Chapter 65: I Want the Most Shares

Dupeng rushed into the tea house, sat down in front of Zhou Ming, and immediately started devouring the fruit on the table. Both Zhou Ming and Tang Ran were taken aback. Tang Ran asked in surprise, "Did you just come from a famine? How long has it been since you ate?"

Zhou Ming also asked, "As someone from a prominent family, can't you pay more attention to your image? I called you here to discuss something, not to watch you wolf down food."

Dupeng swallowed a piece of watermelon, took a breath, and then said, "You don't know how much I've been running around today, trying to find that Nanjing Development Bank you mentioned. I discovered a major secret. Guess what? Today, I found the Vice President of Nanjing Development Bank through the city, and he told me that the bank's stock promotion is extremely difficult. Not even on the street do people want it."

"Did you tell them we're interested in buying a large amount of their stock?" Zhou Ming asked.

"Of course not. I'm not that foolish!" Dupeng said. He then looked at Zhou Ming and Tang Ran for a moment, puzzled, and asked, "How come you guys aren't surprised at all?"

Tang Ran disdainfully said, "What's there to be surprised about? We knew this already. Ming Ge asked you to come here to discuss this."

Dupeng was astonished. "What? You already knew? I spent the whole day running around, only to find out that you knew everything without doing anything. How can people like me even make a living?"

"That just means you were working in vain," Tang Ran chuckled.

"Goodness, is there no fairness in this world for hardworking people like me?" Dupeng lamented.

Zhou Ming said, "Alright, stop lamenting. I was just lucky today. A manager from Nanjing Development happened to come to Tang Ran's office to promote the stock. I asked him about it and found out."

Actually, Zhou Ming had more to say. He knew that Dupeng might have tipped off Nanjing Development too early, which could lead to complications. But it seemed his concerns were unwarranted. Dupeng was not a naive young man; he had adapted quickly to the situation, which was probably why he would later become a billionaire.

"So what should we do now?" Dupeng asked.

Zhou Ming thought for a moment and then asked in return, "The Vice President of Nanjing Development is still waiting for your response, right?"

Dupeng nodded. Zhou Ming said, "Then let's meet him tomorrow. We might even play the role of saviors for the financial sector."

...

The next day, Zhou Ming and Dupeng arrived at the Dongmen Hotel and saw a middle-aged man with a shiny forehead waiting anxiously at the entrance. According to Dupeng, this was Luo Han, the Vice President of Nanjing Development. Luo Han, a financial pioneer who founded Nanjing Development Bank and Nanjing Securities Exchange, looked distressed, as if trapped in a room with no key to escape.

To Zhou Ming's surprise, Luo Han was accompanied by two young women—one in professional bank attire, looking mature and dignified, and the other in a pink dress, appearing innocent and cute.

Seeing the two women, Zhou Ming smiled and said to Dupeng, "Looks like Vice President Luo really went to great lengths for today's meeting!"

Dupeng, noticing the situation, looked a bit embarrassed and said, "What is Vice President Luo thinking?"

Upon seeing Dupeng, Luo Han's face lit up with joy. He quickly greeted Dupeng and introduced Zhou Ming. Luo Han then introduced the two women: the mature-looking one was called Jiao Jiao, and the cute one was Xiao Ya.

"Vice President Luo, what's going on here? I was informed by my Uncle Chen that your bank has just been established and urgently needs development funds. I'm here to support the financial industry's reform and help you through this tough time. But what is this? Are you treating us like this?" Dupeng questioned Luo Han bluntly.

Luo Han quickly apologized, "Sorry, Dupeng. I only invited the two ladies to ease the atmosphere, not for any other purpose. If you don't like it, I'll ask them to leave immediately."

Zhou Ming, being more lenient, waved his hand and said, "Forget it, since they're here, let's just add a few more chopsticks and have a meal together."

Luo Han was very grateful for Zhou Ming's understanding. "Thank you, Mr. Zhou, for your tolerance!"

Following Luo Han's lead, Zhou Ming and Dupeng went into a private room at the Dongmen Hotel. After everyone sat down and had a drink, Luo Han poured himself another glass of wine and said, "I realize I've made a mistake today. Although Mr. Zhou and Mr. Dupeng are generous and not holding it against me, I still want to drink this glass as an apology."

After finishing his glass, Luo Han was supposed to indicate that the two young women would join Zhou Ming and Dupeng for drinks. However, since Dupeng had already made it clear he didn't like this practice and Zhou Ming had shown his displeasure, Luo Han dared not insist, and the two young women remained silent.

"Vice President Luo, you should know I'm a businessman from the port city. I don't like beating around the bush. I'll get straight to the point," Zhou Ming said. "I understand you're raising capital for Nanjing Development Bank, but let me say this: Nanjing Development is not the first company to adopt a shareholding system. Previously, some companies used the guise of shareholding to defraud investors. How can you convince me that your bank is credible?"

"Mr. Zhou, your straightforwardness is very effective in simplifying complex issues," Luo Han said. "It's true that some companies have defrauded investors under the pretense of shareholding, but those were private entities. Our Nanjing Development is backed by party and government support, and several rural credit cooperatives have merged to create this bank, so there's no issue with credibility. Additionally, I'm also preparing for the Nanjing Securities Exchange. As a major businessman from the port city, you surely understand this area. I can assure you that our bank's stock will be the first to list when the exchange opens. I'm confident that under the favorable conditions of reform and opening up, our stock will yield excellent returns!"

Zhou Ming smiled. For him, these questions were unnecessary, as he had witnessed the stock's future meteoric rise firsthand. However, to put some pressure on Luo Han and to ensure he could buy more stocks, he needed to play along.

Seeing Zhou Ming's smile, Luo Han felt a jolt of urgency and quickly said, "Mr. Zhou, please be assured that our mainland financial market is a blank slate. As long as we list Nanjing Development, it's guaranteed to be profitable!"

Zhou Ming leaned back in his chair and looked at Luo Han. "Actually, it doesn't matter to me. You may have heard that we conducted a land auction here at Dongmen Hotel, selling it for 8.5 million. So spending a few million on your stocks is not a big deal."

Hearing this, Luo Han's eyes widened, and the two young women next to him were astonished, their big eyes filled with shock.

They were amazed because, for them, earning a few million was beyond their imagination. They couldn't fathom why Zhou Ming, who was of a similar age to them, spoke about millions as if it were nothing. Was this the demeanor of a big businessman from the port city? It was truly admirable!

Before Luo Han could speak, Zhou Ming continued, "Vice President Luo, don't get too excited. I still have more to say."

"Mr. Zhou, please tell me. Whatever your conditions are, even if it means going through fire and water, I will do my best to meet them!" Luo Han said, patting his chest.

"There's no need for that. I'm not asking you to go through fire and water," Zhou Ming said with a smile. "I'm just a capitalist by the pre-reform standard, and I have a strong capitalist mentality. I have a strong desire for ownership. In other words, if I want to buy Nanjing Development Bank's stock, I want to buy as much as possible. If it's only 20% or 30%, I won't be interested at all."

Luo Han didn't expect this issue. He asked cautiously, "How many shares does Mr. Zhou want?"

Zhou Ming thought for a moment and said, "Your bank is raising 10 million in capital, so how about 7 to 8 million worth of shares?"

"That's absolutely impossible!" Luo Han shook his head. "Mr. Zhou, you may not know that mainland banks are very important, and it's impossible to let private entities hold that much."

Zhou Ming knew that banks were crucial to the economy and that it was impossible to let private entities have complete control. Even with reform and opening up, some fundamental aspects couldn't change. Moreover, giving full control to private entities and market management without government oversight might not be the best approach, as countless financial crises abroad had proven.

"I see. That's quite unfortunate," Zhou Ming said, deliberately sighing.

Seeing Zhou Ming's response, Luo Han gritted his teeth and said, "Mr. Zhou, according to regulations, private holdings in Nanjing Development cannot exceed 30%. However, since you and Mr. Dupeng are two people, each can hold 30% of the shares, making a total

 of 60%. How does that sound?"

Zhou Ming had been waiting for this exact offer and immediately nodded, "Good!"