It was somewhat unexpected that these professors wanted to start their own businesses, and their desire to be their own bosses was also surprising. He Zhengcheng didn't have much of an opinion on this; there was no need to be aggressive when one's strength was lacking. Besides, there would be plenty of opportunities in the future!
He Zhengcheng wanted to build the chip design company into a lasting enterprise, so he wouldn't care about short-term profits. Even if these professors held absolute controlling interest in the early stages, he was confident he could take it over through capital means later.
If the company was poorly managed, the cost he would have to pay would be much lower. If the company was well-managed, he would have to pay a higher price. But no matter how high, could it be higher than the increase in Google's market value?
After the initial agreement on cooperation, the next steps were to determine the investment amount and equity ratio. He Zhengcheng also needed to ensure he wasn't entrusting his time to the wrong people, as he didn't want to waste it for nothing. The professional talent recommended by Lenovo hadn't arrived yet, so he still had to wait.
Originally, he had nothing much to do and could spend time with his parents at home. Oh, He Wenxuan also didn't have much time; having embarked on his own venture, he went to Pengcheng not long after.
"Mom, you should really train a qualified successor for our small hotel, and then hurry to Pengcheng to reunite with Dad. You know, Pengcheng has a famous 'Second Wife Village'; what if Dad…" He Zhengcheng tried to sow discord.
"He won't!" Tan Yingyao said.
If he wouldn't, then he wouldn't. Anyway, he wasn't worried about anyone fighting him for the family fortune.
Since that day, Kuang Rui Si had called him a few times, but unfortunately, it was always about finance and economics, which gave him a headache and he had no real interest in.
"A salon? Kuang Rui Si, I'm really not interested." He Zhengcheng refused. What was the point of him going to a gathering of professors in finance and economics from the University of Hong Kong? The two of them were simply not in the same circle. At a different time, he might have gone to build connections.
"This salon is different. It's rumored that high-ranking officials from the Hong Kong Government might participate." Kuang Rui Si tried to persuade him. Although He Zhengcheng lacked a professional background, he seemed to possess an extremely keen intuition, capable of extracting the essence from complex phenomena. These past few days, he had also discussed the concept of the knowledge economy with some colleagues, and most were in favor.
"Hong Kong Government?" He Zhengcheng hesitated a bit. The foundation of his career was currently in Hong Kong, and knowing some upper-class figures would be beneficial, not harmful, to him.
"Exactly. Are you interested?" Kuang Rui Si asked.
"Alright, where is it? I'll go." He Zhengcheng replied.
"Then you should prepare the concept of the knowledge economy thoroughly. You might be asked to elaborate on this viewpoint there." Kuang Rui Si said.
"How would I know what to say? What if I get some basic concepts or terms wrong? Wouldn't that make me a laughingstock!" He Zhengcheng initially refused.
"It's fine. We know you're not a professional, so everyone will understand any mistakes. We just need your perspective." Kuang Rui Si was also very direct.
"…" What else could He Zhengcheng say?
That day, he took a car to the club Kuang Rui Si mentioned, but was stopped. He called Kuang Rui Si, only to find out he hadn't arrived yet.
"You must be Christopher Hall!" Not long after, a foreigner came out.
"Yes, that's right." He Zhengcheng replied.
"Follow me in!" The foreigner didn't say much, leading him into the club.
Inside, there were already five or six people scattered around, but unfortunately, he didn't know any of them. Oh, wait, there was actually a teacher from Polytechnic University, but hopefully he didn't recognize him.
He Zhengcheng walked nonchalantly to one side, regretting that he hadn't brought his show-off book, "the fifth discipline," today.
Wasn't this supposed to be a salon gathering? Weren't they all supposed to be acquaintances? These people didn't seem to be interacting much. Calming down, He Zhengcheng looked around. Slowly, more people arrived.
"Hello!" A familiar voice entered his ears, and He Zhengcheng immediately tensed up.
"Hello!" He Zhengcheng responded.
"Huh, you look somewhat familiar. I feel like I've seen you somewhere before." The newcomer said.
"Is that so? Maybe I just have a common face." He Zhengcheng grumbled. Of course he was familiar; you taught them for half a year.
"Which university are you from?" The newcomer asked.
Why ask about his university instead of his name? He Zhengcheng complained inwardly; his teacher might not remember his name.
"I'm from Polytechnic University." He Zhengcheng answered honestly.
"You're also from Polytechnic University? No wonder you seemed familiar. My apologies, but who are you, and which department were you in? I can't quite recall at the moment." The person said.
"Teacher Ning, I graduated from Polytechnic University last year, studying hotel management. You were our teacher." He Zhengcheng said frankly.
"…" Ning Zhiheng was dumbfounded.
Fortunately, Kuang Rui Si arrived at this moment.
"Teacher Ning, Professor Kuang Ruisi brought me here to broaden my horizons." He Zhengcheng said, about to walk over.
"Did you apply for his graduate program?" Ning Zhiheng actually held onto him.
"No, I'm working now. Due to accidental circumstances, I only recently met Professor Kuang Ruisi." He Zhengcheng had no choice but to chat with Professor Ning Zhiheng, who was a professor of management.
Professor Kuang Ruisi also saw He Zhengcheng, and after greeting his acquaintances, he walked over.
"Cheng Zai, you two know each other?" Kuang Rui Si asked.
"He's my teacher from Polytechnic University." He Zhengcheng replied.
"Oh, you met him. No wonder he didn't discover your talent." Kuang Rui Si said.
"What did you say? What about me?" Ning Zhiheng asked.
These two know each other? He Zhengcheng sensed something was off.
"Nothing. You'll find out soon." Kuang Rui Si said.
Fortunately, most of the people had arrived. Someone stepped forward to host, and everyone moved to a different area. There were twenty to thirty people in total, distributed in a circular conference room. However, all the seats were high-end leather sofas, not a large round table, but rather several people sharing a small table, arranged in a circular pattern overall.
"Today, we'll discuss the 21st century and the future of Hong Kong. There's less than a year until the 21st century arrives, so how should Hong Kong's economy maintain its competitiveness?" Someone stood in the center to host the salon, but it was clear it wasn't entirely pure; among twenty to thirty people, how many were truly friends?
During the salon, He Zhengcheng found it a bit difficult to follow. Everyone was speaking in English, and he didn't understand many professional terms, nor did he feel comfortable constantly asking others.
"The one wearing a hat over there is the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development." Kuang Rui Si introduced to He Zhengcheng.
He Zhengcheng took a look; the person didn't stand out. Everyone's speeches were also rather uninteresting. The future holds infinite possibilities, so anything said isn't necessarily wrong. Of course, one's true caliber can only be seen ten or twenty years later. However, events decades from now no longer affect older experts, scholars, and professors.
Hong Kong's experts, scholars, and professors were not fools; many of their words were insightful.
"Finance, trade, tourism, and real estate still have great room for growth. We should seize our core advantages and leverage the Greater China market…"
"We can utilize Hong Kong's existing high-quality educational resources, fully leverage its role as a financial center, and transform Hong Kong into another Silicon Valley…"
"Our Chief Executive also shares this idea. Real estate and finance have limitations, and the Hong Kong Government intends to build a Cyberport to support the development of Hong Kong's high-tech industry…"
Oh, wow, Cyberport has even come up. This is truly too coincidental.