After staying in the Capital City for a few days, the grand finale of "Creation 111" was approaching, so Gu Bai decided not to rush back to Shanghai. After all, the transfer of Ryan Square was already complete, and the 7 billion had been paid in full to Hugh Grosvenor. The remaining matters could be handled by Gu Jun and Mr. Shao to communicate with the Shanghai Government.

Gu Bai was lying on the sofa watching the replay of the "Creation 111" semifinals.

Originally, there were 111 contestants, but now only 44 remained, and this episode would eliminate half, leaving just 22 to compete for the 11 final debut slots.

Among them, Xu Beibei and Wu Xuanyi had the highest support rates, especially Xu Beibei, who, under the strong marketing of Black Swan Entertainment, secured a stable debut spot with half of the votes.

Wu Xuanyi was not far behind, as Long Dan Ni had provided a significant amount of exposure resources.

The only tangled figure was Yang Chaoyue, who had mixed reviews.

Those who liked her really adored her and supported her immensely, but those who disliked her could find numerous reasons to criticize her.

Saying she was talentless, acting crazy and silly like a fool, all these were points of criticism.

However, it was precisely this controversy that secretly boosted her popularity, slowly approaching Xu Beibei's level.

Long Dan Ni and Gu Bai, as the masterminds behind the scenes, were naturally pleased, as the fiercer the debate, the more benefits the program received.

Di Li Ruo Ba had been by Gu Bai's side these days, at this moment wearing a fluffy hoodie, leaning against Gu Bai and popping a cherry into his mouth.

"Are you planning to let Beibei follow the path of an idol artist in the future?"

She had been getting along well with Xu Beibei these days, and Xu Beibei calling her "sister-in-law" delighted her, making her genuinely treat Xu Beibei as her own younger sister.

"That's her own choice."

Gu Bai answered indistinctly, his eyes still on the TV.

"But it's tough for idol artists now; though they rise to fame quickly, they're also forgotten quickly."

After hearing her words, Gu Bai smiled casually and said, "I'm just letting her see if she's suited for the entertainment industry. If not, she might as well return early to being a privileged young lady.

If she is suited, as long as I'm around, she won't have to worry about fading away."

As soon as he finished speaking, Di Li Ruo Ba felt a touch of envy. She had reached her current status through her own efforts step by step, although Yang Function's support contributed. Compared to those who remained extras all their lives, she was already very fortunate, but Xu Beibei was even luckier; as long as she was willing, she could soon stand in the place all artists yearn for.

"The same goes for you. If you ever want to quit acting, you can retire backstage at any time. I can ensure you a life of glory and riches, but if you love acting, after 'Divine Tomb,' I will directly pave your way to an international career, and if things go smoothly, you'll soon become Hua Country's number one film star."

Gu Bai wasn't boasting; he indeed had this plan.

With the strategic placement of Black Swan Energy, Gu Bai's wealth had already reached the pinnacle domestically.

Once the system upgrades to Level 3, another substantial amount of funds will probably pour in, which will be redundant to reinvest in the domestic entertainment circle, as its market is only so big.

He aims to infiltrate Hollywood and take over the Japanese entertainment circle, the Goryeo entertainment circle, and the European entertainment circle.

In terms of technology, with three research robots and sufficient funds, a steady and robust development strategy will soon lead Hua Country to dominate the world, so this spare money will undoubtedly be invested into the entertainment industry.

"King of World Entertainment?"

This title was attractive, and Gu Bai liked it a lot.

Just imagine when all those Western superstars find it an honor to have been involved with him—how thrilling would that be?

Just as Gu Bai indulged in his thoughts about the future, the phone rang.

The voice of Zhao Rongqiang, the General Manager of Construction Bank's head office, came through: "Is this Chairman Gu?"

"Yes, this is me."

With the establishment of Black Swan Energy, Gu Bai now dealt with liquid assets of hundreds of billions, if not more. The permission of the Shanghai Branch of Construction Bank was no longer sufficient; thus, the headquarters handled communications directly with Gu Bai.

Upon hearing Gu Bai's response, Zhao Rongqiang quickly said with a smile, "Hello, Chairman Gu, I'm Zhao Rongqiang from the Construction Bank. I apologize for any disruption caused."

Holding such a high position, Gu Bai didn't show superiority but rather inquired, "What can I do for you, Chairman Zhao?"

"We detected a substantial amount of funds transferred into your account from London. We've come to confirm the security of these funds with you."

"London?"

Gu Bai immediately thought it must be the Grosvenor Clan transferring the money over.

He replied directly, "This money relates to the equity transfer fees of a subsidiary under my name, which has been documented at the highest level. You can verify with the Ministry of Commerce."

Zhao Rongqiang was surprised by Gu Bai's nonchalant tone.

He knew that this fund amounted to 5.4 billion USD, equivalent to over 30 billion RMB, just for a subsidiary's equity transfer fee.

After the shock, Zhao Rongqiang quickly responded, "Since the funds are legitimate, there's no issue. We will conduct a follow-up audit. By the way, do you have some free time? I would like to invite you to dinner privately."

Gu Bai declined politely without a second thought.

"I'm really sorry, but I've been quite busy lately. I'll personally make it up to you when I get the chance."

"No problem at all. Since you're busy, tend to your matters. If you need anything from our bank, please don't hesitate to reach out."

After exchanging some pleasantries, they ended the call.

The moment he ended the call, the system's voice reappeared in Gu Bai's mind.

"Mission Three: Business Tycoon. Successfully become one of Hua Country's representative figures in the business sector, with cumulative profits reaching 20 billion RMB, excluding losses. (Completed)"

The reward is being distributed...

Subsequently, the cold electronic voice echoed again.

"Detected a large enterprise available for acquisition. Please make your selection within 5 minutes.

1. Royal Dutch Shell (Market Cap: 258.5 billion USD)"

2. Toyota Motor Corporation (Market value USD 251.2 billion)

3. Volkswagen Group (Market value USD 242.2 billion)

4. Samsung Group (Market value USD 246.0 billion)

5. Boeing Company (USD 175.6 billion)

Faced with choosing from five companies, Gu Bai hesitated for a moment.

Except for the Boeing Company at the end, the market values of the other companies didn't differ much, but since the establishment of Black Swan Energy Company, Gu Bai was no longer very concerned about market value – what could be more tangible than a monopoly?

Once graphene batteries are launched into the global market, it's fair to say that most technology industries will rely on Black Swan Energy.

Among them, there are powerhouses like Samsung, Apple, and even car industry giants like Volkswagen, Toyota, General Motors, and Tesla, which will have to operate according to Gu Bai's whims – just like Hua Country swapped fabric for technology decades ago, living under someone else's breath.

Of these five companies, aside from Volkswagen and Toyota, which are in the same industry, the other three are giants in various fields.

Royal Dutch Shell is an energy giant.

Samsung is a technology giant.

Boeing is an aviation giant.

Because of Black Swan Energy, Gu Bai wasn't particularly interested in Royal Dutch Shell. He planned to start researching nuclear fusion energy once graphene batteries were promoted globally. When developed, the entire world will be reshuffled.

So, despite Royal Dutch Shell having the highest market value, it was indeed the first to be passed over.

As for Toyota and Volkswagen, they weren't considered either.

Once the new energy paradigm shifts, the traditional automotive industry will also be reshuffled. Don't be fooled by how these two companies are giants now; when the time comes, their stock may be worth less than toilet paper.

Similarly, Boeing is almost in the same situation.

At this point, it seems like Samsung is the only option?

While Gu Bai was still contemplating, the system prompt continued to sound.

"10 seconds remaining for consideration; failure to act will be deemed as forfeiting the reward."

Gu Bai finally stopped hesitating and directly chose Samsung Group in his mind.

It's said that Goryeo is a country controlled by the Chaebol Clan, particularly Samsung, which controls most of the economic lifelines. There's a saying: "The life of a Goryeo person cannot escape three things: death, taxes, and Samsung."

This also indirectly illustrates Samsung's influence in Goryeo.

If he were to acquire Samsung, does it mean he'd replace the Li Clan and become Goryeo's uncrowned king?

But Gu Bai was indeed not very familiar with Samsung. Thinking of this, he quickly returned upstairs to check Samsung's information, leaving Di Li Ruo Ba in the hall looking dumbfounded.

.............

The computer screen displayed all information about Samsung Group.

"Samsung is South Korea's largest conglomerate, with over 420,000 employees, involved in various fields, creating about 1/4 of Goryeo's GDP output.

Samsung Group (English: SAMSUNG) is Goryeo's largest multinational conglomerate, consisting of many international subsidiaries. Its subsidiaries include Samsung Electronics, Samsung C&T Corporation, Samsung Life Insurance, etc., with business involvement in electronics, finance, machinery, chemistry, and many other fields. Samsung Group was founded in 1938 by Lee Byung-chul. It is a family business, and its subsidiaries are hereditary within the Li Clan and managed by other family members.

Its subsidiaries include: Samsung Electronics, Samsung SDI, Samsung SDS, Samsung Electro-Mechanics, Samsung Corning, Samsung Networks, Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance, Samsung Securities, Samsung C&T Corporation, Samsung Heavy Industries, Samsung Engineering, Samsung Aerospace, and Samsung Life Insurance, managed by clan members of the Li family. Among them, three subsidiaries are listed among the world's top 500 companies by Beautiful Country's Fortune magazine. Samsung Electronics is its largest subsidiary, ranking 40th among global top 500 companies in 2009, 50th among the world's most respected enterprises, and 19th in brand value, progressing 2 positions from 2008. In the 2018 global enterprise market value, it was approximately USD 250 billion, ranking 12th among the world's top 500."

After half an hour of data research, Gu Bai had some general understanding of Samsung Group and the Li Clan.

The system, as if knowing this, appeared again.

The main line upgrade task 6: "Host to achieve a global reputation of over 3 billion. (Within a year.)"

Task reward: "Future Foundation inheritance rights."

Task failure punishment: "Deprivation of system ownership."

This time, the system also showed the basic content of the Future Foundation to Gu Bai for the first time.

"Established in 1792, the Future Foundation currently has USD 76,211 billion in operational funds, with USD 4,022 billion profit in 2017."

Gu Bai was in a state of shock.

USD 76 trillion, truly wealthy enough to rival a country!

The Level 2 System's task of obtaining inheritance rights to a USD 76 trillion foundation, although Gu Bai knew that the so-called inheritance rights definitely couldn't mean he'd control such a vast foundation, just the idea itself was terrifying enough.

Unless this world actually has those Chaebol Clans like the Rothschild Clan.

Otherwise, merely relying on the assets of the Future Foundation, Gu Bai could stand proudly at the pinnacle of the world.

However, the task punishment was quite heavy as well. Once failed, the system would be stripped.

If the current rewards of the system could still remain, that would be fine, but if the system were stripped and all previous task rewards disappeared too, then Gu Bai could just commit suicide.

Who could withstand such a sense of loss?

Even so, achieving 3 billion reputations isn't very difficult.

Just a matter of spending money, now I already have over 1 billion reputations domestically. Go outside and spend some money again if needed; the only challenge is the 1-year time limit, and Gu Bai can only operate as quickly as possible.

Meanwhile in Goryeo, the current leader of Samsung Group, Lee Kun-hee, upon receiving a certain message, could not contain his panic despite his imposing aura.

He had to cancel the ongoing meeting and hurriedly dialed the phone to his eldest son Lee Jae-yong, Eldest Princess Sanxing Lee Boo-jin, and another heir Lee Xuexian.

...........

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