Liang Botao, the Godfather of Red Chips, derived his greatest influence from Peregrine, and other influences from his connections with people like Li Ban Cheng.
Later, countless facts proved that he had an extremely close relationship with the Li Ban Cheng family; at the very least, he was an investment banker recognized by Li Ban Cheng.
Liang Botao was currently the CEO of BNP Peregrine, meaning he was a senior executive retained by BNP Paribas to stabilize morale.
It was impossible to say he was very comfortable there, and it was also impossible to say he was extremely busy.
He Zhengcheng did not have to wait long for his meeting with him; it was scheduled for this Friday.
Over the past few days, the Hang Seng Index futures had indeed hovered around 7000 points, Yahoo's stock ultimately did not fall below 50 US dollars, and Lenovo's share price remained stagnant.
Their meeting place was a coffee shop, and Ji Jiasheng brought He Zhengcheng there.
"Cheng Zai is truly formidable at such a young age!" Liang Botao said.
"I have long admired Mr. Liang, and I apologize for my presumptuous visit!" He Zhengcheng replied.
Shanhai Capital had his investment, and although Ji Jiasheng, Xu Xin, and others were not his direct subordinates, their relationship was still very good.
In other words, their company had a certain connection with Li Ban Cheng from the very beginning.
"Not at all, it is my honor that a talented young man like Cheng Zai would think of me," Liang Botao said.
Peregrine's acquisition transformed him from an owner back into an employee, a change he accepted, albeit with some reluctance.
Coupled with the various taunts from the Hong Kong public, it was clear he harbored some resentment now.
"Peregrine was a pioneer, with many valuable lessons worth learning, and Mr. Liang is our senior; I greatly admire your achievements!" He Zhengcheng said.
"I'm old and useless now," Liang Botao said with some despondency.
"Mr. Liang, your achievements are undeniable!" Ji Jiasheng interjected.
With Ji Jiasheng's participation, the three chatted for a bit and quickly got to the point.
"Among the companies recently listed on NASDAQ, only eBay truly aligns with my vision for the future.
The internet and e-commerce are the trends on NASDAQ, and also the direction of America's information superhighway development.
Wall Street went to great lengths, and throughout the 1990s, almost every country worldwide was attacked by them.
First, Japan; then, Britain, or rather the European Union; next, South America, with Mexico being crippled; starting last year, they attacked Asia, from Southeast Asia to South Korea, none were spared, and it even affected Russia.
Globally, only Africa and India, which have no oil, and the Middle Eastern countries, which are rich only in money, were not targeted.
Besides seeking to profit through financial means, they also aimed to open the doors of these countries and seize the fruits of their labor over the years.
For example, the major shareholders of South Korea's Samsung, Hyundai, and LG are all European and American capital.
I won't elaborate on these points.
They also have a more covert purpose: to let the whole world know that the American capital market is the safest, and to encourage everyone to invest their globally dispersed capital into America.
Consequently, since the beginning of this year, a large amount of capital has flowed into Wall Street.
This is also why Long-Term Capital Management encountered a Black Swan event.
In fact, if it weren't for Russia's debt default, which accelerated the return of capital to Wall Street, perhaps they could have turned the corner after a few months of losses.
These are not the most important points.
Long-Term Capital Management certainly won't go bankrupt directly, and Alan Greenspan of America's Federal Reserve will not allow a major upheaval on Wall Street at this critical moment, as it would affect the global determination to flow capital into America.
However, will such a large influx of capital into America cause severe inflation, and what methods are there to absorb these funds?
Traditional industries, or the new economy represented by information technology?
I believe information technology is the key investment area for foreign capital entering America, even if not directly, but indirectly through the capital market.
Therefore, I believe that as long as a company is listed on NASDAQ and has a '.com' tag, it has a high probability of being sought after.
If the founder of this company is reliable, it might even grow into several world-class giant enterprises." He Zhengcheng explained.
"So, why are you looking for me?" Liang Botao asked.
"I want to obtain more flexible financial support; I want to partake in this wealth feast in America," He Zhengcheng replied.
"Are you going to invest in the stock market or in businesses?" Liang Botao inquired.
"Does it matter?
Can just anyone or any capital directly participate in venture capital for Silicon Valley tech companies?
You know, investment isn't the main point; the main point is that these companies need to be operated and listed so that venture capital can exit conveniently.
If we go now, we have no advantage; it's better to establish our reputation first.
For example, by becoming a major shareholder in a well-known listed company, or even further, joining the board of directors of a well-known company." He Zhengcheng explained.
"What you said makes a lot of sense, but who can guarantee that eBay is the best choice?" Liang Botao asked.
"The best choice?
I heard a story about a monkey entering a peach orchard, but he was only allowed to pick one peach.
He desperately wanted to pick the biggest and best peach in the orchard, so he walked through, looking at and considering many, but always worried there might be a better one further on.
There might indeed be better ones later, but will we have the opportunity?
The volatility that Long-Term Capital Management brought to NASDAQ won't last long, at most one to two months.
If we don't enter the market when it's most worried, how many people will we have to compete with later, or should we simply give up on this market entirely?" He Zhengcheng questioned.
"You're quite eloquent and very persuasive!" Liang Botao remarked.
It has been said before that investment banks are best at weaving lies, but unfortunately, many unsophisticated people believed them to be true, and in the early 21st century, too many people and companies in the domestic capital market were deceived by Goldman Sachs.
Of course, we can blame these international capitalists, but if you agree to dance with wolves and end up being eaten by them, whose responsibility is greater?
Ultimately, one has to pay an expensive tuition fee.
"I've said all I wanted to say, and I have no new reasons.
The only way I can express my determination is this: our family is willing to mortgage our own hotels and properties, and the funds from the mortgage will be invested in this project of mine.
If, and I mean if, Mr. Liang finds it convenient, could you help me mortgage for 5 million US dollars?" He Zhengcheng asked.
"Cheng Zai, there's no need to be so extreme.
If we're short on funds, we can discuss it further; it hasn't come to this point yet.
Mortgaging family assets requires more careful consideration!" Ji Jiasheng advised.
"Sheng Ge, I've actually thought it through.
From the perspective of investment risk alone, this project isn't actually that big; it's just a matter of earning more or less.
The problem is, we don't just want to make money; we also want to gain a certain status and position." He Zhengcheng explained.
"It's been a long time since I've heard such grand words from Cheng Zai; it truly benefits me greatly.
I can help with the loan, but the investment still needs consideration.
This isn't an excuse; I still have some doubts about what you said today and want to understand them better, so I can have more reasons when persuading others." Liang Botao stated.
"The loan funds need to be in by next week.
If it's too much trouble, I'll go to Zhang Zhiyuan at Goldman Sachs; he promised I could approach him for these matters.
As for the investment, there's no need to force it." He Zhengcheng's mood was somewhat unpredictable.
If, after all his efforts and expressed determination today, he still couldn't get the ideal support, then he would seriously reconsider future cooperation.
"Don't worry, it's just a small matter; it won't bother the Executive Director of Goldman Sachs Asia-Pacific!" Liang Botao replied with a reassuring smile.