Reborn in 2012, building a new energy empire

Jiang Haoran picked up the phone on the table and found the headhunter's number in his contacts.

The phone was answered after two rings, and a capable yet respectful male voice came from the other end: "Good evening, Mr. Jiang. I had some comments on the candidates that I was planning to report to you first thing tomorrow morning."

"Consultant Chen, time is precious, so I'll get straight to the point." Jiang Haoran's voice was calm and direct. "I've reviewed the resumes and backgrounds of these five people, and they basically meet the requirements."

We all know the current situation in the photovoltaic industry. There's an abundance of industry talent available right now, largely due to the overall economic environment.

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the three resumes he had highlighted on the screen: "These three individuals, numbered one, two, and five, I'll be meeting them at the Jiutian Investment office at nine o'clock the day after tomorrow. Confirm the time with them and make sure you arrive on time."

Consultant Chen on the other end of the phone, clearly accustomed to this efficient style, immediately responded, "Understood, Mr. Jiang. I'll contact them right away to confirm and make sure they arrive on time the day after tomorrow. Is there anything I need to prepare in advance? For example, a more detailed background check, or the key points for the interview..."

"I already have the key points in mind," Jiang Haoran interrupted him, his tone leaving no room for argument. "I want to meet a living, breathing person, not just words on a resume. This interview isn't just a formality; I want to hear the details, the thought process, the results, and even the regrets."

He spoke slowly, but every word carried weight: "Consultant Chen, the position of project manager for Qilin Technology is not for someone who can read financial statements and write investment reports."

"What I'm looking for is a 'connector,' someone who can go down to the lab to talk to PhDs about materials, go into the workshop to discuss processing precision with experienced workers, negotiate prices with suppliers, and also fight for resources and time for the technical team internally."

"If we choose the wrong person, the industrialization progress in the next few months could be affected. The three people you recommended all seem promising based on their resumes, but I need to weigh whether they are suitable in person."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, followed by a more solemn response: "Mr. Jiang, I fully understand your requirements. I will convey your interview requirements verbatim so that they can make full preparations."

"Okay," Jiang Haoran replied, preparing to hang up.

"President Jiang," Consultant Chen added at the end, his tone carrying a professional caution and a hint of flattery, "with your discerning eye, you're sure to be able to pick the most suitable one. It's our honor to be able to find talent for you and Qilin Technology."

Jiang Haoran gave a noncommittal "hmm" and hung up the phone.

After dealing with the emails, he switched interfaces and opened the stock trading software. He logged in, and the familiar interface unfolded.

He zoomed in on the infrastructure sector's stock chart separately. On the screen, the charts of more than a dozen selected stocks, including Qinglong Pipe Industry, Guangdong Hydropower, and Anhui Construction Engineering, were neatly arranged.

Compared to the gloomy, bearish chart pattern of more than a month ago, the current chart has quietly changed.

The market index is still fluctuating at a low level, and overall trading volume is sluggish.

However, the stock prices of these holdings have generally broken away from the previous agonizing low point platform and have begun to slowly rise along the slightly upward-sloping short-term moving average.

On the candlestick chart, the number of small positive candlesticks has increased significantly. Although the bodies are not large and the rise is moderate, the direction is firm.

What's even more intriguing is that trading volume has started to increase. Against the backdrop of a generally sluggish market, these stocks occasionally show one or two candlesticks with significantly increased trading volume, like ripples surging beneath a calm lake.

Jiang Haoran was all too familiar with this trend. It was a typical characteristic of institutional funds that had already begun patiently positioning themselves before the market's mainstream attention had even focused on them.

Like experienced whales, they slowly swim in deep waters, without creating huge waves, but continuously and dispersedly accumulating shares, waiting for a key signal to ignite market consensus.

These infrastructure stocks have solid financial statements and stable orders, but their static price-to-earnings ratios have generally fallen to a historical low of around ten.

Investors remain focused on short-term fluctuations in monthly macroeconomic data, worrying about downward economic pressure, while selectively ignoring the structural forces that are solidifying a long-term bottom.

Jiang Haoran pulled up a summary of recent policy news and cross-referenced it.

Since mid-October, there has been a sporadic but positive policy response to infrastructure investment. Initially, it was just a few departmental documents or expert interviews, and the voices were faint.

However, after entering November, the wind direction became significantly more specific and actionable.

Within two weeks, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) approved three major project packages, including the "Fourth Phase Construction Plan for Urban Rail Transit in XX City," with a total investment exceeding 300 billion yuan. It also unusually specified completion deadlines for some key milestones. This is not merely empty promises, but a starting gun.

The Ministry of Finance followed suit, not only allocating part of the new local government debt limit for next year in advance, but also clearly defining the key areas of funding support in the supporting documents: water conservancy, transportation and municipal infrastructure were placed at the forefront, and differentiated subsidy ratios were given, providing clear financial guidance and policy support for local governments to apply for and launch projects.

At the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development level, the "Guiding Opinions on Actively and Steadily Promoting the Renovation of Urban Villages in Mega- and Super-Large Cities" has concluded its public consultation period, signaling its imminent official release. This not only concerns people's livelihoods but will also directly drive demand for a series of industries, including architectural design, construction, building materials, and even subsequent community infrastructure.

The Ministry of Water Resources convened a special meeting, which directly designated "this winter and next spring" as the critical window period for water conservancy infrastructure construction, demanding that "those that can start construction should start as soon as possible, and those that have already started construction should accelerate their progress." The urgency of the wording is rare in recent years.

Individual news items may appear as mere ripples within an industry; however, when they are released intensively from different ministries, at different times, and in different forms, the resulting resonance is accumulating substantial and undeniable momentum for a turnaround in the prosperity of the entire infrastructure industry chain.

Jiang Haoran's gaze returned to his watchlist.

Qinglong Pipe Industry's high-end municipal pipeline products are core consumables for urban pipeline network renovation and upgrading; Guangdong Hydropower, as a regional leader, is deeply involved in many major water conservancy hubs and water transmission projects in South China; Anhui Construction Engineering has a large number of orders in hand for the densification of the central transportation network and the construction of new districts...

Their stock prices, however, remain at the bottom of the valuation trough, reflecting the most pessimistic expectations.

The pendulum of market sentiment always swings slowly and stubbornly from one extreme to the other.

While most people are still worried about the bad news that is currently in their hands and may have already been priced in, subtle but steady positive changes that will drive the next cycle are happening quietly.

This is often the best time to plan for the start of the next cycle.

With a clear mind, Jiang Haoran's fingers steadily tapped on the keyboard, continuing to methodically convert the remaining funds in his account into quiet purchases according to the predetermined ratio and rhythm.

He doesn't need to predict exactly when the east wind will arrive; he only needs to ensure that when the east wind truly rises, his ship will already be there, with its sails fully unfurled.