Chapter 1: Stormy Article 16 Home
"Bankruptcy?" Brothers Cheng Zitong and Cheng Zihao were both a little confused.
"Dad, has it come to this?" Cheng Zitong asked.
Cheng Zihao said anxiously, "Dad, when virtual glasses came out, they had a huge impact on many Internet companies. After being impacted, our Tiger Shark Group eventually became stronger. If the virtual world can't defeat us this time, we can also infiltrate the virtual world."
"No chance." Cheng Liwei, who looked old, shook his head gently. "This time is different from the last time with virtual glasses. Last time, the technology came out first and then was licensed to multiple companies... There is a long transition period, and we are prepared for it."
"But this time, it was the Blue Star Alliance that directly distributed virtual helmets. The virtual world was directly opened to everyone, which completely impacted the previous online market."
"The group's stock price has been falling for more than a month, and it plummeted after the press conference. Although it has been temporarily suspended, it will plummet again once the suspension is lifted, and the market value will fall below one trillion." Cheng Liwei said calmly, "Many banks have frozen the family trust assets and asked us to repay in advance."
"Will the market value fall below one trillion?" Cheng Zitong and Cheng Zihao both knew that the situation was not good.
"The 8.2% of the group's shares owned by the family trust are worth less than 100 billion. Is it insolvent?" Cheng Zitong asked, "Dad, what about the other investments of the family trust?"
"The family is based in the Internet industry, and the family trust also invests mostly in the Internet industry. Under this wave of impact, most valuations have to be reduced by 20% or 30% and some are going to die directly." Cheng Liwei said, "The family trust originally had assets of 900 billion and liabilities of more than 300 billion, which was very safe. But now these assets... are probably worth less than 200 billion."
"Is there such a big difference?" Cheng Zihao was even more confused.
His good life is all due to the family trust and the Tiger Shark Group controlled by his family.
"There is no way. The emergence of the virtual world cannot be resisted by human power." Cheng Liwei shook his head and laughed, "How ridiculous! I didn't even get any news of such a big thing before. It's obvious that the Blue Star Alliance doesn't care about the life and death of the Internet company at all."
"Tiger Shark Group will not die, after all, its balance sheet is very good." Cheng Zitong said, "But our family's 8.2% stake will probably be taken away by the bank soon."
"Don't worry, your two assets are completely isolated from the family trust assets." Cheng Liwei looked at his two sons, "As the family trust manager, I need to bear the cost. But you two will not be affected. You two should live a low-key life in the future. After all, the Cheng family is already mediocre without the Tiger Shark Group."
Cheng Zitong and Cheng Zihao were both silent.
"Gone? All gone?" Cheng Zihao's body trembled slightly, and he looked at his father, "Dad, over the years, you gave my eldest brother at least 5 billion, but only 2 billion to me. It's not fair."
"Second brother, these are all in accordance with the family trust rules." Cheng Zitong said.
"Dad, this is unfair." Cheng Zihao looked at his father.
"unfair?"
Cheng Liwei looked at him, "First, your elder brother is older than you, and the family trust will pay out the first cash when you turn 22. After that, it will be paid out year by year. You are young, so who can you blame for paying less? Second, the stronger your investment and management ability, the more money the family trust will pay out. Your investment ability is not as good as your elder brother's, so who can you blame? Third, I helped you fill the big hole you dug before, and I filled it with billions, and I also did you a favor! How can I be sorry for you?"
"But I have nothing!" Cheng Zihao looked at his father.
"I'm bankrupt, what else do you want?" Cheng Liwei pointed at the door, "Get out!"
Cheng Zihao looked at his father with red eyes.
"Get out!" Cheng Liwei pointed at the door.
Cheng Zihao turned around and left, leaving only Cheng Liwei and his eldest son Cheng Zitong in the office.
"Dad, the second son is anxious." Cheng Zitong whispered, "Although you have given the second son 2 billion over the years, his investment ability is too poor, and I guess he doesn't have much left. He knows that it will all be gone in the future, so he is anxious."
"Remember this."
Cheng Liwei looked at his eldest son Cheng Zitong and said, "From today on, don't give your second brother a penny!"
Cheng Zitong was slightly stunned: "What if he starved to death on the street?"
"Let him starve to death!" Cheng Liwei said coldly, "Our Cheng family is no longer the Cheng family of the past. We can no longer afford to lose!"
"Yes, I understand." Cheng Zitong replied.
…
In Cheng Zihao's office.
"Bang bang bang." Cheng Zihao frantically smashed everything that could be smashed in the office.
"Old man, you are so cruel!" Cheng Zihao could only grit his teeth, then lightly touched his watch and said with hatred, "Now, immediately, get out of my office!"
Ten minutes later, the middle-aged man with some water on his hair came to the office and said, "Boss, I was still in the virtual world before. I got the news from you and rushed here as quickly as possible."
"Tell me quickly, how much money is left in my investment company?" Cheng Zihao asked.
"We still have more than 120 million in cash," the middle-aged man said immediately, "and the rest are investments in various fields."
"How much are those investments worth?" Cheng Zihao asked.
"Many of them are angel investments, and there is no way to exit in a short period of time," said the middle-aged man. "Some investments in the Internet industry may be wasted because the impact of the virtual world is too great."
"What I'm asking is, if these investments can be withdrawn, sold, or mortgaged, how much money can be exchanged for?" Cheng Zihao asked.
"About 100 million." The middle-aged man thought for a moment and said, "Just barely enough."
"I invested 500 million, and this is all I have left?" Cheng Zihao was unwilling to accept it.
"The Internet industry is in such a bad state right now," the middle-aged man said helplessly. "We have three companies of our own. We have signed so many people and have so many employees. The monthly expenditure is about 20 million. Our cash can only last about half a year."
"It can only last for half a year?" Cheng Zihao murmured, his lips turning pale.
"Fortunately, the chairman helped to solve the big hole last time, so the company is stable in the short term." The middle-aged man added, "When we filled the hole last time, the chairman said that you are not allowed to borrow money from outside anymore."
"Don't mention him."
Cheng Zihao sat in the chair, covering his head, "Get out, I need to think about it carefully."
"Yes, boss." The middle-aged man went out obediently.
"The cash can only last for half a year? The family trust is gone?" Cheng Zihao's eyes were bloodshot, and he grabbed his hair unconsciously, "What should I do, what should I do?"
…
virtual reality.
Xu Jingming guessed that the Cheng family would be in a worse situation, but he didn't care about it. He was now in the "martial arts training ground" in his personal space, experiencing the sparring function of the "martial arts training ground".
The martial arts training ground is located in a canyon surrounded by green mountains and clear water.
Three bandits attacked from three directions and besieged Xu Jingming.
Xu Jingming held a spear in his hand and waited calmly.
When the bandits got within three meters, Xu Jingming immediately rushed to the right to meet the swordsman on the right.
"Kill." The swordsman bandit grinned and rushed forward to kill.
"puff."
The spear in Xu Jingming's hand moved like a poisonous snake coming out of a hole. The tip of the spear poked the swordsman's neck and then was retracted.
The swordsman's neck was pierced and he disappeared. The remaining two gangsters showed no fear and rushed forward even more frantically.
Xu Jingming only took a step back and fired two shots with the tip of his spear. The two bandits were shot once in the heart and once in the center of their eyebrows, and then they turned into illusions and disappeared.
"A sparring partner with a basic combat power of 800 is indeed relatively weak, and is only suitable for familiarizing oneself with marksmanship." Xu Jingming did not feel any difficulty at all.
The control of distance and reaction time made his marksmanship like an art, and he easily killed the virtual sparring partners in the martial arts training ground.
Buzz!
"Hmm?" Xu Jingming nodded lightly and saw from afar a burly middle-aged man looking at him from the other side of the martial arts training ground. The burly man had eyes like a tiger and a terrifying deterrent power.
"Master?" Xu Jingming was a little uncertain.
"Hahaha, are you surprised to see that I've gotten younger?" Liu Hai laughed.
"Congratulations, Master. The global martial arts community has speculated over the years that if you had participated in the World Martial Arts Championship at the age of 30, you would probably have been the greatest champion of the World Martial Arts Championship. Now that humans have evolved, Master can satisfy everyone's speculation and imagination." Xu Jingming also said with anticipation.
Liu Hai is a legendary figure around the world.
Forty-five years old is considered old in the martial arts world, and the condition is much worse than that of a person in his twenties. Starting at the age of forty-five, Master Liu Haineng participated in five consecutive martial arts competitions, and he was always in the top three, and the last time he was ranked first in the world.
How strong was he at his peak? This has always been a matter of speculation.
"The past is not worth mentioning." Liu Hai laughed, "Jingming, in the past thirty years of professional martial arts competitions, there are only more than 20,000 registered professional martial arts players in the world. Now, there are seven billion people competing with more than 20,000 people! In the virtual world, they will not get hurt, they are not afraid of getting tired, they can choose any sparring partner, and they can fight life and death. Their growth rate will be more than ten times faster than when we were training in reality."
"For one or two months, we professional players still have an advantage."
"Half a year! Just half a year... We professional martial arts players will be completely overwhelmed." Liu Hai looked at Xu Jingming, "But this is already the most suitable era for us martial arts players! There has never been an era with so many martial arts players as there are now."
"Yes." Xu Jingming nodded. People all over the world are learning it. When has cold weapon combat ever been so prosperous?
"We already have a good foundation. If we seize the opportunity, we will soar to the sky!" Liu Hai looked at Xu Jingming, "Jingming, don't let this era down."
"Yeah." Xu Jingming was also excited. He also wanted to make a name for himself in this era.
"By the way, have you been graded? Have you reached the god level?" Liu Hai asked.
