In the 29th floor of the landmark building, Huaxia International Tower in Yanjing, Dario looked out the window. The grayish-blue alleys stretched out in a neat and orderly manner, with the ancient and modern elements chaotically intertwined, creating a sense of temporal dislocation.
This place was a restaurant called "Window of the World." Dario was dining with a vice president of Huaxia Trust, named Xu Zhaolong. Due to her excellent performance as a translator, Zhong Yi was also specially invited to join the meal.
The International Tower was completed this year. When it was built, over 200 Chinese and foreign companies came to pre-rent offices, making it a truly international building.
Watching Zhong Yi clumsily cut the steak with her knife and fork, making a "squeaking" sound, Xu Zhaolong couldn't help but frown. He gently tapped the knife and fork, signaling Zhong Yi to be more gentle and not so rude.
As a senior executive of the first Chinese company to go international, Xu Zhaolong was well-versed in Western dining etiquette. He had eaten at "Window of the World" more than once and naturally wouldn't make the same mistakes as Zhong Yi.
However, he forgot that Zhong Yi was still a poor student who had never been to such a high-end restaurant, let alone eaten a bloody steak and red wine. In the two years she had been in Yanjing, she hadn't even tasted the famous "Manjude" roast duck in the city.
Seeing her superior's dissatisfaction, Zhong Yi awkwardly put down her knife and fork, picked up her wine glass, and sipped it quietly, not daring to make a sound. The red wine was too hard to drink, with a brain-numbing sourness. But now, she couldn't eat this or that, so she could only drink this.
"No problem, waiter, please give me a pair of chopsticks, thank you!" Dario noticed Zhong Yi's embarrassment, smiled slightly, snapped his fingers at the waiter, and slowly said these words.
He knew that the waiters here understood English, but if the speaking speed was a bit faster, they wouldn't understand.
"Mr. Xu, I wonder how you have considered my proposal?" Dario took the chopsticks from the waiter, handed them to Zhong Yi, and pointed to the steak on her plate, indicating that she should use the chopsticks.
Zhong Yi quickly translated Dario's words for Xu Zhaolong and saw the vice president nod before taking the chopsticks from Dario.
"Mr. Dario, our company has not yet reached a consensus on your proposal. Please wait a few more days. You can take this time to enjoy the scenery of our country." Xu Zhaolong picked up the napkin from his knee, wiped the sauce from the corner of his mouth, and answered calmly.
"Alright, if that's the case, I'll stay a few more days." Dario shrugged, seemingly unconcerned.
Although he had studied a lot about China before coming to Yanjing, China, after thousands of years of development, had formed a unique way of speaking. A Chinese person would easily detect the evasiveness and敷衍 in Mr. Xu's words.
Zhong Yi, having finished translating, buried her head in her food again, causing the Huaxia Trust executive to frown once more.
...
"This is the Great Wall, truly magnificent and unbelievable!" Standing on Badaling, Dario gazed at the endless wall, exclaiming in admiration.
Thanks to Dario, Zhong Yi also had the opportunity to tour several scenic spots. Her expenses for food, accommodation, and travel were all covered by the company, and Mr. Dario was always polite and never complained. This was no different from a paid trip, and Zhong Yi was naturally very happy.
In the past few days, they visited Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, and the suburban imperial tombs, which greatly broadened the foreigner's horizons and gave him a direct understanding of Eastern civilization. However, he had only taken a cursory look, and it was too early to gain a deeper understanding of China.
Dario's eyes were on the majestic Great Wall, but his mind was preoccupied with the purpose of his visit. The Huaxia Trust executives had not met with him for several days, which made him feel uneasy.
"Zhong, do you think I have no hope this time?" Dario looked into the distance and asked Zhong Yi, who was excited, in a probing tone.
"What hope? Didn't you come to teach the executives of Huaxia Trust financial knowledge?" Zhong Yi didn't notice the deeper meaning in Dario's words and answered casually.
"Actually, I came to help Huaxia Trust manage the funds they have raised, about tens of millions of dollars." Dario decided to be straightforward.
His patience was wearing thin after so long. Before coming, he was full of confidence, but after so much time, there was still no news from the Chinese side, which made him increasingly anxious.
"Actually, you can seek other sources of funds, such as capital from the United States or Japanese conglomerates." Zhong Yi looked away from the distance and said casually.
"Is that so? We are thinking along the same lines. I also have plans in this regard." Dario's face lit up with surprise. "Zhong, you are a genius. If you weren't still in school, I would really want to hire you for our company."
Zhong Yi chuckled and lowered his head, feeling embarrassed. In his mind, he couldn't help but think of the phone call from his hometown a few days ago.
On the phone, his "enlightened" cousin asked in detail about the major events in Yanjing and internationally. He didn't understand why his cousin was interested in these matters, but he still truthfully recounted what he knew, emphasizing the recent events involving Mr. Dario.
After hearing this, Zhong Shi asked a series of questions and confidently told him that Mr. Dario would leave empty-handed. This was a good time to build a good relationship. Zhong Shi then instructed him on what to do, and only after Zhong Yi promised to follow his instructions did the call end.
This cousin was truly remarkable. In just a few months, he had a telephone installed at home, and Zhong Yi didn't know how he managed it.
In the 1980s, installing a telephone cost several thousand yuan, which was beyond the means of ordinary families. There was no need for it either. Typically, only the village committee had a telephone. If someone received a call, they had to run to the person's house to inform them.
"Actually, you can try to persuade the pension funds and public retirement funds to let you manage their money!" Zhong Yi deliberately waited for a while before speaking.
Pension funds are financial products with a typical life cycle concept. Most of the entities that set up such funds are companies, which combine a certain percentage of monthly contributions and employee contributions and entrust them to professional asset management companies. Since pension funds are intended to pay for employees' retirement, they aim for long-term stable returns, and fund managers operate with caution and conservatism.
Due to the large amount of pension funds invested in the market each year, these funds are also a target for various hedge funds.
"You make a very good point, but which company's pension fund should I target?" Dario nodded thoughtfully.
"Mr. Dario, I heard that your fund is a macro-focused hedge fund that primarily studies the macroeconomic conditions of various countries and uses them to generate profits. Is that correct?" Zhong Yi didn't directly answer his question but asked with interest.
"You know about that too? Zhong, you are a genius. Actually, my fund is still researching which strategy to use, but I personally prefer the macro approach." Dario frowned and spoke vaguely.
How to operate the fund was his business secret, and he couldn't just tell anyone, so when Zhong Yi asked, he could only talk around the issue.
"If you can secure the World Bank's employee pension fund, wouldn't it mean that your fund's macroeconomic research has been recognized by these professionals? If you can also secure General Electric's pension fund, wouldn't all American companies look at you differently?" Zhong Yi followed the instructions from the phone call and truthfully told Dario what Zhong Shi had said.
"World Bank? General Electric?" Dario was taken aback by these two names and fell into deep thought.
The World Bank is not just a bank but an organization comprising five institutions, including the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the International Development Association, and the International Finance Corporation. The World Bank provides low-interest loans, interest-free credits, and grants to developing countries to help them build educational, agricultural, and industrial institutions.
The World Bank is home to a large number of economists who study economic issues in various regions of the world, provide advice to the World Bank's decision-making bodies and regional leaders, and help them formulate policies to develop the economy.
As a professional institution with a large number of economists from various countries, the World Bank's judgment and opinions on macroeconomic trends are undoubtedly authoritative and professional.
Securing the World Bank's pension fund would undoubtedly be a significant endorsement of Bridgewater's professionalism.
General Electric, on the other hand, is the world's largest diversified service company, with a wide range of businesses from aircraft engines and power generation equipment to healthcare and television programs. It is one of the top three companies in the Fortune 500.
One is a leading professional institution, and the other is a representative of large enterprises. If Dario could secure the pension funds of both, Bridgewater would establish a solid reputation in the fund industry.
"Zhong, you are a genius!" Dario, after thinking it through, was overjoyed and couldn't resist wanting to kiss Zhong Yi on the face, but he finally restrained himself.
Zhong Yi had successfully completed his task and thought to himself that he would definitely look up more information about the World Bank and General Electric when he returned.
Three days later, Dario, with a bitter expression, boarded a flight to Tokyo amidst the "I'm sorry" voices of the Huaxia Trust executives.