After Zhou Shi's interview report was published, it caused a lot of controversy. It's hard to define him, he's an outlier, or a maverick. However, his success made more people curious about China, Taoist culture, and the pursuit of Taoism.

Some people say that through Yao Ming, the American people can better understand China, so through Zhou Shi, everyone's understanding of China will be deeper and more far-reaching. Whether you love him or hate him, you can't deny his achievements, and you can't deny the cultural inheritance of Taoism.

Also because of Zhou Shi's interview, so that in the future gathering activities, many people are very curious about his beliefs, so he didn't have the heart to explain them one by one, and he didn't have that level, so he had to talk in generalities: "Seeking the Tao is his own business, everyone's eyes are different, I am still learning, saying too much will mislead others......" finally stopped many people's curiosity, fortunately, this is Silicon Valley, inclusive, Jobs believes in Buddhism, and Zhou Shi believes in Taoism, and there is nothing unacceptable about Zhou Shi's belief in Taoism. And later, some people fell in love and deliberately appeared in front of him in Taoist clothes. I don't know if it's a slap on the thigh.

Things are also progressing with Live Nation, and John Malone has made an appointment to meet Zhou Shi.

"Let's privatize Live Nation together!" said John Malone

"Does the management agree?" Zhou Shi was naturally willing

"We join forces, and even if they are against it, it's nothing. "John Malone

"I don't like to do hostile takeovers, and the company needs them to manage it in the future, I don't believe that anyone can do it well!" Zhou Shi

"I'm going to convince them!" John Malone

"......" Zhou Shi didn't expect him to be so easy to speak

Zhou Shi's stake in Live Nation is actually very advantageous, needless to say about the strength of time, not to mention Yahoo's traffic, and Zhou Shi's relationship with major Internet companies is broken, needless to say about financial strength, even if it is in the film and television entertainment industry, he also has a deep relationship. Although these relationships don't have much to do with Live Nation live performances.

He is not very pure in everything he does, he wants not to invest in shares but to control, that is, to affect the operation and management of this company. This is an event that can have a great impact on European and American society in a subtle way, and a live performance like Live Nation may be one of the most important memories in many people's lives. Moreover, light, shadow and acoustic technology can be used to create a visual feast, and holographic projection technology and virtual idols can be combined into performances. Combining technology and reality, live performances are a big market. And now that people are becoming more and more indifferent, the excitement brought by a large-scale entertainment performance may be more memorable than going to the cinema to watch a movie.

Of course, sports competitions, concerts and other forms of activities will share this market, but the market itself is still growing, and the competition between them is not fierce. Live Nation includes concerts, stage performances and motorsports, and it encompasses a variety of live performance formats in its own right, and it may not be impossible to expand in all aspects. The law of the market is that most of the time the strong are always strong, as the boss in the expansion of the scale of the industry, as long as it can keep up with the form, most of the time it is the most profitable. Culturally and financially, Live Nation is a great lubricant. (It doesn't seem to explain the role of Live Nation clearly, and the level is not enough)

In the future, live performance will inevitably become a universal consumer product in the life of mass culture, similar to the current consumption of films. Then the cultural attributes attached to this industry will inevitably be strengthened. In 2017, Japan's performance market was close to 5 billion US dollars, and China's performance market (including drama, opera, concert, dance and ballet) was almost 50 billion soft girl coins, and the consumption of post-95 young people in this area grew rapidly. The light, shadow, and sound involved in this market will be the focus of time and fruit, for example, VR/AR may be introduced into live performances in the future......

Well, it's not that there is no way to develop without Live Nation, but it is easier to have him. Acquiring other players in the market through this established company will increase Live Nation's industry leadership. If possible and necessary, it can also promote the merger of EMMOYO and Live Nation......

Zhou Shi is not an impatient, John Malone can't consume him, and time will let him get what he wants, so he doesn't have much opinion on the cooperation between the two sides. As for the management of Live Nation, for small capital, they can be strong, but for big capital, a small company with a market value of only about $1.7 billion, less debt than Yahoo, what capital to resist. In particular, Warren Buffett's intention to join this market and want EMI and Live Nation to form a music group is even more interesting.

"Mr. Zhou, shall we agree?" Chen Wen looked at the uncertain look on Zhou Shi's face and was very worried, until now, Zhou Shi's think tank has not been formed, most things have to be decided by himself, and there are really not many people who can help him solve problems.

"Yes, of course I have to agree!" Zhou Shi, don't say that Live Nation and EMI Music are not core industries, even if they are core industries, if Buffett wants to take a stake, he will consider it. Of course, most of Zhou Shi's industries are high-tech industries, and Buffett may not like them. He also didn't explain the idea that brands like Apple and Guoke are more consumer goods than technology products, so there is no need to worry about Buffett's coveting in a short time, besides, this old man is so big, who is afraid of whom!

In addition to forming a consortium that will include EMI Music and Live Nation, they will inject about $500 million in cash into the new music and performance group. Zhou Shi and his companies hold 60 percent of the shares, and Warren Buffett and John Malone hold 40 percent of the shares. And what is particularly rare is that the management rights of the two companies belong to Zhou Shi, and the conditions are outrageously good.

"Why did you invest in the music market?" Zhou Shi was a little uneasy and asked Buffett

"Because I agree with you, the music market will not disappear, but it will exist in a different form, and human life is inseparable from beautiful melodies. This is the best time to buy the bottom. And I think you have a deep insight, a long-term understanding, and the odds of success in this investment are very high, and that's why I'm investing in you!"

Zhou Shi listened, didn't say anything, believe it, what if you don't believe it? Zhou Shi's investment in Baidai Music and Live Nation originally meant to buy the bottom, and basically he would not lose money. Warren Buffett's stake in their music group can at least make the market trust them more, so that Guoke's acquisition behavior will not always be questioned by the market. So Time, Guoke, Galaxy Capital, and family funds all participated in this acquisition, and together with John Malone and Warren Buffett, they established a company called Digital Music Era.

(End of chapter)