Chapter 55 - Brother Fang, Are You Playing Too Big?
As the Maybach cruised towards Xincheng University, Fang Hong continued issuing instructions:
"In addition, the company's current office is only a temporary arrangement. Confirm a permanent office space as soon as possible and handle the details accordingly."
He shifted his gaze towards Hua Yu and added, "The highest priority right now is setting up the trading floor. Recruit a few traders immediately—the operation must commence as soon as the funds are in place."
Hua Yu nodded. "Understood."
The boss only needed to give orders, while the subordinates had to execute them. With so many tasks assigned in such a short period, the only way to complete them was by leveraging Huayang Group's resources. Otherwise, it would be impossible to meet Fang Hong's demands.
At this moment, Hua Yu couldn't help but think—Fang Hong was practically exploiting Huayang's assets for free.
Just as this thought crossed his mind, Fang Hong issued another directive:
"Once these matters are settled, we need to address the stock pledge issue."
The driver and Hua Yu exchanged glances.
Sensing something, the driver's heart tensed. He quickly looked away and refocused on the road ahead. Fang Hong's expression was calm, even amicable, but there was an unspoken pressure in the air. After all, President Hua was acting under his orders.
Breaking the silence, Hua Yu suddenly said, "Xiao Liu and I have worked together for eight years. You can trust me."
Fang Hong didn't respond and simply turned his gaze back to the road. "Get in touch with the relevant financial institutions in advance. Once the first round of one billion yuan is allocated into stock assets, pledge all of it to banking institutions to secure 600 million yuan in liquidity. The second round—600 million yuan—will also be allocated to stock assets and pledged to brokerage firms to generate 360 million yuan in liquidity. The third round will involve pledging to trust institutions to obtain 216 million yuan in liquidity."
The highest stock pledge ratio allowed was 60%. By cycling through three rounds of pledge operations, Fang Hong could generate approximately 1.176 billion yuan in liquidity—leveraging more than double the original capital. What started as a 1 billion yuan capital base would effectively become 2.176 billion yuan.
At present, the capital market had yet to introduce margin financing or securities lending. There were limited options to increase leverage, making this strategy particularly effective.
Hua Yu was visibly shocked. He quickly processed the plan and hesitated before asking, "Brother Fang, isn't this a bit too aggressive? What about risk control? Have you done the necessary due diligence? And will financial institutions even approve this plan?"
Fang Hong replied casually, "What the regulators want most right now is for institutional funds to enter the market and provide long-term support. They won't impose overly strict restrictions."
He then turned to Hua Yu and added with a piercing gaze, "If you can secure five times the amount of leveraged funds from off-market channels within this year, I will give you 1% equity in Qunxing Capital as a reward."
Five times the leveraged funds meant over 10 billion yuan—an astonishing tenfold leverage.
If possible, Fang Hong wanted to push even further—up to 20 times leverage, totaling 20 billion yuan. His ultimate goal was to acquire core assets at their lowest price and hold them for over a decade without making any moves.
Hua Yu stared at Fang Hong as if he were looking at a madman. He was well aware of Qunxing Capital's equity structure. While Fang Hong had the final say, this wasn't just a personal decision—it was an equity-level maneuver.
If this gamble failed, the company would bear the brunt of the consequences. Fang Hong, at most, would only be liable for the capital he had subscribed to under Qunxing.
Worse, there was a real possibility that Huayang Group would be dragged into the mess.
After a brief moment of silence, Hua Yu simply said, "I'll try my best."
There was no outright refusal, but neither was there a genuine commitment to execute.
Fang Hong, unfazed, spoke with confidence. "I know exactly what I'm doing. The amount of capital I control only affects the speed at which assets grow. But for you—and even Huayang Group—this could be a historic opportunity. This is a battle we must win."
He leaned back slightly and continued, "I don't need to prove anything now. Time will reveal the answer. But remember… time doesn't rewind."
Hua Yu remained silent. However, Fang Hong's confidence, coupled with the aura of absolute control he exuded, left him unsettled.
Not wanting to dwell on the matter, Fang Hong shifted topics. There was no point in discussing profitability before results materialized.
After a long pause, Hua Yu finally asked, "You previously predicted that regulators would implement a massive stimulus plan. Do you have an estimate of how large it will be?"
Fang Hong answered succinctly, "At a minimum—four trillion yuan."
Hua Yu's eyes widened. "Four trillion?"
Fang Hong glanced at him and smirked. "You can't just analyze this through the lens of market economics. Political economics plays a bigger role here. Keep an eye on recent exchanges between our authorities and the U.S."
He left it at that.
To save the U.S. was to save oneself. This sentiment would soon dominate discussions, but Fang Hong had no interest in elaborating further.
Soon, the Maybach arrived near Xincheng University and stopped about 300 meters from the campus gate. The driver immediately pulled over, stepped out, and walked to Fang Hong's door, opening it with a respectful gesture.
"Sir, please take care."
The driver didn't know exactly who this young man was, but the fact that he could command President Hua so effortlessly meant he was no ordinary figure.
Fang Hong got out, nodded slightly, and walked towards the school.
The driver returned to his seat and swiftly drove away.
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Xincheng University - Dormitory 303
Upon entering the dormitory, Fang Hong found his roommates gathered inside.
Lou Gaoyuan was the first to speak. "Where did you disappear to? We couldn't find you for a while."
Fang Hong smiled. "Had a meeting with an investor."
Everyone nodded, accepting the explanation without much thought.
Fang Hong casually asked, "How's the company doing? How many Weibo users have registered so far?"
Xu Jingren, the CEO of their startup, immediately responded. "It's been ten days since the product launch. Right now, we have over 9,590 registered users—meaning 53% of Xincheng University's students have already signed up."
Fang Hong nodded in satisfaction. The university had about 17,800 students. At this rate, they could potentially onboard all students within a week.
Wang Ping chimed in excitedly, "Boss! Our Weibo platform has successfully attracted Hexuan, Su Dongyan, Yun Xiaoli, and Zhong Xue! They not only registered but also post updates daily. They seem really happy with the platform."
He added, "By the way, these four campus beauties already have over 1,000 followers each. Right now, they're the only users to break the 1,000-follower mark. Their presence has drawn massive attention from the school's single guys."
Clearly, none of them knew that Fang Hong had personally taken the time to recruit these influencers. There was no need for them to know either.
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