After Divorce, I Can Hear the Future

The next morning, Lu Liang arrived at the New International Building again. The 32nd floor had undergone a complete transformation.

A red carpet stretched across the floor, flanked by congratulatory flower baskets lining the path from the elevator to the company's entrance.

Behind the reception desk, a decorative screen displayed golden characters: Tianxing Asset Management Company Consultation Center.

Tang Caidie emerged from the left, a faint smile on her face but with a trace of fatigue in her expression.

"Good morning, Mr. Lu. Meng got someone to deliver these flower baskets before dawn," she said.

"Chaozhou folks, they always care about auspicious symbols," Lu Liang replied casually.

He performed a thorough inspection, particularly focusing on the trading room. For a private equity fund, this was the battleground.

Tang Caidie spoke softly, “The security gate you requested will arrive this afternoon, and all the signal jammers have been installed.”

Lu Liang picked up a signal detector from the desk. As soon as the door was closed, the signal disappeared. The entire room had no trace of a connection—not a sealed chamber, but it might as well have been.

The room contained over a dozen computers, all wired and monitored by a single master computer. On the wall was a large embedded screen, similar to those seen in trading exchanges, displaying real-time market trends.

“You’ve worked all night. You should rest,” Lu Liang said with satisfaction. Appointing Tang Caidie as the company's deputy general manager had been one of the best decisions of the year.

“I took a short nap last night. I’ll rest later. We have guests coming soon,” Tang replied.

“There’s still some time. Go and get some rest for now. I’ll handle the preparations,” Lu Liang insisted, knowing that the number of visitors today would be overwhelming for him alone.

Tang Caidie thought for a moment. “Maybe I’ll head back to change and freshen up before returning.”

“Alright, go ahead,” Lu Liang said.

He called Chen Jinchun, asking her to gather the staff to liven up the atmosphere. Despite partitions dividing the space, the asset management company still spanned about 1,300 square meters.

Right now, everything was in place except people. Even if it was just serving tea and welcoming guests, having the staff around was better than nothing.

Eighteen people arrived in several taxis, flooding into the 32nd floor of the New International Building.

Seeing the upscale and luxurious office space, everyone felt like they were dreaming. It wasn’t just an upgrade from outdated tools; it was like trading a musket for a spaceship.

Some of the undergraduate hires quietly felt relieved—if the company had moved here and then started recruiting, they probably wouldn’t have made the cut.

They speculated that future hires would require a 211-tier university degree at a minimum, given how impressive the office was.

Lu Liang checked the time and began assigning tasks: “The receptionists will handle the front desk. Legal and finance teams, review the contracts. Administrative staff, assist them. Guests will arrive in an hour—let’s get moving.”

Everyone sprang into action, familiarizing themselves with the facilities. The once-empty office began bustling with activity.

At around 10 a.m., Wang Xiaocong arrived with two people in tow, a stark contrast to Meng’s entourage.

Lu Liang greeted the group and joked, “Got stood up by someone?”

“Who would dare stand me up?” Wang Xiaocong shot back with a glare. His mom and uncle couldn’t make an appearance themselves, so they had entrusted him with their authorization. 𝑅Ἀ𐌽ÒBĚṢ

Lu Liang chuckled and turned to the two individuals, asking, “Not going to introduce them?”

“This is Zhao Geng—he’s in the luxury car import-export business. And this is Liang Haitao—his dad is Liang Zhenwen.”

Hearing the name Liang Zhenwen, Lu Liang froze for a moment. The chairman of Lujing Realty—his former boss.

“Mr. Zhao, Mr. Liang, welcome. Xiaocong, you handle them for now. I’ll go greet someone else.”

Even though Liang Zhenwen had been his former employer, Lu Liang didn’t treat him any differently. After all, even if Liang Zhenwen himself had come, it wouldn’t change much.

Compared to Wang Xiaocong, who could only mingle with second-generation elites, Meng’s guests included industry heavyweights with substantial reputations.

For example, Wang Jingyuan, a host from Oriental TV, might not have been especially famous herself, but her husband was Guo Changguang of Fuxing Group. Years ago, Guo had already been a billionaire and was known as the “Cash King of Shanghai” and the “Buffett of China.”

“Mr. Lu, my husband is away on a business trip, so he sent me to take a look,” Wang Jingyuan said with a smile.

“Ms. Wang, welcome. Please excuse us if our hospitality is lacking,” Lu Liang replied warmly.

Wang Jingyuan smiled and turned to Tang Caidie. “Mr. Lu, don’t worry. I know Ms. Tang.”

Tang Caidie smiled in surprise. “Mrs. Guo! Long time no see. You look younger every time I see you!”

Wang Jingyuan beamed with delight. “I’m almost fifty now!”

“No way!” Tang Caidie exclaimed, wide-eyed, her reaction clearly flattering Wang Jingyuan.

Relieved to have Tang helping with socializing, Lu Liang moved on to greet another guest.

This time, it was Yu Shirong of Weir Group, a global leader in sensors and the top company in China in this field. He was a billionaire industrial magnate.

Guo Changguang might not have shown up in person, but among the attendees, Yu Shirong was the most prominent, having subscribed to three shares.

“Mr. Lu, I’ve heard so much about you. Meng has spoken highly of you often. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you,” said Yu Shirong.

At just 49 years old, Yu Shirong’s hair was already silver, but his smile radiated warmth.

“Mr. Yu, you flatter me. I’ve grown up hearing about your legendary accomplishments,” Lu Liang responded respectfully.

For years, Japan and South Korea had dominated the East Asian semiconductor market, but Weir Group had managed to carve out a place for China despite this monopoly.

Nowadays, domestic smartphones could use affordable, high-quality chips thanks in large part to Yu Shirong.

He was undeniably the unsung hero behind the rise of Chinese smartphones—a business leader deserving of immense respect.

Yu Shirong chuckled, “I’m just here to take a look. Please carry on.”

Lu Liang nodded and moved on to greet others.

Meng’s network was truly broad, encompassing people from all walks of life, including a couple of suspected "white gloves" (proxies).

But Lu Liang didn’t care. Once the contracts were signed, even if legal troubles arose later, nothing could be done until the investment cycle ended.

“Thank you all for coming. Since you’ve placed your trust in me, I promise I won’t let you down.”

After greeting everyone, Lu Liang stepped onto the stage and expressed his heartfelt thanks to the investors present.

But that was the extent of his assurances—after all, this was a mutual agreement, and he couldn’t make any ironclad guarantees against losses.

“I’m sure most of you are familiar with the rules of private equity, but bear with me while I go over them again,” he said with a slight bow, signaling for Wen Chao to distribute the private equity contracts.

The fund would operate under a 2+20 management model, with a cycle of 365 days. The initial net value was set at 1, and updates would be provided on the 25th of each month. For inquiries, investors could call his secretary.

Once the contract was signed, funds needed to be transferred into the designated account within three business days. Any delays would incur breach-of-contract penalties.

The fund had an initial three-month lock-up period, after which early redemption could be requested. However, this would require a deduction of 5% from the principal and would not include any returns.

“Does anyone have any questions?” Lu Liang asked.

Since this was the first round of the private equity fund, he provided a detailed explanation. In the future, this task would likely fall to Meng Changkun.

“Mr. Lu, your explanation was very thorough. I have no questions,” Yu Shirong said with a smile as he signed his name on the contract, which was prepared in triplicate.

Lu Liang couldn’t help but feel puzzled. Why was Yu Shirong showing him such goodwill? Still, it was undoubtedly a positive development.

Given that Yu Shirong was the most high-profile attendee, his approval set the tone for the rest. The others quickly followed suit, stating they had no issues either.

After all, they had reviewed the contract terms thoroughly before coming and had already decided to accept them. Raising objections now would seem like stirring up trouble on purpose.

“Mr. Lu, the funds will be transferred this afternoon. I have other matters to attend to, so I’ll take my leave,” Yu Shirong said with a polite wave, handing his copy of the contract to his assistant.

“Mr. Lu, you can stay here. I’ll see Mr. Yu off,” Meng Changkun quickly offered.

“Mr. Yu, take care,” Lu Liang said, putting his curiosity aside for the moment.

After seeing off the rest of the investors, Lu Liang finally sought out Meng Changkun to ask about Yu Shirong’s unexpected kindness.

Meng laughed and said, “Remember last time when you asked me who mentioned that Tesla might be setting up in Magic City? It was Mr. Yu.”

“I later asked him for more details. He got curious about who wanted to know and why. I told him it was you who had an interest in the topic.”

“Mr. Yu has spent his entire life pursuing the dream of strengthening the country through industry and technology. He has a soft spot for young people who want to do the same.”

Lu Liang suddenly understood and felt a deep sense of respect rise within him.