That day, Li Baolong was invited by Liu Na to attend the Asia-Pacific Financial Investors Conference at HSBC. At the conference, HSBC General Manager Zheng Hai analyzed the economic development situation and potential crises in the Asia-Pacific region. Upon listening, Li Baolong couldn't help but admire Zheng Hai's expertise; his analysis was remarkably insightful.
After the conference, Liu Na leaned over to Li Baolong and said, "HSBC has a few spots for attending a high-society investment banquet in Thailand, but you need to have 5 billion in funds to qualify. The banquet is full of investment tycoons from all over the world. The most famous among them are futures trading giants Ross and Jess. They manage investment funds worth tens of billions of dollars and are incredibly powerful and unmatched in the futures market. They are practically world-class financial magnates."
Upon hearing this, Li Baolong silently pondered for a long time. He knew this banquet was not to be missed; if he could get to know those two world-class tycoons, it would definitely be of great benefit to the expansion of his investment empire. Thinking of this, the corners of his mouth slightly turned up, revealing a subtle yet somewhat sinister smile, as if he was already planning how to get a share of this financial feast, or how to compete with those two tycoons in the investment arena.
Li Baolong said to Liu Na, "Help me register, and we'll go to Thailand together." His eyes sparkled with anticipation for the upcoming trip.
Upon hearing this, Liu Na looked at Li Baolong with a puzzled expression and asked, "Does your company have a 5 billion yuan investment fund?" This was the key to this trip, as it involved a huge amount of money and important cooperation.
Li Baolong smiled, a smile full of confidence and composure, and said, "Of course, I can transfer it tomorrow. From now on, I will be a major investment and wealth management client of HSBC." His tone was firm, as if the 5 billion was nothing more than a piece of cake.
Liu Na felt a little relieved and said, "That's good. I'll report to the company manager after the meeting, and you can come over to handle it tomorrow morning."
This afternoon, Li Baolong called Wu Lili and Wang Yan to the company manager's office to assign them work. He told them to look for outstanding employees in the company, pick a few out for focused training, all in preparation for future large-scale futures trading.
Just then, Liu Na called. She said the general manager was very pleased that Li Baolong would join HSBC for investment and wealth management, and that if he was willing, he could apply for a Gold VIP membership card the next morning. This membership card was quite prestigious; one needed a balance of US$100 million, roughly HK$800 million, to qualify, and it was valid worldwide.
After hanging up the phone, Li Baolong immediately instructed Wu Fangfang to go to Standard Chartered Bank and find out how much he could borrow there and what the interest rate would be. He needed to find out all of this in advance to prepare for the next step of investing a large sum of money in futures trading.
Early this morning, Li Baolong went to HSBC. Liu Na was already waiting there; they were going to meet Mr. Zheng Hai, the general manager of HSBC, together. They'd heard that Mr. Zheng Hai had a master's degree in finance and was incredibly knowledgeable, with a wealth of theoretical knowledge.
Li Baolong felt as if he had opened the door to a new world after talking with Mr. Zheng Hai. He benefited greatly from the professional knowledge and unique insights he received. This trip was definitely worthwhile.
HSBC was quite efficient; in just half an hour, Li Baolong had completed the entire transfer and account opening process. Good heavens, HK$5 billion was now safely deposited into his private account.
Just after finishing his business, Liu Na brought good news. She said that there was an Asia-Pacific Financial Investment Conference in Thailand during Christmas, and they had each been given a spot. Li Baolong was delighted to hear this: "It's only a few days away. I have to go back to the company in the Special Economic Zone to take care of some things first. We'll meet in Hong Kong then and head to Thailand together."
Li Baolong's mind was full of things to do that morning, from handling bank affairs to receiving new messages. But challenges bring opportunities, and he was quite looking forward to the upcoming trip. He'd get things sorted out at the company in the Special Economic Zone, and then head to Thailand for a conference where he'd meet many industry leaders and see how they made their money.
Last night, Li Baolong and Liu Na had a Western meal together. The atmosphere was incredibly romantic. After dinner, they strolled around the park for a while, wanting to find a place alone to enjoy some time alone. Liu Na's charm was simply irresistible under the night sky. After a while of whispering sweet nothings, Li Baolong felt a strong urge to make love to her. If the park hadn't been so crowded, he would have loved to take advantage of Liu Na right there and then. Liu Na coquettishly told Li Baolong that she had gone to Thailand with him and would be his secretary, and that they would work together towards a common goal. She was currently single, and she had high hopes for Li Baolong, believing he could provide the life she wanted. She wanted to seize this opportunity while she was young, beautiful, and charming to maximize her benefits from him.
The next day, Li Baolong returned to Longteng Company in the Special Economic Zone. As soon as he arrived, Wu Fangfang called. "Mr. Long, we have news from Standard Chartered Bank! After review, they've approved a loan of US$500 million for you, with an annual interest rate of 10%." Li Baolong was overjoyed and quickly said, "Fangfang, thank you so much. Please reserve this loan for me so I can start using it next month, the new year." Wu Fangfang replied with a smile, "Sure thing, just go to the bank to sign and process it when you get back."
After hanging up, Li Baolong called Sister Lanhua again to tell her about his planned investment in January and asked her to prepare the investment funds. Sister Lanhua said on the other end of the line, "Baolong, right now, the most we can raise in our circle is two billion. Oh, by the way, I have something to tell you. I know a very wealthy man, Mr. Lai from Xiamen. His underground bank is incredibly powerful; he brings back all sorts of resources from overseas and has made billions in profits." Li Baolong was secretly delighted; this was a golden opportunity! He quickly said to Sister Lanhua, "Sister Lanhua, could you introduce me to Mr. Lai? I'd like to talk to him in person and see if he's willing to invest in our company." Sister Lanhua readily agreed, "Sure, I'll call Mr. Lai first and arrange a time. Just wait for my news."
Li Baolong had a lot going on that day, but each event was like a stepping stone on the road to success, filling him with anticipation for the future. He hoped that Sister Lanhua would bring good news so that he could start a new chapter of cooperation with that mysterious Mr. Lai.
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