Chapter 51: "I Want to Be Humble, But My Strength Does Not Allow It"
At the same time, at Metro University.
Fang Hong, who was attending his class, suddenly froze for a moment. His attention was entirely focused on the interface of the "Social Fame System" displayed in front of him. At that moment, his fame value surged by 1.27 million, pushing the total past 2.4 million.
The achievement points also jumped to 187,400, showing a net increase of 127,000 points—enough to exchange for an item card.
Fang Hong immediately thought of Cao Chenghui, but then quickly dismissed the idea.
Over the past few months, Cao Chenghui hadn't made any major moves on the Tianya Forum, so it was impossible for his fame to increase so rapidly. Moreover, the ratio of fame to achievement points at 10:1 seemed strange, especially considering that Fang Hong had been studying the reputation system and knew that such a ratio meant the fame was directly gained from influencing a high-profile individual. Cao Chenghui, on the other hand, had been gaining indirect fame through his online persona.
The answer finally dawned on him!
The sudden surge in fame likely came from someone with direct influence, not just any ordinary person. The higher the influence of the person, the greater the fame boost. This suggested that someone with significant power had noticed him.
Fang Hong couldn't help but wonder who this "important person" might be. As the fame increase indicated, someone with great influence was secretly watching his progress.
His best guess? It was most likely connected to the capital market, particularly given the staggering 289-fold returns he had achieved over the last three months.
Class ended soon after.
Fang Hong left the classroom, still thinking about who might be behind this sudden fame boost and what kind of influential figure had been keeping tabs on him.
Just then, his phone rang.
He took out his phone, glanced at the caller ID, and saw that it was Cao Chenghui. As soon as he answered, Cao Chenghui's voice came through.
"Boss, the vice president of Huayang Group contacted me suddenly. Well, he wants to meet with you."
"Huayang Group?" Fang Hong was surprised.
He instantly connected the dots. Huayang Group was a major name in the industry, and its sudden attention made perfect sense in light of the recent rise in his fame.
Fang Hong wasn't unfamiliar with Huayang Group. The original owner of his body had stored information about them in his memories, and Fang Hong had done his research after arriving in Xincheng. The group was one of the largest capital groups in the city, and the biggest local tycoon in the region.
If you traced the group's rise, it wasn't glamorous—it had some shady origins. However, over the past 15 years, Huayang Group had undergone a massive transformation and had become a major force in the corporate world.
Huayang was involved in various industries. The real estate sector accounted for 37% of its operations, followed by electronics manufacturing, and private equity and venture capital. Despite some setbacks in the tech industry, Huayang had ventured into new areas like the Internet in recent years. However, none of its tech investments had borne fruit, and the company had been left behind as the Internet boom took off.
There were also rumors circulating in Xincheng that some local private lending institutions were somehow connected to Huayang Group. While most of these rumors were unverified, Fang Hong couldn't help but suspect that there might be some truth to them.
After a brief reflection, Fang Hong pushed these thoughts aside and called Cao Chenghui back.
"Vice President of Huayang Group?" Fang Hong repeated.
"Yes, to be precise, it's the vice president of Huayang Group, and his father is the current head of the company," Cao Chenghui replied. He seemed just as surprised as Fang Hong. "I never expected this... but his attitude is very polite. It's clear he's reaching out because of you."
Fang Hong's surprise only deepened. It was clear now that Huayang Group had done its research on him. They could have contacted him directly, but they had chosen to go through Cao Chenghui first, which Fang Hong found intriguing.
"Got it," said Fang Hong after considering the situation. "Tell him I'll meet him tomorrow at 8 AM. He doesn't need to pick me up. I'll come on my own."
Fang Hong hung up, feeling that this was an opportunity worth exploring.
Not only was it a chance to interact with a local tycoon, but there was also the possibility of securing some funding from Huayang Group. That could help him in further developing his star ventures. He currently owned core assets at discounted prices, and if Huayang Group was willing to provide financial backing, he could use it to strengthen his position.
The essence of finance, after all, is borrowing money—and a good story can make financing much easier.
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The Next Day
Fang Hong arrived in the Xinhewan District and made his way to the Huayang Villa.
As he entered the villa, Hua Yu, the vice president, came out to greet him with a broad smile.
"Mr. Fang, it's an honor to meet you!" Hua Yu greeted warmly.
Fang Hong smiled politely and replied, "Jiu Yang."
Hua Yu, surprised by Fang Hong's calm demeanor, led him inside. The villa was large, with a traditional garden layout that gave it an air of sophistication and elegance.
"Mr. Fang, I must say, Huayang Group has been following your progress for some time," Hua Yu remarked as they walked. "Your success in the stock market has truly impressed us. We also have our own traders, but your combination of high returns and stability is something we've never seen before."
Fang Hong smiled modestly but replied confidently, "President Hua, I appreciate your kind words. But I believe that the results speak for themselves. Using just 60,000 yuan, I was able to achieve a profit of about 20 million in just three months. A 289-fold return is unprecedented. I can only be honest here—I want to be humble, but my strength doesn't allow it."
Hua Yu was taken aback for a moment, then burst out laughing. "Haha! Mr. Fang, you're a straightforward person."
Fang Hong simply smiled, letting the conversation unfold naturally.
After all, Hua Yu had brought it up first, and Fang Hong felt no need to hide the truth. At times like this, false humility would have been more of a disservice than simply acknowledging his achievements.
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