Core Viewpoint - The article discusses the recent financial troubles of Shi Yuzhu, a prominent businessman, due to frozen shares and guarantees made for friends, highlighting the risks associated with personal guarantees in business dealings [4][21][26]. Group 1: Share Freezing Events - Shi Yuzhu's shares worth over 3.9 billion yuan have been frozen, with the latest incident involving 277 million yuan in shares from Guangxi Beibu Gulf Bank [3][4]. - The previous freezing occurred in May 2023, where Giant Investment was implicated in a 490 million yuan execution case related to Lu Zhiyuan [4][10]. - The total amount of frozen shares related to Shi Yuzhu has exceeded 3.9 billion yuan, including significant amounts from companies he has been associated with [20][21]. Group 2: Personal Guarantees and Financial Impact - Shi Yuzhu has been involved in multiple guarantee cases, including a notable 1.8 billion yuan guarantee for Zhao Wei and her ex-husband, which led to significant financial repercussions for him [21][22]. - The article mentions that Shi Yuzhu's guarantees have resulted in a cumulative liability of approximately 5.8 billion yuan, highlighting the risks of high-leverage and personal guarantees in the capital market [21][26]. - Despite these challenges, Shi Yuzhu's company, Giant Network, has shown resilience with a reported revenue of 2.923 billion yuan in 2024, indicating a slight decrease but a significant profit increase of 31.15% [23][24]. Group 3: Return to Core Business - Following advice to focus on game development, Shi Yuzhu returned to Giant Network in September 2022, leading to a revitalization of the company's flagship game, "Zhengtu" [22][23]. - The introduction of new game features and marketing strategies has attracted over 25 million new users for the "Zhengtu" series, contributing significantly to revenue [23][24]. - The stock price of Giant Network has seen a substantial increase of approximately 74% since May 2025, reflecting positive market sentiment despite the ongoing financial issues [23][24]. Group 4: Historical Context and Future Outlook - Shi Yuzhu's business journey has been marked by cycles of debt and recovery, dating back to the 1990s when he faced significant financial challenges [25][26]. - The article suggests that despite his current wealth, the ongoing issues with frozen shares and personal guarantees may continue to pose risks to his financial stability and business operations [26][27]. - The narrative emphasizes the lessons learned from Shi Yuzhu's experiences, particularly regarding the dangers of mixing personal relationships with business commitments [27].

Investment Rating - The report maintains a "Buy" rating for the company, indicating an expected stock price increase of over 15% compared to the benchmark index [3][11]. Core Insights - The company achieved a record high net profit attributable to shareholders of 14.25 billion RMB in 2024, representing a year-on-year increase of 31.15%. The total revenue for the same year was 29.23 billion RMB, remaining stable compared to the previous year [1]. - In Q1 2025, the company reported revenue of 7.24 billion RMB, a year-on-year increase of 3.94%, while the net profit attributable to shareholders was 3.48 billion RMB, a slight decrease of 1.29% [1]. - The company is actively exploring the integration of gaming and AI, with significant user growth in its gaming IPs, particularly on mini-program platforms [2]. Financial Performance Summary - For 2024, the company reported total revenue of 29.23 billion RMB, with a net profit of 14.25 billion RMB, and a non-recurring net profit of 16.23 billion RMB, showing increases of 31.15% and 18.23% year-on-year, respectively [1]. - The company plans to distribute a cash dividend of 1.40 RMB per share to shareholders, totaling 5.3 billion RMB for the year [1]. - The financial forecast for EPS is projected at 0.84, 0.94, and 1.01 RMB for 2025, 2026, and 2027, respectively, with corresponding PE ratios of 17, 16, and 14 times [3]. Business Development Summary - The company has seen significant success in its gaming segment, particularly with the "Zhengtu" IP, which attracted over 25 million new users on mini-programs, generating 600 million RMB in revenue [2]. - The company is enhancing its AI capabilities, integrating AI features into its games, and collaborating with major tech firms to expand its AI ecosystem [2].