Chapter 802: Li Yunbao—Standing on His Own!
London, England!
At a country estate on the outskirts of the city, upon receiving a telegram from his father, Li Futao, Li Yunbao wasted no time and immediately summoned all the key members of his team.
Soon, several top-tier traders from the Far East Stock Exchange arrived at the estate’s conference room, including Zhou Xinghua, Zhang Qiusheng, and others.
Li Yunbao cast a stern glance at the people before him. Since all the traders at Star Investment were under the surveillance of the British-owned conglomerate, the slightest disturbance would inevitably alert those foreigners.
To avoid drawing attention and ensure covert operations, Li Yunbao had brought only members of the Far East Society with him on this visit.
Apart from himself, not a single person from Star Investment was present!
Coupled with the massive commotion Li Yi had stirred up on Hong Kong Island, their operation had managed to go unnoticed by others.
Just as Li Yunbao was deep in thought, Zhou Xinghua whispered in his ear, “Young Master, everyone is here. We can begin!”
Li Yunbao nodded and said, “Everyone, before we begin the meeting, I’d like to reiterate the disciplinary requirements for this investment operation. You are all top-tier traders of the Far East Club, talents carefully cultivated by the company, and you’ve signed non-disclosure agreements—you should know exactly what you should and shouldn’t do!”
“This mission in London is a matter of life and death for the Far East Club. I won’t say much else. If the operation succeeds, each of you will receive a property on Hong Kong Island plus a substantial bonus. But if the mission fails because of someone’s mistake, don’t even think about coming back!”
Everyone present was stunned by Li Yunbao’s words; it was the first time they had ever heard the young master speak like this.
Though his tone was calm—neither the icy, low-pitched gravitas of an elder nor the reckless arrogance of a youth—it still sent a shiver down their spines.
“I’ve just received instructions from my father. Our investment strategy will focus primarily on heavy metals, including steel, copper, and aluminum. The total investment capital for this operation is 3.56 billion pounds…”
Whoa!
Before he had even finished speaking, a collective gasp filled the conference room.
After all, with the current exchange rate of 1 British pound to 16 Hong Kong dollars, 356 million pounds equaled a staggering 57 billion Hong Kong dollars.
Although they had known before arriving that this trip to London was no ordinary affair—firstly, because they were among the company’s most skilled traders, every one of them fluent in English.
Second, they had been informed before departure that their wives, children, and families had been brought to the Li family estate to reside there.
To put it bluntly, their families were being held hostage!
This was something that had never happened before, and it was clearly directly related to this investment venture.
But even so, they never imagined that the transaction they were handling would involve such a colossal sum.
We’re talking over 57 billion Hong Kong dollars here—no wonder the boss is being so cautious!
At that moment, Zhang Jinqiu, the company’s most skilled trader, immediately asked, “Young Master, I have conducted some research on the London Metal Exchange. Currently, prices for all types of base metals are stabilizing, and there is no clear trend of significant increases in the short term!”
“Especially steel—globally, the steel industry is currently in a phase of overcapacity. Steel mills in many countries are cutting production and even shutting down blast furnaces. Going long on steel on such a massive scale is nothing short of a gamble!”
No sooner had he finished speaking than Li Yunbao replied in a deep voice, “From your perspective, your reasoning certainly makes sense, but…”
At this point, Li Yunbao’s voice rose noticeably, and he said sternly, “But what I’m saying is this: on this trip to London, your job is to follow instructions and carry out orders without hesitation. If you can’t do that, raise your hand now!”
The group immediately exchanged glances—he was essentially asking them to be mere tools for carrying out orders!
Seeing that no one raised a hand, Li Yunbao continued, “Since everyone is up to the task, very well. I will now outline the complete investment plan!”
“The 3.56 billion in funds for this operation will be split into two parts. Of that, 1.78 billion pounds will be used to purchase futures contracts on the futures market. About 1 billion of that will be used to go long on steel, and the remainder will be used to go long on copper and aluminum!”
“The remaining 1.78 billion will be used to purchase steel on the open market across the British Isles. Buy as much as you can. You may coordinate with multiple companies to act together, but discretion is essential! Do any of you have questions about the operation?”
No sooner had he finished speaking than a middle-aged man in his forties spoke up: “Young Master, how much financial leverage should we employ when purchasing futures contracts? Are there any requirements regarding the delivery dates for these contracts?”
Li Yunbao replied immediately, “My father’s instructions are that we may use 5 to 10 times financial leverage; the exact multiple is up to us to decide. Personally, I lean toward 10 times. What do you all think?”
“I support the young master’s decision!”
“I support it too!”
“I support it…”
Li Yunbao was very pleased with everyone’s response and said immediately, “Since no one objects, we’ll proceed with this investment using 10x financial leverage.”
“As for the futures contracts we’re acquiring, we’ll focus primarily on those with delivery within three months. Any contracts with delivery beyond three months—regardless of price—are off the table!”
“Yes!”
Li Yunbao continued, “Now I’ll assign the tasks. Team Leader Zhang Jinqiu will be in charge of the futures market. You’ll negotiate which brokerages to partner with and the commission rates—I just want the results!”
“Yes, sir!”
“The task of purchasing steel from the open market is entrusted to Brother Xinghua. Again, I won’t ask about the process—I only care about the results!” Li Yunbao said once more.
“Yes!”
“Alright, there’s still over an hour until noon. Take some time to figure out your plans, and get ready to take action this afternoon!”
“Yes!”
“Dismissed!”
Watching Li Yunbao turn and walk away, everyone in the conference room felt both surprised and intimidated.
They hadn’t had much contact with the young master before, but they’d heard that his relationship with the boss wasn’t great and that he didn’t like to get involved in company affairs.
But they never imagined that when the young master lost his temper, he could be so terrifying.
Compared to the others’ worry and fear, Zhou Xinghua, standing among the crowd, felt more relief than anything else.
He had practically watched Li Yunbao grow up and knew just how high the expectations were for this son from the big boss and benefactor, Li Futao—after all, he was his only son.
Unfortunately, after witnessing his mother’s brutal murder, Li Yunbao’s personality underwent a drastic change.
Moreover, he blamed his father, Li Futiao, for his mother’s death, creating a massive rift between them. As a result, over the past seven or eight years, the two had barely communicated at all.
It wasn’t until Li Yi’s arrival that the father and son were finally able to reconcile!
Still, Zhou Xinghua couldn’t quite wrap his head around Li Yunbao working for Li Yi. After all, the young master wasn’t a child anymore; if the boss were to take the time to mentor him properly, he might even be able to groom him into a business elite.
But what could he possibly learn by working under Li Yi? Wasn’t this just a waste of time?
Yet, in less than a year, Young Master Li Yunbao seemed like a completely different person.
When he was with Li Yi before, the change wasn’t very noticeable.
But this time, leading them to London on his own and taking full charge, the transformation was staggering—it was as if he’d been reborn.
It seems that when it comes to judging character, the boss is truly the boss—something a mere employee like him could never hope to match!
At the same time, Zhou Xinghua couldn’t help but feel a sense of anticipation—wondering what kind of miracle the young master might create this time, under that person’s guidance…
……….