After the Divorce, I Could Hear the Voice of the Future-Chapter 162 - 161: Investing in Ningde Era

The following day, Lu Liang called Li Bing to express his desire to talk to Old Zeng of Ningde Era.

Although Tianxing Investment couldn't produce one billion dollars, the two funds under Tianxing Assets had nearly ten billion dollars in cash.

He planned to initially list Ningde's shares under the funds' names, and, several years later when he had the funds, transfer them to his own name.

This process would result in a loss of some share premium, but it didn't matter much since Ningde wasn't going to go public soon; it was treated as interest on a loan.

Through Li Bing's networking, Lu Liang soon got in touch with Zeng Minqun, confirming the time and place for their meeting.

Two days later,

Zeng Minqun led his team to the New International Building.

"Mr. Zeng, good to see you. Was your trip here smooth?"

Lu Liang, with a smile on his face, also met this doctoral expert in physics from the Chinese Academy of Sciences Institute of Physics who enjoyed special allowances.

His first start-up overcame the challenge of battery swelling, making ATL a benchmark in the mobile phone battery industry.

In his second venture, he founded Ningde Era and in five years, climbed into the top three worldwide in sales of automotive batteries.

"I knew that commuting during peak hours in Modu was congested, so we purposely avoided those times."

Zeng Minqun responded with a hearty laugh, sizing up Lu Liang, whose very existence was something of a miracle.

After all, who could have imagined that a man selling houses last year would suddenly turn into a financial magnate?

The term "rising star" seemed inadequate for Lu Liang, especially since even the renowned Soros had been bested by him.

As everyone knows, the only ones who could defeat Wall Street institutions were other Wall Street institutions.

Yet, Lu Liang's emergence broke this rule. The Wall Street Journal declared that his arrival marked the beginning of Wall Street's decline, which was no exaggeration.

"Everybody, let's not just stand around chatting at the door. Please come this way."

Tang Caide, all smiles, was fully energized knowing this was a deal worth one billion dollars.

Even in her previous role at Redwood, she had rarely dealt with such a massive project, and when she had, her role was more supportive.

She had never imagined she would have the honor of participating in and leading such a project.

"Mr. Zeng, right this way."

A group of eight people entered the company's reception room, with Chen Jinchun serving tea and Wen Chao helping distribute Ningde's materials.

Lu Liang also received more detailed information; Last year, Ningde Era sold a total of 2.4 GWh domestically.

A gigawatt-hour, a common unit of energy in storage sectors, is equivalent to one million kilowatt-hours.

Battery manufacturers typically use GWh as a unit of shipment volume, where 1 GWh is roughly 20,000 lithium batteries.

2.4 GWh amounts to 48,000 lithium batteries.

Considering only 250,000 new energy vehicles were sold nationwide last year, this number, making up 19.2% of the national market, was actually quite substantial.

After perusing the data, Lu Liang understood how Ningde Era achieved a market value of a trillion in five years.

Li Bing had mentioned that batteries for new energy vehicles were expensive, often accounting for more than 35% of the total vehicle cost.

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With 24.5033 million gasoline vehicles sold last year, should the sale of new energy vehicles reach 10% of that figure,

A market share of 19.2% for Ningde Era breaking one trillion in value seemed not so far-fetched.

"This tea is really good. Mr. Lu, are you also into tea?"

Zeng Minqun asked with a smile, raising his cup to his nose, his demeanor relaxed as if he were the investor himself.

Lu Liang closed the brochure, smiling back, "I'm not much for tea myself, but I have a friend from Chaoshan who is quite into it. He's the one who sends me these teas."

"No wonder. In terms of studying tea, aside from Chaoshan people, only Hu Jian could outcompete them."

Zeng Minqun laughed, uncritical and unhurried, seemingly considering the financing for Ningde Era merely a step towards going public.

And indeed, this was the case. The major difference between manufacturing and internet companies was creating a large number of jobs and owning substantial assets. With these in place, and a fair performance, securing bank loans wasn't difficult.

Although both industries could create abundant jobs, manufacturing positions were generally accompanied by essential insurances, unlike delivery drivers, rideshare drivers, and online retail workers.

Workers with full insurance are financially secure; businesses are then accountable to their employees, stabilizing society.

Workers without the "five insurances" stop working as soon as their hands stop, and their mouths stop too, easily becoming a destabilizing element in society.

This is the most fundamental difference between the two.

A company that can always secure loans from banks makes it difficult for venture capital firms to control.

Old Zeng was aware of this and also wanted to make it clear to Lu Liang that financing was just the icing on the cake for Ningde, as they were not really short of money.

They were sincerely looking for collaborators for the IPO and hoped that Lu Liang would reciprocate with sincerity and maintain an attitude of equality.

After pondering for a long time, Lu Liang put forward two conditions, and Zeng Minqun nodded slightly, concealing his smile, "I am all ears."

Lu Liang said, "First, we want to lead in the IPO round, and second, we want a seat on the board of directors."

Zeng Minqun's brow furrowed, he could agree to the first condition, if it weren't for the prior agreement with Zhao Yin International, he would have preferred Lu Liang to take all 10% share.

Ningde Era was a mature company, and their original team held more than 50% of the shares; even if they gave away 20%, it did not matter.

Moreover, the more shares Lu Liang held, the more attention he would pay to Ningde Era, and the more devoted he would be during the IPO.

But as for the board seat, he wasn't sure whether Lu Liang wanted to be an executive director or a non-executive director.

If it was the latter, it could be negotiated,

but if it was the former, it was absolutely impossible.

Who knows how many companies have been destroyed by investors acting as executive directors, the amateurs directing the professionals.

Lu Liang simply smiled, "A non-executive director will do, to participate as an overseer but not engage in decision-making."

The first condition was purely because he wanted to earn more; after all, the future market value was in the trillions, and the more shares he held, the more he would earn.

The second condition was privately beneficial; he wanted to get into car manufacturing, and since the power battery was the core of a vehicle, getting inside Ningde would also allow him to access the latest information.

Zeng Minqun appeared contemplative and then nodded in agreement, "Mr. Lu, we also have a condition."

"Please speak," Lu Liang said with a smile.

"After your company invests in ours, you are not allowed to transfer the shares before the IPO."

Zeng Minqun intended to use Lu Liang's fame, forming a powerful collaboration to list on the A-share market.

Therefore, he did not want Lu Liang to exit halfway, at least not before the IPO.

Lu Liang, smiling, said, "Mr. Zeng, it's a pleasure to cooperate."

Although private equity has a one-year term and agreeing not to transfer shares might complicate settlements, it was not without solutions.

It was simply a matter of mortgaging them, exchanging them for some money, and then redeeming them; an extra step in the process was no big issue.

"A pleasure to cooperate."

Shortly afterward, Zeng Minqun and his team left the New International Building, and the news that Ningde Era had secured one billion dollars in financing for a 3.33% stake from Tianxing also spread within the circle.

"Is Lu Liang not speculating anymore but investing?"

"It's about time, as speculation isn't a sustainable practice. Often walking by the river, one cannot avoid getting wet."

Although speculative profits are high, they pose high risks, just like JPMorgan Blackstone Quantum, losing billions of dollars overnight.

Lu Liang displayed a sense of crisis, diversifying funds and engaging in value investments, earning high praise from industry insiders.

Meanwhile, various capitals began to mobilize.

Because in a sense, Lu Liang had become a weathervane for the finance industry, heavily invested in the new energy sector, funding NIO and now investing in Ningde Era.

He seemed genuinely bullish on the new energy industry, not just paying lip service but making substantial investments.

It made venture capitalists reconsider and reassess the new energy market with an annual turnover of only 250,000 vehicles.

Capital was eager, and many decided to increase investment in the new energy vehicle market the following quarter.

Companies like Weiliao, LeTV Car, and others suddenly became the darlings of the industry because investing in new sectors meant investing in new enterprises to maximize benefits.

Investing in long-established companies like BYD, SAIC, FAW didn't offer the same lucrative returns.

"I think the whole industry should erect a monument to me and sing my praises."

Li Bing thought to himself with a gleefully narcissistic smile.

Although it was Lu Liang who ignited the industry's fuse, it was he who had placed that fuse in front of Lu Liang.