Chapter 80: This is called suppression before promotion

As a reborn person, Zhou Ming of course knew about the new ruble exchange rate in Northern Russia, but his knowledge also contained a large element of luck, because in his previous life when the new ruble was issued in Northern Russia, the domestic foreign exchange market was also in a nascent state. Everyone said that speculating in the new ruble could make money, and indeed some people did make money, so Zhou Ming speculated along with them.

In other words, when he was speculating in foreign exchange in his previous life, Zhou Ming looked up a lot of information about the North Russian ruble, and that's how he remembered the magic number at the beginning of the new ruble's issuance. After all, this piece of information was also very important.

Even so, Zhou Ming still had a gambling mentality when he announced the news today, because the issuance of the new North Russian ruble was still a few years ahead of his previous life, and the depreciation of the old ruble was not as serious after the entire Dota plan. However, on the other hand, the overall economic system of North Russia was not destroyed as it was in his previous life. At least, except for Krisko, the rest of the country was still operating in an orderly manner.

This cancels out the other, and Zhou Ming boldly speculates that the exchange rate of the new ruble will be the same as when it was first issued in the previous life. And now he has indeed bet right.

As for actually relying on the sales of daily necessities and the direction of the capital market to calculate, this is something Zhou Ming would never consider. First, there is no time for that, and second, Zhou Ming himself does not think he would be able to do that.

'Well, I think I've said everything I need to say. If the President doesn't have anything else, I'll take my leave first,'

Zhou Ming said to Nikolaevich, and then beckoned Li Cheng and Tong Gang to leave the table together. At this time, Nikolaevich suddenly reacted, and he hurriedly stopped Zhou Ming and said, 'Mr. Zhou Ming, please wait a moment. Regarding the issue of the new ruble exchange rate, we still need to hear more of your opinions.'

'It's better not to listen, because apart from the number I directly reported to you being useful, everything else I said was about the basics of exchange rates and was all useless nonsense,' Zhou Ming said.

Nikolaevich and other senior officials from Northern Russia immediately looked embarrassed when they heard Zhou Ming's words, because those words were exactly what they had just mocked Zhou Ming for saying, and now they were being returned to them.

However, Nikolajevich then showed the thickness of a president's skin, and he said to Zhou Ming, 'Mr. Zhou Ming, I'm afraid you've made a mistake. We have never considered your words to be useless nonsense. On the contrary, we all look forward to your high opinions. Otherwise, I would not have made a special trip to invite you here for this important meeting today about the issuance of the new ruble.'

With Nikolavich taking the lead, other Northern Russian officials also nodded and said that they hoped Mr. Zhou Ming would stay, and they all wanted to hear more of his views on the new ruble.

Facing the entreaties of all the senior Northern Russian officials in the conference room, Zhou Ming stopped in his tracks. He looked back at Nikolavich and the other officials and said, 'It seems that you really want to make this new ruble more scientific and prevent it from following in the footsteps of the old ruble. You really want to save the Northern Russian economy, don't you?'

'That's right,' Nikolajevich said. 'Our current economic situation in Northern Russia is very bad, and we must change everything. And Mr. Zhou Ming, you are now an important force in our country that cannot be ignored. Our Northern Russia and your China have been friendly neighbours since ancient times. Now that Mr. Zhou Ming is doing business here, the improvement of our Northern Russia's economic situation is also beneficial to your development, isn't it?'

After listening to Nikolaevich's persuasion, Zhou Ming nodded and said, 'I must say that the President's words are very convincing. Every word and sentence hits the nail on the head, and one cannot help but be convinced.'

Nikolaevich smiled and said, 'Mr. Zhou Ming is too kind. Then please sit down, Mr. Zhou Ming and these two gentlemen, and let's continue talking about the new ruble exchange rate.'

At this time, Zhou Ming shook his head gently, and his tone suddenly changed: 'Mr. President, I think you have misunderstood something. From just now until now, I have never said that I want to stay and attend this meeting. Moreover, I am a speculative businessman. I came to Krisco more to fish in troubled waters and make more money. I'm sorry. Out of my own interests, the more chaotic the economic situation here, the more beneficial it is for me.

Zhou Ming concluded, 'Of course, there is one more important point, and that is that I have already told you everything I need to say, and I really don't have anything else to say. So I'm sorry, Mr. President and gentlemen, I'll take my leave now.'

After saying this, Zhou Ming led Tong Gang and Li Cheng out of the meeting room together. This time, Nikolajevic did not stop him again, because he knew very well that there was no point in doing so. Zhou Ming's words had already swollen their faces. They looked at each other, not knowing what to say.

Once Zhou Ming and the others had walked out of the office building, Tong Gang said to Zhou Ming, 'Zhou Ming, you have earned back the face of the Chinese nation in front of these foreigners! Watching the faces of those Northern Russians who wanted to keep you but felt very embarrassed, I was so happy.'

Zhou Ming looked back at him. Tong Gang's tone was full of excitement. Zhou Ming first didn't quite understand, but then he thought about it and came to a response. Tong Gang is very old. He was born in the old society and has lived abroad for a long time. He can be said to have witnessed the bitter history of the Chinese nation. Perhaps he is now one of the world's seven most famous shipowners, but some memories are hard to forget.

It is precisely for this reason that when he now sees Zhou Ming being so arrogant in front of these Northern Russians, and the Northern Russians are unable to do anything about him, it makes him feel very good.

'It's just that the time was too short. If little brother Zhou Ming could tell us more about your thoughts on the new ruble exchange rate, I believe the effect would definitely be better,' Li Cheng said to Zhou Ming, his tone quite regretful, and Tong Gang also very much agreed.

However, Zhou Ming was somewhat helpless about this: 'Chairman Tong, President Li, I do want to say more, but I really don't know anything anymore.'

Zhou Ming's words surprised Li Cheng and Tong Gang. Faced with their doubtful looks, Zhou Ming took the initiative to confess, 'Chairman Tong and President Li, you are thinking too highly of me. In fact, I am just an ordinary Mainlander. At most, I have gone to school for two years longer than others. I can understand what finance is, and it is already very difficult to make money in finance, let alone really understand it thoroughly.'

A word awakens the sleeper. Li Cheng and Tong Gang suddenly understood. Li Cheng patted his forehead and said, 'Little brother Zhou Ming, you see, we all forgot about this at once. You lack systematic financial knowledge, but this is all your own doing, little brother Zhou Ming! If you hadn't performed so well, how could people have been unable to help forgetting your identity and treating you as the most capable businessman?'

Tong Gang, on the other hand, thought for a moment and asked, 'So you were deliberately talking about the basics of exchange rates in the meeting room just now? The purpose was to catch them off guard?'

Zhou Ming nodded and gave Tong Gang a thumbs-up: 'Chairman Tong really has a thorough analysis.'

This short sentence made Tong Gang and Li Cheng suddenly respect Zhou Ming. Obviously, they were both well aware that Zhou Ming was doing this to first suppress and then enhance. After all, Zhou Ming's background was a disadvantage. He had not systematically studied finance and capital knowledge. If he were to directly analyse the economic situation of Northern Russia, Zhou Ming would simply be unable to do it, and it would definitely be full of loopholes.

Of course, this is not an economic power like the United States, but the President of Northern Russia, Mr. Nikolavich, is eager to westernise the country. Who knows, he might know a lot about it? Plus, Northern Russia is also a world research centre, so who knows if there is research on the economy?

So Ming had no choice but to gamble on this. In his opinion, instead of racking his brains over this, he might as well switch his thinking.

Since we don't have any systematic theoretical knowledge, we don't need it. We'll just express it directly, so that you look down on us. And finally, we'll reveal the most important piece of information, the exchange rate of the new ruble, and we'll turn the tables.

This sequence is necessary, because if we reveal the exchange rate first, the surprise will be far less intense than it is now.

Thinking about this, Li Cheng suddenly asked Zhou Ming, 'I still don't understand, how did you come up with the exchange rate of the new ruble?'

Li Cheng was the future richest man in China, and his question hit the nail on the head. No matter how well Zhou Ming's script was conceived, without the final hammer blow of the new ruble exchange rate, everything he said was destined to be a joke. But the issue of the new ruble exchange rate was just as Nikolaevich and all the senior officials in Northern Russia wondered, he also couldn't understand how Zhou Ming had calculated it and still be so sure.

Zhou Ming laughed. He had long since known that once he mentioned the exchange rate, there was no way to avoid the question. So Zhou Ming gave his prepared answer: 'Actually, I didn't come up with this exchange rate myself. It was the work of the Dota Project. I think Chairman Tong and Chairman Li will both remember that Mr. Meta came to see me at the No. 1 Hotel yesterday.'

'You're saying that Meta told you about this exchange rate? Why would he do that?' Tong Gang asked, very surprised.

'It's simple. In any case, he has already recognised me as one of the three powers in Northern Russia, so he can't monopolise certain information. Just as I will tell him about the upcoming issue of the new ruble in Northern Russia, in exchange, of course, he will also tell me something,' said Zhou Ming.

Faced with this answer from Zhou Ming, Tong Gang and Li Cheng looked at each other, obviously still unable to accept it. After all, it was a bit against common sense, and in the back of their minds, they also felt that something was wrong.

Zhou Ming did not give them the chance to think. Zhou Ming continued, 'If Chairman Tong and Chairman Li don't believe me, let's not rush off just yet. Wait by the door for a while. I'm sure there'll be a surprise that you won't believe.'