Chapter 680: Dad, You’re in Big Trouble!

The booklet wasn’t very thick—it looked like it had only a few dozen pages—but its contents were truly shocking.

Every page of the booklet followed the same format: a product photo on the left, and handwritten specifications and prices on the right.

It contained not only color TVs, refrigerators, and washing machines, but also radios, digital watches, and luxury timepieces—the sheer variety of products was jaw-dropping.

But that wasn’t the most surprising part. What astonished Li Yi the most was that the booklet categorized the products by their country of origin—some from Europe and America, others from Japan and South Korea.

It was clear that the other party had put a great deal of effort into this booklet; all the photos were in color and looked very clear, and the person who wrote the text had clearly practiced calligraphy, as the regular script was exceptionally beautiful.

Although it fell somewhat short of the machine-printed brochures of later generations, for its time, it could certainly be described as exquisite.

After carefully flipping through the booklet, Li Yi took another look at the shop owner standing before him.

He was clearly getting older, but with his unkempt beard, it was hard to tell exactly how old he was.

However, his gaze was piercing, and the exposed skin on his face was covered in scars—it was clear at a glance that he was a tough character.

As Li Yi sized him up, the man was observing Li Yi as well.

Though he didn’t know Li Yi’s identity, he could tell this young man was no ordinary person—after all, the three young men following him were clearly trained fighters.

Just then, Li Yi spoke up: “Can you get your hands on the stuff up there?”

“Yes!”

“The real thing?”

“Of course they’re genuine—ten times the price if they’re fake!”

“How do you guarantee the quality? After all, what I want isn’t cheap,” Li Yi said.

“What do you want?”

“A color TV, a refrigerator, and a radio!”

“Which brands? We’re currently out of stock on some European and American products, but you can pay a deposit first and settle the balance when the goods arrive!” the shop owner said.

“Do you have any items from Xiao Ri Zi in stock?”

“Yes, we generally have items from Japan and South Korea in stock, and you can inspect the goods before paying!” the shop owner said confidently.

“Alright!”

With that, Li Yi opened the catalog, flipped to the “Little Days” page, and pointed to several items, saying, “I’ll take this… this… and this. When can I see the goods?”

“Those three items come to six thousand yuan in total. Are you sure you can come up with that much?”

Li Yi gave the shop owner a casual glance and said, “That’s too much!”

“Then how much do you suggest, boss?”

“2,500 for the color TV, 1,800 for the refrigerator, and 200 for the radio—that’s 4,500 in total!” Li Yi said.

“The price is negotiable—provided you have the money!” said the middle-aged owner.

Realizing the other party wanted to see proof of funds, Li Yi immediately gave Zhang Ziqiang a nod.

The tough guy immediately caught on and opened the shoulder bag he was carrying. The moment the bag opened, it was seen to be stuffed to the brim with a wad of cash.

Seeing this, the middle-aged shop owner’s throat involuntarily moved.

Although he wasn’t sure exactly how much was in that pouch, it was certainly over ten thousand.

Realizing the man was carrying such a large sum of cash, the middle-aged shop owner concluded his sincerity in purchasing the appliance was undeniable. He immediately said, “Wait ten minutes!”

With that, he hurried out the door!

After the middle-aged shop owner left, Zhang Ziqiang and Zhou Wen looked around to make sure no one was watching, then asked, “Brother Yi, are we really going to spend that much money on these things?”

“Of course! Haven’t you seen that my father-in-law’s little villa doesn’t have a single decent appliance? This is the perfect chance to get him a few!” Li Yi said.

“I can’t help but feel like you have an ulterior motive here!” Zhang Ziqiang remarked.

Li Yi smiled but said nothing!

Seeing that Li Yi didn’t want to elaborate, Zhang Ziqiang and Zhou Wen didn’t press the issue, and the room fell silent.

A short while later, the middle-aged owner returned and said enthusiastically to Li Yi, “Sir, the goods have arrived. You can inspect them now!”

“Alright, take us there!” Li Yi said.

“Please follow me!”

Led by the middle-aged owner, the three of them walked deeper into the alley.

After walking for four or five minutes, they finally stopped in front of a courtyard near the main road.

The middle-aged owner walked up to the gate and knocked in a specific rhythm. After the person inside verified their identities, they ushered Li Yi and the others into the courtyard.

The courtyard wasn’t very large. In a side room near the entrance, Li Yi finally saw the goods he was looking for: a Hitachi color TV, a Toshiba refrigerator, and a Panasonic radio.

After carefully inspecting the three appliances, he confirmed they were genuine, authentic products from the West.

Li Yi then began negotiating the price with the middle-aged shop owner. After a heated back-and-forth, he finally secured the three appliances for 4,750 yuan.

After paying, Li Yi had Zhou Wen find a flatbed tricycle and instructed him to follow the car to transport the goods to the provincial government compound.

Meanwhile, with a grave expression, he returned to his car and ordered Zhang Ziqiang to drive immediately to the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection!

……..

At the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection, Jiang Shiying was discussing the case with several of his trusted aides when his secretary suddenly entered and whispered a few words in his ear.

Jiang Shiying nodded, then stood up and said to the others in the room, “You all continue discussing this. I’m going back to my office for a moment!”

With that, he strode out!

Back in his office, Jiang Shiying indeed found his son-in-law waiting for him inside. He asked immediately, “Didn’t you have something to do today? What are you doing here?”

“Dad, the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection is in big trouble!” Li Yi suddenly blurted out with startling words.

Jiang Shiying was taken aback for a moment; the smile on his face vanished, and he asked in a grave tone, “What trouble? Tell me.”

He didn’t doubt whether the trouble Li Yi mentioned actually existed; after all, he knew his son-in-law’s capabilities.

Since Li Yi had come specifically to warn him, he certainly wouldn’t be fobbing him off with mere rumors.

“Smuggling!”

“Smuggling… Isn’t that the job of the Public Security Bureau and the Coast Guard’s anti-smuggling units? What does it have to do with our Commission for Discipline Inspection?” Jiang Shiying frowned.

Li Yi didn’t answer his father-in-law’s question; instead, he simply recounted his recent trip to Zhuhai Road to buy home appliances.

After listening to Li Yi’s account, Jiang Shiying’s brow furrowed instantly.

After a long pause, he said, “You asked for three products from different brands, and the seller had everything ready in just ten minutes or so. Is that correct?”

“That’s right!”

“So you’re saying there’s an organized smuggling ring operating there, and they’re running a large-scale operation? Is that what you mean?” Jiang Shiying asked.

“Not exactly!”

Li Yi then explained, ““Dad, there’s no doubt about the organized nature and large scale of their operations. When I was picking out items, I specifically asked for a Panasonic RX-5030F dual-format single-disc recorder. Not only is this thing expensive, but there are domestic alternatives available, so most people aren’t eager to buy it. Yet they had it in stock—which clearly shows this ring’s smuggling operation is no small affair!”

“But more importantly, how could these people have been operating there for so long, selling these contraband goods in a semi-public manner without fear of being taken down? Could they really pull that off without some connections?”

Jiang Shiying said coldly, “Are you suggesting someone within the Public Security Bureau is backing them?”

“It’s more than that. With something like this, the Public Security Bureau alone couldn’t cover everything up. It’s highly likely that people within the government and the Commission for Discipline Inspection are involved as well. Do you see what I mean now?” Li Yi said.

Hearing this, Jiang Shiying’s breathing grew rapid.

If it were merely a matter of smuggling, then it really wouldn’t have anything to do with their Discipline Inspection Commission.

But if people from their own side were involved, that would be a serious problem.

With that in mind, Jiang Shiying immediately said, “All right, I’ll send someone to look into it right away!”

“An investigation is definitely necessary, but Dad, you’d better report the situation to the higher-ups first, so we don’t get the blame before the facts are even clear!” Li Yi reminded him.

“Alright, I’ll get a handle on the situation and then report to the provincial authorities…”

Before he could finish, Li Yi spoke up again: “You need to report to the provincial authorities, but you also need to report to the central government in Beijing!”

“Surely there’s no need to involve the central government over such a minor matter?”

“I think it’s necessary—and very necessary!”

Seeing how serious Li Yi was, Jiang Shiying paused briefly before saying, “Alright, then I’ll report to both at the same time!”

“Great! Well then, Father, you get back to work. I’ll be on my way!”

With that, Li Yi stood up and walked toward the door.

Just as he was about to step out of Jiang Shiying’s office, he turned back and added, “Father, if you have the time, you really should go take a look at Hai County yourself!”

With that, Li Yi left without looking back…

……..

The next morning!

When Li Yi woke up in his father-in-law’s small villa, it was already past nine o’clock.

Coming downstairs, he saw Zhang Ziqiang, Zhou Wen, and the others chatting in the living room on the first floor, but his father-in-law, Jiang Shiying, was nowhere to be seen; he must have gone to work.

Seeing Li Yi come downstairs, Zhang Ziqiang and the others immediately stood up from their seats.

“Sit down, everyone. There’s no need to be so formal here at home!” Li Yi said with a smile.

“Brother Yi, we have millet porridge and meat buns, plus soy milk and fried dough sticks. What would you like?” Zhang Ziqiang asked.

“Soy milk and fried dough sticks, please!”

“Sure thing!”

While Zhang Ziqiang went to the kitchen to fetch breakfast, Li Yi turned to Zhou Wen, who was standing nearby, and asked, “Comrade Zhou Wen, I hear you’re a native of Guangzhou. I imagine you’re quite familiar with the city, right?”

“I’m not entirely unfamiliar with it, but Guangzhou has changed quite a bit over the years. Since I haven’t been here for a long time, I can’t really say I’m familiar with some places anymore!” Zhou Wen replied.

“No problem. I just wanted to take a stroll around town and pick up some gifts while I’m at it!” Li Yi said.

“No problem. I know most of the places where things are sold in the city. The official ones include big stores like Friendship Store, Yangcheng Department Store, Red Flag Store, and Dongfanghong Store, among others. I also know about the black market, but it’s a bit chaotic over there, so I wouldn’t recommend you go!” Zhou Wen said.

“You know about the black markets around here?” Zhou Yang asked, somewhat surprised.

“Actually, the black market isn’t as mysterious as you might think. Back when free trade wasn’t allowed, the small markets that ordinary people organized on their own were called black markets. At that time, there were a lot of them around Yangcheng—we even had one right outside our front door!”

Zhou Wen continued, “But over the past couple of years, as the government has gradually relaxed restrictions, the number of black markets has dropped significantly. There are still quite a few, though—it’s just that the goods they sell are different now.”

“What’s different about them?”

“In the past, the black markets mainly sold food—rice, flour, cooking oil, and poultry, fish, and meat made up the bulk of it. But now, they mostly sell smuggled goods, primarily home appliances and small electronics!”

Hearing this, Li Yi’s mind stirred, and he recalled something.

“Are there a lot of people dealing in gray-market goods around here?”

“It’s not just a lot—it’s an enormous amount. It’s mainly because it’s so profitable; the margins are often several times higher. Selling just one or two items can make as much as a factory worker earns in a year or two!” Zhou Wen said.

“Huh, so if people know there’s smuggling going on, does that mean no one’s doing anything about it?” Li Yi asked curiously.

“Of course someone’s on it, but it’s really hard to crack down on. Those guys are slick—if you can’t cut off the source and just arrest a few small-time dealers, it won’t solve anything!” Zhou Wen said.

“Got it. Take me to check it out in a bit!”

“Brother Yi, are you really going to the black market? It’s a real mess over there!” Zhou Wen said.

“It’s fine. We’re just going to take a look—we’re not going to cause any trouble!”

Then, Li Yi looked at Zhou Wen’s face and said, “Are you related to Zhou Chu? I think you two look quite alike.”

Zhou Wen paused briefly, then replied, “He’s my uncle… my biological uncle!”

Hearing this answer, Li Yi was somewhat surprised.

After all, being assigned to work under him was dangerous enough, and the job itself involved serving others—it offered little in the way of prospects. He truly hadn’t expected Zhou Rui to send his own nephew to work under him.

Could it be that Zhou Rui didn’t quite trust him, so he wanted his own nephew to keep an eye on him?

Just then, Zhou Wen spoke up to explain, “Actually, before I was assigned to you, Brother Yi, I was supposed to be transferred to the capital!”

“Then why didn’t you go?”

“My uncle told me you’re a capable guy, and that staying by your side would offer better career prospects, so I came!”

“You trust your uncle that much?”

“My uncle showed me your file, Yi Ge, and I agree you’re a capable guy. Following you is better than going to Beijing!” Zhou Wen said.

“That’s music to my ears…”

Just then, Zhang Ziqiang walked out carrying a cup of soy milk and two fried dough sticks that looked a bit stale.

While Li Yi was eating, Zhang Ziqiang asked, “Brother Yi, where are we going this morning?”

“Let’s take a stroll around downtown, buy some gifts, and then pay a visit to Old Huang’s place!” Li Yi said.

When he returned this time, Old Huang had asked him to check on his home once he arrived in Guangzhou.

Old Huang also mentioned that once Jiang Xue and the kids arrived, he should help bring his wife and daughter over to Hong Kong as well.

Li Yi had agreed to this, so he went over early to let Chen Chuhong know so she could make the necessary preparations.

“Alright, we’ll get ready and then we can head out!”

“Okay…”

……..

Zhuhai Middle Road, Yangcheng City Center!

After the car stopped at the intersection, Li Yi looked around at the relatively empty streets and turned to Zhou Wen with a puzzled expression.

“Is this the black market you were talking about? I don’t see anyone selling anything.”

Zhou Wen smiled and said, “If it were that easy to find, it wouldn’t be called a black market. They’re all hidden away in the back alleys and narrow lanes—it’s hard for anyone unfamiliar with the area to find them!”

“If they’re hidden so deep, how do people find them to do business?” Li Yi asked curiously.

“They usually only do business with people they know. They generally don’t deal with strangers, especially when it comes to transactions involving hundreds or even thousands of dollars.”

“So what should we do?” Li Yi asked.

“Leave the car here. I’ll take you there!” Zhou Wen said.

“Can’t we drive there?” Zhang Ziqiang asked, frowning.

“No, the alley is too narrow—the car can’t even get in!”

Zhou Wen added, “Besides, this car looks like a government vehicle at a glance—it’ll scare people away the moment we pull up!”

Zhang Ziqiang immediately turned to Yang Zhiwen beside him and said, “Big Yang, you stay here and watch the car. The rest of you follow Brother Yi!”

After assigning the tasks, Zhang Ziqiang, Zhou Wen, and Wu Jianjun escorted Li Yi out of the car. Then, guided by Zhou Wen, they walked into the alley beside the main road.

The reason Li Yi had asked Zhou Wen to bring him here wasn’t to buy gifts.

After all, Chen Chuhong was a native of Hong Kong herself. Having lived in such a cosmopolitan metropolis for so many years—not to mention being the woman of Huang Lixing, that “Water Rat”—she’d seen every kind of luxury item imaginable. There was no way she’d be interested in these black-market contraband goods.

He had come to the black market simply to see if the scale of the parallel import business here was truly as massive and rampant as people claimed.

Li Yi wasn’t particularly interested in getting involved in this business; it was simply because an incident was about to unfold that could affect his father-in-law’s career, so he couldn’t afford to be careless.

As soon as he turned into the alley, Li Yi felt a sense of familiarity. Upon closer inspection, wasn’t this the famous Tian Guang Xu Ghost Market of Yangcheng from later times?

Li Yi was certainly no stranger to this place. As the saying goes, “In the north, there’s Panjiayuan; in the south, there’s Tianguang Market”—a testament to just how renowned it was.

In his previous life, he’d been here several times, though that was all after the turn of the millennium.

He had originally thought that Tianguang Market was a “ghost market” that had emerged later, but he never expected this place to actually be one of Guangzhou’s earliest black markets.

After walking just a few steps, the group spotted several teenage boys squatting at the entrance of a narrow alley, smoking and chatting, while occasionally casting scrutinizing glances at Li Yi and his companions.

Just then, Zhou Wen suddenly waved at the young men, motioning for them to come over.

Seeing Zhou Wen’s gesture, one of the teenagers immediately walked over.

After Zhou Wen exchanged a few words with him in Cantonese, the young man nodded and led them deeper into the alley.

After winding through the streets for over ten minutes, the group was led into an alley lined with street-facing houses on all sides.

Once they entered, the atmosphere instantly became lively.

The narrow alley was lined with stalls on both sides—some vendors carried goods on shoulder poles, others pushed handcarts, and still others simply laid their wares on the ground for customers to browse.

These small vendors sold everything from rice and flour to salted fish, as well as tea, cloth, clothes, and shoes.

However, just as Zhou Wen had said, there wasn’t a single vendor selling household appliances to be seen!

“Zhou Wen, didn’t you say this place mainly deals in gray-market (smuggled) electronics? Why haven’t I seen a single one?” Li Yi asked in a low voice.

Zhou Wen pointed to the houses lining both sides of the alley and said, “Of course they wouldn’t dare display their goods openly—they’re all inside the houses!”

“Let’s go take a look inside!”

Following Zhou Wen’s lead, the group entered a small shop.

The “shop” was tiny, barely ten square meters. Aside from a middle-aged man in slippers, there wasn’t a single decent-looking appliance in sight—it was hard to believe this was a place that sold smuggled electronics.

After exchanging a few words with the middle-aged man, Zhou Wen pulled a notebook from under a nearby bed and handed it to Li Yi.

At the same time, he said in somewhat broken Mandarin, “Pick whatever you want!”

With a hint of confusion, Li Yi opened the booklet.

When the booklet opened, Li Yi was immediately stunned by the array of household appliances inside…banbanhaobang

………

Night fell, and the city lights began to glow!

The Li family’s courtyard was ablaze with light. The stove in the main hall burned brightly, and the occasional sounds of laughter and children’s cries filled the courtyard with the warmth of everyday life.

In the inner room, on the large heated bed, Jiang Xue and her mother-in-law, Zhang Yuehong, were helping Yun Rui and Yun Jin learn to walk along the stack of quilts.

The two little ones are almost one year old now, and they’re growing so fast. Lately, they’ve been able to pull themselves up to stand, and sometimes they even take a few wobbly steps while holding onto the wall.

Every milestone in a child’s growth is a moment parents will cherish for a lifetime.

Seeing that Yunrui and Yunjin have reached the stage where they’re learning to walk, Jiang Xue is overjoyed.

Overjoyed, she and Zhang Yuehong would help the two little ones take a few steps whenever they had a moment.

For infants, walking—just like rolling over, sitting up, and crawling—is a skill that comes with practice.

As long as they try a few times and memorize the movements, they’ll gradually get the hang of it.

However, learning to walk is always a bit of a struggle for little babies; not only do they wobble, but falling down is practically inevitable.

On top of that, such young children are naturally very delicate; sometimes even a minor bump on their bottom would make them whimper a few times, seeking comfort from their mother and grandmother. As a result, the sound of children crying could be heard from the room from time to time.

However, the main source of the crying in the room wasn’t Yunrui or Yunjin, but their eldest nephew, Zhang Ning.

Right there by the edge of the kang, the eldest and second sisters were washing their respective children’s feet.

But the two little rascals were quite restless; their tiny feet kicked constantly in the basin, sending water splashing everywhere and soaking their older and second sisters.

My eldest sister had a gentle temperament, and since Ruirui was still so young, she merely scolded him a little.

But the second sister wasn’t so easy to please. With her fiery temper, she was a strict mother in the truest sense. With the precedent of her younger brother Li Yi being spoiled rotten, she naturally wouldn’t indulge her son.

If Little Zhang Ning didn’t listen, getting scolded was the least of his worries; most of the time, he’d get a dose of bamboo shoots and pork, and his little bottom was a frequent victim.

Today, the little guy was probably a bit overexcited and had forgotten how his mother usually disciplined him. He’d been in the bath for less than ten minutes when he’d already been spanked twice.

But the little rascal was truly incorrigible—he hadn’t even wiped the tears from his eyes before he started causing trouble again.

Seeing Li Lan’s expression darken once more, Juanzi, who was doing her homework nearby, couldn’t help but feel anxious for Little Zhang Ning’s stubborn persistence—he seemed to learn from the food but not the punishment.

Just as the women and children of the Li household were running around in a frenzy, the phone in the living room suddenly rang.

Juanzi immediately put down her pen and headed toward the living room.

Just a few seconds later, Juanzi could be heard calling excitedly into the house: “Sister Xiaoxue, it’s Brother Xiaoyi on the phone. Come quick…”

Hearing Juanzi’s call, Jiang Xue was taken aback for a moment, then handed her son to her mother-in-law. She quickly climbed down from the kang and ran into the living room without even putting on her shoes.

Taking the receiver from Juanzi, Jiang Xue said with a slight tremor in her voice, “Hello…”

“Xiao Xue, it’s me, Li Yi!”

The moment she heard her husband’s familiar voice through the receiver, Jiang Xue’s eyes welled up with tears.

It had been a month since their last phone call. If she hadn’t known he was genuinely busy, Jiang Xue would have thought he’d forgotten about her and their three children.

Overwhelmed by emotion, Jiang Xue was momentarily lost for words, and a sudden silence fell over the phone line.

Hearing his wife’s slightly labored breathing, Li Yi said again, “I’m sorry, I’ve been so busy lately. Are you and the kids doing okay?”

At that moment, Jiang Xue snapped back to her senses and hurriedly replied, “Don’t apologize. I understand… The kids and I are doing great. Yunrui and Yunjin have been learning to walk these past few days. By the time you get back, they should be walking!”

“Really? Too bad I won’t be home to see it!”

Li Yi’s voice betrayed both delight and a hint of disappointment.

He still felt a bit uneasy about missing this stage of his son and daughter’s growth.

Jiang Xue was incredibly perceptive; she quickly picked up on Li Yi’s emotional shift and immediately changed the subject: “Have… have you finished up over there?”

“I’m done with the matters regarding Thief Eagle, but it’ll still take a while over here in Hong Kong!” Li Yi replied.

“Well… when are you coming back? The kids really miss you!”

“Is it just the kids who miss me?” Li Yi asked with a smile.

“Mom and your sisters miss you too!”

“What about you? Do you miss me?”

“Yes… I miss you too!”

Jiang Xue didn’t hesitate; she spoke her truest feelings directly.

Hearing his wife’s reply on the other end of the line, Li Yi’s heart instantly filled with joy, sweeping away the gloom he’d felt just moments before.

“I still have some matters to attend to here in Hong Kong, so I won’t be able to return anytime soon. However, I’ve already submitted a request to my superiors and plan to bring you and the kids to Hong Kong for a while. Start getting ready!”

“You mean you want me and the kids to go to Hong Kong?” Jiang Xue asked in surprise.

“Didn’t we already agree on this? Once you’re on vacation, you’d bring the kids to Hong Kong for a few days. What, did you forget?” Li Yi said.

“I haven’t forgotten, it’s just that going so far away makes me a little nervous!” Jiang Xue admitted honestly.

“What’s there to be nervous about? It’s not like you’ve never traveled far before!” Li Yi said with a smile.

“It’s different. Before, it was just me, but now I have to take two kids with me!”

As she spoke, Jiang Xue seemed to remember something and immediately asked, “Is it just me and the kids going to Hong Kong this time?”

“I was thinking of bringing your eldest sister and your mom along too. What do you think?” Li Yi said.

“But what about Second Sister and Mom…”

“They need to help Third Sister prepare for her wedding, so they shouldn’t come this time. We’ve established ourselves in Hong Kong now, and the rest of the family can visit anytime in the future!” Li Yi said.

“Alright, I’ll go along with that!”

Li Yi nodded and said, “I’ve already submitted a report on this to the higher-ups. I’m sure it’ll be approved soon. After we hang up, you and my eldest sister should pack your things and wait for the people from headquarters to pick you up.”

“Alright!”

“Remember to give the old family home a call and tell Mom to get ready too!”

“Okay!”

“How have things been at home these past few days?” Li Yi asked again.

“Everything’s fine. Sister Na’s wedding preparations are almost complete. We’ve bought a house, and all the furniture, bedding, and kitchenware have been replaced with new items. The wedding attire and everything else are all ready!”

Jiang Xue continued, “A couple of days ago, Third Brother-in-Law brought his mother and younger sister to Beijing. They met with Mom, Eldest Sister, and Second Sister. Auntie has made up for Third Sister’s dowry and everything else; now there are just a few minor details left!”

“That’s good. Now I can rest easy!” Li Yi said.

“Oh, and a couple of days ago, Sister-in-law An Hong and Third Brother came by. They brought over more than 1.7 million yuan for the family—they said it was the principal and dividends from that trade show!” Jiang Xue said.

“Oh, so that trade fair was quite a success, then?” Li Yi asked with a smile.

Li Yi didn’t really care how much profit the trade show generated; making billions overseas, he truly didn’t think much of a mere 1.8 million yuan back home.

In comparison, Li Yi was more concerned about the exhibition itself.

After all, if this venture went well, it would be a long-term business opportunity for Jiang Longcheng, Ye Jianhua, and An Hong.

“It was definitely a success. Mom and I went during the exhibition. You have no idea how lively it was—such a huge exhibition hall, packed with people inside and out!”

Then Jiang Xue added, “But the products they sold there were really good. We even bought quite a bit of furniture and appliances for Sister Na at that fair—the quality was excellent!”

“I’m glad it went well!” Li Yi nodded.

“So what should we do with this money?”

“Just keep it with you!”

“Well… I already have four or five million in my account. Why don’t I just put it in yours instead? I…”

Li Yi smiled and said, “I’m not worried about it myself, so why are you? Do you think you’d run off with the money?”

“Don’t be silly. I’m stuck with you for life—the kind you can’t even shake off!” Jiang Xue said.

“That settles it then… Alright, Dad’s calling me. I’ll hang up now. You guys better get your things together too—who knows, they might come to pick you up tomorrow!”

“Okay…”

……….

In the living room on the first floor, Zhou Rui was chatting with several elite security agents assigned to protect Li Yi, but his gaze kept drifting toward the staircase.

While Li Yi had been wreaking havoc in New York during this time, Zhou Rui and his team had been on edge here in Guangzhou.

It wasn’t that he, as the head of the National Security Bureau, was inexperienced or unable to handle a storm—it was simply that what Li Yi had done was truly jaw-dropping and beyond imagination.

He knew Li Yi had gone to New York and had initially assumed it was just a routine investment. But after reports surfaced recently about him “wiping out” Wall Street, Zhou Rui realized just how big a game this guy was playing.

Making billions of dollars in a single go—even at the national level, such a feat was hard to fathom, yet here was Li Yi, an ordinary man, pulling it off.

Moreover, in recent years, our trade with most Western countries—including the U.S.—has been in a state of absolute deficit, meaning we’ve been spending money to buy their goods.

Making money from these countries isn’t just difficult—it’s incredibly difficult, as hard as climbing to the heavens!

Making money off Western countries is certainly a good thing, but to suddenly raid their very lair—that might not be such a good idea after all. Zhou Rui and the others couldn’t help but worry for Li Yi.

After all, we’re talking about the world’s second-biggest thug, the Thief Eagle. Aside from the Bear Alliance—that other gang of thugs—who could possibly stand up to them?

Ever since World War II, this bastard has been plundering other nations—no one has ever dared to run amok on their own turf.

So when Zhou Rui and the higher-ups heard about this, they were all sweating bullets for Li Yi, truly afraid that the “Thief Eagle” would disregard its international image and come after him.

However, just as their hearts were in their throats, Li Yi suddenly returned without a single warning.

Consequently, after receiving an urgent call from Zhang Ziqiang, Zhou Rui rushed over immediately.

He was now eagerly anticipating this meeting with Li Yi; after all, having made so much money in New York, Li Yi was most likely planning to bring that money back to the country.

The only question was how much he would be able to bring back for the country this time—three hundred million or five hundred million?

If he really could bring back five hundred million dollars, the pressure on the State Administration of Foreign Exchange would be significantly reduced, and the Ministry of Agriculture wouldn’t have to sell its bulk agricultural products at a discount.

In recent years, whenever we’ve faced foreign exchange shortages, aside from using gold to settle debts, our only option has been to sell large quantities of high-quality agricultural products at low prices to secure foreign exchange—such as cotton, cashmere, and grain.

These commodities aren’t particularly valuable on the international market, and unless we’re truly out of options, no one wants to trade away the people’s lifeline grain!

“Thump, thump, thump…”

Hearing the rhythmic footsteps coming from the stairwell, the group downstairs immediately stopped talking, and everyone’s gaze turned in that direction.

When they saw Li Yi coming down the stairs, Zhou Rui immediately stood up and walked over to greet him.

“Hahaha, Comrade Li Yi, you’re finally back! If you hadn’t returned, we were about to send someone to Thief Eagle’s place to look for you!”

Li Yi smiled and said, “Hehe, here I am!”

“Did the trip go smoothly?”

“There were a few hiccups, but overall, it went pretty smoothly!” Li Yi replied.

“That’s good… that’s good…”

Just then, Jiang Shiying, who had come down with Li Yi, suddenly turned to Zhang Ziqiang and the others and said, “Zhang, you guys come with me for a bit—go get some food for the comrades!”

Zhang Ziqiang, Zhou Wen, and the others knew Jiang Shiying was deliberately sending them away to give Li Yi and Zhou Rui some privacy to talk.

However, they didn’t leave immediately; instead, they looked directly at Zhou Rui, who was standing beside Li Yi.

After all, their mission was to ensure Li Yi’s safety; without the consent of Zhou Rui, their direct superior, they dared not leave Li Yi—their target—unattended.

Zhou Rui gave an almost imperceptible nod, and only then did Zhang Ziqiang and the others stand up and follow Jiang Shiying out of the small villa.

Once the room was left with only the two of them, Zhou Rui immediately said, “Comrade Li Yi, have you returned because your investment has concluded, or is this a temporary…”

Before he could finish, Li Yi cut him off: “The matters in New York have been settled. I’m back primarily for a few things. First, regarding the remittance of investment returns to the state…”

Hearing that it was indeed about this, Zhou Rui said excitedly, “Old Xu has been looking forward to this for a long time. I wonder how much you’ll be able to remit to the state this time?”

Li Yi replied immediately, “Excluding those two hundred million, the government will receive 1.36 billion!”

“US dollars or RMB?”

“US dollars!”

“Whoa…”

Hearing Li Yi’s answer, Zhou Rui couldn’t help but gasp. Although the intelligence they’d gathered indicated that Li Yi had indeed made a tidy profit from the Thieves’ Eagle this time, he hadn’t expected the state to receive such a massive share.

Wow, he’d thought three or five hundred million dollars would be more than enough, but to think there was nearly 1.4 billion—just the thought of it was thrilling.

“Comrade Li Yi, so what about this money now…”

“The money has already been safely transferred back to Hong Kong and can be shipped back to the mainland at any time. But I need you, Zhou Chu, to confirm with the higher-ups exactly how much needs to be shipped back. After all, if we bring it all back, we’ll have no working capital left. If we’re not in urgent need of the funds, we can leave a portion in Hong Kong.”

Li Yi continued, “Also, this money needs to be transported back to the mainland by sea, so we must prepare well in advance. If the British Hong Kong government catches wind of it, those bastards will likely intercept our ships at sea.”

“Alright, I’ll contact the higher-ups right away and get back to you as soon as possible,” Zhou Rui replied.

“Good. Also, regarding the industrial upgrade at the Yanjing Television Factory, we need a color TV production line. I’ve already placed an order with Corning through Zaiying. The line is expected to arrive in Hong Kong next month, and we’ll need to transport it back to the mainland in secret. Zhou Chu, please report this to the higher-ups for me,” Li Yi said.

“The Beijing TV Factory, right?”

“Right. It’s a joint initiative led by the Beijing Municipal Government, the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, and Hong Kong’s Star Investment Company. You can check with the municipal government and the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission for the specifics!” Li Yi said.

“Got it!”

Li Yi continued, “Apart from these matters, I have a personal favor I’d like to ask of Zhou Chu. I don’t know if that would be convenient.”

Zhou Rui replied immediately, “Comrade Li Yi, you’re too kind. You’re a great contributor to the nation—just tell me what you need.”

“Here’s the thing,” Li Yi explained. “I’m planning to have my wife and child visit Hong Kong for a few days. I’d like to ask Zhou Chu to help arrange for them to be sent to Guangzhou.”

Zhou Rui paused briefly, then asked, “Comrade Li Yi, aside from your wife and child, is there anyone else?”

“Yes, my older sister Li Mei, my nephew Yang Rui, and my mother-in-law Ye Lingyun.”

“Alright, I’ll report this to our superiors. This matter requires review by the relevant authorities. As soon as we get approval, we’ll send them over to you immediately!”

Zhou Rui then explained further, “Comrade Li Yi, this review isn’t targeted specifically at you. In fact, all senior officials and their families must undergo vetting before leaving the mainland. This is organizational discipline—please don’t read too much into it!”

“I know, but please rest assured. I just want to take my wife and children to Hong Kong for a few days of sightseeing and to reunite with my older sister’s family. There’s no other intention.”

“I’ll report this matter as soon as possible and do my best not to waste your valuable time. Also, please let Comrade Jiang Xue know so they can get ready to leave.”

Although there are screening regulations, Zhou Rui believed that the higher-ups wouldn’t make things difficult for Li Yi. Not only would they not make things difficult, but they would most likely provide convenient arrangements to help his family reunite as soon as possible.

The purpose of vetting officials and their families before they travel abroad is, of course, to prevent them from leaving and never returning.

But that wasn’t a concern at all for Li Yi. Setting aside his own contributions to the country, the circumstances of the Jiang and Ye families back home alone ensured that Li Yi and his wife wouldn’t simply disappear.

Besides, Li Yi’s parents and two older sisters were still in China, and much of his business empire remained there—how could he possibly just walk away?

So, their trip to Hong Kong is purely for leisure, not to flee.

“Alright, I’ll give my family a call later. In that case, I’ll leave this matter to you, Zhou Chu!”

“No need to thank me—it’s my duty!”

After that, the two discussed some details. They only stopped talking when Jiang Shiying and the others returned from outside carrying several pots and pans.

PS: I’m in Shanghai today to attend an event hosted by the Chinese Writers’ Association and will be staying for about a week.

I wrote this chapter on the plane. Since there was no internet, I couldn’t save it, so I was on edge the whole way, afraid it would suddenly disappear.

Updates may be a bit irregular over the next few days, but Lao Cang will do my best to keep them coming and avoid any hiatuses!

Guangzhou, Lianhua Pier!

Although it was already around five or six in the afternoon, the port here was still bustling with activity, and ships were coming and going in a steady stream.

At that moment, a passenger ship slowly entered the harbor and docked alongside the pier.

Immediately afterward, escorted by a squad of bodyguards in black, Li Yi stepped off the ship.

That’s right—Li Yi had returned to Yangcheng.

Upon learning there was another ferry bound for Yangcheng at 5:00 p.m., Li Yi headed straight for the port after his meeting, without even stopping by the Yunding Villa District.

The reason he was in such a hurry to return to Yangcheng was not only to see his wife and child but also because he had very important matters to attend to.

After leaving the port, Li Yi immediately had two taxis hailed, then headed straight for the provincial committee compound where his father-in-law resided.

Just as Li Yi and his group arrived, Jiang Shiying had just returned home.

Exhausted, he had just taken off his coat when he heard a commotion in the courtyard. Looking closely, he saw his son-in-law Li Yi leading Zhang Ziqiang, Zhou Wen, and others as they walked in from outside.

Seeing this, Jiang Shiying immediately went out to greet them.

As soon as they met, Jiang Shiying said cheerfully, “When did you get back from there? Why didn’t you give me a heads-up?”

“I just flew back to Hong Kong this morning, so I came back this afternoon!” Li Yi said with a smile.

“Have you eaten yet?”

“I had a bite to eat before leaving, so I’m not really hungry!”

Then, as they walked and chatted, they soon arrived at the house.

Once inside, Li Yi immediately turned to Zhang Ziqiang and said, “Go contact Comrade Zhou Rui right now and tell him to come over as soon as possible!”

“Yes, sir!”

After Zhang Ziqiang left, Jiang Shiying promptly called Li Yi up to the study on the second floor, while Zhou Wen and the others tactfully remained in the living room on the first floor.

As soon as they entered the study, Jiang Shiying couldn’t wait to ask, “I read in the newspaper that you made four or five billion dollars working for Thief Eagle. Is that true?”

“You know about this too, Dad?”

“I did, but I can’t quite believe it’s true. Money isn’t that easy to make…”

Before he could finish, Li Yi cut in, “It’s true, but it’s more than that!”

“More than what… Do you mean more than four or fifty billion dollars?”

“That’s right. This time, we made a good sixty-plus billion US dollars over there with the Thieves’ Eagle!” Li Yi said.

“Whoa! That much? How did you pull it off? That’s absolutely mind-blowing!”

Li Yi smiled and immediately began telling his father-in-law about the gold futures short-selling operation.

It took nearly an hour, but he finally finished explaining the whole story.

After listening to Li Yi’s account, Jiang Shiying was utterly stunned.

He had always thought his son-in-law was capable of making waves in Hong Kong, and that his abilities were already quite formidable, but he never imagined that he could even navigate the waters of a superpower like the United States with such ease.

After a long pause, Jiang Shiying finally spoke up: “So, out of those more than 6 billion US dollars in profits, how much did you actually get?”

Li Yi thought for a moment and replied, “I’ll end up with about 3 billion.”

Li Yi had already done a rough calculation of how much he stood to make from this trip to New York. The over 800 million US dollars earned from the Green Brothers firm, plus the 180 million made on the NASDAQ stock market—neither of which involved the company—were undoubtedly his to keep.

That single source of income alone totaled over 1 billion US dollars.

Then there was the 510 million commission from Huang Lixing and Li Futiao—that was his as well, with no need to share it with anyone.

Of the remaining 3.78 billion, 962 million belongs to the state—that money has nothing to do with him—while the remaining 2.8 billion belongs to the company and all the investors.

After distributing the proceeds to other investors according to their respective shares, Li Yi stands to receive approximately 1.5 billion. Therefore, he will claim roughly half of the 6 billion USD in net profit generated by this New York venture.

As for whether it’s exactly half or slightly more—that depends on the final calculations!

“3 billion… dollars!”

To be honest, Jiang Shiying really didn’t know how to describe the shock he felt inside.

At that moment, he couldn’t help but recall the statistical report submitted by Guangdong Province’s statistics department not long ago: the province had generated a GDP of 30 billion yuan over the past year—equivalent to roughly 15 billion US dollars—representing a year-on-year increase of 25%.

Yet his son-in-law had earned 3 billion US dollars in just two short months—equivalent to one-fifth of the province’s annual GDP.

More importantly, the country was currently in desperate need of foreign exchange. On the black market, one US dollar could easily be exchanged for 10 yuan.

Therefore, the 3 billion US dollars earned by his son-in-law is no less valuable than the 30 billion yuan generated domestically.

In other words, just one of their sons-in-law, accompanied by a few team members, made a quick trip to the U.S. and brought back a sum equivalent to what tens of millions of people in Guangdong Province earn through a year of hard work!

Is there anything in the world more staggering than this?

Perhaps there is, but Jiang Shiying couldn’t think of anything!

“With all this money, how do you plan to spend it?” Jiang Shiying asked.

“I haven’t decided exactly how to spend it yet, but most likely I’ll bring it back to invest in China!” Li Yi replied.

“Investing back home is a good thing. By the way, aren’t you going back over there this time?”

Li Yi wasn’t sure if his father-in-law was referring to the U.S. or Hong Kong, so he replied, “I won’t be going to the U.S. for now, but I still need to make a trip to Hong Kong!”

“You have to go there? So, this time you’re back…”

Before his father-in-law could finish his question, Li Yi cut in: “I’m back mainly for two reasons. First, to get in touch with the higher-ups and hand over the profits from this deal.”

Upon hearing this, Jiang Shiying’s eyes lit up, and he hurriedly asked, “How much will the state get this time?”

“The profit is around 960 million. Including the principal, it’s roughly 1.3 to 1.4 billion!”

“In US dollars?”

“That’s right!”

“That’s quite an achievement! It looks like your second uncle has a chance to move up this time!” Jiang Shiying said.

Li Yi smiled and said, “It would take over a billion US dollars just to get my second uncle promoted one rank—that’s a huge loss for us!”

Jiang Shiying shook his head and said, “You’re the one who earned this merit. The government certainly won’t attribute all of it to the Jiang family. Your eldest uncle and second uncle are just tagging along. I’m sure the government won’t shortchange you!”

“Dad, there’s no need to say more about this—we all understand!”

Then Li Yi continued, “The second reason I’ve come back this time is to take Xiaoxue and the kids to Hong Kong!”

“To Hong Kong? Are you planning to have them settle there?”

“No. Last time I was back, I made plans with Xiaoxue to take her to Hong Kong for a visit once she’s on vacation, so she can see the world!” Li Yi replied.

“A short trip is fine, but if you plan to send Xiaoxue and the kids to live abroad long-term, you’ll need permission from the higher-ups!” Jiang Shiying said.

“Dad, we’re not doing that whole ‘make money and then run off overseas’ thing. Taking Xiaoxue and the kids over there is mainly to broaden their horizons, and to give Xiaoxue a chance to learn about the family business!” Li Yi said with a smile.

“Alright. Is there anything I can do? Do you want me to explain the situation to the higher-ups?”

“No need. I’ll talk to Director Zhou when he arrives. Since they’re part of the National Security Department, this kind of matter falls under their jurisdiction—it’s more appropriate for them to handle it than for you to get involved,” Li Yi said.

“That does make sense!”

Then Jiang Shiying added, “Should you give Xiaoxue a call so they can make some preparations in advance?”

“There’s no rush to call. I was thinking of asking Xiao Xue to bring my older sister and my mother along when she comes this time. What do you think?”

“It’s up to you. I have no objections,” Jiang Shiying replied.

“In that case, should I have Xiao Xue notify my mother, or should you, Dad, give her a call?”

Jiang Shiying was taken aback for a moment, then looked at Li Yi and asked, “When you say ‘my mother,’ are you referring to Yun’er, not Grandma Yunrui?”

Li Yi immediately realized his father-in-law had misunderstood. He smiled and said, “I mean her maternal grandmother. My mother and my second sister are staying in Beijing to help prepare for my third sister’s wedding, so they won’t be coming over!”

“Then I’ll ask Yun’er and see if she’d like to come!”

“Alright…”

Just as they were speaking, a rush of footsteps came from downstairs, followed by Zhang Ziqiang’s voice calling from outside the door: “Brother Yi, Zhou Chu is here!”

“Got it, I’ll be right down!”

With that, the father-in-law and son-in-law brought their conversation to a close…

………

At the mention of dividends, Li Futiao and Huang Lixing both swallowed hard, their throats moving involuntarily.

A couple of days ago, the profits from this investment had been transferred back to Hong Kong through the relevant channels—a whopping 6.727 billion US dollars.

When Li Futiao saw that sum, his whole body went numb!

That’s 6.7 billion US dollars—at the current exchange rate of 7.85 Hong Kong dollars to the US dollar, that’s equivalent to 52.6 billion Hong Kong dollars.

Such a massive sum far exceeded the total assets of the Li family!

More importantly, Li Futao knew full well that when Li Yi went to New York, he had only taken 2 billion US dollars with him.

In other words, by a conservative estimate, the net profit from this investment alone was 4.7 billion US dollars—or even more.

If calculated based on the investment ratio, he’s in for a hefty payout this time!

“Brother Li Yi, are we splitting the money right now?” Huang Lixing asked, sounding a bit excited.

“Yeah, let’s do it!”

Li Yi then took a document out of the briefcase he was carrying and said, “For this gold short-selling project, we invested a total of 2.02 billion US dollars. The pre-tax revenue was 5.315 billion, and the net profit after taxes is 4.81 billion!”

“However, a few days ago I invested in several companies through Zaiying Capital and temporarily borrowed 130 million (out of a total investment of 300 million; we made 180 million in the stock market, and the rest was borrowed from the gold short-selling profits). I’ll deduct that amount from the final settlement!”

Li Futiao and Huang Lixing nodded in unison, indicating they had no objections!

“Old Li, you contributed 350 million USD to this investment, accounting for 16.5% of the total investment amount, so you should receive 793 million USD in dividends.”

Li Yi continued, “However, as we agreed earlier, you’re to give me half of your net profit from this investment. So your share this time is $396.5 million. Do you have any objections to this distribution?”

“No… no!” Li Futao said happily.

In just two months, he had made nearly 400 million US dollars—which, converted to Hong Kong dollars, amounted to over 3 billion. What’s there not to be satisfied with!

Li Yi then turned to Huang Lixing and said, “Old Huang, you invested 100 million US dollars this time, accounting for 5% of the total investment. Based on the profits, you’re entitled to 240 million US dollars. But you’ll also have to give up half of that, so your take this time is 120 million US dollars!”

“Alright, alright… I’m very satisfied. Thanks a lot, brother!” Huang Lixing said excitedly.

“It’s what you deserve!” Li Yi said with a smile.

“By the way, brother, what about the remaining funds? Should we transfer them to the company or…”

Before Huang Lixing could finish his sentence, Li Yi cut in: “Transfer it to the company first. Next, we’ll distribute the first round of dividends to our clients!”

Hearing this, Li Futao and Huang Lixing were both taken aback.

After a long moment, Huang Lixing finally snapped out of it and said, “Bro, our company hasn’t even been around for a year yet. Isn’t it a bit too early to be handing out dividends?”

Li Yi smiled and said, “It’s not like we have to wait a full year to distribute dividends!”

“That’s true, but…”

“Old Huang, we’ve been carrying out a series of large-scale capital operations recently and have indeed made a lot of money. But I’m personally exhausted, so I plan to take a break. There’s no need to keep that much money in the company’s accounts.”

Li Yi continued, “Besides, there’s another reason I’m insisting on a dividend: I’m out of money!”

“You’re out of money?”

Hearing this, Huang Lixing and Li Futiao were stunned once more.

“That’s right, I’m out of money. I’ve poured almost all my funds into the company. If the company doesn’t distribute profits, I really won’t have much left!”

Li Yi continued, “More importantly, I still have to pay Jardine Matheson for the acquisition of the New Territories warehouse. We simply can’t avoid distributing the profits!”

Actually, if that were the only issue, Li Yi could have handled it without having to distribute the company’s entire profit.

But he had to consider the situation back home. The demand for foreign exchange in China had reached a critical point, and everyone—from top to bottom—was eagerly waiting for him to bring money back to address the emergency.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong’s regulations on investment company funds were still quite strict. Li Yi couldn’t just casually transfer over a billion dollars; if that were discovered, the fines alone would set him back significantly.

So, to address the situation back home, he had no choice but to distribute dividends early—after all, the company wasn’t short on cash right now.

Huang Lixing didn’t know much about business operations, but seeing Li Yi’s firm resolve, he immediately agreed.

Since this was an internal matter at Starry Sky, Li Futiao didn’t feel it was appropriate to intervene, so the decision was quickly finalized.

Subsequently, Li Yi allocated the funds transferred back from New York according to the plan they had just agreed upon.

The funds would be divided into three parts. The first portion consisted of Li Futiao and Huang Lixing’s principal and profits, totaling 966.5 million yuan, which they each transferred to their own accounts.

The second portion was their commission, totaling 516.5 million yuan. This sum was to be transferred to Li Yi’s personal account, minus the 130 million yuan he had temporarily borrowed.

Prior to this operation, Li Yi had already agreed with Li Futao and Huang Lixing that he would take half of the profits from their private investments, and since this performance was not attributed to the company, the commission naturally belonged to Li Yi.

The third portion was the company’s principal and profits, totaling 5.337 billion. This sum would be transferred to Starry Sky Company’s account, awaiting distribution as dividends to all investors.

After completing these tasks, Li Yi left the Li Family Estate!

However, instead of returning to his own Cloud Peak Villa, he went to the company with Huang Lixing.

Since the decision to distribute dividends to investors had already been made, it was best to finalize the details as soon as possible. After all, this involved a great deal of calculation and wouldn’t be completed in just a day or two.

When the two arrived at the company together, they immediately caused a stir; nearly all the employees rushed over to see them.

They had all heard about how Big Boss Li Yi had been dominating the gold futures market on Wall Street. Over the past few days, media outlets across Hong Kong—both major and minor—had been reporting on the story, and the gossip tabloids had spun it into a sensational tale, describing it as if Li Yi had single-handedly stormed a den of wolves, complete with vivid details.

Consequently, the company’s staff were all stunned by their boss’s “heroic exploits.”

Li Yi had anticipated this reaction before arriving, so he didn’t say much.

After chatting with the staff for a while, Li Yi immediately had Lan Xinming notify all management to gather in the conference room for a meeting.

Soon, all the company’s managers were present, and the meeting officially began.

What no one expected, however, was that right at the start of the meeting, Li Yi dropped a bombshell: he announced that he would be distributing dividends to all investors.

Although this dividend did not represent the company’s entire profit—after all, a substantial sum was still sitting in the bank earning interest, set to mature in July or August of this year—the payout covered only the profits from the two gold projects.

Even so, the profits to be distributed exceeded 40 billion Hong Kong dollars!

A dividend of this magnitude—in the hundreds of billions—was unprecedented in the history of Hong Kong’s investment community, instantly sparking heated discussion among the entire management team.

Most were hesitant, believing it would be more effective to wait until August—the company’s first anniversary—to distribute the dividends.

But Li Yi was adamant, and the others knew they had no choice but to agree.

Subsequently, Li Yi began making arrangements according to his plan.

Given the substantial amount of funds involved, Li Yi instructed the finance department to calculate investors’ returns based on their contracts and present a detailed plan as soon as possible.

Fortunately, the investors eligible for this dividend were primarily the wealthy individuals from the first round of funding, and their numbers were not large. Combined with a portion of ordinary investors, the total number of people involved did not exceed 1,500.

Given the capabilities of the company’s finance department, they should be able to complete the necessary calculations within a week.

Of course, they couldn’t afford to sit idle during this week. After all, dividend distributions are of utmost importance to any investment firm, and Starry Sky was no exception—they had to ensure their promotional efforts were well-executed.

So Li Yi ordered the public relations department to spring into action immediately: issue any necessary announcements, launch promotional campaigns, and build momentum.

Following Li Yi’s orders, the entire Starry Sky Company sprang into action…

………

Li Family Manor. Study!

Upon hearing Li Futiao’s words, Li Yi fell silent.

To be honest, he himself had absolutely no interest in joining this Chinese Capital Alliance.

The reason was simple: Li Yi didn’t want to have his hands tied.

His purpose in coming to Hong Kong was to make money—and not just from those British-owned conglomerates and their expats. Everyone on the island was his target, naturally including wealthy families like the He and Luo clans.

If he joined this alliance, their relationship would change—it would evolve from mere acquaintances to allies.

With that kind of relationship in place, how could Li Yi possibly seize an opportunity without hesitation?

Take Li Futao, for example. Based on Li Yi’s understanding of him, four years later, Li Futao’s Far East Stock Exchange would, under the mediation of the British Hong Kong government, formally merge with the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, the Gold and Silver Stock Exchange, and the Kowloon Stock Exchange to form the United Stock Exchange. At that time, Li Futao would become the first chairman of the United Stock Exchange.

However, shortly after he took office, the Stock Exchange faced a stock market crash of unprecedented scale—the 1987 Crash.

After the crash, Old Li, due to a misjudgment, implemented a series of disastrous measures, causing the Li family—and indeed the entire Hong Kong stock market—to suffer heavy losses.

Originally, Li Yi’s plan was to snap up assets from major companies at rock-bottom prices after the market had been severely battered. But now that their relationship was so close, Li Yi naturally couldn’t stand by and watch Old Li make such mistakes.

Similarly, if he formed an alliance with the He and Luo families, Li Yi’s actions would be severely restricted, and one misstep could easily make him look like a villain kicking someone when they’re down.

Seeing the look on Li Yi’s face, Li Futao seemed to grasp his meaning and said, “Brother Li Yi, are you reluctant to join this alliance?”

Li Yi nodded and said, “I’m actually not very keen on it!”

“Could you share your thoughts?”

Li Futao continued, “Don’t get me wrong—I just think this might not be a bad thing for you. After all, if this goes through, you’ll gain dozens, even hundreds, of billionaire allies here in Hong Kong. Your foundation will truly become unshakable.”

Li Yi nodded and said, “Old Li, I understand what you’re saying, but have you considered this: if I join this alliance, it will inevitably severely restrict my operations in the Hong Kong stock market.”

“After all, I’m the kind of person who either doesn’t act at all, or when I do, it’s a massive, sweeping move that affects a wide range of people—sometimes without distinguishing between friend and foe. Joining them would really limit my ability to operate freely.”

Li Futao, Huang Lixing, and Li Yunbao were all taken aback. They had anticipated that Li Yi might refuse, but they hadn’t expected his reason for refusal to be this.

But upon closer reflection, what Li Yi said did make a certain amount of sense.

Hong Kong Island was a small place to begin with, and there were only so many listed companies. Having too many allies would indeed make it difficult to operate.

“I understand!”

But changing the subject, Li Futiao continued, “I respect your opinion, but since I’ve been entrusted with this, I should finish what I have to say. Mr. He and the Luo family head anticipated you might refuse, so they’ve offered quite a few terms. Would you like to hear them?”

“Hmm, I suppose I might as well listen.”

“If you and Starry Sky Company join this Chinese-funded alliance, they’re willing to jointly nominate you as the alliance’s leader—just like the British-funded group’s Sir.”

“Not interested!” Li Yi said indifferently.

Although the title of “leader” might sound impressive, in Li Yi’s view, it was nothing more than needlessly complicating his life. He didn’t even know who to entrust with managing all the businesses under his own name—how could he possibly have the time or inclination to meddle in others’ affairs?

Besides, his roots were in the mainland, and he would most likely be residing in Beijing in the future; serving as this leader would simply be too inconvenient.

Li Futiao spoke again: “Furthermore, we are aware that the mainland is currently implementing reform and opening-up policies and is actively attracting foreign investment on a large scale. If you are willing to join the Chinese Capital Alliance, all Chinese-owned companies—including the He, Luo, Bao, Guo, and our Li families—are willing to invest on the mainland to support the nation’s development.”

The reason they proposed these terms was primarily because they were firmly convinced that Li Yi was an official from the other side; thus, they sought to use this approach to curry favor with Li Yi—or rather, with the forces behind him.

Upon hearing this, Li Yi’s expression shifted slightly!

If it were a matter of his own personal gain or loss, Li Yi could indeed brush it off—after all, for someone as gifted as him, making money was a breeze.

Especially from the 1980s through the turn of the millennium, business opportunities were everywhere; if he wanted to, he could easily hit a small daily profit target.

So he could easily dismiss the idea of forming alliances with those people, let alone taking on the role of some so-called “decision-maker.”

However, the condition Li Futiao had just proposed forced him to give it serious consideration, because it touched on another very important matter—the influx of foreign capital.

Calling it an “invasion” might be a bit of an exaggeration, but it’s undeniable that with our large-scale reform and opening-up, foreign capital has poured into the domestic market, inevitably leading to the problem of foreign capital seizing a high market share.

Relying on their deep pockets and extensive management experience, these foreign capital firms have been dominating domestic enterprises for a long time. Many of our household-name brands have ultimately become tools for these foreign investors to make money—such as the renowned Zhonghua Toothpaste, Meizhiyuan, Harbin Beer, Yinlu, Taitaole, Jinlongyu, and Beibingyang Soda, among others.

The acquisition of domestic brands is still the better outcome. More concerning is that some foreign capital, fearing that the rise of our brands might compete with them for the international market, simply uses its capital advantage to acquire these brands first and then directly destroy them.

Take, for example, Beibingyang Soda and Tianfu Cola—once the pride of the Chinese people. After being acquired by foreign capital, they were “shelved,” missing the golden age of market development and ultimately becoming mere cannon fodder.

Li Yi is naturally aware of this situation and is determined to change this outcome.

But he alone could not bring about significant change. Our country is simply too vast; any private capital pales in comparison to such a great nation.

If these Chinese capitalists from Hong Kong could truly band together to invest in the mainland, the situation would be quite different.

While it’s unrealistic to expect them to compete with capital from around the world, their presence alone could make a significant difference.

With that in mind, Li Yi looked up at Li Futao and said, “Old Li, from what you’re saying, you want me to join this Chinese Capital Alliance, don’t you?”

“That’s right. We don’t want to be bullied anymore, and you are our greatest asset in defeating those Westerners. Even if you do nothing, just having you here gives us confidence!” Li Futao said.

Li Yi nodded and said, “Since you’ve put it that way, I’ll join this Chinese Capital Alliance—but I have conditions of my own!”

“What conditions? Go ahead.”

“First condition: I won’t be the leader of this alliance, but I’ll step in if necessary.”

Li Yi continued, “Second condition: not just anyone can join this alliance. We’ll look not only at strength but also at values and contributions to the alliance. Aside from the founding members, any new members must be approved by a vote of the entire membership—they can only join if more than two-thirds agree!”

“The third condition is that all members joining the alliance must invest in the mainland. While there’s no specific amount required for ordinary members, core members must invest no less than ten billion Hong Kong dollars within three years!”

Li Futao replied immediately, “I’ve noted these three conditions. I’ll discuss them with the heads of the He, Luo, and Guo families to see what they think. I’ll let you know as soon as I have any news!”

“Alright!”

Li Yi then added, “Now that we’ve covered the side matters, let’s get back to discussing the investment dividends!”

Upon hearing Li Yi’s words, Li Futiao and Huang Lixing’s eyes lit up instantly…

………

Hong Kong. Kai Tak International Airport!

At 11:00 a.m. on January 7, 1982, a dozen luxury cars were lined up in neat rows in the parking lot outside the airport.

At the same time, a large contingent of black-clad bodyguards stretched from inside the airport all the way to the motorcade, seemingly waiting for someone.

At the airport exit, a dozen or so heavily armed bodyguards surrounded several people, creating a tense yet high-profile atmosphere.

When people saw the central figure in the midst of the bodyguards, they were all stunned.

As the second most powerful figure of the second generation on Hong Kong Island, Li Futao was a household name there; people truly never expected to encounter such a prominent figure at the airport.

In addition, the figures standing beside Li Futao also caught the public’s attention, as they were no ordinary people either—they included Ho Tung-ying, the head of the Ho family; Lo Man-wah, the eldest son of the Lo family; and Wong Lap-hing, a big shot from the Green Dragon Society.

With so many bigwigs gathered at the airport—and apparently waiting for someone—passengers arriving for their flights couldn’t help but glance their way.

Everyone began speculating about who could be arriving on Hong Kong Island—someone with such high-profile connections that Li Futao, Huang Lixing, and others had come personally to greet them.

Consequently, passengers with a bit of time to spare didn’t rush off; they all stopped to watch the commotion.

Before long, a crowd had gathered at the exit!

At 11:15, as a group of over a dozen people emerged from the airport, Li Futao, Huang Lixing, and the others immediately stepped forward to greet them—clearly, the person they were there to meet had arrived.

When the onlookers saw Li Yi, surrounded by the group at the center, they finally realized that Li Futao and the others had come to welcome him.

This revelation came as a shock to many!

Recently, Li Yi and his company, Starry Sky, had become a household name on Hong Kong Island. Both the island’s established families and British-owned conglomerates paled in comparison to him.

Everyone also knew that this young man from the mainland had good relations with established families like the Lis, the Hos, and the Luos; on several occasions, these Chinese business tycoons had stepped forward to speak out in support of this mainland lad.

But they never imagined that his status and standing were so high that it had reached the point where Li Futao, Ho Tung-ying, and Wong Lap-hing would personally come to the airport to greet him.

Consequently, some couldn’t help but speculate whether Li Yi was truly backed by some unspoken superpower, and whether his purpose in coming to Hong Kong was really just to invest and make money…

In fact, it wasn’t just the onlookers who were taken by surprise—Li Yi himself hadn’t expected Li Fuzhao and the others to come all the way to the airport to greet them!

After a round of warm greetings, Li Yi, surrounded by the crowd, boarded the Li family’s motorcade and headed straight for the Li family estate.

Once inside the car, with only Li Futao and the driver remaining, Li Yi couldn’t help but ask, “Old Li, why did you bring Mr. He and Mr. Luo to pick us up? This is really embarrassing.”

Li Futao shook his head and said, “It wasn’t my idea to bring them along—they were the ones who insisted on coming!”

“They asked to come on their own?”

“Exactly. And it’s not just them—there are dozens of wealthy Chinese businesspeople waiting for you at the estate. If I hadn’t stopped them, they would’ve all come along too!” Li Futao said with a laugh.

Hearing this, Li Yi was taken aback and immediately asked, “What on earth is going on?”

“It’s nothing much. They just found out about you shorting gold in New York, and everyone wants to meet the man who single-handedly wiped out Wall Street!”

Li Futiao continued, “It wasn’t us who spread the word. It’s just that the commotion you caused in New York was simply too massive. A few days ago, all kinds of media over there—including newspapers, magazines, and TV—were reporting on how you wiped out the New York futures market. The media here in Hong Kong took notice and immediately started going crazy reporting on it too.”

“After all that extensive media coverage, quite a few people called me asking for confirmation. As you know, I can’t keep things hidden from families like the He’s and the Luos. Plus, since you’ve already closed the net over there, I had no choice but to tell them the truth!”

Li Yi nodded and said, “So that’s how it was. I thought Old Li had specifically invited them to pick me up!”

“Not at all. But everyone genuinely wanted to throw you a welcome party, so I just went ahead and organized a reception at the estate!” Li Fu said.

“Alright!”

………

By the time they returned to the estate, it was nearly midnight!

The reception was all set up. As soon as the motorcade returned, Li Futiao gave the order to officially begin the reception.

Li Yi glanced around; the room was filled with familiar faces.

In addition to He Dongying, Luo Wenhua, and others, there was also “Ship King” Sir Bao, the “Li Ka-shing” of the real estate industry, and members of the typically low-key Huo family.

In short, everyone present was a heavyweight in the Chinese business community.

Although their combined strength still fell short of the British-funded conglomerates at their peak, it was now virtually on par with those same conglomerates, which had since suffered significant losses.

Upon seeing them, Li Yi began to form a vague idea of what these Hong Kong tycoons were up to!

If all goes as expected, these tycoons intend to unite and resist the British-owned conglomerate and its foreign executives.

That’s right—resistance!

As a British colony, Hong Kong Island had a population that was 90% Chinese. Yet, like the indigenous peoples of all colonies worldwide, the economic lifeline of the region had always been controlled by those foreigners.

Although Chinese capital had risen rapidly over the past century, reaching a considerable scale by twenty years ago,

However, once these foreigners realized that Chinese capital had grown strong enough to threaten them, they colluded with the British colonial authorities and spared no effort in suppressing it.

Faced with the bullying of these foreigners, some had considered resisting, but the results were far from satisfactory.

Over the past few decades, countless wealthy Chinese have fallen victim to their suppression and persecution, with many families destroyed and lives ruined.

In the end, people were left with no choice but to either swallow their pride and back down, or grovel and serve as others’ lackeys.

But things are different now. Since Li Yi descended like a war god, he has not only forced the British-funded conglomerates into retreat, leaving them utterly humiliated, but also inflicted heavy losses upon them.

More importantly, Li Yi actually dared to travel alone to the “Eagle’s Nest,” where he wreaked havoc in New York, laying waste to the entire Wall Street.

Such ability, such audacity, and such a track record have set the hearts of Hong Kong’s wealthy Chinese ablaze with excitement.

At the same time, they saw hope in resisting those foreign devils, which is why they’d all come today!

Sure enough, just as Li Yi had anticipated, when the event began and host Li Fuzhao delivered his opening remarks, he spoke many words laden with deep meaning.

Although he didn’t explicitly mention forming an alliance, the implication was clear—after all, phrases like “unity,” “uniting against external threats,” and “pursuing common interests” aren’t used lightly.

However, forming an alliance is always a serious matter, so Li Futiao did not bring it up publicly at the reception. Still, his words had already planted a seed in the guests’ minds; it was just a matter of time before it sprouted.

The reception lasted over two hours. By the time most of the guests had left, Li Futiao summoned Li Yi, Huang Lixing, and Li Yunbao to his study.

The group sat around a small round tea table, and Li Yunbao tactfully served everyone tea and water, which greatly pleased Li Futao, who was watching from the side.

In the past, although his son hadn’t carried himself with the airs of a wealthy young master, he hadn’t really understood the ways of the world and had come across as a bit of a hothead—lacking any sense of composure.

However, after working with Li Yi for a few months, regardless of how much his skills had improved, he had made significant progress in his interpersonal skills.

Li Futiao cleared his throat and got straight to the point: “Brother Li Yi, the He and Luo families have asked me to ask you something. They want to establish a Chinese-funded conglomerate modeled after the British-funded group. I was wondering if you’d be interested in joining?”

Upon hearing this, the eyes of everyone in the room fixed on Li Yi, waiting for his answer…

…….

December 31st—a day to remember!

Not only because it was the last day of 1981, but more importantly, because today an Asian man named Li Yi taught Wall Street’s elite a harsh lesson.

After three days of back-and-forth, Li Yi’s team finally completed the acquisition of the more than 169,000 gold futures contracts required for delivery.

Then, under the watchful eyes of Wall Street’s investment elite, Li Yi began the final settlement process with Sharp Corporation.

The settlement process was quite cumbersome, as it required extensive calculations.

Finally, just after 2:00 p.m., Sharp released the settlement result: $5.3449 billion.

According to Sharp’s breakdown, Li Yi’s initial investment was $2.015 billion. Using 5x leverage, he borrowed 169,000 gold futures contracts and sold them on the market at an average price of $59,600 per contract, raising $10.0724 billion.

Before delivery, Li Yi repurchased the same number of futures contracts from the market at an average price of $27,500 per contract, spending $4.6475 billion. The difference of $5.4249 billion between the two amounts represents Li Yi’s gross profit from this short position in gold futures.

This is referred to as gross profit because it does not yet account for institutional funding fees, team commissions, taxes paid to the tax authorities, and other expenses.

According to Sharp Company’s calculations, Li Yi’s daily funding cost was $1.38 million, and since he utilized the counterpart’s funds for a total of 53 days, the funding costs alone amounted to $73 million.

In addition, he must pay nearly $5 million in team commissions and over $2 million in other expenses. Therefore, while returning Li Yi’s $2.015 billion margin deposit, they must also settle $5.3449 billion in profits with him.

Of course, after receiving this sum, Li Yi would still need to pay 534 million in taxes to the New York tax authorities, leaving the remaining 4.81 billion as the net profit from this investment.

When Li Yi and Li Yunbao emerged from Sharp Corporation, everyone found it hard to contain their excitement.

It was insane—absolutely thrilling!

Apart from Li Yi, no one could have imagined that in just two short months, they would have made 4.8 billion US dollars on the New York futures market.

At the current exchange rate, that’s worth 37.8 billion Hong Kong dollars!

Just think about the wealthiest families on Hong Kong Island—whether it’s the Li family, the Ho family, or the Lo family—not a single one of them has that much money.

Never mind cash—not even their total assets amount to that much!

It’s safe to say they’ve witnessed an investment miracle.

In contrast to the excitement of Li Yi’s team, the reaction on Wall Street was entirely different.

When news broke that Li Yi had raked in over 5 billion US dollars (including taxes) in the futures market, the entire Wall Street was stunned.

Amid the shock, many felt anger and despair—they simply couldn’t believe that a foreigner had managed to rake in such a massive sum.

Overnight, newspapers were flooded with coverage of the story!

Some even called on the government to step in, investigate Li Yi, and prevent him from taking this massive sum out of the U.S. — and there were actually quite a few people who agreed with this view.

However, Li Yi wasn’t the least bit worried about this. After all, even a colonial government like the British Hong Kong administration would have had reservations about such a move—let alone the U.S.

If they actually did that, which foreign tycoons or capital would dare to come here to spend or invest in the future? After all, no one wants to be the “chives” that get cut down at any moment.

Furthermore, Li Yi was well aware that although the Thief Eagle’s domestic economy was not in great shape—plagued by overcapacity, high consumer inflation, and stagflation—it was still functioning relatively smoothly overall.

Therefore, although the current U.S. government remains shameless and brazen, it still has some limits.

At the very least, they still have some reservations and dare not brazenly raid private wallets.

Unlike in the decades following the turn of the millennium, when the desperate U.S. government, blinded by its losses, repeatedly pushed shamelessness to the limit, engaging in outright banditry—seizing the assets of wealthy Chinese nationals and the U.S. bank deposits of foreigners however it pleased.

So, after Sharp Corporation settled this payment, Li Yi immediately instructed Jimmy, the CFO of Green Brothers, to take an accountant and a lawyer to the tax office and pay every penny of the taxes owed.

After that, he began making preparations to return home!

However, before returning, he had two more things to do. The first was to instruct Corning to ship the goods as soon as possible.

It’s important to note that while this color TV production line was nominally destined for Hong Kong Island, it actually needed to be shipped to the mainland. This involved a transshipment process that had to be arranged in advance.

The reason he didn’t place the order with Corning under the name of a mainland company was primarily to save money.

After all, for the exact same products, the quotes Zaiying’s company provided to domestic enterprises were about 30% higher than those offered to companies in Hong Kong.

That’s just blatant double standards!

In fact, it’s not just the U.S.—countries all over the world are the same. When it comes to prices for Chinese buyers, there’s only one word: expensive!

The reason for this is simple: they know we have no choice!

“The weak get beaten”—this isn’t just true in politics and sovereignty, but also in the economy.

In today’s world, we are undoubtedly seen as an economically weak nation in the eyes of Western countries, and being bullied is inevitable.

Li Yi is just an ordinary person; he can’t change this situation right now, so he has no choice but to resort to this method: first procuring the equipment in Hong Kong, then shipping it back to the mainland from there!

As long as the goal is achieved, the process can be overlooked for now!

In addition to this, Li Yi also planned to pay a visit to the NASDAQ to invest in a few companies while the stock prices of those giant corporations were at a low point.

And so, just as the people on the “Eagle” side assumed that Li Yi, this man from the East, would leave New York with this massive sum of money, he instead led his team straight into the NASDAQ stock market and began a buying spree.

At $26 per share, Li Yi splashed out $96 million to buy 3.66 million shares of Apple stock, securing a 6% stake in the company, which had a market capitalization of $1.778 billion.

Thanks to his aggressive move, Apple’s stock price defied the market trend and rose by 7% that day.

Next, Li Yi spent $20 million to acquire a 6% stake in Berkshire Hathaway and $50 million to purchase a 5% stake in Johnson & Johnson…

In just a few short days, Li Yi poured $300 million into the New York stock market, investing in more than twenty companies of all sizes.

His investments ranged from dark-horse tech stocks like Apple to established investment firms like Berkshire Hathaway, as well as obscure startups founded just one or two years prior. His approach seemed utterly haphazard—he never investigated company performance or reviewed financial reports, simply pouring money in relentlessly.

Moreover, his stake in each company never exceeded 10%, but never fell below 5%!

More importantly, after pouring in the money, Li Yi doesn’t even visit the companies. He simply entrusts the Green Brothers firm to handle the shareholder reporting formalities, then washes his hands of the matter, completely indifferent to whether the stock price rises or falls.

If the local media hadn’t already uncovered Li Yi’s identity as a citizen of the Eastern superpower, those in the dark might have mistaken him for one of those Japanese investors with an inflated sense of self-importance!

Soon, his behavior was interpreted by various New York media outlets as a sign of capitulation.

They believed Li Yi had received warnings from certain unspecified forces and, fearing retribution, had chosen this method to “spit out” his money.

What they didn’t realize, however, was that Li Yi had invested in these companies precisely because he knew most of them were destined to become future giants—investing now was essentially a surefire profit.

As for not caring about stock price fluctuations, there was even less to say—he had no intention of selling right now, so why should he worry about whether the price went up or down!

On January 4, after completing the final transaction, Li Yi handed over all his remaining funds to Green Brothers, who transferred them through special channels to the account of Far East Securities on Hong Kong Island.

Afterward, Li Yi set off on his return journey with Li Yunbao, Lan Xinyi, and the others!

December in North America had already entered the depths of winter, though compared to Beijing, where people were already bundled up in thick cotton coats, the temperatures here were still much milder.

Consequently, on the streets of Wall Street, one could see many people wearing trench coats and leather jackets.

However, everyone was hurrying along, their expressions grave.

The Federal Reserve’s three consecutive rounds of interest rate hikes were nothing short of a disaster for Wall Street, adding insult to injury to an already sluggish economy.

The financial sector is inherently highly sensitive to economic and market conditions, and when such situations arise, those working in the industry are the first to feel the pressure.

At the entrance to the gold futures market, Li Yi, accompanied by his team members and Reggie Green, was ascending the steps, preparing to enter the world’s largest gold futures market.

Although he had been here countless times before, this visit was undoubtedly the most memorable, as today marked the culmination of a massive short-selling strategy he had been orchestrating for two and a half months.

Just an hour earlier, while Li Yi was having a lively discussion with Reggie Green about the company’s future, he suddenly received an urgent call from Billy. Billy reported that gold prices at the futures market had plummeted again and might soon reach the price Li Yi had anticipated, urging him to come immediately.

Upon receiving Billy’s call, Li Yi wasted no time. He immediately explained the situation to Reggie Green and prepared to head to the futures market to take charge.

Upon hearing the news, Reggie Green expressed a desire to come and see the action for himself, which led to the scene unfolding before them!

When Li Yi and his group arrived at the VIP lounge, Billy immediately came out to greet them with his team.

“Boss, you’re finally here! If you hadn’t come, we wouldn’t have known what to do!” Billy said, sounding somewhat excited.

“Billy, what are the current international gold prices and the prices of gold futures contracts?” Li Yi asked straight to the point.

“The international gold price has dropped to $275 per ounce, and gold futures contracts are fluctuating between $27,300 and $27,400 per contract!” Billy replied expertly.

Hearing this, the group that had followed him in immediately wore a variety of expressions.

Zhou Xinghua, Li Yunbao, and the others looked utterly stunned, for they remembered Li Yi had explicitly stated that the international gold price would drop below $300 per ounce—they never expected it to actually fall to this level.

This prediction was incredibly accurate—it was practically a divine prophecy!

Meanwhile, Reggie Green, standing nearby, wore an expression of deep regret. He recalled what Li Yi had told him earlier: his target price range for closing his position was between $270 and $300 per ounce.

At the time, he had thought there was no way the international gold price could possibly drop to $270 per ounce, so he had closed his position early.

But just one day later, the price actually dropped to around $275—a full $30 cheaper than his $306 exit price.

Given their position of 456,000 contracts, every $1 drop in the international gold price would have earned them an additional $45.6 million.

Now that the gold price has plummeted by over $30, it means they’ve suddenly lost $1.368 billion in profits.

Reggie Green was filled with regret. For a pure businessman like him, earning less is the same as losing money.

Losing over a billion dollars in potential profit is equivalent to suffering a loss of over a billion—the joy he felt at yesterday’s settlement vanished in an instant.

He thought back to Li Yi’s advice and reflected on his own stubbornness; a sense of regret and melancholy welled up within him…

Li Yi paid no heed to the crowd’s reactions. After a moment’s thought, he said, “Billy, starting now, slowly start buying back the futures contracts on the market!”

“Remember, don’t move too fast. As soon as prices show any upward trend, stop buying immediately. Wait until prices drop before buying again!”

“Yes!”

Billy then began making arrangements according to Li Yi’s orders.

After Billy and the others left the VIP room, Reggie Green said with a grim expression, “Li, you really were right. The international gold price has actually dropped to a low of over 270 dollars per ounce. You’ve really made a killing this time!”

Li Yi smiled and asked, “Regretting it?”

“Uh… a little!” Reggie Green replied, looking slightly embarrassed.

“Green, you really have no reason to regret it. Investing requires boldness and caution, but you must avoid greed.”

Li Yi continued, “Taking that next step could lead to heaven—or it could lead to hell. If you don’t have absolute certainty, it’s best not to take the risk!”

“Li, how can you be so sure the international gold price will definitely drop?” Reggie Green asked curiously.

“Heh, because I’m Li Yi!”

Hearing Li Yi’s supremely cool remark, Reggie Green was momentarily dumbfounded.

He’d seen people show off before, but this was the first time he’d encountered someone who could do it with such style.

However, just as he was about to ask for clarification, Li Yi uttered a phrase that left him completely baffled: “Unfounded gains bring empty joy; those who haven’t grasped the true teachings are trapped.”

After that, Li Yi didn’t mention the topic again.

What is showing off? It’s when you clearly understand 20% but boast as if you know 100%!

Class, on the other hand, is when you know 100% but choose to say only 20%!

Clearly, Li Yi understood the art of “class”!

While they were talking, the trading floor outside presented a completely different scene.

As Billy and his group began buying up futures contracts on the market, some investors sensed an opportunity and started raising their asking prices.

By the time Billy and his team had acquired over 10,000 futures contracts, some had already priced each contract at $27,800.

As for these people, Billy chose to ignore them entirely; he accepted any contracts priced below $27,500, but once the price crossed that threshold, he refused to touch them.

But that’s just how the futures market works: as soon as one person raises the price, others immediately follow suit.

Anyway, it’s a case of “better safe than sorry”—what if they manage to sell at a high price? Then they’d make a profit, right?

Even if they didn’t sell, there was no real loss—they could always lower the price later!

So, by the time this tug-of-war dragged on until the morning close, there were no longer any futures contracts below $27,500 on the market; instead, contracts at $28,000 and higher were everywhere.

At this point, the futures contracts Billy and his group had acquired totaled less than 25,000 contracts—still a long way from the 169,000 contracts needed for delivery.

Actually, it’s understandable that investors would drive up the price of futures contracts—after all, they aren’t stupid.

Judging by the market’s recent performance, it was clear that large institutions or major clients were bottom-fishing; it made perfect sense for them to push prices higher.

As long as the asking price wasn’t too high, the other party likely wouldn’t have minded.

However, what they didn’t know was that they were up against someone who was on a roll.

Li Yi knew full well that from this point on, for years to come, the international gold price would not rise.

In other words, the price of $270 per ounce would be the norm for a very long time.

Given that, why would he bother paying a premium to acquire them?

After all, he was currently short more than 169,000 futures contracts. For every dollar the purchase price increased, he’d be spending an additional $17 million.

And since his daily capital costs amount to just $1.3 million, the difference is crystal clear.

So, right now, he won’t spend a single penny more than necessary!

Consequently, after receiving Billy’s report, Li Yi promptly ordered the suspension of today’s purchases, postponing the matter until tomorrow.

Consequently, before the New York gold futures market even closed, the group withdrew.

Without a major client like Li Yi, the trading volume of gold futures contracts plummeted instantly that afternoon.

After all, with gold prices plummeting from over $600 per ounce to the current $270-plus—a drop of more than half—no one knew if the downward spiral would continue.

It was just like the property market in Hong Kong—the more prices fell, the fewer buyers there were.

Unless it was a genuine need, absolutely no one would touch it, because no one wanted to be the one left holding the bag at the peak.

After a standoff lasting nearly two hours, seeing that no one was stepping in, some of the more nervous sellers began lowering their prices again.

But while there were still plenty of onlookers, very few dared to make a move!

Left with no choice, these sellers had to keep lowering their prices. By the time the market closed in the afternoon, prices had fallen below $27,500 per lot…

………

New York. Green Brothers Company!

The conference room was packed with people; all the company executives, including Reggie Green and Li Yi, were present.

In addition, the original shareholders—Davis, Blinken, Johnson, and others—were all present.

The reason so many people had gathered here was primarily to complete the final step of the previous equity transaction—the payment.

Since most of Li Yi’s funds had been tied up in the futures market and couldn’t be withdrawn in the short term, and Davis and the others didn’t want to go down with Reggie Green, they were eager to cut their losses.

Consequently, although the share transfer agreement had been signed, the funds for the acquisition remained unpaid.

Now that the company’s investment dividends had been distributed, this money naturally had to be repaid first, so Li Yi had someone arrange for Davis and the others to come over.

In fact, this was also Reggie Green’s intention.

Otherwise, even if the company had made a fortune this time, Li Yi, as a shareholder, wouldn’t have been able to receive his share so quickly.

After all, for an investment firm of this size, distributing dividends to shareholders is a serious matter that requires deliberation by the board of directors and approval from relevant regulatory authorities; otherwise, not a single penny would ever reach the shareholders’ pockets.

However, Reggie Green felt some pressure having guaranteed such a massive sum for Li Yi; after all, if Li Yi failed to pay, Reggie would have to cover the cost himself.

Of course, that was only one reason; more importantly, Reggie Green was returning the favor.

At the previous shareholders’ meeting, Li Yi had shown him unwavering support, even entrusting him with full authority to exercise his shareholder rights on his behalf.

As a result, Reggie Green’s own 28% stake, combined with Li Yi’s 30.6%, exceeded the 51% required for a controlling interest, significantly increasing his influence within the company.

In return for this favor, Reggie Green used his influence to have the dividend distributed early.

This not only encouraged Li Yi to fulfill the contract and alleviate his concerns but also served as a gesture of goodwill toward him—a win-win situation. Why not do it?

Across the conference table, Davis and the others looked at Li Yi with mixed emotions. Some wore expressions of regret, others looked angry, and still others were simply curious.

From the head of the table, Reggie Green cleared his throat once everyone had arrived and said, “Ladies and gentlemen, we are gathered here at Mr. Li Yi’s request to witness the finalization of a monumental deal—the largest equity transfer transaction on Wall Street this year!”

“Given that both parties have already signed the equity transfer agreement, Mr. Li Yi now needs to pay all shareholders 672 million US dollars. Is Mr. Li Yi ready?”

“I’m ready. We can proceed at any time!” Li Yi said confidently.

Just then, Davis suddenly spoke up: “Wait a minute!”

“Davis, do you have something to say?” Reggie Green asked immediately.

“Li, we want to buy back the company’s shares. Name your price!” Davis said.

“I’m not selling!” Li Yi said firmly.

He knew exactly what Davis and the others were thinking—they’d seen the Green Brothers Company turn things around, and now they were regretting it!

To be honest, anyone in their shoes would feel like they’d been screwed over, so Li Yi actually felt quite sympathetic toward Davis and the others.

But it was nothing more than sympathy. This was like gambling—once you’ve placed your bet, you stick with it; there’s no backing out.

Besides, he wasn’t running a charity. There was no way he was going to give up shares worth over 260 billion US dollars in the future—he wasn’t crazy.

“We can compensate you with 300 million dollars!” Davis said again.

“Not for sale!”

“How about 500 million?”

“I won’t sell!”

Then Li Yi spoke again: “Mr. Davis, let me be honest with you. Compared to these shares, I personally have greater confidence in the future development of Green Brothers. I believe this small company will become a world-renowned investment firm in the future. So don’t even mention three or five hundred million dollars—even if you offered 3 billion dollars right now, I still wouldn’t sell these shares!”

Hearing Li Yi’s words, Davis’s expression darkened instantly, a flash of frustration and anger crossing his face, but mostly regret.

They were already aware that Green Brothers had made billions of dollars by shorting gold—and it wasn’t just them; everyone in the U.S. with an interest in investing knew about it now.

Although most people didn’t know exactly how much the Green Brothers had made, Davis was well aware of the figures.

As the company’s former second-largest shareholder, it was easy for him to find out even the slightest bit of non-confidential information about the company.

Ever since learning that the company had raked in over 6 billion dollars in a single stroke, Davis’s heart had felt as if it were being sliced by a knife, a searing, agonizing pain.

He had thought that selling his shares at the high price of $32 per share was a surefire way to make a profit, but he never expected to end up losing so much.

His mood soured even further when he learned that the Asian man had just received nearly 900 million dollars in dividends.

This meant that not only had the other party not spent a single penny on this deal, but while acquiring over 30% of the company’s shares, he had also made a tidy profit of over 200 million dollars.

This wasn’t just a case of getting something for nothing—it was like ransacking the entire den.

So on their way here, the shareholders had discussed whether they could buy back the shares by offering Li Yi some compensation.

After all, given Green Brothers’ stellar track record, more investors would inevitably be willing to entrust their funds to the company next year—a crucial factor for the growth and expansion of any investment firm.

More importantly, even if they compensated Li Yi with 500 million US dollars, it wouldn’t be a loss.

Barring any surprises, once Green Brothers and Banbanhaobang release their financial reports at the end of the year, the company’s stock price is bound to surge significantly.

It could easily double—or even multiply several times over—and that money would be recouped in no time.

In a nutshell, the future looks bright for the Green Brothers!

As it stands, their plans have completely fallen through; this Asian man has no intention of letting go of this lucrative opportunity.

In contrast to the gloom of Davis and the others, Reggie Green was in high spirits.

When he heard Davis propose compensating Li Yi with $500 million to reclaim the equity, his heart truly leapt into his throat.

After all, the proposal was quite tempting. Not only would Li Yi receive $500 million in compensation, but he’d also save $672 million in transaction costs.

Add to that the nearly $900 million in dividends he’d already received, and he’d effectively raked in nearly $1.4 billion in one fell swoop—who wouldn’t be tempted by that?

So he was genuinely worried that Li Yi wouldn’t be able to resist the temptation of Davis’s “sugar-coated bullets” and would agree to transfer the equity back. If that happened, he’d have to get into another drawn-out battle with this wild bull of a guy.

Fortunately, Li Yi didn’t let him down; he firmly rejected Davis’s enticement, which gave Reggie Green a huge sigh of relief.

To avoid any last-minute complications, Reggie Green immediately urged both parties to expedite the final procedures and settle the payment as soon as possible to avoid any trouble.

Seeing this, Davis and his crew realized the matter was now a done deal, with no room for reversal.

Under the watchful eye of the lawyer, they had no choice but to reluctantly take the money and slink out of the company!

As soon as they left, Reggie Green warmly embraced Li Yi, declaring him the best partner he could ask for.

However, just as they were celebrating Li Yi’s successful completion of the deal and his official ascension to major shareholder, the futures market took a sudden turn for the worse, and international gold prices plummeted once again…

………

The next morning!

When Li Yi woke up from his hangover, it was already past ten in the morning.

That’s right, he’d gotten drunk yesterday!

Of course, Li Yi wasn’t the only one who’d gotten drunk; Li Yunbao, Zhou Xinghua, and the others were all passed out as well.

On the team’s side, only Lan Xinyi, Cai Bingyan, and a few other women remained sober.

The reason for such wild revelry was simply that yesterday had been such a joyous occasion.

At yesterday’s meeting, after everyone had agreed on the profit-sharing plan, Reggie Green announced that all company employees would receive a year-end bonus of $10,000 by the end of the month, with bonuses for management increasing in stages based on their positions.

The moment the news was announced, the entire conference room erupted in excitement!

Keep in mind that the average salary for an ordinary worker is less than $1,500. While those in finance earn a bit more, their salaries are still only around $2,000.

A $10,000 bonus all at once—that’s equivalent to nearly half a year’s salary for them. How could they not be thrilled?

Consequently, at the celebratory reception that followed, everyone from top management to rank-and-file employees came forward to toast Reggie Green and Li Yi to thank them for their generosity.

Because these people were so enthusiastic, Li Yunbao and the others who were trying to shield Li Yi from the drinks fell one by one, and in the end, even Zhou Xinghua had to step in personally—but it was still no use.

Finally, after the last person had finished their drink, Li Yi had no choice but to demonstrate his “one-cup-at-a-time” drinking feat for these American employees!

After sitting on the bed to recover for a while, Li Yi finally walked into the bathroom to take a shower.

After changing into clean clothes, he went down to the living room.

As soon as he came downstairs, he saw Reggie Green chatting with Jimmy Michel in the living room, along with a few people Li Yi didn’t recognize.

When Reggie Green saw Li Yi coming downstairs, he immediately stood up and said apologetically, “Li, you’re awake. I’m truly sorry. I had no idea your tolerance for alcohol was so low. I promise that at future company parties, no one will ever make you drink again!”

“Green, it’s just a matter of personal constitution. You don’t need to apologize for this!”

Li Yi then asked, “Why did you come over so early, and why did you bring Jimmy?”

Reggie Green replied immediately, “I came over today mainly to discuss the stock dividend with you!”

Hearing this, Li Yi’s eyes lit up, and he asked immediately, “Green, have the dividend figures been calculated yet?”

“Yes. Based on your shareholding percentage, you’re entitled to $874 million!”

Reggie Green then personally explained to Li Yi why, even though the company had earned over 6 billion US dollars in profits, he—as a major shareholder holding 30% of the stock—would only receive less than 1 billion US dollars.

According to Reggie Green’s explanation, although they had earned over 6 billion US dollars from this investment, they had to make a 30% advance tax payment to the IRS.

Furthermore, the vast majority of the funds for this investment came from clients. Since the profits weren’t entirely the company’s to keep, a portion had to be distributed to the clients according to the contract, meaning less than half actually ended up in the company’s hands.

On top of that, expenses such as employee bonuses had to be deducted. By the time the funds reached Li Yi, the major shareholder, only $874 million remained.

In fact, Li Yi understood all this without Reggie Green needing to explain it—after all, he was an investor himself and knew how profits were distributed.

So, he was already quite satisfied with the $874 million he received!

After all, this investment was, in the truest sense, a windfall for him.

He’d secured over 30% of the company’s shares without putting up a single penny upfront, and now he’d received such a massive payout all at once. Even after repaying the funds for the equity transfer to Wan Davis and the others, he’d still have plenty left over—what more could he ask for?

“Green, when can I get this money?” Li Yi asked.

“Right now, but you must settle your tax issues first. Otherwise, the consequences will be severe!” Reggie Green said sternly.

He’d seen too many Asians who’d failed to handle their tax affairs properly, leading to extremely serious consequences. He didn’t want Li Yi to follow in their footsteps.

Li Yi nodded immediately and said, “I understand what you mean. I’ll hire a professional accountant to handle this!”

Reggie Green pointed to the two middle-aged men standing nearby and said, “These two are the heads of the professional accounting firm our company partners with. Li, if you have any tax-related matters, you can go directly to them for assistance!”

“Alright, thank you so much!”

“You’re welcome!”

Reggie Green then added, “By the way, Li, once you receive the funds, you should pay back Davis and the others first. If you go past the two-month deadline, I’m worried they might cancel the contract on the grounds of breach of contract!”

“Alright, as soon as the money comes in, I’ll fulfill the contract immediately!”

Li Yi understood Reggie Green’s concerns. After all, the gold short-selling couldn’t be kept secret, and since Davis and the others had been with the company for quite some time, they might already know how much profit the company had made yesterday.

More importantly, with this track record, both the company and its clients had made a fortune. As expected, the company’s stock price was bound to skyrocket.

With this track record, more investors would surely join Green Brothers next year. It was safe to say that Green Brothers had now completely emerged from its previous quagmire.

As the company’s second-largest shareholder, Davis certainly won’t take this lying down if he’s forced out at a time like this.

Of course, the contract is in black and white, leaving him no room to renege—but if he were to breach the terms, that would be a different matter entirely.

Seeing that Li Yi had truly taken his advice to heart, Reggie Green immediately nodded in satisfaction!

After exchanging a few words with Li Yi, he left Jimmy and the others behind to handle Li Yi’s tax matters, while he himself departed Manhattan Manor under the escort of his bodyguards and headed to the company.

Although the gold short-selling investment project had concluded, there were still many matters requiring his attention—such as holding a press conference to announce the company’s financial results, and meeting with major clients, among other things…

After Reggie Green and his group left, Jimmy and the others discussed Thief Eagle’s tax issues with Li Yi.

According to Jimmy and the others, the IRS classifies income earned by non-tax residents (those who do not qualify as U.S. citizens or green card holders) into three main categories: income from the sale of U.S. real estate or personal property; tax-exempt income as defined by tax law; and FDAP income.

The IRS applies different tax rules to these three categories. For instance, income from the sale of real estate or personal property in the U.S. is automatically treated as an activity related to business operations in the U.S. and must comply with the same tax filing rules as U.S. tax residents.

In other words, capital gains from such sales are taxed on the net income after deducting related costs and expenses.

However, Li Yi’s current situation does not fall under this category; his income should be classified as FDAP income for a foreign tax resident, which is subject to a flat tax rate of just 10%.

Although it was a bit painful, Li Yi knew that tax audits here were extremely strict, and the consequences of underreporting or omitting income were severe.

Therefore, immediately after receiving that massive dividend, he went to the tax office to file his taxes with the assistance of Jimmy and others.

After paying nearly 90 million in taxes, he immediately asked Reggie Green to contact Davis and the others to formally disburse the contract funds totaling over 600 million dollars…

………..