In the reception room, the conversation continued.
After listening to Dolsen’s words, Li Yi gathered his thoughts and asked, “Why do those people harbor hostility toward you? Logically speaking, you should be natural allies!”
“Allies, huh… Haha, sometimes allies are the most terrifying—far more dangerous than enemies!” Dolsen said.
“It seems you’ve encountered some unpleasantness,” Li Yi said calmly.
Dawson paused briefly, then said, “Not long ago, the family sent people here to investigate Gustaf’s previous actions against you. That bastard didn’t realize how foolish he was—he shamelessly blamed his failure on my lack of cooperation.”
“Now the family is extremely dissatisfied with me and intends to replace me. Of course, those old fools in the family have never looked favorably upon me as a collateral branch; this incident has merely given them a pretext to suppress me.”
Li Yi said thoughtfully, “So, does that mean your family was involved in this operation?”
“Yes. To assist those politicians on Downing Street in taking you down, the family ordered several of our conglomerates in Southeast Asia to move into Hong Kong. Officially, it’s to target you, but it’s just as much to target me!”
Dorson continued, “If you lose, I’ll be the next one to suffer. So helping you is the same as helping myself.”
“Besides, I don’t think their plan will succeed. Rather than being pushed around as a pawn, I’d rather cooperate with you. As you Chinese say, ‘Those who recognize the times are the true heroes!’”
Hearing this, an image of a Japanese soldier suddenly popped into Li Yi’s mind: “Mr. Li, there’s an old Chinese saying: ‘Those who recognize the times are the wise…’”
At that thought, Li Yi couldn’t help but smile.
Seeing this, Durson clearly misunderstood and actually started laughing along with him.
Watching the two of them burst into laughter for no apparent reason, Huang Lixing, standing nearby, looked completely baffled…
Suppressing his smile, Li Yi immediately said, “Mr. Dolsen, you certainly have a lot of confidence in us!”
“Li, we’ve all seen your capabilities firsthand. When it comes to business competition, I don’t think those people stand a chance against you.”
Dawson continued, “And as for non-business tactics, the forces backing you are just as formidable—if not stronger. After all, didn’t that person on Downing Street just take a major hit at your hands? Otherwise, they wouldn’t be so shamelessly targeting you!”
After hearing Dolsen’s explanation, Li Yi fell deep in thought.
All that the man had said boiled down to one thing: when the rabbit dies, the fox mourns; when the lips are gone, the teeth feel the cold!
Thinking back to Dolsen’s previous predicament, if the British-owned conglomerate regained control, it was almost certain he’d be replaced, given his lack of favor within the family.
But Li Yi still didn’t dare to fully trust him. This man’s mind was far too calculating; one misstep could land him in a trap, so he had to be on his guard.
With that in mind, Li Yi asked again, “How many factions are currently preparing to take action against us?”
Dawson remained silent for a long moment before saying, “Li, if I give you the list, can you guarantee that you won’t take action against me or the British-owned group in Hong Kong?”
“As long as your people don’t participate in this operation, I can guarantee you won’t face any attacks!” Li Yi replied.
“Thank you!”
Dawson continued, “As far as I know, there are five triad groups involved in this plan: the South Monkey Gang, the Yamaguchi-gumi, the Tiger Hall, the Brothers Party, and the Green Union Gang.”
“There are six major conglomerates involved in targeting you—all well-known in Southeast Asia: the Xini Group, the Nanfei Group, the Bayang Group, Felida Corporation, Donglian Corporation, and the Dayang Group.”
“Is that all? Are there no smaller companies involved?” Li Yi asked.
Dorson replied immediately, “Yes, the smaller companies are those under our British-owned Group. This is the mission the family has entrusted to me.”
“But to be on the safe side, only a few top executives in the group know about this. The ordinary members still have no idea!”
Li Yi nodded and said, “I understand. I also promise you that not only will their plan fail this time, but they’ll suffer a crushing defeat.”
“And as long as you don’t get involved in this, not only will you avoid any attacks, but you’ll also reap benefits beyond your wildest imagination!”
Receiving Li Yi’s assurance once more, a satisfied smile immediately spread across Dolsen’s face.
Then he stood up and said, “Li, I have some matters on my end that need to be handled urgently, so I won’t keep you any longer!”
“Alright, I’ll walk you out!”
With that, the group left the reception room together and headed downstairs.
However, just as they were about to step out the front door of the villa, Dolsen suddenly turned back and said, “Li, let me give you a word of warning: keep a close eye on the Xini Group. That group is particularly difficult to deal with!”
With that, before Li Yi could say anything else, Dalson strode out of Cloud Peak No. 1…
After watching Dolsen leave, Huang Lixing frowned and asked, “Brother Li Yi, what did that blond-haired guy just mean?”
Li Yi paused to think for a moment, then said, “Old Huang, do you know the Sini Group?”
“I’ve heard of it, but I don’t know much about them. However, Chairman Li might know—your Li family has quite a bit of influence in Southeast Asia!” Huang Lixing said.
“Hmm, I’ll ask him about it later!” Li Yi said.
“So what should we do now?” Huang Lixing asked.
Li Yi thought for a moment and said, “Old Huang, I’m going to the office in a bit to take care of some business first.”
“As for you, let me know to contact Shield Security and have all senior executives assemble in the company conference room by two o’clock. No one is to be excused.”
“Alright, I’ll go notify them right away!” Huang Lixing said.
“Hmm…”
…………
City Center. Star Tower!
In the conference room, the company’s senior executives had gathered.
Just half an hour ago, the office had suddenly notified the heads of all departments to immediately come to the conference room for an emergency meeting.
Upon receiving the notice, everyone acted without delay, putting aside their work and rushing to the conference room.
However, even though everyone had been there for over ten minutes, no one had yet arrived to chair the meeting.
Just as the group was buzzing with speculation, the chief administrator, Lan Xinming, walked in carrying a stack of documents.
Assuming he was there to chair the meeting, the room fell silent, and all eyes turned to him.
To everyone’s surprise, however, Lan Xinming simply sat down at his seat and remained motionless.
After a brief silence, Pang Feiyan from the Investment Management Department couldn’t help but ask, “Manager Lan, aren’t you supposed to be chairing this meeting?”
Lan Xinming shook his head and said, “No, our office is only responsible for sending out the meeting notice!”
“Is General Manager Huang chairing it, then?”
“No, not him either…”
Just then, a sudden “thump, thump, thump” echoed from the hallway outside. The sound of leather shoes striking the hard floor in unison startled everyone in the conference room.
The sound was unmistakable, instantly reminding them of the team of bodyguards that always surrounded the boss.
In an instant, everyone realized who would be presiding over today’s meeting.
At that thought, everyone fell silent, straightened their backs, and sat up straight, waiting for the arrival of that god-like man.
“Squeak!”
As the conference room door swung open, a tall, handsome man walked in, flanked by four imposing bodyguards.
It was him… it really was him!
The moment they saw Li Yi, no one knew who started it, but suddenly everyone in the conference room burst into applause.
For a moment, the applause thundered, lasting and unceasing!
Seeing this, Li Yi strode to the head of the table and immediately bowed to the crowd.
The applause grew even more enthusiastic…
After a long while, the applause finally subsided.
Li Yi looked around the room, his gaze sweeping over each person, before clearing his throat and saying, “Thank you all for the applause. Alright, let’s get the meeting started!”
“I’ve called everyone here today primarily to get an update on how each department is performing. Department managers and supervisors, please prepare to report on your respective departments. Let’s start with the Investment Department!”
Upon hearing Li Yi’s call, Pang Feiyan immediately stood up…
…………