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

The lights on the top floor of the Pengcheng Century Building, like the unfathomable galaxy in Lu Yang's eyes, had just extinguished his gaze on the "historical inertia" experiment in Beijing.

Just as Mu Qizhong and Xiao Jun, each harboring a mix of resentment and resignation as "minor shareholders," were savoring the taste of reality in the chilly early spring winds of Beijing, the tail end of a larger and more far-reaching financial storm was crashing heavily onto the Japanese archipelago across the sea, accompanied by unexpectedly unleashed giant waves.

The Asian financial crisis, a financial tsunami that swept across Southeast Asia and caused the economic collapse of countless countries, took a different turn from its original historical trajectory under the unwitting flapping of Lu Yang's time-traveling butterfly.

Hong Kong, an international financial center that had suffered greatly throughout its history, managed to maintain its linked exchange rate system thanks to Lu Yang's early planning, precise counter-attacks, and the strong support from the mainland. This prevented the international speculative capital, led by Soros' Quantum Fund and accompanied by Tiger Fund and other Wall Street wolves, from making a fierce attack, ultimately from taking down this tough nut to crack.

To put it simply, we didn't gain any advantage; on the contrary, we ended up spitting out some of the meat we had eaten in neighboring Thailand.

However, bloodthirsty capital never leaves empty-handed.

The giants who ran into trouble in Hong Kong quickly turned their greedy eyes to another target: Japan, the world's second-largest economy, which had been relatively unaffected by the crisis.

History was forcibly reversed here.

Having lost the substantial "spoils of war" they had anticipated in Hong Kong to compensate for losses on other fronts, the Wall Street giants' anxiety and ferocity were amplified many times over.

The chain reaction caused by the bankruptcies of Southeast Asian countries (many Japanese banks and institutions had huge loans and investments in these countries, which instantly turned into bad debts), coupled with the nature of international speculative capital to act on the whims, caused a financial storm far exceeding the intensity of Lu Yang's memories of his previous life to suddenly erupt simultaneously in Japan's stock and foreign exchange markets.

The Nikkei 225 index plummeted like a kite with a broken string amid panic selling, constantly hitting new and alarming lows.

The yen exchange rate was subjected to a multi-pronged attack by international speculative capital, and was frantically shorted in both the spot and forward markets. The exchange rate against the US dollar fluctuated wildly and once approached the red line that was considered to be "collapse".

The arrogance of "buying up the United States" that once filled the streets of Tokyo has long since vanished, replaced by long queues outside securities firms, anxious faces at bank counters, and a chill in the air even more biting than that of early spring in Beijing.

Without a doubt, this is the chilling reality of a collapse in economic confidence.

The Japanese government took emergency action, utilizing its vast foreign exchange reserves and joining forces with major domestic banks to intervene forcefully.

The central bank bought yen and sold dollars, while simultaneously intervening in the market to support prices.

This is a contest of national strength.

Even a starved camel is still bigger than a horse. When Japan's economic machine mobilizes its national power at all costs, even figures like Soros find it difficult to cope.

After paying a much heavier price than expected and experiencing a more brutal battle between bulls and bears, Wall Street giants realized that continuing to gnaw on this bone, even if they could win, might break a few teeth, making it a losing proposition.

Thus, after seizing enough profits to "stop losses" and still have a surplus, international speculative capital retreated like a tide, leaving behind a devastated and severely damaged Japanese financial market, as well as countless bankrupt small and medium-sized financial institutions and investment banks.

Before the smoke of battle had cleared and amidst the chaos, a figure, like a shrewd hunter, quietly began his "cleanup" work.

Tokyo, in a suite on the top floor of the Imperial Hotel.

Chen Fan, the head of Century Investment, entrusted by Lu Yang with wielding the sword of overseas capital and in charge of the strategy for conquering Japan, is standing in front of a huge floor-to-ceiling window, overlooking this world-class city that has just experienced a financial "earthquake".

Outside the window, the neon lights still flickered, but Chen Fan could clearly sense the deep weariness and trauma of the city.

He held a cup of sake in his hand, but his eyes were as sharp as an eagle's, showing no trace of relief at surviving the ordeal, only a calm assessment and precise calculation.

"The timing is perfect," he muttered to himself, a barely perceptible smile playing on his lips.

President Lu's judgment was frighteningly accurate.

This storm, spearheaded by Wall Street but unexpectedly exacerbated by Lu's "butterfly effect," not only severely damaged Japan but also forced many previously tightly held pockets to loosen their grip under the pressure of survival.

Panic and cash flow pressure are the best lubricant and bargaining chip at the negotiating table.

There was a gentle knock on the suite door.

The assistant led in a group of people. The middle-aged man at the head of the group wore gold-rimmed glasses and had a refined demeanor with the meticulousness of a technical expert. This was the UTStarcom technical negotiation delegation led by Chen Hongliang.

"President Chen!" Chen Hongliang strode forward and shook hands with Chen Fan warmly. His tone was weary from the long journey, but even more so, excited and expectant. "Finally, I've met you! Our team is ready. The patent acquisition is entirely dependent on your and Century Investment's strong support!"

Chen Fan returned the handshake with a calm smile: "Mr. Chen, you're too kind. Mr. Lu has high hopes for the 'Little Smart' project, so you don't need to worry about funding."

He pointed out the window and said confidently, "See all the 'scars' in this city? A large part of the money we used to acquire patents was 'picked up' from this storm. President Lu said that using the money earned from Japan to buy Japanese technology and then earning back the domestic and global markets is a worthwhile deal no matter how you look at it, and we don't feel bad about spending it."

Upon hearing this, Chen Hongliang's spirits lifted.

He was well aware of what this acquisition meant for UTStarcom and for the future market landscape of China Telecom.

With Century Investment as his backer and ample, almost "cost-free" ammunition, his confidence instantly increased.

In the days that followed, Chen Fan and Chen Hongliang's team worked closely together to begin intensive contact and difficult negotiations with a Japanese telecommunications company that held the core patent for "PHS" (Personal Handyphone System).

The process was far more complicated than expected.

Despite the fact that the other party was in dire straits due to the impact of the financial crisis and urgently needed cash injections, they were unusually cautious and even somewhat stubborn when it came to the long-term, large-area (mainland China) licensing and buyout of core patents, and the price they offered was once ridiculously high.

Nationalist sentiments, a sense of technological superiority, and a vague understanding of future market potential all became obstacles to negotiations.

"They don't seem to fully realize how much bargaining power this crisis has cost them." After a difficult negotiation, Chen Hongliang rubbed his temples and gave Chen Fan a wry smile.

Chen Fan, however, remained calm and confident, saying, "Keep your cool. Fortresses are most easily breached from within."

A glint of insight flashed in his eyes, and he quickly adjusted his strategy.

On the one hand, he instructed his team to demonstrate strong financial resources and a "do-or-die" attitude to exert continuous pressure.

On the other hand, he activated his pre-prepared "Plan B".

Utilize your personal network.

A crucial phone call was made to Masayoshi Son of SoftBank. This astute investor was also affected by the financial crisis, but he had a good working relationship with Chen Fan in previous capital operations.

Moreover, Masayoshi Son himself is also a shareholder of UTStarcom, but he was excluded in the company's second round of financing. In addition, Lu Yang's Century Group currently holds more shares in UTStarcom than his SoftBank Group, which makes this ambitious capitalist somewhat unhappy. He had been sitting on the sidelines until now.

Chen Fan subtly pointed out the potential for future cooperation between the two parties in the Chinese market through this acquisition, and hinted that Century Investment had broader investment interests in Japan, which caught the attention of Masayoshi Son.

He felt he could back down now.

Moreover, it is not advisable to continue to stand by and watch, as this could offend Lu Yang, the mainland tycoon behind the Century Group, making it very likely that his future investments in mainland China will be severely hampered, given his long-held optimism about the mainland economy.

that's all.
With Masayoshi Son's indirect mediation, the deadlock in the negotiations finally began to ease slightly.

Meanwhile, Chen Fan's team successfully "contacted" and "persuaded" a Japanese trade official in charge of the case's approval through clandestine channels.

At the right moment, a "consulting fee" that conforms to "international business practices" acts like a precisely dripping lubricant, quietly making the previously sluggish approval gears start to turn.

A two-pronged approach yielded immediate results.

The other company's attitude softened quickly, and their exorbitant demands returned to a more rational level.

After several rounds of intensive final negotiations, a crucial agreement was finally reached at the last key negotiating table, with Chen Fan personally overseeing the process.

Century Investment, representing UTStarcom, successfully acquired the exclusive patent rights to "PHS" technology in mainland China for the next 20 years for a total of US$2300 million in Japanese yen!
The agreement is clear in its terms and complete in its rights, removing the biggest legal obstacle for UTStarcom to promote the technology on a large scale in China.

This will also save a huge amount of patent fees in the future!
When Chen Fan and Chen Hongliang signed the agreement on behalf of both parties and exchanged the text, the tense atmosphere in the conference room was finally replaced by immense joy.

Chen Hongliang was so excited that his hands trembled slightly. He knew that a revolutionary wave in communications was about to be launched in China by their own hands.

The news spread like wildfire, crossing the East China Sea and reaching the distant shores of West Lake in an instant.

Hangzhou, in the height of summer in July.

The cicadas chirped incessantly, and the lake breeze carried a humid and hot atmosphere.

Far from the smoke and fire of the financial markets and the swordplay at the negotiating table, Lu Yang is enjoying some rare family time.

He held his bouncy son's hand in one hand and his graceful daughter's hand in the other, with his wife Yin Mingyue, who had a gentle smile, beside him, as they strolled through a somewhat simple but vibrant office area.

This is an ordinary residential building in the west of the city, with a simple sign hanging at the entrance that reads "Alibaba".

Ma Yun, the future e-commerce mogul, is currently just a young entrepreneur full of passion and dreams.

He was enthusiastically introducing the company's grand vision of "making it easy to do business anywhere" to Lu Yang's family, showing them the simple office environment and a group of equally young, bright-eyed startup team.

"Mr. Lu, look, this is our current 'headquarters'! The conditions are a bit tough, but the dream is big! We are building an online trading platform for small and medium-sized enterprises..."

Ma Yun spoke with great enthusiasm and spittle flying everywhere, making her extremely captivating.

It seems that even though he has secured $3000 million in funding from Lu Yang, he has no intention of spending it on improving the office environment in the short term.

Lu Yang listened with a smile, his gaze sweeping over the old computers and the motivational slogans on the walls, his eyes carrying a hint of barely perceptible nostalgia and an all-knowing calmness.

The son curiously touched and looked around, while Yin Mingyue considerately reminded the children not to disturb the uncles' work.

Just then, Lu Yang's phone vibrated in his pocket. He nodded apologetically to Ma Yun and walked to the window to answer it.

On the other end of the phone, Chen Fan's calm yet slightly excited voice came through: "President Lu, great news from Tokyo! We've secured the exclusive 20-year mainland China rights to the PHS (Personal Handyphone System) patent! The total price is US$2300 million, and the agreement has been signed!"

Lu Yang's smile widened instantly, a genuine and exhilarating feeling of being in control.

He spoke into the microphone in a loud and clear voice, praising, "Well done, Chen Fan! I knew you could do it! This money was well spent! Absolutely!"

His hearty laughter pierced through the slightly noisy office, attracting the curious gazes of Jack Ma and several employees.

"Great! Excellent! You've worked hard! I'll host a banquet in Pengcheng to welcome you back with the negotiation team and celebrate your success! A grand victory celebration banquet!"

Even after hanging up the phone, Lu Yang's smile remained, as if he had only dealt with a trivial matter, or as if he had received a pleasant result that he had long anticipated.

He turned around, meeting Jack Ma's slightly probing gaze, and waved his hand casually: "A small overseas business, taken care of. Mr. Ma, please continue. I'm very interested in your 'online trading platform.' You can speak freely about how Alibaba plans to develop, without any reservations. I'll give you the money, and you can decide how to spend it."

His gaze returned to Alibaba's simple office, and in his deep eyes, he seemed to already see the revolutionary commercial torrent that would burst forth from here in the future.

Outside the window, the shimmering waters of West Lake reflected the ancient streets and alleys of Hangzhou and the simple window frame of this emerging startup, as well as the composed smile on Lu Yang's lips, a smile that suggested he was in control of the situation and looking towards the future.

"Okay, thank you, Mr. Lu, I understand."

Ma Yun gazed at Lu Yang, who was bathed in sunlight outside the window. He seemed to be surrounded by a faint halo, like an angel in the morning light.

He swallowed hard, then nodded solemnly and deeply.

Then he suddenly turned around, raised his arm, and his voice was filled with long-suppressed excitement:
Pack your things—get ready to move!

"Brothers, our hard times are over!"

It turns out that he had considered moving to a better location for Alibaba's new headquarters.

He was just waiting.

Waiting for Lu Yang's arrival. (End of Chapter)