Returning to his senior year of high school, he went all in and made billions by buying at the botto

It was already dark when the plane landed in Kyoto.

Outside the porthole, strips of lights illuminated the area, and planes taxied slowly at the end of the runway.

Chen Mo's phone had just regained signal when a call came in.

"Xiao Mo".

Lu Jingyi's voice came from the other end of the phone.

"My dad wants to see you."

Chen Mo paused for a moment.

"Now?"

"Um."

Lu Jingyi paused.

"The car has already gone to the airport to pick you up."

Chen Mo didn't speak immediately. Although it was a bit rushed, it seemed to be expected.

"Jingyi, what are you so nervous about?"

There was a two-second silence on the other end of the phone.

Lu Jingyi let out a soft breath.

"I don't know either."

There was a rare hint of helplessness in her voice.

"My dad isn't in the finance industry, nor is he an ordinary elder."

"I know."

"He wants to see you as a person."

Chen Mo hummed in agreement.

"rest assured."

Lu Jingyi paused for a moment, then said in a low voice, "Don't make it too sharp."

Chen Mo recalled that she had said something similar before meeting Musk in the United States.

He smiled.

"Are you misunderstanding something about me?"

"No," Lu Jingyi replied quickly, "I just know you too well."

The phone hangs up.

Chen Mo walked out of the VIP passage.

A black Hongqi L5 was already parked next to the exit.

The license plate starts with 京A8.

The driver was a young man with a crew cut, not yet thirty years old, and he stood very straight.

Seeing Chen Mo come out, he stepped forward.

"Mr. Chen."

Qin Feng followed behind Chen Mo, his steps pausing slightly.

The crew-cut youth also glanced at him.

The two looked at each other for half a second, exchanged nods without exchanging pleasantries.

The car door opened.

Chen Mo sat in the back seat.

The Hongqi smoothly departed the airport.

The night view of Kyoto unfolded outside the car window.

Initially, it was elevated roads, neon lights, office buildings, and hotel signs.

The further you go in, the slower the sounds of the city become.

The car left the bustling main road and turned into a quiet, tree-lined avenue.

Both sides are lined with tall London plane trees.

The tree trunk was thick, and its branches and leaves cast large shadows under the streetlights.

The car slowed down.

A large gate appeared ahead.

A white sign with black lettering, and the national emblem hanging above it.

Armed police officers stood at the entrance.

The car didn't stop, but when the armed police saw the license plate, they stood at attention and saluted, and the barrier was raised in advance.

The red flag slowly drove in.

It wasn't like the imposing government office that outsiders imagined.

It's more like a quiet retirement home for retired cadres.

There are no tall buildings, only two-story houses with courtyards, made of red and gray bricks, half of which are hidden by trees.

Occasionally a car would pass by, but it was moving very slowly.

No one honked their horn, and no one spoke loudly.

Chen Mo looked out the window.

He had visited many places in Kyoto in his previous life.

Office buildings, hotels, banquet halls, hospitals, rental houses.

But having never been to a place like this before, it's impossible not to feel a little nervous.

The car was parked in front of a small gray brick building.

The steps were clean, there were no guards at the entrance, only a warm yellow light.

The driver got out of the car and opened the door for him.

"Mr. Chen, please."

Qin Feng and Zhou Zheng did not follow them inside.

They stayed by the car.

Chen Mo went up the steps alone.

The door opened quickly, and a woman in her fifties with a kind face, wearing a dark sweater and with her hair neatly combed, opened it.

She saw Chen Mo and smiled.

"Mr. Chen, right?"

"Hello."

"Come in, it's cold outside."

The room is very warm.

There was a faint aroma of tea in the air, as well as the unique scent of sandalwood from old wooden furniture.

The living room is not big.

Compared to the mansions, clubs, and offices that Chen Mo has seen before, it seems excessively simple.

Several calligraphy scrolls hung on the wall, an enamel mug sat on the coffee table, and next to it was a half-open internal reference material.

The aunt poured him a cup of tea.

"The leader is still in the study looking at materials. Mr. Chen, please sit down and wait a moment."

"Thank you for your help."

Chen Mo sat down. The living room was quiet, and the clock on the wall ticked steadily.

There was also a kraft paper document bag on the coffee table below.

The envelope was unsealed, and a black fountain pen was pressed against the edge, as if it was deliberately left for him to see.

Chen Mo glanced down at it.

His name was written on the cover.

Chen Mo's birth date, place of origin, and family members are all written in neat handwriting.

He paused for two seconds, then reached in and pulled out the materials inside.

The first page contains a basic resume.

From elementary school to high school, every transfer, exam, and competition record is on it.

Starting from the second page, it is no longer a regular file.

Taichu Capital, Xingchen Technology, Chuangsheng Capital...

Each entry details the time, amount, relevant personnel, and flow of funds.

Even the earliest instance of him using the tractor factory's account is written down clearly.

Chen Mo paused for a moment when he reached this point.

It's not that I'm nervous, I'm just a little sentimental.

Some things can be kept from ordinary people, but not from those who really want to know.

Chen Mo then flipped through a few pages of the materials, recording almost everything he had done.

After glancing at it briefly, he put the document back on the coffee table.

He felt more at ease, knowing his background was clean.

The Chen family has a long history of honest and law-abiding citizens. They have never committed any crimes, laundered money, or colluded with external forces.

Everything he does, whether bold or outrageous, can withstand scrutiny.

More importantly, he has now affected the interests of too many people.

Behind the creation are international capital firms such as Grant, Goldman Sachs, Merrill Lynch, and Morgan Stanley.

Xingchen Technology is backed by Jiangcheng Industry, Xingxin Mining, and provincial state-owned assets.

Behind Taichu Capital are the interests of countless powerful figures.

No one will bring down this young man just because he is too talented and monstrous.

there is always a solution to a problem.

Chen Mo picked up his teacup and took a sip.

Just then, the study door opened.

Footsteps came from inside.

Chen Mo put down his teacup and stood up.

The man who came out was in his fifties.

He wasn't very tall and was wearing a dark gray sweater.

His hair was half-white, his facial features were very defined, and his eyes were bright.

Lu Changming.

Lu Jingyi's father.

He was holding a document in his hand, and when he saw Chen Mo, his gaze lingered on Chen Mo's face for two seconds.

Then he smiled.

"Xiao Chen?"

Chen Mo bowed slightly.

"Uncle Lu."

Lu Changming's eyes were filled with a smile.

"sit."

He walked to the sofa and sat down opposite Chen Mo.

The auntie refilled the tea and quietly stepped aside.

Lu Changming glanced at the resumes on the coffee table.

"Have you seen it?"

"I've seen it."

"How's it? Pretty detailed?"

"More than I expected."

Lu Changming smiled, and without beating around the bush, said in a calm voice, "Let's get to know each other formally."

Chen Mo was slightly taken aback.

"Lu Changming, Director of the National Development and Reform Commission of China."

As soon as those words were spoken, the warmth in the living room seemed to be momentarily suppressed.

Chen Mo had guessed Lu Jingyi's father's identity before, but hearing it from him in person still carried a certain weight.

The top official of the National Development and Reform Commission.

Many domestic industrial policies, major projects, regional plans, and resource allocations ultimately go through this system.

Chen Mo stood up, his expression becoming more serious.

"Director Lu."

"sit."

Lu Changming waved his hand.

"At home, we don't talk about our positions."

Chen Mo sat down again.

Lu Changming picked up his teacup and blew away the foam.

"Thank you for taking care of Xiaoyi."

Chen Mo didn't expect him to bring this up first.

"Sister Jingyi helped me a lot."

"I know."

Lu Changming said, "She used to have high standards and was arrogant. It's not easy to get her to give up her position at Merrill Lynch and join you at Chuangsheng Capital."

He glanced at Chen Mo.

"She's not the type to easily go with someone."

Chen Mo didn't know how to respond for a moment.

Lu Changming did not continue in that direction, but simply smiled.

"Don't be nervous, I'm not here to interrogate you today."

Many people want to see you.

Lu Changming said slowly, "However, I think I should come see you first."

The living room quieted down, and Lu Changming put down his teacup.

"Why are you in such a hurry to develop Jiangcheng's fluorochemical industry chain?"

Chen Mo knew that the main topic was about to be discussed.

He thought for a few seconds and then said, "Because the window of opportunity for upstream resources is very short."

Lu Changming looked at him.

"continue."

"In the past, many places only regarded fluorite, lithium ore, and rare earth elements as ordinary minerals."

"When prices are low, nobody cares. But once demand picks up, the cost of integration will increase several times over."

Chen Mo's voice was not fast.

"Downstream in the fluorochemical industry, we can get lithium hexafluorophosphate, electronic-grade hydrofluoric acid, and semiconductor wet electronic chemicals."

"The former relates to new energy batteries, while the latter relates to chip manufacturing."

"These two lines are still too early to say now, but they will become increasingly crucial in the next ten years."

Lu Changming did not interrupt. He picked up a pencil and lightly drew a line on the edge of the material.

Chen Mo continued, "Western Province has abundant resources, but in the past they were too scattered. Small mines sold raw materials, the local government collected some taxes, and pollution and safety risks remained locally."

"If Xingxin Mining can integrate upstream resources and then use companies like Deer Technology, Duofuduo, and Tianci Materials to take over downstream operations."

"Jiangcheng is not just about selling minerals; it can become a materials production base."

Lu Changming looked up.

Do you think Jiangcheng can handle semiconductor materials?

"Not in the short term."

Chen Mo answered very decisively.

"But we can start with basic chemical purification capabilities, pilot production lines for electronic-grade hydrofluoric acid, and supporting wet electronic chemicals."

"This isn't something that will happen in a year or two."

"It will take ten years, or even longer."

Lu Changming looked at him.

"Are you willing to wait ten years?"

Chen Mo smiled.

I am eighteen years old.

Lu Changming paused for a moment, his pencil still in his hand.

Then he laughed too.

"That's true."

Only young people have the right to say that ten years is not a long time.

Lu Changming then asked, "What about semiconductors?"

Chen Mo picked up the teacup and ran his fingers along the inside of the cup for a while.

"Semiconductors are not something that a single company, a single project, or a single genius engineer can solve."

"It is a test for the entire industrial system."

Materials, equipment, design software, manufacturing processes, packaging and testing, talent, capital, and patience.

"Any weakness will be magnified."

He paused.

"China will definitely be blocked in the future."

There was a moment of silence in the living room.

Lu Changming looked at him, his gaze deepening.

Why make this judgment?

"Because chips will become a core tool in great power competition."

Chen Mo said, "In the past, oil, shipping, and finance were tools. In the future, computing power and chips will also be tools."

"If others can control your advanced processes and core equipment, it's equivalent to controlling the speed of your industrial upgrading."

"This is not a commercial friction, it is strategic suppression."

Lu Changming remained silent.

But the pencil in his hand drew another line on the material.

Lu Changming then asked, "So you're investing in Nvidia?"

"Nvidia is one of the future gateways to computing power."

"GPUs will evolve from gaming graphics cards into underlying tools for training models, autonomous driving, recommendation systems, and scientific computing."

"Chips are not just for phones and computers."

"Whoever controls the computing power platform in the future will be able to influence the infrastructure of the data era."

Lu Changming leaned back on the sofa.

He looked at Chen Mo and remained silent for a long time, for the first time.

A moment later, he suddenly changed the subject.

"What about SpaceX? Why would you invest in an American commercial space company?"

Chen Mo was not surprised; he knew this question would be asked.

"Because commercial spaceflight will drive down the cost of getting into orbit."

Lu Changming narrowed his eyes.

"Trajectory costs?"

"right."

Chen Mo said, "If rockets are reusable, launch costs will drop significantly."

"With the decrease in launch costs, satellite internet, remote sensing, communications, navigation, defense, and Earth observation will all be rewritten."

"Right now, SpaceX is a private space company. Looking ahead, it may become a space infrastructure company."

Lu Changming asked, "Infrastructure?"

"The railway leading to the tracks."

Chen Mo said softly.

"Whoever builds this railway will be able to decide how, when, and how much it will cost to send many things into space."

Lu Changming stared at him.

"What about domestically?"

Chen Mo looked up.

"It must be done domestically as well."

"But it cannot rely solely on the state."

"Commercial space companies will definitely emerge in the future, undertaking more flexible launch, satellite manufacturing, and application scenarios."

"The national team addresses the strategic bottom line, while private enterprises are responsible for efficiency and trial and error."

After he finished speaking, the living room remained quiet for a long time.

Lu Changming didn't press Chen Mo about why he always managed to catch the trend, why he dared to bet heavily on Swiss francs, or how he knew that GPUs, AI, and commercial spaceflight would take off.

He was just asking questions related to the industry.

From fluorochemicals to semiconductors, from computing power to commercial aerospace, from Wuhan to western provinces, from domestic industrial chains to global infrastructure.

The two of them initially sat very formally.

Later, the tea was changed three times. When the housekeeper came in to refill the water, she found that the materials on the coffee table had been turned upside down and were in a mess.

Lu Changming would occasionally make marks with a pencil.

Chen Mo gradually shifted from initial caution to genuine communication.

He rarely had the opportunity to articulate his judgment so fully.

Lu Changming asked very insightful questions, not the kind of questions a layman would ask. Every question touched on the most critical aspects of the industry.

Where is the turning point for new energy vehicles?

Will domestic internet companies in the future be reduced to platform monopolies?

Is AI merely a tool, or a new industrial revolution?

Should local governments directly intervene to establish industry funds?

Where are the boundaries for private capital acquiring resources?

One problem after another.

The clock struck twelve.

We arrived at one o'clock.

The aunt came in halfway through and reminded me once.

"Commander, it's time to rest."

Lu Changming glanced at the time.

"Let's talk for another half hour."

Half an hour later, another hour and a half passed.

Three o'clock in the morning.

It was completely quiet outside the window.

The streetlights in the courtyard cast shadows on the trees, which fell onto the glass like faint ripples on water.

Lu Changming finally closed the document.

"Xiao Chen."

"Uncle Lu."

"Tomorrow morning, I'll have someone take you to see the people from the central bank and the social security department."

Chen Mo sat up a little straighter.

Lu Changming said, "Since we can't avoid the matter of Taichu No. 2, let's make it clear face to face."

"Take the money you can afford. Don't force yourself to take money you can't."

"You set the rules, but you also need to be mindful of boundaries."

Chen Mo nodded.

"clear."

Lu Changming glanced at the clock on the wall.

"It's too late," he said, turning to the aunt. "Prepare a guest room for Xiao Chen to stay tonight."

The auntie was clearly taken aback. She had worked in this courtyard for many years, and many people had come here to discuss business.

There were provincial and ministerial level officials, heads of central enterprises, and scholars and experts, but no one ever stayed overnight.

Not to mention, he's an eighteen-year-old young man.

The aunt quickly realized what was happening.

"Okay, I'll go get ready right away."

Chen Mo was also somewhat surprised.

"Uncle Lu, no need to trouble yourself, I'll go to the hotel."

"Why bother with all this at this time?"

Lu Changming stood up.

I have to meet someone tomorrow.

After he finished speaking, he glanced at Chen Mo again.

"Besides, if Xiaoyi knew I kicked you out at three in the morning, she'd probably call and complain to me."

Chen Mo was speechless for a moment.

Lu Changming smiled, a rare occurrence for him.

"Go and rest."

The aunt had already reached the top of the stairs, and when she looked back at Chen Mo, her eyes were still filled with surprise.