Chapter 1585
Offense and Defense Easier
Nothing was said that night, and the next morning dawned.
Zhang Yuan was in good spirits, but Miss He, who got up early, might not be so.
You seem to have something on your mind.
After meeting at the restaurant, Zhang Yuan asked with concern.
"I'm just experiencing some traveler's discomfort and jet lag."
"Do you need to see a doctor? I'll take you there," Zhang Yuan asked immediately with concern.
"No need, your concern for me makes me feel much better."
Seeing the way he looked at her and his attitude when he heard she was uncomfortable, the girl felt a little better.
She didn't sleep well.
I've been thinking about this all night, what does it mean?
They clearly had a pleasant time together, and even took me out to play.
He behaved very well, and didn't act like a lecherous old man, trying to get me drunk or force me to share a room as soon as we got out.
This girl is definitely petite and delicate-looking among ordinary people. Coupled with her status as a young lady from a wealthy family and her high level of education, she is enough to make most men flock to her.
She's not selling herself, and she's still young. Although she has ulterior motives, she hasn't completely given up on feelings.
Of course, I hope to find my ideal partner while also taking family goals into account.
This is like an ancient princess choosing a husband.
It is divided into three grades.
The first class consisted of those favored by the emperor and whose maternal families were of excellent standing. They would be sent to marry important officials or imperial relatives to strengthen their ties.
The next head of the family, Pansy Ho, was sent to marry into the Hui family when she was young, and it didn't matter if she didn't like it.
The second class consists of daughters who are especially favored by the emperor. The emperor will persuade them to choose a suitable partner and support their lives.
Pansy Ho's younger sister, Sabrina Ho, is like this. She found a man who was content with a modest life and didn't contribute much to the family. She is an actress herself and does whatever she wants, pampered by her father.
The third rank is those who are not valued by the emperor and whose maternal family background is also average.
He Chaolian belongs to this category.
It's up to you; I can arrange it for you, or you can find it yourself, but ultimately you must get your family's approval.
If the head of the household doesn't like it, your future living allowance will be very small.
A smart person understands their own position, and Ms. He understands her situation.
Ideally, one should find someone who is highly capable, physically fit, and good-looking, not only with potential but also someone whose father can accept.
I like it, my family likes it, so everyone's happy.
After a brief meeting, Zhang Yuanting met her requirements.
Naturally, they wouldn't let go and wanted to go further.
But the other party's attitude made her a little unsure.
Taking myself out to have fun means I like it.
He went out to play and chatted happily with another woman, who even had a political background. Does that mean he likes someone else?
Now they care about me a lot.
So, does it count as liking or disliking?
Ms. He now feels that Zhang Yuan might like her, but it's also quite unlikely that he would.
The quantum superposition state that I like belongs to.
So much so that she was walking with a slight limp this morning.
Little did she know, if she had met Zhang Yuan earlier, she would have been crippled long ago.
In her current condition, even crutches are ineffective; she needs a wheelchair and to keep both feet off the ground. Only her intelligence can allow her to reach the top.
This person never understood one thing from beginning to end, or rather, they started with a wrong premise.
That is, any young man would be attracted to her beauty, and covet her family's connections and wealth, so in this game, I must take the lead.
But Zhang Yuan is different from others in that while he doesn't deny that he has desires, he will consider one more factor when faced with important matters.
That is, "what is the cost?"
I saw through your "love transaction" with me from the very beginning.
Since it's a business transaction, I have to do the math and see if it's worth it.
The gambling tycoon's family is said to have assets exceeding 5000 billion... but that's just a claim.
Back when she married Liu Tao, Wang Ke claimed to have assets exceeding 200 billion yuan.
There's moisture in it, quite a bit.
Managing assets and having access to resources worth 500 billion is one thing, but actually controlling assets of the same value is another.
Just like Ant Financial uses 30 billion to leverage 100 times, then it would have 3000 billion.
Zhang Yuan estimates that the total assets actually controlled by the gambling king are only slightly over 1000.
The most valuable casino group does not belong solely to the Ho family.
Although Mr. Ho has retired, the Ho family permanently retains a seat on the board of directors, and the Ho family foundation remains the largest shareholder of SJM Holdings.
This small amount of money has to be divided among the four families.
It wasn't divided equally. The original wife's family received the least, including several billion in cash and a few properties, but less than 10 billion.
The second fewest were the third branch, which was an appendage of the first wife.
The second branch had the most control, acquiring control and a majority of shares in several core enterprises.
The four companies acquired a small number of shares and dividend rights in the core business of SJM Holdings, as well as management rights in other related companies.
So the final result was that the second wife's family received more than half of the total assets, nearly 60%, and had absolute control over the family business.
The fourth wife also took a lot, together with the second wife, they took 80% of the total assets.
Based on this calculation, the eldest son's wife will receive less, and the third son's wife will at most receive 15%.
Then, since there are four people in your family, including the elderly and the young, the mother and son will definitely get the most.
How much will your two daughters get?
I'd be grateful if I could finally get 10 billion.
Then the problem is coming.
I am worth billions now, and that's just now; I'll definitely have more in the future.
Would it be considered a step up for me to marry you?
I feel like I'm here to "help the poor".
Am I a "son-in-law who marries into his wife's family," or are you climbing the social ladder?
The problem is that you're clearly trying to climb the social ladder, but you're acting like you're looking for a son-in-law to live with you.
The other party seemed to have figured out their own position, but in reality, they didn't fully understand it. They only understood it internally, but were blinded by their family's label when dealing with external matters.
There's another crucial point.
In the story of "Dream of the Red Chamber", Lin Daiyu's father, Lin Ruhai, was a salt commissioner.
This position is very important!
This job allowed one to submit secret memorials to the emperor independently and also managed the most lucrative salt administration in ancient times.
Those who can do this are all the emperor's confidants, and the higher-ups turn a blind eye. If you do things for me, I'll let you make money.
All the money he amassed during his tenure went to the Jia family along with Lin Daiyu.
and then?
The money is gone.
At least tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of taels of silver are gone.
In the end, Lin Daiyu also died in the Jia family mansion.
This is a classic case of someone profiting from someone else's misfortune.
This has existed since ancient times.
Zhang Yuan put himself in your shoes and said, "I play with your family and we even get together."
Especially after having children, what if something "accident" happens to me one day?
Car accident, serious illness, mental health issues.
The money, like Lin Ruhai's, went to the child, and since the child is under your family's control, it doesn't mean it all belongs to you.
Moreover, your family often experiences "accidents," with the eldest son dying, fleeing, or being injured—these are all vivid memories.
Therefore, children from wealthy families, especially only children, should be careful, as many are waiting to exploit them.
After calculating everything, Zhang Yuan concluded that this deal was doomed to lose money and even endanger his life.
I'm so bored, why would I agree to a marriage alliance with you?
However, it's not a good idea to refuse outright, but it's always useful to maintain a personal connection.
His plan was to demonstrate his strength while making his opponent back down.
This will save me trouble and also prove that I am a friend worth making friends with, who may come in handy in the future.
If we can get this girl to develop a cuckold's snout, it would be even better to train her like a dog in reverse.
It's okay if it doesn't work.
So after showing concern for the other person for a while, he changed his attitude again.
"Since you're alright, go home."
"I have other things to do elsewhere."
The game is a delicate balance of closeness and distance, with alternating offense and defense; it's still uncertain who will be outmaneuvering whom.
"Huh?" Miss He looked completely bewildered.
Let me go home by myself, no... I'm not feeling well, shouldn't you come with me?
"Excuse me, I need to go to New York."
"On Wall Street, I'm going to be involved in a company's IPO."
"I was planning to take you along, but you're not feeling well, so let's not go."
"Comfortable, I feel very comfortable!" the person replied immediately, afraid that if they hesitated even a little longer, the deal would fall through.
"Alright, since you're so eager to go, I'll make the arrangements for you." He made it seem like he was reluctantly accepting the offer since the other person was so proactive.
He originally intended to bring the other person along.
It's not that I like her that much.
The other party wanted to use his reputation, and he also needed the other party.
Especially during the company's IPO preparation phase, it was beneficial for outsiders to know that he had connections with the Ho family.
Any idea that he was considering a partnership with the Ho family would be reflected in the future stock price. The next day, the two of them arrived in New York.
"You seem to know this place very well."
Seeing him navigate Wall Street with such ease, Miss He asked him curiously.
“I had already visited once when Youku went public on the NYSE.”
With a confident smile, he said, "I still remember the temperature and the smell of the air that day."
"I remember the feeling of my heart pounding that day."
"The thrill and novelty were unparalleled."
He played the tune of the past.
"But today is much better; it doesn't feel like the first time."
"And I believe that I will come here a third time, a fourth time in the future."
He Chaolian's eyes lit up as she looked at him.
It's so tall!
A person who is rich, handsome, and confident is charming.
After Zhang Yuan's series of actions, she had become a little obsessed.
"Congratulations, I believe what you said will come true."
"I also believe in myself."
The girl giggled.
She can laugh at such a boring thing, which shows that she's really into it.
When a woman likes you, everything you do looks handsome.
She was also infected by this capitalist atmosphere, which matched their home's flavors perfectly.
As an unremarkable member of the least favored branch of the family, she never had any plans to participate in the company's IPO activities.
He rarely even had the opportunity to accompany his father to important parties.
This was something completely new to her.
Therefore, her mindset also changed.
From the very beginning, he acted like an innocent rabbit, thinking he was superior and the other person inferior.
We're now tending towards being innocent little rabbits, with emotions dominating our minds and impulses replacing reason.
"It's the lady I saw at the competition."
"Your girlfriend?"
Upon arriving at the exchange, Jun'er asked him curiously.
“My friend, she speaks excellent English and is a top student at the University of London, so I’ll take her to see the highest level of finance in the world.”
Upon hearing the word "friend," the girl's face fell a little.
But she quickly composed herself and returned to a smiling face.
"And she is a daughter of the Ho family in Macau."
Zhang Yuan secretly made a counting motion with his hand.
Jun'er's clever mind was immediately apparent.
The He family, who make money.
"Welcome, welcome. It's a pleasure to see you again."
"Thank you, Mr. Lei, thank you, Mr. Li. I don't know much about finance and I'm learning. Please don't look down on me," she replied humbly.
After her background was mentioned, the shareholders of YY Inc. present at the event began to look at her in a different light.
Zhang Yuan sighed, realizing that family background was still an advantage.
It can make life less tiring for young people, and they'll be greeted with smiles wherever they go.
Unlike myself back then...
Of course, this girl's intelligence hasn't completely disappeared.
After inquiring about YY Inc.'s basic information, she, a finance and accounting major, roughly calculated the company's market value and the profits Zhang Yuan could gain from it.
The offering price was $10.5.
Because of the sluggish performance of Chinese concept stocks, Uku did not experience the same surge in popularity as it had in the past.
It didn't fall below the issue price, which is not bad.
By the close of trading in the afternoon, the stock price had settled at less than $12.
The final market capitalization on the first day of trading was fixed at around US$6.5 million.
The total amount of financing raised through the US stock market reached $9000 million.
Miss He quickly used her clever mind to subtly inquire about Zhang Yuan's shareholding.
After several rounds of dilution, he still has about 13% of the shares.
After calculation, Little Rabbit concluded that his shares in this one company alone were worth $8500 million!
Wow!
So much money.
Even from families like this, there seem to be quite a few.
Moreover, she knew that this was only a small portion of Zhang Yuan's assets.
She doesn't usually have much cash on hand.
In addition, the old man is still alive, and their family has to spend a lot of money and beg for help.
How could someone like the gambling king simply hand over his assets?
As long as they're alive, we'll hold them in our hands.
The three-bedroom family's residence was just a few single-story apartments of one or two hundred square meters each.
Unlike Pansy Ho, who is the most favored, she takes a helicopter from Macau to Hong Kong for work every day.
So after the company's celebratory dinner that evening, this girl dragged him along and said she wanted to go shopping and explore New York at night.
Zhang Yuan thought to himself, "You really aren't afraid of death."
But he also understood that the other person must have something to say to him.
They arranged to meet at the hotel bar.
Congratulations again on your success in your career.
"polite."
"I'm going to intern at Ernst & Young, and I might even work with Mr. Zhang later. Remember to take care of me then," she said, her eyes sparkling.
"Definitely, I always take care of my friends."
"Are we just ordinary friends?" She took a sip of her cocktail and remained silent for a few seconds before speaking.
"What do you think?" Zhang Yuan passed the buck back.
"I think...we can go out more often in the future." She glanced to the side, avoiding his eyes.
This isn't a guilty conscience, it's fear.
I'm afraid I won't get the answer I want.
Regardless of gender, if someone avoids looking into the eyes of someone of the opposite sex, it's highly likely they have feelings for them.
And it's genuine affection.
"Of course, you didn't say you wanted to be my tour guide."
"If you have the chance to go to Macau, I'll call you."
"When are you going?" she pressed, her hand on the table clenching slightly.
"See, I'm usually quite busy."
"How about I come to the capital to find you?"
"Okay, I'll be your tour guide, but I'll have to wait until I'm free."
"Let me call you instead," Zhang Yuan replied with ease.
This person has stopped speaking.
About a minute later, she finally mustered up the courage to speak.
Do you have feelings for me?
They're starting to play it straight now.
It even ruined his initial plan to approach her discreetly, appear weak, and let her pursue him.
The core of this plan is to avoid taking the initiative and instead keep the other party in check.
The pursuer and the pursued also represent who holds the initiative.
The fact that she asked this question indicates that she has given up the initiative.
At this point, answering yes or no is not a good idea.
If it's true, we have to talk about it; if it's not true, we have to break it off.
Zhang Yuan wanted an intermediate state.
The other person likes me, but I won't date them.
So he didn't answer but asked a question instead.
So how do you feel about me?
"I think it's great, you're very considerate, and I'm very happy to be with you." Of course, this person didn't mention money.
"I also think you're very smart, and it's fun playing together."
Zhang Yuantong responded with the same attitude.
"Then we..."
But when the other person tried to take it a step further and steer the conversation toward serious matters, he interrupted them before they could finish speaking.
"But I have a question."
"I heard that you and Wu Ke-qun have a good relationship."
Is that true?
Miss He stared wide-eyed, frozen in place.
You little rascal, trying to play tricks on me? (End of Chapter)