Chapter 146: Everyone Wants to Make Money

Zhou Ming drove to the Dongmen Hotel and reserved a private room. Just after he finished ordering the dishes, the door of the private room was knocked on, and Tang Ran walked in with her parents.

Tang Ran, a bit embarrassed, said to Zhou Ming, "Brother Ming, um… my parents also want to buy stocks."

Zhou Ming smiled, understanding that Tang Ran, being shy, found it difficult to make such a request. He said, "Of course, that's no problem. I just don't know what stocks Uncle and Auntie want to buy?"

Tang Ran's parents exchanged glances, and finally, Tang Ran's mother, Lin Weixiu, stepped forward and said to Zhou Ming, "Mr. Zhou, actually, we don't know which stocks to buy. We just heard from neighbors and colleagues that buying stocks is very profitable now, but we don't have the time to queue up at the securities company. So, we thought of coming to you since you are the boss of the stock company, aren't you?"

Tang Ran's parents continuously referred to Zhou Ming as "boss," despite Zhou Ming's attempts to correct them. He decided to let it go.

"That's called a shareholding company; the place where stocks are sold is called a securities company."

Zhou Ming paused, remembering that Tang Ran's parents didn't understand much about securities and just wanted to make some money, so he didn't elaborate further. "If you want to make money, I suggest you buy shares of Southern Jiang Development Bank. It's very popular and profits quickly. If you want to hold stocks for the long term, I suggest buying shares of Jinpeng Industrial. After all, it's my company, so it won't shortchange you."

"Then we'll buy a bit of both, just to be safe," Lin Weixiu said, pulling out some cash from her bag to give to Zhou Ming.

Seeing the few hundred yuan in Lin Weixiu's hand, Zhou Ming pushed her hand back. "Auntie, keep this money. I'll cover the stock purchase for you first, and you can pay me back after you make a profit."

Zhou Ming's approach was tactful, as refusing directly might have made Lin Weixiu feel embarrassed, but by framing it as a loan, it felt more appropriate and respectful.

"Okay, thank you, Mr. Zhou. You're really a good person. Our Ranran must have accumulated a lot of good fortune to meet you!" Lin Weixiu said.

Zhou Ming thanked her with a smile. He invited Tang Ran's parents to stay for dinner, but they insisted on leaving and did so. After they left, Tang Ran sat next to Zhou Ming and apologetically said, "Brother Ming, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought my parents to ask you about buying stocks. It must have been a hassle for you."

"Not at all, it's no trouble!" Zhou Ming said, looking at Tang Ran and thinking how pure and easily satisfied she was compared to some people in later times who would demand this and that from wealthy individuals.

As Zhou Ming and Tang Ran talked, the door of the private room was knocked on again, and Du Peng walked in holding several newspapers, looking excited.

"You were right, Zhou Ming. You said there would be a stock frenzy, and now the headlines in these newspapers are all about it. They're saying the stocks in Southern Jiang are like they have some kind of magic, making people go crazy trying to grab them."

Du Peng handed a newspaper to Zhou Ming. "Look at this one. The headline reads 'Stock Frenzy Hits Southern Jiang.' It says people in Southern Jiang are going crazy over stocks. There's even a story about someone who got injured during the lottery at the securities company and said he'd rather lose a leg than miss out on buying stocks. It's really insane."

"That's exactly as described in the Records of the Grand Historian: 'The world is bustling, all for profit; the world is crumbling, all for gain.' Not only merchants, but everyone wants to make money. Our country and nation have been poor for so many years, and now that such a huge opportunity is right in front of people, of course, they're desperate to seize it," Zhou Ming said.

Zhou Ming's memories from his past life were somewhat distant, and the records weren't very detailed. He knew that back then, stock trading had caused people to clash with government officials, showing just how crazy the stock market had made people.

Du Peng sighed and said, "Yes, people are desperately trying to make money. It really is like a Pandora's box; once opened, it's uncontrollable."

"Alright, let's not pretend to be virtuous after gaining benefits," Zhou Ming said. "How's the asset growth of Jinpeng Industrial?"

Du Peng's eyes lit up at the question. He excitedly said, "Zhou Ming, you wouldn't believe how fast our company's assets are growing. In just one week, our stock price has quadrupled, earning several million yuan."

"That money isn't your gain; it's the investors' money. Our company will use this to develop and distribute dividends to all shareholders to help them make money. You need to understand the essence of stock trading," Zhou Ming corrected Du Peng.

Zhou Ming was aware that even in later times, some people viewed the stock market as a way to siphon off money. He remembered reading a report where a company executive said that listing a company was the quickest way to make money, much better than bank loans, since stock market financing didn't require repayment.

It seemed that although Zhou Ming had helped open the capital market for Southern Jiang earlier, there was still a long way to go.

While Zhou Ming was thinking about this, the door of the private room was knocked on again. This time, it was Luo Han who entered.

Seeing Luo Han, Du Peng pretended to be unhappy and said, "Vice President Luo, you're late. Now that the securities company is up and running, you're acting like you're in charge?"

Luo Han's face turned red, and he said, "Du Shao, you're joking. How could I dare act high and mighty in front of Consultant Zhou and you? I really had to take a detour; there was no other way!"

Zhou Ming and Du Peng laughed heartily. They knew Luo Han's situation well. Ever since the stock frenzy in Southern Jiang began, Luo Han, who was the vice president of both Southern Jiang Development Bank and Southern Jiang Securities Company, had been trying to avoid people. As soon as he was recognized, dozens or even hundreds of people would surround him wanting to buy stocks.

"Consultant Zhou, you truly have a magical ability to turn things into gold. If it weren't for you setting up this securities market, I wouldn't be where I am today!" Luo Han said.

Luo Han's words were heartfelt. He remembered that just a few days before the securities company was established, there were people coming to the bank demanding refunds for their stocks. But now, just two weeks later, the situation had completely reversed. No one was asking for refunds anymore, and many people were eager to buy stocks. Moreover, the business of Southern Jiang Development Bank had also seen unimaginable growth.

Initially, when Zhou Ming proposed designating Southern Jiang Development Bank's account as the only bank for linked securities accounts, Luo Han didn't think much of it and even worried it might affect the stock market. However, just one day after the rule was announced, every branch of the bank was packed with stock investors opening accounts, and deposits increased by twenty million yuan in just one day.

Considering that Southern Jiang Development Bank had only issued ten million yuan in stock initially, and now deposits had reached twenty million yuan, the change was astonishing to Luo Han.

Zhou Ming laughed and said, "Vice President Luo, don't give me too much credit. It's really not a big deal. Even if you had set up the securities company yourself, it would be the same."

Zhou Ming was speaking truthfully. His past memories showed that once the securities market was up and running, there would be a frenzy. It was just that his presence and guidance had accelerated the trend. As for the bank, being a major shareholder, it wouldn't be fair to say that there was no advantage involved. Zhou Ming even believed that if the government allowed Southern Jiang Development Bank to be the only bank linked to the stock market, it might become the top bank in the country in the future.

Before Luo Han could respond, Zhou Ming said, "Vice President Luo, let's not say more. Now that the stock frenzy is underway, we need to stay calm. You must not treat this as a trial run. You should manage the securities company as if it were a formal exchange. Especially with the lottery and account openings, internal transactions and corruption must be strictly prevented, or it will lead to disaster."

For some reason, Luo Han shivered at Zhou Ming's warning. He didn't know that Zhou Ming's advice was based on memories from his past life, but he immediately agreed.

Then Zhou Ming had the hotel start serving the dishes, and he and Luo Han chatted about the stock market while eating. Luo Han mentioned that due to the stock frenzy, the Southern Jiang municipal government had prioritized the stock market construction project, with unprecedented attention.

Zhou Ming told Luo Han, "Since the government is paying so much attention now, the construction of the computer network must be accelerated. It must be done quickly!"

Zhou Ming emphasized this because computer-based stock trading was the future trend and was essential. Additionally, he couldn't tolerate the current primitive stock trading model.

As Zhou Ming and Luo Han were eating and talking in the private room, the door was knocked on once more. This time, when they opened the door, they were surprised to find a few familiar faces had come uninvited.