National Tide 1980.

Perhaps no one understands better than Ning Weimin what Japanese society will lose once this economic bubble bursts.

No one knew the Japanese better than him.

This nation, with its inner contradictions, has never been broad-minded, and has always presented itself with two faces: one of good and one of evil.

So-called politeness and morality are nothing more than a disguise that the Japanese wear when things are going their way.

Once they find themselves in a difficult situation, they will expose the depravity of their humanity and transform into shameless devils.

Therefore, he can fully imagine how the Japanese government views foreign investors.

When the market is booming, needless to say, it's probably not a big deal for outsiders like him to come to Japan and make some money.

For Japan's Ministry of Finance, it is likely that foreign hot money can still invigorate the Japanese financial market and demonstrate its international nature.

However, if the market turns sour, the Japanese government will likely immediately view foreigners who make money in the Japanese market as a thorn in its side.

Not only will they no longer welcome their funds to revitalize the Japanese market, but they will also consider them the culprits who disrupt Japan's financial order and create huge market fluctuations, and will try to pin the blame for the market downturn on them.

In particular, foreign investors, led by the United States, who profit by shorting Japan, are probably seen by the Japanese government as enemies they want to get rid of as soon as possible.

Of course, since the Americans are Japan's father, no matter how much the Japanese government hates them, they can't do anything to the Americans.

But Ning Weimin is not American. Although he has always considered himself the living ancestor of the Japanese, this does not bring him enough security or any privileges.

Compared to the Americans, he lacked effective protection and was merely a lone wolf, relying on his clever mind to take advantage of the chaos.

So if he really were to short the Japanese stock market and completely fleece the Japanese people, he would have to think carefully about the consequences.

When the Japanese face the reality of their complete defeat and are no longer willing to pretend, he might have to bear the wrath of the Japanese government and be investigated and harassed by relevant departments.

Needless to say, the safest course of action for him would be to gradually sell off his stocks a few months in advance while the market is performing well, completely liquidating his positions and exiting the market to profit.

Ideally, while Japan still has plenty of foreign exchange reserves, one should convert their yen assets into US dollars without hesitation and then transfer them overseas to find the next investment opportunity, without even glancing at the Japanese stock market again.

In that case, even if the Japanese government is furious, it probably won't be able to find fault with him.

This was actually his original plan.

Enter the village quietly, don't fire your gun, and while everyone is asleep, secretly lead away the large livestock.

There's no need to be as despicable as the Japanese soldiers of yesteryear, who would leave nothing behind in the countryside, even taking away the cornbread from the stoves and the eggs from the henhouses.

Not going to extremes is both a virtue and a form of wisdom for the Chinese people.

Because if you go too far, you'll likely suffer a backlash, and you might end up losing more than you gain.

But then again, reason is one thing, and emotion is another. It is inherently difficult to achieve unity of knowledge and action.

If nothing unexpected happens, Ning Weimin might be able to restrain his greed and not eat the last piece of fish tail.

But plans can't keep up with changes. Who knew that he would later encounter such a despicable bastard as Takahashi Harunori, who kicks down widows' doors, digs up graves of childless people, trips up crippled people, and curses mute people.

This guy not only bullies others with his arrogant attitude.

With just a few words and a few pennies, they wanted to seize Ning Weimin's business and bully his employees.

And this guy doesn't even allow others to refuse.

Unable to get what he wanted from Ning Weimin, he dared to take advantage of Ning Weimin and further insult him, using various methods to make things difficult for him, sabotage his career, and try to destroy his life.

Ning Weimin is also a man, and now he has such a huge fortune.

So how could we tolerate such humiliation from a Japanese scumbag? The blood of the Chinese people would not allow it.

Of course he wanted to get revenge; it was a natural emotional reaction.

Just like Yang Zhi, who was being pestered by Niu Er, with nowhere to retreat and his emotions running high, he had no choice but to kill that idiot with one blow. Who could blame him for being pushed to this point?

Otherwise, if he really endured it, his life beliefs would completely collapse, and he would probably even despise himself. What would be the point of living then?

Moreover, while taking risks may seem dangerous, there are no fixed rules or conclusions.

For Ning Weimin, if he were to actually do it, it would just be more troublesome to deal with, not absolutely impossible.

The key point is that the bursting of Japan's economic bubble was not a matter of a day or two; it was a relatively long process.

Ning Weimin remembers the process of the bubble bursting very clearly—first, the Japanese stock market crashed at the end of 1989, and then the Japanese real estate market crashed a year later.

Even so, after the collapse of the Japanese stock and real estate markets, the Japanese government and people still wishfully believed that the decline in the Japanese economy was only temporary and that it would soon recover after a short-term drop.

Japanese media will also vigorously promote this message, giving the Japanese people confidence.

It will take several more years for the Japanese government and people to change their perceptions, wake up from their unrealistic dreams, and truly realize the harsh reality that Japan's economic recession is irreversible.

This also means that even if Ning Weimin shorted the market at the peak of the bubble economy, the Japanese government's investigation and the public's hatred would not come immediately.

Even until the outbreak of the Asian financial crisis in 1998, the Japanese government and the Japanese people maintained an optimistic spirit and a last hope.

They believe that through long-term efforts, they can digest the debt, overcome difficulties, and revitalize the Japanese economy by reshaping the real economy.

This provides Ning Weimin with considerable room to maneuver, giving him a great deal of potential to offset his past mistakes of shorting Japan by continuing to be optimistic about the Japanese economy and investing in Japanese businesses.

Ultimately, the Japanese government hates the foreign capital that burst Japan's economic bubble.

The reason is nothing more than that they took all the money through speculative activities, ruthlessly devouring the flesh and blood of the Japanese nation, leaving Japan only with a mess and a broken economy.

The problem is that the ruins need to be rebuilt, and solving the economic problems certainly requires financial assistance.

What if Ning Weimin, this wealthy man, was willing to "earn money in Japan and spend it in Japan, without bringing a single penny home"?

What if he were willing to reinvest the profits he made from speculating in Japan into Japan's real economy, helping Japan solve the problems left over from the bubble economy and help Japan recover?
So how will the Japanese government and the Japanese people view him?
Would they still consider him an unforgivable economic criminal?

It seems... perhaps... maybe... then I wouldn't hate him so much, right?

That was Ning Weimin's plan: to harvest the韭菜 (a metaphor for exploiting people) while also playing the good guy.

The Japanese are the most greedy for small gains. Even if you slap them hard and then give them a treat, they'll still think you're a good person.

He's not like those tasteless Americans. They eat and run, then sleep with Japanese men without even paying—that's going too far.

He's a respectable person, so naturally he has to be particular about how he handles things.

There's nothing wrong with using the money earned from shorting Japanese stocks to "help" the poor Japanese people.

On the contrary, it can be an opportunity to strengthen oneself and seize Japan's scarce assets. Isn't that a good thing?

What is meant by Sino-Japanese friendship?

What is the spirit of internationalism?

According to his understanding, "honeyed words and a dagger in the heart" is the essence of Sino-Japanese friendship.

"To stand firm while it is in the right place" is the spirit of internationalism.

Of course, this couldn't be said to outsiders; it had to be kept to himself to maintain its deceptive nature and achieve his true goal of economically colonizing Japan.

What are Americans actually good at?

They're stupid and wicked, their evil is written all over their faces, as if they're afraid others won't know they're bad people.

All they know is the law of the jungle, a zero-sum game. This way of devouring people is too crude and too hasty.

He was different. After he and those American financial tycoons plundered Japan and ambushed them, he didn't run away at all.

Instead, they should stay where they are and appear as kind-hearted rescuers.

He wants to pat the head of the poor and then launch another round of charitable acts to "provide timely help."

"They robbed us! They beat us badly! Those Americans are such bastards!"

"Don't cry, what are you crying about? Oh, you've lost all your money? It's okay, I have some, I'll lend it to you first."

"Don't mention it, you can pay me back when you have the money, and you can treat me to a big meal while you're at it, that'll be fine..."

"Look at you, so polite, insisting on giving me your watch as collateral. Oh dear, you already have a watch, what more could you want..."

That's pretty much the approach.

It's important to understand that truly high-level plunder isn't just about blatantly robbing others; it's about selling out others and still getting them to count the money for you.

Therefore, Chinese culture is absolutely profound and extensive.

Is it taking advantage of someone's misfortune or offering help?

Sometimes it may just be a difference in the way words are expressed, but the meaning can be completely equivalent.

To put it bluntly, in Ning Weimin's eyes, Japan is not much smarter than the generous "Silly Zhu'er" in the TV series.

As long as there's a charming woman like Qin Huai who can flaunt her "charm," and she's given a little "sweetness," it wouldn't be hard to turn the Japanese government into a sycophant who can't distinguish between good and bad.

It all depends on how he operates it.

In short, having figured all this out, Ning Weimin no longer had too many worries or concerns. He decided to go all out in the twilight of the bubble economy, personally take the enemy's head, and experience the thrill of revenge.

He was never a content person to begin with, and the advantages of being a transmigrator gave him the ability and courage to take control of his own destiny, which he refused to accept as a lazy bum.

While raising the game's objectives requires taking more risks, it also adds a lot of fun.

Is not it?
Sometimes, people need to challenge themselves with difficult life goals to make their lives worthwhile.

Moreover, Ning Weimin had taken all necessary precautions for his own safety during his time away from Japan. He had instructed Kenichi Sagawa to gradually sell off all of his stock holdings.

Ning Weimin has now cleared out all his stocks in his Nomura Securities account, leaving only 148.99444 billion yen in cash that he can withdraw at any time.

And that's not all. On the very day Ning Weimin returned, he had already exchanged 55 billion yen for 500 million US dollars and transferred it to his overseas account at Crédit Suez as his first bonus.

In other words, if Ning Weimin were to convert all the remaining funds in these accounts into US dollars and transfer them away...

In this economic bubble, he essentially took the equivalent of $1.8 billion from Japanese stock market investors.

This was in 1989, and it was after Nomura Securities had acted unethically and taken away the capital they had allocated to Ning Weimin after liquidating his positions.

With so much money at his disposal, everyone has to admit that Ning Weimin has created a miracle, making it impossible not to feel envious and jealous.

To understand just how large this sum of money is, simply stating the numbers might seem abstract.

However, if we compare it with Mitsubishi Estate's decision to acquire fourteen office buildings in Rockefeller Center that same year, we can perhaps clearly measure the value of this money.

Don't forget that, according to Japanese media reports, the deep-pocketed Mitsubishi Estate ultimately acquired 80% of Rockefeller Center for a mere $1.373 billion.

The money Ning Weimin can currently take away is roughly equivalent to eighteen such office buildings, which is more than the full amount of this transaction.

If Ning Weimin wanted, he could certainly use this money to buy land in New York and become a landlord with a guaranteed income regardless of drought or flood.

With that wealth alone, he would have been the richest Chinese person in New York at that time.

If we were to calculate it using the value of Saint Laurent, it would be even more astonishing.

Since its listing in France, Saint Laurent's market capitalization has remained at around $600 million.

In other words, this amount of money is enough for Ning Weimin to buy three Saint Laurent companies outright, and it is also enough for Ning Weimin to buy the unlisted Pierre Cardin company.

It is conceivable that, if measured solely by economic strength, this means that Ning Weimin has already caught up with the lifelong efforts of masters like Pierre Carton and Yves Saint Laurent in terms of career achievements.

If he wanted, he could easily solidify his status as a luxury goods tycoon with this, allowing him to dominate and make waves in the Western fashion world.

But precisely because of this, the importance of the fate of this money to Nomura Securities goes without saying.

Interestingly, even though six months ago, under the intervention and interference of Harunori Takahashi, Nomura Securities' Hong Kong branch disregarded Ning Weimin's interests and ruthlessly liquidated some of his stocks, forcibly recovering his principal.

At this point, the head of the branch, Hiroji Goshima, actually swallowed his pride and begged Ning Weimin not to transfer the funds, wanting him to continue using the Nomura Securities account to trade stocks.

This kind of profit-driven ruthlessness and shamelessness was enough to surprise Ning Weimin.

Truly worthy of being called Japan's financial elite; a miracle indeed. (End of Chapter)