Those Years When I Was Forced to Top the Forbes List

Chapter 171 Targeted Share Issuance
"I never would have guessed, little girl, you've got a sweet tongue."

Chen Xuebing led Xin Mengzhen out of the sales office, enjoying the sweetness of their passionate love, licking his lips to savor the moment.

"You flatter me, you flatter me. I didn't realize you were so shy, little brother."

Xin Mengzhen also raised her eyebrows and teased.

Her pretty eyes made Chen Xuebing's mouth water, and he put his arm around her slender and supple waist.

This girl is a top-tier succubus.

I used to think of her only as an ice queen, a cool and aloof girl. It was as if saying the wrong thing would make her feel extremely disgusted. In my past life, Chen Xuebing was very careful when he spoke to her and Yang Qingyue on their way home, and he only said positive things.

But he didn't know then that she was so alluring and provocative when she let loose.

Rebirth really does unlock a lot of new things.

"Who's the little brother? Let's go back to the hotel and see." Chen Xuebing grinned mischievously and pinched her waist.

Xin Mengzhen had only unlocked the beginner level of verbal sparring, and finally couldn't stand his direct and lewd behavior. She rolled her eyes at him and pushed his hand away.

My colleague is coming.

Chen Xuebing raised his hand to check the time; it was only 11:30.

"So early? Are you going without lunch?"

He was in a hurry to finalize the house deal early in the morning, planning to have lunch before going there.

Whether he eats or not is irrelevant; when he's with Xin Mengzhen, he still has to take care of her stomach.

“My colleague said there’s a lunch meeting at noon. Mr. Guo is giving a speech today and will definitely be attending. We can go early and see where Mr. Guo is sitting. If we’re close by, we can strike up a conversation… I heard it’s a Western lunch meeting, so we can have a bite to eat.”

"Oh…"

Chen Xuebing raised his eyebrows.

The pace of work in Shanghai is indeed fast; you have to have a meeting even while having lunch.

Due to the influence of China hosting the G20 finance ministers and central bank governors this year, there will be a lot of international financial conferences in China in the next two months, especially in Beijing and Shanghai.

Many entrepreneurs with considerable resources are flocking to these two places.

He also checked the conference yesterday; the theme is financial reform and development, and it's a three-day event, with today being the second day.

There are four main themes: commercial banks, securities market, financial instrument risk prevention, shareholding reform and corporate governance of listed companies.

Many listed companies and financial institutions from both China and abroad were invited.

He was also looking forward to seeing the opinions of experts from this era.

However, most people attend such meetings for networking purposes, and countless business deals are made during the three days.

"Also, Lin Huixiang said she'd like to invite you to dinner this afternoon, are you going?" Xin Mengzhen asked again.

"Lin Huixiang?" Chen Xuebing searched his mind for the name and remembered the mature-looking woman.

"Oh, your childhood friend? Your two families are old friends? You're introducing me to your family so soon?"

“She speaks rudely, I suggest you don’t go, you can’t stand it,” Xin Mengzhen said, raising her chin in a slightly provocative tone.

"Oh." Chen Xuebing understood the implication and nodded: "Then I must go, to show my magnanimity as a man, otherwise I would be petty."

Xin Mengzhen's lips curved into a slight smile, and she said with satisfaction:
“BINGO”.

Chen Xuebing smiled.

"I can tolerate someone like you who resorts to violence at the slightest disagreement, so what if you speak rudely?"

Xin Mengzhen choked for a moment, recalling the first time she was angered by Chen Xuebing to the point of hitting him. She hadn't even managed to land a kick properly and had been mocked by Chen Xuebing instead. She really wanted to get her revenge.

She raised her little fist and said fiercely, "Believe it or not, I'll hit you!"

Chen Xuebing's mouth twisted into a crooked shape: "Please enlighten me."

The two of them happily chased each other around the street.

Xin Mengzhen suddenly stopped, coughed, and straightened her suit jacket.

Chen Xuebing stopped and turned around, seeing a black BMW 5 Series driving up and slowly stopping in front of them.

The driver rolled down the window; he looked to be in his thirties, wearing glasses and appearing quite refined.

The driver noticed Xin Mengzhen's expression was a bit strange, but still waved and said:
"Get in the car quickly."

Xin Mengzhen had already informed her colleagues, and since they didn't ask any questions, Chen Xuebing simply nodded to the driver, then opened the back door for Xin Mengzhen to get in, and sat down in the back himself.

After getting into the car, Xin Mengzhen took the initiative to speak politely:
"Excuse me, Brother Zhang, my boyfriend is also in the same industry. I asked him to come along today to give me some advice. I'd appreciate it if you could come and pick us up."

Chen Xuebing interjected with a smile: "There's nothing to refer to. I'm just here to audit an expert meeting."

The driver simply nodded, glanced outside, and didn't say anything, as if he was waiting for someone.

Xin Mengzhen then introduced them to each other: "This is my colleague Zhang Yuzhong, and this is my boyfriend, Chen Xuebing."

When Xin Mengzhen first introduced the word "boyfriend" to someone, she looked at Chen Xuebing with a hint of shyness.

Chen Xuebing also smiled.

Zhang Yuzhong didn't turn around, but looked out the window again: "Oh, isn't President Lu going?"

Xin Mengzhen was somewhat surprised: "Hmm?"

Zhang Yuzhong glanced at the rearview mirror and noticed Xin Mengzhen's expression before restarting the car and driving forward.

"President Lu's family is also inside. I thought President Lu was going there too, since you said it was in Renheng Riverside City."

As he spoke, his body visibly relaxed, he gripped the steering wheel with one hand, and his posture became much more casual.

Upon hearing this, Chen Xuebing shook his head slightly and smiled.

Xin Mengzhen received a call from a colleague when she was looking at apartments in the morning. She was quite happy because the colleague had changed her attitude today and insisted on driving to pick her up in case she couldn't find the venue. She mentioned that she wanted to bring her boyfriend, and the colleague readily agreed.

This is how it turned out.

It seems the saleswoman was right; there are quite a few fund managers living in this community.

Zhang Yuzhong probably thought Xin Mengzhen was with "President Lu," which is why he was so attentive.

If we were to speculate even more maliciously, he might think that the boyfriend Xin Mengzhen was talking about was President Lu?

Xin Mengzhen also realized something. Although she hadn't thought that much about it, she knew what Zhang Yuzhong's purpose was in picking her up. She was a little disappointed, lost interest in talking, and kept quiet.

Chen Xuebing also closed his eyes to rest.

Zhang Yuzhong glanced at the rearview mirror and chuckled.

Just a moment ago he was playing around like a child, but once he got on the bus he pretended to be calm and collected.

However, Xin Meng is no ordinary person. Although President Lu did not give her any special instructions when she joined the company, everyone knows that it is not easy for a college student to get the highest-paid front desk position and to be able to take leave from school frequently.

"Junior, you're lucky to have studied at Fudan University. You've been able to participate in such a good project right after joining the company. President Guo has always been good to juniors from Fudan. I graduated from Fudan more than ten years ago, one year ahead of President Guo, so I can't really say I'm mentoring anyone. So you'd better be a little sweeter with your words later and don't bring your usual company manners to work."

Upon hearing this, Xin Mengzhen clenched her fists.

It's one thing for her to nitpick all the time, but today Chen Xuebing was here too, and he said her behavior at the company was bad, which she couldn't tolerate.

She didn't want to be looked down upon by the company, and even less by Chen Xuebing.

Chen Xuebing, with his eyes closed, seemed to know Xin Mengzhen's reaction and reached out to gently pat the back of her hand.

Xin Mengzhen, being a person with connections and a university student, would inevitably be criticized even if her day were divided into eight parts. According to company rules, there would be many reasons to fire her.

She lacked backbone; getting angry wouldn't solve anything, it would only amplify the conflict, expose her flaws for gossip, and put her superiors in a difficult position. Xin Meng was a smart woman and understood this too, so she gritted her teeth and ignored him.

But Zhang Yuzhong understood as well. When she got in the car, he thought she had some special relationship with President Lu, but now that he knew it wasn't, he spoke somewhat recklessly.

“I did the due diligence for this project. I still have a lot of data to work with the risk control department, so I’m very busy lately. Since you’re going to get involved, and you don’t understand the data, you’ll have to take the lead in securing the share. If the share results are not ideal, you will bear most of the responsibility.”

This pre-battle blame-shifting left the two people in the back row speechless for a while.

Xin Mengzhen couldn't find any rebuttal for a moment because she had never participated in private placements and didn't understand the relevant information.

All she knew was that Zhang Yuzhong was just making a fuss.

But Chen Xuebing finally couldn't hold back any longer.

Private placement, what the hell is this called private placement?
Discounted stock trading outside of official channels!

To raise funds quickly and avoid a stock price collapse caused by excessive stock sales in the short term, listed companies may issue additional shares to a small number of individuals (institutions) through internal invitations to investors or intermediaries. After one year (a six-month lock-up period after 2019), investors can sell the shares on the stock market.

To obtain shares, one must pay no less than 90% of the average share price in the 20 days prior to the offering price (80% after 2020). The actual pricing is essentially the lowest discount allowed by policy.

As the sale date approaches, most companies will help boost the stock price so that investors can sell at a high price; otherwise, if they want to issue more shares later, no one will be willing to participate.

In other words, since securities lending and borrowing are not yet available, the process is still relatively simple. Otherwise, newly acquired stocks could be shorted and sold in advance.

A business where you can make money sitting down, the news headlines would have to be "XX Fund Participates in Private Placement and Receives Allocation of XX Yuan"!
Allocated!

Nanjing Iron & Steel is about to undergo share reform and issue additional shares. It's already a miracle if you can even get a share, let alone have compliance documents?
"Brother Zhang, I'd like to ask, you're in research, right? What compliance documents do you need to prepare for a private placement? And shouldn't the compliance documents be submitted by the listed company issuing the shares to the China Securities Regulatory Commission?"

Chen Xuebing's sudden question made Zhang Yuzhong pause for a moment. For the first time, he didn't look in the rearview mirror but turned around to look at Chen Xuebing's young face.

He knew that using compliance documents wouldn't work after being bombarded with questions, so he started rambling on and on.

"How could there be no data? I did the due diligence."

Chen Xuebing immediately asked again, "The due diligence report hasn't been submitted yet? Your investment decision meeting hasn't even been held, and you're already here to negotiate?"

"It's open," Xin Mengzhen answered quickly.

“Then that’s dereliction of duty on your part, and your investment committee is also dereliction of duty,” Chen Xuebing said casually.

Just as Zhang Yuzhong began to feel a chill run down his spine, Chen Xuebing delivered another blow:

"The Risk Management Department also has problems... Well, that's not your business. You're in the Investment Department, working under the guidance of the Investment Decision Committee."

As Chen Xuebing spoke, he patted Xin Mengzhen's hand.

Xin Mengzhen almost burst out laughing when she saw his judge-like expression, but she held it in.

Zhang Yuzhong remained silent for a long time, but his breathing appeared uneven.

Chen Xuebing was too lazy to make enemies with such a nobody, so he just gave him a warning and then kept quiet.

Zhang Yuzhong could only grit his teeth in frustration and drive incredibly fast. It only took about twenty minutes to get from Pudong to Jing'an.

The Shanghai Exhibition Center, completed in 1955, was formerly known as the Sino-Soviet Friendship Building, a building in the standard Soviet style.

There is a square at the entrance. The buildings are symmetrical along the central axis, with a regular floor plan. The middle is high and the two sides are low. The main building is towering and the corridors are wide and extend.

Baroque art, the scenery is very photogenic.

The red glass five-pointed star on the spire at the top of the building contains many light bulbs and was once a symbol of Shanghai at night.

This place was... no, it will be in the future.

They will hold a lavish wedding costing 200 million yuan, and invite most of the entertainment industry to witness it.

The seven-year itch has passed, and they've divorced again.

In the ground-level parking lot, as Chen Xuebing got out of the car, he looked at Xin Mengzhen, whose beauty was no less than that of the bride at the wedding, and felt that his own handsomeness was probably no less than that of the groom…

Shouldn't we build an even bigger one in the future?
"Xin Mengzhen, which investment firm does your boyfriend work for? This project is a key focus for our company..."

Zhang Yuzhong turned off the engine, got out of the car, and finally spoke.

Xin Mengzhen knew immediately what kind of trouble he was going to cause, and quickly interrupted him: "He's just going to sit in on the meeting, what's wrong with that? You already promised me! There's no need for tickets, our company already has three seats, and President Fang didn't come!"

“I agreed because…” Zhang Yuzhong looked at the tall and burly Chen Xuebing after he got out of the car, and took a deep breath: “Then you call President Lu yourself!”

"I'll call General Manager Fang, okay?" Xin Mengzhen picked up the phone, ready to call the more approachable deputy general manager of the investment department.

Chen Xuebing noticed that she was deliberately avoiding "President Lu" and knew that she was a difficult person to talk to. In fact, when he warned Zhang Yuzhong, he had already prepared himself for not being able to enter the venue.

"I'll wait for you downstairs. Hurry up, it's almost time, don't be late," Chen Xuebing said with a smile, holding Xin Mengzhen's wrist.

Xin Mengzhen was about to say something when Chen Xuebing shook his head.

"Don't bring your emotions into your work. Or you could ask your grandfather to withdraw his investment, or you could invest in my company and I'll arrange a manager position for you."

Zhang Yuzhong's expression changed only after Chen Xuebing's warning.

Xin Mengzhen had always disdained revealing her identity, and she neither drove nor wore fur coats, so she didn't seem like a rich second-generation. But Chen Xuebing's words confirmed it for her.

She is the investor's granddaughter, not some indirect relationship as he speculated.

If it really is because he withdrew his investment...

At this moment, he wanted to change his mind.

Xin Mengzhen glared at Chen Xuebing with some displeasure.

"Then don't wait here. Find a place to rest, and I'll try to come out as soon as possible."

Chen Xuebing, with his hands tucked in, said nonchalantly, "Waiting for you to eat."

Xin Mengzhen didn't even glance at Zhang Yuzhong and went straight into the building.

Zhang Yuzhong followed, his expression shifting between anger and uncertainty.

After walking a few steps, I turned around to call out to Chen Xuebing, only to find that he had already gone far away.

He felt a sudden sense of loss, and his right eyelid started twitching.

……

At the square entrance, Chen Xuebing looked around and saw no cars, then started cursing.

That son of a bitch surnamed Zhang!

Damn Yan'an Middle Road! The area around the square is completely bare; there isn't even a place to get a foot massage!
There are no taxis available!

After waiting for about ten minutes, cars came and went at the entrance, but none of them could take him to a place to stay.

Chen Xuebing is even thinking of calling Hu Li, a native of Shanghai, to ask if she has any friends who can lend him a car.

Being away from home all year round means you have to make a lot of friends!
A black Lincoln drove up and entered the square.

He stopped a few meters away from Chen Xuebing.

He poked half his head out of the car, looked back, and looked hesitant.

"Mr. Chen?"

Chen Xuebing regained his composure and immediately burst out laughing.

Damn it, he even has relatives in the city! And they ride in a stretch Lincoln!

"Mr. Kan! What brings you here?"

(End of this chapter)