Chapter 65: Full of Potential
“Everyone back home knows now,” Liu Mingxuan said with a sigh. “My parents even came over a few days ago to give me the full ‘stern mother’s lecture’ routine. I just sent them back this afternoon.”
As he poured out his frustrations, Liu admitted he knew better than to mess with someone so close to home. But the girl looked so much like his first love.
“You don’t get it, do you? A beauty doesn’t have to be stunning—what matters is that she touches your heart.” Liu spoke passionately, as though defending his actions in court.
Lu Liang’s expression darkened. “You’re no hero. Don’t dress this up as some grand romantic gesture. You just let your hormones take over.”
Liu waved him off. “You wouldn’t understand. I don’t blame you,” he said, raising his beer to the moonlight. “Ah, my youth... finally coming to an end.”
“Is there anything I can help with?” Lu asked, taking a sip of beer to steady himself against the urge to slap Liu.
“Yeah, stay up drinking with me tonight,” Liu replied, clearly resigned.
Liu didn’t own a car but had a decent apartment, and his father was prepared to buy him a 200,000-yuan car as a wedding gift. The dowry, as per their local customs, was symbolic rather than substantial—just a few thousand yuan. He even had some savings of his own.
Though Meng had been helpful, their relationship was more professional than personal. Lu wasn’t about to let Meng’s comments sway his principles.
Having access to information about the future, Lu saw no need to risk legal repercussions for a bit of extra profit.
Meng hesitated for a moment, then let the matter drop. “Fine. Let’s hit the water,” he said, scooping up one of the models and sliding down the yacht’s inflatable slide into the sea.
Over the following days, TeLi A repeatedly topped the Dragon and Tiger List. Each day brought dramatic swings, with the stock hitting both its lower and upper limits, showcasing extreme volatility.
With every surge, the stock broke new records, attracting hordes of retail investors eager to join the rally.
The frenzy prompted the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) to issue its customary warnings about the risks of speculation. But retail investors, already frustrated by the broader market’s decline below 3,700 points, dismissed the warnings.
“Where were you when the market was falling?”
“You only show up when stocks rise!”
“Forget it—I’m all in!”
These defiant voices echoed across forums and chat rooms.
For retail traders, blue-chip stocks had become a slow death—rising by just 1-2% only to drop 4-5%, their slow grind down draining all enthusiasm. In contrast, “monster stocks” like TeLi A offered the chance for explosive gains, even if they came with a high risk of ruin.
By Friday, the stock hit its highest price yet: 48.25 yuan.
Li and Wu, having spent months planning, were now executing their final phase, unloading their positions in massive quantities. After this, a cascade of limit-down days was inevitable as the stock plummeted and they rebuilt their positions.
Returning to his office after several days at sea, Lu monitored the stock closely. 48.25 yuan was undoubtedly the peak of this wave.
Soon after, his assistant, Chen Jinchun, entered with a report. “Mr. Lu, here’s the biweekly data for Mengmengda Media.”
Mengmengda Media was Li Manli’s studio, an investment Lu initially considered trivial. But the studio’s rapid growth changed his perspective.
With over 2 million followers across platforms and multiple offers for multimillion-yuan contracts, the studio had caught the attention of even prominent players. Last month, PandaTV—founded by the son of the country’s richest man—offered 6 million yuan for an exclusive three-year streaming contract.
Though signing bonuses were relatively small, the industry’s potential had piqued Lu’s interest. The success of platforms like YouTube came to mind.
Valued at $80 billion with an annual profit of $240 million, YouTube catered to a global audience of 780 million users. Yet China, with its 1.4 billion population, had no equivalent platform.
Recent advancements in 4G networks and affordable smartphones had driven exponential growth in internet users. By June of this year, China’s online population had surpassed 600 million.