Chapter 477 - 289: Private and Public

Chapter 477: Chapter 289: Private and Public

After a moment of thought, he quickly dialed a number.

"Hold on, let me make a call and ask."

Lin Chu waved a hand, leaned back in his seat, and watched the scenery fly past the window. He lit a cigarette and exhaled a long plume of smoke.

’I wonder what part of that shocked You Shaoqiang so much.’

’But for a businessman, keeping an eye on current events is a necessary skill.’

’It’s just that I completely lack that skill.’

’I’m just a carefree wanderer.’

You Shaoqiang’s side of the conversation was just a series of "uh-huhs" and "yesses." Lin Chu couldn’t tell who was on the other end, but judging by You Shaoqiang’s deferential posture, it was likely one of his family’s contacts.

He quickly finished the call, having verified the news. You Shaoqiang immediately grew preoccupied, as if he were calculating something.

Lin Chu didn’t disturb him and just played on his phone.

He filmed a short video of the scenery outside Peng City and sent it to Dongnya.

Moscow was a world of ice and snow.

And while Peng City was a bit chilly now, it was still lush with green, shady trees.

「A dozen or so minutes later.」

You Shaoqiang finally snapped out of it, having apparently digested the matter completely. He looked at Lin Chu. "What do you think?"

Lin Chu waved his hand and smiled. "What’s there for me to think? It has nothing to do with me."

"It has nothing to do with me either."

"Heh, I was just a bit surprised, that’s all."

"Anyway, let’s not talk about her. Let’s talk about our own business."

You Shaoqiang didn’t elaborate. These matters weren’t something someone at his level should be worrying about anyway. It was better to focus on the task at hand.

Saying too much would be overstepping his bounds.

"About the acquisition, I’m basically on board. No objections. As for the money, I’ll stick to the share you mentioned earlier. Just tell me when you need it, and I’ll transfer it over anytime."

"As for everything else, let’s talk after the acquisition is complete."

"I quite like the lab-grown diamonds. I might use a batch later on as a regular supply. I do retail too, you know," Lin Chu said with a calm smile.

’The target company does have its own unique advantages.’

’And I have plenty of money right now.’

’Since I’ve already agreed to do this, I might as well see it through.’

’I can treat it as a short-term project to play around with.’

’At the very least, I’ll get to familiarize myself with how listed companies work.’

’As for acquiring the LV Group, that’s definitely a long-term goal. It’s not something that can be accomplished in a short time. Even with completely sufficient funds, it would take several years at a minimum.’

’Not to mention, I don’t even have enough money right now.’

The largest shareholder of the LV Group was a man who had once been the richest in the world. Even now, with luxury goods not selling well and the stock price having fallen significantly, he was still one of the wealthiest people on the planet.

Lin Chu did a rough calculation.

’To acquire Louis Vuitton, the most suitable strategy would probably be a gradual takeover, piece by piece.’

’I’ll have to acquire shares little by little, whether from the primary or secondary market.’

’During this process, if any suitable subsidiary brands become available, I can also seize the opportunity to buy them first.’

’This is the general plan with the lowest cost and the highest feasibility.’

"You’re being so straightforward?"

"It’s making me feel a bit out of sorts, haha... But let me give you a more detailed report."

"The current projection is that I’ve joined forces with thirty-two shareholders on my end. Some are shaking out weaker investors, some are pumping the price, and some are acting in concert. The whole operation will probably take about half a year."

"The agreed-upon capital can be paid in three installments. This will give everyone ample time and a manageable workload for preparations."

"After the acquisition is complete, your one billion will likely amount to a 15% to 18% stake, making you the second-largest shareholder."

"Also, please understand that I’ll have to be the chairman. After all, this is my first public debut, and I need to show my family what I can do," You Shaoqiang said with a warm smile.

The more relaxed Lin Chu was, the more You Shaoqiang paid attention to procedural formalities.

After all, he was the one orchestrating this deal.

Lin Chu had chosen to trust him, and he had to live up to that trust.

"Sure, no problem."

"You’re the groom; I’m just the best man."

At this analogy, You Shaoqiang couldn’t help but laugh out loud. "Can’t say that. We should still consummate the marriage together."

Lin Chu: ...

He shot him a smiling glance.

’Ugh.’

’So... crude.’

’How the fuck can you do something like that together?’

But there was one thing Lin Chu found impressive about You Shaoqiang—he had managed to unite thirty-two financial backers.

This was naturally a monetization of his influence. After all, how many years had the You Family been developing its power?

’With such a powerful family backing him, having this kind of strength is quite normal.’

’In contrast, I...’

’...only have ten core brothers at the moment.’

’If I want to farm hundreds of billions, I’ll have to expand the number of brothers.’

’Let’s set a small goal first.’

’One hundred and eight?’

...

Back in Peng City, Lin Chu felt that his life had seemingly gotten back on track, yet it also felt like he had re-entered a set of shackles.

However, a balance between work and rest is the path to success.

After having fun for so long, temporarily returning to work gave Lin Chu a sense of fulfillment.

Besides...

Although he wasn’t short on cash at the moment, compared to what he wanted to do next, his capital was still far from enough.

Due to You Shaoqiang’s recent maneuvers, Lin Chu had started paying more attention to the capital markets.

He then came to a very clear realization of his current position within the country.

A net worth of ten billion, or rather, assets worth ten billion, was already incredibly impressive for an individual.

But in the corporate world, it was nothing special.

A small fry.

Going public was a magnifier. Even on the A-shares market, companies with a market cap over ten billion were a dime a dozen.

Of course, market cap and assets couldn’t be directly compared, but it still gave a glimpse of the bigger picture.

’At this current stage...’

Lin Chu analyzed his situation thoroughly using the method of contradictions.

His greatest contradictions were the mismatch between his cash and his assets, the mismatch between his age and his social status, and the mismatch between his wealth and his power, status, and influence in the broader sense.

But none of these could be resolved overnight.

In terms of methodology, what he needed was... to digest.

To be more precise—to digest it all with a low profile.

’Amass provisions.’

’Slowly claim the throne.’

That ancient advice was the perfect encapsulation of his current stage.

News about the An Family had completely blown up over the past few days.

A collapse. A total collapse.

A liquidation. A complete liquidation.

Lin Chu didn’t want to comment on it; he wasn’t very clear on the inside story.

Zhou Luan, however, had called him, crying so hard she could barely breathe. There was even a hint of fear in her sobs.

Naturally, it wasn’t because it had anything to do with her.

It was just that her best friend’s personal experience had given Zhou Luan a deep-seated reverence for the way society worked.

She even began to realize the struggles her parents’ generation had faced.

...

「In the blink of an eye, it was November 30th.」

It had been less than two weeks since he got back. The days passed one by one as Lin Chu sorted through all his company’s business and met up with his "brothers" a few times. Time slipped through his fingers like sand.

「LC Club.」

The professional Gold Open, hosted by the club, had started on October 6th. Now, at the end of November, after nearly two months of competition, it officially came to a close today.

Looking at the various metrics, the results were actually quite good.

After all, they had thrown enough money at it.

Although they had yet to break even, Lin Chu was already very satisfied.

’Once the final Gold prize is given out, I’ll still get a rebate.’

Many leaders from Peng City attended the closing ceremony.

At the banquet held after the closing ceremony, they expressed their intention to make the tournament a permanent, long-term event.

Regarding this point, the other organizer, Zhu Yizhen from Mission Hills, politely declined in various ways.

Because, according to the financial reports, this event had been a loss. Even though Lin Chu had covered the bulk of the costs, Mission Hills... still lost money.

They had lost money just for the publicity.

He had already made his decision: Mission Hills would definitely not be participating next time.

Watching Zhu Yizhen rack his brain for ways to politely refuse, Lin Chu felt a little amused.

’Once the final gold bar prize money is given out, the double rebate I’ll get will total over five hundred million, completely covering all the costs.’

’As someone with a cheat...’

’How can he compare to me?’

As for the leaders’ request, Lin Chu himself had no objection.

It was a bit of a hassle, but he wouldn’t be doing any of the actual work himself.

And so, amidst the clinking glasses and lively toasts, Lin Chu cheerfully agreed.

’I’ll just consider it... a contribution to Peng City.’

’A large-scale event like this does have some effect on improving the city’s image.’

’Even if it’s not much, every little bit counts.’

As he thought this, a sense of satisfaction suddenly bloomed in Lin Chu’s heart.

—’Someone like me is now starting to think about social responsibility.’

’And it’s not for any personal gain, either. It’s purely from the heart.’

The most fundamental reason for this change was that he had come to a complete realization.

—’Whether it’s power or wealth, both are public instruments; they can never permanently belong to any single individual.’

’The private is for a moment; the public is for eternity.’

...

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