Return to 88: Starting from Marrying My Sister-in-law

"Yes, I've thought it through."

Ma Yun's voice wasn't loud, but it was like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, creating a clear and firm echo in the quiet coffee shop.

He met Lu Yang's gaze, which seemed to penetrate his very soul, without flinching.

In those eyes, the burning flame had fading from a pure desire for huge sums of money; what remained was a tempered conviction and a determination to control the future.

Refusing $3000 million and willingly accepting only half—this decisiveness completely dispelled the lingering greed and regret that Lu Yang, the reborn individual, felt for such a huge fortune, even though he had anticipated it. Only pure appreciation remained.

Lu Yang's lips slowly curved upwards, forming a knowing smile tinged with admiration.

He stood up and, across the small round table that bore witness to this historic decision, extended his hand to Ma Yun.

"Then, happy cooperation!"

"It's a pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Lu!"

Ma Yun immediately stood up and, without hesitation, stretched out her hands and tightly grasped Lu Yang's palms.

This handshake was unlike any ordinary polite greeting.

The strength conveyed in the palm of the hand represents trust, commitment, and the collision and fusion of the wills of both parties.

This brief but impactful contact effectively sealed the deal for a $1500 million angel investment.

The Century Group's enormous capital is about to be injected into the blueprint of a "global online marketplace" called Alibaba, which is still somewhat unrealistic at the moment.

More importantly, this means that Lu Yang's name has been deeply imprinted on the foundation of Alibaba, the future trillion-dollar capital empire, through this crucial 30% stake.

He was no longer just an observer watching the legend from across a screen of time and space, but became one of the creators of this legend, taking the lead and firmly squeezing in during its most tender and crucial budding stage.

Outside the café window, the twilight of West Lake had completely sunk into the water, and the evening lights were just coming on, reflecting on the shimmering surface of the lake, as if casting a brilliant footnote to this handshake that would change the future business landscape.

The news spread like wildfire within specific circles.

Lu Yang of Century Group, the domestic private enterprise giant who just made a name for himself by investing $6000 million in UTStarcom's "Xiaolingtong" project, has now spent another $1500 million to acquire a 30% stake in Alibaba, a little-known company whose products are not even fully developed!
In the early 1998 internet industry, this price and valuation were nothing short of a bombshell.

Suddenly, domestic and foreign capital that had previously been observing, questioning, or even scoffing at e-commerce and the B2B model became restless.

"Lu Yang invested? And gave it a valuation of $5000 million ($1500 million for a 30% stake, implying a valuation of $5000 million)?"

"Who is this Ma Yun? Is his 'online marketplace' really that valuable?"

"Quickly! Reassess the potential of the domestic B2B market immediately!"

"Immediately contact all similar teams we can reach! We can't fall behind!"

Capital has an extremely keen sense of smell.

Lu Yang's move acted like a lit fuse, igniting capital's enthusiasm for the e-commerce sector.

The Chinese internet, especially the e-commerce sector, which was originally expected to experience explosive growth in 1999, felt a strong surge of popularity ahead of time thanks to the flapping of Lu Yang's wings, the "time-space butterfly."

Thus, the phenomenon that would not have been dubbed the "Year Zero of Chinese E-commerce" until 1999 in the original historical timeline had already begun to emerge in the summer of 1998.

In countless entrepreneurs' business plans (BPs), "Alibaba model" and "B2B platform" have become the most sought-after keywords.

A large number of e-commerce platform projects that were originally hesitant or planned to launch at a later time have sprung up like mushrooms after rain, and the pace of financing has been accelerated.

For example, Wang Moutao's "8848", as an early representative of B2C in China, was still in the exploratory stage. Now that it has felt the market's heat, it has immediately accelerated its pace and sought larger-scale financing to seize the opportunity.

For example, Shao Moubo's "EasyNet" is the predecessor of eBay EachNet; Liang Mouzhang's "Ctrip" is mainly focused on tourism, but its online booking model has also been affected by the e-commerce boom; Lei Zi's "Joyo.com"... These companies, which were either newly established or had not yet fully shifted their business focus to online transactions in the original timeline, have all moved at this moment, either accelerating the layout of their existing e-commerce businesses or adjusting their strategic focus, and have flocked to this e-commerce feast that Lu Yang has ignited unintentionally or intentionally.

Because of Alibaba's massive funding round, the entire internet landscape has entered a "Warring States period" of fierce competition a year ahead of schedule.

Lu Yang stayed in Hangzhou for a few more days to handle the specific details of the investment agreement with Alibaba and the arrangements for subsequent capital injection.

Seeing Ma Yun's energetic state after receiving the money, as if every cell in her body was burning with enthusiasm, Lu Yang knew that this fledgling eagle, with enough fuel, would surely soar into the sky at an even faster speed.

After finishing all this, Lu Yang finally returned to his base in Pengcheng.

The grandeur and bustling activity of the Century Group headquarters building contrasted sharply with the leisurely negotiations taking place by West Lake.

He had just sat down in his CEO office, and hadn't even brewed the Longjing tea he brought from Hangzhou, when the landline on his desk rang urgently.

The caller ID showed "Xiao Jun".

"Hey, brother-in-law, you were looking for me?"

"Haha, Brother Lu! You're finally back! Did you sort things out in Hangzhou? I heard it caused quite a stir!"

Xiao Jun's cheerful, loud voice came through the receiver.

"Yeah, I just landed, I'm a little tired, and I was just about to take a break."

Lu Yang rubbed his temples.

"What rest? Young people shouldn't complain about being tired. Come out and relax tonight! Same old place, we'll treat you to a welcome-back dinner to help you unwind!"

Xiao Jun extended the invitation without further ado.

Lu Yang initially wanted to decline, but then he thought that he should give face to his brother-in-law.

"Alright, I can't refuse my brother-in-law's hospitality. See you tonight."

Lu Yang thought that Xiao Jun was just looking for him to catch up and relax.

However, when he entered the familiar, understated yet extremely luxurious private club room, he found that Xiao Jun was not alone inside.

"Mr. Mou? You're here too?"

Lu Yang was indeed somewhat surprised.

I heard before that this guy went back to his hometown and was working on some satellite launch plan. I don’t know when he will succeed. Anyway, I’m not involved, so I didn’t pay much attention.

I didn't expect that I would be back in Shenzhen so soon.

Is everything going smoothly?

Still nothing going smoothly?

"Forget it, who cares? This Brother Mu is daring; he always likes to skirt the law in business. Some of his projects, while not explicitly prohibited, are very likely illegal. This old bastard doesn't know when to stop. If he continues like this, he'll get himself into trouble sooner or later. I, Lu Yang, am not going to go along with his madness." "Hahaha, surprised, aren't you? Sit down, sit down." Mu Qizhong warmly invited Lu Yang to sit down.

After exchanging pleasantries, the waiter served delicate tea and snacks, along with a warm wooden tub for washing feet.

The three of them immersed their feet in the medicinal water at a suitable temperature, and wisps of steam rose, filling the private room with a faint herbal fragrance.

While wiping his hands with a towel, Xiao Jun casually said, "Brother Lu, your move in Hangzhou was truly a bolt from the blue! Throwing 1500 million US dollars into a fledgling website, I admire your boldness!"

He paused, then changed the subject, "However, besides relaxing with a foot massage, Mr. Mou and I actually have some other things we'd like to ask you about today."

Lu Yang leaned back on the comfortable sofa, enjoying the foot massage with his eyes closed, and said in a flat tone: "Oh? Brother-in-law, President Mou, just say what you want to say."

Mu Qizhong picked up the conversation, leaning forward slightly, his eyes eager: "President Lu, to be honest, we've been paying close attention to the movements in the international financial markets lately, especially the Nikkei index's plunge and the yen's sharp depreciation against the dollar. We've heard... that Wall Street tycoons, led by Soros, have made a fortune?"

His eyes gleamed with a thirst for immense wealth. "Furthermore, I've heard that your overseas investment department, under Manager Chen Fan's leadership, has achieved remarkable success, practically 'going on a killing spree'?"

Xiao Jun immediately added, "Yes, Brother Lu! Look, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Could you... take us brothers with you? We have some spare cash and would like to go with you to the Japanese market and get a share of the profits?"

Both of them stared intently at Lu Yang, their eyes filled with anticipation.

Lu Yang slowly opened his eyes, his gaze sweeping over the eager faces of Xiao Jun and Mu Qizhong. He shook his head slightly, his tone carrying a hint of helpless laughter: "Brother-in-law, President Mu, it's not that I don't want to take you guys out. It's just... you're only now realizing the opportunity, and it's already too late."

"Too late?" Xiao Jun frowned.

“Yes, it’s too late.” Lu Yang picked up the tea beside him and took a sip. “When news of this massive short selling causing such market turmoil has reached even your ears, it precisely illustrates one thing: Japan’s stock market, according to its existing financial system and regulatory rules, can no longer withstand this kind of shock. What will happen next?”

Lu Yang put down his teacup, his voice firm: "It must be the Japanese government that intervened! They used foreign exchange reserves, adjusted interest rates, and even changed rules, sparing no effort to stabilize the exchange rate and stock market."

This is a contest at the national level.

The sharks led by Soros have a keener sense of smell than anyone else. They know exactly when to be greedy and when to be fearful.

If I'm not mistaken, they've probably already begun an orderly withdrawal, or at least are taking profits on a large scale.

Rushing in now won't be to grab a share of the spoils; it'll be to take the fall and become cannon fodder.

Xiao Jun and Mu Qizhong exchanged a glance, both seeing the disappointment and slight annoyance in each other's eyes.

Missing out on this big market move is truly regrettable.

Mu Qizhong, being a seasoned veteran, only showed his disappointment briefly before a smile returned to his face: "Brother Lu, your insight is truly remarkable. A single conversation with you is worth more than ten years of study! The waters of international finance are indeed very deep."

He abruptly changed the subject, revealing his true intentions: "Well... Mr. Lu, we missed out on the big international deals, but we should at least let our older brothers have a taste of the good stuff we have at home, right?"

Xiao Jun immediately understood and chimed in, "Yes, Brother Lu! That Alibaba you invested in, 1500 million US dollars for 30%... Mr. Mou and I are also very interested! Do you think we could also get a share? Let's support that... Ma Yun together?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Yang raised an eyebrow, a strange, ambiguous expression appearing on his face. He looked at the two business tycoons before him and asked in return:
"You... also want to invest in Alibaba?"

"why?"

"Do you... know Ma Yun?"

Xiao Jun and Mu Qizhong were taken aback by the question and subconsciously shook their heads: "This... I've heard of him for a long time, but I haven't had the chance to meet him in person yet."

Lu Yang sighed softly, his tone tinged with amusement: "Don't you know him? If you don't know him, why did you dare to invest in him? Don't you know? I invested in a real 'shell company'!"
Besides having a passionate and ambitious founding team, they have nothing else right now!

website?

It's still under development.

user?

It is essentially zero.

Profit model?

Still figuring it out.

"Using $1500 million in real money to buy 30% of the shares of such a shell company..."

Lu Yang paused, his sharp gaze sweeping over the two men: "I admit, I'm gambling. Gambling on Ma Yun as a person, gambling on the future he envisioned. But what about you? What are you betting on? Just because I, Lu Yang, have invested?"

Xiao Jun and Mu Qizhong were speechless when asked the question, and they also looked a little embarrassed.

Mu Qizhong chuckled and said, "We naturally trust your judgment of people, Brother Lu! Great minds think alike!"

"Forget it," Lu Yang waved his hand, his tone tinged with self-deprecation yet unusually clear-headed, "Investing isn't about following the crowd. You guys want to invest now simply because you saw me invest and think it's profitable, so you want to hitch a ride. But the problem is..."

Lu Yang leaned forward slightly, lowered his voice, and said with an air of knowing the inside story: "Even my money, that Ma Yun's father... cough!"

He seemed to have accidentally choked on his words, and quickly corrected himself, "He only wants half of Ma Yun's company! Do you think that, given his obsession with control and the confidence he already has—having received $1500 million from me, enough to sustain him for a while—he would easily accept new investment at this stage and further disperse the equity? Impossible."

"Father Ma? Ma Yun's father also works in the company? Doesn't this become a family business?" Xiao Jun keenly noticed Lu Yang's strange slip of the tongue and asked in confusion.

Internet companies are rarely family businesses.

Lu Yang remained calm and explained, "Oh, a slip of the tongue. As far as I know, Ma Yun's father is just a folk artist, and has absolutely nothing to do with his company. Don't make wild guesses."

A moment of silence fell over the private room, broken only by the gentle sloshing of the foot bath water.

Xiao Jun and Mu Qizhong's faces were filled with resentment. Watching Lu Yang turn stones into gold while they couldn't even get a sip of soup was a really unpleasant feeling.

Seeing the expressions on their faces, as if they'd lost their chance, Lu Yang smiled, wiped his feet with a towel, and softened his tone: "However, since you invited me to wash your feet today, and President Mu is personally accompanying you, I can't let you leave empty-handed."

Xiao Jun and Mu Qizhong's eyes immediately lit up again, looking at Lu Yang with anticipation.

Lu Yang leaned back on the sofa, his gaze seemingly piercing through the ceiling of the private room, witnessing the sweeping tide of the internet over the next decade:

"Here's what we'll do. You missed the wave of international finance, and you can't get on the Alibaba train for now. But the ocean of the internet is just beginning to rise. Now is the best time to invest in internet companies, the golden window of opportunity to seize angel round funding!"

"If you have spare money, you might as well invest in some reliable internet companies. Don't always focus on my one basket. Get in early, secure key positions, and when the wind really blows, the returns will be beyond your imagination."

"What does Brother Lu mean...?" Mu Qizhong asked eagerly.

"Should we also look for companies similar to Alibaba to invest in?" Xiao Jun pressed.

"But we're completely clueless about this industry, we don't know anything about it, what should we do? How about you recommend a few for me?"

"You want me to recommend someone?" Lu Yang looked at the two of them, a meaningful smile playing on his lips. "Alright..." (End of Chapter)