Chapter 656: You Must Be the Reincarnation of the God of Wealth!

Yangcheng. Provincial Government Compound!

In Jiang Shiying’s small villa, Li Yi sat in a chair in the study, sipping tea while chatting on the phone with Jiang Xue!

After leaving the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection a short while ago, Li Yi hadn’t returned directly to Hong Kong Island; instead, he had come back to his father-in-law’s small villa.

Although New York was urgently waiting for him to take charge, Jiang Longyin hadn’t responded yet, and his father-in-law still needed to sound out Wang Tianrong.

So Li Yi decided to stay in Guangzhou for a day or two before returning to Hong Kong. After all, making the trip back right now would be quite a hassle; it would be better to handle things here first before heading over!

Upon returning to the small villa, Li Yi dialed his home number and chatted at length with Jiang Xue.

“So the district allocated over 4.8 million to us?”

“That’s right. Aside from giving Third Brother and Sister-in-Law An Hong 100,000 yuan for that trade fair, I’ve deposited the rest in the bank. Whenever you need it, I’ll withdraw it for you!”

Li Yi chuckled and said, “I don’t really have any use for the money right now, so just keep it there!”

“You should handle it. It’s too much—I… I get a little nervous just looking at it!”

“What’s there to be nervous about? It’s not like we owe the bank that much!”

Then Li Yi added, “Let’s not talk about money anymore. Let’s talk about Third Sister’s wedding. I heard the preparations are almost done?”

“Yeah, Third Brother helped find the house. It’s quite a bit bigger than the courtyard we live in now—it has twelve rooms, including the main hall and side rooms. It cost 2,600 yuan!”

Then Jiang Xue added, “Mom has replaced all the furniture and bedding with new sets, and she’s even bought all the musical instruments and other wedding trinkets. She says this is Sister Na’s dowry!”

“Let Mom and Dad buy whatever they want for Third Sister. You just help out a little. If they run short on money, chip in some yourself—as long as Mom and Dad are happy!” Li Yi said.

“A couple of days ago, I saw Mom spending a lot, so I gave her a thousand yuan, but she wouldn’t take it…”

“She probably still has money on her. Just don’t worry about it!”

Li Yi then changed the subject: “By the way, how are Yunrui and Yunjin doing?”

“Haha, I thought you’d forgotten all about them!” Jiang Xue said with a laugh.

“With abilities like that, you and the kids are the result of several lifetimes of good fortune I’ve accumulated. Even if I were to forget myself, I’d never forget you two!” Li Yi said earnestly.

Hearing this, Jiang Xue’s heart instantly filled with sweetness.

“Both my son and daughter are doing great. They’re already learning to walk and can take steps forward while holding an adult’s hand!”

“Hahaha, just like my son—they’ve learned to walk so quickly. Good, good, good…”

Feeling Li Yi’s joy and excitement, Jiang Xue felt particularly happy inside.

Thinking of this, Jiang Xue suddenly asked, “By the way, have you finished your business over there? When are you coming back?”

“It’ll still take a while. I’m not sure exactly when, but I’ll definitely be back before Third Sister’s wedding!” Li Yi said.

“Alright, then take good care of yourself out there. The kids and I will be waiting for you to come back!”

“Got it!”

Then Li Yi added, “By the way, you’ll be on vacation soon. Would you be interested in taking a trip to Hong Kong, or maybe even spending the Lunar New Year here?”

“A quick visit would be fine, but I’d rather skip the New Year. Besides, wouldn’t our visit interfere with your work?” Jiang Xue asked.

“No, it won’t. I’d love for you to come see our family’s business here!” Li Yi said.

“Alright then, we’ll discuss it when I’m on leave!”

“Alright…”

Just as they were speaking, a soft knock sounded from outside the study, followed by Zhang Ziqiang’s voice from the other side of the door: “Brother Yi, Zhou Chu is here and says he wants to see you!”

Li Yi immediately said to Jiang Xue on the other end of the line, “I’ve got something to take care of here. We’ll talk later!”

“Okay, go ahead and take care of it!”

With that, Jiang Xue hung up the phone!

………

In the living room on the first floor of the villa, Zhou Rui was sitting on the sofa sipping tea, his expression somewhat grave, lost in thought.

Hearing a series of thudding footsteps, he instinctively looked toward the staircase.

When he saw Li Yi and Zhang Ziqiang coming down one after the other, he immediately stood up.

“Chief Zhou, what brings you here?”

Zhou Rui replied immediately, “I’ve been on official business in Guangzhou for a while. I heard you were back, so I came by to check on you!”

“I thought something had happened!”

Li Yi then explained, “You’re the type who never visits unless there’s a reason. Whenever you show up, I get all nervous—I always feel like something big is about to happen!”

Zhou Rui smiled and said, “You know what? Your intuition is actually pretty spot-on!”

“What, is there really something going on?”

“Yeah, Old Xu asked me to see if I could get some foreign currency for you,” Zhou Rui said.

“Huh? Didn’t we just bring back over two hundred million dollars not too long ago? It can’t have run out that fast, can it?” Li Yi asked, somewhat surprised.

“It’s gone. Although I didn’t ask exactly how the foreign exchange was spent, there’s definitely not much left at the State Administration of Foreign Exchange right now.”

Zhou Rui continued, “Originally, they planned to use gold as a substitute for foreign exchange, but with international gold prices falling, the higher-ups feel it would be too costly to pay with gold right now. So they’re asking if you have any other options.”

Li Yi thought for a moment and said, “How much do they need, and when do they need it?”

“Three hundred million dollars. It should be within the next two weeks.”

“I can help resolve this, but the cost will be quite high!”

Li Yi continued, “Also, the price of gold is still holding steady at around 480 dollars an ounce. If possible, I suggest the higher-ups use gold to offset the foreign exchange needs!”

“But the current international gold price is really…”

“I know, but how do you know this price won’t keep falling? Maybe this current price is actually the peak for the next few years?”

In fact, the current price isn’t just the peak for the next few years—it’s the highest gold price we’ll see for the next twenty-plus years.

Spending the excess gold on hand as foreign exchange at this time is a good deal by any measure.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Rui fell silent.

After a long pause, he finally said, “All right, I’ll pass that along to Old Xu, and I’ll report it to the higher-ups as well!”

“Hmm, and tell those bigwigs up there to hold off if it’s not too urgent. Once I get back from Thief Eagle, I should be able to bring in a huge chunk of foreign exchange for the country!” Li Yi said.

Zhou Rui’s eyes lit up instantly, and he hurriedly asked, “How much?”

“A conservative estimate of over a billion US dollars!”

“How… how much? Did you just say 1 billion US dollars?” Zhou Rui asked, sounding a bit incredulous.

“That’s right, one billion US dollars—and that’s a conservative estimate!” Li Yi said.

On this trip to New York, he had brought a total of 2 billion US dollars with him. Of that, 500 million belonged to Li Futao and Huang Lixing, while the remaining 1.57 billion all belonged to Starry Sky Company.

Of that 1.57 billion, 400 million was being managed by Li Yi on behalf of the state.

If the situation didn’t change drastically, their profit from this gold short-selling operation would be around 5 billion US dollars.

Based on the investment ratio, the state would receive roughly 1 billion US dollars.

If we add the 400 million in principal and the returns from fixed deposits in Hong Kong, the total comes to at least 2 billion USD that Li Yi has earned for the state so far.

This is the origin of the 2 billion Li Yi and Jiang Shiying mentioned this morning!

Of course, this $2 billion certainly won’t be repatriated in full, as a portion must be retained as capital for continued operations.

Furthermore, the $200 million in fixed deposits at Citibank won’t mature until August of next year, so that money is currently off-limits.

Therefore, Li Yi estimates that once the project in New York is completed, he will be able to repatriate at least 1 billion US dollars to China.

“Whoa!”

Zhou Rui couldn’t help but gasp, then looked at Li Yi and said, “Wow, you must be the reincarnation of the God of Wealth!”

“Hahaha, so do you want to pay your respects to me?” Li Yi teased with a laugh.

“If you can really bring back 1 billion US dollars in foreign exchange for the country, I’d actually love to pay my respects to you, you living deity!” Zhou Rui said with a laugh.

Li Yi: &……%￥%……

……….

To be honest, after hearing the financing terms set by the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, Li Yi’s first reaction was: “Bullshit!”

Although he knew the government was currently very cautious about attracting foreign investment and had extremely strict regulations in place, the lower-level departments weren’t exactly enthusiastic about the matter either, as they sought to avoid risks.

But setting such outrageous conditions still left him speechless.

Li Yi was well aware of the situation at the Beijing TV Factory. Even after his efforts had turned the factory from a loss-making to a profitable enterprise, its annual profit still topped out at 40 million yuan.

And the total fixed assets of the factory wouldn’t even reach 200 million yuan.

The Ministry of State-Owned Assets’ intention to sell a 49% stake in the Yanjing Television Factory for 200 million yuan clearly stemmed from a desire to fleece an unsuspecting buyer.

And the stipulation that they could not interfere in the company’s management and operations was simply outrageous!

No matter who invests this money, the goal is undoubtedly to make a profit.

Yet the Ministry of State-owned Assets refuses to grant even the most basic management and operational rights. Is this supposed to make investors trust the business judgment of state-owned enterprise leaders with their capital?

That’s ridiculous—if they were truly capable, would they even need to raise capital?

“Brother-in-law, don’t get upset. To be honest, we also think the terms are a bit harsh, but these are all negotiable!”

Jiang Longyin then added, “Brother-in-law, just tell me your thoughts—how you plan to invest and what rights you want. I’ll act as the intermediary and negotiate on your behalf!”

“Second Brother, did you tell them that the investor is my company?” Li Yi suddenly asked.

“Yeah, I did. Why? Does that matter?” Jiang Longyin replied.

“Of course it matters. Second Brother, you should look into other companies that have accepted foreign investment and see what terms they offered when raising capital!”

Before Jiang Longyin could respond, Li Yi continued, “Whether it’s Beijing Aviation Catering, the Jian Guo Hotel, the Great Wall Hotel, or other enterprises, the terms they offer foreign investors are extremely favorable. Not only do they sell equity at a discount, but they also provide every possible policy subsidy. So why are the terms so much stricter for me?”

Li Yi didn’t believe that the people at the Ministry of State-Owned Assets were unaware of just how difficult the environment for attracting foreign investment was.

“Right now, we’re facing a ‘double deficit’—a severe shortage of savings and foreign exchange. Under these circumstances, it’s extremely difficult to attract foreign investment.”

It is precisely for this reason that, at this time, we have no choice but to offer foreign capital highly favorable terms to attract investment.

Yet now these people are imposing such harsh conditions. It’s not that they don’t want the investment; it’s because they know the investors aren’t genuine foreigners—they’re downright malicious and foolish.

Jiang Longyin paused briefly before saying, “Brother-in-law, are you suggesting that the Ministry of State-Owned Assets is deliberately making things difficult for you?”

“It’s not so much making things difficult as it is a classic case of ‘better to give to outsiders than to one’s own people,’” Li Yi said calmly.

Jiang Longyin could clearly sense Li Yi’s displeasure, and he too felt a pang of unease. If things were really as his brother-in-law described, then this matter wouldn’t be so simple.

“I’ll look into this. If it really is the case, then we’ll just let it go. After all, who knows what state the TV factory will be in a few years from now, or who’ll be in charge of it then!” Jiang Longyin said.

“Mm-hmm!”

Li Yi then continued, “Second Brother, talk to those bigwigs at the State-owned Assets Department. We’ll acquire 49% of the shares in the Yanjing TV Factory for 100 million yuan. Additionally, we need management and operational control of the company, and we also require certain tax incentives!”

“If they accept these terms, let me know. But if they try to haggle, just tell them to take it or leave it on my behalf!”

“Alright, I’ll report this to the city authorities right away and get back to you as soon as possible!” Jiang Longyin said.

“Great!”

With that, Li Yi hung up the phone!

Just as Li Yi was about to call Jiang Longcheng again, his father-in-law’s voice suddenly rang out: “Xiao Yi, did those bastards from the State-owned Assets Department get under your skin?”

Jiang Shiying had been sitting nearby, listening to the phone call between his son-in-law and nephew.

Although he couldn’t make out every word, he had a general idea of what had happened.

“It’s nothing much. They probably just think I’m not a foreigner, so I don’t deserve those favorable financing terms!” Li Yi said.

“I don’t think it’s that simple. It’s probably just a case of jealousy running wild. I’ll give Wang Tianrong a call in a minute. If he doesn’t give me a satisfactory answer, we’re really not going to bother with this anymore!” Jiang Shiying said.

Hearing the name Wang Tianrong, Li Yi immediately remembered—wasn’t he currently the second-in-command at the Ministry of State-Owned Assets?

Given his relationship with his father-in-law, it wouldn’t hurt to give him a call and sound him out!

“It’s worth asking. Otherwise, they’ll really take me for a sucker!” Li Yi said.

However, Jiang Shiying just smiled and said, “I don’t think this is the intention of the higher-ups at the Ministry of State-Owned Assets. At the very least, it certainly isn’t the intention of Wang Tianrong and his crew!”

“Why?”

“Look at who they are—how could they be so foolish as to make things difficult for you over something like this? Besides, the Jiang family is different now!” Jiang Shiying said.

“How is it different now?” Li Yi asked, puzzled.

“I was actually planning to tell you later, but since you asked, I’ll go ahead and tell you now. You probably don’t know this yet, but your uncle has been promoted!”

“Uncle got promoted? When did that happen?” Li Yi asked, sounding a little surprised.

“It’s been a little over half a month now!”

“So what position does Uncle hold now?”

“He’s been sent to the southwest to serve as provincial governor!” Jiang Shiying replied.

Hearing this, Li Yi was slightly taken aback.

As far as he knew, in his previous life, his eldest uncle, Jiang Shirong, had remained in his current position until retirement, with little to no advancement in the last decade or so.

It wasn’t just his eldest uncle; his second uncle, Jiang Shiming, was the same—he’d only managed to secure provincial-ministerial-level benefits in the end, but in reality, he’d been treading water as well.

It was his father-in-law, on the other hand, who had advanced further in his political career thanks to his iron-fisted methods.

He never expected his eldest uncle to have been promoted now; this truly struck Li Yi as somewhat unbelievable.

But what surprised Li Yi even more were his father-in-law’s next words. With a look of satisfaction on his face, he said, “The old man said that the reason your eldest uncle was able to take another step forward is entirely thanks to you!”

“My influence? I had no idea I was that capable,” Li Yi said with a laugh.

“Do you remember when you brought back over 200 million in foreign exchange for the country a while back?”

“What? Is my uncle’s promotion related to that?”

“Yes. You have no idea how tight foreign exchange was back home at the time. We were just a hair’s breadth away from running out completely. Your funds arrived at the critical moment, averting a crisis!”

Jiang Shiying continued, “Not long after that, the Old Man was summoned to the Forbidden City. When he returned, your uncle was promoted!”

“So it seems your uncle’s promotion really was related to this!” Li Yi said.

“Exchanging two hundred million in foreign exchange for your uncle’s promotion—the higher-ups didn’t lose out on that!” Jiang Shiying said.

“Dad, that two hundred million in foreign exchange was obtained by the state in exchange for ten tons of gold—it wasn’t my money. I merely helped them sell it!” Li Yi said.

“That was still a major contribution. Just look at the current gold price—if you hadn’t helped sell it in time, the value of that gold would have been significantly reduced!” Jiang Shiying said.

“If that’s enough to get Uncle promoted by one rank, then if I bring in even more money for the country, wouldn’t that mean you and Second Uncle could also move up a rank?” Li Yi asked.

“Haha, it’s not as simple as you think, kid. Do you think this is a feudal dynasty where titles and offices can be bought?” Jiang Shiying said with a laugh.

“What if it were 2 billion US dollars?” Li Yi said, dropping a bombshell.

“20… billion US dollars?”

“Right!”

After receiving Li Yi’s affirmative reply, Jiang Shiying grew serious.

After pondering for a long time, he said immediately, “If you can really bring in 2 billion US dollars in foreign exchange for the country, your second uncle might actually have a chance to move up the ranks!”

“Dad, what about you?”

“It hasn’t been long since I was promoted, so I certainly won’t be promoted again anytime soon. But the younger generation—like Long Yin, Long Cheng, Long Ze, Jianhua, and Jianying—will definitely reap some benefits. Of course, that’s assuming you can actually secure 2 billion US dollars in foreign exchange for the country!” Jiang Shiying said.

“Just wait for the good news!”

With that, Li Yi picked up the phone again and dialed the Second State-Owned Cotton Mill…

………

Guangzhou, Lianhua Pier!

After disembarking from the ferry, Li Yi, fighting off his physical discomfort, immediately led Zhang Ziqiang, Zhou Wen, and the others straight to his father-in-law’s workplace!

After reaching a share transfer agreement with Powell yesterday, Li Yi had also worked out a plan for the equity distribution of New Territories Warehouse with Li Futiao.

With these two matters settled, Li Yi planned to have Old Li work with Lan Xinming and the others to take over New Territories Warehouse first.

As for himself, Li Yi planned to depart for New York as soon as possible to continue his gold short-selling money-making scheme.

However, just as he was about to purchase a plane ticket, he suddenly received a message from Old Huang: his father-in-law, Jiang Shiying, wanted to see him.

The message had been specially sent from Guangzhou by Chen Chuhong. Apparently, his father-in-law, Jiang Shiying, had personally contacted Chen Chuhong and asked her to find a way to get in touch with Li Yi.

Although the nature of the matter wasn’t specified, it seemed quite urgent.

Upon receiving the message, Li Yi felt a bit uneasy.

His father-in-law had never contacted him before; even when his own daughter was accepted into college, he had waited until Li Yi returned home to tell him.

Now that he was in such a hurry to see him, it was almost certainly because something had happened—and it was a big deal.

Could it be something to do with Jiang Xue… or perhaps the kids…

Plagued by anxiety, Li Yi couldn’t sleep a wink all night.

Early the next morning, Li Yi changed his plans and immediately took a boat back to Guangzhou.

It was the height of typhoon season, and although Hong Kong Island wasn’t far from Guangzhou, the rough seas made Li Yi feel as if the world were spinning, and he nearly threw up the entire journey.

Compounded by the constant worry weighing on his mind, Li Yi’s face was now a grim, ashen shade.

After driving through the city for a while, they finally arrived at Jiang Shiying’s workplace—the Guangdong Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection!

The car was stopped by the guards on duty the moment it reached the entrance!

“Hello, comrade. Please show your ID and get out of the car to register!”

Before Li Yi could say a word, Zhang Ziqiang, the driver, pulled a small, elegant red booklet from his inner pocket and handed it over.

The guard took the ID, glanced at it, and a look of surprise flashed across his face.

After opening it and seeing the contents, he hurriedly saluted Zhang Ziqiang and returned the ID with both hands.

With that, there was no need for registration; the car drove straight into the compound of the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection.

Li Yi had been to Jiang Shiying’s office before, so after getting out of the car, he made his way upstairs with ease and soon arrived at the door to his office.

“Knock, knock, knock…”

Soon, his father-in-law’s familiar voice came from inside: “Come in!”

Li Yi immediately pushed the door open and walked in!

As soon as he entered, he saw his father-in-law hunched over his desk, hard at work. The desk was piled high with file folders and papers spread out across it; as expected, his father-in-law was handling a case.

Upon seeing Li Yi, Zhang Ziqiang, and the others enter, Jiang Shiying immediately stood up from his chair and said with a smile, “You’re back today?”

“Yeah, we rushed over as soon as we got off the boat!”

“Have a seat!”

Saying this, Jiang Shiying picked up a thermos from the corner of the room to pour water for everyone.

Seeing this, Zhang Ziqiang quickly exchanged a few words with Li Yi, then led Zhou Wen and the others out of the office.

As special security guards, their mission was not only to protect Li Yi but also to ensure that no information leaked while he was speaking with others.

After Zhang Ziqiang and the others left, Li Yi immediately asked, “Dad, Old Huang said you had urgent business to discuss with me. Has something happened?”

Jiang Shiying didn’t answer Li Yi’s question right away. Instead, he looked at his pale face and asked with concern, “Why do you look so pale? Are you sick? Should we go to the hospital…?”

“Dad, it’s nothing. It’s just that the wind and waves are pretty rough today, and I’m feeling a bit seasick!”

“I’m glad you’re all right!”

Jiang Shiying continued, “I called you back in such a hurry mainly because of a few things. First, Xiaoxue called me yesterday to say your third sister’s wedding date has been set—it’s the 18th of the 12th lunar month. She told you to keep an eye on the date so you don’t miss your sister’s wedding!”

“Oh, it’s already set?”

“Yes, Xiao Xue said it was set by the mother-in-law!”

“Did my mom go to Beijing too?”

“Yes, she has. Your second sister is there too—it’s been almost two weeks now!” Jiang Shiying said.

“Well, with my mom and Xiaoxue helping with the wedding preparations, I’ll have peace of mind!” Li Yi said.

Jiang Shiying nodded and continued, “Also, Longcheng called me a few days ago, asking when you’d be coming back. He mentioned that you and his group organized some kind of trade show. Why are you getting involved in that sort of thing?”

“It’s nothing much—I just wanted to make some money with Third Brother and Jianhua,” Li Yi replied.

“Can you really make money from a trade show?” Jiang Shiying asked, looking skeptical.

In his mind, trade shows were just places where companies on the brink of bankruptcy sold off their unsellable products—shopping there was like hunting for bargains at a junk yard.

“Of course you can!”

Li Yi continued, “I’ll call Third Brother back in a minute and tell them to just follow the plan. They don’t need to wait for me to get back.”

“I don’t know much about this, so you guys figure it out!”

Then Jiang Shiying added, “The main reason I called you back this time is that Long Yin has an urgent matter to discuss with you!”

“Second Brother?”

“Yes. About two weeks ago, Long Yin called me and said he wanted to discuss the Yanjing TV Factory with you.”

Jiang Shiying continued, “But I didn’t put him in touch with you right away. Instead, I told him to work out a solution with the district and city authorities first, and to contact you only after they’d reached a consensus internally!”

“The day before yesterday, he called me again, saying they’d reached a consensus internally and now urgently needed to discuss it with you, so I had Mrs. Huang pass the message on to you!”

Li Yi nodded and said, “So that’s what it was. I thought something had happened at home and worried all night!”

“There have indeed been some developments at home, but nothing bad. First, call Long Yin and Long Cheng back. Once you’ve done that, we’ll talk,” Jiang Shiying said.

“Alright!”

With that, Li Yi walked over to Jiang Shiying’s desk, picked up the phone, and quickly dialed a number!

“Ring ring…”

Soon, a woman’s voice came from the other end: “District Party Committee Office, who’s this?”

“This is Li Yi, Secretary Jiang’s brother-in-law. Please put me through to Secretary Jiang,” Li Yi said.

“Please hold on a moment!”

After about half a minute, Jiang Longyin’s familiar voice finally came through the receiver: “Brother-in-law, I finally got through to you!”

“Second Brother, I heard the district and city authorities have reached a consensus on the Yanjing TV Factory matter. What are your plans?” Li Yi asked straight to the point.

Jiang Longyin replied immediately, “We’ve decided to accept your financing!”

“Are you sure? Has the State-owned Assets Department agreed?” Li Yi asked immediately.

The reason he asked this was mainly because Li Yi knew just how stubborn and difficult the people at the State-owned Assets Department could be; many of them were strongly opposed to state-owned enterprises accepting external financing.

Of course, nothing is set in stone, but the enterprises approved by the State-owned Assets Department to accept external financing were either struggling to stay afloat, on the verge of bankruptcy, or lacked the necessary domestic technological capabilities.

Yet now, Yanjing Television Factory had not only turned a profit but was performing exceptionally well—a company like this clearly did not meet the SASAC’s “criteria” for accepting investment.

“It’s been approved. The district has shared the current situation and future projections for the Yanjing Television Factory with them. After multiple rounds of negotiations, they finally made a concession, but…”

“But what?”

“But the conditions set by the State-owned Assets Department are a bit harsh!” said Jiang Longyin.

“What conditions?”

“The financing amount is 200 million RMB. We can offer up to 49% of the shares, but foreign investors are not allowed to interfere in the company’s management and operations!”

Upon hearing this, Li Dxmbangyi’s brow immediately furrowed.

“Second Brother, is the State-owned Assets Department serious? I think those bigwigs must still be half-asleep.”

“Um…”

Jiang Longyin was completely taken aback by Li Yi’s remark. For a moment, he didn’t know what to say, and the atmosphere on both ends of the line instantly turned awkward!

Far East Association Headquarters!

After signing the share transfer agreement with Powell, Li Yi didn’t linger at the company; he immediately drove to Li Futiao’s territory.

Now that they had acquired New Territories Warehouse—a company with such massive assets—they needed to discuss with Li Fuzhao how to distribute the profits and manage the company.

After all, the funds for acquiring New Territories Warehouse weren’t entirely raised by Li Yi; the Li, He, and Luo families had contributed over 1 billion Hong Kong dollars.

Upon arriving at the Far East Stock Exchange, Li Yi saw that the vast trading floor was virtually empty, looking eerily quiet.

Few people was one thing, but even fewer were actually trading.

This alone was a clear indication of just how depressed the Hong Kong stock market was at the moment!

It wasn’t hard to understand, after all. It had been less than four months since the stock market crash in July, and the shares of the vast majority of companies were still falling. Even the Hang Seng Index showed no signs of a rebound.

And the stock market is a place where investors chase gains and cut losses; until the downtrend clearly stops, absolutely no one dares to aggressively buy the dip.

These days, it’s mostly small retail investors trading stocks—buying just a few dozen lots at a time, with gains or losses amounting to only a few dozen or a hundred Hong Kong dollars. While this isn’t entirely without impact on the broader market, the effect is so negligible as to be practically insignificant.

After waiting in the lobby for about ten minutes, Li Yi asked Li Yunbao to lead the way, heading straight for Li Futiao’s office.

Li Futao’s office was located in the heart of the Far East Association’s headquarters; not just anyone could enter, and security there was extremely tight.

Normally, anyone wishing to see Li Futiao had to make an appointment in advance.

But with Li Yunbao, the “crown prince,” present, no one dared to stop them.

And so, Li Yi and his group made their way unimpeded to the 12th floor and stood outside Li Futao’s office.

“Knock, knock, knock…”

“Come in!”

Li Futiao was in his office sorting through a backlog of paperwork. Over the past few days, he had been so preoccupied with the stock market battle at the Hong Kong Stock Exchange that he hadn’t given his work proper attention, resulting in a significant pileup of tasks.

With the matter settled yesterday, he had rushed to the office early this morning to tackle the backlog.

But when he saw Li Yi and his own son walking through the door, he immediately stood up from his chair.

“Why are you here? Didn’t you say you were going to negotiate with the Jardine Matheson group?” Li Futiao asked, somewhat surprised.

“We’re done with the talks, and the agreement has already been signed!” Li Yi said with a smile.

“What agreement? The Jardine side didn’t really sell us all their remaining shares, did they?”

“Heh, though it’s hard to believe, that’s exactly what happened. Powell really sold his shares to us and has completely withdrawn from New World Warehouse!” Li Yi said.

“Whoa! That was so smooth—there’s no catch, is there?” Li Futiao frowned.

Having dealt with those Westerners for so many years, he knew full well how cunning they were and how adept they were at using contractual loopholes to take advantage of people. Li Futiao was very worried that Li Yi had been duped.

However, before Li Yi could answer, Li Yunbao spoke up first: “Dad, I drafted the contract myself. There’s no way there’s a trap!”

Li Yunbao then went on to explain in detail to Li Fuzhao the relevant terms and the process of the share transfer agreement the two parties had previously signed.

When he learned that Powell had actually allowed Li Yi to acquire a 21% stake in New World Warehouse on credit, he was completely stunned.

In truth, Li Fuzhao wasn’t particularly surprised that Powell had taken the bold step of proactively selling his shares to Li Yi.

After all, Jardine Matheson had done something similar before. During the Kowloon Wharf battle, when Jardine Matheson’s head, Newby, saw the tide had turned against him, he simply transferred the over 10 million shares of Kowloon Wharf held by Landmark to the “Ship Chartering King,” cashing out over 1 billion Hong Kong dollars in one fell swoop.

As a protégé personally mentored by Powell and Newby, it was hardly surprising that he would make the same choice as his mentor.

However, it was somewhat unexpected that Powell would allow Li Yi to settle the funds four months later.

After all, Jardine Matheson is currently struggling. A series of massive losses has left this industrial giant reeling, and at one point, it could only barely stay afloat by selling off equity stakes.

Logically speaking, even if they truly intended to abandon the New Territories Warehouse entirely, they wouldn’t be so generous as to let the other party run a tab!

Could the other party be up to something?

Seeing Li Futiao’s expression, Li Yunbao immediately said, “Dad, don’t worry. This deal is definitely solid. I guarantee it!”

Li Futao thought for a moment and said, “I know Powell well. He’s not the type to admit defeat easily, nor would he let someone take advantage of him for no reason. Especially since we’re adversaries—there’s definitely something fishy going on here!”

Li Yi smiled and said, “Powell made me a promise!”

“What kind of promise?”

“He made me promise that, as long as the Jardine Group doesn’t provoke me, we won’t target them for retaliation, and we’re not allowed to attack any of their companies!” Li Yi said.

“Oh, I see. Did you agree?”

“Why wouldn’t I? Even if Jardine is just using this to buy time, it’s still beneficial for us. We can use this time to fully integrate New Territories Warehouse!”

Li Yi continued, “Once we’ve freed up our hands, we can move on to dealing with the other members of the British-owned conglomerate. Besides, I can tell that Powell really doesn’t want to associate with the rest of the British-owned group this time!”

Li Futao thought for a moment and said, “He’s chickened out. He’s worried he’ll end up like New Bickham!”

“What do you mean? Who is Niu Bijian?” Li Yi asked curiously.

“Niu Bijian was the former head of the Jardine Matheson Group and another key figure in the Wharf Holdings battle. During the battle for Wharf Holdings, Niu Bijian was fully prepared and confident of victory, but in the end, due to a betrayal from within the British-owned conglomerate, his plan fell apart at the last moment!”

Li Futao continued, “In the end, ‘Ship King’ Bao Yong emerged victorious in that battle and took over Wharf Holdings. Although Niu Bijian cut his losses in time and recovered a significant portion of the Jardine Group’s capital, he was still removed from his position as head of the Jardine Group. That’s how Powell came to take the helm of the Jardine Group!”

“Clearly, the current situation has already exceeded Powell’s capacity to handle it. He fears he might follow in Newby’s footsteps, which is why he’s so eager to reconcile with us!”

“That makes sense. In any case, this is a rare stroke of good fortune for us!”

“Exactly!”

“By the way, Old Li, now that we’ve secured the New Territories Warehouse, how should we allocate the shares? Do you have any suggestions?” Li Yi asked again.

Li Futiao thought for a moment and said, “Let’s distribute it according to our capital contributions first. Then, each of us will set aside 500,000 shares to give to you as a service fee for your role in orchestrating this deal. What do you think?”

As the founder of the securities firm, Li Futiao knew full well that their success in taking over Xinjiecang didn’t rely on the “dirty money” they’d provided, but rather on Li Yi’s masterful moves.

Therefore, it made perfect sense for each of them to set aside a portion of their shares to give back to Li Yi.

“I have no objections, but I’m not sure what Mr. He and Mr. Luo think. Will they agree to this proposal?” Li Yi said.

He didn’t refuse Li Futiao’s offer, mainly because Li Yi genuinely needed those shares.

Although they had secured 74% of New World Warehouse’s shares this time, after deducting the 21% for which payment hadn’t yet been made, their actual ownership stood at only 53%.

If calculated based on investment ratios, only about 29% belonged to Starry Sky Company—or, more accurately, to Li Yi himself—while the remainder belonged entirely to Li Fuzhao, He Dongying, Huang Lixing, and others.

Even if Li Yi eventually managed to acquire the remaining 21% from the Jardine Group, the total would still fall short of the 51% controlling stake threshold.

If each of those companies were to give him 500,000 shares, that would amount to at least a 2% stake.

In that case, even without the support of the He or Li families, Li Yi would still be able to gain a controlling stake in the New Territories Warehousing Center.

So he wouldn’t let embarrassment create a potential liability for himself.

After discussing the equity distribution, Li Yi and Li Futao turned to how to manage the New Territories Warehouse.

After some discussion, both agreed that the board of directors should be restructured and capable professional managers hired to run this massive company.

After reaching a preliminary consensus, Li Yi entrusted the matter to Li Futao, while he decided to return to Zaiying as soon as possible to continue monitoring the gold futures market.

But just as Li Yi was about to set off, a piece of news that caught him completely off guard disrupted his plans!

Yuanhua Tower, Star Company!

The negotiations were still ongoing!

Faced with Li Yi’s somewhat tricky question, Powell remained silent for a long time, then let out a deep sigh!

After a long while, he finally nodded and said, “You are right, sir. We truly do not wish to remain enemies with you any longer; that would benefit no one in the development of our Jardine Group!”

Although he was very reluctant to admit it, Powell knew he had made the right choice at this moment.

Backing down now meant losing face, but if he continued to stubbornly clash with that scheming old fox, the Duke, and this young man before him, what he stood to lose would be far more than mere face—it would be the very lifeblood of the Jardine Group.

Others might not know just how formidable this young man’s tactics were, but as a core member of the British-owned conglomerate, he understood this all too well.

According to incomplete statistics, as of now, the entire British-owned conglomerate has lost over 20 billion yuan due to this young man and the company he controls!

That’s right—two hundred billion!

His first move came in July of this year when he shorted the Hang Seng Index futures. In that battle, the greenhorn swung his scythe with reckless abandon, raking in 4 billion from the Hong Kong stock market in one fell swoop—the vast majority of which came from the British-owned Group.

Although the stock market crash a few months ago cannot be attributed solely to Li Yi, he was by far the most ruthless profiteer in the market.

Li Yi’s second move came recently when he shorted gold. He first set a trap for the British-funded group, forcing them to take on over a billion Hong Kong dollars’ worth of physical gold.

Then, taking advantage of the high prices, he made them buy 12 billion Hong Kong dollars’ worth of gold financial products. Now that international gold prices have plummeted, everyone has suffered massive losses.

More importantly, that sneaky old fox, the Jazz, poured a billion US dollars into the New York futures market to ambush him—only to watch that entire sum go down the drain in a single day.

Furthermore, this time, Li Yi rallied other bigwigs from the Chinese-funded conglomerate to wage a full-scale war against them in the stock market.

First, in the battle for control of Hang Seng, he caused the British-funded group to lose billions.

Subsequently, in the battle for control of the New Territories Warehouse Center, he decisively crushed the Jardine Matheson Group and seized controlling interest in the New Territories Warehouse.

Such a track record is absolutely unparalleled in the history of Hong Kong Island, and it is unlikely that anyone in the future will be able to match it.

To make an enemy of such a man is truly unwise—even foolish!

Seeing his opponent admit it so readily, Li Yi smiled and replied noncommittally, “Even if I really did make that promise, would you believe me?”

“I would!” Powell declared with absolute certainty.

“Oh, now I’m curious. Do you really trust me that much, Mr. Powell?” Li Yi asked.

“I trust you, in part because I’ve investigated you and know you’re a man of your word. As you Chinese say, you’re a man whose word is as good as gold!”

Powell then glanced at Zhang Ziqiang and the others standing beside Li Yi before continuing, “Furthermore, the reason I believe you will keep your promise is that I see certain traits of your people in you!”

“Traits?”

Hearing this, Li Yi was a bit baffled. How had he failed to notice any such traits in himself?

“Hmm, fierce and fearless, yet civilized and trustworthy!”

“???”

Seeing the look of confusion on Li Yi’s face, Powell added, “Mr. Li Yi, you may not know this, but my father was a soldier who fought in the war on the peninsula thirty years ago. He has told me more than once what he thinks of you people!”

“What kind of opinion?” Li Yi asked instinctively.

“You are the fiercest fighters, and also the most civilized enemies!” Powell said.

Li Yi nodded and said, “That’s quite an unusual assessment, but it certainly rings true!”

“My father told me more than once that, whether in business or on the battlefield, one should never underestimate the people of your country. For you possess both a fierce and fearless side, as well as the radiance of humanity; your strength, emanating from within, is truly invincible.”

Powell continued, ““My father once told me about an incident he personally experienced during the war. At the height of the battle, your men actually took the initiative to return several severely wounded UN prisoners of war to my father’s company. The reason was that the prisoners’ injuries were too severe, and your medical facilities were inadequate. To save their lives, you decided to hand them over to us for treatment.”

“In a letter to my mother, my father described your army in this way: he said you fought with unparalleled ferocity, yet at the same time, you were filled with the radiance of humanity—even kinder than we were. An army like that should not be an enemy.”

Li Yi hadn’t expected Powell’s father to speak so highly of our predecessors; he was deeply moved.

After a brief silence, he replied, “I am not a soldier!”

“But you possess the same qualities as they did!”

Powell continued, “You’re tough and decisive, yet you have a strong sense of integrity—just like your predecessors. So, if possible, we’d be better off not becoming enemies!”

Sensing Powell’s sincerity, Li Yi said in a grave tone, “I can make you that promise, but on one condition: from now on, the Jardine Matheson Group must not participate in any actions by the British-funded conglomerate targeting Starry Sky Corporation or the Blue Dragon Society. Otherwise, this promise is void!”

“That goes without saying. We wouldn’t do things to harm you while demanding that you not attack us!” Powell replied.

“Then here’s to a fruitful partnership!”

With that, Li Yi extended his hand to Powell!

Powell immediately shook Li Yi’s hand and said, “A fruitful partnership…”

With both sides having reached a consensus on this collaboration, the negotiations concluded. The remaining time would be spent drafting the share transfer agreement in preparation for the formal signing.

While their lawyers were drafting the agreement, Powell suddenly asked to speak with Li Yi privately.

Li Yi didn’t refuse. Although he didn’t know what Powell wanted to discuss, he could tell that this foreigner was different from Smith and the others he’d met before.

How to put it? Powell was a more pragmatic man; he didn’t seem to be on the same page as the British-funded group or that so-called “Journeyman.”

The two then found a quiet spot to hold a private discussion.

Powell didn’t disappoint Li Yi. As soon as he opened his mouth, he laid out the Duke’s entire plan for the next phase, including the involvement of the family behind the Duke.

After hearing Powell’s account, Li Yi felt more curiosity than surprise.

“Mr. Powell, why are you telling me all this? This shouldn’t be in the best interests of your British Capital Group. Are you planning to break ties with them? Could you explain this to me?” Li Yi asked.

Powell paused briefly before replying, “It’s true that this goes against the interests of the British Capital Group, but it aligns with those of the Jardine Matheson Group. I can’t go into specifics, but suffice it to say, we’re doing this to protect ourselves!”

Li Yi carefully mulled over Powell’s words. Although he didn’t understand what was going on between Jardine Matheson and the British Capital Group, it was clear that Powell’s interests no longer aligned with those of the British Capital Group.

This was definitely a good thing for Star Company and the Huazi Group.

With that in mind, Li Yi did not press the matter further. Instead, he reiterated, “Mr. Powell, thank you for the warning. I assure you here and now: if your company keeps its promise and ceases to be an enemy of Star Company and the Blue Dragon Society, we will absolutely not target the Jardine Group!”

“Rest assured, sir. As long as I remain the head of Jardine Matheson, we will never again be so foolish as to oppose you!” Powell said earnestly.

“Very well…”

……….

The next day, early morning!

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

The company had held a celebratory banquet the night before, and as the company’s boss, Li Yi naturally couldn’t miss it.

Although Li Yi knew his own limits, he had tried to drink as little as possible throughout the celebration. Even when he did drink, he stuck to red wine and refused to touch any baijiu.

But the company employees were simply too enthusiastic; everyone came over with a glass in hand to toast him. Unsurprisingly, he once again lost all memory of the night in spectacular fashion.

Feeling the throbbing pain in his head and the nauseating smell of alcohol all over his body, Li Yi couldn’t help but feel a tickle in his throat.

Knowing exactly what was going on, Li Yi immediately climbed out of bed and rushed straight into the bathroom.

After showering and changing into clean clothes, Li Yi went downstairs!

As soon as he stepped out, Li Yi saw Li Yunbao, Zhang Ziqiang, Zhou Wen, and the others in the living room. They were huddled together, whispering to each other, though he couldn’t make out what they were saying.

However, judging by the unhidden smiles on their faces, it must be something joyful!

Li Yi cleared his throat, drawing everyone’s attention, then turned to Li Yunbao and asked, “Why did you come over so early? Is something up?”

“Yes. Last night I got a message from Brother Xinghua in New York—the Fed raised interest rates again, and by an even larger margin than before!”

Hearing this, Zhou Yang’s eyes lit up instantly, and he hurriedly asked, “Has the international gold price changed at all?”

“It’s a total disaster—the price has plummeted. According to Brother Xinghua, by the close of trading yesterday, gold prices on the New York futures market had already dropped below $500 an ounce!” Li Yunbao said, sounding somewhat excited.

Although he didn’t know much about investing, he knew they’d hit the jackpot this time!

According to the telegram Zhou Xinghua sent back yesterday, as of now, they had already made nearly 1.7 billion… US dollars in the gold futures market!

That’s 1.7 billion US dollars—at the current exchange rate, that’s 13 billion Hong Kong dollars!

This achievement surprised not only Li Yunbao himself, but even his father—a man who had weathered many storms—fell silent after reading the telegram.

However, Li Yi’s reaction left Li Yunbao somewhat baffled. He merely nodded slightly and said nothing more, instead turning to Zhang Ziqiang to ask about breakfast!

“Brother Yi, we’ve already made over 10 billion Hong Kong dollars. Aren’t you excited?” Li Yunbao asked curiously.

“I am excited. That’s why I’ve decided to have an extra fried egg for breakfast this morning!”

Li Yunbao: &……%￥

It took him a while to snap out of it before he asked again, “Brother Yi, when are we heading back to New York? I can’t wait to see the settlement and handover in person!”

“We’ll set off once we’ve taken over the New Territories warehouse…”

Just then, the phone in the living room suddenly rang.

Zhang Ziqiang immediately stepped forward and picked up the receiver.

After exchanging just a few words, he handed the phone to Li Yi and whispered, “It’s Manager Lan calling from dxmbang!”

Li Yi grabbed the receiver and said immediately, “Xinming, this is Li Yi!”

Lan Xinming’s voice came through the receiver immediately: “Boss, the representatives from Jardine Matheson are already on their way. When will you be coming over?”

“I’ll leave right away. If Powell and the others arrive, please go out and greet them first. I’ll be there shortly!” Li Yi said.

“Okay…”

After hanging up, Li Yi immediately turned to Zhang Ziqiang and said, “Get the car ready. We’re heading to the company now!”

“Yes…”

Soon, the car pulled out of the gated community and headed straight for Starry Sky Company.

……..

Stellar Corporation!

When Powell arrived, he didn’t see Li Yi, but he didn’t get upset. Instead, he asked Lan Xinming if he could take a look around the company’s facilities.

Lan Xinming didn’t refuse; he agreed right away.

After all, their company was quite small—just three rooms totaling a little over 2,000 square feet—so there really wasn’t much to see.

Just as Lan Xinming had anticipated, it took less than five minutes for him to show Powell around the entire company.

Honestly, such a cramped, crowded, and cramped little place really wasn’t worth seeing.

However, after seeing Starry Sky’s office environment, Powell fell deep into thought.

He simply couldn’t imagine that an investment firm capable of single-handedly shaking up the entire Hong Kong stock market—and one that managed tens of billions in assets—could have such a makeshift, even shabby, office environment.

He also found it hard to fathom that the entire British-owned conglomerate—including the Jardine Matheson Group and the HSBC Group—had repeatedly suffered crushing defeats at the hands of such a small firm, incurring massive losses.

Just as he was lost in thought, a series of sharp, rhythmic “thud-thud” sounds suddenly rang out in his ears.

Hearing the sound, Powell and the others immediately looked up toward the company entrance and saw Li Yi walking in, flanked by several bodyguards in black.

Seeing this, Powell immediately strode forward to greet him!

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the group made their way to the conference room.

Once the door closed, the two groups took their seats across the conference table.

Li Yi spoke first: “Mr. Powell, since both sides are sincere about cooperation, let’s be open and honest now. How many shares does the Jardine Group hold in total?”

Powell was equally straightforward, replying, “We hold a total of 21.8 million shares in New Territories Warehouse, of which 12.6 million are publicly traded shares, and the remainder are all non-tradable shares!”

“If you have no objection to the price of 110 Hong Kong dollars per share, then we can proceed to draft the share transfer agreement based on this consensus,” Li Yi said.

“I’m very satisfied with this price and have no objections, but…”

“But what?”

“I’m just a bit concerned—does your company actually have enough capital to acquire all these shares we hold?”

Powell continued, “As far as I know, your company’s own funds combined with raised capital definitely won’t exceed 5 billion Hong Kong dollars. And during the earlier bidding war, your company has already purchased over 55 million shares of New World Warehouse, with an average purchase price of at least 90 Hong Kong dollars per share. If I’m not mistaken, you shouldn’t have much capital left!”

Li Yi smiled and said, “That’s right, we don’t have much cash on hand right now, but don’t forget that we hold 53% of New World Warehouse’s shares—we can pledge those at any time!”

At that moment, Powell suddenly said, “Mr. Li Yi, how about we make another deal?”

“What kind of deal?”

“We can transfer these 21.8 million shares to you first. As for the payment, you can settle up with us in three months—by then, I imagine your investment in New York will have wrapped up…”

Before Powell could finish, Li Yi cut him off and asked, “What do we have to give in return?”

“I only want a promise!” Powell said, making a startling statement.

“What kind of promise?”

“All I ask is that you and Starry Sky no longer treat the Jardine Group as a hostile target and cease any attacks against them—that’s all!” Powell said.

Li Yi didn’t answer immediately; instead, he looked at him with interest.

From Powell’s words, he could tell he was serious—which meant he had truly backed down.

“Mr. Powell, am I to understand that you at the Jardine Group are afraid? Though it may be rude to say so, that is my honest opinion!”

It wasn’t that Li Yi intended to humiliate Powell; rather, he simply found it hard to believe that the head of the prestigious Jardine Group would actually back down to him of his own accord—it just wasn’t their style.

Don’t get me wrong—the Jardine Group has indeed been on the decline in recent years, giving off a sense of being past its prime.

But even a starving camel is bigger than a horse. As a Hong Kong superpower spanning finance, real estate, telecommunications, and port shipping, Jardine Matheson was merely facing developmental challenges—it wasn’t on the brink of collapse.

In short, even if he had lost control of New Territories Warehouse, Powell really had no reason to back down and admit defeat to him!

So, Li Yi had to figure out what he was really thinking!

In fact, it wasn’t just Li Yi who felt this way; everyone else present was thinking the same thing. They all wanted to know what Powell was thinking.

For a moment, all eyes were fixed on him!

City District. Castle Manor!

“Crack!”

With a crisp yet slightly jarring crash, an exquisite teacup—its design tinged with a touch of antiquity—made intimate contact with the marble floor, shattering into a thousand pieces in an instant!

In the main seat of the reception room, the Duke’s chest rose and fell rapidly, his icy expression sending a chill down the spines of everyone present.

Just moments ago, Smith had returned from the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, bringing with him devastating news: their attempt to thwart Li Yi had failed.

The other party had successfully seized controlling interest in the New Territories Warehousing Center, and Hong Kong Island’s largest port and warehousing hub had completely changed hands.

More critically, Jardine Matheson—one of the Alliance’s most pivotal members—had, without consulting him, proactively partnered with that young man and was preparing to sell its shares to him.

Once that young man acquired the shares held by Jardine Matheson, their combined stake in the New Territories Warehousing Center would reach a staggering 70% or more. Reclaiming the New Territories Warehouse from them in the future would be virtually impossible!

Faced with this situation, even the Duke—who never let his emotions show—could no longer contain himself.

After his rage subsided, he glared at Powell, the head of the Jardine Matheson Group, and said coldly, “I demand an explanation!”

Powell showed no sign of flinching in the face of the Duke’s fury. Instead, he replied calmly, “Mr. Duke, I have a responsibility to all the Group’s shareholders. I wonder if this explanation will satisfy you?”

“I am most dissatisfied. Everyone in the Alliance is working hard to take down that young man, yet you intend to sell your shares to him. This is a betrayal of the Alliance!” the Jazz said, enunciating each word with deliberate emphasis.

“Betrayal?”

Powell then replied, his voice tinged with anger, “Mr. Jazz, if Jardine Matheson had betrayed the Alliance, would we have invested 2 billion Hong Kong dollars in the previous ‘Golden Interception’ operation? If it weren’t for your misjudgment in that previous operation, which caused the Alliance members to suffer heavy losses, we wouldn’t have been utterly defeated in this battle for shares!”

“Powell, are you accusing me?” Jazz demanded, his tone icy.

“No, I’m simply stating a fact!”

His expression then returned to its previous composure, and he continued, “Moreover, the reason I bundled my shares and sold them to that young man wasn’t entirely for the sake of Jardine Matheson; it was more for the sake of the Alliance!”

The Jazz said nothing, but continued to stare at him coldly, the meaning clear.

“On the surface, this battle for control appears to be Starry Sky targeting our Jardine Matheson, but in reality, it is a counteroffensive by the Chinese-funded conglomerates against us. It is foreseeable that the New Territories Warehouse battle is not the end, but the beginning!”

Powell continued, “According to our intelligence, those Chinese have already united. If things go as expected, they will next launch attacks on our other companies, just as they did with Hang Seng Bank and the New Territories Warehouse!”

“And after suffering a series of major losses, nearly all our companies are facing financial difficulties; we no longer have the strength to stop their attacks!”

The Duke agreed with Powell’s analysis; his expression softened slightly, and he said, “Go on.”

Powell didn’t beat around the bush and immediately continued, “The only way to stop their endless attacks is to drain their funds. As long as they don’t have sufficient financial backing, they naturally won’t launch another attack on our companies!”

Everyone present was a business elite, and they immediately grasped Powell’s meaning.

While Star Company emerged victorious in the battle for control of New Territories Warehouse, they paid a heavy price—particularly in terms of financial resources.

If the Jardine Matheson Group were to sell off all of its remaining shares to the other side at this point, it would further deplete their funds. As one side gains strength while the other weakens, Star Company would naturally be unable to launch another attack against the entire British-owned conglomerate.

Upon hearing this, everyone—including the Duke—fell silent.

Although they all knew that Powell’s true intentions were certainly not that simple, it was undeniable that there was some logic to what he said.

Just then, Powell’s voice rang out again: “Of course, if any of you feel that my decision is detrimental to the Alliance’s interests, as long as you can match Star Company’s offer of 110 Hong Kong dollars per share, we at Jardine Matheson are willing to transfer the 21.8 million shares of New Territories Storage Centre that we hold to you!”

The room fell silent once more!

This was a colossal sum of nearly 2.4 billion Hong Kong dollars. Setting aside whether they could even come up with the funds, even if they could, who would have the audacity to invest that much in New Territories Warehouse right now!

Just a few days ago, New Territories Warehouse’s share price was only around HK$60 per share; now it had nearly doubled.

No wonder the Jardine Matheson Group, despite having lost, was still willing to cooperate with the other party—it turned out the price they were offering was simply too tempting!

Jazz knew he had to make a move. Otherwise, not only would Jardine Matheson lose morale, but it would also undermine others’ confidence in the alliance.

“Powell, proceed with this matter as you see fit. Sign the contract with Starry Company as soon as possible!”

“No problem!” Powell replied.

Jazz paused briefly before speaking again. “Everyone, though I’m reluctant to admit it, there’s no denying that this time we’ve lost—and lost badly!”

“I admit I underestimated our opponent and failed to give them the attention and respect they deserved. But that’s in the past—we won’t give our enemies another chance like this!”

He continued, “I have some good news for you all: I’ve already made contact with the family. They’ll be sending reinforcements soon, and they’ll also be providing us with substantial funding.”

Hearing this, everyone present couldn’t help but feel a surge of excitement.

As core members of the British Capital Group, they all knew just how powerful the family behind the Duke was.

To be honest, relying solely on the Jazz’s own abilities and assets, he would never have become the head of the British Capital Group—there were plenty of others more capable and powerful than him.

However, the reason the Duke ultimately became the head of this massive business alliance was precisely because the family behind him was so incredibly powerful.

If that family were to intervene, a small company like Starry Sky wouldn’t be able to make much of a splash.

“Sir, what should we do now?” Smith asked immediately.

“Unless the Chinese-owned conglomerate takes the initiative to attack us, we should avoid direct conflict with them for now. The top priority is to ensure the survival of our alliance members!”

The Duke continued, “Smith, issue the order to temporarily lift all repressive measures against Star Company and the Green Dragon Society. Halt the media and newspaper campaigns as well!”

“What about the Governor’s Office? Should we halt their operations as well?” Smith asked.

“Stop them. Until our people from the family arrive, we shouldn’t engage in direct conflict with them!” the Duke said, sounding somewhat frustrated.

“Alright. After the meeting, I’ll head over to the Governor’s Office and convey your instructions to the Governor!” Smith said.

“Mm-hmm!”

Hearing this, everyone present breathed a sigh of relief, though a faint sense of bitterness and helplessness lingered in their hearts.

Although the Duke had only said he would temporarily stop pressuring Li Yi and the others, everyone knew they had truly been defeated and had backed down.

Otherwise, given the Jazz’s previous temperament, he wouldn’t be holding back like this!

It was cruel, but that was the reality!

In the VIP lounge of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, all the employees of Starry Sky were cheering wildly.

Just moments ago, upon learning that their combined shareholding had surpassed 51%, CEO Li Yi immediately declared that the acquisition of the New Territories Warehouse Center had been successfully completed.

At the same time, the boss announced that all company employees would be heading to Yuen’s Restaurant tonight.

Furthermore, every employee who participated in the acquisition would receive a bonus of 10,000 Hong Kong dollars, while members of the leadership team would each receive 50,000 Hong Kong dollars.

With a chance to celebrate and massive bonuses to boot, everyone was naturally overjoyed!

But just as everyone was cheering loudly, Zhang Ziqiang pushed open the door and said, “Brother Yi, there are a few foreigners outside who want to see you. The one leading them says his name is Powell!”

Hearing this, Pang Feiyan, who was standing nearby, hurriedly said, “Boss, Powell is the head of Jardine Matheson!”

Li Yi paused to think for a moment, then said, “Show them in.”

“Yes, sir!”

Hearing that visitors had arrived, the staff in the room immediately fell silent, then resumed their previous appearance of busyness—though the excitement and anticipation in everyone’s eyes were impossible to hide.

Soon, the door to the VIP room swung open once more!

Led by Zhang Ziqiang, two middle-aged white men strode in.

Upon reaching Li Yi, Powell looked at the young man before him with a complex expression.

Although he had already seen Li Yi’s photo and basic profile, Powell was still taken aback by Li Yi’s youth when they finally met in person.

He simply couldn’t imagine that this young man standing before him was the one who had repeatedly thwarted their efforts and even shattered the unbeatable reputation of their British Capital Group.

“I heard you two wanted to see me. Just get to the point—you know my time is valuable!” Li Yi said casually.

“Li, I’m Powell, CEO of Jardine Matheson. First, congratulations on securing a controlling stake in New Territories Warehouse…”

Before he could finish, Li Yi cut him off, saying, “Mr. Powell, spare me the pleasantries. Just get to the point!”

At that moment, Smith, standing nearby, suddenly said, “Sir, interrupting someone is very rude. You should apologize to Powell!”

“Before you speak, please introduce yourself first. I have no interest in talking to strangers!” Li Yi said coldly.

“I am Smith, and I am…”

“You’re Smith?”

“Yes…”

Before he could finish, Li Yi cut him off with an icy tone: “Others might have the right to accuse me of being rude, but not you—because you’re not worthy!”

“Sir, this is an insult to a gentleman of the British Empire…”

“Stop going on about ‘gentlemen.’ A petty man like you, who only knows how to resort to underhanded tactics for revenge, is hardly worthy of being called a gentleman. If that’s the case, then your standards for what constitutes a gentleman are far too low!”

“You…”

Smith naturally understood what Li Yi was getting at—it was nothing more than the previous incidents of inciting Ma Biao and Sha Kun to ambush Huang Lixing.

But he couldn’t defend himself on this matter. Although he had indeed been involved, it was the Duke who had made the final call; he was, at most, merely an executor.

“All right, if the two of you are here to argue with me, there’s no need. I’m not one for bickering; let’s just settle this in the business world!” Li Yi said coldly.

Powell, standing nearby, hurriedly interjected, “Mr. Li, I didn’t mean to offend you. I simply wish to do business with you!”

Li Yi glanced at him and said, “Do you want to buy back the shares I hold, or do you want to sell the shares you hold?”

“Sell!”

Hearing this answer, Li Yi wasn’t particularly surprised.

They had already lost. Having lost control of the company, they were left with only two options.

The first was to fight to the bitter end, clinging to that 20% stake and using their positions as company directors to disrupt the newly appointed chairman of the board.

The second option was to cash out while the stock price was inflated and exit gracefully.

As a competent and seasoned businessman, Li Yi fully understood why Powell would make this choice; after all, they had done the same last year when they lost the battle for Wharf Holdings to the “Ship King.”

At that time, Mr. Pao held a 49% stake as the largest shareholder. Jardine Matheson knew the tide had turned and promptly sold its 10 million shares of Wharf Holdings to Pao’s enterprises, successfully cashing out over 1 billion Hong Kong dollars.

For Powell, they were simply repeating the same old tactics!

“By my estimate, Jardine Matheson still holds about 20% of the shares. If you hold out a little longer, there might still be a chance to turn the tables. Are you sure you want to admit defeat just like this?” Li Yi asked calmly.

Powell sighed and said, “You Chinese have an old saying: ‘Those who recognize the times are the true heroes.’ Since we’ve already lost, why insist on putting up a fight?”

“Then, Mr. Powell, at what price do you intend to sell your shares?”

“120 Hong Kong dollars per share!”

Li Yi replied coolly, “That’s too high! You know as well as I do that whether it’s HK$120 or HK$100, these prices were driven up by our bidding war. It won’t be long before this price plummets!”

“Mr. Li, you must be well aware of New Territories Warehouse’s true value. At 120 Hong Kong dollars per share, you won’t be losing out!”

“Value and market capitalization are two different things. For a publicly traded company, its market capitalization is its value—no one cares about its actual value!” Li Yi said.

“Then how much are you willing to offer?”

“HK$100 per share. I’m offering this price simply to save myself the trouble. Otherwise, I have countless ways to kick you out of the company!” Li Yi said with an air of authority.

Powell didn’t argue. He knew Li Yi had the capability—after all, the Jazz had suffered crushing defeats in every previous clash with him.

And now that the other party had secured a controlling stake in the company and was flush with cash, even if he simply used that money to dilute their shares, their holdings would continue to shrink until they were eventually forced out of the company.

“Let’s meet halfway—110 yuan!”

Li Yi paused briefly, then said, “Deal!”

“Alright, a representative from our company will visit yours tomorrow to discuss the specifics of the share transfer!” Powell said.

“Alright, I’ll be waiting for you personally at the office!” Li Yi replied.

“OK, see you tomorrow!”

“See you tomorrow!”

Just as Powell was about to leave with Smith, Li Yi called Smith back again: “Mr. Smith, please pass a message to your lord: tell him this is just the beginning. We’re not done with this yet—he’ll pay the price for what he’s done!”

Hearing this, Smith couldn’t help but shudder—whether from fear or anger, he wasn’t sure!

He had intended to hurl some threats, but for some reason, the words died on his lips. Instead, he turned and walked out of the VIP lounge with Powell!

The moment they stepped through the door, both Powell and Smith felt as if an old king had fallen and a new one had been crowned.

Although this time they had merely lost control of a single New Territories warehouse—which was insignificant compared to the vast holdings of the entire British Capital Group—the significance of this loss was extraordinary.

This was already their fourth defeat at the hands of Li Yi. This string of failures not only dealt a severe blow to the confidence of the British-funded group’s members,

It would also greatly boost the confidence of the Chinese-funded group, making them even more united and self-assured.

Moving forward, they might, just as they did this time, continue to consolidate their strength and launch attacks against their British-owned enterprises.

Once such a trend takes hold, the British-owned group would be in grave danger!

Filled with deep concern, the two defeated men hurriedly left the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

As for the victor, Li Yi, he led all the company employees back to the office to celebrate their triumph in taking down the giant…

………

Seeing that Li Yi was about to resort to his old tricks again—apparently intending to make them the fall guys once more—Smith and his team reacted immediately.

After consulting with the head of the Jardine Matheson Group, they ultimately decided to immediately halt their buying spree of New Territories Storage Center shares and follow Starry Company in selling off a portion of their own floating shares.

That’s right—dumping shares!

The Jardine side was well aware of the current crisis, but New Territories Warehouse Center’s stock price was simply too high—so high that they dared not hoard too many shares.

Of course, this was also directly related to Jardine Matheson’s business performance in recent years.

In the past, Jardine Matheson was indeed unrivaled in its glory. At its peak, the group controlled nearly all import and export terminals on Hong Kong Island; whether it was foreign trade or shipping, everyone had to kowtow to them.

In addition, they were heavily involved in real estate and finance, among other sectors. Nearly half of Hong Kong Island’s landmark buildings were constructed by the Jardine Matheson-affiliated Landmark Company. Back then, Jardine Matheson truly had its hands in every pie, with no one able to rival them.

However, those glory days are now a thing of the past. As the saying goes, “A hero doesn’t boast of past glories,” and in recent years, Jardine has been a hero who has gone too far in boasting of its former glory.

In recent years, the group’s business performance on Hong Kong Island has indeed been far from optimistic. Results across all sectors are deeply concerning; very few companies can even break even, let alone turn a profit.

More often than not, they have been scraping by on borrowed money.

To alleviate the financial crisis, many companies within the Jardine group have been forced to issue large amounts of bonds to raise cash and keep operations afloat.

But this practice of robbing Peter to pay Paul is undoubtedly a short-term fix; over the past few years, most companies in the Jardine group have accumulated massive debts.

This was especially true for large companies like New Territories Warehouse Centre, which required massive capital investments to maintain operations.

To survive, the Jardine Group had no choice but to repeatedly sell off shares in New Territories Storage Centre to raise funds, which ultimately led to a decline in New Territories Storage Centre’s credibility and a depreciation of its stock.

It can be said that by this point, they had fallen into a vicious cycle.

When it rains, it pours. Jardine Matheson was already struggling financially, but during the recent gold price war, they invested over 2 billion Hong Kong dollars, effectively losing nearly all the funds they had raised from selling their stake in Wharf Holdings last year.

Had it not been for Starry Company and the Chinese capital backing them—who were genuinely intent on seizing control of New Territories Warehouse and ousting the Jardine Group—

Otherwise, Jardine would never have sought outside help and spent a fortune to buy back shares in New Territories Warehouse.

Right now, they’ve acquired 29% of New Territories Warehouse’s shares at nearly double the price. In their battle with Star Company for control of New Territories Warehouse, they’ve forced themselves to pour in 2 billion Hong Kong dollars.

All of this money was borrowed from HSBC, and if they get stuck with these shares, they’ll be in big trouble.

So, as soon as they saw Star Company preparing to withdraw, the head of Jardine Matheson could no longer sit idly by.

For them, if they were trapped at such high prices, the company would immediately face extreme operational difficulties.

At that point, the impact wouldn’t be limited to just the New Territories Warehousing Center; dozens of companies across the Jardine Group, large and small, would suffer as a result.

The only option now was to follow Star Company’s lead and dump their shares as well.

Once Jardine joined the wave of stock dumping, all the investors were stunned.

They could understand Star Company clearing out its position—it’s normal to cash out after driving up the price.

“What on earth is the Jardine Matheson Group up to? You’re the longtime owners of New Territories Warehouse—why are you joining the fray?”

In an instant, the Hong Kong Stock Exchange was thrown into turmoil, and New Territories Warehouse’s share price plummeted by 8 Hong Kong dollars.

More importantly, this move by the Jardine group directly shattered the psychological defenses of the speculators, who hurriedly followed suit and liquidated their positions to flee.

In the VIP lounge, after receiving Pang Feiyan’s report, Li Yi couldn’t help but let the corners of his mouth turn up slightly.

He then glanced at his watch and realized there were less than twenty minutes left before the market closed.

Without delay, he ordered all traders to spring into action, buying up every available share of New Territories Warehouse on the market—delivering a devastating counterattack against Smith and his crew.

With Starry Sky’s sudden shift in strategy, all traders acted in unison, frantically buying up New Frontier shares.

By the time Smith and his team realized something was amiss, the several million shares they had put up for sale had already been snapped up by Starry Sky’s traders.

In just a few minutes, Star Corporation’s traders had purchased over ten million shares, at an average price of only 100 Hong Kong dollars per share—a drop of more than 30 Hong Kong dollars from just an hour earlier.

More importantly, with these tens of millions of shares, Star Company now held a 53% stake in New Territories Storage Center, securing a controlling interest.

The sudden turn of events caught everyone off guard. In the VIP lounge next door, both Powell, the head of Jardine Matheson, and Smith, the chief administrator of the British-owned conglomerate, were stunned!

At the same time, they realized they had been tricked.

Star Company had never intended to walk away; they had merely been feigning retreat to advance.

Because they couldn’t hold their ground, the other party had now successfully secured controlling interest in New Territories Warehousing Center.

Barring any surprises, tomorrow they would present their share certificates at the New Territories Warehousing Center to verify their ownership, and then, as the controlling shareholders, demand a new shareholders’ meeting.

By then, not only would the Jardine Matheson Group lose control of the New Territories Warehousing Center, but most of its senior executives would be shown the door, becoming the laughingstock of the industry.

“Powell, we’ve lost!” Smith said, his face etched with despair.

He felt utterly despairing inside. This was already their fourth showdown with Li Yi, and just like the previous times, they had suffered a crushing defeat.

Powell, on the other hand, maintained a relatively composed expression.

After a brief silence, he said in a deep voice, “Smith, let’s go see that young man.”

Smith was taken aback for a moment, then asked, “Why see him?”

“To strike a deal with him!”

“???”

“I plan to transfer all of the remaining 21% of my shares to him!” Powell said, making a startling announcement.

“What did you say? This…”

Smith was completely baffled by Powell’s decision. What on earth was he up to?

Powell sighed and said, “As you said, we’ve already lost. We’ve lost control of New Territory Warehouse. Rather than being forced out, it’s better to withdraw on our own terms!”

As he spoke, Powell’s tone was calm, without a hint of emotion.

It wasn’t that he was particularly composed; rather, this was something they at Jardine Matheson had long anticipated internally—they just hadn’t expected this day to come so soon.

In fact, ever since “The Shipping King” and “The Man from Li” joined forces to compete with them for the Kowloon Wharf, Powell and the entire Jardine Matheson Group had known that the New Territories Wharf would soon become the next target in the battle among Chinese-owned conglomerates.

There was no helping it; New Territories Wharf’s stock price had depreciated so severely that it no longer reflected its actual value.

Even before Star Company entered the fray, the share price of over 60 Hong Kong dollars didn’t even cover a third of New Territories Warehouse’s property value.

In other words, New Territories Warehouse’s actual value was around 20 billion, but its market valuation was only about 6.5 billion. With just a capable manager at the helm, the company’s stock price could be boosted in no time. dxmbang

Jardine Matheson is not unaware of this issue, but their management style is too Westernized. Coupled with the company’s ongoing financial crises, they simply lack the capacity to overhaul the operations of New Territories Warehouse or the Kowloon Wharf that was previously snatched away by the “Ship Chartering King.”

Ultimately, these two major warehousing hubs became a stepping stone for the crowned king of Chinese capital!

At this point, the situation is irreversible; the only thing left to do is minimize losses as much as possible.

Powell intends to take advantage of the current relatively high stock price to sell all his shares in New Territories Warehouse to Li Yi in one go.

In this way, although they would lose control of New Territories Warehouse, they would gain a substantial amount of cash—an outcome that was not entirely unacceptable.

With that thought, Powell immediately stood up and walked toward the VIP lounge diagonally across the room!

Seeing this, Smith, though filled with a thousand regrets, had no choice but to quicken his pace and follow…

………

Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Trading Floor!

With the British Capital Group officially entering the fray and going all out to repurchase shares of New Territories Warehouse, Li Yi knew his hand had been revealed.

Without hesitation, he bared his fangs and formally entered the fray against the British-owned group’s team to vie for New Territories Warehouse Center shares.

Knowing that the British Capital Group’s funds were limited, Li Yi began driving up the share price of New Territories Warehouse Center from the very start.

Under his relentless assault, the previously sluggish stock price of New Territories Warehouse Center shot up as if injected with adrenaline, surging to HK$88 in a short time—a gain of HK$12 per share.

Faced with Li Yi’s blunt and aggressive assault, Smith and his team had no choice but to grit their teeth and call his bets.

However, they were also worried that Li Yi would do exactly as he had before: build up the momentum, drive the stock price up, and then immediately liquidate his entire position.

So, although Smith and the others kept up with Li Yi’s pace, constantly raising their bids to compete for New Territories Warehouse shares, they remained cautious, keeping a close eye on Li Yi’s every move.

What unsettled them, however, was that this time, Li Yi didn’t seem to be aiming to break even and profit from the price difference after driving up the stock price; instead, he was genuinely targeting New Territories Warehouse.

This was evident from the way they kept driving the stock price higher!

On November 27, the share price of New Territories Storage Center officially broke through the HK$90 mark.

Less than a day later, the share price surged again, breaking through the HK$100 mark in one fell swoop.

At this point, after several days of frenzied bidding, Li Yi had once again snapped up 8.2 million shares of the publicly traded stock.

By this point, their holdings in New World Warehouse had reached a staggering 44%, leaving them just 7% short of the 51% required for a controlling stake!

However, it was precisely this 7% that posed a bit of a dilemma for Li Yi.

Upon investigation, they discovered that the Jardine Group had also snapped up a 7% stake from the market in recent days. Combined with their existing holdings, their total stake had reached 29%.

The remaining 37% was scattered among dozens of shareholders, both large and small, as well as retail investors. Seeing the stock price climb relentlessly, these investors were simply unwilling to part with their shares.

In their view, as long as neither Starry Company nor the Jardine Group secured a controlling stake, the stock price would keep rising.

Consequently, over the next few days, New Territories Warehouse Center’s stock price continued to climb, yet trading volume steadily declined.

This situation was extremely unfavorable for Li Yi and his team!

On the one hand, the British Capital Group had limited funds and could not afford to sustain the drain; if retail investors were willing to sell their shares, the British Capital Group simply could not outbid them.

But now, those retail investors and small shareholders were absolutely unwilling to sell their shares, which gave the British-funded group some breathing room.

Once they had mobilized sufficient funds, it would be much harder to wrest New Territories Warehouse Center shares from their hands.

On the other hand, Li Yi still had unfinished projects in New York. Compared to those projects worth tens of billions of dollars, the situation on Hong Kong Island was clearly no match.

Therefore, he must resolve matters here quickly and decisively; he cannot afford to get bogged down in a prolonged struggle.

But things didn’t go as planned; the more he rushed, the slower the progress became.

In the VIP lounge, Li Yi was studying the report handed to him by Pang Feiyan with a grave expression.

After a long moment, he asked in a low voice, “We’ve already raised the price to 125 Hong Kong dollars per share. Is there still no one willing to take the bait?”

“No. We’ve only managed to acquire 200,000 shares this morning, and trading volume for New Territories Storage Center has been pitifully low for most of the day!” Pang Feiyan replied.

Lan Xinming immediately suggested, “Boss, the stock price of New Territories Warehouse Center is already close to doubling. Raising the price further might not work. Why don’t we look for a solution outside the market?”

“You mean we should look for a breakthrough among those small shareholders?” Li Yi asked.

“Exactly. Compared to retail investors, small shareholders hold more concentrated stakes. As long as the price is right, I don’t think it’ll be hard to acquire the remaining shares,” Lan Xinming explained.

However, Li Yi shook his head and said, “I don’t think so! We’ve already courted every shareholder we could. Two-thirds of the shares we hold were acquired at a high price from those small shareholders!”

“The remaining ones are either people from the British-owned group, who are dead set on sticking with those foreigners to the bitter end, or they’re insatiable, wanting the stock price to keep rising.”

“Given their reluctance to sell, they probably won’t part with their shares easily—unless…”

“Unless what?”

“Unless we break through that mindset!” Li Yi said.

“But… how do we break it?” Lan Xinming asked, puzzled.

Li Yi replied immediately, “We must make those retail investors who are hoarding their shares realize that the current stock price has reached its limit and can’t possibly rise any further. Once they do, they’ll liquidate their positions to cash out.”

“We understand the logic, but how exactly do we go about doing that?” Lan Xinming asked.

Li Yi glanced at his watch and saw that there was still an hour and a half left before the market closed.

With that in mind, he immediately turned to Pang Feiyan and said, “Feiyan, raise the price to 130 Hong Kong dollars per share right now!”

“Yes!”

Shortly after Pang Feiyan left, Li Yi issued another order: “Yang Qian, sell off a portion of our New Territories Warehouse Center shares immediately—start by offloading 2 million shares to test the waters!”

“Yes!”

Although Yang Qian didn’t quite understand Li Yi’s purpose, she carried out the order immediately.

The 2 million shares were released and quickly snapped up by investors.

After all, the stock price of the New Territories Warehousing Center had skyrocketed by roughly 100% over the past few days, allowing many investors to make a killing.

More importantly, since the showdown between Starry Sky Corporation and the British Investment Group hadn’t yet been decided, everyone believed that New Frontier Warehouse Center’s stock would continue to rise.

That’s exactly why the 2 million shares Li Yi dumped were snapped up in the market without even making a ripple.

However, what no one expected was that these two million shares were just the beginning; over the next half hour, massive sell orders were continuously dumped on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. dxmbang

It started with sell-offs of 2 million or 5 million shares, but eventually, 10 million or even 20 million shares were being dumped at a time.

At first, as soon as someone sold, someone else snapped them up—whatever was sold was immediately bought.

But soon, when massive orders of tens of millions of shares hit the market, all investors on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange were stunned.

They soon realized that market manipulators were cashing out, and everyone simultaneously thought of Starry Company.

It was the same old story, just like how they had scammed the British Investment Group a few days earlier.

The tactic was the same: first drive the stock price to an extreme high, then quickly dump the entire position, leaving the buyers stuck holding the bag at the peak.

Once they realized this, the investors who had been so confident just moments ago were all taken aback.

Soon, some investors who were not particularly resilient began to crack.

Most of them were speculators, not as well-capitalized as Starry Sky or the British-owned conglomerate; if they got stuck at high prices, they simply couldn’t afford the losses.

Moreover, New Territories Warehouse Center’s stock price remained extremely high at the time, so selling now would still yield a substantial profit.

Consequently, some retail investors began following Li Yi’s lead and dumping their shares.

However, Star Company was not only refusing to buy but was actually dumping large quantities of shares itself. Seeing this, Smith and his associates dared not rush into a buyout—after all, the precedent set by Hang Seng Bank was still fresh in their minds.

With the two major market makers both sitting on the sidelines, the market was suddenly flooded with New Territories Warehouse shares waiting to be sold.

Just moments ago, the shares were unsellable; now, they were priced but had no buyers!

Under these circumstances, retail investors desperate for cash began slashing prices in an attempt to break even.

Consequently, New Territories Warehouse Center’s stock price plummeted rapidly, dropping from a high of HK$130 to HK$105 in less than half an hour—and it continued to fall.

As for Star Company, not only did they not accept every offer as they had before—buying as much as anyone would sell—

Instead, just like those retail investors, they kept placing sell orders on the market, continuously dumping their shares of New Territories Warehouse, giving the impression that they were about to liquidate their entire position.

This move not only terrified the retail investors and small shareholders looking to profit from the chaos, but also startled Smith and his team, who were tasked with countering Li Yi.

The shadow of their previous experience—manipulating Hang Seng Bank’s stock only to get trapped at the peak—resurfaced in their minds…

………

Li Family Manor. Study!

On the sofa, Li Yi and Li Futao sat facing each other. On the small coffee table between them sat a purple clay teapot and two small teacups.

At that moment, steam was rising from the cups, and the entire room was filled with the rich aroma of tea.

Li Yi took a gentle sip of the premium Fuding white tea, then asked, “Old Li, I’ve pretty much worn out those foreigners over on my end. How’s it going on your end?”

“Things are going well on my end. While those foreigners were focused on you, my people successfully purchased 8.2 million shares of New World Warehouse Center stock. Our current stake has reached 8%!” Li Futao replied.

“Did they notice?”

“They shouldn’t have. I bought them in small batches using multiple accounts, so they shouldn’t have noticed!” Li Futao said.

“That’s good. But 8% is still a bit low. To take control of New Territories Warehouse Center, we need at least 51% of the shares!” Li Yi said.

“Hmm, but since we’ve been trading quite frequently, New Territories Warehousing’s stock price has risen rather quickly over the past couple of days. We entered the market at just 65 Hong Kong dollars per share, and now it’s already up to 72—a gain of over 10%!”

Li Futiao continued, “If we keep buying up large blocks of shares, not only will it be hard to keep our intentions hidden, but it might also cause New Territories Warehouse Center’s stock price to skyrocket.”

Li Yi thought for a moment and said, “It doesn’t matter. New Territories Warehouse Centre’s stock is severely undervalued right now; a slight increase is no big deal.”

Li Yi was well aware of New Territories Storage Centre’s value. This company, with over 70 years of history, had long been a core business of the Jardine Matheson Group and was once known alongside Wharf Holdings as the “Two Wings of Jardine Matheson.”

Within the entire Jardine conglomerate, the group’s chairman also served on the board of New Territories Warehouse, underscoring the company’s status within the Jardine Group.

Under the Jardine Group’s leadership, New Territories had developed renowned properties such as New Territories Pier and Da Di Centre, yet its operational approach left much to be desired.

They clung to the philosophy that building and leasing properties was their primary profit model, renting only and never selling. This led to slow cash flow, with rent increases lagging behind rising land prices. Consequently, the company’s earnings were mediocre, its stock price remained low, and its assets were severely undervalued.

Furthermore, as a British-owned conglomerate, the Jardine Group harbored reservations about the mainland and maintained a consistently pessimistic outlook on Hong Kong Island’s future, leading to a gradual decline in its influence on the island.

“So what should we do next? Should we launch a full-scale offensive against them, or proceed cautiously?” Li Futiao asked in a low voice.

“I don’t have the time to get bogged down in a protracted battle with them. Right now, New Territories Warehouse Center has a market capitalization of only about 7 billion Hong Kong dollars. With the funds we have on hand, plus those from the Ho and Lo families, we’re already approaching 5 billion Hong Kong dollars—enough to secure a 51% stake in New Territories Warehouse!” Li Yi said.

“So you plan to launch a full-scale assault?”

“No, a full-scale assault!”

Changing the subject, Li Yi continued, “But before launching the all-out assault, I think we should reach out to those small shareholders. Ideally, we’d acquire the scattered shares of New Territories Warehousing Center from them!”

Based on preliminary equity investigations, Li Yi discovered that to alleviate its financial crisis, New Territories Storage Center had chosen to sell large quantities of bonds to raise cash.

The result of this was that the group became heavily indebted, its credit rating declined, and its stock lost value.

To date, Jardine Matheson held only about 9% of New Territories Warehouse’s shares. Of the remaining 91%, 30% were floating shares on the market, while the bulk—61%—was scattered among hundreds of shareholders, large and small.

The severely undervalued stock, the massive potential for revaluation, and the relatively dispersed ownership all provided an ideal environment for Li Yi’s acquisition.

Li Futao nodded immediately and said, “Leave this to me. You’ll have news within three days at most!”

“Agreed!”

“Old Li, don’t go at it alone. Get the He and Luo families to pitch in as well. There’s no such thing as a free lunch in this world!” Li Yi said.

“Alright!”

At that moment, Li Futiao changed the subject and added, “By the way, Brother Li Yi, Xinghua sent the latest update from New York this morning. He said the international gold price has dropped to $545, and we’ve already made $850 million.”

“However, the rate of decline has slowed significantly in recent days—especially over the last few days, with prices dropping only one or two dollars a day. He asked for instructions on whether to liquidate our positions and close out the trade.”

Li Yi replied immediately, “It’s not time yet. Tell them to stay calm and keep a close eye on it!”

“Brother Li Yi, what’s your target price for dxmbang? I want to let them know so they can prepare themselves!” Li Fu asked.

“We absolutely cannot close the deal until the international gold price drops below $300!” Li Yi said firmly.

“You have to understand, this is the only opportunity to trade gold in the next twenty years. If we miss this, it’s gone for good.”

“Whoa!”

After drawing in a sharp breath, Li Futiao asked again, “Could the international gold price really drop below $300?”

“It’s highly likely!”

“Alright, I know what to do!” Li Futiao said, suppressing his inner excitement.

He knew full well that Li Yi had shorted gold at a price of around $596.

With five times financial leverage, every $1 drop in the gold price would yield them $17 million in profits.

If the international gold price really did fall below $300, their profits would reach a staggering $5 billion—equivalent to nearly 40 billion Hong Kong dollars.

Even for a prominent family like the Lis, their combined assets didn’t amount to that much—and that was wealth accumulated through generations of hard work.

Yet Li Yi was able to generate this much money from a single investment. Such astonishing investment acumen is truly admirable.

This only strengthened Li Futao’s resolve to deepen his collaboration with Li Yi!

Over the next few days, to keep the British-funded group in check, Li Yi continued to lead his team to the stock market daily, waiting for opportunities to launch attacks on the group’s listed companies.

Meanwhile, Smith and his team focused their efforts on maintaining a tight defense against Li Yi, and the two sides engaged in round after round of fierce battles in the stock market.

Since both sides were well-prepared, the British Capital Group suffered minimal losses after several rounds of clashes.

Although Li Yi and his team’s attacks did not inflict major losses on the British Capital Group, they did tie up a significant portion of their attention.

Meanwhile, Li Futiao’s elite team seized the opportunity to buy up large quantities of New Territories Warehouse stock from retail investors through multiple accounts.

At the same time, Li Futao, He Dongying, Luo Jindong, and others stepped forward, frequently meeting with the Chinese shareholders of the New Territories Storage Center and offering high prices to acquire shares from some of them.

In just three days, they acquired nearly 28 million shares from other shareholders.

By this point, Li Yi and his associates had secured 36% of New Territories Warehouse’s shares—more than double the stake held by the largest shareholder, Jardine Matheson.

Although a 36% stake made them the largest shareholder of New Territories Storage Center, they had not yet achieved a controlling interest. Therefore, Li Yi had no choice but to continue having Li Futao and others step forward to acquire shares in New Territories Storage Center.

Unfortunately, the British-funded group had already sensed something was amiss.

Although Li Futao’s team had gone to great lengths to keep the acquisitions low-key, the rapid rise in the stock price had still caught the attention of retail investors and the senior management of the Jardine Matheson Group.

They quickly deduced that someone was secretly snapping up shares of New Territories Warehouse.

Upon learning of the situation, Jardine Matheson was on high alert and immediately sought assistance from the British-owned group.

The British-owned group’s leadership did not dare to delay; after losing Wharf Holdings, the New Territories Storage Centre had become particularly crucial.

If it were also acquired, they would likely lose their shipping, warehousing, and part of their real estate businesses.

In light of this, the British executives immediately convened another meeting at Castle Manor to discuss the matter.

After some deliberation, they decided to launch an immediate counterattack: while reassuring both major and minor shareholders, they would immediately raise the price and repurchase New Territories Warehouse shares from the stock market to increase Jardine Matheson’s stake.

With the British-owned group’s fate hanging in the balance, the two sides—who had been locked in a fierce battle for nearly ten days—were finally about to come to blows…

……..

November 22nd. The battle between Starry Sky and the British-funded group over Hang Seng shares had now entered its sixth day!

Over the past six days, the two sides had not only been engaged in a frenzied battle for the floating shares on the stock market, but were also scrambling off-market to snap up shares held by all small and medium-sized shareholders.

After several days of intense clashes, the British-owned group, having spent a massive amount of capital, not only secured 19% of the 30% of free-floating shares but also acquired the 15% held by seven Chinese shareholders.

Although it cost them 1.6 billion Hong Kong dollars, they now control 85% of Hang Seng’s shares, securing a decisive victory in this battle for control.

However, their joy was short-lived when they discovered a shocking development: just before the market closed today, they had unexpectedly snapped up over 1.2 million shares of Hang Seng stock on the securities market.

At first, Smith and his associates didn’t think much of it, but upon closer inspection, they realized something was amiss.

It is important to note that they now control 85% of Hang Seng Bank’s shares. Of the remaining 15%, 6% is held by the bank’s founders, Ho Sin-hang and Leung Chik-wai, who have made it clear that they will not sell their shares.

A portion of the remaining 9% is controlled by Starry Company, while the rest is entirely held by retail investors.

Now, in a very short period of time, they’ve acquired 1.4 million shares—about 7% of Hang Seng Bank’s total shares. Where on earth did these shares come from?

It goes without saying that Star Company must have pulled out—they’ve decided to quit the game.

And that is exactly what happened. Just as Smith was reaching out to Hang Seng Bank’s Chinese shareholders, Li Yi ordered his people to high-profile buy up Hang Seng shares while simultaneously having others quietly dump their holdings.

By the time Smith and his team had acquired the shares held by those Chinese shareholders, Li Yi had already liquidated his entire position in Hang Seng Bank.

And most of those shares ended up back in the hands of Smith and his group!

And so, after spending over 2 billion Hong Kong dollars, the British-owned consortium not only successfully boosted Hang Seng Bank’s market capitalization from 3 billion to 6 billion Hong Kong dollars but also increased its stake in the bank to 92%!

On the surface, the British-funded group didn’t appear to have lost money, given Hang Seng Bank’s market value.

But Smith and his associates, having come to their senses, realized they had been outmaneuvered by Li Yi.

Although they had managed to fend off Li Yi’s offensive, their own 2 billion Hong Kong dollars had been locked up.

Upon realizing they had been deceived, Smith immediately made adjustments, dumping a large number of shares at a discounted price.

But with the market about to close, they managed to recoup less than 200 million Hong Kong dollars; the rest remained firmly in the hands of the group they controlled.

Smith knew that Li Yi had chosen this moment to liquidate his entire position because he was done playing the game.

This was just like his previous investment in gold: as soon as they entered the market, he promptly pulled out, causing the price to crash.

The result was a plunge in international gold prices, while their British-funded group remained stuck holding shares at the peak.

This time was no different. As expected, first thing tomorrow morning, the newspapers would be full of reports about Starry Company liquidating its holdings in Hang Seng Bank.

Once the competition for Hang Seng shares was gone, the price would inevitably plummet.

And indeed, things unfolded exactly as Smith and his associates had predicted. It didn’t even take until the next day; immediately after the market closed that very day, Li Yi gave an interview to a television station.

In the interview, he announced publicly that Star Company had sold off its entire stake in Hang Seng Bank.

He also noted that the investment in Hang Seng Bank had yielded a profit of 70 million Hong Kong dollars, but since the bank’s stock price was severely overvalued, he was now officially withdrawing from the battle for control.

As soon as the news broke, the entire population of Hong Kong Island was once again in an uproar.

Those unaware of the truth felt sorry for Star Company, believing that the “Dragon Slayer” had ultimately failed to defeat the British-funded conglomerate, that wicked dragon.

Those with an understanding of investment, however, applauded Star Company’s move. Any discerning observer could see that the British-owned conglomerate had been thoroughly outmaneuvered this time.

Hang Seng Bank’s stock had surged by nearly 100 Hong Kong dollars in just six days. When everyone was scrambling to speculate, the crowd followed the frenzy, but once the tide recedes, it will become clear that only the British-owned conglomerate’s crew is left swimming naked.

As expected, Hang Seng’s stock price will plummet as soon as the market opens tomorrow. Let’s hope it doesn’t fall below where it was a week ago.

But no one knows that this is merely a small prelude to Li Yi’s counterattack against the British-owned group; he hasn’t even unleashed his true killing move yet.

………

November 23: The Hong Kong stock market remains unchanged!

However, after the market opened today, everyone’s attention was fixed on Hang Seng Bank’s stock price.

It’s worth noting that at yesterday’s close, Hang Seng’s share price had soared to HK$276 per share—a full HK$100 higher than a week ago.

But everyone knew that was merely a battle between two major players vying for Hang Seng shares. Now that one side had explicitly withdrawn from the race, everyone was waiting for Hang Seng’s stock to plummet.

Sure enough, less than five minutes after the market opened, someone listed Hang Seng shares at HK$270 per share.

Yet, in stark contrast to the frenzied bidding of the previous days, the HK$270 price drew no interest whatsoever.

Twenty minutes later, the other party immediately adjusted the price, lowering the asking price to HK$260 per share.

But the result remained the same: many watched, yet no one made a move…

And so, under everyone’s watchful eyes, Hang Seng Bank’s share price slid from HK$276 per share all the way down to HK$240—a significant drop, to say the least.

More importantly, even at this dismal level, no one was willing to buy.

But just then, a commotion suddenly erupted outside the Hong Kong Stock Exchange—it turned out that Li Yi had returned with a group from Starry Company.

Upon hearing this news, Hang Seng Bank’s stock price actually rebounded slightly.

However, when Li Yi once again stated that he would no longer invest in Hang Seng Bank’s stock, the share price plummeted once more!

But soon after, people noticed that while Star Company had stopped trading Hang Seng Bank shares, it had begun aggressively buying up shares of Hong Kong Island Telecommunications at the opening bell.

As the only telephone and telegraph company on Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong Island Telecommunications had long been a cash cow for the British-owned conglomerate.

Stellar’s sudden acquisition of Hong Kong Island Telecommunications shares naturally caught the attention of the British-owned conglomerate.

Subsequently, Smith’s team received orders once again to block Star Company’s hostile takeover at all costs.

But this time they had learned their lesson. The British-owned conglomerate’s senior management instructed Smith to closely monitor Star Company’s moves while thwarting them, to prevent getting trapped at high prices.

Although the British-owned group was on guard, they never anticipated that Li Yi had no intention of getting entangled with them this time.

After driving Hong Kong Island Telecom’s stock price from HK$86 straight up to HK$120, he quickly liquidated his entire position.

Although the British-owned group didn’t suffer significant losses this time, Li Yi’s move still gave them quite a scare.

They had poured over 100 million Hong Kong dollars into the market just to make a splash; had they not acted quickly and exited in time, they would have been trapped at the peak once again.

Even so, on the 23rd, excluding losses from the Hang Seng Bank stock crash, Smith and his team lost another 3 million Hong Kong dollars on Hong Kong Island Telecom alone.

What was even more frustrating was that over the next few days, such sudden attacks occurred repeatedly. Multiple listed companies under the Jardine Matheson Group, HSBC Group, and Swire Group came under fire, leaving Smith and his team scrambling to respond.

However, what they didn’t know was that while Li Yi and the Star Company were drawing the fire of the British-funded groups, Li Futao’s team was quietly turning their sights on the New Territories Warehousing Center.

And this was Li Yi’s true objective—he was about to launch his final assault…

……..