Financial freedom starts from graduation

Chapter 545 Controversy
Ding!
Zhou Wang, who was in the middle of a dream, was suddenly awakened by a system notification.

He opened his eyes, somewhat puzzled. Why would the system, which had been silent for so long, suddenly pop up a notification at this moment?

When he focused his attention on the system interface, Zhou Wang instantly understood what was going on.

……

The "Global Industry Random Gift Pack" has been changed to "Openable" status.

……

This so-called "Global Industry Random Gift Pack" is a reward from the middle chapter of the hidden round, "Hidden and Great," which Zhou Wang completed not long ago.

At that time, the system rewarded Zhou Wang with two gift packages. One of them was an industrial gift package from the business district of Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai. The reward has been received by Zhou Wang, and the assets in it have been transferred to the newly established Wangzhou Group. Recently, one of Xu Wenqian's main focuses has been to optimize and reorganize these assets.

The other gift package is this "Global Industry Random Gift Package".

However, the system had already indicated that this gift pack, with a total value of no less than one billion, could only be opened in regions outside mainland China.

So Zhou Wang was a little confused at first, but then he remembered something, so he pulled his hand away from the girl's tight embrace, sat up on the bed, and looked out through the French windows.

The sound of the waves could be faintly heard, but no matter which angle you looked from, you could hardly see the direction of the land anymore; only some lights could be seen in the far distance.

Zhou Wang took out his phone again and glanced at the real-time location on the map.

It was already past 10 p.m., and more than an hour had passed since they set sail. Judging from their location on the map, they had already left the coastline of Shenzhen and were probably already in the waters belonging to Hong Kong Island.

No wonder……

"Outside of Mainland China" includes Hong Kong Island, and it is because of its location that the conditions for opening this gift pack were triggered.

Zhou Wang immediately had a thought, and a new system notification popped up.

[Current location detected as "Hong Kong Island". Confirm to open the gift pack?]

From this system notification, Zhou Wang realized something else.

In other words... the industry rewards generated by the gift pack will also change depending on the region you are in?

Zhou Wang guessed that it was probably based on the principle of territoriality, because since he was currently in Hong Kong Island, the property incentives offered would also be concentrated in Hong Kong Island.

Zhou Wang didn't really care, but as someone who loved watching Hong Kong movies since childhood, he had a special connection to Hong Kong Island. So after thinking about it, Zhou Wang clicked "Confirm".

The "Global Industry Random Gift Pack" is now available, which will generate an industry gift pack combination with a total value of no less than HKD 1 billion for the host.

[The system is currently interacting with the user; please wait patiently.]

When Zhou Wang saw the two lines of prompts pop up, he was stunned for a moment, and then suddenly felt a little regretful.

The key point is that "one billion Hong Kong dollars"...

The system had only stated that the total value was no less than one billion at the time, but Zhou Wang looked at it again and found that the system had indeed not specified the currency unit beforehand.

Does this mean that if Zhou Wang opened this gift package in the United States, it would become "one billion US dollars," and if it were in the United Kingdom, it would be "one billion pounds"...?

Holy crap, if that's really the case, then I've really lost a lot of money this time!
After all, the Hong Kong dollar is not even worth as much as the RMB. Assuming the quota of "one billion" does not change, if it is converted into pounds sterling and euros, wouldn't it take off immediately?
So Zhou Wang was somewhat annoyed.

However, since the gift pack had already been opened, there was no point in regretting it now, so Zhou Wang quickly stopped worrying about it.

Just as he took out a cigarette to light it, a snow-white arm suddenly stretched out from behind and handed Zhou Wang a lighter.

Zhou Wang then remembered that there was another person in the room. He turned his head and found that the mixed-race girl Lisa had also sat up from the bed. However, because of her shyness, she still pulled the blanket over her chest.

Although nothing actually happened between them, they had at least been intimate, but Zhou Wang hadn't yet figured out how to deal with her.

Perhaps it was because of Mu Li's suggestion of cooperation that this girl's identity became somewhat sensitive, unlike Li Nuoyi and Bai Feifei, whose identities were not as pure as Zhou Wang's, making it easier for Zhou Wang to accept her without any psychological burden...

He still prefers that everyone's relationship be pure... If it's going to be risqué, then it's going to be risqué, but don't mix in too many other things.

"You can sleep a little longer by yourself."

Because she hadn't decided yet, Zhou Wang waved his hand when he saw her about to pick up her dress from the ground, indicating that she didn't need to get up in a hurry.

"Yes, but..."

"I mean it."

Zhou Wang said seriously, "You can't just follow me everywhere I go, can you? I want to go out and explore on my own."

Hearing Zhou Wang say this, Lisa naturally dared not insist any further and could only nod silently.

Looking at her with her head down, Zhou Wang saw a coldness mixed with a hazy sadness, much like the way his senior had acted at times. Afraid that he would soften his heart, Zhou Wang dared not look at her any longer, and hurriedly put on his coat before heading outside.

……

"Mr. Mu, is this agreement... a joke you're playing with us?"

In a small conference room on the second floor of the yacht, the atmosphere was quite serious. A middle-aged man with graying hair, sitting at the head of the table on the right, looked up in disbelief after reading the sample agreement that Mu Li had just printed out.

There were four people sitting in the conference room, including Mu Li.

Besides Mu Li, the other three are all shareholders of Tianque Group. Each of them holds far fewer shares than Mu Li, but if their shares are added together, they are enough to rival Mu Li.

Another reason why Mu Li had to respect them was that, although they all appeared to be individually owned, they actually had many invisible supporters behind them.

Some of those people were long-term major clients of Tianque Group, while others were infiltrators from various capital conglomerates.

In short, the complexity of their individual backgrounds and relationships is such that even Mu Li may not be fully aware of them. However, one thing is certain: these three individuals wield significant influence among the other minority shareholders who hold fragmented shares.

In other words, if Mu Li wants to implement her idea of ​​working closely with Zhou Wang, she must win the support of these three people.

This is why Mu Li invited all three of them to the yacht party tonight.

She was confident that the revised agreement would impress Zhou Wang, but only if the three people present agreed. Regarding the "transformation" of Tianque Group, of the three, apart from the middle-aged man who had just spoken, who was currently the second largest shareholder of Tianque Group, Wang Chengyun, the other two shareholders, Xiong Min and Ma Jun, actually held a supportive attitude.

As part of Mu Li's prior arrangements, they had discussed this issue every time they met.

After all, they've already made enough money. Even with just their visible businesses, Tianque Group can now operate smoothly, with profits only slightly lower than before.

If given a choice, who would want to keep doing things that cause fear and anxiety?
Of the four major shareholders, only Wang Chengyun scoffed at the idea of ​​"transformation".

On the one hand, it was because Wang Chengyun was mainly responsible for business in Hong Kong Island and Macau Island. Due to the special nature of these two places, some things were unavoidable, and he had long been used to them.

Moreover, most of his profits come from the shady businesses of Tianque Group. If these businesses are cut off, he will starve.

Although Mu Li made it sound good—that he would allocate more funds to support legitimate businesses in the two cities, and that he wouldn't completely cut off past operations, retaining what should be retained, and that his shareholding in the group wouldn't shrink—but…

Wang Chengyun didn't believe a word of her nonsense.

He joined Tianque Group a long time ago and watched Mu Li gradually take over her aunt's business, building control of the entire group from scratch.

He knew all too well that this woman, who always spoke so gently, was not so kind behind the scenes. Moreover, because of the rifts that had accumulated between them, she had actually pushed for reforms across the entire group, and he was likely to be completely marginalized.

In previous discussions, Wang Chengyun did not express his opinion much because he felt that Mu Li was simply indulging in wishful thinking.

Everyone knows how Tianque Group got its start. So what? You think you can just whitewash it like that? If you had that ability, would you still be here today?

Mu Li herself seemed to know this, which is why her previous motion was not firm.

But to Wang Chengyun's utter surprise, Mu Li silently produced a formal agreement, stating unequivocally that as long as they agreed to sign it, Tianque Group could embark on its established development path.

Why?
“Mr. Wang, you know me, I never joke at times like this.”

In response to Wang Chengyun's questioning, Mu Li simply smiled and said, "Since I dare to show you this sample agreement, it means I already have a certain level of confidence."

"Mr. Mu, please wait a moment, let me process this..."

Before Wang Chengyun could speak with a cold laugh, another female shareholder, ranked third, couldn't help but raise her hand and voice her doubts first.

"You mean, as long as we reach this so-called deep cooperation with this Mr. Zhou Wang, well, that is, according to your agreement, we'll give him 18% of the group's shares for free, plus a yacht worth 5.6 million and a luxury penthouse in Shenzhen Bay No. 1 worth 1.5 million..."

At this point, Xiong Min felt a sense of absurdity again, but she quickly composed herself and continued:

"He can help our Tianque Group achieve healthy development, and even have the potential to go public in the future?"

"Yes."

Mu Li nodded, indicating that Xiong Min's understanding was correct.

"But this Mr. Zhou... how can Mr. Mu be so sure that he has such power? If I'm not mistaken, the information shows that he's only in his early twenties, right?"

"The rest of the information about him is in the brief materials attached. You can take a look at it, Min-jie."

"It's precisely because I've already watched it three times that I can't understand it at all."

Xiong Min smiled wryly, "Yes, judging from the information, he is indeed a promising young man who has built up so many businesses at such a young age... But I don't seem to have found what I'm looking for."

"Does he have any elders in his family who hold positions in Beidu?"

At this moment, Ma Jun, the fourth shareholder who had been silent until now, finally spoke up and asked a question.

He asked the question subtly, but the other two understood what he meant.

Mu Li has some deep connections in Beidu. Although those connections are not enough to support Tianque Group's continued existence, they can be of some help at crucial moments. So, following Ma Jun's question, they subconsciously began to make connections.

Could it be that Zhou Wang is a member of a prestigious family at some higher level?
If that's the case, then everything seems to make sense.

No wonder Mu Li had so much confidence in him.

But after a brief silence, Mu Li shook her head. "No... As far as I know, he is a native of Yunnan Province and achieved his current success entirely on his own."

Upon hearing this, the three exchanged bewildered glances.

Mu Li knew that her words were not persuasive, but she could not reveal the secrets about Yunshang Group to Zhou Wang before obtaining his consent. So Mu Li was also in a difficult position. She could only take some roundabout methods to try to persuade the three of them.

"Do you know that 'little blue bottle' that's been really popular in certain circles lately? That's also one of his businesses..."

"I have indeed heard of that."

Xiong Min's eyes immediately lit up. "So what President Mu meant was that what we were actually exchanging was equity in 'Little Blue Bottle' Pharmaceuticals. If the rumors about its extended lifespan are true, then this kind of cooperation isn't out of the question..."

Both Wang Chengyun and Ma Jun were somewhat interested.

Although the Little Blue Bottle has not been officially launched yet, its marketing in specific circles has already begun, and it is an irresistible temptation for any top figure.

If one could get a share of the profits, that would undoubtedly be an immense fortune.

However, after hesitating, Mu Li still chose to tell the truth, "What we can exchange with President Zhou is only the shares of Wangzhou Group under his name, but the pharmaceutical company of 'Little Blue Bottle' may not be included."

"Mr. Mu... are you insane?"

Wang Chengyun finally lost his temper. He hesitated for a moment before not calling Mu Li by her full name, but he still stood up and said angrily, "So, you're going to give away the shares of Tianque Group for nothing in exchange for a vague hope with no real promises?"

"I don't know who this Mr. Zhou is. Even if he is as powerful as you say, I personally believe that our only way out is to honestly cooperate with those families in Hong Kong."

Hearing Wang Chengyun's tone change abruptly, and recalling his previous suggestions, Mu Li instantly became alert.

"Mr. Wang, what...do you mean by that?"

"What do you mean?" Wang Chengyun sneered. "What do you think the young master of the Huo family, the second son of the Li family, and General Manager Huang... are doing boarding the ship today? I'm not afraid to tell you now... I've already made some promises to them in private."

(End of this chapter)