Chapter 592: Optimistic about Skyworth
Soon, the employee who went out to get information reported back to the company: "Mr. Huang, I found out that the one who bought a large amount of Chuangwei shares was Future Fund."
"Future Fund?"
Huang Hongsheng was stunned for a moment, and then he realized, "Wait, isn't this company owned by Mr. Lu? My goodness, I just asked him for help, and he came to steal my house right after, trying to dig up my foundation? Isn't this too cruel and heartless?"
Huang Hongsheng, who was afraid that power would fall into the hands of others, realized that the situation was more serious than he had imagined. He did not dare to be negligent. After hearing the exact news that Lu Yiming was doing the accounting of the Future Fund, he decisively paid a visit to him.
In the office, Lu Yiming met Huang Hongsheng.
What appeared before him was a middle-aged man with an unremarkable appearance. His appearance was as strange as Jack Ma's, and even more rustic than Jack Ma - so unfashionable.
However, knowing that one should not judge a person by his appearance, Lu Yiming greeted Huang Hongsheng with a smile on his face: "Hi, Mr. Huang, we meet again. How come you have time to come and sit with me today?"
At this time, Chuangwei was in a critical situation, so Huang Hongsheng did not keep the secret and asked directly: "Mr. Lu, I noticed today that your Future Fund has bought a lot of Chuangwei stocks. I don't understand. Can you tell me about it?"
After finishing speaking, Huang Hongsheng stared at Lu Yiming's face with a bit of nervousness and uneasiness, trying to get the answer from Lu Yiming 's expression.
With the example of Wang Zhidong being kicked out of the Zhalang board of directors by Lu Yiming, Huang Hongsheng was really a little panicked at this time. Although he was different from Wang Zhidong and had never offended Lu Yiming, in the business world, who would dare to gamble his career with other people's moral bottom line?
Lu Yiming naturally saw Huang Hongsheng's anxiety at a glance, knowing that he probably misunderstood something, and immediately smiled and comforted him: "Mr. Huang, I just want to invest in Chuangwei, and I don't mean to take your power."
Having said that, Huang Hongsheng was still skeptical.
However, considering Lu Yiming's current reputation and the fact that he had never heard of Lu Yiming doing any forced buying or selling business with anyone, Huang Hongsheng decided to believe Lu Yiming's statement for the time being.
Lu Yiming then continued, "Actually, I am very optimistic about the future development of Chuangwei, so I bought your company's stocks. Of course, I have no ambition for management rights, and I have too many companies in my portfolio to manage them all. So Mr. Huang, don't worry too much, this is just a normal business investment."
Although there are a lot of shares, shares and equity are two different things, and even the command rights of the company are two different things.
What Lu Yiming wanted was shares, which were the basis for dividends after making money.
As for the daily management of the company, he seldom participated in it. Therefore, there were no conflicts among the several companies in which he held 50-50 shares.
After a brief exchange of words, Huang Hongsheng felt Lu Yiming's sincerity.
And Lu Yiming was serious when he said he was optimistic about Chuangwei.
In the future era of LCD monitors, although there is a gap between Chuangwei monitors and first-line brands such as Samsung and LG, as a domestic brand, Chuangwei can still firmly occupy a place in the fiercely competitive monitor market.
This alone is enough to illustrate the strength of Chuangwei Display.
Moreover, as a display device manufacturer, Chuangwei Display has always had a very good reputation. It may not be well-known, but it is a low-key and capable company that really works hard to make products.
The most important point is that the price of Chuangwei's products is not outrageous, there is no brand premium, and it has launched many cost-effective products. In Lu Yiming's opinion, this company is worth investing in, and it can also form a strategic alliance with Jianlai Technology to launch more affordable products and expand Xiaguo's Internet user group.
Although Jianlai Technology’s current shipment volume is large, technology is not something that can be achieved in a short period of time, especially since monitors are not the development direction of Jianlai Technology.
However, there is a huge demand for computer display products, and high-quality LCD panels and the like also have high technological content, so an excellent partner is urgently needed, and Chuangwei is just such a potential stock.
Facing Huang Hongsheng, Lu Yiming did not hide anything, but expressed his thoughts: "I now have a computer company, Jianlai Technology. I think Chuangwei's screens are very good, and we are interested in forming an alliance. Mr. Huang, to be honest, the TV industry is so competitive now. Instead of continuing to fight in the TV industry, it is better to try to make efforts in the new track of computer screens. For example, LCD screens have great potential."
After hearing Lu Yiming's words, Huang Hongsheng also fell into deep thought.
In fact, as early as 1998, liquid crystal display technology had entered the application field of desktop computer monitors, and reflective TFT-LCD began to be produced. Based on the rapid development of active matrix liquid crystal displays, LCD technology began to enter the high-definition liquid crystal display stage.
However, LCD screens are still a new thing and the related technology is very advanced. Huang Hongsheng is worried that he will not be able to handle it.
What's more, there is still controversy about the direction of monitors, and many manufacturers are still hesitating about whether to choose LCD or plasma screens.
Huang Hongsheng expressed his concerns, and Lu Yiming naturally knew which of the LCD and plasma screens would be the final winner, so he said bluntly: "I choose the LCD screen."
Of course, Lu Yiming didn't understand the technical principles involved, but the market had already made the choice for him. In later generations, the popularity of LCD screens was much higher in comparison, while plasma screens suffered a complete defeat and almost disappeared.
Huang Hongsheng thought Lu Yiming didn't understand, but when he heard Lu Yiming say he chose the LCD screen, he was immediately surprised. He thought that since Lu Yiming could make the choice without hesitation, he must have understood this aspect first, otherwise he would definitely ask about the difference between the two.
"I didn't expect that Mr. Lu actually knows this. I've long heard that you are a man of great talent, with extensive experience in all walks of life. Now it seems that your reputation is well-deserved."
Lu Yiming said modestly: "No, I just know a little bit."
Huang Hongsheng humbly asked, "Mr. Lu, why are you so optimistic about LCD monitors? The Japanese Panasonic Group is pushing plasma screens, and I have seen their product demonstrations with my own eyes. The picture quality is indeed first-class, and LCD screens can't compare at all."
When it comes to technical issues, Lu Yiming is completely clueless. How can he come up with any profound ideas?
He thought about it and analyzed it from a business perspective. "I think the image quality can be improved through technical means in the future. Moreover, for most ordinary people, the product functions are sufficient, so the price-performance ratio is the key. Plasma displays are good in every way, but they are too expensive and consume too much electricity, so in my opinion, they will never be popular."
After hearing what Lu Yiming said, Huang Hongsheng was immediately stunned.
There is no doubt that Lu Yiming's perspective on the issue is very insightful and he hits the nail on the head.
The technical characteristics of plasma screens mean that they are not cheap anyway. However, the image quality of LCD monitors can be improved through technological development, at least there is hope.
As a consumer electronic product, price is always a key factor that cannot be avoided.
The average wage per person is only a little over 1,000 yuan now. A TV costing several thousand yuan or even tens of thousands of yuan is good, but the key is how many people can afford it?
For ordinary people, cheap and easy to use is the king.
I can't even afford it, and you're telling me how useful it is? If I don't scold you to death, it would be a good deed for me.
Thinking of this, Huang Hongsheng admired Lu Yiming very much: "Mr. Lu said a lot. The price-performance ratio is the key! When ordinary people watch TV, don't they just want picture quality? No one will study display technology. As long as we can work hard on algorithm optimization, give full play to the potential of LCD screens, and improve the picture quality, won't that be enough?"
"Boss Lu, today I can say that listening to your words is worth ten years of study. I won't compete with them for the TV, since we can't win anyway. From today on, the company's research focus will be on liquid crystal display technology."
These words seemed a bit like flattery, but Lu Yiming didn't take them too seriously.
But he still promised Huang Hongsheng: "I will buy Chuangwei's stocks in the name of Future Fund to provide sufficient financial support for Chuangwei to develop new products. Moreover, we can be the first to install the products you develop on Jianlai computers. So you just need to develop a good display screen, and I will help you solve the problem of sales."
Why do domestic components fall behind? It is because the products cannot be shipped after they are produced. If they cannot be shipped, there is no money to invest in further research and development, which leads to a vicious cycle.
Taking a certain example, even if the quality of domestic screens is not as good as the top foreign screens, they will catch up immediately after a few years of support.
Now Lu Yiming is doing the same thing, using Jianlai's computer to drive Chuangwei and let Chuangwei make the display screen.
Huang Hongsheng certainly knew how popular Jianlai computers were. There were many Jianlai-branded computers within Chuangwei Company.
Although the current Jianlai computers can still be said to be "made in various countries", with the passage of time, some components have gradually been independently produced, such as chassis, monitor base, cooling fans, power supplies, etc. As long as Chuangwei's technology makes a breakthrough, Jianlai Computer can fully control at least the monitor part.
The two sides have common interests and similar ideas, so naturally they have a pleasant conversation.
As for such a small matter as exporting Chuangwei's televisions to Mexico, that was a piece of cake.
As a listed company, equity changes must naturally be announced to the market, and Huang Hongsheng also urgently needs strong positive information to prevent Chuangwei’s stock price from continuing to fall.
Therefore, news soon came out that the richest man Lu already held 17% of Chuangwei's shares and had entered the company's board of directors and held a seat.
This move immediately sparked public opinion. Many people were very curious. Why did Mr. Lu, the richest man who never does business at a loss, suddenly invest in Chuangwei?
No matter how you look at it, Chuangwei at this moment is a complete money-loser.
After being caught by reporters again, Lu Yiming said very straightforwardly: "The reason why I invested in Chuangwei is very simple. This is a company that attaches great importance to technology research and development and is very creative. As everyone knows, I have always been very fond of technology-oriented companies."
"Mr. Lu, do you know about the dispute between Huang and Lu in Chuangwei Company?"
There is no doubt that this angle is very tricky. The so-called Huang-Lu dispute is ultimately a dispute over the marketing route and the technical route. What needs to be proved is whether for a company advertising is more important than products or products are more important than advertising.
Lu Yiming has seen this route many times in the future, and there is also a template, that is, Mi and Wei. Mi is a typical example of advertising being more important than the product, and the quality of the product that customers can buy depends entirely on the personality of the customer.
Under this premise, if Lu Yiming said that marketing is not important, then it would be hyped that the reason why Chuangwei is so rubbish now is because it does not know how to advertise. And if Lu Yiming said that marketing is important, then it would contradict his previous answer that he "prefers technology-oriented companies".
Therefore, Lu Yiming considered it for a while before speaking: "I don't deny that Manager Lu has made great contributions to Chuangwei's success today. But times have changed. In the future of Xiaguo, if a technology company wants to rise and stand firm, it can only rely on technology. No matter how good the marketing is, it is just icing on the cake."
This is a clear statement. In fact, Lu Qianghua is indeed very capable, and his marketing methods can indeed help many troubled companies to come back to life.
Even after this job change, Lu Qianghua will directly lead the Gaoluhua color TV brand to success, proving that he is no undeserved celebrity in the color TV industry.
But at the same time, Lu Qianghua himself is a double-edged sword. In Lu Yiming's view, the tactics he used were completely "wild" ways of playing.
Taking an unconventional approach may win you once, or ten times, but you will never become a regular army.
Therefore, Lu Yiming had no intention of interfering in the contradictions and conflicts between Lu Qianghua and Huang Hongsheng, nor did he intend to keep Lu Qianghua in Chuangwei.
The reporter asked again, "I heard that Mr. Chen from Xiaokang also came to you, but you only bought Chuangwei's shares and did not buy Xiaokang's shares. Is it because you are not optimistic about Xiaokang's future?"
This question caught Lu Yiming off guard. He couldn't help but complain about the Hong Kong reporter's integrity in his heart. He thought they were here specifically to sow discord.
Although Lu Yiming is indeed not optimistic about Xiaokang and is more optimistic about Chuangwei, can he say such a big truth to others?
This is just offending people for no reason.
But if I don’t answer, I don’t know what tomorrow’s newspaper will say.
For this reason, Lu Yiming organized his words a little, and then deliberately said in a teasing tone: "Maybe Xiaokang's stocks are too expensive and I can't afford them."
This self-mockery was just right. It not only expressed that he would not buy Xiaokang's stocks, but also tried not to offend anyone.
When they heard Lu Yiming, a billionaire and the richest man in mainland China, say that he "can't afford it", even the reporters who were looking for trouble couldn't help but burst into laughter.
After finally getting the topic over with, Lu Yiming turned around and ran. If he had stayed where he was, there was no telling what outrageous questions these paparazzi would have asked.
On the way back in the car, Li Yiwen asked, "You've acquired 17% of Chuangwei's shares. That's really something you can do. Isn't that beyond bargain hunting? Are you so optimistic about Chuangwei?"
Lu Yiming said: "If you just want to make money, the investment in Chuangwei is not very profitable. At most, you can only make five or six times the profit. I can buy a piece of land and store it in my hands, which is better than this."
Because it is listed on the Hong Kong stock market, Chuangwei and many other companies listed in Hong Kong have an obvious characteristic, that is, their valuations are extremely low, and they rarely pay dividends to shareholders over the years, which is extremely stingy.
The current market value of Chuangwei is about 6 billion.
And what will be the market value of Chuangwei in twenty years?
It's only 12.6 billion, but it has doubled in 20 years. The profit is simply a loss, and it can't even beat inflation.
However, in many cases, market capitalization does not necessarily reflect the strength of a company. This is the case with Chuangwei. Its low market capitalization is not due to Chuangwei’s lack of strength, but rather due to the lack of liquidity in the Hong Kong market for many years. This is why there are a large number of companies with incredibly low valuations and PBs of less than 1.
There are many companies whose market capitalization is even significantly lower than that of their A-share subsidiaries, such as AVIC Technology.
The market value of a wholly-owned subsidiary is higher than that of the parent company. Such an outrageous thing would only happen in Hong Kong stocks.
Lu Yiming explained to Li Yiwen: "The main reason for investing in Chuangwei is the layout of industrial strategy. Secondly, this company attaches great importance to research and development. I appreciate this business philosophy and hope that there will be more and more companies like this in Xiaguo in the future."
"Are you sure you're not kidding?"
"Absolutely not. Do you think I'm a bullshitter?"
Li Yiwen said without hesitation: "Yes. Well, I can say that I have watched you grow up step by step. Your vision is getting bigger and bigger now."
Lu Yiming said: "The money earned through speculation comes and goes quickly. If you want to stay standing, you still have to dig deep into the real economy. The real economy is the cornerstone of a country."
Many people think that if you have money you can do whatever you want.
This statement is both right and wrong.
No matter how much money you have, if it is just lying in the bank, then the money is not yours, but belongs to the bank. In fact, many times, a man is innocent but is guilty of possessing a treasure.
Without a large enough industry, it is impossible to keep a huge fortune.
On the contrary, if you invest your money and have a say in key areas, your influence on society will become so great that some dirty tricks will not be able to be used against you at all.
Looking at the bustling crowd outside the car window, Lu Yiming gazed into the distance, but his thoughts were extremely clear.
At his point, he naturally had to make money, but some low-level hobbies could no longer bring him satisfaction. Instead, he longed to leave his own mark in the history of Xia State like the sages, and to be remembered forever and recorded in history.
