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

Clap!

In the northeastern part of the Eurasian continent in the Northern Hemisphere, deep in a vast primeval forest, inside a house, the firewood in the fireplace crackles and provides warmth to the house.

Although it wasn't the room's primary source of heat, it still provided considerable warmth and ambiance.

This is a spacious and bright conference room.

There were quite a few people sitting in the room at this time. As soon as Martinez spoke, Lanstark and Caltim were dumbfounded.

In 1996, the super dollar factory actually gave out more than 300 billion US dollars and made a profit of 209 billion US dollars.

More than 90 billion US dollars were 'wasted'.

However, the profit of 209 billion US dollars was enough to make all the Want Want Group executives in the conference room gasp in astonishment.

It has only been about twenty years since the collapse of the Bretton Woods system in the early 1970s, but the dollar seems to have lost its value.

After all, Want Want Group's profits this year have exceeded 400 billion US dollars.

They are truly richer than a country!

It's worth noting that in 1996, the Netherlands' GDP was $450 billion, ranking twelfth in the world.

Mexico has $430 billion, and Australia has $401.3 billion.

And Want Want Group, a single company, has become comparable to countries like Mexico.

It's just awesome.

That's a year's profit! It just goes to show how terrifying the Want Want Group really is.

clap clap clap!
Everyone was clapping excitedly. Everyone understood that this year's results were now clear, and the company was truly wealthy enough to rival a country.

The future of Want Want Group has no upper limit.

dong dong!

Wang Duoyu suddenly tapped the table twice, and everyone immediately came to their senses and looked at him.

"Alright, everyone has worked hard. As you all know, the results in 1996 were staggering – over 400 billion US dollars in profit. It truly left everyone speechless, and I was quite surprised myself."

"Without everyone here, and without the hard work and dedication of the frontline staff, we wouldn't have achieved what we have today. Let's give them a round of applause."

Thunderous applause once again filled the meeting room.

After a while, the applause stopped as Wang Duoyu raised his hand.

"1996 is over, so I won't go into details. It's almost lunchtime now, so let's eat first, and then we'll continue the meeting."

Lunchtime today was rather short, lasting only a little over half an hour.

After lunch, everyone returned to the meeting room, and the meeting continued.

Wang Duoyu spoke up immediately:

"The first topic of the conference summary was the arrangements for Huachen mobile phones."

"Throughout 1996, Huachen Mobile sold so many phones that we were already a thorn in the side of competitors like Motorola, and we needed to be careful."

"As long as they follow the rules, then we don't need to bother with our competitors."

"But Dai Ronghua, you must remember, if the revenue and profit decline sharply in 1997, then I will definitely replace you in your current position."

Upon hearing this, Dai Ronghua immediately stood up in a flustered manner and respectfully expressed that he would definitely work hard and live up to the professor's expectations.

"Ok!"

Wang Duoyu nodded slightly:
"The second topic is about the super dollar factory. Martin, you need to be careful. I said last year that a cunning rabbit has three burrows, and I've even told all of you this before."

"Therefore, you need to be extra careful this year. The current leader in North America is a young playboy, but don't be fooled by his refined appearance. Jefferson Clinton is a ruthless man."

"Moreover, the real enemies of the super-dollar factory are the Federal Reserve and the century-old financial families hiding behind it."

"So Martin, you must remember this: you absolutely must not be careless, or you could really lose your life."

Martinez nodded quickly.

He understood, of course, that Wang Duoyu wasn't trying to warn him, but rather to make him wary of the enemy.

The super dollar factory is of paramount importance; any mishap there will have far-reaching consequences, so it cannot afford to fail.

Lanstark and Caltim exchanged glances, not quite understanding why Martinez was also so respectful.

After all, Martinez, who controls the super dollar factory, is practically invincible.

Moreover, Wang Duoyu is not involved in the management of Want Want Group, and he is rarely seen in public. Why would Martinez be so afraid of him?
Although the two of them were already senior executives, they joined a bit too late and didn't understand just how terrifying Wang Duoyu really was.

Otherwise, they would certainly understand Martinez's mindset at this moment.

"The third topic concerns the progress of construction and defense issues on the Somali peninsula..."

Wang Duoyu held up three fingers and said calmly:
"We have already built a satellite launch base on the Somali peninsula, which will be operational by the middle of this year..."

"So we need to prepare in advance..."

After he finished speaking, Yabo Fein suddenly said:

"Professor, those boxes you arranged to be delivered earlier contained weapons-grade uranium. What are our plans for handling them?"

Zheng Baoyin interjected:

"Uncle, what do you think about us building nuclear weapons? If we had nuclear weapons, even if the Americans threatened us, we wouldn't be without means of retaliation should the truth come out."

Snapped!
Wang Duoyu immediately slammed his fist on the table, glared, and angrily said:

"Zheng Baoyin, are you trying to reach for the heavens? To build nuclear bombs? Hmph, do you even know how to build nuclear bombs? Can you even build nuclear bombs?"

"It was one thing to build a super-large US dollar factory before, but now you want to build nuclear bombs? Are you planning to establish a country? How many lives do you have?"

“I’m on tenterhooks every day running this super dollar factory, afraid something will go wrong. But you guys are all so carefree. Do you think there’ll be someone tall enough to hold up the sky if it falls?”

"I'm telling you, if the sky really falls, you'll be the tallest ones, and you'll definitely be arrested."

"And they're building nuclear bombs? The Somali Peninsula is located in the Middle East. Haven't you seen how chaotic that region is? And the Silla Peninsula, isn't it chaotic enough?"

Iran, known as the "Date Empire," has been embroiled in numerous controversies, primarily due to its nuclear weapons program.
The nuclear technology of the Pahlavi dynasty was provided by the United States. This was in the 1950s when the Pahlavi dynasty cooperated with Western countries in Europe and America to develop a nuclear power plant plan.

Although the focus was on civilian use, it also laid the foundation for Iran's nuclear weapons development.

After the Islamic Revolution in the 1980s, the nuclear program came to a standstill.

By 1988, Iran had finished its war with Iraq, so it restarted its nuclear program and began cooperating with the Russian bear.

Even though nothing has been decided yet, this matter has already caused quite a stir internationally.

If Want Want Group really wants to develop advanced nuclear weapons, it's very easy for something bad to happen.

"We're in business, not fighting to the death, understand?"

Wang Duoyu said earnestly:

"So we don't build atomic bombs, we just sell these highly enriched uranium directly, out of sight, out of mind."

"Alright, let's leave this topic here and stop discussing it."

He stopped Wang Jianchao, who wanted to continue speaking, and ended the topic.

He then proceeded to address the third issue, which was still related to the Somali peninsula.

The situation in the Middle East is too chaotic. Even though the Somali Peninsula is currently in a relatively peaceful position, and there are so many warlord conflicts throughout the Somali Peninsula, it generally does not attract much attention from the outside world.

However, as Damazin's power grew, so did the speed of his economic development.

The upcoming construction of the so-called satellite launch base will inevitably attract strong attention from other warlords.

Therefore, security issues should not be ignored.

The question is how to strike a balance between not allowing the economy to develop too quickly and not allowing it to stagnate. This requires careful consideration and deliberation from the management team, including Yabo Fein.

"Uncle Jiu, many photovoltaic power plants have already been opened, and quite a lot of land near Xidebu has been occupied by these photovoltaic systems."

Wang Jianchao suddenly said:

"If you ask me, developing nuclear power plants would be better. It's a clean energy source. After all, solar power plants have significant limitations, unless we develop them in neighboring Ethiopia."

"But to be precise, in the Somali peninsula region, there is no cleaner energy source more suitable than nuclear power plants."

As for wind power, it's not an option. Located on the Somali Peninsula, wind power is not abundant; it can only be said to have development potential.

"For the time being, there's no need!" Wang Duoyu shook his head and said.

"Why?" Hearing his nephew's question, Wang Duoyu held up one finger and said:

"Do you think the Somali peninsula is safe? People may think it is because all of us here have bodyguards for security, but do those engineers have bodyguards?"

"Leaving aside the investment required for a nuclear power plant, just recruiting talent is not easy for us."

"So don't even think about investing in a nuclear power plant on the Somali peninsula. If you have that idea, you might as well build a coal-fired power plant in the port of Berbera."

Building a thermal power plant near a port is very cost-effective because it is close to the port, making it very convenient to transport coal from outside.

Even if not, coal or metal ores could be mined from other warlord regions in the Somali peninsula, transported to the port of Berbera for smelting, and then directly shipped to other countries.

"Okay, Uncle Jiu, I understand."

Since his ninth uncle had said so, Wang Jianchao naturally wouldn't stubbornly continue to oppose it.

In the following time, everyone reflected on their own performance, pointing out problems and getting straight to the point.

As a result, before anyone noticed, it was already 6:08 PM when the meeting finally ended.

This year's summary meeting was arguably the longest ever.

But it was also the most rewarding one, with total profits exceeding 400 billion US dollars, making them incredibly wealthy and bringing great joy to everyone.

"Everyone, you can all leave now. The red envelopes will be given to you in a few days. You can check them yourselves then."

As Wang Duoyu announced the end, everyone applauded in unison.

The meeting ended, but Wang Duoyu was not in a hurry to leave.

The next morning, after eating freshly slaughtered mutton, he set off on his journey.

Wang Jianchao slaughtered Ujumqin mutton, which is very tender and delicious, leaving a lingering fragrance on the lips and teeth.

It was already 7:30 pm when we got back to Harbin.

He called Liu Xiaoli, and then ate dinner by himself.

After two days of rest, he finally boarded a plane to Sanya.

Unlike the freezing winters of Harbin, Sanya has a warm, spring-like climate.

This place is not yet the second hometown of Northeasterners, but it will probably be in about ten years.

So when Wang Duoyu and his family went for a stroll on the nearby beach, they didn't see many people, let alone any Northeasterners.

Instead, I saw a few celebrities.

Wang Yifei, like a devoted fan, circled around these celebrities, getting a few autographs before finally stopping.

When they returned to the villa, she was still rambling on and on.

Vacationing in Sanya is a very happy thing. You can eat your fill, play, and sleep when you're tired. There are no worries at all.

Before the Chinese New Year even started, the whole family had gained a lot of weight.

However, the children weren't fat, but rather their weight increased because they expend a lot of energy, running out to the beach to swim every day.

For example, Bai Doufu (White Tofu) especially loves playing in the sand and mud, and she spends all day making a mess on the beach.

"Let's go home, or I'll get as fat as a pig."

Liu Xiaoli couldn't believe it. After seeing the number on her weight, she was even more incredulous and hurriedly ran back to her bedroom to pack her luggage.

She didn't feel fat when she looked in the mirror every day, but when she happened to step on the scale and saw her weight had skyrocketed, she became very worried.

If I go back to Harbin to hibernate, will I stop gaining weight?

Anyway, she can do whatever she wants. It doesn't matter to Wang Duoyu, he can just accompany her back to Bingcheng.

However, Wang Yifei and the other children were immediately unhappy, but unfortunately, they couldn't fight against the powerful, and they all had to go back.

After spending so much time in Sanya, it's time to go back and do my winter break homework.

So the family took a plane back to Dahonggou Village.

The second day after arriving in Dahonggou Village was the 29th day of the Lunar New Year, which is Lunar New Year's Eve.

The family had already bought all the New Year's goods. Well, it wasn't Wang Duoyu and his family who bought them; they called his brother-in-law, Xue Lisheng, to help them purchase them.

That's one of the advantages of having many relatives; if you need help, it's just a matter of making a phone call.

Bang bang bang!
That night, fireworks lit up the sky above the entire village.

The next day, the first day of the Lunar New Year, was the time to give out red envelopes again. Children exchanged New Year's greetings, and adults gave out red envelopes. Everyone was in harmony and joy.

However, the days are very short in Northeast China, which makes everyone feel that the day goes by too quickly.

After the first day of the Lunar New Year, people start visiting relatives on the second day. By the fifth day, it feels like the New Year is over.

The Spring Festival is over, but a major incident has already occurred in Southeast Asia.

The Thai baht has depreciated drastically.

Since last year, the Thai baht has been attacked multiple times by international financial speculators, and Thailand has consumed a large amount of its already insufficient foreign exchange reserves in order to defend the baht.

By February, the Thai baht was already on the verge of collapse.

Of course, the floodgates have not been fully opened for diversion yet, and Thailand believes it can still hold out for a while longer.

April arrived quickly, and with the Qingming Festival just past, the Thai baht exchange rate plummeted, triggering a panic sell-off among the public.

This time is more than a month earlier than the original timeline.

Thailand is no longer able to cope with another attack from international financial institutions on its own.

"Let them in, then shut the door and beat them!"

"This is what Summit Global Head Lee Efra said coldly."

International financial speculative institutions such as the Quantum Fund are all like hungry wolves, all wanting to make a lot of money.

But how can it be that simple?
In the original timeline, there were several reasons for this Asian financial crisis.

First, Southeast Asian countries have a simple economic structure and are heavily reliant on exports.

The four Asian Tigers, including Singapore, all have very simple economic structures.

Of course, the mainland in the original timeline was also like this, with a very high proportion of export-oriented economy.

However, the financial industry on the mainland is not developed, and we control the bottom line of finance, so international financial capital does not dare to invade.

Regions such as Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Hong Kong, Taipei, and Seoul generally adopt an export-oriented economic development strategy and are highly dependent on external markets.

Since the 1990s, the average annual growth rate of exports from countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand has remained between 10% and 20%, but this model makes their economies highly susceptible to fluctuations in the international market.

Even more critically, these countries have poured huge sums of money into real estate and the stock market, creating massive asset bubbles.

For example, in Thailand, 35 percent of bank credit flowed into the real estate market last year, leading to a severe oversupply of real estate.

The vacancy rate of office buildings in Bangkok is as high as 18%.

In stark contrast, Harbin, especially around Harbin Institute of Technology, has many office buildings, but these buildings have an occupancy rate as high as 85%, indicating a very prosperous economy.

In addition, Harbin's export economy accounts for only 45% of its total economy, while domestic sales account for a very high percentage.

The asset bubble is intensifying, clearly resembling the Japanese economic model of the past, but Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand seem oblivious to this.

Moreover, they seem to have failed to realize that the formation of the real estate bubble is closely related to financial liberalization.

Because between 1991 and 1996, private capital flowing into Asia surged from US$20 billion to US$500 billion annually, with Southeast Asia accounting for 60% of that.

However, this international hot money did not go toward increasing productivity; instead, it drove up asset prices and exacerbated the overheating of the economy.

Secondly, there are issues with financial policies. Countries like Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand generally have problems with insufficient regulation and a lack of risk management.

For example, in Seoul, the banking system was conquered to support specific industries or corporate groups; that's how South Korean chaebols came about.

Thirdly, the external debt structure is unreasonable. For example, in 1996, Thailand's external debt exceeded US$100 billion, accounting for more than 50 percent of its GDP.

Short-term debt accounts for as much as 80 percent of the total.

In other words, once foreign capital stops flowing in, or even begins to flow out, the country's foreign exchange reserves will be quickly depleted, forcing either default or currency devaluation.

At that time, we will inevitably be subject to others' control.

This is the reason for the Asian financial crisis in the original timeline.

In this timeline, Want Want Group has already set its sights on international financial institutions such as the Quantum Fund, waiting for them to take the bait. (End of Chapter)