Actor: Thank you.

In 2011, the per capita disposable income in China was 1.46 yuan, less than 1.5 yuan.

People from big cities like Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen might say, "Back in my day, my parents earned several thousand or even tens of thousands of yuan a month."

Don't forget, we are an agricultural country at its core. Even after industrialization, we still have hundreds of millions of rural residents.

These people might only earn a few thousand yuan a year. The elderly don't have retirement pensions, and even if they do, it's only a couple hundred yuan a month.

Therefore, when the gavel of the New York Stock Exchange fell on the bronze bell, it marked the first cry of Youku, a Chinese internet company, on Nasdaq.

All the Youku shareholders present combined instantly possessed wealth equivalent to the average annual income of 100 million Chinese people!
And, this is just the beginning.

Gu Yongqiang, as chairman and founder, personally rang the bronze bell.

At its IPO price of $15 per share, Uku's total value already exceeded $17 billion.

The next step is to see if it breaks through the support level or continues to rise.

Zhang Yuan stood to Gu Yongqiang's left.

According to shareholding, he was already the third largest shareholder of Youku.

Furthermore, in accordance with the tradition of the NYSE, it is common practice for IPOs to have celebrities attend to support them.

They even invite celebrities to ring the bell at the opening and closing of the market on certain dates.

Tom Hanks, Michael Phelps, and even Nelson Mandela, the "living saint" of South Africa, have all knocked on the door.

Celebrities can attract more investors and obtain more funds.

Although the listing requirements of the NYSE are quite high, not only do companies need to be profitable, but their assets must also reach more than $4000 million.

But a group of people dressed in suits, without moving their shoulders or arms, can pour huge sums of US dollars into their accounts—that's the allure of finance.

Whether it's bending over to plant crops or sitting upright to tighten screws, nothing is as efficient as turning a series of seemingly random digital numbers into an economic miracle.

Zhang Yuan smiled and clapped, congratulating the company on its listing, just like everyone else.

At the same time, he observed every corner of the NYSE.

He tossed and turned, unable to sleep, and could see two words through every crack in the table and behind every screen.

Foam!

Wall Street is great.

Let alone ordinary people, even he felt a sense of euphoria when he was immersed in it.

Especially the line of numbers with the stock code "YOKU", which is glowing with a vibrant green and constantly rising.

Zhang Yuan looked around, and he seemed to hear the clinking of a cash register in the void.

Click, click, click!

Each crisp sound signifies a dollar in hand.

In this environment, he was almost hallucinating.

US stocks are different from Chinese stocks, or rather, only Chinese stocks are different from those globally.

In China, red represents celebration, while green is the color that men dislike the most.

In contrast, the US stock market is green, which is the color of life and the color of asset appreciation.

Even though he was initially a little sleepy due to jet lag, he was now full of energy.

He didn't even need coffee; like everyone else around him, his eyes were shining.

The NYSE has dedicated lounges for newly listed companies.

Inside, all sorts of high-end food and champagne had already been prepared.

That's a jar of caviar for each person; we can't let those foreigners think we can't afford it.

Now we're just sitting here chatting, waiting for the celebration banquet and the market to close, and seeing the final stock price on the first day.

"Come on, everyone, let's have a little activity."

One shareholder stood up, raising a glass of champagne.

"Guess how high the stock price will ultimately be today."

"The person closest to you should treat me to a meal."

"Then I won't guess. If I guess, you'll just take advantage of me."

"Hahahaha." Everyone laughed, their expressions all showing greed.

"How about this?" Gu Yongqiang stood up: "For the person closest to you, get him a bottle of the most expensive wine tonight, and we'll pay for it."

"Okay, I want Conti."

"25."

"26 yuan and 5 fen."

"27!"

"What do you think?" Boss Gu turned to look at Zhang Yuan.

"How about 31 yuan?" Zhang Yuan quoted the highest price in the room.

"Thank you for your kind words." Boss Gu smiled and squeezed his arm tightly.

"I'm going out for some fresh air, you guys chat."

He decided to go out for some fresh air to clear his head.

A few blocks away from the NYSE entrance.

"Nice suit, buddy."

He heard a voice trying to strike up a conversation from the roadside.

Turning my head, I saw a tall, thin, and rather refined-looking white man selling hot dogs while wearing an apron.

"How to sell it?"

"Three and a half dollars, buddy."

"Are you kidding me?" Zhang Yuan rolled his eyes at him after hearing the price.

I ride a shared bike to the bar; I save where I can and spend where I can.

A hot dog from a roadside stall cost me $3.50, while McDonald's only costs that much.

“BRO.” The guy spread his arms wide dramatically: “This is New York, and over there is Wall Street.”

"Here, even a piece of waste paper can be turned into gold."

"And I also have children to raise."

He took another closer look at Zhang Yuan's attire.

Are you from Wall Street?

Before he could answer, the older brother continued.

Be careful what you do.

"They will take everything from you."

"Six months ago, I was wearing an Armani suit, living in a Manhattan apartment, and driving a brand new Porsche."

“Look at me now.”

"Hahahahahaha..."

The hot dog vendor burst into laughter.

Maniacal laughter echoed through the streets.

Those who hurried past, heading straight for the strings of green numbers, didn't even bother to glance at him.

Zhang Yuan left with his hands in his pockets, braving the cold winter winds of New York.

The people outside are crazy, but aren't the people inside just as crazy?

In the lounge just now, he overheard a few people discussing taking a boat to the high seas to have a silver party to celebrate.

I can't go with them.

It is precisely at times like these that we need to stay clear-headed, because there are still things to do.

The white hot dog guy just now seemed like a thunderbolt, completely waking him up from his dazed state, which had been immersed in the extravagant atmosphere of the New York Stock Exchange.

He found a coffee shop and sat down.

I took out my phone and opened Weibo using foreign data.

"Thank you to Mr. Gu Yongqiang, President of Youku, for the invitation to participate in Youku's listing ceremony on the New York Stock Exchange."

"We hope that more Chinese companies will be able to thrive overseas in the future."

He had Mr. Gu give him the honorary title of "Chief Creative Officer of Youku" in advance.

Similar to a brand ambassador.

Therefore, he appeared at the bell-ringing ceremony in this capacity.

You have to keep it a secret; you can't let the audience know how rich you are.

Otherwise, when watching "The Piano in a Factory," seeing you play a laid-off worker would be incredibly jarring and distracting.

The same applies to other works; the actors possess a certain mystique, leaving room for the audience's imagination.

After the Weibo post was published, Zhang Yuan's fans and ordinary viewers saw it, and at most paid attention to Youku's stock.

It's not easy to buy them even in China.

Some were amazed and wanted to broaden their horizons.

Stockholders were even more envious, as the New York Stock Exchange was a sacred place in their hearts.

He also announced on Weibo that he would be interviewed by FOX TV together with Gu Yongqiang.

Fans are naturally delighted to see their "brother" not only appearing on the international film and television stage, but also on the international trading stage.

However, they only saw the side that Zhang Yuan wanted them to see, the surface.

Those insiders who know him well, especially his friends who know he holds shares in Youku, had mixed feelings after seeing this Weibo post.

Huang Bo, who was discussing the new drama with Ning Hao, saw this and brought it up. "Wow, this is quite something."

"How much money will he make once the company goes public?"

"That's why he has such a good eye." Big Head also knows how powerful the US stock market is.

"This move will probably involve even more companies than Huayi went public before."

"We must give him a good drink during the Chinese New Year!"

In recent years, Brother Bo has been doing well and has made money.

But now, when I'm earning my salary, others are no longer earning it.

Compared to stocks, isn't a film salary just hard-earned money?

Even though we're brothers, it's hard not to feel a little bittersweet.

However, these two are good friends and did not gossip or complain behind their backs out of jealousy.

But not necessarily for others.

Some were furious.

Some people felt a dull ache in their chest.

Some people feel unwell all over.

After all, seeing others make money hurts more than losing money yourself.

Especially those who actually "lose money".

Just like in the offices of Hua Yi and the other two, silence is the Cambridge of tonight.

Tudou.com collapsed, but Youku went public.

And it's listed on the US stock market, that's KOL!
They invested hundreds of millions of yuan in Tudou.com and lost it all, while others went public.

This comparison almost gave me a heart attack.

The back-and-forth wasn't just a fleeting impression; it was a real loss of several hundred million.

Winters in the capital seem to be exceptionally cold.

Looking around, the only way they could quickly boost the company's performance and regain some ground was to take down Zhang Yimou!
The entire company is going all out, mobilizing all resources, and preparing to achieve victory in one fell swoop.

They refused to believe it. They had cultivated their resources for many years and were rich in them. How could they be inferior to this kid?
Unbeknownst to them, Zhang Yuan was simultaneously on the phone with Zhang Yimou.

"Director Zhang, how's the legal consultation going?"

"You said last time there would be a lot of fines, have you raised the money yet?"

"If you have any cash flow problems, I happen to have made a little money and can offer some assistance," Zhang Yuan said with utmost sincerity.

Zhang Yimou thought for a moment and then glanced at Weibo.

It seems to be a tiny bit...

The exact number will depend on further developments.

Zhang Yimou isn't stupid; he understands what Zhang Yuan means.

Asking for a loan is a pretense; demonstrating strength is the real purpose.

Let alone the resources of film industries on both sides of the strait, and the funds pooled together by those Hong Kong bosses.

This guy's personal assets alone far surpass those of his "old buddy" Zhang Weiping.

It could even take on any unlisted domestic film and television company single-handedly.

This is how the internet industry can exert a devastating influence on the film and television industry.

Zhang Yuan knew that Zhang Yimou was worried that he was young and didn't have much money.

Especially the conditions that can be offered are poor.

He only cares about money now; whoever offers the best terms, I'll go with them.

He had previously thought that although Zhang Yuan was a good person to him in terms of interpersonal skills, manners, and personal relationships, he was still quite close to him.

But from a capital perspective, he ultimately fell short.

But now this shortcoming has been made up for because of Youku's listing!

Zhang Yimou didn't give a response, just said a few vague words, and then hung up the phone.

The phone call may have ended, but his thoughts continued.

I keep a close eye on Youku's official website and other websites to check for the latest stock news.

As darkness fell in New York, it came to four o'clock in the afternoon.

This corresponds to 5:00 AM Beijing time.

At this moment, the traders in China who trade US stocks were yawning and preparing to leave work when they discovered that the stock price of this new stock called Youku had already climbed to $32!

It exceeded 100% of the issue price.

Those who got their hands on it early celebrated.

Those who were cautious and believed the price would fall were extremely frustrated.

At that time, most Chinese people were still not very optimistic about Chinese companies listed overseas.

In particular, several companies, such as Sohu, saw their stock prices plummet from over ten yuan at the time of their IPO to just a few yuan.

But they may not know that Youku is the first, and the world's first, internet video website to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange!

That title alone is enough to set off a 2-shot Great Red banner.

Potato's IPO failed, and YouTube abandoned its IPO plans after being acquired by Google.

Therefore, at this moment, Youku is the strongest in the world in this field!
As long as the market is optimistic about the internet video platform industry, its stock price will be good.

Zhang Yuan rushed back to the lounge before the market closed, where people were already hugging and celebrating.

Based on the closing price, Uku's market capitalization has exceeded 40 billion US dollars!
That's equivalent to being three times as wealthy as Huayi today.

At this point, the book value of Zhang Yuan's shares had exceeded 4 million US dollars!
If the stock price rises further, his net worth could exceed 30 billion Chinese yuan just from his shares in Youku.

"You guessed right!" Boss Gu said with a beaming smile.

Because he was the biggest beneficiary, his net worth had already exceeded 15 billion US dollars.

At this point, Boss Gu had already surpassed his former boss, Zhang Chaoyang.

As agreed, Zhang Yuan, who offered the highest price, won the small bet made at the beginning of the game.

"Let's go eat."

"Today, it's on me, it's on me!" Even the usually refined Boss Gu became "outrageous" today.

As in other predominantly white countries, I chose the most expensive restaurant nearby, which was a French restaurant.

"Congratulations to my Mr. Zhang Yuan for winning the gift." Boss Gu stood up and applauded.

A white waiter pushed a food cart and brought over a bottle of Romanée-Conti, tied with a red ribbon and packaged like a gift.

The 05 vintage is considered one of the best in recent years for the Burgundy wine region.

This bottle of wine costs $1.

If it's shipped domestically, the price will double.

Zhang Yuan simply handed the waiter a $50 bill as a tip.

In New York, a waiter at a top restaurant can receive between $700 and $2000 in tips each night.

This is equivalent to the per capita disposable income of the Chinese population in the same year.

One night versus one year—that's the world's diversity.

"Sharing happiness is worse than enjoying it alone. Let's open it and drink together." Zhang Yuan raised the red wine and handed it to the waiter.

"Good!" everyone shouted.

Whether you can drink it or not is not important; what's important is that it's expensive.

Everyone at this table gave up the "bad habit" of eating staple foods.

During the meal, his phone kept vibrating.

Countless friends called to congratulate him, some asking directly, others subtly, to inquire how much he had earned.

He brushed it all off, so why should I tell you? You're up to no good.

Not only did he receive calls from individuals, but a bunch of banks also called, asking if he needed a loan, offering tens of millions of yuan in loan amounts.

Next came the developers and luxury car dealers.

These are all smooth little combos; once you've made money, you'd better spend it right away.

Banks prefer to add to someone's success, but dislike offering help when someone is in dire need.

Lend money to rich people and earn even more money.

Zhang Yuan refused them all. "I haven't even warmed up yet, and you're already thinking about dividing it up."

These people must have gotten their information from who-knows-where; they're incredibly well-informed.

"So, have you considered buying a house in North America?" Mr. Gu asked him with a smile halfway through the meal.

"I know quite a few reliable agents."

"If we buy together, we can pay less commission, and we can be better neighbors in the future."

Zhang Yuan frowned. It seemed like someone had asked him this question not long ago.

Oh, that's what the people from the General Armaments Department and AVIC asked when I auditioned for the role of Qian Xuesen.

He shook his head, indicating that he was not considering it for the time being.

Boss Gu jokingly said that he was stingy.

Zhang Yuan shook his head.

He had other uses for this money… (End of Chapter)