'Master' or middleman

Revealing the true identity of "Master" Wang Lin, a Beijing News report says what he is genuinely good at is not tricks or magic, but mixing with showbiz stars, businessmen and officials, and using his connections to build a "kingdom of fortune". Excerpts:

For long, the public had been curious about the "Master" because celebrities like Ma Yun and Zhao Wei paid him visits. It's true that Wang has close relationships with many stars and officials, which many of his visitors are most interested in.

Wang is a shrewd "event manager". If celebrities, businessmen and officials can meet with more influential, powerful and famous people while relaxing in the evening at a party, they could easily turn such meetings into opportunities. That explains why Wang's parties attract so many well-known people.

Irrespective of how the networking started, one has to give credit to Wang for gathering detailed information on his guests before making them part of his network. Wang knows what businessmen and officials need, which has helped him exploit a very rewarding "market". In reality, though, he is nothing more than a sophisticated middleman.

And as long as there is demand for such networking and connections, the exposure of one "Master" will not stop more "masters" from emerging.