Chapter 945: Road Construction Can Be a Business Too!

Yangcheng Military District. An Air Force Base!

As an Ilyushin transport plane touched down gently on the runway, Li Yi stepped off the aircraft, flanked by his four bodyguards.

That’s right—they’d flown south on a military aircraft, giving Li Yi another taste of that exhilarating, roller-coaster-like sensation of flying.

Consequently, the very first thing Li Yi did upon stepping off the plane was to crouch down and retch.

Originally, Li Yi had planned to fly to Yangcheng on a regular commercial flight, but since there aren’t many flights from Beijing to Yangcheng to begin with, and tickets have been particularly tight lately.

Most importantly, Li Yi was fed up with being squeezed for money, and since he was in a hurry, Zhang Ziqiang had simply contacted Zhou Rui on his behalf.

As luck would have it, the military happened to be sending a shipment of supplies to Guangzhou, so they hitched a ride on that flight.

At that moment, several military jeeps were already waiting by the runway on the outskirts of the airport.

As soon as they saw Li Yi and his group disembark, the convoy immediately drove over.

Soon, the convoy came to a smooth stop in front of Li Yi and his group.

A young officer then stepped out of one of the vehicles, saluted Li Yi, and said, “Good morning, Commander. This is Li Yang, Chief of Staff of the Military District Guard Regiment, reporting for duty. I await your orders!”

Hearing this, Li Yi was somewhat at a loss for words.

He was merely a part-time advisor—what kind of “Commander” was he? Clearly, someone had specifically tipped off the Military District in advance.

“Commander Li, you’re too kind. Could you please take us to the provincial government compound?” Li Yi said.

“Yes, sir. Please get in the car!”

“Alright…”

An hour later, Li Yi finally arrived at his father-in-law’s small villa.

Since it was during work hours, Jiang Shiying wasn’t home.

Fortunately, Li Yi had a key. After unlocking the door, he collapsed into the guest room and fell into a deep sleep.

He had no choice—he was simply too exhausted.

Knowing he was leaving today, that girl Jiang Xue had been particularly wild last night, demanding almost without limit.

And since Li Yi knew he was in the wrong, he went along with it wholeheartedly; the two of them kept at it until four in the morning before finally calling it a night.

They hadn’t rested for very long before boarding the flight south.

On top of that, military transport planes aren’t exactly comfortable. After sitting for several hours straight, Li Yi felt like his whole body was about to fall apart.

Li Yi slept like a log.

When he finally woke up, it was already past six in the evening.

As soon as he opened his eyes, he heard the sound of chatter coming from downstairs.

Without hesitation, Li Yi slipped on his shoes, opened the door, and headed downstairs.

As soon as he reached the bottom of the stairs, he saw his father-in-law chatting with Zhang Ziqiang, Zhou Wen, and others. He couldn’t make out what they were talking about, but the atmosphere seemed quite friendly.

Hearing footsteps at the top of the stairs, Jiang Shiying immediately looked up.

Upon seeing his son-in-law, he smiled and said, “You’re awake. Why so sudden this time? You didn’t even give us a call beforehand!”

“Well… there was an urgent matter in Hong Kong, so I just came over!” Li Yi said, making up a casual excuse.

He had to come up with an excuse—he certainly couldn’t say, “I sensed things were getting dicey, so I decided to get out of here for a while!”

If he did that, his father-in-law would surely look down on him.

“So, you’re heading across the strait soon?” Jiang Shiying asked.

“Yeah, I plan to head to Pengcheng tomorrow, then go to Hong Kong via Zhongying Street or Shekou Port from there!” Li Yi said.

“Alright, then give Long Yin a call before you leave. He mentioned you when he called me a few days ago and said he’d definitely invite you over to Pengcheng to take a look if he gets the chance!” Jiang Shiying said.

“Sure, I’ll let Second Brother know before I leave!”

“Hmm, it’s getting late. Let’s go out for dinner!” Jiang Shiying said.

“Alright…”

………

The rest of the night passed without incident!

Early the next morning, Li Yi got up.

Without his wife’s nagging, his sleep was sound and peaceful.

He woke up feeling refreshed and invigorated—a far cry from his days in the capital, where even after a full night’s rest, he’d always wake up with a sore back and aching muscles, feeling listless and sluggish.

After having a simple breakfast with Zhang Ziqiang and the others, Li Yi called Jiang Longyin to let him know he’d be heading over shortly.

After hanging up, the group hopped into the car Zhang Ziqiang had procured from the State Security Bureau and headed straight for Pengcheng.

Pengcheng Special Economic Zone was still in its early stages of development, and the highway to Yangcheng hadn’t opened yet, so the transportation system was nowhere near as advanced as it would be in later years.

The poor road conditions were one thing, but the real problem was the heavy traffic—mostly military trucks, which moved at a snail’s pace when fully loaded.

What should have been a journey of just over an hour took Li Yi and his group a full three hours, and by the time they arrived in Pengcheng, it was nearly 11:00 p.m.

Upon arriving at City Hall, to avoid drawing attention, Li Yi instructed Zhou Wen to have Yang Zhiwen and Xiao Wu wait in the car while he went inside alone with Zhang Ziqiang to find Jiang Longyin.

However, although the straight-line distance from the government compound to Jiang Longyin’s office was less than a hundred meters, it took Li Yi and his group over ten minutes to get there, as they were stopped and searched several times along the way!

After a great deal of effort, Li Yi and Zhang Ziqiang finally reached the door of Jiang Longyin’s office.

“Knock knock knock!!!”

“Come in!”

Upon pushing the door open, Li Yi saw Jiang Longyin sitting alone at his desk, seemingly going through some documents.

Upon seeing him, Jiang Longyin immediately stood up and said with a smile, “You’re here! I thought you’d be able to make it by ten o’clock!”

Li Yi immediately complained, “I thought I’d be here in an hour or two too, but the traffic on the way here was absolutely terrible. Hasn’t the municipal government done anything about it?”

“Of course we have. I even went to the provincial capital a few days ago to see the leaders about this, but the province doesn’t have the funds either. Instead, they told me to just tough it out for now!” Jiang Longyin said with a wry smile.

“This is no easy problem to solve,” Li Yi said. “Pengcheng is currently in the early stages of construction and development, and we need to transport large quantities of supplies from inland regions. We simply can’t do without a high-quality expressway!”

“That’s right. Our municipal government is well aware of this issue and has held meetings to discuss it more than once. But the investment required to build a highway is simply too massive—neither the provincial nor the municipal government has that kind of money!” Jiang Longyin said with a touch of resignation.

Li Yi paused to think for a moment, then asked, “If the provincial and municipal governments don’t have the funds, have you considered bringing in foreign investment?”

“Foreign investment… but this is road construction. Would anyone be willing to use their own money to help us build roads?” Jiang Longyin asked, looking astonished.

“If we ask someone to spend a fortune building a road for us for free, of course no one would be willing. But if we treat this as a business opportunity, there will definitely be people interested!” Li Yi said firmly.

“Can road construction really be treated as a business?”

“Yes. The standard practice is for a company to provide the funds to the government to build the road, and in return, the government grants the company the right to collect tolls and manage the highway.”

Li Yi then explained in detail to Jiang Longyin the highway investment model he was familiar with.

After listening to Li Yi, Jiang Longyin said with a look of surprise, “So highways really can be treated as a business. But building a highway requires a lot of capital. How many years should we grant them management rights for?”

“Fifteen years to start, then twenty or thirty—the specifics would require negotiation between both parties, but it generally wouldn’t exceed thirty years!” Li Yi replied.

Jiang Longyin frowned and said, “The Transportation Bureau has made a preliminary estimate of the construction costs for the expressway from Pengcheng to Yangcheng—at least 5 billion yuan. Even if we grant them a 30-year management contract, the other party would need to collect at least one or two hundred million yuan in tolls annually just to break even. But can a single road really generate that much revenue?”

Li Yi smiled and said, “Second Brother, you have no idea how profitable road construction and toll collection can be. Let me put it this way: if the municipal government is willing, I can introduce you to a whole host of investors at any time!”

Li Yi was well aware of the profit margins in the toll road business—after all, it was essentially a modern-day version of “highway robbery.”

In ancient times, bandits would typically shout, “This mountain I carved, this tree I planted; if you wish to pass, leave your toll money behind.” But nowadays, there’s only one phrase: “Toll booth 500 meters ahead!”

Jiang Longyin, however, had no idea about any of this. He looked at Li Yi with delight and asked, “Brother-in-law, is that really true?”

“It’s true. If no one else is interested, I’ll pay for it myself!”

At this point, Li Yi changed the subject and added, “But Second Brother, if you want foreign investors to come to Pengcheng, you’ve got to put aside that high-and-mighty attitude your city government has. Otherwise, you won’t be able to keep them here!”

Hearing his brother-in-law’s baffling remarks, Jiang Longyin was completely dumbfounded…

……….

Late at night, all was quiet!

In the main room of the Li household, Li Yi lay on the kang after their passionate encounter, having entered “sage mode.”

Beside him, Jiang Xue lay nearly limp against him, gasping for breath.

During their earlier encounter, the girl had volunteered to take the high ground and play the role of the knight.

While taking the lead felt exhilarating, it was also exhausting.

After securing a decisive victory, she was nearly exhausted.

After resting against her man for a while, Jiang Xue finally spoke up: “What’s wrong with you today? You seem a bit distracted.”

Li Yi shifted slightly to one side, wrapping his arms around her, his hand unconsciously resting on Jiang Xue’s ample bosom.

Then he said, “Honey, I’m planning to head to Hong Kong for a few days!”

“Didn’t you say you weren’t going before the New Year? Did something come up?” Jiang Xue frowned.

Although she didn’t want to interfere with Li Yi’s work, he had spent most of the past six months traveling. Now that he had finally come home—barely having had time to warm the bed—he was leaving again. Jiang Xue couldn’t help but feel a little uneasy.

Li Yi immediately explained, “Old Huang sent a telegram asking me to return as soon as possible. General Manager Lan said it might have something to do with money.”

“Also, I feel like the atmosphere back home has been a bit off lately. I plan to get out of here for a while!”

“The atmosphere feels off… hide away?”

Hearing this, Jiang Xue’s expression changed.

She knew just how wealthy her husband was. While he wasn’t exactly a billionaire, his combined assets in Hong Kong, New York, and the British Isles amounted to at least tens of billions of dollars.

With that kind of money, who wouldn’t be tempted?

With that in mind, she said, her voice tinged with a hint of anxiety, “You… do you mean the higher-ups are planning to come after us?”

“It’s not quite that serious, but the Old Master and Old Chen have been pushing for me to enter government service, and Father seems to be on the same page. I suspect they’re hatching some kind of plan!” Li Yi replied honestly.

Jiang Xue immediately breathed a sigh of relief and said, “Let them scheme all they want. If you’re uncomfortable with it, we don’t have to listen to them. Can they really force you?”

Li Yi shook his head. “Some things aren’t as simple as you think, and we can’t just brush off everyone’s face. Rather than making people feel uncomfortable, it’s better to find an excuse to get away for a while. Maybe after a short time, their interest will fade.”

“Besides, I’ve drawn up a three-year development plan for the branch office involving a 5 billion yuan investment. We need to carefully plan the funding and personnel assignments—I can’t handle these matters from home.”

Jiang Xue was a smart woman; after a moment’s thought, she understood what Li Yi meant.

“So when do you plan to leave?”

“In the next few days. I’ve been feeling a bit off lately,” Li Yi said with a touch of resignation.

“All right then. You’re the man of the house; you handle the outside world. Make your own decisions about work matters!” Jiang Xue said.

Li Yi nodded and said, “If everything goes smoothly on this trip to Hong Kong, I’ll be back in about a month and a half. If something comes up and delays me, I’ll send a telegram to the branch office to let you know!”

“Hmm, I’m fine with that, but don’t forget about Sister Na. Her due date is in December. If you mess this up, she’ll be sure to give you an earful!” Jiang Xue said.

“It shouldn’t take that long!”

“That puts my mind at ease!”

Then Jiang Xue suddenly changed the subject and looked at Li Yi. “By the way, there’s something I want to ask you!”

“What is it? Go ahead!”

“You said that the first time we… you know… we got Yunrui and Yunjin pregnant, but we haven’t used any protection for over half a year now, and I still haven’t gotten pregnant. Why don’t we make time to go to the hospital and get checked out?” Jiang Xue said.

“Check what?”

“Do you think I might have developed some underlying health issues when I gave birth to Yunrui and Yunjin…”

Before Jiang Xue could finish, Li Yi cut in, “Don’t be silly. Getting pregnant and having kids is all about fate. If we haven’t conceived, maybe it just isn’t our time yet.”

In fact, Li Yi had been thinking about this issue constantly lately, though his suspicions were the exact opposite of Jiang Xue’s. Li Yi felt that the problem with not being able to conceive might lie with him.

In his previous life, while reading novels and watching TV dramas, he often saw protagonists in time-travel stories who were unable to have children due to certain limitations, such as Xiang Shaolong in *The Legend of Qin*.

Although he had been reborn, such a problem wasn’t out of the question.

After all, he had been reborn after sleeping with Jiang Xue. It didn’t make sense that he’d hit the mark on the first try but missed every time afterward!

“What if I just can’t get pregnant?” Jiang Xue asked, a bit anxious.

“If we can’t conceive, so be it. It’s not like we don’t have a child already.”

Li Yi continued, “Besides, we didn’t get married for the sake of having children. Even without Yun Rui and Yun Jin, and even if you couldn’t conceive, I wouldn’t have any other thoughts.”

“You… you really feel that way?”

As she spoke, a flicker of emotion passed through Jiang Xue’s eyes.

For the past six months, there had been no sign of pregnancy, and Jiang Xue was feeling quite a lot of pressure.

Although they already have two children, with such a large family estate needing an heir, Jiang Xue still wants to have a few more children for the Li family.

This wasn’t just her own wish; it was also the hope of her mother and mother-in-law.

“Of course it’s true. Besides, just because we can’t conceive doesn’t necessarily mean it’s your fault—maybe the problem lies with me!” Li Yi said with a smile, trying to comfort her.

Hearing this, Jiang Xue nodded earnestly: “You’re right—it really could be your problem!”

“Uh… I was just joking. What could possibly be wrong with me?” Li Yi said, sounding a bit guilty.

“I feel like you haven’t been trying hard enough lately. You’ve been going through the motions, and you haven’t even been taking the initiative!”

Then, blushing, Jiang Xue said, “Starting today, at least twice every night—not a single time less!”

The moment she said that, Li Yi went completely numb. He felt like his kidneys were about to give out this time…

……….

The next day!

When Li Yi dragged his weary body out of bed, it was already past nine o’clock.

Feeling the aching pain in his lower back, he couldn’t help but let out a wry smile.

When a woman goes wild, a man really can’t stop her—especially a woman who’s married and has kids.

Thinking of the “homework” Jiang Xue had assigned him, Li Yi felt he had one more reason to head to Hong Kong.

Stepping out of the house, Li Yi saw Zhang Ziqiang and Zhou Wen doing stretching exercises in the courtyard, while Yang Feng and Big Sister were sorting through fresh vegetables in the shade.

Seeing Li Yi come out, Big Sister immediately said, “You’re up… There’s food in the kitchen. Go grab a bite to eat!”

“Alright!”

Then Li Yi called out to Zhang Ziqiang and Zhou Wen, “Qiangzi, Wen, come inside. I need to talk to you two!”

Hearing Li Yi’s call, the two immediately strode into the living room.

As soon as they entered, Zhang Ziqiang said, “Brother Yi, you wanted to see us!”

“Yeah. How far along are you and Zhang Feng? Are you planning to get married soon?” Li Yi asked.

“We’ve already submitted our marriage application to our superiors. Following standard procedures, it’ll take at least a month for approval!” Zhang Ziqiang replied.

“So that means you won’t be getting married in the next month, right?”

“Right. Even if we do get married, it won’t be until the end of the year—and we’ll need you to approve our leave then, Brother Yi!” Zhang Ziqiang said.

“No problem!”

Then Li Yi added, “Since you’re not getting married just yet, why don’t you come with me to Hong Kong for a few days?”

“Yes, sir!”

“Awen, go see Chief Zhou in a bit to handle the paperwork for Hong Kong. Also, ask if there’s anything else they need my help with—just so they can’t say I didn’t give him a heads-up!” Li Yi said.

“Got it!”

Li Yi then turned to Zhang Ziqiang and said, “You get everything ready on your end too. Make sure to explain the situation to Zhang Feng, and call Yang Zhiwen and Xiao Wu back. We’re leaving in a day or two!”

“Yes…”

…………

Night falls, and the city lights begin to glow!

The Li family courtyard was bustling with activity. That evening, Jiang Longcheng arrived with Zhang Xinyao and his little one, and Li Yi prepared a feast to entertain them.

After they had eaten and drunk their fill, Jiang Xue, the eldest sister, and Zhang Xinyao took the little ones out for a stroll, while Li Yi and Jiang Longcheng stayed home to mind the house and drink tea.

In the living room, Li Yi brewed some tea and said with a smile, “I heard from Third Sister-in-Law that you’ve been staying home most of the time lately and haven’t been going out much. What’s the story?”

Jiang Longcheng replied with a hint of resignation, “It’s just what you told me—to take it easy for a while. So for the past month, I’ve basically been coming straight home after work to spend time with my wife and the kids.”

“Hmm, since you’ve made up your mind, stick with it. Don’t give up after just a few days!” Li Yi advised.

To be honest, Li Yi was genuinely very worried about Jiang Longcheng.

This guy was a real troublemaker—fearless and always stirring up trouble. People like him were definitely prime targets for government crackdowns and suppression.

In his previous life, he died young; otherwise, when the authorities moved in on Yang Hua, they would have taken him down too.

In this life, thanks to Li Yi’s intervention, the guy had narrowly escaped disaster, but whether he could survive the crackdown depended entirely on his own resolve.

Fortunately, he’d changed quite a bit over the past two years. Plus, after being double-crossed by his unsavory friends once—and having learned his lesson the hard way—he’d become more cautious.

Upon hearing Li Yi’s words, Jiang Longcheng smiled and said, “Don’t worry. Even if it’s just for Xinyao and the kids, I won’t go out and cause trouble!”

“Hmm, that’s good!”

At that moment, Jiang Longcheng glanced at Li Yi, opened his mouth, but couldn’t bring himself to speak, as if there were something he couldn’t bring himself to say.

Seeing him like this, Li Yi immediately laughed and said, “What’s the matter? Got hemorrhoids?”

“Who has hemorrhoids!” Jiang Longcheng retorted hastily.

“Then who are you trying to impress with that hesitant look?” Li Yi asked.

“Well… I heard you cast a fortune for that female prime minister of the British Empire, and it came true the very next day. Is that true?”

Li Yi smiled and said, “Does it matter if it’s true or not? Maybe it was just a coincidence!”

“There can’t be that many coincidences!”

Then Jiang Longcheng sighed and said, “I won’t hide it from you, brother-in-law. Ever since you said those things at Liang Bing’s engagement party, I’ve felt a bit uneasy.”

“What are you uneasy about? Is it because of that Yang guy?”

“Yeah. You know, I’ve got plenty of friends around me, but most of them are just fair-weather friends—there aren’t many who are truly sincere. Old Yang is definitely one of them. The fact that he and I can hang out together really shows we’re kindred spirits…”

Before he could finish, Li Yi cut in ruthlessly, “That’s not ‘kindred spirits’—it’s ‘birds of a feather.’”

“Uh… I suppose you could put it that way, but in any case, Old Yang really doesn’t have any ulterior motives with me—in fact, he’s helped me out a lot!”

Then Jiang Longcheng continued, “Over the past while, I’ve been asking around privately about Old Yang. That guy… I really had no idea he was up to such shenanigans over in Tianjin. Sigh…”

Seeing the look on his face—as if there were more to the story than he could say—Li Yi knew things weren’t looking good.

“All right. In this life, the path we take is our own choice. Every adult should take responsibility for their own decisions—including you and me, and including that Yang fellow!” Li Yi said.

“I understand that, but…”

“Third Brother, since you’ve already privately investigated what that guy from the Yang family has been up to, you should know that this matter is no longer something you can get involved in. One misstep, and you might drag yourself into it too. Are you willing to take that risk for him?”

Li Yi continued, “To put it bluntly, when it comes to this matter, even if you’re willing to go to the ends of the earth for your brother, it’s unlikely to change anything!”

“Brother-in-law, is there really no chance at all?” Jiang Longcheng asked, his voice desolate.

Before he was married, he wouldn’t have hesitated to help Yang Hua.

But now that he had a beautiful wife and a lovely son, he couldn’t act on impulse like he used to. More often than not, he had to think of his wife and child first.

In comparison, brotherly loyalty had to take a back seat; otherwise, he wouldn’t have heeded his brother-in-law’s advice and deliberately distanced himself from Yang Hua.

Li Yi paused briefly before saying, “There’s one more way that might save his life, but it depends on Yang Hua cooperating…”

Jiang Longcheng’s eyes lit up, and he immediately asked, “What’s the plan? Go on, brother-in-law!”

Li Yi sighed and said, “You probably know a little about what that guy did. As they say, ‘If you don’t want others to know, don’t do it yourself.’ His deeds will inevitably come to light sooner or later. Staying in the country is a dead end!”

“The country… Do you mean he should go abroad to escape trouble?” Jiang Longcheng asked.

“Yes, unless Yang Hua is willing to give up everything he has right now, flee far abroad, and live under an assumed name. Only then might he have a slim chance of escaping with his life!” Li Yi said.

Hearing Li Yi’s words, Jiang Longcheng let out a bitter laugh. “It seems there really is no hope at all. Neither Yang Hua himself nor the Yang family behind him would ever let him leave the country.”

“Enough, Third Brother. Life and death are predestined, and wealth and honor are in the hands of heaven. We can’t control what happens to that Yang heir—let’s not talk about him anymore!” Li Yi said.

To be honest, he had absolutely no interest in getting involved in Yang Hua’s affairs.

Unlike Liang Bing’s husband, who was simply unlucky—he lost his life after running into a gang of thugs who preyed on men and women.

Yang Hua was a scumbag himself. Messing around with women was one thing, but the worst part was that the kid had actually forced himself on women—and not just one. That was a whole different level of seriousness.

He had no desire to go to all that trouble only to end up rescuing such a monster. After all, sometimes saving one bad person is tantamount to harming countless innocent, decent people.

Seeing that Li Yi was adamant, Jiang Longcheng said no more.

He picked up his teacup and took a few sips, then leaned back on the sofa with a look of listlessness, striking a classic “Ge You-style slouch.”

Seeing him like this, Li Yi shook his head and said, “Don’t worry too much about Yang Hua. Maybe I misjudged him—after all, I’m no god…”

Before he could finish, Jiang Longcheng cut him off, saying, “Brother-in-law, don’t try to comfort me. Don’t I know you? You’re the type who either doesn’t say anything at all, or if you do, you’re absolutely right!”

Seeing the look of absolute conviction on his face, Li Yi couldn’t help but twitch the corner of his mouth, while a twinge of guilt washed over him. Look what a mess he’d made of the kid.

But then he thought better of it. With someone like Jiang Longcheng, this was exactly the kind of talk he needed.

Otherwise, given his temperament, who knows what kind of trouble he’d get into.

Just as Li Yi was deep in thought, Jiang Longcheng’s voice rang out again: “Brother-in-law, I want to quit my job and work for you. What do you think?”

Li Yi was taken aback at first, then frowned. “Why the sudden urge to quit? You’re doing just fine at the cotton mill. I heard your factory is about to be upgraded to a deputy-departmental-level unit. Once that happens, won’t you be promoted as the factory director?”

Jiang Longcheng sighed. “It is going to be upgraded, but what’s the point? You know me—I’m used to living a free and easy life. I just don’t like working within the system.”

“Besides, the pay in the system is too low. Even if I grow the factory into the number one in the country, I’d still only get a hundred or two hundred yuan a month. I’d rather make big money with you!”

Li Yi thought for a moment and said, “Third Brother, I get what you’re saying, and I support you quitting to start your own business—but the timing isn’t right!”

“What do you mean? Are you saying now isn’t the right time to quit?”

“Exactly. You’ve heard about that ‘late-spring chill’ that hit the private sector at the beginning of the year, right? Those once-glorious private business owners were taken down just like that. As long as the policies haven’t fully stabilized, anyone who sticks their neck out risks becoming a sitting duck. You should hold off on quitting for another couple of years,” Li Yi said.

“What about you? Aren’t you afraid of getting into trouble?” Jiang Longcheng asked.

“It’s different for me. Most of my businesses are overseas. Even the ones here in the country are invested under the name of the Hong Kong headquarters. As long as I don’t mess around, the higher-ups won’t touch me!” Li Yi said.

There was one thing Li Yi didn’t say: right now, he was of value to the state.

Not to mention, the tens of billions of dollars in foreign exchange earnings he generated each year served as the best protection.

Besides, he wasn’t stupid. If he sensed the wind was shifting, wouldn’t he know to slip out of the country for a while?

We’re all about the art of survival, not the way of the king!

Thinking about the strange atmosphere back home these past few days, Li Yi decided to talk to his wife that evening—it was time to get out of there for a while…

………

The Li Family Courtyard!

Li Yi had just gotten out of bed when he received a call from his mother-in-law.

“Hello, who is this?”

As he spoke, Li Yi couldn’t help but yawn—he was so exhausted.

“Yi, it’s me. You haven’t just woken up, have you?”

Hearing his mother-in-law’s familiar voice, Li Yi’s dazed mind snapped back to clarity.

Rubbing his throbbing head, he immediately explained, “I went out for a get-together with Third Brother and Brother Jianhua last night. I had a few too many drinks, so I slept in a bit!”

As he spoke, Li Yi couldn’t help but vent about those two troublemakers.

Last night, Lin Yi had returned from leave at the military base, so Ye Jianhua, as his brother-in-law, organized a get-together to welcome him back.

He had no idea what the guy was thinking, but after organizing the gathering, he called Li Yi and invited him to join.

Li Yi wasn’t really interested in that sort of thing. In his view, he’d rather spend that time cuddling with his wife and doing something romantic—after all, life is all about movement!

Most importantly, he knew his own limits—with a drinking capacity of just two liang, he’d rather not go and make a fool of himself.

But what he didn’t expect was that even after he’d flat-out turned down Ye Jianhua, the guy showed up at his house with Jiang Longcheng to corner him.

Unable to withstand the two guys’ relentless pestering and nagging, Li Yi eventually gave in and tagged along with those two idiots to last night’s party.

Although Jiang Longcheng, Ye Jianhua, and Lin Yi had been looking out for him, Li Yi’s tolerance was too low, and, as expected, he ended up blacking out.

When he finally woke up, it was already nearly 10:30…

“Well, it’s good for you to hang out more with the young people in Longcheng and Jianhua’s circle, but your tolerance is limited—if you can avoid drinking, you really should!” said Ye Lingyun.

“Got it, Mom. Did you call because something was up?” Li Yi asked.

“Bingbing came to see me a little while ago…”

“Who’s Bingbing?”

“Liang Bing—your Grandpa Liang’s youngest daughter!”

“Oh, Sister Bing, was it? What did she want with you?” Li Yi asked, rubbing his eyes.

“Sister Bing? According to family hierarchy, both you and Xiao Xue should be calling her ‘aunt’ or ‘auntie’!” Ye Lingyun said with a laugh.

“I saw Xiaoxue call her ‘sister,’ so I just went along with it!” Li Yi said, looking a bit embarrassed.

“Never mind. Bingbing isn’t much older than you two. Calling her ‘Aunt’ or ‘Auntie’ does sound a bit awkward. It’s fine for you young people to just call each other by your first names!”

Then, Ye Lingyun recounted in detail what Liang Bing had just told her.

“Yi, if Bingbing and Shen get married next year, will something really bad happen?”

“Well, Sister Bing herself will be fine, but her husband will most likely meet with misfortune!”

Li Yi didn’t hold anything back from his future mother-in-law.

After all, even if he hadn’t said a word, the Jiang family had already thoroughly investigated his family history going back three generations.

“Xiao Yi, Bingbing might come looking for you in the next couple of days. If you can help her, please do. I raised that girl from a young age, and I really don’t want her to…”

Ye Lingyun didn’t finish her sentence, but Li Yi understood exactly what she meant.

Without hesitation, he replied, “Mom, since I’ve already warned them, I won’t just stand by and do nothing!”

Although Li Yi generally didn’t like to take on such matters himself, since his mother-in-law had spoken, he had to give her that face.

Most importantly, Liang Bing was a decent person who had always looked out for his wife, and he owed her this favor.

Besides, for him, it was just a matter of a few words. As long as he kept Liang Bing and his wife away from the scene of the incident during that time, there was a high probability they could avoid this disaster.

Once the public security crackdown began, those thugs and hoodlums would inevitably face suppression and crackdowns; even if they went there afterward, it wouldn’t be a big deal.

The only thing Li Yi was unsure of now was whether, if he altered Liang Bing’s husband’s fate, next year’s crackdown would still take place as scheduled—after all, in his previous life, that had been one of the most crucial triggers.

Just as Li Yi was deep in thought, Ye Lingyun’s voice came through the speaker again: “Xiao Yi, Mother knows you’re a child with your own mind and ideas. There are some things I really shouldn’t say, but…”

“Mom, just say what’s on your mind. I know whatever you say is for the best for me and Xiao Xue!” Li Yi replied.

“I’m so glad you think that way!”

Ye Lingyun continued, “What I want to say is, let’s just forget about Bingbing’s situation. But when it comes to others, you need to be more careful. Don’t go blabbing about everything to everyone—not everyone is worthy of our trust!”

“And as for those military and government officials and high-ranking leaders, even if you notice something, don’t blab about it. They’re all politicians—ordinary people like us have no idea what’s really on their minds. Don’t let them treat you like an outsider!”

Listening to his mother-in-law’s deep concern, Li Yi felt a warm glow in his heart.

Her words reminded him of his own mother back home, who would always give him endless warnings whenever he left, afraid he might get taken advantage of.

His mother-in-law was just the same—she truly treated him like her own son.

In comparison, both the old man and Jiang Shiying fell a bit short.

Of course, this isn’t to say the old man or his father-in-law were bad people; it simply had to do with the roles they played in the nation, the clan, and the family.

Men, after all, tend to be a bit slow when it comes to emotions—far less sensitive and perceptive than women.

“Mom, don’t worry. I know what I’m doing!” Li Yi said.

“Then I’m put at ease!”

Ye Lingyun continued, “By the way, one of the old man’s former subordinates sent us a well-aged ham yesterday. Come over with Xue’er on Saturday—I’ll cook it for you!”

“Sure, we’ll come over together then!” Li Yi said with a smile.

“Alright…”

After hanging up the phone, Li Yi fell deep in thought.

In truth, he had known for a long time that posing as a charlatan was like a double-edged sword—it could hurt others, but it could also hurt himself.

After all, while this ability to foresee the future made him seem mysterious and powerful, it also instilled deep fear in some people—including those in the high-ranking decision-making circles.

So, after arriving on Hong Kong Island, Li Yi had subconsciously begun to watch his words and actions, trying his best not to bring up the subject.

He also kept his distance from the high-level officials’ attempts to recruit him into government service.

What if they asked him to divine the nation’s fortunes for the next century, or predict when those bigwigs would pass away? What would he do then?

At his current level, he just needed to keep a low profile; there was no need to play the mystic.

But this situation was unique. The reason he had mentioned in front of Bill and the others that the woman was going to fall was out of sheer necessity.

Mainly, those foreigners wanted to use him to establish their authority; given the imbalance in power, he had no choice but to act that way.

Whether it was bluffing or playing it mysterious, the point was that after taking that fall, the Iron Lady would likely become more cautious.

At the very least, until she figures out whether this was a coincidence or not, she shouldn’t act rashly.

Don’t think it’s just us Chinese who fear tales of gods and ghosts; those “civilized” Europeans who’ve only just emerged from the Middle Ages are actually the most feudal and superstitious people in the world.

Especially among Europe’s elite—a significant portion of them actually believe in the real existence of God. Can you believe it?

In fact, a significant number of them believe that eating human flesh can make you younger and cure diseases—to the point that Europe is the world’s largest consumer market for human fat… Ugh…

Enough of that. His mother-in-law’s words served as a wake-up call. If things get too bad, he could just hide out somewhere for a few days—and it just so happens that Old Huang had asked him to find time to make a trip to Hong Kong.

Li Yi made up his mind: he’d set off in a few days…

…………

Beijing University, School of Finance!

Liang Bing was in her office processing the student sports meet roster submitted by the class officers when she suddenly heard two colleagues next to her enthusiastically discussing the bilateral negotiations.

“Our leader is so assertive—those foreign devils must be stunned now!”

“That kind of dominance relies on national strength. The Empress Dowager Cixi back in the day was even more formidable—she declared war on 11 countries outright. But without the national strength to back up her bold declarations, it was all for naught!”

“You’re absolutely right. If the late Qing government had even half the national strength we have now, it wouldn’t have become a target for international bullying, and there wouldn’t have been so many humiliating unequal treaties!”

“Exactly. Weak nations have no diplomacy; national defense is the true backbone of diplomacy. Dignity lies only at the tip of the sword. Now that we’ve got the confidence, we dare to tell those foreign masters ‘no’!”

“Well said. I couldn’t help but laugh when I saw that photo of the female prime minister taking a tumble. She came in all high and mighty, but turns out she’s nothing but a wimp.”

“Haha, don’t put it that way. That Iron Lady is still quite capable. Even though she took a pretty nasty fall, but…”

The Iron Lady… the female prime minister… took a tumble?

Liang Bing, listening nearby, felt her heart skip a beat.

She immediately stood up and said to the two male teachers sitting next to her, “Teacher Jiang, Teacher Ma, what were you just saying about that female prime minister?”

Hearing Liang Bing’s question, the older Teacher Jiang replied immediately, “Nothing much. That female prime minister just took a tumble yesterday, and it made the newspapers. Everyone found it pretty amusing.”

“Did she really fall?” Liang Bing asked instinctively.

“Yes, she did. Here’s the newspaper right here!”

As he spoke, Teacher Ma handed her the newspaper he was holding.

Liang Bing didn’t hesitate and took the newspaper right away.

Sure enough, the second story below the front-page headline was the news report, accompanied by a photo of the female prime minister stumbling to the ground.

“Your Prime Minister is bound to take a nasty fall right here…”

At that moment, those words involuntarily echoed in Liang Bing’s mind, and that resonant voice still rang in her ears.

She remembered asking Li Yi what he meant by that after the banquet that evening; his reply had been, “Exactly what it says.”

She had assumed he was just making a casual threat, but never expected it to come true. Was this a coincidence, or did that guy have a way with words…

At that moment, Liang Bing also recalled how that guy had asked her to move up the wedding date. She hadn’t given it much thought at the time, but seeing the news of the female prime minister’s fall, her mind was in turmoil!

Although this didn’t shake her firm belief in atheism, she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off.

Suddenly, a figure flashed past the office window, catching Liang Bing’s eye. She immediately dashed outside, leaving the two male teachers staring at her in confusion…

In the hallway of the school building, Ye Lingyun was about to return to her office when she suddenly heard someone calling her from behind.

Turning around, she was surprised to see Liang Bing.

Since Liang Bing’s father was a longtime subordinate of her father-in-law, the Jiang, Liang, and Ye families were on very good terms, so Ye Lingyun was naturally very familiar with Liang Bing.

“Bingbing, it’s been a while. Have you been busy lately?” Ye Lingyun asked with a smile.

“Not too bad. By the way, Sister Lingyun, do you have a moment?”

“Yes, I don’t have class next period and was just about to head back. What’s up?”

Liang Bing replied immediately, “Sister Lingyun, I’d like to ask you about something. I hope it’s not too much trouble!”

“What’s the matter? There’s no need to worry about whether it’s convenient or not between us!” Ye Lingyun said with a smile.

Liang Bing glanced around, then said, “This isn’t really a place to talk. Why don’t we go to your office?”

Since Ye Lingyun was an associate professor at the university, she had her own private office, which offered a bit more privacy.

Unlike Liang Bing, who was merely a counselor and shared an office with seven or eight other counselors.

Ye Lingyun nodded immediately and said, “Sure!”

The two then walked one after the other to Ye Lingyun’s office.

Once inside, Ye Lingyun first poured Liang Bing a cup of tea, then said, “Bingbing, what’s on your mind? You can tell your older sister now, can’t you?”

“Sis Lingyun, how much do you know about Xiao Xue’s husband?”

“You mean Xiao Yi? What’s wrong with him? Why are you asking about him?” Ye Lingyun asked curiously.

As far as she knew, Li Yi and Liang Bing had no connection whatsoever. Why would Liang Bing be inquiring about him, and why would she bring it up in front of her, the future mother-in-law?

Liang Bing was also worried that Ye Lingyun might misunderstand, so she immediately recounted how Li Yi had asked her to move up the wedding date.

Then Liang Bing added, “At first, I didn’t take what he said seriously, and my father thought he was just joking with me, but what happened today has left me feeling very uneasy!”

“What happened today?” Ye Lingyun asked, puzzled.

“That female prime minister fell down!”

“???”

Seeing the puzzled look on Ye Lingyun’s face, Liang Bing immediately recounted Li Yi’s prediction that the female prime minister would fall.

After hearing Liang Bing’s words, Ye Lingyun’s face showed a slight look of surprise, but she wasn’t as shocked as one might have expected.

Liang Bing, who had been observing her the whole time, felt his unease and anxiety grow even stronger.

“Sister Lingyun, do you… do you know something? Does Comrade Li Yi really read people’s faces?”

Ye Lingyun paused to reflect for a moment, then said, “Bingbing, there are some things I’m not supposed to talk about, but our two families have always been close, and I’ve watched you grow up, so I’ll share a few words with you.”

“Xiao Yi isn’t the type to discuss these matters with outsiders. Since he’s brought it up with you, you’d better take this seriously.”

“Sis, are you saying we should move up our wedding?”

“That would be best. From what I know, Xiao Yi rarely speaks up, but once he does, there’s no going back!” Ye Lingyun said.

The old man had already put a gag order on the family regarding matters involving his future son-in-law, so she couldn’t go into too much detail with Liang Bing.

But she still had to give a heads-up, just in case something bad actually happened later.

With that in mind, Ye Lingyun added, “Bingbing, setting aside whether Xiao Yi really understands those mysterious occult arts, even the sages have said we should respect but keep our distance from spirits and deities. With matters like this, it’s better to err on the side of caution.”

“Anyway, you and Shen are already engaged. What difference does it make if you get married a few months earlier or later? Just do it to put your mind at ease!”

Liang Bing nodded and said, “I know what to do. I’ll call him tonight to discuss moving up the wedding date!”

“Well then, I’ll go ahead and wish you both a happy marriage, a lifetime of harmony, and children soon!” said Ye Lingyun.

“Thank you, Sister Lingyun!”

“You’re welcome!”

“Sister Lingyun, I have something else to do in a bit, so I won’t keep you any longer!”

With that, Liang Bing started to get up to leave.

But just as Liang Bing turned to leave, Ye Lingyun suddenly called out to her: “Bingbing, wait a moment!”

Liang Bing paused and asked, “What is it, Sister Lingyun?”

“If you still have any doubts about this, you can go ask Xiao Yi directly. Since he took the time to remind you, it means he already considers you a friend. Or you could ask Long Cheng and Jianhua too!” Ye Lingyun said.

Liang Bing’s eyes lit up instantly. She nodded and said, “I understand. Thank you, Sister!”

With that, Liang Bing smiled and left Ye Lingyun’s office.

Watching her retreating figure, Ye Lingyun took a deep breath and picked up the phone on her desk…

………..

Late at night!

Just as Li Yi and his wife were engaged in the most romantic of activities, undercurrents were swirling throughout the capital.

The details of his meeting with Bill and the others that evening had already been presented in full to the various bigwigs.

In the heart of the Forbidden City, two elderly men—one dressed in gray, the other in black—sat facing each other, with a middle-aged man standing before them, his expression anxious.

If Li Yi were here, he would certainly recognize this man as Deputy Director Han, who had accompanied him to the meeting with Bill and the others that evening.

After listening to Han Zhenqiang’s report, the elderly man in gray, speaking with a thick Sichuan-Chongqing accent, said, “Comrade Han, it must have been quite a hassle for you to accompany that young upstart to this meeting. Go home and get some rest early!”

“Yes, sir!”

With that, Han Zhenqiang turned and walked out.

Once he was gone, the gray-clad old man lit a cigarette and said to the black-clad old man, “Old Chen, it seems that kid was right after all—these Brits are really after the Chinese Chamber of Commerce!”

The man in black nodded and said, “They want that kid to dissolve the Chinese Chamber of Commerce. It seems they’re really desperate. Too bad their scheme was seen through long ago!”

The gray-clad old man remarked with a hint of admiration, “That young upstart has made a killing in the business world, building such a massive empire in just a few short years. His vision and ability are beyond reproach; it wasn’t hard for him to deduce their intentions.”

“But that brat’s defiant response today has really made me look at him with new respect. You must realize that most of his businesses are on their turf—reportedly worth tens of billions of dollars. Isn’t he afraid those people might, in desperation, resort to underhanded tactics against his businesses?”

The elderly man in black paused to reflect for a moment before saying, “That is precisely my concern. Those people are targeting him now—ostensibly to get at him, but in reality, they’re just testing the waters or sending a warning shot. They’re actually after us!”

“I’m worried that after that kid turns them down, those politicians on Downing Street will make an example of him—using him as the chicken to scare the monkeys!”

“Make an example of him?”

The old man in gray smiled and said, “No need to worry for now. Even if they do take action, it won’t be until after these negotiations are over!”

“Besides, that young upstart doesn’t seem to care at all. Perhaps he already has a plan in place!”

“But he’s up against an entire nation—and a long-standing power like the British Empire at that. It’s not something a single person can stand up to!” Old Chen said gravely.

“Heh, if it were anyone else, they certainly wouldn’t have the ability, but that little Japanese upstart might just have it. Don’t forget his unpredictable methods!” the gray-robed old man said.

Old Chen fell silent for a moment, then said, “After all, an individual’s capabilities are limited!”

“They won’t dare to go too far, and our strength in Hong Kong isn’t weak either. At a critical moment, they won’t stand idly by. At the very least, we can have the military move south to reinforce us!” said the gray-robed elder.

“That puts my mind at ease!”

“That kid is a real gem—we can’t let anyone push him around!” the gray-robed old man said with a smile.

Old Chen chuckled and said, “Under normal circumstances, that won’t happen. Don’t let his small stature fool you—that kid has a sharp eye. The moment the other side lifts their butt, he knows exactly what kind of crap they’re about to drop. Most people really can’t bully him!”

“Hahaha, Old Chen, your words are a bit harsh, but there’s truth in that rough talk. That little rascal really is a sharp one!”

The old man in black chuckled and said, “He’s more than just a sharp one—that kid’s a real prodigy. It’s just that he’s a bit of a slacker; he refuses to join the system no matter what. Even Old Jiang can’t do a thing about him!”

“Lazy?”

The gray-robed elder shook his head and said, “Old Chen, if you think that’s just being lazy, you’re dead wrong. That kid isn’t lazy—he just doesn’t want to play games with us.”

Thinking back to how Li Yi had actually fled in the dead of night just to avoid meeting him, Old Chen felt a bit helpless.

“I have no idea what that kid is thinking, refusing to become an official like that. Sigh!”

“He’s got all the money he needs now, commands thousands or even tens of thousands of people, and has plenty of power. Why would he want to join the system and be controlled by others?” the old man in gray said.

“You’re right!”

Then Old Chen spoke again: “Just now, Xiao Han mentioned that the kid told Bill and the others that woman is going to take a nasty fall here. What do you make of that?”

“Perhaps they’ll realize their objectives won’t be met. After all, we have no intention of making concessions—sovereignty is non-negotiable!” said the elderly man in gray.

“Exactly. We must make these foreigners, who refuse to wake up from their ‘Empire of the Sun Never Sets’ fantasy, realize that we are not the corrupt and incompetent late Qing government, and our negotiators are certainly not Li Hongzhang!”

Then Old Chen said with a touch of envy, “Old Jiang really is lucky to have found such a son-in-law. The Jiang family has a worthy successor!”

“That’s not something you can just envy your way into, but now that you’ve managed to lure this little rascal into the system, it’s a great blessing for the nation!” said the old man in gray.

“Then we’d better keep a close eye on this kid. He’s like a little donkey in front of a millstone—he won’t move unless you whip him, and if you whip him too hard, he’ll just back up!” Old Chen said.

“Hahaha, what a fine analogy—a little donkey that won’t move when you pull it and backs up when you hit it! Rest assured, having spent half my life as a political officer, I’m not afraid of anything more than training these troublemakers!” the gray-robed old man said with a laugh.

“You’re right. No matter how powerful the Monkey King is, he can’t escape the palm of the Buddha!”

With that, the two exchanged a knowing smile—no words were needed…

………

State Guest House. Presidential Wing!

After the banquet concluded, Bill also went to the Iron Lady’s suite to give the female prime minister a detailed report on the talks.

After listening to Bill’s report, the Iron Lady fell deep into thought.

“So, that young man’s background isn’t fabricated after all? He really does have deep connections here in China?”

Bill nodded and said, “That’s right. Although his tone was rather brash, and he lacks political savvy—speaking as if without regard for the consequences—it’s certain that he has deep connections within the government here!”

“If that’s the case, then this matter will be difficult to handle!” the Iron Lady said.

“What’s so difficult about it? We’ve already investigated. That Li’s assets are either here in the British Empire or in New York. If all else fails, we can target his businesses. Surely the mighty British Empire isn’t powerless against a mere young man?” Bill retorted angrily.

Before he could finish, the Iron Lady cut in: “If only it were that simple!”

“What’s the matter?”

“If we’d done this before the talks, the Chinese side wouldn’t have had anything to say.”

Then the Iron Lady continued, “But if we take action against that Li now, it would be a direct slap in the face to China, and it would inevitably have a negative impact on the upcoming negotiations.”

“Then… what should we do?” Bill asked.

“Don’t do anything for the time being. Let’s wait until the negotiations are over. In any case, no one can insult the British Empire without paying a heavy price!” the Iron Lady said coldly.

“Exactly, the British Empire must not be disgraced!”

“All right, go back and rest for now. We’ll discuss the rest once the formal talks are over in the next couple of days!”

“Yes…”

With that, Bill left the Iron Lady’s room.

At the same time, similar events were unfolding in the households of the Liang, Jiang, and Ye families, among other prominent clans.

In the blink of an eye, Li Yi’s name spread throughout the entire capital…

……….

Chapter 940 The Capital. Iron Lion Alley!

Li Yi paid little attention to the negotiations between the two countries and did not follow them closely.

After all, based on the course of history as he understood it, no matter how high-level these talks might be—even if the legendary Iron Lady herself were to pay a visit—it would be impossible to reach a consensus.

So, after confirming that Bill and the others wouldn’t be coming after him again, Li Yi made his way to the mainland branch office.

On one hand, he wanted to warn Li Futiao, Huang Lixing, and the others to be wary of the British Hong Kong government playing dirty tricks.

If those people were to suffer a setback in these negotiations, they might very well take their frustration out on him and, while they were at it, give the Chinese government a taste of their displeasure—this was a very real possibility.

At the same time, Li Yi also needed to remind the Chinese Chamber of Commerce to be on guard against British-owned conglomerates.

Although those Westerners had been behaving very obediently these past few months, acting all submissive and humble, practically groveling to the ground,

But a wolf is still a wolf; it doesn’t turn into a dog just by lowering its head and wagging its tail.

The moment London offers substantial incentives, coupled with the full cooperation of the British Hong Kong government, that bastard Dolsen will immediately bare his fangs.

After all, how could Li Yi possibly harbor any illusions about the loyalty of a man who would betray even his own family?

In short, when it comes to people like this, one must never harbor malicious intent, but one must always be on guard!

On the other hand, Li Yi had also come to assess the branch’s recent progress; after all, this was his stronghold, the safety net he’d secured for himself!

Although Li Yi wasn’t afraid of those Westerners—even if the politicians on Downing Street got personally involved, he wouldn’t bat an eye.

However, he has never been one to fight battles he isn’t certain of winning. Before entering the fray, he must secure an escape route for himself—and Li Yi’s escape route is the mainland branch of Star Investment Company.

Even if all his other businesses were frozen or even outright seized, as long as the mainland branch remained intact, he was confident he could make a comeback and achieve new heights of success.

Of course, that was on the condition that the mainland branch had a certain level of strength!

In the general manager’s office, Li Yi sipped his tea while listening to Lan Xinyi’s report.

After Lan Xinyi finished outlining the company’s basic situation, Li Yi paused briefly before saying, “So, as of now, the company’s domestic investments have reached 800 million yuan?”

“That’s correct, but 40% of that 800 million belongs to Vice President An’s project department; our side has less than 500 million!”

Lan Xinyi continued, “Fortunately, the factories we’ve acquired all have great potential and excellent market prospects.”

“It’s a bit slow,” Li Yi remarked coolly.

“Boss, I understand what you mean, but we’re currently short-staffed…”

Before she could finish, Li Yi’s deep voice cut in: “I’m not telling you all this to hear you complain about difficulties. If we’re short on staff, hire more. If we can’t find them domestically, transfer them from Hong Kong. If Hong Kong doesn’t have them, recruit from all over the world.”

“I don’t care what methods you use. Within three years, I want the company’s domestic investments to reach 5 billion yuan, and those key industries we identified earlier need to be developed as quickly as possible.”

Lan Xinyi understood Li Yi’s temperament; she knew he didn’t like his subordinates bringing up difficulties or making demands. In most cases, he only set the goals—how to achieve them was up to the employees.

With that in mind, Lan Xinyi immediately replied, “Yes, Boss. I will fully implement your instructions and ensure the company’s scale reaches 5 billion yuan within three years!”

“Very good. In a little while, I’ll transfer key personnel like Lin Xueyi, Ding Can, and Zhao Xinlan over here to assist you!” Li Yi said.

“Boss, Xueyi and Xinlan are both core leaders at headquarters. Won’t transferring them affect the headquarters’ development?” Lan Xinyi asked with some concern.

“No, it won’t. The headquarters has recently trained quite a few new mid-level managers, so transferring a few people over here won’t affect headquarters’ operations!” Li Yi replied.

“That’s good to hear!”

Lan Xinyi then added, “By the way, Boss, trading in Jianing Group’s stock has been suspended!”

Upon hearing this, Li Yi was taken aback for a moment, then said, “So soon?”

His response startled Lan Xinyi once more. She could tell that the boss had anticipated this development, though he hadn’t expected it to happen so quickly.

Indeed, Li Yi had long known that Jianing Group’s stock would be suspended from trading; it was just a matter of timing.

In his previous life, Jianing Group would have just been exposed for cash flow problems and poor financial performance at this point, and the actual trading ban wouldn’t take effect until January 3rd of the following year.

He hadn’t expected that in this life, due to his intervention, the company would collapse so quickly. He just didn’t know if Cheng Qingsong would end up confessing and facing justice, just like the protagonist Cheng Yiyan in the movie *Goldfinger*.

After a long silence, Lan Xinyi glanced at Li Yi and said again, “Boss, Vice President Huang asked me to tell you that if you have time, he’d like you to come back to Hong Kong!”

“Did he say what it was about?” Li Yi asked immediately.

“He didn’t go into detail, but it’s probably related to money!”

Li Yi nodded and said, “I understand. Please call Old Huang back for me and tell him I’ll make a trip over around October.”

“Yes…”

And just as Li Yi was devoting himself entirely to company affairs, a high-profile negotiation was unfolding at the heart of Huaguo’s power center…

………..

On September 23, representatives from Huaguo and the British Empire formally began talks on the recent issue.

These talks carried immense significance and attracted global attention from the very beginning.

On one hand, as the lease terms for certain regions neared expiration, international investors began adopting a wait-and-see attitude toward Hong Kong Island, which undoubtedly had a massive impact on this international hub for finance, trade, and logistics.

On the other hand, this matter also set a precedent for the future status of several other territories; after all, aside from Hong Kong, China still had several other regions yet to be reclaimed.

In fact, regarding the Hong Kong issue, the pressure on 10 Downing Street was clearly greater.

The reason lies in the severe economic downturn on Hong Kong Island over the past two years, which has severely impacted the profits London could extract from the island. This has further strained the government, already severely weakened by the war.

Without a steady flow of funds, the pressure on any sitting prime minister is undeniable.

Consequently, from March 1979 to April 1982, in an effort to gauge China’s stance, London dispatched the Governor of Hong Kong, the Foreign Secretary, the Lord Chancellor, and a former Prime Minister to visit China.

However, the Chinese government remained resolute, offering the same response to every visitor: “The issue of sovereignty is not up for discussion!”

It was precisely for this reason that the Iron Lady was compelled to make the visit herself.

Her choice of September was also deeply calculated.

Just a few months earlier, they had emerged victorious in the Falklands War against Argentina.

Her plan was to leverage the momentum of that victory to negotiate with China, hoping to keep those unequal treaties in effect.

But China was no longer the corrupt Qing government of a century ago. The Chinese people, who had stood tall in the face of cannon fire and bayonets, would not—and could not—succumb to their former aggressors.

Consequently, the talks reached an impasse from the very beginning.

The talks on the 23rd yielded no progress, and the two sides parted on bad terms.

After gauging Huaguo’s bottom line, on the 24th, the British chief representative, the Iron Lady, held high-level talks with Huaguo’s Grand Elder.

This time, the two sides engaged in an even more intense exchange.

Faced with the aggressive Iron Lady, the Huaguo delegation remained steadfast in their stance, showing not the slightest wavering, and the talks once again ended in acrimony.

However, immediately after the talks concluded, a minor incident caused quite a stir—the Iron Lady had fallen!

Here’s what happened: After the talks concluded, as the female prime minister emerged from the venue, her face was grave and her mind heavy with worry, leaving her somewhat dazed.

Just as she was descending the steps, her legs gave way, and she suddenly stumbled and fell.

Although she was unharmed in the fall, the impact was significant.

That very day, this highly symbolic photograph made the front-page headlines of authoritative newspapers around the world.

Many believed that this dramatic image served as the ultimate testament to the complete decline of the former British Empire.

But unlike the general public, many insiders who knew about the meeting between Li Yi and Bill were completely stunned upon hearing the news of the Iron Lady’s fall.

She… she really fell…

Everyone’s first reaction was: Was this a coincidence?

……….

The Li Family Courtyard!

By the time they got home, it was already 8:30.

Usually, this was the time when Yun Rui and Yun Jin were half-asleep, so as he entered, Li Yi moved cautiously, afraid of waking the two little ones.

Sure enough, as he pushed the door open, he saw Jiang Xue sitting on the kang, gently patting the two little ones on the back.

Seeing Li Yi enter, she immediately made a shushing gesture.

Li Yi understood immediately and tiptoed into the study next door.

Although tonight’s events were within his expectations—after all, the existence of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce had indeed undermined the British Empire’s comprehensive control over Hong Kong Island and further disrupted their plans to plunder the island’s economic resources—

It must be noted that over the past few decades, London had successively relinquished a vast number of colonies, including India—which they regarded as the brightest jewel in the British Crown.

Yet they had never relinquished Hong Kong Island. The primary reason was that, despite its small size and seemingly insignificant stature, the value it generated for the British Empire each year far exceeded the average person’s imagination.

Before Hong Kong’s handover, London reaped hundreds of billions in profits annually from this tiny piece of land. Such a massive windfall would make anyone’s mouth water.

More importantly, since Hong Kong Island was then a colony of the British Empire, they also enjoyed numerous hidden benefits there. For instance, there were explicit requirements that much of Hong Kong Island’s infrastructure—such as buses, the Kowloon-Canton Railway, MTR trains, and electrical equipment—must be sourced from the United Kingdom.

Furthermore, many of Hong Kong’s monopolistic companies were controlled by London and its affiliated interests. For instance, the Great Eastern Telegraph Company, which controlled Hong Kong’s external communications, the telephone company, and Cathay Pacific Airways—all were British-owned enterprises.

Just think about it: transportation, telecommunications, and the well-known financial sector—these industries vital to people’s livelihoods were all in the hands of British-owned companies. How could the profits be anything but substantial?

But ever since he burst onto the scene in Hong Kong like a catfish, everything changed.

First, he took everyone by surprise by short-selling Hong Kong stocks, raking in tens of billions of Hong Kong dollars, and used that money to establish the renowned Starry Sky Investment.

He then made another fortune by shorting gold, and in the process, repeatedly defeated the British-backed conglomerates—the vassals of the British Empire—inflicting heavy losses on them.

While establishing his authority, he also won over a large number of Chinese merchants who had long been oppressed by the British-owned groups, uniting them to form the Chinese Chamber of Commerce.

Today, the Chinese Chamber of Commerce is riding high and wields immense power. Not only has it forced the British-owned conglomerates into retreat, but it has also, through various means, gained control of a large number of financial and other industrial companies on Hong Kong Island, including New Territories Warehouse, Hang Seng Bank, and Lung Hang Bank.

Even in the Huifeng Bank, which the British-funded groups regarded as their exclusive domain, Star Investment has secured a 12% stake.

More importantly, for the past few months, Star Investment has been quietly buying up shares in promising companies on Hong Kong Island at rock-bottom prices.

Li Yi knew that starting next year, Hong Kong’s economic crisis would come to an end, and the region would enter a period of rapid growth over the next three years, soaring from the current level of over 650 points to over 4,000 points—a surge of approximately sixfold.

During this period, Hong Kong’s real estate and stock markets would soar like rockets, shattering one record after another.

To capitalize on this wave of opportunities, Li Yi had already devised a plan for Star Investment to buy Hong Kong stocks at rock-bottom prices before returning to the mainland.

If this plan succeeded, regardless of how many companies would fall into Li Yi’s hands, he would have a stake in every profitable industry on Hong Kong Island.

That was one thing, but more importantly, Li Yi wasn’t the type to keep all the profits to himself. The Li, Ho, Lo, Fok, and Huang families—including Huang Li-hang’s—were all his friends, and they had all made a fortune through their partnerships with him.

The pie is only so big. Now, a tiger leading a pack of hungry wolves is rushing in to snatch food right from the British Empire’s pot—and naturally, they cannot tolerate this.

That is why they have now demanded that the Chinese Chamber of Commerce be dissolved.

Of course, the fact that those Westerners chose to make such a demand at this time and in this setting was also meant to send a warning.

They want to test the higher-ups’ stance on Hong Kong by putting pressure on him.

Now that he has explicitly refused them, barring any surprises, London certainly won’t let this slide. They will inevitably take action against him and the Chinese Merchants’ Association, thereby making an example of them to warn others.

Although Li Yi wasn’t afraid of them—after all, the British Empire was no longer the “Empire on Which the Sun Never Sets” of old, and with their country currently facing a severe economic crisis, they didn’t have many cards to play—

But even a starving camel is bigger than a horse, and Li Yi dared not take this lightly. If those foreigners truly mobilized the full might of their nation against him, it would indeed be quite troublesome.

Therefore, he had to plan ahead and prepare early.

Just as Li Yi was pondering his next move, the study door suddenly swung open, and Jiang Xue walked in carrying a thermos.

Walking up to Li Yi’s desk, Jiang Xue poured him some water and asked, “How was the state banquet? Was it lively?”

Li Yi smiled and said, “It was just so-so—pretty much like a big feast back in our village!”

Jiang Xue shot him a look and said, “How could that be? The people attending a state banquet like that are all high-ranking officials—it’s nothing like the ordinary villagers in our village.”

“Haha, aside from the food being a bit better, there really wasn’t anything special. If I get the chance next time, I’ll take you to check it out!” Li Yi said.

“You’re just talking nonsense. A state banquet isn’t something an ordinary student like me—who has neither a government position nor any merits—could possibly attend!” Jiang Xue said with a laugh.

“Don’t say that. Who says you can’t go just because you have no official position or merits…”

Before Li Yi could finish, Jiang Xue cut him off: “Enough with all that nonsense. I need to tell you something!”

“What is it?”

“Do you know about Zhang Ziqiang and Sister Feng dating?” Jiang Xue asked.

“They didn’t tell me, but I could tell. What’s up?”

Although the two of them were trying to be discreet, this sort of thing isn’t something you can hide just by being careful. When you’re in love with someone, the way you look at them is practically melting—anyone who isn’t blind can see it.

So Li Yi had noticed something was up with them a long time ago, but since neither of them had brought it up, he’d just pretended not to know.

“You noticed… then why didn’t you tell me? You almost made me look like a fool!” Jiang Xue said, feigning annoyance.

“What kind of embarrassment?”

Jiang Xue replied immediately, “A few days ago, I went to Grandpa’s house with Mom. While chatting with Uncle San, I heard him complain that Cousin Jian’an still hasn’t gotten married—it’s driving him and Auntie San nearly crazy. I thought Cousin Jian’an and Sister Feng were about the same age, so I figured I’d try to set them up…”

“Did you ask Zhang Feng about it?” Li Yi asked with a smile.

“Well… and you’re laughing. When Sister Feng told me she was dating Brother Qiang, you have no idea how awkward I felt. Thank goodness Brother Qiang isn’t home today—otherwise, I wouldn’t have known how to explain it to him!”

Li Yi chuckled and said, “What’s there to be embarrassed about? They didn’t tell us when they started dating!”

“It still felt awkward…”

Li Yi didn’t press Jiang Xue on the matter but said, “Since Zhang Feng has already told you about this, I think their happy day is coming soon. Later, you should prepare a big gift for them—consider it a wedding present from the two of us!”

“What kind of big gift? I… I’ve never done this before, so I don’t know what to give,” Jiang Xue said.

“Just like the betrothal gift I prepared for Xiaogouwa, you should prepare something for them too. I’m sure they’ll be happy to accept it!” Li Yi said.

“Alright!”

Then Jiang Xue looked at Li Yi and said, “It’s pretty late. Should we get some rest?”

Hearing those familiar words, Li Yi immediately looked up at his wife and saw, sure enough, that her gaze was filled with passion.

As an old married couple, Li Yi naturally knew what she was thinking. He immediately said, “Alright, you go back to the room first. I’ll take a shower!”

“Let’s do it together!” Jiang Xue whispered.

“Alright, let’s do it together!”

With that, Li Yi immediately stood up, took his wife’s hand, and led her toward the bathroom in the inner room…

……….

State Guest House. Banquet Hall!

Li Yi looked at Liang Bing’s strange and complex expression, his face instantly filled with confusion.

The surprise and curiosity weren’t so surprising—after all, when he’d been talking to Sand just a moment ago, he hadn’t used an interpreter at all, and his fluent London accent would certainly have made her feel that way.

But what the hell is with that terrified look on your face? What exactly are you questioning—my character, Li Yi’s character?

Since he had his doubts, and since it wasn’t a big deal, Li Yi decided right then and there to get to the bottom of it.

“Sis Bing, why are you looking at me like that?”

Liang Bing’s expression froze for a moment, then she said cautiously, “Are… are you okay right now?”

“What do you mean?”

“Do you feel dizzy, and… and want to sleep?”

“Dizzy… sleepy?”

Seeing Li Yi’s completely baffled expression, Liang Bing furrowed her brows and said, “That doesn’t make sense. Xiao Xue said your biggest weakness is that you can’t stand the sight of alcohol, let alone drink it—you can only handle two liang at most. How come you’re totally fine after downing a glass this big?”

What does “can’t stand the sight of alcohol or touch a drop” even mean… Damn, doesn’t that just mean he’s a weakling who’s full of shit and loves to party?

“Xiao Xue said that?”

As he spoke, Li Yi couldn’t help but wonder: Was this a backstab from his wife?

“Yeah. I saw you down that huge glass just now. I was afraid you’d actually crawl under the table like Xiao Xue said, and I was also worried you’d get drunk and cause a scene in front of all these people—that would be a huge embarrassment!” Liang Bing said.

Li Yi immediately understood where Liang Bing’s earlier look of fear had come from—she didn’t trust his drinking habits!

But on second thought, if he’d been drinking baijiu just now, Liang Bing’s concern really wouldn’t have been unfounded.

“I may not be able to handle much baijiu, but I’m fine with red wine!” Li Yi explained.

“Oh, I see. Then I worried for nothing!”

Liang Bing quickly changed the subject: “By the way, I noticed you spoke English so fluently just now, and with a standard London accent. So why do you need an interpreter?”

Li Yi smiled and said, “Who says knowing English means you don’t need a translator? In formal diplomatic settings, even if you understand the other party’s language, you must speak your own country’s language. That’s the rule—it’s diplomatic etiquette.”

“Besides, Sister Bing, don’t you think having an interpreter by your side—especially a beautiful one—is pretty cool?”

“So you’re saying you’re thrilled to have me play the role of the green leaves that衬托 this bright red flower?” Liang Bing retorted.

Li Yi had originally wanted to tell her that all this talk of “complement” was just him showing off.

But considering she was a young woman, and given that social norms were still relatively conservative these days, saying that could easily be misinterpreted.

So he just smiled and said, “By the way, Sister Bing, how much do you usually get paid for a translation gig like this?”

“Why do you ask? You’re not thinking of becoming a translator yourself, are you?”

Before Li Yi could answer, she continued, “Wait, that’s not right. My dad said you’re quite capable, especially when it comes to making money—you’re a real pro. You’d probably look down on such a small fee!”

“What, isn’t your fee very high?” Li Yi asked with a smile.

“Ten yuan for a one-time translation job. If they need you to accompany them all day, at least twenty yuan!” Liang Bing replied.

“That’s not bad!”

While the pay was certainly higher than what ordinary people earned, it wasn’t exactly outrageous.

Li Yi recalled that when he first went abroad years ago, he hired a senior interpreter who charged 1,000 yuan a day—and wouldn’t budge on the price.

Keep in mind that was back in the 1990s—only about a decade or so ago.

By comparison, Liang Bing’s rate was a steal!

Seeing that Liang Bing still had questions, Li Yi glanced at his watch and said, “Sis Bing, it’s almost eight. I’m heading out—what about you? Want to go back together?”

Liang Bing thought for a moment and said, “My job today was to translate for you. Since you’re heading back, there’s nothing left for me to do here. Let’s go together!”

“Let’s go, then!”

With that, Li Yi stood up and walked out of the banquet hall with Liang Bing.

Outside the hall, Zhang Ziqiang and Zhou Wen were waiting for him.

Seeing Li Yi emerge, the two immediately stepped forward to escort him and Liang Bing to the nearby parking lot.

The Liang family’s residence wasn’t far from Li Yi’s; both were near the Forbidden City, so there was no need to take a detour.

After the car started moving, Liang Bing kept glancing at Li Yi beside her. Her mouth opened and closed, but she never spoke, looking as if she wanted to say something but couldn’t bring herself to do so.

After waiting a moment and seeing she still hadn’t spoken, Li Yi couldn’t help but shake his head. With a touch of exasperation, he said, “Sis Bing, just say what’s on your mind. If you don’t speak up soon, we’ll be at your place before you know it!”

“Well… I just wanted to ask, is what you said back then true?” Liang Bing said, mustering her courage.

“What thing? You mean the thing about you marrying my husband?”

“Um…”

“Does it really matter if it’s true or not? When it comes to gods, spirits, and the supernatural, it’s always been a matter of belief—if you believe, it works; if you don’t, it doesn’t. It has nothing to do with whether it’s true or not!” Li Yi said.

“So, should we really move up the wedding date?” Liang Bing asked.

“That’s entirely up to you. I’ve simply told you exactly what I saw. Whether you choose to believe it or not is not for me to decide!”

Li Yi was no saint, much less a savior; he had absolutely no interest in forcibly altering others’ destinies.

Apart from Jiang Xue and his older sister—whose fates he had forcibly altered to help them defy heaven and rewrite their destinies—Li Yi had approached the rest, such as Wang Anguo, Li Gang, and Jiang Longcheng, with the mindset that “Buddha saves those with karmic ties, and medicine cures only incurable illnesses.”

Having lived two lifetimes, Li Yi had long since seen through the hearts and nature of people.

Just because you forcefully intervene to change someone’s fate doesn’t mean they’ll necessarily be grateful.

That’s just wishful thinking on your part; you might even save someone only to have them resent you for meddling.

So, when it came to Liang Bing and her husband, Li Yi’s approach was the same: if he felt a twinge of guilt, he’d offer a gentle reminder.

As for letting him make decisions for them? Sorry, that’s not his style!

Liang Bing was about to ask for clarification when she heard Li Yi say again, “Sis Bing, we’re here!”

Liang Bing glanced out the car window and saw that they had indeed arrived at her doorstep.

She immediately opened the car door and stepped out.

But just as she was about to close the door, Liang Bing asked again, “By the way, what did you mean when you told that Bill earlier that their prime minister was going to take a nasty fall here?”

“Exactly what I said!”

With that, Li Yi said no more!

Seeing this, Liang Bing immediately closed the car door and watched as the car drove out of sight.

Even after the car had vanished from sight, Liang Bing remained standing in the same spot, unable to bring herself to leave.

Just as Liang Bing’s mind was in a whirl, a cheerful voice suddenly rang out from behind her: “What are you staring at so intently?”

The sudden voice startled Liang Bing. She turned her head and realized her father had somehow appeared behind her.

“Dad, you walk so quietly—you scared the life out of me!”

“How could I be silent? You were so distracted you didn’t even hear me!”

Then Liang’s father added, “By the way, Bingbing, who was that guy who just walked you home?”

“It was Li Yi!”

“Li Yi… Jiang Laosan’s son-in-law?”

“Yes, that’s him!”

“Weren’t you out on a mission today? How did you run into him? Did he attend the state banquet?” Liang’s father asked, puzzled.

“Yeah, I was working as his interpreter today!”

Then Liang Bing spoke again: “Dad, there’s something I’d like to talk to you about!”

“What is it?”

“Come on, let’s talk inside!”

With that, Liang Bing took her father by the hand and headed toward the courtyard…

………

By the time Li Yi and his group arrived at the banquet hall, the dinner had already begun.

Seeing this, Li Yi had originally intended not to go in,

but just as he turned to leave, he was called back by Director Han Zhenqiang, who had followed behind: “Comrade Li Yi, please wait a moment. Where are you going?”

“The meeting is over. I’m heading home!” Li Yi replied honestly.

“You’d better wait a bit. I noticed those guys didn’t look too happy earlier, and I’m worried there might be some trouble later!” Han Zhenqiang said.

Li Yi thought it over. Judging by the demeanor and composure those guys had displayed, they were indeed rather mediocre; they might very well lodge some kind of protest with the foreign affairs department.

If he left now, it would certainly put Director Han, Shen Fangzheng, and the others in a difficult position.

He nodded and said, “In that case, I’ll stay a little longer.”

“Thank you for your understanding. Please come in!”

With that, Han Zhenqiang personally opened the banquet hall door for Li Yi and invited him and Liang Bing inside.

Li Yi didn’t stand around; he strode right in.

Upon seeing Li Yi and his party enter, Shen Fangzheng, who was in charge of reception in the banquet hall, immediately came forward to greet them. He then led Li Yi and Liang Bing to a table on the right side of the room and gestured for them to take their seats there.

Once they were seated, Li Yi finally had a chance to take in the scene inside the banquet hall.

In fact, Li Yi had attended state banquets in his previous life, though they were of a much lower caliber. Back then, they were simply banquets hosted by relevant departments for successful businesspeople like him before the opening of an economic forum, and the highest-ranking officials in attendance were no more than provincial or ministerial-level cadres.

But today was completely different. At the table at the very front, Li Yi not only saw the renowned Iron Lady, but also the Grand Elder and several other bigwigs from the Council of Elders.

Setting aside other considerations, the scale of this state banquet alone was truly top-tier.

After a quick glance, Li Yi withdrew his gaze and turned his full attention to the sumptuous banquet spread before him.

It must be said that the skill of the state banquet chefs was truly unparalleled; back in the day, a dish of boiled cabbage at a state banquet had left a profound impression on him.

Although he had since eaten the dish elsewhere, chefs outside the palace had never quite managed to capture that same flavor.

Plus, he was actually a bit hungry, so he immediately began to tuck in heartily, despite the curious stares from the others.

The reason for the curious stares was that everyone else’s attention was focused on the leaders at the front, especially since the Grand Elder was still delivering his speech. Eating at that moment was somewhat disrespectful, which made Li Yi look like an outsider.

Seeing this, Liang Bing quietly tugged at Li Yi’s sleeve, signaling him to be mindful of his behavior.

However, Li Yi paid no attention to this at all; instead, he picked up a golden-brown grilled lamb rib and placed it on Liang Bing’s plate.

Now not only had Li Yi become the odd one out, but Liang Bing had also become the center of attention for everyone else at the table, causing her face to flush instantly.

“Can’t you… can’t you just tone it down a bit? This is a state banquet!” Liang Bing whispered.

“So what if it’s a state banquet? It’s still a place to eat!”

“Um… we still need to be mindful of how we come across. Look at how everyone else is looking at us!”

“Who cares what they think of us? It’s not like it’s going to cost us a single bone!”

Then Li Yi added, “Besides, if you’re not even enthusiastic about eating, you’ve got a screw loose. What’s the point of getting worked up over a bunch of sickos?”

Hearing that, Liang Bing couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

Their little exchange once again drew the attention of the others, and strange expressions immediately appeared on everyone’s faces—some looked puzzled, some disgusted, some contemptuous, and so on…

Li Yi paid no attention whatsoever to the stares.

On the one hand, these were all strangers he didn’t know; he simply didn’t care how they viewed him.

On the other hand, having lived two lifetimes, he had long since seen through the illusion of “face” and “status.” In the presence of his wife, children, and loved ones, such things meant nothing.

There was no need to compete or compare with others over such things—strife and comparison were the very roots of suffering and loss!

As soon as the leader finished his speech, the Grand Elder signaled that everyone was free to mingle, and the atmosphere in the hall quickly livened up.

In reality, state banquets aren’t as formal as people imagine. Once the formal proceedings are over, the officials usually leave, and the rest of the time is mostly spent at one’s leisure.

By this point, Li Yi had nearly finished his meal.

Just as he was feeling bored, wondering when he could go home to be with his wife and child, he saw the Navy Vice Admiral he’d met with earlier approach him from behind, a smile on his face as he held a glass of wine.

“Li, we meet again!”

Liang Bing, standing nearby, was about to translate, but Li Yi stopped her. Speaking fluent English, he said, “Your Excellency, if you wish to continue the conversation we had earlier, I’m afraid I must apologize!”

“Li, you’ve misunderstood. I’ve come to deliver a message from my younger brother!”

“Your brother? A message?”

“Hehe, my brother’s name is Sandy. I’m his older brother, Sand George.”

Upon hearing this, Li Yi’s expression visibly froze.

He had known before that Sandy had an older brother serving in the military, and that the man held a high-ranking position, but he hadn’t inquired further about it.

He never imagined that Sandy’s older brother was a lieutenant general, and he certainly didn’t expect him to be one of the representatives on this visit!

But Li Yi quickly regained his composure and asked, “What message did Sandy ask you to bring me?”

Sander smiled and said, “He asked me to tell you not to worry about the company. As long as he’s here, the government won’t dare to go too far!”

Li Yi gave him a half-smile and said, “I wonder if that’s just Sandy’s opinion, or if it reflects the views of the entire George family?”

“Does it make a difference?”

“It certainly doesn’t. In any case, I have no intention of selling my stake in the company!” Li Yi replied.

“Just as Sandy predicted. He said you wouldn’t bow down to 10 Downing Street, and he told me not to get involved in this matter—that angering you would be a terrifying prospect!” Sand said with a laugh.

A faint smile tugged at the corners of Li Yi’s mouth. “It seems you took Sandy’s advice to heart!”

“No, I just don’t want the family’s interests to suffer!”

Sander was speaking from the heart. Although their family now held only a 5% stake in Sheffield Steel, the company’s stock price had been rising steadily, causing their family’s assets to more than double in a short period.

Furthermore, a few months ago, at the urging of this young man, his younger brother Sandy had gone all-in on buying pounds—an investment that had netted the family a massive profit of 300 million pounds.

Now, it wasn’t just his younger brother Sandy who placed immense trust in Li Yi; even their father, Old George, couldn’t stop praising the young man.

Sandy understood clearly that the George family’s interests were now deeply intertwined with this young man’s, and that any move against Li Yi would also harm the family’s interests.

“In any case, you made the right choice!” Li Yi said with a smile.

Sandy nodded, then added, “Don’t worry about the steel company. The government won’t interfere in business matters without good reason.”

“However, you must take the matter of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce seriously. Someone is secretly pushing the legislature to investigate this organization, and the current findings seem to be going against you.”

Li Yi paused briefly, then said, “I understand. Thanks for the heads-up!”

Sander smiled, raised his wine glass, and said to Li Yi, “Cheers!”

Li Yi clinked glasses with him and downed the red wine in one gulp.

After the toast, Sand smiled and took his leave.

After watching Sand leave, Li Yi turned around.

Just as he was about to sit down, he noticed Liang Bing staring at him with a complex expression. In her eyes, besides surprise, Li Yi actually saw a hint of fear…

……….

In the reception hall, the talks were still ongoing!

Seeing Li Yi’s unyielding stance, the British representatives across the table looked extremely displeased.

Originally, in their view, they were representing the British government in negotiations with this young man before them, discussing the acquisition of companies on the British Isles. Whether out of respect or fear, this young man should have maintained a courteous demeanor.

But clearly, his behavior just now could hardly be called friendly.

One could even say he hadn’t taken them seriously at all.

Overcome with anger, Lilia, the senior executive from the Royal Bank, couldn’t help but speak up: “Mr. Li Yi, as far as we understand, you spent less than 6 billion pounds when you acquired Sheffield Steel. Now, just a few months later, you’ve driven the price up to more than three times that amount. Isn’t that a bit excessive?”

“Excessive?”

Li Yi let out a dismissive sneer before replying, “Hearing such words from a bank president truly surprises me—and makes me question your professional integrity and competence!”

“The core of business is buying low and selling high to make a profit. You yourself said that 6 billion was merely the cost. As for how much I’m asking for, that’s a testament to my ability—what does that have to do with whether it’s excessive or not?”

“Hmph, there’s nothing wrong with pursuing profit, but raising the price to three times the original amount in just a few short months is unethical!” Lilia said again.

“So raising the price threefold is unethical, but back when the British Empire was engaging in profit-making ventures at sea with no capital of their own, that was ethical?” Li Yi said with a sneer.

The whole world knows how the British Empire rose to power.

That Queen Victoria, whom they’ve been singing the praises of for centuries, was nothing but a pirate chieftain through and through. It was with her backing that hordes of British pirates patrolled the major shipping lanes of the Atlantic, plundering treasure ships from Spain, Portugal, and the Netherlands.

It was through these shameless acts that the British Empire amassed its first fortune and secured the capital for the subsequent Industrial Revolution.

A bunch of pirates lecturing him on morality—Li Yi felt the world had truly become surreal.

“You… you’re slandering me! I’m going to lodge a protest with your government!”

Lilia’s face flushed with anger; her voice was shrill, and her expression bordered on hysteria.

“Slander?”

Li Yi then said coldly, “Is it a lie that you plundered Spanish treasure ships? Isn’t it a fact that you used your powerful ships and cannons to colonize and plunder the world? Aren’t the piles of bones of hundreds of millions of people in South America, North America, Southeast Asia, and South Asia the result of your actions? To speak of morality—are you… even worthy of it?”

Seeing the tension between the two sides escalating, Vice Admiral Sand, who had remained silent until then, suddenly spoke up: “Lilia, our purpose today is to discuss business with Mr. Li Yi. Please control your emotions.”

Lilia shot Li Yi a defiant glance but ultimately chose to remain silent.

Seeing this, Bill immediately said, “Mr. Li Yi, the price you’ve quoted exceeds my authority to decide. I will report this matter to the Prime Minister and get back to you later!”

Li Yi replied calmly, “Very well, but my offer remains unchanged!”

“Very well, then let’s discuss the second matter. We hope you will dissolve the Hong Kong Chinese Chamber of Commerce!” Bill said again.

Hearing this, a cold smile flashed across Li Yi’s mind. Just as he had anticipated, these foreigners had indeed come to him specifically because of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce.

Clearly, the Chamber’s existence made them feel threatened—it was like a bone stuck in their throat.

“Reason!” Li Yi said, his expression still impassive.

“You must be aware that Hong Kong is territory of the British Empire…”

Before Bill could finish his sentence, Li Yi cut him off: “Mr. Bill, Hong Kong has always been a sacred and inseparable part of our Chinese nation. Although, for historical reasons, it is currently under your temporary administration, that does not mean it is your territory. Please watch your words.”

“Mr. Li Yi, we have been developing Hong Kong for over a century. It was we who transformed that dilapidated little island into the international metropolis it is today…”

Before he could finish, Li Yi cut in: “Setting aside the fact that your statement is fundamentally flawed—it was the millions of people of Hong Kong who built the island, not you colonizers.”

“Besides, even if you did make some contributions to Hong Kong Island’s development, what does that prove? Do you know what your behavior looks like?”

“Like what?” Bill asked instinctively.

“Your behavior is like a bandit robbing an ordinary family—not only beating them, but also snatching their child to raise as your own son. This proves nothing except your shamelessness,” Li Yi said sharply.

Not only were Bill and his group left speechless by Li Yi’s words, but even Liang Bing and the accompanying staff from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs standing nearby were taken aback. This guy’s tongue was truly venomous; every sentence struck a nerve with these foreigners.

Being angry was one thing, but the real issue was the pain.

“Mr. Li Yi, the dissolution of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce is solely because the very existence of this organization has compromised our national security. If you do not agree, we may be forced to take coercive measures!” Bill said in a cold, menacing tone.

“National security really is a convenient excuse—you can stick anything and everything under that banner!”

Ignoring the grim expressions on Bill and the others’ faces, Li Yi said dismissively once more, “And as for ‘coercive measures’… on what grounds? Just those few dilapidated ships of yours?”

“Are you looking down on our Royal Navy, sir? You should know that just a few months ago, we seized control of the Falkland Islands (Malvinas) from the Argentines. Hong Kong will eventually be ours too!” Bill retorted.

A flash of contempt crossed Li Yi’s face, and he replied coldly, “China is not Argentina, nor is it the Qing Dynasty of a century ago. The days of flexing military might with a few dilapidated ships that are nothing but sitting ducks are long gone.”

“Mark my words: if you dare to sail those rust buckets over here, we’ll sink every last one of them.”

Li Yi wasn’t actually trying to intimidate him with those words. He knew that the Iron Lady had chosen this particular moment to come precisely to ride the coattails of the Falklands War and test our mettle.

But they don’t seem to realize what era we’re living in—still clinging to their “gunboat diplomacy”?

Think back to 1949—we didn’t even have a proper navy back then, yet we still forced your Amethyst to hoist the white flag. What are you playing at now?

“Mr. Li Yi, do your remarks represent the position of your government?” Bill said coldly.

“No, it doesn’t. I’m speaking solely for myself!”

However, before Bill and the others could react, Li Yi changed his tone and added, “But I’m not one to speak recklessly—whatever I say always comes true!”

“Mr. Li Yi, you’re being far too arrogant. Besides, you don’t understand our Prime Minister. I’m confident she’ll keep Hong Kong in the hands of the British Empire!” Bill said confidently.

“Hah, you’re overestimating yourself. While I may not know your Prime Minister, I know the Chinese government, and I know the 1 billion people of China even better. Once the Chinese people rise up, they will never compromise with colonizers like you!”

Then Li Yi spoke almost syllable by syllable: “Mark my words: this is China. Your Prime Minister is bound to take a nasty fall here and become a laughingstock to the entire world!”

“You… Mr. Li Yi, I’m not here to negotiate with you about the Chinese Chamber of Commerce. I’m here to formally notify you. If you refuse…”

Before the other man could issue his threat, Li Yi coldly cut him off: “I can tell you right now—the Chinese Chamber of Commerce will not be dissolved. Bring whatever you’ve got.”

“Of course, before you act, you’d better think about the consequences. You’re not the former ‘Empire on Which the Sun Never Sets’ anymore. The sun doesn’t rise on the other side after it sets, and a plucked pheasant is an easy target!”

“You…”

Biel tried to say something else, but Li Yi had clearly lost patience with their nonsense. He stood up and walked out without even looking back…

………

On the way to the reception hall, Shen Fangzheng began introducing Building 18 to Li Yi!

“Building 18 of the State Guesthouse is a comprehensive reception facility. Its exterior mimics Ming-style architecture, exuding an antique charm and a distinct sense of historical elegance!”

“There are a total of 25 guest rooms in the building, including one ultra-luxurious presidential suite, one deluxe suite, and several standard rooms. Since many foreign heads of state or presidents visiting China are typically accommodated here in Building 18, it is also known as the ‘Presidential Building.’According to incomplete statistics, the State Guest House has hosted more than 900 heads of state, of whom approximately 600 have stayed in Building 18…”

Although Li Yi had been a billionaire and member of high society in his previous life, he was unaware of these secrets, so he listened with great interest.

Unfortunately, the distance from the banquet hall to the reception room was very short, and they arrived in just a few minutes.

Once they reached the entrance to the reception room, Shen Fangzheng stopped talking about these matters, leaving Li Yi feeling somewhat unsatisfied.

But when Shen Fangzheng opened the door, Li Yi was surprised to see Liang Bing sitting inside.

Seeing Li Yi and Shen Fangzheng enter together, Liang Bing immediately stood up, a hint of confusion and surprise flashing in her eyes.

But before she could speak, Shen Fangzheng cut in: “Comrade Liang Bing, let me introduce you. This is Comrade Li Yi, Senior Advisor to the State Planning Commission and our delegation’s representative. You will serve as Comrade Li Yi’s interpreter for the entire meeting!”

“Yes!” Liang Bing replied promptly.

Then, Shen Fangzheng turned to Li Yi again and said, “Comrade Li Yi, this is Comrade Liang Bing, the interpreter we’ve arranged for you. She will be accompanying you throughout the upcoming talks…”

Before he could finish, Li Yi smiled and said, “Director Shen, no introduction is necessary. Teacher Liang is my wife’s teacher; we’ve known each other before!”

“Hahaha, since you’re already acquainted, that makes things even easier!”

Shen Fangzheng then added, “Why don’t the two of you go ahead and discuss the details of the meeting? I’ll go out to welcome our foreign guests.”

“Alright, please go ahead!”

After Shen Fangzheng left, Li Yi and Liang Bing exchanged a glance, then both burst into laughter.

“What a coincidence! I never expected the interpreter the higher-ups assigned me would be you, Teacher Liang!”

Liang Bing smiled and replied, “You’re telling me. By the way, please stop calling me ‘Teacher Liang.’ It makes it sound like I’m so much older than you—it’s making me feel old.”

“Then what should I call you?”

“You’re Xue’er’s husband, and I’m older than you, so you can call me Sister Liang or Sister Bing!”

“Alright, then I’ll call you Sister Bing!”

“Good, that sounds more friendly!”

Liang Bing continued, “I heard that the people you’re meeting with today are the British Empire’s Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and a Vice Admiral. Is there anything you’d like me to remind you of during the meeting…”

Before she could finish, Li Yi shook his head and said, “No need. Just translate whatever they say. There’s nothing to be shy about!”

“Alright…”

At that moment, Li Yi changed the subject and asked, “By the way, Sister Bing, when are you and my brother-in-law planning to get married? Have you set a date yet?”

Liang Bing smiled and said, “Next summer, during the vacation. Why do you ask?”

Hearing this, Li Yi’s heart skipped a beat.

He remembered that in his previous life, Liang Bing and her husband had met with an accident while traveling in northern Henan next August.

According to the case report at the time, the couple had just gotten married, and their trip to northern Henan was specifically for their honeymoon.

A summer wedding, followed by a honeymoon in August—the timing matched perfectly.

If he didn’t step in to intervene, Liang Bing’s husband would likely meet his end.

With that in mind, Li Yi stared intently at Liang Bing, then said with a serious expression, “Sister Bing, if you trust me, you’d better move up your wedding date!”

“Move it up… why… why?” Liang Bing asked, looking completely puzzled.

“To be honest, I’ve done some studying of physiognomy. Judging by your facial features, Sister Bing, next year isn’t a good time for you to get married. If you force it, you might run into disaster!” Li Yi said earnestly.

Hearing this, Liang Bing was completely taken aback.

It wasn’t that she was scared; she just hadn’t quite processed it yet.

After a long moment, she finally said, “You… you still believe in that stuff?”

“I do. I wonder if you do, Sister Bing?”

Liang Bing smiled and said, “I don’t really believe in that sort of thing!”

As a university professor and a devout Party member, Liang Bing was a staunch atheist who didn’t believe in any of this talk of ghosts and spirits.

Li Yi didn’t press the issue further. Instead, he looked at her and said, “As the sages say, ‘Respect the spirits but keep your distance from them.’ It’s normal that you don’t believe in them, Sister Bing, but with some things, it’s better to err on the side of caution. I think you should go home and give this some serious thought!”

“I…”

Just as Liang Bing was about to speak, a series of heavy footsteps echoed from the hallway outside, and immediately afterward, the door to the reception room swung open.

Under the watchful eyes of Li Yi and Liang Bing, four Caucasians—two men and two women—strided in from outside, followed by Shen Fangzheng.

Once they had entered the reception room, the middle-aged man who had accompanied them immediately introduced the others to Li Yi: Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Bill, Vice Admiral Sand, Senior Vice President of the Royal Bank Lilia, and interpreter Delis.

At the same time, Li Yi learned the identity of the middle-aged man—Han Zhenqiang, Deputy Director-General of the Department of International Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

After introducing everyone, the two groups sat down on opposite sides of the room, with Han Zhenqiang taking a seat next to Li Yi.

No sooner had they sat down than Bill looked at Li Yi and said, “Mr. Li Yi, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I never imagined that the financial genius who has achieved so many remarkable feats on the soil of the British Empire would be so young!”

After hearing Liang Bing’s translation, Li Yi immediately replied, “Mr. Bill, you were in such a hurry to meet me—surely you didn’t come here just to praise me? If that’s the case, I’m truly honored!”

Having risen to the position of Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Bill’s competence was beyond question. He knew Li Yi was urging him to get to the point and not waste each other’s time with small talk.

With that in mind, he continued, “Mr. Li Yi, we’ve arranged this meeting today primarily to discuss two matters.”

“Please state those two matters,” Li Yi said calmly.

“The first matter concerns Sheffield United Steel Company. As you know, this company accounts for over 80% of the British Empire’s domestic steel production. This has already begun to affect our national defense security, so we intend to buy back the company’s shares. I wonder if you would be willing to part with them,” Bill said.

“Certainly!”

However, the smile on Bill’s face didn’t last more than a few seconds before it froze completely at Li Yi’s next words.

“Let’s talk business. As long as your country offers a price at a 150% premium to market value, I agree to transfer 95% of my shares to you!”

Li Yi continued, “Actually, it’s not that much—less than 20 billion pounds!”

The moment those words left his mouth, the smile on Bill’s face froze, while Lilia’s expression darkened instantly.

Only the general’s smile remained unchanged; in fact, a hint of an inexplicable emotion flickered in his eyes.

“Mr. Li Yi, 20 billion pounds is simply too high. We cannot possibly spend that much to buy back the shares of Sheffield Rail and Road Company!” Bill said.

“Two hundred billion is the bottom line. If you’re willing to buy, then buy; if not, let’s drop the matter and move on to the next topic!” Li Yi said with an air of authority.

He knew these people’s true objective had nothing to do with the steel company. For one thing, Sheffield Steel was nowhere near as crucial as they claimed—after all, the company was right on their turf, and if they truly needed it, reclaiming it would be as simple as a single word.

On the other hand, Li Yi knew that the British government was facing unprecedented financial difficulties. In the next year or two, the Iron Lady would spearhead economic reforms and keep the government afloat by selling off state-owned enterprises on a massive scale.

They were practically penniless—how could they possibly come up with 20 billion pounds to buy back a steel company?

He didn’t want to waste time haggling with these foreigners either. He simply quoted 20 billion to shut them down and move on to the real business.

Sure enough, upon hearing Li Yi’s words, the British representatives across the table immediately grew flustered…

……….

On the evening of September 22, accompanied by Zhang Ziqiang, Zhou Wen, and others, Li Yi headed to the State Guest House, located not far from his home.

Yesterday afternoon, Li Yi had unexpectedly received a call from a staff member at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, informing him that the Iron Lady, the Prime Minister of the British Empire, was arriving today to begin an official state visit to our country.

The authorities would be hosting a banquet for the Iron Lady and her entourage at the State Guest House at 7:30 p.m. that evening, and they insisted that he must attend this welcome banquet.

Although Li Yi had absolutely no interest in such a banquet, he wanted to hear what these foreigners actually wanted from him, so he agreed on the spot.

When Li Yi and his entourage passed through the security checkpoints and arrived outside the banquet hall, they saw a beautiful woman and several staff members in matching uniforms walking toward them from a distance.

As they drew closer, Li Yi realized he actually recognized the woman leading the group—it was none other than Liang Bing, whom he had met once before.

Two months earlier, Li Yi and Jiang Xue had attended her engagement party together.

Just as Li Yi was hesitating whether to greet Liang Bing, she spoke to him first: “You must be Comrade Li Yi. I’m Liang Bing—we’ve met before!”

“Hello, Ms. Liang. I never expected to run into you here!” Li Yi said with a smile.

“I’m surprised too. What brings you to the State Guest House?” Liang Bing asked curiously.

She hadn’t expected to see Li Yi here either.

After all, this was the State Guesthouse—a place where national leaders entertain foreign guests—and ordinary people simply couldn’t get in.

Li Yi smiled and said, “I was invited to attend an event. By the way, Ms. Liang, do you know where Building 18 is?”

“Building 18… Are you here to attend the welcome dinner for the British delegation?” Liang Bing asked, somewhat surprised.

“Yes. You know about this too, Ms. Liang… You aren’t here for the banquet as well, are you?”

Liang Bing nodded with a smile and replied, “That’s right. We’re all professors at Beijing University, and we’ve been assigned here today to serve as interpreters.”

Hearing this, Li Yi was instantly relieved.

After all, this was the early days of reform and opening-up, and there was a severe shortage of talent across the country, especially high-quality translators.

With manpower in short supply, the higher-ups would indeed draft reliable foreign language teachers from universities to serve as interpreters—and it was clear that Liang Bing and her colleagues were exactly that.

“Hahaha, what a coincidence! I was just worried about not knowing where to go!” Li Yi said with a laugh.

“Let’s get going then. We need to be there twenty minutes early—we can’t be late!” Liang Bing said.

“Okay…”

After that, the group walked and chatted as they made their way toward Building 18.

Liang Bing was clearly very familiar with the layout of the State Guest House, and in no time she had led Li Yi and the others to their destination.

Outside the banquet hall in Building 18, Li Yi and the others were once again checked by the staff.

After passing the security check without incident, the group finally entered the banquet hall.

As soon as they stepped into the banquet hall, Liang Bing greeted Li Yi, saying she needed to check in with the reception coordinator, and then left with her colleagues.

Watching Liang Bing’s retreating figure, and thinking of the fate that awaited the young couple, Li Yi couldn’t help but sigh.

Originally, Li Yi hadn’t planned to get involved in this matter. After all, the death of Liang Bing’s husband was the direct trigger for the “Eight-Three Crackdown.” What if his intervention altered the course of history?

Therefore, Li Yi’s previous stance on the matter had been to stay out of it as much as possible, and he didn’t want Jiang Longcheng or Ye Jianhua to get involved either.

However, after his conversation with Liang Bing just now, Li Yi found her to be lively, cheerful, and straightforward—completely devoid of the arrogance and haughtiness often associated with scions of prominent families.

Plus, back in school, she had always looked out for his wife, which caused Li Yi’s original “mind your own business” attitude to shift slightly.

Li Yi decided to go back and give her a heads-up, hoping to help her fiancé avoid that deadly peril.

Just as Li Yi was deep in thought, a tall female staff member approached him and said, “Hello, sir. Is there anything I can help you with?”

“Hello, I’m Li Yi from the National Development and Reform Commission. I’ve been invited to this dinner. I was wondering where my seat is,” Li Yi said.

“So you’re Comrade Li Yi! Our director instructed us to bring you to him if you arrived!”

“Great, please lead the way!”

“Yes, sir!”

Led by the staff member, Li Yi then made his way to the front of the banquet hall.

Soon, they arrived in front of a middle-aged man in his forties.

At that moment, the man was assigning tasks to a group of men and women. Li Yi spotted Liang Bing and her colleagues in the crowd.

Once the man had finished assigning tasks, the woman who had been guiding them immediately walked over and said, “Director, Comrade Li Yi is here!”

Upon hearing this, the middle-aged man’s eyes lit up. He strode over to Li Yi and said, “Hello, Comrade Li Yi. I’m Shen Fangzheng, the organizer of this welcome banquet. It’s a pleasure to meet you!”

“Hello, Director Shen. I’m Li Yi!”

Li Yi then added, “I heard from this comrade that you wanted to speak with me?”

“It’s like this: Director Pang from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs just came by to inform me that the British representative has suddenly requested to speak with you before the banquet…”

Noticing Li Yi’s sudden frown, Shen Fangzheng immediately added, “Since this is just an informal meeting, you’re perfectly free to decline. If it’s inconvenient for you, I’ll—”

Shen Fangzheng’s wife also came from a prominent family, so she had some understanding of Li Yi’s status; he certainly didn’t want to risk upsetting him over this matter.

“It’s fine. I’m not busy. Director Shen, go ahead and make the arrangements,” Li Yi said casually.

Although Li Yi was somewhat annoyed by the British side’s tendency to break the rules—after all, the meeting was scheduled for tomorrow, so on what grounds did they change the time on their own, and why should he accommodate them?

But he reasoned that getting this over with sooner was better; moving it up a day didn’t matter. If he could resolve the matter today, it would save him a trip tomorrow.

Seeing that Li Yi had agreed, Shen Fangzheng immediately led him to a lounge at the back, asked him to wait a moment, and then promptly contacted the British delegation himself.

About ten minutes later, the door to the lounge swung open again, and Shen Fangzheng strode in.

Standing before Li Yi, Shen Fangzheng said, “Comrade Li Yi, the British representatives will be here shortly. Let me take you to the conference room!”

“Alright. Could you tell me who I’ll be meeting?” Li Yi asked as he stood up.

“It’s Bill, the British Empire’s Deputy Foreign Minister, along with one of their generals!”

Hearing this, Li Yi’s brow furrowed once more.

He knew full well that this Under-Secretary of State was equivalent to a Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs in his own country, so it made perfect sense for him to come and meet with him.

But why bring a general along? What on earth are these foreigners up to?

With that thought, Li Yi began to feel a hint of curiosity about the upcoming meeting…

……….