Siheyuan, Shazhu: I have both parents in this life

Chapter 364 Preparing to Harvest Doujinshi
After spending two more days in the Special Administrative Region, He Yuzhu and Xiaoman returned to Hong Kong, where there were more important matters to attend to.

Upon returning to Hong Kong, He Yuzhu immediately instructed Xiaoman to convene a meeting with the group's core financial and legal teams.

In the conference room on the top floor of the Yellow River Group building in Hong Kong.

He Yuzhu sat at one end of the long table, with several reports spread out in front of him.

Xiaoman sat to his left, and to his right was Qian Haozheng, the head of the group's financial business. Below them were the core members of Wilson's M&A team and the legal department.

"Have you seen them all?" He Yuzhu asked.

Xiaoman nodded and said, "North America's trade deficit with Japan has reached an alarming figure, and the pressure will continue to increase. The appreciation of the yen is inevitable. All the analyses are consistent, and the window of opportunity is just around the corner."

He Yuzhu's gaze turned to Qian Haozheng.

Qian Hao stood up and said, "Boss, the funds we prepared have entered the Tokyo market through multiple channels, mainly through our investment companies in North America and banks in Europe. We have currently established a three-tiered position: short-term speculation, medium-term arbitrage, and long-term holding. In our initial trial, we have already profited nearly one billion US dollars by taking advantage of the market fluctuations."

"Okay." He Yuzhu gestured for him to sit down. "Don't stop this action. You can increase the intensity in the short term. Don't worry about anything else during this time. Just focus on this matter."

"Understood." Qian Haozheng nodded. "Boss, how long do we need to work in the short term?"

"You'll find out when the time comes." He Yuzhu didn't give a specific date, afraid of scaring his subordinates if he did.

Then He Yuzhu looked at Wilson and asked, "Have you finished screening all the industries and technologies we asked you to select before?"

Wilson sat up straighter: “There are quite a few industries involved. We’ve only completed a partial preliminary assessment. The report is here.” He gestured for his assistant to distribute the documents. “The list of target companies, the analysis of the technology patent database, and the assessment of the potential difficulty of acquisition are all in here.”

“I’ll give you a scope, focusing on these four: precision instruments, semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, and automobiles. If you have time, you can also do some background research on other fields, but that should be a lower priority. The deadline for all assessments is August 31st.”

“Understood, boss, we will get it done as soon as possible,” Wilson said.

"You also need to oversee the acquisitions, especially those involving sensitive technologies and patents. Compliance and avoiding scrutiny are of paramount importance. I want things to be done cleanly and efficiently, leaving no future problems."

“We have assembled a dedicated team familiar with the relevant laws and regulations in North America, Europe, and the target region. Contingency plans are being prepared concurrently,” Wilson said.

He Yuzhu looked around and finally his gaze fell on Xiaoman, and he nodded slightly.

Xiaoman understood and said, "Then, consider today a mobilization meeting. Everyone here must be on high alert and coordinate resources from all sides. This battle concerns the group's plans for the next ten years; success is the only option."

"Yes," everyone responded in unison, the meeting room filled with fighting spirit.

"Meeting dismissed."

Everyone got up and left, leaving Xiaoman and Qian Haozheng alone with He Yuzhu.

"Zheng, the operation must be carried out discreetly, with multiple layers of isolation. I don't want to get into unnecessary trouble in the end."

"Don't worry, boss. The structure is multi-layered offshore with cross-shareholdings. The funding routes are complex but compliant. On the surface, it's just normal market speculation."

"Okay. Lingyi, you take charge of the overall situation. Make sure Wilson's needs for funding and legal support are met as soon as possible. Time waits for no one."

“I know, Brother Zhu.”

In the following months, these two departments of the Yellow River Group operated at high speed.

Qian Hao's team is almost always stationed in the trading room, monitoring the fluctuations in the global foreign exchange market 24 hours a day, especially the subtle changes in the yen exchange rate.

Large sums of money, like an undercurrent, flowed into the Tokyo market through intricate channels, quietly making their moves.

Wilson's team was extremely busy, frequently flying to Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya to make initial contact with the target companies on the list, conduct on-site inspections, and assess their value.

The legal team followed closely, reviewing every document and mitigating every potential risk.

Xu Damao and He Yuxin were also busy in mainland China.

The construction of the new production line at the Special Economic Zone's electronics factory is progressing smoothly, and the first batch of switches ordered by the military has been delivered, with positive feedback.

Riding this wave of opportunity, they began to promote small and medium-sized switch systems to some large industrial and mining enterprises and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps on a small scale. Although the orders were not large, the order volume steadily increased, which finally made Xu Damao feel more at ease.

In Beijing, Gong Xue and Cherie Chung's bellies gradually became visible.

Chen Lanxiang was overjoyed with her busy schedule, taking care of the two pregnant women while also preparing baby supplies.

He Daqing's restaurant was a great success. He would occasionally go to the kitchen to give some pointers, but most of the time he would sit behind the counter happily doing the accounts.

He Yuyao's work at the Hong Kong police force remains busy, but he still makes time every day to call Si Jiu Cheng to check on Cherie Chung's situation.

He Yuyan and Zhou Baige were in the army and would occasionally write to let them know they were safe.

September has arrived.

Volatility in Tokyo's foreign exchange market has gradually increased, with rumors of yen appreciation rampant, making market sentiment sensitive and tense.

Inside Qian Haozheng's trading room, the sounds of telephones ringing, keyboards clattering, and whispers filled the air. A large screen on the wall displayed constantly fluctuating numbers and curves.

"Boss, volatility is continuing to increase, and our positions have been gradually established according to plan," Qian Hao reported to He Yuzhu over the phone.

"Yeah, just wait and see." He Yuzhu's voice came through the receiver, his tone unreadable.

A few days later, a conference that would later be recorded in financial history was held at the Plaza Hotel in New York.

Despite being kept secret, the news had already spread like wildfire, triggering a financial market upheaval.

The yen exchange rate surged like a runaway horse.

The trading room where Qian Hao was located immediately erupted in excitement!
"It's appreciated! It's started!"

"The magnitude exceeded expectations!"

"Stay calm, what's all the excitement about?"

On September 22, the agreement was signed, and Qian Hao called He Yuzhu to ask if he wanted to close out his position.

"Don't close your position. If someone places an order, keep buying until you've bought the most."

"Boss, we've invested a lot of money in this, mostly in the medium and long term. Will this affect the group?"

"Just focus on what you're doing; you don't need to worry about anything else."

"understood."

He Yuzhu had his own plans. He wasn't spending much money now, but he had to hold on until the investment doubled.

He wasn't worried about the group's cash flow, because that money was originally intended for financial purposes and had little to do with the group itself.

In early October, Qian Haozheng and Wilson each gave him a report, and Xiaoman read it and helped He Yuzhu interpret it.

"Qian Haozheng sent word that our positions are safe and currently showing a considerable unrealized profit. Wilson's team is still in Tokyo and has contacted several target companies, but their attitude is ambiguous, as if they are waiting for the best offer."

After Xiaoman finished speaking, she placed the report on He Yuzhu's desk. "In addition, the North American office reported that several European auto parts manufacturers are seeking new partners or technology transfers because the appreciation of the yen has led to a sharp increase in their daily procurement costs."

He Yuzhu picked up the report and flipped through it: "As expected, the appreciation of the yen has only just begun, and the tough times are yet to come. Tell Qian Haozheng and Wilson to stay calm; we have plenty of time now."

"Hmm, whether it's the right time or not, we need to let it ferment a bit more."

"Then let's wait."

"So, do we have any major plans for the next step?"

"Not enough funds?"

"No, it's just that everyone was prepared for a decisive and swift battle, but it turned into a protracted war, and some people are not used to it."

"This is going to be a protracted war, and it's expected to last a long time. Let them prepare themselves."

"it is good."

"What about the mainland? Any new information about Yuxin and Damao?"

"We just spoke on the phone this morning. Da Mao said that there have indeed been quite a few foreign investment delegations visiting the Special Administrative Region recently, especially in the semiconductor industry, which is mostly contract manufacturing."

"They're attracted by the cheap labor in China, which lowers costs."

"Yes, Da Mao asked Brother Mei, and he said there is no core technology at all."

"As for automobiles, don't just focus on the special economic zone," He Yuzhu said.

“They don’t seem to have the energy to pay attention to this.” “Give it to their family members, draw people from finance and legal departments to form a team, hand it over to Yuxin, and have them travel all over the country,” He Yuzhu said.

"You really don't treat your own brother like an outsider. Gong Xue is heavily pregnant," Xiaoman said irritably.

"He's not an outsider, and you're heavily pregnant while I'm still running around outside," He Yuzhu said nonchalantly.

"How can that be the same?" Xiaoman rolled her eyes at him.

"Why is it different?"

"You make this call yourself. I'm not going to be a bad guy."

"Okay, okay, I'll hit you. How does that make me a bad guy?"

"You tell me yourself."

"Okay, okay, I'm the bad guy, I'll hit him, I'll hit him."

After the personnel transfer from Hong Kong was completed, He Yuzhu called He Yuxin. The guy was in Beijing now, spending his days happily with his wife.

He drove Gong Xue and her sister-in-law Zhong Chuhong to all the prenatal checkups, and of course, Chen Lanxiang would go along too.

When He Yuxin received the call from He Yuzhu in Hong Kong, he was returning from the hospital with a group of people.

"Yuxin, you can't stay at home anymore, you have things to do."

"Brother, tell me."

"Yuxin, your next step is to visit automobile and precision manufacturing factories across the country."

He Yuxin immediately understood: "I understand. Recently, there have indeed been many foreign delegations visiting various places, especially in the automotive industry. I heard that several companies are in contact with major manufacturers in the north."

"Looks like you don't just revolve around your wife at home, do you?"

"Brother, what are you saying? Do you think I'm that kind of person?"

"Heh, do you think I don't know what you did when you got back?"

"Then I didn't delay my work!" He Yuxin said with a smile.

“Now that your vacation is over, I’ve assembled a team for you. Take them to visit those factories. We don’t expect to take them over, but we want to let those foreign companies know that they have competitors.”

"I understand, but if we don't take them over, those venues are all quite large."

"If you have that ability, I'd be more than happy to have it; we also have the technology."

"Then I'm a bit more confident. Let them bring the technical materials to Beijing first, and we'll make a trip to the Northeast first."

"Okay, you can handle the specific arrangements."

"I know, brother."

A week later, a highly skilled team led by He Yuxin, including several senior engineers, financial analysts, and legal advisors transferred from Hong Kong, flew directly to Changchun.

The other party is a well-known domestic automobile manufacturer, which is in joint venture negotiations with a well-known European parts supplier, planning to introduce the other party's technology and production lines to produce high-precision transmissions that are urgently needed in China.

The factory was quite surprised by the sudden visit of Huang He's team, as Huang He had not been invited.

In the conference room, the factory leaders looked at the proposal handed to them by He Yuxin, which bore the words "Yellow River Group" on it, and hesitated: "Mr. He, what is this?"

He Yuxin responded with a smile: "Director Gao, Huanghe Group has many years of technical accumulation and overseas cooperation experience in the fields of special vehicles, heavy machinery and precision manufacturing. We heard that you were looking for partners, so we came. We also have two cooperative factories in China, which you should have heard of: Sijiucheng Automobile Factory and Xiangdu Automobile Factory. This is our information, as well as the list of technology sharing and support solutions we can provide."

The factory leaders flipped through the thick stack of documents, which contained not only detailed technical parameters and budgets, but also clear market analysis and long-term plans, making them significantly more practical than the documents from the foreign party.

"Your proposal is indeed very attractive. However, we've already had several rounds of talks with the European side, and a preliminary agreement was almost reached. This sudden..."

He Yuxin said sincerely, "Director Li, introducing foreign investment and technology is a good thing, but the ultimate goal is to strengthen our own manufacturing capabilities. When choosing partners, we should not only look at their reputation, but also at who can bring more core technology transfer and who can better contribute to the growth of our independent system. Huanghe is confident that it can do better in this regard. We hope to at least get a fair bidding opportunity."

Several factory leaders exchanged opinions in hushed tones.

Finally, Director Gao nodded: "President He, I understand what you mean. Please leave the proposal here; we need to study it carefully and also report it to our superiors. We will consider it seriously."

"Thank you, Director Gao, for giving us this opportunity."

The factory didn't give a specific timeframe for the approval process, so He Yuxin left a contact person and took her team to the next city.

For the next month, He Yuxin practically became a "frequent flyer," traveling with her team to several important industrial cities across the country.

In Shenyang, a large machine tool factory is in talks with a Japanese company about introducing CNC technology.

The appearance of the Yellow River team also surprised both the factory and the Japanese representatives. He Yuxin didn't dwell on it, only leaving behind a detailed alternative plan and contact information.

An engineer from Hong Kong quietly asked, "Mr. He, is our approach of casting a wide net effective? It seems that people are more interested in foreign investment from other countries."

He Yuxin smiled and said, "When seeds are sown, not every one will sprout. But as long as one grows, it's worth it. What we need to do now is to let them know that, besides those from overseas, those from Hong Kong can do it too."

Next stop: Wuhan.

There is a sizable auto parts factory here that is seeking technological upgrades and has been in contact with a German company.

Negotiations appear to have reached a stalemate, with the German side demanding too much.

The arrival of the Yellow River team came at just the right time.

The factory was very welcoming, showing He Yuxin and his team the factory buildings and existing equipment. The engineers from Hong Kong quickly provided a preliminary assessment and a roadmap for technology upgrades.

The factory's chief engineer, holding Huanghe's proposal and comparing it to the German company's quote, frowned deeply: "Your offer is indeed more cost-effective, and the technology transfer conditions are more lenient. But after all..."

"After all, it's not a foreign brand?" He Yuxin replied. "Whether the technology is good or not, whether the equipment is good or not, can be verified. We are a Chinese company, and our ultimate goal is common development, not just to make a technology transfer fee."

After pondering for a long time, the factory manager slammed his hand on the table: "Alright! We'll stall for time. Please arrange a detailed technical plan as soon as possible. If it's really as described in the plan, we'll give you priority in cooperating!"

When we left Wuhan, the team's morale was noticeably higher.

However, their subsequent trip to Chongqing ran into trouble.

The negotiations between the target factory and the US side have entered the final stage. The other party has explicitly rejected the involvement of the Yellow River team and has not even looked at the proposal in detail.

"It's okay, not every door can be opened. Make a note of this factory; it might become our competitor in the future."

During her travels, He Yuxin calls her family in Beijing every day.

On the other end of the phone, Gong Xue's voice was always cheerful as she told him what she had eaten that day, how things were at home, and what her mother had prepared.

She never asked him how his work was going, only reminding him to take care of his health and eat on time.

Sometimes Chen Lanxiang would grab the phone and nag, "Third brother, when are you coming back? Xiaoxue's belly is getting bigger and bigger, you can't just wait until the baby is born to show up, can you?"

"I'll come back as soon as I'm done with this, Mom," He Yuxin always promised.

Time has quietly slipped into the latter half of October.

One evening, He Yuxin was organizing documents in a hotel room in Shanghai when she received a call from Director Gao of the automobile factory in Changchun.

"Mr. He, I hope I didn't disturb your rest?"

"No, Director Gao, please speak."

"We have carefully studied the proposal you left behind and reported it to them. The higher-ups' attitude is that fair competition is welcome. Our negotiations with the European side will have their final round next week. If you are interested, you are welcome to come and participate."

He Yuxin perked up: "Of course I'm interested! Thank you, Director Gao, we'll definitely be there on time."

"However, Mr. He, I must make it clear in advance that the European side is very strong and has a high brand awareness. You should be prepared."

"Understood. We'll give it our all when the opportunity is given."

After hanging up the phone, He Yuxin immediately notified the team to change the itinerary and book flights to Changchun. At the same time, she contacted the Hong Kong headquarters and asked Wilson's team to provide more detailed comparative data and technical support as soon as possible.

Arriving in Changchun again, the atmosphere was completely different from the last time.

The factory arranged a formal meeting, and the European delegation also arrived, clearly surprised and displeased by Huang He's involvement.

In fact, Huanghe knew that if they hadn't been suppressed, they would have been no match for Huanghe in the high-end sedan market. This was mainly because Huanghe's car designs were being upgraded too quickly, and its engine technology was more fuel-efficient.

(End of this chapter)