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. 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.