Chapter 1006: The Cocktail Party Everyone Is Talking About!
The next morning!
In his sleep, Li Yi seemed to hear a clinking sound coming from downstairs, and he woke up immediately.
Opening his eyes and confirming the sounds were indeed coming from downstairs, he quickly got dressed, got out of bed, opened the door, and went downstairs.
As soon as he reached the staircase, he saw Chen Chuhong and Chen Chuying, brother and sister, directing a group of men and women as they bustled about in the living room.
In addition, there were quite a few vehicles and people outside, seemingly setting something up.
Li Yi suddenly remembered: yesterday afternoon, he had called Old Huang to tell him about the cocktail party he was hosting at his home that evening.
Li Yi had originally intended to invite Old Huang’s entire family to the party, but after Old Huang learned of the situation, he said he would send people to help with the preparations.
Clearly, this task had fallen to the siblings, Chen Chuhong and Chen Chuying.
Without delay, Li Yi hurried toward the living room.
As soon as Li Yi came downstairs, Chen Chuhong spotted him and immediately walked over with a smile.
“Sis-in-law, thanks for your help!”
Chen Chuhong replied with a smile, “It’s only natural. With your wife not here, how could you, as a man, possibly handle everything on your own!”
Li Yi looked at the people bustling about. He saw that they were not only setting up an outdoor kitchen and a buffet table outside, but some were also building a stage.
Some were even unloading various sound equipment from a large truck.
Seeing all this, it was clear this party was no small affair.
“Sis-in-law, is it really necessary to build a special stage? We haven’t invited any celebrities to perform!” Li Yi said.
“Of course we are! I’ve already had people contact quite a few bands and singers—they’ll all be performing tonight. We can’t do without a stage!” Chen Chuhong replied.
“Do we really need to go to such great lengths?”
To be honest, Li Yi’s purpose in hosting this cocktail party was not only to foster relationships but, more importantly, to attract investment for his domestic business.
So, he hadn’t even considered all that superficial nonsense.
Chen Chuhong glanced at Li Yi and said, “Brother Li Yi, I don’t suppose you’ve seen today’s newspaper yet?”
“The newspaper?”
“Yes. News that you’re hosting a business cocktail party at your home has spread like wildfire. Multiple newspapers have reported on it, and it’s quickly sparked heated discussion among the business community, political circles, the entertainment industry, and the general public.”
Chen Chuhong continued, “Right now, this reception has captured the nation’s attention. It’s even overshadowing the Legislative Council plenary session the government is holding tomorrow—we can’t take this lightly!”
Li Yi was taken aback at first, then said with a look of surprise, “How did this happen? I just wanted to bring everyone together for some fun and to discuss a few business matters on the side—I didn’t intend for it to get this complicated.”
Chen Chuhong smiled and said, “You’re not the same person you were two years ago. The people of Hong Kong Island may not know the Governor or the Commissioner of Police, but there’s no way they don’t know you.”
“Is it really that exaggerated?” Li Yi asked with a laugh.
Chen Chuhong replied immediately, “Not a bit exaggerated. You’re not only the leader of Hong Kong’s business community, but also the pride of us Chinese.”
“Who in Hong Kong doesn’t know by now? It was you who forced the police to crack down on those vicious triads, seeking justice and revenge for us ordinary citizens. It was you who made the Governor’s Office bow their heads and apologize. And it was you who led the Chinese Chamber of Commerce to defeat those foreign conglomerates, bringing glory to the Chinese people.”
“Right now, you are a hero in the eyes of the ordinary people of Hong Kong Island, so naturally, your every move is closely watched!”
After hearing Chen Chuhong’s explanation, Li Yi felt a complex mix of emotions—touching, yet also anxious, but above all, deeply ashamed.
His original intention in taking down those triad organizations wasn’t to stand up for the common people and seek justice for them, but to counter the underhanded tactics employed by the Governor’s Office.
But he never expected the public to misunderstand…
With that in mind, Li Yi nodded and said, “In that case, we can’t cut corners on this cocktail party!”
“Right. I’ve arranged for the professional banquet team at the Emperor Hotel, and I’ve invited several well-known bands and singers to perform. Captain Yan has also deployed a squad from the security company to maintain order. I’ll make sure this cocktail party is a resounding success!” Chen Chuhong said.
“I’ll leave it to you, Sister-in-law. Just handle the arrangements. When the time comes, have them settle the bill directly with Manager Zhao Xinlan at the company!” Li Yi said.
“Alright…”
………
Before long, it was 5:00 PM.
There was still an hour left before the cocktail party began.
But traffic jams had already begun to form all along the foot of Taiping Mountain, with large numbers of police officers stationed there to maintain order.
Meanwhile, the Genting Villa District was already bustling with traffic and teeming with activity.
The large conference room on the top floor of Cloudtop No. 1 was packed to the brim; all full members of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce had arrived.
They had been notified of an impromptu meeting to be held before the cocktail party began, so they had all arrived well in advance.
Gathered in small groups of three or five, they were discussing business matters, exchanging gossip about prominent families, or talking about international events…
The atmosphere was electric!
Just then, the conference room door swung open, and Li Yi, Li Futiao, Huang Lixing, and others walked in together.
Seeing this, everyone in the room immediately stopped talking, and all eyes turned to Li Yi.
Li Yi and his group strode to the front of the conference room and took their seats at the head table.
As the convener of the meeting and the organizer of the reception, it was naturally up to Li Yi to deliver the opening remarks.
He raised his hand in a gesture of silence, signaling everyone to quiet down.
Then, Li Yi began, “I’ve invited everyone here today under the guise of a cocktail party. Aside from encouraging more interaction among you all, there are a few matters I’d like to discuss with everyone. I hope I haven’t inconvenienced you!”
No sooner had he finished speaking than Li Futao chimed in with a smile, “Brother Li Yi, you’re being far too modest. This is a rare opportunity that money can’t buy—how could you possibly call it an inconvenience?”
“That’s right—this is a tremendous opportunity. Others would kill to be here,” He Dongying chimed in with a laugh.
“You’re absolutely right. Brother Li Yi, you have no idea—right now, invitations to these cocktail parties are being resold for 100,000 Hong Kong dollars each, and even then, they’re practically impossible to get…”
……….
Listening to everyone chipping in with their comments, Li Yi was in high spirits.
“Thank you all for coming. With less than an hour left before the cocktail party begins, let’s get down to business!”
Li Yi continued, “The first thing I want to address is the 50 billion Hong Kong dollars I borrowed from you all a while back. That matter has now been resolved, and the company is ready to repay the money to everyone.”
Before anyone could react, Li Yi suddenly clapped his hands toward the door.
Immediately, Starry Sky’s CFO, Zhao Xinlan, entered the room accompanied by several staff members, carrying a stack of documents.
After entering the conference room, they immediately approached Li Futiao, He Dongying, Li Chaoren, Bao Chuanwang, and Old Huo, handing them the documents and asking them to sign.
When they read the contents of the documents, they were all stunned.
“Brother Li Yi, what are you doing? Our Li family clearly only invested 5 billion. Why are you returning so much?” Li Futiao said, looking utterly astonished.
Li Yi smiled and said, “When we arranged this loan, I made it clear: if we lose money, it’s considered a loan from me, Li Yi, to you; if we make a profit, it counts as your investment. Now that we’ve made a profit, naturally we must settle it as an investment.”
“That’s out of the question! Besides, even if we treat it as an investment, there’s no way it could be this much!” Li Futiao protested.
“Don’t worry. This is calculated based on the overall return on the company’s short-term investment. Without taking any commission, this is indeed the amount!” Li Yi said.
“Brother Li Yi, this is way too much—we can’t accept it!”
“Exactly. We agreed it was a loan—how could we possibly accept extra money?”
“Exactly. If we take this money, what kind of people would we be…”
Li Yi tapped the conference table in front of him to signal for silence, then said with a smile, “In my view, no amount of money can buy the trust you’ve placed in me. You’ve treated me like a brother, so naturally I won’t treat you as outsiders. Go ahead and sign the documents—I have more important matters to discuss with you all.”
Seeing that Li Futiao and the others were about to speak up, Li Yi turned to him and said, “Old Li, you’re the president of our Chamber of Commerce and my elder brother. You need to set an example for everyone!”
Seeing the determination on Li Yi’s face, Li Futiao knew this wasn’t just for show. He nodded immediately and signed his name on the document.
Seeing this, the others all signed their names as well…
……….