Earning 180,000 USD on her very first stock trade finally put Jiang Xue’s previously anxious mind at ease, and she began to feel confident.
In the days that followed, Li Yi assigned Pang Feiyan and Naveen to work with her, instructing them to assist Jiang Xue with her investments.
After all, with only 4 million in principal, whether they made a profit or a loss depended entirely on their skills.
After making this decision, Li Yi left them to their own devices and, accompanied by Liang He and the two team members Naveen had brought along, began his high-stakes trading.
Over the next few days, Jiang Xue, Pang Feiyan, Naveen, and the others stayed at the New York Stock Exchange, arriving as soon as the market opened in the morning and leaving only after it closed around 4:00 p.m.
Even when they returned to the estate, the group didn’t rest; they were busy gathering data and conducting analyses.
Meanwhile, Li Yi shuttled back and forth between the NYSE and NASDAQ, and even made several trips to the futures market.
Before long, more than ten days had passed. During that time, Green Reggie had stopped by a few times. First, he informed Li Yi that the company’s $8.2 billion had been fully converted into British pounds and transferred to the company’s account at the Royal Bank of Great Britain, where Li Yi could access the funds at any time once he arrived in London.
Green Reggie’s “thoughtful” service left Li Yi somewhat at a loss for words—he had merely wanted to convert the US dollars into pounds, not have all the funds transferred to London.
However, he didn’t say much about it; as long as it was in pounds, it didn’t matter which bank held the funds.
A couple of days ago, Green Reggie had also informed him that a bank had agreed to grant them a loan. The paperwork was currently being processed, and the funds were expected to be released in another two or three days.
On the afternoon of August 8, while Li Yi was busy in the futures market, Green Reggie’s assistant suddenly came to find him in person, informing him that Green Reggie had an urgent matter to discuss and hoped he could come to the office.
Li Yi knew the company’s loan had likely been approved, so he immediately sold all his contracts, cashed out, and left the market.
After doing so, he left Liang He and another local employee to handle the settlement with the exchange, while he, under the protection of his bodyguards, headed straight for Green Brothers.
When Li Yi arrived at Reggie Green’s office, he found not only Reggie Green but also two middle-aged white men dressed in suits.
Upon seeing Li Yi enter, Reggie Green immediately stood up and said, “Li, you’re here. Let me introduce you: this is Brian, Vice President of JPMorgan Chase, and this is Anders, the Chief Financial Officer!”
No sooner had he finished speaking than the older man, Brian, extended his hand and said, “I know you—Li from the East. You created a miracle in the futures market last year!”
Li Yi smiled and replied, “Mr. Brian, it’s a pleasure to meet you. It seems Green has chosen J.P. Morgan as his partner this time!”
“That’s correct. However, to ensure the security of the funds, we need to verify the flow of your company’s loan proceeds. Additionally, since you’re using company shares as collateral, we require your signature as the major shareholder!” Brian explained.
Li Yi nodded in understanding and replied, “I understand. The funds are primarily intended for investment, but the specifics of those investments are confidential, so I’m afraid I can’t disclose them.”
“As far as we know, your company has already transferred a substantial amount of funds overseas. Our bank takes the security of funds…”
Before Brian could finish, Li Yi interrupted him, saying, “Mr. Brian, our partnership is secured by collateral, and our company’s market value far exceeds the loan amount.”
“Furthermore, the interest rate we’re offering is well above the market average, so I hope your bank won’t interfere too much with how these funds are used.”
Anders, standing nearby, immediately interjected, “Mr. Li, we’re only concerned about the security of the funds. After all, we’re under a lot of pressure with this partnership. If anything goes wrong, both Brian and I will be held accountable!”
Green Reggie added, “Li, Brian and Anders are both my friends. They’ve been instrumental in helping this loan get through the approval process so quickly!”
Li Yi understood what Green Reggie was implying: that these two men were on his side, and he shouldn’t accidentally harm his own allies.
Once he understood, Li Yi nodded and turned to Brian, saying, “In that case, I can assure both of you that these funds will not leave your country. That should put your minds at ease, right?”
Brian’s face immediately lit up. “That puts our minds at ease. Thank you for your cooperation. It’s been a pleasure working with you!”
“It’s been a pleasure working with you…”
………
After seeing Brian and Anders off, Li Yi and Reggie Green returned to the CEO’s office.
As soon as they entered, Green Reggie said to Li Yi, “Li, barring any surprises, this $5.5 billion loan should be in our accounts tomorrow. Can you tell me your investment plan now?”
Li Yi thought for a moment. With only five days left until the Iron Lady at 10 Downing Street announced the exchange rate adjustment, there was no harm in sharing his plan with Green Reggie now.
“The pound is going to appreciate!”
Hearing Li Yi’s words, Green Reggie was taken aback for a moment, then frowned and said, “Li, are you planning to speculate on the pound?”
“That’s right!”
“How can you be so sure the pound is going to appreciate?” Green Reggie asked, looking skeptical.
Li Yi smiled and said, “Green, it seems you don’t pay much attention to politics!”
“Um… I’m actually not interested in the political situation in the British Isles!” Green said.
“That won’t do. As an investor, you need to understand the situation in the world’s major countries. Otherwise, you might not only miss out on many investment opportunities, but you could even suffer losses without even realizing it!”
Before Green Reggie could respond, Li Yi changed the subject and asked directly, “Green, you know about the Falklands War, right?”
“I know. Those Anglo-Saxons won!”
As he spoke, Green Reggie’s tone was laced with contempt.
Li Yi knew that Green Reggie was a German immigrant, and since his father had fought in World War II, he didn’t have much affection for those Anglo-Saxons.
“Then do you know what kind of price the British Empire paid to win that war?” Li Yi asked again.
“Well…”
Realizing he didn’t know, Li Yi immediately explained, “To send troops to the Falklands, the British Empire nearly emptied the national treasury. And before the war broke out, the economic stagnation and inflation caused by the oil crisis hadn’t been resolved yet. Before the war, the inflation rate in the British Isles was as high as 21.9%, and unemployment was also on the rise.”
“An economic recession beyond imagination directly led to a sharp drop in the Iron Lady’s approval ratings, which plummeted to a record low of just 25%. Fortunately, they won the Falklands War. The victory boosted public confidence and made people feel that the Thatcher government was reliable.”
“However, while the victory allowed the public to temporarily forget their economic woes, it couldn’t erase them forever. Moreover, the Iron Lady had to prepare for the next general election; if she wanted to secure re-election, reviving the economy was an insurmountable hurdle…”
Green Reggie listened intently to Li Yi’s words, his mind already analyzing the possibility of a pound appreciation.
Suddenly, a possibility occurred to him. He looked at Li Yi and asked, “Li, do you have some inside information?”
Li Yi neither confirmed nor denied it.
He glanced at Reggie Green and said, “Reggie, I’ve never fought a battle I wasn’t sure I could win, so please don’t doubt me!”
“Can the pound really appreciate by 50%?” Green Reggie asked curiously.
“More than that—at least 60%!”
Green Reggie was secretly stunned. If Li Yi’s deduction—no, if the inside information Li Yi had obtained was true—then they would hardly have to do anything. All they’d need to do was exchange their US dollars for pounds, and they’d instantly make a 60% profit.
And unlike investing in the stock or futures markets, there would be absolutely no taxes to pay—it was simply too good to be true.
At this thought, Green Reggie couldn’t help but feel a surge of excitement. He looked at Li Yi and said, “Li, could I…”
Before he could finish, Li Yi cut him off: “You can do whatever you want, but you must ensure that our entire loan is converted into British pounds. And you only have five days!”
“Li, trust me—I won’t let you down!” Green Reggie declared, pounding his chest.
“Alright…”
………