Chapter 798: The Empty Fort Strategy!

Hong Kong. The Li Family Estate!

In the study, Li Fu gazed at Li Yi, who was casually sipping tea across the coffee table, his expression somewhat complex.

His eyes betrayed surprise and confusion, but above all, concern.

“Old Li, just say what’s on your mind. Staring at me like that makes me feel a bit awkward!” Li Yi said with a smile.

“You actually feel a bit embarrassed sometimes?”

Li Futao continued, “Yunbao and the trading team have just boarded the plane and are expected to arrive in London tomorrow. The funds, however, will take another day or two to arrive!”

“Alright, once the team and the funds are all in place, I’ll give the go-ahead for them to move!” Li Yi nodded.

“Alright!”

Then, Li Futiao changed the subject and asked again, “I heard you made a move on Huifeng Bank’s stock this afternoon?”

Li Yi nodded and said, “Yes, I acquired 5% of the outstanding shares!”

Li Futiao furrowed his brow. “Why did you do that? Huifeng isn’t just any ordinary company.”

“Two reasons. First, the company is short on cash right now, so I’m planning to fleece those foreigners a bit!”

Li Yi continued, “The second reason is that those guys are way too arrogant and disruptive. To prevent them from jumping in and causing trouble at a critical moment, I’m going to teach them a lesson before I head to London to take down those Anglo-Saxons!”

“You’ve already diverted most of your funds to London. If you go to war with those British bastards now, how are you going to handle their counterattack?” Li Fu asked.

“Counterattack?”

Li Yi smiled faintly and said again, “That’s not going to happen. I’ve got 60 billion in funds right now. They’re barely able to protect themselves—they wouldn’t dare launch a counterattack!”

“But didn’t you already transfer all your money over there? Where did this 60 billion come from?”

“Haha, but they don’t know that. As long as neither you nor I say anything, Starry Sky Corporation still has six hundred billion!” Li Yi said firmly.

Li Futiao’s eyes lit up, and he immediately said, “The Empty Fort Strategy?”

“The Westerners may understand tactics, but when it comes to strategy, we’re their masters!” Li Yi said with a laugh.

“Then why go after Huifeng? That’s a massive operation—you probably can’t pull it off with just the funds you have on hand!” Li Futiao said.

“Haha, Old Li, you’re overthinking it. I’m just here to cash in—I’m not planning to go all-out against them. 3 billion Hong Kong dollars is more than enough!” Li Yi said with a smile.

“How do you plan to do it?”

“Remember how we teased them with Hang Seng shares before we moved on Wharf Holdings last year? I plan to pull the exact same stunt again!” Li Yi said, making a startling revelation.

“But… aren’t you afraid they’ll turn the tables on you?”

Li Yi shook his head. “No, I’m not afraid. They wouldn’t dare!”

“???”

Seeing Li Fu’s puzzled expression, Li Yi immediately explained, “Huifeng is different from Hang Seng. Huifeng holds the right to issue Hong Kong dollars, and it’s the absolute core of capital for those Westerners—not just on Hong Kong Island, but across all of East and Southeast Asia. They’d never stand idly by and watch a ‘barbarian’ like me take it over—not even if there’s the slightest hint of it!”

Now that he was putting on a show of a rogue player entering the scene and aggressively acquiring Huifeng, neither Dalson nor the executives of other British-owned conglomerates dared to take him lightly.

As expected, they would inevitably throw all their resources into competing with Starry Sky for Huifeng’s shares.

By the time Huifeng’s stock price rises, Li Yi can suddenly pull out, selling the Huifeng shares he acquired at a low price at a high price—guaranteed to make a hefty profit.

As for whether the British-funded groups might back down early and let Star Investment take over, Li Yi hadn’t even considered it—because that was completely out of the question.

Instead, he was more inclined to believe that when these foreigners could no longer hold out, they might even hire hitmen to kill people!

Li Yi was quite confident in his assessment; after all, he was now threatening the British-owned group’s core interests—a move far more serious than desecrating a family grave.

“You mean the right to issue currency?” Li Fu asked.

“Exactly. That’s the piece of the pie those foreign bankers are most reluctant to let anyone touch—bar none!” Li Yi said calmly.

The international banking industry originated in ancient Europe. It rose gradually with the progress of industrialization, continuously placing its people in key sectors such as the judiciary, industry, government, and the media, becoming a special class that stood above most other industries.

Banking operations are also tiered. Third-rate banks are the ones that make money on credit spreads; the core of a truly first-rate bank has never been about taking deposits and making loans, but rather about manipulating the issuance of currency.

The elder Rothschild, who single-handedly created the banking legend, once said, “As long as I control the right to issue currency, I don’t care who makes the laws.” This highlights the critical importance of the right to issue currency.

In the struggle for control over currency issuance, nine U.S. presidents have been assassinated throughout history, with four—including Lincoln and Kennedy—killed in such attacks.

Even a president as powerful as those of the United States ultimately succumbed to international bankers in the struggle for financial dominance.

If the Federal Reserve is the lifeblood of the Jewish bankers in the U.S., then Huifeng is the apple of the eye of these Anglo-Saxons—touch it, and they’ll be furious.

“So what are you planning to do next?”

“What do you mean, ‘what’s next’?”

“You can’t just keep handing over tens of billions of Hong Kong dollars to Yunbao and his crew forever. But the moment you show up in London, those foreigners will realize you’ve been bluffing on Hong Kong Island. Once they catch on, they’ll likely launch a full-scale assault against you!”

Li Futiao continued with concern, “Who knows? They might even team up with those European conglomerates to attack your plans in London!”

“I won’t give them that chance. This time, I’m not only going to teach those bastards a harsh lesson, but I’ll also break the backbone of the Sassoon family, so they’ll never dare to bark at us again!” Li Yi said coldly.

“You’re going to take on the family behind Dolsen?” Li Futiao asked in surprise.

“Yes!”

“What do you plan to do? Do you need my help?” Li Futao asked.

“I’ve already drawn up a plan, but it’s not quite polished yet. I’ll let you know once I’ve finalized it in a few days!”

Li Yi continued, “As for helping me, there actually is something I need right now!”

“What is it?”

“Old Li, talk to Old He and the others. Have them reach out to the shareholders holding Huifeng Company stock on my behalf. Tell them I want to buy their shares—the price is negotiable!” Li Yi said.

“Are you just asking us to make contact, or are you serious about buying?” Li Futiao asked.

“For those who aren’t willing to sell, we’ll just make contact. But if anyone is willing to sell, then we’ll actually buy!”

Li Yi knows full well that although Huifeng is extremely conservative and cautious when it comes to investing, the company’s performance is truly impressive.

Over its 153-year history, the company’s market capitalization has increased nearly 100 million-fold.

In the future, this bank will continue to lead Hong Kong’s economy and rise to become the world’s seventh-largest bank.

Although his goal this time was to cash in on a deal and he had no intention of actually joining Huifeng, if the opportunity arose to acquire a stake in the company, he certainly wouldn’t pass up such a golden opportunity.

“Alright, I’ll talk to Old He and Old Luo and get things moving for you as soon as possible!”

“Mm-hmm. When you’re contacting those shareholders, make a big fuss about it!” Li Yi said.

“Got it—we just need to muddy the waters. I know exactly what you mean!” Li Futao said with a smile.

“Hahaha, if the water isn’t murky, we won’t be able to slip through unnoticed!”

“That’s true. I just wonder how that arrogant bastard Dolsen will react!” Li Futiao said.

“It doesn’t matter. I have the upper hand now, and victory will surely be ours!” Li Yi said confidently.

……….