Reborn in 2012, building a new energy empire

His silent fingertips unconsciously traced the cold glass, while the intricate weighing machine in his mind was running at high speed, assessing every parameter of risk and reward, calculating every possible path after entering into cooperation, and the best time to gracefully withdraw.

He had to accept this "performance".

However, he must firmly grasp the initiative in his own hands regarding his role, attitude, depth, and boundaries of cooperation.

A vague promise of "comradeship" is far from enough; what he needs is a well-structured, equitable framework of cooperation that maximizes his own interests.

A bold and well-thought-out plan quickly took shape in his mind. Gaining the family's trust and mobilizing large sums of money was not something Zhou Mingyu could achieve overnight; there was a valuable time lag involved.

He could have used this time difference to complete two crucial steps: first, solidify his personal capital and reputation.

Continue to use your own funds to make precise moves in futures and stocks, turning your "first pot of gold" into your "first small mountain".

At the same time, they cleverly utilized school resources: for example, through in-depth exchanges with Professor Wu, who studied industrial economics, they packaged some of their macroeconomic judgments as "academically inspired" and logically rigorous market deductions.

This is not plagiarism, but a clever "backdoor listing," which not only enhances the weight of one's own viewpoint, but also lays the groundwork for possible future collaborations through "academic support."

The senior students from the School of Economics who have already made a name for themselves in top law firms are a ready-made think tank. We can pay them to design the preliminary legal framework for future complex cooperation structures, ensuring compliance and avoiding potential pitfalls.

The second step is to design a top-tier cooperation plan that allows investors to bring their own capital into the project.

Once Zhou Mingyu has secured the necessary funds and authority, he can then bring with him the considerable personal capital he has accumulated during this period, his even more impressive practical achievements, and the preliminary "academic-legal" endorsement of his proposal to negotiate.

The cooperation model must never be a simple commission or profit sharing.

The optimal solution is to borrow the structure of top hedge funds: Zhou Mingyu personally contributes a portion as "subordinated capital" (i.e., true risk capital with priority in risk-taking and return distribution), while Zhou Mingyu or the platform he controls provides the main "senior capital".

With his "subordinated" investment and absolute control, he can demand a highly attractive profit-sharing structure—for example, designing a target that Zhou Mingyu can accept, where after the priority funds obtain a relatively stable annualized return, the vast majority of the excess returns (possibly as high as 80% or even higher) will belong to his team.

At the same time, it is essential to set clear stop-loss lines and veto power for key decisions to ensure that the strategy is not influenced by outsiders.

In this way, his role transformed from a "high-level employee" or a vague "partner" into one of the de facto core engines and biggest beneficiaries of this capital platform.

Zhou Mingyu achieved the performance he had always dreamed of and built a highly capable team; while Jiang Haoran, with almost zero cost (using profits and other people's large capital), leveraged this leverage to achieve an exponential expansion of his own capital at an astonishing speed, and cloaked all his operations in a legal and compliant guise.

Therefore, this was by no means a passive acceptance of charity, but rather a deliberate scheme by him, not only to precisely seize the most nutritious core of the pie, but also to personally formulate the rules for dividing the pie.

The stage provided by Zhou Mingyu is an indispensable springboard in his grand plan; while the cooperation framework he is about to build and the amazing results he will surely deliver are what ensure that after each leap, the most fruitful results must, and inevitably will, fall into his control along the path he has set.

Jiang Haoran will leverage his absolute foresight into the future and harness the vast resources of the real economy to efficiently transform information asymmetry into initial capital measured in hundreds of millions.

From the very first minute, this collaboration was destined to be a grand feast conducted within the boundaries he defined and according to the rules of the game he designed.

He was not only a guest at the banquet, but also the host who set the menu and seating arrangement.

As for the more distant future? Jiang Haoran was perfectly clear-headed.

His ultimate goal is to define the new energy era, which does not fundamentally conflict with Hengjiu Group's core business of traditional refining and chemical processing. In fact, there is broad scope for collaboration and cooperation in cross-disciplinary fields such as new chemical materials and high-end manufacturing in the future.

He never intended to permanently tie himself to the Zhou family or anyone else's cause.

Today's deep cooperation is paving the way for tomorrow's complete independence.

Establishing a deep relationship with a potential star like Zhou Mingyu, which begins with an exchange of interests and may develop into a stable alliance in the future, would be entirely beneficial for him in building a vast future business ecosystem.

The art of politics lies in making as many friends as possible.

Being able to forge a deep bond of interest with a potential talent of Zhou Mingyu's caliber in the early stages of one's career is itself an extremely valuable strategic asset.

A thousand thoughts raced through his mind in an instant. Jiang Haoran raised his eyes, his gaze calm as a deep pool, meeting Zhou Mingyu's burning and expectant stare without wavering.

"A very tempting, and daring plan," he finally spoke, his voice calm and unwavering. "It could even change the course of my future, so I need some time to consider it carefully."

This answer did not surprise Zhou Mingyu. If Jiang Haoran had acted impulsively and readily agreed, Zhou Mingyu would have doubted the other party's shrewdness and reliability.

The truly big fish that deserve a big bet never bite easily.

Those who require patient persuasion and repeated deliberation before boarding the ship are often the most precious partners who can sail side by side through storms.

"Of course, such an important decision should be carefully considered." Zhou Mingyu's face broke into the most genuine smile of the evening.

It wasn't just simple joy, but the satisfaction of a hunter finally confirming the trail of a precious prey and watching it slowly walk into its pre-set territory—a feeling of complete control.

He skillfully composed himself, regaining his usual calm, and glanced at his watch. "We've finished discussing business; it's time to clear our heads. I know a nice place; interested in going for some fun?"

Zhao Rui, understanding the implied meaning, immediately stood up: "I'll arrange a car."

Jiang Haoran knew perfectly well what was going on. From serious negotiations about interests to private enjoyment, this was both indulgence and another form of acceptance and testing.

Stepping into that more private realm meant that he had already stepped one foot into Zhou Mingyu's inner circle, a silent promise.

He didn't refuse. Sometimes, participating in someone else's "game" is itself an attitude.

"Then let's go and broaden our horizons." Jiang Haoran stood up, his smile gentle, and raised his glass to drink the remaining wine in one gulp.