Suburbs. Castle Manor!
At the very moment the Royal Coast Guard fleet fell into the trap Li Yi had meticulously set, the cocktail party at the Castle Estate was in full swing.
The elite members of the British-owned conglomerate were raising their glasses while dancing with their partners.
Of course, for people like them, drinking and dancing were merely the spice of life; the real reason they weren’t heading home late tonight was to await the good news from the sea.
After all, with the promises from Durson and the Governor’s Office, they were all eagerly awaiting that massive sum.
Although half of that billion dollars was to be handed over to the Governor’s Office, they would still receive five hundred million—enough to help the members of the British-funded group, who had suffered heavy losses in the gold trade, recover somewhat.
But they had forgotten that the money they were about to intercept didn’t belong to Li Yi—it belonged to the giant on the other side.
The cocktail party was in full swing when suddenly, one of Dalson’s aides rushed in from outside, looking panicked.
Given the gravity of the situation, the aide dared not shout but walked directly to Dalson’s side and quickly whispered the news in his ear.
Yet, before the aide had even finished speaking, Dolsen stood up, his face darkening, and demanded in a deep voice, “Is this true? The other side has deployed a naval fleet?”
The aide, not daring to delay, hurriedly replied, “The information came directly from the Coast Guard Command Center; it should be accurate.”
“What about Liang? Has he returned yet?” Dolsen asked again.
“Sir Liang himself has been captured by the enemy. Not only that, but all patrol boats belonging to the Royal Coast Guard have been seized by the enemy—not a single one has escaped!”
Upon hearing the aide’s report, Dolsen stumbled backward several steps before collapsing onto the cold ground, his face turning deathly pale.
At that moment, the revelers in the estate all stopped their celebrations, and everyone’s gaze turned toward this spot—or rather, toward Dolsen.
Although no one knew what had happened, judging by Dolsen’s panicked state, it was clearly nothing good.
Soon, some members who sensed something was amiss gathered around, asking Dolsen for an explanation.
Dawson knew there was no way to hide this. After all, the reason these people weren’t going home in the middle of the night wasn’t because the wine here was good, nor because of any deep friendship between them—it was purely because they were waiting for that money.
If he dared to keep it a secret, they might come demanding their money tomorrow.
Besides, something this big was bound to come out; perhaps it would be in the newspapers tomorrow.
With that in mind, Dolsen immediately ordered the loud music to be turned off, then summoned everyone to the conference room upstairs.
Once everyone had taken their seats, Dolsen said in a grave tone, “Ladies and gentlemen, I’ve just received word that our plan has failed—we were unable to intercept the money!”
Hearing this, those who had already suspected as much immediately wore expressions of disappointment.
Those who hadn’t anticipated this outcome, however, were completely taken aback by the news.
After a brief silence in the conference room, someone immediately shouted, “Wasn’t everything under control? How could this have failed?”
“Exactly! Why did it fail? We need an explanation!”
“Mr. Dolsen, we need to know the truth…”
Dawson slammed his fist down on the conference table and said in a deep voice, “Ladies and gentlemen, the situation is far more complicated than you imagine. We originally thought that by deploying all our Coast Guard patrol boats and the Flying Tigers to deal with a group of smuggling vessels, there was absolutely no reason for us to fail.”
“But no one could have anticipated that the enemy would deploy a naval fleet. Now, not only has the commander in charge of this operation been captured by the enemy, but every single coast guard vessel involved in the interception has been seized as well—not a single one has returned. We’ve suffered a total defeat!”
“Whoa!”
Hearing Dolsen’s explanation, everyone present couldn’t help but gasp in shock!
The other side had actually deployed warships and directly disarmed their coast guard patrol boats. This could no longer be described as a simple clash or standoff—it had escalated to the level of a military conflict.
For a moment, a terrifying thought crossed the minds of these elite executives from British-funded conglomerates: Could the other side be preparing to tear up their agreement and resort to force?
Faced with this terrifying possibility, everyone in the room began to feel restless!
If the mainland were to confront them head-on, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Setting aside other considerations, if “the Chinese” were to actually use force against them, given the Governor’s residence’s meager military strength, they wouldn’t stand a chance of holding them off—they’d likely raise the white flag and surrender the moment the enemy fleet arrived!
But while those politicians might be able to surrender, what about them?
Most of their major assets were on Hong Kong Island; many had worked for generations to build up what little they had. What were they to do now?
Sell at a loss?
Or take the risk of staying put and waiting to see how things play out?
Instantly, many began to regret their decision. They truly wished they could turn back time—why on earth had they listened to that madman Dalson’s incitement and come up with such a reckless, ill-conceived plan?
Intercepting “Ah Zhong’s” funds—isn’t that asking for trouble?
Little did they know that the “Ah Zhong Family’s” bunch of dirt-poor peasants had nothing left but their fists. In the West, people like that would have either become Viking pirates or mercenaries.
Given their formidable fighting prowess, it would be a miracle if they didn’t go out and rob someone. Yet here they were, actually planning to rob a powerhouse like this.
Looking back on it now, it was nothing short of being kicked in the head by a donkey!
Never mind that they failed—even if they’d succeeded, they probably wouldn’t have lived long enough to spend that money!
At that thought, someone immediately stood up and said, “Mr. Dolsen, I’m truly sorry, but I’ve just received word that my mother isn’t feeling well. I need to head home right away!”
With that, the man stood up and left without waiting for Dolsen’s response.
Seeing someone take the lead, the others immediately followed suit:
“Mr. Dolsen, my wife won’t let me spend the night out. It’s so late—I’m heading home!”
“Sorry, I miss my daughter. She’s so adorable—she won’t fall asleep without her dad’s embrace!”
“I’m truly sorry, but I forgot to walk my dog—I have to go home right away…”
In the blink of an eye, the vast estate was left with only Dolsen and the Earl—uncle and nephew—the scene both awkward and desolate…
………
While the ancient manor was playing out a drama of “everyone turning against him,” “the monkeys scattering when the tree falls,” and “every man for himself in the face of disaster,” the Governor’s residence was equally in an uproar over the same matter.
The newly appointed Governor looked utterly flustered; he never imagined the reaction from the mainland would be so intense.
Before taking action, they had assessed how “the Chinese side” might react.
Almost everyone believed that the Chinese side was in the wrong to begin with, and since they were not typically known for taking a hardline stance in diplomacy, they would likely avoid a direct confrontation and instead seek negotiations.
That way, they could find ways to stall them and ultimately achieve their goal of pocketing the money.
But now it was clear they had completely misjudged the situation. The other side’s stance was extremely firm; not only had they intervened, but they had also deployed the navy and seized all of their coast guard vessels involved in the interception mission.
Seeing this attitude from the other side, the Governor’s heart skipped a beat.
If their actions were to provoke a military attack on Hong Kong Island, he wouldn’t just be worried about keeping his job—it was anyone’s guess whether he’d even survive.
He now deeply regretted it. He had truly been blinded by greed, forgetting that today’s “Big Ben” was no longer the former British Empire.
If a conflict were to break out with the mainland, not only would he—a Governor with next to no real power—be finished, but even the aristocrats in the City of London wouldn’t dare make a peep. After all, “Big Brother” was notorious for being stubborn as a mule.
Right from the start of their nation’s founding, they dared to go head-to-head with the “Evil Eagle,” forcing it to sign a ceasefire agreement of its own accord.
Later, “Big Brother China” went so far as to humiliate two so-called “third-ranked military powers” in front of the whole world.
In 1962, the “White Elephant”—which boasted of being the “world’s third-strongest military power”—challenged “Ah Zhong.” The result? It collapsed across the board after just 32 days, turning what had been a much-hyped war of aggression into a desperate battle to defend its capital.
Twenty years have passed, yet the White Elephant still cannot shake off the nightmare; just the sound of “A-Zhong’s” bugle call sends shivers down its spine!
Three years ago, “Ah Zhong” struck again with a heavy hand, raising its fist against that “little monkey” to the south who also claimed to be the “world’s third-strongest military power.”
In just 28 days, the “naughty little kid” was beaten into a headlong retreat. Had “Big Brother” not held back out of concern for international repercussions, the “little monkey” would have had to relocate its capital.
And now, with nothing better to do, he’s gone and made the foolish mistake of provoking him—he’s really stirred up a hornet’s nest this time.
With that thought, the Governor could no longer sit still. He immediately ordered a car to be prepared; he intended to have a serious talk with that young man…
………
PS: Another chapter before midnight!