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

Sometimes, the more you think about it, the more anxious you become, and the less clueless you feel.

Lu Yang is in this situation now.

He had racked his brains, but he really had nothing left to say. Or perhaps he did have something, but his memory was too hazy, and he couldn't find the right direction for the time being.

Until the dazzling night view of Pengcheng Bay silently filled the empty top-floor chairman's office of Century Group through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows.

Lu Yang remained deeply slumped in his large leather chair, the office lights casting a lonely halo around him, reflecting the deep weariness and solemnity between his brows.

"Where is the solution...?" Lu Yang's mutterings were particularly clear in the silent space.

He closed his eyes, pressing his fingers hard against his throbbing temples, as if trying to forcefully compress and reassemble the chaotic fragments of memory in his mind.

Are Sohu, NetEase, and Sina really going to wait for the IPO feast of a Chinese portal website?
The booming real estate market in Shenzhen and even across the country?
The prime land plots that Century Group has stockpiled are indeed a gold mine, but selling them off on a large scale at this time is tantamount to drinking poison to quench thirst and destroying one's own Great Wall.

Moreover, the upward trend in land prices has only just begun.

Financial leverage? Risk hangs like a sword of Damocles; a single misstep can lead to total ruin.

Introducing overseas capital? The risks of diluted control and strategic constraints made him instinctively resistant.

One solution after another emerged, only to be ruthlessly shattered by the logical chains of reality.

The more I think about it, the more urgent it becomes, and my thoughts seem to sink into a quagmire. The more I struggle, the harder it is to find a clear way out.

The flood of information from the past life now seems somewhat blurry, and those hidden, undiscovered "deep-sea gold mines" seem to be covered by a thick layer of dust.

“Astronomical figures… a bottomless pit…” Lu Yang murmured, feeling a rare sense of powerlessness.

The reborn's foresight is not a magic key, especially when it comes to unlocking a massive industry that requires the nation's resources and decades of continuous investment.

It wasn't until the neon lights of Shenzhen outside the window shifted and cast ever-changing shadows on the smooth surface of his desk that he suddenly realized how much time had passed.

"Never mind."

He exhaled a long, deep breath, his tense body slowly relaxing as he leaned back in his chair.

Let's leave it at that for now.

"Things will straighten themselves when they reach the bridge."

Forcing himself to break free from the vortex of anxiety, Lu Yang began to try to examine this heavy plan from a more rational perspective.

Although it means that the group's cash flow will be suddenly drained by 15 billion this year, and it will have to carry a heavy fixed burden called "research and development" every year thereafter, this would be enough to crush the backbone of any company in the 90s.

However, the pressure is not as suffocating as it seems.

Thanks to his strategic planning over the years and his accurate grasp of the overall situation, Century Group is not without room to breathe.

A clear image emerged in his mind: Hong Kong, a few years ago during the low point of the financial crisis, he acquired several prime plots of land in the core area of ​​Cyberport through the overseas investment department of Century Group at a very low cost.

With the economic recovery of the port city and the growing popularity of the Cyberport concept, the value of these plots of land is now vastly different from what it used to be.

“As long as one of them is put up for sale…” Lu Yang estimated, “it should bring in at least HK$10 billion, I believe that shouldn’t be a problem?”

Converted to RMB, it's close to 10 billion.

This money is enough to cover most of the shortfall in the "astronomical" start-up funding planned for this year.

In other words, he has at least one year left to search for "deep-sea gold mines" in the vast ocean of information.

Although this year's investment of 15 billion is a heavy burden, the timely arrival of the Gangcheng plot will prevent the group from suffering serious damage.

The real test will be the continued investment in the future.

Thinking of this, Lu Yang relaxed a little.

He stood up, stretched his stiff neck, and turned off the office lights.

Outside the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, Shenzhen is still brightly lit, like a beating heart.

He took one last look at the document lying quietly on the table, then turned and left the decision-making center that bore too much pressure.

back home.

The villa's lights were soft and warm, dispelling the heavy chill brought back from the Century Tower.

The feeling of home instantly enveloped Lu Yang.

Yin Mingyue was playing with her son, who had just learned to walk, on the soft carpet. The little guy's giggles were like clear bells, instantly smoothing out the wrinkles between Lu Yang's brows.

A warm, home-cooked dinner, and seeing the satisfied smiles on his wife and children's faces, Lu Yang felt his depleted energy gradually returning.

After dinner, he habitually prepared to go upstairs to take a shower and wash away the day's fatigue and anxiety.

He had just taken off his shirt, revealing his muscular upper body, and casually tossed the shirt onto the living room sofa.

Just then, a pleasant cell phone ringtone came from the shirt pocket.

Yin Mingyue, who was just handing her sleeping son to the nanny, came over when she heard the noise. She glanced at the caller ID and saw a number that was not very familiar but marked "a subsidiary of Century Group".

She picked up her phone: "Hello?"

A young, slightly cautious male voice came from the other end of the phone: "Hello, is Mr. Lu here?"

"Oh, he's taking a shower. I'm his wife. Is there something important you need to do? Should I go and call him now?" Yin Mingyue's voice was gentle and polite.

"Ah! It's you, sister-in-law! Hello, sister-in-law!" The voice on the other end of the phone immediately became respectful and slightly surprised. "I'm Chen Fan, the head of Century Investment, a wholly-owned subsidiary of our group. The matter... isn't particularly urgent, just some work I'd like to report to the boss. So, sister-in-law, could you please call me back when the boss is finished showering and it's convenient for him? I'll wait for him." "Century Investment?" Yin Mingyue vaguely remembered the name, knowing it was a very profitable department under her husband. "Okay, Mr. Chen, I'll tell him when he comes out."

"Thank you so much, sister-in-law!" Chen Fan politely hung up the phone.

Lu Yang came out of the bathroom, drying his wet hair, and saw Yin Mingyue standing at the door with his phone in her hand. "Just now, someone named Chen Fan, who said he was the head of Century Investment, a subsidiary of the group, called looking for you and said to call him back when it's convenient for you."

"Chen Fan?" Lu Yang raised an eyebrow, a thought flashing through his mind.

He was certainly familiar with Century Investment, the "cash cow" he personally controlled and which had made a name for itself in domestic and international capital markets thanks to his foresight.

Over the years, Lu Yang has been able to build two 8-inch wafer fabs in Singapore and China, expanding his business so significantly, thanks in no small part to Chen Fan and his team.

Lu Yang didn't immediately set his sights on it because he did have some thoughts on "sustainable development."

You can't keep exploiting one sheep to the point of exhaustion; you have to give it time to grow its own grass.

Unexpectedly, this "sheep" actually came knocking on our door? Could it be...?

A subtle premonition arose.

Lu Yang took the phone, put on comfortable loungewear, and dialed Chen Fan's number.

"Boss! You've finished showering?" Chen Fan's voice was filled with excitement; he had clearly been waiting for this call.

"Hmm. Chen Fan, you'd better tell me some good news." Lu Yang got straight to the point, his tone carrying a hint of teasing and pressure typical of a boss. "If it's not a lot of money, then don't say anything, lest I be disappointed."

Chen Fan on the other end of the phone seemed to choke for a moment, then spoke confidently: "Boss, 9 million! I can still deliver 9 million RMB in profit to the group without affecting subsequent normal capital operations and reserving sufficient risk funds!"

"9 million?" Lu Yang's grip on the phone tightened unconsciously, and his voice rose slightly.

This number far exceeded his expectations.

He immediately pressed, "So much? Ever since you 'fleeced' the retail investors on Wall Street last time, haven't those old foxes become much more vigilant? How did you manage to pull this much out of their pockets again?"

"Boss, you've misunderstood!" Chen Fan hurriedly explained, his tone filled with a boastful joy. "This time it's not Wall Street, it's China! It's our domestic '519' market rally! As soon as the policy winds came in, the market went absolutely crazy for tech and internet stocks! The Shanghai Composite Index soared 60% in a month!"

He spoke faster, his pride barely concealed: "Boss, haven't you always emphasized that our capital is too large to play too aggressively in the nascent domestic stock market? It's easy to cross the line, get targeted, and ruin the market. So this time, I carefully selected two tech stocks with moderate market capitalization and pure concepts, and made two impressive plays. Although I didn't dare to go all in, the returns were very considerable!"

Chen Fan emphasized: "This 9 million is the substantial profit from these two rounds of operations plus some funds recovered upon maturity. It is absolutely clean, compliant, and legal profit, and can be transferred to the group headquarters account at any time! It will not affect our investment company's subsequent global market layout!"

Lu Yang fell silent.

519 Market Update!

How could he forget this pivotal moment, which later became known as the first internet technology stock frenzy in the Chinese stock market?
However, he was overwhelmed by the semiconductor industry and subconsciously worried about "stirring up trouble" in the domestic secondary market, so he subconsciously ignored this "quick money" channel that was right in front of him.

“Alright…” Lu Yang’s voice returned to calm, with a hint of barely perceptible relief, “This is the last time.”

His tone turned serious: "Remember, the domestic financial market is still in its infancy. We have huge amounts of capital and top-notch teams. Stirring up trouble domestically and fleecing retail investors is not only risky but also has a bad reputation and is more likely to attract unnecessary trouble. If you're going to do it, look further ahead. Go to Wall Street, go to London, go to Tokyo, and fleece those international capitals! That's real skill, understand?"

"Understood! Boss, you're right! I will definitely prioritize the international market from now on!" Chen Fan immediately expressed his confidence in Lu Yang's strategic vision.

"Hmm." Lu Yang responded, but a flash of inspiration struck him because of Chen Fan's mention of "tech stocks" and "internet stocks".

He changed the subject casually, asking, "You mentioned the surge in tech stocks... I just remembered something. Isn't there a company in China called 'China.com' that's reportedly planning to list on NASDAQ in the US soon?"

"China.com?" Chen Fan paused for a moment, clearly unfamiliar with the name, but reacted quickly. "Boss, please wait a moment, I'll have someone look it up right away! Are you interested in it?"

“I have an idea.” Lu Yang’s voice carried an unfathomable certainty. “Help me thoroughly investigate the founding team behind this stock, as well as the situation of its major shareholders, especially those who are not well-known or have a small shareholding. If possible, try to contact them and see if we can acquire some of their original shares at a premium. The premium… just keep it within a reasonable range.”

He paused, then added, his voice carrying an almost prophetic calm: "If you really can't buy the initial public offering (IPO) shares, then keep a close eye on the secondary market after it goes public. I have a strong feeling that once this stock is listed on NASDAQ, in the short term... its price increase may exceed the limits of many people's imagination."

Chen Fan's heart skipped a beat on the other end of the phone!
When the boss speaks in this tone... he never makes a mistake!

He immediately replied solemnly, "Yes, boss! I understand! I will personally follow up and immediately investigate the details of China.com! We will prepare for both the initial public offering (IPO) and the secondary market, and I guarantee I will not let you down."

"Good, go ahead."

Lu Yang reassured him.

This internet company, China.com, may not be as famous as the three major Chinese portal websites, NetEase, Sina, and Sohu, nor as famous as the three tech giants, BAT, which dominated the Chinese internet for an era, in later generations. However, in 1999 and the upcoming year 2000, it is very famous.

As the first Chinese internet company to list in the US, it was during a period of Nasdaq tech stock frenzy, extreme market euphoria, and the peak of the internet bubble. Its scarcity led to its frenzied pursuit and oversubscription.

Other than that.

At that time, it coincided with China's accession to the WTO, and was influenced by both the mysterious oriental concept and the benefits of the WTO, plus China.com owns top-level domains such as CHINA.com.

With so many favorable conditions, this internet company, which relied solely on hype and lacked a clear business direction, saw its stock price soar several times over within just a few days of its IPO.

After hanging up the phone, Lu Yang let out a long sigh of relief, as if a heavy burden had been lifted off his shoulders.

Outside the window, the neon lights of Shenzhen still flickered, but at this moment, they seemed to carry less of a sense of oppression and more of a glimmer of opportunity in his eyes.

A timely rain of 9 million!
China.com: A Potential Get-Rich-Quick Opportunity!

In addition, there's the "reserve fund" for the Gangcheng Digital Port plot...

The first turbulent wave of the semiconductor behemoth seems to have... temporarily given hope of navigating it smoothly.

He stood before the huge floor-to-ceiling window in the living room, his gaze piercing through the city lights, as if he could see a more distant future, where a grand narrative concerning the fate of the nation's industries, which he had personally spearheaded, was slowly taking its first step.

And funding is always the most crucial, yet also the most impersonal, fuel in this grand narrative. (End of Chapter)