Huayu: I rely on hit-movie tactics to interweave...

Chapter 71 Siblings and the Chess Game

The window faces east, and the afternoon sunlight shines in at an angle.

Liu Yu sat on the edge of the bed, unzipped the jacket, and looked inside.

Liu Yu took out the items one by one and placed them on the coffee table. Looking at the table full of dishes, he suddenly felt a lump in his throat.

He thought about calling his mother, but then put it down.

What should I say after calling? Say thank you? That's too formal. Tell her she cooked too much food and we can't finish it? She'll definitely start nagging again.

Liu Yu took out his phone, just about to send a message to his older sister to ask when she would arrive, when the doorbell rang.

He stood up to open the door. Liu Min stood in the doorway, wearing a camel-colored trench coat over a black turtleneck sweater. Her hair was loose, and she wore light makeup. She looked much more refined than when she was in Changsha. The environment in Shanghai naturally gave off an atmosphere that made people want to dress up.

She was carrying two cups of milk tea, one original flavor and one red bean flavor. It was her habit to buy two cups every time they met; the original flavor was for him, and the red bean flavor was for her.

Liu Yu stepped aside to let her in. As she changed her shoes, she glanced at the neatly stacked lunchboxes on the coffee table, smiled slightly, but didn't mince words.

"How much did Mom bring you? She's going to feed you like a pig for the New Year!" She placed the milk tea on the coffee table. "It looks like it was freshly made this morning. I'm afraid Mom has been treating you like a precious treasure since you came back this time."

"Sis, don't be so sour." Liu Yu picked up the original milk tea, inserted the straw, and took a sip. "Didn't Mom send you enough chili sauce? Last time you told me you had three unopened bottles in your office fridge. Besides, if you said a few nice things to her on the phone, she might send you a whole case."

“That’s different. That was sent, but you ate it yourself.” Liu Min sat down on the sofa, crossed her legs, and held the cup of red bean milk tea in both hands. She didn’t insert a straw, but just held the cup in her hands as if warming her hands. Her gaze did not leave his face. “Tell me, what else did you come to Shanghai this time besides to see me? You wouldn’t make a special trip for nothing.”

Liu Yu also sat down, separated from her by a coffee table.

"Sis, I'm planning to start an investment company. The kind that specializes in investing in internet and new energy projects." He paused, put his milk tea cup on the table, and rested his hands on his knees. "Also, at the end of this year, I plan to put a sum of money into Apple's US stocks and Tencent's Hong Kong stocks, and sell them before October next year. I predict that these two stocks will see a significant increase."

He spoke calmly when he said he was judging those two words, but he knew in his heart that this was not a judgment, but something that had already happened.

In his previous life, the growth of these two companies between the end of 2006 and 2007 was enough to change the trajectory of anyone who made early arrangements.

Liu Min stopped drinking her milk tea.

She looked at him for a few seconds, then put her cup on the coffee table. "Do you know what you're saying?"

Her tone wasn't surprised, but rather one of scrutinizing calm: "Apple is currently trading at over $40 a share, and Tencent's P/E ratio isn't low either. What makes you think they'll continue to rise?"

Her question was very direct, as if she were testing him.

Liu Yu didn't rush to answer. "Apple's business is still in its growth phase, and its current price is far from its ceiling. Tencent is even more so; QQ's user base is still growing, its gaming business is just starting, and mobile internet hasn't fully taken off yet. If we don't enter now, it'll be too late once everyone sees it."

19

Liu Min didn't interrupt him. She waited until he finished speaking before leaning back on the sofa, her gaze lingering on his face for a few seconds.

She knew her younger brother too well. When they were little, he was clumsy in everything he did. He would fall into a puddle while fishing in the river, and he would get stuck and cry for her when he climbed a tree to pick fruit.

After he returned from military service, he seemed like a completely different person. He had his own logic in everything he did, and he didn't easily explain himself to others, but the results he achieved were often correct.

From NetEase back then to Tencent later, and then to that wave of the European Cup, they've always been right on time, as if they had a schedule in advance.

She didn't know how he did it, but she learned not to ask why, because he wouldn't tell her anyway.

"Okay. Send me the proposal, and I'll have someone take a look." She said casually, "If it's feasible, I can allocate some funds to support you, in addition to your own."

After saying that, she picked up her milk tea and took a sip. The red bean got stuck in the straw, so she took a big sip and made a gurgling sound.

Liu Yu knew this wasn't just a casual remark; her agreement meant she was not only willing to help him with the process, but also considered it a serious matter between them.

"Sis, aren't you afraid I'll lose out?"

Liu Min glanced at him, a slight smile playing on her lips.

"You've lost out. At worst, I'll pawn you to Mom and have her exchange you for stir-fried pork with chili peppers."

That evening, Liu Min booked a table at one of her usual restaurants.

The shop is located in an old alleyway, with no sign at the entrance, only a warm yellow lamp.

Pushing open the door, you'll find several wooden tables set up, spaced far apart to ensure privacy. A faint aroma of Shaoxing wine and soy sauce simmering with meat wafts through the air.

The owner was a middle-aged man wearing an apron. He nodded when he saw Liu Min come in, "I'll save you your usual seat."

The private room on the second floor was small, with a view of the winding alleyways outside the window, and the neon lights of Lujiazui in the distance blurred into a halo in the night.

The dishes were served one after another: steamed sea bass, stir-fried shrimp, crab roe tofu, and a pot of steaming hot stew with bamboo shoots and ham. A thin layer of golden oil floated on the soup, and the salty aroma of ham and the sweetness of bamboo shoots were mixed together.

Liu Min picked up a piece of crab roe tofu with her chopsticks, but didn't put it in her mouth right away. She placed it on the side of the bowl to cool it down a bit before opening it.

"To be honest, I don't know much about the internet. You mentioned Apple and Tencent..." She tapped the table twice with the tip of her chopsticks, as if punctuating her words, "I've had someone review the data, and they are indeed two companies with very solid fundamentals. But how much are you planning to invest?"

Liu Yu picked up a piece of sea bass and chewed it slowly.

"I have about 100 million US dollars in cash on hand to distribute among various sources."

He swallowed the fish meat. "Apple takes the majority, Tencent the minority, roughly a 70/30 split. Apple has a large market capitalization, good liquidity, and easy entry and exit. Tencent's market capitalization is relatively smaller, and I already own a significant number of shares, so it's not advisable to hold too many."

Liu Min's chopsticks paused in mid-air, and her expression finally softened slightly.

"Do you have that much cash on hand?"

"The revenue sharing from 'The Man from Nowhere' has arrived, plus some other income, it's about right." Liu Yu's tone was casual. "Don't worry, sis, I know what I'm doing."

Liu Min looked at him for a while, put down her chopsticks, picked up her teacup and took a sip.

"Alright. Since you know what you're doing, I won't ask any more questions." She put down her teacup, her voice lowering slightly. "But there's something I need to remind you: the more money you have, the more people will be watching you. I've seen all the news about you in the media. You haven't even returned to Beijing yet, and those people have already arranged scripts and casting for you. This time you've taken a big step, but it's more important to walk steadily than to walk fast."

"Sis, when did you become so long-winded?" Liu Yu lowered his head to drink his soup, stirring the bamboo shoots in his bowl with his chopsticks.

"I've always been this long-winded, you just haven't noticed." Liu Min picked up the sea bass again, dipped it in soy sauce, and put it in her mouth.

After finishing their meal, the two walked out along the alleyway.

The wind is strong in Shanghai in February, but it's not as dry and cold as in Beijing. Instead, it carries a damp, chilly feeling, as if it's blowing from the Huangpu River.

Liu Min put her hands in her coat pockets, hunched her shoulders, and walked faster than Liu Yu.

Liu Yu followed behind, watching her long shadow, stretched by the streetlights, move across the brick wall, alternating between light and shadow.

This scene reminded him of his childhood in the old streets of Changsha, where she would walk ahead and he would follow behind, always a step behind, never quite catching up, never falling behind.

"Liu Yu." She suddenly stopped, turned around to wait for him, "What are you planning to name your investment company?"

Liu Yu walked over to her and thought for a moment.

"Former investors".

Liu Min's lips curled into a slight smile. "It's 'Old Wave' again. Are you really into the term 'Old Wave'? Old Wave Pictures, Old Wave Investment, what's next? Old Wave Real Estate Development?"

"It sounds right." Liu Yu put his hands in his pockets and walked forward side by side with her.

"Fine, the old guard it is."

The next morning, Liu Yu went to Liu Min's company with her.

The company is located in an office building in Pudong. The building is not high up, but it has a wide view. The floor-to-ceiling windows face the Huangpu River, and you can see the tall and short buildings of Lujiazui across the river gleaming coldly in the morning sunlight.

The office was already busy with people. Liu Min led Liu Yu to a small meeting room by the window, where a potted green ivy with wilted leaves sat on the windowsill.

"Sit down." Liu Min sat down across from him at the conference table, turning a laptop towards him. "These are the financial reports of Apple and Tencent for the past two years, as well as an industry analysis report that I had someone compile. Take a look first, and we can discuss your thoughts later."

That's her way of doing things: she does her homework quietly, then lays it out in front of you and see what you say.

Liu Yu flipped through the reports; the data was very detailed, and the analysis was quite insightful.

In his view, no matter how impressive these figures are, they are only a small part of the iceberg that is visible above the water.

What he really cares about is what lies beneath the surface—the value that hasn't yet been fully recognized by the market but will gradually emerge in the coming years.

In the afternoon, Liu Min took him to see an empty office.

In another office building, on a floor lower than Liu Min's company, the view from the window was good, overlooking a green area along the river.

The house is not big, about 100 square meters. The floor is made of light-colored wood grain panels, and the walls have just been painted white, with the smell of paint still lingering.

Liu Yu stood in the center of the room and walked around it. "When will this be finished?"

"Next week." Liu Min leaned against the doorframe, hands in her coat pockets. "The office furniture has already been ordered. Should we hang that 'Former Wave Investment' sign outside or inside?"

Liu Yu thought for a moment, "Let's hang it at the door, so everyone can see it at a glance."

As I stepped out of the office building, the evening air was filled with the aroma of roasted sweet potatoes.

There was a cart on the street corner, and an old man was turning over the sweet potatoes in the tin stove. The skin was charred black and steaming.

Liu Min stopped, bought one, broke it in half, and handed one half to Liu Yu.

The sweet potato was very hot, and Liu Yu had to switch it between his hands several times before he could hold it steady.

He took a bite; it was sweet, soft, and had a smoky, charcoal-smoked flavor, exactly like the food he used to eat on the streets of Changsha when he was a child.

The two walked along the roadside, munching on sweet potatoes as they went.

Liu Min suddenly spoke up, "Liu Yu, have you ever thought that the things you've done are nothing like your real age?"

""

Liu Yu paused, almost dropping the sweet potato in his hand.

"What do you mean?"

"I just think you're too mature for your age." Liu Min took a bite of sweet potato, chewed it a couple of times, and said, "Other people's twenty-five or twenty-six-year-olds are either busy dating, playing games, or drinking and bragging with their friends. But you, all you do is think about how to plan, how to invest, and how to make blockbusters. Sometimes I feel like you've lived two lives."

The sweet potato in Liu Yu's throat slid, he paused for a moment, then quickly returned to normal, lowered his head and finished chewing the sweet potato, speaking in a half-serious, half-joking tone.

"Maybe it's true."

Liu Min glanced at him, then choked on her sweet potato. "Don't scare me. If you really lived two lives, you must have suffered so much more than others."

She was chewing sweet potato as she said this, her voice muffled, as if she were talking to herself.

After walking a few more steps, she smiled and asked, "The internet is going crazy over the female lead for your new movie. You really don't have any ideas?"

Liu Yu thought for a moment, "There are a few candidates, but it's not decided yet. No rush, we'll talk about it when we get back to Beijing."

"Then you'd better be mentally prepared. Once you get to Beijing, you'll probably be answering phone calls non-stop."

"I'm already answering them." Liu Yu finished the last bite of sweet potato, dusted off his hands, and said, "The number of missed calls I have in my phone is almost equal to the total number for last year. Some are genuinely interested in collaborating, some are just there for the fun of it, and some are simply wrong numbers. You know what the most outrageous one was? Someone claimed to be a distant relative of ours, saying he watched me grow up and wanted me to arrange a role for his daughter."

He shook his head as he spoke, his tone tinged with helplessness.

Liu Min burst out laughing, so laughing that she squatted down by the roadside.

Back at the hotel that evening, Liu Yu plugged in his phone to charge and sat on the edge of the bed, gazing at the Shanghai night view outside the window.

In the distance, Lujiazui is brightly lit, and the lights of the Oriental Pearl Tower shine like a luminous pointer in the night, pointing to the sky.

He recalled that in his previous life, at this age, he was drinking with clients in a car market in Changsha. He drank until 2 a.m. and was vomiting while leaning against the wall.

At that time, he felt very successful. Before he was thirty, he had become the largest high-end car dealer in the province, with dozens of people under him and a daily turnover of millions.

He never stood by the hotel window to look out back then; he didn't have the time or the inclination.

Now he stands here, twenty-six years old, has made four movies, holds several projects, and has just finalized a $100 million investment plan with his sister.

He didn't know if this counted as a success, but he knew he hadn't gone down the wrong path.

In the darkness, he heard the faint sound of a ship's horn coming from the Huangpu River outside the window, like the call of a giant whale in the deep sea.

He closed his eyes, but his mind was still racing with those numbers, those proportions, and those time points.

Apple's earnings release date, Tencent's annual report release date, the time he prepares to build a position, and the expected window for shipment.

These numbers are like chess pieces. He has already seen the direction of the entire chessboard, but he can't say anything. He can only make his moves one by one, letting those around him gradually understand over time that every decision he makes is not without reason.