YA Ch94: Opportunities

What the heck is “miraculous foresight”? He was just counting down the time while munching on carrots.

Lu Yu maintained a mysterious demeanor on the surface, unsure how to continue this conversation. He couldn’t possibly tell Mr. Zheng that he had connections with some fake fortune teller and could foresee events, right?

Luckily, the number one fan appeared just in time, breaking the awkward silence.

Hong Wuyang walked out of the building, excitedly waving at them, “Come on, come in!”

It was peak office hours, and the white-collar workers were lining up in front of the elevators, packed like sardines. Fortunately, the elevator to Hongxiao Capital was a private one, with a separate entrance, so they didn’t have to squeeze in with the crowd.

The elevator only went to the 19th floor and above; there were no buttons for anything below the 19th floor to prevent employees from other companies from using it.

Zheng Wuqiong glanced at the control panel with very few buttons and complimented, “Hongxiao Capital is really frugal and modest.”

Considering they were one of the top three financial groups in the country, sharing a building this way seemed a bit thrifty.

Hong Wuyang scratched his head, looking a little embarrassed, “Our old man believes money should be spent where it matters.”

The elevator ascended all the way to the top floor. With a “ding,” the doors opened. Standing outside was a beautiful secretary with long hair and bright red lips, greeting them with a warm smile.

The elevator led straight into a small reception room covered in carpet, with sofas and coffee tables, all very stylish. The open layout allowed for a clear view of everything at once. The entire floor was the CEO’s domain, including the CEO’s office, the secretary’s office, and the conference room, with each small area separated by transparent glass partitions.

After walking past some greenery, one could see the panoramic floor-to-ceiling windows near the CEO’s desk.

A luxurious five-meter-long executive desk stood before them, with a high-back chair facing away.

Lu Yu found this scene oddly familiar, as if he’d seen it in a dream.

When they stood still, the high-back chair slowly turned around, revealing a man in a tailored suit with a sharp executive hairstyle. He was tall, his facial features were striking and sharp, and just sitting there gave off an invisible sense of pressure—an extraordinary presence.

If there were no surprises, this man should be the current head of Hongxiao Capital, the Chief Executive Partner—Hong Wenzhao.

Lu Yu pursed his lips and whispered to Ming Yan, “He’s really playing it cool. Do you think he was facing the window the whole time before we came in?”

Ming Yan nudged him with an elbow, “Stop talking nonsense.”

The man stood up, his expression remaining calm and serious, but what he said left people puzzled: “President Lu, how do you find this office?”

Lu Yu didn’t quite understand and casually complimented, “Very spacious, looks familiar to me.”

“Familiar, right?” Hong Wuyang beamed with pride, his dimples showing as he puffed out his not-so-muscular chest, “I supervised the design of this floor, modeled after Shen Baishui’s office. Even though my brother doesn’t read novels, his aesthetic taste is surprisingly in line with President Shen’s.”

Lu Yu glanced at the stern and serious Hongxiao CEO, Hong Wenzhao, and felt a strange sense of connection. A real-life business tycoon with the same aesthetic sense as Shen Baishui, sitting in a one-to-one replica of  President Shen’s office—couldn’t he be considered President Shen’s wild, unofficial “son”? Suddenly, Lu Yu found him much less pretentious and rather likable.

The atmosphere among them instantly became more relaxed, especially after they noticed the “Money Never Sleeps” rocking ornament that Ming Yan had drawn on President Hong’s desk. Any tension evaporated.

Hong Wenzhao invited the three of them to sit in a small meeting room. Without much small talk, he immediately called over the secretary to project a presentation of the acquisition plan onto the big screen.

Number one fan, Hong Wuyang, stood awkwardly in front of the big screen, looking like a poor kid forced to perform for relatives during a family gathering.

The elder Hong brother pushed a few documents toward the three of them and said, “This project is managed by Hong Wuyang, but since he has no experience handling such a large and complex investment, I will provide some assistance. Once things are on track, I won’t intervene much.”

Hong Wuyang’s eyes widened, “I’m really going to handle it?”

Initially fired up by Lu Yu’s words, Hong Wuyang had been eager to dive in and do something big. But now, faced with the actual work, he couldn’t help but feel lazy and hesitant, wanting to pass the complicated tasks to his older brother.

The elder brother glared at his younger brother.

Immediately cowed, Hong Wuyang meekly responded, “I’ll do my best.” After that, he turned to Lu Yu, grumbling silently with exaggerated gestures, mouthing the words, “It’s all because of you.”

Having been pushed into the deep end, the number one fan had no choice but to seriously present the plan. He started off a bit awkward, with his brother filling in a few gaps, but he soon found his rhythm and gained confidence.

After listening for a while, Lu Yu quickly summarized the gist of the plan: it was a two-tiered investment.

The first tier involved Hongxiao Capital investing in Countless Technology, helping it acquire and expand the AI manufacturing plant, DCM.

Zheng Wuqiong, after many years of hard work, had some financial backing. Buying DCM wasn’t a problem, but maintaining it afterward would be tough. DCM needed expansion and new equipment. Without that, producing on a small scale would take forever to recoup costs.

The second tier involved Hongxiao Capital investing in Chenyu Technology, securing a major shareholder position in the company.

In the end, Hongxiao Capital would facilitate a partnership between the two companies.

Given Zheng Wuqiong’s background in selling children’s watches, it was unlikely that the Smart Alliance would grant him a license. Partnering with Chenyu would increase the chances of success.

After finishing, Hong Wuyang’s eyes sparkled as he looked at his brother, hoping for praise.

However, the elder Hong brother just glared at him. After a moment of reflection, he turned to Mr. Zheng, who had a kindly appearance, and said, “Let’s be clear about this upfront: what we’re offering Countless Technology is a conditional investment.”

The condition was that Countless Technology needed to obtain the license and acquire DCM; the investment would only materialize during the expansion phase. Simply put, Hongxiao was making a sure-fire deal, only investing once success was guaranteed.

Zheng Wuqiong smiled wryly, “I accept.”

Hong Wenzhao, accustomed to his role as CEO, knew how to add a touch of finesse. After delivering the hard news, he offered some reassurance: “Of course, we’ll provide an advance payment to help Unknown Technology through its initial financial difficulties.”

This advance would ease Mr. Zheng’s financial pressure, sparing him from having to sell off assets to keep the company afloat.

Mr. Zheng put on a grateful expression, though everyone knew that if the acquisition failed, the advance would have to be returned.

With the atmosphere a bit heavy, the number one fan quickly turned to Lu Yu and said, “Our investment in Shen Yu is direct; whether the acquisition succeeds or not, I’ll be part of Chenyu!”

Lu Yu made a gesture of a right fist hitting his left chest, thinking, What a great brother, in his heart.

Hong Wuyang couldn’t help but grin.

The elder Hong rubbed his temples, feeling the veins throb, and shot his brother a warning look to stay serious.

Ming Yan listened in silence and raised her question: “For the corporate alliance, will Chenyu be required to provide core technical data?”

“We have several partnership plans,” Hong Wuyang answered enthusiastically, “You can take a look. There’s no rush; it can be discussed further.”

Hongxiao Capital’s team was very professional in this regard. The secretary brought a thick stack of proposal documents, detailing both in-depth and surface-level cooperation plans, with each thoroughly and practically outlined.

Lu Yu was more inclined towards the in-depth cooperation, as it would give him more influence and facilitate helping tomorrow’s watch industry. Just as he was about to speak, Ming Yan kicked him under the table, so he had to shut his mouth. He waited obediently like a child accompanying their parents to an event, waiting for the adults to finish talking before getting any treats.

Ming Yan put away the proposal and said she would study it carefully, smiling, “Hongxiao Capital is providing both funds and effort; it’s like having an angel.”

Hong Wenzhao smiled slightly, “Hongxiao Capital started with angel investments. Even now, we would invest in seed projects of ten or twenty thousand.”

Lu Yu made a wing-flapping gesture towards the number one fan.

Hong Wuyang grinned, feeling as if he had sparkling wings growing behind him, using money to help people.

“We’re happy to be angels.” Hong Wenzhao switched the content on the big screen to show the latest announcement from the AI Data Alliance, “The premise is the approval of the AI Data Alliance.”

The latest announcement showed that, due to previous chaotic conditions, the AI Data Alliance decided to send a professional inspection team to participate in the acquisition of DCM.

Getting approval from the Smart Alliance in advance could significantly reduce the acquisition costs.

However, winning the AI Data Alliance’s favor wasn’t easy.

DCM, having offended the Smart Alliance years ago, despite their advanced AI manufacturing technology, had never been granted a license, leading to their downfall.

“What are their preferences?” Lu Yu asked.

“I don’t know their preferences, but I do know what they dislike,” Zheng Wuqiong, who had extensive connections, spoke up with the information he had gathered, “The AI Data Alliance is made up of scientists, and they… dislike people with low IQs.”

Lu Yu twitched his lips, “Why is there an IQ discrimination in business?”

Hong Wuyang shrank his neck, self-consciously saying, “Then I won’t make an appearance.”

Hong Wenzhao rubbed his younger brother’s head: “You all should prepare well and understand some professional knowledge.”

So the inspection was actually to test the manufacturer’s IQ? Lu Yu whispered to Ming Yan, “Looks like the supposedly smart boss isn’t so smart after all.”

It had been years without any recognition.

Ming Yan suppressed a smile, “DCM didn’t mean it that way.”

Zheng Wuqiong asked Hong Wenzhao, “President Hong, can you find out who will be leading the team?” Hongxiao Capital, being such a large conglomerate, not only invested in domestic enterprises but was also influential abroad. Since they had invited them today, there must be some key information not disclosed to the public.

Hong Wenzhao didn’t keep them in suspense and directly gave a name: “Dr. Mitchell Li, the Chinese-American.”

A Chinese-American doctor, with no language barriers, was even harder to deal with than those who spoke foreign languages.

“President Zheng, what will you do?” Hong Wuyang looked sympathetically at Zheng Wuqiong, the aging business legend. His memory might not keep up, and he might face the same IQ discrimination as himself.

Zheng Wuqiong pondered for a moment and suddenly looked at Lu Yu with sharp eyes: “President Lu, why don’t you calculate again and see if we still have any opportunities?”

The inscrutable President Lu: “……”

A dead end.

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Author’s note:

As for the business aspects, don’t pay too much attention to them; I made it up.