Chapter 1008: Dolsen’s Plea for Help!

Seeing everyone looking at him, Li Yi fell silent.

To be honest, he really hadn’t expected Li Futiao to propose such terms.

Li Yi’s original intention was not to get too deeply involved in this matter; he merely wanted to explain the market prospects of investing in infrastructure to these people, and then have local governments across the country reach out to them.

Of course, if necessary, he could also act as a go-between for both parties.

To put it bluntly, Li Yi just wanted to play matchmaker—he had no intention of becoming the groom himself.

The reason for this was, on the one hand, that infrastructure investment was too cumbersome and complex, with a long investment cycle—Li Yi simply didn’t have that much time to devote to it.

If he had the time and energy, he could make more money by chasing short-term gains in the stock market.

On the other hand, it was to avoid the appearance of impropriety. After all, engaging in infrastructure investment inevitably involves dealing with Jiang Longyin, Jiang Longze, and even his own father-in-law; one misstep could lead to suspicions of improper influence.

Since Li Yi wasn’t short on money, he naturally didn’t want to get involved in such trouble.

At the same time, however, Li Yi understood what Li Futiao was getting at.

To put it simply, Old Li and his team just want a guarantee…

After all, they aren’t particularly familiar with the situation on the mainland, and they can’t stay there long-term to keep an eye on the project.

And infrastructure investment is notoriously capital-intensive and long-term; they’re genuinely afraid that if there’s a policy reversal over there, the hundreds of billions of their funds will go down the drain.

If he were to step in and set up a company specifically to handle infrastructure investments there, those concerns would disappear.

After all, everyone knows Li Yi’s background—the state stands behind him. With Li Yi leading the charge, there’s naturally no need to worry about the money going down the drain.

After thinking this through, Li Yi paused briefly before saying, “Old Li, I accept your terms. I will invest 50 billion Hong Kong dollars to establish a new investment company dedicated to investing in the mainland. I welcome all of you to invest and participate!”

Although Li Yi had reservations, they weren’t insurmountable—especially since the country was currently in urgent need of substantial foreign exchange.

Furthermore, since the proposal came from Li Futiao, he couldn’t bring himself to refuse outright, so he simply agreed.

“Very well. The Li family always keeps its word. Tomorrow, 10 billion Hong Kong dollars will be transferred to Starry Sky Company. Furthermore, regarding the new company, our family will only hold shares and receive dividends—we will not participate in day-to-day management decisions!” Li Futao declared.

“The He family is the same—10 billion Hong Kong dollars will be transferred tomorrow!”

“As for the Bao family…”

With the Li, He, and Bao families setting the example, other members of the Chamber of Commerce responded enthusiastically. Even before the new company was officially established, it had already secured over 120 billion Hong Kong dollars in committed capital.

Subsequently, Li Yi engaged in in-depth discussions with everyone regarding the new company’s equity distribution, organizational structure, and operational plans.

The meeting finally concluded just as the cocktail reception was about to begin…

……….

At 6:30 p.m., the sun had begun to set, and the heat had subsided compared to the afternoon. The cocktail reception officially began.

This reception was not only large in scale but also of an exceptionally high caliber.

Not only had all members of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce attended with their families, but key figures from Dolsons and the British-owned conglomerate had also been invited.

Even the British Hong Kong government had sent a significant delegation, including Commissioner of Police Maxley and Chief Chinese Inspector Lam Lok-lam.

With representatives from Hong Kong Island’s political, business, and entertainment circles in attendance, tonight’s reception was no longer merely a business gathering; it had become a grand gathering of the island’s high society.

In the eyes of Li Futao, He Dongying, and others, this reception felt more like the coronation ceremony for Li Yi, the new king.

For from this moment on, across the entire island of Hong Kong, Li Yi had become the undisputed king…

……….

Although the scale of the reception was somewhat beyond Li Yi’s expectations, thanks to the help of Chen Chuhong, Chen Chuying, and the Qinglong Society in organizing it, as well as the on-site security provided by Shield Security, everything was well prepared.

Li Yi, having considerable experience with such events, handled the occasion with ease and poise.

After a brief opening speech, he handed the task of warming up the crowd over to a professional emcee, while he himself, glass of red wine in hand, struck up a casual conversation with Li Futao and others.

Just as everyone was deep in conversation, Dolsen walked over with a glass of wine. After clinking glasses with Li Yi, he asked if they could speak privately.

Li Yi didn’t refuse. Now that Dolsen had struck out on his own and had based his family’s core business in Hong Kong, he was bound to become a fixture in the city’s business circles.

Plus, the guy was smart—he’d sided with Li Yi twice in a row. So, in Li Yi’s eyes, he was now, at the very least, half a member of his inner circle.

Since he wanted to talk to him privately, Li Yi naturally intended to grant him that courtesy.

Led by Li Yi, the two went straight to a small meeting room upstairs.

After entering and taking their seats, Li Yi asked with a smile, “Tea or coffee?”

“Tea, please. It’s not a good idea to drink coffee after having a drink!” said Dolsen.

Li Yi immediately brewed a pot of Longjing tea and poured a cup for each of them.

“Go ahead, what’s on your mind?”

Dorson glanced at Li Yi, then asked, “Did you send invitations to Maxley and the others?”

“Yes, why?” Li Yi asked.

“Seeing those guys at an event like this is really off-putting.”

Dorson blew on the tea in his cup and continued, “Honestly, Li, inviting them to a reception like this isn’t a good idea. Even if you extend goodwill toward them, those guys might not appreciate it!”

Li Yi detected a strong sense of disgust in Dolsen’s tone, which showed just how much he disliked Maxley, Lin Luolan, and the others.

“Haha, I don’t need them to appreciate it. I invited them for a different reason!” Li Yi said.

“May I ask what that reason is?”

Li Yi smiled and said, “Dawson, you have some understanding of Chinese culture. Do you know what the teachings of Confucius and Mencius are?”

“I know that Confucius and Mencius are two highly wise figures in your Chinese culture, comparable in stature to our Western thinkers like Socrates, Aristotle, and Plato, but I don’t know much about their philosophy!” Dolsen replied honestly.

Li Yi smiled and said, “The essence of the Way of Confucius and Mencius lies in emphasizing the cultivation and practice of core virtues such as benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and integrity. You might not quite grasp that, so let me put it this way: it is a philosophy that transcends both the ‘Way of Hegemony’ prevalent in the Western world and the ‘Way of Kingship’ prevalent in the East.”

“The Way of Hegemony? The Way of the Ruler? The teachings of Confucius and Mencius?”

This barrage of unfamiliar terms instantly made Dolsen acutely aware of his own lack of knowledge.

Seeing the bewildered look on Dolsen’s face, Li Yi immediately explained, “Put it this way: the ‘Way of the King’ is when you slap your opponent across the face if they don’t obey, while the ‘Way of the Hegemon’ is when you slap them whenever you feel like it—even if they do obey. It’s all about doing whatever you please!”

“What about the Way of Confucius and Mencius?” Dowson asked instinctively.

“You give them a heads-up before you slap them!”

Dawson: !@#￥%……

You have to give a verbal warning before slapping someone? This is indeed a philosophy that transcends both the “Way of the King” and the “Way of the Hegemon.”

Dawson was a smart guy, and since Li Yi had explained it in such plain terms, he quickly grasped why Li Yi had invited Maxley and the others over.

Put simply, it was a show of force to let them know not to get out of line—or else he’d beat them up.

That’s exactly what Li Yi had in mind. He wanted to invite them here on this occasion so they’d see just how powerful the Chinese Chamber of Commerce had become.

Keeping a low profile and acting discreetly are certainly virtues, but they must be applied at the right time and in the right place.

At the very least, for Li Yi and the Chinese Chamber of Commerce right now, keeping a low profile was not what was needed…

After finishing these trivial matters, Dolsen suddenly said, “Li, I need your help!”

“What’s going on? Has the Sassoon family declared war on you?” Li Yi asked, looking at Durson.

“No, it’s the London authorities who’ve stepped in. They’re planning a full-scale crackdown on the Dolsons!”

Upon hearing this, Li Yi’s expression immediately turned serious…

……….