Chapter Fifty-Four: The Road to Mo Bei

  In 1984, when Austria had fewer than 30 stocks listed and the market was in a slump, Rogers made a bold move by investing in Austria. At that time, the Austrian stock market was not doing well, almost reaching the same level as it did 23 years ago in 1961. However, the Austrian economy was actually growing steadily. Although financiers all over Europe were trying to find new investment opportunities, no one had shown any interest in investing in Austria. Rogers was convinced that Austria would eventually catch their attention and saw valuable opportunities hidden within.

  "Hehe... Thanks to Rogers' constant posting of articles, so many people wouldn't have flooded into Austria." Xue Er smiled and said. She had checked Rogers' background, who left Soros Fund with a 20% profit of $140 million, a well-known investor. Compared to him, I'm not bad either, Xue Er thought.

  Xiao Mai handed a few more photos to Fang Mo Nan, "These are from the Frankfurt Motor Show, look familiar? I heard they were designed by you."

  "Hehe......" Fang Mo Nan smiled. "Better than mine, even more perfect and beautiful."

  "Yes, it caused a sensation at that time. Due to the limited quantity, everyone rushed to place orders." Xie Yun smiled and said, "I didn't know there were so many rich people in this world."

  Yang Fan started talking about his investment in Japan, "At the beginning of this year, the Nikkei broke through 10,000 points and our gains were not small."

  After breaking through 10,000 points in the Japanese stock market at the beginning of 1984, the rise in the following years was close to 10,000 points, and a five-year bull market trend emerged.

  Fang Mo nodded and then talked about next year's arrangements.

  "By the way, has Qi Qiushi arrived?" asked Cheng Shigui. "I have something to ask him if he's interested."

  "This is simple, just hit him and it's done." Fang Mo Nan asked again what was the matter?

  "Oh, I see. Japanese home appliances are flooding the US market. This time in the US, I met a worker who was on strike for better treatment and he was anxious. I suggested that he move his factory to inland China where labor is very cheap, and after calculating it, he showed interest. Processing with supplied materials and assembling would be very suitable for Qiushi." said Cheng Shigui.

  "If the price is right, he should take it." Fang Mo Nan stroked his chin, "For household appliances, many core components need to be imported, so we don't have to worry about import quotas." For example, refrigerator compressors and TV picture tubes, which seem to rely entirely on imports, and imports are subject to quotas.

  Chi Autumn received it and rode her bicycle in a hurry, arriving in 20 minutes, panting and sweating slightly on this cold winter day.

  Qiu Shi heard what Cheng Shigui said, and all the conditions were suitable. He immediately expressed interest and then went back to the factory to calculate the details before making a final decision. He rode his bike back to the factory again.

  After Fang Mo Nan finished talking about things and eating dinner, Han Zhiqian contentedly rubbed his belly, with a look of satisfaction on his face.

  Fang Mo quietly called out to Han Zhiqian's sleeve, saying in a low voice, "Big Brother Han, come with me."

  Han Zhiqian took a look at Mo Bei, curiously following her into the room. The farm didn't lack houses, everyone had their own room. In winter, the farm was bare and empty, but it could be imagined that in summer, this place would be a great place to escape the heat, with lush green trees and fragrant fruits.

  Fang Mo Bei's room was simple and clean, not like a child's room full of fun, but filled with the fragrance of books and music.

  "What's this?" Han Zhiqian sat on the sofa, looking at the paper handed to her by Mo Bei. "Sheet music? Lyrics?" He looked at her with a mind full of questions, carefully examining the melody which seemed unfamiliar to him, and the lyrics were inspiring, positive, and easy to recite.

  "What I wrote, actually doesn't count as mine, there are many here that were just hummed for fun, I remembered them and revised the melody, but the lyrics were found. Can you help me see if it can be sent to a record company?" Fang Mobei blinked his big eyes, blushing as he held the Huaxing Records envelope, which was one of the well-known record companies in Hong Kong that Cheng Shigui had been sending over.

  Han Zhiqian smiled and looked at her, "Just for this matter, okay I'll try, but I don't dare to guarantee. Because this involves copyright, I have to ask."

  "Thank you," Fang Mo Bei Zhan said with a bow. "Don't tell this for now, okay? Her eyes shone brightly with a hint of pleading.

  "Alright, let's keep it a secret." Han Zhiqian stretched out his little finger, "Make a pact, if I succeed, I'll give you a call."

  "Good" Fang Mo Bei and he hooked up.

  The next day, Qi Qiushi, who had not slept all night, came hastily and settled down after discussion. Qi Qiushi and others still need to go through the formalities of going abroad, so they can only fly to the United States after New Year's Day. At that time, it was difficult to handle the formalities for going abroad, and sometimes it could be delayed for a year. However, with the strong support of Secretary Wang, it went smoothly.

  Lainard found Cheng Shigui, and the two sat cross-legged on the kang.

  Cheng Shigu looked at him now, not a bit of the elegant prince of violin, "Tsk tsk... you've 'evolved' so quickly, I can hardly recognize you, nothing like the well-dressed you on stage."

  "This is called when in Rome, do as the Romans do, singing on the mountain" Leonard chuckled.

  "Your Chinese level has really improved, you can even say idioms now."

  "That's it," said Renard, looking up with a pleased and relaxed expression. "Alright, I won't bother you anymore. I came to ask for your help in signing up Murenbei for the children's music competition in Moscow next year. Over the next two years, Murenbei will be participating in a series of competitions."

  "Oh, you're going north? Don't jump to conclusions." Cheng Shigui raised an eyebrow in puzzlement, seeing Reynard's dissatisfied stare at him. "Thanks for the lesson, brother, it seems like you can still teach me a thing or two."

  "Renard's expression changed quickly, and he said seriously, 'This is more like it. Mengbei's musical talent is undeniable, her foundation is solid, and she's making rapid progress. Most importantly, the little girl is diligent.' Although she's only been learning violin for three years, I've taught her for a year and a half, but her level isn't inferior to those who have learned for over ten years, and it's even better in some ways. Staying here will hold her back, so we need to find a music school for her.' He smiled, 'Although Mengbei has such great talent, unfortunately, her personality is sometimes spoiled, sometimes clever, not arrogant or impetuous, and can even be said to be smooth at times. It's simply not like a child.'"

  "That's because you've never seen Nan Nan before, it's even more frightening." Cheng Shigui muttered to himself in his heart. "Did you tell Mo Bei about not jumping?"

  "We've already started preparing the pieces we're going to play," Reynard said.

  "What about you? You've been hiding for a year and a half, are you okay now?" Cheng Shigui said.

  "I'm now focusing on cultivating Mubai." Renard evaded the question, speaking in a roundabout way.

  Cheng Shigui had no choice but to give up and stop asking. "Alright, I'll take care of Mo Bei's matter, I'll be in touch later."

  Fang Mo Nan and others heard the sound of car horns outside the farm, startling everyone out. Han Zhiqian hastily ran to the gate, opened the farm gate, and several large trucks drove in. The driver got off and said to Han Zhiqian, "Han Shao, it's really hard to find you, but we finally found you." Several young men lifted the canvas on the truck, and everyone was stunned - a truckload of stones.

  "What's going on?" Cheng Shigui asked as he stepped forward.

  Han Zhiqian said, "This is Hetian jade material brought from Xinjiang. I went to Yulongkax River in Xinjiang at the beginning of October, just when it was entering the dry season, which is a good time for searching for jade."

  Han Zhiqian and Cheng Shigui both agree that Nan's words make sense. Money in the bank will only depreciate, while jade, antiques, and calligraphy are non-renewable resources, so it's better to invest. The famous places for producing jade are Myanmar in the south and Hetian in the north.

  "You're really quick on your feet, but it should be snowing heavily there now, and this road is definitely not easy to walk." Fang Mo Nan said.

  "Yes, that's it for this year. I'll go again next autumn. The local connections have been established." Han Zhijian said. Mentioning the Xinjiang trip, he was filled with emotions. That place is really poor, poor to the point of being shocking, making him feel ashamed. Compared to the locals, he was born in a blessed nest.

  Looking at the people living in such hardship, Han Zhiqian suddenly had a surge of kindness and didn't even bargain. When he encountered high-quality seeds, he would even pay a higher price. He knew that the ordinary people's stored goods were all top-grade seeds. As long as they were suitable, he would buy them. Unexpectedly, after the news spread, people from villages tens of miles away came running. The money flowed like water, and Han Zhiqian had never seen such a huge sum before. Fortunately, when it was time to leave, Cheng Shigui had also wired some money from America.

  Han Zhiqian found a vacant lot and let the farm people start unloading their goods. They stood under the corridor, "This top-grade Hetian white jade seed material is priced at around 80 yuan per kilogram for procurement, which is cheaper than Feicui Mao material. I slightly raised the price, and local herders rushed to deliver." He continued, "There's a saying that gold has value but jade is priceless, and what Nanshan said about Hetian jade being overpriced is wrong. The price of Hetian jade is seriously underestimated, and now the national government from top to bottom doesn't pay much attention to it either. We should take action when we need to."

  "Hmph..." Fang Mo Nan smiled and said, "You've brought it here."

  In Fang Mernan's impression, Hetian sheep fat white jade was originally priced as a seed material. From tens of yuan per kilogram in the past to soaring to 300,000, 500,000, and even over 1 million yuan per kilogram later on. Now it is priced by the kilogram, then by the block, by the gram, and at its peak, the best Hetian seed jade can be sold for tens of thousands of yuan per gram. In just a decade or two, the price has risen by several thousand times, far exceeding the investment value of real estate, stocks, and even calligraphy and painting. Such an astonishing rise has led experts to predict that the true price of Hetian sheep fat white jade is still far from reaching its peak.

  Han Zhiqian said, "You're close by, and it's only a third of the way to your place. From south to north, it spans the entire Huaxia. Besides, this place is big enough."

  Fang Mo Nan looked at the stones that were as small as hills, first covering them with canvas, thinking that after the spring, he would build a larger warehouse to store these seeds. The people in the farm were just curious about why so many stones were transported here? Now, from the government to individuals, there is still not enough clear awareness of the huge profits hidden behind Hetian jade.

  As she was about to leave, Han Zhiqian handed two exquisite boxes to Fang Mornan. When she opened them, inside were jade pendants, very beautiful and pretty. Golden silk jade, made into a red silk thread woven bracelet, with two small jade bells hanging below, making a crisp and pleasant sound when shaken. Two jade Buddhas, with the edges carved into teardrop-shaped pendants.

  "You and Xiao Bei have broken up, right?" Han Zhiqian said. "In another box is the piece of wool you sat on under your butt, after it was washed and dried, it's a top-grade glass bead, with excellent water head and color. I made four pairs of cufflinks out of it, and processed the rest into small pendants."

  Fang Mo Nan opened the box, and it was like a handful of emerald green jade in his hand, with many pendants, just right for giving as gifts.

  Cheng Shigui and his party settled their affairs and hastily headed south. Of course, this time they brought more than the previous two times, because there were two more people, who were also conquered by Fang Mornan's food.

  This winter is particularly cold, before dawn, the goose feather-like snow is still falling thick and fast, with over two feet of accumulated snow on the ground. In the morning, the corridors are covered with a thick layer of snow blown by the wind, while the sky above is filled with large, dark clouds stacked like tiles. It looks as if the heavens want to fill up all the space between heaven and earth, looking white and vast, truly "as if overnight spring breeze came, thousands of trees and millions of trees bloomed with pear flowers".

  Fang Mo Nan and they couldn't go out for exercise in the morning, swept the corridor, and started practicing boxing.

  Suddenly, a chirping sparrow, due to hunger, came out to forage, swayed the branches and flew away, without even leaving any snowflakes behind. It really has a bit of the flavor of 'the withered grass reveals the sharp eyes of the hawk, and the melting snow makes the horse's hooves light.'

  "This snow is really heavy, next year will be a good harvest." Old Man Lin said, looking at the snowflakes floating in the sky.

  "'Auspicious snow indicates a bumper harvest' isn't it?" Fang Mobei said.

  "Right, Xiao Bei is right," Lin old man praised. "Not autumn reality they smoothly not?" He muttered to himself. "Nor come one."

  "No news is good news, and international long-distance calls are expensive." Qi Qiu Shi and his family had finished their exit procedures and left after New Year's Day.

  In the morning, there was someone who helped with the procedures for going abroad. With Secretary Wang's help, it was quickly settled. If they had followed the normal procedure, it would have taken a year and a half to complete. "Let me calculate the days, more than half a month has passed," said Fang Mo Nan.

  "Hmph, just like you, earning a lot of money but still being so stingy." Old Man Lin said with a huff.

  "This is called carrying forward the fine tradition of plain living and hard struggle." Fang Mernan said with a straight face. "It's easy to go from being frugal to being extravagant, but it's difficult to go from being extravagant to being frugal," Lao Guxing said with an air of authority.

  "This is me." Fang Mo Bei said happily. It's easy for poor people to become rich and for a poor life to become luxurious. However, once you're used to a luxurious life, it's hard to go back to a poor one.

  "Haha……although the meaning is straightforward, it's not said properly." Old Master Lin praised, "It seems that our little Bei not only plays the violin well, but also doesn't neglect her studies." He didn't forget to educate at any time, this sentence should be remembered and kept in mind at all times.

  "Uh-huh." He nodded heavily and repeatedly.

  "He's gone." Qi Qiushi's face was beaming with joy as he gazed at them. His body was covered in snowflakes, making him look like Santa Claus, standing at the foot of the stairs. Next to him stood another person, about the same height, also looking like a snowman, their features indistinguishable.

  "Wow, it's snowing so heavily!" Old Man Lin brushed the snow off his body with a towel, while Qi Qiushi used another towel to brush the snow off his body. The two of them didn't forget to stomp the snow off their feet either.

  "Hurry up and get inside! It's just past six in the morning." Old Man Lin shouted again, "Big sister, autumn is here."

  Grandma poked her head out of the kitchen and brought out two more bowls of hot mutton soup, which had been simmering on the fire. "Hurry up and drink it while it's hot to drive away the chill."

  They were served hot water at the south end of Fangmou, and they washed their hands and wiped their faces. Without hesitation, they started eating. In the blink of an eye, a bowl of mutton soup had already gone into their stomachs.

  "It's really comfortable, our family's food is delicious." Qi Qiu sighed and almost drooled. "He hurriedly introduced: Oh, this is Long Xianghai, who has just graduated from Warton Business School and is now the general manager of our Zhongteng Industry."

  "An MBA is a professional master's degree originating from North American and European countries, specifically designed to cultivate high-level career managers. The MBA program cultivates high-quality business management professionals who possess knowledge of multiple disciplines including production, finance, accounting, marketing, economic law, and international trade, as well as management skills. It is a product of the market economy, cultivating high-caliber management personnel and professional managers," said Fang Wen Nan.

  "Wow, you really know a lot." Long Xianghai was shocked, he didn't expect that there would be someone who knew business administration here.

  "Dragon, I wonder if he will come to our small temple." Old Man Lin saw Fang Mò Nán make a gesture with his eyes and asked.

  "Cheng Shigui introduced me, he said coming here won't disappoint me, witnessing a company's growth from scratch is also wonderful." Long Xianghai said with embarrassment, originally planning to return home after graduation, but ended up accompanying his classmate to the "Black Panther Fund" interview.

  He didn't pass the interview, but he succeeded. He had no intention of getting a good result, but he did. Originally, he wanted to refuse, but unexpectedly returned home. He heard from his seniors that returning home and entering a state-owned factory would be useless for learning. So he agreed to the conditions set by Cheng Shigui.

  "I see, Ah Kui introduced you." Old Master Lin said, holding his hand, "So welcome to join us."

  "Alright, then let's talk about what you've gained from this trip." Old Master Lin patted Qiū Shí's shoulder and urged him.

  "Seriously, Haixing knows more and is more detailed than me, let him say it. We just went to the person, my English can barely handle two sentences, others simply won't work." Qi Qi pointed at Long Xianghai and said "This kid is really talented!"

  "Pfft......" Fang Mo Nan had just taken a sip of water and spat it out. "Sorry about that, you guys continue."

  "They are regular troops, compared to them, we are simply a local militia." Qi Qiushi sighed as he went out this time, seeing that Lao Ye couldn't wait any longer. "Shan Hai, let's get down to business,"

  "Dragon Soaring Sea Terminal has basically signed a letter of intent. These still need to wait for John Rice's people to come and inspect before finalizing."

  "We don't have any experience assembling refrigerators and TVs, but they're willing to come." Old Man Lin asked again.

  "To be honest, we all thought it was hopeless at first. I didn't think there was any chance, but unexpectedly, Old Rice agreed to train workers and reduced the price by $2 per unit from the original $22. The reason is that he was bullied by Japan's economic pressure and worker strikes, so he decided to relocate the factory."

  "When will they arrive?" Old Man Lin asked.

  "Oh, it's been a few days since Laisai and his people arrived. I'll tidy up first," said Qi Qiu Shi. "The biggest gain from this trip is not this, but Long Xianghai agreed to be our general manager."

  "There, everyone works together." He said with a smile.

  "Alright, let's go take a look at the factory first." Qi Qiu Shi said as he pulled Long Xiang Hai and headed out.

  After John Rice's old man came to inspect in person, he decided to move the factory here. Although the transportation here is not as convenient, it is not close to the port, and land transportation is possible. However, the workers here are diligent and technically skilled. With a little training, they can fully take on the task. The price is also cheap, leaving him speechless. The government's policy also gives preferential treatment.

  After signing the contract, Lai Si hurried away to prepare for the move.

  The days slipped away quietly, and it was already the 23rd of December. Grandma summed up this year's harvest: mantou, baozi, wontons, and jianbing stalls. This year's income is close to 20,000 yuan, which made her extremely happy. She had a strong sense of pride, which was the result of her own hard work and management.

  "Hehe... everyone's got something on me, I'd like to announce." Renard said. "This March, I plan to let Mubai participate in the Moscow International Music Competition."

  "Ah, this is too sudden. Can our Mobei go without jumping? Mom touched Mobei's head and asked Renard."

  "Mom, I can definitely do it." Mo Bei said confidently, with a fearless spirit like a newborn calf not afraid of tigers.

  "Mei Bei is very talented, but she has never performed on stage and can even be said to have no stage experience at all. Of course, it's not enough for just us to cheer her on. She has a great sense of rhythm and practices diligently, these are not problems. The problem lies in the fact that she has never encountered any geniuses, nor has she ever competed with other top-notch opponents on the same stage. In the past, playing for one's own enjoyment and participating in competitions were completely different things, one needs to have a strong competitive spirit and a fierce determination to win. Now it's too peaceful and this doesn't match her level of practice and progress. If she really wants to compete, like this, even if her level is higher than others, it will be very difficult for her to stand out in this field and become a great master in the future." Renard said seriously.

  Everyone fell silent for a while, then Mo Bei stood up. "I understand what Teacher Lei said. He means that even if I practice like this until I'm old, I still won't be able to reach their level." Mo Bei pointed at the cover of his violin cassette tape. "Even though my playing sounds good, it's just as you all say - it's like Dad's agricultural technology going to the countryside. With expert guidance, the harvest can increase. And with expert guidance, I can also improve further." Mo Bei's understanding was rough and straightforward, but not unreasonable.

  "Yes, we are just amateur judges. If things go on like this, Meng Bei can only muddle along at an amateur level and it will be hard for him to make progress." Fang Mo Nan said.

  "It's hard for her to get into a music academy like this." Renard nodded heavily, "Participating in the competition is not only to gain stage experience and win prizes, but also to increase popularity."

  "But how much does it cost and you have to go abroad for the competition." Dad said a very practical problem.

  "A round trip will cost at least a few thousand dollars," said Renard, looking at everyone's surprised expression, and quickly added that these international competitions all have prizes. First prize: $3,000, second prize: $2,000, third prize: $1,200, fourth to sixth prize: $600, seventh to fourteenth prize: $350, audience award: $700. Don't worry if you don't get a prize the first time, the main thing is to participate, I'll advance the money."

  "Oh, that's more like it. So if I win a prize, I can make some money too." Fang Mo Bei's eyes gleamed with excitement, his face filled with a greedy expression. "Teacher Lei, don't worry about covering for me, I'll definitely get the award."

  "Is this still my student?" Renard thought to himself, seemingly not as fond of money as he had been trained. "To get the bonus, you have to work hard in training."

  "I'll definitely work twice as hard." Mok Bei clenched his fist, his fighting spirit soaring, "For the prize money." This added sentence made Leonard cover his face in 'shame', he didn't teach her to be like this.

  "Don't worry about the money," said Fang Mengnan.

  "Yes, with this rich man around, don't worry." Old Man Lin said jokingly. "But if our Mo Bei really wants to make it in this field and go to that music academy, he'll have to search carefully."

  "Of course it's the Royal Academy of Music in England." Reynard said proudly.

  "The Curtis Institute of Music in the US is an example. It has no age requirement and once admitted, one can get a full scholarship," said Fang Manman.

  "Wow, there's such a good thing, saying that is equivalent to having already gone up, it's just this, I will definitely pass the exam." Meng Beihao said with great enthusiasm and ambition.

  "Don't get too excited, eat your food one bite at a time and walk one step at a time. Be down-to-earth and let's prepare for the first match." Dad said to them with excitement.

  Mo Bei heard this and said, "Oh I see, I'll go practice with my zither now."

  After Mo Bei walked away, Fang Mo Nan patted Leonard's shoulder and said with a serious tone: "This is reality. Not just the music industry, but the art world as well. To put it bluntly, it's all about money. With fame comes both fame and fortune."

  "Ah well, this is also a driving force for me, I suppose," Reynard comforted himself.

  Since the decision was made, Renard and Mo Bei have formulated a strict practice plan, intensively training several tracks that are commonly used in competitions. In fact, Renard and Mo Bei have been preparing for the entire winter, but Mo Bei only started now.

  (6,000 words submitted)

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