Chapter 491: The Road Ahead!

The Next Day!

By the time Li Yi got out of bed, it was already 9:00 a.m., and the stock market had already opened.

The reason he slept in so late was mainly because he had partied so hard the night before; he hadn’t gotten back until 1:00 a.m.

With Huang Lixing as their host, Li Yi, Lan Xinyi, and the others not only enjoyed the most expensive steak and wine on Hong Kong Island, but also, led by Huang Lixing, paid a visit to the island’s largest casino.

Li Yi had been on a winning streak last night. Huang Lixing had exchanged 100,000 Hong Kong dollars for chips for him, and not only did he not lose it all, but by the time they left the casino, he had actually won 40,000 Hong Kong dollars.

Of course, Li Yi didn’t go to the casino just for fun, and certainly not to gamble.

To him, the stock market is the biggest casino of all; no gambling game is as thrilling as the stock market.

So, if he were simply seeking thrills, he wouldn’t have needed to come to the casino at all.

He went to the casino partly to get a feel for Hong Kong Island and its people. As a place where all sorts of people mingle, the casino offers a glimpse of the world’s diverse characters and the full spectrum of human life.

On the other hand, Li Yi wanted to make an appearance, so that the wealthy families and triad groups of Hong Kong Island—both large and small—would know he existed.

As expected, all the wealthy families in Hong Kong Island have already taken notice of him.

After all, he had raked in massive profits from the Hong Kong stock market three times in less than a month, walking away with hundreds of millions each time—it was impossible not to attract attention.

Especially this last time—by a conservative estimate, his profits amounted to at least several billion Hong Kong dollars.

And since the vast majority of that money belonged to the Hong Kong-British government and the major aristocratic families—only to be plundered by a nobody like him—there were likely plenty of people who felt resentful and unwilling to accept it.

Given Li Yi’s understanding of Hong Kong’s elite families, it was inevitable that some among them would lose their patience and take action against him and Huang Lixing.

Under normal circumstances, the smartest thing for them to do right now would be to stay indoors and lie low.

But Li Yi was not one to play by the rules. If he had merely intended to make a quick profit and leave, hiding would naturally have been the best choice.

But clearly, Li Yi didn’t see it that way.

The current domestic environment isn’t ideal for investment, whereas Hong Kong is one of the fastest-growing regions in all of Asia, so naturally, he wanted to establish a foothold here.

Under these circumstances, hiding was certainly not the best option!

After getting up, Li Yi didn’t head straight to the stock exchange; instead, he summoned Lan Xinyi to his study.

“Mr. Li, you wanted to see me?”

Li Yi nodded and said, “Have a seat. There are a few things I’d like to discuss with you!”

Lan Xinyi had come to understand Li Yi’s temperament by now; she knew he wasn’t one for small talk, so she immediately sat down in the chair across from his desk.

“Mr. Li, what do you want to talk to me about?”

“What kind of contract did you sign with Far East?” Li Yi asked straight to the point.

“A standard employment contract!”

“For how many years?”

“Mine is for five years; everyone else’s is for three!” Lan Xinyi replied.

“How many years are left on your contract, and what’s the penalty for breach?”

“I have one year left, and the penalty is 500,000 Hong Kong dollars!”

Li Yi nodded and said, “I’m planning to set up an investment firm on Hong Kong Island. Would you be interested in working with me? The compensation will definitely be the highest in the industry.”

Lan Xinyi hesitated briefly, then said, “Mr. Li, personally speaking, I would be more than happy to work for you!”

“But we’re members of the Far East Association. Without the Chairman’s approval, we simply can’t leave the Far East Association. A single word from Chairman Li could not only get every company to blacklist us, but our families wouldn’t even be able to survive on Hong Kong Island!”

“What if I were to handle that Chairman Li?” Li Yi said calmly.

“That would be no problem at all!”

“Good. Then it’s settled. You and your team should get ready to start work!”

“Yes!”

Then Lan Xinyi suddenly said, “Mr. Li, shall we go take a look at the stock exchange today?”

“No need. The stock market crash is a foregone conclusion; there won’t be any changes in the short term!” Li Yi said.

Li Yi knew not only that the market wouldn’t stop falling today, but that it would continue to do so for the next week, only beginning to stabilize slightly by early August.

But that would be merely a slight stabilization, not a halt to the decline.

Therefore, during this period, Li Yi had absolutely no need to go to the stock exchange every day!

Although Lan Xinyi didn’t know why Li Yi was so confident in his judgment, she was well aware of her own status and role, so she didn’t press the matter further and simply stepped out.

After Lan Xinyi left, Li Yi fell into deep thought.

If all went as expected, his money-making spree in the stock market would be over in about a week, and it was time to think about what path to take next.

Originally, his trip to Hong Kong Island had two objectives: first, to leverage the stock market crash to “make a profit without risking his own capital,” aiming to complete the second phase of his accumulation.

On the other hand, he intended to help Old Huang extricate himself smoothly from the vortex of the underworld!

As for anything else, he hadn’t given it much thought at the time.

But now, his plan to “borrow a chicken to lay eggs” had essentially succeeded—and he hadn’t just laid one egg, but a whole basketful.

As for helping Old Huang extricate himself from the underworld’s vortex, that was a simple matter.

After all, the security company has already been established, and they’re currently recruiting staff.

When the time comes, he’ll find a way to recruit a group of elite personnel from the mainland to serve as the backbone of the security firm.

With capital, manpower, and legal authorization to possess weapons, by then, not only would Old Huang have extricated himself from the Blue Dragon Society—who would dare say no even if he were to swallow the Blue Dragon Society whole?

As the saying goes, “He who fails to plan ahead will face immediate troubles.” Therefore, the most pressing matter now is to figure out the path forward: whether to take the money back to the mainland or develop his business in Hong Kong.

Li Yi had been pondering this very question for the past few days, but ultimately, he decided that taking the tens of billions of Hong Kong dollars he’d raked in from the Hong Kong stock market back to the mainland wasn’t a wise move.

First, reforms on the mainland had only just begun. Although foreign investment was permitted, there were strict restrictions on both the scale and structure of such investments.

For a country with a per capita GDP of less than $200, an influx of tens of billions of Hong Kong dollars would not only raise questions about whether they would even accept it, but it would also make him an easy target for scrutiny.

Li Yi had no intention of becoming a fat pig waiting to be slaughtered!

Second, following this stock market crash, Hong Kong Island was bound to undergo a major shake-up across all sectors, presenting plenty of opportunities.

He could certainly take advantage of this market crash to aggressively buy up assets in the local real economy and financial sector.

Although the impact of this stock market crash is significant, Hong Kong’s future remains promising.

As one of the Four Asian Tigers, the speed of its economic development is evident to all; as of now, no other place in the country can compare to it!

Take GDP as an example: in 1980, Hong Kong’s total GDP had already reached $28.8 billion, while Shanghai—the most economically developed city on the mainland that same year—had only $20.8 billion, and other regions were far below that figure.

Regarding per capita GDP, although Hong Kong Island has a large population, its per capita GDP still reached an astonishing $5,700, fully comparable to developed countries like the UK and the US.

During the same period, the mainland’s per capita GDP was only $194.

The results of this comparison speak for themselves: the economic development of the two regions was in completely different leagues.

This is not to say that Hong Kong is particularly superior, but rather that its economy holds potential, so there is no need to worry about being trapped in a losing position.

By buying low during the stock market crash, future returns are bound to be substantial.

However, Li Yi was well aware that it was clearly impossible for him and Huang Lixing to dominate Hong Kong Island on their own.

The waters of Hong Kong Island are simply too deep; those unfamiliar with the scene who venture in recklessly are likely to drown. To bottom-fish in Hong Kong Island, they must find allies.

Fortunately, he had already found such an ally: Li Futao and the Li family behind him!

Tonight’s banquet was the perfect opportunity, and he decided to thoroughly test Li Futao’s intentions!

At this thought, the corners of Li Yi’s mouth couldn’t help but turn up slightly…

……….

PS: One more chapter before midnight!