Golden Spoon Investment Portfolio - Chapter 371

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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371. It seems I’ve met a truly noble person today, one I’ll remember for a lifetime.

As Liu Shangfu rose to his feet upon seeing Seok-won, Wang Yongwei opened his mouth with a smile.

“Oh, you’ve arrived early.”

Liu Shangfu glanced briefly at Seok-won, then turned his gaze away and replied.

“My previous engagement finished ahead of schedule, so I arrived sooner than expected.”

Naturally, the exchange between the two men was conducted in Chinese.
Wang Yongwei smoothly drew Seok-won into the conversation so he wouldn’t feel excluded despite his inability to speak Chinese.

“Let me introduce you first. This is Park Seok-won, the president of a very prominent investment firm on Wall Street.”

Han Ji-sung, fluent in Chinese, provided simultaneous interpretation of the two men’s conversation from beside them, and Seok-won smiled while extending one hand.

“I’m Park Seok-won.”

Han Ji-sung immediately conveyed Seok-won’s greeting in Chinese on his behalf.
Liu Shangfu examined him carefully for a moment, then smiled warmly and grasped the extended hand.

“I’m Liu Shangfu. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“The pleasure is mine as well.”

After exchanging light greetings, the group soon settled around a large circular table.

“Shall I prepare the meal for you?”

At the question from a slender female employee in a crimson cheongsam, Wang Yongwei nodded.

“Yes, please do.”

The female employee brought a ceramic teapot and poured pu-erh tea into everyone’s cups.
While she did so, other female employees entered and arranged crepes, fresh vegetables, and special dipping sauces along with appetizer plates on the table.
Shortly after, a chef in white chef’s whites brought out a roasted duck, presenting the perfectly cooked bird before the group.

“Ah.”
“What a delicious aroma.”

The plump duck glistened with a lustrous, crispy skin that looked absolutely appetizing.
The chef carefully carved the meat with a rectangular Chinese cleaver while I and my companions watched, then the Female Server brought the sliced meat to the table on a plate.
Wang Yongwei spoke with evident pride as the meat was served.

“This is authentic Beijing duck, the kind you can only eat in Beijing. Some people enjoy it with thin pancakes and vegetables, but I recommend you first savor the pure flavor by dipping just the meat lightly in our special sauce.”
“I see.”

Following Wang Yongwei’s suggestion, I picked up the duck meat with chopsticks, dipped it generously in the sauce, and placed it in my mouth.
Despite the richness of the fat, it tasted exquisite—truly worthy of Wang Yongwei’s claim that it was the finest among all Chinese cuisine.

“The tenderness and the way the juices burst in your mouth—it’s no wonder foreign dignitaries are captivated.”

As I nodded slightly in admiration, Wang Yongwei responded with a smile.

“I’m glad it suits your palate.”

After the chef skillfully finished carving all the meat and excused himself, the meal began in earnest as we each sipped a glass of Moutai liqueur as an aperitif.
Once the atmosphere had warmed sufficiently, Liu Shangfu, seated across from me, initiated conversation.

“To be honest, when I heard through Wang Yongwei here that you wanted to meet me, I was somewhat puzzled.”
“I would have felt the same in your position.”

I set down my glass and replied.

“May I ask what prompted you to want this meeting?”

At his probing gaze, I met his eyes directly and spoke with clear conviction.

“I want to become an old friend—a laopeng you—someone with whom you can speak openly.”
“…!”

My direct approach, without circumlocution, startled not only Liu Shangfu but also Wang Yongwei, who had arranged this meeting.
Anticipating this reaction, I calmly lifted my glass, took a sip, and spoke with measured composure.

“In other places as well, but especially in China, I’ve heard that connections are the most important thing for doing business.”

Liu Shangfu’s brow furrowed slightly as he spoke with evident displeasure.

“That may be true, but relationships aren’t built simply by exchanging business cards and meeting a few times. And what you mentioned—lao pengyou—is far more difficult to achieve.”

Not all guanxi were created equal.
Typically, when initial connections formed and guanxi was established, one called the other pengyou—a friend.
If the trust deepened from there, they became hao pengyou—good friends.
The lao pengyou that Seok-won had mentioned referred to an old friend, a relationship of true companionship where one could bare their soul completely.
For Liu Shangfu to hear such words from someone he was meeting for the first time today was bewildering and distinctly unpleasant.
As the atmosphere suddenly grew tense, Wang Yongwei let out an exaggerated laugh, clearly attempting to smooth things over.

“It seems Chairman Park’s Chinese isn’t quite fluent, so he may have misspoken—saying hao pengyou instead. Wouldn’t you agree?”

He glanced toward Han Ji-sung, the interpreter handling the translation, seeking agreement, but became even more flustered by Seok-won’s next words.

“No. I spoke with full understanding of what I was saying.”

While Wang Yongwei wore an awkward expression, I turned to Liu Shangfu and spoke calmly.

“Bing dong san chi fei yi ri zhi han.”
“….”
“It’s a classical idiom meaning that three feet of accumulated ice cannot form from a single day of cold. Surely you’re familiar with it.”

I continued speaking as Liu Shangfu listened in silence, his gaze fixed upon me.

“Of course, I don’t expect to become lao pengyou with you immediately. What I mean is that I’d like to build our relationship gradually, brick by brick, so that we might become that in time—just as the idiom suggests.”

Wang Yongwei, who had been anxiously waiting to hear more nonsense, visibly relaxed upon hearing this explanation.
Liu Shangfu’s rigid expression softened as well, his demeanor becoming less guarded.

“If that’s what you meant, then I seem to have misunderstood.”
“Not at all. I bear some responsibility too for speaking so abruptly and incompletely.”

I replied with a faint smile.
At that moment, Liu Shangfu regarded me with eyes still tinged with skepticism and asked a question.

“Someone of your stature, Chairman Park, could surely cultivate connections with far more influential people than myself. I’m curious—why did you choose me?”

Of course, Liu Shangfu had conducted a thorough background investigation on whoever this person was that Wang Yongwei said I wanted to meet.
I wasn’t idle enough to spare precious time for small-time operators trying to exploit me.
The reason I’d made this appointment and come out today was because I’d determined that meeting with Seok-won would also benefit Liu Shangfu himself.
In fact, it was rather puzzling why Seok-won—someone called a heavyweight even on Wall Street—would seek me out.
That’s why when he first brought up the term “old friends,” I’d misunderstood it as him looking down on me and became even more irritated.
Seok-won answered in a leisurely manner, leaning back against his chair.

“Of course, if I set my mind to it right now, I could forge connections not just with Central Committee members, but even with the Standing Committee of the Politburo—though that might require some effort.”

The Standing Committee members of the Politburo—only nine of them in the entire Chinese Communist Party—were the core power elite guiding vast China.
To Liu Shangfu, who hadn’t even made it into the Central Committee proper, let alone the Standing Committee, and had barely scraped in as the 151st candidate member through special favors from party elders, they were like celestial beings.
Yet knowing the wealth and influence Seok-won possessed, it didn’t sound like mere boasting.

“However, even if I were to forge connections with those who’ve already reached the pinnacle of power, I could become a good friend—a hao peng you—but never an old friend who grows together with open hearts—a lao peng you.”

Liu Shangfu nodded inwardly.
Yet with a still-suspicious expression, he asked once more.

“Then couldn’t you have met with other young Central Committee members or candidate members with bright futures?”
“That’s precisely why I’m sitting across from you like this, Deputy Secretary.”

I answered while looking directly at him with a serious expression.
Liu Shangfu’s thick eyebrows twitched.

“…You mean me?”
“I don’t form friendships with just anyone.”
“To be honest, I’m pleased by such a high evaluation, but also a bit bewildered.”

Wang Yongwei, who had been listening to their conversation while holding his breath, didn’t show it outwardly, but felt puzzled.
As the son of a revolutionary elder, he was practically born with a silver spoon, his advancement all but guaranteed, yet it didn’t seem Liu Shangfu would rise to the core of power.
Though he held considerable high office as Deputy Secretary of the Fujian Province Communist Party and Party Secretary of Fuzhou, he’d built most of his career in the provinces with almost no connections to the central party.
Thus, aside from elders with whom his father was acquainted, he had virtually no power base or backing in the central party.
For this very reason, no one now could imagine that he would later be appointed Shanghai Party Secretary—the crown jewel—pass through the Standing Committee of the Politburo, and ascend to the position of State President.

‘Rather, because he didn’t stand out dramatically and appeared unremarkable, he was able to seize an enormous opportunity.’

Clearing my thoughts, I smiled meaningfully.

“There’s a saying—a knife in a pouch. Like an awl hidden in a pocket, people don’t know it now, but someday everyone will recognize Deputy Secretary’s true worth.”

After a deep conversation, Liu Shangfu’s suspicion finally melted away, and his face showed a hint of admiration.

“I’m grateful that you think of me that way.”
“Then would you become my friend?”

At Seok-won’s question, Liu Shangfu finally broke into a smile.

“There’s a saying that age doesn’t matter when making good friends. I hope we can build a mutually beneficial relationship going forward.”

Wang Yongwei then interjected naturally.

“This is such a meaningful day for you both to forge this friendship—we can’t possibly skip a celebratory toast!”

Wang Yongwei picked up the bottle and generously filled the empty glasses of both men with Maotai.

“Come now, let’s all raise our glasses together on this fine day!”

Seok-won and Liu Shangfu both lifted their glasses with smiles, clinked them together, and drained them heartily.
After setting down his glass, Seok-won turned to Liu Shangfu and spoke.

“I’ve heard that you’re pushing forward with a major project to construct a new port in Fuzhou. Is that correct?”
“That’s right.”
“As a token of our newfound friendship, I’d like to make an investment.”

Liu Shangfu, who had been ambitiously launching the new port construction to demonstrate results to the central authorities but had been struggling to attract foreign capital, immediately brightened.

“We would be most grateful.”
“Then I’ll invest one billion dollars.”

At this sum far exceeding expectations, both Liu Shangfu and Wang Yongwei’s eyes widened in shock as they stared at him.
Liu Shangfu leaned forward, his expression one of disbelief.

“Did you just say you’ll invest one billion dollars?”
“That’s correct.”

At this casual response, Liu Shangfu unconsciously swallowed hard.
One billion dollars was more than enough to cover all the required investment capital with surplus remaining.
Realizing just how vast Seok-won’s wealth truly was, Liu Shangfu burst into hearty laughter.

“Hahaha. It seems I’ve met a truly noble person today—one I’ll remember for the rest of my life.”

Watching him laugh so freely, I couldn’t help but smile broadly as well.
Thus I had successfully captured the heart of Liu Shangfu, the future Deputy Secretary who would come to wield tremendous influence over the vast nation of China, exactly as I had intended, forging a bond that would endure.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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