With a series of heavy footsteps, a middle-aged man in his fifties with graying hair soon walked in from outside, accompanied by a foreign woman in her twenties.
Both the older man and the younger woman held their heads high, like two proud roosters!
No, it was more like an old rooster leading a young hen!
This haughty little display made Li Yi frown. The world had witnessed the decline of the British Empire; they only dared to act this way in Hong Kong. Anywhere else, such audacity would get them beaten up in a heartbeat!
Clearly, Secretary Pang knew who Li Yi was—he’d even seen his photo. In short, he recognized him.
He walked straight up to Li Yi with his female companion, staring him down and sizing him up from head to toe.
Such rude behavior immediately annoyed Li Yi, and he silently decided to find an opportunity to teach this jerk a lesson.
No matter what this guy was here for, the fact that he was so contemptuous of ordinary people just because he was backed by a foreign boss meant he wasn’t a good person.
At that moment, Li Yi stared right back without a hint of fear!
This silent standoff had everyone present secretly holding their breath for Li Yi—after all, he was facing the Governor’s Office’s chief secretary.
Moreover, the lady standing beside Pang Boten was no ordinary figure either; she was rumored to be the Governor’s granddaughter.
If Li Yi really offended these two, he would likely face endless trouble.
But they had all underestimated Li Yi’s courage. Not only did he dare to hold the Chief Secretary’s gaze, but his expression grew increasingly cold, to the point where everyone feared he might explode at any moment.
Before the Chief Secretary could speak, the foreign “little hen” couldn’t stand Li Yi’s overwhelming presence and spoke up first: “Sir, it’s rude to look at a lady like this!”
Although Li Yi understood what she meant—that it was impolite for him to stare at a woman like that—he paid her no mind.
She was just a woman with no manners—not worth getting angry over.
Seeing that she was being ignored, the foreign woman was about to lose her temper. She had never been treated with such contempt by these yellow-skinned people before; it was a complete humiliation.
But before she could speak, Secretary Pang, standing nearby, immediately fired off a string of English: “Hello, Mr. Li. I’m the secretary of the Governor’s Office…”
Before he could finish, Li Yi cut him off: “Sir, please speak Mandarin or Cantonese!”
At that moment, the woman standing next to Secretary Pang suddenly spoke up again in English: “English is the most widely used and undisputed language in the world. You can’t, can you?”
“Madam, whether English is the most widely used and most beautiful language in the world has nothing to do with me. If you insist on being unreasonable in front of me, I’ll have no choice but to ask you to leave!” Li Yi said coldly.
The moment he spoke, the entire banquet hall fell instantly silent.
Originally, some people had harbored doubts about Li Yi’s identity. After all, few wealthy families had the resources to investigate the connection between Li Yi and the Jiang family; most had merely heard rumors and knew very little.
However, when everyone witnessed Li Yi confronting the Governor’s Office with such force, all doubts were dispelled.
After all, in Hong Kong, the only people who dared to show such disregard for the Governor’s Office’s prestige were the ones sitting right across from them!
“Sir, are you challenging the authority of the British Empire…”
Before the foreign woman could finish, Li Yi coldly snapped, “Get out. You’re not welcome here!”
Instantly, the entire banquet hall fell completely silent.
Li Yi’s domineering demeanor startled everyone—both the members of the wealthy families and the two representatives from the Governor’s Office were taken aback!
Seeing this, Li Fu hurried forward to smooth things over, saying to Pang Baiteng, “Secretary Pang, Mr. Li Yi is from the mainland; it’s only natural he doesn’t understand English. Besides, shouldn’t you have conveyed the Governor’s regards to Mr. Li first?”
Pang Baiteng immediately recalled what the Governor had instructed him to do upon their arrival, and a cold sweat instantly broke out on his back.
He then addressed Li Yi directly in Cantonese: “I’m sorry, Mr. Li. I was rude just now, and Miss Su Li meant no harm either. Please forgive us!”
Li Yi replied calmly, “Ignorance is no excuse. Let’s leave it at that.”
Having said that, he paid no further attention to the two people in front of him, but turned to Li Futiao and asked, “Chairman Li, is everyone here? If so, let’s get started!”
Li Futiao glanced around and saw that representatives from various business factions had mostly arrived. He immediately replied, “Almost everyone is here. I think we can begin!”
Just then, Lan Xinyi promptly handed the microphone to Li Yi.
Taking the microphone, Li Yi immediately addressed everyone in the banquet hall in a loud voice: “Hello, friends of Hong Kong’s business community. I am Li Yi, from across the water in Hong Kong. I’ve hosted this banquet for Hong Kong’s prominent families and elite today primarily to get to know you all and make some friends!”
“And by the way, I’d like to say hello to my friends here in Hong Kong: I, Li Yi, have arrived!”
It was the first time Hong Kong’s elite had heard such an unconventional opening speech, and everyone couldn’t help but wonder what Li Yi meant by it!
Everyone understood the part about making friends, but this way of saying hello was rather unusual—it almost sounded like a declaration!
Just as everyone was pondering this, Li Yi spoke again: “Additionally, I have one more announcement to make today: I have established a company in Hong Kong Island called Star International Investment. Our office is located on the 17th floor of Yuanhua Tower in the central business district. The company officially opens tomorrow at 9:00 a.m., and I cordially invite you all to attend!”
“Now that the formalities are out of the way, you’re all free to mingle. I hope you all have a great time today!”
Banquets in Hong Kong aren’t as formal as those on the mainland. Instead of large tables seating a dozen or so people, everyone gathered around a big round table to drink and chat as the event began.
The gatherings here are more like parties; all the food and drinks are laid out on long tables along both sides of the hall, and everyone helps themselves to whatever they like.
Moreover, the banquet hall and courtyard were furnished with rented round tables and sofas, providing spots for guests to rest and chat.
Once Li Yi had officially declared the banquet open, these business elites immediately began moving about freely. Some would grab some desserts and find a quiet spot to chat with acquaintances; others would take a slow dance with friends in the center of the dance floor; still others would discuss business partnerships with colleagues…
As for Li Yi, he had barely announced the start of the banquet when he was intercepted by Li Futiao.
Li Futi then informed Li Yi that several business tycoons wished to speak with him!
Since Li Yi had already established a company on Hong Kong Island, he naturally wouldn’t refuse to connect with these business tycoons. He immediately prepared to take them to the small reception room on the second floor for a chat.
However, just as they were about to head upstairs, they were called to a halt.
“Mr. Li, on behalf of the Governor’s Office, there are some matters I’d like to discuss with you!”
Looking at the senior secretary from the Governor’s Office standing before him, Li Yi nodded. He, too, was curious to know why the British Hong Kong government had sent this guy over!
He immediately instructed Huang Lixing to take Li Futao and the others to the second-floor reception room, while he led Secretary Pang to the study on the fourth floor.