Debuted right after graduating from high school

Lately, I've been feeling listless and lacking energy.

After unexpectedly flirting with Ying Tian, ​​Fan Wumian felt a long-lost sense of novelty.

Perhaps because his life had been too smooth and his business hadn't been very challenging, he lacked anticipation in his life. By abandoning moral constraints and becoming an ordinary person, he found himself quite content.

Every time he meets a new girl, it's like starting a journey, seeing unfamiliar scenery. Unlike Pu Jiajing, who only knows how to grab a pillow and crawl into his bedroom, busy finding her own fun. They've become too familiar with each other, making it hard to find fresh topics to talk about.

After having breakfast and filling her stomach, she lingered in the master bedroom on the second floor all morning until almost noon before having a bodyguard drive her back to the film studio to continue filming.

When Fan Wumian arrived at the headquarters of the Mountain Bandit King Foundation in mainland China, he held a meeting to discuss the issuance of several new products. During the meeting, he received several text messages. Ying Tian mentioned that she had to film a scene in the afternoon where she would be arguing with her "father". She was very happy about it and worried that she would have difficulty getting into character. She also said that she had no energy at all.

After reading the text message, Fan Wumian was in no hurry to reply, worried that things were getting too heated between them too quickly, which could cause some trouble and make the other person mistakenly think that they had started a formal relationship.

After patiently listening to the introductions about the healthcare, automotive, utilities, and consumer sectors, he instructed that once the funds were raised, they should be used to purchase bonds, wealth management products, and so on. Compared to public funds, which have limited investment scope, private equity funds are more likely to achieve higher returns in a bear market.

The reason is that private equity funds can be used to invest in some non-listed companies with reasonable prices, and to invest in certain high-quality assets in the form of private equity investment. For example, Aier Eye Hospital, as well as Huazhu Hotel and Hanting Hotel, have recently been in contact with private equity managers under Fan Wumian in an attempt to obtain financing.

Mainland companies often become targets of multinational corporations when seeking financing or listing overseas. Many local brands have had their actual management replaced by foreigners overnight, becoming a springboard for foreign capital to seize the mainland market and make profits.

Fan Wumian's available funds have provided many companies with a new financing option, but unfortunately, many assets are currently overvalued, making it difficult to reach private equity investment agreements smoothly.

The contradiction lies in the fact that many companies clearly lack funds for development, yet they still want to price their companies according to the average price-to-earnings ratio of similar listed companies in the A-share market. The bubble is too big, making it impossible for the valuation analysts under the Mountain King Fund to proceed further.

The past few months have been tough. The plan to target speculative capital was both successful and unsuccessful. Although it saved countless investors from being acquired, the cost was that Fan Wumian himself lost billions of RMB in earnings and indirectly lost over 10 billion RMB.

Some trends of the times are unstoppable. He felt that he was already a rare and precious person in the business world for being able to stay out of trouble and not harm others. Therefore, Fan Wumian was currently only focused on his own development.

In the afternoon, in the office with a great view of the Huangpu River and Lujiazui, I sifted through a large pile of documents and found some projects that I remembered, such as Longji Green Energy and Oufei Optoelectronics. I then handed them over to the private equity manager to make contact with. Afterwards, I had a meal with an executive named Shi Tangfeng.

This consultant, Mr. Shi, previously worked at FAW-Audi and was an employee of the German company. He was poached by Fan Wumian with a high salary to work at the newly established R&D center. He is currently helping Land Rover and Aston Martin develop new cars and looking for high-quality parts from mainland China that can be localized.

At this moment.

The two sat in a Western restaurant in the Jin Mao Tower. Shi Tangfeng was eloquent and outgoing, and spoke fluently:
“I discovered long ago that many domestic auto parts suppliers have been busy doing OEM manufacturing for foreign companies for many years, and have accumulated mature technology and experience. With the advantages of parts cost and labor cost, they have enabled international car brands to make a lot of money.”

“The labor cost for producing the same Audi is only one-tenth of that in Germany, and the cost of parts is also seven or eight thousand dollars cheaper. The advantages of Mr. Fan placing the factory in Hengqin Special Economic Zone are obvious. The automotive industry chain in the UK is not as mature, and the overall cost of manufacturing cars is higher. Cars produced in the UK are about 10 RMB more expensive than those produced in mainland China. Now, we also avoid paying high import tariffs.”

"Although the prototype has not yet been developed, I have already contacted a group of capable domestic parts suppliers. It's not that they lack the ability to produce high-quality products, but they simply have fewer orders and lack the motivation to upgrade and improve their production lines and processes."

Taking advantage of the acquisitions of Jaguar Land Rover and Aston Martin, Fan Wumian moved these automakers to Australia, another tax haven, and secured considerable policy support, including 100% tax deduction for R&D expenses, talent settlement quotas, corporate income tax reductions, CEPA zero tariffs, and taxation only on profits derived from Australia.

In previous years, not only did they not have to pay taxes, but they also received subsidies from Macau City. The price was that they had to provide 1000 jobs for Macau City residents. Holding a knife and fork, tasting the roasted pigeon, Fan Wumian just wanted to put on gloves and grab it to eat. After listening, he asked again:
"How long do you think it will take to launch new Land Rover and Aston Martin models?"

Shi Tangfeng replied:

"It's hard to say for now, but the UK factories and employees of both companies are already in place. If it's just a minor facelift or replacement, it won't be too much of a hassle."

"The merger and restructuring of Aston Martin and Jaguar is underway. Our plan is to complete the complete overhaul of the Land Rover and Aston Martin lineups within three years and start production at the new factory."

"Land Rover's entry-level SUV, the Evoque, will take about two to three years to go into production. Aston Martin's new generation flagship supercar, the DB10, as well as its entry-level coupe and sports car, plus Jaguar's mid-range models, will all take a long time to develop and refine. If there are no issues with R&D funding, we are very confident in creating new products."

When it comes to car manufacturing, Fan Wumian is a complete novice, but that didn't stop him from feigning profundity and replying:

"Funding is not a problem. I will invest in the company in batches. Even if it is a minor facelift, consumers should be able to see obvious changes. Land Rover products do not have a refined and imposing appearance, and Aston Martin and Jaguar cars lack distinctive features. Performance and safety must be taken into consideration, even if the initial cost is a little higher."

The thought of all the parts and processes involved in a car manufacturing company made Fan Wumian feel dizzy. He knew that developing a new car couldn't be rushed, and that it was already relatively fast to take three years from project initiation to production.

Unlike electric vehicles, gasoline-powered cars cannot be assembled directly by finding solution providers. You can't rush things, and Fan Wumian is quite patient.

In a few years, the number of middle-class and high-income earners in mainland China will increase significantly, and he will have more funds at his disposal. At that time, he can launch a completely redesigned new model and have the opportunity to accumulate capital by seizing the market with gasoline cars before transforming and developing electric vehicles.

They didn't discuss any very detailed issues. It didn't matter that Fan Wumian didn't understand; he had a group of advisors to help him devise strategies. Most of the time, he just needed to provide the money and make the final decisions.

Shi Tangfeng brought a bunch of concept images today, and is now preparing to design a limited-edition flagship supercar for Aston Martin. Fan Wumian is asked to choose his favorite design from them.

Among them were angular and technologically advanced designs, as well as exaggerated versions similar to Pagani. Fan Wumian looked at them one by one, but still preferred the elegant appearance similar to the ONE77 from his previous life. He selected two for the time being to determine the direction of the research and development, and would make a final decision after seeing the model cars.

Aston Martin's SUVs are also unremarkable and lack distinctive features. Fan Wumian simply asked the exterior designers to rethink the design and make it more flamboyant and eye-catching.

After getting a general understanding of the situation, Fan Wumian returned to his old house on Julu Road, and soon saw Ying Tian rushing over after finishing work.

She wore her hair in a bun and a little black dress, looking both elegant and sexy.

It was obvious that she was striking while the iron was hot, hoping to win him over with her charm. Of course, Fan Wumian didn't disappoint the girl and gave her everything he could.

He did not stay in Shanghai for long.

The next morning, he headed to the airport. Before takeoff, he received a call from Gao Yuanyuan. He was truly powerless to help and helplessly said that they should meet again next time.
(End of this chapter)