The unparalleled talent of the country started from Harbin Institute of Technology

On February 15, 1989, many people in the Safar Empire in the Middle East were shouting loudly.

The ten-year war has finally come to an end.

On this very day, the demon soldiers who had invaded their Safar Empire would finally be leaving.

“Great! We can finally stop hiding in the mountains. Noria, we can finally herd sheep in peace.”

Deep in the mountains, in a high-altitude region, Farah learned of the news through the radio and immediately shared the good news with his wife, Noria.

"Really?"

Ten years!
Perhaps only immortal geniuses know how they have spent the past ten years.

Since 1979, their Safar Empire has been invaded and plunged into a decade of chaos.

If it weren't for the extremely complex mountainous terrain within the Safar Empire, coupled with the tenacious resistance of the guerrillas, their country would have already changed its name.

Despite being known as the graveyard of empires, the Safar Empire has seen many large empires that have invaded their country fail.

In this decade-long war, the polar bear also fell.

It became part of the imperial graveyard.

Moscow, Kremlin building, inside an office.

"Ten years, do you know how I've spent the past ten years?"

Having just returned from the Safar Empire, Ovchinnikov, veins bulging, roared:

"Over the past decade, we have deployed over a million soldiers, with countless deaths and injuries."

"With so much manpower, material resources, and financial resources, are we really going to come back just because of one word from him?"

Petrovich, standing in front of Ovchinnikov, looked helpless and spread his hands, saying:
"Don't get emotional. You haven't spent much time in China these past few years, so you don't know the current situation here."

"Inflation is very high, everyone is struggling to make ends meet, and money is practically worthless."

Petrovich patiently persuaded him and explained the situation clearly to Ovchinnikov.

"Six months ago, one ruble could buy a bottle of milk, but now it costs 1.5 rubles. Prices have risen very quickly."

"Besides economic reasons, there are many other reasons. In short, we no longer have that much money to spare."

"When you report to that person later, you can't do that again, or he might use you as an example to scare others."

Ovchinnikov immediately craned his neck and stared wide-eyed:
"Dare he?"

Whether they dare to do it or not, everyone knows the answer.

How could the ruthless Kremlin official not dare to make an example of someone?

After a long silence, Ovchinnikov lowered his head, thinking about his children and wife at home.

Because Petrovich was right, one must be realistic.

We're all just trying to survive, there's no need to take it so seriously.

After the war, Farah of the Safar Empire smiled, but Ovchinnikov in Moscow was filled with sorrow and pain.

Harbin Institute of Technology, Weizigou Campus, Secretary's Office.

Wang Duoyu, Liu Deben, and Lü Gongliang were having a meeting, and the main topic of their discussion was none other than the recent withdrawal of the White Bear from the Safar Empire.

"It's mid-February now, and this month will be over soon."

"You all know what happened a few days ago, and this confirms my previous guess!"

"More shocking events are about to unfold, and if Harbin Institute of Technology wants to protect itself amidst such a massive upheaval, it must make relevant preparations in advance."

Upon hearing Wang Duoyu's words, Liu Deben and Lü Gongliang immediately nodded with serious expressions.

This is no small matter!

Wang Duoyu had already returned from Dahonggou Village as early as the sixth day of the Lunar New Year.

Although he didn't do anything after returning to Harbin, the news on the 15th still startled Liu Deben and Lü Gongliang.

Wang Duoyu's previous speculation has been verified.

“Our next-door neighbors are already riddled with holes. We’re very close to them, so we should be prepared at this time.”

As the old saying goes, if one door closes, another opens!

"Perhaps Harbin Institute of Technology will encounter some setbacks around the middle of this year, but that's okay, we can make up for those losses with our neighbors."

After a pause, Wang Duoyu continued:
“We have many students from neighboring cities on our Harbin Institute of Technology campus, such as my student Maxim Kontsevich, who is also half a Moscow local.”

"Given the current condition of my neighbor, it's estimated that he will inevitably succumb to his illness on the operating table within three years due to ineffective treatment."

"We all know that hunters will definitely be eyeing valuable parts like bear paws and hides, so we can't go too far and shouldn't try to steal those."

At this moment, Liu Deben and Lü Gongliang's expressions changed drastically, and they were horrified.

If it weren't for the fact that there were only the three of them in the office at that moment, they would have told Wang Duoyu to stop talking immediately.

Because this is just too unbelievable.

According to Wang Duoyu, Harbin Institute of Technology should also participate in this hunting game.

That's incredibly audacious!
But is it even possible for this to happen?

The expressions on Liu Deben's and Lü Gongliang's faces were filled with disbelief.

"Old Liu, Old Lü, you don't need to look at me like that. This matter really can't be more true!"

Seeing their strange expressions, Wang Duoyu shook his head helplessly and smiled:
"Harbin Institute of Technology should take action as soon as possible. I've been preparing for this for so many years, and now it's time to reap the rewards."

"In addition, this July, I will be holding a mathematics lecture at Harbin Institute of Technology, and I will try my best to invite as many mathematicians from neighboring universities as possible to attend. I will do everything I can to keep them here in our Ice City."

Today's Harbin is vastly different from what it used to be.

The Institute for Advanced Study in Harbin has more than one Fields Medal winner, a feat probably only achieved by Princeton University globally.

Even at Moscow State University, where there may be mathematicians of equal caliber, not everyone has won the Fields Medal.

It's important to know that in the less than forty years from 1950 to the present, only about thirty people have received the Fields Medal.

Wang Duoyu alone won two Fields Medals, meaning that only 29 people have ever received one.

Most of these people are still alive, such as Attel Selberger and Laurent Schwarz, who won the Fields Medal in 1950; they are both still alive and well.

Besides Fields Medal winners, the Harbin Institute of Technology and the Harbin Institute of Technology also have more than two handsful of top mathematicians.

These scientists didn't win the Fields Medal simply because of luck and other factors, but that doesn't mean they were much less capable than people like Shing-Tung Yau.

And most of the mathematicians who came to Harbin made tremendous progress.

This alone makes it incredibly attractive to many mathematicians.

In this world, life is nothing more than fame and fortune.

Therefore, they all really want to stay in Harbin, hoping to win a Fields Medal before they turn forty.

Furthermore, the Harbin Institute of Advanced Study places absolutely no restrictions on mathematicians.

Come and go freely!

They are truly free to come and go; no one will force them to stay, nor can anyone coerce them.

Moreover, Wang Duoyu would not allow anyone to engage in such underhanded tactics in any way.

Otherwise, let alone Yau Shing-Tung and his group, even John Milno and his group would probably have fled long ago.

Liu Deben and Lü Gongliang exchanged a glance, then nodded to Wang Duoyu, indicating that there was no problem.

Harbin Institute of Technology will definitely do a good job in this regard!

In Moscow, there are a large number of engineers, technicians, materials experts, and top professors—these are Wang Duoyu's targets.

Today's meeting lasted less than half an hour, but it was mostly Wang Duoyu talking while Liu Deben and Lü Gongliang listened.

And I haven't taken any notes yet, because this kind of thing isn't suitable to be written down; it's enough to keep it in my head.

After finalizing the matter, Wang Duoyu left the secretary's office.

After returning to his villa on the island in the lake, Wang Duoyu uploaded the final paper on the functor hypothesis to the Harbin Institute of Technology's official website the next day.

In less than half a day, the paper had appeared on the desks of Jean-Baptiste Bourguignon, Shing-Tung Yau, John Milnor, Charles Fefman, Daniel Gray, Robert Langlands, and others.

They took on the role of thesis reviewers once again, helping to review Wang Duoyu's thesis.

Last year, Wang Duoyu said that once he proved the functor conjecture before May of this year, he would hold a mathematics conference.

It now seems highly likely that a report meeting will be held this year.

Two flowers bloom, one branch each.

Los Angeles, a large rural area, is nothing like an international metropolis. Apart from a small area in the city center with skyscrapers, the rest of the buildings are very low-rise.

It's just like a huge rural village, no different from anything else.

Reedstone, head of the North American acquisition team representing Want Want Group, is in talks with Paramount regarding an acquisition.

In 1970, Paramount Pictures partnered with Universal Studios to form International Films, which was responsible for the overseas distribution of both companies' films. At the same time, Paramount expanded its reach into the television and music industries.

In 1983, Paramount Pictures spun off its subsidiaries, separating its film and television businesses, and in 1989 it was renamed Paramount Communications Ltd.

Starting in the second half of last year, Readstone represented Want Want Group in acquisition negotiations with Paramount.

Nearly six months have passed, and the negotiations have not progressed very smoothly.

In the original timeline, in 1993, entertainment giant Viacom engaged in a fierce battle with its former CEO, who had already left the company, over the acquisition of Paramount.

In the end, Viacom acquired 50.1% of Paramount's shares for a staggering $100 billion, winning the battle.

But that was in 1993.

It is now 1989, and Want Want Group wants to acquire Paramount. The acquisition price offered is US$6.8 billion, which is very sincere.

When Reedstone negotiated, he quoted a price of $5.5 billion.

However, Paramount's shareholders were not willing to sell it for a mere $5.5 billion; instead, they demanded a staggering $10 billion valuation.

Entertainment companies have always been known for their inflated valuations.

If one or two of its films suffer huge losses, the company's market value will plummet.

If the movie's stock price surges, the company's market value could increase dramatically, potentially by 30% or even more.

It's a rather bizarre approach, and it's hard to say whether its value is inflated or undervalued.

In 1988, the third highest-grossing Hollywood film was Paramount's "American Dreams," which grossed $128 million worldwide.

In this respect, it's not as good as 20th Century Fox, after all, the company released "Big" which grossed $114 million and "Die Hard" which grossed $83 million.

Of the top ten highest-grossing films in Hollywood, only one is from Paramount.

Therefore, it's baffling where Paramount gets the audacity to ask for a market capitalization of $10 billion. They're really asking for it!
As a publicly listed company, Paramount has issued a considerable number of shares on the secondary market.

As early as the beginning of 1988, Maple Leaf Holdings had many financial companies that were buying up assets at rock-bottom prices.

There are countless publicly listed companies in the United States.

There are quite a few entertainment companies, after all, these are the eight giants now.

Warner Bros., United Artists, Universal Studios, 20th Century Fox, Disney, MGM, Columbia Pictures, and Paramount—a total of eight Hollywood giants.

Maple Leaf Holdings is looking to acquire one of these companies, targeting one of Paramount, Universal Studios, or 20th Century Fox.

After leaving Paramount, Reedstone returned to his office and called his boss.

Wang Duoyu did not participate in the acquisition negotiations; the entire process was handled by Zheng Baoyin, Wang Jianchao, and Wang Meili.

"Boss, Paramount is a tough nut to crack right now. They're sticking to their $10 billion market capitalization and won't budge. In my opinion, there's no way to find a breakthrough in the short term."

"If we don't use some underhanded tactics, we might be in trouble once their new movie is released."

Upon hearing what Readstone said, Wang Jianchao suggested that they wait a while.

After hanging up the phone, Wang Jianchao called Qiao Hanliang.

"Old Joe, your Magic Kids toy factory probably isn't in a hurry to get a movie company, is it?"

"Are the acquisition negotiations not progressing smoothly?"

Upon hearing this, Qiao Hanliang, who was at the headquarters of the Motong Toys factory in Guangzhou, frowned immediately, but his tone was very relaxed.

"There's no rush. If the negotiations don't go smoothly, so be it. But I remember the professor telling us that it would be best to complete the acquisition before the end of this year."

He directly quoted Wang Duoyu's original words, leaving Wang Jianchao with no choice.

Negotiating acquisitions is indeed very slow; there's nothing that can be done about it.

But if we don't acquire it, the longer it drags on, the more difficult it will become.

Paramount, 20th Century Fox, and Universal Studios are all asking for exorbitant prices.

That's okay, we can take it slow.

There's no way to rush this, but it's been half a year and there's been no progress at all. Could it be that they're just playing with us?
In short, a breakthrough is necessary.

As far as Qiao Hanliang was concerned, he had no say in the acquisition.

Even if the acquisition is completed, the cooperation will still proceed in the same way.

It's always much simpler to discuss cooperation with your own people.

If the Toy Factory is going to film the groundbreaking Jurassic Park movie, then they have to hurry.

The longer it is left out, the greater the chance of an accident.

In addition, the acquisition negotiations for Marvel Comics are nearing completion, but the companies that can produce movies have not yet been acquired.

This is not a good thing.

According to Wang Duoyu's plan, once the film company is acquired, a closed loop will be formed.

Jurassic Park will serve as a pioneer, shaking up the global film and toy markets, followed by the release of movies based on Marvel comics, such as Spider-Man.

As the saying goes, the rich rely on technology, while the poor rely on mutation.

The Batman movie, which will be released this summer, represents the world of the wealthy. He became Batman because of his advanced technology.

This film is Warner Bros.' flagship production, so naturally they won't allow anyone else to touch it.

Maple Leaf Holdings also bought some Warner Bros. Pictures stock at rock-bottom prices, which means they can at least enjoy the benefits of this box office surge.

Batman, with its $250 million box office, will be the highest-grossing film of 1989.

Spider-Man is a prime example of a poor person who relies on mutation.

In the original timeline, Marvel Comics only began its golden age after 1990, as they began to expand into the film and television industries.

The first Spider-Man movie was in 2002, before which were movies such as Blade and X-Men.

Therefore, after acquiring Marvel Comics, there will be no shortage of movie scripts for the future.

Wang Duoyu's plan in this regard is as follows: movies serve as the promotional vanguard, while toys are the real money-making machines.

As for whether to acquire media giants such as Viacom, Comcast, and 20th Century Fox in the future, that will depend on the situation at the time.

Actually, there's also Time Warner, but Time Magazine and Warner Bros. haven't merged yet, though they've reportedly started negotiations and are expected to merge this year.

"Old Joe, you're not being honest!"

On the other end of the phone, Wang Jianchao chuckled, then quickly changed the subject, saying:
"Okay, I understand. I will urge them to get this done as soon as possible."

Previously, he didn't have time, but now Wang Jianchao says he'll make time to tackle them one by one.

All we need to do is find those minority shareholders, talk to them, and there shouldn't be any problems.

It's a share swap!
Those shareholders must own many companies; they can easily throw money at them and get these small shareholders to obediently hand over their shares for sale.

With the addition of shares acquired in the secondary market, a company can apply for privatization and delisting as long as it holds more than 50% of the shares.

However, before March even arrived, a message appeared on Fox News' live broadcast:
According to sources familiar with the matter, mysterious funds have entered the market and acquired 50.2% of Paramount's stock. Paramount's current CEO has stated that the company has filed for privatization with the New York Stock Exchange.

Wow!
The news caused an uproar across the United States.

Paramount Pictures partnered with 20th Century Fox to direct a great show.

There were already very few shares left to trade in the secondary market, and the daily trading volume had dropped to less than 10,000.

Now, things have taken a turn for the worse. After the news broke, retail investors reacted immediately.

Especially after the two days of speculation over the weekend, many people are already itching to make a big move when the stock market opens on Monday.

If someone wants to acquire Paramount, then the company's stock market value will definitely rise.

Retail investors rushed to enter the market, hoping to get in before the actual privatization and then sell at a high price.

Wang Jianchao was completely stunned after receiving the news.

"Holy crap, what the hell is going on? Who leaked the information?"

Judging from this situation, someone must have leaked the information, which is why this happened.

"Could it be Reedstone?"

impossible!
This guy is a representative of Maple Leaf Holdings; he's signed the contract, and he can't afford to lose sight of the bigger picture for a small gain. Maple Leaf Holdings' asking price is $6.8 billion, and on that basis, for every $100 million that Reedstone negotiates down, he'll give them a $10 million reward.

As for how much money Reedstone and his team can actually make, that depends on their abilities.

If Reedstone and his team use some underhanded tactics to dig up dirt on Paramount executives and other Paramount-related information, they can definitely bring down Paramount's stock price.

The acquisition was completed smoothly.

Given the current situation, Maple Leaf Holdings has never told Reedstone that it intends to acquire 20th Century Fox and Universal Studios.

Therefore, it's impossible for Reedstone to do something so stupid.

As for the claim that Reedstone acquired a portion of Paramount's stock, is now artificially inflating the share price, and will then sell it to Maple Leaf Holdings at a high price during the privatization process.

Haha, isn't this a stupid and illegal act?

Even if Reedstone teamed up with his relatives to do this, could they guarantee success?

Secondly, Readstone would need to invest a huge amount of money to acquire a lot of stocks in order to sell them at a high price and make a profit from the price difference.

But no matter how much the price difference is, it can't compare to the value of this acquisition negotiation.

He could make at least $80 million in profit simply by negotiating the acquisition price below $6 billion.

If it wasn't Reedstone, then who was it?

Surely it's not that the shareholders behind Paramount have already found out something?
Harbin Institute of Technology, on the island in the lake, inside the study villa.

Today is February 18th, the 13th day of the first lunar month, and the Lantern Festival has not yet arrived.

Wang Duoyu was working on the Hodge conjecture at his desk, and he had already completed about 18% of the work.

Over the past few months, especially during the short two weeks he spent celebrating the Spring Festival in his hometown, he suddenly figured out a part of it and solved a small problem in Hodge's conjecture.

The progress has reached about 18 percent, so he just needs to proceed step by step, and it is estimated that he will be able to deduce and solve the entire Hodge conjecture within this year.

It is challenging, and quite challenging at that.

However, any progress is commendable, considering that the difficulty level of the Hodge conjecture is actually quite similar to that of the Riemann Hypothesis.

The only differences are the questions and the solutions.

At 8:30, Wang Duoyu's landline phone rang.

Upon checking the number, I knew it was coming from the United States, and without even asking, I knew something must have happened in North America.

In 1987, Wang Duoyu maintained relatively frequent contact with people in North America.

But in 1988, he reduced his contact with them as much as possible, letting them resolve the issues themselves.

Another interpretation of "doing everything personally" is that it means creating trouble for oneself.

Therefore, after experiencing the ease and joy of 1988, Wang Duoyu was even more willing to let Wang Jianchao and the others do the work.

He only needs to randomly check and review the relevant reports every few months to determine the company's development status.

When summarizing the year-end, spend about half a month understanding the company's revenue, talent pool, development direction, etc., to ensure that the company is moving in the direction he set, rather than deviating from the track.

After hesitating for a moment, Wang Duoyu answered the phone.

"Uncle Jiu, it's me, Jianchao. We've encountered some serious problems during the acquisition of Paramount."

Through Wang Jianchao's explanation, Wang Duoyu finally learned the general situation.

Among the acquisition negotiations between Paramount, Universal Studios, and 20th Century Fox, Paramount was the easiest and most cost-effective option.

Despite the impressive valuation of tens of billions of dollars, it's just wishful thinking on the part of Paramount's shareholders.

After Wang Jianchao chose to take a piecemeal approach and acquired shares from some small shareholders and large retail investors, Maple Leaf Holdings' total shares had exceeded 50%.

Everything was originally done in secret, but now it has been exposed.

"If that's the case, why not give up on Paramount?"

“Uncle Nine, Universal Studios and 20th Century Fox have offered higher prices, and we hold fewer shares, making the acquisition more difficult.”

On the other end of the phone, Wang Jianchao said urgently:

"So our plan is to acquire Paramount, and we already have 50% of the shares; we're just one step away from closing the deal."

"Today is Saturday, the stock market is closed, but if we haven't completed the acquisition by next Monday..."

"And now that something like this has happened, I'm afraid the other shareholders might cause trouble."

In fact, this incident is very likely the work of the Paramount shareholders who are currently hiding behind the scenes.

After all, they must have sensed something, which is why they went to the New York Stock Exchange and made the matter public.

As a result, Paramount's stock price will definitely surge, since retail investors are not to be underestimated and will certainly drive up the stock price to make a profit.

Those shareholders could also pressure Maple Leaf Holdings, the mysterious capital behind it, to buy back their shares at the closing stock price.

As for the claim that Maple Leaf Holdings is unwilling to make the acquisition?

That's definitely not going to work. It's more than 50% of the shares, so it definitely needs to be privatized.

Otherwise, the exchange committee would definitely not agree.

This is what makes Wang Jianchao feel like the sky is falling.

After listening to this, Wang Duoyu was silent for a while and said:

"In that case, let's ignore them and let the bullets fly for a while longer."

"Immediately after the market opens next Monday, sell 0.3% of the shares. We only need to maintain our Maple Leaf Holdings stake at 49.9%."

"After a while, when the stock price rises, we'll slowly sell off our shares, but absolutely no one should make a sound or say anything."

"As for the accountability notice from the stock exchange, you can send someone over to explain to the committee that you do not currently hold more than 50% of the shares. That's all you need to say."

"There's no need to rush to hold a press conference; let's wait for the market to change."

Upon hearing this, Wang Jianchao immediately understood.

However, there is still one question: should we acquire Paramount or not?

"Are you stupid?" Wang Duoyu immediately scolded helplessly.

"Both Universal Studios and 20th Century Fox are potential acquisition targets. Just keep negotiating and see whichever is easier to acquire first. As for Paramount, well..."

"In short, we must acquire one of the three giants; that will be enough."

Wang Duoyu can't possibly have all eight of Hollywood's biggest figures.

The United States has antitrust laws.

This kind of unfair competition is too much of a bully.

Moreover, Wang Duoyu is already bullying people by standing on God's shoulders.

If this is considered a monopoly, well, it's just asking for trouble.

You can never earn all the money in the world, so don't be too greedy.

After receiving instructions from Wang Duoyu, Wang Jianchao finally calmed down.

He then added:

"Uncle Jiu, I'm going out to sea to fish tomorrow. If I catch any bluefin tuna, I'll have it airlifted back for you to try."

"Stop showing off your fishing skills in front of me. You and Baoyin both lost before the New Year, understand? Besides, I don't know if it was really a tuna that Li caught, or if you're just fooling me."

"Uncle Jiu, you shouldn't hit someone in the face. You're really disrespecting me. Don't you have any credibility with me at all?"

"Is there anything else? If not, I'm hanging up. I don't have time to waste with your nonsense."

"No, Uncle Jiu, I ordered a luxury yacht for you at the beginning of last year. It should be delivered to Harbin next week. Remember to sign for it when it arrives."

Upon hearing this, Wang Duoyu rolled his eyes and scolded:
"Are you asking for a beating, kid? If I wanted a yacht, would I need you to give it to me? Don't I have my own money?"

"You think you're all that now that you have a little money?"

"I'm telling you, I'm going to call your dad right now. When you come back next time, let's see if he'll pull out a Pandora's belt and whip you."

Wang Jianchao was speechless.

After hanging up the phone, Wang Duoyu put the matter out of his mind.

Whether it's tuna, yachts, or other things, there's been no shortage of them since the end of 1987.

Whether it's Wang Jianchao or Li Efra, they all know that Wang Duoyu lacks nothing.

But they still wanted to deliver it.

Although Wang Duoyu had told them more than once to stop delivering and just focus on doing their jobs well, that was better than anything else.

But will they listen?

They wouldn't listen at all.

Managing the subsidiaries under Want Want Group for Wang Duoyu is their own job, and they will do their best to do it without Wang Duoyu having to say anything.

It is essential to maintain a good relationship with Wang Duoyu.

Only in this way will Wang Duoyu reveal as much information as possible so that they can make more money.

The 1987 stock market crash had already made Wang Jianchao and his ilk a fortune, with at least tens of millions of US dollars in hand.

Needless to say, Wang Jianchao and Zheng Baoyin are already billionaires, with assets worth several hundred million US dollars.

Wang Duoyu often said, "Virtue and talent should match one's position!"

Otherwise, the wealth in their hands will flow back into society in various ways.

So how can one be considered to have virtue and talent matching their position?
That depends on each person's individual cultivation level.

In 1988, inflation was rampant in China, and it seemed to be happening all over the world, including in Eastern Europe and Japan.

To outpace inflation, you must continuously increase the amount of money you have on hand.

Knowing how to allocate assets and how to invest and manage finances becomes extremely important.

In particular, people like Lee Efra, O'Brien, and Fuller Carson, while controlling large sums of money in financial companies and facing performance pressure, also have considerable personal assets.

Therefore, the question of how to ensure performance while also preventing their own assets from shrinking and outpacing inflation becomes particularly important.

Spending a little money to buy some seemingly expensive gifts to please Wang Duoyu can bring in a lot of money in return. This deal is simply too worthwhile.

Perhaps the reason why Wang Jianchao and Zheng Baoyin gave Wang Duoyu gifts was relatively pure.

But it can't be said that Li Efra and his group had impure motives.

In this world, everyone strives for fame and fortune.

Such purity is rare in this world.

February 20th has arrived in the blink of an eye. It's the Lantern Festival in China, but Monday in other countries, when the stock market opens.

On Monday the 20th, Wang Duoyu did the same thing as usual: he ate, chatted with his children, and then came to the study at the villa to take care of his own things.

At the New York Stock Exchange, as soon as the market opened, a flood of retail investors drove Paramount's stock price to its peak.

The stock price surged 29 percent the moment the market opened, sending everyone into a frenzy.

It almost melted.

According to the circuit breaker mechanism announced last year, if the trading price of a security fluctuates by more than 30% within five minutes, trading will be suspended.

This so-called circuit breaker mechanism not only targets the overall stock market and sets limits on price fluctuations, but also applies to specific stocks.

Paramount's stock price rose steadily over the next two hours of trading.

It seems like there's no end in sight.

In a short period of time, buy orders continued to increase, but sell orders were few.

In less than half a day, Paramount's market value broke through the $10 billion mark, reaching a market value range of $11.2 billion.

At this point, the rate of increase in stock price slowed down.

There's no good news in the market, and stock prices have stalled.

But no one dared to sell. Those shareholders held too many shares, and if they made even the slightest move, it would likely cause the stock price to collapse.

As for retail investors, whether they are small or large investors, no one would sell at this time.

The rate of increase in stock price has slowed down, but it hasn't stopped rising altogether.

We'll have to see how the market performs this afternoon.

Interestingly, after the market opened in the afternoon, the stock price slowly rose and miraculously did not fall.

At the same time, buy orders increased, but sell orders did not increase much.

Everyone was puzzled. Was everyone so firmly bullish on Paramount?

Because there was mysterious funding wanting to acquire Paramount, everyone believed it.

Of course, it is a fact that stock trading volume in the secondary market has decreased.

Previously, no one knew, but now everyone understands: it turns out that a mysterious fund acquired Paramount, which led to this situation.

Now, the number of buy orders has increased, the stock price is rising, but the trading volume has not increased.

This is truly bizarre!
The very next day, Maple Tree Capital, Summit Global, Sun Capital, and others began selling their Paramount shares.

With the stock price so high now, it might be wise to gradually sell some shares.

Anyway, Paramount's stock price is currently very high, and this rally probably won't last more than a few days.

Being able to persist for a week is already incredibly impressive.

Sell ​​orders are slowly increasing, and Paramount stock trading begins to rise.

Retail investors were all watching the stock price closely, and as Paramount's stock price began to slowly decline, everyone suddenly became nervous.

It seems that some big-time individual investors or small shareholders have entered the market.

New York, Viacom headquarters.

In his spacious and luxurious office, Samnares Stone sat in a comfortable executive chair, listening to his subordinates' reports.

"According to our investigation, the representative who acquired Paramount was Reedstone, and the financial backers behind him should be Wang Jianchao, the current CEO of Pandora, Hela O'Brien, head of Maple Tree Capital, and Lee Efra, president of Summit Global."

"The real financial backers are probably European capitalists."

Several financial companies, such as Summit Global, have only emerged in recent years, and their rise has been remarkably rapid.

When they investigated the sources of funding behind these funds, without exception, all their efforts came to nothing.

It is impossible to ascertain the specific source.

Therefore, the so-called shareholders of financial companies like Summit Global that are exposed to the outside world are actually just front men.

Even the shareholders in London could be a second layer of fronts.

Since the other party is trying to hide it, it's impossible for them to find out easily.

It's that simple.

"Boss, the stock price is pretty good right now. If you're looking to sell, now's the perfect time!"

The vice president standing next to him spoke up.

Sumner Rae Stone comes from a small family in New York. His ancestors opened New York's first drive-in theater in the 1930s, which later became the Northeast Theater Company.

After Sumner took over, he accumulated a large amount of cash through more than 30 years of hard work, and last year he successfully acquired a controlling stake in Viacom through a hostile takeover.

After acquiring Viacom, he immediately set his sights on Paramount.

However, just as he was using funds to slowly acquire related shares in the secondary market, repeating his old tricks, he brought Paramount into his own hands.

Someone actually jumped out.

It was over before it even started.

Paramount's stock trading volume has been declining for nearly a year, not just for a day or two.

Sumner Stone had originally given up on acquiring Paramount, but he hadn't sold the shares he had acquired because he was going to lose money.

Now it seems like it's time to sell.

After much deliberation, Samnares Stone finally spoke.

"Okay, let's sell it then!"

The vice president and others in the office breathed a sigh of relief. If Paramount wasn't going to acquire them, then they could acquire other film and television companies.

But to everyone's surprise, a few minutes later, the head of the financial department suddenly rushed over:

"Boss, the stock price is falling, and the sell orders have suddenly increased dramatically, clearing out all the buy orders in the market. We simply can't trade anymore."

In short, they can't be sold!

"Fuck!" Redstone roared in exasperation, his composure completely gone. (End of Chapter)