Chapter 848: Feint East, Strike West!

“Mr. Li, let me start by updating you on the situation at our New Territories Warehouse!”

Li Yi glanced over and saw that the man who had stood up was He Yunsheng, the general manager of New Territories Warehouse.

This man had originally been a department manager at Jardine Matheson, specifically in charge of New Territories Warehouse operations. He was quite capable and had been Powell’s intended choice for the position of General Manager of New Territories Warehouse.

Unfortunately, before He Yunsheng had a chance to build up enough seniority, New Territories Warehouse was acquired by Li Yi.

When Powell chose to settle with Star Company, He Yunsheng had originally planned to leave New World Warehouse, but unexpectedly, Powell recommended him to Li Yi.

Li Yi didn’t hold any bias against him simply because he was recommended by Powell. After a thorough discussion with He Yunsheng, he found him to be a capable and innovative individual, so he kept him on and appointed him as the General Manager of New Territories Warehouse.

“Go ahead!”

He Yunsheng replied immediately: “Last Wednesday, those foreigners suddenly launched a short-selling attack against New Territories Warehouse. They first borrowed 50 million shares from institutional investors to cash out, then began spreading rumors in the media. We reacted promptly, so although the stock price dropped slightly, the impact was minimal.”

“However, the Governor’s Office intervened in the matter and suddenly announced that our company’s facilities posed major safety hazards, ordering the Security Bureau to investigate us. As a result, our stock price plummeted, and we suffered heavy losses…”

Before Ho Yun-sang could finish, Li Yi asked, “What’s the stock price now?”

“It’s down to just 8 Hong Kong dollars per share!” He Yunsheng replied.

Hearing this, Li Yi couldn’t help but furrow his brow.

He knew that New Territories Warehouse’s stock price had been hovering between 17 and 19 Hong Kong dollars until recently; he hadn’t expected such a steep drop—a 60% plunge.

Li Yi looked at He Yunsheng and asked, “So, how do you plan to handle this now?”

He Yunsheng replied immediately, “Originally, we planned to raise funds to prop up the stock price and ensure it didn’t plummet too low, but we have less than HK$200 million in the company’s accounts—it simply can’t withstand such a drain!”

“So we adjusted our strategy. While the other side was dumping shares, we took advantage of the stock’s plunge to buy up shares on a massive scale.”

Upon hearing this, Li Yi’s eyes lit up, and he asked immediately, “So how many tradable shares have you acquired so far?”

“We’ve acquired 24 million shares. Currently, we not only control 57% of the non-tradable shares but also hold 8% of the tradable shares!” He Yunsheng said.

“Good. I’ll have the finance department transfer 500 million Hong Kong dollars to you shortly so you can continue buying up the company’s shares!” Li Yi said.

“Yes, sir!”

No sooner had He Yunsheng sat down than Xie Tianhua, the newly appointed General Manager of Hang Seng Bank, interjected, “Boss, Hang Seng has also been targeted by short sellers this time. However, since we’ve just completed our business integration and were well-prepared, our stock price only dropped by about 10%. It’s been recovering steadily over the past few days, so the losses aren’t too significant. But…”

“But what?”

“But according to my investigation, those foreigners seem to be specifically targeting our company. They won’t give up so easily; we still need to prepare early!” Xie Tianhua said.

Li Yi nodded and said, “Your concern is well-founded. However, we hold a relatively high stake in Hang Seng, so those guys have limited room to maneuver. Even if they do make a move, it’s highly unlikely they’ll target your bank!”

“Let’s hope so, but we can’t let our guard down. Those foreigners are constantly scheming to regain control of Hang Seng and Longheng Bank!” Xie Tianhua said.

“Hmm…”

Just then, a female secretary suddenly pushed open the door and walked over to whisper a few words in Lan Xinming’s ear.

Lan Xinming immediately stood up and said to Li Yi, “Boss, we’ve just received word from the exchange—those foreigners have made another move against us!”

Li Yi replied calmly, “Hang Seng or New Territories Bank?”

“Hang Seng. Someone just started buying up Hang Seng shares in a big way—the stock price has already jumped 5% since the market opened!” Lan Xinming said.

Li Yi gave a cold smile and said, “Petty tricks. These foreigners are clearly trying to distract us—their real target is still the New Territories Warehouse!”

“Boss, what should we do?” He Yunsheng asked in a low voice.

Li Yi paused to think for a moment, then said, “Go back immediately and hold a press conference. Announce that our company will invest 1 billion Hong Kong dollars to rebuild the New Territories Port, increasing its throughput capacity to 10 million TEUs!”

“At the same time, the company will invest another 4 billion Hong Kong dollars to build a large-scale CBD and a high-end residential complex in New Territories Port, and renovate all warehouses, hotels, restaurants, and other facilities in the port area.”

No sooner had he finished speaking than He Yunsheng exclaimed in surprise, “Boss, are you planning to use fake news to drive up the company’s stock price?”

Li Yi smiled and said, “Boosting the stock price is true, but what I just said isn’t fake news either!”

“Are you really going to invest that much money in construction?”

“Yes, we’ll discuss that later. For now, go back and call a press conference!”

Li Yi then turned to Pang Feiyan and said, “Manager Pang, gather your team and come with me to the stock exchange right now!”

“Yes…”

………

Far East Stock Exchange!

By the time Li Yi and his group arrived, the market had been open for over an hour.

No sooner had they arrived than Li Futao, having received word, walked into the VIP lounge where Li Yi and his group were waiting.

“Brother Li Yi, those foreigners are eyeing the Hang Seng Index again. What should we do?”

“Old Li, stay calm!”

Li Yi then turned to Pang Feiyan and said, “Check the turnover rate of New Territories Warehouse shares immediately. See if anyone is quietly accumulating shares. At the same time, contact the other shareholders and ask if anyone has been secretly approaching them!”

“Yes!”

After Pang Feiyan and the others had left, Li Futiao looked at Li Yi and asked, “Are you worried they’re going to make a move on New Territories Warehouse?”

“Yeah. We’re the absolute majority shareholders in Hang Seng. No matter what those foreigners try to pull, I couldn’t care less!” Li Yi said.

“Huh, you’re the controlling shareholder of New Territories Warehouse too, so how come…”

“Heh, not many people know we’re the controlling shareholders of New Territories Warehouse. When we made the announcement last year, we only said that our Star Company held 38% of the shares, with the rest scattered among other major and minor shareholders!”

Li Yi continued, “To some people, this is a rare opportunity!”

“But didn’t they already try to take over New World Warehouse before? Aren’t they afraid you’ve prepared for this?” Li Fu asked.

“That was just a test run. The real move is yet to come!”

Li Yi continued, “If things go as expected, those guys are already quietly buying up New Frontier Warehouse shares behind the scenes, while simultaneously reaching out to those scattered small shareholders to prepare for a massive acquisition of their holdings.”

“Are you saying they want to seize controlling interest in New Territories Warehouse?” Li Futao asked.

“Not necessarily. It could also be a low-price acquisition, waiting for the stock price to rise before selling at a high—after all, one of the main reasons these guys came to Hong Kong Island is to make money!” Li Yi said.

“So what do you plan to do…”

Before Li Futiao could finish, Pang Feiyan hurried in and said to Li Yi, “Boss, you really are a prophet. Someone is indeed secretly buying up shares of New Territories Warehouse.”

“They’re likely keeping a low profile to avoid alerting the target, so their moves aren’t very aggressive. Even so, New Territories Warehouse’s turnover rate has far exceeded that of other stocks since the market opened, and the share price has risen slightly.”

Li Yi’s lips curled slightly upward, and he said to Pang Feiyan, “Place an order immediately to buy New World Warehouse shares at a high price—HK$1,800 per lot!”

At these words, both Pang Feiyan and Li Futao were taken aback.

HK$1,800 per lot equated to HK$18 per share, whereas New World Warehouse was currently trading at just over HK$9 per share—effectively doubling the stock price.

After the initial shock wore off, Pang Feiyan immediately confirmed, “Boss, did you just say HK$1,800 per lot?”

“Yes, 1,800!” Li Yi said firmly.

Upon receiving a definitive answer, Pang Feiyan didn’t hesitate. She immediately replied, “Yes,” and hurried off toward the trading floor.

Soon, the Far East Stock Exchange was abuzz with excitement over Li Yi’s order…

……..

Upon hearing Li Yi’s words, Yan Guangming and Yang Wenguang exchanged a glance, then cleared their throats and said, “Our Shield Security currently has 244 Gold-Rank bodyguards, 582 Silver-Rank bodyguards, and 866 Bronze-Rank bodyguards, along with 1,068 personnel in command, staff, intelligence, logistics, and other related roles!”

“Whether the enemy is mercenaries, assassins, or local gangs—even if we had to take over the entire Hong Kong Island—it would be nothing more than a matter of a few hours for us!”

Upon hearing this, Li Yi, Li Futao, and the others were stunned.

Li Yi was somewhat better off; he hadn’t paid much attention to Shield Security’s affairs, but he knew that over the past year or so, higher-ups had been constantly funneling personnel this way.

He just hadn’t expected them to send so many people in such a short time.

Li Fuzhao, however, was completely unaware of this. He had assumed that Shield Security was merely a front established by Huang Li to whitewash his image—in reality, it was still a gang controlled by the Blue Dragon Society, albeit one now cloaked in a veneer of legality.

As for Yan Guangming, Yang Wenguang, and the others, Li Futiao had assumed they were all people Li Yi had planted within the Qinglong Society.

He never would have imagined that this security firm was so powerful—with a total staff exceeding 2,500 people.

“Captain Yan, I’m a bit curious—how are your gold, silver, and bronze-level bodyguards classified?” Li Futiao asked.

Yan Guangming didn’t answer Li Futiao’s question; instead, he turned his gaze toward Li Yi.

Li Yi knew that Yan Guangming was seeking his opinion.

Seeing this, Li Fuzhao immediately said, “If it’s not convenient…”

Before he could finish, Li Yi cut in: “Actually, it’s not just Old Li who wants to know the answer—I’d also like to ask what criteria you use for this classification.”

Yan Guangming replied immediately, “We have a standardized system for evaluating bodyguard ranks. Aside from individual strength and experience, the most important factors are mission completion rates and the number of enemies killed!”

“The… number of enemies killed?”

Li Futiao looked at Yan Guangming in surprise. He hadn’t expected the number of enemies killed to be a factor in bodyguard rankings—did that mean the more people you killed, the higher your rank?

Yan Guangming explained immediately, “Chairman Li, you may not be aware of this, but most of our bodyguards are veterans who’ve come down from the battlefields of Southern Xinjiang. They’re true warriors who’ve been on the front lines and fought the enemy face-to-face. And on the battlefield, strength is measured solely by the number of enemies killed!”

“So, who among you has killed the most enemies?”

“153!”

Whoa!

At those words, both Li Futiao and Huang Lixing couldn’t help but gasp in shock!

“So what are the criteria for your ‘Gold Medal Bodyguards’?”

“Successfully complete 50 missions and eliminate over fifty enemies!” Yan Guangming said.

This stunned even Li Yi. Killing over fifty enemies meant they were true war god-level elite soldiers in the military.

People like that, even after retiring from the battlefield, are the military’s prized assets—how could they possibly be sent here?

But he soon figured it out—this must have been a special arrangement from higher-ups, perhaps to protect him, or perhaps to handle future emergencies.

As for these elite soldiers, they weren’t here to make a living—they were carrying out a top-secret mission.

This wasn’t just a security firm—it was clearly a super squad composed of elite soldiers, Red Agents, and local hot-blooded henchmen.

Moreover, this squad possessed a complete command and intelligence system, as well as a logistics department.

Facing such a super squad, not to mention ordinary assassins, mercenaries, and local triad gangs—even the regular armed forces of the Hong Kong-British government would likely be easily defeated.

No wonder Yan Guangming said that taking over the entire Hong Kong Island would be a matter of just a few hours—he wasn’t bragging; he was actually that impressive.

After gaining a clear understanding of Shield Security’s true capabilities, everyone—from Li Yi to Li Futiao and the rest—felt completely at ease.

With such a massive armed force at their disposal, they no longer had to worry about those foreigners pulling any dirty tricks.

“Brother Li Yi, what are your plans?” Li Futao asked.

Li Yi’s lips curled slightly as he said calmly, “Those foreigners want to make a quick buck and kill people to establish their authority—there’s no such thing as a free lunch in this world. I’m going to make them lose both their money and their men!”

“I’ll handle the business side of things. I’ll find a way to make those foreigners lose everything they’ve invested. As for the hitmen, mercenaries, and local gangsters, I’ll leave that to you, Old Huang.”

Huang Lixing immediately burst out laughing. “Don’t worry. I know the underworld inside out. I guarantee I’ll round up every last one of those bastards.”

Li Yi nodded, then turned to Yan Guangming and Yang Wenguang. “Captain Yan, Brother-in-law, you two need to fully cooperate with Old Huang. At the same time, assign people to keep an eye on that Gusta. It’d be best if we could get our hands on evidence of him communicating with those maggots!”

Dealing with Gusta and his crew isn’t the same as dealing with those hitmen and mercenaries—you can’t just take them out outright. To deal with these people, you need both decisive action and a legitimate reason.

“Yes, sir!”

“Alright, it’s getting late. Let’s head down so we don’t keep everyone waiting!” Li Yi said.

“Alright…”

………

The night passed without incident!

Early the next morning, Li Yi got up.

After a quick wash, he arrived at Star Tower, escorted by Zhang Ziqiang, Zhou Wen, and the others.

Upon arriving at the company, Li Yi first summoned Lan Xinming, the chief administrator, to his office.

After getting an update on the company’s recent situation, he instructed him to immediately summon the rest of the staff to the conference room for a meeting.

Soon, the entire management team of Starry Sky Corporation was present!

Upon learning that the boss had returned, the management team was a mix of surprise, delight, and curiosity.

Everyone knew that Boss Li Yi had been in London investing in projects recently, and they were all curious to see what results he had achieved this time.

Knowing that Pang Feiyan, Liang He, Li Yunbao, and the others had gone along this time and must surely be in the know, everyone crowded around them, asking all sorts of questions before Li Yi even arrived in the conference room.

For a moment, the entire conference room was as chaotic as a bustling marketplace!

“Thump, thump, thump…”

Just then, a series of steady, rhythmic footsteps echoed down the hallway outside the conference room.

Hearing the footsteps, everyone in the conference room immediately fell silent.

When Li Yi pushed the door open and walked in, he found everyone sitting upright in their chairs with perfect posture, which pleased him greatly.

He took his seat, looked around the room, and then asked Lan Xinming, “Manager Lan, is everyone here?”

“Boss, everyone is here!”

Li Yi nodded and said, “Since everyone is here, let’s get started!”

“I know you’re all curious about the results of our London investment trip. Let’s have Manager Pang Feiyan announce the results now. Please give her a warm round of applause!”

“Clap, clap, clap…”

After a round of enthusiastic applause, Pang Feiyan immediately stood up and said, “On this trip to London, under the boss’s brilliant leadership, we… made a total profit of 6.496 billion pounds, equivalent to 110.43 billion Hong Kong dollars…”

“Clap, clap, clap…”

Before she had even finished speaking, the conference room erupted in enthusiastic applause once more.

Once Pang Feiyan had taken her seat, Li Yi cleared his throat and picked up the thread: “This investment has yielded substantial returns, and the company will not be stingy with your rewards. I will now announce the company’s rewards for the members of this investment team!”

“All personnel who traveled to London will receive a one-grade promotion in their salary grade, along with a cash bonus of 1 million Hong Kong dollars and a 500-square-foot residential unit. Additionally, the salaries of all company shareholders will be doubled this month and paid out with this month’s regular wages!”

No sooner had he finished speaking than the conference room erupted in thunderous applause, punctuated by shouts of “Long live the boss!” and “Long live Mr. Li!”

It took quite a while for the excitement in the conference room to subside.

Only then did Li Yi signal for everyone to quiet down, before saying, “Manager Ding, as soon as this meeting ends, your office must immediately hold a formal press conference to announce the results of our London trip!”

“Yes, Boss, we’ll arrange it right away!” Ding Can replied immediately.

Li Yi nodded and continued, “I’ve heard that recently, several of our companies have been targeted by hostile forces. Can anyone explain the situation?”

No sooner had he finished speaking than a middle-aged man sitting on the left side of the conference room stood up abruptly…

……..

After seeing Dolsen off, Li Yi furrowed his brow, his eyes filled with cold determination!

Just moments ago, Dolsen had laid bare the Sassoon family’s conspiracy against him and the Chinese Chamber of Commerce.

Li Yi had originally assumed they were merely engaging in a business ambush against the Chinese Chamber of Commerce’s various companies—manipulating stock prices to drive some firms into bankruptcy or strip them of controlling stakes—simply a matter of commercial competition.

But he never could have imagined that the business attacks were merely one part of the plan; what was truly vicious were their second and third steps.

According to Dowson, Gusta’s most important mission on this trip consisted of three parts. The first was to target Li Yi himself, ideally driving his Star Investment Company into bankruptcy.

The second was to dismantle the Chinese Chamber of Commerce, completely shattering this business alliance and eliminating the threat it posed to the British-owned conglomerate.

The third was to make money and recoup the losses suffered recently in the London market.

To accomplish these objectives, those individuals not only allocated substantial funds but also brought in numerous assassins and mercenaries from Europe, while simultaneously making contact with local triad organizations on Hong Kong Island.

That’s right—the Sassoon family was preparing to play dirty.

Whether it was Gusta or other high-ranking members of the Sassoon family, they all believed that Li Yi and the Chinese Chamber of Commerce had become too powerful; simple business warfare would no longer be enough to force them to submit.

Therefore, they decided to resort to unconventional means—a principle they had long adhered to: if you can’t solve the problem, eliminate the person causing it.

While Gusta prepared to launch a frontal stock market attack against Chinese Estates, Wharf Holdings, New Territories Warehouse, and Hang Seng Bank, he also directed these forces to launch a full-scale assault on Li Yi’s Shield Security Company.

To this end, they drew up a list of targets for elimination, including Yan Guangming, Yang Wenguang, Jin Junze, Huang Zhan, and Liang Cang—all key members of Shield Security.

This move was not only intended to eliminate Li Yi’s “support network” on Hong Kong Island, but more importantly, to make an example of them and intimidate the members of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce.

Gusta and the Sassoon family behind him intended to use these bloody and tyrannical methods to make it clear to the members of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce that Hong Kong Island was still their territory, where they could do as they pleased.

Additionally, they had devised an assassination plan targeting Li Yi, Huang Lixing, and others!

However, this plan was their last resort, to be used only if all other plans failed.

After all, the Sassoon family didn’t want to completely alienate the communist regime backing Li Yi. They knew their family still had significant business interests across Asia, and if they were targeted by that regime, it would be a major headache.

After learning the full extent of that Gustave’s plan, Li Yi’s only reaction was rage.

These Westerners were truly ruthless—unable to win in the marketplace, they resorted to underhanded tactics. It was nothing short of banditry.

But then again, it made sense. This family had built its fortune on the opium trade and the slave trade; from the very beginning, they had been inextricably linked to violence and crime. How could one expect them to abide by any business ethics?

Fortunately, Li Yi had never let his guard down around these foreigners from the very beginning; otherwise, he wouldn’t have sent his brother-in-law and Yan Guangming over.

Besides, the current strength of Aegis Security is far beyond what those foreigners could ever imagine.

Li Yi had originally intended to engage in a fair business battle with them, but since these guys wanted to play dirty, he would show them exactly what “thunderous measures” meant!

With that in mind, Li Yi immediately had Li Futiao, Huang Lixing, Yan Guangming, and Yang Wenguang summoned—he needed to run this by all of them.

As for the others, there was no need to involve them for the time being; too many cooks spoil the broth, and it was easy for word to leak out.

After all, his collaboration with Dolsen required strict confidentiality; if Gusta caught wind of anything unusual, things would get complicated.

“Knock, knock, knock…”

Just as Li Yi was deep in thought, a soft knock sounded at the door of the reception room.

“Come in!”

As the door swung open, Li Futao and the others filed in one after another.

After ushering the four men inside, Zhang Ziqiang promptly closed the door behind them and stood guard outside like a door god, preventing anyone from eavesdropping.

“Have a seat!”

Once everyone had taken their seats, Li Futiao turned to Li Yi and said, “Brother Li Yi, the banquet downstairs has already begun. Aren’t you going to make an appearance?”

Huang Lixing chimed in, “That’s right. You’re the star of the show today. Everyone’s waiting for you to go down and say a few words!”

Li Yi smiled and said, “There’s no rush for that. Let’s handle the important business first!”

“What could possibly be more important than this?” Li Futiao asked with a laugh.

“Dorson just came by!” Li Yi suddenly said, dropping a bombshell.

Since Dolsen had come and gone entirely through the underground parking garage of Cloudtop One, Li Fuzhao and the others had no idea that Li Yi had abruptly ended the meeting just to see him.

“He… what did he come for?” Li Futiao frowned.

“He wants to partner with me!”

Li Yi then proceeded to explain in detail the purpose of Dolsen’s visit.

After hearing Li Yi’s account, Huang Lixing was the first to lose his composure. He shouted angrily, “Those bastards actually dared to play dirty tricks. I’ll chop them to pieces!”

Yan Guangming and Yang Wenguang also furrowed their brows, a glint of murderous intent flashing in their eyes, but they remained silent.

Li Futiao, after all, was a man who had weathered many storms. He didn’t rush to call for bloodshed but paused to reflect before saying, “Old Huang, don’t get ahead of yourself! Hong Kong is still our Hong Kong. If they want to play these underhanded games, we’ll just play along with them!”

“What I’m wondering now is why Dolsen would tell us all this. What’s in it for him? Could there be a trick to this?”

Yan Guangming chimed in, “Chairman Li makes a good point. Dalson isn’t just one of the Sassoon heirs—he’s also the head of the British-owned conglomerate. He has no reason to choose to cooperate with us at this moment and betray his own kin!”

My brother-in-law, Yang Wenguang, added, “Unless… unless Dolsen isn’t on the same side as those foreigners trying to take us down, or unless he stands to gain a massive benefit from this!”

Li Yi nodded and said, “My brother-in-law is right. Dolsen wants to be the Sassoon family’s heir, but this Gusta, who was sent to deal with us, doesn’t support him. Although they’re from the same family, they’re not on the same side!”

“If we take care of Gusta, it’ll be a good thing for him. More importantly, Dolsen doesn’t want to waste his energy tangling with our Chinese Merchants’ Association!”

Li Fu Tiao paused briefly, then said, “I never expected this guy to be so ruthless—he’d actually betray his own kin for personal gain!”

“You’ll get used to it!”

Li Yi, however, found this perfectly normal.

The Sassoon family’s method of grooming an heir is quite common in Europe.

It’s like raising poisonous insects: you put several venomous creatures together and let them fight to the death, all to select the strongest and most venomous one.

If you aren’t ruthless, forget about rising to the top—surviving at all is a question mark.

The struggle for the throne is inherently brutal—just think of the Nine Princes’ Struggle for the Throne during the Qing Dynasty; aside from the victorious Fourth Prince, few of the others met a peaceful end.

The fact that Dolsen managed to make it to the final round among a dozen or so heirs proves he’s a ruthless man; it’s only natural that he would betray his rivals for personal gain.

“So, does that mean Dolsen really wants to cooperate with us?” Li Fu asked.

“That seems to be the case, though we can’t rule out the possibility that he’s deliberately trying to mislead us—though that’s highly unlikely!” Li Yi replied.

“Brother Li Yi, what should we do then?” Li Futao asked.

“Since these Westerners don’t want to play by the rules of fair business competition, we don’t have to stick to them either!”

Li Yi then turned his gaze to Yan Guangming and his brother-in-law and asked, “What’s the situation with Shield Security? How many people do they have? Can they handle the current situation?”

As Shield Security was the primary target of those mercenaries and assassins, Li Yi was quite concerned about their situation.

After all, the security firm had already begun operations on Hong Kong Island, and there were plenty of opportunities for hidden enemies to strike against them.

However, what Yan Guangming said next left Li Yi and the others completely dumbfounded…

………

Second Floor of the Villa. Reception Room!

When Li Yi pushed the door open, sure enough, he saw Dorrson inside.

Li Yi’s mind was filled with questions. He couldn’t figure out why Dolsen had come to see him at this time, especially since he was alone.

The moment he saw Li Yi, Dolsen stood up from the sofa and said with a smile, “Li, we meet again!”

“Dawson, is there something you need from me, or did you just come over to show off?” Li Yi asked coolly.

Dawson glanced at Zhang Ziqiang standing beside Li Yi, then said, “Li, I’d like to speak with you privately.”

Seeing the sincere look on the man’s face—as if he truly had something important to discuss—Li Yi immediately asked Zhang Ziqiang to wait outside.

Once they were alone in the room, Li Yi asked, “What do you want to talk about?”

“Li, I want to partner with you!” Dolsen said, making a startling announcement.

“Partner?”

Li Yi was taken aback for a moment, then replied coolly, “Mr. Dolsen, you must be joking. You’re attacking our companies on one hand, yet talking about partnering with us on the other. Do you take us for fools?”

“It wasn’t me who targeted your Chinese Chamber of Commerce!” Dolsen said in a low voice.

“Are you saying that the clan members living with you aren’t under your command, and that this has nothing to do with you?”

“That’s right!”

“Do you really think I’ll believe that?” Li Yi asked, staring into Dolsen’s eyes.

“I can tell you their entire plan against you and help you defeat them!” Dolsen said something else that caught Li Yi off guard.

“Why? I need a convincing reason!”

Dorson knew what Li Yi was asking: why he would betray his own clan.

“I don’t want to be your enemy. You’re too terrifying—I wouldn’t even have a 30% chance of winning against you!”

“That reason doesn’t convince me!” Li Yi said.

After a brief pause, he finally spoke: “Although Gustave is my cousin, he and I are not on the same side. I want him to slink back to Europe in disgrace!”

Hearing this, Li Yi felt instantly relieved.

He had been analyzing the situation during the meeting earlier. To be honest, based on the information he’d gathered so far, Li Yi simply couldn’t believe that such a crude and brutal attack could have come from Dolsen.

After all, back in London, Li Yi had witnessed Dolsen in action.

He was bold yet meticulous, decisive and ruthless in his actions, often anticipating his opponents’ moves, and his tactics were truly impressive.

It could be said that, in terms of investment tactics, Dolsen was the strongest opponent Li Yi had encountered so far—even that so-called “Legendary William” he met in New York last year couldn’t hold a candle to this guy.

However, the opponent the Chinese Chamber of Commerce is facing this time is acting far too boldly—whether in tactics or capital deployment—to the point of showing utter contempt for others.

This inevitably led one to wonder if this was actually Dolsen’s doing.

Now that he’s said this, it turns out someone else is pulling the strings.

“You want to be the clan leader?”

Dawson made no attempt to hide his ambition, replying immediately, “Yes. In our generation, there are sixteen eligible heirs competing for the succession. Over the past ten years, only three have managed to survive the culling.”

“Your trip to London helped me eliminate my strongest rival, Kursha. Now that I’ve successfully advanced to the final round, I don’t want to lose my chance to lead the clan by facing you in a showdown.”

Li Yi believed his words, but still asked, “You could have easily stayed in the shadows, watching the tigers fight it out, and only stepped forward once we’d decided the winner—or when we were both left battered and bruised. Why reveal yourself now?”

Dorson glanced at Li Yi and said, “If the duel were truly between two tigers, I certainly wouldn’t have missed this opportunity. But unfortunately, your opponent is nothing more than a foolish wild boar—full of fury but lacking in cunning!”

“So you don’t have much faith in your uncle?”

“He’s no match for you. With his personality and temperament, you could easily play him to death!” Dolsen said flatly.

Considering that Li Yi had easily defeated their family in a place like London and even snatched control of Sheffield Steel from them, his methods were clear for all to see.

Although Gustave had no shortage of investment experience, he was absolutely no match for Li Yi—especially now that he was underestimating his opponent and hadn’t taken Li Yi seriously at all.

Under these circumstances, his chances of winning were practically zero!

“Why do you assume I’d choose to cooperate with you?” Li Yi asked.

“Because your goal isn’t to beat me, nor is it to crush the British Capital Alliance. What you—or the people behind you at Banbanhaobang—need is an economically prosperous and politically stable Hong Kong!” Dolsen said, looking at Li Yi.

“How do you propose we cooperate? A short-term non-aggression pact, or a long-term arrangement where we mind our own business?” Li Yi asked.

“Doesn’t your country have a saying, ‘Turn swords into plowshares’? I want a full reconciliation with you—let’s coexist peacefully and refrain from aggression!” Dalson said.

“Under the current circumstances, I’m afraid I can’t agree to that!” Li Yi said.

“Why?”

“Dawson, you said we need a stable and prosperous Hong Kong Island—I don’t deny that. But what I need even more is control over Hong Kong’s economy!”

Li Yi continued, “You currently hold virtually all the financial sway in Hong Kong. For us, this is not only unfair—it’s a massive threat!”

“So what do you propose?”

“Either hand over controlling interest in Huifeng Bank, or help Hang Seng Bank secure the right to issue Hong Kong dollars—take your pick!” Li Yi said.

“Well…”

Seeing Dolsen’s hesitation, Li Yi immediately added, “Dolsen, the truth is, when I came back this time, my original plan was to take all of you down at once—and I’m confident I can pull it off!”

“Let me let you in on a little secret: I’ve already acquired 24% of Huifeng’s shares, which makes me, by a narrow margin, Huifeng’s second-largest shareholder!”

At those words, Dolsen couldn’t help but gasp—he truly hadn’t known about this.

If Li Yi continued to operate in secret like this, there was a real possibility that the next time he launched a surprise attack, he might actually seize controlling interest in Huifeng.

By then, he’d be truly finished—perhaps Kursha would serve as a cautionary tale for him.

“Li… why are you telling me all this?” Dolsen said in a low voice.

Li Yi replied immediately, “As you said, although I’m confident I can defeat you, doing so would have a significant negative impact on Hong Kong’s economic development. Since you want to coexist peacefully, I can give you a chance—but on the condition that you absolutely do not monopolize Hong Kong’s financial sector.”

Hearing Li Yi’s words, Dolsen’s heart gave a slight jolt.

He had sensed something was off about Li Yi earlier. First, Li Yi had been acting too impulsively—he’d practically exploded at the slightest provocation, ready to fight tooth and nail whenever the Alliance members so much as teased him.

Second, every time he struck back, his goal was to seize control of a bank.

Clearly, his goal from the very beginning had been to break the British-owned conglomerates’ stranglehold on the financial sector.

Thinking about it this way, their previous battle for control of Huifeng wasn’t merely about driving up the stock price to cash out and make a profit.

If the Alliance hadn’t poured massive funds into propping up the stock, Li Yi might very well have directly seized control of Huifeng.

Truth and falsehood, reality and illusion—it’s hard to tell. This man is truly terrifying!

After a brief pause, Durson immediately said, “Alright, I’ll do my utmost to help Hang Seng Bank secure the Hong Kong dollar issuance rights!”

The corners of Li Yi’s mouth turned up slightly, and he extended his hand first, saying, “Let’s work together!”

“Let’s work together!”

After shaking hands, Dolsen began discussing with Li Yi the plan that Gusta and his associates had devised to take on the Chinese Chamber of Commerce.

When Li Yi learned the full extent of those foreigners’ plan, a surge of rage flared within him, and he immediately resolved to teach this bunch of foreigners a harsh lesson…

………

Tai Ping Shan. Cloud Peak No. 1!

Upon returning to the villa, Li Yi did not immediately convene a meeting with the bigwigs of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce to report his achievements.

Instead, he first ordered Zhang Ziqiang, Zhou Wen, and the others to immediately conduct a thorough search of the large conference room on the third floor, to prevent anyone from installing listening devices in the house again.

Although security at Cloudtop No. 1 had been reinforced—with at least a 12-person security detail stationed at the villa regardless of whether Li Yi was residing there—

Normally, planting listening devices in his home wouldn’t be as easy as it used to be.

But Li Yi was an extremely cautious man—better safe than sorry—so it was best to check just in case.

After a thorough inspection confirmed everything was in order, Li Yi finally invited everyone into the conference room.

Seated at the head of the table, Li Yi surveyed the room, his gaze sweeping over each person.

All 32 members of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce were present today; not a single one was absent.

It was clear that they were all giving him the respect he deserved!

Seeing everyone looking at him with anticipation, Li Yi knew exactly what was on everyone’s mind.

Immediately, he cleared his throat and said, “Thanks to your support, this investment initiative has achieved excellent results. I’ll now brief you on the basic details of this investment…”

“Clap, clap, clap!!!”

Before he could finish, the conference room erupted in enthusiastic applause!

As the applause died down, Li Yi continued, “For this investment campaign, we deployed a total of 60 billion Hong Kong dollars over a period of three and a half months, conducting investments simultaneously in both Hong Kong and London, and achieved exceptionally substantial returns in both locations.”

“In Hong Kong, we invested 3 billion Hong Kong dollars and emerged victorious in the equity battles for Huifeng Bank and Hang Seng Bank, generating a total profit of 5.6 billion Hong Kong dollars!”

“Let me clarify: the subsequent acquisition of Hang Seng Bank was an exclusive investment by Star Investment Company. The same applies to my acquisition of Sheffield Steel in London—these transactions are not included in this investment campaign. I hope everyone understands!”

No sooner had he finished speaking than Li Futiao immediately chimed in, “We certainly understand. Mergers and acquisitions involving such large sums carry too much risk; we wouldn’t want to get involved either!”

He Dongying added, “What we’re really interested in is how much Brother Li Yi has made in the futures market—and how much of that we’ll get!”

“Hahaha, exactly—that’s what we’re interested in…”

…….

Li Yi smiled and said, “Since that’s the case, I’ll cut to the chase. On this trip to London, we invested 3.56 billion pounds. After deducting various taxes and funding costs, the net profit was 6.496 billion pounds…”

“Clap, clap, clap…”

Loud, sustained applause once again filled the conference room.

As they clapped, everyone’s faces lit up with excited smiles, and they spoke up one after another to express their joy:

“Hahaha, I knew Brother Li Yi wouldn’t let us down. Nearly 6.5 billion pounds in profit—that’s almost as much as all of us are worth combined! Impressive!”

“Mr. Li’s single investment is worth more than five generations of the He family’s business. The title ‘Stock God’ truly lives up to its reputation!”

“You guys don’t know this, but when I heard those foreigners say that Dolsen made over 30 billion Hong Kong dollars, I was a little worried that Brother Li might not measure up to him. Now it turns out I was overthinking it!”

“Dawson may be impressive, but compared to my brother Li Yi, he’s just a nobody…”

……..

No wonder the members of these Chinese business associations were so delighted—even Li Futao, He Dongying, and “Ship King” Bao personally stepped forward to praise Li Yi.

Mainly because Li Yi’s performance this time was simply staggering: a profit of 6.5 billion pounds—that’s a whopping 110.5 billion Hong Kong dollars.

Even without counting the profits from Hong Kong Island alone, the return on this investment reached a staggering 185%.

More importantly, Li Yi was only taking a 40% commission this time—the remaining 60% all went to them.

By rough estimate, this meant they had doubled their investment in just three months—and that was after taxes.

After listening to the commotion for a while, Li Yi felt it was time to wrap things up. He stood up, pressed his palms together in a gesture of respect, and signaled for everyone to quiet down.

Everyone showed great respect for Li Yi, their “God of Wealth,” and the conference room, which had been bustling with noise just moments before, quickly fell silent.

Seeing this, Li Yi spoke again: “Ladies and gentlemen, although the investment in London is nearly complete, a portion of the funds is still being settled. That is precisely why those foreigners have suddenly launched an attack on the companies under the Chinese Chamber of Commerce!”

“But rest assured, everyone. We’ve brought back ample funds this time. Once we’ve repelled those foreigners’ attacks, we’ll distribute dividends to you all.”

Hearing Li Yi’s promise, the conference room erupted once again in enthusiastic applause!

As the applause died down, Li Yi spoke again: “Who would like to give an update on the current stock market situation?”

“I’ll take it!”

As he spoke, Li Futao stood up and looked at Li Yi, saying, “Dorson and his group returned to Hong Kong Island on the 24th of last month. As soon as they got back, they spread the word that they had made over 37 billion Hong Kong dollars on this trip to London and had distributed both principal and dividends to all investors, causing quite a stir!”

“And on the very day they distributed those dividends, a massive influx of capital poured into the Far East Stock Exchange and the Gold and Silver Securities Exchange—both of which are where the major companies of our Chinese Chamber of Commerce are listed.”

“Immediately afterward, a large number of foreign investment teams appeared and began launching massive short-selling attacks on the stocks of our various companies.”

Li Yi nodded and asked again, “Which company has suffered the heaviest losses so far, and what’s the current situation?”

“The company under the heaviest attack is our Li family’s Chinese Estates. They used their financial advantage to snap up large quantities of the company’s stock in an attempt to seize control. After failing, they resorted to violent market manipulation, driving the share price down from HK$22 per share to the current HK$13, causing the company’s market capitalization to plummet by roughly half.”

Li Futao continued, “The He family’s companies have also suffered heavy losses. Since the He family’s shares are more widely dispersed, the battle between the two sides has been fierce, and no clear winner has emerged yet!”

“Furthermore, the Bao family’s Wharf Holdings and Star Investment’s New Territories Warehouse have also come under attack from those foreigners, and the losses are significant.”

After hearing Li Futao’s words, Li Yi immediately declared, “You are all members of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce, and our chamber’s mission is to help and support one another. So I promise you all here: no matter which company is under attack, we will do everything in our power to come to their aid!”

“Clap, clap, clap…”

After a round of enthusiastic applause, “Ship King” Bao asked loudly, “Vice President Li, we’ve investigated this thoroughly. Just like Dolsons, that bunch of foreigners all come from the Sassoon family in Europe, and they’re currently living with Dolsons.”

“But the British-funded group has signed a coexistence agreement with us. Can we use this situation to request arbitration from the British Hong Kong government, have them rule against Dolsen, and order Huifeng Bank to compensate us?”

“No!”

Li Yi immediately explained, “It’s true that the Sassoon family is attacking us, and it’s true that Dowson comes from the Sassoon family, but that doesn’t necessarily mean this matter is directly related to Dowson. Therefore, the Governor’s Office won’t rule against Dowson.”

“Then how should we respond to them using their financial advantage to repeatedly manipulate our stock price?” He Dongying asked in a grave tone.

Li Yi replied immediately, “No problem. I’ll handle this personally and make sure they end up losing more than they gain!”

Li Yi had plenty of experience dealing with speculators who weren’t aiming to seize control of the company.

As long as he maintained control of the company’s shares, they would be powerless against it. As long as the company had sufficient capital, whether the stock price was high or low didn’t matter in the slightest.

Li Yi decided to have a proper meeting with these foreigners tomorrow and test the waters!

Just then, however, he saw Zhang Ziqiang push open the door and walk in, striding quickly toward him…

……..

PS: My kid’s been sick these past few days, and my wife isn’t home either—I’ve been running around like a headless chicken!

Li Yi, who was far away in London, had no idea what was happening on Hong Kong Island. At that moment, he was already making preparations to return to Hong Kong.

But during the few days Li Yi waited for the bank funds to clear, the London stock and futures markets were once again rocked by a massive upheaval due to Sheffield Steel’s resumption of trading.

As massive short positions in steel were liquidated, trading volume in the futures market surged dramatically over just a few trading days, and Sheffield Steel’s trading volume skyrocketed.

Naturally, the company’s performance was reflected in its stock price. Although Sheffield Steel’s share price had already been cut in half, and its market capitalization had plummeted,

However, spurred by this development, the stock price rose for three consecutive days, jumping from £17 per share to £26, while the market capitalization surged from £5.5 billion to £8.2 billion.

And this was just the beginning…

On June 29, media outlets such as The Times and the Oxford Gazette reported that the government had suspended its investigation into Sheffield Steel. This decision followed the new board’s agreement with workers on wages and benefits, as well as the company’s commitment to resume production by mid-next month.

This news was undoubtedly a major boost for Sheffield Steel, effectively removing the sword of Damocles hanging over the company.

Shortly thereafter, reports emerged that Sheffield Steel was preparing to invest heavily in acquiring Montella Steel, which had previously gone bankrupt due to a short squeeze.

As soon as this news broke, it sent Sheffield Steel’s stock price soaring.

It is worth noting that prior to its bankruptcy, the company had been the Empire’s second-largest steel producer, accounting for 20% of the British Empire’s annual steel output.

If Sheffield Steel were to merge with Montara Steel, it would single-handedly control 80% of the Empire’s steel production, effectively monopolizing the Empire’s steel industry.

In any industry, once a company reaches this scale, it is nearly impossible not to turn a profit.

More importantly, after several months of the futures war, most investors realized that the Empire’s steel industry’s production capacity was not as high as previously imagined.

In other words, while the British Empire’s steel production capacity may be just a tad higher than consumption, it certainly cannot be considered overcapacity.

Furthermore, the government has just announced that, to stimulate the economy, it will undertake massive infrastructure investments over the next few years.

Infrastructure projects naturally require vast amounts of steel; consequently, even as prices for other metals plummeted following the war’s end, steel prices remained largely stable.

Amid these favorable conditions, Sheffield Steel’s stock price surged again, approaching the previous milestone of 35 pounds.

The company’s market capitalization soared as well, and the outlook was extremely promising.

However, Li Yi paid this no mind; he didn’t care whether the company’s stock price rose or fell.

This wasn’t him trying to show off; it was simply that Li Yi had no intention of investing in a high-quality company like Sheffield Steel—at least not at the moment.

It’s like owning a single home with no plans to sell it—so whether property prices rise or fall has little to do with you.

Still, seeing the company’s stock price climb steadily put him in a good mood.

What put him in an even better mood, however, was that after three days of waiting, the funds from the bank had finally arrived.

Shortly after, Li Yi and his companions boarded their flight back to Hong Kong Island, officially bringing their London trip to a close…

………

Hong Kong Island. Kai Tak Airport!

As July began, temperatures on Hong Kong Island soared, frequently reaching the 30s and 40s.

Today was no exception; even before noon, a wave of heat hit them in the face, and the pavement seemed as if it were about to melt.

Yet, despite these conditions, convoys of luxury cars suddenly appeared without warning in the parking lot outside the airport.

Before long, the already modest-sized parking lot was completely packed.

Residents near the airport quickly realized that these luxury car convoys belonged to Hong Kong Island’s prominent Chinese families—not only the Li family of the Far East Club, but also the Ho, Lo, Piao, and Fok families, among others.

It could be said that representatives from the most powerful Chinese families on Hong Kong Island had all been dispatched.

Just as everyone was speculating about what these families were waiting for, the media suddenly broke the news: Li Yi, Vice President of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce and CEO of Star Investment, was returning.

The moment this news broke, it immediately captured everyone’s attention, and media outlets from all over rushed to the airport, eager to secure firsthand news.

As large numbers of media and onlookers flooded toward the airport, traffic leading to the airport inevitably came to a standstill.

It was hardly surprising that everyone was in such a frenzy; the main reason was that everyone wanted to know exactly how much money Li Yi had made on this trip.

After all, the fact that the two major powerhouses—the Chinese Chamber of Commerce and the British-owned conglomerate—had reached a truce and were joining forces to expand into London was already common knowledge among the people of Hong Kong.

With the two of them heading to London to invest together, people were bound to compare them.

People had been debating for quite some time which of the two had the better track record, and some casinos had even opened betting lines on the matter.

Just a couple of days ago, the British-owned group released news that this time, Dolsen had used a principal of 1.5 billion pounds to generate 2.1 billion pounds in profits within three months—equivalent to 35.7 billion Hong Kong dollars.

This news instantly caused a sensation across Hong Kong Island. Even when Li Yi went to New York last year, his net profit was only around 5 billion US dollars, which is less than 30 billion Hong Kong dollars.

For this very reason, both the public and the media in Hong Kong are eagerly anticipating Li Yi’s return.

Everyone wanted to know what kind of track record this legendary investor would achieve!

At 11:30 a.m., as the airport’s arrival announcement sounded, the crowd outside the terminal began to stir with anticipation.

At the same time, bodyguards from various prominent families, along with Yang Wenguang, Yan Guangming, and others assigned to the escort mission, remained on high alert.

Ever since several companies affiliated with the Chinese Chamber of Commerce were attacked a few days ago, the situation had become tense, and they had to guard against the other side resorting to underhanded tactics.

Therefore, upon learning that Li Yi was returning, Huang Lixing immediately dispatched Yang Wenguang and his team to ensure Li Yi’s safety.

Soon, under everyone’s watchful eyes, a group of about a dozen people appeared at the airport exit.

Those with a keen eye quickly recognized that the young man surrounded by several bodyguards was none other than Li Yi.

In an instant, the reporters’ cameras—both long-lens and wide-angle—all trained on Li Yi, their shutters clicking nonstop, devouring roll after roll of film!

At the airport exit, Li Yi was also taken aback by the dense crowd outside.

Just as he was wondering what all those people were doing out there, he saw Li Futao, Huang Lixing, He Dongying, Bao Chuanwang, Li Chaoren, and others stepping out of their cars and walking toward him.

Seeing that all these major Chinese business tycoons from Hong Kong Island had come to the airport to welcome him, Li Yi felt a bit overwhelmed by the attention.

But upon reflection, he understood—after all, he was heading to London to make money for them, so it made perfect sense for them to pick him up at the airport.

When they met, Li Futao gave Li Yi a big hug and said with a smile, “Brother Li Yi, welcome home!”

“Old Li, why did all of you come? It really wasn’t necessary…”

Before Li Yi could finish his sentence, He Dongying cut in, “We had to come. The Chinese Chamber of Commerce can’t let those foreigners outdo us!”

Noticing the slight look of confusion on Li Yi’s face, Li Futiao immediately explained, “A while back, when Dorrison and the others returned to Hong Kong Island, the British-owned conglomerates practically mobilized their entire staff to welcome them, causing quite a stir.”

“So we decided we couldn’t let those foreigners outdo us. That’s why today, not only are there more people here to welcome you, but the event is even bigger.”

Li Yi stood in the crowd and looked ahead. All he could see were a sea of luxury cars, along with a massive crowd of people and security personnel.

To his pleasant surprise, he spotted his older sister’s husband, Yang Wenguang, in the crowd.

Seeing him deftly directing those around him to maintain order, it was clear he was back in top form.

“Brother Li Yi, what do you think? Pretty impressive, right?” Huang Lixing asked with a smile.

“Absolutely!”

Li Yi then addressed the crowd: “Thank you all for taking time out of your busy schedules to welcome us here. I won’t say much else—same as always, let’s head to Cloudtop No. 1!”

With that, Li Yi followed Li Fu into the Li family’s car, and they headed straight for Cloud Peak No. 1 on Tai Ping Shan…

………..

Hong Kong Island. The Castle Estate!

At that moment, a grand ball was in full swing at the estate.

To the sound of beautiful, melodious music, the vast estate was filled with men and women dancing gracefully, as well as business elites clinking glasses and engaging in lively conversation.

This afternoon, Dolsen had convened all members of the British Investment Group to present the results of their recent investment venture in the British Isles and distribute dividends to all investors.

According to the investment team’s report, they raised a total of 1.5 billion pounds for this investment and generated a profit of 2.1 billion pounds—equivalent to 35.7 billion Hong Kong dollars—in less than three months.

After deducting various operating expenses and team commissions, all investors will receive a total of 17.8 billion Hong Kong dollars in dividends.

To enhance his own influence and strengthen the alliance’s cohesion, Dolsen hosted this grand ball at the castle estate following the dividend distribution ceremony.

Since Dolsen was the head of the British-owned group and one of the two heirs to the Sassoon family, both the Governor’s Office and other prominent figures sent representatives.

Consequently, the ball was held on a grand scale, attracting nearly half of Hong Kong Island’s business elite.

On a terrace on the third floor, three people—two elders and a young man—sipped red wine while taking in the lively scene below.

At that moment, the gentleman on the left remarked with a touch of nostalgia, “It’s been a long time since the estate was this lively!”

“How long has it been?” the elderly man on his right asked with interest.

The Jazz sighed immediately and said, “Not since that dreadful young man appeared on Hong Kong Island have we been this happy!”

The elderly man was well aware of how badly his good-for-nothing cousin had been treated—so badly, in fact, that he hadn’t even managed to hold onto his position as the man in charge here, having ceded it to his nephew, Dolsen.

At that moment, a sneer crossed his face, and he said, “Actually, when it came to dealing with that guy, you were wrong from the very beginning!”

“Wrong in what way?”

“The method was wrong!”

Hearing this, Dolsen frowned and asked, “Uncle Gustaf, what exactly was wrong with our approach?”

Gusta replied calmly, “I’ve studied this young man’s rise to prominence. He made billions of Hong Kong dollars on his very first move—it’s clear he has exceptional investment skills. By going head-to-head with him in the stock market, you were pitting your weaknesses against his strengths. You deserved to lose!”

“When dealing with someone like him, you should have immediately changed your strategy after the first loss in the stock market and taken him out once and for all, rather than continuing to go head-to-head with him in the market, only to be fleeced time and time again.”

At that, both Jazz and Dolsen flushed red.

In front of Li Yi, the two of them were indeed like chives in a field, being harvested by him time and time again.

And every leap in Li Yi’s wealth and influence had been built on using them as stepping stones.

“Uncle Gusta, it’s not that we don’t want to use unconventional methods, but that guy is backed by the Communist government across the strait. If we dare to pull a dirty trick, they certainly won’t just sit idly by!” said Dolsen.

“Hah, Hong Kong is part of the British Empire. Even if they’re furious, what can they do to us? Do you really think they’d dare send troops to occupy Hong Kong?”

A cold smile then curled at the corners of Gusta’s mouth as he added, “If they really dared to do that, they would have done it long ago—they certainly wouldn’t have waited until now.”

“But they sent warships last time and even seized our coast guard vessel. What’s there to be afraid of?” the Jazzman frowned.

“That’s different!”

Then Gusta added, “Never mind, let’s not talk about this anymore!”

“I just received word that that guy has taken out a massive loan from Citibank and the Imperial Royal Bank. I imagine as soon as the funds come through, he’ll storm back to Hong Kong Island. We don’t have much time left!”

Dawson said gravely, “Well then, Uncle Gustaf, you’d better be careful. That guy is a real pain in the neck!”

But Gusta scoffed, “He’s just a yellow-skinned monkey. When we were reaping the rewards of the global financial markets, he didn’t even know where he was!”

“He was just lucky not to run into me before—otherwise, I would’ve sent him packing long ago!”

As soon as those words were spoken, both Jazz and Dolsen looked a bit awkward.

However, Gustaf didn’t linger to speak with them; he simply picked up his glass and left the terrace, soon appearing among the crowd below.

Back on the terrace, Jazz, his face dark with worry, said, “Gusta is far too arrogant. He doesn’t take that young man seriously at all. If he keeps this up, he’s going to pay dearly!”

Dawson, however, replied impassively, “If he’s looking for trouble, we shouldn’t stop him. People like him deserve a lesson!”

“But… but it’s our family’s strength that will suffer!” the Earl protested.

“That may be so,” Dalson replied calmly, “but if we don’t do this, how will they ever understand the pressure we’re under?”

From his tone, the Earl detected not a trace of worry, but rather a sense of anticipation.

Jazz froze in place. It suddenly occurred to him that his cousin Dalson’s perspective—or rather, his stance—seemed quite different from his own.

For someone like him, who had lost his eligibility to compete for the family inheritance, Gustaf—though not particularly close—was still a member of the family and could, at a stretch, be considered family.

But for Dalson, who was currently vying for the family inheritance and had already made it to the final round, Gusta was not necessarily a relative—after all, he was the uncle of Dalson’s sole competitor.

As a peer who had once competed for the family inheritance, he knew all too well how brutal the family’s training of heirs could be—the family wanted only the strongest.

It was just like gladiators in the Colosseum—one had to defeat everyone else; it was no exaggeration to call it a fight to the death.

Until the family heir is determined, the relationship between Dolsen and Gusta is unlikely to be very close.

To put it bluntly, Gusta’s loss this time might actually work in Dalson’s favor!

After a long pause, the Earl looked at Dolsen and said, “You… you really just stood there and watched him…”

Before he could finish, Dolsen replied calmly, “Out of kinship, I did warn him. But as you saw, not only did he fail to appreciate it, he openly and covertly mocked us. A man like that is beyond redemption!”

“But if Gusta loses, the strength of that group of Chinese will surge again, and our situation will become even more difficult!” the Jazz said.

Dawson shook his head and said, “Even without Gustaf, the Chinese faction led by Li Yi has already established its dominance. If we were still a match for them before, after this trip to London, we’ve been completely surpassed by them!”

The Duke was taken aback for a moment, then said, “How is that possible? We made over 37 billion Hong Kong dollars this time…”

“So what? Do you know how much Li Yi made?”

“Well… I’m not exactly sure!”

“A conservative estimate of 7 billion pounds!”

Whoa…

The Jazz couldn’t help but gasp—that’s over 100 billion Hong Kong dollars!

Good grief, that’s enough to buy up all four major stock exchanges on Hong Kong Island.

At that moment, Dolsen spoke again: “More importantly, Li Yi didn’t just make money—he also wrested controlling interest in Sheffield Steel from the family and left Sand as his representative in the British Isles. Do you know what that means?”

The爵士 said in a low voice, “It means Li Yi has already secured the support of the Henry family!”

“Exactly. Although the Henry family’s financial strength is average, they wield considerable influence in both the military and political spheres of the British Empire. It may not be long before the Governor’s Office changes its stance!” Dalson said solemnly.

“This… Does that mean we have absolutely no chance at all?” the Jazz asked, sounding somewhat reluctant.

“We do!”

Dawson continued, his words laden with meaning, “It’s time for us to change our stance toward Li Yi!”

Upon hearing this, a look of shock instantly flashed across the爵士’s face…

……….

An hour later, when Li Yi stepped out of Citibank, the $8 billion loan agreement had already been signed.

Although it would take a few days for the funds to clear, the contract had been signed, so Li Yi wasn’t worried they’d back out—after all, the penalty for breach of contract was substantial.

After leaving the bank, Sandy looked at Li Yi and asked, “Boss, where do we go now?”

“Take me to the Royal Bank—I want to close a big deal with their head!” Li Yi said.

Sandy was taken aback for a moment, then said, “Boss, you’re not planning to use the remaining company shares as collateral for a loan, are you?”

“It is a loan, but the collateral isn’t the company shares!” Li Yi said.

Sandy wasn’t one to pry, so when Li Yi said he wouldn’t be mortgaging any more of the company’s shares, he didn’t press the matter further.

Then, he took Li Yi straight to the Royal Bank!

Royal Bank ranks first in corporate, personal, and overseas banking across the British Isles, and second in retail banking and private auto insurance—it’s definitely a superbank!

Thanks to Sandy’s—and the Henry family’s—enormous influence here, Li Yi had no trouble securing a meeting with the bank’s head.

An hour later, when Li Yi and Sandy emerged from RBC’s headquarters, Li Yi was holding a new agreement in his hands.

According to the terms of this agreement, the $8 billion he had borrowed from Citibank would be fully converted into British pounds and deposited into the Royal Bank.

At the same time, using the deposit certificate for this sum as collateral, Li Yi secured a loan of 60 billion Hong Kong dollars from the Royal Bank.

After all that back-and-forth shuffling, Li Yi and Sandy strode out of the Royal Bank, under the bewildered stares of the bank’s senior executives.

Back in the car, Sandy looked at Li Yi and said, “Boss, do you… do you think the pound is going to appreciate?”

“You figured it out?”

“Yeah. You borrowed US dollars from Citibank but converted them into pounds to deposit—clearly the pound is going to appreciate. It’s just…”

“But what?” Li Yi asked with a smile.

“It’s just that what you’re doing is too risky. Right now, you’ve taken out two loans with the same pool of funds, so you’ll have to pay interest twice. The cost of capital will reach 12.5%. If the pound doesn’t appreciate significantly by then, we’re going to lose a lot of money!” Sandy said with concern.

Li Yi’s lips curled slightly upward, and he replied, “Just for using the word ‘we’ just now, I’ll share some news with you!”

“What news?”

“The government is going to adjust the pound-to-dollar exchange rate very soon, significantly boosting the value of the pound—by at least 50%!” Li Yi said.

Sandy was completely stunned by Li Yi’s words. It took him a while to respond: “Boss, that’s impossible. Given the Empire’s current economic situation, it’s already a miracle the pound is holding its current exchange rate. How could it possibly appreciate—and by such a huge margin?”

Li Yi smiled and said, “I won’t go into the specifics with you. Just pass this information on to your father—I’m sure he’ll know what to do!”

Hearing this, Sandy fell silent.

He wanted to press further, but then he recalled the news he’d just received that afternoon: the plane had made a successful emergency landing on the island, with no fatalities.

At the same time, the cause of the crash had been determined—it was volcanic ash.

Reportedly, a volcano had just erupted along the plane’s flight path, sending volcanic ash drifting as high as 13,000 meters. As the plane passed through the ash cloud, prolonged friction between the ash and the fuselage eventually caused electrical discharges.

Even more alarming was that the plane’s engines had sucked in volcanic ash, causing internal temperatures to spike.

Furthermore, volcanic ash seeped into the fuel tanks, eventually causing a blockage in the fuel lines. This resulted in the engines losing power and stalling, which ultimately led to the air disaster.

There was no human sabotage, no mechanical failure, and naturally, no human manipulation involved.

Yet this mysterious Eastern businessman had accurately predicted the approximate timing, course, and outcome of the disaster—a fact that was enough to shatter Sandy’s worldview.

With that thought, he decided not to press the matter further, but instead began to wonder if he should team up with Li Yi on this venture!

Seeing Sandy deep in thought, Li Yi smiled and then had the driver start the car!

The appreciation of the pound was an undeniable fact, and he knew the reason behind it—it was directly linked to the Falklands War.

Even before the war broke out, the British Empire’s finances were in dire straits. Signs of an economic crisis—such as inflation and rising unemployment—had begun to emerge, and the shadow of the Great Depression once again loomed over the nation.

Although the war temporarily diverted public attention, the funds it consumed dealt a further heavy blow to the national treasury.

To alleviate the increasingly severe fiscal and social problems, the government decided to implement economic reforms, the most significant of which was a decree to sell state-owned enterprises to private companies.

Although this reform had significant drawbacks, it did alleviate the government’s fiscal problems to some extent, giving this great power—which had been in decline for decades—a chance to catch its breath and recover.

Another major measure of the economic reform was the devaluation of the pound; the exchange rate against the dollar fell from 2.45 in 1980 to 1.54. This not only facilitated the import of goods from abroad but also indirectly helped control inflation.

Under the impetus of this series of policies, the British economy—which had been in continuous decline for many years—miraculously recovered.

By 1988, its gross national product had reached $384.778 billion, the inflation rate had dropped from 18.1% in 1978 to 4.4%, the number of unemployed had fallen below 2 million, labor productivity was growing at an average annual rate of 5.5%, and the annual growth rate of per capita income was approximately 3%—creating an economic miracle that astonished even the Iron Lady herself.

It was precisely for this reason that Li Yi, despite having made money in the futures market, did not immediately cash out and exit. Instead, he went all in, pouring the majority of his funds into Sheffield Company and spot steel.

It wasn’t that Li Yi was unaware of the risks involved; rather, he knew full well that it wouldn’t be long before the Iron Lady at 10 Downing Street would take steps to revive the sluggish economy.

At that time, a large number of high-quality state-owned enterprises would be sold to private investors, and the value of the pound would rise sharply.

If he could acquire a batch of high-quality enterprises at that moment, it would be a massive windfall.

So, his initial plan was to use his shares in Sheffield Company as collateral to secure a loan for acquiring those high-quality enterprises.

Whether he ran them himself or sold them after the economy fully recovered, the profits could be several times, or even more than ten times, the original investment.

But he never expected those bastards to act so unscrupulously and raid his home on Hong Kong Island. Consequently, he had no choice but to adjust his strategy and borrow some Hong Kong dollars to tide him over for the time being.

After maneuvering, he now had 60 billion Hong Kong dollars plus 400 million pounds in emergency funds, while also having 5.2 billion pounds pledged as collateral at the bank.

Once the pound appreciated, even if he didn’t invest those 5.2 billion pounds and simply exchanged them for US dollars, they would be worth over 12.74 billion.

The net profit from this transaction would be 4.7 billion US dollars—making the mere 12.5% cost of capital a drop in the bucket.

Now, Li Yi has everything in place; he’s just waiting for the funds to arrive.

As soon as the funds arrive, he can storm back to Hong Kong Island and face off against those foreigners in a showdown.

What Li Yi doesn’t know, however, is that the entire Hong Kong stock market is in a state of panic due to the arrival of these foreigners.

Especially among the Chinese Chamber of Commerce, it felt as if a catastrophe were looming, and morale was beginning to waver…

……….

North Suburbs. The Castle Villa!

In the study, after listening to Li Yunbao’s report, Li Yi couldn’t help but furrow his brow.

After a moment’s thought, he asked, “How many companies have been targeted by these foreigners so far?”

Li Yunbao nodded and replied, “As of now, there are four: the Li family’s Chinese Estates, the Bao family’s Wharf Holdings, and Hang Seng Bank and New Territories Warehouse, both subsidiaries of our Starry Sky Group.”

“And these foreigners are coming on strong. They’ve hit us hard with money right from the start, pouring in massive funds. Our companies have all suffered significant losses!”

Li Yi said in a low voice, “Do you know who’s behind this?”

“It’s likely the Sassoon family. My old man found out that a week ago, Dorrison returned to Hong Kong Island, and he was accompanied by quite a few unfamiliar foreigners. It must be these people who are behind it!”

Li Yi nodded. “Your old man’s assessment is spot on. That provisional agreement still has a few days left before it expires. Normally, Dolsen wouldn’t dare to get personally involved.”

“Brother Yi, what should we do now?” Li Yunbao asked.

Hearing this, Li Yi fell into deep thought.

Li Yi had long been mentally prepared for the Sassoon family’s counterattack.

After all, he knew full well that he wasn’t dealing with a family of refined gentlemen, but a gang of bloodthirsty bandits.

For a group that had built their fortune on opium and slave trading, the so-called refinement they displayed on the surface was merely for show; deep down, they were a pack of demons who devoured their prey without sparing a bone.

Having suffered such a massive loss on the London futures market, there was no way they would let it go.

So when he acquired shares in the Sheffield Company from them, Li Yi had already braced himself for a storm.

He had assumed the Sassoon family would leverage their formidable influence in the European market to launch a full-scale assault on Sheffield Company, so he had made extensive preparations here.

But what he hadn’t anticipated was that those bastards would choose Hong Kong as their battlefield.

Li Yi could see that these foreigners clearly knew most of his funds were tied up, and they intended to take this opportunity to attack his home turf—these foreigners were planning to raid his home base.

Their goal wasn’t merely to retaliate for his actions in London; more importantly, they intended to destroy the newly established Chinese Chamber of Commerce in one fell swoop, ensuring that the British-owned conglomerate would continue to dominate the market.

What a vicious scheme!

You see, for this investment, he had brought most of the cash from the various companies under the Chinese Chamber of Commerce to London, leaving each company with barely enough funds to keep operations running.

Now, facing a sudden attack, they simply don’t have enough funds to prop up their shares or mount a counterattack.

Moreover, while the companies under the Chinese Chamber of Commerce aren’t as widely dispersed in ownership as those in the British-owned conglomerate, very few families hold a 51% controlling stake—which gives those foreigners an opening to exploit.

To make matters worse, most of his capital was tied up in the Sheffield company and those 20 million tons of steel.

With his back burning at this critical moment, he could either stand idly by or sell off his holdings at a loss.

Whichever option he chose, he would suffer heavy losses!

Fortunately, he had the foresight to secure a loan agreement with the local bank through Sandy just moments ago; otherwise, this situation would have been truly dire.

With that in mind, Li Yi immediately said, “Since those foreigners have drawn their swords, we certainly can’t just sit here and wait to be slaughtered. We must fight back with everything we’ve got. It’s just a matter of mutual destruction—who’s afraid of whom!”

“Should we head back to Hong Kong Island right away?” asked Li Yunbao.

“No. The top priority right now is to raise funds. Without money, there’s no point in going back!”

With that, Li Yi picked up the phone on the table and dialed a number.

“Ring… ring…”

After a few rings, Sandy’s familiar voice came through on the other end: “Hello, who’s this?”

“Sandy, it’s Li Yi!”

“Boss, what can I do for you?”

Ever since gaining a clear understanding of Li Yi’s capabilities, Sandy had adopted a very humble demeanor.

Actually, most Westerners are like this: when meeting someone for the first time, they usually act aloof and arrogant, acting like they’re the king of the world.

If you’re not as good as them, these guys get even more arrogant, but if you’re better than them, their attitude changes immediately—it’s classic admiration for strength.

“Get me in touch with the head of Citibank. I want to discuss a major deal with him!” Li Yi said.

“Boss, is this about a loan? If so, there’s no need—I’ve already spoken with the president of Royal Bank…”

Before he could finish, Li Yi said in a deep voice, “Sandy, the situation has changed. I urgently need a large amount of capital—especially US dollars!”

Sandy paused briefly, then said, “All right, I’ll contact them right away. I’ll call you as soon as I have any news!”

“Alright…”

……….

Citibank, London Headquarters!

Accompanied by Sandy, Li Yi finally met Johnson, the head of Citibank’s operations in the British Isles.

After a brief exchange of greetings, Johnson looked at Li Yi and said, “Li, Mr. Sandy mentioned that you have a major business venture you’d like to collaborate with us on. I wonder what it is?”

“I’d like to take out a loan from your bank—with collateral!” Li Yi said.

“I’m curious, Mr. Li, how much are you looking to borrow, and what is the collateral?” Johnson asked.

“8 billion US dollars. The collateral is a 50% stake in Sheffield Steel!”

Upon hearing this, both Johnson and Sandy—who had accompanied Li Yi—were stunned by his words.

8 billion US dollars—that was indeed a massive deal.

Corporate loan interest rates these days are not low. Even at the minimum annual rate of 5.5%, the interest on 100 million US dollars for one year is 5.5 million; for 8 billion US dollars, the interest alone amounts to 440 million US dollars annually.

“Mr. Li, we are currently unfamiliar with Sheffield Steel’s situation. We need to conduct an investigation into your company to assess the value of the 50% stake…”

Before Johnson could finish, Li Yi spoke in a firm tone: “Mr. Johnson, the company has already overcome its crisis, and our stock price has been recovering recently. A 50% stake is worth at least 4 billion pounds, which is equivalent to 9.8 billion US dollars—more than the loan amount.”

“But I urgently need funds right now, so I don’t have time to wait for your valuation. If you’re willing to cooperate, let’s continue the discussion; if not, there’s no need to waste any more time!”

Hearing this, Johnson’s brow furrowed involuntarily, but his gaze shifted to Sandy standing beside him.

He and Sandy were very close friends, and as the general manager of Sheffield Company, Sandy should have a clearer understanding of the company’s situation than he did.

Seeing his friend looking at him, Sandy immediately said, “Johnson, the company has returned to normal operations, and we have over 7 billion pounds in outstanding receivables in the futures market, which will be settled within a month.”

“Moreover, the company’s stock price has risen by 9% this week, and a 50% stake is worth 8 billion US dollars.”

At that moment, Li Yi spoke again: “Mr. Johnson, if this partnership succeeds, Citibank will become Sheffield Company’s sole settlement bank going forward, and I can offer an interest rate of 6.5%!”

Upon hearing this, Johnson’s eyes lit up immediately.

The terms Li Yi offered were simply too tempting. Sheffield was, after all, the largest steel company in the British Isles, and opening their corporate accounts with Citibank would be of immense significance to them.

As for the interest rate increase, typically with such large loans, if the client has excellent creditworthiness, they would usually offer concessions on the interest rate.

Yet Li Yi not only didn’t ask for a discount—he actually raised the rate by 1%.

Though it was only 1%, it would mean an additional $80 million in annual revenue for them.

After a moment’s thought, Johnson ultimately decided to take on this major deal…

……..

Seeing Sandy’s hesitant expression, Li Yi said calmly, “Sandy, from now on, you’re my representative in the company. If you have any concerns, please speak up!”

“Boss, 2 billion pounds is really a bit of a waste for our company. We don’t need that much money. The more we borrow, the higher the cost of capital, so I think 100 million pounds at most would be enough!” Sandy said honestly.

“I just mentioned that one hundred million is for the company to resume production. I have other uses for the rest—it has nothing to do with the company. I just need you to help find a suitable bank to secure a loan against it. That’s all!”

Li Yixue continued, “As for the cost of capital, you needn’t worry about that—I know exactly what I’m doing. Now, can you get this done?”

“No problem. Although the company’s stock price has plummeted, it’s still a high-quality stock on the market. Mortgaging 30% of the shares for 2 billion is absolutely no issue!” Sandy said confidently.

Li Yi nodded and said again, “Of course, if you can secure more funding, that would be even better. However, there are two points that must be specified in the loan contract!”

“What are those two points?”

“First, the loan term is three years, but as the lender, we reserve the right to demand early repayment. Furthermore, interest will accrue until the moment we actually repay the loan!”

Li Yi continued, “Second, when we make repayments, we shouldn’t be limited to transactions in pounds sterling—US dollars, Japanese yen, or even gold are all acceptable!”

Sandy thought it over and decided there was nothing wrong with these two points. He immediately said, “Alright, I’ll take care of this as soon as possible!”

“Hmm, it’s already so late. Let’s discuss anything else tomorrow!” Li Yi said.

“Alright!”

With that, Sandy stood up from his chair and headed toward the door.

But just as he was about to reach the door, he suddenly stopped.

He turned back to Li Yi and said, “Boss, you knew the plane was going to crash, didn’t you?”

“Are you talking about the air crash reported in the news today?”

“Yes, that plane crashed, but I don’t know what the current situation is!”

Sandy had been rushing all the way and hadn’t had time to contact his father after arriving in Sheffield, so he didn’t know what had ultimately happened to the plane.

Li Yi replied immediately, “We already have news. It was reported on the radio two hours ago—the plane made a successful emergency landing on an island, and there were no casualties among the passengers or crew!”

Hearing this, Sandy breathed a sigh of relief, but at the same time, a chill ran down her spine.

He remembered very clearly that when this new boss had made that terrifying prophecy, he’d said Sandy would be frightened, but wouldn’t lose his life.

The plane had made a successful emergency landing, and no one had been killed or injured—hadn’t that just come true?

With that in mind, Sandy asked again, “So, Boss, did you foresee all of this?”

Li Yi shook his head and said, “No, but I could tell from your facial features that you shouldn’t travel far right now; otherwise, something very bad would happen.”

Hearing this, Sandy finally let out a sigh of relief.

It seemed that this new boss’s so-called mysterious prophecies were merely general predictions and couldn’t accurately foresee every single event—an outcome he could accept.

“I understand!”

With that, Sandy turned, opened the door, and walked out!

Watching Sandy’s retreating figure, the corners of Li Yi’s mouth couldn’t help but turn up slightly.

This steel tycoon and financial giant from his past life had actually become an employee under him, Li Yi… no, a business partner. Life was looking up more and more!

……….

The next day. Early morning!

Li Yi got up early again. After a quick breakfast, he arrived at Sheffield Company, surrounded by his entourage.

When they arrived at the company, Sandy was already there and had gathered all the remaining management staff together.

Along with the employees waiting for negotiations, everyone had arrived at the main entrance early, awaiting the arrival of their new boss, Li Yi.

After a grand welcome ceremony, Li Yi and the entire management team, surrounded by the crowd, made their way to the company’s conference room, while the rank-and-file workers waited outside for news.

Li Yi promised them that he would negotiate with them once he had resolved the company’s personnel issues.

After presenting the company’s share certificates, Li Yi immediately announced Sandy’s appointment, while also naming Wood and Ward as deputy general managers.

Li Yi did not interfere with the remaining positions; Sandy and the others were left to decide them among themselves.

After an hour of intense activity, the basic framework of Sheffield Steel’s senior management was finally established. Li Yi then instructed Sandy to represent the company in negotiations with the workers.

The negotiation process went relatively smoothly. With the red lines Li Yi had drawn, Sandy did not haggle over every detail with the miners.

Not only did they agree to pay all previously owed wages in full, but they also decided to give all employees a 10% pay raise starting next month.

In addition, the workday was reduced from 11 hours to 8 hours.

The workers were very satisfied with the company’s concessions and immediately indicated they were ready to return to work at any time.

With that, the matter was brought to a successful conclusion.

However, this merely resolved the internal conflicts within Sheffield Company; it will still be some time before the company can truly resume production and operations.

Most importantly, the British government’s investigation into their company was still ongoing.

But these matters were no challenge for Sandy. He instructed Wood, the production manager, to immediately lead the staff in inspecting and cataloging all damaged equipment, while he himself returned to London with Li Yi.

Upon returning to London, Sandy first used his family connections to meet with the investigator in charge of the case. After guaranteeing that production would resume within a month, the authorities suspended their investigation.

Of course, the fact that this matter was resolved so easily was largely due to the Henry family’s considerable influence in both the Empire’s political circles and the military.

More importantly, during their investigation, the officials discovered that the Sheffield Company case was extremely complex, involving not only the Sassoon family but also numerous political families.

If the investigation had continued, it was unclear how many people would have been implicated.

Since Sandy had already revealed part of the truth to them and guaranteed that Sheffield Steel would resume production within a month at the latest, they were more than happy to let the matter rest.

After settling the official investigation, Sandy resubmitted an application to the exchange to resume trading, and Sheffield Steel’s futures contracts reappeared on the London Metal Exchange.

Moreover, to secure cash flow as quickly as possible, Sheffield Steel’s current sales consisted entirely of short-term short positions!

With very few sellers left in the steel market, trading volumes had been stubbornly low recently, though the market remained reasonably active.

Consequently, as soon as Sheffield’s short-term short positions were listed, they were quickly snapped up by investors and large enterprises in urgent need of steel.

Seeing this, Li Yi finally breathed a sigh of relief.

As long as these short positions were sold, it meant the steel in his possession had been sold, and he only needed to wait for delivery to settle the funds.

In addition, thanks to Sandy’s connections, Li Yi’s efforts to secure a loan by pledging company shares were proceeding smoothly.

However, just as everything seemed to be going smoothly, urgent news arrived from Hong Kong: those foreigners had made their move…

………

In the finest hotel in downtown Sheffield, Li Yi, having just finished his shower, lay in bed deep in thought.

This afternoon, he had spent over four hours talking face-to-face with the miners. Through their perspective, he had learned a great deal of information he hadn’t previously known.

That’s right—Li Yi hadn’t negotiated with the workers today. Instead, under the pretext of gathering information, he had invited them to an empty production workshop and spent the entire afternoon talking with them.

According to the miners, Sheffield Steel’s production capacity had remained high three years ago, and its smelting technology and market share were also solid.

Moreover, as a nation built on industry, the British Isles have a massive demand for steel. Normally, even if steel prices were a bit low, it wouldn’t be enough to bring down this centuries-old steelworks—the UK’s leading steel mill.

The current situation is directly linked to the Sassoon family’s intervention.

For over thirty years, this family had been steadily acquiring shares in Sheffield Steel, but it wasn’t until four years ago that they finally secured a controlling stake in the company.

Since then, the company’s production has been artificially slashed.

The Sassoon family, primarily active in the financial sector, intentionally reduced Sheffield Steel’s production to create a market shortage, then profited by aggressively exploiting the market through the company’s futures trading.

The result was that Sheffield Steel was essentially ruined: a massive exodus of skilled workers, blast furnaces shut down, equipment in the mines severely damaged, and some members of management taking advantage of the company’s leadership vacuum to sell off company assets on a massive scale…

In short, Sheffield Steel’s situation was far worse than he had anticipated.

Li Yi had originally thought that as long as he could appease the workers and fill the management vacancies, the company would be back up and running.

Looking back now, he realized he’d been far too optimistic…

He had originally thought this trip to London would take two or three months at most, but now it looked like it would be a real struggle.

Li Yi couldn’t help but think of Sandy; he wondered how that guy was getting on.

Today, he’d also gleaned some information about the company’s former general manager from the miners. Surprisingly, most of the workers spoke quite highly of him.

Almost all the workers felt that Sandy was a man of vision and capability, but he simply couldn’t compete with the Savoon family—those sharks.

This speaks to the respect he commands among the workers; if he were to step in, things would be much easier…

“Knock, knock, knock!!!”

But just as Li Yi was deep in thought, a soft knock suddenly sounded at the door.

Li Yi immediately went to the door and asked in a deep voice, “Who is it?”

“Brother Yi, it’s me!”

Hearing Zhang Ziqiang’s voice, Li Yi opened the door immediately!

As soon as he saw Li Yi, Zhang Ziqiang said, “Brother Yi, Sandy’s here. He’s downstairs and says he wants to see you!”

Li Yi was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and said, “Show him in!”

“Got it!”

Soon, Zhang Ziqiang led Sandy into Li Yi’s room.

By then, Li Yi had already changed into his everyday clothes. He still looked sharp and capable, whereas Sandy, who had traveled a long way, looked a bit disheveled!

Before Sandy could speak, Li Yi smiled and said, “The fact that you tracked me down here, Mr. Sandy, shows you’ve made up your mind. I look forward to a fruitful partnership!”

Seeing Li Yi extend his hand, Sandy immediately reached out to shake it, saying at the same time, “Looking forward to working with you!”

Now that both parties had agreed to cooperate, Li Yi got straight to the point: “Sandy, if you were to take over the company right now, how long would it take to resume production?”

“As for the miners…”

Before he could finish, Li Yi said in a firm tone, “I spoke with the miners at length today and have a good understanding of their situation. Their demands aren’t excessive. To summarize, they want higher wages, shorter working hours, and respect!”

“Personally, I don’t think these demands are unreasonable. I plan to set aside time to formally discuss this with them. As long as the pay raise doesn’t exceed 50%, I believe I’ll be able to meet their conditions!”

Sandy nodded and said, “If that’s the case, I’m confident we can resume production within a month!”

Perhaps concerned that Li Yi might not fully understand the steel industry, Sandy elaborated, “The biggest fear in blast furnace steelmaking is a furnace shutdown. Once production stops, the equipment could very well be rendered useless…”

Li Yi immediately replied, “You don’t need to explain that to me. I’m no stranger to steel and iron production. I’ll give you a month!”

“Alright. I’d like to know how you envision Sheffield Steel—as a steel company, or…”

Before he could finish, Li Yi interjected again: “Of course it’s a steel company. As for finance, we’ll get into that later, but we can’t take risks—otherwise, we’ll end up just like the Sassoon family, getting kicked out!”

Hearing this, Sandy’s eyes lit up instantly, and he said at once, “I know what to do!”

“Sandy, I know you’re a capable person, so from now on, at Sheffield Steel, you won’t just be the General Manager—you’ll also be the Chairman of the Board. Within the company, aside from me, you’ll be in charge of everything!” Li Yi said.

Sandy understood perfectly well that Li Yi meant he would wield unimaginable power within the company and be free to fully exercise his talents.

“Boss, thank you for your trust. I’ll prove with my actions that your choice was the right one!”

Li Yi nodded and then asked, “Sandy, what do you plan to do?”

Sandy paused briefly to think, then replied, “The company currently faces three major crises. The first is the workers’ strike; the second is that the company has run out of funds; and the third is that government officials are conducting a rigorous investigation into us. Many people are being hounded by them, which has caused widespread anxiety within the company.”

“We can’t resolve the government issue for now, so we’ll set that aside. The other two, however, can be addressed together. In my view, both problems stem from a lack of funds, so our first priority is to make money.”

Li Yi asked with interest, “How do we make money?”

“There are three methods. The quickest is to resume the company’s trading on the futures market, using the steel the boss currently has in stock as delivery collateral, and liquidating our short positions!”

Sandy continued, “The second method is to release the news once our negotiations with the workers are complete, taking the opportunity to drive up the stock price so we can cash out a portion of our shares!”

“The third method is to take out a bank loan, but that process might take a while!”

Li Yi nodded and said, “We don’t need to cash out the shares. You can sell the 20 million tons of steel we have on hand, but the proceeds cannot go to the company. However, I can allow you to take out a secured loan from the bank!”

“How much can we borrow?”

“How much do you think the company needs?” Li Yi asked.

“If it’s just to keep us afloat until production resumes, about 20 million pounds. But if we’re aiming to restore production to the company’s peak levels, we’ll need at least 100 million pounds!” Sandy said.

“Then I authorize you to secure a 2 billion pound loan from the bank using 30% of the company’s shares as collateral. Of that, 100 million will be allocated to the company’s daily operations, and the remaining 1.9 billion will be deposited into a designated account as a reserve!” Li Yi said.

“Boss, you…”

Sandy was also stunned by Li Yi’s move; he simply couldn’t fathom why Li Yi would borrow such a massive sum all at once.

Even though bank interest rates aren’t particularly high right now, any low rate multiplied by the massive figure of 2 billion pounds still amounts to an astronomical sum.

According to Sandy’s estimates, if this 2 billion were borrowed for a year, the cost of capital would be at least 100 million pounds.

For a moment, Sandy looked at Li Yi with an expression that seemed to say he wanted to speak but held back…

………..

Over the Atlantic, a Boeing 747 was flying normally. According to the original schedule, they were set to arrive in New York, North America’s largest city, at 3:00 a.m. tomorrow.

At this point, the plane had been in the air for eight hours since taking off from London Heathrow, and everything was going smoothly.

Captain Kevin was a veteran pilot with extensive experience. He had been flying gliders since he was 16 and was one of the first pilots to undergo Boeing 747 flight training, boasting an exceptionally rich flight history.

First Officer Mathis is also a true veteran pilot, having served as a first officer for six years with 8,800 flight hours under his belt, though this is his first time flying alongside Captain Kevin.

When the plane stopped at the first stopover airport to refuel, Kevin carefully checked the weather radar, which showed clear skies for the next 1,400 kilometers of the flight.

Seeing no abnormalities, Captain Kevin got up and walked to the restroom.

By this point, most of the passengers had been on the flight for over eight hours and looked very tired; some were resting their eyes, some were dozing off, and some were already snoring loudly.

No one could have imagined that a disaster was slowly approaching them.

A few minutes later, the captain emerged from the restroom and faintly detected a pungent odor in the cabin air.

Could a passenger have accidentally set something flammable on fire?

Or was a passenger smoking?

He immediately became alert and began searching the cabin.

After all, the plane was in the air with no emergency exits; even the smallest mishap could spell disaster.

Especially since smoking was not yet strictly prohibited on flights, and fires caused by smoking were a frequent occurrence.

Not long ago, a passenger smoked on an Ilyushin Il-18 passenger plane operated by the Lanzhou Administration of the Eastern Air Lines. The cigarette butt landed on flammable material, and the plane caught fire as it was landing at Guangzhou Baiyun Airport. Of the 69 people on board, 25 died and 37 were injured.

Therefore, as a captain with extensive experience, Kevin was always extra cautious.

The captain looked around but found nothing out of the ordinary.

Finally, when he happened to look up at the aircraft’s ceiling, his mind went blank: in the northwest corner of the ceiling, a wisp of smoke was billowing.

No one was smoking—where did this smoke come from?

At the same time, the co-pilot, Mathis, who was in the cockpit, also noticed this strange phenomenon, and he spotted blue specks of light on the cockpit windshield.

Panicked, he shot a questioning glance at the captain.

Just then, the blue specks spread rapidly, surrounding the entire plane from all sides.

Matthias shouted, “Oh no, my vision is blurred—I can’t see a thing!” The windshield at the front of the plane had become completely obscured.

Seeing this, the flight engineer exclaimed, “Oh my God, could it be the legendary UFOs? Have the aliens arrived?”

Meanwhile, the strange odor in the air grew stronger and stronger, and everyone could identify its source—it was the smell of sulfur.

By now, the cabin was filled with the odor. The passengers were terrified and in a state of chaos. The flight attendants tried to comfort them but couldn’t find the right words.

Just as the flight attendants were frantic, searching for words to reassure the passengers, the plane began to shake violently, as if seized by a fit.

Then, a passenger pointed outside and screamed, “Look, the plane’s on fire!”

The passengers looked in the direction he was pointing and saw that the wing had indeed caught fire.

Matis immediately shouted to the captain, “Captain, engine malfunction—the RPMs are too high!”

Captain Kevin quickly made adjustments, which brought the engine RPMs down.

A few seconds later, Mathis shouted again, “Captain, the instruments are lagging—no, they’ve stopped completely!”

The crew’s hair stood on end, and the air in the cabin seemed to freeze.

Then, something even more terrifying happened—one of the engines burst into flames, and within minutes, the other three engines were also ablaze.

Without power, the plane could no longer maintain altitude; it was no different from a glider.

A long trail of flames trailed from the tail of the plane. Terror and despair spread among the passengers; everyone realized the plane was facing certain doom, that death was closing in on them step by step, and that their lives were entering a countdown…

………

London. The Henry Family Estate!

Sandy was on the phone with his good friend and trusted assistant, Ward, in his study when he saw his elderly father rush in, his expression complex.

Seeing this, Sandy quickly exchanged a few words with Ward before hanging up.

“Father, what’s going on?”

Old Henry didn’t answer his son’s question but asked instead, “Who was that?”

“It was Ward. He said Li has already gone to the company with his people, and from the looks of it, he intends to negotiate with the workers!” Sandy said in a subdued tone.

“What are you going to do? Are you going to sit back and wait, or…”

“No, I’ve already told Wood and Ward to do their best to help him stabilize the situation, and I’m heading to Sheffield myself!” Sandy said.

“So it seems you’ve agreed to work with him?” Old Henry said.

“Yes. Just the fact that he’s willing to negotiate with those miners instead of firing them outright makes me feel that he’s different from the Sassoon family!”

Then Sandy suddenly looked at his old father, smiled, and said, “Perhaps, as you say, this is a good opportunity for me!”

“Sandy, I’m glad you’ve made this choice. Go to Sheffield—that’s where your dreams lie!” Old Henry said.

“Hmm, by the way, Father, you came in here in such a hurry just now…”

Before she could finish, Old Henry said with a look of conflict on his face, “Sandy, do you remember that mysterious Eastern prophecy Li mentioned yesterday?”

“Not yet… a mysterious prophecy from the East?”

“Yes. I think that Li mentioned that if you insist on going to North America in the next few days, you might run into some trouble. Is that right?”

“He did say that. What’s wrong, Father?”

Old Henry’s face grew somber as he said, “Sandy, do you know what? Just a moment ago, I received word that the flight to New York today, while over the Atlantic, suddenly had all four engines fail one after another. Most of the instruments and systems have malfunctioned. Right now, the plane is plummeting toward the ocean, losing about 900 meters in altitude for every 14 kilometers it travels!”

“If we hadn’t gone to see Li yesterday, you’d be on that flight right now!”

At those words, Sandy was completely stunned.

She stared blankly at Old Henry, then said, “Father, are you saying that prophecy the Oriental man spoke of has come true?”

“I don’t know, but the first part of the prophecy has certainly come true. It remains to be seen whether the outcome of this flight will be as ‘scary but safe’ as he said. If that’s the case…”

Old Henry didn’t finish his sentence, but a look of fear and dread flashed across his face.

This mysterious and unfathomable power had exceeded his expectations; he didn’t even know how to describe his current state of mind.

If the opponent were a normal human, then relying on his family’s influence and his eldest son’s connections in the military, he might still stand a chance.

But if the enemy wasn’t a normal human, that would be a real problem—there wouldn’t be the slightest chance of victory…

Sandy clearly sensed his father’s concern and immediately said, “Don’t worry for now. I’ll head over to Sheffield Company right away and have a proper talk with Li!”

“Alright…”

……….