In the fiery red era of the heavens, refrigerators are refreshed daily.

In July 1981, the heat was intense on Hong Kong Island.

The intense sunlight poured down on the azure waters of Victoria Harbour without reservation, creating visible wisps of steam.

The sea surface reflected countless tiny gold fragments, sparkling and shimmering, so dazzling that it made one's eyes ache.

Kai Tak Airport remains as noisy and stuffy as ever.

Yang Guangming wore a well-tailored light gray linen suit, the thin and breathable material providing just the right amount of protection against the scorching heat.

He wore a pair of classic Ray-Ban sunglasses on his nose, the dark lenses covering half of his face and concealing the fatigue that might have been visible in his eyes after a long flight, leaving only his well-defined jawline and tightly pursed thin lips, revealing a cold and aloof demeanor that kept strangers at bay.

His upright posture and calm demeanor made him stand out in the bustling crowd.

"Boss, over here."

A familiar voice pierced through the noise.

Liang Botao, who had been waiting for a long time, quickly stepped forward with a warm and respectful smile on his face.

He was also wearing an expensive custom-made suit, with crisp fabric and perfect details, which made his already capable temperament even more impressive, giving him the air of a business elite.

"Botao, you've worked hard." Yang Guangming shook his hand firmly.

His gaze casually swept over Liang Botao's back, where a brand-new, elegantly designed, and imposing Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow, like a mobile palace, was quietly parked in the temporary parking area.

The driver, dressed in a crisp uniform and wearing white gloves, stood silently to one side, already having opened the car door, waiting for his arrival.

This car is worlds apart from the Mercedes he drove when he first arrived in Hong Kong, which, while decent, was ultimately ordinary.

This silent luxury car, without needing to speak, tells the story of how Yang Guangming and the business empire he remotely controlled experienced a geometric expansion of wealth over the past two years.

As you sit in the spacious and cool back seat of the Rolls-Royce, the icy air conditioning instantly envelops you, dispelling the last trace of the sticky summer heat.

The interior is extremely quiet, with excellent sound insulation materials completely blocking out all the noise from the airport, leaving only the almost inaudible sound of the air conditioning and the deep, steady hum of the engine.

"Go straight to the company." Yang Guangming took off his sunglasses and rubbed his temples.

"Yes, boss." Liang Botao, sitting in the passenger seat, turned to the side to report with a respectful posture, "President Shen and the others have received news of your arrival. The heads of all departments are waiting at the company, ready to report to you."

His words revealed the importance the group placed on Sunshine Ming's return.

The car started smoothly and silently merged into the busy traffic on Airport Road, like a slippery fish, heading towards Central, the economic and power center of Hong Kong Island.

Outside the window, the skyscrapers seemed even denser and taller than they had been two years ago, their glass curtain walls gleaming with a dazzling metallic sheen in the sunlight.

Yang Guangming leaned back in his comfortable chair, but his thoughts drifted away, not lingering on the scenery outside the window.

Two and a half years have passed in the blink of an eye.

On the Stanford campus, he earned his PhD in computer science with astonishing efficiency in just one and a half years.

His research direction—a topic about optimizing early artificial intelligence algorithms—has even attracted considerable attention from the academic community, with several papers published in top journals.

Subsequently, he unexpectedly accepted Stanford University's invitation to serve as a visiting professor for a year, lecturing on cutting-edge computing theory.

This experience not only earned him international academic reputation and an impressive resume, but more importantly, it provided him with a near-perfect cover for his identity.

A young professor devoted to academia is always more acceptable than a mysterious trader who manipulates the financial markets.

This also allowed him to more easily remotely control his ever-growing business empire from thousands of miles away, through telephone, telegram, and occasional confidential correspondence, to carry out precise capital hunts time and time again.

Qiming Capital has long since evolved into the Qiming Group, which has a broader business scope and a more complex structure.

With his visionary foresight, decades ahead of his time, and his almost precognitive instructions, the assets controlled by the group grew exponentially, as if by magic.

Through long-term positioning in the global gold, silver, and crude oil futures markets, and by strategically and periodically shorting US long-term Treasury bonds at opportune moments and key time windows.

In addition to his early-stage venture investments in several Silicon Valley tech companies that later proved to be incredibly promising, his personal wealth had accumulated to a staggering figure in the early 1980s—over $1.3 billion.

1.3 billion US dollars!
In the early 1980s, this was an astonishing figure that would have secured a place among the world's richest people, and might even have been able to break into the top ten.

The resources and social energy that this wealth can mobilize are beyond what ordinary people can imagine.

However, in Yang Guangming's deep eyes, there was not much triumphant joy at this moment, but rather a trace of indescribable regret and a deeper level of vigilance.

This number is at least half, or even more, lower than his initial expectation based on his "past life memories".

The problem lies precisely in his "prophetic" nature.

As he remembered, the major trends in the financial markets were indeed as follows: gold and silver experienced a magnificent upward cycle, crude oil prices remained high due to geopolitical factors such as the Iran-Iraq War, and the yield on long-term US Treasury bonds also rose sharply around the time he predicted, due to the Federal Reserve's firm anti-inflation policy.

However, the specific rhythm of rises and falls, the magnitude of each fluctuation, the precise points of peaks and troughs, as well as market sentiment and breaking news at some key time points, showed subtle but crucial deviations from his memory of "history".

These seemingly insignificant deviations can be fatal in the financial derivatives market, where leverage is often five, ten, or even higher.

A single misjudgment could lead to a devastating margin call, or even the risk of liquidation. He dares not, and cannot, bet his entire fortune on "perfect trades" that rely on precise timing and entry points—that's more like a high-stakes gamble.

He had to settle for second best, adopting a relatively stable strategy that reduced leverage and focused on position management, prioritizing trend profits and forgoing some of the maximum excess returns.

Although it still reaped huge profits that would make any investment master envious, it ultimately failed to achieve the theoretical maximum return, and the gap was significant.

The feeling is like holding a treasure map, but because some markings on the map have become blurred, you have to take a detour and miss out on more treasures that may exist on the shortest path.

In order to find out the reason, during his final year at Stanford, he used the university’s rich academic database resources and the relatively advanced information retrieval system in the United States at that time to carefully check many “historical” details under the guise of academic research. These included not only financial data, but also social news, technological breakthroughs, and even the life trajectories of some celebrities.

A fact that initially surprised him, but upon reflection, gradually emerged that seemed to make perfect sense:

Not only in the financial markets, but also in the subtle details of many social events, the specific dates of technological product releases, and even the timing of the outbreak of some local conflicts, there are subtle, but real, differences between his pre-time travel knowledge and reality.

What alarmed him even more was that these differences even occurred before he traveled through time.

There seems to be only one conclusion, and it is cold and certain: the time and space he traveled to was not the one he originally belonged to, the one he considered the only "real" reality.

This is likely a parallel world that is extremely similar, but differs in countless details.

This realization initially sent a chill down his spine and made him feel a deep sense of loneliness, but his strong mental fortitude allowed him to quickly calm down and accept the reality.

After all, his very existence is the most unscientific proof.

Fortunately, the general direction of the world's operation, the main branches of the technology tree, and the main theme of global economic development in the coming decades have not fundamentally changed.

The cyclical crises of capitalism, the wave of the information revolution, the rise of East Asia, the trend of globalization... these macro frameworks remain solid.

His forward-thinking vision remains the most powerful weapon of this era, unmatched by anyone else. However, he needs to be more cautious, pay more attention to on-site research and risk control, and can no longer rely entirely on that "memory," which may not be absolutely accurate, to carry out extreme operations.

It is still a compass, but it cannot be regarded as a nautical chart accurate to the meter.

Having completed his visiting professorship at Stanford, he faced another important choice in his life.

According to his understanding, of the first batch of 52 government-sponsored students sent abroad after the reform and opening up, except for one who stayed in the United States for further research due to special reasons and with strict approval from the organization, the rest will return to China on schedule and devote themselves to the modernization of the motherland on all fronts, becoming pillars of the nation who have attracted much attention.

Yang Guangming deeply realized that he, as the "benchmark" who had been set up, absolutely could not become the exception.

His roots are in his motherland, and his great future opportunities also lie in his motherland.

Moreover, the relevant higher authorities had high hopes for this "returning elite" and had already made arrangements for him to return to China as a professor in the Department of Computer Science at Tsinghua University and participate in the establishment of a national key laboratory.

This was an honorable mission, perfectly aligned with his public identity as a "patriotic scholar," providing him with a solid layer of protection. He accepted the organization's arrangement almost without hesitation.

The only request he made was to extend the latest reporting date to the end of August so that he could handle the important backlog of matters on Hong Kong Island, complete the handover of work, and make strategic deployments.

It's already July 10th, and he has less than two months of buffer time. Time is of the essence and cannot be wasted.

The Rolls-Royce drove into a bustling street in Central and finally came to a smooth stop in front of a magnificent and modern skyscraper.

The building's exterior is a blue glass curtain wall that gleams in the sunlight.

"Boss, we've arrived." Liang Botao's voice rang out at the right time, interrupting his aimless thoughts.

As Yang Guangming looked up, the four large, gilded traditional Chinese characters of "Qiming Group" hung high on the top of the building, shining brightly under the blazing sun, proclaiming its dominance.

This standalone Grade A office building in the heart of Central is a permanent property he purchased last year at a huge cost, despite opposition, to serve as the group's headquarters, after the group's strength rapidly expanded.

Qiming Group is in a period of rapid expansion, and its staff size is not yet enough to fill every floor of the building. It has reserved the core five floors for its own use, while the remaining floors have been rented out to other well-known companies. This not only demonstrates the group's unfathomable strength and long-term confidence, but is also a very insightful real estate investment.

Surrounded by Liang Botao and several senior executives who rushed to the scene, Yang Guangming stepped into the building, which was blasting strong air conditioning.

The gleaming Italian imported marble floor reflects the light strips on the ceiling, showcasing a sleek and minimalist modern design style throughout!

The well-dressed and brisk employees, with focused and efficient expressions, exuded an atmosphere of high efficiency, professionalism, and alignment with top international investment banks.

When the employees saw this rarely seen but legendary and absolutely central behind-the-scenes boss within the entire group, they all subconsciously stopped, bowed slightly, and respectfully greeted him, "Hello, Chairman Yang."

Yang Guangming's face remained expressionless; he merely nodded slightly in response, and without stopping, walked straight towards the chairman's private elevator that led directly to the top floor.

The elevator's interior features walnut wood veneer and polished stainless steel, ascending quietly and rapidly, with a slight feeling of weightlessness indicating the change in altitude.

Back in the chairman's office on the top floor, the magnificent view of Victoria Harbour and the Kowloon Peninsula across the water, seen through the huge curved floor-to-ceiling windows, unfolds like a dynamic, giant painting, unobstructed and breathtaking.

The azure sea, the shuttling ships, and the dense buildings make it seem as if the prosperity and ambition of the entire Hong Kong Island are all groveling at his feet.

The office is surprisingly large, comparable to a basketball court, but the decor is exceptionally simple and restrained, featuring dark wood, cool-toned metal, and light gray stone. Apart from the necessary large desk, a set of leather sofas for guests, a small built-in wine cabinet, and green plants in the corner, there are almost no superfluous decorations, exuding a cold sense of power.

Only on a rosewood display shelf against the wall were a few elegant porcelain pieces carefully arranged: a Yuan blue-and-white Yuhuchun vase and a pair of Qing Yongzheng doucai cups with lotus scroll patterns, their glazes warm and lustrous, their shapes beautiful.

This adds a touch of understated elegance to this modern space, which is full of capital power, and also subtly suggests the owner's profound cultural background and origins.

He had just settled into his large, comfortable ergonomic office chair when there was a knock at the door.

"Please come in."

Group President Shen Hanlin pushed open the door and entered.

He still had that meticulous appearance, with neatly combed hair and a sharp, focused gaze behind his gold-rimmed glasses. However, his brows now held a more composed and dignified air, as if he had a commanding presence and made weighty decisions.

"Chairman, welcome back." Shen Hanlin's voice was steady and powerful, carrying just the right amount of respect.

"President Shen, please sit down and let's talk." Yang Guangming gestured to the chair opposite the desk, his tone calm. "During my absence, the group's affairs were incredibly complex and demanding. Thank you for your hard work."

"It is my duty, and I dare not complain about the hardship."

Shen Hanlin sat down and gently placed a black-covered folder on the table. "The group's various business segments are operating smoothly, and the investment portfolio's performance has basically met or even slightly exceeded our previous expectations. This is the main work report and financial summary for the past three months. Please take a look."

Yang Guangming didn't open the document immediately; his time was limited, and he needed to get straight to one of the core issues of his return: "I'll look at these in detail later. Let's talk about RTV first, how's the situation?"

Acquiring RTV was the most important part of his trip to Hong Kong, and its strategic significance far exceeded that of a simple financial investment.

Shen Hanlin seemed to have been prepared, and reported: "The negotiations with the Australian consortium, which I personally led, with the cooperation of the legal and financial teams, have been going on for nearly half a year."

The other party initially took a hard line, only willing to sell a portion of its non-controlling stake in an attempt to retain influence.

After several rounds of arduous negotiations, and some... well, business pressure we exerted in other areas, they have finally relented and agreed to relinquish all 61% of their shares, giving us absolute control.

He paused, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and continued, "However, there is still one last point of contention between the two sides regarding the final transaction price."

The Australian consortium's final offer was very firm, at HK$140 million. Our final bid was HK$130 million.

The difference of ten million Hong Kong dollars, while not a huge sum relative to the total price, has led to a stalemate in negotiations as neither side is willing to concede easily. We await your return for the final decision.

He clearly listed the numbers and awaited instructions.

For HK$140 million, they acquired a controlling stake of over 60% in RTV, a television station currently operating at a loss, whose market share is suppressed by TVB, and whose estimated market value is around HK$200 million.

In this era, this is undoubtedly a huge sum of money that would make headlines in the financial section.

Yang Guangming quickly weighed the pros and cons in his mind, without any hesitation.

At this time, RTV, which will become Asia Television, was firmly overtaken by Sir Run Run Shaw's thriving TVB in terms of viewership and profitability.

However, as one of only two free-to-air television stations on Hong Kong Island, its broadcasting license, program production capabilities, broadcasting channels, and most importantly, its potential powerful public opinion influence—reaching millions of Hong Kong Island residents and radiating to Southeast Asia and even a wider Cantonese-speaking population—are intangible assets that cannot be measured in money.

Controlling RTV is equivalent to controlling a highly influential public discourse platform, a loudspeaker that can make its voice heard.

In his long-term and complex plans for the future, this is not only an important piece of the puzzle in his business empire, but also an extremely important "protective talisman" and political capital.

During a specific historical period, having a media platform with considerable influence would greatly enhance one's "united front value" and discourse power at a higher level, which is an invisible but crucial security guarantee.

In comparison, a difference of ten million Hong Kong dollars is insignificant from a strategic perspective.

Moreover, with his foresight into future entertainment trends and program formats, he is absolutely confident that after the acquisition, through a series of reforms and innovations, he can turn RTV from loss to profit, and even challenge TVB's dominant position at some point in the future.

"Promise them."

Yang Guangming's tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable decisiveness, as if ten million was merely a number on paper: "One hundred million, acceptable. The goal is to complete all legal documents and equity transfer procedures as soon as possible, avoiding any unforeseen complications."

A hint of surprise flashed in Shen Hanlin's eyes. He had prepared more arguments about price analysis and negotiation strategies, but his boss's decisiveness exceeded his expectations.

However, he quickly regained his composure. He knew that this young boss's vision and courage far surpassed that of ordinary people, and once he had identified a strategic goal, he would never get bogged down in tactical price issues.

“Understood. I will immediately arrange for the legal and financial teams to contact them, expedite the process, and strive to complete the review and signing of all documents within a week, and arrange a formal signing ceremony,” Shen Hanlin responded quickly.

"Yes, that's fine. But the scale of the ceremony should be kept within necessary limits, handled discreetly, and should not be too ostentatious to avoid unnecessary media hype," Yang Guangming added.

He was well aware that tall trees attract the wind, so he said, "After the acquisition, we will temporarily maintain the stability of the existing management team and give them a transition period. At the same time, we will have our audit and evaluation teams move in to conduct in-depth observation and comprehensive evaluation for a period of time."

I will provide further instructions regarding the specific organizational restructuring and program content reform plans after I have reviewed the detailed report.

"Okay, Chairman, I've got it." Shen Hanlin nodded and quickly jotted down the key points in his notebook.

After finishing their business, Yang Guangming leaned back slightly, his tone softening:

"I will stay for one to two months when I return this time. In addition to dealing with the backlog of documents, the main focus will be to listen to reports from various business lines and finally determine the strategic development direction of the group for the next fiscal year and even the next three years."

The notice has been issued: all department heads are to prepare detailed performance reports by the end of this week and schedule a time to report to me individually.

“Yes, I will make the arrangements immediately to ensure that the preparations are in place,” Shen Hanlin replied, then stood up. “If you have no other instructions, I will go and finalize the acquisition of Lihte.”

Yang Guangming nodded. Shen Hanlin bowed slightly, turned and left the office, gently closing the door behind him.

Silence returned to the office. (End of Chapter)