Chapter 82

VIP room at the company.

"Haha, I finally get to meet the true protagonist of the 'Antian War.' It's even more impressive in person." Wang Yue, upon seeing Lu Ming approaching, erupted into hearty laughter. He promptly stood up, extended a hand for a firm handshake, and added, "Mr. Lu, I've long admired your name!"

"Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Wang. Please, take a seat," Lu Ming responded with a smile. After the handshake, he politely gestured for Wang Yue to be seated.

As both guests settled, Wang Yue maintained his smile, looked at Lu Ming, and remarked, "I've never believed heroes emerge from young men, but Mr. Lu's move to acquire Ans Group has truly shocked the industry. Your courage and execution are commendable and widely admired."

Lu Ming replied with a smile, "It's merely a matter of discovering An's Group's loopholes a step ahead of others, capitalizing on the An family's intention to repurchase at a lower price, and seizing the opportunity created by the capital market's flash crash. A bit of luck, and we found a connection with Anshi Group."

Wang Yue laughed and said, "Haha, Mr. Lu's actions are more than a change of fate. Boss An is probably losing sleep and appetite over this."

After some business discussion, Lu Ming cut to the chase, saying, "Mr. Wang came to our company in person. I wonder if you have any advice?"

Wang Yue shook his head, smiled, and replied, "I don't dare offer advice. I'm here to make friends."

Lu Ming couldn't help but look at him in surprise.

Wang Yue continued with a smile, "Currently, our group holds 750 million shares of Anshi's shares, making up about 4.75% of the total share capital. We're entrusting 5 billion in liquid cash to your company for management. The contract signed with Chaoyun is identical to the one Wanxiang Group is proposing. I'd like to ask Mr. Lu, how do you feel about this proposal?"

Becoming a concerted action party is akin to handing over voting rights to Tiansheng Capital.

Lu Ming looked at him and remained silent for two seconds, then promptly responded, "This friend, we accept!"

Refusing such an offer would be unwise criticism!

Wang Yue immediately laughed and said, "Great, Brother Lu is indeed straightforward!"

Soon, the paperwork was handled. This older acquaintance did not mind Lu Ming's informal address.

"But, Mr. Wang, what's the outside world saying?"

"Ripples in fund allocation are normal. The media tends to exaggerate. Last year, the P2P crisis created a stir; this is nothing. The non-performing assets exceeding 30 billion won't impact our collaboration," Wang Yue calmly stated, exuding confidence in his words. He was a seasoned player who had seen it all.

Wanxiang Holdings was wealthy, far wealthier than Chaoyun. While the thunderstorm hurt, it wasn't enough to cause lasting damage. In fact, their general ledger showed no loss, and they had hedging tools in place to mitigate risks.

It's worth noting that Wanxiang Group had been closely monitoring Lu Ming and Tiansheng Capital. The sudden rise of Ans Group prompted a comprehensive reassessment of Lu Ming's value within Wanxiang.

Chaoyun's 15 billion yuan investment was almost entirely profit, making Wang Yue quite envious.

In reality, Wanxiang came to offer a gift this time. The 4.75% of Anshi's shares held by them needed to play a pivotal role or maximize benefits. By forming a joint force with Tiansheng Capital, Wanxiang aimed to wield significant influence in financial investments in the secondary market. This wouldn't affect Anshi Group's operations or change the company, but collaborating with Tiansheng Capital would be a game-changer.

However, the 4.75% of Anshi's shares in Wanxiang Group's possession wasn't directly transferred to Tiansheng Capital. Instead, Wanxiang retained control, but willingly signed a "concert person agreement" with Tiansheng Capital. In other words, whether Lu Ming votes for or against, Wanxiang's shares will align unanimously.

The other 5 billion in liquid cash is directly entrusted to Tiansheng Capital for management as the second LP of Tiansheng Capital. The agreement is identical to the one signed with Chaoyun, with the primary agreement remaining unchanged.

Strength is undeniable.

If it weren't for the tight cash situation due to the asset allocation explosion, Wanxiang would have invested over 5 billion yuan, potentially matching Chaoyun's investment.

Clearly, Lu Ming's strength has been recognized by major capital groups in the financial circle. It was Chaoyun before, and now it's Wanxiang. LPs didn't need to seek him out; they came waving their banknotes. Even if tossed, they'd willingly be picked up.

Two hours later, the investment agreement was signed, and a total of 5.05 billion (including a 50 million subscription fee) would be remitted to Tiansheng Capital's account within the next week.

After the contract was signed, Wang Yue didn't linger for too long. After a brief business chat, he took the contract and quietly left Tiansheng Capital.

Wang Yue's visit to Lu Ming had been kept very low-key, almost a secret operation without public announcements. Similarly, his departure was as discreet as his arrival.

The next day at Tiansheng headquarters, in the CEO's office.

When Su Xiaoman, whom Lu Ming had summoned, entered the office, he instructed, "Prepare a notification letter to formally inform the Anshi Group's board of directors. In fifteen days, there will be an extraordinary general meeting of shareholders to consider the proposal to remove all directors."

Su Xiaoman nodded, still finding the situation somewhat surreal. "Have we really won this giant company? Are we genuinely taking control of the group? It's incredible..."

How long had Tiansheng Capital been established?

Su Xiaoman knew Lu Ming would achieve extraordinary things, but the speed of his development caught her off guard.

At Anshi Group's President's Office, An Qilong, holding the notification letter for the extraordinary general meeting in his hands, felt a tremor. He was speechless for a long time, eventually putting down the letter and closing his eyes. "Can't evade the first day of the new year, nor can I evade the fifteenth day; it's time for it to arrive."

His son, An Jinhong, stood silently, awaiting orders.

After a while, An Qilong suddenly opened his eyes and said, "Go to Huijing and tell Wei Jianping that I'll give him what he wants from Huijing. I'll provide him with the meat, but on the condition that Tiansheng Capital is prevented from seizing power in the shareholders' meeting. Use the half-month window before the meeting to promptly raise An's shares. If my An family loses control of the board of directors, I want to show Tiansheng Capital's face."

An Jinhong nodded vigorously. "I'll do it, Father."

It was truly a matter of life and death.

At Huijing Group headquarters, in an internal meeting room, Wei Jianping looked at the senior executives present. "Anshi Group has sought support. They've made a painful decision to entrust me with their cultural and tourism business, with the condition that we rapidly increase our large-scale holding of Anshi's shares. What are your thoughts on this?"

A discussion ensued among the executives.

"However, Tiansheng Capital remains a problem. They surely won't want to see the loss of Anshi Group's high-quality core assets."

"The quagmire of Anshi Group is complex, and there are too many variables. We can't rule out uncertain factors, and we can't rule out the possibility that after Huijing helps the Anshi family resolve the issue with Tiansheng Capital, An Qilong might change his mind afterward. It's a colossal business, after all."

"Chairman, I have a bold idea... Maybe we can talk to Tiansheng Capital."

This proposal left all the senior executives and Wei Jianping himself stunned, staring at the person who suggested it. Wei Jianping promptly asked, "What do you mean? Do you want Huijing to play the second or fifth wheel?"

The executive neither admitted nor denied, carefully choosing words before continuing, "The dynamics of the Antian equity dispute are intricate. When the stakes are high enough, so-called covenants are nothing more than toilet paper. Capital cooperation aligns more with Huijing's interests."

Wei Jianping immediately asked, "Why?"

The executive explained, "Firstly, we need to analyze Tiansheng Capital. This is a profit-driven asset management institution. While Tiansheng Capital is indeed swallowing Anshi Group, I have serious doubts about its ability to run this business successfully."

"There are various signs indicating that Tiansheng Capital isn't capable of sustaining the operation of Anshi Group long-term and likely doesn't even have such intentions. They've exploited Anshi Group's loopholes and swiftly taken a bite. Tiansheng Capital probably aims for rapid realization and evacuation, unconcerned about whether Anshi Group leaves behind a trail of feathers. Regardless, Tiansheng has made a significant profit, aligning with the capital's supreme logic of chasing profits."

"In essence, Huijing stands with the An family. We must prevent An Qilong from changing his mind after the event. However, cooperating with Tiansheng Capital to share An's group cake presents an even greater chance of success. If An's collapses like this, perhaps Huijing can inherit more high-quality businesses from the group. The chances of success are greater, and the vested interests far exceed a piece of cultural tourism business."

"It sounds harsh, but the life and death of An's Group doesn't concern Huijing's actions. It's more beneficial for Huijing to take over high-quality business at a low price."

The executive concluded the analysis, leaving others in the meeting exchanging glances. Wei Jianping, after careful consideration, realized that cooperation between Huijing and Tiansheng could best satisfy both parties' interests.

As a capital investment management institution, Tiansheng Capital lacked the ability to operate such a vast and diversified enterprise group. It also contradicted Tiansheng Capital's positioning. Thus, cashing out profits was the best choice for Tiansheng Capital.

Huijing Group, with its capability to take over and reorganize Anshi Group's assets, emerged as the ideal partner.