Those Years When I Was Forced to Top the Forbes List

Chapter 131 This Booming Market with a Slightly Commercial Scent

Two o'clock.

Nearly 20 investors sat around a large white round table in the middle, chatting.

Hu Minghui's expression changed. He repeatedly checked the profit trajectory of the New York 45 account, and his heart was now in turmoil. He listened silently to Hong Yongqiang next to him talking about his profit experience over the past few months.

Hu Li also found a seat nearby, picked up a cup of coffee, and quietly sipped it while gazing at the scenery outside the floor-to-ceiling window.

"I'm so sorry, Mr. Wu, Mr. Xu, we're late!"

Wen Jinghui, deputy general manager of CITIC Securities' Bagongli branch, finally arrived late.

"Mr. Wen, we've been waiting for you! Please have a seat!"

"Haha, good things come to those who wait! This is Manager Jiang from the Financial Markets Department of China Everbright Bank's Chongqing Branch! I've brought some great news!"

Just as they sat down, before Wu Zisheng could introduce Chen Xuebing, the school staff arrived.

Yin Xin led Dean Zhou in, followed by two middle-aged men, Xu An, and a group of students who looked surprised.

Two girls widened their eyes and covered their mouths when they saw the environment inside, while the others chattered amongst themselves.

"Holy crap, that's ridiculous!"

"These soldiers in the company are amazing!"

"My goodness...this is a financial company!!"

"That table is so beautiful, and that floor-to-ceiling window...it's high society, I'm so envious..."

"Are those people reporters?"

Cheng Danting, who had dressed up carefully in the crowd, felt ordinary at this moment, even though the receptionist who was leading the way looked more expensive than her.

Fang Yu swallowed hard. In a building over two hundred meters tall, he had such a place to sit. The group of people at the round table in the middle all looked extraordinary. No wonder Chen Xuebing spoke to him in such a domineering tone.

Not to mention them, even Dean Zhou slowed his pace a bit, feeling that the sound of his high heels was too loud and seemed somewhat inappropriate in this environment.

Everyone is focused on things that interest them.

"President Chen, the person has arrived!" Yin Xin called out, waving her hands.

Chen Xuebing waved to the people at the table, stood up, and greeted them with a smile.

"Dean Zhou!"

He raised his hand halfway through, a gesture that showed respect, and Dean Zhou smiled and shook hands with him.

"Are you all busy?" Dean Zhou glanced at the round table.

"Ah, yes, Dean Zhou, I'm sorry, our meeting was delayed a bit and just started. I'm afraid we can't entertain you right now. Let Xiao Yin show you around first. Yin Xin, you show Dean Zhou and the others around and introduce them. You can also show them the labor service company on the 42nd floor. You know Ni Cheng and Wu Duo, right?"

"Yes, Dean Zhou. May I show you around?"

"Okay, thank you."

Chen Xuebing smiled and nodded to Dean Zhou, then turned and returned to the table.

"Let's continue, Mr. Wen, is there any good news?"

Wen Jinghui looked at Chen Xuebing with a smile.

"Mr. Chen is really young! I heard from Mr. Wu and Mr. Xu that Mr. Chen's Alpha strategy is no less effective than the limit-up trading strategy of Jiefang South Road. Now Jiefang South Road has reached Guotai Junan Shanghai Jiangsu Road. Mr. Chen is even younger than him. Are you confident that you can beat him?"

Chen Xuebing shook his head.

"It's not the same game. We have to be responsible to our investors, so there's no comparison. We most likely won't be on the list of top-performing stocks."

The "he" they were referring to is Xu Xiang, the current tycoon of the gang, who is currently enjoying great success and has a net worth of several hundred million.

There's a popular saying on stock market forums these days: "If you don't follow Jiefang South (a famous stock market commentator), even a god can't succeed in the stock market."

Xu Xiang amassed a fortune of over 100 million yuan through stock trading at the age of 26. Now, at less than 30, he trades stocks in the VIP room of Galaxy Securities' Ningbo Jiefang South Road branch. His team of about 20 people is known as the Ningbo Limit-Up Daredevil Team. They have an extremely high success rate in hitting the limit-up price and are quick to enter and exit the market. Many retail investors even travel long distances to the entrance of this branch to inquire about Xu Xiang's activities.

With his addition to Galaxy Securities, the entire securities brokerage business has seen an increase.

Now, a man named Chen Xuebing has emerged with a large amount of capital and an astonishingly high rate of return. Wen Jinghui naturally hopes that he can make a name for himself as "CITIC Chongqing Eight Kilometers".

However, Chen Xuebing's attitude was firm, so he couldn't say anything.

"Hehe, stability is good! Mr. Chen, I'm here today to share some good news! China Everbright Bank is currently collaborating with CITIC Bank on a 'Sunshine Wealth Management Plan B' product. The Chongqing branch has heard about your product and expressed great interest, deciding to invest in you once your fund has officially passed approval and registration!"

These words immediately put the entire hall to life.

Aren't banks supposed to be lenders? I didn't know they could also be used for investments?

They're willing to risk depositors' money!
The visiting delegation from the college was somewhat surprised, as if they had heard some inside information about the industry.

Chen Xuebing, however, wasn't so surprised; he only focused on one issue.

"Oh? How much can I bet?"

Manager Jiang from Everbright straightened up, placed his hands on the table, and said, "It's like this, Mr. Chen. Our Sunshine Wealth Management Plan B, Phase 15, is currently in its fundraising period, which is slightly earlier than your product. From the perspective of principal safety, your private equity operation mode and principal protection contract are very much in line with our investment principles. This phase, our branch's fundraising amount may exceed 200 million yuan. However, our main investment direction is government bonds. If we can reach an agreement on the emergency exit mechanism, our total investment amount will be about 30 million yuan, with a timeframe of more than two years."

thirty million!
The bank actually invested 30 million in him!

This world is so crazy!

Everyone was astonished, but little did they know that banks don't act without seeing the benefits. With over 100 million yuan in funds as a safety net, no management fees, a guaranteed return contract, and the possibility of high returns, they made this choice.

Under normal circumstances, banks would not allow even a small loss, given the management fee alone.

Chen Xuebing remained calm, his fingers slowly tracing a circle on the table.

"Oh... what are the conditions for withdrawing?"

Manager Jiang glanced at Wen Jinghui with some hesitation.

Shouldn't these kinds of things be discussed privately?

Chen Xuebing scanned the room, observing the expressions of everyone at the table, and said with a smile, "Since today's meeting is a symposium, which can also be considered a fundraising briefing, everyone should be open and honest. Let's put all our conditions on the table and discuss them. Although we want to expand our funds, we also need to respect every investor's right to know."

The investors nodded slightly at these words, feeling that Mr. Chen had a certain flair and style in his speech.

"However, I would like to ask my fellow journalists not to write about these things. Although they are not trade secrets, they are still considered industry insider information."

Chen Xuebing added a sentence, and laughter erupted at the table.

Manager Jiang pondered for a moment and said, "Well... our main request is to prioritize your exit. If your funds reach a certain level of loss, we want to disregard the project's lock-up period and guarantee your principal. Of course, we are not asking other investors to bear the risk for us. It is you, Mr. Chen, who need to have a certain percentage of your own funds involved to assume responsibility for compensating for the losses."

The investors then began to whisper among themselves.

Chen Xuebing chuckled inwardly.

He was recalling some things from his past life.

The banking system prioritizes claims and settlements wherever it is implemented.

"How much of your own capital do you need me to put in?"

"Well... we don't have any specific requirements, but the amount of your own funds held in custody by CITIC will determine our exit point."

Chen Xuebing pondered for a moment, then smiled and said:

"Okay, we have enough of our own funds, 2000 million. However, you won't have any special privileges when it comes to priority claims. I won't sign any special agreements with individual investors. All investors who sign the principal protection agreement will receive 60% of their profits. Once the compensation limit of my own funds is reached, I will open redemption for all of them. Other ordinary investors will receive 70% of their profits. No matter what, I will operate until the end of the one-year lock-up period and then open redemption for all of them. The dividend cycle will be no less than once every six months, but we have the right to decide to distribute dividends in advance."

Chen Xuebing's stock account actually only has 3400 million yuan, of which only more than 1800 million yuan belongs to him. However, there is still time, and the profits from both the stock market and mobile phones should be enough to make up for the shortfall.

After saying this, he scanned the table and said, "The conditions are the same for everyone. Whether it's a guaranteed minimum or a regular contract, everyone can choose for themselves. It's fair, just, and transparent. As for the safety of the funds, let Mr. Wen from CITIC explain it to everyone." Wen Jinghui nodded: "CITIC is currently the only listed securities firm in China. We have been providing custody services for many years. All investment funds enter through our fund supervision account and are supervised by us. After the filing is approved, Changzheng Capital issues the transfer instruction. After our review, we are responsible for transferring the funds into the securities, futures, and bond investment accounts that we manage. In other words, the operation is completed by Changzheng Capital, but all fund transfers are handled by us. As you can see, Everbright Bank highly approves of our custody services. Our fees are also relatively low, only one-thousandth per year, which is half that of trust companies."

Wen Jinghui's explanation is clear to everyone.

The remaining issue is simply choosing a contract.

The idea of ​​guaranteed returns seems much more reliable, and the priority given to exiting has made everyone hesitate.

A discussion ensued.

Chen Xuebing pulled Wu Zisheng aside and whispered a few words in his ear.

Soon, Wu Zisheng printed out a freshly printed spreadsheet on his computer.

"Since this involves the safety line ratio, let's fill in our intentions: how much to invest and which contract to choose. We'll then have a rough estimate of the liquidation line."

Someone frowned.

"I've noticed you've been holding no positions lately, haven't made any trades? What's going on?"

Before Chen Xuebing could even explain, Hong Yongqiang had already laughed:
"If he's holding no stocks, then the stock market is going to fall. He has the strongest defensive capabilities; he only makes money and never loses! The money is in his pocket, and even the worst market can't take it away! I'll just put up 900 million, a regular investment contract!"

His 800 million yuan had already been in Chen Xuebing's account, and now it had become 900 million yuan. He said this to boost everyone's confidence, and also because he was afraid that everyone would choose the principal-protected contract, which would put more pressure on Chen Xuebing.

Chen Xuebing coughed lightly but did not reply.

He'd love for everyone to choose the principal-protected contract so he could get 40%.

Now, Everbright has already invested 30 million, and there's also money raised through brokerage channels, so the total funds will really exceed 150 million. In the next six months or so, the market will rise from a low of 1100 points to 1600 points, a difference of 500 points.

The market index rose 500 points from 1100 points, which is not simply a 50% increase. The calculation factors for index rises and falls are not that simple. They are calculated based on the base market capitalization and also take into account the sectors.

If the index rises by half, the 40 stocks he holds will at least double in value.

There are waves in between; how much profit can be made by buying low and selling high?
如果40%比例，赚一倍，他就赚2000（自己资金翻倍）+5200万（客户1.3亿×0.4）。

7200 million.

What if you double your money?

Three or four times?

At this moment, someone else asked.

"Mr. Chen has a strong sense of risk, but the market has been fluctuating recently and is still stuck in the same place. If it turns bearish again, won't it be... difficult to operate?"

Chen Xuebing picked up his cup, took a sip of tea slowly, and then smiled at the person who asked the question:
"Mr. Sun, there were fewer than 50 private equity funds nationwide last year, but this year, nearly 200 have been registered. Most of them are private equity funds that invest in the primary market. Do you know what this signal means?"

Everyone understood the implication: the market was improving, but no one could articulate why.

Chen Xuebing said leisurely:

"Last year was the 'Year Zero' for private equity, with 47 private equity funds launched throughout the year. The Shenzhen Stock Exchange established the SME board, barely providing an exit channel for equity investments. Newbridge Capital acquired a 17.89% stake in Shenzhen Development Bank from the Shenzhen Municipal Government, becoming the industry's recognized first PE case in my country."

"This year, I define the market as the 'Spring of Private Equity.' The shareholding reform represents a shift from a closed market to a semi-open one. State-owned enterprise shares are now tradable, private companies have smooth IPO channels, and the exit mechanism for private equity investment has been completely opened up, no longer relying on small-scale operations on the SME board. Starting this year, China's financial system is forming a complete market system."

“Foreign institutions sensed the opportunity earlier than we did. Some young Chinese working in finance abroad have returned to China with their dollar investments. Neil Shen of Sequoia Capital, Lei Zhang of Hillhouse Capital, and Qiang Wang of P&G Bank have all returned to the Chinese market this year. Even top US investment banks have begun to enter China and cooperate with ICBC to plan ICBC’s Shanghai and Hong Kong listings.”

"China's opening up and active integration into the global financial system have gained recognition from foreign capital."

"Next year, with foreign investment, a large number of established blue-chip companies will undergo share reforms, and a large number of excellent companies will be listed on the A-share market, revitalizing the stock market. The Chinese market will become the most active equity investment market in Asia."

"The private capital accumulated over the years of rapid economic development is about to be realized. This is a year of surging confidence in performance and capital."

"We at Long March Capital will not focus solely on stock price curves and short-term gains. To move in tandem with the stock market, we need to have three eyes: one on the market, one on the economy, and one on policy."

"Next, we will move towards the front end of the stock market by establishing a private equity fund to partner with great companies through value investing, while also strengthening our analytical capabilities."

“We will become an increasingly intelligent fund. Choosing Long March Capital means joining forces with intelligent people.”

"Your trip will not be in vain. The times will reward those with smart and hardworking minds, as well as those who make the right choices."

These words can be considered his first oath-taking speech before setting off.

His voice was calm, but a surge of passion was brewing within him.

In the eyes of others, Mr. Chen is no longer simply an investment expert; he has a broad vision, a passionate gaze, and is beginning to possess the charm of a darling of the times.

This is exactly the kind of encouragement investors need.

Wen Jinghui lightly tapped the round table.

"Mr. Chen, after hearing your words, I am even more confident in our branch's work next year! Especially with smart capital like yours joining us, our work will be even smoother!"

Chen Xuebing understood the implied meaning: "We appreciate Mr. Wen's efforts in helping us find funding. We hope that our fundraising efforts will be fruitful in the next stage, and we will continue to consider cooperating with CITIC 8KL for our new funds in the future."

"That's natural!"

……

The meeting lasted less than half an hour in total.

The lively scene afterwards goes without saying. Several bottles of champagne were opened, and some investors who didn't have to drive even had a few sips.

Everyone came with high expectations, and Chen Xuebing released even higher expectations, stating frankly that the stock returns afterward would be higher than in the previous three months, which was a signal that exceeded expectations.

Nineteen investors submitted investment intentions totaling 1.12 million yuan. With Yu Chunyin, who was absent, placing a full bet of 19 million yuan, the total investment approached 1.17 million yuan, which was slightly higher than the previously estimated 450 million yuan.

The extra part is mainly Hu Minghui's part.

He initially wrote 300 million on his form, then crossed it out and wrote 500 million.

Whether it was because they saw others filling in high amounts and Shanghainese didn't want to lose to Chongqingnese, or because they were genuinely confident, their mentality is unknown. They simply had a drink with Chen Xuebing, exchanged phone numbers, and jokingly said that they were testing the waters with 5 million yuan, somewhat to see how it would go.

Chen Xuebing didn't pay much attention to the form. The final amount would depend on the actual amount received, and it might be lower than the statistics. He also opted for principal protection and returns for the remaining two-thirds of the funds, and that percentage might be even higher in the future.

All that's left to deal with is a small matter.

Matters concerning the college.

Of course, this is a very big deal for those graduates.

The college's visiting team sat down at the expensive round table. Everyone sat upright, and the accompanying correspondent took a few high-class photos. After the formality of the meeting, which was completely different from the previous one, Chen Xuebing took the initiative to chat with everyone.

"What do you upperclassmen think of the environment here?"

The big shot who had just been gesturing wildly at the table suddenly addressed them like that, and everyone started to feel a little shy.

"pretty good."

"very beautiful."

"That's how finance works. It doesn't create value itself, but because it's closest to money, it reaps huge profits, and the dazzling array of options is overwhelming."

Chen Xuebing changed his words in the blink of an eye.

"Finance is just a service tool. The rules are set by the West, and we can never beat them. Agriculture, military industry, transportation, public facilities, information, and energy are the future of our country and our source of confidence. I chose to study at the School of Transportation because the school has cultivated a large number of such professionals."

Everyone was a little incredulous.

Wasn't he a financial tycoon just a moment ago?

Why did his eyes suddenly become so red and expert?

(End of this chapter)