[September 18, New Energy Index: 2985 points]
“What’s going on here? It’s more than doubled in just half a month!”
Lu Liang pulled up the New Energy Index and was instantly shocked.
As of the end of the previous trading day, the index was at only 1458 points. Composed of 54 stocks, the total market value was 785.3 billion yuan.
For the index to double, it theoretically meant that the market value of all 54 component stocks had also doubled. Lu Liang could hardly imagine what kind of incredible news had triggered this phenomenon where everything, from chickens to dogs, seemed to soar together.
After all, even the impressive gains of the Shanghai Composite Index earlier this year had pushed it up by less than 2000 points to 5178. But here, the New Energy Index had climbed from 1458 points to 2985 points in just 26 days.
“SAIC, Yutong, BYD, LeTV, Zhongtong, GAC...”
Lu Liang sifted through the 54 component stocks and temporarily settled on six to investigate further. He planned to have Wen Chao look into them tomorrow to identify which were genuine and which were just riding the wave.
A doubling of the index didn’t mean the gains were evenly distributed among the stocks. Some likely rose significantly, others less so, and some might even have gone against the trend and declined. Selecting several stocks increased the chance of picking an industry leader and achieving returns of three to five times—or more.
Picking up his phone, Lu Liang called Old Meng, not caring that it was already past four in the morning.Meng Changkun groaned as he climbed out of bed, coughing a few times to clear his throat. “The review has been approved. The earliest it’ll go through is next Tuesday.”
“I’ve got about 21 subscription intents on my end. Ask Xiao Wang how many he has,” Lu Liang replied.
He couldn’t help but admire Lu Liang’s foresight. A $100 million private placement fund was perfectly sized for the situation.
Though Lu Liang had a reputation and a track record, the only person who had actually profited alongside him so far was Meng Changkun.
Businesspeople don’t move without assurance. Since many weren’t sure if Lu Liang and Meng were setting up a trap, even billionaires weren’t willing to invest significant amounts without clarity.
Each subscription required $2 million, equivalent to over 12 million yuan—a sum that wasn’t exactly small. Most were content with subscribing to just one or two shares to test the waters and gauge Lu Liang’s capabilities.
Of Meng Changkun’s 21 subscription intents, seven were from his own pocket, leaving only 14 that came from others.
“I see. Get some rest,” Lu Liang said, ending the call with Meng. Then, he dialed Xiao Wang to check on his progress.
Xiao Wang was still awake and answered immediately.
Hearing the purpose of the call, he burst into complaints. “Those bastards! They talk so big when chatting, but when it comes to money, barely any of them have it.”
“Now you realize just how ‘connected’ your network is,” Lu Liang teased, a smirk on his face.
“Give me a few more days. I’ll take a trip to Jingcheng—I should be able to secure about 30 shares,” Xiao Wang said.
“How many do you have now?” Lu Liang asked.
“Thirteen—no, fifteen.”
“Which is it?”
“Still thirteen,” Xiao Wang admitted reluctantly.
He had considered subscribing to two more shares himself to round it up to ten, but then remembered he’d ordered a sports car and couldn’t afford it.
Of the thirteen shares, eight were his own subscriptions. The remaining five included two from his mother and one from his uncle. His group of fair-weather friends had scraped together enough for just two shares, leaving him feeling deeply frustrated.
“Old Meng has 21 shares on his side,” Lu Liang commented with a chuckle, hoping this would prompt Xiao Wang to reevaluate his connections. Without Old Wang, he was nothing. From now on, Xiao Wang should obediently respond to his nickname and stay in his lane as the group mascot.
Xiao Wang was indignant but also powerless. “We’re at 34 shares in total, which means we’re still short by $32 million. What’s your plan?”
“Not much of a problem—it’s just over 200 million yuan. I’ll cover it myself,” Lu Liang said casually.
He didn’t want to wait any longer. The market could ignite at any moment, and with the private placement review passing on Tuesday, he wanted the funds in place right away.
“Tuesday’s funds shouldn’t be an issue, but are you seriously going to subscribe to 16 shares on your own?” Xiao Wang was astonished. Two million dollars per share was no small sum.
“Xiao Wang,” Lu Liang said with a grin, “you need to expand your horizons. It’s just $32 million—it’s not like I can’t afford it.”
Xiao Wang felt a wave of frustration choking him, gritting his teeth as he replied, “Working so late into the night—careful, or you’ll keel over from exhaustion.”
“Ha! You’re mad. You’ve lost your cool. You’re even resorting to personal attacks now,” Lu Liang teased, clearly in a good mood.
“Hmph. I’m going to sleep,” Xiao Wang snapped before hanging up.
Listening to the busy tone on the phone, Lu Liang’s lips curled into a smile. He glanced outside; the sky was already tinged with the pale light of dawn.
Just then, a faint knock sounded at the door, hesitant and furtive. Li Manli whispered as though she were a thief, “Brother Liang, are you asleep?”
Lu Liang walked over and opened the door, only to see Li Manli squatting down in an eavesdropping pose. The sudden opening startled her so much that she fell onto the floor.
“The mosquitoes are louder than you,” Lu Liang teased with a laugh.
“I was afraid you were sleeping, so I didn’t dare disturb you,” Li Manli said with a giggle, sticking out her tongue like a mischievous kitten.
“Come on, let’s go out for a walk.”
“Yay~~”
After changing clothes, the two boarded a hotel-provided boat and headed toward Taihu’s Fairy Island to watch the sunrise.
Before dawn, the surface of the lake was shrouded in mist. The faint water vapor clung to their faces, refreshing and delicate like a gentle drizzle.
Standing at the bow of the boat, Lu Liang took a deep breath. It felt as if his lungs, like parched earth, were finally quenched by a nourishing rain. Letting out a long exhale, he seemed to cast away the exhaustion of staying up all night.
Before long, the boat arrived at Taihu's Fairy Island.
In the east, the pale light of dawn gradually turned red, illuminating Taihu Lake's surface, which shimmered like an enormous silver mirror.
Surrounded by mountains on all sides, the boundless white lake stretched endlessly, giving an unparalleled sense of openness and serenity.
“This place is so beautiful!” Li Manli exclaimed, her voice filled with childlike excitement as she darted around taking photos to capture the moment.
She was mindful of the fact that Lu Liang didn’t like having his face photographed, so she discreetly snapped pictures of his back or his profile instead.
The sunrise during summer is brief. From the first hint of the sun’s edge to its full emergence above the horizon, it took just a little over three minutes.
“Let’s head back and catch up on some sleep,” Lu Liang said with a yawn. Having pulled another all-nighter, he figured it was time to return to the hotel and rest before deciding what to do in the afternoon.
Li Manli murmured her agreement, her gaze unfocused and her eyelids drooping, clearly struggling to stay awake. The excitement from earlier had long faded.
After hours of driving the previous night and playing games for several more, she had finally witnessed the Taihu sunrise she’d been dreaming of. Her mission was complete.
As the boat rocked gently on the water, her head grew heavier until she couldn’t resist anymore. She leaned against Lu Liang’s shoulder and fell asleep.
Lu Liang chuckled softly and adjusted her position, letting her rest more comfortably in his arms.
The weekend passed as they explored Taihu, enjoying the tranquil scenery. On Sunday evening, they drove back to Magic City.
On Monday morning, Lu Liang and Tang Caidie arrived on the 32nd floor of the New International Building. The available space spanned 3,800 square meters, nearly a third of the entire floor.
Over the weekend, the cleanup crew had worked overtime to complete the final touches.
The office area was designed with a modern and minimalist aesthetic, but the individual offices were barren, entirely devoid of furnishings.
According to the original plan, the office wouldn’t be ready for occupancy until early September, about ten days later. During that time, they were scheduled to purchase office equipment, furniture, and greenery, as well as carry out air purification.
However, plans rarely keep up with changes. Lu Liang wanted to move in sooner. Without an official office address, the private equity fund couldn’t properly operate.
Tang Caidie wasn’t sure why Lu Liang was in such a hurry, but since the boss had made the request, solving the problem was now her responsibility.
After thinking for a moment, she proposed a solution: “President Lu, how about this? We could purchase a few office desks and chairs today for a basic setup and gradually fill in the rest later?”
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