Chapter 48: Li Cheng's Invitation

"Published, published! Mr. Zhou, you're on the front page of Hong Kong Finance!"

Cao Haiyang, the deputy manager of Jinming Fund, hurried into Zhou Ming's office with a newspaper. Seeing Cao Haiyang in such a rush, Lin Muqing, who was guarding the door, smiled and said, "Manager Cao must have something to report to Mr. Zhou. Manager Cao is our deputy manager, and Mr. Zhou often says he admires Manager Cao's composure."

Lin Muqing's words surprised Cao Haiyang. He realized she was subtly reminding him to maintain his composure in front of Zhou Ming. Cao Haiyang had thought Lin Muqing was just a decorative figure for Zhou Ming, but it was clear she was skilled and well-suited for high-level administrative roles. This realization deepened Cao Haiyang's respect for Zhou Ming.

With Lin Muqing's gesture, Cao Haiyang entered Zhou Ming's office and presented the newspaper, saying, "Mr. Zhou, this is today's latest edition of Hong Kong Finance. You're on the front page!"

Zhou Ming took the newspaper and indeed found his name and Jinming Fund on the headline.

Zhou Ming smiled and said, "The treatment of a chief reporter is truly something else. I was interviewed just yesterday, and today I'm on the front page of Hong Kong Finance, the top financial publication of the week."

"Indeed, Mr. Zhou, it's your charm that won over Reporter Shen," Cao Haiyang said.

Cao Haiyang wasn't just flattering. He remembered how Shen Xin left the interview looking very respectful toward Zhou Ming. This discovery left him astonished. Shen Xin, the chief reporter of Hong Kong Finance, was known for her high standards and aloof demeanor even when dealing with high-ranking officials or international magnates. Seeing her show such respect to Zhou Ming was surprising.

Zhou Ming reviewed the article and commented, "Reporter Shen captured the essence well. During a time of economic downturn in Hong Kong, our introduction of this capital-preservation fund provided a much-needed boost to investor confidence. Jinming Fund will lead the future trends of Hong Kong's financial industry. With this kind of exposure, we've saved a lot on advertising expenses!"

Lin Muqing added, "It's more than that. The article praises you for your accurate judgment of the financial situation and suggests you might become a future leader of Hong Kong's economy. With such high praise from Reporter Shen, you might even be invited to lecture at Hong Kong University's Economic School, Professor Zhou."

Cao Haiyang agreed, "Yes! Reporter Shen is known for her high standards. It's rare for her to give such high praise. Mr. Zhou, you are truly remarkable!"

At this moment, Lin Muqing returned from the front desk with an exciting update. She told Zhou Ming, "I just received a call from the front desk. Ten newspapers want to interview you, and Hong Kong TV and Xingya TV also want to invite you for a special interview."

"What?" Cao Haiyang asked excitedly. "So many media outlets want to interview Mr. Zhou?"

"Of course, it's true," Lin Muqing replied proudly.

"You've given me so many incredible surprises, Mr. Zhou. I'm thrilled to work under you!" Cao Haiyang said.

Zhou Ming waved him off and, once Cao Haiyang left, turned to Lin Muqing and said, "Muqing, you've seen how things have changed. When we acquired this fund company, we had to pay for media coverage, and now, within just a week, the media is coming to us."

Lin Muqing looked at Zhou Ming with a tender smile. "Zhou Ming, you're becoming more impressive. If one day I need to handle interviews from around the world, I'll gladly take on the workload."

Her words took Zhou Ming by surprise, and he was momentarily stunned. Lin Muqing realized her words might sound overly affectionate and quickly averted her gaze. She said shyly, "Uh, there's one more thing. Chairman Li Cheng of Changhe Real Estate called and wants to meet you."

"Muqing, did you say Li Cheng? The chairman of Changhe?" Zhou Ming asked, surprised.

"Yes, that's what the message said. I didn't want to make the call myself, so I let you know first," Lin Muqing said. "Do you know him?"

Zhou Ming nodded. As a person who had been reborn, Zhou Ming knew Li Cheng very well. By twenty years later, Li Cheng would be known as the wealthiest Chinese person in the world. If Zhou Ming could gain his support, it could help Jinming Fund avoid many pitfalls.

Zhou Ming thought for a moment and then asked Lin Muqing for Li Cheng's contact details, deciding to call him immediately.

---

At 7 p.m., Zhou Ming arrived at the Peninsula Hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui, the venue for his meeting with Li Cheng. Guided by a staff member, Zhou Ming reached the hotel's top-tier private room where Li Cheng was already waiting. Li Cheng, who looked just as he did in photos from over twenty years later, appeared younger and more energetic.

Li Cheng stood up to greet Zhou Ming, saying, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Zhou."

"Mr. Li, you flatter me. Please just call me Zhou," Zhou Ming replied.

Li Cheng smiled broadly and they took their seats as the restaurant began serving food.

Without wasting time, Li Cheng got straight to the point. "I read today's Hong Kong Finance. It mentions your new capital-preservation fund. Could you elaborate on it?"

Zhou Ming had anticipated this question and explained without hesitation, "Essentially, a capital-preservation fund is a type of investment model. It invests most of the funds in bonds for stable returns, while using a portion of the bond returns for riskier investments to achieve higher gains. Because only a small portion of the fund's value is invested in risky assets, it ensures that the principal is preserved regardless of market changes."

"That doesn't sound too complicated," Li Cheng said.

"It's not complex, but it involves understanding and balancing between stable and risky investments, which requires extensive calculations," Zhou Ming said.

Li Cheng asked, "Now that you've shared this with me, aren't you worried about me potentially copying your idea?"

Zhou Ming smiled, "I'm not concerned. While the concept of a capital-preservation fund is a well-known idea, it's been around for years. I'm sure Mr. Li is familiar with it."

Zhou Ming added, "The idea is quite conservative, so the returns are low. As a businessman like you, Mr. Li, you might find the returns insignificant. Most investors prefer high returns, and if it weren't for the current market downturn causing fear among investors, the sales performance of our fund wouldn't be as strong."

"You see things clearly," Li Cheng remarked. "I heard you're from the mainland and have been in Hong Kong for less than two months?"

Zhou Ming confirmed, and Li Cheng continued, "The report also mentioned that you made twenty million in just one month. Is that true?"

Zhou Ming affirmed, "Yes."

Li Cheng asked, "How did you manage that? I heard you placed the sell orders just before the market downturn."

Zhou Ming explained, "I've been studying the U.S. economy and felt that it wasn't as strong as the market believed. Similarly, I believed Hong Kong's economy wasn't as robust as perceived. Hong Kong's economy is highly dependent on global trends. A minor disruption in the global economy can lead to a quick collapse here. As for the timing of my trades, it was a bit of a gamble. I knew that major U.S. investment groups would automatically sell off on Mondays, so if the market didn't fall on the Monday I chose, I would have continued betting the following Monday."

After listening, Li Cheng stared at Zhou Ming for a while and then took a deep breath. "You've truly amazed me. If I hadn't met you in person, I wouldn't have believed you were from the mainland and so young. I would have thought you were an economic professor from the U.S. or a senior executive from a major investment group."

"Is that a compliment? I appreciate it," Zhou Ming said, before turning the conversation. "However, Mr. Li, if you have any specific intentions or proposals, please feel free to share."