Siheyuan, Shazhu: I have both parents in this life

Chapter 350 News of Old 5

Chapter 350 News of the Fifth Brother

The call to He Yuxin was made incidentally, because I needed to call the elderly to let them know I was safe.

The phone call lasted for almost an hour; they greeted everyone in turn. After the call, Wang Cuiping and Wang Siyu left.

The next day, He Yuzhu went to headquarters for a meeting, which was actually just a normal work report.

Then He Yuzhu and Xiaoman went to the group's finance department and summoned all the managers.

"Has the exchange rate of Hong Kong dollars fluctuated recently?" He Yuzhu asked as everyone speculated about what big move the big boss might be up to.

"Boss, please wait a moment while we prepare!" the manager in charge of financial intelligence replied.

"You have ten minutes!"

"Yes.

Ten minutes later, a graph showing the exchange rates of Hong Kong dollars against the US dollar, the British pound, and other currencies over the past six months was projected onto one of the walls of the conference room.

"Boss, the Hong Kong dollar has indeed fluctuated a bit recently, but the fluctuations aren't significant." That was the main pipe after the projection.

"Are the funds in various places sufficient?" He Yuzhu turned to ask Xiaoman.

Xiaoman stood beside him and asked in a low voice, "What do you have a premonition about?"

"Ah."

"Reserves are sufficient, but it depends on the scale of the event."

“It’s only bigger than last year,” He Yuzhu said.

Xiaoman considered it in her mind for a moment and said, "It might not be enough. Seventy percent of the funds are invested."

He Yuzhu turned to the analyst team and said, "I need you to conduct a stress test to simulate a 5%, 10%, or even 15% depreciation of the Hong Kong dollar. What actions would we take to maximize our returns? Give me an answer within three days. Can you do it?"

"Sure, just the Hong Kong side, boss?"

“We also want several major exchanges, such as New York and London,” He Yuzhu said.

The supervisor looked at Xiaoman, who said, "Okay, I'll arrange the rest."

"Be prepared to take profits on short-term investments," He Yuzhu said.

"Okay," Xiaoman replied.

Three days later, the report came out, and the consensus of the entire team was that if a crisis broke out, the real estate and retail industries would be the first to be impacted, but high-quality assets would be unfairly punished.

All teams recommended focusing on shipping and port-related assets. The problem was that Ho Yu-chu couldn't acquire any more ports in Hong Kong, as the Hong Kong government wouldn't allow him to monopolize Hong Kong's ports. As for shipping, he felt it was unnecessary, because the Fok family had actually been continuously expanding the scale of their shipping company in recent years, and it was already showing signs of being able to compete with Global Shipping.

The Huo family are strategic partners; this partnership will continue as long as Huo Sheng is alive, and Huo Sheng is also quite long-lived.

He Yuzhu issued another order: all short-term investments must be liquidated and profits taken by September 20th.

Then he spoke to Xiaoman privately, saying, "We'll divide our available cash into three parts. One-third will be used to short the Hong Kong dollar, one-third will be used to buy at the bottom, and the rest will be used as insurance."

"Is the short-selling ratio too high?" a senior analyst asked cautiously.

“Use this ratio.” He Yuzhu closed the report. “Start building positions on September 23. Be careful with the pace and don’t attract market attention.”

In the third week of September, a meeting did not go smoothly, and in the following days, the Hong Kong dollar exchange rate continued to decline, and market panic spread.

Television news began to frequently report on the exchange rate issue, and panic buying of daily necessities occurred on the market. The Hong Kong police force was extremely busy and in complete chaos.

"Boss, should we begin closing out the positions?" the trading manager called to ask at the end of September.

"Wait a little longer, until the end of October."

"Yes, boss."

Xiaoman, who was standing next to him, asked, "Brother Zhu, are we not going to participate in this stock market fluctuation?"

"Be careful when acquiring shares in Hong Kong Electric and CLP."

"Okay, I'll make arrangements right away."

On October 15, the Hong Kong government announced a number of measures to stabilize the foreign exchange market, thus maintaining the framework of the linked exchange rate system.

Market confidence gradually recovered, and the Hong Kong dollar exchange rate ended its decline and began to stabilize and rebound.

By this time, the funds that He Yuzhu had invested had already been safely withdrawn.

The massive amount of capital flowed in and out silently like an undercurrent, locking in astonishing profits before the industry giants could even react and begin their massive harvest.

Many international speculative funds and local big players were a bit slow to act, either only getting a small share of the spoils, or failing to fully build positions due to sudden changes in market liquidity. Some were even temporarily trapped, missing the best opportunity to make a profit.

Immediately, the market was abuzz with discussion, with everyone speculating about which expert had such precise and shrewd methods, acting swiftly and decisively, and withdrawing cleanly and efficiently, almost perfectly timing every moment.

Many people tried to use their connections to inquire everywhere, but they still couldn't find a clue.

The flow of this huge sum of money was cleverly dispersed, passing through multiple offshore accounts and entities, and eventually disappeared into the intricate financial maze, leaving only the legend of a "mysterious tycoon," which made many institutions that suffered losses grit their teeth in resentment but were helpless.

……

Hong Kong, the headquarters of the Yellow River Group.

Xiaoman placed a final financial report on He Yuzhu's desk, a relaxed smile on her face: "The settlement is clear, and it's nearly 20% more than we initially estimated. In addition, we've accumulated a significant amount of shares in HK Electric and CLP as planned, keeping the cost very low."

He Yuzhu took the report, glanced at the numbers at the end, and nodded: "Yes, part of this profit will be injected into the group's reserves, and the other part will be prepared. Back in the mainland, Yuxin and Damao's businesses are expanding rapidly, and there are many places where they need money."

"I know, the finance department is already working on a plan," Xiaoman replied.

After a pause, Xiaoman asked, "Brother Zhu, why are you always so accurate in your judgments? It's like you have the script in advance."

He Yuzhu smiled and said, "There's no such thing as a script. It's just about watching more, listening more, and thinking more. When the wind picks up, the first to sense it may not be the person standing at the highest point."

Xiaoman seemed to understand, but she was already used to her husband's occasional seemingly mysterious yet always proven premonitions.

She then added, "There's more bad news: we won't be going back to China for the time being."

"Yes, you told Dad and Mom, right?"

“I told them, and they said it’s okay, they can take care of themselves, and besides, Yuxin is there over there,” Xiaoman said.

"And what about the fifth brother? I wonder how that kid is doing now?"

“That’s right, this kid doesn’t even know how to write a letter,” Xiaoman said.

He Yuzhu was taken aback, and then he made a guess: this kid must have gone to the battlefield, otherwise it's not like him to not write a letter for so long.

So He Yuzhu changed the subject: "You should keep an eye on things with the fourth brother. As his older brother, I shouldn't say too much, especially about the Zhong family shaking their heads."

“No problem. My parents aren’t around, so this is something I, as their sister-in-law, should be worried about.”

"By the way, that film and television company we mentioned in mainland China before, do you have anyone you can recommend?"

"I haven't even had time to get this done yet, and I've already been running around in circles being directed by you since I got back," Xiaoman said.

"Well, my wife is complaining about me!"

"No, but I really should train more people, otherwise I won't be able to handle things in the future, and other things will really be delayed."

“That’s more like it. Before, when I asked you to find people, you ended up with a bunch of assistants and the like, but they couldn’t step up when it really mattered,” He Yuzhu said.

"Oh, I was just worried about it."

"It's okay, there's still time."

“Okay, I’ll take this seriously this time,” Xiaoman said.

In late October, the weather in Hong Kong remained hot.

Inside the semiconductor laboratory of the Singapore Yellow River Group, He Yuzhu stood in front of a machine that appeared somewhat bulky, but was undoubtedly a groundbreaking product.

With its silver-gray metal casing, monochrome LCD screen, and compact keyboard below, this is the first generation of laptops independently developed by the Yellow River Group, internally codenamed "Yellow River-Pioneer No. 1".

"Boss, all the test data meet the standards and the performance is stable, but the weight is a problem." The project manager said with a hint of regret, "Currently, we can only keep it at 4.2 kilograms, which is still a bit heavier than Grid's Compass."

He Yuzhu ran his hand over the cold metal casing and nodded: "It's already very good. We started late, and it's all thanks to everyone that we've caught up to this level. The weight issue is a key focus for the next generation. How's the production line setup going?"

"AMD has already coordinated everything, and we can start trial production next month. As for pricing, we've initially set it at $8,500, which offers a significant advantage in terms of price-performance ratio."

"Well, it's good to test the waters. The development of the next generation of models cannot be stopped."

"understand!"

After leaving the lab, He Yuzhu returned to his office, picked up the phone on the table, and dialed Chen Sheng's number.

A few busy tones came through the receiver before it was picked up.

"A Sheng!"

"boss?"

"How's the situation over there?"

"Currently, we can account for about 35% of the microcomputer market, mainly because our brand effect has not yet been achieved."

"No rush, you need to pay attention to portable computers on your end."

"I know we're ahead of IBM in this."

How is the software project progressing?

"The compilation environment is basically set up, and the initial testing of text processing and some basic application modules went smoothly. However, the graphical interface part, according to your requirements, consumes a lot of hardware, and we are still optimizing the algorithm."

What were the main difficulties encountered?

"The main issues are memory management efficiency and display driver level."

"Didn't you mention this to the lab in Singapore?"

"It has been proposed, but it will still take some time."

"Time is available, but the direction must be correct. Keep a close eye on international developments, especially technical papers from Xerox and Apple. If any are published, try to obtain them. If necessary, you can contact research teams at North American universities."

"Understood, boss."

When will the hotel in Los Angeles be finished with its renovations?

"We will complete it before the Olympics."

"Okay, but quality must be guaranteed."

“I know, we’re all following the standards of the Grand Hyatt New York.”

"That's good. By the way, you need to keep an eye on the Grand Hyatt in New York; things on the mainland probably won't be that quick." "I know."

"Also, register a company in Hong Kong, and then select people from the group to send to the new company in the mainland. You and Ah Lang can discuss this."

"What does the boss mean?"

"The North American team can't stay here forever; follow-up work needs to be done. Of course, if there are reliable people in North America, that's fine too; you can decide for yourself."

"Okay, let me confirm with Allen first."

“Okay, but the procurement of semiconductor components, minicomputers, and other things cannot be stopped. We can try a few more companies and go through Canada.”

"Boss, are those things worth taking such a big risk?"

"It's not worth it in the short term, but it's very worthwhile in the long term."

"I understand. I will make arrangements and try to minimize the risks."

"I trust you to handle things. Just be careful over there."

"Thank you for your concern, boss. I will!"

"Hanged up, beep beep beep."

On November 3rd, He Yuzhu was reading documents in his study when the phone on his desk rang.

He picked up the phone casually, and Lao Fang's familiar voice came through the receiver, but his tone was much lower and more serious than usual.

"Pillar, I have bad news for you!"

He Yuzhu's heart skipped a beat, and he hurriedly asked, "Uncle Fang, what news is worth telling me?"

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone, as if they were carefully choosing their words.

"It's that kid Yu Yan, we've got news."

He Yuzhu took a deep breath and asked, "What's wrong with him?"

"His troops went south. He was slightly injured, but he's out of danger and recuperating in Kunming."

"A minor injury?" He Yuzhu didn't believe it. Minor injuries wouldn't keep them off the front lines; they were all sent to the rear to recover. How could it be just a minor injury?

"No parts are missing," Old Fang could only say.

Are there any long-term effects?

"No, Bai Ge went to Chuncheng. Don't worry, she'll take care of you."

"How's it going over there?" He Yuzhu asked.

Old Fang paused for a moment, then said, "Don't ask anymore, it's confidential. But I have something else I need help with!"

"what's up?"

"They need helicopters, jeeps, trucks, and armored vehicles over there."

"Armored vehicle?"

"Don't try to fool me, kid. Your so-called upgraded armed escort vehicle is just an armored vehicle, it just doesn't have a weapons system."

"How much?"

"The more the better, but this payment..."

"What, not going to pay?"

"No, no, I mean you can only pay with domestic currency."

“Domestic projects are fine too. Domestic projects also need funding right now. How do we handle the handover? You know the current situation in Hong Kong, right?”

"You'll have to figure out how to get it out of port yourselves. If you can't, just break it up."

"Are you sure that assembly isn't that simple?"

"I'm sure, but don't break it down too much, it'll take a bit of time."

"Alright, which port in China should we use?"

"Let's go through Beihai, it's less sensitive there. Besides, you have a business relationship with Liuzhou, you can say you're supplying parts to the tractor factory."

"My uncle, is that something a tractor factory would use? Even a fool would know that, right?"

"Well, you'll have to figure something out. If I had a solution, I wouldn't be asking you," Old Fang said.

“I feel like knowing you was the biggest mistake of my life,” He Yuzhu said.

"No, don't say that. I think meeting you is the luckiest thing that has ever happened to me," Old Fang said.

"Okay, how do I contact the person in charge of the handover when we get there?"

"You just need to deliver the goods to the port, and someone will naturally pick them up."

"Ok."

After hanging up the phone, He Yuzhu rubbed his throbbing temples. "Old Wu actually got injured. This is something he didn't expect. He thought the new type of soldier wouldn't be used so soon, but it turned out to be used right away."

However, he couldn't tell anyone about this, because everyone would be worried. Luckily, that Zhou Baige went, otherwise he really would have had to find someone to check on her.

Old Fang's order is also a big problem, and it's unclear whether Huo Sheng dares to take the risk at this juncture.

A few minutes later, he picked up the phone and dialed Huo Sheng's number.

The call was answered quickly, and Huo Sheng's calm voice came through: "Hello!"

"Mr. Huo, I apologize for disturbing you. There is something urgent I would like to discuss with you in person. Is it convenient for you?" He Yuzhu asked solemnly.

Huo Sheng hesitated for a moment, then said, "He Sheng? Then come to my office!"

"Okay, I'll be there in an hour."

He Yuzhu hung up the phone, gave some instructions to the maid at home, and then drove out of the villa.

An hour later, He Yuzhu sat in Huo Sheng's office.

Without much small talk, He Yuzhu got straight to the point, explaining the general situation and the help needed.

After listening, Huo Sheng did not answer directly, but began to think.

He's done similar things before, but those times were more chaotic, and he faced less targeting. In recent years, apart from the Jidong incident, where he took some risks, it wasn't too serious, since it involved relief supplies. Everything else has been fine.

After a long pause, Huo Sheng said, "The amount is not small, and this juncture is very risky."

He Yuzhu nodded and said, "If it weren't for such a large quantity, I would have had several boats of my own and wouldn't have come to you."

"The key is the departure stage," Huo Shengdao said.
"Correct."

Huo Sheng looked at He Yuzhu with some surprise, and after confirming that he really didn't know, he smiled wryly and continued, "He Sheng, I have no idea what you've been busy with. Actually, your connections at customs are much stronger than mine, especially Ah Lang himself."

"Ah Lang, Yu Xin used to manage things, and Ah Lang was in charge of real estate, right?" He Yuzhu asked, puzzled.

"That was true before, but things have changed a bit now. You were the first to take over the customs in Kowloon Wharf; either you were brought down or you rose to power."

"You mean, who's in charge now?"

"Yes, it seems you really haven't been paying attention, Mr. He."

"There were too many things to do, I really overlooked it."

"Hey, Ah Lang is really something now that he's under your command."

"What, you regret it?"

"Hahaha, even if we asked him to come back now, he wouldn't." Huo Sheng laughed.

"So what's the plan this time?"

"You deliver the goods to the dock, I'll provide the boat, and you can ask Ah Lang to smooth things over."

"Alright, I'll have to ask that kid properly how come I didn't know such crucial information."

"We're all doing legitimate business, does it matter whether we know it or not?" Huo Sheng said with a smile.

"Yes, it's not important."

"Then I won't keep you any longer. Go and make the arrangements. Let me know three days in advance when you're leaving, otherwise I'm afraid there won't be any ships available for you!"

"Then I'll take my leave."

After leaving Huo Sheng's office, He Yuzhu drove to the Yellow River Industrial Building.

Upon entering Ah Lang's office, Ah Lang hurriedly stood up: "Boss, what brings you here? You didn't even give me a heads-up."

"President Hong is so busy, I have to run errands myself!" He Yuzhu joked.

"Boss, don't scare me."

"Just kidding, there's something I need you to do."

"Boss, you say!"

He Yuzhu told half of the story again, but omitted even more details.

After listening, Ah Lang asked, "Is it all shipped in one batch?"

"Is there any difference?"

“There’s a big difference. We mix in some other industrial products in batches, which is safer and helps us pass inspections better.”

"Then let's do it in batches. I'll have Yang Tao discuss the specific release dates with you."