Rebirth: The Tumultuous Year of 1979

Fifteen million in HSBC would easily qualify someone as a top-tier client—few ordinary wealthy people could hold that much cash, unless they were large families who specialized in capital.

"Manager Huang, find me a trader." Zhong Wei turned to Huang Manyu, his tone flat.

Huang Manyu paused as she picked up her teacup, then looked up with a smile in her eyes: "No problem, Mr. Zhong is our VIP client. Based on the scale of your investment, we've reserved a VIP room with a dedicated workstation for you."

"Okay," Zhong Wei replied, tapping his fingertips lightly on the table.

Huang Manyu dialed an internal line and led Zhong Wei and the others through the corridor. The room next door was furnished quite nicely: a beige sofa with a black walnut coffee table, a closed-circuit television embedded in the wall, and a set of bone china tea set on the coffee table.

"Knock knock—" A moment later, there was a knock on the door.

"Go in," Huang Manyu called out.

A gust of wind swept in as the door opened, and a square-faced man in his thirties entered. He wore a neatly pressed white shirt with the cuffs rolled up to his elbows. Upon seeing Huang Manyu, he immediately stopped and said, "Manager Huang, you were looking for me?"

"Young Master Zhong, this is Zeng Jianye, one of our main traders." Huang Manyu turned to Zhong Wei, then said, "From now on, you will entrust all your stock orders to him. You tell him how to operate, and he will do it—remember, Young Master Zhong is an S-level client."

Zeng Jianye's Adam's apple bobbed, and he quickly bowed: "Hello, Mr. Zhong, my name is Zeng Jianye, you can just call me Xiao Zeng." But in his heart, a storm was churning: S-level meant that the account had more than ten million yuan in funds, and there were only a few people like that in the entire business department.

"Hmm." Zhong Wei raised his chin.

"Then I won't bother you any longer. Please call me if you need anything. I'm in the office next door." Huang Manyu curtsied and walked out in her high heels, the hem of her skirt brushing against the edge of the coffee table, carrying a faint fragrance.

The moment the door closed, Zhong Wei curled his lips into a smile and turned to Zeng Jianye: "Now we can buy Hong Kong stocks, right?"

"Mr. Zhong's account has global access; he can trade US, Japanese, and European stocks through HSBC." Zeng Jianye had barely finished speaking when Zhong Wei pulled a slip of paper from his pocket and pushed it over. "Buy according to this list, spread the funds out, and complete the transaction within an hour."

Zeng Jianye took the note, glanced at it, and his pupils contracted sharply: "Young Master Zhong, Nanhai Real Estate... you really want to buy it?"

His voice changed – the stock had been falling for half a month, its price had been halved, and it kept plummeting every day at the opening, like a bottomless pit.

"Nanhai Real Estate?" Xu Zhengmao, who had been lounging on the sofa playing on his phone, sat bolt upright upon hearing this, slamming his phone down on the coffee table. "I saw this stock in the financial newspaper last week! Its performance is so bad it could fry an egg on it, it's falling every day!"

"Buy it." Zhong Wei smiled faintly, tapping the note lightly with his knuckles. "Listen to me, buy it."

"Huh?" Zeng Jianye was completely dumbfounded. He stared at Zhong Wei's calm face and wondered to himself: Does this guy not understand stocks? Who would throw money into a stock that has plummeted? But his professional ethics prevented him from asking any more questions. He could only bite the bullet and sit down at the control panel, his fingers flying across the keyboard.

Besides Nanhai Real Estate, the note listed three other stocks—one that had fallen for ten consecutive days, and another that had been trading sideways for six months with no room for growth. Zeng Jianye's fingers stiffened as he typed the last line, sweat beading on his forehead: all fifteen million had been invested, with three and a half million going into Nanhai Real Estate.

In just half an hour, the red numbers on the screen started turning green. Zeng Jianye glanced at Zhong Wei, who was still leaning back on the sofa flipping through the newspaper. His back tensed instantly—after an hour, the accounts showed a paper loss of 200,000 yuan. He quietly slipped out of the VIP room and found Huang Manyu in the next office, his voice trembling: "Manager Huang, Young Master Zhong... he really bought Nanhai Real Estate!"

Huang Manyu had just taken a sip of tea when she choked and coughed upon hearing this: "What did you say? Has he gone mad?" What kind of company is South China Land? It's a "junk stock" that every fund manager in Hong Kong avoids like the plague, and this guy actually poured millions into it! She grabbed the folder on the table and headed out: "No, I have to go check—if they lose over ten million today, HSBC will be utterly disgraced!"

The two hurried back to the VIP room, and just as they raised their hands to knock, a burst of shouts erupted from inside: "Prices are rising! Prices are rising! Prices are rising!"

Huang Manyu paused, frowned, and pushed open the door: "Mr. Xu, what brings you here—"

Before she could finish speaking, she followed everyone's gaze to the screen on the control panel—the numbers, which had been dark green, were now soaring upwards, like a lit fuse, breaking through the opening price with a "whoosh," and then jumping up three more points.

"Really...really gone up?" Zeng Jianye leaned closer, his eyes wide, his fingers unconsciously fidgeting with the seam of his pants.

Huang Manyu was also stunned, staring at the numbers jumping on the screen, speechless for a long time—she clearly saw Xu Zhengmao slapping his thigh and shouting, his face flushed red, where was the calmness he had just shown?

"Sizzle—!"

Huang Manyu's mouth involuntarily opened into an "O" shape, her beautiful eyes widened, and she couldn't hide the shock on her face.

"How is that possible..."

Her mind went blank, and she froze.

"Gurgle!"

Zeng Jianye's Adam's apple bobbed, and he gasped several times. Southern Real Estate? It went up? It was down 10% just now, and now it's jumped 20%. Financial experts all said it would continue to decline, how could this be…?

Not only that, Huang Manyu glanced at the stocks Zhong Wei had picked, and they were all climbing, with the smallest gaining seven percentage points.

"Turn on the TV..." She turned her head with difficulty and gestured to Zeng Jianye.

Zeng Jianye turned on the TV and switched to the financial channel. A news flash popped up: "Southern Properties has acquired a plot of land of about 700,000 square feet on the south side of Hong Kong and will jointly develop it with the Li Group."

Huang Manyu was stunned, only one thought remaining in her mind—had she struck gold? Zhong Weicai had just bought in, and then the company released such a huge piece of good news, and even got involved with the richest man's group. No wonder the stock price skyrocketed.

Sure enough, as soon as the news came out, Southern Property's stock price jumped another five points, with buy and sell orders rolling in rapidly, and buy orders clearly outnumbering sell orders.

"Gurgle!"

Her gaze fell back to the sofa—Zhong Wei was sitting calmly, while Xu Zhengmao next to him was rubbing his hands excitedly. He, however, was leisurely sipping his hot tea, his expression as confident as if he had expected this scene.

Huang Manyu's heart skipped a beat. Had he really received the news in advance? But what about the other four stocks? They all went up!

"Manager Huang, come and have a cup of hot tea." Zhong Wei glanced at her stunned expression and slightly open mouth, and greeted her with a smile.

"Thank you, Young Master Zhong." She sat down, her eyes full of inquiry. The man before her seemed shrouded in mist, the more she looked, the less she could understand him.

Zhong Wei poured her a cup of Kung Fu tea, his skillful control of the heat. As the tea's aroma filled her mouth, she tentatively asked, "Did Young Master Zhong already know the news?"

"What do you mean by that, Manager Huang?" Zhong Wei put down his cup, a faint smile curving his lips, his tone as indifferent as if he were talking about the weather.

"I apologized for my intrusion."

Zhong Wei didn't respond, only saying, "It's nothing, I should thank you for helping me open the account. You must have made a good profit this morning, I'll treat you to lunch."

"Thank you, Young Master Zhong," she replied, her eyes gleaming. This man was too mysterious—Southern Real Estate had been falling for a long time, and the moment he bought in, a major positive development occurred, with the price soaring dozens of points in just one morning. Roughly calculated, he had made at least fifteen points, more than two million yuan in hand.

"Young Master Chung, the morning market is almost closed. Should we sell?" Zeng Jianye's throat was dry, and his voice was filled with nervousness.

"No rush," Zhong Wei waved his hand. "We'll leave it for this afternoon."

Xu Zhengmao's eyes lit up instantly: "Young Master Zhong, will it go up again this afternoon?"

"Hehe." Zhong Wei smiled but did not answer.

Xu Zhengmao immediately pulled out his card and shoved it in front of Zeng Jianye: "Give me my account to buy Southern Real Estate too, two hundred thousand... no, five hundred thousand!" If it weren't for the strict rules of the bank that forbid trading your own stocks during work hours, Zeng Jianye would have wanted to join in.

"It's making my heart itch," Huang Manyu said, blinking half-jokingly.

"Haha!" Zhong Wei laughed loudly.

After lunch, the group went to a seafood restaurant. Huang Manyu ordered without hesitation, including lobster and crab, and even added a double-headed abalone for each person, clearly trying to squeeze money out of Zhong Wei. But this meal cost several thousand yuan, which was just a drop in the bucket for him, who had earned two million that morning, and he didn't even blink.

Seeing his nonchalant demeanor, Huang Manyu felt that the mist surrounding him was impenetrable, which fueled her curiosity even more.

Back in the HSBC VIP room in the afternoon, at 1 PM sharp, the numbers on the screen were alarmingly high. Southern Asset Management was surging upwards, and the other stocks also turned positive, with even the lowest gain exceeding ten percent. Southern Asset Management reached thirty-five percent, and Xu Zhengmao, who entered the market later, also reaped a ten percent bonus.

Near the close of trading, Southern Property's stock price surged to 57 points—leaving everyone in the room stunned.

Is he a god?

It had only risen 25% in the morning session, but it surged even higher in the afternoon, jumping from 25% to 57%.

This is too weird...

Not only this one, but the other four stocks in Zhong Wei's portfolio, although not as crazy, have all risen by more than 27%.

In total, the funds increased by more than 30%.

With ten minutes left before the market closed, Zhong Wei suddenly spoke up: "Except for Southern Real Estate, the other four have all been sold off."

"Huh? Young Master Chung!" Zeng Jianye's hand trembled.

Huang Manyu was also stunned—those stocks were on a strong upward trend and might even surge again tomorrow, so why sell them so easily?

Zeng Jianye didn't ask any questions. In two minutes, his fingers flew across the keyboard, and he sold all four stocks.

"Young Master Chung, is Southern Real Estate still in operation?" Xu Zhengmao leaned closer, his eyes full of doubt.

"We'll talk about it tomorrow." Zhong Wei glanced at the market, a faint smile playing on his lips. "We can push it up again tomorrow."

"What? It can surge even further?" Xu Zhengmao's eyes lit up.

Zhong Wei nodded: "Yes, it might go up a bit. But remember to sell it all before the market closes tomorrow morning."

"Understood!" Xu Zhengmao replied readily, his eyes filled with a mysterious trust as he looked at Zhong Wei—Southern Real Estate had been falling for almost half a year, but Zhong Wei's purchase caused a surge, jumping 57 percent in a single day, an incredible increase.

"Young Master Zhong, all the stocks are sold out, and the money will be in your account soon." Zeng Jianye breathed a sigh of relief. Today felt like a historic moment. The mysterious Young Master Zhong seemed to have a golden touch, with all five stocks soaring to the top, an astonishingly bizarre turn of events.

Chung Weichong and Tsang Kin-yip nodded, then turned and asked Wong Manyu with a smile, "Manager Wong, can we buy US stocks here?"

"What? Buy US stocks?" Huang Manyu's eyes widened, and she gasped in surprise.

"Yes." Zhong Wei nodded. He made about 30% profit on these Hong Kong stocks, which is roughly four million in cash. But that's not enough to satisfy him; he needs to make another fortune in the US stock market.

"Mr. Chung..." Huang Manyu pondered, "HSBC can buy stocks in stock markets around the world."

"Okay." Zhong Wei handed over two slips of paper. "Buy these two when the US stock market opens tonight."

China is thirteen hours behind the United States; when the US stock market opens, it's midnight here.

"All the funds in the account were invested?" Huang Manyu asked in surprise.

"nonsense."

Huang Manyu frowned: "Young Master Zhong, why don't you come over after 10 p.m. tonight? Zeng Jianye and I will keep watch."

"No need," Zhong Wei waved his hand and smiled. "I'll buy this stock tonight and sell it today, then let it sit for a day or two and see."

Hearing him speak so confidently, Huang Manyu was stunned—where did he get his confidence from?

"Then tomorrow..." she asked tentatively.

"I'll come again before the Hong Kong Grand Opening tomorrow," Zhong Wei said with a slight smile.

"Okay, I'll be waiting for you tomorrow." Huang Manyu's curiosity grew even stronger. After spending a day together, she hadn't seen through Zhong Wei at all. On the contrary, she felt that the fog surrounding him was getting thicker and thicker, like an unsolvable mystery. But it was precisely this mysterious aura that captivated her, making her unable to look away and unable to resist wanting to peel back the fog to see what was inside.

Little did she know that by pulling on the surface, she would only sink deeper into trouble.

"Old Xu," Zhong Wei turned to Xu Zhengmao, "Let's go back."

"Understood, Young Master Zhong." Xu Zhengmao followed respectfully.

After the two left the VIP room, Huang Manyu stared blankly at Zhong Wei's retreating figure, then looked up at Zeng Jianye and asked, "Jianye, what's the background of this young master Zhong?"

"I..." Zeng Jianye scratched his head and smiled bitterly, "I can't see through him. But he... is no different from a god."

Zhong Wei and Xu Zhengmao went downstairs and headed straight for the parking lot. Xu Zhengmao started the car and slowly drove towards the hotel.

Back in his hotel room, Zhong Wei touched his chin, his brows furrowing slightly—he had been so focused on buying stocks that he had poured all his money into his daily expenses, forgetting to keep 200,000 yuan on hand.

"Young Master Chung, what's wrong?" Xu Zhengmao asked, fastening his seatbelt as he turned around.

Zhong Wei forced a smile: "Old Xu, lend me 200,000 first, I'll pay you back 200,000 in a few days."

"Mr. Chung, you're too kind." Xu Zhengmao handed over a HSBC card. "Originally 750,000, I spent 500,000 on stocks, so I have 200,000 left. The PIN is the last few digits of the card number."

Zhong Wei took it and put it in his pocket without refusing—he would return it in a few days anyway.

"I'll head back now and pick you up tomorrow morning." Xu Zhengmao saluted him.

"Mm." Zhong Wei nodded.

Back in his room, he glanced next door. Lu Guoqiang and Huang Xiaowei weren't there; he guessed Dafei had taken them out to play. Zhong Wei's lips curled into a wicked smile: "Let Guoqiang and the others experience some corruption tonight—get a taste of capitalism first, so they can handle the dirty work later."

He unscrewed the bottle of mineral water, took two gulps, collapsed onto the bed, and fell into a deep sleep almost immediately—he had been busy all day and his bones felt like they were about to fall apart.

He didn't know how long he had slept when the knocking on the door started loudly. Zhong Wei rubbed his eyes and sat up. His vision was blurry for a while before it cleared, and his head was still spinning.

"Third Brother, are you back yet? Shall we go eat?" It was Lu Guoqiang's voice from outside the door.

"Dinner?" Zhong Wei frowned and touched the clock on the wall above his bed—it was 9:30. He was stunned. Had he slept for more than two hours?

"Wait a minute, I'm going to take a shower. I'll call you in twenty minutes," Zhong Wei shouted.

"Yes!" Lu Guoqiang responded crisply.

Zhong Wei closed the door and went into the bathroom, taking a leisurely shower. He felt relaxed all over, as if a burden had been lifted, and even his fatigue disappeared. After getting dressed and tidying himself up, the knocking on the door rang out again right on time.

When I opened the door, I saw Lu Guoqiang and Huang Xiaowei standing outside. Both of them had changed into clothes they bought in Hong Kong and looked very energetic.

"Let's go." Zhong Wei stepped downstairs, where Da Fei was already waiting in the lobby. He came up to greet him as soon as he saw him.

"Dafei, find the most authentic seafood stall, the freshest stuff." Zhong Wei waved his hand, rejecting the Western restaurant—those knife and fork etiquette were too much trouble; a food stall was much more convenient. Hong Kong is by the sea, and the seafood is incredibly fresh. Beijing's logistics aren't keeping up; where can you find such fresh seafood?

"Young Master Zhong, I know a place!" Da Fei's eyes lit up. "Celebrities and tycoons love to go there, and the food is authentic."

"Right there." Zhong Wei nodded.

The van drove for half an hour and stopped at a seafood stall near the sea. All the seafood was kept on fishing boats outside; you could order directly from the boat, the seafood still lively and fresh. Zhong Wei ordered a large lobster, several pounds of crab, and garlic oysters for everyone—especially for Lu Guoqiang and his group. He also added two abalones, one for each person. Da Fei stared at the menu, secretly thinking that Young Master Zhong was going to "gorge" them.

When the dishes were served, the aroma of fresh seafood filled the air. Everyone ate with gusto, the sweetness and freshness of the seafood exploding in their mouths, exclaiming, "A delicacy!"

When the bill was handed to him, Lu Guoqiang's lips twitched: "Fifteen thousand? Just for this table of seafood?"

"My God..." Huang Xiaowei's eyes widened.

Dafei scratched his head, looking a little embarrassed.

Zhong Wei waved his hand and laughed, "I'm happy today, let's celebrate, it's on me." He then swiped his card.

On the way back to the hotel, Zhong Wei had Da Fei escort him downstairs, then pulled out a card and handed it to Lu Guoqiang: "There's 185,000 in here, the password is the last few digits."

"Brother, what are you going to do with this money?" Lu Guoqiang panicked.

Zhong Wei winked at Dafei, his wicked grin widening: "Dafei, which nightclub in Hong Kong is the best? Take Guoqiang and the others there for a night, and you and your two underlings' expenses will be included."

"Thank you, Young Master Zhong!" Da Fei grinned instantly, straightening his back.