Chapter 323: A World That Becomes More and More Magical

Words : 1834 Updated : Oct 5th, 2025

"Liang, have I ever told you that I really love you?" Little Wang’s eyes were full of deep affection, making Lu Liang feel a chill, so he pushed the big face away, "Stop disgusting me." "We can’t just let those market makers make all the money," he said with a smile, muttering to himself. Little Wang suddenly froze, then hurriedly said, "Hey, Lu, take it easy, don’t break the Panda." seaʀᴄh thё NôᴠelFirё.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. By saying this, Lu Liang implied that he, too, intended to join the ranks of those manipulating Panda’s stock as a speculator. "It’s going to get played out sooner or later, whether it’s a day early or a day late doesn’t make much difference." Lu Liang gave a nonchalant smile. Panda now resembled the LeEco and Thunder of old; even if they were lucky enough to go public, after rounds of frenzied speculation, in the end, they’d be left in tatters. At home, he still had reservations and would hold back somewhat, but abroad, he was like a diligent, earnest farmer. Transformed into a scythe, reaping from retail investors worldwide, it simply wouldn’t do if others could harvest while they couldn’t, that made no sense. Little Wang found himself at a loss for words, "Can it hold out for half a year?" Because when new shares list, original shareholders are locked in for six months, the measure is to prevent them from cashing out immediately. Lu Liang laughed, "That will depend on how well Panda performs, to see if you can catch this overwhelming wave of wealth." When new stocks are hyped, they can turn out good or bad. Using Ningde Era as an example, after several speculators took turns, its market value spiked to over 150 billion at one point, and it almost broke LeEco’s Growth Enterprise Market record high of 174.1 billion. Although its popularity has waned and it has fallen from its highs, Ningde Era still had substantial value, managing to maintain a somewhat stable market value of a hundred billion. On the downside, take Baofeng Technology, Lu Liang’s first goldmine, as an example. From its initial offering price of 7.14 yuan, it surged to 327 yuan, and its market value of 860 million was pumped up close to 40 billion. But two years later, Baofeng Technology’s market value had halved and then halved again, now a mere 3.8 billion, a tenfold decrease. Panda was the project Lu Liang was most deeply involved in. He anticipated its future would undergo a complete transformation; as for how it would develop, he had no idea, Little Wang would have to take care of that. After much thought, Little Wang didn’t bother worrying about whether Lu Liang would collude with other institutions to plunder his Panda. For him, Panda’s listing in the United States was more symbolic than anything else; as long as it could go public, that was good enough. As for whether it would end up in tatters, that was beyond his concern; he’d done his part and left the rest to fate. Suddenly, Little Wang tapped on the driver’s seat, "Dude, at the next intersection, just drop me off." After getting a clear response, he decisively got out of the car, making a point to remind before leaving, "Next month, on the 12th, the review date." Lu Liang couldn’t help but chuckle and said to Xu Jiawei in the passenger seat, "Little Xu, note down the date and remind me when the time comes." He looked through the car window at Little Wang and asked with a smile, "Mr. Wang, are you satisfied now?" "Bye." Little Wang waved his hand, then turned and got into the Rolls-Royce that had been following them. "Let’s head back to the company." Lu Liang smiled, took out his tablet, and began reviewing the email from Zhuo Yifan. Having spent two weeks in Edinburgh, he had pretty much settled in, sending a work report every three days. The last report included Su Wanyu’s prenatal check-up results, confirming not only the baby’s gender but also that she was 26 weeks along, putting the timing around mid to late November of the previous year. This report focused mainly on personal connections: Su Wanyu’s best friend at school was Zheng Xiaoxuan, originally from Chaoshan, like Meng Changkun, and now a British citizen of Chinese descent. There was also a persistent male Chinese student from back home who kept bothering Su Wanyu, who, despite her visible pregnancy, couldn’t fend off his enthusiastic attentions and daily courtesies. Through Zhuo Yifan’s thorough investigation, it turned out that Zheng, the friend close to Su Wanyu, appeared to be a lesbian. However, Su Wanyu seemed unaware of this and simply thought of her as a close girlfriend. "…" Lu Liang was at a loss for words, rubbing his brow. It was enough that men wanted to move in on his girl, but now even women were trying to do so. "Who can blame them when you’re so pretty?" He gazed at the photo, his lips curving involuntarily, the tender and tranquil Su Wanyu like a gentle touch amidst the misty Jiangnan rains. Next month, on the 12th, he would go to New York to help out for a few days, then make a big show of preparing to return home, before suddenly changing course to fly to Edinburgh. As the due date neared, he’d drop in unexpectedly, then have Zhuo Yifan prepare some gifts and scenes brimming with a sense of ceremony. Lu Liang squinted, smiling to himself, "With this combo, I’d fall in love with myself if I were a woman." To like is to possess; leaving letting go to the moral saints. In the evening, just after seven, Lu Liang returned to the company and called Wen Chao up from the private equity office on the 22nd floor. "Mr. Lu, I’m here," Wen Chao knocked and entered, surprised to see Lu Liang making tea. Since Lu Liang had stepped back from the private equity, they seldom met to avoid conflict of interest, let alone being called to the office. "Just brewed it, try it and see how it tastes." Lu Liang smiled, inviting Wen Chao to sit down and, with a Huali wood tea clip, placed a cup of tea in front of him. Wen Chao held the cup with both hands, cautiously took a sip, and said with a forced smile, "It’s subtly fragrant with a sweet aftertaste; I cannot discern more nuances than that." Lu Liang took a sip of tea and suddenly asked, "Little Wen, how have you been at the private equity company these past few months?" After thinking for a moment, Wen Chao said, "Manager Sun has treated me very well, and we have been resolutely implementing your policies." "I’ve formed a fund company in Tokyo with Mr. Ma from Ali and the Mitsui Sumitomo Group." Initially, Lu Liang had told Ota that one of the conditions for him joining was to arrange for his people to manage the fund. Ota, along with Ma Yun, agreed, and their last long position in Brent Crude Oil also gave them a taste of success. It was time to arrange for staff to take over; he had nearly $400 million in integrated assets there that needed management. Lu Liang continued, "Little Wen, you know that our company has only developed for a few years, I don’t trust many people, but you’re one of them." "Thank you, Mr. Lu, for nurturing and trusting me, it’s an honor to learn by your side," Wen Chao quickly expressed his stance. "Don’t act like a slick old-timer." Lu Liang chuckled and waved his hand dismissively, "They’re short-staffed over there, are you willing to go?" Without hesitation, Wen Chao blurted out, "Mr. Lu, wherever you send me, I will go." At 26 years old and part of the post-90s generation, to be able to work closely with Lu Liang and become the deputy of a private equity firm was incredibly fortunate. Not to mention Tokyo, even if it was to a remote African nation, he wouldn’t furrow his brow in the slightest. "Tell Yutao about it tomorrow; you have a week to sort out your personal affairs, then report directly to Tokyo." In the context of US dollar quantitative measures, as a dual-currency fund, Tianxing Private Equity only needed to buy US stocks on the dip. At least until Lu Liang fully stepped back from the public fund, there would be no significant moves, and the fund could operate normally with just Sun Yutao. Just wait until mid-August, when the holding period would end for the eighteen stocks held by the public fund. If the market reaction isn’t too strong, Lu Liang could smoothly exit the public fund. Then, he could take control of the private fund again. "Okay, Mr. Lu." After confirming there was nothing else, Wen Chao left the office. The night deepened, and Lu Liang was alone in the office until the early morning chime sounded. "Trade cooperation in November, an amount of 253.5 billion dollars?" Lu Liang’s eyes widened, then his brow furrowed tightly; he suddenly felt uncertain about the situation in the coming years. He had previously received a message that the brokerage war would start next year. Now, he had suddenly received another message that businessmen were visiting and bringing business worth more than 200 billion dollars. These two contradictory and unconnected pieces of information had him doubting his ears. "Zhong always follows the principle of not firing the first shot; he definitely wouldn’t unilaterally break the agreement. Does that mean the United States is up to something?" Lu Liang recalled that during the Spring Festival holidays in Tokyo, right after Old Ma had returned from meeting businessmen in the United States, he warned him. "If you have a chance to meet with businessmen, never treat him like a traditional politician," Old Ma had said. "It feels like the world is becoming more fantastical." Lu Liang sighed, took out a lighter to ignite a piece of paper, and watched the flames flicker as he destroyed the message he had just recorded. He had noticed that since Old England’s Brexit last year, the world had suddenly become quite strange. There was the prevailing economic theory in Anshan next door, and even further, a scandal involving a close friend led to imprisonment. Not to mention the events across the ocean, Old England’s Brexit, and the rise of a businessman to the pinnacle of power. "Should start investing in some real industries; solely relying on finance could leave me vulnerable, with no chance to resist if sacrificed tomorrow." Lu Liang muttered to himself as he poured a little water into the ashtray, erasing the last evidence of the paper’s existence. Su City would become his biggest support! Perhaps one day he too could be indispensable to Su City.

Chapter 323: A World That Becomes More and More Magical

Comments (0)