Chapter 119: I Have a Dream

Lin Muxing and Luo Han breathed a sigh of relief backstage, while Zhou Ming himself experienced an emotional rollercoaster. After all, he was facing hundreds of Hong Kong University students, enraged by Joe Wei Jiang. If Zhou Ming couldn't control the situation, it would have been impossible to resolve. Thankfully, he managed to calm the students with some empathetic words.

Zhou Ming instinctively turned to glance backstage and saw Lin Muxing standing at the edge of the stage, looking at him with admiration. When she saw him turn to look at her, she clenched her fists tightly to show her utmost support and encouragement.

Zhou Ming smiled slightly, nodded at Lin Muxing, then turned back to face the large crowd of Hong Kong University students, and began his speech.

*"I have a dream. This was a famous speech given twenty-four years ago by a black leader in the United States. Today, the reason I'm bringing it up here is that I too have a dream, or rather, we all have a dream!"*

As Zhou Ming began his speech, the Hong Kong University students below raised their heads. Although some were still immersed in the somber atmosphere from earlier, it didn't stop them from listening to Zhou Ming's speech.

At this moment, the only thought in the minds of these Hong Kong University students was: *Let's see what else you have to say.*

*"Dreams are the beginning of everyone's childhood. For all of you, I'm sure that when you were young, you heard this question: 'What do you want to be when you grow up?' Your parents or relatives and friends would ask you. Some of you might have said you wanted to be scientists, inventing technologies that would benefit all of humanity. Some might have said you wanted to be doctors, curing every patient. Others might have said you wanted to be teachers, passing on knowledge. These are all dreams."*

Zhou Ming's words stirred memories among the audience, but then someone suddenly asked Zhou Ming from below: "So, what's your dream?"

*"My dream?"* Zhou Ming smiled a bit shyly. *"I'm not afraid of making you laugh, but when I was young, my family was quite poor, so my dream was simply to find a way to make money, big money, so that I could afford to eat fish and meat every day."*

Hearing Zhou Ming's answer, the audience below let out good-natured laughter. The Hong Kong University students started commenting: *"Your dream is so simple, but it's probably the most realistic one, right? I think dreams of being a scientist, doctor, or teacher are all too lofty and vague. Only your dream is practical, isn't it?"*

*"Practical? Maybe,"* Zhou Ming shrugged. *"But I believe that dreams should be lofty and vague. In fact, what I had wasn't really a dream but rather a goal to strive for."*

*"Did you achieve your goal?"* someone from below asked.

In response to this question, Zhou Ming spread his hands and said, *"It's hard to answer that because I don't even know what it means to have achieved that goal. Maybe making millions counts as achieving it? Or maybe establishing a well-known fund company counts as achieving it? Or perhaps marrying the beautiful CEO of that fund company counts as achieving it?"*

This series of rhetorical questions from Zhou Ming once again triggered good-natured laughter from the audience. It was evident that the Jinming Fund Company, which introduced the concept of capital preservation funds, had gained considerable recognition under Shen Xin's help and Lin Muxing's management. At least all the students present had heard of the name.

So the students below commented, *"Your goal is very ambitious! If you really think like that, then at least half of the people here are your rivals in love!"*

Backstage, Lin Muxing blushed upon hearing Zhou Ming's rhetorical questions. She secretly complained that Zhou Ming should focus on his speech and not make jokes, especially about her. How embarrassing!

However, despite her complaints, when Lin Muxing heard Zhou Ming say that he wanted to marry her and take her home as his wife, she felt incredibly happy, as if she had eaten honey.

On stage, Zhou Ming said: *"Therefore, a dream is called a dream because it is a beautiful wish in our hearts, just like the securities market we're going to build in Nanjiang. Hong Kong is not far from Nanjiang, and as students of Hong Kong University, you are the most enlightened group in Hong Kong. So you should know that the mainland is undergoing reform and opening up to revitalize its economy."*

As soon as Zhou Ming finished speaking, a student immediately jumped up and questioned, "But does reform and opening up necessarily require the construction of a securities market?"

Another student also questioned, "That's right! As far as I know, the mainland doesn't have any laws right now. Without any legal guarantees, how can you build a securities market? Isn't that a joke?"

Seeing the students getting more and more agitated, Zhou Ming raised his hand to signal them to calm down and said, *"Students, don't be hasty. Let me explain one by one."*

*"First, the securities market—what is it? It's just a market created to solve the conflict between supply and demand for capital and liquidity. In essence, it's a product of market economy development."* Zhou Ming said, *"I know you might question the mainland's market economy development, considering it's just beginning, but I want to tell you that it's precisely because the market economy in the mainland is just starting that we need to build a securities market!"*

*"Why?"*

This time, Zhou Ming didn't wait for the students to question him; he asked the question himself and then explained: *"It's because, after a long period of a planned economy, the mainland's wealth cannot be effectively utilized. Now, as we suddenly shift to a market economy, people want to start companies and businesses but find they don't have money. So what do they do?"*

*"Borrow from relatives and friends or take out loans from banks? These are options, but they aren't always reliable. The best way is to go through the securities market, using the convenience of fundraising and investing in the securities market to solve this problem. Isn't this how all the listed companies in Hong Kong operate?"* Zhou Ming said, *"They sell their shares to raise the capital needed for the development of their enterprises. When the companies make a profit, they distribute dividends at regular intervals. Of course, all shareholders can also transfer their shares to others."*

*"Hong Kong has already taken this path, and naturally, the mainland must follow,"* Zhou Ming said. *"You might think it's too early, that the market isn't mature enough, but I just want to say that if we wait until everything is mature before doing it, then it's too late."*

*"Wall Street—you're all familiar with that name, right? It's the financial center of the entire United States and even the world, but that's the situation now. Do you know what Wall Street was like in the beginning?"*

Faced with Zhou Ming's question, the Hong Kong University students were silent. On the one hand, they hadn't reacted yet, and on the other, they really didn't know.

Zhou Ming continued: *"Rampant speculation, government corruption, almost all officials bought off by money—that's what Wall Street was like in the beginning. Don't ask me why it was like that; the reason is obvious. The market was informal, with no legal system and no regulation. Everyone only cared about how to manipulate the market and seize the next opportunity for windfall profits."*

*"What does a mature market look like? How do we know when it's ready to build a securities market? No one can say for sure, but one thing is certain: without constructing a securities market, it won't work at all. After all, joint-stock companies have already emerged in the mainland, and securities capital has already begun to sprout. If we don't find a way to build a securities market now, the mainland will become the next early Wall Street!"*

*"So, the next question is about laws, regulations, and supervision. The mainland has just begun reform and opening up, and without a series of related laws, how can we ensure that the securities market operates fairly, justly, and openly?"*

Zhou Ming answered his own question: *"The answer is simple: model the laws and regulations after those already mature in foreign countries and establish corresponding supervisory institutions."*

*"Does this sound easy? But in reality, it is just like that,"* Zhou Ming said. *"Now, let me reintroduce myself. I am Zhou Ming, the deputy head of this Nanjiang inspection team. Our main task this time is to study Hong Kong's securities system, learn about its laws and regulations, and learn how to build a market."*

Zhou Ming's words were like a bombshell, causing an uproar in the audience. Although Zhou Ming had introduced himself at the beginning, no one paid attention at that time. Now they suddenly realized that they had indeed come to Hong Kong for the construction of the securities market. In that case, weren't we being too rude by mocking them here?

Listening to the whispers of the Hong Kong University students below, Zhou Ming said: *"Back to our original topic, I have a dream. My dream is to make money, big money. I believe this is not just my dream but the common dream of a billion people in the mainland!"*

*"So how do we make money? How do

 we improve living standards in the mainland? By developing the economy, developing the market economy, and developing the securities market economy, which is an important part of the market economy! Then, with the drive of capital, we will promote the great economic development of the whole society!"*

*"When foreigners talk about China, they always say we are poor, that we are backward. Should we really accept being poor? Should we really accept being backward?"* Zhou Ming said, waving his fist firmly. *"Absolutely not!"*

*"I have a dream. I dream that one day, we will no longer worry about having enough to eat; I dream that one day, cars and televisions will no longer be symbols of luxury in our country and can enter every household; I dream that one day, we can also drink red wine and talk about stocks and funds with foreigners instead of being clueless about these things; I dream that one day, my country's economy will be strong enough to stand proud in the world!"* Zhou Ming said loudly.