingly finding it a fun game of hide-and-seek.

However, besides playing with people, Xiaotian nowadays also catches small animals such as wild cats and weasels from time to time. Once, he even brought back a wild boar that had run away from somewhere on the mountain behind Zhang's house. He was scolded by Zhang Jing, but he still enjoyed it and could be described as incorrigible.

"Xiaotian has grown so big!" Only then did Wei Hanxin notice the large dog beside her. She had seen Xiaotian before, but now Xiaotian looked even bigger than a typical adult large mastiff. Its body was like a leopard, and its appearance was somewhere between a mastiff and a greyhound. Its head was not as short and thick as a mastiff's, but rather as long and slender as a wolf's. Its body was muscular and streamlined, and its neck had a mane like a lion's mane. It was clearly not a breed to be trifled with.

At this moment, Xiaotian seemed less like a domestic dog and more like some kind of ferocious beast, which made Wei Hanxin feel somewhat timid.

“When I came here last time, she was only this big…” Wei Hanxin gestured.

“Yes, it grows quite fast.” Zhang Jing pretended to kick it. Seeing that no one was playing with it, Xiaotian whimpered and ran away with its tail between its legs.

"What breed of dog is it?" Wei Hanxin asked, her fear gone once Xiaotian ran away. She patted her chest in lingering fear.

"I don't know either, I found it." Zhang Jing said casually, and then described how he found the puppy in the cardboard box that day, but omitted some details that he didn't want to reveal.

"It looks so majestic..." Wei Hanxin said with a hint of envy, "If Xiaotian gets a puppy in the future, can I have one too?"

“No problem, I’ll send you one if I have one.” Zhang Jing nodded, but he knew in his heart that a special breed like Xiaotian could not breed with ordinary dogs, and it wouldn’t be so easy to have offspring.

As they continued feeding the fish, the two chatted casually about their recent lives. Wei Hanxin happily told Zhang Jing about her career progress over the past few days.

As many people predicted, "The Brightest Star in the Night Sky," which had been maintaining considerable popularity, has continued its upward trajectory and entered the latest Fire Eye Top 100 Singles Chart. Upon entering the chart, it immediately jumped to third place, showing great potential to become an instant hit.

In addition, her newly released single "I" has also received great acclaim. In the second week after its release, it once again topped the new song popularity chart. At the same time, it also made it onto the Fire Eye Top 100 Singles Chart, ranking sixth. With two songs simultaneously on the Fire Eye Top 100 Singles Chart, the most authoritative chart in the music industry, Wei Hanxin's popularity has recently been on the rise.

Based on the current changes in the points on the wishing book, Zhang Jing can see that the points brought by Wei Hanxin have recently increased significantly, exceeding 70000 points. It must be said that although this number is not very large compared to the points brought by major events, given Wei Hanxin's current status, there is still considerable room for growth. In particular, the release of new songs in the future should continue to bring in revenue, which is quite a significant gain for Zhang Jing.

“I’ve been getting offers to do several shows lately, and I’m a bit overwhelmed with the schedule, so I can only choose the important ones to participate in.” Wei Hanxin counted her work schedule on her fingers for Zhang Jing, and it did indeed sound packed.

“That’s a good thing, but there’s no need to rush. The most important job for a singer is to sing their songs well. Maintaining a certain degree of mystery in other matters is not necessarily a bad thing.” Zhang Jing nodded. For most singers, it is indeed necessary to take advantage of the opportunity of instant fame to expand their influence as much as possible. However, Wei Hanxin is different. In Zhang Jing’s opinion, she does not need to worry about not having good works in the future. Therefore, she does not need to be as eager as others in managing her life and work. Maintaining a certain degree of mystery and aloofness is not necessarily a bad thing.

"Okay, I'll listen to you, big brother." Wei Hanxin looked at Zhang Jing's profile and nodded obediently.

The two chatted for a while about the trend of Wei Hanxin's new song, and then talked about Wei Hanxin's personal studio.

Previously, Wei Hanxin followed Zhang Jing's advice and did not sign with any large companies. Instead, she established her own independent studio and placed all her previous music copyrights there for operation. The studio is now in its initial stages of preparation; the location has been secured, and after renovations, equipment will be purchased and installed.

Unlike many music studios currently located in Cangjiang City, Wei Hanxin's studio is located in Linzhou. Considering privacy factors, the venue is not located in the city center, but in the "Art Town" in the western suburbs of Linzhou. It is an industrial cluster area established by the Linzhou government to attract related industries. The venue is a postmodern style art studio and creative park, which was converted from some abandoned factories in the suburbs of Linzhou.

Chapter 679 Spirit Tea

However, previously, the area attracted mostly internet celebrities, live streamers, and related small production companies, unlike the industrial zone in Cangjiang, which has many well-known large companies in the industry, making business much more convenient.

However, this also has some advantages. According to Wei Hanxin, after contacting the management of the "Art Town," they showed considerable enthusiasm and support for the arrival of Wei Hanxin, a rising star. They not only offered a full tax exemption for the first three years and a 50% tax reduction for the following three years, but also a ten-year rent-free policy for the land. As for other additional support policies, Wei Hanxin didn't seem to care much.

So, Wei Hanxin acquired a detached building there with over 800 square meters of space, which she could renovate and decorate. For her fledgling personal studio, this area was more than enough.

However, rent is never the biggest expense for a music studio, especially since Wei Hanxin is different from those online celebrities. Although her music studio is newly established, it needs to have relatively professional song production capabilities and be able to produce release-quality music, handling everything from recording and tuning to post-production herself. Therefore, the entry of a professional decoration team, the establishment of a professional recording studio, the purchase of equipment, and the hiring of professional staff are all extremely expensive matters.

Currently, Wei Hanxin has brought her team from the Cangjiang Music Festival to her studio, including guitarist Wang Leyao, keyboardist and bassist Zhao Jiang, string player Nan Feifei, and drummer Li Chang. Due to her performance at the Cangjiang Music Festival, these team members are all willing to continue collaborating.

However, other recruitment is still underway. After all, a mature music studio doesn't just need performers; it also needs a range of talents, from finance and logistics to personal assistants and music production. It's like a miniature music company—small but complete.

In order to save on initial expenses, Wei Hanxin could not afford to hire industry veterans and could only recruit some newcomers. Even so, the initial staff salaries, music production and other costs still put a lot of pressure on her.

It must be said that Zhang Jing had not anticipated that this matter would cost so much money in the early stages. After all, he had never really been involved in this industry, whether in his previous life or this one, and had only scratched the surface.

So, although Zhang Jing had previously refused the free shares offered by Wei Hanxin, he still invested 260 million yuan, acquiring a 30% stake in the studio and becoming its second-largest shareholder. This was a practical way of supporting her, to prevent her from needing to perform at events to raise funds or seek financing in the market, something that happened not long ago.

Zhang Jing had originally intended to offer more, considering that the shares involved included not only the studio's hardware investment but also the tangible and intangible assets of Wei Hanxin's future personal brand. However, Wei Hanxin refused to accept any more, so the deal had to be dropped.