Chapter Sixty-Five: Conversation

"That's right! The current environment in our country may not suit you, but soon there will be a place just right for your talents! Besides, you've been away from home for seven or eight years now, haven't you? Don’t you want to go back and see your family?" the second-generation leader asked.

"You’ve investigated me?" Wei Hua knew that, sooner or later, someone would uncover his origins, but he hadn’t expected to learn of it so soon and so directly.

"Young man! Don’t be so sensitive. It’s not as if you’ve done anything disgraceful, so what is there to fear if people know? For someone who has made contributions to the people, naturally we want to understand a bit more about you. Hong Kong, after all, belongs to the Chinese people; for us, verifying a few things there is not difficult. And in the course of our investigation, we found something quite fascinating: you only obtained your Hong Kong identification in 1972, and it was also in 1972 that you left to study in the United States. Prior to this, there’s no record of you in Hong Kong at all—not even a birth certificate. This has piqued the interest and speculation of many among us. After much discussion, we concluded that you are not truly from Hong Kong. So, we continued our search according to this theory, and found someone with the same name as you. However, this person has been missing for many years. Would you like to hear about him?" The second-generation leader smiled as he questioned Wei Hua.

"No need! Don’t you know what it means to disappear? I am that missing person. But what does that have to do with why you’ve called me here today? Surely you’re not planning to drag me back, are you?" Wei Hua knew that was impossible; after all, he was now a Hong Kong resident.

"Well, maybe just a little! I brought this up merely to assure you that, when you’re talking to me, you can speak freely and without reservation. You have no secrets here; we can talk openly. Everyone who knows you says you’re a genius—at the very least, I know you’re a man of ideas. At just eleven or twelve, you were already charting out ideals and goals for your future, and actively pursuing them. That’s no small feat. We’ve now come to realize that both socialist and capitalist nations must engage in economic development. Relying solely on politics without economics is unrealistic. We are about to embark on large-scale economic construction, and we need capital and technology—both of which you possess. You could invest back home, and we could offer you certain preferential policies. What do you think?" the second-generation leader asked directly.

"That’s not a problem! But it will take some time. Right now, all my funds are tied up in a major investment project, and I’ll need about a year before I can free them up. After that, I’ll be able to invest in China. But I do have some concerns—you know the domestic system is quite different from that of the United States. The environment is not really conducive to economic development. The planned economy has significant limitations. And how would companies like mine even be integrated into the plan?" Wei Hua deliberately raised the question.

"You little rascal! Trying to put me on the spot, eh? Still, I might as well tell you now, since it will soon be implemented anyway. We’re aware of the issues with the planned economy. In the early days of our nation, it injected tremendous vitality into our economic development and achieved great successes. So, many of our comrades still believe in the planned economy and see it as our chosen path. All we need is the planned economy, they say. But we also believe in dialectical materialism, and we know that any extreme is abnormal—this applies to the national economy as well. Thus, we’re preparing to establish special zones in the south, where we’ll experiment with a liberal economy, comparing its strengths and weaknesses with the planned model, to learn from both as we move forward. You can invest all your funds in these special zones, so you can rest assured, can’t you?" The second-generation leader offered his explanation. Wei Hua understood what he was referring to; according to the records, on January 31, 1979, the Central Committee and the State Council decided to establish an industrial zone in Shekou, Guangdong, funded and organized by the China Merchants Group in Hong Kong. This marked the beginning of the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone.

"By the way, young man! You mentioned you’re working on a major investment plan. I remember you made your fortune through venture capital—are you investing in another venture this time? Could you tell me more? If it’s a good deal, count me in!" the second-generation leader said to Wei Hua. Wei Hua’s jaw couldn’t help but drop at those words; he had never imagined a national leader would discuss business with him in an embassy, and even hint at investing alongside him. The second-generation leader, seeing Wei Hua’s reaction, joked:

"Why are you so shocked? I’m not trying to snatch your money, just hoping to hitch a ride on your coattails and make a little pocket change. Is that so surprising? Don’t you know I’m quite poor—my monthly salary is only a bit over two hundred yuan. I, too, would like to experience the life of the wealthy!" Knowing he was joking, Wei Hua replied:

"It’s nothing really! This time I’m speculating in oil futures. The Iranian Islamic Revolution has had a major impact on the global oil futures market, and I estimate that from this year on, oil prices will rise sharply. This is an opportunity, so I’ve invested all my American company’s funds—about 1.9 billion US dollars—into this. It’s a long-term plan, expected to last about a year before it’s done. So, any investment in China will have to wait at least another year."

"That’s fine. Investment can happen at any time; as long as you’re willing to bring your money home, that’s what matters. We’re not just building the economy for a day. What I really want to know now is: how likely are you to succeed?" the second-generation leader asked.

"Eighty percent chance. I’m quite sure oil prices will rise," Wei Hua answered with confidence.

"In that case, I definitely want in on this! As the saying goes, true friends share both fortune and hardship. You’re our friend, so we should support you, don’t you think?" the second-generation leader retorted.

"Sir! You can’t be serious!" Wei Hua could hardly believe the leader’s suggestion.

"I’m not joking! I mean it. After we part, just wait—someone will contact you. But let me be clear: you’d better take good care of that money. If anything goes wrong, I’ll be holding you responsible!" the second-generation leader said in a half-joking tone.

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