Truly Wealthy

After a pleasant dinner, Murong Feng drove Tang Qing back to her residence at the Gongyuan No. 6 Apartments near Jianguomen.

Parking the car downstairs, Murong Feng looked at the understated dark-colored buildings and asked curiously, "Is this the so-called most luxurious apartment building in China, Gongyuan No. 6?"

Tang Qing laughed, "That's just a marketing gimmick. The media exaggerated it... Want to come up for a cup of coffee?"

Murong Feng shook his head with a smile, "No, thanks. I need to go talk with Li Xiangnan tonight."

Even though he and Tang Qing had agreed to be good friends, he wasn't sure he could resist the temptation of her exceptional beauty if he went to her place at night. Her allure was far stronger than he let on.

Tang Qing gave him a knowing smile, as if she understood his thoughts. Then she laughed, opened the car door, and got out. "Alright then, thanks for dinner, Murong. Drive safely."

After waving goodbye, Murong Feng turned the car around and headed towards Chang'an Avenue. Glancing in the rearview mirror, he saw Tang Qing's graceful figure still standing there in the winter night wind, looking in the direction he was driving. A feeling of warmth grew inside him.

However, he did intend to meet Li Xiangnan to continue their conversation. He had been pulled away by Tang Qing's sudden call in the afternoon and hadn't finished his discussion with Li Xiangnan. Putting aside his sudden feelings for Tang Qing, he called Li Xiangnan.

One feature he liked about his car was the small built-in phone button on the steering wheel—a thoughtful design.

That evening, the summit's organizers from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology had held a welcome cocktail party for the telecommunications executives from around the world. Naturally, Li Xiangnan was among the invited guests. After the dinner, he was chatting with Shin Bae Kim, the CEO of South Korea's SKT Telecom, discussing collaboration on construction for SKT's CDMA network by Huaxia Group.

When the phone rang, Li Xiangnan glanced at the caller ID, apologized to Shin Bae Kim, and moved to a corner to answer it.

"Murong, how come you're calling me during such a delightful dinner with a beautiful lady?" Li Xiangnan joked, recalling Murong Feng's frustrated expression when Tang Qing called in the afternoon.

Murong Feng's voice carried a hint of a wry smile. "Stop teasing me. Do you have time tonight? Let's find a place to continue our chat."

Li Xiangnan looked at his watch; it was just before ten. "Alright, the reception will end soon. You pick the place, and I'll have the driver take me there." "How about the Beijing Club at the 50th floor of the Beijing Tower? You should know it."

Li Xiangnan laughed, "One of the four great clubs? I know it. Alright, see you there." Just as he hung up, someone approached him with a smile and greeted him, "Mr. Li, hello!"

"Oh, Mr. Lu, hello!" Li Xiangnan quickly responded with a smile. The head of China Unicom's CDMA department was a significant client for Huaxia Group.

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Murong Feng believed that the best place for men to have serious conversations wasn't a bar or café—those places were more suited for casual talks or romantic encounters. The ideal setting for men to discuss important matters was a cigar room. 

Taking out a box of top-quality Cohiba Siglo IV from his private humidor, he lit a cigar, savoring the warm, rich flavors with hints of amber and musk that brought a sense of pleasure and relaxation. In the swirling smoke, conversations among men naturally became comfortable, relaxed, and intimate.

He decided to invite Ding Jun to join them. As an industry veteran, Ding Jun's insights combined with Li Xiangnan's would provide valuable advice.

In the private cigar room at the Beijing Club, Murong Feng, Ding Jun, and Li Xiangnan, all dressed in comfortable cigar attire, enjoyed a bottle of 15-year-old Santero Cuban rum. The waiter poured the rum, added ice, and, upon Murong Feng's request, left them alone.

Without speaking, the three men carefully clipped their cigars, lit them with butane lighters, took a slow draw, and leaned back on the sofas, their eyes following the lingering smoke. They exchanged smiles.

Murong Feng said, "Old Ding and I often come here to smoke cigars. It felt like the perfect place to discuss things."

Li Xiangnan, after savoring a draw of his cigar, smiled, "I'm thinking, when I get back to Hangzhou, I'll invite you to Jiangnan Club. I have a box of Partagas D3 there, and I think you'd like it."

Murong Feng was delighted, "Awesome! How did you get your hands on such a rare cigar?"

He looked at Li Xiangnan in amazement and laughed, "Xiangnan, I always thought you were absorbed in technology and research. I didn't know you could enjoy life more than I do!"

Li Xiangnan laughed, "That's why we can be friends—we share the same tastes."

Ding Jun, who had met Li Xiangnan a few times before, laughed, "I didn't expect Mr. Li to be so humorous." The three laughed, clinked their glasses, and drank, feeling a sense of camaraderie.

Murong Feng wanted Li Xiangnan and Ding Jun to meet, as their expertise was crucial for his future plans. Putting down his glass, he turned to Ding Jun, "Old Ding, I was deeply moved by today's summit and wanted to discuss our company's future direction with you. It's great that Xiangnan is here to give us some advice."

Ding Jun, slightly surprised, listened as Murong Feng continued, "I've been learning a lot about our business recently. Today's summit made me realize how rapidly the industry is evolving. Are there opportunities for us to expand beyond value-added services into technology, software, and new communication applications? I want to discuss our company's future development with you."

Ding Jun understood his intentions and, after some thought, said, "Murong, I get what you mean. With Mr. Li here, who knows the industry's technical trends well, we can get some valuable insights. Based on our current capabilities and the projects Liu Xin has been working on, I think our focus should be on 3G applications."

Murong Feng nodded, "I agree."

Turning to Li Xiangnan, he said, "Xiangnan, ever since you mentioned mobile broadband, I've been thinking about this."

After organizing his thoughts, Murong Feng continued, "Our company's mobile games are doing well but haven't really taken off, not because our content is lacking, but because the current network isn't ready for major growth. I believe that once mobile broadband technology matures, there will be a significant growth phase."

He looked at Li Xiangnan with a cheerful smile, "Xiangnan, if you're really going to start a business and engage in mobile broadband projects, could our products be embedded in your mobile broadband modules, like the default homepages in internet cafés?"

Li Xiangnan finally understood and shook his head, laughing, "Murong, you say you're an idler, but my business hasn't even take root, yet, you're already planning to invest in my projects and thinking about collaboration! Hahaha, if I do pick up this project, embedding your products shouldn't be a problem."

Murong Feng was overjoyed, "That would be fantastic! What do you think, Old Ding?" Ding Jun also smiled, "This approach is interesting. If we can embed our products with mobile broadband devices, the market potential is huge!"

Excited, Ding Jun raised his glass, and the three clinked glasses with a smile.

They talked late into the night, smoking two cigars each, fully satisfied before parting ways.

For the next two days of the summit, Murong Feng attentively listened to the industry leaders' speeches, learning about various companies' strategies and their applications of new technologies, increasingly recognizing the numerous opportunities within the industry.

A Chinese literature graduate who had always lived comfortably in his small world, Murong Feng had gone through a breakup, a lottery win, and enjoyed a period of luxury. Now, influenced by the people around him—Tang Qing, Bao Zixian, Liu Xin, Li Xiangnan—and his trips to Hong Kong and Jiangsu-Zhejiang, he began to seriously consider his career development.

Originally, he planned to return to Hangzhou with Li Xiangnan after the summit. However, a call from Wang Lei of Huayou Films kept him in Beijing.

Huayou Films' overseas listing plan had officially launched!

As the third-largest shareholder of Huayou Films, Murong Feng needed to participate in various aspects, including signing documents, attending meetings, and making statements.

Huayou Films had completed a second round of financing, attracting investments totaling $40 million from companies like TLC, Poly Victory Investment, and Mustang, which together acquired 25% of Huayou Films. Murong Feng's shares were diluted to 9.92% but had increased in value to nearly 100 million yuan.

Although the company hadn't listed yet, Murong Feng's investment in Huayou Films had multiplied several times within a year. He now understood why Zhou Haitao had encouraged him to invest; the asset growth rate was unimaginable for the former Murong Feng.

This overseas listing was underwritten by Goldman Sachs and UBS, aiming for an IPO on the NASDAQ stock market. The process now required due diligence, necessitating Murong Feng's participation as the third-largest shareholder in some meetings and discussions with the underwriting committee.

It was a fascinating experience.

Sitting in Huayou Films' conference room, Murong Feng watched investment bank elites expertly conducting teleconferences with their counterparts in the US.

He observed top lawyers and accountants producing thousands of pages of documents.

Listening to Wang Lei and various intermediaries discuss registering companies in places like the Cayman Islands and the British Virgin Islands to facilitate listing, he somehow acquired several company shareholdings. Wang Lei joked that these companies' confidentiality, tax advantages, and lack of foreign exchange controls simplified listing procedures.

Murong Feng found it all quite intriguing.

As the manager of parts of Murong Feng's investments, Zhou Haitao accompanied him to some meetings, where Murong Feng took the opportunity to learn about overseas listings and capital markets.

During a post-meeting tea session, Zhou Haitao joked, "Mr. Feng, if your company plans an overseas IPO in the future, make sure to let UBS be the lead underwriter. You know, UBS is known for its 'aggressive' pricing in the industry."

Murong Feng smiled, "Thanks for the suggestion. I hope that day comes." Curious, he asked, "What do you mean by aggressive pricing?"

Zhou Haitao explained, "For instance, this Huayou Films IPO. Most investment banks would price it at the industry average P/E ratio of 11-15 times, while UBS set it at 17-23 times. This aggressive pricing can make a 30% difference in the amount raised!"

Murong Feng nodded, "UBS is impressive!"

Zhou Haitao added proudly, "Don't forget, UBS Investment Bank is backed by the world's most powerful private bank, managing nearly $26 trillion in assets. No matter what project UBS Investment Bank undertakes, our private bank will support it."

Murong Feng laughed, "Haitao, I've realized you're the real big shot here! How have my assets under your management been?" 

Zhou Haitao smiled, shaking his head, "If Huayou Films IPOs at 17 times P/E, your shares could easily make you worth several hundred million yuan. If the market responds well and the stock price rises, you could cash out after the six-month lockup period. Then, the millions I manage for you will seem trivial."

Murong Feng knew his shares would be valuable post-IPO, but Zhou Haitao's calculations left him stunned. Making money could be this easy?