Chapter 673: Futures Trading This Time
These few words immediately stunned Yu Kebao.
Not only Yu Kebao, but also several other doctors and masters like Tan Hongbo, their eyes widened as they listened.
"You mean, if we figure out graphene, we can win the Nobel Prize?"
"The Nobel Prize is the most awesome award in the world, and no one from our country has ever won it!"
“If our project can win the Nobel Prize, won’t we all be recorded in history?”
"Then I won't become a first-incense layman?"
Everyone was talking at once, and the conversation became more and more excited.
As the world's most famous comprehensive award, the Nobel Prize is probably the most coveted award by everyone. It basically covers all major categories, including physics, chemistry, mathematics, economics, and medicine.
Not to mention the bonus is quite high.
For example, in 2000, the five major Nobel Prizes and the Nobel Prize in Economics reached 9 million Swedish kronor, equivalent to one million US dollars.
In 2001, the 100th anniversary of Nobel's birth, the prize money will be increased to 1.4 million US dollars.
Of course, that doesn't matter.
Just 1.4 million US dollars.
Lu Yiming’s goal is to bring glory to the country!
Won the Nobel Prize as a Xia citizen 20 years ahead of schedule!
This is the feeling I want.
Yu Kebao was moved.
If you can win the Nobel Prize, you can be the vice-president, not to mention the associate professor.
Nationally famous—no, globally famous!
The family tree has to start a new page from here, and from now on the first incense stick of Qingming Festival must be burned on your grave.
This temptation is not something that ordinary people can resist!
In comparison, the reward of more than one million US dollars is nothing.
Seeing that everyone was very excited, Lu Yiming struck while the iron was hot and said, "Don't disbelieve me yet. You should know the theoretical properties of graphene. If it can really be prepared and even mass-produced, it will definitely win the Nobel Prize."
Yu Kebao hesitated for a moment, then decided to follow Lu Yiming's plan. Although he was stubborn, he also knew that it was difficult to find a sponsor like Lu Yiming who was "stupid and rich". If you miss this opportunity, you will never have it again.
However, Yu Kebao still complained: "The specific method of preparing graphene is still unclear, and the research will take some time."
Lu Yiming smiled and said, "I think you can try the mechanical exfoliation method. Use transparent tape to peel off the natural graphite layer by layer, and you should be able to obtain a single-layer graphene structure."
"Mechanical exfoliation?"
Yu Kebao was somewhat excited, but then he gave up: "Let's not talk about whether this method can work. Even if it can work, the production efficiency is too low. It can't be industrialized for mass production. This means that even if the research is successful, it will have no economic value."
This is indeed true. This method can indeed produce micron-sized graphene, but its controllability is low, making it difficult to achieve large-scale synthesis and having almost no commercial value.
But having no commercial value doesn’t mean it can’t be hyped!
Lu Yiming said: "Whether it has economic value or not, we should solve the problem from scratch first. Isn't this the consistent idea of scientific research? Make it for research first, and then find a way to mass produce it after the research is clear. Besides, for such a cutting-edge topic, being able to separate graphene is enough to shock the world. Isn't it unrealistic to think of large-scale commercial use right away?"
After hearing what Lu Yiming said, Yu Kebao felt a little sick. He scratched his head and said, "It seems to be the case."
After all, we are all doing research in the laboratory, and there is still a long way to go between laboratory products and market launch. What we need to solve now is the problem of creating something from nothing.
Seeing that Lu Yiming was so confident, Yu Kebao didn't say anything else.
Anyway, it was Lu Yiming who paid for it, so he didn't feel bad about spending it.
He also began to become interested in graphene, a material that currently only exists in theory. If he could successfully produce it and verify those properties, he might really have a chance of winning the Nobel Prize.
After convincing Yu Kebao, Lu Yiming also devoted himself to the experiment. Although he did not have much professional knowledge in materials science, he had the right direction after all. Therefore, under his guidance, the progress of the entire project team was rapid and rapid.
Yu Kebao was not convinced at first that Lu Yiming was to serve as the theoretical instructor. After all, it was an amateur guiding the experts. It was more or less unnecessary for a guy like you who wasn't even good at the periodic table to guide a group of physics PhDs in doing experiments.
However, as the experiment progressed, the interim results of graphene emerged, and Yu Kebao gradually changed his attitude, becoming more serious and focused, as if he had seen the glimmer of dawn in his eyes. As for Lu Yiming's brainwave, he could only silently give a thumbs up in his heart.
It must be said that this richest man is quite something.
Moreover, Lu Yiming not only provided theoretical guidance, he also ran to the company's laboratory whenever he had time, personally participated in experiments, and had a lot of fun.
This made Li Yiwen very angry: "You are a guy who is not doing your job properly. You invested hundreds of millions of dollars. Is it just to satisfy your addiction to being a scientist?"
In response, Lu Yiming did not refute, but smiled and said: "Why? I have fought in wars all my life, can't I enjoy myself?"
Li Yiwen was too lazy to argue with Lu Yiming about this, so he changed the subject and said, "In the United States, I followed your instructions and left 2 billion US dollars. What do you plan to do with this money?"
Without thinking, Lu Yiming blurted out: "Investing in futures."
"Trading futures?"
Li Yiwen was immediately shocked: "What futures?"
It's no wonder that Li Yiwen reacted so strongly. Futures trading is really a test of one's mental quality. Stocks are easy to analyze, but futures trading is very mysterious. Many analysis masters have fallen into this field, and some even lost everything.
Have you ever heard of forced liquidation?
The profit did not meet the expectation and it was directly closed. The company was so defrauded that even its own mother did not recognize it.
Lu Yiming said: "Oil."
Then, without waiting for Li Yiwen to ask, Lu Yiming continued, "Don't worry, I won't do anything I'm not sure of."
Others may not know the trend of international crude oil prices, but Lu Yiming, as a reborn person, knows it very well.
In 2001, oil prices began to fall under the pressure of the weak U.S. economy and the increase in production by non-OPEC countries. OPEC once again fell into a cycle of reducing daily production quotas. On September 1, 2001, OPEC reduced its daily production quota by 3.5 million barrels, trying to artificially interfere with market supply and demand.
Without the Twin Towers incident, such a scale of cuts might have been enough to reverse the decline.
However, the shocking crash of the plane not only caused the collapse of the building and American airline stocks, but also the international oil price. This is a foregone conclusion.
Li Yiwen couldn't find any reason to refute Lu Yiming's gaze. After all, Lu Yiming had become the richest man in Asia by relying on this thing in the past few years.
“Okay, buy high or buy low?”
Lu Yiming said without hesitation: "Of course it's a buy-sell."
“Buy the dip?”
Li Yiwen couldn't help but frown: "Are you sure? OPEC is reducing production, and global oil consumption has not decreased. Logically, shouldn't the price go up? You are violating the law of economics."
Lu Yiming didn't explain too much. After all, he didn't know the inside story. He just knew that according to the time node before his rebirth, he should have fallen by now.
"Economic laws are bullshit. Do you understand what government will is?"
Li Yiwen said: "Okay, how much do you want to buy?"
"Cousin, you know me. Of course I am all in."
Li Yiwen was not surprised at all: "I think so too."
Lu Yiming continued, "By the way, if we add some leverage or something, we will definitely win this time."
Twen billion is not a lot, but not a little either. Li Yiwen has become numb to such figures in recent years. However, Lu Yiming actually wants to increase leverage, which makes Li Yiwen feel that it is unnecessary.
"Two billion is not a small amount, and we need to add leverage. Are you sure?"
However, Lu Yiming said: "Of course, we can make the leverage as high as possible. I can't miss this opportunity to make money for free."
"Free money?"
Li Yiwen sensed the end point and frowned: "Did you get some inside information?"
With a scale of this magnitude, it’s a competition at the national level. How could ordinary futures speculators play it this way?
But now Lu Yiming is full of confidence and says that it is an opportunity that he picked up for free, so Li Yiwen would naturally think of this.
Lu Yi was clearly being mysterious, and said with a smile: "For this kind of thing, the fewer people know about it, the better. Let's get to work."
Lu Yiming is not like that, because he himself doesn’t know either, he just knows the result.
But to Li Yiwen, it sounded mysterious and profound. The competition among the upper classes was not something that someone like him could find out about.
Silently sighing that Lu Yiming's network of connections was becoming more and more powerful, Li Yiwen said, "Okay, then I'll do as you say. If there are any problems, you'll be responsible for them yourself."
"certainly."
Under normal circumstances, Lu Yiming would definitely not dare to gamble like this.
After all, faced with such a large-scale drop, OPEC will definitely cut the quota without hesitation. Unfortunately, in this world, economic problems are often mixed with political factors. In the current special political environment, if OPEC, as a son, wants to raise the price of crude oil, it has to see whether the father of the United States agrees.
In fact, OPEC delayed cutting its quota by 1.5 million barrels until January 2002.
Some non-OPEC countries, including the Polar Bear, have also pledged to cut crude oil production by 462,500 barrels per day.
The price of crude oil would not re-enter the $25 per barrel range until May 2002, and then would continue to rise.
As the richest man in Asia, his every move will attract attention. The shocking gamble of 2 billion US dollars has once again shocked countless people.
Especially in the crude oil futures market, countless people were waiting to see Lu Yiming make a fool of himself, thinking that this kid from the East was not knowing how to live or die.
Even Bill Gates called to inquire about the situation.
"What's wrong with you? Why are you suddenly involved in crude oil futures? You're really brave to go all in $2 billion."
Lu Yiming said confidently: "It's not that I'm brave, but after a lot of analysis, I'm sure I'll win this time. The price of oil will definitely fall, and it will plummet."
This was Lu Yiming's choice and decision. Bill Gates certainly wouldn't say anything, but just said: "If you win, you will definitely shock the world again."
Lu Yiming laughed and said, "I also want to be low-key, but my strength does not allow it."
Bill Gates said: "I hope this will not affect our cooperation."
What he meant was that if Lu Yiming made a wrong bet, he might lose a lot of money, and then his business would be affected.
Lu Yiming said: "That is definitely impossible."
"That's good."
As a typical Ansa, although Bill Gates is Lu Yiming's partner, he will not care so much as long as Lu Yiming does not affect Microsoft and his interests.
Bill Gates had just hung up the phone when Epstein called him and said, "I just heard that you invested $2 billion in crude oil and you bought it at a low price?"
Although he didn't know how this matter became known to the whole world, there was no real meaning in denying it at the moment, so Lu Yiming said honestly: "That's what happened."
Epstein said: "Other people's investments are all kept secret, but how come everyone knows about your investment? Do you know that this is a big taboo in investment?"
Lu Yiming said helplessly: "I don't want to do that either. You know me. I've always been very low-key."
However, he later explained: "However, this does not need to be taken too seriously. After all, crude oil is the most popular futures product in the world, and I have only invested a mere 2 billion US dollars, which does not affect the overall situation at all. Even if others know about it, they cannot change this trend. After all, the dealers here are sovereign states. For sovereign states, 2 billion US dollars is nothing."
Epstein paused for a moment and said, "What you said seems to make sense."
Lu Yiming changed the subject and said, "By the way, I have received my batch of equipment. Thank you for your help."
If it weren't for the help of this "undercover" who has extensive connections in American politics and business, it would be almost impossible to purchase some high-tech scientific research equipment.
Of course, even Epstein could only get some equipment that was slightly on the edge of the ball. Forget about those scientific research equipment designed for military use. Anyone who touched them would die.
For such a special channel, Lu Yiming still wants to do his best to maintain it. After all, before Epstein falls, he still has to squeeze out his surplus value.
For Epstein, these requests of Lu Yiming were just a piece of cake, and he could also make some money from it. He could also gain Lu Yiming's friendship and make the relationship between the two parties stronger, so it was a win-win situation with no harm.
"Dear Lu, if you are so polite, I will be unhappy. If there is such business in the future, give me a call and I will definitely help you get it done!"
Compared to Bill Gates, Epstein's moral integrity is much lower, which is one of the reasons why Lu Yiming treats Bill Gates and Epstein differently.
"Lu, can you tell me how confident you are in crude oil futures?"
There is no doubt that Epstein would have wanted a piece of the action if he could.
As for whether this is poaching from the United States?
Who cares?
Capitalists have no concept of a motherland. As long as they have money, they can live comfortably anywhere in the world.
Lu Yiming smiled and said, "Of course it's 100%, otherwise how could I go all in and add leverage?"
Epstein was a very decisive person, and you could also say he was extremely greedy. After hearing what Lu Yiming said, he immediately decided: "Since you are willing to invest 2 billion US dollars, then I have no reason not to play with you. I still have 500 million US dollars in my hand, and I will take it out and play with you."
Lu Yiming joked, "Five hundred million dollars? Aren't you afraid that these five hundred million dollars will go down the drain?"
Epstein said, "I believe you. Besides, if I lose this round and you lose more than I do, I don't think I will be so sad as to jump off the building."
Lu Yiming laughed and said, "Haha, you old fox, I knew you wouldn't do business at a loss."
Epstein also smiled and said: "If I am an old fox, then you are an old old fox, so cunning that I can't help but slap my thigh. If you are not afraid, what should I be afraid of?"
A week later, oil prices collapsed, with the benchmark West Texas Intermediate crude futures price falling 35%.
Except for a few people who bought on the short side and made a fortune, the entire international crude oil futures market was in mourning.
The sudden change made the nervous Li Yiwen so excited that he almost screamed. He couldn't wait to call Lu Yiming and said, "It's fallen! It's really fallen! And the drop is more than 35%. Because of the leverage, our profit this time is as much as 2.2 billion US dollars!"
In just one week, the principal doubled, and the speed at which futures make money far exceeds that of the stock market.
But if you lose money, you will lose it quickly as well. It can be said that you are one step from heaven to hell. If you are not careful, you will immediately fall into the abyss and end up in pieces.
Lu Yiming smiled slightly, thinking that he had once again proved that history had not deviated from its original track.
It is true that the world is so big, and the power of an individual is so small? The reborn can only take care of themselves, and it is really far from enough to change the world.
In thousands of years of civilization history, there are countless brilliant people. How much power do they have to change the world?
The wheel of history rolls forward. You may be able to make it go a little faster, but it is impossible to make it stop or change its course.
"Okay, stop it, return it all, it's enough to make a profit. And I don't plan to touch it in the short term."
Li Yiwen disagreed before, but now that he has made a fortune, he thought Lu Yiming would continue to work hard, but he didn't expect that he would retreat at the peak of his career. He was confused and asked, "Why?"
Lu Yiming said: "Crude oil futures are too mysterious. Just because we succeeded in stealing this time doesn't mean we can make money next time. It would be bad if we get caught by someone."
"All right."
