Chapter Five: Friends

Since February 3, 2020, cultural commodities had been declining steadily after the New Year’s market opening. Coupled with the escalating severity of the pandemic, by April 3, 2020, almost every sector—from chemicals and soft commodities to light industry, non-ferrous metals, and precious metals—was continually dipping. Yet, the black chain sector alone remained resilient, refusing to fall. Li Fengyu watched the unfolding scene with quiet satisfaction, for it perfectly matched his earlier predictions. Though prices had been sliding, capital had consistently flowed in, triggering increasingly strong rebounds and beginning to form a sturdy bottom. The black chain, or rather the iron ore sector, showed a clear expansion in trading volume and remarkable resistance to the downturn.

Li Fengyu opened his charts and ran through the moving averages, Bollinger Bands, and MACD indicators carefully. After a thorough analysis, he shut down his computer, leaned back with his hands behind his head, and sighed softly, “There shouldn’t be any mistake in my judgment—this has to be the bottom.”

With that settled, Li Fengyu went to his bedroom and opened his wardrobe, rifling through his clothes. Today marked the first day after the lockdown was lifted, and he planned to meet Li Sen for a walk in the park. Since the pandemic had delayed school reopening, they had arranged this outing along with one of Li Sen’s elementary school classmates. At this moment, Li Fengyu had no inkling that this very classmate would soon lead him down an entirely different path, one that would accompany him all the way to the pinnacle of power. But that was a tale for another time.

Determined not to be late, Li Fengyu arrived early at the park. It was already two in the afternoon, and with the warmth of April’s sun, he had come dressed simply in a tank top and shorts. After parking his bike, he strolled toward the park’s entrance, the bright sunlight making him feel slightly drowsy. Just then, a familiar voice called out, “Fengyu, I’m here!”

Startled, Li Fengyu turned sharply to see Li Sen standing beside a tall, strikingly handsome man. The man’s features were sharp and refined, his brows radiated confidence. He was dressed in a sleek black suit, styled with a neat Korean wave haircut, and wore gold-framed glasses that hung from a chain. As Li Fengyu approached, he took a moment to appraise the man and thought, “So this is Li Sen’s elementary school classmate. Quite stylish. But isn’t it too hot for him to be wearing a full suit? Standing next to him, Li Sen looks almost plain.”

When Li Fengyu reached them, the man extended his right hand for a handshake. Caught off guard, Li Fengyu hesitated briefly before clasping his hand. The man then introduced himself with a composed tone: “Hello, my name is Lin Chu. I am currently the Vice President of Lin Corporation.”

Li Fengyu was so taken aback by this revelation that he was momentarily speechless. At that moment, Li Sen chimed in, “Fengyu, do you know who he is? Lin Chu is the Vice President of Lin Corporation, a major player in the financial securities industry. The presidents of Yue Min Securities, Guang Qi Securities, and Xin Min Futures are all friends of his father, who is the president of Lin Corporation. He also has an older sister by a year—that’s the background.”

As Li Sen finished, Li Fengyu’s mind raced. Lin Chu was evidently a man of great pedigree and influence, deeply entrenched in financial securities. Befriending someone like him could be incredibly advantageous.

With a slight smile, Li Fengyu said, “Hello, Vice President Lin. May I address you as such?”

Adjusting his glasses, Lin Chu appraised Li Fengyu from head to toe and replied, “Of course. Li Sen told me your father is also involved in finance and securities.”

Li Fengyu nodded casually, “That’s right.”

Lin Chu’s polished and articulate manner was unmistakably that of a man from a distinguished family, but Li Fengyu didn’t mind; all he cared about now was forging a friendship.

Eagerly, Li Sen added, “Lin Chu was my elementary school classmate. He later went to Stanford University in the United States and has just returned to China. We hadn’t been in touch for a long time, so I took the chance to invite him along.”