Chapter 530: Money Should Be Spent
Chapter 530: Money Should Be Spent
Upon returning home, Lu Jiaxin calculated that the investments under Mo Libin, Sang Wen, and Deng Weihai only amounted to a little over 40 million green dollars. However, this money was reserved for emergencies and couldn't be touched. As for Nie Zan, she still had over 200 million green dollars with him, intended for purchasing prime real estate.
Just from looking at the accounts, Lu Jiaxin felt that the money shouldn't be left idle, it needed to be put to use. And the obvious choice was to continue investing in the Nikkei Index.
That evening, when Nie Zan returned, Lu Jiaxin brought up the matter.
Nie Zan already knew she would want to use this money and, knowing that persuasion was futile, didn't waste his breath. "Sure, but the remaining money must stay untouched. Jiaxin, the Chi Group is relocating to the Bahamas, and they will gradually sell off their prime properties. If we don't have cash on hand, we'll miss out on this opportunity, and there won't be another one like it."
Two of the three buildings Lu Jiaxin had bought were released by the Chi Group. Given the current situation, they would undoubtedly continue to offload many more properties.
"I'll listen to you. The remaining money will stay untouched for purchasing prime real estate. By the way, Azhan, haven't you been doing short-term investments with your personal funds? Having over a hundred million just sitting in the account is a waste. I want to try my hand at short-term investments too!"
Nie Zan smiled and said, "But didn't you say you were afraid of losing money last time?"
"No one can guarantee 100% profits in investments. However, with short-term investments, even if you lose, the losses are limited unless something like last October's incident happens again," Lu Jiaxin replied.
The reason she had disagreed with short-term investments at the beginning of the year was that she wanted to focus on foreign exchange and the Nikkei Index. But when Nie Zan objected, she became stubborn, and now she realized that she had been a bit impulsive. If Nie Zan hadn't stopped her, she might have poured even more money into it. It was true that human desire knew no bounds.
Nie Zan naturally had no objections. "There's a charity event next month. Let's attend it together."
They had used the excuse of being busy with studies to decline before, but now that Lu Jiaxin was managing the company, they couldn't refuse anymore. Su Heyuan's engagement had been a small-scale debut, and attending this charity event would be an opportunity to meet prominent figures from all walks of life.
Lu Jiaxin asked for the details, and Nie Zan told her it was the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals' charity gala. The Tung Wah Group of Hospitals was well-known for its dedication to providing diverse services in education and healthcare for the general public. Additionally, they also organized fundraising efforts for natural disasters like earthquakes and floods in the mainland.
"Each invited guest can donate an item for auction. I've prepared a limited-edition watch, so you don't have to worry about it," Nie Zan said.
Lu Jiaxin shook her head. "We're not married yet, and this is my first public appearance. If I don't contribute anything, the media will call me stingy."
"So, what do you plan to offer?"
Lu Jiaxin had many valuable possessions, but she wasn't willing to part with any of them for auction. After some thought, she said, "I have a pair of jade Ruyi scepter ornaments. What do you think about donating them for the fundraiser?"
Nie Zan had heard her mention them before. "That pair of jade Ruyi scepters, weren't you planning to give them to Su Heyuan and his wife-to-be as a wedding gift?"
Lu Jiaxin indicated that she had changed her mind. "He Yuan asked me to design wedding outfits for him and his future wife, so I'll give them that instead. The jade Ruyi scepter ornaments can be used for the charity auction."
The pair of jade Ruyi scepter ornaments that He Bin had received were once part of the dowry of a concubine of Emperor Guangxu of the Qing Dynasty. While they were indeed precious, Lu Jiaxin, with her extensive collection of treasures, was willing to part with them for a good cause.
"It's your decision," Nie Zan said.
After dinner, Nie Zan coaxed Lu Jiaxin upstairs and, once they were in the room, asked her to close her eyes.
Lu Jiaxin immediately guessed that he was giving her a gift, and although the method was a bit old-fashioned, she respected his thoughtful gesture and obediently closed her eyes.
"Open your eyes."
Lu Jiaxin opened her eyes and saw Nie Zan holding a jewelry box with a ruby and diamond necklace inside. The centerpiece was a ruby as big as a pigeon's egg, sparkling brilliantly.
Just one glance told her it was an antique necklace. Smiling, Lu Jiaxin asked, "Did you bid for this at Sotheby's? How much did it cost?"
Nie Zan knew she would ask about the price. Smiling, he said, "You don't have much jewelry, and I thought this piece would look good on you. Come on, try it on."
Lu Jiaxin didn't agree. "I'm wearing casual clothes right now; it doesn't match this necklace. I'll wear it with my charity gala dress when it's ready, and then I'll show it to you."
Since it was a charity gala, she would definitely need to wear an evening gown. Whether in her past life or the present, she had never liked wearing them. While they were beautiful, the requirements were just too demanding. She wouldn't even dare to eat much, as a full stomach would make her look ugly.
However, Nie Zan went along with her idea.
When the two got into bed, Lu Jiaxin was still curious. "Azhan, how much did this necklace cost?"
Nie Zan couldn't help but laugh. How could he bring himself to mention his fondness for Western antiques now? When he bought top-grade jade, all he did was admire it, and he never bothered to ask about the price. Yet, now that he had bought an antique piece of jewelry, she was determined to get to the bottom of how much it cost.
"This is to make up for your 20th birthday present. Jiaxin, as long as you like it, the money will be well spent."
Lu Jiaxin knew that he wasn't going to tell her, which meant that the price must have been astronomical. "No matter what you give me, I will like it. But money shouldn't be wasted. We're quite poor now, so let's not waste money on these things in the future."
Hearing this, Nie Zan burst into laughter. "The number one rich woman in Hong Kong says she's poor. Aren't you afraid of being kidnapped for ransom?"
Lu Jiaxin insisted, "If I had the money, I would directly acquire a world-renowned clothing brand instead of starting a women's clothing brand from scratch."
Nie Zan was a little surprised. "You want to acquire a big clothing brand?"
Lu Jiaxin corrected him. "I want to acquire a globally renowned brand with exquisite production techniques. But that would require a lot of money, and I'm too poor to afford it now."
Nie Zan hugged her and said, "Why didn't you tell me about something this big?"
Lu Jiaxin felt that he was already very busy and didn't want to trouble him with her matters. "I was just thinking about it. To acquire a well-known brand, you need money, as well as the right time, place, and people."
For example, the famous clothing brand Crocodile Shirt in Hong Kong was only sold by the Chen family, who had lost confidence in Hong Kong's future due to the huge wave of immigration overseas in the previous year. Now it had been bought by the Lin family, and they were doing very well, so it was impossible for them to sell it. Similarly, other well-known brands would not be sold unless there were special reasons.
Nie Zan smiled and said, "What do you mean by the right time, place, and people? As long as we have enough money, there are no conditions. We will create the conditions ourselves."
Lu Jiaxin disagreed with his statement and was unwilling to do so. "Every well-known brand has been built through the hard work of several generations. We can't maliciously acquire them just because of our personal desires. If that's the case, I'd rather not have it."
Nie Zan knew her temperament, and sometimes she would stick to certain principles. "Alright, then when the time comes, we'll look for brands that are poorly managed."
This time, Lu Jiaxin didn't object. The result of poor management was either being acquired or going bankrupt. It was better to be acquired and reorganized to bring new vitality than to disappear in the tide of the times.
(End of Chapter)
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