Suburbs. The Castle Estate!
In the slightly dim living room, two or three dozen key members of the British-owned conglomerate had gathered.
Most of them were fair-haired, blue-eyed foreigners, but a significant number had local features.
If you looked closely, you’d recognize many of them as regulars on TV and in the newspapers—figures of considerable influence in the local business world.
However, whether they were the imposing foreigners or the meek locals, none of them looked particularly cheerful at the moment.
Almost everyone had furrowed brows, and when they spoke to one another, their voices were mostly low, their tones tinged with worry.
The conversation among a few of them was particularly telling, giving off a distinct “cry wolf” vibe:
“I heard that young man from the mainland is back again. I wonder if it’s true?”
“It must be true. My third aunt’s second cousin’s brother-in-law… he’s a reporter for the Oriental Daily. He saw that young man walk out of the port with his own eyes—there’s no way he’d be wrong!”
“If that’s true, we’re in big trouble. That young man is truly terrifying!”
“You’re absolutely right. Don’t you think Li Futiao and He Dongying went across the strait this time not for investment talks at all, but just to bring Li Yi back to take charge?”
“It’s possible. I’ve been saying we shouldn’t keep targeting those Chinese merchants. Look what’s happened now—trouble’s come our way…”
Just as the crowd was whispering and speculating, the sound of heavy footsteps suddenly echoed from upstairs.
Everyone instinctively looked toward the staircase and soon saw three people—two elders and a young man—coming down the stairs. To their surprise, it was Alliance leader Dolsen and the two elders sent by the Sassoon family to assist him.
Upon seeing the trio, everyone in the living room rose to their feet and, mimicking the manners of medieval European nobility, bowed to Dolsen.
Dorson thoroughly enjoyed this feeling of being the center of attention. He cleared his throat and said, “Please, everyone, have a seat!”
No sooner had they sat down than someone spoke up: “Mr. Dolsen, there was a rumor just now that Li Yi from Star Investment has returned. I wonder if it’s true?”
At these words, a look of concern and fear flashed across the faces of everyone present.
At the same time, nearly everyone’s gaze fixed on Dolsen’s face, waiting for his response.
Although he was deeply dissatisfied with the expressions on the members’ faces—each of them looking as if they’d seen a ghost—he wondered, “Who are they putting on a show for?”
But Dolsen also knew that Li Yi was an extremely difficult man to deal with. Even the heir his family had carefully groomed had suffered a major setback at that man’s hands, and the people before him had been left with psychological trauma by him. It was understandable that they feared him so much.
Therefore, he forced himself to suppress his unease and said, “The news is true. That bastard has indeed returned!”
“And as soon as he got back, he summoned all the members of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce to the villa for a meeting. It looks like he’s planning something big!”
“Whoa!”
A few gasps could be heard faintly throughout the living room, followed immediately by murmurs of discussion:
“Calling a meeting the moment he gets back—he doesn’t want to waste a single minute. I wonder if their target this time is our British Capital Group?”
“I’d say there’s an eighty percent chance it is. After all, we’ve been relentlessly cracking down on the Chinese-owned group lately—they couldn’t possibly have no reaction at all!”
“What were Mr. Dalson and the Sir thinking? We should all just mind our own business and make our own money. Insisting on picking a fight with that guy—isn’t that just putting us all in the line of fire?”
“You’re absolutely right. We’ve got to be extra careful this time—last year’s lesson is still fresh in our minds…”
……..
Listening to the constant “buzzing” in his ears—as if hundreds of little bees were flitting around him—Dawson couldn’t help but feel a bit impatient.
But after all, he was an elite raised by a prominent family, and he was a master of restraint.
He cleared his throat and said in a calm, measured tone, “Everyone, please be quiet!”
His naturally authoritative voice instantly silenced the clamour in the living room.
Dawson then added, “There’s no need for any of you to worry. We’ll soon find out why those Chinese merchants have gathered. I also want to assure you all that as long as we work together and continue to trust the Alliance as we always have, we will safeguard your interests around the world!”
Despite Dolsons assurances, some remained uneasy—especially the merchants of Chinese descent, who were far from convinced by his promises.
After all, Li Yi was a truly formidable figure; even on his own, he could keep the entire Alliance in check.
Now, with the addition of the Li, He, Luo, and Bao families—a group of Chinese tycoons—all looking to him for leadership, their combined strength was already on par with that of their entire British-funded group.
What’s more, they were far more united than their own group. If the Chinese-funded consortium set its sights on them, this situation would be very difficult to resolve.
At that moment, a senior executive from Standard Chartered Bank suddenly spoke up: “Mr. Dolsen, based on past experience, barring any surprises, Li Yi’s visit to Hong Kong this time is undoubtedly aimed at our alliance. We must take this seriously to avoid being caught off guard.”
Dawson replied calmly, “There’s an old Chinese saying: ‘When the enemy comes, we’ll meet them head-on; when water comes, we’ll block it with earth.’ As long as we’re fully prepared to fight, we have nothing to fear from any provocation or attack!”
“Then may I ask, Mr. Dolsen, what exactly do you mean by ‘preparing for battle’?”
Dawson continued, “I’ve been studying that guy’s past moves in detail. I’ve noticed that he always gives very clear warning signs before he strikes—he never attacks out of the blue!”
“Furthermore, whenever that guy makes a move, he commits all his resources—like a gambler—striking with lightning speed and leaving almost no room for retreat. I’ve seen plenty of investors like that; they might win a hundred times, but a single loss could bring them down for good.”
“So, we can definitely prepare for these traits of his. First, we must pool a sum of funds to respond to any situation that might arise at any time. At the same time, all financial institutions on Hong Kong Island must join forces…”
Just as he was speaking, a white girl who bore a slight resemblance to Dolsen hurried down the stairs and walked briskly over to Dolsen, whispering in his ear for quite a while!
After the young woman finished speaking, a smug smile spread across Dolsen’s face, and he said, “Ladies and gentlemen, I’ve just received word. Just as we all anticipated, those dirty bastards have indeed gathered together to take us on!”
“Tomorrow, under the guise of investment, they will funnel massive sums of money into Star Investment Company, to be centrally managed by that maggot from across the strait. So starting now, we must keep a close eye on Star Investment Company while raising funds to prepare for any potential crisis!”
No sooner had he finished speaking than someone shouted, “Mr. Dolsen, is this information accurate?”
“The information comes from their inner circle. Although we don’t yet know what that maggot’s attack plan is, their target is us—there’s no doubt about it!” Dolsen said in a low, solemn voice.
Upon hearing this, the atmosphere in the living room instantly grew tense.
Last year, Li Yi had made several moves: the first time, he swallowed up Longheng Bank right from under their noses; the second time, he took over the Wharf Terminals. Each time, their companies suffered devastating blows.
Although they didn’t know what Li Yi’s target was this time, the uncertainty only made these people even more anxious and fearful for their own safety.
“Mr. Dowson, how much capital do you plan to raise for this emergency?”
“10 billion Hong Kong dollars!”
Whoa…
Hearing that figure, everyone couldn’t help but gasp.
They had only just managed to survive thanks to the Sassoon family’s low-interest loan, and now they were being asked to raise such a massive sum—it felt like they were caught between a rock and a hard place.
“Rest assured, everyone. Our family will contribute 3 billion of that 10 billion; the remaining 7 billion is up to you all!” Dolsen said calmly.
Hearing this, the crowd finally breathed a sigh of relief and immediately began to voice their support: “HSBC is willing to contribute 1 billion!”
“We at Hang Seng Bank are willing to contribute 500 million!”
“We at the Chiang Corporation are willing to contribute 500 million!”
“We…”
For a moment, the key members in the living room eagerly stepped forward to pledge their contributions, and the previously oppressive atmosphere began to lift slightly!
Unfortunately, what they didn’t know was that Li Yi hadn’t considered them opponents at all…
……..