Break out of the courtyard

After Zhang Heping finished installing the space-based early warning system, he confirmed the confidentiality permissions with the person in charge of the military aerospace force before officially and secretly training them on how to use the space-based early warning system and the daily maintenance of related equipment.

To ensure they align themselves with Peace Space Corporation in their external communications, they cannot possess space-based weapons; they can only have auxiliary tools.

For example, the laser calibration device mentioned earlier only has a higher power consumption and can help satellites and spacecraft avoid some collisions.

After finishing his business in the capital, Zhang Heping returned to Shenzhen without stopping to prepare for the final stages of the second phase of the space capsule experiment.

Just as Zhang Heping was fully immersed in the experiment, the rainstorm arrived as expected!

Although Peace Aerospace issued a warning in early May and relevant instructions for flood prevention and control were conveyed that evening, it was not until mid-May, after Jiangsu Province suffered from floods, that it truly took the matter seriously.

Now, at the end of May, five provinces have experienced torrential rains, and seven provinces are experiencing continuous heavy rain.

Furthermore, due to cloud cover obscuring the sky, navigation satellites were unable to monitor the flood situation on the ground, increasing the difficulty of flood prevention and control work, leaving only human effort to fight against the elements.

Zhang Heping didn't have any good solutions to this.

He's done what he was supposed to do, and he's donated the money in advance. It's impossible to expect him to rush to the front lines to save people like he did when he was a child!

"I remember it was August 1964. The eastern part of the capital was flooded, which shows how heavy the rain was back then."

"I just wanted to do my part, so I asked the cook at home to steam some buns and send them to the disaster victims, but I didn't expect them to be looted by those people..."

As soon as Zhang Heping got home, he heard his first wife, Tang Xin, talking about their first meeting.

"I know!" 13-year-old Zhang Nuo interjected excitedly, "Then, my dad grabbed a scoundrel with his left hand and threw him aside, and grabbed a hooligan with his right hand and flung him away. Like a god descending to earth, he saved the beautiful old lady."

Tang Xin rarely mentions that she was tied up and paraded through the streets, then rescued by Zhang Heping, and finally fled south to Hong Kong together. Instead, she often mentions the scene when she first met Zhang Heping in the flood.

Chen Shuting was similar to Tang Xin; she never mentioned Zhang Heping leading her to their door to seek revenge, and only told her children about the beautiful memories of their first meeting.

"Dinner's ready, I have something to do later!" Zhang Heping called to his wife and children before heading towards the bathroom.

The Zhang family's dinner was as ordinary as ever, unlike some Hong Kong businessmen who indulge in shark fin and bird's nest soup every day.

"Husband!" After serving soup to the others, Chen Shuting, the concubine, looked at Zhang Heping and said, "Mrs. Aso came by today and asked if we wanted to invest in Japan's car company."

Zhang Heping ate his food in large mouthfuls, chewed a few times, swallowed the food in his mouth, and then casually said, "Not interested for now!"

The second daughter, Zhang Nan, asked in confusion, "Didn't we say last time that Omega Automotive was going to invest in Japan Automotive?"

"Second sister, haven't you seen the recent news about Japan?" Zhang Nian, the third sister, chimed in. "With the yen's exchange rate falling, all those European and American funds have fled Japan."

Zhang Nan frowned and said with a hint of disdain, "Omega Automakers only remembered to ask us after they got rid of Japan Automakers. They've really got a good plan!"

Chen Shuting ignored the two girls' words and continued to say to Zhang Heping: "In addition, those foreign investors have come to Hong Kong stocks to stir up trouble. Chairman He and Chairman Guo hope to join forces with us to fight against foreign capital."

“If Eagle Mansion doesn’t call, we don’t need to worry about it for now!” Zhang Heping put down his chopsticks, picked up a napkin to wipe his mouth, and said, “We’ll only buy on dips to support the market, not bail out retail investors and institutions.”

After speaking, Zhang Heping got up, told his destination, and hurriedly left.

After Zhang Nan watched his father disappear through the door, he asked, "Stepmother, I think most Hong Kong stocks have been performing well recently. Why are Mr. He and Mr. Guo joining forces to fight against foreign capital?"

This time, Zhang Nian spoke first, "They don't have a high controlling stake in their companies and are worried that foreign capital will forcibly acquire them, so they want my stepmother to pay for their company stock."

"It's better not to buy them!" Tang Xin interjected. "After we bought shares in a few of their companies, those ladies kept coming to ask about them every few days, as if they were afraid we'd take their companies away!"

Chen Shuting laughed and said, "Then let's not buy it for now!"

Zhang Nian chuckled and reminded her, "Stepmother, you can have them borrow money from HSBC to support them in fighting against foreign capital!"

"Hmm!" Chen Shuting responded softly, then asked, "How's the investigation of your insurance company going? Are you planning to register in mainland China or Hong Kong?"

“I need to observe for a while longer!” Zhang Nian said with a smile. “I heard from teachers in the capital that they are holding a meeting to discuss the reform of the enterprise employee pension insurance system, which includes personal savings-based pension insurance.”

"If this kind of insurance is really implemented, I plan to register an insurance company in the country."

“Personal savings-type pension insurance!” Chen Shuting nodded slightly. “This kind of long-term insurance is the easiest to manage. You just need to invest in low- to medium-risk projects and get stable long-term returns.”

Zhang Nian nodded, then changed the subject, "This kind of pension insurance actually has a major drawback for customers: it cannot withstand currency devaluation."

Chen Shuting agreed, saying, "So, before you do this, you'd better find a good project, clarify the return on investment, and write it down in black and white in the insurance contract to avoid ruining your reputation."

~
Shenzhen Peace College, Biological Gene Experiment Building.

When Zhang Heping finished dinner and returned to the space capsule remote control center, half of his assistants and students were still eating outside the glass door.

"Take your time eating!" Zhang Heping waved to the crowd outside who wanted to gather around, and then walked into the remote control center hall.

Assistant Lao Lü craned his neck, peering over the monitor in front of him towards Zhang Heping's direction, and said, "Teacher Zhang, due to the weather, there are still no good landing spots in the South China Sea!"

Looking at the cloud movement trajectory on the monitor, Zhang Heping frowned and asked, "What did the aerospace group say?"

Mr. Lü replied, "They suggested that the return capsule land in the Gobi Desert in the northwest, where it is not affected by rainy weather, and their convoy can also reach it." "Then please ask them to help recover the return capsule!" Zhang Heping said decisively, "In addition, ask them if they can help us launch the No. 3 Shouyuan space capsule and 12 Fengyun meteorological satellites."

"Okay, I'll call and inquire right away!" Upon hearing that he would be cooperating with the aerospace group, Elder Lü was secretly delighted to have completed the task assigned to him by Elder Hua and the others.

"Call Peace Aerospace and ask about the acceptance progress of the No. 3 space capsule, as well as the medical examination report of the experimental monkeys," Zhang Heping said to the air, while his assistant went to make the calls.

After speaking, Zhang Heping looked at the large display screen in front of him.

On the screen, a laboratory monkey is floating in an alloy cage, fast asleep, while a robotic arm with a suction tube silently extends into the cage and sucks up the excrement floating around the monkey.

As for the other mischievous experimental monkey, it succumbed to a bacterial infection and, under the watchful eyes of a global audience, was sent into space by a spherical robot to conduct its final animal experiment: biological changes in a vacuum!

The white mice suffered the same fate.

Due to a mistake, the second phase of the space experiment was missing one experimental monkey. Therefore, the third space capsule needs to send one more experimental monkey, along with more food, water, and supporting experimental materials.

With the increased weight of the spacecraft, the rockets that launch it also need to be adjusted accordingly.

The key point is that Zhang Heping plans to get the aerospace group to help with the launch!

So, whose rockets will we use? How will we transport the spacecraft and satellites? Who will we send to assist...?

What should have been a simple matter has been complicated by this torrential rain!
Fortunately, these kinds of scheduling matters have always been handled by Mr. Hua and Director Wang.

After selecting some personnel and equipping the experimental materials for the No. 3 Shouyuan space capsule, Zhang Heping handed over the tasks of recovering the return capsule and launching the No. 3 Shouyuan space capsule and the Fengyun meteorological satellite.

At the same time, 5000 million yuan was paid to the aerospace group for magnesium recovery and launch costs.

By the time Zhang Heping finished arranging things for the space capsule, it was already early June. Floods had appeared in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Sichuan, Guizhou, and Northeast China, and large areas of farmland had inevitably suffered damage.

Finally, it depends on how much crop they harvested in the early stages; otherwise, they'll have to buy imported grain!
Putting aside other people's troubles, Zhang Heping took his family back to Hong Kong Island during some free time.

Since most of the funds from Japan Island had been withdrawn, Zhang Heping didn't want to delay the management bonuses of those fund managers, lest his subordinates complain in private.

This should have been a happy occasion. Previously, we were waiting for the management bonuses from Peace Group and Peace Investment Company. Everyone was on the same page, and the people from the stepmother investment company could understand.

However, since all the funds have been withdrawn, delaying the payment of fund management bonuses could easily be misunderstood as a breach of promise!

Zhang Heping wouldn't ruin his reputation for that little bit of money.

Friday, January 6th.

Without an award ceremony, flowers, or applause, all members of the Peace Group's financial team, Peace Investment Fund team, and Stepmother Investment Fund team successively received text messages about huge sums of money being transferred.

Then, the day became lively!
As the text messages announcing the arrival of management bonuses rang one after another on the floor where these three teams were located, the surrounding colleagues erupted in deafening cheers, shaking the floorboards.

No wonder they were excited; Zhang Heping distributed 43 billion US dollars in management bonuses this time!

The largest portion of the funds, worth 34.62 billion US dollars, went to the stepmother's investment team, which had the most members.
Even after Zhang Heping and his team finished their excitement and asked the heads of the three teams to remind them to keep a low profile, these guys still leaked the huge management bonus that same day.

For a time, the fund manager position at Peace Group became the most coveted position in the global financial world, attracting countless people who wanted to sit in that seat.

The next morning, Zhang Heping convened a meeting with the members of the three teams.

Just like with the 300 fund managers at Peace Investment Company before, those who want to stay can stay; those who want to leave can sign a confidentiality agreement and leave immediately without even having to pack up their workstations, so as to avoid causing unnecessary misunderstandings.

Although some fund managers signed agreements to leave this time, the number was only 36, unlike the 300 fund managers at Peace Investment Company, of which only 33 remained.

Of course, the remaining 33 fund managers later became key personnel for development, and now they are reaping substantial rewards.

If it weren't for them supporting the three teams of Peace Group Finance, Peace Investment Fund, and Stepmother Investment Fund, Zhang Heping wouldn't have had such a worry-free period during the recent stock market crash.

The fund managers who had signed confidentiality agreements and resignation agreements said goodbye to Zhang Heping with feelings of embarrassment, guilt, or gratitude, and then quickly left the venue.

Zhang Heping glanced at the remaining employees and then said, "From now on, you can take turns resting. Those of you going on vacation, please be careful."

"Master, don't we manage Hong Kong stocks?" a young fund manager from Stepmother Investment Company said indignantly. "Those foreign investors are too arrogant; they actually came to our territory to disrupt the stock market!"

"You've narrowed your vision!" Zhang Heping turned and walked towards the door, laughing, "Anywhere the network can cover will be our territory from now on!"

This statement leaves plenty of room for imagination, because they manipulate Japanese stocks using the internet, not by physically visiting Japan!
Zhang Heping had just finished dealing with the fund manager's bonus issue and was thinking about whether his twin sons would meet someone they liked when a phone call disrupted his mood.

"The Pinatu volcano in the Philippines has erupted!" Zhang Heping repeated in astonishment.

It wasn't that he didn't believe it, but rather that this thing had to erupt at this crucial moment of all times, of all times. The signs of flooding in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Sichuan, Guizhou, and Northeast China were likely to turn into a major flood disaster!

"Notify Elder Hua and the others, the worst prediction has come!" Zhang Heping said in a heavy tone into his phone.

After hanging up the phone, Zhang Heping went straight downstairs to the Peace Computer Research Center, where he used the computers to check satellite monitoring images of the area near the Philippines.

After realizing he couldn't change anything, Zhang Heping reluctantly returned to Victoria Peak... (End of Chapter)