"I helped you out of the kindness of my heart, and now you turn around and say I used you! Sigh! It’s really hard to be a good person," Yi Anguo said, shaking his head.
Zhuo Weidong, however, knew that Yi Anguo wasn’t that simple. He had realized this from the very first ti they started working together. A simple, ordinary person wouldn’t dare to accept 1,000 apartnts and tens of millions in cash. But Yi Anguo had accepted it without hesitation, even using the opportunity to change his fate and soar to new heights. In just three short years, he had paid off all his property loans, established several companies under his na, and still had the resources to help Ou Xiaolong through a crisis. He had helped Ou Xiaolong annex the Ren Family, not only using him to eliminate a hidden threat but also earning his gratitude.
Just by helping him and Ou Xiaolong, Yi Anguo had already invested 2.2 billion yuan. With the 5,000 apartnts he owned, he was already far wealthier than Zhuo Weidong. If a man like that was considered ordinary, then who on earth wasn’t? Never mind the number of companies under Yi Anguo’s na; he owned over 5,000 properties alone. In another year, he would own another 6,000-plus properties. If real estate prices continued to soar, that 2.2 billion investnt wouldn’t just double; a fifty percent increase was practically guaranteed. After all, the properties they were giving him were already discounted by twenty percent.
"Brother Yi, no matter what, I have to thank you. Even if you really did use , I’m perfectly fine with it," Zhuo Weidong said with great sincerity.
"Let’s not dwell on the past. I’m just curious, Brother Zhuo, are you married?" Yi Anguo asked, changing the subject.
"I was, but we divorced. Why the sudden question?" Zhuo Weidong felt baffled.
"Oh, no reason. Just curious. Also, I did a little calculation, and I’d say good things are coming your way," Yi Anguo said, putting on the air of a fortune teller.
"Since when did you learn to tell fortunes? Are you any good at it?" Zhuo Weidong asked with a chuckle, assuming it was all a joke and not taking it seriously.
"With fortune-telling, it’s accurate if you believe and inaccurate if you don’t. It all cos down to fate. Sincerity makes it work; insincerity doesn’t," Yi Anguo said profoundly, affecting the mysterious air of an enlightened master.
"Alright then, I’ll humor you. Enlighten about my future marriage. What’s her last na? Her first na? What does she do for a living? Is she beautiful? How much younger is she than ?" Zhuo Weidong fired off a series of questions.
"Her na? I certainly can’t tell you that. The secrets of heaven must not be revealed!" Yi Anguo said with a playful smile. "As for the rest, I can give you a few hints. Is she beautiful? Definitely. If she weren’t, you wouldn’t be interested."
"As for her age... I can only say she’s much younger than you. Young enough to be your daughter, in fact. About twenty-five years younger."
"Her profession? She’s a singer and an actress."
"Are you being serious? Twenty-five years younger, I can accept that. But a singer and an actress is impossible. I would never marry a woman from the entertainnt industry," Zhuo Weidong said, shaking his head.
"You can’t fight fate. When it arrives, there’s nothing you can do to stop it," Yi Anguo said with a laugh. "You’ll see when the ti cos. Anyway, Brother Zhuo, I also calculated that you might be planning to apply for a listing in Hong Kong next year?"
"I do have such a plan. How did you know? I don’t think I’ve told you," Zhuo Weidong said, clearly surprised. The idea had only occurred to him recently, and he hadn’t ntioned it to anyone. He couldn’t figure out how Yi Anguo knew.
"I calculated it, of course," Yi Anguo continued, maintaining his mysterious facade. "Your company collaborated with Wanggang Village to build four office towers over 200 ters tall, which have beco landmarks in Shenzhen City. Your ambitions have naturally grown. You want to go public in Hong Kong to raise capital and make your company even bigger and stronger. Am I wrong?"
"You’re right on all counts. That’s exactly what I’m thinking. So, what do you think? If I pursue an IPO in Hong Kong, will I succeed?"
Zhuo Weidong knew Yi Anguo’s "calculations" were just a joke, but he couldn’t help wanting to hear his opinion.
"My calculations tell that the timing is probably not right," Yi Anguo said, shaking his head.
Just then, a commotion rippled through the venue. Another important guest had arrived.
"Do you know who that is? Zhang Jing, the CEO of Central International Company. It’s a massive semiconductor company specializing in integrated circuits, with an investnt of 1.5 billion US dollars," Zhuo Weidong explained from the side.
An investnt of 1.5 billion US dollars, which at the ti of Central International’s founding was equivalent to over 12 billion RMB, certainly qualified it as a corporate giant.
"So that’s Zhang Jing, the founder of Central International!" Yi Anguo remarked. At this point, Zhang Jing was not yet sixty and didn’t look old at all; he seed full of energy.
"Now that’s a true entrepreneur! For our country to develop, strengthen, and rejuvenate, for our nation to achieve its great revival, we need high-tech companies like Central International and talented business leaders like him," Yi Anguo said with genuine emotion. "You know, I also want to establish a high-tech company like that, but I don’t have the expertise, and I wouldn’t know where to find the right talent. I’m completely ignorant in that field."
"As a boss, you can’t be an expert in everything. As long as you have money, do you really think you can’t find the talent you need?" Zhuo Weidong said dismissively. "There are over 20,000 Chinese tech professionals in Arica’s Silicon Valley, spanning every industry. The only reason they don’t return is the pay is too low. If you could offer them salaries higher than what they make in the States, I’m not saying all of them would co back, but many would be willing to work for you."
"Perhaps you’re right, but it’s still over my head. How would I even know who is qualified to work for ?" Yi Anguo asked. "That’s why you need introductions. If I could befriend Zhang Jing and ask him to recomnd talent for a high-tech company I create, wouldn’t that make things much easier?"
"Zhang Jing is Taiwanese. Most of the people he knows in the States are also from Taiwan. The talent he’s cultivated, he’s basically brought them all over to work at Central International. What talent would be left for him to recomnd to you?" Zhuo Weidong said, shaking his head.
"Not necessarily. Besides the people he brought with him, there must be others out there," Yi Anguo countered.
The main event of the investnt reception began: the introduction of important guests. The most important guest of the evening was, without a doubt, Zhang Jing, the President and CEO of Central International Company. The the of the night was to welco Mr. Zhang Jing and the investnt delegation from his company, who were in Shenzhen to explore investnt opportunities.
Next, Zhang Jing was invited to give a speech. He began by praising Shenzhen City and then stated that Central International planned to invest in building a factory there.
After the speech, the guests were free to mingle. Companies and entrepreneurs seeking funding began to approach their targets, trying to persuade investors.
Yi Anguo’s eyes remained fixed on Zhang Jing. Then, to his surprise, he saw his personal assistant, Zhou ngdie, appear in his line of sight, walking directly toward Zhang Jing. At that mont, Zhang Jing was conversing with the event organizers, likely officials in charge of investnt promotion, when Zhou ngdie directly interrupted them.
Yi Anguo hadn’t expected this. So this was what Zhou ngdie ant by ’I’ll do my best to arrange it.’ It was so simple, so blunt, it was almost too crude to watch.
Yi Anguo turned away, trying to avoid being noticed by his assistant to spare himself the embarrassnt. He had no idea what she was about to say to Zhang Jing.
"Hello, Mr. Zhang! Might I be so bold as to interrupt you for a mont?" Zhou ngdie said directly as she approached him.
"Hello. How can I help you?" Zhang Jing replied politely, though he was unsure of her intentions.
"I am Zhou ngdie, assistant to the president of Hong Kong Hualong Investnt Company. Our president, Mr. Yi Anguo, deeply admires you for returning to China to establish Central International. He has great respect for your work in revitalizing the dostic high-tech industry and advancing the semiconductor and chip manufacturing sectors.
"Our president also wishes to invest in founding a semiconductor company, whether in chip manufacturing or packaging equipnt, to contribute his part to the revitalization of dostic technology and the great revival of our nation.
"For these reasons, he is very eager to get to know you. I was wondering if it would be possible to invite you for a private eting to discuss this further?"
"Hong Kong Hualong Investnt Company?" Zhang Jing repeated, looking puzzled. The company wasn’t well-known; it was the first ti he had ever heard the na.
"Mr. Zhang, have you heard of Anjing Online Supermarket? Our company has invested 30 million US dollars in it across two funding rounds," Zhou ngdie prompted.
Zhang Jing still looked completely baffled. He hadn’t followed that at all.
"What about Huafeng Precision Technology Manufacturing Group?" Zhou ngdie tried again.
"Huafeng Precision Technology Manufacturing Group... I know that company. It has been expanding very rapidly this year," Zhang Jing said with a nod. "But isn’t its parent company Chen’s Enterprise Corporation?"
"Huafeng Precision Technology Manufacturing Group was integrated and founded by our president, Mr. Yi Anguo, during his tenure as Vice President of Chen’s Enterprise Corporation," Zhou ngdie explained.
"I see. So why is he now the president of Hualong Investnt Company?" Zhang Jing asked, finally understanding the connection.
"Mr. Yi’s role as Vice President at Chen’s Enterprise Corporation was rely to help out. In reality, Mr. Yi has many of his own investnts and businesses. The details will beco much clearer once you have a chance to et and speak with him," Zhou ngdie explained.
"Alright then. I can et him in one hour at the Shangri-La Hotel," Zhang Jing said after a mont’s thought, finally nodding in agreent.
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