Chapter 836: Taking Over the Company!

The next morning!

Li Yi got up early in the morning and, accompanied by Zhang Ziqiang, Zhou Wen, Li Yunbao, Zhou Xinghua, and others, traveled from London to the industrial city of Sheffield.

Starting today, they would officially take over this steel company!

Although they hadn’t received a definitive answer from Sandy, revitalizing Sheffield Steel had become the most pressing matter at hand.

After all, to secure this company, Li Yi had not only poured in all the profits from this investment but had even invested most of his principal capital.

They arrived with 3.5 billion pounds, but now have just over 400 million left—a situation that is somewhat embarrassing.

If the company can bounce back, he’ll naturally make a fortune—after all, a major enterprise like this, regardless of who owns it, serves as a cornerstone of a family’s legacy.

But if it fails, the consequences would be severe.

It’s important to note that the investment in Sheffield Steel had nothing to do with Li Futao, He Dongying, or others—it was entirely Li Yi’s idea.

If they lose money, he’ll have to cover the losses out of his own pocket.

So, after Henry and his son left, Li Yi began discussing the revival of Sheffield Steel with his team.

After some deliberation, they decided to take over the company first; as for the rest, it wouldn’t hurt to address it later.

The distance from London to Sheffield is about 160 miles—that’s over 250 kilometers!

That distance isn’t exactly far, but it’s not exactly close either. They had assumed that with the infrastructure of a developed country, it wouldn’t take long to get there.

But in reality, it took them over seven hours to cover those 200-plus kilometers.

This result left Li Yi utterly speechless. After all, the 300-plus-kilometer journey from Beijing to his hometown of Nianzishan Village in Qingshan County took less than six hours.

That the infrastructure of the so-called “Empire on Which the Sun Never Sets” was so underdeveloped was downright mind-boggling.

But in any case, by a little past 3:00 p.m., they finally arrived at the main gate of the Sheffield Steelworks.

As soon as they arrived, they saw the company grounds swarming with grimy miners. Though they couldn’t count them all, at a glance there were easily a thousand or two—maybe even more.

Most of them were dressed in work uniforms, but their faces looked gaunt. They were holding either flags or banners, blocking the entrance with unclear intentions!

Seeing the miners’ demeanor, Li Yi knew they meant trouble.

It was highly likely that they had gathered at the entrance to intimidate him, and they might even have received instructions from certain individuals.

After all, the news of his visit today had not been made public; he had only confirmed his itinerary by phone with a few people left behind at the company.

Yet these miners had managed to block him at the entrance with such precision—the implications of this were rather intriguing.

Seeing this, Li Yi immediately opened the door to get out of the car, but was stopped by Zhang Ziqiang.

“Brother Yi, why don’t you stay in the car for a moment? Mr. Yunbao and I will go check out the situation first!”

As a bodyguard, he was responsible for Li Yi’s safety.

With so many people gathered at the entrance, Li Yi’s sensitive status, and the fact that they had already offended the local powerbrokers, the Sha Xuan family, Zhang Ziqiang was deeply concerned that someone might be hiding in the crowd to ambush him.

However, Li Yi replied calmly, “It’s fine. If they wanted to use extreme measures to silence me, they would have acted on the way here, not waited until now in front of so many people!”

“But…”

“There’s no ‘but’ about it. Whether it’s the Sassoon family or the local government, neither of them dares let me die here—the cost would be too high!”

With that, Li Yi smoothed out his clothes and strode down from the car.

Seeing this, the others also got out of the car and followed him.

Across the way, the miners saw a dozen or so Asian men getting out of the car and immediately realized the new boss had arrived.

Rumors of a change in ownership had been circulating for the past couple of days, and with the new boss reportedly being Asian, many found it hard to accept, while even more felt panic and anxiety.

What if the new boss was just as greedy as the previous one? Would they all be kicked out on the spot?

Stepping before the crowd, Li Yi spoke loudly: “First, let me introduce myself. My name is Li Yi, and I come from a beautiful and mysterious Eastern nation. As of the day before yesterday, I am your new boss!”

“If you’re all here specifically to welcome me, I’m delighted. If you’re here to discuss business, that’s fine too—but please select a representative. Otherwise, I can’t speak to this many people at once!”

A buzz went through the crowd!

At these words, a buzzing murmur instantly rose from the crowd, as if tens of thousands of ducks were quacking in unison.

After a long moment, four or five men and women stepped out of the crowd and approached Li Yi.

Then, a middle-aged miner in his forties spoke up: “Boss, my name is Daniel. I’m the workers’ representative. We’d like to talk to you about a pay raise!”

“Talking about wages is fine, but don’t you think this isn’t really the right time to discuss work?”

Li Yi then said with a smile, “I think we can go inside the company and talk in the conference room!”

“Boss, you’re not pulling our leg, are you? Are you really willing to negotiate with us?” Daniel said, sounding somewhat excited.

They had been fighting the company for a pay raise for nearly three months, but aside from a few people who spoke with them during the first few days, no one from the company had paid them any attention since.

In other words, their daily protests and even work stoppages hadn’t elicited a single official response from the company.

So the fact that Li Yi was offering them a chance to negotiate was already incredibly valuable.

“I’m not familiar with your situation, so it’s too early to say anything else. However, we share a common goal: to get the factory back up and running as soon as possible. As long as that’s the premise, I think we can sit down and talk, don’t you agree?”

In fact, Li Yi had already gained a general understanding of the situation before arriving. Ultimately, it was Sheffield Company that had acted unfairly.

Because steel prices were so depressed, steel companies were not only failing to turn a profit but were actually operating at a slight loss.

Consequently, while laying off staff, the company began finding ways to squeeze the workers—from extending working hours at the outset to later pay cuts. They tried every trick in the book, both overt and covert, in an attempt to force the workers to quit because they couldn’t take it anymore.

This pushed the miners, who were barely scraping by, to the breaking point. They organized and resorted to strikes and work stoppages, hoping Sheffield Company would improve their working conditions.

But to their surprise, the company’s top brass refused to budge. Not only did they refuse to negotiate, but they also cut off the workers’ already meager wages.

Meanwhile, prices here have been rising steadily, and these workers are on the brink of survival…

Just as Li Yi was speaking with the miners, in an office on the top floor of Sheffield Steel’s headquarters, two middle-aged men were watching the scene unfold with cold detachment.

After a long silence, one of the men suddenly spoke up: “Wood, do you think our new boss will be able to walk through the company’s front doors?”

“I doubt it. You know exactly what those workers want, and for them, today’s opportunity is incredibly rare. They probably won’t let those people in until they get what they want!” Wood said indifferently.

“Wood, what if he agrees to the workers’ demands?”

“That’s unlikely. The only people capable of defeating the Sassoon family are true business titans—none of them would make promises to these people without fully understanding the situation!”

“You’re right!”

But just then, the situation below at Banbanhaobang suddenly took a turn.

It was unclear how the two sides had communicated, but under the direction of the workers’ leaders, the miners at the company entrance actually stepped aside to clear a path, allowing the new boss and his entourage to enter.

Seeing this, the two men were taken aback!

Then Wood immediately said, “Ward, call Sandy right now and explain the situation. I’m going down to take a look!”

“Well, looks like we really underestimated this new boss!”

With that, the two went about their business!

Meanwhile, a harrowing incident unfolded on an international flight from London to New York…

……….

After leaving the castle estate, neither Henry nor his son spoke a word; the atmosphere was somewhat heavy.

Before coming, they had considered every possible scenario, even anticipating that the Oriental man might humiliate them severely.

But neither of them had anticipated that the other party’s true intention was to collaborate with them—and with such sincerity.

While this was undoubtedly a positive development for their family, it was precisely at a time like this that they couldn’t afford to make a hasty decision—what seemed like a sweet coating might well conceal a deadly poison.

Back in the car, Old Henry finally looked at his son and said, “Sandy, what do you think?”

Sandy didn’t answer his father’s question but asked in return, “Father, are you suggesting I accept his offer?”

Old Henry nodded. “I am. This is a great opportunity, both for the family and for you personally.”

“An opportunity? I’m not so sure!” Sandy said, a hint of worry in his voice.

“Are you worried about the Sassoon family?”

“Well, our Henry family is different from the Sassoon family—they’re a bunch of devils in human form. As a family that built its fortune on robbery, opium trafficking, and human trafficking, they’re no pushovers. After suffering such a major loss this time, they certainly won’t let it go.”

Sandy continued, “If I agree to stay with Sheffield & Co., the Sassoon family will see it as betrayal. When that happens, their revenge might not stop at just Li!”

Old Henry understood exactly what his son meant, and a look of anger flashed across his face.

“In this matter, the Sassoon family are the real traitors. They sold their shares to Lee on the sly without even giving us a heads-up!”

Just thinking about it made Old Henry seethe with anger.

They had pulled out all the stops to save Sheffield Company, even going so far as to have his eldest son leverage his military connections.

But they never expected—never in a million years—that just as they were receiving good news, word came that the Sassoon family had sold their shares to Li Yi at a bargain price.

When Old Henry received that news, he nearly spat out a mouthful of blood…

Hearing this, Sandy fell silent!

Sandy was also furious about the Sassoon family’s betrayal.

As the Empire’s largest steel enterprise, Sheffield United Steel had been reduced to its current state largely due to the “indispensable contributions” of those parasites in the Sassoon family.

They ran the company into the ground, then simply sold off their shares and fled, completely disregarding the fate of others. This wasn’t just “bad”—it was both wicked and shameless, utterly depraved.

“Sandy, there’s something I haven’t had a chance to tell you yet. This Li isn’t just an ordinary businessman; behind him stands that Eastern superpower. The Sassoon family might not dare to go head-to-head with them,” Old Henry said.

“The Eastern Superpower? Is that information accurate?”

“Accurate. I had your brother look into this through some special channels—there’s absolutely no mistake,” Old Henry said.

Sandy said thoughtfully, “So that’s how it is. No wonder we lost so badly in this futures war—it felt like every move we made was anticipated by the other side. It turns out we weren’t up against a single person, but an entire nation’s intelligence apparatus.”

At that moment, Old Henry spoke again: “Sandy, I know your dream is to restore Sheffield’s former glory. Otherwise, with your abilities, you would have gone to the Americas long ago. It’s just a pity that the company was previously controlled by those short-sighted individuals, and many of your ideas and initiatives couldn’t be put into practice.”

“But things are different now. Li’s focus is clearly elsewhere, and he desperately needs a capable person to run the show for him. If you’re willing to be that person, he’ll support you.”

Sandy fell silent once more. He thought back over the past years: although he was nominally the head of the company, the real decision-makers had been the directors appointed by the Sassoon family.

He had been constrained at every turn within the company, and many of his good ideas had failed to gain the board’s support.

Take this futures market crisis, for example. Sandy had sensed the danger early on and wanted to reach a settlement with the protesting workers to resume production as soon as possible.

But those narrow-minded fools on the board all opposed it, refusing to compromise with those poor workers. As a result, someone seized the opportunity to expose the situation, dealing a severe blow to the company’s stock price and reputation.

If the company had resumed production sooner, that Asian man wouldn’t have been able to bring the company down so easily.

“Father, I’ll give this serious thought!”

Seeing his son’s attitude soften, Old Henry pressed his advantage: “We respect your opinion. It looks like you won’t be able to leave tomorrow either. I’ll have someone cancel your flight ticket!”

“Alright!”

Old Henry nodded and signaled the driver to start the car!

Neither father nor son mentioned Li Yi’s warning. To them, the so-called mysterious Eastern prophecy was nothing more than a joke—little did they know…

……

Central Europe. A Mysterious Castle!

At that moment, an unusual meeting was taking place inside the castle.

In the small but somewhat eerie conference room sat a dozen or so people dressed in traditional attire. There were both old and young among them, but they were all men—not a single woman in sight.

Seated at the head of the table, a man in his seventies cast a grim glance at the clan members flanking the conference table.

After a long pause, he spoke in a cold, icy tone: “I’m sure you’re all aware of our disastrous defeat in the London futures market. Not only has our family lost over a billion pounds in capital, but we’ve also lost control of Sheffield Steel. This nearly brought our family’s half-century of strategic布局 across the British Isles crashing down—the losses are catastrophic.”

“According to clan regulations, those responsible for such a severe defeat must face punishment!”

The moment those words were spoken, the atmosphere in the conference room grew even more oppressive.

Everyone kept their heads down, not daring to breathe a word!

At that moment, a young man seated at the lower right stood up and said, “Clan Chief, this failure is primarily due to my poor command. I am willing to accept the clan’s punishment!”

“Kursha, although you are my own grandson, in our Shaxuan clan, those who make mistakes must face punishment.”

The elder continued, “Given the immense losses you have caused the clan, I hereby, in my capacity as clan chief, formally strip you of your status as heir to the clan. From this moment on, you are automatically disqualified from competing for the position of clan chief!”

Though the young man was reluctant, he nodded and replied, “Yes!”

“Kumle, as Kurša’s mentor, you failed to protect him, resulting in such significant losses to the family. You too must accept the clan’s punishment!”

The elder continued, “Your punishment is to go to Africa to open up new markets for the clan. You may return only when you have earned back 1 billion pounds for the clan!”

“Yes!”

At that moment, the clan leader, seated at the head of the table, changed the subject and said, “Now that those responsible have been punished, we must also reward those who have contributed. During this business war, some clan members performed exceptionally well—Dawson, for example!”

“Since returning to London from the East, Dolsen has earned 1.5 billion pounds in just two short months. He stepped in repeatedly when Sheffield Company faced crises, and even the final negotiations were concluded with his assistance.”

“Therefore, after deliberation by the family council, it has been decided to award Dowson 10 million pounds in cash. Additionally, the six companies the family owns across the British Isles will be placed under Dowson’s management, and you will receive 10% of the net profits from these companies annually!”

Dawson immediately stood up and said, “Thank you, Clan Chief!”

“This failure in the London market is nothing short of a disgrace for our family. To have control of Sheffield Company so easily snatched away within our own sphere of influence is a profound humiliation. Therefore, we must strike back!” the Patriarch declared loudly.

“Fight back!”

“Fight back…”

Everyone in the conference room rose to their feet and shouted, their voices shaking the heavens, as if they were about to tear the roof off the ancient castle.

But among them all, only Dolsen’s expression remained impassive.

Although he had just received a reward from the family and had brought down the strongest rival on the path to becoming the family heir, his mood remained heavy, devoid of any joy.

After this fierce battle, Dolsen clearly recognized the gap between himself and Li Yi. In terms of investment skills and foresight, he and that man were simply not on the same level.

Now that the clan was clamoring for retaliation, Dolsen silently resolved that he absolutely could not get involved in this mess.

Otherwise, Kursha was the perfect example!

Yet, as is often the case, when you least expect it, things take an unexpected turn.

Just as Dolsen was hesitating over how to extricate himself, the clan leader’s gaze fell upon him…

……..

“What?”

Whether it was Old Henry, Sandy, or even Zhou Xinghua and Zhang Qiusheng in the living room, everyone was stunned by Li Yi’s words.

Almost everyone believed that Li Yi’s refusal to acquire the Henry family’s shares was purely an act of revenge against Sandy.

After all, his previous behavior hadn’t exactly looked like he was trying to win people over.

But what no one could have imagined was that this was actually Li Yi’s plan.

After the initial shock, Sandy looked at Li Yi and said, “Li, why would you take an interest in someone like me—a man you’ve already defeated? You must know my abilities are nowhere near yours.”

Although Sandy was reluctant to admit it, the facts were right before his eyes.

In this futures war, he and the Sassoon family had enjoyed every possible advantage—timing, location, and support—but what was the final outcome?

It could no longer be described as a mere defeat—it was a crushing defeat, a disaster too gruesome to behold!

“The reason you failed isn’t because you lack ability, but because you faced me as your opponent!” Li Yi said calmly.

Although there was certainly an element of bragging in those words, they were also the truth.

After all, in his previous life, under Sandy’s leadership, Sheffield Steel had easily crushed a bunch of small-time speculators in the futures market, raking in over two billion pounds in just a few short months and becoming a legend in the financial world.

It wasn’t until three years later, after the British government launched a crackdown on the steel industry and opened an investigation into Sheffield Steel, that Sandy was forced to step down as CEO due to the company’s financial troubles.

Without Sandy, Sheffield Steel soon ran into operational difficulties and ultimately collapsed with a crash after the turn of the millennium…

In this lifetime, Sheffield Steel was bound to suffer a crushing defeat—mainly because it ran into this jerk. He’d seen through all of Sandy’s tricks; expecting to win at a table like that was nothing short of a joke!

Besides, Sandy’s only real strength was his own ability; the rest of his team were all useless. So his defeat this time wasn’t due to poor strategy or poor execution—it was simply because his opponent was too powerful!

“We used to be enemies. Are you really comfortable handing over a company this big to a stranger?” Sandy said, looking at Li Yi.

“Enemies?”

Li Yi then smiled and said, “In the world of business, there are no permanent enemies or friends—only permanent interests!”

“I’m keeping your family’s shares precisely so that you’ll dedicate yourself wholeheartedly to the company—not to mention, I have the ability to triple Sheffield Company’s market value!”

Sandy and Old Henry’s eyes lit up instantly. If Li Yi could truly triple the company’s market value, that would mean the value of their family’s shares would triple as well.

At the same time, Sandy understood what Li Yi meant: this young man from the East intended to deeply align the Henry family’s interests with his own and those of the entire Sheffield Company.

This meant that if he ever wanted to do anything that harmed the company, he would first have to be prepared to harm the family’s interests.

“Li, can you really triple the company’s market value?” Sandy asked in a low voice.

“In this futures war, steel companies on the London market have suffered heavy losses. Four major steel companies have gone bankrupt alone, and their combined production capacity accounted for more than 25% of the entire market!”

Li Yi continued, “As for the survivors, aside from Sheffield Company, there are only a few small firms with low production capacity. Moreover, almost none of them have much steel in stock. Right now, whoever holds the steel can dominate the market—a fact you must surely understand, Mr. Sandy!”

Sandy nodded and said, “That’s right. Whoever has steel now can capture—or even dominate—the market. But our company has no steel in stock…”

“I do!”

Li Yi continued, “We currently have over twenty million tons of steel in stock. If I hand this steel over to the company and have it sold on the market through futures contracts, what do you think will happen?”

Sandy paused to think for a moment, then said, “Not only would it keep the company afloat, but it would also buy us a few months to resume production and secure the funds needed for development!”

“And as long as we have ample steel, it could also significantly boost our already sluggish stock price. While a threefold increase is unlikely, doubling it shouldn’t be a problem.”

Li Yi didn’t argue with Sandy over whether the company’s stock price would double or triple; instead, he looked at him and said, “Mr. Sandy, the choice is now yours: cooperation or confrontation?”

Sandy fell silent…

However, just as he was pondering, Old Henry, standing nearby, couldn’t hold back any longer. He spoke up in a grave tone: “Sandy, this is a golden opportunity. If you agree to cooperate with Mr. Li, you won’t have to go all the way to the Americas…”

“I…”

Before Sandy could speak, Li Yi suddenly interjected, “Mr. Sandy, are you planning to travel to the Americas soon?”

“Yes, I’ve already bought a ticket for tomorrow!”

“I advise you to cancel that trip,” Li Yi said.

“Why?”

“If you insist on going to the Americas as planned, the trip won’t go smoothly. While you won’t lose your life, it will become the worst nightmare of your life!” Li Yi said calmly.

“Li, what do you mean by that?” Sandy asked, looking completely baffled.

“Heh, exactly what I said. Something bad might happen to you soon!”

“Li, are you threatening me?” Sandy asked, frowning.

“No… no, I’m just warning you!”

At that moment, Li Yunbao chimed in from the side: “Mr. Sandy, you must have heard of ‘divination’ in the East. It’s a mystical ability unique to the East, much like your Western prophecies.”

“And our boss possesses this very ability. He believes that in the coming days, you may encounter some frightening but non-life-threatening incidents, and he’s advising you to be cautious!”

Divination? Mysterious Eastern prophecies?

Something bad?

Sandy was completely baffled by Li Yi’s words!

Although he’d heard that the mysterious Eastern civilization seemed to harbor some incomprehensible, magical phenomena, Sandy didn’t believe in them.

So he didn’t take it seriously and instead turned his attention back to Li Yi’s invitation.

Although Li Yi’s invitation was very tempting, Sandy was well aware of the risks involved.

After all, the Sassoon family had always regarded Sheffield Company as their exclusive domain; now that Li Yi had snatched it away, they certainly wouldn’t let it go.

If he chose to partner with Li Yi now, it would mean taking a stand against the Sassoon family, and he would inevitably face their retaliation.

Sandy knew all too well just how powerful the Sassoon family was in Europe; to be honest, he truly had no confidence that he could withstand the retaliation of that formidable family.

Seeing the conflict and hesitation on Sandy’s face, Li Yi immediately said, “Here’s what we’ll do, Mr. Sandy. I’ll give you two days to think it over. By then, regardless of whether you choose to cooperate, I’ll agree to buy the shares you hold!”

“Thank you for your generosity, thank you!” Sandy replied immediately.

Old Henry also expressed his deepest gratitude, adopting an exceptionally humble demeanor.

After the father and son had repeatedly expressed their gratitude to Li Yi, they finally took their leave and departed from the castle estate…

………

A Castle Estate on the Outskirts of London!

In the conference room, all team members affiliated with Star Investment and the Far East Association had gathered.

With the successful completion of the acquisition of Sheffield Steel, the final 10-million-ton futures contract had been offset by internal company debt, marking the imminent conclusion of their investment journey in London.

Therefore, this morning, Li Yi had Pang Feiyan, Zhang Qiusheng, and others head to the exchange to finalize the settlement of this investment’s results.

Now that the settlement results were in, everyone had gathered to review the achievements of their London trip.

Seated at the head of the conference room, Li Yi felt a sense of satisfaction as he observed the excited and eager expressions on everyone’s faces.

Clearing his throat, he said, “I know everyone wants to know how much we made in total, so I won’t waste any time. Feiyan, why don’t you share the final figures with everyone?”

“Yes, Boss!”

Pang Feiyan then forced herself to calm her excitement before taking out a document and reading aloud: “During this trip to London, we invested a total of 57 billion Hong Kong dollars, equivalent to 3.56 billion pounds. After more than three months of trading, we made a profit of 786 million pounds from copper futures and 954 million pounds from aluminum futures!”

“In addition, our paper profits from steel futures amount to 6.8 billion pounds, and we’ve made 1.8 billion pounds from physical steel investments. Therefore, the total paper profit from this investment is approximately 10.3 billion pounds…”

Whoa!

No sooner had the words left his mouth than everyone in the conference room couldn’t help but gasp in shock.

Everyone was stunned by this staggering figure—10.3 billion… and it’s in pounds, for crying out loud!

If converted to Hong Kong dollars, that’s over a hundred billion—more money than you’d ever see in a funeral offering!

Just as everyone was reeling from the shock, Li Yi spoke up: “Feiyan was only referring to the book profit. In reality, our net profit is nowhere near that high. The main reason is that when we invested in steel futures, although we made a 6.8 billion profit, we were left holding 10 million tons of physical steel and 10 million tons of futures contracts that we hadn’t sold. As a result, when settling with the institutions, we actually had to pay them 400 million pounds in cash.”

“Furthermore, when we acquired Sheffield Steel Banbanhaobang, we not only put in 3.1 billion pounds in cash but also assumed most of the company’s debt, effectively offsetting those 10 million tons of futures contracts.”

“Then there’s the spot market: the 10 million tons of steel we acquired earlier still hasn’t been sold. So right now, all we have is 400 million pounds in cash, plus 20 million tons of steel, and a company on its last legs!”

Hearing this outcome, everyone was stunned once again!

What happened to the promised 10 billion in profits? How did things turn out this way—no money in sight, and our 3.5 billion in principal has dwindled to just 400 million?

In an instant, everyone’s gaze turned to Li Yi!

Li Yi, of course, knew exactly what everyone was thinking.

He smiled and said, “Although this outcome may come as a surprise to everyone, we have 20 million tons of steel in stock. At market prices, that’s worth at least 7.2 billion pounds!”

No sooner had he finished speaking than Zhou Xinghua interjected, “Mr. Li, while steel is indeed in short supply on the market right now, not just anyone can handle the 20 million tons of steel we have on hand!”

Zhang Qiusheng chimed in, “If all that steel were to flood the market at once, it would inevitably affect market prices…”

Before he could finish, Li Yi interjected with a laugh, “Who said we’re going to flood the market with these 20 million tons of steel?”

“Mr. Li, how are we supposed to cash out if it doesn’t go into the market?” Zhou Xinghua frowned.

“What about the futures market?” Li Yi said casually.

“The futures market?”

Soon, everyone thought of Sheffield Steel!

Now that they had acquired the company, they could certainly hand over their steel to Sheffield Steel and have them sell it on the futures market.

Compared to the spot market, the futures market recoups funds much faster!

“Mr. Li, we haven’t officially taken over the company yet. I hear things are in complete disarray over at Sheffield Steel right now. They…”

Before Zhou Xinghua could finish, a series of urgent knocks suddenly rang out from outside the conference room door.

Immediately afterward, Li Yi’s personal bodyguard, Zhang Ziqiang, pushed the door open, walked over to Li Yi, and whispered a few words in his ear.

After exchanging a few words with Zhang Ziqiang, Li Yi immediately stood up with a smile and said, “The Henry family has arrived. Let’s go out and meet them!”

With that, Li Yi strode out toward the lobby!

When Li Yi arrived at the downstairs lounge with Li Yunbao, Zhou Xinghua, and the others, Zhang Ziqiang also walked in, accompanied by three men dressed like gentlemen.

The man in the middle was an elderly gentleman in his sixties, flanked by two middle-aged men in their forties. Li Yi recognized one of them—he was the general manager of Sheffield United Steel Company.

For the past five years, he had been in charge of Sheffield Steel.

Seeing Li Yi being fawned over by everyone in the living room, Sandy’s feelings were extremely complicated.

The first time he’d heard the name Li Yi, he hadn’t given the young man a second thought—just an Eastern upstart who didn’t know his place, incapable of making any real waves.

But what he never could have imagined was that this very young man, in just a few short months, had snatched Sheffield Steel away from the Sassoon family as if plucking a tooth from a tiger’s mouth.

What was most unimaginable was that this young man had achieved all this with just 3.1 billion pounds and 10 million tons of steel futures contracts.

As the company’s general manager, no one understood the value of Sheffield Steel better than Sandy—it was only the idiotic Sassoon family who insisted on treating the empire’s largest steel company as a financial instrument.

If the company could restore its former productivity, its market value would triple or even quintuple as the market recovered.

Unfortunately…

Before Sandy had time to dwell on it, Li Yi, seated at the head of the table, stood up and addressed him directly: “Mr. Sandy, we meet again!”

Sandy sighed and said, “Li, we’ve lost!”

He then gestured toward the elderly man beside him and said, “This is my father. You can call him Old Henry. We came here today…”

Before he could finish, Li Yi cut him off, saying, “I know. You’re here to sell me your shares, but unfortunately, I won’t be buying any shares from your family!”

At that moment, Old Henry hurriedly said, “Mr. Li, we know Sandy offended you before, so we’ve brought him here to apologize. As you say in your great Eastern nation, this is called… bearing a wooden staff to atone for one’s sins…”

“It’s ‘bearing a bundle of thorns to atone for one’s sins’!”

Li Yi’s lips twitched involuntarily. What the hell is “apologizing with a log on one’s back”?!

“Yes, exactly—‘carrying a bundle of thorns to atone for one’s sins.’ Moreover, our family has decided to send Sandy to the Americas tomorrow as a gesture of our sincere apology. We humbly ask for your forgiveness regarding his previous misconduct!” Old Henry said.

Hearing this, a meaningful smile suddenly appeared on Li Yi’s lips, and he said, “Mr. Henry, do you think I’m refusing your family’s shares as revenge for what Mr. Sandy did earlier?”

“Isn’t that the case?”

“Haha, of course not. If I truly wanted revenge, I wouldn’t be coming after you—I’d be going after the Sassoon family!” Li Yi said calmly.

“Then why, exactly, are you refusing to take shares in our company?” Sandy asked in a low voice.

“Because I want to partner with your Henry family—or, to be more precise, I want to partner with Mr. Sandy!” Li Yi said.

“Collaborate… Mr. Li Yi, what exactly do you mean by ‘collaborate’?”

Li Yi replied immediately, “The Henry family retains all 5% of the shares, and you, Mr. Sandy, continue to serve as the general manager of Sheffield United Steel Company. How does that sound?”

At those words, everyone in the living room was stunned…

……….

Li Yi, who was in London, had no idea that his wife had already decided to travel thousands of miles to find him. At that moment, he was in the process of delivering the final blow to the Sheffield Company.

The growing public outcry quickly caught the attention of British authorities. Given the importance of the Sheffield Railway Company, officials immediately announced they would conduct a thorough investigation to reveal the truth to the public.

Soon, government officials sent Sheffield Company documents requesting their full cooperation with the investigation.

For Sheffield Steel and the shareholders behind it, this came as a bolt from the blue; given the company’s current crisis, it was nothing short of adding insult to injury.

As everyone knows, these large conglomerates and corporations are particularly vulnerable to investigations—who knows how many skeletons might be uncovered!

More importantly, the company and its shareholders had originally planned to resort to extreme measures to force Li Yi to abandon his short squeeze.

But with the authorities stepping in, they immediately backed down and abandoned that idea.

Some matters must be handled discreetly; they cannot be discussed openly, and certainly must not involve official intervention.

If the authorities were to take notice of this matter, the consequences would be unimaginable.

The company’s top brass and shareholders understood this logic, and so did the retail investors and shareholders. Everyone knew that if the authorities got involved, Sheffield Company would be finished!

As a result, the company’s stock price plummeted.

Before the short squeeze began in early May, Sheffield United Steel Company’s stock price stood at 35 pounds per share, with a total market capitalization exceeding 11.8 billion pounds, ranking fourth on the London Stock Exchange.

After the first short squeeze, the stock price dropped to £30 per share, wiping out over £1.7 billion in market value.

During the second short squeeze, the company lost over 6 billion pounds in a single blow; its share price fell another 5 pounds, leaving its market capitalization at just 7.2 billion pounds.

Now, during the third short squeeze, in just two days, United Steel’s share price has fallen to £18 per share—nearly half of its peak value.

The company’s market capitalization is also evaporating at a visible rate, currently standing at less than 6 billion pounds.

Watching the share price plummet, coupled with the official intervention, many could no longer sit idly by.

On one hand, the short squeeze led by Li Yi continues, and the exchange is on the verge of collapse.

Once the exchange approves the opposing side’s request for physical delivery, default is virtually a foregone conclusion, given that they cannot raise enough steel.

What’s even more baffling is that while the company’s stock price is plummeting, its debt is growing by the day.

As Sheffield Steel found itself mired in a quagmire with no way out, steel prices on the London futures market surged, reaching 378 pounds per ton.

This means that the short futures positions Sheffield Steel has opened require even more capital to cover.

This left the company’s shareholders completely numb; everyone knew the company was likely headed for bankruptcy…

On the afternoon of June 24, after holding on for two days, Dolsons, representing the family behind the company, approached Li Yi once again.

This time, their position was clear: they agreed to sell their 56% stake to Li Yi.

Li Yi did not refuse. Since the other side had already raised the white flag, he saw no reason to press his advantage.

It wasn’t just a matter of not kicking a man when he’s down; more importantly, the Sassoon family’s main battleground was Europe—specifically the financial sector.

The steel industry was merely a small part of their family’s broader business empire. Even if he crushed them mercilessly, it would at most cost the Sassoon family some money—it wouldn’t uproot them entirely.

Since a single, decisive blow was out of the question, he would take a more gradual approach—a slow, steady process of cutting into their flesh with a blunt knife!

After a series of intense negotiations, both sides finally agreed that Li Yi would assume all of the company’s debts in exchange for acquiring all of the Sassoon family’s shares for 1.8 billion.

The moment the news broke, the entire Sheffield company was thrown into chaos.

Everyone had been waiting for the Sassoon family to step in and resolve the crisis, but they never expected the major shareholder to pack up and flee overnight. What were the small shareholders supposed to do now?

Soon, other shareholders approached Li Yi, all hoping to transfer their shares to him.

Li Yi responded with generosity and goodwill; as long as they faced reality and didn’t demand exorbitant prices, he gladly took over their shares.

Over the weekend of the 25th and 26th, Li Yi finally completed the acquisition of Sheffield Steel Company.

This major acquisition cost Li Yi a total of 2.6 billion pounds, securing 71% of Sheffield Steel’s shares.

Of the remaining 29%, 5% was held by the family behind General Manager Sandy, while the final 24% consisted of the company’s publicly traded shares.

In addition, Li Yi had to assume nearly all of the company’s debt, totaling 4.2 billion pounds.

However, 90% of this debt consisted of short positions sold by the company, which were essentially all in Li Yi’s hands.

According to calculations by Zhang Qiusheng and others, Li Yi used 3.1 billion pounds in funds plus over 10 million tons of short contracts to secure a 71% stake in Sheffield Steel.

The average purchase price for those 10 million tons of steel contracts was approximately £210 per ton, totaling £2.1 billion.

In other words, he acquired this century-old steel giant for a mere 5.2 billion pounds.

Once the share transfer agreement was officially signed and took effect, all team members—including Li Yunbao, Zhou Xinghua, Zhang Qiusheng, Pang Feiyan, and Liang He—jumped for joy.

They had truly done it—they had actually acquired this steel giant.

Although, based on the company’s current market value, it didn’t seem like they had gotten a particularly good deal, everyone knew that Sheffield Steel’s true worth was far greater than that.

Once they sorted out the internal issues, the company was bound to rise again.

To put it simply, the company’s massive mining operations around the world were worth a fortune on their own—and these mines were scarce resources that money alone couldn’t buy.

So, no matter how you look at it, this deal is a win!

However, while some rejoiced and others grieved, as Li Yi and his team celebrated securing controlling interest in Sheffield Steel, the Henry family behind Sandy was plunged into despair.

As the former fourth-largest shareholder—and now the second-largest—of Sheffield Steel, their family suffered the heaviest losses in this futures battle.

They had originally believed that, relying on intelligence relayed by their eldest son in the military, they could easily fleece a batch of small investors in the futures market and make a huge profit.

But they never imagined that after Li Yi threw a wrench in the works, the company’s market value would plummet by half, leaving it on the brink of bankruptcy.

What they found even more baffling was that while nearly all shareholders had sold their shares to that Eastern buyer, the buyer was the only one unwilling to acquire the 5% stake held by their family. Even after they offered to sell at 80% of the market price, the buyer remained unmoved.

In their fury, the Henry family’s leadership realized that the buyer’s refusal might stem from the fact that Sandy, as the company’s general manager, had orchestrated the futures battle.

Furthermore, the buyer may have discovered that Sandy had previously attempted to collude with the Sassoon family to employ underhanded tactics, and was therefore holding a grudge, refusing to acquire their shares.

In that case, the other party would only need to inject capital or split the shares to easily dilute the Henry family’s stake.

That man from the East intended to oust the Henry family at the lowest possible cost.

Faced with this conclusion, the Henry family was thrown into a panic.

Unlike the Sassoon family, they were not a massive conglomerate; the entire Henry family’s assets amounted to just over a billion pounds, most of which was tied up in Sheffield Steel.

With the company on the brink of bankruptcy and its stock price plummeting, the impact on their family far exceeded that on the Sassoon family.

If that man from the East were to use his influence to oust them, it wouldn’t just be the company that went bankrupt—it would be the entire family.

In light of this, the head of the Henry family had no other choice but to personally bring his “wayward son” to Li Yi and the others’ residence, hoping to grovel for forgiveness…

………

The General Manager’s office wasn’t in the front courtyard, but in a separate garden.

This place was originally a princely mansion; though it lacked nothing in terms of pavilions, towers, and gazebos, it was unsuitable for office work.

This was because the various courtyards were not clustered together but were scattered quite widely.

If there were only a few staff members, it would still be manageable.

But with a large staff, the layout became impractical—which was precisely why the Education Bureau had sold it off.

After winding through several turns, Jiang Xue finally arrived outside the General Manager’s office.

The office door was ajar, and from inside came the sound of Lan Xinyi on the phone; her awkward Mandarin was rather hard to listen to.

Of course, at the branch office, this accent—which sounded as if someone were squeezing her throat—was a symbol of senior management.

Although they had hired a large number of local employees here, the management positions were mostly held by people from Hong Kong Island.

This wasn’t because Lan Xinyi, Cai Bingyan, He Tiansheng, and others were engaging in nepotism or deliberately suppressing local employees.

Rather, it was because the mainland employees knew virtually nothing about modern corporate management—the people from Hong Kong truly were like “a monk from afar who knows how to chant the sutras”!

Jiang Xue didn’t rush inside but stood at the door for a moment.

Only after she heard the sound of a phone being hung up inside did she knock on the office door.

Although Jiang Xue was the boss’s wife, she knew exactly why she was there, so she always conducted herself as an ordinary intern.

Inside the office, Lan Xinyi saw Jiang Xue enter and immediately smiled, saying, “Xiao Xue, you’re here?”

Jiang Xue nodded with a smile, then handed over the documents she was holding and said, “Sister Lan, Manager He asked me to give these to you!”

Lan Xinyi took the documents, glanced at them, then shook her head and said, “He Tiansheng really knows how to play his cards. He knows I won’t hold up your application—he didn’t even bother to come in person for the approval of a 50 million yuan funding request!”

“Fifty million?”

Stunned, Jiang Xue hurriedly said, “Sister Lan, I’m only here for an internship. You can’t break the rules just for my sake!”

Lan Xinyi nodded and replied, “It’s not exactly breaking the rules, but lately, I’ve been signing off on every application you’ve submitted the moment I receive it. This has made the finance department a bit too lax when it comes to reconciling the accounts!”

With that, Lan Xinyi picked up a document from her desk and handed it to Jiang Xue.

“These are all the expenses since the branch opened. Take a look!”

“Sister Lan, this is company confidential information. Is it really appropriate for me to look at this?” Jiang Xue asked, feeling a bit uneasy.

“Xue, you’re the boss’s wife—he’s yours, after all. What’s there to be inappropriate about looking at this?” Lan Xinyi said with a smile.

Jiang Xue’s face flushed slightly, but upon reflection, she realized Lan Xinyi had a point. She took the document and began to look through it.

She hadn’t realized it until she looked, but the moment she did, she was genuinely startled.

The thick stack of documents contained detailed expense records for every single item. When she saw the final total of 86 million, Jiang Xue’s throat involuntarily tightened, and she instinctively swallowed.

During her internship in the finance department, she had dealt with these accounts the most and was well aware of the company’s substantial expenses.

For instance, this office space alone had cost a full five million yuan, and the expenses for furnishing it and staffing it had added up to over 100,000 yuan.

In addition, the company had purchased a large plot of land on the outskirts of the city to build its new headquarters; the 800 mu of land had cost the company nearly 30 million yuan.

To ensure the headquarters was built properly, the company specially brought in a design and construction team from Hong Kong Island, which required an additional investment of several million.

Even so, Jiang Xue never imagined that in just three short months, the company’s total expenses would reach as much as 86 million.

And that doesn’t even include the 22 million yuan that Manager He requested today. If that amount is added, the company’s total expenditure for the three months will reach a staggering 100 million yuan.

“Sister Lan… have we really spent that much in just three months? That’s way too much, isn’t it?”

Jiang Xue looked at Lan Xinyi in astonishment, her eyes filled with disbelief.

Lan Xinyi smiled and said, “It’s not that bad. While we’ve certainly spent a lot, our spending pace is still a bit too slow—it doesn’t meet the boss’s expectations!”

“Slow… do you mean ‘slow’ in the way I think you do?” Jiang Xue asked, stammering slightly.

“Yes, exactly—we’re spending money too slowly!”

Lan Xinyi continued, “You might not know this, but the boss gave us a target of 500 million yuan in investments this year. It’s almost July now, and we’ve spent less than 100 million. The second half of the year is going to be a real challenge!”

“5… 500 million yuan?”

Jiang Xue knew Li Yi was wealthy and that her husband was in the habit of spending lavishly, but she hadn’t imagined his spending pace was this terrifying.

Seeing the look of shock on Jiang Xue’s face, Lan Xinyi smiled and said, “Does that scare you a little?”

Jiang Xue nodded slightly and said, “Yeah, a little. I usually only see numbers that big when I read government financial reports in the newspaper!”

“Actually, it’s not that bad. For an investment firm like ours, spending money is an art—often, the faster we spend, the higher the company’s profits!”

Lan Xinyi continued, “500 million yuan is indeed a huge sum to us, but in the boss’s eyes, it’s probably not even a drop in the bucket—not even enough for him to make a single move!”

Jiang Xue was stunned once again by Lan Xinyi’s words. Is that really how you use the phrase “a drop in the bucket”?

“500 million yuan isn’t even enough for your boss to make a single move? Isn’t that a bit of an exaggeration?” Jiang Xue asked.

Lan Xinyi replied immediately, “It’s not exaggerated. Last year, the boss took us to New York, and on that trip alone, we invested 2 billion—in US dollars!”

“Right now, the boss is investing in futures in London. They’re putting in even more money this time—reportedly over 60 billion Hong Kong dollars, which converts to nearly 20 billion yuan!”

Whoa!

“He… he really invested tens of billions over there? Isn’t he afraid of losing it all?” Jiang Xue said, both shocked and astonished.

While deeply shaken, Jiang Xue also felt that her decision to major in accounting had been incredibly wise.

That rascal needs someone to keep a close eye on his money; otherwise, no amount would be enough to keep up with his extravagant spending.

Just then, Lan Xinyi’s voice reached Jiang Xue’s ears again: “Investment firms all have risk mitigation measures in place. Even if there’s a misstep, the company won’t bear the full loss—and besides, the boss is an investment genius. So far, we’ve never seen him lose money!”

“So how’s he doing over in London?”

Lan Xinyi replied immediately, “Rumor has it the boss is on a roll again, but I don’t know exactly how much he’s made. What I do know is that the rate at which we spend money can’t even keep up with the rate at which the boss makes it…”

Hearing this, Jiang Xue gained a new appreciation for her man’s ability to make money.

Thinking about her upcoming vacation and the fact that she hadn’t seen Li Yi in several months, a sudden thought crossed Jiang Xue’s mind: she was going to go find her man.

The moment that thought took root, it spread rapidly through her mind, so much so that she didn’t even pay attention to what Lan Xinyi said afterward…

……….

News of Li Yi’s plan to acquire Sheffield Company quickly reached the Sassoon family and, at the same time, Sheffield Steel Company.

Both the Sassoon family and the company’s other shareholders were furious. They never imagined that the despicable man’s repeated short-squeezes were not merely for profit, but that he had actually set his sights on the company.

To them, this was utterly unforgivable!

After all, Sheffield Steel was not merely a cash cow for the Sassoon family; it was also a crucial bargaining chip for the family to influence the Empire’s political arena.

Over the years, they had frequently used the company to engage in quid pro quo deals with certain figures in the Empire’s political arena, all to secure benefits for the family.

Now, asking them to hand over control of the company wasn’t just a matter of undermining their foundation—it was like digging up their ancestors’ graves!

Immediately, the Sassoon family reacted by rejecting Li Yi’s acquisition offer.

At the same time, upon confirming that Sheffield Steel’s outstanding contracts totaled less than 10 million tons and that the actual shortfall was less than 8 million tons, the company immediately mobilized all its resources to raise funds and secure steel supplies to ensure on-time delivery.

Furthermore, the company’s other shareholders, united in a common cause, decided to stand with the Sassoon family through this difficult time.

Upon learning of this situation, even the front-line workers—who had been causing trouble for management over the past few months—temporarily chose to compromise and agreed to resume production.

For a time, the entire Sheffield United Steel Company was united in its determination to defend the company.

However, just as they were brimming with confidence, a piece of unexpected news spread throughout the London futures market.

On the afternoon of June 21, word spread that Sheffield Steel was facing an unprecedented short squeeze.

But on that day, the news did not cause much of a stir, and no one took it seriously.

But just one day later, early on the morning of the 22nd, authoritative media outlets such as The Times and The Oxford Gazette once again reported a bombshell as their front-page headline: Sheffield, the Empire’s largest steel producer, was facing bankruptcy!

At the same time, multiple newspapers reported that Sheffield Company was facing an unprecedented short squeeze, with over 20 million tons of spot steel—worth nearly 8 billion pounds—required to be delivered to short sellers within a maximum of five days.

However, the company currently holds less than 2 million tons of steel in inventory, and its cash reserves stand at less than 500 million pounds. Even when combined with the 1.5 billion pounds obtained through pledged equity and assets, the total falls far short of the funds required to “settle the accounts.”

Therefore, the likelihood of Sheffield Steel defaulting this time is extremely high, and once the squeeze is successful, bankruptcy is almost inevitable.

This news instantly sent shockwaves through the entire futures market, especially given that three steel companies had already gone bankrupt over the past two months following short squeezes by long positions.

Even so, prior to this, there had been considerable confidence in Sheffield United Steel Company.

On the one hand, as the Empire’s largest steel enterprise, Sheffield’s strength was beyond question.

After all, not only did it rank first in the country in terms of production capacity, but it also owned numerous high-quality iron ore mines worldwide.

Furthermore, over the past few years, the company had made a fortune by manipulating steel prices, effectively fleecing investors.

Regardless of how one views such behavior, it is undeniable that they possessed sufficient strength to weather the crisis.

On the other hand, although Sheffield Steel has faced repeated short squeezes in recent times, it has managed to weather the storm time and again, leading many to believe the company would be able to overcome this challenge as well.

And Sheffield Steel did not disappoint investors and shareholders; they responded swiftly, stating that the company’s contracts nearing expiration amounted to less than 10 million tons, not the 20 million tons reported.

Although there is indeed a certain shortage in the company’s spot inventory, all shareholders are actively working to rescue the company, the workers have withdrawn their previous demands and returned to their posts, and the company has resumed production.

Company CEO Sandy made a high-profile statement, expressing confidence that with everyone’s efforts, the company would certainly overcome this crisis!

However, their response not only failed to allay the concerns of shareholders and investors but actually caused them even greater panic.

For shareholders and investors, there is essentially no difference between 10 million tons and 20 million tons—it is clear that the company does not have sufficient inventory.

As a result, on the 22nd, Sheffield Company’s stock price plummeted by 12% in a single day, and even more shareholders began dumping their shares!

For a moment, Sheffield Company’s shareholders were left speechless…

……….

Just as Li Yi was dominating the futures market in the British Empire, Jiang Xue, far away in Beijing, was also working hard to pursue her dreams.

In the courtyard house, Jiang Xue had gotten up early.

After a quick tidy-up, she carried the two little ones, Yunrui and Yunjin, to her eldest sister’s room, then headed out with Zhang Feng.

Half an hour later, the two arrived in front of a quaint, historic building in the city center.

This was the temporary headquarters of Star Investment’s mainland branch, converted from the former Beijing Municipal Education Bureau’s office.

It was also where Jiang Xue currently worked… or, more accurately, where she was interning.

At Li Yi’s suggestion and arrangement, Jiang Xue now spent every Saturday and Sunday interning in the company’s finance department.

The reason for this was, on the one hand, to allow Jiang Xue to learn and adapt to international accounting standards, and on the other hand, Li Yi wanted his wife to gain a better understanding of the company’s operations.

After all, this young lady is determined to manage his finances herself; as the lady of the house, she deserves the opportunity, doesn’t she?

Jiang Xue and Zhang Feng, knowing their way around, walked into an office with a sign that read “Finance Department.”

The others in the room greeted her warmly and enthusiastically.

Everyone knew that this beautiful young woman, who was always accompanied by a female bodyguard, was the boss’s legitimate wife—the boss’s wife.

As soon as she reached her desk, her mentor, Zhou Weiping, came over with a smile and said, “Little Xue, Manager He just stopped by and said to swing by his office as soon as you arrived!”

“Sure thing, Sister Zhou, thank you so much. I’ll go right away!”

Jiang Xue knew that these employees from Hong Kong were extremely dedicated and highly efficient, so she didn’t dare to delay.

After speaking with Zhou Weiping, she immediately walked over to the manager’s office next door and knocked on the door.

“Knock, knock, knock…”

“Come in!”

Jiang Xue pushed the door open and said to He Tiansheng, the finance manager and her direct supervisor, “Manager, you called for me?”

He Tiansheng took out a document and slid it toward Jiang Xue.

Then, speaking in broken Mandarin, he said, “This is about the rooster’s tight-lipped nature during the banquet…”

It took a lot of effort, but Jiang Xue finally understood what He Tiansheng meant.

He meant that this report detailed the company’s recent financial expenditures and wanted her to take it to General Manager Lan immediately!

“Okay!”

With that, Jiang Xue picked up the document and headed out.

Jiang Xue had done this sort of thing quite often over the past two or three months. At first, she thought Manager He was training her, but later she realized it wasn’t training at all—He Tiansheng simply valued her status as “the boss’s wife.”

After all, all company finances required General Manager Lan Xinyi’s approval, and even He Tiansheng, as the finance manager, had to toe the line and do as she said.

Before Jiang Xue joined the company, documents from the finance department would often go through several layers of review after being submitted—a process that was not only time-consuming and labor-intensive but also offered no guarantee of approval.

But ever since He Tiansheng had Jiang Xue submit an application once, he discovered that General Manager Lan signed it off on the very same day.

From that point on, He Tiansheng felt as though he’d cracked the code to getting funds approved—whenever he needed something, he turned to the “Madam.”

What Jiang Xue didn’t know, however, was that today’s document was different—she was about to face her company’s arrogance head-on for the first time…

……….

Monday, June 21!

With the arrival of summer, London entered the hottest season of the year.

Even early in the morning, temperatures could reach the high twenties, which Li Yi found quite uncomfortable.

But knowing that the futures battle here was drawing to a close—and that the success of the short squeeze hinged on today’s decisive move—he felt both elated and a bit excited.

Upon arriving at the exchange, the place was already teeming with people.

Following the British Empire’s recapture of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands yesterday, and the acceptance of the local Argentine forces’ surrender, the 74-day Falklands War had officially come to a ceasefire.

With the war officially over, the stock and futures markets—which had been fluctuating for three months—were now entering their final phase of competition.

Today, it wasn’t just Li Yi and his group who had arrived; Dolsen and the London-based heads of major European financial conglomerates were all present as well, to the point where even the VIP lounge was too small to accommodate everyone.

Fortunately, Li Yi and his team had prepared in advance and secured exclusive use of a VIP lounge, so they didn’t have to share a room with others, let alone crowd into the main hall with retail investors.

“Ring, ring, ring…”

At exactly 9:00 a.m., as the opening bell rang, a new day of fierce competition in the futures market began!

As soon as trading began, Li Yi didn’t hesitate for a moment; he immediately had his team submit an application for spot delivery to the exchange.

As Zhang Qiu set off to submit the application, Zhou Xinghua suddenly asked with a touch of anxiety, “Mr. Li, we only have a little over 10 million tons of maturing contracts left. Will the squeeze succeed?”

Li Yi replied calmly, “Whether it succeeds or not doesn’t matter. Our goal is to drain Sheffield Steel of every last drop of blood. As long as we achieve that, they won’t be far from bankruptcy!”

That said, Li Yi estimated that, given current spot steel prices and market inventory levels, the likelihood of Sheffield Steel being able to raise 10 million tons of steel was extremely slim.

Moreover, they simply didn’t have that much capital—unless the Sassoon family continued to bail them out.

But that was unlikely. After all, the Sassoon family had already poured 2 billion pounds into the company; continuing to bail them out would require tens of billions more—far exceeding Sheffield Steel’s actual value.

When a pawn loses its value, it is time to be discarded—it is merely a matter of how the opponent chooses to dispose of it.

“Mr. Li, how should we dispose of the over 20 million tons of steel we currently have on hand? It’s all stored in various warehouses right now, and the daily storage costs are substantial,” Zhou Xinghua asked in a subdued tone.

“It depends on the situation. If we succeed in forcing the market, then we won’t need to sell this batch of steel. If we fail, we’ll have to sell it as soon as possible!” Li Yi replied.

“Why wouldn’t we need to sell it if the squeeze is successful…”

Before he could finish, Zhang Qiusheng pushed open the door and walked in. He approached Li Yi and said, “Mr. Li, Dolsen is here. He says he has something important to discuss with you. Would you like to…”

Before he could finish, Li Yi’s lips curled slightly upward as he said, “The God of Wealth has arrived—how could I not see him? Please show him in!”

“Yes!”

Zhang Qiusheng then strode out and returned shortly with several Westerners wearing grave expressions. Leading the group was none other than the old acquaintance, Dolsen…

Enemies meeting should naturally spark intense hostility, but the atmosphere here didn’t seem tense at all.

Although Dolsen and his companions looked grim, they still greeted Li Yi and his group politely upon seeing them.

Li Yi, who was determined to teach them a lesson, didn’t make things awkward for them either. After a brief greeting, he cut straight to the point: “Mr. Dolsen, there’s no need for us to beat around the bush. If you have any advice, please speak your mind!”

Dawson stared at Li Yi for a full thirty seconds before saying, “Mr. Li Yi, I hear your company has once again submitted an application for spot delivery to the exchange. I wonder if there’s any possibility of negotiation this time?”

Mentioning this matter filled Dolsen with a sense of frustration.

Just moments ago, as he was leading his investment team in final preparations to close the deal, he received an urgent call from his family informing him that someone was once again forcing a short squeeze on Sheffield Steel.

The family instructed him to immediately drop everything and investigate which company was behind this squeeze, to see if the matter could be resolved through negotiation.

At the same time, the family also indicated that this was Sheffield Steel’s final batch of short positions; as long as these futures contracts were settled, Sheffield Steel would be completely in the clear.

And so, once again, Dolsen found himself thrust into the role of firefighter!

When he discovered that the short-squeeze was once again the work of Li Yi, Dolsen felt utterly hopeless—how was it that this bastard was everywhere?

What made him feel even more frustrated was that every time he met this scumbag, he was the one left looking like a fool.

“No way!”

Seeing the look of anger and helplessness on Dolsen’s face, Li Yi said again, “Dolsen, I still hold 10 million tons of short positions in Sheffield Steel. I expect to see the corresponding amount of physical steel within three days. Otherwise, you’d better prepare for bankruptcy!”

“Mr. Li Yi, there’s an old saying in your country: ‘Where there’s room to spare, spare.’ We’ve already reached a settlement. Isn’t there any wiggle room on this matter?” Dolsen said in a low voice.

“Hah, Dolsen, we both know that this so-called reconciliation is just for show. Deep down, you’d love to see me vanish right here and now. Do you really think there’s any point in saying all this?” Li Yi said coldly.

“You…”

Just as Dolsen was about to explode, Li Yi suddenly changed the subject and said again, “Of course, if you can guarantee that you won’t cause trouble for our Chinese Chamber of Commerce in the future, I can give you a chance to walk away safely!”

“What exactly do you mean by a ‘safe way out’?”

“Sell me all the shares your family holds!” Li Yi said calmly.

“You… you want Sheffield Steel?” Dolsen said, looking utterly shocked.

“That’s the idea. After all, we’ve made so much money this time—we’ve got to spend it somehow!” Li Yi said in a flat tone.

Dawson instantly felt as if he’d been hit with a thousand-pound blow, while the few people around him wore equally stunned and bewildered expressions!

“How do you plan to acquire Sheffield Steel? Are you just buying the shares we hold, or are you planning to buy out everyone else’s as well?” Dolsen asked in a deep voice.

“It would be best to buy it all. But I don’t think you have the authority to decide this. The exchange’s approval is due in two days, and I hope you can give me an answer before then!” Li Yi said.

“Alright!”

With that, Dolsen didn’t hesitate; he turned and walked out.

The moment the VIP room door closed, the gazes of Li Yunbao, Zhou Xinghua, Zhang Qiusheng, Pang Feiyan, and the others all turned to Li Yi. Everyone’s expressions were identical: astonishment, shock, and disbelief.

After a long moment, Li Yunbao finally spoke up: “Brother Yi, are you really going to acquire Sheffield Steel?”

“What’s the matter? You seem quite surprised,” Li Yi asked with a smile.

“Of course I’m surprised. I always thought you just wanted to drive the company into bankruptcy. I never expected your goal was actually to acquire them. But Sheffield Steel’s current situation doesn’t look good—wouldn’t buying it now be…”

Before Li Yunbao could finish, Li Yi smiled and said, “Don’t worry. The last thing I like to do is make a losing deal!”

This is the largest steel company in the British Empire, after all. As long as we weather this slump, we’ll be able to ride the wave of the steel industry’s boom—which is expected to last over a decade. It’ll be hard not to make a profit!

Zhou Xinghua also chimed in, “But will they agree to sell their shares to us?”

Li Yi’s lips curled slightly upward as he replied confidently, “They will, because they have no other choice!”

If they refuse, Sheffield Steel will face bankruptcy. Once the company goes under, their shares won’t be worthless, but their value will certainly plummet.

As businesspeople, is there any need to even consider which choice to make?

After saying that, Li Yi immediately ordered, “Yunbao, contact The Times and the Oxford Gazette right away. Release the news that we’re forcing Sheffield Company into a short squeeze, and at the same time, expose their financial reports and steel inventory status!”

“Alright, I’ll go right away…”

……….

A Castle Villa in North London!

In the living room, Li Yi was conversing with Li Yunbao, Zhang Qiusheng, Zhou Xinghua, Pang Feiyan, Liang He, and others.

His gaze swept over the group a few times, then he asked calmly, “Yunbao, what’s the situation out there now?”

Upon hearing this, Li Yunbao first handed Li Yi a stack of newspapers, then said, “Thanks to your arrangements, Brother Yi, the news has spread throughout the British Isles and caused a huge stir. Now, almost all media outlets are digging deep into this matter, and false and true reports are flying everywhere.”

Li Yi flipped through the newspapers as he remarked, “Haha, the waters have been thoroughly muddied. Looks like we’re in for some good entertainment these next few days!”

At that moment, Zhang Qiusheng spoke up, “Mr. Li, our final batch of contracts expires tomorrow. Should we continue to squeeze the market, or…”

Before he could finish, Li Yi replied firmly, “Keep squeezing the market!”

“Mr. Li, I’m a bit confused. Why did you suddenly back out of such a golden opportunity to force the market last time?” Zhang Qiusheng asked, a hint of puzzlement in his voice.

The short squeeze a few days earlier had almost succeeded, but at the critical moment, Li Yi had accepted the exchange’s mediation and ultimately reached a settlement with Sheffield Company.

Although the company had made a hefty profit, Zhang Qiusheng, Zhou Xinghua, Pang Feiyan, and the others still couldn’t quite wrap their heads around it.

They had asked Li Yi about it before, but he had always avoided the subject.

Just as everyone assumed Li Yi wouldn’t answer this time either, he suddenly spoke up: “Because I wanted to crush Sheffield Company completely—and I wanted the Sassoon family to pay a bloody price!”

Seeing the bewildered looks on their faces, Li Yi sighed and said, “You’re just like those Westerners—you’ve only learned tactical offense and defense, and you have no idea what strategy is. That’s why you often win at first but lose in the end, and it all comes down to nothing!”

“Brother Yi, what’s the difference between tactics and strategy? And what does this have to do with your previous settlement with Sheffield Company?” Li Yunbao asked in confusion.

Hearing this, everyone else in the room turned their gaze to Li Yi.

“Tactics concern the gain or loss of a single city or piece of territory, while strategy focuses on the big picture and considers the whole situation!”

Li Yi continued, “In battle, defeating the enemy in a single engagement is merely a tactical victory—not a true victory. Only by annihilating the enemy’s combat-ready forces can you completely strip them of their ability to fight!”

“The business world is like a battlefield. For a company or a business family, capital is their fighting force. If we had insisted on forcing a short squeeze last time, Sheffield Corporation would certainly have defaulted—or even gone bankrupt.”

“But at that time, they still had a large amount of cash. They could easily transfer their assets through various means, then start over under a new name. That would serve no purpose for us. So, we either don’t act at all, or we strike to finish them off in one blow!”

At this point, Zhou Xinghua interjected, “So, Mr. Li, you settled with them to deplete their funds?”

“Right, but not entirely!”

Li Yi continued, “Besides making them spit out every penny they’ve swallowed, there’s also the intention to keep them in check!”

“Keep them in check?”

“Exactly. If we’d taken a hard line a few days ago, we might have driven them to desperation, forcing them to resort to underhanded tactics that could have jeopardized our future plans!” Li Yi explained.

Many people believe that Westerners place great importance on business integrity and the spirit of contract, but Li Yi scoffed at this notion.

Compared to the Chinese, these Westerners have absolutely no moral boundaries; their so-called business integrity and spirit of contract only come into play when it suits them.

If pushed to the limit, these guys would immediately resort to their ancestors’ bandit tactics and eliminate whoever caused the trouble.

Besides, they were currently on the other side’s turf; as long as he was willing to pay the price, making these people vanish completely wasn’t out of the question.

So when dealing with these people, you can’t push them too hard; you need both a thunderous approach and the patience of a frog in slowly heating water.

“Brother Yi, does that mean we don’t have to be afraid anymore?” asked Li Yunbao.

Li Yi gave a faint smile and said, “That’s right. We don’t need to be afraid anymore!”

“Why?”

“Heh, because starting tomorrow, neither Sheffield Corporation nor the Sassoon family will be able to save themselves—let alone have the energy to deal with us!” Li Yi said with a smile.

“How will they end up struggling to save themselves?” Li Yunbao asked, puzzled.

“Steel is the core industry of heavy industry development. No country would allow its domestic steel industry to collapse. But now, the steel industry across the British Isles has completely fallen apart. Do you think the government will just stand by and do nothing?” Li Yi said.

“Brother Yi, are you saying the government will intervene?” Li Yunbao asked.

Li Yi nodded. “Exactly. If things go as expected, the government here will soon launch an investigation into the chaos in the steel industry, and as the largest steel company in the British Isles, Sheffield Steel will inevitably be the first to face the music.”

“As the major shareholder of Sheffield Steel, the Sassoon family has made a killing on the futures market through this company over the years. What goes around comes around!”

The reason he said this was mainly because Li Yi knew that the long-standing chaos in the British Isles’ steel industry had indeed caught the government’s attention.

Historically, the Iron Lady had cracked down on steel contracts in early 1983, and Sheffield Steel had been hit the hardest with penalties at the time; even the Sassoon family behind the company had been held accountable.

Now, through a series of maneuvers, he had prematurely lifted the lid on the steel industry’s chaos—and made it common knowledge. He simply didn’t believe that, given the Iron Lady’s temperament, she would turn a blind eye to it.

Once the authorities intervened, both Sheffield Steel and the Sassoon family would have no choice but to submit to an investigation. Even if they were intent on taking action against him, they would certainly not choose to do so at this moment.

“Mr. Li, what should we do now?” Zhou Xinghua asked.

“Keep stoking the fire. Leak all the remaining information, then compile the data and submit the application for physical delivery to the exchange on Monday!” Li Yi said decisively.

“Yes…”

Following Li Yi’s orders, Li Yunbao once again reached out to the mainstream media in the British Isles. With money paving the way, these media outlets once again became weapons in Li Yi’s hands.

Li Yi already had a comprehensive plan in place for how to deal with Sheffield Company and the Sassoon family behind them.

To completely crush these two enemies and force them to submit, he had to keep steel prices at a high level for the long term.

In this way, as more and more futures contracts matured, the short positions they had previously sold would turn into deadly scythes, cutting Sheffield Corporation down into the abyss.

As the Falklands War was drawing to a close, the only way to keep steel prices high was to convince the public that steel was not in oversupply, but rather in short supply.

Therefore, after exposing the true state of the steel industry across the British Isles and indeed all of Europe, Li Yi immediately had his people expose the steel stockpiles and trading activity in the spot market one by one.

Of course, these reports were heavily embellished, with the sole purpose of creating panic over a steel shortage across the British Isles.

Initially, many people were skeptical of such reports.

After all, just a few months earlier, steel prices had been as low as cabbage, and the government had been relentlessly touting its achievements to the public, claiming that this year’s steel production capacity had reached such-and-such millions of tons—so how could it suddenly become a scarce commodity?

Consequently, many people went to the steel markets in person to inquire and investigate. Upon doing so, they discovered that the situation was far from ideal: almost all major steel and building materials markets had very little steel in stock, and prices were exceptionally high.

How could the public know that, at that very moment, the steel markets across the British Isles—having been systematically swept clean by various steel companies and institutions speculating on steel prices—no longer held any significant stockpiles of spot steel.

As these developments continued to come to light, steel prices—which had already fallen somewhat—were once again driven up by speculation.

At this very moment, the final batch of futures contracts in Li Yi’s hands was set to expire, and this forced-liquidation battle was about to reach its climax…

……….

On June 5, immediately after the second batch of 16 million metric tons of steel futures contracts expired, Li Yi submitted an application for physical delivery to the exchange, initiating his second squeeze.

Faced with this squeeze, both Sheffield Company and the Sassoon family felt a sense of despair.

The previous 12 million-plus tons of physical steel had essentially depleted their entire inventory; they had even been forced to tap into the Sassoon family’s extensive connections just to barely scrape together the physical steel required for delivery.

Although they had been actively gathering physical steel afterward, Sheffield Steel was far from the only steel company facing an excess of short positions; nearly all steel companies were now facing the crisis of a short squeeze by long positions.

Consequently, competition in the market for rebar and channel steel that meets delivery standards has become extremely fierce; often, even with money, it is impossible to purchase them.

Even with Sheffield Steel Company’s all-out efforts to acquire steel during this period, they have managed to procure less than 2 million tons—still a long way short of the 16 million tons currently needed.

Although they have already sought assistance from the largest steel company in North America, and the other party has agreed to mobilize 10 million tons of steel for them, that’s like trying to put out a fire with water from a distant source!

After all, shipping over 10 million tons of steel from North America to the British Isles would take several months—and Li Yi, who is clearly aiming to force a market crash, would never agree to wait that long.

Left with no other choice, the exchange had to step in to mediate.

After confirming that Sheffield Steel was indeed unable to fulfill physical delivery, the exchange had no choice but to convene both parties for negotiations, hoping to broker a settlement.

The exchange had no choice; after all, once Sheffield Steel confirmed it could not deliver, the exchange would be held responsible for these long positions.

Typically, they have two options: one is to purchase steel from the market to deliver to the long positions, and the other is to buy back the expired contracts from the counterparties at market prices.

Regardless of the approach, the exchange would suffer significant financial losses.

Although they could seek recourse from the defaulting Sheffield Steel Company through established procedures—and even impose fines—whether they would actually recover the funds remained an unknown.

If the shareholders behind Sheffield Steel completely abandon the company, or if the company becomes insolvent and files for bankruptcy, the money the exchange pays out to the long positions could be lost. banbanhaobang

This is precisely why the exchange hopes both parties can reach a negotiated settlement!

If negotiations are successful and the defaulting short sellers step forward to resolve the issue themselves, the exchange will not need to advance the funds.

Li Yi did not refuse the negotiations initiated by the exchange.

Although his goal was to force Sheffield Company into bankruptcy, his primary objective was to make the Sassoon family behind the company pay the price.

If Sheffield Company were to go bankrupt now, the people running the company would likely transfer the company’s funds while filing for bankruptcy.

It must be noted that over the past few months, Sheffield Company has recouped at least four to five billion pounds by liquidating short positions. If that money were to be siphoned off, the price the Sassoon family would pay would be far too small.

He not only wanted to force Sheffield Steel into bankruptcy, but also wanted them to hand over all their funds.

After three days of negotiations, Li Yi’s side ultimately chose to “compromise,” no longer demanding physical delivery from Sheffield Steel but switching to cash settlement instead.

However, Sheffield Steel didn’t come out ahead either; they had to buy back the contracts at a price 15% above the market rate.

Based on this price, Sheffield Steel would have to pay £388.70 per ton to redeem the expired contracts held by Li Yi and his group.

For the 16 million tons of short positions held by Li Yi alone, Sheffield Steel would have to pay a staggering 6.22 billion pounds.

When combined with the redemption of contracts held by other companies, Sheffield Steel had to pay out nearly £7 billion in a single week in early June.

This money not only completely drained Sheffield Steel, but also dragged down the Sassoon family behind it; they, too, were forced to foot the bill for Sheffield Steel’s actions to the tune of 2 billion pounds.

Fortunately, Sandy, the head of Sheffield Steel, had received word from his brother on the front lines that the Imperial forces had captured Stanley, the most important city on the Falkland Islands, on the 13th, and had surrounded nearly 10,000 Argentine soldiers in a small area.

Now the Argentine soldiers were beginning to waver and grow despondent, and their supreme commander, Major General Menéndez, was already negotiating the terms of a conditional surrender with them. Barring any surprises, news of the Empire’s complete recapture of the Falkland Islands would reach the homeland within a day or two.

The war will certainly be over by the end of the month.

This is absolutely tremendous news for the beleaguered Sheffield Company and the Sassoon family.

Once news of the war’s end arrives, steel prices will inevitably plummet—there is no doubt about that.

At that point, they would only need to spend a little more money to redeem the remaining tens of millions of short contracts.

Although losses were inevitable, as long as Sheffield Steel did not go bankrupt, the company’s shareholders could still accept this outcome.

And this was the fundamental reason why the Sassoon family was willing to go to such great lengths to save the Sheffield Company; put simply, this largest steel company in the Empire still held value for them.

And things indeed unfolded exactly as they had anticipated. Just one day later, good news arrived from the front lines: Imperial forces had successfully captured Puerto Stanley!

On June 14, 10 Downing Street released another stunning announcement: the Argentine garrison commander had surrendered to Major General Moore of the Royal Marines, and the 9,800 besieged Argentine soldiers were taken as prisoners of war.

In addition, 4,167 Argentine soldiers were repatriated to Argentina aboard the ocean liner HMS Canberra.

With the capture of Port Stanley by frontline troops, Imperial forces had gained complete control of the Falkland Islands, and the outcome of the war was now beyond doubt!

When the news reached the homeland, the entire British Isles erupted in jubilation; everyone took to the streets to celebrate the Empire’s victory.

It must be remembered that over the past two hundred years, the British Empire had conquered one nation after another with its superior ships and artillery, remaining virtually invincible and undefeated in battle.

At its peak, the Empire’s territory spanned nearly half the globe—India, Australia, New Zealand, Cyprus, Jamaica, Uganda… all were its colonies.

However, after the end of World War II, the Empire’s power rapidly declined, its colonies gained independence one after another, and the Empire’s glory faded day by day!

The victory in the Falklands War allowed the people of the British Isles to once again feel the Empire’s strength and see hope for its resurgence.

Upon hearing this news, the entire stock and futures markets were shaken once again; everyone knew that the countdown to war had begun.

In an instant, defense stocks, various metal futures, and commodity prices once again plunged into a rapid decline.

This naturally included steel, and long positions holding short contracts could no longer sit idly by; they rushed to sell their contracts to cash out.

At this point, Sheffield Steel Company secured a £1.5 billion bank loan using its shares as collateral, intending to take advantage of the falling steel prices to buy back a large number of short contracts and completely quell this squeeze crisis.

But just then, mainstream media outlets—including The Times and the Oxford Gazette—dropped another jaw-dropping bombshell.

The headline read “The Steel Crisis of Overcapacity.” The report was an investigative piece targeting not just Sheffield Steel, but the smelting industry across the British Isles and indeed all of Europe.

According to the report, after eight consecutive years of steel overcapacity, domestic steel companies—whether in the British Isles or elsewhere in Europe—have been pushed to the brink of survival.

To survive, they have been forced to implement measures such as layoffs, pay cuts, and production cuts to reduce corporate expenses.

Take the top five steel companies in the British Isles as an example: their production capacity has fallen to half of what it was at its peak, and some companies have even been reduced to just one-third of their former capacity. Over the past two years, the nation has been relying entirely on previously stockpiled steel.

Previously, with the international situation stable, these issues were effectively concealed. However, due to the impact of this war, the problem of insufficient production capacity at some companies has been laid bare, suddenly tearing away the veil of concealment.

The report concludes with a bold prediction: the British Isles—and indeed all of Europe—are about to face a massive steel crisis!

As this report gained traction, undercurrents began to stir once again in the London futures market…

……..

Ever since learning that Li Yi was the one behind the short squeeze, both Sheffield Company and the Sassoon family behind it realized negotiations were hopeless and immediately began preparing for physical delivery.

The Sassoon family’s influence in Europe was indeed formidable. After mobilizing extensive connections, they finally managed to secure the 12.8 million tons of steel required for delivery by May 29.

However, just one day after the two sides completed their first physical delivery, good news arrived from the front lines.

After clearing Argentine naval vessels from around the Falkland Islands and blockading the surrounding waters, the Royal Navy landed on the beaches of San Carlos, on the northern coast of East Falkland, on the evening of the 21st.

After 4,000 soldiers from the 3rd Marine Brigade and the 2nd and 3rd Battalions of the Airborne Corps successfully landed, they immediately launched an attack on Darwin and Goose Green under the command of Brigadier General Thompson.

After several days of fierce fighting, the frontline troops finally captured these two strategic strongholds. The battle resulted in the deaths of 55 Argentine soldiers and the capture of 1,050, marking a major victory in the land campaign.

After taking Gousgrin, the troops were finally able to advance toward the bridgehead at San Carlos, signaling that the war had entered its final, critical phase.

Upon hearing the news, the entire British Isles instantly erupted in celebration.

The crowds that had been protesting and demonstrating every day seemed to have forgotten the events of just a few days prior; the demonstrations instantly turned into victory parades!

The entire British Isles were swept up in a frenzy of celebration!

In stark contrast, the mood in the stock and futures markets was far from optimistic.

On the very day the news broke, price increases for nearly all metals on the exchange halted, and prices began to fall.

Copper suffered the steepest drop, falling by £75 per ton in a single day.

Steel fared slightly better; yesterday’s closing price was still £322 per ton, but today’s closing price dropped directly to £308, a decline of £14 per ton.

And this seemed to be just the beginning; over the next two days, good news from the front lines kept coming, with the troops advancing at a pace that exceeded the public’s imagination.

Even the female Prime Minister at 10 Downing Street publicly stated that, given the pace of the frontline troops’ advance, the valiant Imperial Army would be able to completely subdue the Falkland Islands by mid-June at the latest.

The war could be over by the end of June!

Reported by the media, this news spread across the British Isles in no time, pouring cold water on all the investors who had previously been speculating on metals.

After two and a half months of wild surges, the London stock and futures markets plunged into a freefall, with metal prices plummeting across the board and panic gripping the entire market.

Witnessing this, Sheffield Company and the Sassoon family—who had been pushed to the brink—finally breathed a sigh of relief.

With steel prices plummeting, the pressure on them eased significantly, while it was now Li Yi and his fellow long positions who had reason to worry.

In response, Dolsen even personally called Li Yi to mock him for missing the optimal opportunity to liquidate his positions.

He also offered to buy back Li Yi’s remaining short contracts at 80% of the current market price, if Li Yi was willing.

Li Yi’s reply to Dolsen consisted of a single word: “Get lost!”

After firing back at Dolsen, Li Yi once again embarked on his high-stakes maneuvers…

……….

Wednesday, June 2!

Just as Dolsen and the Sassoon family thought the crisis was about to pass, London’s top ten newspapers simultaneously published a report that once again thrust Sheffield Steel into the spotlight.

The report was an investigative piece on Sheffield Steel by a very well-known London journalist.

According to the report, since March of this year, workers at Sheffield Steel’s production facilities had been fighting the company for a pay raise. For nearly three months, the entire facility had been paralyzed, failing to produce a single pound of steel.

In stark contrast, Sheffield Steel’s revenue has been soaring, reaching a staggering 2.9 billion pounds by the end of March.

The investigative reporter then revealed the answer: all of Sheffield Steel’s revenue was derived from massive short selling on the futures market.

Meanwhile, according to this investigative report, over the past three years, Sheffield Steel has shut down multiple blast furnaces, leaving its production capacity at only about half of what it was at its peak.

If one were to compare the company’s current production capacity with the volume of short positions it had sold, it would take the entire company three years of full-scale production to fulfill those contracts—and even then, completion is far from guaranteed.

Consequently, at the end of the report, the journalist warned investors that Sheffield Steel faced a significant risk of default and urged them to exercise extreme caution when considering an investment in the company!

The news spread like wildfire throughout London in a very short time, with everyone speculating about the report’s veracity.

Although Sheffield Steel immediately stepped forward to deny the claims, a flood of evidence soon emerged, and the issues the company had been trying to cover up were being exposed bit by bit.

But that wasn’t the end of it. On June 3, the media broke another unexpected story: according to an insider in the futures market, Sheffield Steel had been manipulating steel prices over the past few years to fleece investors in the futures market.

The source provided a thorough expose, clearly detailing the methods and timing of Sheffield Steel’s price manipulation—effectively delivering a decisive blow to the company.

As soon as the news broke, the entire British Isles were in an uproar. Isn’t this treating investors like fools?

They make steel prices rise whenever they want and fall whenever they want—it’s like being both the player and the referee. Who stands a chance against them?

Just think about it: a steel company that cuts production every year yet sees its profits rise year after year. Where does all that money come from?

Isn’t it all being fleeced from these gullible investors? Realizing this, individual investors, institutions, and conglomerates who had lost money in the steel futures market were furious!

Soon, Sheffield Steel became the target of public outrage, and even the exchange found itself in the hot seat!

After all, without the exchange’s complicity, how could a single steel company pull off such a seamless scheme?

By this point, many had realized that the empire’s largest steel producer was likely on the verge of collapse.

The conglomerates and institutions holding steel futures contracts acted in perfect unison to halt their attempts to cash out and exit the market. Immediately afterward, a massive wave of buy orders for steel futures contracts flooded the market once again.

The futures market differs from the stock market. In the stock market, if a company faces a crisis, investors would rather cut their losses and flee.

But the futures market is different. It’s important to understand that neither long nor short positions trade directly with each other; their counterparties are not one another, but the exchange.

Therefore, regardless of which side defaults, they do not seek each other out; their first point of contact is always the exchange.

Consequently, even if Sheffield Steel were to go bankrupt, the short sellers would not lose their entire investment.

On the contrary, if the short squeeze on Sheffield Steel is successful, the exchange must purchase the corresponding amount of steel from the market to deliver to the long positions.

If there isn’t enough eligible physical steel available, the exchange would have to compensate the long positions at market prices.

As for how the exchange subsequently holds the defaulting short sellers accountable, that has nothing to do with the long positions.

What the longs need to do now is drive up steel prices as quickly as possible, so they are in a favorable position when the squeeze succeeds.

Subsequently, through the collective efforts of the long positions, the price of steel on the London futures market—which had already fallen to £278 per ton—was driven up to £338 in less than two days, a jump of a full £60 per ton.

And just then, the second batch of futures contracts held by Li Yi expired…

………

On the highway leading from central London to the suburbs, two cars were speeding along.

In the car behind, Dolsen stared blankly out the window with a grave expression.

He was in a terrible mood. His investments in the futures market had been going very smoothly; according to his projections, the 1.5 billion pounds he’d brought with him would double in no more than two months.

Once he returned to Hong Kong, he would be the hero of the Alliance!

Even if he had lost control of Hang Seng Bank, no one would dare say a word against him.

Moreover, if he could achieve success on Hong Kong Island, he might even surpass those two—Kubam and Alishin—and become the family heir.

That’s why Dolsen had been making frequent moves these past few days, gradually finding his stride.

However, just then, the family contacted him with some very bad news.

According to the family, Sheffield Steel, the family’s most important industrial holding, was under intense short-squeeze pressure from the bulls. The situation was extremely critical, and one misstep could lead to bankruptcy.

Upon hearing this news, Dolsen was taken aback.

He knew full well that Sheffield United Steel Company, with a market value of 8 billion pounds, was one of the family’s few remaining industrial holdings, generating approximately 500 million pounds in annual revenue for the family.

If something were to happen to Sheffield United Steel, it would undoubtedly have a massive impact on the family’s future.

Subsequently, the family instructed him to put his current tasks on hold and find a way to contact the largest long position holder to discuss whether a negotiated settlement could be reached regarding the excessive short selling of the company’s shares.

Upon receiving the family’s instructions, Dolsen wasted no time. He immediately had Tina contact executives at the exchange to obtain information on the long positions.

When Dolsen learned that the largest holder was an investment firm named “Fox Hunt,” he immediately contacted them and expressed his willingness to negotiate.

To Dolsen’s delight, the other party did not reject his request but even provided their address, inviting him to come there that morning to discuss the matter.

Since they were willing to meet him, it meant there was still hope for a negotiated resolution; it was simply a matter of finding a balance between the two sides.

According to the family’s wishes, the best outcome would be to persuade the other party to postpone delivery.

According to intelligence received by the family, the frontline troops had already crushed the Argentine navy and air force and were preparing to launch a final assault on the island’s garrison.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, this war would come to an end in a week or two at most.

At that point, prices for all metals and futures—including steel—will plummet, and the situation will reverse.

If all else fails, we’ll simply buy back the futures contracts from the other party at market price.

After all, if physical delivery were to occur, they would have to scramble to procure steel. Given current spot steel prices in the British Isles, the cost would be significantly higher than the futures price.

If they were to source steel from Europe or elsewhere, not only would shipping it to the British Isles incur substantial transportation costs, but once the steel arrived, it would be classified as imported goods, subject to hefty duties. All that hassle would end up costing them a pretty penny!

Just as Dolsen was deep in thought, the driver up front suddenly said, “Sir, we’ve arrived!”

Hearing the voice, Dolsen snapped out of his thoughts and looked out the window.

The car had pulled up in front of a large estate. Tina, who had been in the car ahead, had already gotten out and was speaking with the security guards at the gate.

Soon, the estate gates swung open, and their car was allowed to enter!

The car drove along the estate’s internal roads for a few minutes before coming to a stop in front of an ancient castle.

At the bottom of the steps, a middle-aged woman with blonde hair and blue eyes was standing there waiting for them.

Once Dolsen, Tina, and the other two representatives of the Sassoon family had gotten out of the car, the middle-aged woman approached to greet them. She introduced herself as Casey, the castle’s housekeeper, and mentioned that the owner was waiting for them in the living room.

Dawson and the others then followed Casey into the castle’s grand hall!

However, the moment Dolsen stepped into the hall and saw the person sitting on the sofa, he was completely dumbfounded!

Staring at Li Yi’s smug, almost-smiling face—as if asking, “Surprised? Unexpected?”—Dawson’s mind went completely blank for a split second.

It took him quite a while to snap out of it before he managed to say, “You… how did you end up here?”

Li Yi smiled and said, “Of course I’m here waiting for you. Wasn’t it you, Mr. Dolsen, who asked to meet me?”

“You… you’re from Foxhunt?”

As he spoke, Dolsen’s voice trembled slightly—whether from anger or fear, it was hard to tell.

“No… you’ve got that wrong. It should be: Foxhunt is mine!” Li Yi said.

Hearing this worst-case scenario, Dolsen felt as if the world were spinning.

If it had been anyone else, he might have been able to appeal to their interests, appeal to their emotions, and negotiate a resolution to the matter.

But with this guy standing before him, there was absolutely no hope!

“So you’re the one behind this short squeeze?”

“Didn’t you see it yourself? What else is there to question?” Li Yi said calmly.

After a long moment, Dowson looked at Li Yi and asked, “Mr. Li Yi, could you tell me when you first entered the market?”

Li Yi didn’t hide anything and replied calmly, “I don’t mind telling you—we started laying the groundwork here back in March!”

“March?”

Hearing this answer, Dolsen couldn’t help but gasp inwardly. That was when the war was just beginning to show signs of breaking out.

How did he know a war was coming? Even his own family hadn’t learned of it until just days before the conflict erupted. How had this man from the East managed to make such a deduction?

Was it intuition? If so, then this man’s market insight was truly terrifying.

Suddenly, Dolsen realized something else. He fixed his gaze on Li Yi and asked, “So, when you were competing with us for Huifeng’s shares in Hong Kong, most of your funds had already been transferred here?”

“Correct, but no prize for that!” Li Yi said with a smile.

Dawson nearly choked on his anger. He should have realized this long ago: during the fierce battle for Huifeng’s shares, although the competition was intense, Starry Sky had not invested an exceptionally large amount of capital.

Moreover, toward the end, they had clearly run out of steam, relying entirely on brokerage firms, hot money, and retail investors to push the price forward.

He’d sensed something was off back then, but had assumed they might have viewed Huifeng’s stock price as overinflated and didn’t want to commit too much capital. He never imagined that most of their funds had already left Hong Kong Island—they simply didn’t have much money left.

In other words, he and everyone in the British-owned group… no, he should say that every brokerage firm and investor on Hong Kong Island had been played by the man standing before him.

If he hadn’t let himself be intimidated back then, and hadn’t gotten entangled with this guy over the stocks of Huifeng and Hang Seng, but had instead concentrated his funds on attacking the Chinese Chamber of Commerce’s other listed companies, it would surely have been Li Yi who was in a world of trouble.

Thinking about how he’d not only let the other side swallow over 5 billion Hong Kong dollars, but also sold Hang Seng Bank to him at a bargain price and signed that agreement prohibiting attacks for three months, Dowson felt he’d been utterly foolish.

Watching Dolsen, whose eyes seemed ready to shoot fire and who was visibly trembling with rage, Li Yi felt an indescribable sense of satisfaction!

After plotting for so long, he could finally humiliate his opponent in broad daylight—nothing could be more satisfying.

“Mr. Dolsen, staring at someone like that is very rude. Don’t forget why you’re here today!” Li Yi said, looking at him with a half-smile.

Hearing this, Dolsen immediately recalled the family’s mission.

Although he knew the chances of getting Li Yi to force a market collapse were slim, considering the importance of Sheffield Company to his family, he still wanted to give it a shot.

With that in mind, Dolsen immediately composed himself and said, “Mr. Li Yi, your purpose in coming here is to make money. Would you be willing to transfer all your short positions to the Sassoon family? We are willing to purchase them at a price 10% above market value!”

Li Yi glanced at him, the corners of his mouth curving upward slightly, and he spoke in a light, casual tone: “It’s true that I came to London to make money, but I have another purpose as well. I wonder if you’d like to know what it is, Dolsen!”

“What purpose?”

“To teach certain people a lesson—to let them know not everyone is someone they can afford to provoke!”

As he spoke, Li Yi’s tone grew unusually icy, his aura surging as he fixed his gaze on Dolsen.

Upon hearing this, Dorson said nothing; he simply turned and walked away from the castle estate…

……….