“Ring, ring, ring…”
As the opening bell rang, the once bustling trading floor gradually fell silent.
Whether they were securities firms or retail investors, everyone’s gaze was fixed on those VIP rooms.
Everyone knew that today’s protagonists weren’t them, but the bigwigs inside those rooms.
Regarding today’s showdown, many believed it was the Old King’s final counterattack against the New King—a battle that would inevitably reshape Hong Kong Island’s future economic landscape.
The “Old King” was an alliance comprising the British Hong Kong government, British-owned conglomerates, and Southeast Asian financial groups—after all, for decades, it had been these very figures who had dominated Hong Kong’s economic development.
The “New King,” on the other hand, was an alliance led by Li Yi’s Starry Sky Company and the Chinese Chamber of Commerce. Over the past year and a half, they had used lightning-fast tactics to topple one British-funded conglomerate after another.
Not only have they inflicted heavy losses on the British-funded groups, but they have also reclaimed a significant portion of financial power from the British-funded conglomerates for Chinese merchants, demonstrating the bearing of a true ruler.
Today, if Li Yi, Starry Sky Corporation, and the Chinese Chamber of Commerce behind him emerge victorious, the “Eastern Red” they represent will dominate Hong Kong Island’s economic development for the coming years—perhaps even decades—while British capital and other financial forces will be crushed beneath their weight.
But if those Southeast Asian conglomerates were to prevail, the position of Chinese merchants on Hong Kong Island would be in grave danger.
Although they would not be expelled, their future would inevitably be fraught with difficulties, leaving little room for growth.
Whether it’s a case of “a mighty dragon cannot overpower a local serpent” or “a mighty dragon does not cross the river,” everyone is filled with anticipation.
However, just as everyone was holding their breath, waiting for the first move from either side, the first trade of the day suddenly appeared on the stock market.
The order was for 100 lots of the Bao family’s Wharf Holdings stock, priced at HK$45 per share.
No one knew who had placed the order, but it’s worth noting that it was snapped up in less than half a minute after it appeared.
It was inevitable—the price was simply too tempting.
Although Wharf Holdings’ share price had plummeted significantly over the past two years—falling from a peak of HK$82 per share to a level roughly one-third lower—
Even so, at yesterday’s close, the share price was still at HK$46.60. Unexpectedly, it dropped by HK$1.60 per share right at the opening bell today, making this price particularly attractive.
However, what no one expected was that less than two minutes later, another 500 lots of Wharf Holdings shares were dumped onto the market.
Seeing that the volume wasn’t large and the price was enticing, the shares were quickly snapped up.
Upon confirming that it was indeed those overseas consortiums driving down the price, Li Yi immediately ordered Pang Feiyan’s team to follow suit and coordinate with the overseas consortiums to drive the price down further.
And so, the selling of Wharf Holdings shares continued unabated in the market. Although each transaction involved only a few hundred lots at a time, the sheer frequency was overwhelming.
In less than half an hour, at least 500,000 lots—a full 50 million shares—of Wharf Holdings stock were dumped.
Under such intense selling pressure, the price of Wharf Holdings shares naturally plummeted, dropping from HK$46.6 at the opening to HK$42 at that moment—a decline of HK$4.6 per share…
………
VIP Lounge 3!
Sangchai, Monroe, Michiko, and Dolsen, among others, were also closely monitoring the activity in the trading floor at that moment.
Upon learning that someone was selling Wharf Holdings shares just like them, the group began to discuss the matter.
“Is this a coincidence, or is someone secretly working with us? What are their motives?”
“Who cares what their motives are? As long as their goals align with ours, they’re our friends!”
“The market’s only been open for a short while, and Wharf’s stock price has already plummeted by 10%. It really seems like heaven is punishing those Chinese merchants…”
Listening to the group’s lively discussion, Sangchai, seated at the head of the table, tapped the coffee table in front of him and said, “Everyone, please be quiet!”
The chaotic chatter in the VIP lounge quickly died down, and everyone’s gaze turned to Sangchai.
“Judging by the trading volume on the open market, it’s likely just retail investors and institutions making moves right now. The Chinese Chamber of Commerce hasn’t made their move yet, so don’t celebrate too soon!”
Sangchai continued, “Furthermore, the faction secretly collaborating with us to drive down the market may not necessarily be our friends…”
Before he could finish, someone shouted, “If they aren’t our friends, why would they be cooperating with us?”
Sangchai replied calmly, “There are two possible explanations for this. One is that they’ve sensed our intentions and want to take this opportunity to short Wharf Holdings, making a small profit before pulling out.”
“The other possibility is that they hold a large number of Wharf Holdings shares and are worried about suffering heavy losses after we drive the price down. They want to sell as quickly as possible while the price is still decent.”
“Will this affect our plan?” Michiko asked.
Sangchai immediately said, “As things stand, this works in our favor—it allows us to drive down Wharf Holdings’ stock price at a lower cost!”
Just then, Dolsen, who was standing nearby, suddenly spoke up: “Li Yi hasn’t made his move yet. What’s your take on this, Mr. Sangchai?”
“They’re probably still sitting on the sidelines. After all, we’ve changed our tactics, and they haven’t figured out our intentions yet!”
A smug smile then spread across Sangchai’s lips as he continued, “But whether they choose to pour massive funds into propping up the stock or stand idly by, I have a plan for both scenarios—each one will inflict heavy losses on them. They’re bound to lose this battle!”
“Is that so? Then I’ll have to learn a thing or two from you today!” Dolsen said with a smile.
“No problem… no problem…”
Watching Sangchai’s smug expression, Dolsen couldn’t help but feel a hint of pity in his gaze.
Although this guy in front of him had some skills, the gap between him and that enigmatic figure was simply too vast.
More importantly, Sangchai was far too arrogant. Anyone who had ever underestimated Li Yi had paid a terribly heavy price, and this guy would certainly be no exception.
There was another reason why Dolsen was so certain of his judgment: before coming here, he had already informed Li Yi of Sangchai and his men’s plan.
That guy already knew Sangchai and his crew’s trump card. Given his personality, he’d likely already dug a pit, just waiting for these fools to fall right in.
However, just then, a thin, dark-skinned middle-aged man hurriedly pushed open the door and walked in.
He walked straight up to Sangchai and whispered a few words in his ear that the others couldn’t understand.
Immediately afterward, everyone saw Sangchai’s expression change in an instant.
This change in Sangchai’s expression caught everyone’s attention, and Monroe was the first to ask, “Mr. Sangchai, has something happened?”
Hearing this, everyone else’s gaze also turned to Sangchai.
After a brief silence, Sangchai spoke in a low voice: “We’ve just received word that Li Yi’s men launched a surprise attack last night on the Yamaguchi-gumi, the Tiger Hall, the Southern Monkey Gang, and other syndicates, wiping them out completely. The men who were supposed to assist us are all gone!”
At these words, the room fell into a stunned silence—so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
This silence lasted only a few seconds before being instantly replaced by a deafening buzz; the vast VIP lounge instantly turned into a chaotic marketplace.
Seeing this, Sang Chai immediately tapped the coffee table in front of him, signaling everyone to quiet down.
Once the room had quieted down, Sangchai said in a somber tone, “Everyone, don’t panic. Although the sudden takedown of those gangs is certainly surprising, it may not necessarily be a bad thing!”
“Mr. Sangchai, how can this possibly be a good thing?” Monroe asked, puzzled.
“They lost over a billion yuan just yesterday afternoon, and those syndicates were raided that very night. This clearly shows that Li Yi is getting desperate—they can’t sit idly by anymore.”
Sang Chai continued, “That’s why the Governor’s Office has ordered us to step up our operations. We must deal a crushing blow to Li Yi and his companies, and dismantle the Chinese Chamber of Commerce…”
“Yes…”
But just then, news suddenly came in from outside: Star Company had made its move…