Those Years When I Was Forced to Top the Forbes List

Chapter 140 Preparing to Depart, Shenzhen

The lives of the rich second generation are quite high-quality.

Before getting into the car, Xu Yunfeng asked Chen Xuebing if he wanted to eat Japanese food. Chen Xuebing said he had business to attend to and would eat nearby. However, the Ferrari took him to a Korean BBQ restaurant with a special open-air parking lot.

Even he, a local, didn't know about this place.

These days, Wagyu beef isn't famous, let alone graded. This yakiniku restaurant separates cuts like ribeye, chuck, ribeye, and tenderloin, which is quite refined.

The waiter grilled the meat, and it sizzled and dripped oil in no time.

"Niao Niao, eat."

Xu Yunfeng first considerately put a few pieces of rib meat on his girlfriend's plate before starting to chat with Chen Xuebing.

"Mr. Chen, interested in batteries? Let me make this clear first, I really don't handle the family business."

Chen Xuebing picked up a piece of pork tendon, dipped it in chili sauce, chewed it, and laughed:
"I'm interested in batteries? What makes you say that?"

Xu Yunfeng put down his chopsticks.

“You asked me that day first, and then after you left, Hu Li asked me again, even more carefully than you, asking me if it was a zinc battery, nickel battery, lead-acid battery, or lithium battery.”

"Smart," Chen Xuebing nodded in praise.

Xu Yunfeng chuckled: "Even a fool could see that."

Chen Xuebing chuckled: "I meant Hu Li is smart. I asked her this question once, and she remembered it perfectly."

"I can repeat it too, so am I not smart?" Xu Yunfeng said with a touch of emotion, "Hu Li is quite smart. She is suitable for public relations. She has watched her parents do business since she was a child. There are not many stupid people like her."

Upon hearing this, Chen Xuebing glanced at Xu Yunfeng.

"You're not very smart."

After saying that, he added leisurely, "You can say that because your family is in this business. In my opinion, the battery industry has a very good future, much better than your current industry, but you don't know how to appreciate it."

Xu Yunfeng's expression changed, then he chuckled: "I understand life. People should do what interests them."

“It’s okay, I’ll help you make money and attract clients. You can introduce your dad to me, and I’ll talk to him.”

Chen Xuebing's proactive approach indicates that he has already investigated the company and his father.

His name is Xu Yanming.

Their core products are lithium batteries, for laptops, and they seem to be working on motorcycle power batteries as well.

These days, it's really difficult to find an entrepreneur's and company's resume online. Chen Xuebing originally just wanted to find a general outline, but when he searched for the company name, he found that this year's Fudan EMBA list had just been released, which included the company and its founder. Xu Yunfeng's father had just enrolled in Fudan's Executive MBA program, and there was a whole page of his detailed entrepreneurial resume.

His resume looks impressive; he has worked for several energy battery companies. His companies are not large, but they have core technical teams and are backed by several companies that have invested in them.

Such a company and founder's background are rare in today's Chinese market. The founder is not young, but he still managed to keep up with the times by enrolling in a business master's program. Whether it was for learning or to build connections, Chen Xuebing approves of it.

"You want to invest? Aren't you in the secondary market?" Xu Yunfeng asked.

"We will also have a private equity fund soon," Chen Xuebing said, not wanting to elaborate further.

"I'll vote for you, and you'll vote for my dad. How interesting."

"The investment scale could be worlds apart. Of course, mutual selection leads to closer cooperation, and I actually have a more positive outlook on this kind of relationship."

"If that's how you put it, then I have no choice but to vote."

"Let's start with ten million to test the waters. If we invest less, we'll be letting down your Ferrari."

Xu Yunfeng forced a smile: "If I invest ten million, I'll have to sell it, and I'm afraid I'll feel even more guilty towards it."

"Then let's sell them. Sell one this year and buy two next year."

"Fine, I'll invest five million. Your manager Liu showed me how you operate Baosteel warrants, it's very aggressive. I want to take a gamble and make big money. To be honest, if it were a conservative investment, I wouldn't be interested at all. An aggressive one with a guaranteed return is exactly what I'm looking for."

Chen Xuebing smiled upon hearing this.

My judgment was correct; choosing Liu Zengcheng to introduce the product was the only way to pique the interest of young people.

Young people enter the stock market hoping to get rich quick.

If it were Xu Jin or Wu Zisheng, they would never show people the specific operations of their Baosteel warrants, as that would only make investors tremble with fear. They would focus more on their ability to mitigate risks.

“Then I think we should invest at least seven million,” Chen Xuebing said with a smile.

"why?"

"Because you have seven million, otherwise even if you sold your Ferrari you wouldn't have ten million."

"...Mr. Chen, don't be so rigid with the accounts. I still need to set aside some money for the store's expenses."

"I'll teach you the four-word mantra for making money and investing: Give your all to your father."

"I have done my best."

“Father, if you don’t have enough money, ask your father for some more.”

……

After finishing my meal, I went to the securities brokerage.

Chen Xuebing also asked Wu Zisheng to arrive early so that they could arrange a meeting with Manager Jiang from the Financial Markets Department of China Everbright Bank.

After Wen Jinghui, the deputy general manager of the securities department, explained, he finally understood that it wasn't something he could just see whenever he wanted.

The Chongqing branch is a first-level branch with more than a dozen branches throughout the city. Its level is equivalent to that of a provincial branch, and it is directly under the head office of China Everbright Bank. The Financial Markets Department is a newly established department that is responsible for interest rates, exchange rates, precious metals, commodities and market making. This department is very important and is usually set up at the head office level. If it is set up at a branch, it needs to apply to the local banking regulatory commission for special approval.

The department is at a very high level.

China Everbright Bank is the ninth most competitive commercial bank in the country, with total assets of 530 billion yuan. Manager Jiang returned from Wall Street. He is so young to become the manager of an important department at the provincial and even national level. He has a bright future. In two more years, he may become the vice president of a first-tier branch. He is usually very busy and directly manages more than 1 billion yuan in funds. He came to the scene that day because of their reputation as the first private equity firm in Southwest China.

Wen Jinghui usually couldn't get close to such people.

True masters don't reveal their abilities.

Chen Xuebing was a little regretful that he hadn't had a proper chat last time and exchanged business cards.

If you have a strong enough relationship with a bank, you can develop your business anywhere and only need to cooperate with one bank for many years.

Fortunately, Wen Jinghui had the other party's phone number, so he called and explained Chen Xuebing's concerns.

Manager Jiang stated that the established investment plan would not be changed due to short-term stock market fluctuations, and that the bank has its own judgment on the stock market.

In addition, he responded to Chen Xuebing's invitation, saying that if the Long March 1 Fund is successful, he would go to New York to attend their celebration banquet.

Chen Xuebing listened without interrupting, but silently kept the matter in mind.

The underwriting situation in the securities department is not ideal. So far, only three potential clients have been reached, all with a minimum investment of one million.

With a month to go before the official fundraising, Chen Xuebing wasn't in a hurry. He thanked Vice President Wen and then left.

With the 30 million from Everbright and 7 million from Xu Yunfeng confirmed, plus his own 30 million, the fundraising was halfway secured. Even if other investors changed their minds along the way, there would still be at least 100 million in funds, which put him at ease.

All the best.

On the other side, along a stretch of mudflats downstream of Peach Blossom Creek, six excavators are working.

...

The dredging work is progressing very quickly.

The section they were working on was dredging. The riverbed was shallow, and it was the dry season, so the excavator could go directly into the riverbed.

Six excavators were digging openly, and they could work 7,000 cubic meters a day, producing more than 5,000 cubic meters of sand.

Earning 8 yuan a day—an astronomical profit.

If you could pull some strings and lease the entire river to mine, setting up all the machinery, wouldn't you make hundreds of millions a year?

I heard that the sand-dredging fleets on the Yellow River consist of four or five modified boats, each costing 20 yuan, with a total cost of around one million yuan. They can recoup their investment in just a few days.

Without engineering contracts or deadlines, sales are guaranteed; even robbing a bank wouldn't be this fast. Given the profit margins and operational difficulty, let alone arresting them, even chasing them down with a Gatling gun blazing with blue flames would tempt some to take the risk.

The entire construction industry chain, from dumping plants and sand and gravel plants to commercial concrete plants, is filled with all sorts of shady dealings. The most profitable projects are definitely not the ones that are visible on the surface.

Chen Xuebing, the reborn individual, felt a little envious when he heard Liang Hui's daily reports.

The path is too wild, the temptation too great; if you're not careful, you'll fall into an abyss.

Fortunately, he has many ways to make money and a strong will.

In the days leading up to National Day, he was planning the development pace of his three major industries. With limited funds, he was figuring out how to develop them alternately to maximize profits.

In finance, following the trend is key; haste is useless.

The building was not yet built, and the qualifications were insufficient.

Developing science and technology is the most urgent task.

……

9 month 30 day.

These past two days, Chen Xuebing made a trip to Pengshui.

The construction site over there is finished, but there are still some finishing touches to be done, which means settling accounts with everyone.

Everything has to wait until the final payment for the project arrives.

One administrator was left for each project to wait for settlement, while everyone else went back to Chongqing to report to the company. All of them signed formal contracts, took a few days off, and went to work at the Taohuaxi construction site after the holiday.

Suddenly, a management team of more than a dozen people was added, including people like Tan Maoshui and Zhao Fuhua, whom Chen Xuebing felt were worth cultivating.

The soldiers are strong and the horses are strong.

This morning I inspected the Taohuaxi construction site, arranged for overtime work during the holiday to ensure that the excavated sand is confirmed with the Water Resources Bureau after the holiday, and that a batch will be sold to recoup some losses. Then I rushed to Emerson Headhunting Company.

On the way, my uncle called.

"The leadership has already given their reply."

"How to say?"

"Using the Qing Dynasty to extract water, subsidize the government, and manage water sources is a good idea, but it still needs to be discussed at a meeting. The leader's idea is... You don't need to go there personally. If the water conservancy department needs to hold a meeting to discuss it, I'll take Director Zhang to talk to them. If the project is approved, my company will sign the contract, and you can execute it. What do you think? I'll handle the intermediate procedures, so don't worry."

Chen Xuebing pondered for a moment.

The leadership is quite cautious in their work and is reluctant to change intermediaries easily, which is to be expected.

Actually, my uncle was very familiar with these official matters, and he didn't want to get too involved.

"I have no problem with anything else, but for this project, I think we should still sign with Gu'an Company. The leaders only trust you, and I trust you too. How about this, you come to Gu'an and be my legal representative and general manager. You'll handle the official matters for future engineering projects. You can use your connections to make the necessary moves, and I'll provide you with public support. I can also give you some of the connections I've developed. You don't need to take a salary; we can discuss your share for specific projects. We can also discuss future shareholding issues. Is that okay?"

This is a good use of the uncle's strengths, and he really needs someone like that.

The relationship between government and business is a matter of national condition, and it's not something he can simply ignore just because he has the ability. He doesn't want to deal with government departments every day; someone has to handle it.

This person not only needs to be experienced, but also needs to have a certain status; officialdom is very particular about these things.

For example, if a leader requires his personal presence to negotiate, simply sending a subordinate general manager is definitely not enough, but if that general manager is also his maternal uncle, then that's sufficient.

Yu Chunyin was silent for a while, then laughed: "Damn it, a few months ago I wanted you to work for me, now I'm working for you."

“If I work for you, you’re my uncle; if you work for me, you’re still my uncle. We’re just doing this for money, what’s the difference? You’ve only ever been stuck in Chongqing. If we cooperate, you can go out and see the world. You’re over forty, divorced, do you really want to retire?”

Yu Chunyin certainly didn't want to retire.

Unable to find anything to do, he was restless and went to Lijiang for a month or so. He also investigated several commercial projects in tourist attractions, but none of them met his expectations and he couldn't make much money.

I can't achieve my ideal.

Given his own abilities, it would be difficult for him to realize the ambitions he had when he left the military.

But my nephew's development speed is astonishing. In just over half a year, he has already planned a fourth project, each one bigger than the last.

Furong Village has invested around 2 million yuan, Gonghe Village 3.7 million yuan, Minxin Water Conservancy 20 million yuan, and the next project, Taohuaxi Water Quality Management, according to Director Zhang's calculations, will cost at least 40 to 50 million yuan. Although the profit is not large, there is no need to advance funds. If it were him, he would never have been able to come up with such a way to make full use of the policy and benefit all parties.

Chen Xuebing is no ordinary man; working for this nephew I've watched grow up, I don't need to worry about money.

"Hmm... I'll discuss it with your mom."

Chen Xuebing shook his head: "No need, this is between the two of us. My mom has closed the shop to take care of Xuejin's schooling, so she's very free. If I talk to her too much, she'll overthink it all the time. She might even call and tell me how to get along with you. We need to handle things officially so that it will be easier to operate."

Yu Chunyin laughed for a while after hearing this.

"Fine! I won't negotiate with you anymore. Just manage the money in my stocks for me, and with that piece of land, I'll have enough for my needs in the future."

“Uncle, you underestimate this position. Once the construction company is up and running, the money you earn will just be enough for Yu Xinxin's allowance during college. When she goes to college, I'll buy her a car, which will definitely be much better than your Camry.”

"What are you talking about? Let me tell you, Xiaobing, a child's growth isn't something that can be built with money! I'll take care of Yu Xinxin, and you shouldn't be so extravagant with Xuejin either! This is the time to establish their values; they need to learn the importance of hard work and perseverance!"

"Alright, alright, Yu Xinxin doesn't even want to talk to you anymore, and you're still talking to me about education? If one of your parents has a problem, their thinking is wrong. I won't follow your path. When I get married in the future, I'll definitely marry someone better than the one you married."

"You son of a bitch..."

Yu Chunyin was so angry that he cursed loudly.

Chen Xuebing hung up abruptly, laughing heartily.

Jiao Gui, who was driving in front, also laughed and yawned.

The construction site is a long line, and Jiao Gui has been running around these past two days. Half the time, his feet are on the accelerator and brake.

"Isn't it tiring being my driver?"

Jiao Gui shook his head, thinking his boss was reminding him. He straightened up slightly, gripped the steering wheel tightly, and said succinctly:
"Not tired."

Chen Xuebing laughed again: "They all went to become vice presidents, deputy factory directors, and leaders. Aren't you envious?"

Jiao Gui then realized that his boss wanted to talk to him, so he slowed down a bit, thought for a moment, shook his head, and smiled:

“There’s nothing to envy. They’re much more tired than me. I heard they’ve been working overtime every day lately working on company policies, copying each other all the time. I get three days off and two days off, and I still get paid so much. Last time I got a red envelope, I bought a lot of things for my family. My parents and my married sister are treating me so well now. They’re worried that you’ll abandon me since I’m always at home. They keep telling me to serve the boss well and not lose such a good job.”

"Serve me." Chen Xuebing laughed at the word and waved his hand: "We don't talk about these things between brothers. I know you're afraid you won't do a good job, but I've prepared a position for you in the Supervision Department. When the group grows bigger, I'll need a supervision department too. If you don't want to be a driver anymore in the future, this is your fallback plan."

"No need, no need, brother, I'll go with you. I can drive, and I like driving. I feel more at ease doing this. I've been practicing martial arts in my spare time lately, so maybe I can even be your bodyguard in the future!"

Chen Xuebing laughed again: "You're still too green to be my bodyguard! Just practice a bit, get some exercise, don't think about working as a bodyguard on the side. When the company develops real estate in big cities, I'll reserve two apartments for you. Your name will be on the group's deed, and you'll receive your salary, bonuses, and social insurance and housing fund along with the headquarters employees. You'll be in a technical position, starting at T6, with a base salary of around 3,500, which is considered high right now. If you work with me, your salary and rank will be adjusted regularly. If anyone gives you a red envelope, you can take the company's internal welfare benefits, but don't take anything else."

Jiao Gui was stunned.

"Brother...it's too high! I can't accept this house!"

Chen Xuebing clicked his tongue in annoyance.

"Don't make a fuss, have some perspective."

Jiao Gui then shut up, but gripped the steering wheel even tighter.

He only turned around when he was about to park his car downstairs at the Emerson Company building.

"Boss, if we go to Shenzhen, can I come with you?"

Chen Xuebing shook his head: "I'll take a plane."

"If you... if you need a car, I'll drive over there and wait for you. I'll drive it back when you fly back."

Chen Xuebing's lips twitched.

"What, you think your salary isn't enough and want a raise?"

Jiao Gui hurriedly said, "No, it's too high! You've been gone for so long, and I'm worried about having to play around like this!"