Chapter 8: Meeting Tang Qing Again
Beijing, Financial Street, the financial center of China.
In 1267, after careful surveying, Kublai Khan, the founder of the Yuan Dynasty, built the Yuan capital city, Dadu, following the planning principles outlined in the "Rites of Zhou." The city was divided into 50 wards, each with its own gate inscribed with names like Fudian Ward, Jiqing Ward, Anfu Ward, and Fengchi Ward. The planning was meticulous, and the buildings were neatly constructed.
Jincheng Ward, located in the southwest corner of Dadu, drew its name from "Records of the Grand Historian: Basic Annals of Qin," which states, "The defense of the Central Plains is like a city of gold stretching a thousand miles, ensuring the empire's eternal prosperity." North of Jincheng Ward was the majestic Miaoying Temple White Pagoda, and to the south was the splendidly decorated Capital City God Temple. During the Yuan, Ming, and early Qing dynasties, this area was dotted with banks, gold shops, and businesses. Many wealthy merchants and members of the royal family prospered here, making it a bustling commercial and financial center. In the first year of the Republic of China, the Qing Dynasty Bank here was renamed the Bank of China. Subsequently, other banks such as Mainland Bank, Jincheng Bank, and China Industrial Bank were established, making it a burgeoning banking street. However, during the warlord era, Jincheng Ward gradually declined, and banks and gold shops moved to the Qianmen and Dongcheng districts. Since the Qing Dynasty, Jincheng Ward's name gradually morphed into Jinshi Ward.
Over time, another century passed. From 1992 to 2005, over 700 years after Jincheng Ward was established, a new financial district emerged on the site of the old Jincheng Ward, stretching from the Bank of China Building near the Fuxingmen Interchange in the north to the headquarters of the People's Bank of China near the Fuxingmen Interchange in the south. This 1.7-kilometer-long, 600-meter-wide area became a modern architectural complex with a distinctive national style and contemporary features, covering an area of 3 million square meters. This area, known as Beijing Financial Street, became one of the Asia-Pacific region's financial centers.
Financial Street gathered the People's Bank of China, China Banking Regulatory Commission, China Securities Regulatory Commission, China Insurance Regulatory Commission, and numerous large domestic and international financial institutions and state-owned enterprise headquarters. It was one of Beijing's most concentrated areas of capital, technology, and knowledge, with the fastest-growing tax revenue. It also became China's financial decision-making and regulatory center, asset management center, financial payment and settlement center, and financial information center.
The street featured numerous international financial institutions, five-star hotels, financial clubs, international conference centers, international schools, and high-end apartments, creating a high-end international urban community.
Murong Feng had rarely visited Financial Street before. He frequented areas rich in cultural and artistic atmosphere and seldom ventured into this wealth district. Driving through the area, he was impressed by the various skyscrapers, feeling like he was in Manhattan, marveling at Beijing's rapid development.
Arriving at the UBS Private Banking office on the 28th floor of the Yinglan Building, Murong Feng quickly liked the warmly decorated, club-like office. The cozy yellow sofas, the wooden coffee table with tea sets, and the calligraphy on the walls gave it a welcoming feel. When Zhou Haitao personally brewed a pot of tea and handed it to him, Murong Feng couldn't help but praise, "Zhou Haitao, your office is really nice!"
Zhou Haitao smiled, "Actually, our clients are usually very busy and rarely have the chance to visit our office. It's an honor to have you here today, Mr. Feng." Murong Feng smiled and waved his hand, "Zhou Haitao, you're too kind." The previous day's conversation had gone well, and Zhou Haitao had started calling him Mr. Feng. Despite Murong Feng's attempts to correct him, he let it go.
"Mr. Feng, given the significant amount of funds you are entrusting us with, I will personally serve as your dedicated financial manager. We will form a wealth management team comprising senior investment managers from both Beijing and Hong Kong to oversee the entire investment process. We will report the investment progress to you daily via email and monthly through face-to-face meetings," Zhou Haitao explained.
Murong Feng found this surprising. "Just 50 million is enough to get you personally involved? What about your other major clients?" He was astonished, thinking about Beijing's numerous billionaires and how he was just a small figure yet had garnered the attention of UBS's managing director.
Understanding Murong Feng's confusion, Zhou Haitao explained that the true billionaires on the Forbes list usually didn't use private banking services. They either invested directly in joint-stock banks, like Liu Yonghao with Minsheng Bank, invested heavily in industries, or held large amounts of wealth in stocks, which represented their control over their companies and were rarely sold.
As a result, the real major clients of private banks were those with assets between 50 million and 500 million yuan, such as small and medium-sized business owners and senior managers, who were affluent upper-middle-class individuals. These people had considerable assets but limited liquidity, making Murong Feng, with his 50 million, a significant client for private banking.
Moreover, Zhou Haitao did not serve only one client; he managed several high-net-worth clients simultaneously. This explanation made Murong Feng understand better.
While they talked and drank tea, the secretary and other staff had already completed the necessary procedures. As he saw Murong Feng out, Zhou Haitao handed him a gift box, smiling, "Thank you, Mr. Feng, for choosing UBS. This is a small gift. I hope you like it. Also, the day after tomorrow, we are hosting a wine tasting event with the Beijing Club. I hope you can attend. I know you enjoy wine, and there will be an '82 Lafite, which I'm sure you'll love! The membership card for the Beijing Club and the invitation to the wine tasting are in the gift box. Please honor us with your presence."
Hearing about the '82 Lafite, Murong Feng was delighted. The 1982 vintage was the best in the last 50 years, and he had been searching for it for a long time. He agreed immediately.
Back in his car, he opened the gift box to find a sleek Vertu Constellation series matte platinum phone. Murong Feng shook his head, marveling at the generosity of foreign banks. He would never have bought a 200,000-yuan phone for himself, but now someone had gifted him one. However, thinking about the 50 million yuan he had just invested with UBS, Murong Feng felt at ease. He set the phone aside and picked up the Beijing Club membership card and the wine tasting invitation.
The bilingual membership certificate featured a man holding a coffee cup, standing before a 360-degree floor-to-ceiling window overlooking Beijing, with the caption "A View from the Top." The entire image exuded grandeur and tranquility, seemingly even carrying the faint aroma of coffee. Murong Feng admired it. The Beijing Club, one of the top legendary private members' clubs, indeed looked extraordinary. The wine tasting event seemed interesting.
Three days later, in the evening, on the 50th floor of Beijing Club Tower, Beijing Club.
Murong Feng sat comfortably on a sofa by the window in the lobby, looking out at the night view with a glass of the 1982 Lafite that Zhou Haitao had enticed him with earlier. About 100 guests had attended the wine tasting event, mostly UBS private banking clients and some Beijing Club members. UBS hosted such events to thank their clients and attract new high-end clients from the club.
In the club's concert hall, they had even managed to invite the famous Japanese pianist Yukiie Nishimura to perform, drawing many guests to enjoy the music.
Murong Feng preferred the panoramic night view from the 50th floor, so he stayed in the lobby instead of joining the concert.
"Ah! It's you!" A surprised female voice called out. Murong Feng looked up to see a stunningly beautiful face with an astonished expression. He stood up and smiled, "Hello, Miss Tang." It was Tang Qing, the marketing director of Mercedes-Benz, whom he had met at the launch event and whom Zhao Feng had warned him not to provoke.
Tang Qing still looked surprised. She sat down on the sofa opposite him, staring at him curiously. "Aren't you the talented editor from Ruoruo's magazine?" She seemed to struggle to remember his name.
"Yes, my name is Murong Feng," he prompted with a friendly smile.
"Oh, right, Murong Feng! I gave you my card and told you to call me, but you never did. Why?" She remembered and then started to complain. Murong Feng could only smile wryly. She had forgotten his name, so why would he call her? He had actually heeded Zhao Feng's advice and avoided contacting this beautiful yet seemingly complex woman.
Tang Qing's eyes sparkled with mischief. "Murong, what's your relationship with Ouyang Lanruo? Are you her lover?" Murong Feng's expression changed. Tang Qing's bluntness felt insulting. He replied stiffly, "No! We're just friends."
Tang Qing saw his reaction and immediately smiled brightly, "Really? Then I'm relieved. Are we friends now?" Murong Feng, puzzled by her pure and innocent demeanor, nodded, "Of course." Anyone would find it hard to refuse such a beautiful woman's friendly overtures.
"Great, since we're friends, can you be my date tonight?" Tang Qing's request was as shocking as her previous statement. Murong Feng was taken aback, "What, a date?"
"Yes, why? Don't you want to?" Tang Qing looked at him challengingly. Murong Feng was confused, "Miss Tang, don't tease me. This is a wine tasting, not a dance. Why would you need a date?"
Tang Qing waved her hand dismissively. "I thought it was just a wine tasting, too, but there's always someone trying to pester me. I need a date as a shield. I find you agreeable and you're Ruoruo's subordinate, so I'm giving you this opportunity!" She laughed. Murong Feng smiled wryly. How could he serve as her shield?
Before he could respond, Tang Qing continued, "And call me Janey, or Sister Qing, not Miss Tang. It sounds weird." Murong Feng slightly frowned but smiled without saying anything.
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