Chapter 171: The Busiest Kid in the World!

A few days later, the city streets were bustling with activity at night, the charcoal fires at barbecue stalls flickering and burning in the urban chaos.
"That Du Yuanhang, just a few days ago he was all mournful, saying he'd been a spendthrift general manager and hadn't done a single thing.
And guess what? Now he's the busiest person in the world."
Huang Fengwen said cheerfully as he poured Su Hao a drink.
"Is General Manager Du really that busy…?"
"Absolutely. Oil prices have gone crazy, haven't they? Those international competitors who were trying to squeeze us out by burning through cash are now completely dumbfounded.
This time, even a god couldn't hold on; they've all surrendered. Operating costs just couldn't keep up, so they had no choice but to raise prices."
"And us, our prices haven't changed?" Su Hao asked with a smile.
"No, we've raised prices a bit too." Chairman Huang's smile held a shrewd, businessman's edge.
"But even with the price increase, Fanghuan Shipping's quotes are still the lowest in the entire market.
So, orders from all directions are pouring in like snowflakes.
Du Yuanhang is currently leading his team, signing contracts everywhere until his hands cramp!"
It's said that Du Yuanhang is incredibly busy, working non-stop for days, but the smile on his face hasn't faded; he's always cheerful to everyone he meets.
"Du Yuanhang also said he insists on treating you to a meal sometime to thank you properly.
He said if it weren't for you asking him to buy that batch of oil, his company would be facing a second shutdown."
"Could you bring him along today?"
"Haha, didn't I tell you? He's the 'busiest guy in the world' right now.
Orders are overflowing, and he's having a headache figuring out where to find so many ships to handle all this work."
Fang Huan Shipping's own fleet isn't enough; they have to rent ships.
But right now, the order volume is terrifying. Even if they rented every ship available on the market, they might not be able to handle it all.
"So he's thinking of partnering with other domestic shipping companies.
We'll take the orders, then outsource the work to them, taking a hefty commission."
"Will the other companies accept?"
"Do they have a choice?" Chairman Huang sneered.
"We've sucked the entire market dry. If they don't take our outsourcing orders, they can only watch their companies starve.
Even if we take a hefty commission, they'll have to grit their teeth and accept it."
Holding 22.5 million barrels of low-priced fuel oil, that's Fanghuan Shipping's confidence.
Even if they have to pay some storage fees, what does that matter compared to the enormous profits they're about to reap?
“Du Yuanhang did the math for me. He said that if we utilize this batch of oil properly, after deducting all operating and storage costs, our initial investment of six billion yuan could at least triple to five times.
Of course, that's assuming the oil price stays stable for a while.”
Currently, crude oil prices have broken through $50 and are hurtling towards OPEC's target of $60.
“Since OPEC has stated its intention to stabilize prices at $60, it's likely they'll continue to maintain this price level through production cuts in the short term.
Heh heh, so does that mean Fanghuan Shipping can just sit back and count their money?”
“Yes. Actually, I think the price isn't high enough…” Su Hao clicked his tongue with a hint of regret.
“If it could go up a bit further, like to $70, that would be perfect.”
Of course, he knew this was just wishful thinking.
There are too many stakeholders involved. Forcing the price to $60 was already a risky move by OPEC.
The whole world is in chaos because of the sudden surge in oil prices.
Just look at the shipping industry; the fact that it forced its wealthy foreign counterparts to surrender shows how serious the situation is.
“Gas stations are going crazy now; 95-octane gasoline is almost $10 a liter,” Huang Fengwen remarked.
This sudden shock therapy caused an abnormal surge in oil prices in the short term, but it will eventually return to rationality.
Before that, Su Hao also needs to liquidate his positions in the futures market.
"The futures positions haven't been closed yet, right?"
"No." Su Hao shook his head. "I plan to wait until the price reaches our expected level before gradually selling off in batches."
This isn't the foreign exchange market where you can wipe out billions in one click. Selling in batches is necessary to maximize profits without disturbing the market.
"So, with our 20 billion principal, we should be able to earn about 10 billion?"
"Pretty much." Su Hao replied casually.
"Hiss..."
Chairman Huang gasped, shook his head, and downed his drink in one gulp.
He knew all too well that in the capital market, once the amount of capital exceeds hundreds of millions, achieving a high rate of return becomes exponentially more difficult.
"But you... you actually managed to achieve a 50% profit margin with 20 billion principal..."
The money earned from this deal more than recouped the cost of acquiring Fanghuan Shipping, with some left over.
"This isn't an investment, it's practically a cashback deal!" Huang Fengwen said half-jokingly.
"You bet!" Su Hao chuckled. "Those rich guys in the Middle East are so kind, they gave us a super cross-border cashback. Haha."
Hearing this, Chairman Huang couldn't help but laugh heartily, refilling Su Hao's glass.
"I, Huang Fengwen, have been incredibly lucky in my life.
Su Hao, if it weren't for you, Fanghuan Investment would never have developed to where it is today in such a short time."
"Brother Huang, you flatter me. If you hadn't pulled me out of the mire, I wouldn't be where I am today."
"No," Huang Fengwen shook his head, his eyes more serious than ever before,
"Even without me, with your abilities, you would have soared to great heights sooner or later."
Su Hao sensed something was amiss.
Why has the atmosphere suddenly become so…emotional?
Huang Fengwen's words today are probably loaded with meaning.
"Brother Huang, all this build-up and gǎnkǎi, a feeling of deep emotion or reflection, is there something you want to tell me?"
"Yes, there's something... I've actually been thinking about it for a long time."
Su Hao smiled, pouring Huang Fengwen a drink as he casually asked:
"What is it that makes you so serious?"
Huang Fengwen took a deep breath and said:
"How about you becoming the chairman?"
Su Hao's hand, which was pouring wine, froze in mid-air.
He looked up and met Huang Fengwen's gaze.
Huang Fengwen stared at him intently and said, word by word:
"Take my seat."