Chapter 860: Jiang Longyin Seeks Advice!

Just after seeing Zhou Rui off, Li Yi checked the time and realized it was getting late. He was about to discuss dinner plans with Jiang Xue.

Suddenly, he heard a commotion outside the front door, and immediately afterward, he saw his father-in-law push the door open and walk in.

To Li Yi’s surprise, his father-in-law was accompanied by someone—none other than Jiang Longyin, whom he hadn’t seen in a long time.

Upon seeing the two of them, Li Yi immediately quickened his pace to greet them!

Upon seeing his son-in-law, Jiang Shiying smiled and asked, “When did you get back?”

“I’ve been here for a while!”

Li Yi then turned to Jiang Longyin and asked, “How did you end up in Guangzhou, Second Brother?”

Jiang Longyin smiled and replied, “I originally came to the provincial capital to report on some work. I heard from Uncle San that you’d be back in a day or two, so I decided to stay and wait for you!”

“Wait for me to do what?”

“I wanted to chat with you and get your advice on a few things!”

Jiang Longyin knew his brother-in-law’s capabilities and insight. Thinking of the mess he was dealing with at work, he was eager to talk things over with Li Yi.

Li Yi didn’t refuse. “No problem,” he said immediately. “But I suggest we talk after we finish eating.”

“Alright…”

Since there were so many people in the family, and Jiang Shiying’s villa was designed solely for living—it had absolutely no facilities for multiple people to cook—they naturally had to eat out.

They ate at a state-run restaurant just outside the neighborhood, serving authentic Cantonese cuisine.

After the meal, they returned to the villa. Jiang Xue, his mother-in-law, and his eldest sister went to the bathroom to bathe the three kids, while Li Yi followed his father-in-law and Jiang Longyin upstairs.

It was just like his conversation with Zhou Rui that afternoon, except now there were three people instead of two, and an extra pot of green tea.

After taking their seats, his father-in-law sipped his tea and asked, “I hear the situation over there is pretty chaotic. Are you okay over there?”

“Dad, have you heard some rumors?” Li Yi asked with a smile.

Jiang Shiying nodded and said, “I heard there was an attempt to assassinate you, and last night, there were reports of suspected gang shootouts in many areas over there. Is that true?”

“It’s true, but it’s been taken care of now!” Li Yi replied honestly.

“How was it resolved?”

“My security firm took action. We launched a preemptive strike and wiped out all those enemies!” Li Yi explained.

“Has it been completely cleared up? Would it be dangerous for your mother and Xiao Xue to go there now?” Jiang Shiying asked earnestly.

“It’s been completely cleared up. All the mercenaries, assassins, and local gangs involved have been taken out, and even the mastermind behind it all has been exposed.”

Li Yi continued, “Once my mother and Xiao Xue arrive, I’ll have my brother-in-law personally lead a team to protect them. With Zhang Feng, Yang Miao, and the others providing close protection, I can guarantee their absolute safety!”

“Hmm, that puts my mind at ease…”

Seeing that Jiang Shiying was about to say something else, Jiang Longyin hurriedly interjected, “Third Uncle, you and your son-in-law can talk as much as you want later. But for now, could you please let me have a word with my brother-in-law?”

Jiang Shiying smiled and said, “Alright, alright. You two go ahead and talk. I’m going to check on Yunrui and Yunjin!”

With that, he stood up and left the study!

Once they were alone, Li Yi looked at Jiang Longyin and said, “Second Brother, what’s wrong with you? Did something happen?”

Jiang Longyin nodded, first uttering a soft “Mm-hmm,” then said, “Let me just get my thoughts in order. You don’t know the situation back home—it’s like a tangled ball of yarn. The more you try to untangle it, the more tangled it gets!”

Li Yi smiled and said, “No rush—we’re not in a hurry!”

“Right. Let’s start with the problems we’re facing back home. Right now, we’re dealing with a never-ending list of issues. It’s a tiny place, but all sorts of problems are intertwined. To put it simply, we lack resources and funding, and we don’t know where to begin with economic development. So I wanted to ask you, brother-in-law, if you have any ideas on how to break this deadlock,” Jiang Longyin said.

Li Yi paused to think for a moment, then said, “I wouldn’t call it a breakthrough strategy, but I do have a few ideas I’d like to discuss with you, Second Brother. They might not be useful, though!”

“Alright, go ahead, brother-in-law!” Jiang Longyin said, looking at Li Yi with eager anticipation.

He knew his brother-in-law was always modest; saying this was likely just to save face for his older brother-in-law. After all, Jiang Longyin was well aware of the achievements his brother-in-law had made over the past few years.

Even if he knew only the tip of the iceberg, it still left him utterly astonished!

Li Yi gathered his thoughts and said, “Pengcheng lacks the resources found elsewhere, and it doesn’t have sufficient development funds—these are objective realities. But I believe what Pengcheng lacks most right now isn’t those things!”

“Then what is it most lacking?”

“Spirit!”

“Spirit?”

“Exactly. Right now, whether it’s you leading officials or Pengcheng as a whole, you lack a reformist spirit of ‘daring to be the first in the world.’ Because the path you’re about to take is one no one has ever walked before—it’s truly a case of feeling your way across the river. If you’re timid and hesitant, you won’t get very far down this road!”

Li Yi continued, “Resources can be tapped, and funding can be secured through other means, but only the problem of mindset cannot be solved by external forces.”

“If Pengcheng wants to solve its current problems, the first step is to clear our minds and cast aside all those jumbled, outdated ideas.”

Jiang Longyin fell deep into thought; Li Yi’s words had taken him completely by surprise.

He had originally come seeking “strategies”—concrete solutions to the funding shortage—but his brother-in-law had instead presented him with a “big-picture perspective,” speaking of “momentum.”

Although Li Yi’s words sounded a bit grandiose and abstract, when Jiang Longyin considered Pengcheng’s current situation and carefully analyzed the predicament at hand, he immediately realized that his brother-in-law’s words made a lot of sense.

They were indeed failing to act with sufficient decisiveness and resolve in many matters, particularly among a large number of leading officials, who were timid and hesitant in their work, fearful of making mistakes.

If the leaders were like this, one could only imagine the situation among the rank-and-file staff carrying out the actual work.

After pondering for a long time, Jiang Longyin asked again, “So what should we do now? How do we clear our heads?”

Li Yi replied immediately, “First and foremost, you, as the leader, must take responsibility. Only then will those below dare to go all out!”

“Think about it: although your place is called a ‘city’ on paper, it’s really just a remote town with a population of just over 30,000 and two or three streets. It’s already poor and has nothing to its name—what is there to lose?”

Jiang Longyin’s expression turned resolute. That’s right—they had nothing to begin with. What was there to lose?

At that thought, it suddenly dawned on him.

Just then, Li Yi’s voice rang in his ears once more: “Secondly, start from the local conditions, identify your strengths, and transform them into drivers of economic development!”

“Take Pengcheng’s location, for example. Just open the door and you’re right next to Hong Kong Island—that’s a uniquely advantageous resource. Add to that a natural deep-water port, and it would be a real shame not to develop foreign processing trade in a place like this!”

“Are you suggesting we vigorously develop foreign processing trade?” asked Jiang Longyin.

“Exactly. I can help you connect with companies in Hong Kong to set up factories in Pengcheng. If you handle the policies and logistical support, you’ll be able to resolve your resource and funding shortages in just a few years!” Li Yi said.

“Can this really work?”

With the future of both himself and the entire city at stake, Jiang Longyin had to be as cautious as possible.

Li Yi smiled and said, “I can’t guarantee it, but there’s still a 70 to 80 percent chance of success!”

As far as Li Yi knew, the country’s first “three-comes-one-processing” enterprise had already set up shop in Shiyan, Pengcheng. However, people still harbored doubts about this business model and hadn’t dared to take bolder steps.

But in fact, the reason Pengcheng was able to stand out among all the “Special Economic Zones” and become one of the four major super-first-tier cities later on was largely due to their seizing this opportunity in the early stages.

By combining capital from Hong Kong with the local workforce to create a processing trade model, they returned a portion of the added value to the local community in the form of labor fees, distributed another portion to the people as wages, and allocated the remaining portion as dividends to Chinese investors after they acquired equity stakes.

After accumulating its “seed capital,” Pengcheng embarked on large-scale investment and construction projects, leveraging domestic and foreign loans to accelerate economic growth.

By the late 1980s, Pengcheng had begun to take shape as an export-oriented economy; in 1987, its total exports ranked third among Chinese cities, and by 1988, it had jumped to second place. From 1993 onward, its total import and export trade volume ranked first in the country year after year.

When Jiang Longyin heard Li Yi say he was 70 to 80 percent certain, he was instantly delighted and immediately replied, “Alright, let’s do it!”

“Just as you said, we have nothing to lose, so why not take a chance?”

Li Yi smiled and said, “That’s the spirit. Take a chance, and a bicycle becomes a motorcycle; take a gamble, and a motorcycle becomes a jeep!”

“Hahaha, that sounds inspiring. Let’s take the plunge!” Jiang Longyin said with a laugh.

“Then I wish you success, Second Brother, and may Pengcheng have a bright future and soar to new heights!”

“Thank you for your kind words, brother-in-law…”

……….

Second Floor. Study!

After spending a little time playing with Yun Rui and Yun Jin in the living room, Zhou Rui immediately asked if he could speak with Li Yi.

Knowing that this must be about something important, Li Yi led him to his father-in-law’s study.

After they sat down across from each other at the desk, Li Yi smiled and asked, “Director Zhou, just get straight to the point!”

Zhou Rui nodded and said, “Comrade Li Yi, I’d like to ask: how many people can that security company in Hong Kong accommodate at most?”

Li Yi was taken aback for a moment, then asked, “Director Zhou, what do you mean by that? Could it be that the higher-ups want to send a large number of people over there?”

“That is indeed the plan!”

Zhou Rui continued, “The higher-ups are currently planning a major military downsizing. Soon, a large number of troops will be disbanded. How to accommodate those with combat talent but unsuitable for military service has always been a headache for our superiors.”

“Furthermore, our negotiations with the British Empire are about to begin. They intend to leverage the momentum of their decisive victory in the Falklands War to force us to make concessions. But since this concerns territorial sovereignty, we naturally won’t back down. We must guard against certain parties resorting to desperate measures…”

Before he could finish, Li Yi picked up on the thread and said, “So the higher-ups are planning to continue deploying personnel over there?”

Zhou Rui nodded. “Yes! Comrade Guangming and Comrade Wenguang’s operation on Hong Kong Island was decisive and swift. Whether in tactical execution, the course of the battle, or the final results and impact achieved, it was textbook-perfect—and it has provided us with considerable inspiration!”

“Deploying personnel there not only gives combat-gifted soldiers a chance to prove themselves but also fulfills the critical task of downsizing the military. When necessary, they can even become a special force at the state’s disposal—it’s a win-win situation!”

“Is this the new assignment the higher-ups have given me?” Li Yi asked.

Zhou Rui shook his head and said, “Yes, but also no!”

Li Yi smiled and said, “Director Zhou, you’re playing word games with me. If it is, just say so; if it isn’t, just say so!”

Zhou Rui immediately replied, “The higher-ups naturally want to push this forward—after all, it’s a major undertaking. But they also understand that whether it succeeds or not depends largely on that security firm’s staffing needs; we can’t force the issue!”

Li Yi thought for a moment, then said, “I can’t tell you exactly how many people they’ll need right now. After all, as you know, I don’t usually pay much attention to the security company’s operations.”

“However, if the higher-ups are serious about placing people there, I’ll make the necessary adjustments to the security company’s operations. I can’t promise a huge number, but three or four thousand people shouldn’t be a problem!”

Hearing this, Zhou Rui’s eyes lit up instantly, and he hurriedly asked, “Can you really afford to support that many people?”

“To be honest, the higher-ups wouldn’t make you take on so many idle personnel if you didn’t need them. Otherwise, it would be like the state dumping a burden on you. So you don’t need to worry too much when making your decision…”

“Director Zhou, I understand what you mean. But I’m not just taking on this burden from above out of obligation—if the company expands its operations, we can actually accommodate quite a few people!”

Li Yi wasn’t just putting on a brave face when he said this; he truly could.

After all, following this incident, Shield Security had truly made a name for itself—a formidable reputation—among the wealthy circles of Hong Kong Island.

Everyone now understood that the company wasn’t what it appeared to be—a place where Huang Lixing simply kept his henchmen and thugs out of the way.

They were a peerless sword that Li Yi had planted in Hong Kong Island—inconspicuous in everyday life, yet capable of turning the entire island into a river of blood when the time came.

Moreover, with Gusta serving as the sacrificial lamb, it was easy to imagine that Shield Security would inevitably become a partner of choice for the wealthy and powerful families in the future.

Furthermore, he would soon invest tens of billions to undertake a massive reconstruction and expansion of the entire New Territories complex. This would not only add a large number of hotels, restaurants, amusement parks, high-end private clubs, and other entertainment venues but also create numerous new real estate developments.

All these projects and venues would require a massive security force—and Shield Security’s current staff of just over two thousand would certainly be insufficient.

Previously, Li Yi’s plan had been to have Huang Lixing recruit security teams for ordinary projects directly from local youth—he didn’t want to get involved in such minor details.

But now that higher-ups have made it a priority, that’s a different story!

Hearing Li Yi say this, Zhou Rui felt reassured and replied, “All right, I’ll report this to the higher-ups as soon as possible. Once the leadership has made the decision to implement the plan, I’ll get back to you!”

“Alright!”

“By the way, Old Xu asked me to check in with you—has that investment project wrapped up yet?” Zhou Rui asked again.

“What’s up? Does he need the money?”

“Probably. From what I hear, the higher-ups have launched a series of major projects since the start of spring, and the foreign exchange reserves at the State Administration of Foreign Exchange are dwindling rapidly. They’re almost at their limit now!” Zhou Rui said.

Li Yi thought for a moment and said, “The first round of investments in London is basically wrapped up. We’re just waiting for the settlement now; I estimate it’ll be completed in another week or two!”

The investment operations in London had, in fact, already concluded, though Li Yi had used the funds to acquire Sheffield Steel.

Li Yi was now waiting for the delivery of those 20 million-ton steel contracts in the futures market. Once the delivery date arrived, he would be able to successfully settle nearly 7 billion pounds.

He would use this money to pay dividends to investors, including, of course, the funds invested by the state.

“Alright, a week or two—Old Xu and the others should be able to hold out…”

However, before Zhou Rui could finish, Li Yi spoke again: “Director Zhou, to be honest, if Old Xu and his team don’t need a lot of capital, I suggest we don’t touch the funds in London just yet!”

Zhou Rui looked taken aback for a moment, then turned to Li Yi and said, “You just mentioned that the first round of investment has concluded. Does that mean you have follow-up plans?”

“Yes. An opportunity is coming up soon that has a high probability of doubling the principal and interest on this investment. It would be a shame to pull out now!”

Li Yi then added, “Also, a fund I managed on behalf of higher-ups last year is about to mature. When it does, the principal and interest will total over a billion Hong Kong dollars. Why not use that to tide us over for now?”

Li Yi was referring to the 1.2 billion Hong Kong dollar time deposit he had placed with Citibank last year, which was set to mature in just over two weeks.

When it was originally deposited, they had exchanged Hong Kong dollars for U.S. dollars, totaling over 7 billion Hong Kong dollars. However, the exchange rate had since dropped from 5.06:1 to 9.6:1. Factoring in the 2.6% interest earned on the deposit, the value had nearly doubled.

Zhou Rui replied immediately, “Alright, I’ll let Old Xu know, and I’ll also report this situation to our superiors!”

“Alright!”

“By the way, how long do you plan to stay in Guangzhou before heading back? Do you need me to arrange a car or anything for you?” Zhou Rui asked again.

“No need. Barring any surprises, I plan to head back tomorrow—there are still some loose ends to tie up over there!” Li Yi replied.

“Alright, I’ll come see you off when you leave. After all, you don’t even have a car here, so it’s inconvenient to get around!”

Li Yi didn’t refuse Zhou Rui’s offer and immediately replied, “Then I’ll have Ah Wen contact you before we leave!”

“Alright…”

………..

Guangzhou. Lotus Pier!

With a long, drawn-out blast of the ship’s horn, a passenger ferry slowly pulled up to the pier.

After disembarking, although seasickness left him feeling a bit queasy, Li Yi was still in high spirits.

Because he was about to see Jiang Xue and the children.

Li Yi was both surprised and thrilled that Jiang Xue had brought the children south to find him, yet he also felt a twinge of guilt.

He had once said that he didn’t want this life to be like his previous one—where he became nothing more than a money-making machine. He wanted to focus his life on his family, on his wife, children, and parents.

But now that he’d been gone for months—unable to attend to Jiang Xue’s emotional needs or be there to watch his children grow—he felt he had completely strayed from his original life plan.

However, he also knew that plans were just plans; there were simply too many variables in life.

Take Jiang Xue’s status as the heiress of a wealthy family, for instance—whether in his past life or this one, this was something Li Yi had never anticipated.

If his wife weren’t the “little princess” of the Jiang and Ye families, he would never have entered the international capital market so early, nor would he have come to the attention of the higher-ups and been entrusted with such a crucial role.

They say that with great power comes great responsibility. Often, it’s not that he couldn’t take the lead, but rather that he felt certain matters simply couldn’t be shirked.

As soon as he stepped out of the port, Li Yi spotted Zhou Rui standing at the exit with a few people.

Upon seeing them, he immediately waved to signal his approach.

Stepping up to Zhou Rui, Li Yi smiled and said, “Director Zhou, why did you come personally? It’s truly humbling to have a director of your stature come to pick me up!”

“Haven’t seen you in months—how come you’ve gotten so smooth with your words?”

Zhou Rui continued, “I heard those foreigners were planning to lay a trap for you. The higher-ups were worried something might happen to you, so they sent me to be stationed here, ready to provide reinforcements at any moment!”

Li Yi smiled and said, “They’re just a bunch of nobodies. They wouldn’t dare trouble a big shot like you. We’ve already taken care of them!”

“Hmm, I’ve already received Comrade Yan Guangming’s report. You did a great job!” Zhou Rui said.

“Those guys had no idea how strong we are. They totally underestimated us!”

“Right. Never mind them. Get in the car first—Comrade Xiao Jiang is waiting for you at the provincial government compound!” Zhou Rui said.

“Alright…”

The group then got into the car and headed straight for the city center…

By the time they returned to the small villa belonging to his father-in-law, Jiang Shiying, it was already 5:30 p.m.

When Li Yi pushed open the door, he saw Jiang Xue and his older sister playing with the children in the yard.

Hearing the commotion at the front gate, they all turned to look.

When they saw it was Li Yi returning, Jiang Xue was taken aback for a moment, then quickly set Little Yunjin down on the ground and hurried toward the front gate.

Seeing their mother run off, Yunrui and Yunjin immediately set off after her on their little legs.

After months of longing, Jiang Xue wanted to throw herself into her husband’s arms and pour out her feelings of missing him.

But after running just a few steps, she spotted Zhou Rui, Zhang Ziqiang, Zhou Wen, and the others trailing behind Li Yi, and her newly picked-up pace couldn’t help but slow.

Li Yi, of course, knew exactly what was on her mind. He quickened his pace and, under Jiang Xue’s shy and delighted gaze, pulled her into his arms.

Held in Li Yi’s arms, breathing in the familiar scent of her man, Jiang Xue felt both delighted and thrilled.

However, before she could speak, a high-pitched, childish voice came from behind them: “Hug me…”

Li Yi looked in the direction of the voice and saw his son’s chubby figure beside Jiang Xue’s pant leg. The little bundle was holding onto his mother’s pant leg with one hand while looking up at him with big, watery eyes.

The charm of an adorable, clumsy human baby is immense—especially when it’s your own son. That charm is bound to be super-doubled!

Li Yi immediately let go of Jiang Xue, then bent down, swept his arms out, and scooped Yun Rui right up.

Next, he took a step forward and scooped up his precious little girl as well.

After planting a kiss on each of the little ones’ cheeks, Li Yi asked with a smile, “Do you still remember Daddy?”

Yun Jin tugged at Li Yi’s collar with one hand and stroked his face with the other, saying, “Daddy… Daddy…”

Yun Rui also kept calling out “Daddy” over and over. Clearly, both children still remembered him, which made Li Yi particularly happy.

Just then, his mother-in-law, Ye Lingyun, came out of the house. She took a moment to look at the heartwarming scene of the family of four, then motioned for Zhou Rui and the others to come inside…

………..

Just as Li Yi was reuniting with his wife and children, Dowson was fretting over the conditions Li Yi had put forward.

Faced with these three conditions, Dalson not only felt put on the spot but was also deeply alarmed.

These conditions were simply too harsh. Transferring 43% of the shares in New Territories Warehouse for just one Hong Kong dollar was tantamount to forcing the Sassoon family to directly give up assets worth tens of billions of Hong Kong dollars.

This wasn’t a matter of tens or hundreds of dollars, but billions.

Faced with such a massive sum, Dowson naturally dared not make a decision on his own; he certainly didn’t want to be made a scapegoat for Gustaf.

But Li Yi’s demand that Gustaf apologize in the mainstream media was even more ruthless—it would force Gustaf to personally admit to hiring a hitman, effectively turning the evidence against himself.

This would not only damage Gustaf’s own reputation but also severely tarnish the prestige of the entire Sassoon family—a truly devastating blow.

If this had happened a few decades ago, they might not have cared about such matters.

But now, with societal progress, public tolerance for such matters is waning. If a corporate family’s reputation is ruined, their future will be a difficult one.

As for sentencing Gusta to five years in Hong Kong Island Prison, this effectively amounts to holding him hostage, ensuring the family dares not make any rash moves.

Every single one of these conditions was laced with hidden danger.

Therefore, Dalson dared not act on his own initiative; he could only relay the situation back to Europe once more and seek a decision from the family’s leadership.

Naturally, the Sassoon family would not sit idly by and wait for their doom; upon receiving Dolsen’s telegram, they were furious.

In their view, by taking the initiative to negotiate with that Asian man, they had given him face, yet he was still trying to manipulate them.

Since the other side showed no sincerity in negotiating, they immediately adjusted their strategy and decided to confront Li Yi head-on.

The only silver lining was that Gusta was currently in the hands of the British Hong Kong government, not Li Yi’s, which gave them significantly more room to maneuver in handling the matter.

After some deliberation, the Sassoon family decided to mobilize their family’s influence to have London extradite Gustaf back to Europe to stand trial.

As long as Gusta returned to London, they could fully leverage their family’s influence within the British Empire to sway the judicial verdict.

It’s even possible that Gusta could return home without ever being sentenced.

And even if he were sentenced, given their family’s power in Europe, there were countless ways to secure his release.

Subsequently, the Sassoon family sent a telegram to Dolsen, instructing him to stall Li Yi while immediately dispatching agents to London to set things in motion.

What they didn’t know, however, was that Li Yi had already anticipated their moves. Before taking action, he had contacted Sandy and asked him to intervene.

Consequently, the Sassoon family’s plan was doomed to fail…

……..

The Governor’s Office!

The elderly Governor had gone to bed early, but was awakened in the dead of night by the urgent ringing of the telephone.

When he answered the phone, seething with anger and ready to give the bastard who’d disturbed his sleep a piece of his mind, he heard a voice that was both familiar and terrifying.

It was that fellow named Li Yi calling. His demonic voice seemed to be etched deep into the Governor’s mind, making it impossible for him to ever forget it.

Then, as he listened to the young man on the other end of the line briefly recount the situation in a cold, sharp tone, the Governor’s anger instantly turned to cold sweat.

The Sassoon family had targeted that young man across the strait and even hired hitmen to kill him, but not only did they fail to kill him, they were caught red-handed.

“Are they fucking asking for trouble?”

If that guy could really be taken out through underhanded means, the Sassoon family wouldn’t even have had to lift a finger—he, the Governor, would have met his end long ago.

But that’s out of the question. Who would dare use such underhanded tactics against a man backed by dozens of warships from the mainland?

If anyone did, they’d have to face the full wrath of the mainland government!

I simply cannot do that!

What’s even more of a headache for the Governor is that the young man is now demanding that the Governor’s Office and the police immediately intervene and apprehend the culprit.

This truly put him in a bind. If he sent men to Castle Manor to make an arrest, he would inevitably offend the Sassoon family.

And then there’s the family behind Henry—they’re no pushover either.

Among these powerful factions, the Liu family is likely the weakest.

But if he did nothing, the consequences would be just as severe.

Setting aside the risk of offending Li Yi and the Chinese Chamber of Commerce, the more critical issue was that this was a serious criminal offense.

If he, as Governor of Hong Kong, failed to act, and the matter came to light, the credibility of the Governor’s Office and the police force would suffer severe damage, and the government’s public trust would be completely destroyed.

If word of this reached London, he, as Governor, would have to pack his bags and leave.

Caught between offending a powerful business family and facing dismissal, the Governor felt as if he were being roasted over a fire.

One wrong move, and the consequences would extend far beyond his career—they could even cost him his life.

Sitting in the grand living room of his home, the Governor pondered the situation for a full half-hour. Finally, he dialed the head of the police department and ordered him to immediately mobilize officers to make the arrest.

After making that call, the Governor collapsed onto the sofa, deflated like a punctured balloon.

He knew that from this moment on, he had thoroughly alienated the Sassoon family.

After all, in all these years, no Governor had ever sent police to that place to make an arrest. Even when members of the Sassoon family had shot Chinese people in broad daylight in the past, no one had dared to go there to make an arrest; they had simply paid some compensation to settle the matter.

But now, by setting this precedent—regardless of who was right or wrong—he had effectively dragged the Sassoon family’s honor through the mud.

At the same time, the Governor understood that this was the young man’s objective—he was forcing him to take sides.

Of course, he could choose to refuse.

But clearly, the young man had a backup plan; this matter might well escalate into a serious diplomatic incident.

If that were to happen, the consequences would be far beyond his ability to bear.

Although the Governor was unfamiliar with the saying “choose the lesser of two evils,” he understood the principle. In the end, he chose his own future.

With orders from the Governor’s Office, the police department naturally dared not delay. A large contingent of officers was assembled and, under the leadership of several senior superintendents, proceeded to the address to make the arrest.

Back at the Castle Estate, Dolsen, the Earl, and Gusta were all still awake, waiting for news.

Of course, they were each waiting for different news.

Gusta was waiting for news that the mercenaries and assassins had raided the Cloud Peak Villa District and killed Li Yi, while Dolsen and the Jazz were waiting for news that Li Yi had successfully fought back.

However, just as they waited anxiously, more than a dozen police cars arrived at Castle Manor and surrounded the estate.

The officers then forced open the estate’s gates and stormed inside to make arrests.

Gusta and the dozen or so team members he had brought with him didn’t even have a chance to resist before they were all arrested; even Dolsen, Jazz, and the others were taken back to the police station.

On the other side of the city, Henry, Chairman of the Board and General Manager of Huifeng Bank, was also arrested at his home.

Also arrested was Liu Zhenxiong, the head of Ocean Shipping, along with the department manager in charge of ocean shipping operations, the captain of a certain ocean-going freighter, and quality inspectors, among others.

This night was destined to be sleepless!

………

The next morning!

The residents of Hong Kong Island had barely woken up when they were hit with a massive bombshell: after failing to seize control of the company, the second-largest shareholder of New Territories Warehouse had actually hired a hitman—and had since been taken into custody by the police.

At the same time, the media exposed a slew of “scandals” involving New Territories Warehouse’s management company.

With shareholder discord and scandals erupting one after another, the impact on the company’s stock price was immense.

Under the relentless barrage of newspaper reports, by the time the stock market opened, New Territories Warehouse’s already precarious stock price could no longer hold, and it began to plummet.

In less than half a day, the stock price had once again been cut in half!

Huifeng’s stock price was also affected. After news broke that Henry had been arrested on suspicion of involvement in the assassination attempt on Li Yi, Huifeng’s stock price similarly took a hit and began to plummet.

Li Yi, however, ordered the company’s investment team to immediately enter the market and begin buying up shares of New Territory Warehouse and Huifeng Bank.

The Hong Kong stock market was thrown into chaos once again!

With Gusta, Henry, and Dolsen all under arrest, the British-owned conglomerate was left leaderless and utterly powerless to fend off the onslaught from Star Investment.

When Dolsons and the others were released from the police station that afternoon, they discovered that in less than a day, Star Investment had not only driven New Territories Warehouse’s stock price to rock bottom but had also acquired at least 10% of Huifeng’s shares.

Dawson had originally assumed that the police had rounded them all up because Li Yi wanted to take them all down at once.

But it now appeared he had misjudged the situation; that guy had had them all arrested simply to clear the way for this move.

Now that the other side’s plan was complete, they—as uninvolved bystanders—had been released.

Realizing that Gusta’s fate was sealed and that his life was in Li Yi’s hands, Dolsen immediately sent a telegram to his family in Europe, providing a detailed account of the situation.

The telegram reached Europe at exactly 8:00 a.m. local time.

Hearing this “devastating news” first thing in the morning, the Sassoon family’s top brass was stunned, and their good mood vanished in an instant.

Immediately, the head of the Sassoon family summoned the family’s senior members to discuss the matter.

After some deliberation, they ultimately decided to grant Dolsen and the Duke full authority to handle matters on Hong Kong Island, but they demanded that Dolsen guarantee, under no circumstances, that Gusta’s life would be spared.

With that, Dolsen officially replaced Gusta, taking over his 43% stake in New Territories Warehouse and nearly 7 billion Hong Kong dollars in funds.

Subsequently, Dolsen approached Li Yi once more and, on behalf of the family, began negotiations with him.

In response to Dolsen’s request to spare Gusta’s life, Li Yi put forward three conditions: First, the Sassoon family must transfer their 43% stake in New Territories Warehouse to Li Yi for 1 Hong Kong dollar as compensation for the assassination attempt.

Second, Gusta must personally publish an apology letter in all major media outlets on Hong Kong Island, apologizing for his attempt to assassinate Li Yi.

Finally, Gusta must serve at least five years in Hong Kong Island Prison.

After presenting these three conditions, Li Yi didn’t wait for a response from these Westerners; he left Hong Kong Island immediately—he was off to pick up his wife…

………

Dawson was genuinely beginning to feel afraid. Ever since he learned that Li Yi was backed by that Eastern superpower—and that the nation was willing to take decisive action when necessary—he had been filled with trepidation toward Li Yi.

After all, no matter how powerful a corporation might be, it could never stand up to the will of a major power—especially one that was a “big bully” with a permanent seat on the Security Council.

Judging by Li Yi’s current menacing demeanor, he was clearly well-prepared, and his target seemed to extend beyond just the Gusta faction.

With that in mind, he said urgently, “Li, please believe me—this has nothing to do with me or anyone else at the British Investment Group. Please don’t…”

Before he could finish, Li Yi cut him off: “You say you weren’t involved—do you really think I’d believe that?”

“I swear in the name of God, we at the British Capital Group truly have no intention of opposing you. Henry and the Liu family acted on their own; they do not represent our alliance!” Dolsen said solemnly.

“I don’t believe in God, so your oath holds no credibility for me…”

Just as Dalson thought Li Yi was determined to take drastic action against them, Li Yi changed his tone and said, “However, since you took the initiative to come see me today and have shown considerable sincerity, I may choose not to take action against you!”

“Thank you, Mr. Li…”

But Li Yi changed his tone again and continued, “Dorson, although I won’t take action against you, Henry and the Liu family must pay the price!”

“Li, how do you intend to punish them?”

“Gusta hired a hitman to commit murder, and Henry and the Liu family acted as accomplices. They will face the full force of the law!” Li Yi said coldly.

“The law?”

Hearing this, Dolsen breathed a slight sigh of relief; if left to Li Yi to handle, this matter would indeed be difficult to resolve.

But if it were left to the law, there would be far too much room for maneuver—after all, Hong Kong’s legal system held little deterrent power over colonists like them.

However, when he saw the smirk on Li Yi’s face, he immediately knew the matter wasn’t that simple.

“Mr. Li, what conditions must be met to spare the lives of Gustave and Henry?” Dolsen asked cautiously.

“There are no conditions, but I want to see the sincerity of your family and the forces backing Henry!”

Li Yi then added, “But it’s too early to discuss this now. Let’s wait until the dust settles. What if Gusta ends up winning?”

A wry smile flashed across Dolsen’s face. Facing an opponent like you was truly a despairing situation.

You know all of Gusta’s hidden cards—how could he possibly win!

“Mr. Li Yi, is there anything I can do for you? Or rather, what should I do now?” Dolsen asked.

“You don’t need to do anything. Just go home as usual and wait for the police to come knocking!” Li Yi said indifferently.

“Right… If there’s nothing else, I’ll head back now!”

“Alright, go ahead…”

……….

Late at night, the bustling Hong Kong Island suddenly fell silent!

In the city, however, the Li family estate remained brightly lit.

Key members of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce had all gathered in the Li family’s living room, sipping tea and chatting.

Yet everyone’s gaze kept drifting, intentionally or not, toward the telephone sitting nearby!

Because just ten minutes earlier, Huang Lixing had issued a surprise order to all operational teams, launching a manhunt for the South Monkey Syndicate—which boasted over a thousand members—as well as the 12 elite European assassins hiding within the syndicate’s various branches, and more than thirty elite mercenaries.

Huang Lixing served as the overall commander of this operation, while Yan Guangming, Yang Wenguang, Jin Junze, and others acted as frontline commanders.

Not only had they devised a comprehensive battle plan, but they had also mobilized their entire force and deployed all the military supplies they had secretly stockpiled.

Ten minutes into the operation, not only had no news come in, but there wasn’t even the sound of gunfire from outside, which began to cause the group some concern.

“Brother Li Yi, why haven’t we heard anything yet? Could something have gone wrong?”

“It’s too quiet. I just can’t shake this uneasy feeling!”

“You’re telling me…”

Seeing the worried expressions on everyone’s faces, Li Yi said calmly, “Everyone, please stay calm and just wait patiently!”

Li Yi knew the combat prowess of Yan Guangming and the others; the peak combat strength of light infantry was not something a bunch of nobodies could stand up to.

Besides, silence doesn’t necessarily mean no progress. After all, our army excels at employing a wide range of tactics.

Assaults, covert infiltration, and even special operations to take out key targets are all common tactics. It doesn’t always have to be a fierce, all-out battle; sometimes, quietly getting the job done demonstrates true strength.

“Ring-ring-ring…”

Just as everyone was still analyzing Li Yi’s words, the phone in the living room suddenly rang.

Li Futao immediately stepped forward, picked up the receiver, and said, “This is Li Futao. Who’s calling?”

Although they knew it was impolite to linger while the host was on the phone, Li Yi, He Dongying, Bao Chuanwang, and the others didn’t leave; in fact, they all crowded around.

At that moment, Huang Lixing’s excited voice came through the receiver: “It’s me, Old Huang!”

“Old Huang, how’s it going over there? Is everything going smoothly?” Li Fuzhao asked urgently.

“Smooth, very smooth!”

Huang Lixing continued, “Just a moment ago, our men infiltrated the South Monkey Gang’s headquarters directly. Without firing a single shot, we took over their headquarters. Not only did we wipe out a 16-man mercenary squad, but we also took out four assassins. Those monkeys suffered heavy losses—39 of them were quietly slit at the throat, and the rest were all taken prisoner, including the South Monkey Gang’s boss!”

Li Yi immediately asked, “What about the other fronts? Any updates?”

“No word yet, but we’re currently preparing reinforcements for Captain Yan and Captain Jin. We’ll let you know as soon as we have any updates!” Huang Lixing said.

“Alright, stay safe yourself!” Li Yi urged.

“Don’t worry about it. I know how to keep myself alive!”

With that, Huang Lixing hung up the phone.

By then, the atmosphere in the living room had finally lightened up a bit; everyone’s faces showed a hint of a smile, and their tone of voice had become a little more relaxed.

After all, the South Monkey Gang’s headquarters was the enemy’s strongest stronghold; the remaining branches were far weaker than the headquarters.

Capturing the South Monkey Gang’s headquarters was like cracking the hardest nut—it meant they already had at least a sixty percent chance of success.

Sure enough, the good news kept coming one after another.

By 1:20 a.m., the last South Monkey Gang branch in Causeway Bay had been taken.

With this, the Southern Monkey Gang’s headquarters and all eight of its branches had been completely overrun by Yan Guangming, Yang Wenguang, and their team, marking a resounding success for the operation.

For this operation, they deployed two companies totaling 280 personnel, launching simultaneous assaults on 11 targets.

In less than half an hour, they had wiped out the Southern Monkey Gang, which boasted over a thousand henchmen.

Additionally, the operation resulted in the elimination of eight assassins from Europe, with four captured alive. Of the 34 elite mercenaries, 19 were killed and 15 taken prisoner—not a single one escaped.

As for Aegis Security, of the 280 personnel deployed, only one suffered a sprained ankle while pursuing the enemy; the rest suffered no casualties. The entire operation could only be described as sweeping and decisive.

When the news reached the Li family villa, all the key members of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce, including Li Futiao, were stunned, and the look in their eyes toward Li Yi had changed.

They had originally assumed that Shield Security was merely a front Huang Lixing used to house his henchmen, but now it was clear that was not the case at all. How could those thugs from the Blue Dragon Gang possess such formidable combat prowess?

Clearly, this was directly linked to Li Yi—or rather, to the forces backing him.

However, Li Yi offered no further explanation. Upon learning that Yan Guangming and his team had secured evidence proving that Gusta, Henry, and their associates had hired hitmen, Li Yi immediately dialed the Governor’s Office.

At this point, he couldn’t let his own men handle it anymore; it was time for the Governor’s Office to step in. Otherwise, the company’s annual tax payments of tens of billions would have been paid in vain…

……….

The Manor. The Secret Room!

After leaving the conference room and seeing the others off, Dolsen and the Duke made their way to a secret room deep within the estate.

This secret room was the most hidden spot in the entire estate; only the Duke and Dolsen knew of it—Gustav and his team were unaware of its existence.

After closing the door to the secret room, the Duke said in a low voice, “Gusta has finally deployed those men. What do you think his chances of success are?”

Dawson replied calmly, “Not a single chance!”

“Really? From what I understand, among the men he brought are several elite members of an assassination organization, plus a thirty-man mercenary squad. With the cooperation of local gangs, surely they have at least some chance?” Jazz frowned.

“None, because Li Yi will have prepared anti-assassination measures in advance—he might even set a trap for them to walk right into!” Dolsen said.

The Jazz was taken aback for a moment, then said with a hint of alarm, “Are you saying that Li Yi already knows about Gusta’s assassination plot?”

“Not yet, but he’ll find out very soon!”

“What do you mean?”

“Nothing. Because I’m going to find him shortly and tell him everything about Gusta’s plans!” Dalson said calmly.

“You… you’re crazy?”

The Jazz continued, “By staying out of this, we’ve already kept our promise. Why risk being labeled a traitor to our own people just to warn him? Isn’t it better to watch them fight to the death?”

Dawson sighed and said, “It’s certainly in our interest to sit back and watch the tigers fight, but what if Gusta loses? Have you thought about the consequences?”

“Are you worried those yellow-skinned monkeys will take their anger out on us?”

“No, I’m worried Li Yi will wipe us out along with them!” Dolsen said, his words sending shockwaves through the room.

“That… that’s impossible. They don’t have the strength to do that…”

Before he could finish, Dolsen cut in, “No, he does!”

Seeing the disbelief on the Duke’s face, Dalson immediately said, “Do you know that Shield Security Company?”

“I know it. It’s a company under that Huang guy from the Qinglong Society, mainly used to house his thugs!” the Jazz replied.

Dawson shook his head and said, “On the surface, that’s true, but as far as I know, that company is filled with former soldiers fresh off the battlefield—and there are a huge number of them!”

“And since they’re a security firm, they can legally possess firearms. With that force alone, Gustaf’s men won’t be able to get anywhere near Li Yi.”

“If Li Yi uses an attack as an excuse to strike back at Gusta and takes us out along with him, do you think that’s a likely scenario?”

Upon hearing this, the Duke fell silent.

Knowing Li Yi as he did, he knew that guy was actually capable of pulling something like that off.

Moreover, once they were swiftly dealt with, the British-owned conglomerate would inevitably collapse instantly. The alliance members would most likely surrender immediately or even join the Chinese Chamber of Commerce, causing minimal impact on Hong Kong’s economy.

Most importantly, since Gusta had struck first, even intervention from the Governor’s Office or the British Empire’s high command would be useless.

“If you’re truly determined to do this, think it through carefully. If word gets out, you’ll become a traitor to the family. Given the Patriarch’s temperament, it won’t end with just being expelled from the clan!” the Jazz said.

Dawson replied coldly, “I’ve thought it through!”

“When he sent me here, his own son to London, and Haim to New York—and now he’s sent Gusta here to meddle—I knew this wasn’t a fair competition!”

“In that case, don’t blame me for setting aside our kinship. I won’t just sit here and wait to be killed!”

The Jazz fell silent for a moment, then said, “You’re right. This isn’t a fair fight. Our branch hasn’t held the clan’s reins for many years now, and they have no intention of letting us take power.”

“Uncle Jazz, you support me, don’t you?” Dolsen asked earnestly.

The Earl nodded and said, “Yes, do whatever you wish. I will always support you!”

“All right. I’ll slip out of the estate shortly. Please help me cover my tracks, Uncle Sir—don’t let Gusta find out!”

“Alright…”

……..

Hong Kong Island. The Li Family Estate!

When Li Futao and the others learned that the reason Li Yi had changed his mind was because his wife was coming to Hong Kong, they were left speechless.

They had considered every possible reason, but never in a million years did they expect it to be this one.

Still, it was understandable—after all, keeping those dangerous individuals in the city posed a massive threat to Li Yi’s wife and children.

Wiping them all out before she arrived was indeed the safest and most prudent course of action.

Given the gravity of the situation, and to prevent any leaks or ensure safety, the group agreed that none of them would return home that day. Instead, they would use the Li Family Manor as their command center to oversee tonight’s operation.

However, just as everyone had finished setting up, the Li family’s butler came in to announce that Dorrison had arrived and wished to see Li Futao.

Upon hearing this, Li Yi, He Dongying, and the others immediately left the living room.

But just a short while later, the butler came to the small reception room at the back and invited Li Yi out.

Following the butler to Li Fuzhao’s study, Li Yi met with Dolsen.

As Li Yi pushed open the door and entered, Li Futao said immediately, “Brother Li Yi, Mr. Dorson says he has something very important to discuss with you. Please go ahead and talk!”

With that, Li Futiao left the study.

Once Li Fuzhao had left, Li Yi looked at Dorson and asked, “How did you know I was here?”

“I just went to Cloudtop No. 1. Your bodyguard said you hadn’t returned yet, so I went to your company. It was Mr. Li Yunbao who told me you were here!” Dolsen replied.

“So, what brings you here today?” Li Yi asked.

Dorson paused briefly, then said, “Gusta is planning to take you out. He’s preparing to have those hitmen assassinate you!”

“When will they strike?”

“I’m not entirely sure of the specifics, but it should be within the next day or two. However, I know exactly where his assassins and mercenaries are hiding. I can give you all their addresses!” Dalson said.

Li Yi looked him in the eye and said, “Although we’re partners now, don’t you think it would be more in your interest to let me and Gusta fight it out?”

“Around here, we call that ‘when two tigers fight, the third gets the meat.’ Given your situation, you’re perfectly positioned to be that third party!”

Dawson smiled and said, “I’ve heard that saying, but I’ve also heard another: ‘Kick the grass to scare the rabbit!’”

With that, Dolsen pulled a stack of letter-sized paper covered in writing from his pocket and placed it in front of Li Yi.

Li Yi didn’t hesitate; he picked them up and began reading immediately.

It was thoughtful of him to worry that I might not understand English—everything on the papers was written in Chinese.

Although they were the traditional characters used in Hong Kong, Li Yi could still make out most of it.

After a moment, Li Yi put the stack of papers away, then looked at Dolsen with interest and said, “You’re a smart guy—smarter than I thought!”

“???”

Seeing the puzzled look on Dolsen’s face, Li Yi continued, “Actually, we already have all the intelligence you’ve provided—and even information that isn’t included in your report.”

“Not only that, but we also know that within your British Capital Group, one family and one company have already defected to Gusta.”

Hearing this, Dowson’s expression shifted slightly. He looked at Li Yi and said, “You say someone within the British Capital Group has defected to Gusta? How is that possible?”

“Haha, if you don’t believe me, you can go back and investigate. See if Henry from Huifeng Bank helped Gustave arrange a shipment of arms, and if the Liu family helped Gustave transport that shipment to Hong Kong Island!” Li Yi said calmly.

Dawson’s expression grew even more grim. He believed Li Yi wouldn’t be deceiving him at a time like this—it would serve no purpose.

What unsettled him even more was that Henry and the Liu family were key members of their British Capital Group. With these people involved in the assassination attempt on Li Yi, who could claim the British Capital Group had no part in it?

Li Yi could easily use this as an excuse to accuse the British Capital Group of breaching their contract and then take them all down.

Moreover, as long as they acted quickly and ruthlessly enough, they could keep the fallout to a minimum.

Most importantly, even the Governor’s Office couldn’t intervene in such a matter.

At the thought of this possibility, Dalson’s already pale face turned even whiter—as white as a corpse that had been in the morgue for a week…

……….

Suburbs. The Castle Estate!

At the very same time the core members of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce were meeting at the Li family estate, Gusta, Dolsen, and others were also gathered together, discussing a counterstrategy.

After being outmaneuvered by Li Yi at the shareholders’ meeting, Gusta was so furious he nearly spat blood—the situation had shifted far too quickly.

After all, just a few days earlier, he and his team had beaten those guys so badly they couldn’t even fight back.

But he never could have imagined that those yellow-skinned monkeys—who had seemed like a bunch of nobodies—would suddenly become such a tough nut to crack once that despicable bastard returned.

Today, he had not only lost face but had become the target of widespread ridicule in the media.

More importantly, he was now being forced into a corner by that bastard. One misstep, and not only would he lose all the money he’d made, but he might even lose his entire investment.

Left with no choice, he had to consult with Dolsen, the Jazz, and others on how to handle the situation.

From his seat at the head of the table, Gustaf said in a grim tone, “You all know the situation. Now that yellow-skinned monkey is injecting capital into the company as a major shareholder. What should we do?”

No sooner had he finished speaking than a middle-aged man at the lower end of the table stood up and said, “Boss, we absolutely cannot follow them in injecting capital!”

“Why?”

The middle-aged man replied immediately, “As Li has already stated, they plan to inject 10 billion Hong Kong dollars into that management company. Based on our shareholding ratio, to prevent our shares from being diluted, we’d need to inject at least 8 billion Hong Kong dollars!”

“But we currently have less than 7 billion Hong Kong dollars left. Not only is that insufficient, but even if we somehow scrape together that amount, we’ll have no funds left to respond if they make any further moves later on—unless…”

“Unless what?” asked Gus.

“Unless Master Dolsen and the League step in to help us secure sufficient funds, we absolutely cannot compete with them in a battle of deep pockets!”

Upon hearing this, Gus immediately turned his gaze toward Dolsen.

“Dawson, you heard what Simon said. What do you think?”

Dorson replied calmly, “If the family issues an order, we will certainly comply. But even if we’re willing to provide the funds, the money cannot be transferred directly from the accounts of any of our alliance companies to you—it must still go through the family’s secret funding channels!”

Hearing this, Gusta couldn’t help but furrow his brow. Using the family’s accounts was fundamentally different from handing the funds over directly.

The former constitutes a lending arrangement, with the family acting as the lender. Even if the funds ultimately go awry, the family would cover the losses.

The latter, however, was a partnership. If they lost money, it would simply be considered a failed investment, and the family wouldn’t get involved.

His nephew was as unreliable as ever; he clearly had no intention of helping him.

“Dorson, I need a reason!” Gusta said in a low voice.

“Because we previously signed a non-aggression pact with Star Company. According to the terms of the agreement, not only are we prohibited from actively attacking them, but we’re also forbidden from helping others attack companies affiliated with the Chinese Chamber of Commerce. If we violate this, we’ll have to hand over Huifeng Bank to them!”

Dawson continued, “Uncle Gustaf, you know how important Huifeng is. If we dare to openly help you, given Li Yi’s temperament, he’ll definitely force us to hand over Huifeng.”

“Hmph, Dorson, you’re one of the only two remaining candidates for clan leader in our Sassoon family. How can you let these yellow-skinned monkeys intimidate you?” said Gusta.

“Uncle Gusta, it’s not that we’re intimidated by them. It’s that this agreement was signed under the supervision of the Governor’s Office and the people of Hong Kong Island. If we dare to violate it and they have concrete evidence, not even the Governor’s Office can protect us!” Dolsen said calmly and confidently.

Gusta had looked into this matter before and knew that everything Dalson said was true. He immediately fell silent, the worry on his face deepening.

Just then, Dalson spoke again: “Uncle Gusta, if you’re short on funds, you can certainly ask the family for help. I’m sure the Patriarch will allocate more funds to you!”

But Gustaf shook his head and said, “No need. We will not be injecting capital into that company!”

Before coming here, he had made a solemn pledge to the clan leader and the elders—he had already put his foot down.

Asking for help now would be tantamount to admitting he had failed to complete the clan’s mission—it would be an admission of defeat.

Within the Sassoon family, failure to complete a mission comes with punishment.

Although the punishment wasn’t particularly severe, it was extremely humiliating—something the ever-proud Gustaf could never accept.

“If Uncle Gustav is unwilling to invest and unwilling to ask the family for help, then there’s only one path left!”

Dorson continued slowly, “So it seems Uncle Gustaf is prepared to cut his losses and exit?”

Gustav paused to reflect, then said, “Cutting my losses might not be a bad option, but the losses would be too great. However, we still have a chance before it comes to that!”

“What opportunity?”

“Take out that despicable bastard!” Gustav said with a grim look.

The moment those words were spoken, the entire conference room fell silent. Everyone lowered their heads in deep thought, lost in their own reflections.

Dawson couldn’t help but furrow his brow. In the past, he would have certainly supported Gustaf’s idea.

But ever since the incident where the mainland dispatched a massive naval fleet to disarm and seize the Hong Kong Island Coast Guard vessels, he had never again entertained any ill intentions toward Li Yi, Huang Lixing, and their associates.

First, he had seen from that incident just how much the mainland valued Li Yi; second, he had also come to realize through that incident exactly what the British Hong Kong government and the Governor’s Office were really like.

They were nothing more than a puppet government in name only—not even a paper tiger.

The mainland warships hadn’t even approached Hong Kong Island, and they were already so scared they nearly wet their pants.

How could he possibly expect a bunch of spineless cowards to dare to play hardball with Li Yi!

With that in mind, Dalson said with a grave expression, “I object. This is far too dangerous, and the consequences would be too severe—we simply cannot afford them!”

However, Gustave replied coldly, “Dawson, since when have you become such a coward? With an attitude like that, you can’t possibly hope to be the family heir. I suggest you give up competing with Haim!”

Dawson’s tone turned icy as well. He said in a deep voice, “You must understand that this is Hong Kong. There are no regular military forces stationed here. If you dare to use such methods against Li Yi, it’s tantamount to declaring war on that Red Empire. Doing so will not only ruin you, but it will also drag the family down…”

Before he could finish, Gusta cut him off: “Hmph, he’s just a yellow-skinned monkey. Even if I take out that Li Yi, what can they do? Do you really think they’d dare send troops over here?”

“Don’t forget, this is still British territory. If they send troops here, it would be a full-scale declaration of war against the British Empire. I don’t believe their country has the guts to do that.”

Seeing that Gustave was determined to take action against Li Yi, Dolsen knew that no amount of persuasion would change his mind.

He stopped trying to dissuade him and said solemnly, “In that case, neither I nor Uncle the Earl will get involved in this matter, and no one from the British-funded group is to get involved either. All that’s left is to wish you good luck!”

With that, Dalson immediately stood up and strode out of the conference room.

Seeing this, the Duke and the other members of the British Capital Group followed suit.

After all, Dolsen was now the one in charge of the British Capital Group; if he said they couldn’t participate, no one else dared to—to do otherwise would be an act of betrayal.

Moreover, the other members of the British Capital Group did not approve of Gusta’s actions; this was a complete breach of protocol.

If, in the future, anyone who lost a business battle simply had their opponent killed, the world would descend into utter chaos.

And just as they left, a series of loud, crackling explosions echoed through the conference room…

…….

Downtown. Li Family Manor!

In the reception hall, aside from Li Banbanhaobang Yi and Li Futao, everyone else—including Huang Lixing, He Dongying, Bao Chuanwang, and Old Huo—was present.

Right after the shareholders’ meeting ended, at Li Futiao’s invitation, everyone had come together to his estate.

Once everyone had taken their seats, Li Futiao said, “Brother Li Yi, your move—cutting off their supply and trapping them inside—was truly brilliant. Now those foreign devils are in for a headache!”

He Dongying chimed in, “At the start of the meeting, I was still worried for you, Mr. Li. I never expected you’d been so well-prepared. You really don’t fight battles you aren’t sure you can win!”

Huang Lixing, in his usual brash manner, remarked, “It’s a real thrill to see those foreigners slink away with their tails between their legs. I just wonder what choice they’ll make!”

“Exactly. What do you think those foreigners will decide?” asked Bao Chuanwang with a smile.

Hearing this, everyone’s gaze turned to Li Yi.

However, Li Yi replied calmly, “It doesn’t matter what they choose. Business is like a battlefield—as long as we prevent them from achieving their strategic objectives, we’ve won!”

Li Futao nodded and said, “Exactly. If Gusta invests with us, they won’t lose money, but a massive amount of capital will be tied up in Hong Kong for the long term—that doesn’t align with their expectations.”

“If they cut their losses and exit now, not only would the losses be severe, but there’s no guarantee anyone would take over—which is certainly not what they want. So no matter how those foreigners choose, they’re bound to lose!”

Just then, He Dongying suddenly spoke up: “Do you think those foreigners might… might, in desperation, resort to desperate measures and try to harm Mr. Li?”

Li Yi smiled and said, “Yes, they will definitely try to take me out!”

He knew those foreigners all too well. They were demons with blood on their hands; laws and rules were nothing more than things to be trampled underfoot in their eyes.

In their world, if anyone dared to threaten their interests—even if that person were God himself—they would make him pay a terrible price.

Not only had he inflicted heavy losses on them in London, but he’d also completely humiliated them—a blood feud had long since been sealed between them.

If it weren’t for their regard for the British government, the Sassoon family might have already made a move against him.

Now that he had presented them with such a massive problem, if they couldn’t resolve it, they would have no choice but to eliminate the one who caused it.

“From what I understand, the Sassoon family is ruthless and cunning, and they have ties to many assassin organizations. Many who have crossed them have met mysterious deaths!” said He Dongying.

The “King of Chartered Ships” immediately interjected, “Well… what should we do? Mr. Li, perhaps you should head to the mainland to lie low for a while. I’m sure once you’re on the mainland, those people won’t dare to be so brazen!”

However, Li Yi shook his head and said, “No problem. Those foreigners have their own cunning plans, and I have my own way of getting around them. It’s just a matter of dealing with whatever comes my way—nothing to be afraid of!”

To be honest, Li Yi really wasn’t afraid of the underhanded tricks played by the men under Gusta’s command.

Whether they were assassins or those underworld gangs, they were nothing but trash unfit for the limelight. He, on the other hand, commanded an elite force made up of elite soldiers.

This was a true national-level force; neither in terms of troop numbers nor individual combat prowess could they be compared to those second-rate scum.

Li Yi wasn’t just unafraid of them coming at him with everything they had—he was actually worried they’d chicken out and not dare to make a move. As long as those guys made a move, he’d have both the justification and the confidence to wipe them all out.

Just then, Huang Lixing suddenly spoke up: “Brother Li Yi, I’m a rough-and-tumble guy. I don’t understand all your schemes and strategies.”

“I just think that since these bastards dare to bare their teeth at you, we’ve got to take them down. Otherwise, how are we supposed to hold our ground on the streets in the future?”

He Dongying chimed in, “Right, I think Old Huang’s got a point. We’ve got to nip this danger in the bud.”

“Besides, this is a great opportunity. We can launch a full-scale counteroffensive against those foreign bastards and crush them completely.”

Li Futao knew that He Dongying and the others were unaware that Dolsen had already switched sides, so he immediately said, “No, as far as I know, the only ones targeting us this time are the Gusta faction. Dolsen and the British-owned groups in Hong Kong haven’t been directly involved in this.”

“If we attack them as well now, it would be tantamount to pushing Dolsen and his people into Gusta’s arms—a highly unwise move.”

Li Yi immediately interjected, “We cannot go to war. Though the British-owned conglomerates are despicable, there’s no denying they hold a pivotal position in Hong Kong’s overall economy.”

“Even if we could defeat them—or even drive them all out of Hong Kong—it would deal a devastating blow to the local economy. In the end, it would be the people of Hong Kong who suffer. We cannot be the ones to bear that guilt!”

Upon hearing this, the room fell silent.

Those present were all leading figures in Hong Kong’s financial sector; naturally, they understood Li Yi’s point.

The collapse of a single company often affects the livelihoods of dozens or even hundreds of people. If dozens or even hundreds of major companies were to go bankrupt, Hong Kong’s economy—which had only just begun to show signs of recovery—would inevitably suffer another severe blow.

The number of people affected would certainly not be just a few hundred or a few thousand—it could be tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands.

“If that’s the case, then we can’t take action against those bastards at the British-owned conglomerates. What if they decide to cause trouble?” asked He Dongying.

Li Yi smiled and said, “No problem. As long as we take care of Gusta, Dolsons and the others will behave themselves. That’s what you call making an example of someone!”

“So what should we do now?” asked Li Futao.

Li Yi replied immediately, “I’ve given them three days. Barring any surprises, those foreigners will use this time to plot against me. We need to do three things right now.”

“First, we’ll set up a tight net and lie in wait, letting those foreigners slip up on their own. Second…”

Before he could finish, a sudden, urgent knock came from outside the door, cutting Li Yi off mid-sentence.

“Come in!”

At Li Yi’s command, Zhang Ziqiang pushed the door open and walked in.

Under everyone’s gaze, Zhang Ziqiang strode up to Li Yi and whispered a few words in his ear.

After hearing what Zhang Ziqiang had to say, Li Yi’s face lit up with joy at first, but then his brow furrowed.

“Brother Li Yi, what’s wrong?” Li Futao asked in a low voice.

Li Yi paused to think for a moment, then said, “The situation has changed. We need to adjust our plan!”

Hearing this, everyone present was startled. All eyes turned back to Li Yi, waiting for his instructions.

“Old Huang, we’re done playing cat and mouse. We’re closing the net tonight. Whether they’re hitmen or local gangs, anyone connected to Gusta—we’re taking them all down!” Li Yi said coldly.

Huang Lixing immediately replied with enthusiasm, “Brother Li Yi, rest assured. We’ve thoroughly investigated the enemy this time. We’ll root out all evil and leave no loose ends!”

“Good!”

Li Yi then added, “Old Li, mobilize all our media resources. Go all out to publish every piece of negative news about New World Warehouse and do everything you can to drive down its stock price—ideally, crash it to the floor price of 8 yuan per share!”

“Got it. I’m familiar with this; I’ll handle it perfectly!” Li Futao replied.

“Old He, Bao Chuanwang, and Old Huo, you three pass this message on to every company and family in Hong Kong’s financial sector: anyone who dares to take over the New Territories Warehouse shares held by Gusta is declaring war on me, Li Yi, and Star Investment. They’ll face the consequences!” Li Yi declared.

Li Futiao immediately chimed in, “Let’s tweak that a bit. Say that the Chinese Chamber of Commerce is boycotting Gusta. Anyone who dares to take over the shares from Gusta is making an enemy of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce, and we’ll fight to the death!”

“Good. We need to cut off every escape route for those Westerners and put an end to their arrogance!” said He Dongying.

“Rest assured, this boycott order will spread throughout the entire island of Hong Kong in no time!” said Bao Chuanwang.

“Leave this to us…”

After agreeing on a course of action, the internal meeting came to a close.

Just as Li Yi was about to adjourn the meeting, Li Futiao suddenly asked, “Brother Li Yi, what exactly happened? Why did you suddenly change your plans?”

Li Yi grinned and replied, “My wife is coming!”

Li Futao: !@#￥%……

He Dongying: @#￥%……

Bao Chuanwang: @#￥%……

………..

Gusta understood what Li Yi meant. His greatest leverage in today’s “power struggle” was the support of shareholders Yang and Hu.

But if these two didn’t back him, his shareholding wouldn’t be enough to secure a controlling stake, and he’d naturally have no grounds to dissolve the board.

In that case, regaining control of New Territory Warehouse from Li Yi would be nothing but a joke.

He considered this possibility, but quickly dismissed it with a shake of his head. These two likely didn’t have the guts to betray him—after all…

Gusta immediately turned his gaze toward shareholders Yang and Hu, then said, “Mr. Yang, Mr. Hu, please tell everyone here: which side do you support?”

As soon as he spoke, all eyes in the room turned to Yang Lianying and Hu Guangdao, eager to know which side they would choose.

Yang Lianying was the first to stand up and say, “Mr. Gusta, in my heart, I certainly support you…”

Hearing this, a smug smile spread across Gusta’s face, and a hint of contempt crept into his gaze as he looked at Li Yi.

However, before his smug expression could last even a few seconds, Yang Lianying changed her tone and added, “But my support is meaningless, because the shares I hold are merely held in trust for someone else!”

Holding shares on behalf of others?

Before Gusta could react, Hu Guangda, standing nearby, also rose to his feet and said, “Mr. Gusta, my situation is the same as Mr. Yang’s—all of our shares are held in trust for Mr. Li Yi!”

Whoosh!

The entire conference room erupted in an instant; this twist had come completely out of the blue.

Gusta had thought victory was assured, but he never imagined that his two allies had been planted as spies from the very beginning—this was truly outrageous.

Gusta was also caught off guard. He had gone to great lengths to pressure Yang Lianying and Hu Guangdao.

He never imagined that in the end, the two were merely puppets, and that the 9% stake had belonged to Star Investment from the very beginning.

He’d been duped!

With that thought, Gusta glared at Yang Lianying and Hu Guangdao and snarled, “Fine… very well. You dare to play me? You’ll pay the price for this!”

Just then, Li Yi’s voice suddenly rang out in the conference room: “A price? Do you mean Mr. Yang and Mr. Hu’s families?”

“You…”

Before Gusta could finish, Li Yi sneered, “Gusta, you’re just as despicable, shameless, and sleazy as the rest of your family. You always resort to underhanded tactics in business, constantly spouting about being a gentleman while harboring nothing but thievery and debauchery in your heart.”

“You thought that by having people kidnap Mr. Yang and Mr. Hu’s families, you could force them to comply. But let me tell you, your plan has backfired—I’ve already rescued Mr. Yang and Mr. Hu’s families!”

Hearing this, everyone present was stunned once again.

They had assumed this was just a routine business dispute, but they never expected Gusta to be so ruthless. To secure the support of the Yang and Hu families and seize control of the company, Gusta had actually resorted to threatening them with the safety of Yang Lianying and Hu Guangdao’s families.

They say one’s family should never be harmed—Gustav’s actions had completely crossed everyone’s line.

In an instant, all eyes turned to Gusta.

“You… I don’t know what you’re talking about…”

“Gusta, it doesn’t matter if you don’t admit it—that’s not what we’re here to discuss today!”

Li Yi continued, “Although you hold 43% of the company’s shares, that doesn’t meet the threshold for a controlling stake. Therefore, your motion to dissolve the board has been rejected. Do you have anything else to say?”

Gusta glared at Li Yi, his eyes blazing with fury. “I admit I underestimated you before, but it doesn’t matter. We’ll have plenty of chances to face off. Just you wait!”

With that, Gusta immediately stood up, preparing to leave the company that had left him utterly humiliated.

However, Li Yi coldly interjected, “Mr. Gusta, we are about to make major adjustments to the company’s equity structure and business direction. As the second-largest shareholder, you’d be wise to listen.”

“You…”

Li Yi ignored him, instead glancing at the crowd present before speaking again, “Following a decision by our Star Investment Company, we will inject 10 billion Hong Kong dollars into New Frontier Warehouse Management Company effective immediately and redistribute the company’s shares. Do any of the shareholders have any objections?”

At these words, the expressions of everyone present—whether it was Gusta, Dolsen, or the other members of the British-owned group—changed.

If Yang Lianying and Hu Guangdao had merely been Li Yi’s way of toying with Gusta, then this was his true killing move—and a decisive one at that.

With the major shareholder injecting capital, the other shareholders had only two choices: either follow suit and inject capital to prevent their shares from being diluted, or refuse to inject capital and accept the dilution of their holdings.

For Gusta, however, either choice was a painful one.

After all, his goal was clear: either seize control of the company to secure long-term benefits, or make a huge profit to replenish his family’s finances.

If they were to inject capital alongside Li Yi, not only would they have to invest a massive amount of funds, but they might also find themselves stuck with the investment for the long term—which is not in their best interest.

But if they don’t invest, given the company’s current market value, if Starry Sky invests 10 billion, their stake would be diluted to just one-quarter of its original size.

Their 43% stake would instantly shrink to around 10%. With such a small share, what kind of influence could they possibly wield in the company?

Just as everyone was deep in thought, Yang Lianying, the so-called “puppet shareholder,” stood up and declared, “I agree with Mr. Li’s proposal to inject capital!”

“I agree too!” Hu Guangdao added loudly.

“I agree too…”

Just then, Gusta spoke up loudly, “I disagree. The company is performing well and has no need for shareholder capital injections. I object!”

Li Yi said calmly, “The objection is invalid!”

“Hmph, then you lot can play by yourselves. I’m going to sell off every single share I own!” Gusta said angrily.

“Suit yourself. But I can assure you that on Hong Kong Island, no one but me will take those non-tradable shares off your hands!” Li Yi said coldly.

“You think you can just walk away? No way!”

After planning for so many days, Li Yi intended to trap Gusta completely; there was no way he’d let them cut their losses and walk away so easily.

He knew full well that while Gusta and his crew had traveled all the way to Hong Kong to redeem themselves, their primary goal was to make money and replenish the Sassoon family’s coffers.

Targeting this objective, Li Yi had devised this “trap them in” plan. Whether or not Gusta made a profit was irrelevant; as long as he prevented them from withdrawing their funds in the short term, it would be enough to make these bastards suffer.

This was also why Li Yi had insisted on secretly ceding a portion of non-tradable shares to Gusta—after all, non-tradable shares couldn’t be sold off at will.

Moreover, he had already mapped out his strategy: if Gusta chose to follow through and co-invest in the New Territories Warehouse with him, the moment their funds hit the account, he would immediately propose a second round of investment, forcing them to keep bleeding money.

In any case, Li Yi had already planned a comprehensive renovation and expansion of New Territories Warehouse. He intended to take advantage of the current favorable conditions—with land prices and labor costs at rock bottom—to develop this prime property.

It’s important to note that starting next year, Hong Kong Island’s economy would bottom out and rebound, a trend that would continue through 1987.

With political stability on Hong Kong Island in the coming years, the property and stock markets would soar. The Hang Seng Index would climb from just over 700 points in 1983 to 3,949 points, a fivefold increase.

If he seizes this opportunity to expand aggressively, the market value of the New Territories warehouse could very well reach 100 billion Hong Kong dollars by 1987.

If Gustaf chooses to flee, he must be prepared to suffer massive losses.

After all, most of these shares were bought back at high prices; even if sold at current prices, they would still incur a loss of about 60%.

Clearly, Gusta understood the situation he was in. Gritting his teeth, he said, “We need to think this over. We can’t give you an answer right now!”

“I’m giving you three days to consider it. If we haven’t received a response by then, we’ll take it as your voluntary withdrawal from the investment opportunity!” Li Yi said in a stern voice.

Gusta said nothing. Instead, his face ashen, he stood up from his seat and walked straight out.

Seeing this, the other members of the British-owned group followed suit.

Just as Gus was about to walk past Li Yi, he suddenly stopped and said in a menacing tone, “Li, this isn’t over yet. We’ll see about this!”

“A defeated general has no right to boast of courage. If you’ve got what it takes, bring it on!” Li Yi said with a cold laugh.

“Fine, very well!”

With that, Gusta quickly led his men out of the New Territories Warehouse Management Company!

As soon as Gusta and his men had left, the entire conference room erupted in thunderous applause that went on and on!

Outside a company near the docks in the northern suburbs of Hong Kong Island.

Early in the morning, a large crowd of people and vehicles had already gathered here.

A closer look revealed that these were no ordinary people; they were all local Hong Kong media reporters, ranging from mainstream outlets like the South China Evening News and the Oriental Daily to numerous obscure tabloids—numbering in the dozens.

These reporters had set up their cameras and microphones right at the company’s entrance, ready to capture the latest developments firsthand.

The company under intense media scrutiny was none other than the management firm of New Territories Warehouse, which was set to hold its annual shareholders’ meeting today.

While it was billed as a business restructuring, thanks to the foreigners’ extensive publicity, everyone knew this was a showdown between Li Yi’s Star Investment and the Sassoon family’s team—a decisive battle to redefine ownership of New Territories Warehouse.

More importantly, according to information leaked in advance by those foreigners, the outcome of this showdown looks very unfavorable for Star Investment.

Some of them have even been telling the media that today marks not only Li Yi’s first investment failure but also the shattering of a myth.

The media, naturally drawn to such sensationalist news, had set up a massive stakeout specifically to cover the event.

At 8:30 a.m., just as everyone was growing impatient, a convoy of over a dozen vehicles arrived at the company’s entrance.

Soon after, the media reporters saw Gustaf, who had been making headlines for the past few days, step out of the car.

Immediately after, the renowned Sir and Mr. Dolsen also stepped out.

The last to step out were Henry, General Manager of Huifeng Bank; Peter, Deputy General Manager of Jardine Matheson; and executives from key British-owned conglomerates such as Swire and Jardine Matheson.

Seeing so many heavyweight figures from the British-owned conglomerates arrive, the reporters swarmed around them, first snapping away furiously with their cameras, filling the air with a deafening “click-clack” of film being devoured!

It must be said that the reporters on Hong Kong Island were truly dedicated to their work.

After taking their photos, they didn’t leave. Instead, one by one, they immediately raised their microphones and, regardless of whether their subjects would answer, kept firing off a barrage of tricky questions:

“Mr. Gusta, we’ve heard that you’ve already secured a controlling stake in New Territories Warehouse, and that you’re here today to vie for control of the company. Is that true?”

“Mr. Gustaf, was it you who defeated Mr. Li Yi of Star Investment? What are your thoughts on this?”

“Mr. Dolsen, did your British Capital Group participate in this move against New Boundary Warehouse? Don’t you have a non-aggression pact with Star Investment? Is it appropriate for you to so openly violate the previous agreement?”

“Mr. Dolsen…”

Faced with the reporters’ questions, Gusta remained composed.

He stopped his bodyguards from escorting them away and instead stepped forward to address the reporters. With the air of a true gentleman, he said, “Ladies and gentlemen, thank you all for your attention. As you’ve mentioned, we’re here today to secure control of the New Territories Warehouse Center—this company belongs to us!”

“Furthermore, I must add that this is only the beginning. Next, all companies—including Hang Seng Bank, Longheng Bank, and Wharf Holdings—will return to our hands…”

Listening to Gustave spouting such nonsense in front of the media, Dolsen behind him couldn’t help but shake his head—it was both arrogant and foolish.

With the matter still unresolved, there was absolutely no need to grant media interviews.

More importantly, he knew Li Yi well—the man was meticulous in his dealings. There was no way he would let Gusta regain control of New Territories Warehouse so easily.

Although on the surface, the shares held by Gusta and his group appeared to exceed those of Star Company, Dolsen couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off.

However, he didn’t warn Gusta. On one hand, Dolsen actually hoped Gusta would take a hard fall to thoroughly dampen his arrogance.

On the other hand, Dolsen knew that given Gusta’s stubborn and self-willed nature, no matter how much he warned him, Gusta wouldn’t listen.

After speaking to the media for over ten minutes and dropping a series of eye-catching “bombshells,” Gusta finally entered the New Territories Warehouse Management Company office building, flanked by his bodyguards.

Less than five minutes after they left, another massive motorcade arrived at the entrance of the New Territories Warehouse Management Company.

This time, the visitors were from Star Investment and the Chinese Chamber of Commerce. Aside from Li Yi and several executives from Star Investment, the rest were all members of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce, including Li Futiao, He Dongying, and Bao Chuanwang!

As soon as they appeared, they were swarmed by reporters. However, unlike Gusta’s high-profile entrance, before the reporters could rush forward, a large contingent of bodyguards stepped in to block them.

Shortly after, Li Yi and his group were seen making their way through the crowd and entering the New Territories Warehouse Management Company…

……..

When Li Yi and his group entered the conference room at New Territories Warehouse Management, they found that the Westerners had already arrived. Seated on one side of the round conference table, they waited for the Chinese Chamber of Commerce delegation with the air of victors.

Seeing Li Yi and his group enter, Gusta didn’t even bother to stand up from his seat. Instead, he spoke haughtily in a tone befitting a superior: “Li, if you admit defeat now, we’re willing to buy the shares you hold at 80% of market value. Otherwise, your investment will be completely wiped out…”

However, Li Yi merely glanced at him and said indifferently, “You must be Gustave. What makes you so sure you’ve already won?”

“Hahaha, that’s not important. What matters is that we’re going to win today, and you’ll have to hand over control of the company!” said Gusta with a loud laugh, his tone brimming with smugness.

A cold smile played at the corner of Li Yi’s mouth, and he replied calmly, “Haha, speaking so confidently is just asking to be proven wrong!”

“Li, you’re bound to lose today…”

Li Yi ignored Gusta and turned to He Yunsheng, who was seated at the head of the table. “General Manager He, let’s begin!”

He Yunsheng nodded, then stood up and said, “Ladies and gentlemen, there have been frequent changes in the company’s shareholding structure recently. We’ve welcomed several new shareholders, while some have withdrawn from the company.”

“To ensure the company’s continued growth, and at the request of certain shareholders, we have convened this shareholders’ meeting of New Boundary Warehouse Management Company to discuss the company’s next phase of development…”

Before He Yunsheng could finish, Gusta stood up abruptly and declared, “Excuse me. As the company’s largest shareholder, I hereby move to dissolve the current board of directors and appoint a new chairman and general manager!”

Gustav’s sudden outburst did not come as a surprise to those present; everyone had anticipated this before arriving.

Soon, all eyes turned to Li Yi.

“Mr. Gusta, since you claim to be the company’s largest shareholder, then produce the evidence!” Li Yi said calmly.

Gusta was clearly well-prepared. Unflustered, he took a stack of documents from his briefcase and said, “This is the New Boundary Warehouse Share Transfer Agreement. We currently hold a total of 43% of New Boundary Warehouse’s shares, which exceeds the stake held by your Star Investment Company!”

However, Li Yi’s expression remained impassive as he calmly replied, “So what? You must know that a major shareholder cannot—and has no right to—dissolve the board of directors unless they hold a controlling stake of 51%!”

Gusta looked at Li Yi with a smug expression and said, “It’s true we haven’t reached the controlling stake, but we’ve secured the support of other shareholders!”

“Oh? I wonder which shareholders support you?” Li Yi asked again.

“Dear Yang and Hu, as far as I know from banbanhaobang, your respective shareholdings are 3% and 6%. Is that correct?” said Gusta.

A middle-aged man sitting nearby immediately stood up and said, “The Yang family does indeed hold a 3% stake in New Territory Warehouse!”

Then another middle-aged man stood up and said, “Our Hu family also holds a 6% stake in New World Warehouse!”

Gusta burst out laughing. “Li, now that both shareholders Yang and Hu support me, their combined 9% plus my own 43% exceeds the 51% required for a controlling stake. I’m now qualified to restructure the board, aren’t I?”

But just then, Li Yi looked at Gustaf with a half-smile and said, “Gustaf, are you sure these two shareholders support you?”

Hearing this, Gusta froze for a moment, a sense of foreboding welling up inside him…

…….

Beijing. The Li Family!

While Li Yi was busy dealing with Gusta and the others, Jiang Xue had finally received her vacation leave.

Having not seen her husband for several months straight, and only occasionally hearing news of him from Lan Xinyi, He Tiansheng, and others, Jiang Xue had long been itching to go to Hong Kong to find him.

On the day her vacation began, Jiang Xue eagerly invited her mother over to discuss the matter.

In the living room of the main house, Ye Lingyun was helping her granddaughter, Yun Jin, change into a new outfit—a little floral-print dress she had sewn herself.

Perhaps because they had missed out on their own daughter’s childhood, both Jiang Shiying and Ye Lingyun doted on Yun Rui and Yun Jin.

Not to mention the delicious food and drinks they provided daily, but every time the seasons changed, Li Yi and Jiang Xue didn’t have to worry—Grandpa and Grandma would have the seasonal clothes ready well in advance.

Moreover, most of the clothes were sewn by Ye Lingyun herself; every stitch was imbued with her deep love for the children.

On the floor of the room, Jiang Xue and her older sister Li Mei watched their respective sons, their expressions tinged with a touch of anxiety.

The two children had just learned to walk but weren’t very steady yet. They were afraid the children might fall or bump into something, yet they couldn’t stop them from walking.

While helping her granddaughter put on a little dress, Ye Lingyun asked, “Xiao Xue, you said earlier that you wanted to go over there to find Xiao Yi, right?”

“Yes. I heard from Manager Lan that he’s already returned to Hong Kong from London, so I want to go find him,” Jiang Xue replied.

“Go ahead. When you leave, I’ll move over here to live with Meizi and help you take care of Yunrui and Yunjin!”

Ye Lingyun was very supportive of her daughter’s plan to go find her son-in-law.

Having been through it herself, she knew how agonizing the longing between young spouses could be, and she understood that a couple’s bond needed to be nurtured gradually while they were together; constant separation was detrimental to their relationship.

Li Mei chimed in, “With me and Auntie here, we’ll definitely take good care of the children. You can stay and spend a few more days with Xiaoyi over there—it won’t matter if you don’t come back until school starts!”

However, Jiang Xue shook her head and said, “Mom, Big Sister, what I mean is that we should all go together. It would be so boring if I went all by myself!”

“Besides, Xiao Yi hasn’t seen the kids in months—he must really miss them.”

Ye Lingyun smiled and said, “I won’t be going, Mother. I already went once at the beginning of the year, so I’ve seen enough of the world.”

“Besides, your father is a government official. As his wife, it wouldn’t look good for me to be running around all the time for no reason!”

“If Auntie and I go,” the eldest sister added, “the kids will have to come along too. It’d be such a hassle to bring the whole family—you should just take Xiaofeng and Miaomiao with you.”

Jiang Xue looked at Li Mei and said with interest, “Big Sister, your husband’s illness has been cured. Don’t you want to see him?”

“Well…”

Seeing her sister-in-law hesitate, Jiang Xue pressed her advantage: “Your husband is busy with work and can’t come back right away, but I’m sure he really misses you and Ruirui. If you go over there with Ruirui, it’ll save him the trouble of making the trip back!”

Hearing this, Li Mei was genuinely tempted.

Ever since Yang Wenguang went to New York for surgery, he hadn’t returned. Although he’d written letters and sent quite a bit of money, none of that could truly ease the pain of missing him.

At that moment, Li Mei turned her gaze to Ye Lingyun and said hesitantly, “Auntie, why don’t we…”

Ye Lingyun could tell right away that Li Mei had been persuaded by her daughter. She immediately looked at Jiang Xue and said with a doting expression, “I can go with you, but we’ll have to let your father know in advance and ask for his opinion…”

Before she could finish, Jiang Xue chimed in with a laugh, “I’ve already called Dad. He didn’t object, but he wants Mom to stay in Guangzhou a few more days.”

“Did your father really say that?” Ye Lingyun asked, her cheeks flushing slightly.

“Don’t you believe me? I’ve also contacted Deputy Director Zhou, and he’s already reported our plans to the higher-ups. When we’re ready to leave, we just need to let them know, and he’ll arrange a plane for us!” Jiang Xue added.

“It seems you’ve had this all planned out, young lady. So when do you plan to leave?” Ye Lingyun asked with a smile.

“In the next day or two!”

“Alright…”

………

Hong Kong Island. Far East Stock Exchange!

As large amounts of hot money and retail investors flooded the market, the battle for New Territories Warehouse shares reached a fever pitch.

Due to the fierce competition, New Territories Warehouse’s stock price skyrocketed at a staggering rate.

On July 2, the price was just HK$8 per share, but by the 4th, it had soared to HK$32—a fourfold increase.

Even so, there was no sign of it slowing down.

However, as massive amounts of capital poured in, the number of shares available on the market dwindled, and the turnover rate for New Territories Warehouse plummeted.

It was precisely at this moment that Li Yi quietly instructed his people to sell off their holdings of freely tradable shares.

At the same time, people arranged by Li Futiao were competing with Gusta’s people in the over-the-counter market to snap up tradable shares, driving up the price.

After several days of confrontation, the battle between the two sides grew increasingly fierce; they no longer held back, but instead fought openly and aggressively.

At this point, the conflict between the two sides had become completely public!

On July 6, new reports emerged from the Dolsons’ side: Gusta and his associates had spent 4 billion Hong Kong dollars to secure 25% of the tradable shares.

In addition, they had spent another 2 billion Hong Kong dollars to acquire 11% of the non-tradable shares on the open market.

At this point, Gusta’s group had secured 36% of New Territories Warehouse’s shares. In the company’s publicly disclosed shareholder list, their stake was second only to Star Investment Company’s 38%, firmly establishing them as the company’s second-largest shareholder.

Furthermore, Dolsen has relayed a crucial piece of intelligence: Gusta and his team currently have 400 million pounds remaining, totaling just under 7 billion Hong Kong dollars.

Upon learning of this, Li Yi knew it was time to close the net.

Soon, the media reported that the Governor’s Office had made a breakthrough in its investigation of New Territories Warehouse.

First, New Territories Warehouse’s infrastructure was outdated, with many berths already unusable; at least half of the 5 million TEUs in throughput it reported was inflated.

Furthermore, fire safety and other facilities at the port, docks, and warehouse areas failed to meet standards, leading to a prolonged suspension of operations for rectification.

Furthermore, New Territories Warehouse Management Company’s accounts were in disarray, and the company had falsified its performance figures—the issues were extremely serious.

Although the New Territories Warehouse management company vehemently denied these allegations, driven by those with ulterior motives, the news spread like wildfire across the entire island of Hong Kong.

As a result, New Territories Warehouse’s soaring stock price came to an abrupt halt and began a rapid decline.

HK$33… HK$30… HK$28… HK$27…

In just a single day, New Territories Warehouse’s stock price plummeted by a third.

Shortly thereafter, Star Investment officially announced that, given the significant risks in New Territories Warehouse’s operations, the company had decided to withdraw its HK$3 billion investment in the firm.

This announcement was like a depth charge, completely shattering the confidence of all investors.

The news came so suddenly that many investors didn’t have time to think it through and were forced to sell their shares at a loss.

New Territories Warehouse’s stock price plummeted once again—this time in a cliff-like drop: HK$25… HK$22… HK$19… HK$17…

But what no one expected was that Gustave, the largest holder of New World Development’s floating shares, not only refused to cut his losses and exit the market but instead took advantage of the falling stock price to buy a massive amount of shares once again.

Everyone could see that these foreigners were truly preparing to take control of New Territories Warehouse.

Sure enough, on July 8, after his stake reached 42%, Gustaf immediately sent representatives to New Territories Warehouse’s management company.

After presenting all their share certificates, they immediately demanded, in their capacity as major shareholders, that a new board meeting be convened.

At the same time, they trumpeted the news in the media with the air of victors.

When the news reached Star Investment, Li Yi responded immediately, agreeing to convene the board meeting and inviting Gustaf to attend in person.

Upon hearing the news, everyone knew that the moment when the two sides would truly go head-to-head had arrived!

Exchange, VIP Room No. 7!

At that moment, the vast VIP room was filled with fair-haired, blue-eyed foreigners. Aside from Gusta, Dolsen, and the Jazz, there were also quite a few traders brought over from Europe.

Dawson didn’t trust Gusta, and Gusta was equally wary of Dawson.

To avoid being played by his nephew, all the traders had been brought over from Europe by Gusta—almost all of them were his trusted confidants.

Upon learning that New Territories Warehouse’s stock price had suddenly doubled, Gusta and the others were all slightly taken aback.

Originally, they had planned to quietly buy up shares while New Territories Warehouse’s stock was being driven to rock-bottom prices, then seize control of the company in one fell swoop and drive Li Yi’s people out—all to humiliate him.

But they never could have imagined that, having acquired less than 5 million shares, the stock price would suddenly surge—it was completely unexpected.

“Younger cousin, what do you make of this?” Gusta asked, looking at Dolsen.

Dorson paused to think for a moment, then said, “There are two possibilities. First, Starry Sky Company may have sensed our intentions and is driving up the price to block our bid for controlling interest!”

“The second possibility is that there’s some major positive news from New World Warehouse, which has driven up the stock price…”

Before he could finish, the phone in the VIP lounge suddenly rang.

Jazz, who was standing nearby, immediately picked up the receiver and answered.

After a burst of gibberish, the Duke said in a grave tone, “I just received word that the management company behind New World Warehouse has just held a press conference, where they announced several investment projects totaling tens of billions of Hong Kong dollars.”

Hearing this, Dolsen immediately said, “So, does that mean New Territories Warehouse’s stock price rose because of this positive news?”

Jazz replied immediately, “On the surface, that does seem to be the case, but I don’t think it’s that simple. After all, even with positive news, the stock market doesn’t react this quickly.”

“Besides, I don’t believe they’d actually invest that much money. You all know the current economic situation on Hong Kong Island—investing in infrastructure and real estate is practically the same as throwing money into the ocean!”

Gusta narrowed his eyes and said, “If I’m not mistaken, it must be that Li who’s behind this. He’s trying to thwart us!”

Just then, a middle-aged man in his forties turned to Gusta and said, “Boss, what should we do now? A massive amount of stock is flowing into their hands. We need to decide early on whether to follow or not.”

Gusta replied immediately, “Follow. Raise the price per lot to 2,000 Hong Kong dollars immediately!”

“Yes, sir!”

Then, Gusta turned to Jazz and said, “Have your people keep in touch with those small shareholders at the New Territories warehouse. Tell them we’re willing to buy their shares at 120% of the market price!”

Jazz glanced at Dolsen and, seeing him give a barely perceptible nod, picked up the phone beside him.

As Gusta’s team ramped up their efforts, the average traders on the exchange were astonished to discover that New Territories Warehouse—which had been hammered down to rock-bottom prices just last week—had made a stunning comeback.

No, it wasn’t just a comeback—it was like it had been injected with adrenaline.

In just a few short hours, New World Warehouse had skyrocketed from 8 yuan per share to 20 yuan per share—and it was still climbing.

Amid the shock, some quickly concluded that a major institutional investor had entered the market and was scrambling to snap up New World Warehouse shares.

The stock market is, after all, a place where investors chase gains and cut losses. Seeing New World Warehouse’s share price continue to soar, some retail investors and hot money soon couldn’t resist and began to get restless.

After the third round of bidding between the two sides, some daring speculative traders and retail investors finally couldn’t hold back any longer and began entering the market.

Compared to Star Banbanhaobang Chen Company and figures like Gusta, these hot money investors and retail traders bid even higher prices, as this was the only way they could compete with the two major market makers for the shares.

With the intervention of multiple forces, New Territories Warehouse’s stock price climbed steadily, and by the market close, it had reached 28 yuan per share.

However, since there were few shares available for trading in the market to begin with, the supply dwindled further as more players joined the fray.

Consequently, many turned their attention to sources outside the stock market…

……..

Urban District. Li Family Manor!

Li Futiao poured tea for Li Yi as he said, “I just received word that those foreigners are reaching out to other shareholders of New Territories Warehouse, trying to buy up their shares at a high price. Should we also contact those small shareholders?”

Li Yi understood what Li Futao meant: reach out to those small shareholders to prevent the non-tradable shares from falling into the hands of those foreigners.

He paused to think for a moment, then said, “We can reach out, but the goal isn’t to buy their shares—it’s to drive up the price!”

“You want those foreigners to buy up the shares held by those small shareholders?” Li Fuzhao asked, looking at Li Yi.

“Exactly!”

“Why?”

Li Yi smiled and said, “The reason is simple. I said I’d make them lose both their wife and their army, and the New Territories Warehouse is the grave I’ve dug for them!”

“???”

Seeing the puzzled look on Li Futao’s face, Li Yi explained, “I know exactly what those foreigners are up to. They’re playing both sides right now. If they can seize control of New Territories Warehouse, they’ll do everything in their power to do so.”

“After all, as a renowned port area on Hong Kong Island, the New Territories Warehouse has immense potential. Its future market value won’t be less than 100 billion Hong Kong dollars—buying it would definitely be a sound investment…”

“A hundred billion?”

“That’s a conservative estimate!”

Li Yi wasn’t just spouting off. After all, even after the New Territories Warehouse was broken up in later years, the three major companies holding its core assets each had a market value exceeding 100 billion.

Especially the company holding the port operations—its market value was approaching HK$280 billion.

The current New Territories Warehouse owns all the ports, warehouses, and hotels, among other assets. Setting aside everything else, the land alone—spanning nearly half of the New Territories—will be worth a fortune in the future; HK$100 billion is definitely an underestimate.

Li Yi continued, “If we can’t secure a controlling stake, then we’ll drive the stock price as high as possible and cash out at the peak to make a huge profit.”

“My goal is to prevent them from gaining controlling interest while also ensuring they don’t make a profit. The primary task is to get them to acquire as many non-tradable shares as possible. That way, they won’t be able to easily cut their losses and exit the market—after all, non-tradable shares are far less liquid than tradable ones!”

Li Futao looked at Li Yi and said, “I still don’t understand what you’re trying to do. After all, as long as the stock price is high enough, and as long as the other side is willing to take a smaller profit, non-tradable shares can be offloaded quite easily!”

“Heh, what if the stock price suddenly crashes?”

Li Futiao paused for a moment, then asked, “Are you trying to trap them?”

“No, I want them to lose their entire investment!”

“Well…”

“Alright, Old Li, just do as I say—have them drive up the price of the restricted shares as much as possible!” Li Yi said.

“Alright, I’ll make the arrangements right away!” Li Futiao replied.

“Alright…”

Just then, the Li family’s head steward suddenly knocked on the door and entered, saying, “Master, there’s a foreigner outside who wishes to see you. He says his name is Dolsen!”

Li Futiao was taken aback for a moment, then frowned and asked, “What’s he doing here?”

No sooner had he spoken than Li Yi chimed in with a laugh, “I invited him here!”

“Since he’s Brother Li Yi’s guest, please show him in!” Li Futiao said.

“Yes…”

……….