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

Also in Shenzhen, there is another private enterprise that is no less impressive than Century Group, founded by Lu Yang.

It is Zhongwei Communications Company.

In the CEO's office, warm sunlight streamed through the blinds, casting dappled shadows on the floor. Ren Zhengfei, 55, one of the founders of China's telecommunications equipment industry, was enjoying a rare moment of family time.

He shed his usual serious demeanor as he commanded armies and strategized, a gentle smile on his face as he bent down to play with the baby girl in his wife's and secretary Yao Ling's arms.

Little Anna has just turned one year old, a lovely age when she is learning to speak and take her first steps.

At this moment, she was staring wide-eyed at the sky, curiously reaching out her little hand to try and grab the pen cap her father was waving in front of her, making indistinct "ee-ee-ya-ya" sounds.

“Anna, my darling, look here, Daddy’s here…” Ren Zhengfei’s voice was gentle and full of affection.

As Yao Ling watched the interaction between the father and daughter, a gentle smile appeared on her face.

Anna's birth coincided with a pivotal year of rapid development for China.

Significant breakthroughs have been achieved in overseas markets, and the accumulated technological expertise from independent research and development has yielded remarkable results, leading to a steady increase in sales and influence.

In Ren Zhengfei's heart, this exquisitely beautiful little daughter seems to be a "lucky star" bestowed upon him and his family by heaven, bringing them vibrant energy and good fortune.

The tender parent-child time was broken by Yao Ling's soft question: "Zhengfei, about that Furun Rich List... they sent another fax, wanting to confirm the rankings and disclosure information one last time. What are your thoughts?"

Ren Zhengfei paused slightly as he teased his daughter, his smile fading as he regained his usual composure and a hint of barely perceptible aloofness.

He straightened up, walked to his large desk, sat down, picked up the fax document bearing the words "Hurun Rich List," glanced at it, and said in a flat tone with a hint of disdain: "Ideas? No ideas. These foreigners are just creating a gimmick to attract attention. How can the value of an entrepreneur be measured by a simple number? It's pointless to waste energy on such empty fame."

Yao Ling knew that her husband had always been low-key and pragmatic, and he deeply abhorred these kinds of lists.

She took a few steps closer to Anna, holding her close, and whispered, "I know you don't like these things. But this time... after all, you were the one who agreed to be on the list. And, to persuade you, they did ask a lot of influential people to do their bidding. If you keep refusing to cooperate, or even publicly resist, you might offend some people and give them something to say, making them think we're being pretentious and heartless."

Upon hearing this, Ren Zhengfei's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.

He certainly understood the helplessness implied in his wife's words.

Interpersonal relationships and social dynamics, especially in the specific business environment in China, are sometimes indeed difficult to completely detach oneself from.

It's not that he's inflexible; it's just that deep down he feels a strong aversion to this kind of behavior that puts entrepreneurs in the spotlight and attracts public attention.

To be honest, he prefers to associate the name "Zhongwei" with core technologies, number of patents, and customer reputation rather than with a ranking on a rich list.

He picked up the fax again, his gaze falling on a particular name and number, a slightly sarcastic smile playing on his lips: "Pretending to be high-minded? Ha, take a closer look at this so-called authoritative list."

He pointed his index finger at the paper and said, “They actually ranked me ahead of that CEO Lu from Century Group? This ranking alone shows just how unreliable this list is!”

"Oh?" Yao Ling, holding Anna, curiously peered at the spot her husband was pointing to.

The list clearly stated:

3. Ren Zhengfei (Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.) Wealth: 60 billion RMB
4. Lu Yang (Century Group Co., Ltd.) Wealth: 59 billion RMB
A hint of surprise flashed in Yao Ling's eyes.

The names of Century Group and Lu Yang have become the focus of financial and media attention recently due to the nationally shocking case of a private enterprise acquiring Shenzhen Airlines shares.

It is widely rumored that his wealth is unfathomable.

But now, this soon-to-be-released list has actually ranked the husband ahead of Lu Yang?

Only a mere 1 million RMB more?
"Does this Mr. Lu really have that much wealth? Maybe even more than what's written here?" Yao Ling couldn't help but ask.

As the wife of the man before her, she knew all too well that for various reasons, the publicly disclosed wealth figures of entrepreneurs like them were often only the tip of the iceberg. Hiding assets was the norm.

Even considering the hidden elements, ranking Ren Zhengfei above Lu Yang on this list seems... somewhat subtle.

She couldn't help but recall the rumors she had heard about that CEO Lu: only around thirty years old, tall and handsome, who built a huge business from scratch, young, rich, and charming... he was practically a male protagonist straight out of a legendary novel.

A ripple of emotion stirred within Yao Ling, one that she herself was unaware of.

Marrying a man like that would probably be the dream of countless women, right?

Of course, the thought only flashed through my mind.

She looked at her husband, who was calm, wise, and had a scholarly air about him, and her heart was immediately filled with satisfaction and admiration.

Aside from being a bit older, her husband is also almost perfect.

Ren Zhengfei glanced at his wife, taking in the changes in her expression, but did not point it out.

He put down the fax, shook his head, and said with an unusual seriousness and objectivity, "That's not your concern. As for how much wealth that Mr. Lu actually has..."

He paused, seemingly considering his words, "I can't reveal too many details to you. But I can say with certainty that it's much more than what's on the surface."

Several key pieces of information flashed through his mind: a domestically planned and massively costly wafer fab project; an overseas advanced chip manufacturing plant that had already been completed, put into operation, and started tape-out... The total investment in just these two projects alone had already exceeded 60 billion RMB!

This doesn't even include the young man's numerous popular and highly profitable consumer electronics companies, such as "Little Prodigy" and "Little Genius," as well as his vast diversified portfolio in real estate, media, aviation, and other sectors...

Huawei is indeed powerful, a giant in the field of communications.

But in terms of the total amount of personal wealth at his disposal and the breadth and sophistication of his industrial layout... at least at this stage, what can he use to "win" against that unassuming young man with a far-reaching vision?

In Ren Zhengfei's view, being ranked ahead of such an opponent is not an honor, but rather the most biting satire on the so-called "authority" of this list, and even a disguised "humiliation".

Thinking of this, Ren Zhengfei smiled with relief, a hint of an elder's understanding of a younger man's cleverness: "Never mind. This kid, though young, is quite cunning. He doesn't want to be in the limelight, so he's pushing this old man forward as a shield..."

He too had once been young and impetuous, and understood Lu Yang's consideration of keeping a low profile and concealing his talents.

"The Doctrine of the Mean values ​​concealing one's shortcomings. As for the current situation, there's no need to be too critical."

He picked up his pen, his gaze falling once again on the preliminary rankings on the fax.

The ranking was clearly designed to generate buzz.

The domestic tech giant outpaced the upstart capital tycoon at the forefront, and the difference of 1 million was even more dramatic.

The young man's choice of fourth option was probably an attempt to downplay the immense attention garnered by the Shenzhen Airlines case.

Ren Zhengfei pondered for a moment, and finally signed his name next to the confirmation box that represented "agreement" on the fax.

This compromise was partly to give face to those who pleaded for leniency, and partly out of respect for that low-key but courageous young colleague who dared to invest heavily in the "money-devouring" field of semiconductors.

"Let's do it this way." He handed the signed fax to Yao Ling, his tone calm and even.

On the fax paper, the two lines of names and numbers were exceptionally clear in the sunlight:
3. Ren Zhengfei (Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.) Wealth: 60 billion RMB
4. Lu Yang (Century Group Co., Ltd.) Wealth: 59 billion RMB
A tiny difference in numbers, a meticulously crafted ranking.

This upcoming list is like throwing a pebble into a calm lake, only this time, the ripples it creates will subtly spread between two very different yet equally important business empires.

Ren Zhengfei knew that this list might just be a minor incident for Huawei, but for that young CEO Lu, even ranking fourth, below him, was enough to push him into the spotlight and subject him to public scrutiny. Any suspicion of his wealth's dubious origin would be thoroughly investigated. (End of Chapter)