Ou Yunchen raised his arm, and with a strong swing, the club was lifted into the air. The ball flew towards the first hole.
Too bad. Perhaps it was too much force, as the ball sailed past the hole.
The caddy was already running over to measure, and both Mrs. Tong and Sister Lan felt disappointed with this first shot.
Ou Yunchen’s shoulders slumped as Tong Zekai’s hand landed on his shoulder, finally snapping him back to attention.
Tong Zekai said with disdain, “You need to try harder. I don’t want to see you begging me to tell you how I know you!”
With that, Tong Zekai walked triumphantly towards the second hole, while Ou Yunchen had to take another shot to complete the first.
Since Ou Yunchen was not good at golf at all, he was already more than ten strokes behind Tong Zekai. This outcome only made Tong Zekai more excited.
Sister Lan walked over, "Young Master Tong is truly impressive!"
Tong Zekai actually said humbly, "Aunt Lan, I'm just a bit lucky today."
The humble and polite Tong Zekai was a well-behaved son in front of Mrs. Tong, but Ou Yunchen felt it wasn't that simple. This two-faced young master must be hiding secrets that others didn't know.
Sister Lan tidied up her things, "I had a wonderful time today. I need to go to the restroom, does anyone want to come with me?"
Tong Zekai quickly said, "Auntie, I'll accompany you."
Ou Yunchen was about to get up and go with Sister Lan, but she pretended to support him and pushed him back into his chair.
Today, Sister Lan intentionally prevented Ou Yunchen from interacting too much with Mrs. Tong, and also intentionally left Ou Yunchen alone with Mrs. Tong. These actions left Ou Yunchen perplexed.
Mrs. Tong, however, didn't notice anything and became even more eager to chat with Ou Yunchen.
Mrs. Tong leaned closer to Ou Yunchen, "I heard that as soon as ATL launched, it secured the project with Guolian Aquaculture. It's evident that Mr. Ou has very extensive connections."
Ou Yunchen smiled, "It's all thanks to friends' introductions. We all benefit from it."
Mrs. Tong nodded, "Mr. Ou is truly too modest. If Sister Lan hadn't introduced you, I wouldn't have realized you were in the same field as me."
Ou Yunchen replied, "Yes, I must confess to Mrs. Tong that I've only recently entered this field and there's much for me to learn and get acquainted with slowly."
Mrs. Tong said, "Investment isn't difficult, really. It's all about food, clothing, housing, and transportation. We invest in what people need."
Ou Yunchen and Mrs. Tong chatted for a few moments. Ou Yunchen clearly valued this opportunity, judging by his words.
At the same time, he couldn't appear too desperate for Mrs. Tong as a client. Although he wasn't a seasoned businessman, he had learned some basic business etiquette from Sister Hong.
In a situation like today, he was Sister Lan's guest, and he shouldn't steal the spotlight. He also shouldn't bypass Sister Lan, the intermediary, and exchange contact information privately with her friend. This was the most basic courtesy for a businessman!
Mrs. Tong continued, "Mr. Ou, since we're getting along so well, why don't we exchange business cards? Leave me your number so we can keep in touch."
Ou Yunchen felt his pockets.
He touched the cardholder he always wore, but then had to say, "I'm sorry, Mrs. Tong. I'm accompanying Sister Lan today, so I really didn't bring any business cards. Perhaps next time, if there's an opportunity, I'll personally visit your company to learn."
Mrs. Tong smiled, and at that moment, Sister Lan and Tong Zekai returned.
Sister Lan had already noticed Ou Yunchen's small gesture, "What are you smiling about? You seem so happy."
Mrs. Tong gave Sister Lan a thumbs-up.
Mrs. Tong exclaimed, "I'm completely convinced by you this time. Your judgment of people is truly exceptional!"
Sister Lan looked thoughtfully at Ou Yunchen, who was still bewildered.
Sister Lan raised her eyebrows and asked, "She didn't ask for your contact information?"
Mrs. Tong pursed her lips and smiled, "Let alone ask for it, he wouldn't even give it to me when I asked!"
Sister Lan took Mrs. Tong's hand, and the two women shared a knowing smile.
Sister Lan turned back to Ou Yunchen, "Congratulations, you've passed the test."
Mrs. Tong chimed in, "Mr. Ou, friends should be made and business should be done. I admire your character."
"I'm not someone who likes to talk business on the first meeting. I won't associate with people I don't click with."
"Details reveal character. To be frank, Huaming Assets is currently looking for overseas strategic partners, and I know ATL intends to enter the domestic market. I think we should sit down and have a good chat."
Mrs. Tong extended her right hand, eager to welcome the president of ATL. It wasn't just a referral from an acquaintance; she needed a company with pure foreign capital to help her slowly digest excess debt and present beautiful reports that would elevate investors.
Ou Yunchen finally breathed a sigh of relief, having played his part all afternoon. He was finally hearing something substantial. "It is ATL's greatest honor to cooperate with Huaming Assets."
Mrs. Tong was quite satisfied. "However, Mr. Ou, for us to successfully embark on this journey together, you will need to help us with one thing."
No wonder Ou Yunchen had been somewhat wary of Mrs. Tong's sudden display of favor.
Huaming Assets didn't need to work with a nascent company like ATL. If they were looking for strategic partners, they would have considered more established international investment banks first. This added condition from Mrs. Tong finally put Ou Yunchen's mind at ease.
Mrs. Tong, sensing Ou Yunchen's confusion, explained, "I need a leverage, something to move the US banks."
Ou Yunchen's pupils contracted with tension. Although he was new to the industry, he understood the implication of her words.
Leverage in the investment world is what people call "fortune favors the bold"!
There were many investors playing with leverage on Wall Street. Some became legends overnight, while others lost everything.
After all, a small dip meant a large loss, and a crash meant astronomical losses. Hundreds of billions in losses were common!
Ou Yunchen stated, "I certainly believe Huaming Capital has the strength to profit from this investment, but ATL is still at a beginner's level. If we can't withdraw unscathed from this storm, we will only serve as stepping stones for the giants."
Mrs. Tong laughed heartily, "Mr. Ou, that's how investing is. Otherwise, you could just buy a fund from a bank."
Ou Yunchen pressed on, needing this opportunity. "Mrs. Tong, could you give me some assurance? Which stocks are you heavily investing in?"
Mrs. Tong was direct, "New media and online education."
Ou Yunchen nodded. He didn't need Mrs. Tong to explain further; he was also very optimistic about these two sectors.
In recent years, stocks in these sectors had seen continuous and stable growth, and the dividend period would likely last for the next decade or even two.
Ou Yunchen continued, "And the investment amount?"
Mrs. Tong waved her hand, "You don't need to worry. The leverage ratio will involve borrowing from banks."
Ou Yunchen was a bit confused, "Then what can ATL do?"
"Guarantees," Mrs. Tong replied casually.
Ou Yunchen's heart sank. Putting aside how much ATL, a small company, could guarantee for Huaming, if they went bankrupt in the future, the debt would fall on ATL.
"Then how much will ATL get?" Ou Yunchen asked.
Mrs. Tong replied, "Fifty-fifty."
Mrs. Tong added, "This is the greatest sincerity Huaming Capital can offer to welcome ATL's participation."
Ou Yunchen smiled. Huaming was the most suitable choice for ATL, and the optimal one.
After all, it was beneficial to have a strong backer. Moreover, with Huaming's assets far exceeding ATL's by tens of thousands of times, averaging the profits was like a windfall!
If this kind of opportunity arose for other competitors, they would likely be scrambling to join.
At this moment, a wicked voice echoed in Ou Yunchen's mind!
"If you're going to gamble, gamble big!"
Only by doing so could he get closer to his revenge!
Perhaps this was an opportunity sent by heaven. X, who controlled the Tang Empire, would not notice an ant like Ou Yunchen. To get revenge on X, he had to shake the giants of the investment world!
Ou Yunchen thought for a long time, and as he shook hands with Mrs. Tong, Tong Zekai, who was standing nearby, took a photo of them.
Although Tong Zekai said that such happy moments should be photographed to commemorate, he secretly sent the photo to an email when no one was paying attention.