Chapter 834: The Mysterious Eastern Prophecy!
“What?”
Whether it was Old Henry, Sandy, or even Zhou Xinghua and Zhang Qiusheng in the living room, everyone was stunned by Li Yi’s words.
Almost everyone believed that Li Yi’s refusal to acquire the Henry family’s shares was purely an act of revenge against Sandy.
After all, his previous behavior hadn’t exactly looked like he was trying to win people over.
But what no one could have imagined was that this was actually Li Yi’s plan.
After the initial shock, Sandy looked at Li Yi and said, “Li, why would you take an interest in someone like me—a man you’ve already defeated? You must know my abilities are nowhere near yours.”
Although Sandy was reluctant to admit it, the facts were right before his eyes.
In this futures war, he and the Sassoon family had enjoyed every possible advantage—timing, location, and support—but what was the final outcome?
It could no longer be described as a mere defeat—it was a crushing defeat, a disaster too gruesome to behold!
“The reason you failed isn’t because you lack ability, but because you faced me as your opponent!” Li Yi said calmly.
Although there was certainly an element of bragging in those words, they were also the truth.
After all, in his previous life, under Sandy’s leadership, Sheffield Steel had easily crushed a bunch of small-time speculators in the futures market, raking in over two billion pounds in just a few short months and becoming a legend in the financial world.
It wasn’t until three years later, after the British government launched a crackdown on the steel industry and opened an investigation into Sheffield Steel, that Sandy was forced to step down as CEO due to the company’s financial troubles.
Without Sandy, Sheffield Steel soon ran into operational difficulties and ultimately collapsed with a crash after the turn of the millennium…
In this lifetime, Sheffield Steel was bound to suffer a crushing defeat—mainly because it ran into this jerk. He’d seen through all of Sandy’s tricks; expecting to win at a table like that was nothing short of a joke!
Besides, Sandy’s only real strength was his own ability; the rest of his team were all useless. So his defeat this time wasn’t due to poor strategy or poor execution—it was simply because his opponent was too powerful!
“We used to be enemies. Are you really comfortable handing over a company this big to a stranger?” Sandy said, looking at Li Yi.
“Enemies?”
Li Yi then smiled and said, “In the world of business, there are no permanent enemies or friends—only permanent interests!”
“I’m keeping your family’s shares precisely so that you’ll dedicate yourself wholeheartedly to the company—not to mention, I have the ability to triple Sheffield Company’s market value!”
Sandy and Old Henry’s eyes lit up instantly. If Li Yi could truly triple the company’s market value, that would mean the value of their family’s shares would triple as well.
At the same time, Sandy understood what Li Yi meant: this young man from the East intended to deeply align the Henry family’s interests with his own and those of the entire Sheffield Company.
This meant that if he ever wanted to do anything that harmed the company, he would first have to be prepared to harm the family’s interests.
“Li, can you really triple the company’s market value?” Sandy asked in a low voice.
“In this futures war, steel companies on the London market have suffered heavy losses. Four major steel companies have gone bankrupt alone, and their combined production capacity accounted for more than 25% of the entire market!”
Li Yi continued, “As for the survivors, aside from Sheffield Company, there are only a few small firms with low production capacity. Moreover, almost none of them have much steel in stock. Right now, whoever holds the steel can dominate the market—a fact you must surely understand, Mr. Sandy!”
Sandy nodded and said, “That’s right. Whoever has steel now can capture—or even dominate—the market. But our company has no steel in stock…”
“I do!”
Li Yi continued, “We currently have over twenty million tons of steel in stock. If I hand this steel over to the company and have it sold on the market through futures contracts, what do you think will happen?”
Sandy paused to think for a moment, then said, “Not only would it keep the company afloat, but it would also buy us a few months to resume production and secure the funds needed for development!”
“And as long as we have ample steel, it could also significantly boost our already sluggish stock price. While a threefold increase is unlikely, doubling it shouldn’t be a problem.”
Li Yi didn’t argue with Sandy over whether the company’s stock price would double or triple; instead, he looked at him and said, “Mr. Sandy, the choice is now yours: cooperation or confrontation?”
Sandy fell silent…
However, just as he was pondering, Old Henry, standing nearby, couldn’t hold back any longer. He spoke up in a grave tone: “Sandy, this is a golden opportunity. If you agree to cooperate with Mr. Li, you won’t have to go all the way to the Americas…”
“I…”
Before Sandy could speak, Li Yi suddenly interjected, “Mr. Sandy, are you planning to travel to the Americas soon?”
“Yes, I’ve already bought a ticket for tomorrow!”
“I advise you to cancel that trip,” Li Yi said.
“Why?”
“If you insist on going to the Americas as planned, the trip won’t go smoothly. While you won’t lose your life, it will become the worst nightmare of your life!” Li Yi said calmly.
“Li, what do you mean by that?” Sandy asked, looking completely baffled.
“Heh, exactly what I said. Something bad might happen to you soon!”
“Li, are you threatening me?” Sandy asked, frowning.
“No… no, I’m just warning you!”
At that moment, Li Yunbao chimed in from the side: “Mr. Sandy, you must have heard of ‘divination’ in the East. It’s a mystical ability unique to the East, much like your Western prophecies.”
“And our boss possesses this very ability. He believes that in the coming days, you may encounter some frightening but non-life-threatening incidents, and he’s advising you to be cautious!”
Divination? Mysterious Eastern prophecies?
Something bad?
Sandy was completely baffled by Li Yi’s words!
Although he’d heard that the mysterious Eastern civilization seemed to harbor some incomprehensible, magical phenomena, Sandy didn’t believe in them.
So he didn’t take it seriously and instead turned his attention back to Li Yi’s invitation.
Although Li Yi’s invitation was very tempting, Sandy was well aware of the risks involved.
After all, the Sassoon family had always regarded Sheffield Company as their exclusive domain; now that Li Yi had snatched it away, they certainly wouldn’t let it go.
If he chose to partner with Li Yi now, it would mean taking a stand against the Sassoon family, and he would inevitably face their retaliation.
Sandy knew all too well just how powerful the Sassoon family was in Europe; to be honest, he truly had no confidence that he could withstand the retaliation of that formidable family.
Seeing the conflict and hesitation on Sandy’s face, Li Yi immediately said, “Here’s what we’ll do, Mr. Sandy. I’ll give you two days to think it over. By then, regardless of whether you choose to cooperate, I’ll agree to buy the shares you hold!”
“Thank you for your generosity, thank you!” Sandy replied immediately.
Old Henry also expressed his deepest gratitude, adopting an exceptionally humble demeanor.
After the father and son had repeatedly expressed their gratitude to Li Yi, they finally took their leave and departed from the castle estate…
………