Chapter 644: A Stunning Move!

The newly crowned “Stock God,” Li Yi, personally stepped in to frantically snap up Hang Seng Bank shares on the “Hong Kong Island Club’s” turf, sending shockwaves through the Hong Kong stock market.

The British-owned conglomerate promptly entered the fray, throwing everything they had into repelling the “Stock God’s” offensive, and a titanic battle erupted between the two sides!

That evening, all major television stations in Hong Kong vied to cover the story… Headlines like “Clash of Titans” and “The Sino-British Capital Showdown” competed to grab the public’s attention.

As soon as the story broke, it caused a sensation.

Whether investors or ordinary people who rarely paid attention to the stock market, everyone showed considerable enthusiasm for the story.

Walking down the street, you could hear people discussing it everywhere, with almost everyone cheering for Li Yi.

It’s no wonder everyone was so focused on this—mainly because Hong Kong residents knew that Hang Seng Bank was a subsidiary of HSBC, and Li Yi’s frenzied acquisition of Hang Seng shares was effectively poaching from HSBC’s own backyard.

And as a core member of the British-owned conglomerate, HSBC has dominated Hong Kong for decades, firmly establishing itself as a local powerhouse.

On one side is a rising stock market legend, an upstart from across the strait.

The other is the established kingpin, a local powerhouse in Hong Kong Island—the clash between them is nothing short of a titanic battle.

More importantly, ordinary people have been severely exploited by these British-owned enterprises over the years and have long been seething with frustration.

Now that they finally see someone rising up to take on those foreign devils head-on, the common people naturally cheer with delight.

Although most people are watching this spectacle with a “the more drama, the better” attitude, deep down, everyone hopes that Li Yi, this newly crowned “stock market guru,” can put a dent in the arrogance of those foreigners.

But many are also worried about whether Li Yi can withstand the pressure from those foreigners.

The general public is well aware of just how powerful British-owned conglomerates are on Hong Kong Island; over 60% of the city’s assets are controlled by these foreigners.

More importantly, they also control the British Hong Kong government and law enforcement agencies of all levels; ordinary people simply lack the capacity to stand up to such power.

With the opposition already stepping in to block him, no one is sure if Li Yi will continue to stand his ground.

If he can’t withstand the pressure and chooses to back down the very next day, that would be a huge disappointment.

For the time being, opinions among Hong Kong Island residents are divided on whether Li Yi will continue to battle the British-funded conglomerates.

But regardless of the reasons, the people of Hong Kong Island were now completely captivated by the financial battle between these two sides…

However, Li Yi did not disappoint the people of Hong Kong. He did not choose to back down simply because the British-funded conglomerate had entered the fray; instead, he chose to continue fighting head-on.

Early the next morning, amid the anticipation of the public, Li Yi arrived punctually at the Hong Kong Stock Exchange with his team.

Upon seeing this, the crowd gathered outside the exchange to watch the spectacle erupted in thunderous cheers.

What excited the public even more was that as soon as the market opened, Li Yi launched another offensive, driving Hang Seng Bank’s stock price directly from HK$190 to HK$195.

Such a high price naturally caught the attention of many investors holding Hang Seng Bank shares, and some retail investors, unable to resist the temptation of the high price, rushed to sell off their holdings.

However, the British-owned group was not to be outdone; they immediately raised their bid price, even surpassing Li Yi’s offer by two Hong Kong dollars.

Li Yi, of course, would not be outmaneuvered and continued to raise his bid.

Amid the fierce competition between the two sides, Hang Seng Bank’s stock price skyrocketed. In less than half a day, the price per share broke through the HK$205 mark.

It’s worth noting that just yesterday afternoon, Hang Seng’s share price was only 176. In just over a day, it had surged by 29 Hong Kong dollars—a gain that absolutely outpaced all other listed companies in Hong Kong, making it a true dark horse and a speculative stock.

………..

Hong Kong Stock Exchange VIP Lounge!

Li Yi glanced at the documents in his hand and said calmly, “So, the funds from the He, Luo, and Li families have all been secured. Only the Yun family’s 100 million is still pending?”

“That’s right. My old man said he’ll cover the remaining 100 million. Just go ahead and make your move, Brother Yi!” Li Yunbao replied.

“Money is a minor issue. Have your old man thoroughly investigate the Yun family—they’re likely the spies those Westerners have planted within our ranks!” Li Yi said.

“We’re already looking into it. We should have news soon!”

“Alright…”

Just then, Pang Feiyan hurried in from outside and said to Li Yi, “Boss, they’ve raised the price again!”

“Oh, by how much?”

“Another 5 yuan—it’s up to 210 yuan now. What should we do? Should we keep raising our offer?” Pang Feiyan asked.

“How many Hang Seng shares have we acquired so far?” Li Yi asked in a low voice.

“260,000 shares—that’s 5% of the free-floating shares and 1.5% of the total shares!”

Li Yi immediately ordered, “Raise the price to 220 yuan. We must acquire 1.7 million shares before the market closes today!”

“Yes!” Pang Feiyan replied without hesitation.

As one of the earliest investment elites to follow Li Yi, Pang Feiyan understood his temperament well and knew he disliked others questioning his decisions.

Therefore, when it came to critical actions, she never asked why.

Whatever Li Yi said, she carried out resolutely, without compromise.

Following Li Yi’s orders, Starry Sky Company raised the stock price once again, this time by 10 Hong Kong dollars per share in a single move.

This immediately put pressure on the British-owned conglomerate.

Although the current surge in stock prices had boosted Hang Seng’s market capitalization, everyone knew that such prices could not be sustained for long.

Once the battle between the two sides concluded, the stock price would inevitably drop rapidly, perhaps even plummet.

Under these circumstances, some rational investors would inevitably sell their shares at the peak to cash out their profits.

Consequently, for Smith and his associates, continuously using their own funds to buy back shares held by investors is a highly risky endeavor.

Therefore, the level of the stock price and the size of the market capitalization hold no practical significance for them—most of the shares will eventually return to their hands anyway.

But they cannot afford to sit idly by. Once Li Yi’s stake exceeds 5%, he can file a report with the Hang Seng Bank board and apply to become an official shareholder of the company.

If his acquired shares exceed 30%, he will become the company’s second-largest shareholder, and the company will no longer be able to hide any business operations from him.

Moreover, once Li Yi becomes a shareholder, he will have the right to investigate the company’s finances and other matters, making it difficult for many issues to remain undisclosed.

In light of this, Smith and his associates had no choice but to grit their teeth and keep raising their bids.

Thus, amid the standoff between the two sides, Hang Seng’s stock price continued to climb.

By November 20, Hang Seng’s share price had reached a staggering HK$256, a rise of a full HK$80 per share compared to just a few days earlier.

In this battle for shares, Star Company spent 310 million to acquire 1.35 million shares of Hang Seng, representing 7.5% of the total shares.

Meanwhile, the British-funded consortium also poured in 850 million to acquire a 17% stake.

At this point, 5.5% of the outstanding shares were still held by a large number of retail investors.

These investors were all sitting on the sidelines, waiting for higher prices.

However, while the stock market was in a frenzy over the acquisition of Hang Seng shares, Li Yi made a new move.

First, he had Li Futao act as an intermediary to arrange a meeting with several Chinese shareholders of Hang Seng Bank, proposing to acquire their shares and even offering a high price of 280 Hong Kong dollars per share.

As soon as the news broke, it immediately caught the attention of Smith and his associates.

It must be noted that Starry Sky had already secured a 7.5% stake in Hang Seng Bank; if they were to acquire additional shares from those Chinese shareholders, their ownership stake would increase further.

This would give them even greater influence within Hang Seng Bank—a scenario Smith and his team were determined to prevent.

In light of this, Smith immediately arranged a meeting with the Chinese shareholders, hoping they would stand with them through thick and thin.

Even if they wished to sell their shares, they were to sell them exclusively to the British consortium.

Soon, under Smith’s direction, the British-owned group acquired 2.7 million shares of Hang Seng from the Chinese shareholders for 750 million.

Only after this was done did Smith and his associates finally breathe a sigh of relief.

But just then, Li Yi made a move that caught them off guard: he liquidated his entire position in Hang Seng shares…

………

Li Family Manor. Study!

At that moment, the Li family’s study was filled with smoke, the acrid smell permeating the entire room—one might have thought the place was on fire.

Strangely enough, however, there were only Li Yi and Li Futao in the room.

The two men were seated across from each other at a small coffee table, surrounded by empty cups and cigarette butts, creating a somewhat messy scene.

All of this had been left behind by He Dongying and his group!

Just moments ago, Li Yi had reached an agreement with them to jointly invest 3 billion Hong Kong dollars to launch a financial counterattack against the British-owned conglomerate and its foreign executives.

As for the allocation of funds, Li Yi would contribute 1 billion Hong Kong dollars himself, with the Li and He families each contributing 300 million, and the remaining families each contributing 200 million.

After finalizing the specific plan, He Dongying and the others left the Li residence, leaving only Li Yi and Li Futao in the room.

Li Futao took a deep breath, then gently set the water glass in his hand down on the coffee table.

“Brother Li Yi, I feel that some of the remarks made earlier were slightly inappropriate and may affect our upcoming operations!”

“What exactly was inappropriate?” Li Yi asked calmly.

“Have you considered that those people might not all be on our side? Perhaps once they leave here, they’ll reveal our entire plan to those foreigners, and then we’ll be at a disadvantage!” Li Futao said gravely.

“Old Li, when I asked you to bring these people here, I’d already analyzed every possible scenario. How could I have failed to consider these things?” Li Yi replied.

“Then why did you still…”

“I did it on purpose!”

“On purpose?”

“That’s right!”

Li Yi continued, “Just as you said yesterday, Old Li, those Westerners have been operating on Hong Kong Island for decades, if not centuries. Not only are they powerful, but their connections in both the legitimate and underworld spheres are deeply entrenched.”

“Even though we’ve really taken them for a ride with that gold investment, a dead camel is still bigger than a horse. It won’t be easy for us to seize their core assets. When the time comes, they’ll surely pool their resources to block us, so we have to weaken them a bit before we make our move!”

Li Futao’s eyes lit up instantly, and he said with a hint of excitement, “A feint to the east while striking the west?”

“No, this is called ‘repairing the mountain pass openly while secretly crossing the Chen Cang Pass’!”

“Uh, is there a difference?”

“Yes. I invited those people over not only to raise funds, but also to have certain individuals inform those foreigners that we’re declaring war on them!”

Li Yi continued, “That way, whether for the sake of their dignity or their immediate interests, they won’t be able to remain indifferent to our actions!”

“Right. Those foreigners may be full of thievery and debauchery, but on the surface, they care deeply about saving face—especially that effeminate man. He certainly won’t let us launch an offensive against them first!” Li Fu remarked.

“The Two-Faced One?”

“That’s the guy with the title of ‘Sir.’ We’ve met him a few times before—he speaks in such a strange, ambiguous way, so we call him ‘the Ambiguous One’ behind his back!” Li Futiao explained.

“Haha, that’s a spot-on description!”

Li Yi continued, “If those people leak our plan to the foreigners, given their nature, they’ll definitely fight us to the bitter end.”

“We’ll start by messing with them on other projects. Once we’ve drained their funds, we’ll strike the New Territories Warehouse Center in one fell swoop—it’ll be a surefire knockout blow!”

“Alright, so when do we move, and which company is our primary target?” Li Futiao asked.

“How about Hang Seng Bank?”

“Hang Seng is no small fish—it has a market cap of 3 billion. Even if we only target 30% of the floating shares, it’ll cost us over a billion!” Li Futiao said.

“Old Li, our goal isn’t to acquire these banks. The initial investment is merely to drain those foreign bastards’ funds, so we have to target large companies with high market capitalization and significant exposure,” Li Yi said.

“Alright, when do you plan to make your move?”

Li Yi glanced at his watch and saw it was almost noon. He immediately replied, “This afternoon!”

“So soon? Aren’t we going to wait for the He and Luo families’ funds?” Li Futiao frowned.

“No, I’m not waiting. Once I’m done with these bastards, I’ve got to get back to New York—that’s where the real money is!”

“Do you have enough funds over there?” Li Futiao asked.

“Enough. I’ll cover it for now; as long as their funds follow through later, that’s all that matters!”

At this point, Li Yi changed the subject and added, “Oh, and Old Li, keep an eye out for me. See which family’s funds haven’t come through this time. Whoever hasn’t paid up is likely a spy planted among us by those damn foreigners. We’ll have to be extra careful with that person from now on!”

Li Futiao was taken aback for a moment, then said with admiration, “Brother Li Yi, I never expected you’d thought of that.”

“Heh, just a little trick—nothing worth mentioning!”

Li Fuzhao shook his head with a smile. This was no mere little trick—it was a scheme within a scheme, with all sorts of traps hidden within the open moves. He really was a master of intrigue!

Li Yi glanced at his watch and said, “Alright, Old Li, I’m heading back now. I’ll go test the waters at the Hong Kong Stock Exchange this afternoon!”

“Let me walk you out…”

“Hold on!”

……….

Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Trading Floor!

Just past 1:00 p.m., when Li Yi arrived at the Hong Kong Stock Exchange with Pang Feiyan, Lan Xinming, Zhao Xinlan, Li Yunbao, Yang Qian, and others, they immediately caused a sensation.

A large crowd of investors gathered in the trading floor, their eyes fixed on Li Yi and his group with intense admiration, as if they had just spotted some of the hottest celebrities.

On one hand, Li Yi’s track record was simply too impressive; he had become a legend in the stock market, and other investors viewed him as if he were their idol.

On the other hand, these stock market investors were, in reality, mostly speculators.

Seeing Li Yi suddenly arrive at the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, their minds began racing.

They all wanted to know what Li Yi was doing there—was he just taking a look around, or did he have other plans?

If it was the latter, might they be able to cash in a little by following in the footsteps of this newly crowned stock market god?

Consequently, every move Li Yi made after arriving at the Hong Kong Stock Exchange was closely watched.

Li Yi made no attempt to hide his intentions; upon arriving at the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, he immediately instructed Zhao Xinlan to inject 2 billion yuan into the company’s trading account.

This move sent a very clear signal, instantly exciting other investors at the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. All eyes were fixed on Li Yi, with many watching intently and itching to act; as soon as Li Yi made a move, they would follow suit with full force.

Li Yi didn’t keep them waiting long; he soon revealed his intention—to acquire shares of Hang Seng Bank.

At that moment, Hang Seng Bank’s share price stood at 176 Hong Kong dollars per share. Upon entering the market, Li Yi immediately offered a high bid of 180 Hong Kong dollars, single-handedly driving the share price up by 4 dollars.

Li Yi and his associates’ actions quickly caught the attention of Jazz and his team. Upon learning that Li Yi was publicly acquiring shares in Hang Seng Bank, Jazz realized that the young man from across the strait had officially declared war on them.

Without hesitation, Jazz immediately ordered Smith and his team to step in and counter Li Yi’s moves.

To effectively counter Li Yi, Smith and his team went head-to-head with him from the start, driving up Hang Seng Bank’s share price once again and offering a bid of 182 Hong Kong dollars.

Li Yi, however, was not to be outdone; he made another push, driving the share price directly up to HK$190 per share.

In less than half an hour, Hang Seng Bank’s stock had surged by 14 Hong Kong dollars, shocking the entire Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

Everyone held their breath, waiting for an epic showdown to unfold…

………

The night passed without incident!

The next day, when Li Yi woke up in his luxurious villa, he realized it was already past ten in the morning.

He had slept for a full 12 hours!

After a quick wash, he instantly felt refreshed and invigorated, and his mood couldn’t help but lift.

Zhang Ziqiang had already prepared breakfast for him. After a quick bite, Li Yi had Zhang Ziqiang, Zhou Wen, and the others escort him to Starry Sky Company.

He had returned to Hong Kong Island before his project in New York was even finished for one reason: to declare war on the British Capital Group. He intended to let those foreign bastards know that Li Yi was no pushover to be pushed around.

But to declare war on those foreigners at the British-owned Group, he first had to make sure he had money in his hands—without money, what the hell was the point of declaring war!

They say the business world is like a battlefield, and in business, money is ammunition; ample funds are the confidence and capital to speak your mind.

Therefore, before taking any real action, Li Yi had to figure out exactly how much capital he currently had at his disposal and whether he needed to secure external loans.

When Li Yi and his entourage arrived at Star Company, the finance director, Zhao Xinlan, was already waiting in her office.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Li Yi asked straight away, “Manager Zhao, how much capital does the company currently have available?”

“2.86 billion!”

Zhao Xinlan replied without a moment’s hesitation.

As the company’s finance director, she was fully aware of the company’s total funds and their composition.

“That much?” Li Yi said, somewhat taken aback.

“Boss, of this 2.86 billion, 1.68 billion is tax the company was originally supposed to pay to the Hong Kong British government. However, since the payment deadline isn’t until the end of next month, it’s still temporarily on our books!”

Zhao Xinlan continued, “Additionally, 80 million is for the company’s daily operating expenses, and 150 million is in reserve funds. The remaining 900 million is all new capital raised by Dahai Private Equity recently.”

“Oh, how did you manage to raise so much capital in such a short time?”

Li Yi was somewhat surprised by this achievement!

After all, over the past few months, aside from major investors like Li Futao and He Dongying, the company had raised less than 800 million yuan in total.

He hadn’t expected that in just over ten days, they’d raised 900 million—which came as something of a surprise to him.

Zhao Xinlan smiled and said, “Ever since we released the company’s financial report for the first three months a while back, it caused quite a stir throughout the Hong Kong investment community. Since then, a large number of investors have been coming to our company every day seeking partnerships. At the peak, we raised 300 million yuan in a single day!”

As she spoke, Zhao Xinlan’s eyes sparkled with excitement.

As the CFO of an investment firm, Zhao Xinlan felt incredibly fortunate—she never had to worry about the company running short on funds, let alone struggling to raise capital.

After listening to Zhao Xinlan’s report, Li Yi fell into deep thought.

The 2.8 billion yuan figure was indeed somewhat unexpected, but for him, it was definitely a good thing.

Originally, he had planned to slowly chip away at the British-owned conglomerate and those foreigners step by step, but with such a massive sum of money, he could now go all out.

Back in the day, when Li Ka-shing’s Cheung Kong Holdings acquired assets worth 5 billion Hong Kong dollars from Hutchison Whampoa for just 693 million Hong Kong dollars, he now had nearly 3 billion at his disposal. Those foreigners would have to mobilize at least 5 billion to counter his offensive.

The problem was, given their current situation, raising 5 billion in such a short time wouldn’t be easy.

However, realizing that his goal this time was not merely a warehouse in the New Territories, Li Yi felt that Starry Sky alone would not be enough; he needed some allies.

With that in mind, he immediately called the Li Family Estate.

After speaking with Li Futao for a full twenty minutes, Li Yi left Star Company immediately and headed straight for the Li Family Estate.

……..

Downtown. The Castle Estate!

Just as Li Yi was busy mobilizing his forces to take on the British Capital Group, his rivals had also gathered together in response to his sudden return.

In the estate’s study, more than a dozen core members of the British Capital Group were gathered around a round table, sipping tea.

Although these people appeared to be at ease, a closer look revealed that something was amiss with their expressions; a faint look of worry lingered on each of their faces.

In fact, a clue to this could be seen from what was on the table!

In the past, when they gathered, it was always a grand affair. Even when discussing business, the table was often set with fine wine and gourmet food, and everyone would sip fine wine while talking business, exuding the utmost gentlemanly grace.

After eating and drinking their fill, they might even throw a dance party to really let loose.

Life was nothing short of blissful!

But ever since that young man from across the strait arrived, their lives have become a struggle, and they’ve lost all desire to eat, drink, and be merry at their gatherings.

Today was no different. In that vast study, aside from some plain tea, not even a drop of alcohol or a morsel of food had been served.

More importantly, the expressions on each of their faces were grave; if one were to describe their current state in a single phrase, it could only be likened to mourning the loss of a parent!

“Gentlemen, does anyone know what’s going on? Why did the Duke summon us here in such a hurry?”

“Smith, you’re the爵士’s most trusted man—you must know, right?”

“That’s right, Smith, you must know. Tell us what’s going on…”

Just as everyone was chatting back and forth, the study door was pushed open.

Immediately, everyone saw the Governor enter from outside, accompanied by two middle-aged men.

When they got a clear look at the two men accompanying the Sir, everyone was slightly taken aback. They hadn’t expected the Sir to have invited the Governor and Mark, the head of Citibank.

Seeing these two, everyone’s hearts couldn’t help but skip a beat. Something must have happened; otherwise, the Jazz wouldn’t have invited them.

Once the three had taken their seats, the Jazz spoke in a grave tone: “I’ve called you all here today to discuss several matters. First and foremost, we must address our internal crisis!”

“We have suffered heavy losses in the gold market this time, resulting in the bankruptcy of 13 Alliance members. Additionally, at least 38 families and companies are now facing operational difficulties. As a result, many who were already wavering in their loyalty to the Alliance have begun to side with the Li and He families!”

“Therefore, after consulting with the Governor and Mr. Mark, we plan to have the Governor’s Office and Citibank intervene to stabilize the situation. Does anyone have any objections?”

No sooner had he finished speaking than someone asked, “Sir, what role can the Governor’s Office and Citibank play in this?”

The Baron replied calmly, “The Governor’s Office represents the government. If they intervene, it will help stabilize public sentiment to some extent.”

“And Citibank has the funds; they can provide us with financial assistance to help us weather this crisis! As long as we ensure the Alliance doesn’t collapse, we still have a chance!”

“I have no objections!”

“I agree!”

“We’ll all follow the Sir’s lead…”

The Jazz was pleased with everyone’s response. He nodded and said, “OK,” then continued, “The second item on today’s agenda concerns that young man. According to our intelligence, he returned to Hong Kong Island yesterday afternoon!”

“Whoa!”

Hearing this, everyone present couldn’t help but gasp in shock.

To them, Li Yi’s every appearance meant trouble—he was a total disaster magnet!

“How did he come back already? Has his investment venture in New York already wrapped up?”

“It can’t be that fast. I heard he was shorting gold over there and made a killing!”

“He can’t be back just to stir up trouble again, can he…”

Just then, the Duke cleared his throat and said, “According to our intelligence, the young man went straight to see Li Futao upon his return, and Li Futao suddenly paid visits to the He and Luo families this morning. This clearly cannot be a coincidence.”

“Given all the signs, we have reason to believe that the young man’s sudden return to Hong Kong Island is specifically to target us.” Therefore, we must heighten our vigilance and prepare to fight back…”

Before the Jazz could finish speaking, a frantic knock sounded at the door…

……..

Hong Kong International Airport!

By the time Li Yi and Li Yunbao stepped off the plane, it was already the afternoon of November 15th.

Since Zaiying Airlines doesn’t operate many flights to Hong Kong—departing only on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, with no service on other days—

Furthermore, since the route only operates between Hong Kong and San Francisco, Li Yi had to fly from New York back to San Francisco first, and then from San Francisco to Hong Kong.

It might sound like just a single layover, but in reality, the entire process was extremely cumbersome.

Even with his “superpowers” clearing the way, by the time they returned to Hong Kong, four days would have already passed.

Outside the airport, the Li family’s motorcade of bodyguards had been waiting for quite some time.

As soon as they saw Li Yi and Li Yunbao emerge from the terminal, all the bodyguards rushed forward to greet them, then escorted the two out of the airport.

Although the whole process only lasted three or five minutes, people still noticed that the Li family’s bodyguards had come to the airport to pick up Li Yi.

Soon, news of Li Yi’s return to Hong Kong Island spread like wildfire, catching the attention of many interested parties.

Back at the Li family estate, Li Futao and Huang Lixing were already waiting for them.

In fact, upon learning that Li Yi was returning to Hong Kong Island, they had considered going to the airport to greet him.

On the one hand, it was a matter of where their relationship stood!

On the other hand, Li Yi’s short-selling of gold in New York had gone extremely smoothly. Based on current international gold prices, in just over ten days, Li Yi had already made four to five billion Hong Kong dollars—a significant portion of which was earned on their behalf.

Both professionally and personally, both out of duty and out of goodwill, they ought to go to the airport to welcome him!

But the situation on Hong Kong Island was currently as treacherous as ever. The British-owned conglomerate had suffered heavy losses both openly and covertly, and now they were like rabid dogs, waiting for an opportunity to take revenge.

To prevent those scoundrels from resorting to underhanded tactics again—or even going all-in with a dirty move—Li Futao and Huang Lixing decided to keep a low profile for the time being and stay put.

This was certainly for their own safety, but they also didn’t want to put Li Yi in danger.

Li Yi and Li Yunbao returned to the estate. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Li Futao and Old Huang led the two of them upstairs to the study.

As soon as they entered, Li Futao said in a grave tone, “Brother Li Yi, you really shouldn’t have come back. After all, our project in New York isn’t finished yet. How can Xinghua and those few young women under your command possibly handle a project worth ten billion dollars?”

Huang Lixing chimed in, “I know you’re worried about me, brother, but we can handle things here in Hong Kong…”

“What you call ‘handling it’ is nothing more than tiptoeing around and making concessions—and that’s not what I want!” Li Yi said coolly.

“Brother Li Yi, so what do you plan to do now that you’re back?”

Li Futao knew Li Yi’s temperament. Since he was back now anyway, there was no point in saying anything else; it would be better to hear what Li Yi had to say first.

“I’m going to formally declare war on them!” Li Yi said, his words coming as a shock.

“Declare war?”

“That’s right. Since those bastards don’t play by the rules and have even brought in mercenaries, we can’t just pretend nothing happened!”

Then Li Yi added, “Taking a beating without fighting back—that’s not my style!”

Stunned, Li Futao hurriedly asked, “Brother Li Yi, you aren’t planning to use those guys from Shield Security to take on the executives of the British-owned group, are you? To give them a taste of their own medicine?”

Li Yi shook his head and said, “Old Li, you’re way off. Those foreigners have no scruples—how could I stoop to their level? I intend to declare war on them fair and square in the business world and crush them in one fell swoop!”

“Phew! That gave me a heart attack. I thought you were going to play dirty with them too, Brother Li Yi!”

“Playing dirty isn’t out of the question, but it’s unnecessary. If I can defeat the enemy with fair and honorable means, why resort to underhanded tactics?” Li Yi said.

Li Futao nodded, then looked at Li Yi and said, “That may be true, but it won’t be easy to crush the British-funded conglomerate in the business world!”

Although Li Futao looked down on those foreigners as despicable, shameless, and without scruples, when it came to business operations, he had to admit he admired them.

Back in the day, the Chinese-owned conglomerates on Hong Kong Island were no slouches either, especially in the financial sector, where they were almost on par with the British-owned groups.

But look at the situation now: the vast majority of profitable industries on Hong Kong Island are controlled by these foreigners. Aside from the four major Chinese families, the rest of the Chinese-owned conglomerates have either been crushed to the point of being unable to hold their heads high or have already become vassals of the British-owned groups. This clearly demonstrates just how powerful these people are and how ruthless their methods can be.

Although Li Yi is a true business genius, he is, after all, an outsider. It seems highly unlikely that he could defeat the British-owned conglomerates in Hong Kong Island fair and square.

However, Li Yi’s reaction took Li Futao completely by surprise.

He tapped the table lightly and said, “In the past, it would indeed have been difficult, but now? We have at least an 80% chance of winning!”

“Oh, really? Are our chances that high?”

“Yes!”

“Then where do you plan to start, and how can Old Huang and I help?” Li Futao asked.

Li Yi paused briefly, then said, “I want to start with the New Territories Warehouse Center!”

“You want to acquire the New Territories Warehousing Center?”

“That’s right!”

Hearing the affirmative reply, Li Futao wasn’t particularly surprised; after all, Li Yi was far from the only one with his sights set on the New Territories Warehousing Center.

The New Territories Warehousing Center is located in the heart of the New Territories, home to Hong Kong Island’s second-largest maritime terminal. Its portfolio also includes hundreds of large warehouses near the terminal, as well as high-quality assets such as hotels, office buildings, and tram lines.

Although the New Territories Warehousing Center is smaller in scale than the adjacent Wharf Holdings, the quality of its assets is second to none.

Consequently, a saying is currently circulating among Hong Kong Island’s elite circles: “Whoever owns the two major warehousing centers in Kowloon and the New Territories holds the commercial sway over Hong Kong Island’s external trade.”

This may sound somewhat exaggerated, but upon reflection, it makes perfect sense—after all, these two warehousing centers virtually monopolize the vast majority of Hong Kong Island’s cargo handling, storage, transportation, and cross-harbor ferry operations.

Ever since the Shipping Tycoon snatched Wharf Holdings from the British-owned group two years ago, the New Territories Warehouse has become a coveted prize in the eyes of many—who knows how many people are keeping a close eye on it?

“Brother Li Yi, those foreigners have already lost Kowloon Wharf. They’ll never let New Territories Wharf slip away!” Li Futao warned.

“Haha, some things don’t just stop happening just because they don’t want them to!”

Li Yi continued, “Back in the day, those foreigners certainly had the strength to hold onto New Territories Warehouse, but now? They don’t have any advantage over us at all!”

“So what’s our advantage?”

“Does having more money count?”

“Um… I suppose so, but…”

Before he could finish, Li Yi spoke again: “Old Li, the New Territories Warehouse Center is a publicly traded company. Thirty percent of its shares are publicly traded, while the remaining seventy percent are controlled by those foreigners. If we launch a takeover bid targeting their publicly traded shares, what do you think those foreigners will do?”

“They’ll fight back with everything they’ve got and battle us for the shares!”

“Exactly. But fighting for shares requires capital. The problem is, those foreigners have just suffered such massive losses and are stuck with so much money tied up—do they even have the resources left to compete with us for those shares?” Li Yi said.

“That may be so, but I’m sure they still have that much money,” Li Futao said.

“No, they don’t. And even if they did, I’ll make sure they don’t!” Li Yi said confidently.

“So what can we do?”

Li Yi paused to think for a moment, then said, “Old Li, right now, help me investigate the equity structures of companies like New Territories Warehouse Center, Hang Seng Bank, HSBC, and Swire Properties. At the same time, arrange meetings for me with the heads of the Ho, Lo, and Li families!”

“No problem!”

“Old Huang, you guys just resolved your internal issues. Keep a low profile for the next few days. When we launch our offensive on the business front later, it’ll be your turn to shine!” Li Yi said.

“Got it!”

“That’s all for today. Let’s get some rest first, and we’ll discuss the specific offensive plan tomorrow!” Li Yi said.

“Alright…”

………

Thief Eagle. New York!

While the situation on Hong Kong Island was turbulent and on the verge of exploding, Li Yi’s life in New York was relaxed and pleasant.

With the implementation of the Federal Reserve’s interest rate hike policy, international gold prices had begun to fall just as Li Yi had predicted, and the magnitude of the decline was somewhat astonishing.

By the close of trading on the afternoon of November 10, the price of gold on the New York futures market had dropped to $565 per ounce—a full $35 per ounce lower than just two days prior.

At this point, Li Yi’s paper profit had reached $500 million.

To be honest, even Li Yi was somewhat surprised by the magnitude of this drop.

As far as he knew, during the Federal Reserve’s first rate cut in his previous life, the international gold price had fallen by only 5% over the course of a week.

It wasn’t until the second rate hike that international gold prices began to fall sharply, but even then, they had only dropped by 20% over a two-week period.

It wasn’t until the third rate hike that investor confidence was finally shattered, forcing them to dump large quantities of their gold futures contracts and triggering a collapse in gold prices.

Ultimately, in January 1982, the international gold price fell below $300 per ounce.

From that point on, gold prices never surpassed $500 per ounce for the next two decades.

Unexpectedly, less than three days after the Fed’s rate hike this time, the international gold price plummeted from a high of $620 to $565—a drop of 9%.

Of course, the reason this happened was likely closely tied to the appearance of dxmbang.

Had it not been for this “butterfly”—which should never have appeared—suddenly flapping its wings in the New York gold futures market, William and his team would not have intervened to counter them.

There wouldn’t have been the subsequent massive sell-off of futures contracts, and gold prices wouldn’t have plummeted so sharply.

Perhaps this is what is known as the butterfly effect!

However, overall, this development worked in Li Yi’s favor.

According to Li Yi’s estimates, if gold prices continue to fall at this rate, they might reach their target in less than three months and return to Hong Kong ahead of schedule.

In addition, Li Yi’s investments on the NASDAQ were also going exceptionally well.

Although his initial capital was only $10 million, this was 1981—even in a global metropolis like New York, that was a massive sum.

Furthermore, since financial leverage is commonly used in stock trading here, his 10 million could effectively be treated as 50 million.

Consequently, Li Yi had been making frequent moves on the NASDAQ stock exchange in recent days, trading shares of companies like Apple and Intel.

Although the paper profits weren’t substantial—not even a drop in the bucket compared to the gold futures market—

However, through his trading over the past couple of days, Li Yi has gained a solid understanding of the rules governing the U.S. stock market.

Unlike the domestic stock market, which is subject to so many restrictions, the U.S. stock market is far more liberalized, with minimal government oversight.

Take the daily price fluctuation limits—a common and major concern for investors—as an example: China has a system of daily price limits, but the U.S. does not.

In his previous life, a two- or threefold increase in a month was considered impressive in the domestic market—which required hitting the daily limit up for dozens of consecutive days.

Here, however, that’s not necessary; if someone were to manipulate the market, a fifty-fold increase could be achieved in just three days.

Wall Street recently reported an amusing incident: a retail investor shorted a speculative stock. Before going to bed, his account showed a profit of over a million dollars, but when he woke up, he found not only had his position been liquidated, but he was also in debt by five or six million dollars—because the stock he shorted had surged sevenfold in a single day.

So, there are more volatile stocks here—it’s just that people are already used to it!

After thoroughly understanding the rules of this stock market, Li Yi decided not to just dip his toes in anymore—he was getting serious!

………

Manhattan. Green Manor!

In the second-floor office, Li Yi was studying the stock market when a sudden, urgent knock sounded at the door.

“Come in!”

As the door swung open, Li Yi saw Li Yunbao and Zhou Xinghua walk in together.

The two closed the door behind them as soon as they entered.

Before Li Yi could say a word, Li Yunbao immediately spoke up: “Brother Yi, I’ve got news from my old man. There’s been a major shakeup at the Green Dragon Society. Sha Kun, the third-in-command, was taken out by Old Huang, along with over a dozen international mercenaries!”

“Oh? What exactly happened? How did mercenaries get involved?” Li Yi sat up straight and asked.

Li Yunbao’s eyes lit up as he said, “Brother Yi, you really know those foreigners. You understood that when cornered, they’d be desperate enough to take action…”

“Cut the crap. When did you turn into such a brown-noser? Just spit it out—what exactly happened over at the Green Dragon Society?” Li Yi said.

“Actually, it’s not that complicated. After Old Huang received your warning, Brother Yi, he deliberately set a trap to lure those foreigners out of their hiding place…”

Before Li Yunbao could finish, Zhou Yang asked again, “How exactly did he lure them out?”

“On the surface, Old Huang was rallying his men to clash with the Black Tiger Gang, but behind the scenes, he’d set a trap, waiting for those restless elements within the organization to reveal themselves.”

Li Yunbao continued, “As it turned out, those guys actually fell for it. Led by Sha Kun, they tried to take advantage of the Blue Dragon Society’s main force attacking the Black Tiger Gang to take out Old Huang in one fell swoop and seize power. But they never expected Old Huang to round them all up in one fell swoop, resulting in countless casualties.”

Li Yi immediately asked again, “Then what about those mercenaries you mentioned earlier?”

“According to my old man, last night when Old Huang and his men were hunting down Sha Kun’s men, they discovered that among them were quite a few short guys with strong combat skills and extensive battle experience. If Old Huang and his men hadn’t set up an ambush in advance, they really wouldn’t have been able to handle them.”

Li Yunbao continued, “After interrogating them, we found out that these skilled fighters around Sha Kun weren’t his henchmen at all, but mercenaries specially hired from the Kingdom of Nanhou. Many of them were veterans of the Sino-Vietnamese War, sent to help Sha Kun take on Old Huang.”

“Was it those bastards from the British-funded conglomerate?” Li Yi asked coldly.

“Right, it had to be those bastards. According to Old Huang, he met with a representative from that group of foreigners before Sha Kun made his move. If it wasn’t them, then who else could it be?” Li Yunbao said.

“So Old Huang has already purged all the troublemakers within the Green Dragon Society?” Li Yi asked in a low voice.

“Right, they’ve been purged. Now Old Huang is the sole decision-maker in the Green Dragon Society!”

Li Yi thought for a moment, then asked again, “What was the reaction from those foreigners?”

“My old man didn’t mention that!”

“Hmm. Send a telegram to your old man right away. Tell him to warn Old Huang—those foreigners have taken such a heavy hit; they certainly won’t let this go. Have the Green Dragon Society step up their security!”

Li Yi then added, “At the same time, tell them to keep a low profile for now. If those foreigners’ underhanded tactics don’t work, they might just resort to using the power of the British Hong Kong government.”

“Got it!”

“Also, have your old man ramp up the media campaign. Tell everyone that international gold prices have crashed—and under no circumstances should anyone buy gold until the price drops below $300 an ounce!”

“Whoa!”

“Brother Yi, can the gold price really drop below $300?” Li Yunbao asked, looking astonished.

“Probably. After all, the Fed has only just raised rates for the first time; there are still two more rounds to go. Based on past experience, every time the Fed hikes rates, gold prices tend to drop. Just how low they’ll go after these three hikes is anyone’s guess!”

Li Yi continued, “I wouldn’t go so far as to say $300, but the chances of gold stabilizing above $400 are really slim.”

“Alright, then I’ll send a telegram to my old man right now…”

“Wait a minute!”

“Brother Yi, is there something else?” Li Yunbao asked.

“Go book a few plane tickets back to Hong Kong Island right now!” Li Yi said, his words coming as a shock.

Li Yunbao immediately asked, “Brother Yi, are you going back to Hong Kong?”

“Yeah, it’s only proper to return the favor. Those bastards actually dared to use mercenaries against Old Huang. We have to pay them back, or those scumbags will think Li Yi is a pushover,” Zhou Yang said.

“Alright, I’ll take care of it right away!”

“Hmm…”

…………

PS: When bad luck strikes, even drinking cold water can get stuck in your teeth. I’ve been swamped these past few days with the Writers’ Association’s leadership transition meeting. To keep up with updates, I’ve been squeezing in writing time whenever I could, but then—of all things—my computer’s motherboard fried first thing this morning. I’m speechless.

What’s even more frustrating is that a computer that cost 6,000 three years ago now sells for 4,400, and a new motherboard alone is 3,700. I’ve got no choice but to grit my teeth and buy a brand-new one!

Beijing. The Li Family!

Early in the morning, Jiang Xue got up and began bustling about in the kitchen.

Just as she was busy, her eldest sister, Li Mei, walked in from outside, carrying a basket.

“Xiao Xue, just make some congee—I just bought some meat buns from the street!” Li Mei said.

“Okay!”

Then Jiang Xue asked again, “Eldest Sister, have Mother and Second Sister gotten up yet?”

That’s right—her mother-in-law, Zhang Yuehong, and her second sister, Li Lan, had come to the capital. They had arrived yesterday on the large truck carrying dried mushrooms that her second brother-in-law was driving.

Due to some trouble with the truck on the way, they were delayed for several hours, and by the time they arrived at the Li family home, it was already past 11:00 p.m.

“They’re up. They’re getting Ningning and Ruirui dressed right now!” Li Mei said with a smile.

“Great. After we finish dinner, let’s go over to Sister Na’s place!”

Jiang Xue knew full well that while her mother-in-law and second sister had come to sell dried mushrooms with her second brother-in-law, the most important reason was to prepare Li Na’s dowry—and she had to pitch in.

“Aren’t you going to school today?”

“The school organized a screening of a revolutionary film today, but I didn’t think it was very interesting, so I took the day off!”

Actually, deep down, Jiang Xue was quite looking forward to today’s movie. The film being screened was *Xu Mao and His Daughters*, which had just been released and was rumored to be excellent.

But compared to watching the movie, Jiang Xue was more concerned with the task her husband had entrusted to her.

Before he left, Li Yi had specifically instructed her to help her third sister prepare for the wedding in her spare time. Now that her mother-in-law was here, she could discuss it with her—she had to make sure everything was handled perfectly.

Hearing Jiang Xue’s words, Li Mei didn’t think twice and replied, “That sounds good. Mom also mentioned she’d like to visit Nana and ask about her and Xiaolong’s wedding plans!”

“We really should ask. In just over a month, I’ll be on vacation, and then I’ll be able to help them plan the wedding…”

Just as she was speaking, Jiang Xue heard footsteps behind her and immediately turned to look.

To her surprise, it was her mother-in-law, Zhang Yuehong, walking in from outside, holding a cloth bag—she had no idea what was inside.

“Mother, are you hungry? My older sister bought some buns. Would you like to have a bite to tide you over?”

“I’m not hungry. Let’s all eat together in a bit!”

Then Zhang Yuehong added, “I made a set of cotton clothes and pants for Yunrui and Yunjin. I’m not sure if they’ll fit!”

Jiang Xue smiled and said, “I know how skilled you are at sewing, Mother. They’re sure to fit perfectly. Come on, let’s go try them on!”

With that, Jiang Xue handed the spoon she was holding to Li Mei, then took Zhang Yuehong by the hand and led her into the bedroom.

At that moment, the two little ones on the kang were fast asleep, their rosy cheeks making them look especially adorable.

Watching her grandson and granddaughter snuggled in their little blankets, Zhang Yuehong’s smile grew even wider.

It was clear that her daughter-in-law was taking excellent care of the children, which made her even more pleased with Jiang Xue.

While trying the winter coats on the children, Zhang Yuehong couldn’t help but ask, “Xiao Xue, Meizi told me that Xiao Yi went out. When will he be back?”

“Mom, I’m not entirely sure about that, but my father is in Guangzhou. I can get in touch with him. If you miss him, I’ll have my father…”

Before Jiang Xue could finish, Zhang Yuehong hurriedly said, “No need to trouble your father-in-law. I was just asking, Mother—it’s nothing serious!”

“Mom, are you wondering how Sister Na’s wedding arrangements are coming along?”

“Hmm, Nana is the last one in the family who hasn’t settled down yet. Your father and I both want her and Xiaolong to tie the knot as soon as possible,” Zhang Yuehong said.

“Before he left, he asked me to help arrange this and left quite a bit of money. Mom, if you have any ideas, just tell me directly!” Jiang Xue said.

“How could we possibly use your money for Nana’s wedding? Just take me to the market to have a good look around. As for the money, I’ll cover it myself!”

Although Zhang Yuehong knew her son wasn’t short on money, it had never been the custom—from ancient times to the present—for a younger brother to provide a dowry for his older sister. Besides, her son was already married himself, so it was even less appropriate for him to cover the costs—after all, there was a daughter-in-law standing between them.

Jiang Xue was no fool; she could easily see through her mother-in-law’s intentions.

As she helped her son put on his cotton pants, she said, “Mother, Nana and I have been close friends since before I married into this family. Besides, while Yunrui’s father was running his shop in the capital, Third Sister and her husband were a huge help to us. Now that they’re getting married, we simply must show our appreciation.”

“But…”

“Mother, we won’t stop you and Father from buying something for Sister Na, but we’ll definitely be getting her and her husband some gifts too!” Jiang Xue said.

“All right, then!”

Although she seemed reluctant at first, seeing her daughter-in-law so reasonable and understanding, Zhang Yuehong was actually very pleased deep down.

Just then, Yunrui, who was in Jiang Xue’s arms, must have grown tired of all the commotion and suddenly burst into loud, wailing cries.

The loud wailing quickly woke up his younger sister nearby, and the two siblings immediately treated their mother and grandmother to a “melodious” duet…

………

At 8:30 a.m., Jiang Xue, all dressed and ready, was about to take her mother-in-law to the Dong’an Market branch to meet Li Na and check on the progress of their wedding home preparations.

Just then, the sound of a car engine suddenly echoed from outside the door, and moments later, Second Brother Jiang Longyin was seen rushing in with a young man in tow.

Spotting Jiang Xue and Zhang Yuehong about to leave, he immediately asked, “Auntie, when did you arrive?”

Zhang Yuehong had met Jiang Longyin before and knew he was Jiang Xue’s cousin—and apparently a high-ranking official—so she replied nervously, “Yan’er arrived yesterday!”

Jiang Xue asked curiously, “Second Cousin, why did you come over so early in the morning? Is something wrong?”

Jiang Longyin nodded and said, “I do have something to discuss with you. Let’s go inside and talk.”

“Alright!”

The group went back inside, and Jiang Longyin immediately said, “I’m here today mainly for two reasons. The first is to bring some money for my brother-in-law!”

“Money? Second Brother, are you talking about that dividend money?”

“Right. The dividends from the candy factory and the TV factory have been calculated. When my brother-in-law left, he told me to have you come pick it up as soon as the money came through!” Jiang Longyin said.

Jiang Xue recalled the astronomical figure Li Yi had mentioned when he left. Feeling both nervous and excited, she asked, “Second Brother, how… how much is this dividend?”

“A total of 4.826 million yuan…”

“Whoa!”

Jiang Xue couldn’t help but gasp, then looked at Jiang Longyin and asked, “Second Brother, is there really that much?”

“Yes, it was jointly calculated by the finance departments of the district and the State-owned Assets Department—there won’t be any issues!”

“Then… then how do I go about collecting this money?” Jiang Xue asked again.

“I’ve already had the money transferred to the district finance bureau, and I’ve brought the relevant approval documents with me. Just sign here in a moment, and then you can take the documents to the finance bureau to collect the funds.”

Jiang Longyin continued, “But since it’s such a large sum, it wouldn’t be safe for you to go alone as a young woman. Take your third brother with you, and have him bring along a security officer from their factory!”

“Okay!”

“By the way, Xue, I came here today to ask when your husband is coming back. Can you get in touch with him?” Jiang Longyin asked.

“I really don’t know when he’s coming back, and I can’t get in touch with him either, but my dad should be able to reach him!” Jiang Xue replied.

Actually, besides her father, Jiang Shiying, Jiang Xue also knew that Director Zhou could reach Li Yi—and much more quickly and easily.

But before he left, Li Yi had instructed her not to bother Director Zhou unless it was an absolute emergency.

That’s why she hadn’t brought it up earlier!

“Got it. I’ll give Uncle San a call later!”

With that, Jiang Longyin had his secretary take a document out of his briefcase and pushed it toward Jiang Xue.

“Xiao Xue, sign this, and then you can go to the Finance Bureau to collect the money!”

“Whose name should I sign it under?”

“Sign it in your name, and just add a note in parentheses at the bottom explaining your relationship!”

“Okay!”

With that, Jiang Xue took out the pen she carried with her and, under Jiang Longyin’s guidance, signed her full name in the designated spot…

…………

Wan Chai Pier. Green Dragon Society Headquarters!

In an office on the fourth floor, Huang Lixing was discussing matters with Yan Guangming, Yang Wenguang, Jin Junze, and others.

Seated at the head of the table, Huang Lixing held a lit cigar between his fingers as he spoke: “Captain Yan, I’m sure you’re all aware of the current situation. Those foreigners suffered heavy losses this time—you could say they’ve been dealt a crippling blow.”

“That’s why Brother Li Yi sent a special telegram from New York, warning us to step up our vigilance and prevent those bastards from lashing out in desperation. So I’d like to ask you—how are things looking over at Shield Security?”

Yan Guangming paused to think for a moment, then replied, “All twelve combat squads at our security firm are fully staffed. Aside from needing to improve our firearms training, everyone else is pretty much ready!”

“That’s good!”

Huang Lixing then continued, “Just before you arrived, I got a call from Old Li. He’s a bit worried about my safety. He said those foreigners took such a heavy hit this time, they certainly won’t let it go. But since they can’t do anything to Brother Li Yi, the only one they can go after now is me—the soft target.”

“If things go as expected, those foreigners will make their move soon. What do you think we should do?”

No sooner had he finished speaking than Yan Guangming replied directly, “You can’t guard against thieves forever. Since we know the enemy is coming after us, the best strategy is to strike first!”

“Strike first?”

“Exactly. The early bird catches the worm. We can’t wait until they attack us before thinking about fighting back!” Yan Guangming said.

“Well said. That’s exactly how I feel. But even if we want to take action, we must first identify our targets!” Huang Lixing said.

“That’s for sure, but we don’t know much about this yet!” Yan Guangming said.

“I know. That’s why I’ll first tell you about the current situation within the organization, and then you can help me figure out a plan!”

“Alright, go ahead,” Yan Guangming said.

Huang Lixing immediately replied, “As things stand, the danger I face may come from both inside and outside the organization. The internal threat is that some people are stirring up trouble, trying to replace me! This includes the group left behind by Old Jiang, as well as the men under Ma Biao whom I’ve incorporated into our ranks. Among them, Sha Kun—Old Jiang’s right-hand man—is the most openly dissatisfied with me.”

“As for the external threat, there are those who want to wipe out the Qinglong Society completely. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but lately, quite a few new factions have emerged around the docks—including the Black Tiger Gang, the Flying Fish Hall, and some newly emerging smaller groups. They’ve been very active recently, and there have been constant clashes with our people.”

“If I’m not mistaken, these groups are all acting on orders from those foreign devils, deliberately provoking us. Their goal is either to get the cops to crack down on us or to band together and launch a fatal strike against us.”

While Huang Lixing spoke, Yan Guangming took out a pen and paper and began scribbling furiously. Soon, the large sheet of white paper was covered with various characters and symbols that Huang Lixing couldn’t quite make out.

After a short while, Yan Guangming looked up and said, “Judging by the current situation, if the enemy wants to take action against the Qinglong Society and eliminate you, relying solely on those small gangs on the outside is clearly impossible. Therefore, the trump card is most likely coming from within the Qinglong Society. Since that’s the case, we can definitely use a ‘lure the snake out of its hole’ tactic against them!”

“Oh, how do we lure that snake out?”

“It’s actually quite simple. We just need to make them believe your forces are weak and that they have a high chance of success if they strike. Then the snake will crawl out on its own!”

Upon hearing this, Huang Lixing’s eyes lit up, and he burst out laughing: “I see…”

Just then, Tie Ying suddenly pushed open the door and walked in, then whispered a few words into Huang Lixing’s ear!

A cold gleam flashed in Huang Lixing’s eyes as he turned to Yan Guangming and the others standing nearby and said, “Captain Yan, Captain Jin, we just received word that Sha Kun secretly met with those foreigners last night. If things go as expected, these guys are getting desperate!”

Yan Guangming nodded and said, “In that case, let’s give him a chance!”

“Hmm, I plan to concentrate all our forces and launch an attack on the Black Tiger Gang tomorrow night. But since I’m a bit of a coward, I’ll stay here at the docks to wait for updates. What do you think, Captain Yan?” Huang Lixing asked.

“I think that’s fine, but just to be on the safe side, I’ll personally ensure your safety!”

“Agreed! Then let’s carefully plan out the specifics of this operation—we can’t tip them off prematurely!”

“Alright…”

……….

While Huang Lixing and his team were engaged in a battle of wits and courage with the British-funded group, the upper echelons of Hong Kong society were also in turmoil.

As international gold prices plummeted and news broke that the British-owned group had been trapped with positions bought at the peak, many people panicked.

It wasn’t just because they’d invested their money and were now facing massive losses; more importantly, they were about to face a boycott—and even a full-scale purge—by Chinese capital.

Over the years, some had relied on the British-funded group’s “foreign devils” to run rampant, frequently aiding those foreigners in schemes that harmed their own people.

In the past, when Chinese capital was suppressed and couldn’t hold its head high, people simply put up with these scumbags, who were little better than traitors.

But now, the situation is completely different.

With Li Futiao’s forceful takeover of Longheng Bank, which shattered the foreigners’ monopoly on the banking sector in one fell swoop, Chinese capital has rapidly risen to prominence.

Taking advantage of the fact that the British-owned group had a massive amount of capital tied up—and couldn’t free it in the short term—the Li family took the lead in launching a commercial offensive against them.

This time, Li Futao targeted a group of small shareholders within the Far East Club—and without exception, these shareholders were all vassals of the British-funded conglomerates!

Since British capital had run rampant on Hong Kong Island in recent years, most Hong Kong-funded enterprises had inevitably been infiltrated—including Far East Securities Trading Company, which Li Futao had founded single-handedly.

Following a series of equity changes, a portion of the shares had fallen into the hands of the British-owned group.

Although the shareholdings in these individuals’ hands were not substantial—and the Li family still firmly controlled the majority stake in Far East Securities—their presence severely undermined Li Futao’s influence within the company and hindered some of his business operations.

Previously, he had no choice but to endure it!

Now, Li Futao has no intention of putting up with it any longer. After taking control of Longheng Bank, he immediately secured a HK$1 billion loan from the bank using shares as collateral to inject capital into Far East Securities.

Faced with this situation, the other shareholders had no choice but to either inject capital in proportion to their holdings or accept the dilution of their shares.

At the same time, several major families on Hong Kong Island swiftly followed suit, launching commercial offensives against British-owned conglomerates.

Overnight, the upper echelons of Hong Kong Island were engulfed in a whirlwind of tension, with the situation becoming increasingly unpredictable!

Faced with a counteroffensive by Chinese capital led by the four major families, the British-owned conglomerate was furious and immediately mobilized funds to mount a defense. However, it still seemed to be struggling to keep up, and some smaller families and companies lacking sufficient strength quickly fell victim to the fierce battle between the two sides.

Faced with this situation, some wavering members within the British-owned group began to switch allegiances and defect to the Chinese-owned group.

Core assets of alliance members were acquired, shares were bought out, and some even went bankrupt; a large number of members voluntarily withdrew—a situation that had not occurred in nearly 20 years.

Overnight, the British-backed group found itself in a perilous situation beset by internal and external crises. The entire alliance was gripped by panic, and the situation looked extremely dire…

……..

Hong Kong. Castle Manor!

“Crack!”

An exquisite teacup was smashed violently onto the floor, shattering into a thousand pieces in an instant!

The爵士, seated at the head of the table, glared darkly at every elite member of the British Capital Group in the study, his furious gaze betraying his truest thoughts.

“Smith, eight million—is that all you managed to achieve in an entire day?”

No wonder the Baron was so furious. After receiving the warning from the legendary William, he had summoned Smith that very night, ordering him to dump all his gold and gold-backed financial products first thing the next morning—he had to cut his losses and get out as quickly as possible.

Although the Jazz knew that, given their current massive holdings, it would be impossible to sell all their gold products in a short time, even at a discount.

But he never imagined that, after a full day, Smith had managed to sell off less than 8 million worth of gold products, leaving the rest still stuck in their hands.

More critically, as international gold prices plummeted suddenly, Hong Kong’s gold prices were inevitably affected, crashing all the way to $576 per ounce.

In a single day, they had lost hundreds of millions of Hong Kong dollars—a loss that could only be described as catastrophic.

Smith paused briefly before saying, “Sir, as you know, we had planned a full-scale offensive today. We intended to take advantage of investors’ lack of awareness and offload as many of our gold products as possible.”

“But our opponents anticipated this as well. They used newspapers, news outlets, and various other means to leak the news of the impending gold price crash in advance. By the time we acted, nearly all investors were already aware of the current state of the gold market. No one dared to step in and buy, and even our repeated price cuts were to no avail!”

No sooner had he finished speaking than Will, an executive from Jardine Matheson standing nearby, chimed in, “Smith is right. Our competitors’ ultimate goal was to prevent us from cutting our losses and exiting the market. It looks like they’ve succeeded—we’re now stuck with our positions!”

“We really can’t blame Smith for today’s situation. He did his best—no one else would have done any better!”

“That’s right, Smith has done a great job…”

………

Seeing that someone was speaking up for him, Smith breathed a slight sigh of relief and immediately added, “My Lord, we must admit that this time we’ve truly lost. Now we need to figure out how to make a dignified exit!”

The Jazz, seated at the head of the table, was breathing heavily, his chest rising and falling rapidly. Gone was the composed, in-control demeanor he had displayed earlier.

It was a long while before he finally said through gritted teeth, “Smith, how much have we lost this time?”

“Excluding the ten billion dollars transferred to New York, our total losses in the gold market currently stand at 1.4 billion Hong Kong dollars. But as you know, the price of gold hasn’t bottomed out yet. How much more we’ll lose depends entirely on how much further the price falls!” Smith replied.

Hearing this, everyone in the study couldn’t help but gasp in shock.

The ten billion US dollars transferred to New York had already gone down the drain; factoring in these 1.4 billion Hong Kong dollars, their total losses would reach a staggering 9 billion Hong Kong dollars.

A loss this huge is still unbearable, even when shared among so many people.

“Is there really no way we can recover these losses?” someone asked in a low voice.

Smith shook his head with a bitter smile and said, “Can’t you all see by now? This gold war was a setup orchestrated by that young man from Star Company from the very beginning.”

“And we, for the sake of a mere Li family, completely lost our senses. In the end, we let them lead us by the nose and fell into a meticulously laid trap. Now, there’s no way we can extricate ourselves unscathed!”

Smith then turned to Jazz and continued, “The financial loss is only part of the problem. What’s far more serious is that if we don’t handle this properly, the entire Alliance could fall apart over this. At that point, we’ll have lost everything!”

“Whoa!”

Everyone in the room looked at Smith with horror. They knew better than anyone just how crucial the Group Alliance was!

Don’t be fooled by the fact that this is merely a loose business alliance with little strong cohesion among its members.

However, since all members were either family heads or corporate executives spread across East Asia, the alliance possessed vast commercial resources. Regardless of the business sector, internal cooperation was possible without the constant fear of being betrayed by partners.

After all, in addition to the law, the alliance had its own set of internal checks and balances; if anyone tried to take advantage of another, the alliance would take action.

That is precisely why so many people are desperate to join this alliance, even going so far as to grovel and act like lackeys—as was the case with the Li and Lin families in the past.

Over the years, relying on these resources, each of them has made a fortune. If the Alliance were to collapse, the losses would be immense.

“Smith, would the consequences really be that severe?” Will asked, his face darkening.

Smith nodded and said, “We’ve raised a total of 22 billion Hong Kong dollars for this operation, 74% of which came from ordinary members within the Alliance. Most of them have assets of no more than 200 million Hong Kong dollars—this operation has consumed nearly all their liquid assets!”

“If losses exceed 50%, more than half of all investors will face operational difficulties, or even the risk of bankruptcy. When alliance members start going bankrupt one after another and we’re powerless to stop it, will the DXMBang Alliance still have a reason to exist?”

At these words, everyone in the room fell silent.

That’s right—everyone joined the alliance for profit, to make money!

Now, not only have they failed to make money, but they’ve driven themselves into bankruptcy. Who would want to stay in this alliance under such circumstances?

Think about the impact of the Li family incident a while back—a mere Li Jiuying had them running around in circles.

Now, with dozens of “Li Jiuyings” suddenly appearing, they dared not even imagine what might happen next…

Will said in a low voice, “The Alliance cannot collapse. We must find a way to weather this crisis!”

“Right, the Alliance can’t just collapse like this. As long as the Alliance exists, we still have a chance!”

“Exactly. If the Alliance is gone, we’ll be back to the state we were in decades ago—scrambling for scraps like dogs…”

Just then, the Duke cleared his throat and said, “All right, quiet!”

The once chaotic study fell instantly silent, and everyone’s gaze turned to the Duke.

“Smith is right. Things have come to this, so let’s focus on securing a dignified exit for now. We’ll deal with the rest later!”

Then the Jazz spoke again: “Smith, from this moment on, you are fully in charge of selling off the gold. You must liquidate this batch of gold at all costs, even if the price drops below $500 an ounce!”

“Yes, sir!”

“Jim, contact all the banks and tell them to do everything in their power to help our alliance members get through this crisis. Do your best to assist them when they apply for loans!”

“Yes, sir!”

“Will, contact the Alliance members who funded this project. Tell them that if they face cash flow shortages or similar issues, they can take out loans from any bank within the Alliance. The Alliance won’t stand by and watch them fall into trouble!”

“Got it!”

After issuing a series of orders, the expression on the Duke’s face gradually turned somewhat frenzied.

Then, looking at everyone present, he said, “Not since we crushed the Chinese capitalists here twenty years ago have we suffered such a heavy loss. Since our enemies leave us no way out, we needn’t stand on ceremony either!”

“Smith, the operatives we deployed earlier can move now. This time, we’ll take the head of that Huang fellow to send a warning to that young man!”

“Yes, sir. I’ll make the arrangements immediately,” Smith replied in a low voice.

“Hmm…”

………

New York. Times Square!

Standing at the foot of the Condé Nast building, Li Yi looked somewhat dazed!

This wasn’t his first time here; in his previous life, he had visited six times.

Four of those times were as part of investment groups, where he made a tidy profit, and the other two were to ring the opening bell!

Returning here now, he couldn’t help but feel that while the place remained the same, the people had changed.

When it comes to the Condé Nast Building, people outside the financial world may not know much about it, but if you mention the Nasdaq Stock Market—one of the three major U.S. stock markets—the vast majority of people have likely heard of it.

That’s right—the Condé Nast Building is home to the Nasdaq Stock Market’s trading floor. At its peak, it hosted over 5,000 listed companies with a total market capitalization exceeding 15 trillion US dollars!

Once inside the building, the dedicated Billy immediately took on the role of tour guide and narrator, talking nonstop to Li Yi about the history of the NASDAQ Stock Market: “Boss, the NASDAQ Stock Market was founded and is managed by the National Association of Securities Dealers in 1971. It was the world’s first electronic trading market…”

As Billy spoke at length about the exchange, Li Yi listened intently, even though he was already quite familiar with the place.

Upon entering the building, Li Yi saw a scene completely different from that of the gold futures market.

There were none of the hardware facilities typically found in a stock exchange; instead, there was a massive trading floor with numerous electronic screens suspended in the center, displaying the prices of various stocks—a sight that looked incredibly advanced and almost sci-fi for that era.

Moreover, although the building was crowded, there was none of the chaotic shouting of bids and offers found in the gold futures market. Everyone’s gaze was fixed intently on the electronic ticker suspended in the center of the hall, and they were constantly scribbling notes with pen and paper.

In short, the trading methods here seem completely different from those in other stock markets.

In fact, this was indeed the case; the NASDAQ stock exchange utilized an automated quotation system rather than the traditional method of shouting out prices.

Seeing such a simple and convenient quotation system in use here, their companions—Lan Xinyi, Cai Bingyan, and others—were stunned. Compared to Hong Kong Island, this place was simply too advanced.

Noticing that Li Yi and the others seemed very interested in the Nasdaq Stock Market’s quotation method, Billy immediately explained, “The automated quotation system used here was officially launched in 1971. It provides the market with high-speed, accurate stock price information. With this system, even ordinary people can understand stock price fluctuations, making securities trading much more convenient.”

Li Yi took a close look at the electronic display and quickly spotted several familiar companies, including Apple and Intel.

As the world’s first electronic trading market, the Nasdaq is primarily home to high-tech companies, including those in software, computing, telecommunications, biotechnology, and retail and wholesale trade.

In Li Yi’s understanding, the current Nasdaq was equivalent to the ChiNext board in the domestic securities market, except that it had started earlier and had a larger market size.

“Billy, I recall that you don’t restrict foreigners from entering the stock market here, do you?” Li Yi asked.

“That’s right. The government doesn’t care whether you’re a U.S. citizen or not!” Billy confirmed.

“So if I want to trade a particular stock right now, what exactly do I need to do?” Li Yi asked again.

“You’ll need to go to a brokerage firm during trading hours with your passport to open a stock account and deposit the necessary funds, and then you’ll be able to trade stocks!”

Billy continued, “If you don’t have a lot of capital to invest, you can also have our firm manage it for you. The fees aren’t high, and it helps avoid some unnecessary risks, but…”

“But what?” Li Yi asked immediately.

“But the companies listed on the Nasdaq are mostly high-tech firms. Their market capitalizations are generally high, and the risk factor is much higher than on the NYSE or the AMEX. Are you really sure you want to invest in this market?” Billy said.

Li Yi smiled and said, “It’s fine. I’m just trying it out for fun. I don’t plan on investing too much money right now!”

It’s true that the stock market carries risks, but when Li Yi saw Apple’s stock price of $22 on the ticker, he didn’t feel like saying anything else—he was just going to do it!

Can you believe Apple’s stock price is $22?

This is Apple, after all. Forty years later, the company’s stock price reached $182, with a market capitalization exceeding $3 trillion—equivalent to the GDP of the world’s fifth-largest economy, trailing only the United States, China, Japan, and Germany.

More importantly, the current Apple only went public last year, and only 4.6 million shares were offered in the initial public offering—these are genuine founding shares.

Over the next 40 years, these shares will undergo four stock splits, and the stock price will increase 500-fold overall.

It’s safe to say that if you buy these shares now, you’ll make a fortune in the future even with your eyes closed—far more than you’d make investing in a traditional courtyard house in China.

And right now, aside from Apple, there are dozens of tech giants—big and small, including Intel—waiting for Li Yi to choose from; there’s simply no risk involved.

With that in mind, Li Yi turned to Zhou Xinghua beside him and asked, “Assistant Zhou, how much capital do we have available right now?”

“No more than 15 million US dollars, and at least 5 million of that needs to be set aside for daily expenses and emergencies!” Zhou Xinghua replied.

“Set aside 10 million. Consider it a temporary loan from me. If we lose it, I’ll make it up later!” Li Yi said casually.

“Alright!”

Zhou Xinghua agreed without hesitation!

On the one hand, this money belonged to Li Yi in the first place, so there was no issue with him temporarily appropriating it.

On the other hand, as Li Fuzhao’s most trusted right-hand man, Li Fuzhao had specifically instructed Zhou Xinghua before he left to follow Li Yi’s orders in everything once he arrived here.

While Zhou Xinghua was busy transferring the funds, Li Yi immediately turned to Billy and said, “Please explain the trading rules here to me!”

Although he was fairly familiar with most of the local rules, the ones he knew were from decades in the future and likely differed significantly from the current ones.

Billy, of course, didn’t refuse Li Yi’s request.

Clearing his throat, he began explaining the trading rules of the NASDAQ stock market to Li Yi: “NASDAQ operates on a T+0 system, meaning you can buy and sell on the same day, and there are no daily price limits set for individual stocks…”

Li Yi listened intently, comparing Billy’s explanation to the trading rules of his own time.

Although some of the current rules were indeed quite different from those of the future, the core trading principles hadn’t changed much, which put Li Yi at ease.

An hour later, thanks to Zhou Xinghua’s efforts, $10 million was transferred into the stock account designated by Sharp Corporation.

With that, Li Yi officially entered the U.S. stock market on the NASDAQ!

However, just as Li Yi was preparing to dabble in the U.S. stock market while waiting for gold prices to plummet, the situation in Hong Kong took a sudden turn—storms were brewing…

……….

?

New York, Manhattan!

By the time Li Yi received Li Futao’s telegram, it was already the next morning.

After a few days of adjustment, he had fully acclimated to the 12-hour time difference between the two places. He no longer felt the dizziness and discomfort he had experienced when he first arrived—that sensation of being wide awake yet still feeling groggy and miserable.

In the living room of the estate villa, after listening to Li Yunbao’s report, Li Yi couldn’t help but let the corners of his mouth turn up slightly.

After setting this trap for so long, he had finally ensnared this bunch of scoundrels—all his planning had not been in vain.

For a moment, Li Yi felt elated!

“Brother Yi, my old man is asking what we should do next. How should I tell him?” Li Yunbao asked.

Li Yi thought for a moment and said, “Tell your old man that aside from stepping up our public relations efforts, we don’t need to worry about anything else for now!”

“Really, we shouldn’t worry about it?”

“For now, we just need to make sure the general public doesn’t end up as the fall guys for the British-funded group. Leave the rest to the market,” Li Yi explained.

Those bastards are already stuck with their investments. As long as investors stay vigilant and don’t get lured into buying at rock-bottom prices, the British-funded group will have no choice but to keep propping things up.

Once gold prices hit bottom in three months, they’ll be completely finished.

Li Yi knew full well that this plunge in gold prices wasn’t just a cyclical correction, but the combined result of a global economic recession and the erosion of gold’s monetary status—with extremely severe consequences.

It wouldn’t be until 2006—25 years later—that the price of gold would reach the high of $600 per ounce again.

Just think about the skyrocketing prices, currency devaluation, and the opportunity cost of massive capital tied up over those 25 years. Even if they could cash out at the same price later, the losses would be incalculable.

“Alright, I’ll send a telegram to my old man right away!”

Although Li Yunbao didn’t understand investing, he trusted Li Yi’s judgment, so he didn’t ask any further questions!

“Wait a minute, Yunbao. Have your old man remind Old Huang to be on high alert. We don’t want those foreign devils, cornered and desperate, to resort to underhanded tactics against him.”

Li Yi knew full well that, for him right now, Huang Lixing was his biggest Achilles’ heel.

If those bastards couldn’t beat him in business, they would inevitably turn their sights on Old Huang.

After all, if Old Huang were to get into trouble, it would affect him as well. The British-funded group could use this as an opportunity to make an example of him and send a warning to others—a risk he simply couldn’t ignore.

“Alright!”

With that, Li Yunbao hurriedly left the living room of the estate villa!

After Li Yunbao left, Li Yi fell deep into thought.

Overall, the operation had gone very well—no, it had gone surprisingly well.

Originally, when Li Yi first arrived in Hong Kong, his plan had been simply to take a small cut from those bastards while international gold prices were plummeting.

In his original plan, he’d intended to fleece them for no more than a billion or so Hong Kong dollars—just enough to teach them a lesson.

But he never imagined those bastards would be so ruthless—not only did they gobble up the massive amounts of gold financial products that Starry Sky had dumped, but they also had the audacity to chase him all the way to New York to ambush him.

Now their losses are skyrocketing—they truly have brought this upon themselves!

As things stand, if those bastards can’t find a buyer soon, by the time international gold prices hit bottom, the British-owned conglomerate’s losses will be at least 15 billion Hong Kong dollars—maybe even more.

But will they be able to find a buyer?

The answer is no!

Hong Kong isn’t New York; not only does it lack a decent gold futures market, but the market size is negligible.

If this were happening in New York, as long as they were willing to take a loss, there would still be buyers—after all, what this city has in abundance are financial titans.

Unfortunately, the British-backed group’s main battleground is Hong Kong Island. Aside from a few super-rich Chinese tycoons like Li Futao and Li Ka-shing, no one there has the financial clout to absorb the massive amounts of gold they’re holding.

So, this time, they were bound to lose!

A loss of over 15 billion—even a powerful business alliance like the British Capital Group would find it hard to bear.

Although the core members of the British-funded consortium are wealthy and well-established, and will undoubtedly find ways to mitigate their losses—perhaps avoiding a catastrophic blow—the minions following in their wake, cheering them on, will likely not be so fortunate.

If their losses become too massive, who knows how many of them will face bankruptcy.

And if a large number of members within the British-funded consortium were to go bankrupt, the day when this business alliance collapses completely would not be far off.

Don’t be fooled by the fact that these minions may not be particularly powerful on their own and seem insignificant; it is precisely their sheer numbers that prop up the British-owned conglomerate, this colossus.

If HSBC, Jardine Matheson, and Swire Group are the core of the British-owned conglomerate, then the vast number of small and medium-sized families and companies form the foundation of this massive business alliance.

And this time, he, Li Yi, had directly shaken the very foundation of the British-owned consortium!

Admittedly, his approach was a bit heavy-handed, but this was exactly what Li Yi wanted to see!

When you’re beating a dog, you have to hit hard—otherwise, the damn thing will bite you again next time. After all, these creatures hold a grudge.

It’s just a pity he’s currently in New York and can’t be there in person to see the ugly looks on those foreigners’ faces—a slight regret, indeed…

…………

Just as Li Yi was deep in thought, Li Yunbao returned to the villa’s living room, followed by Billy and George.

“Boss, trading at the market starts in half an hour. Should we head out?”

Billy spoke with great deference, a complete contrast to his attitude just a few days ago.

Li Yi’s performance in the futures market over the past two days had completely won him over!

After hearing Li Yunbao’s translation, Li Yi immediately said, “We’re not going to the gold trading market today. Just send a few people over to keep an eye on things!”

“We’re not going?”

Hearing Li Yi’s words, Billy, George, Li Yunbao, and Zhou Xinghua were all taken aback.

Investing in futures is all about short-term fluctuations; everyone keeps a close eye on market price changes, buying and selling at the slightest opportunity to profit from the spread.

Who could be as carefree as Li Yi? He’d invested ten billion dollars and wasn’t even going there himself!

Li Yi smiled and said, “With the scale of our investment, we can’t afford to focus on short-term fluctuations anymore. That doesn’t mean much to us—we have to look at the big picture!”

At those words, Billy, George, and the others fell silent.

Indeed, with an investment of nearly ten billion US dollars and 170,000 gold futures contracts, if the price fluctuations were too small, their intervention might actually drive the price up—making it a pointless endeavor.

Moreover, Billy and the others could see that Li Yi had grand ambitions. He wasn’t taking such a huge risk for a mere pittance; he was betting on a sharp plunge in the gold price.

With that in mind, Billy asked again, “So where are we going today, or should we just rest at the estate?”

“To 4 Times Square!” Li Yi replied.

“The Condé Nast building? Are you planning to invest in the stock market?” Billy asked in surprise.

“Let’s go take a look first. We’ll decide whether to invest later!” Li Yi replied evasively.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to invest in U.S. stocks; rather, he wasn’t very familiar with the trading rules here.

Although he had traded stocks in his previous life, he had mainly done so in China, and more often than not, he acted as a market maker, where he could control everything himself.

As for the U.S. stock market, aside from following others and dabbling a few times after the turn of the millennium, he had never really delved into it, so he didn’t feel entirely confident.

More importantly, he was currently short on cash.

He had brought over 2 billion US dollars with him on this trip, but most of it had already been invested in a gold short-selling project. Now, Li Yi had only a little over 15 million US dollars at his disposal.

And since that money had to cover all their expenses during their stay in New York, the amount he could actually use was quite limited. Still, that didn’t stop him from checking it out.

After all, barring any unforeseen circumstances, they would need to stay here for about three months, and he’d have to find something to keep himself occupied for that long.

Besides, although he doesn’t know much about the U.S. stock market, he understands the broader trends.

Combined with his extensive investment experience from both past and present lives, he shouldn’t end up losing money.

Billy assumed Li Yi was merely curious about the local stock market and wanted to get a feel for the atmosphere, so he didn’t say much. He immediately summoned the team members and assigned their tasks.

The group then split into two teams: one, led by George, continued on to the gold futures market to keep an eye on things.

The other group, led by Billy, headed straight for New York’s Times Square!

November 9, light rain!

Early in the morning, as Hong Kong residents braved the light rain on their way to work, everyone following the stock market and gold prices heard shocking news—gold prices had plummeted!

Just the night before, everyone had been discussing this very topic before going to bed, as newspapers and television had been reporting on it all day.

Moreover, the matter involved major forces such as Hong Kong’s four major families, prominent companies, and the Governor’s Office, so even citizens unconcerned with the investment market were inevitably affected.

With the Governor stepping in to lend his support, coupled with massive capital injections from British-owned conglomerates that successfully stabilized the market, most people were inclined to back the British-owned groups, believing that gold prices would not fall in the short term.

Of course, this is partly because the Governor, to a certain extent, represents the government, and news coming from official channels naturally carries more authority.

On the other hand, there is a general trust in the stability of gold prices—after all, it is gold. Under normal circumstances, gold prices do not experience drastic fluctuations unless there is large-scale global turmoil.

However, as things stood, the global situation remained relatively stable, so a sharp drop in the gold price was simply out of the question.

Yet, to everyone’s surprise, upon waking up the next morning, international gold prices had actually fallen, catching many completely off guard.

At this moment, the uglier side of human nature reared its head!

Investors who had successfully cashed out were naturally overjoyed, looking on with schadenfreude at those still stuck with their positions.

Meanwhile, those who ignored advice and held onto their positions were beating their chests in regret.

Instead of reflecting on their own mistakes, they immediately blamed the British-owned conglomerates and the Governor, insisting that they had been misled.

For a time, curses against the Governor and the British-owned conglomerate could be heard everywhere—on buses, in small restaurants, and even in public restrooms.

Amid the curses, the public finally came to their senses and rushed to cut their losses and exit the market; this time, they dared not sit on the sidelines any longer.

No one is stupid—with gold prices plummeting in the mainland, how could Hong Kong, a tiny speck of land, possibly escape unscathed?

Whenever such events occurred, Hong Kong Island always suffered even worse losses. If they didn’t cut their losses and exit the market now, they’d better be mentally prepared to be stuck with their investments for the long haul!

Consequently, the situation in Hong Kong’s gold market reversed instantly. People were everywhere selling off physical gold and financial products, with asking prices dropping lower and lower.

The public’s reaction directly derailed Smith and his associates’ plans. Just as they were preparing to accept their losses and sell their gold at rock-bottom prices, they discovered that everyone else was also offloading their holdings—or even liquidating their entire positions—at rock-bottom prices, while there was simply no one left in the market to buy.

Smith and his associates were completely dumbfounded; they knew they were stuck!

Their only hope now was that the price of gold wouldn’t drop too sharply.

If that were the case, their losses wouldn’t be too catastrophic.

They also hoped the gold price would rebound quickly; otherwise, some of them might not be able to hold on much longer.

After all, the funds they used to snap up gold and prop up the market came from members of the British-owned group; each of them had invested an average of over 200 million Hong Kong dollars in this operation.

For many, the money came from bank loans—if they suffered losses, it would be a devastating blow!

As Smith had indeed anticipated, upon learning of the Fed’s rate hike and the subsequent drop in gold prices, many of the British-backed group’s affiliated members grew restless and began calling him one after another to inquire about the situation.

Faced with inquiries from members of the group, Smith initially didn’t want to reveal the truth, but the way the situation unfolded caught him off guard.

Yesterday, the price of gold on Hong Kong Island had managed to hold steady at $608 per ounce, but this morning it plummeted all the way to $577—a staggering drop of $31 per ounce.

Such a massive drop could no longer be described as a mere decline; it was nothing short of a crash.

Faced with this situation, Smith was completely helpless and had no choice but to tell them the truth.

Upon learning that in less than two days, they had lost a full $1 billion with Thief Eagle, and that Hong Kong Island had suffered equally devastating losses, those who had hoped to scrape by by tagging along with the British-owned conglomerates lost their composure.

It was truly a case of trying to steal a chicken but ending up losing a grain of rice—a total loss on all fronts!

For a time, the British-owned conglomerate was in utter chaos…

However, everyone still clung to a sliver of hope: after all, gold is a safe-haven asset, and even if prices fell, they surely wouldn’t plummet like junk stocks in the stock market, becoming worthless overnight.

What they didn’t realize, however, was that this drop in international gold prices was only the beginning.

For a long time to come, the price of gold would undergo a series of sharp plunges, with no rebound in sight!

This time, they were truly trapped. It would take at least ten years—or even longer—for prices to recover to their current high levels.

More importantly, following the failed attempt to take down Li Yi, long-buried issues within the British-backed consortium have gradually come to light, casting a cloud of uncertainty over the future of Asia’s largest and most powerful business alliance.

While it won’t immediately fall apart, it will never again enjoy the same level of influence and glory as before!

The British-funded group was, in essence, a loose alliance with tenuous ties. Within this business coalition, British capital held an absolute advantage and controlled the narrative.

The dozens or even hundreds of local Hong Kong families could only serve as vassals; they would step forward to handle day-to-day matters and contribute funds for major business initiatives.

Of course, they could also reap certain benefits from this alliance, but these were merely the scraps left over after the British tycoons had finished their feast.

In short, the vassals step forward when there’s a problem, take the blame when things go wrong, and let the bigwigs feast on the spoils!

Over time, most Chinese capitalists actually felt quite stifled, but they had no choice but to bow their heads under the same roof.

But after the Li family incident, the atmosphere within the British-funded group had already become somewhat eerie.

Many wavering members became even more unsettled, and some vassals who had previously been steadfast in serving them like dogs couldn’t help but feel a chill down their spines upon seeing what happened to the Li family, causing them to be extra cautious in their dealings.

Take Lin Zhengrong, for example—the man the British-owned group had thrust into the spotlight to target the Li family’s jewelry store. Although he had always worked tirelessly for the group, he dared not put all his chips on the table.

However, since the British Capital Group’s power remained intact and it still held sway on Hong Kong Island, even those who had grown disloyal dared not show it too openly.

However, this gold war with Li Yi directly led to massive losses for the British-funded Group, and many issues that had previously been covered up were gradually becoming impossible to conceal.

Just as gold prices on Hong Kong Island plummeted, the fence-sitters within the British-owned Group began calling Li Fuzhao one after another. On the surface, it was a gesture of goodwill, but everyone knew full well that these individuals were simply securing their own escape routes.

Some were more subtle, while others were quite direct.

In an effort to gain the trust of Li Fuzhao, a major figure in the Chinese-owned business community, many of them secretly shared inside information about the British-owned conglomerate with him.

Upon learning that the British-owned conglomerate had suffered a one-time loss of nearly 10 billion Hong Kong dollars, Li Fuzhao was deeply shocked. He had watched with his own eyes as these foreigners had walked step by step into the trap meticulously set by Li Yi.

It could be said that Li Yi single-handedly brought down the British-owned conglomerate!

Stunned, Li Futao immediately sent word of the situation to New York…

……….

Due to the Fed’s rate hike, gold prices at retail stores in New York, Chicago, and other locations, as well as in the futures markets, have taken a significant hit. However, the New York gold futures market has been hit the hardest.

The biggest factor affecting gold prices here wasn’t Li Yi, but William and his crew!

In order to take down Li Yi, they frantically bought 650,000 contracts of gold futures in just a few short hours.

Since gold futures in New York are traded in lots of 100 ounces, simply put, if the gold futures contracts held by William and his group were actually delivered, they would amount to over 1,800 tons of gold.

Keep in mind that under normal circumstances, the entire New York gold futures market sees a daily trading volume of only about 70 tons.

If they had held their positions without acting, the gold price in New York might have stabilized—at the very least, it wouldn’t have experienced significant fluctuations in the absence of other negative news.

However, as a top-tier financial predator, William knew full well that once the Federal Reserve raised interest rates, it wouldn’t be over anytime soon.

After all, their goal is to attract U.S. dollars back into the market. One or two rounds of rate hikes aren’t particularly appealing to global investors, so the Fed will likely need to raise rates eight to ten times to achieve its objective.

And during the Fed’s rate-hiking cycle, the price of gold will absolutely not rise against the headwinds; it will only fall further.

So, no matter how much you’ve lost, you’ll just have to grit your teeth and bear it—you must exit the market as soon as possible.

And to exit the market, one must cut losses; otherwise, it would be impossible to offload the 650,000 gold futures contracts currently held.

Consequently, when a massive volume of low-priced futures contracts flooded the market, the confidence of gold speculators in New York was completely shattered.

At the close of trading on November 8, in Chicago—the nation’s first gold futures market—the price of gold stood at $590, down just $9 per ounce from the previous day’s close.

In New York, however, the price had plummeted to $585—a full $5 lower than in Chicago.

Wow, that price drop was no small matter.

Keep in mind that in the gold futures market, price movements are calculated in increments of $0.10. While prices may vary slightly across different markets, the difference is usually no more than $0.50—let alone $5!

This shows just how much influence William and his team have on the New York gold futures market!

Fortunately, their influence is currently working in Li Yi’s favor—after all, the faster the price drops, the greater their profits.

Take this moment, for example: when the market closed and the price on the New York gold futures market settled at $585, the massive team surrounding Li Yi erupted in a deafening cheer.

Compared to the entry price of $596, the current price had plummeted by a full $11.

And for every dollar the price dropped, Li Yi made a profit of $17 million. In other words, in just a single day, Li Yi’s profits reached $187 million.

Consequently, upon returning to the Green Brothers’ estate, Li Yi immediately had a large supply of fine wine and gourmet food delivered to the estate to reward his team members.

………..

Hong Kong Island!

While Li Yi and his companions were enjoying a pleasant dinner at their Manhattan estate, it was already the early hours of the next morning in Hong Kong.

By this time, many people in Hong Kong Island were getting restless!

Like Li Yi, Li Futiao had also experienced a harrowing day yesterday.

Just as they were busy crashing the market, the British-funded conglomerates could no longer sit idly by. To avoid massive losses after the gold market crashed, they stepped forward one after another to publicly challenge Li Futao and Starry Sky Company.

Li Yi enlisted the South China Evening News as his mouthpiece, while the British-funded conglomerate mobilized several other major newspapers to tout the resilience of gold prices.

They even had the Governor step forward to deliver a speech, stating that international gold prices were stable and that a sharp price drop was impossible.

At the same time, the Governor urged the public to remain rational and not be exploited by those with ulterior motives seeking to destabilize Hong Kong’s economy.

Of course, these superficial measures alone were useless. After all, the public investing in gold had put real money on the line, and no one dared to gamble with their life savings.

Consequently, faced with investors determined to exit the market, the British-owned conglomerates had no choice but to keep pouring money in to stabilize the market!

If no one stepped in to prop up the market, the public’s gold futures contracts would be unsellable, inevitably triggering a chain reaction—at which point the market would likely collapse outright.

At that point, the gold futures contracts and physical gold held by the British-funded group would suffer a massive devaluation—a scenario the group certainly did not want to see.

Thanks to the British-backed group’s all-out efforts to prop up the market—injecting 600 million Hong Kong dollars in just half a day—while trading volume in Hong Kong’s gold market surged yesterday, gold prices remained largely unaffected.

Not only did it not drop at all, but it actually rose ever so slightly.

In light of this, after the market closed, the British-funded group once again publicly criticized Li Futao and Star Company on television, accusing them of spreading falsehoods, colluding with criminals, and harboring ulterior motives—they were practically pointing their fingers at Li Futao and calling him a traitor to Hong Kong!

Compared to the Li family, the situation at Star Company was even worse.

Incited by certain individuals with ulterior motives, a large crowd gathered at the base of Yuanhua Tower, where Star Company was located, surrounding and hurling abuse at the employees, which disrupted their normal work to some extent.

Fortunately, Huang Lixing had been prepared and had Yan Guangming bring a large contingent of security personnel to the scene to maintain order, which kept the crowd from going too far.

Although these incidents didn’t have a major impact on Li Futiao, he still felt somewhat frustrated after reading the newspaper reports and watching the news on TV.

So he got up early this morning and had someone contact Li Yi in New York to inquire about the situation.

Soon, a reply came from New York.

Upon reading the message Li Yi had sent him, Li Futiao immediately burst into a delighted laugh.

He then followed Li Yi’s instructions and immediately had someone contact the Nanhua Evening News to arrange for a special edition to be printed.

At the same time, he personally called Li Jiuying.

First, he informed Li Jiuying of the sharp drop in gold prices in New York, Chicago, and other locations, and at the same time conveyed Li Yi’s orders: he wanted all of the Li family’s gold shops on Hong Kong Island to immediately adjust their gold prices and post the reasons for the price reduction at the entrances of their stores.

Li Futiao understood that Li Yi was doing this to prevent the British-funded conglomerates from exploiting the information gap to dump large quantities of gold financial products after the market opened today, thereby minimizing their losses.

Put simply, he intended to completely block the British-funded groups’ escape route, forcing them to become the ultimate scapegoats and fall guys in this gold price crash.

In Li Yi’s words, this was called “trapping the dog inside the house”!

Since both sides had already burned their bridges, there was no need to hold back.

Having realized this, Li Futiao sprang into action. He immediately mobilized all the business elites in the Chinese-funded circle of the Far East Association to spread the news of the falling international gold price.

He believed that Hong Kong Island was a small place; as long as he moved fast enough, he should be able to get the news to those investors before the British-funded group’s bunch of foreigners could act.

As long as no one stepped in to take the fall for the British-owned group, this wouldn’t just be a minor setback for them—who knows how many people within that tight-knit circle would end up losing everything.

Just as Li Futao was busy mobilizing his network to make the news of the international gold price crash public, the British-owned group had already received word from William and his associates about the Federal Reserve’s rate hike and the resulting slight dip in international gold prices.

Perhaps feeling uneasy about having the British Capital Group shoulder the vast majority of the losses, William included a warning in his telegram to Hong Kong Island, addressing the Duke, Smith, and others. He stated that the Federal Reserve’s rate hikes would continue indefinitely and that the plunge in international gold prices was virtually unstoppable, urging them to prepare in advance.

Upon hearing this bad news, Smith and the others were stunned.

In their panic, they immediately adjusted their strategy, deciding to take advantage of the fact that the people of Hong Kong Island hadn’t yet reacted. They planned to begin a massive sell-off of their gold and related financial products at first light, in an effort to minimize their losses as much as possible.

But what they didn’t know was that Li Yi and Li Futiao had already blocked off their last escape route…

……….