Chapter 568: The Lai Family Must Go Bankrupt, Ma Biao Must Die

Hong Kong Island. The Li Family Estate!

On the spacious second-floor terrace, Li Futao, Li Yi, and Huang Lixing sat around a round table.

On the small round table sat an exquisite teapot and several cups, the tea inside still steaming.

Huang Lixing had regained consciousness on the third day after Li Yi arrived in Hong Kong. Although he had had a brush with death, he had managed to survive.

However, having suffered seven stab wounds, his injuries were severe. Even after so many days had passed, he was still unable to move freely and could only sit in a wheelchair.

On top of that, his men had suffered heavy losses, and Ma Biao’s men were still watching his house from outside; the moment Huang Lixing dared to leave the Li residence, they would strike again.

So ever since he was injured, Old Huang had been staying at Li Futiao’s house.

Sitting in a wicker chair, Li Futiao poured some tea into Li Yi’s cup and said, “Brother Li Yi, that was quite a move of yours. The Li family’s jewelry store is now facing a run on deposits. That bastard Li Jiuying is in big trouble now!”

“Haha, since he chose to be the one sticking his neck out, he should be prepared to be the first to go down!” Li Yi said indifferently.

Huang Lixing grinned and said, “The Li family built their fortune on gold reserves and investment. With gold prices so high right now, if investors start a run on the bank, the Li family’s losses won’t be small!”

“A conservative estimate would be a loss of several hundred million.”

Changing the subject, Li Futao added, “But as the bank’s major shareholder, Li Jiuying will inevitably bail out the jewelry store with funds from the bank. This time, we can only make that bastard suffer heavy losses—it’s a shame we can’t finish him off completely!”

However, Li Yi replied with a cold glare, “There’s nothing to be sorry about. The Li family must go bankrupt this time, and Ma Biao must die!”

Upon hearing this, both Li Futiao and Huang Lixing looked utterly stunned.

“Brother Li Yi, do you have a follow-up plan?” Li Futiao asked curiously.

“Yes. I’m just waiting for the Li family to withdraw funds from the bank to bail out their jewelry store. The moment they dare to do that, I’ll have a way to bring their little shabby bank down!” Li Yi said.

“Brother Li Yi, the Li family controls Longheng Bank, ranked sixth in Hong Kong, with assets worth billions of Hong Kong dollars. It won’t go under that easily!” Li Fuzhao cautioned.

“As long as it’s tied to the Li family, it’s doomed. Not even a god could save it!” Li Yi declared with absolute certainty.

Although Li Futiao didn’t know what Li Yi’s next move was, just seeing how resolute he was, he could tell that Li Yi was quite confident about this.

With that in mind, he immediately asked, “Brother Li Yi, what should we do now?”

“First, let’s secretly sell the gold and recoup the money we’ve already spent!”

“Sell? I see the gold price is still rising. Won’t we lose out if we sell now?” Li Futiao said.

“It’s true that international gold prices haven’t peaked yet, but the physical gold we hold is unlikely to appreciate much further. Most importantly, we have too much gold on our hands—it’s hard for most places to absorb such a large volume.”

Li Yi continued, “While the Li family’s gold shop is desperately in need of gold to handle the run on their business, we should move our stock quickly. We can drain their funds while making a small profit—why not?”

“Hahaha, that makes sense. But what price per tael should we set?”

“5,500 Hong Kong dollars per tael is about right. We bought this batch at an average price of around 4,300 Hong Kong dollars, so we’ll make a net profit of 1,200 per tael—not bad at all!” Li Yi said.

“Alright, let’s sell this batch of gold first and see what happens!”

Just then, Huang Lixing suddenly spoke up: “Brother Li Yi, won’t your actions against the Li family provoke a backlash from the British-owned Group? Although Li Jiuying doesn’t have a huge fortune, he still holds quite a bit of clout within the British-owned Group…”

Before he could finish, Li Yi replied in a deep voice, “I don’t care if the British-funded Group turns on me en masse. I’ll deal with whatever comes my way—there’s nothing to fear!”

“But I know this: those sons of bitches can’t lay a finger on my family or friends. They incited Ma Biao to try to kill you, Old Huang—that’s a blatant provocation against me. No matter how powerful they are, I’ll make them pay a heavy price!”

Huang Lixing was deeply moved by these words.

He could tell that Li Yi truly regarded him as a brother.

“Brother Li Yi, I appreciate your sentiment, but the British Capital Group is far more powerful than we could ever imagine. Behind them stand not only financial giants like Jardine Matheson and HSBC, but also the British Hong Kong government—and even the British government itself. We’re no match for them. We’ll just have to swallow this humiliation if we can. Don’t let this happen because of me…”

Before Huang Lixing could finish, Li Yi spoke up again: “Old Huang, do you know what the ‘Drawing the Sword’ spirit is?”

“No… I don’t know!”

“In ancient times, when swordsmen faced their opponents head-on, no matter how powerful the foe—even if he were the greatest swordsman under heaven—they would draw their swords, knowing full well they stood no chance. Even if they fell by their opponent’s blade, they would die with honor!”

Li Yi continued, “Whether it’s the Li family, the British-funded conglomerate, or even the colonial government backing them—in my eyes, they’re nothing but paper tigers. Even if we’re outnumbered right now, even if we’re surrounded, I won’t bow down to them. As long as they dare to provoke us, I’ll dare to draw my sword and fight until the very last man.”

“If they lay a finger on you this time, I’ll hit them back with the Li family’s bankruptcy and Ma Biao’s head. If they still don’t back down, I’ll destroy the entire British Investment Group!”

As soon as those words were spoken, both Huang Lixing and Li Futiao were stunned by Li Yi’s overwhelming presence and astonishing resolve.

His mention of the “spirit of drawing the sword” was particularly striking.

Facing a formidable opponent, knowing full well he was outmatched, he would still resolutely draw his sword; even if he fell, he would become a mountain, a ridge!

What a sense of dignity, what a sense of resolve, what a sense of exhilaration, what a sense of grandeur!

Li Futiao immediately clapped his hands and said, “Excellent! What a spirit—daring to draw your sword and fight to the last man! Brother Li Yi, go ahead and do whatever it takes. The Li family stands with you through thick and thin…”

Just as he spoke, his assistant Zhou Xinghua hurried in.

Upon reaching Li Futiao’s side, Zhou Xinghua paid no heed to Li Yi and Huang Lixing standing nearby and said directly, “We’ve just received word that the Li family has issued a public announcement: anyone who has invested in the Li Family Gold Shop’s gold savings plan may now redeem their accumulated gold at any of the 36 branches citywide!”

“However, since there is currently no gold in stock, we can only pay out the corresponding cash at current market prices. If they insist on receiving physical gold, they’ll have to wait a bit longer—the Li family is doing everything they can to secure the gold!”

Li Futiao glanced at Li Yi and said, “Brother Li Yi, can we sell our stock now?”

“Let’s do it. While we’re at it, sell off my share too. After all, if my people make a move, the other side will catch on easily!”

Li Yi knew Li Fuzhao’s capabilities. The Li family’s reputation as the head of Hong Kong’s Four Great Families wasn’t just for show—they had influence in both the legitimate and underworld spheres.

If Lan Xinyi and her team were to handle this, the British-owned conglomerate would find out in no time.

But if the Li family handled it, the British-funded group would have to work a lot harder to trace the source of that gold.

“Alright!”

Li Futao then turned to Zhou Xinghua and said, “Sell off all the gold we’ve acquired. Set the price at 5,500 yuan per tael. Keep this discreet—don’t let anyone suspect that this gold comes from the Li family or Starry Sky Company!”

“Yes…”

……….