Chapter 614: I, Li Yi, Am Back!
Downtown. Yuanhua Tower!
Early in the morning, all employees of Star Company received an order from the office to assemble immediately on the ground floor of the building, for reasons unknown.
Upon receiving this order, over a hundred employees quickly gathered downstairs and formed neat lines under the direction of their respective supervisors.
Their situation, however, also attracted quite a bit of attention!
After all, there were quite a few people in Hong Kong keeping a close eye on Star Company at the moment—some were even monitoring the situation around the clock.
It couldn’t be helped—this company and the person behind it were simply too formidable. Their past moves had been nothing short of earth-shattering, leaving everyone in awe.
Especially since that person had been sent over from the mainland, which naturally filled the British colonial government and British-owned conglomerates with suspicion and hostility toward him.
No one can sleep soundly with a stranger in their bed. Having such a powerful and ill-intentioned adversary firmly entrenched on one’s own turf would make anyone restless, wouldn’t it?
More importantly, even though they knew Li Yi was from the mainland, they couldn’t take action against him—after all, the other side was just waiting for an excuse to strike!
Consequently, for the British colonial government, Li Yi and Starry Sky Company were a problem they couldn’t attack or eliminate, yet they had to remain constantly vigilant against any trouble they might stir up.
To avoid being caught off guard, they had no choice but to keep a constant watch on Star Company.
Although this is a bit of a hassle, it’s the safer bet!
However, over the past month or two, Star Company has kept a very low profile. Aside from investing in gold, they’ve spent their time managing the real estate projects they’ve recently taken over, with no other notable moves.
They hadn’t even paid attention to the news reports in the newspapers, which had given certain people some relief.
But early this morning, they suddenly pulled off such a massive operation, leaving many secretly wondering what on earth had happened.
In fact, it wasn’t just the people tailing them who were puzzled; the employees inside Star Company were also curious. Why had their superiors suddenly called them all together? This was the first time since the company opened!
The answer was revealed soon enough!
When Lan Xinming, the head of the administrative department, announced that the gathering was primarily to welcome an important figure, many guessed that the big boss, Li Yi, might be arriving.
Throughout Starry Sky Corporation, CEO Li Yi is the undisputed figurehead—a status even Vice President Huang Lixing cannot match.
The only person besides the Governor of Hong Kong who could command a full-staff line-up to welcome him was undoubtedly the CEO, Li Yi.
Since the Governor certainly wouldn’t visit their company, the answer was practically staring them in the face.
No one knew who first voiced this guess, but in an instant, everyone in the company was buzzing with excitement. They all looked up eagerly, glancing from time to time toward the road in the distance.
All the employees of Star Company held CEO Li Yi in both respect and admiration, but above all, they were filled with gratitude.
On the one hand, Li Yi had personally selected most of them from among thousands of applicants, so it was no exaggeration to say they owed him a debt of gratitude for recognizing their potential.
On the other hand, the company had been open and transparent about its gold investments, so many employees followed suit and invested as well upon hearing the news.
When the company quietly offloaded its holdings over the past few days, they all chose to sell as well, and quite a few made a substantial profit.
Furthermore, Star Company’s salary levels were undoubtedly among the highest in the industry, so even though the employees knew Li Yi was from across the strait, they held him in high regard.
Sure enough, just a few minutes later, a convoy of vehicles came into view.
Soon, the convoy pulled up in front of Yuanhua Tower.
The car doors opened, and Li Yi stepped out, flanked by several bodyguards.
Upon seeing Li Yi, the company employees spontaneously began clapping, and in an instant, the scene erupted in thunderous applause!
Li Yi immediately waved to all the employees present and gave a slight bow to express his gratitude.
Having the employees line up to welcome him was Li Yi’s idea. Since he had sold off all his gold and financial products, there was no need for him to continue hiding his whereabouts.
By coming to the company today and having all the employees line up to welcome him, he intended to send a clear message to those with ulterior motives: I, Li Yi, am back!
Just as Li Yi had anticipated, when he made his high-profile appearance at Star Company, those who had been secretly tailing him were stunned. They rushed to report this shocking news to their respective masters.
And the people behind them were also startled upon receiving the news.
We haven’t heard anything about that big shot entering the country—how did he suddenly show up at Yuanhua Tower?
And besides, this guy suddenly arrived on Hong Kong Island without a trace—what is he up to now?
Over the past three months, this guy has come to Hong Kong twice. The first time, he shorted the Hang Seng Index, raking in over 4 billion Hong Kong dollars and directly triggering a stock market crash that left the vast majority of investors with massive losses!
The second time he came here was to settle a score with Huang Lixing. In less than ten days, he brought down the Lai family—a clan with assets worth over a billion—and, in the process, thoroughly humiliated the British-owned conglomerate.
Right now, the British-owned conglomerate is focusing all its efforts on dealing with the “traitor” and cleaning house. With him returning to Hong Kong Island at this very moment, could it possibly be related to this?
In an instant, Hong Kong’s high society was abuzz with speculation, and everyone’s attention was riveted by the news…
……..
Stellar Corporation. Conference Room!
In the cramped, confined room, more than a dozen company executives had gathered.
From his seat at the head of the table, Li Yi surveyed the room and said, “Everyone has worked hard in my absence.”
“I hear our gold investment project has wrapped up, so I’m here today for two main reasons. First, I want to get an update on the company’s progress during this period, and second, to map out our future investment strategy. Now, please give your reports one by one, starting with the Investment Management Department!”
Upon hearing Li Yi’s words, Lan Xinyi didn’t hesitate; she stood up immediately.
She then produced a document and stated directly, “Boss, the gold investment project has now been successfully concluded. According to our Investment Management Department’s statistics, we invested 7.1 billion Hong Kong dollars in this project and have currently recovered 14.642 billion, resulting in a return on investment of 206%…”
Before she had even finished speaking, the conference room erupted in enthusiastic applause that lasted for quite some time!
As the applause subsided, Li Yi spoke again: “Continue!”
“In addition to the gold project, another investment we’ve made is also performing exceptionally well. As the Hong Kong dollar continues to depreciate due to international market fluctuations, our U.S. dollar deposit business has appreciated by 42%!”
Lan Xinyi then added, “However, since we’ve invested in one-year terms, this project isn’t yet complete, so the final outcome remains to be seen!”
After Lan Xinyi finished her report, Lan Xinming, the head of the administrative department sitting next to her, immediately stood up and said, “Boss, over the past few months, our administrative department has conducted two rounds of recruitment. Currently, the company has 147 employees, all of whom are highly educated professionals with work experience.”
“At the same time, we’ve established a real estate project department and conducted background checks and vetting on the personnel involved in the real estate projects. We’ve incorporated 38 managers and 428 frontline staff into our company’s employee system. Currently, the total number of employees in our company has exceeded 600!”
“Excellent. You’ve done a very thorough job. I’m very satisfied!”
Li Yi then turned his gaze to Zhao Xinlan, the finance manager, sitting beside him!
Compared to the Investment Management Department and the Administrative Department, what Li Yi was most eager to understand was the company’s financial status.
Upon catching Li Yi’s gaze, Zhao Xinlan immediately stood up with composure…
………