https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-655-The-Highest-Peak-of-the-Nikkei-225-Index/12580551/
Chapter 656: Undercutting
Chapter 656: Undercutting
After everyone had settled their belongings, they headed to the beach to fish. In her past life, Lu Jiaxin had been too busy with work to find fishing interesting, but now, having gone out to sea a few times, she found it quite enjoyable. With the abundance of marine life, each fishing trip yielded a bountiful harvest.
The four men gathered to fish together, while Lu Jiaxin and Zong Shimeng found their own spot. However, they soon became engrossed in conversation, and fishing took a back seat.
Zong Shimeng shared her child-rearing experiences with the other three, and then asked Yu Meotong about her recent trip to Australia.
Yu Meotong replied with a smile, "My dad adores Tao Yong; he treats him better than my older and younger brothers. He's thrilled to have him as a son-in-law."
She had also come to the realization that it was better to marry someone like Tao Yong, who was wealthy and a long-time friend, than someone from the working class. Firstly, she knew him well; secondly, with his wealth, she could return to her previous lifestyle. Although she had endured many hardships and no longer cared about others' gossip, she still found it annoying to hear it constantly. More importantly, Yu Meotong worried that over time, the gap between her and Jiaxin, Zong Shimeng, and the others would widen, and their relationships would suffer. But with Tao Yong, that wouldn't be an issue, as he was also good friends with Hu Zhifeng and Nie Zhan.
Lu Jiaxin thought it was a great idea. Unless the relationship with the in-laws was extremely hostile, it would always be a regret for the parents to miss their child's wedding.
Zong Shimeng asked, "When your parents immigrated, they said they wanted to start over. How are they doing now?"
Yu Meotong shook her head. "I only went there for three days this time, and it was a rush, so I didn't ask. But knowing my older and younger brothers, they might be able to get a business going, but expanding it would be difficult."
In Hong Kong City, the two brothers had a fierce rivalry, but with their father there, things remained stable. Now that the property had been divided, they would have to rely entirely on themselves. Of course, Yu Meotong also hoped that they would all make money so that their parents wouldn't have to worry about their livelihood.
Zong Shimeng took the initiative to share about her own family. "My dad is preparing to divide the family property. My older brother will inherit the company, and my second older brother will get a sum of money to start his own business. The other day, he came to me and asked me to invest in his new venture."
Lu Jiaxin thought that if brothers didn't get along, it was better to divide the family early on, otherwise, constant quarreling would turn them into enemies. "Did you agree?" she asked.
Zong Shimeng smiled. "I've spent most of my money on buying properties. I only have a few hundred thousand left, which he wouldn't be interested in."
After experiencing several stock market crashes, Zong Shimeng dared not invest heavily in stocks again. So, when the property market crashed, she bought properties. As Lu Jiaxin had pointed out, Hong Kong City might be small, but its population was growing, and property prices would surely rebound.
Lu Jiaxin understood that while Zong Shimeng claimed to have no money to invest, the real reason she didn't want to invest in her second brother's business was that she didn't believe in his ability to succeed as an entrepreneur. Having grown up with him for over thirty years, she knew him well.
As they chatted, the topic inevitably turned to stocks. Yu Meotong mentioned that her stocks had risen by sixteen percent, and according to experts, they were expected to continue climbing.
Lu Jiaxin laughed. "You can listen to the analysis of experts who are already millionaires, but as for those who aren't, it's a waste of time."
Zong Shimeng thought her words made a lot of sense.
Yu Meotong had invested 100,000 yuan in stocks. She was happy when she made a profit, but it wasn't a big loss even if she didn't. She asked, "Jiaxin, why don't you recommend a stock for me?"
Lu Jiaxin recommended HSBC. "You can buy it if you have the money. It distributes dividends every year, and it's a stable investment for the next thirty years or more."
Zong Shimeng also took note of this advice.
Hu Huihui shared a dilemma she was facing. "My friend's husband made a lot of money through stock and real estate investments on Xiaori Island. Now he wants to invest in our city as well, but he doesn't know the market here, so he wants to partner with my friend, giving her a twenty percent share. My friend is hesitant because she's afraid that if she agrees, her husband will think she's greedy, but if she doesn't, she'll miss out on a good opportunity."
Yu Meotong shared a dilemma she was facing. "A close friend of mine has a husband who amassed a fortune through stock and real estate investments on Xiaori Island. Now, he wants to invest in our city as well, but being unfamiliar with the market here, he's offered my friend a 20% share in exchange for her insights. My friend is hesitant because she worries that accepting the offer might make her husband think she's greedy, but if she refuses, she might miss out on a lucrative opportunity."
Lu Jiaxin replied, "Because of our close relationship, she invited us to invest as well, guaranteeing profits. I mentioned this to He Yuanyuan, but he refused, saying that there's no such thing as a risk-free business venture."
Lu Jiaxin nodded in agreement. "Brother Yuan is right. There's no such thing as a surefire, risk-free business. The Japanese economy is overheating and is in a bubble. Once that bubble bursts, it will collapse."
Startled by her statement, the three friends exclaimed, "You don't think Japan's economy will do well?"
"No, neither Zhan nor I are optimistic about it," Lu Jiaxin replied.
Puzzled, Zong Shimeng asked, "But I thought Zhifeng mentioned that Zhan has quite a few investments in Japan. Didn't he?"
If they weren't optimistic, why would they invest there?
Smiling, Lu Jiaxin explained, "Yes, he did invest in several projects and made a good profit. But I felt we had profited enough, so I asked Nie Zhan to divest from those projects."
Initially, she had thought it would take at least a month, but surprisingly, they managed to exit their investments within two weeks. It made sense, though; many people had lost their rationality and believed that buying was equivalent to making a profit.
Zong Shimeng's heart skipped a beat as she asked, "Have you withdrawn all your investments?"
Lu Jiaxin nodded. "Yes, the contracts have been signed, and we've paid 30% of the amount. The remaining 70% will be settled within half a month."
Zong Shimeng probed further, "I remember you bought quite a few properties in Japan. Have you sold all those houses, too, Jiaxin?"
There was no point in hiding it, so Lu Jiaxin admitted, "Not just the houses, but we've also sold our stocks. Sister-in-law, if you have any investments there, you should sell them too! The current situation in Japan feels similar to the stock market crash of '87. Everyone seems to be caught up in investment fever."
Hearing this, Zong Shimeng's heart lurched. She wanted to rush to her husband immediately, but then remembered it was Saturday, and the securities company would be closed. She forced herself to suppress her anxiety.
Changing the subject, Lu Jiaxin asked, "Shimeng, when is your beauty salon opening?"
Zong Shimeng replied with a smile, "The renovation is complete. I plan to let it air out for three months before the grand opening. Jiaxin, you must come to the ribbon-cutting ceremony."
Given Su Heyuan's words, she had to invite Lu Jiaxin to the opening. Over the past two years, Green Forest, Wufu Jewelry, and Wanjia Film and Television had all thrived, and she hoped her beauty salon would enjoy similar success.
Lu Jiaxin readily agreed. Aside from holding shares in a beauty company, their close relationship warranted such a gesture. "We'll invite a few celebrities to attend the opening as well to make it a grand event."
Of course, they wouldn't be there just for show; they would be compensated accordingly.
"Oh, Jiaxin, your fishing rod is moving! Hurry and reel it in!"
At Lu Jiaxin's words, Zong Shimeng immediately started reeling in her line, only to find that only one hook was left, and the bait was gone. She had lost the fish. Indeed, one had to stay focused while fishing.
When the group returned to the villa for lunch, Hu Huihui had the most catches, with eight fish, while Lu Jiaxin had the least, with only two.
After lunch, Zong Shimeng eagerly pulled Hu Zhifeng back to their room. "Jiaxin just told me that she and Nie Zhan have divested all their investments in Japan."
Hu Zhifeng's expression changed as he asked, "Are you saying that they've withdrawn all their investments from Japan?"
"Yes, Jiaxin told me herself, so it must be true," Zong Shimeng replied. "She also said that the current situation in Japan resembles the stock market crash of '87, with everyone caught up in investment fever. Zhifeng, you should also withdraw your investments from Japan as soon as possible."
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
