Reborn since 1993

Chapter 1364 The Elephant Dances, Ascending to the Sky

The eldest son of the Li family of the Yangtze River, Li Zekai, Huo Jianning, Yuan Tianfan and others also stared wide-eyed at the news on TV.

Mr. Li of Changjiang is known in the business world for his outstanding vision. Since his debut, he has almost never made a mistake or suffered a setback.

Mr. Li regards the saying "never earn the last penny" as his life motto.

But this time, Mr. Li from Changjiang realized that the internet was going in a bad direction, so he thought about cashing out his investment in Orange Telecom in the UK.

However, while Mr. Li was still making plans, Li Dongling had already started a clearance sale!
By cashing out GeoCities for $17.85 billion and selling 6% of Yahoo's shares for another $6 billion, Li Dongling made a fortune of $77.85 billion from these two transactions alone!
While Boss Li of Changjiang was still thinking, Li Dongling had already cashed out. Who the hell didn't want to make the last penny?

Mr. Li is not slow either, but he can't keep up with the speed of the philanthropist, Mr. Li.

Just like when carrying out a dangerous mission, the team leader shouted for the team members who were willing to contribute to step forward, but Boss Li was very composed and did not step forward.

However, Li Dashanren quietly took a step back, causing everyone in the same row to automatically take a step forward!
It's worth noting that Li Dongling can be considered one of the earliest and most aggressive internet investors in Asia.

But now, at the height of the internet frenzy, this has suddenly happened. This approach is even more conservative than that of old-fashioned people like Mr. Li.

"I... I remember, the Zhixing Foundation has cashed out several times this year, hasn't it!"

Mr. Li, the owner of Changjiang, looked at the news on TV with a very serious expression, and then asked the people around him.

"Yes!"

Huo Jianning said in a deep voice, "The Zhixing Foundation has sold its controlling stake in Souxin to Disney."

In addition, the Zhixing Foundation is currently selling its controlling stake in ASK.

If we include GeoCities and Yahoo's equity, then the Zhixing Foundation has almost completely divested its stakes in Silicon Valley internet companies over the past few years!

Upon hearing Huo Jianning's words, Boss Li of the Yangtze River suddenly raised the level of threat posed by Li the Great Philanthropist to the extreme.

Previously, Cyberport, backed by the philanthropist Li, thrived in Hong Kong. However, Mr. Li did not consider Cyberport to be the biggest threat to the Li family of Cheung Kong.

To be honest, after decades of ups and downs in the business world, Mr. Li has seen countless geniuses, including many families that were once on par with the Li family of Cheung Kong in Hong Kong's elite circles.

But now, the old friends are gone, the people are gone. So many big figures who once dominated Hong Kong have turned into dust, but the Li family of Cheung Kong still stands strong!
For Mr. Li, those geniuses, tycoons, and powerful families who challenged the Li family of the Yangtze River in the past all ultimately failed. Sometimes, the outcome is determined by who lives the longest.

The secret to Mr. Li's survival lies in not trying to make the last penny and knowing when to quit.

It sounds simple, but how many people can actually do it? They're just one step away from becoming the industry leader or earning more money, even knowing that taking that next step could lead to utter ruin. How many people can actually back down?
Therefore, Mr. Li of the Yangtze River, sometimes, doesn't need to do anything. He just needs to quietly watch his opponent fall and then go up and feast on him.

This seemingly ordinary move, yet profoundly simple, has allowed the Li family of the Yangtze River to survive for so many years, growing stronger and stronger.

Mr. Li, the owner of Cheung Kong Holdings, had the same attitude towards Cyberport. He felt that Cyberport was too aggressive and he was unwilling to fight it to the death.

He originally intended to wait until Cyberport, like the Li family of Cheung Kong in the past, had just collapsed.

But now, seeing Li Dongling's methods of operating in the internet industry, Mr. Li of Changjiang is somewhat alarmed.

Can the Li family of the Yangtze River really outlast such an opponent who is extremely good at seizing opportunities, has a keen sense of smell, and retreats decisively at the slightest sign of trouble?
You have to understand, Li Dongling is actually younger than both of the young masters of the Li family in the Yangtze River region, not to mention Boss Li.

Of course, even Mr. Li probably didn't expect that he could endure for several more decades, keeping the Li family at the helm of the Yangtze River and making the world have another person who has been a prince for decades...

"After Cyberport, it will become Cheung Kong Group's biggest competitor in the port city!"

Mr. Li, the owner of Changjiang, watched the news on TV and spoke as if making a judgment or a prophecy.

"Dongke will not withdraw from the internet industry; this equity transfer is merely a strategic adjustment."

Next, Dongling and Gangcheng Digital Port will continue to increase their investment in the Silicon Port project and the Gangcheng Future Industry Fund!

At the end of the television program, an interview with Mr. Li was also shown.

Li Dongling "refuted" the rumors that Dongke was going to withdraw from the internet industry, but instead shifted its focus to increase investment in the Silicon Harbor project.

But this is enough to fool others. In the eyes of Mr. Li of the Yangtze River, he doesn't believe a single word of it. They are all old foxes, why are they spouting nonsense?

They say they've increased investment in Silicon Harbor and cashed out tens or hundreds of billions of dollars. Even increasing the budget for the Silicon Harbor project by one-tenth would be considered an increased investment!

As for reinvesting all the money cashed out, if you ask Mr. Li of Changjiang if he believes it, he absolutely doesn't.

"Could it be that the internet is really risky?"

Li Zekai was unwilling to admit that his vision was not as good as Li Dashanren's, but seeing Li Dongling's large-scale cashing out of internet stocks, even selling off his Yahoo shares, he couldn't help but feel somewhat surprised and uncertain.

The global internet industry is currently booming, and the internet sector in Hong Kong is also completely engulfed in flames.

Cyberport, the first internet concept stock in Hong Kong, has seen its share price soar this year, with its market value exceeding HK$450 billion!

In this context, Li Zekai is somewhat skeptical about the idea of ​​an internet crisis, since it seems the internet boom can continue for a few more years.

But now, his father is acting like his legs hurt on a rainy day, preparing to sell Orange Telecom ahead of time, and the philanthropist Li has even started a massive clearance sale.

Li Zekai, however, saw only clear blue skies, which made him wonder if his vision was really that limited. For a moment, he began to question life itself, wondering if the difference between people was really that great.

"What do you think?"

Mr. Li, the owner of Changjiang, did not answer directly, but instead looked at the eldest son of the Li family. "I think Father is right!"

"It's best to be cautious when investing in the internet industry!"

The eldest son of the Li family gave the "correct" answer, and everything he did was in line with his father's example.

The eldest son of the Li family was already calm and composed. After being kidnapped by the kingpin of the century, his personality changed slightly, and his style of doing things became even more "steady".

In other words, regardless of whether there is any risk or not, even if it doesn't make money, it's impossible to lose money; everything is based on "safety".

Mr. Li was very satisfied with the eldest son's answer. For the Li family, a large family business in the Yangtze River, the most taboo thing is impulsiveness.

The eldest son of the Li family is steady and reliable. He may not lead the Cheung Kong Group to new heights in the future, but he can ensure the stable continuation of the Cheung Kong Li family.

This is also why, even though Li Zekai was clearly more capable, Boss Li still chose the eldest son of the Li family to succeed him. Only by surviving can one have a chance!

"Better safe than sorry; taking a step back can open up a whole new world!"

Mr. Li from Changjiang said something to Li Zekai and then left.

Li Zekai was left alone, sitting there with a somewhat gloomy expression.

"Tianfan, what do you mean?"

After a long pause, Li Zekai asked the strategist beside him in a slightly hoarse voice.

Yuan Tianfan had long since figured out Li Zekai's personality and temperament. If he were willing to listen to his father, he wouldn't have asked him that question.

"Don't believe everything you hear, but you can't be completely careless!"

Yuan Tianfan said to Li Zekai, his meaning clear: "Let's see how things unfold."

Selling your internet shares now would be premature, especially since you haven't even recouped your investment yet.

However, it cannot be said that one should go down a dead-end path on a crooked tree, but rather that one should immediately abandon the cause and run away when things turn out badly.

Li Zekai nodded, telling him to immediately give up Yingke Power's investment in the internet sector, which he was naturally somewhat unwilling to do.

"There's a company in Shenzhen that does instant messaging services, led by IDG Ventures. Should Yingke Power co-invest?"

Yuan Tianfan told Li Zekai about a venture capital project that Yingke Power had recently received.

"Go for it!"

Li Zekai said casually, his mind in turmoil, that he didn't care much about the investment. It was just a small venture capital project worth a few hundred thousand US dollars, and he didn't take it to heart.

……

When the news broke in Hong Kong that the Zhixing Foundation cashed out its shares in GeoCities and that Yahoo repurchased 6% of its shares from Dongke, the entire city's public opinion was in an uproar!
Two investments yielded nearly US$7.8 billion, equivalent to HK$60.8 billion, setting a record for the highest return and the highest amount of return in Hong Kong's history!

Subsequently, Hong Kong media uncovered that the Zhixing Foundation was cashing out its search for information and that it was also selling ASK.

If these reports are true, then Asia's richest man's investment in the American internet industry will yield an astonishing return of over ten billion US dollars.

Hearing is believing, seeing is believing. At this point, if anyone tells the people of Hong Kong that the internet is fake, they'll probably spit in their face.

Li Dashanren has made so many US dollars in the internet industry, how could that be fake?

Some people are worried that Li, the philanthropist, is planning to abscond with his money online due to his frequent and large-scale cash-outs.

But money can be tempting. For most people, what they see is the huge returns that Li Dashan is making in the internet industry. They don't care about the risks, as long as the knife isn't on their own heads. Dollars are more important!

The news that Li Dashan had made a fortune online caused a sensation in the port city.

Cyberport, Silicon Harbor Project, and Port City Future Industry Fund have become the most watched things for the people of Port City. After all, Nasdaq is far away from Port City, but Silicon Harbor Project and other projects are right here in Port City, so they have the opportunity to get a share of the pie!
The internet sector has become the top trend and the hottest sector in Hong Kong stocks, bar none!

And what happened on Nasdaq seems to have proven that the people of the port city were right.

Yahoo, which was acquired for a huge sum of money, saw its stock price soar after the Nasdaq opened. By the close of trading, the stock price had surged by 9% in a single day, and its market value had increased to $828.9 billion, a gain of more than $72.9 billion in one day!
In other words, Yahoo spent so much money to acquire it, but almost earned back its market value in just one day.

This frenzied phenomenon drove Wall Street and Silicon Valley into a frenzy. Does Yahoo's performance mean that no matter how much money is spent on an acquisition, it can recoup its losses in terms of market value?
Yahoo staged a spectacular "elephant dance" that day, propelling the entire Nasdaq to soar!

The acquisition in Pingyang not only did not affect Yahoo's stock price, but was also interpreted as a positive development!
What do you mean by saying that Li Dashan (Li Keqiang) benefited? In the eyes of those who bought Yahoo stock, it was clearly Yahoo that first invested in Himalaya, the world's largest music platform, and then acquired GeoCities, one of the world's most active websites. These two transactions brought Yahoo huge traffic and users.

Isn't this a victory for Yahoo?
Yahoo's spending a huge sum of money to repurchase shares has been interpreted as the Yahoo board and investors being optimistic about Yahoo's development, and that it was a premium acquisition. Would they have repurchased shares if they were not optimistic about Yahoo?

Combining the two, Yahoo's stock price is going to soar, and Li, the philanthropist who sold his shares, will be ridiculed for his lack of foresight!

What is mass fanaticism? It's when people no longer care about the facts and only believe what they see and understand.

Looking back, it seems illogical and unimaginable, but in the midst of fervor, everything seems perfectly reasonable.

The rise in Yahoo's stock price is now considered the most "reasonable" thing by Nasdaq, global internet and Wall Street institutions, and there is no reason to it!

(End of this chapter)