Chapter 38: Establishing a Private Fund? On the 16th floor, E District, Yongfeng Building. Tang Caidie and Chen Jinchun were unpacking, with cardboard piles everywhere. On the desk, there were brand new computers and printers. Chen Jinchun was chattering away like a magpie, sharing all sorts of little details about her life. Tang Caidie occasionally smiled or nodded, and the two seemed to get along very well. When they saw Lu Liang enter, they stopped talking. Lu Liang smiled, “You two go ahead and chat, take it easy. It’s just the three of us at the company, no need to be formal.” Tang Caidie took out the purchase orders and invoices. “Mr. Lu, there are still two computers, they’ll be delivered in the afternoon.” Lu Liang nodded slightly and glanced at the time. “Have you had lunch yet?” “Brother Kun, how do you want to collaborate?” Lu Liang took the cigar that Meng Changkun handed him, held it under his nose, and inhaled its distinctive scent. He wasn’t used to cigars, but he liked the smell—rich, aromatic, with a hint of bitterness and clarity. “Have you thought about setting up a private equity fund?” Meng Changkun asked. He explained that he had connections, and Lu Liang had the means to make money. Together, they would be a perfect match for creating a private equity fund. Lu Liang lit a 95 cigar that he had brought with him, took a deep drag, and exhaled. “Let’s wait a bit.” “Wait for what?” Meng Changkun frowned. “Setting up a private equity fund must have many conditions, right?” Lu Liang said. “There will be conditions, but as long as we cooperate, we can overcome them,” Meng Changkun emphasized the word “cooperate.” “Forget it, I’m most afraid of ‘overcoming’ conditions. Let’s wait for the right time,” Lu Liang smiled, his expression meaning more than it seemed. He had just tried to think from Meng Changkun’s perspective—if he were in his shoes and found someone like him, how would he handle it? Win-win cooperation? Or use the person as a tool? The answer was obvious. Even in a win-win scenario, Lu Liang knew he would be the weaker party. After all, how could anyone truly believe he could help investors make money with just a diagram? Lu Liang didn’t want to be Meng Changkun’s pawn, nor did he want to become a mere tool for making money. Meng Changkun wasn’t embarrassed by his thoughts being exposed. He asked, “When will be the right time?” “I’ve been thinking about it, but with the current stock market crash and gold reaching its peak, there isn’t a good target right now,” Lu Liang said, laughing lightly. But in truth, he already had a plan. He intended to rent a brokerage seat and make his name known nationwide, waiting for others to beg to give him money. That way, he could take control. Meng Changkun thought for a moment. After a while, his furrowed brows relaxed, and he smiled again. “Lu Laodi, I have some private savings in my little vault. Can you help me make some extra money?” Meng Changkun added, “About 50 million. If it loses, I’ll take the loss. If it gains, we split it 50/50.” Lu Liang was someone with ideas. He no longer sought to be controlled but hoped to maintain the current friendship. Because financial talent is subjective and dynamic, it’s impossible to control someone like Lu Liang. Lu Liang was surprised. “Brother Kun, you trust me that much? Aren’t you afraid I’ll run off with the money?” “Honestly, I was a bit worried at first, but not anymore,” Meng Changkun said, grinning like the Buddha. Lu Liang cursed in his mind but then paused before saying, “I’ll manage it for you for half a year first. I’ll also contribute 50 million, so we’ll have a total of 100 million.” “Once you get the money, you can do whatever you want with it. I won’t interfere. Let’s see what happens by mid-December.” Meng Changkun wasn’t worried about Lu Liang running off with the money. He knew that if Lu Liang truly wanted to make a name for himself in this field, integrity was key. The two of them went to the business bureau to handle the formalities. Meng Changkun transferred 50 million yuan from his own funds into Lu Liang’s personal account. Branch Manager Liu’s expression was worse than if he had lost a close relative. Losing 50 million in savings was painful for him. “Branch Manager Liu, if I exchange dollars for RMB at your bank, can you increase the limit?” Lu Liang suddenly asked. He wanted to open a new ICBC card and deposit the 100 million funds in it, making it easier to manage his investments. But he was afraid that if he exchanged for RMB, he might face the same issue of insufficient limits as before. “Of course, Mr. Lu. As long as you need, we’ll assist you with the exchange. We’ll convert it based on the exchange rate of the day,” Branch Manager Liu said happily, realizing that he had gained a valuable client, and the quarter’s performance was now looking up. Meng Changkun was startled and quickly said, “Lu Laodi, if you don’t have RMB, just let me know. I can help you exchange it.” The ability to exchange dollars was very important, both for personal use and for the company. After all, RMB was only useful within China or certain parts of Africa, while USD was universally accepted.