Chapter 523: Making Tofu with Brine!

Seeing the father and son walk in together, Li Yi immediately waved his hand, signaling Lan Xinyi to leave first.

Li Yi then stood up from his chair and said with a smile, “Chairman Li, Assistant Zhou, what brings you here?”

Before Li Fuzhao could speak, Li Yunbao frowned and said, “I’m your employee, after all. Why didn’t you ask me?”

“Yunbao, how dare you speak to Mr. Li like that?” Li Fuzhao hurriedly interjected.

However, Li Yi simply gestured briefly to Li Fuzhao, then turned to Li Yunbao and said, “You know you’re my employee, right?”

“You said the company’s opening would last three days, yet you’ve been absent for two days and late for one. When you finally showed up, you didn’t even apologize to me, your boss—instead, you expected me to ask you first. Is there such a brazen employee as you?”

Li Yunbao was taken aback at first, then lowered his head and said, “I’m sorry, boss!”

Li Futao was deeply surprised to see his son actually apologize to Li Yi—and with such sincerity.

Considering how his son’s attitude toward him had changed dramatically today—and how he’d shared so many things he’d never said before—Li Futiao suddenly felt as though his son had grown up overnight.

Suddenly, he felt that this kidnapping might not have been all bad after all!

Of course, that didn’t diminish his hatred for those kidnappers!

Li Yi hadn’t expected Li Yunbao to change so drastically—he’d actually backed down so easily.

He walked over, patted him on the shoulder, and said, “Not bad, you’ve made progress. Looks like you’ve really learned your lesson this time. It wasn’t for nothing that your old man dxmbang shelled out a billion in ransom to save you!”

“Boss, thanks a lot this time. If it weren’t for you, I’m afraid I would’ve…”

Before he could finish, Li Yi laughed and said, “You’d have been fine even without me. You might have had to suffer a bit, though. And as for that 1 billion yuan ransom—it’s a write-off!”

Seeing that Li Yunbao was about to say something else, Li Yi added, “Alright, it’s all in the past. Don’t dwell on it.”

“Alright!”

“Oh, by the way, there’s been quite a backlog of work at the company these past few days that needs your attention as the legal affairs director. Go see Zhao Xinlan in Finance—she needs you to come with her!” Li Yi said.

“Alright, I’ll go right away!”

With that, Li Yunbao turned and left Li Yi’s office.

Seeing that his son had come with so many questions, only to be dismissed by Li Yi with a few brief words, Li Futao couldn’t help but marvel: It really was like brine curdling tofu—everything has its natural counter!

“Chairman Li…”

“Brother Li Yi, please don’t call me Chairman Li anymore. Just like Old Huang, you can call me Old Li—it sounds more friendly that way!” Li Futiao said.

“Hahaha, okay, then I’ll take the liberty of calling you Old Li!”

Then Li Yi asked again, “Old Li, have you recovered the ransom and everything else?”

“It’s been recovered. All the kidnappers, along with their families, have been arrested—not a single one got away!” Li Futiao said.

“That’s good. Well, then this matter is settled. Just be careful from now on!” Li Yi said.

“Mm-hmm. I mainly came over today to discuss a few things with Brother Li Yi. First, I want to thank Brother Li Yi and Old Huang for stepping in to help—otherwise, Yunbao would have been in real danger. So, I’ve prepared a small token of appreciation for both of you. Please accept them!”

As he spoke, Li Fu gestured to Zhou Xinghua behind him, who placed an elegant gift box on Li Yi’s desk.

“Old Li, why go to all this trouble?” Li Yi said.

“Brother Li Yi, although this gift is for you, it’s not for your use—it’s for your wife. So you’d better accept it!”

Hearing this, Li Yi hesitated briefly, then nodded and said, “All right, I’ll take it. Thanks, Old Li!”

“As for the second matter—how to deal with those kidnappers—I’d like to hear your opinion, Brother Li Yi!” Li Futao said again.

The reason Li Futiao sought Li Yi’s opinion was mainly because he had heard from Huang Lixing that, although Li Yi possessed extraordinary abilities, he had a kind heart and was unwilling to engage in violence or take human lives.

Last year, precisely because he feared Li Yi might take revenge on A-Long and those delinquent girls’ families, he had hesitated repeatedly over whether to rescue them.

That was precisely why Li Fuzhao thought to ask Li Yi; otherwise, given his own temperament, he would have long since tossed that bunch into the open sea to feed the fish.

Li Yi paused to think for a moment, then finally said, “Old Li, I’m not getting involved in this. You decide what to do!”

He knew how these wealthy families on Hong Kong Island operated—they might not repay a favor, but if they held a grudge, they would absolutely wipe out the enemy root and branch.

If he were to play the role of a do-gooder, it would inevitably rub people the wrong way. Better to stay silent than risk that!

“Got it!”

Li Futao then turned to his assistant and said, “Xinghua, hand those thugs over to the police. Let the women go!”

“Yes, sir!”

Hearing Li Futao’s decision, Li Yi was utterly shocked.

But he quickly realized what had happened: his hesitation must have been obvious, and Li Fuzhao had deliberately saved face for him.

After all, given the crimes committed by the Zhangs, they were bound to rot in prison for the rest of their lives.

As for their families, what good would it do to release them? With the massive debts they owed to the triad, their fate wouldn’t be much better anyway.

But there was no denying that, compared to their usual style, Li Futiao had made a significant concession.

With that in mind, Li Yi spoke again: “By the way, Old Li, there’s something I’d like to ask for your help with!”

“What is it, Brother Li Yi? Just tell me—whatever the Li family can do to help, we’ll definitely do it!” Li Futiao replied.

“It’s really nothing much. It’s just that my business here is wrapped up, and I plan to head back to the mainland in a day or two…”

Before he could finish, Li Futiao exclaimed in surprise, “Brother Li Yi, you’re leaving? But what about the company…”

“Hehe, I’ve already taken care of the investment arrangements. You can rest assured, Old Li!” Li Yi said with a smile.

“That’s tens of billions of dollars—and you’ve already arranged it all?”

Li Fuzhao was genuinely baffled by Li Yi’s words. After all, Starry Sky Company had only been established three days ago, yet they had already finalized the investment arrangements for tens of billions of dollars—the speed was simply astonishing.

Suddenly, he recalled the report he’d received the previous afternoon and blurted out, “Brother Li Yi, surely your investment strategy isn’t just exchanging Hong Kong dollars for US dollars and depositing them in the bank to earn interest?”

“Something like that. Of course, I’m not after that measly interest!”

Since the company’s money was already in the bank, Li Yi wasn’t worried about his investment plan being revealed. Besides, this was the perfect opportunity to show off a bit in front of Li Futiao.

Putting on a show has its benefits—every time you pull it off, others’ trust in you, or even their admiration, goes up a notch.

Otherwise, why would so many people love to put on a show, even at the risk of getting struck by lightning!

Li Futao was a veteran of the financial world himself. With just a quick mental analysis, he grasped the crux of the matter and immediately whispered, “Could it be a significant fluctuation in the exchange rate?”

“Old Li, you’ve got the gist of it!”

“Hahaha, got it, got it!”

Li Futiao then asked, “So, Brother Li Yi, what kind of help do you need from me?”

“After I leave, Starry Sky will rely on Old Huang to hold the fort. But his influence in Hong Kong is limited. If anything comes up that he can’t handle, I’d appreciate it if you could lend a hand, Old Li!” Li Yi said.

“I thought it was something major, but it’s just this? Don’t worry. As long as the Li family is here, even the British Hong Kong government would think twice before causing trouble for Old Huang and Star Company!” Li Futiao said with a smile.

“That puts my mind at ease…”

……….

The next day, early morning!

When Li Yi awoke from the soft bed in the Cloud Top No. 1, it was already nine o’clock in the morning.

Warm sunlight streamed through the spacious, bright floor-to-ceiling windows into the bedroom, filling the entire room with a cozy warmth. If it weren’t for work waiting to be handled, Li Yi would have loved to stay in bed until noon.

It took him a while to gather his strength before he finally climbed out of bed!

After a quick wash, Li Yi finally made his way downstairs.

However, as soon as he stepped downstairs, he saw Tie Ying and the others staring at him with strange expressions.

Just as Li Yi was about to ask what was going on, he saw Tie Ying point toward the sofa beside him.

Li Yi followed the direction of his finger and discovered that someone was actually lying on the spacious sofa.

Upon closer inspection, it was none other than that loser Li Yunbao!

Li Yi was taken aback at first. How the hell did this guy end up at his place?

Last night, he’d received a telegram from Huang Lixing saying that Li Yunbao had been rescued, all the kidnappers had been apprehended, and every penny of the ransom had been recovered, so he’d returned to Cloudtop No. 1 with peace of mind.

Since he was really quite tired, Li Yi not only had Tie Ying and the others guard the ground floor but also told them not to disturb him no matter who came.

At the same time, to prevent Li Futiao and the others from calling, he had even gone so far as to unplug the phone lines.

He really never expected that Li Yunbao would actually show up at his place!

“When did he get here?”

“A little after three in the morning!”

Then Tie Ying added, “Mr. Li said not to let anyone disturb you, so I didn’t let Young Master Li come upstairs!”

“You did the right thing!”

After saying that, Li Yi gently nudged Li Yunbao’s leg, which was dangling off the edge of the sofa, but Li Yunbao, fast asleep, didn’t react at all.

Although he had spent most of the days since his kidnapping in a daze, the intense sense of danger had left him physically and mentally exhausted. Now that he had finally been able to relax, he was naturally sleeping very soundly.

Li Yi took a look at him, then said to Tie Ying, “Leave a few guys to watch him. Let’s head to the office first!”

“But what if Young Master Li wakes up? What should we do?”

“Have him change into some clean clothes, then come find me at the office!”

“Yes, sir!”

Shortly after, Li Yi left Cloud Peak No. 1 under the escort of Tie Ying and the others.

……..

When Li Yi arrived at the company, Lan Xinyi and Zhao Xinlan immediately came to his office!

“Have a seat!”

Once the two had seated themselves, Li Yi asked, “How did things go with the money transfer?”

Zhao Xinlan replied immediately, “Boss, as you requested, we’ve converted all 6.094 billion of the company’s funds into US dollars and deposited them in major banks: 500 million at Citibank, 400 million at Hang Seng Bank, and 302 million at Standard Chartered Bank. All deposits are for a one-year term!”

“Very good. What about the loan?” Li Yi asked again.

“Boss, these banks have all responded positively to our loan requests, but their interest rates vary, so we’re still negotiating with them!” Zhao Xinlan replied.

“Oh, what interest rates did they offer?”

“Citibank offered 5.28%, Standard Chartered Bank offered 5.0%, and Hang Seng Bank has the lowest rate at just 4.1%!” Zhao Xinlan replied.

Li Yi thought for a moment and said, “No need to negotiate with Hang Seng—just go ahead and take the loan. Tell Manager Xie to approve a higher credit limit for our company!”

“As for Citibank and Hang Seng Bank, try to negotiate the rates down if possible, but if not, just move forward. Get the loan agreements finalized as soon as possible!”

“Yes!”

Li Yi then added, “Besides these major banks, don’t overlook the smaller ones either. Borrow from any bank willing to lend to us!”

“But what about the interest rates? Small banks usually charge higher rates!” Zhao Xinlan said.

“Don’t worry about the interest rates. As long as they don’t exceed 6%, it’s fine. Bottom line: if they’re willing to lend, our company is willing to borrow!” Li Yi said.

“Boss, we don’t have any collateral. I’m afraid those small banks won’t lend us much. It’s fine—we’ll take whatever they’re willing to give!” Li Yi said.

“Got it!”

“Go back to work!”

“Yes!”

After Zhao Xinlan left, Li Yi turned to Lan Xinyi and said, “Do you know why I’m doing this?”

“The Hong Kong dollar is going to depreciate, or the US dollar is going to appreciate!” Lan Xinyi replied.

“That’s right. If things go as expected, the Hong Kong dollar will depreciate significantly in the coming period, while the US dollar will appreciate slightly,” Li Yi said.

“Boss, by putting all our funds into one-year time deposits, are you assuming that the exchange rate fluctuations between the Hong Kong dollar and the US dollar will last at least a year?” Lan Xinyi asked.

“Yes, and possibly even longer!”

Currently, the Hong Kong dollar and the US dollar operate under a floating exchange rate system, with the rate generally maintaining a range of 1:5 to 1:5.6—meaning one US dollar can be exchanged for between 5 and 5.65 Hong Kong dollars—and the fluctuations are not particularly large.

However, after entering the 1980s, a lack of effective monetary management and lax regulation led to excessive credit expansion, plunging the real estate and stock markets into a major crisis.

The result was a sharp deterioration in Hong Kong’s fundamental economic conditions and a highly fragile financial system. Coupled with the significant appreciation of the U.S. dollar, this increased pressure on the Hong Kong dollar to depreciate.

Coupled with certain political factors, this directly led to a rapid depreciation of the Hong Kong dollar over the next year, with its real purchasing power falling by one-third.

The Hong Kong dollar’s exchange rate against the US dollar plummeted to an alarming level, dropping from the current rate of 5.06 HKD to 1 USD all the way down to a historic low of 9.60 HKD to 1 USD.

That is why Li Yi exchanged all his Hong Kong dollars for US dollars and deposited them in the bank. When the term deposit matures next year, he will simply withdraw the US dollars and exchange them back into Hong Kong dollars. Even without counting interest, he will receive 11.54 billion Hong Kong dollars—nearly doubling his money.

Lan Xinyi furrowed her brow and asked, “But why are you taking out massive bank loans at the same time you’re depositing money?”

“Hehe, because there’s a lucrative investment opportunity on the horizon right now. I want to profit from exchange rate fluctuations, but I also don’t want to miss this chance!” Li Yi replied.

Lan Xinyi’s eyes lit up, and she immediately asked, “What kind of project?”

“What do you think?” Li Yi countered.

Lan Xinyi frowned and thought for a moment, then said, “Gold!”

“Why gold?” Li Yi asked with interest.

“Everyone knows the relationship between the US dollar and gold. Since the dollar is appreciating, there’s no reason for gold to stay put, so I think gold prices will go up!” Lan Xinyi analyzed.

“Clap, clap, clap!”

Li Yi clapped his hands and said, “That’s a solid analysis. Gold is indeed likely to go up in price. So as soon as the company’s funds are in place, your investment department should go all out to buy gold at the bottom—buy as much as you possibly can!”

Gold was undoubtedly one of the most promising investment opportunities in the early 1980s. At the moment, the price of gold was hovering between $260 and $300 per ounce, but in just three months, it would reach $599 per ounce.

In other words, investing in gold now would yield a return of more than double the investment in just three months.

Naturally, Li Yi wasn’t about to let an opportunity like this slip by.

Although Lan Xinyi didn’t know where Li Yi had gotten his information or why he was so certain,

But she understood Li Yi’s temperament and knew he didn’t like his subordinates questioning him, so she immediately replied, “Alright, I’ll start preparing to buy gold at the bottom right away!”

“This plan must remain strictly confidential; it must not be leaked under any circumstances!” Li Yi said in a stern voice.

“Yes, sir. Rest assured—I won’t even tell the other team members until the very last moment!”

“Good. Just a reminder: if you have any extra money, you can invest it too,” Li Yi said casually.

“Yes…”

Just as they were speaking, a series of urgent knocks suddenly sounded at the door.

Before Li Yi could say a word, Li Yunbao pushed the door open and walked in, followed by Li Fuzhao and Zhou Xinghua…

……..

Off the coast of Hong Kong Island!

When Li Yunbao was rescued by Huang Lixing, he was so starved that his eyes were spinning.

The moment he saw Huang Lixing, Li Yunbao—who prided himself on his strength—couldn’t hold back his tears. He threw his arms around Huang Lixing and wept loudly.

Huang Lixing looked at his bedraggled appearance, but his mind drifted back to the words Li Yi and Li Yunbao had spoken during the Li family banquet that day: “You’re in for a bloody disaster!”

At the time, both Young Master Li and Chairman Li had looked utterly skeptical—especially Young Master Li, who had dismissed it as nothing more than a nosebleed from heatstroke. Well, now he’d learned his lesson the hard way!

Once Li Yunbao had composed himself a bit, Huang Lixing patted him on the shoulder and said, “Young Master Li, stop crying. Have something to eat—we’ve got other business to attend to!”

With that, Huang Lixing immediately had one of his underlings bring over an insulated lunch box, which he handed to Li Yunbao.

When Li Yunbao opened it, he found the container had two layers: one held two pieces of red date cake, and the bottom layer was filled with fresh shrimp congee.

Just from the smell, he knew it was from his favorite restaurant.

Having gone without food for several days, Li Yunbao couldn’t hold back any longer and immediately picked up the box, digging in with big bites.

After wolfing down half the container of shrimp congee and the two red date cakes, Li Yunbao felt the burning sensation in his stomach finally subside, and he felt revitalized.

Only then did he ask, “Mr. Huang, how did you find me? Did my old man send you?”

“Mr. Li isn’t aware of this. It was Brother Li Yi who sent us over!” Huang Lixing replied.

“Mr. Li Yi… how did he know I was here…”

Just as he was speaking, a henchman suddenly rushed up to Huang Lixing and whispered a few words in his ear.

Upon hearing this, Huang Lixing cut Li Yunbao off and said, “Young Master Li, you can ask Brother Li Yi about that yourself when you get back. The kidnappers who took you hostage have already been caught, and all the ransom money has been recovered. Would you like to go take a look?”

Li Yunbao was taken aback for a moment, then clenched his teeth and said, “Of course I’ll go! Why wouldn’t I?”

He then added, “Mr. Huang, as far as I know, they still have a ship over on Dongwan Island!”

Huang Lixing immediately understood what Li Yunbao meant and replied, “Young Master Li, I’ll send a team to search that area right away!”

Right away, Huang Lixing ordered the speedboat to head toward the kidnappers’ fishing boat while directing the two cargo ships on the perimeter to rush to Dongwan Island to search for the kidnappers’ other vessel.

The speedboat was fast and soon arrived alongside the large fishing boat!

By then, all the kidnappers on board had already been subdued by Huang Lixing’s men, including the Zhang brothers.

When Huang Lixing appeared on the fishing boat, supporting Li Yunbao, he saw his former close friend Zhang Jiadong, along with his father, uncle, and others, bound and kneeling on the deck, each with a rag stuffed in their mouth.

Beside them lay a man, blood flowing continuously from his body, staining the entire deck red.

Seeing this scene, Li Yunbao was deeply shaken!

Huang Lixing, seeing this, realized a clash had erupted between the two sides. He immediately glanced at the squad leader and asked, “Fathead, are there any casualties among our men?”

“Don’t worry, boss. They’re just a bunch of lowlifes—they can’t hurt us!”

At that moment, Zhang Jiadong also spotted Li Yunbao and immediately struggled to crawl toward him.

But there was no way the Qinglong Society’s henchmen would let him get near Li Yunbao. Immediately, two burly men stepped forward and pinned him firmly to the ground.

Zhang Jiadong knew this was his last chance to save his father and uncles. He struggled with all his might while shouting repeatedly toward Li Yunbao.

But with his mouth stuffed full, all he could manage were a series of grunts, sounding like a piglet about to be slaughtered.

Li Yunbao gave him a cold glance and said, “Take that thing out of his mouth!”

The henchman didn’t dare delay and immediately pulled the ragged cloth out of Zhang Jiadong’s mouth.

Feeling slightly suffocated, Zhang Jiadong took several deep breaths, then pleaded with Li Yunbao: “Yunbao, we were wrong. Please save my third uncle—he’s dying. You have to save him. I’m begging you…”

“Smack!”

Zhang Jiadong’s plea was met not with a promise of help, but with a resounding slap.

Li Yunbao had struck with all his might. The blow left five large fingerprints on Zhang Jiadong’s relatively fair face, and his body collapsed to the side.

Zhang Jiadong was so stunned by the blow that he forgot to get back up!

But Li Yunbao wasn’t done yet. He stepped forward and began kicking and punching his former friend, only stopping when blood was gushing from Zhang Jiadong’s nose and mouth, gasping for breath.

Then, stepping on Zhang Jiadong’s face, he said with a look of madness in his eyes, “Do you know that I truly treated you like a brother? When I found out your family had gone bankrupt, I swallowed my pride for the first time and begged my old man to help you out. That was the first time I’d ever begged him since I was twelve—and I did it all for you!”

“But look how you treated me—you actually teamed up with these scumbags to kidnap me! They even planned to kill me and dump my body in the open sea. Hahaha, what a great brother you are—you sure know how to stab someone in the back!”

At that, Li Yunbao shoved Zhang Jiadong aside, walked straight up to Zhang Chengzhi, and slapped him hard across the face.

Then, with a sneer, he said, “You know what? On the very night you kidnapped me, my old man agreed to help your family… He was planning to lend your family money. You didn’t actually have to go bankrupt!”

Hearing Li Yunbao’s words, Zhang Jiadong, Zhang Chengzhi, and the others looked utterly incredulous, their faces quickly turning to one of deep regret.

They knew full well the Li family’s influence in Hong Kong. If the Li family had truly been willing to step in and help them, the Zhang family would certainly have weathered the storm.

Even those troublesome triad groups would dare not cause them trouble if the Li family simply gave the word.

But… but they had chosen a different path…

“Yunbao, I’m… I’m sorry… I’m truly sorry…”

“Hah. Don’t you think that ‘sorry’ sounds a bit cheap compared to those ten billion Hong Kong dollars?” Li Yunbao said coldly.

Just then, Huang Lixing stepped forward and asked, “Young Master Li, what should we do with these people?”

Li Yunbao was taken aback for a moment, then hesitated slightly before saying, “Don’t ask me about this. Let my old man handle it!”

Hearing this, Zhang Jiadong, Zhang Chengzhi, and the others turned ashen.

They all knew exactly who Li Futao was—falling into his hands would mean a fate worse than death.

“Yunbao, please spare us. We really did wrong…”

Listening to the pleas of his former close friends, Li Yunbao closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and said, “The moment you decided to kidnap me, our brotherhood was severed. All that remains now is hatred!”

A flicker of despair crossed Zhang Jiadong’s eyes!

However, Li Yunbao did not seem ready to let it go. He continued, “And let me tell you one more thing: Huang Sheng’s men have already gone to Dongwan Island. Your mother, your sister, your aunt, and your cousins—not a single one of them will escape!”

At those words, Zhang Chengzhi, Zhang Guodong, and the rest of the family were struck with terror!

But before they could open their mouths to beg for mercy, Li Yunbao turned and walked away from the fishing boat.

In that instant, Li Yunbao suddenly realized how naive he had been. His so-called friends and brothers weren’t interested in him as a person, but in the Li family behind him.

Without his family, without Old Man Dxmbang, he would likely be nothing in their eyes.

Even with the family behind him, as long as there was enough profit to be made, he was still nothing more than a fat lamb waiting to be slaughtered in their eyes.

Therefore, he acted as if he hadn’t heard Zhang Jiadong’s pleas for mercy. After boarding the speedboat, he sped straight toward the Wan Chai Pier!

At 5:00 p.m., before the end of the workday, Li Yi left the office!

However, he didn’t return to Cloud Peak No. 1. Instead, escorted by Iron Eagle and his men, he headed to the Green Dragon Society’s headquarters—Wan Chai Pier!

The reason for coming here was that Li Yi had just received a call from Li Futao, who said the kidnappers had contacted them again that afternoon.

According to Li Futao, the kidnappers demanded that they have the entire ransom ready by 6:00 p.m. and then wait for their call.

Li Yi surmised that the kidnappers might attempt to make a deal with the Li family tonight, so he decided to personally head over to Wan Chai Pier to oversee the situation—after all, rescuing the hostage would still require the help of Huang Lixing and his team.

When Li Yi arrived at Huang Lixing’s office, Huang had just closed a deal and was in high spirits.

Seeing Li Yi walk in, he immediately said with a smile, “What brings you here?”

Li Yi replied immediately, “Chairman Li just called me. He said the kidnappers have contacted them. I think those kidnappers will make their move tonight!”

The look of excitement on Huang Lixing’s face vanished instantly, and he asked, “So what do we do now?”

“Have you finished investigating the situation on the ship?”

“We’ve almost finished. From what we know so far, there are nine kidnappers in total, all related to each other. Three of them have a history in the underworld, but they’re just small-time thugs—no one’s heard of them!”

“Do they have guns?”

“We haven’t found any yet, but we can’t rule it out—after all, it’s incredibly easy to get a gun on Hong Kong Island!”

“Then we’ll have to be even more careful!”

“Right. We also uncovered a new lead during our investigation: at the same time they bought that fishing boat, the kidnappers also purchased a modified small speedboat and an N-class yacht. However, we’re not entirely sure where those two vessels are right now.”

Li Yi thought for a moment and said, “If I’m not mistaken, that speedboat is what they’ll use to transport the ransom to the fishing boat. After all, they can’t get very far in that little speedboat. We just need to keep an eye on the large fishing boat!”

“Exactly. If we keep an eye on the big boat, the small one will have to come to us!”

At that moment, Li Yi asked again, “By the way, when you’re out at sea, how do you communicate between vessels?”

“We use walkie-talkies for short distances, and radios when we’re too far apart!” Huang Lixing explained.

“Can you guarantee real-time communication?”

“Yes. In our line of work, we could run into anti-smuggling squads or foreign coast guards at any moment. That’s why the lead boat has to be able to contact the cargo fleet immediately to let them know when to take cover!” Huang Lixing explained.

“That puts my mind at ease…”

Just then, the phone on Huang Lixing’s desk suddenly rang.

Huang Lixing didn’t dare delay and quickly picked up the phone. After just a few words, his expression changed.

Without hanging up, Huang Lixing turned directly to Li Yi and said, “That large fishing vessel is showing signs of activity. Someone just loaded a large amount of supplies onto it—dozens of barrels of diesel alone!”

“Looks like they’re really planning to make a run for it tonight!” Li Yi said calmly.

“What should we do?”

“No need to rush. It’s not dark yet; the kidnappers probably won’t make their move at this hour!”

Li Yi continued, “As soon as it gets dark, have our boats move to the outer perimeter of Sanjia Village Pier. The large vessel will stand by 70 nautical miles southwest of Sanjia Village. As for the speedboats, one will keep watch on that ship, while the rest will be stationed every 10 nautical miles!”

“As soon as we get word that the kidnappers have released the hostage, we’ll rush in, intercept that large ship, and seize the ransom!”

“Got it!”

Without delay, Huang Lixing began making arrangements according to Li Yi’s plan!

……….

At 6:00 p.m., Li Yi had just finished dinner with Huang Lixing when he received a call from Li Futao!

According to Li Futao, the kidnappers had just contacted the Li family again. They demanded that the Li family load all the ransom money into a van of a specific make.

They were to drive the van directly to the freight terminal in Tsim Sha Tsui. Once there, the driver was not to turn off the engine but simply get out of the vehicle.

The kidnappers also promised that as long as they received the money and confirmed everyone’s safety, they would definitely release the hostage.

However, Li Futao clearly had no confidence in the kidnappers’ promise. If they took the ransom and didn’t release the hostage, wouldn’t they end up losing both the money and the hostage?

So Li Futao called Li Yi to ask what they should do next.

Without hesitation, Li Yi told Li Futao to simply follow the kidnappers’ instructions and not worry about anything else.

A few minutes later, Li Futiao called again to say the truck had already set off.

Li Yi immediately ordered Huang Lixing to set out with the fleet, while he remained at Wan Chai Pier to command the operation in person.

Forty minutes later, Li Yi received a message from Huang Lixing stating that all speedboats had reached their designated positions.

At 8:00 p.m., Li Yi received another call from Li Futao!

He reported that the kidnappers had driven the truck loaded with cash away and taken it directly to the Tsim Sha Tsui cargo terminal, where all the cash had been transferred onto a speedboat.

Less than ten minutes later, Li Yi received a telegram from Huang Lixing, who was stationed on the outskirts of San Jia Village, reporting that the suspicious fishing boat had set sail.

Knowing that Li Yunbao was still on board, Li Yi instructed Huang Lixing and his team not to act rashly, but simply to keep a safe distance and monitor the fishing boat from afar.

He also instructed Huang Lixing and his team not to get too close; once they were within 10 nautical miles, they were to hand over the task to other speedboats to avoid alerting the target.

Less than an hour later, Huang Lixing sent another telegram, reporting that a speedboat had met up with the large fishing vessel. They remained stationary for over ten minutes, after which the speedboat was abandoned and everyone boarded the large vessel, heading out toward international waters.

The kidnappers clearly weren’t yet certain they were out of danger, so they hadn’t released the hostages. Li Yi still couldn’t let Huang Lixing and the others board to rescue them, so he could only have them continue following.

At 11:30 p.m., just as Li Yi and his team were growing restless, he received a telegram from Huang Lixing via dxmbang, reporting that the kidnappers had finally released the hostages.

They had placed Li Yunbao, who was on the verge of death from starvation, onto a rubber dinghy and left him there, while the kidnappers continued sailing deeper into the open sea. Li Yunbao had now been rescued.

Upon hearing the news, Li Yi knew it was time to close in!

Without a moment’s hesitation, he immediately ordered Huang Lixing to have all vessels close in and intercept the kidnappers’ boat!

Out on the high seas, Zhang Chengzhi and his crew were discussing how to split the loot.

Just 10 minutes earlier, they had finally released their “hostage,” Li Yunbao.

The reason they released him at this time was mainly because they had received a telegram from their informant stationed on Hong Kong Island. After confirming that neither the garrison nor the Special Police Force had made a move, they finally believed that the Li family had indeed refrained from reporting the incident out of concern for their son’s life.

However, after confirming their safety and receiving the ransom, they began to disagree on how to deal with Li Yunbao.

Zhang Chengyong and his second older brother, Zhang Chengzhong, argued that they should simply kill Li Yunbao, since he already knew their identities.

If they killed him now and dumped his body in international waters, no one but them would ever know who had kidnapped Li Yunbao.

However, this plan was met with strong opposition from Zhang Jiadong, who, after all, felt guilty toward Li Yunbao.

Li Yunbao had treated him like a brother, yet he had conspired with his father and uncles to kidnap him. As someone who had received a good education from a young age, Zhang Jiadong simply could not bring himself to kill him now.

In the end, it was Zhang Jiadong’s father, Zhang Chengzhi, who made the final call: they would throw Li Yunbao onto the rubber dinghy and leave him to fend for himself!

After carrying out their plan, they rushed back to the cabin, already fantasizing about escaping to Siam, starting a new life, and living like millionaires!

However, their joy was short-lived. Before long, they heard the faint sound of engines in the distance.

Before they could react, they saw several speedboats rapidly approaching their large vessel, each seemingly towing something behind them.

Immediately afterward, they heard the propeller seem to get tangled in something, and soon the entire ship lost power.

Then, the people on the speedboats threw grappling hooks and rope ladders over the side, hooking them onto the fishing boat’s hull. Using the ladders, they quickly climbed aboard…

………

Yuanhua Tower. Star International Company!

After ending his call with Li Futiao, Li Yi arrived at the company under the escort of Tie Ying and the others.

As for Li Yunbao’s kidnapping, he had temporarily set it aside.

For one thing, the timing for a rescue wasn’t right—after all, the kidnappers were already prepared to go on the run. If they sensed anything amiss, they would undoubtedly take drastic measures against Li Yunbao.

Attempting a rescue without fully understanding the situation could very well drive these men to desperation, potentially leading them to kill the hostage.

On the other hand, if the boy were rescued today—just two nights after being kidnapped—he might not learn much of a lesson.

So, Li Yi decided to focus on company matters first and handle the rescue later.

After all, the kidnappers’ boat had already been pinpointed. Huang Lixing had five speedboats and three large cargo ships on standby; the moment anything unusual happened, they would immediately move in to intercept them—those guys wouldn’t get away.

In fact, knowing that the kidnappers were heading for Siam, Li Yi could easily have Huang Lixing’s men waiting for them on the high seas ahead.

It’s safe to say that when it came to the rescue mission, Li Yi had everything under control—it was a sure thing!

Upon arriving at the company, Li Yi immediately summoned the entire management team to the conference room.

Now that the company’s framework was in place and all the funding had been secured, it was time to make his move.

Besides, he had been away from home for nearly a month now—the longest he had ever been away from home and from Jiang Xue.

Even when he had opened a store in Beijing, he would return home every so often, or at the very least have Li Gang pass on a message.

But this time, phone calls went unanswered, and letters were useless, so he was starting to miss home.

So Li Yi decided to wrap up the investment matters as soon as possible, and then he would head home.

Soon, Lan Xinyi, Cai Bingyan, Lan Xinming, Lin Xueyi, and the others had all arrived!

Li Yi looked around the room and asked Lan Xinyi, “Manager Lan, how much capital has our company raised from yesterday until now?”

Lan Xinyi immediately stood up and said, “Boss, as of last night, we’ve raised a total of 3.864 billion Hong Kong dollars. However, last night our investment department received calls from several clients requesting to add more funds!”

“Which clients are looking to invest more?”

“Mr. Li from Cheung Kong wants to add 100 million Hong Kong dollars, the Huo family also wants to add 100 million, and the Guo family wants to add 200 million!” Lan Xinyi replied.

Li Yi nodded, then turned to Zhao Xinlan, the head of the finance department, and asked, “Manager Zhao, how much of the funds have been received so far?”

“Boss, we currently have 900 million Hong Kong dollars in funds!” Zhao Xinlan replied.

Li Yi then turned to Lan Xinyi and said, “After the meeting, call those clients who’ve signed contracts immediately and urge them to get their funds in as soon as possible. The deadline is 6:00 p.m. today!”

“Yes!”

“Oh, and don’t worry about Chairman Li—I’ll call him myself!” Li Yi said.

“Yes!”

At that moment, Zhao Xinlan, the finance manager, immediately interjected, “Boss, won’t pushing clients like this make them resentful? After all, according to the contract, as long as the funds are in within three days of signing, it doesn’t count as a breach of contract!”

“It’s fine. I’m pushing them mainly for the upcoming investment. If the funds are in place, they can participate; if not, they’ll just have to miss out on this opportunity!” Li Yi said.

Hearing that Li Yi was about to make another move, Lan Xinyi and the others grew excited.

Whenever they recalled how Li Yi had led them to sweep through the Hong Kong stock market, Lan Xinyi and the others were filled with excitement.

So, they were eagerly anticipating Li Yi’s next move—but what he said next caught them completely off guard!

“Manager Lan, which bank offers the highest interest rates on savings accounts right now?”

Lan Xinyi paused for a moment, then replied, “Sir, what term are you looking for?”

“One year, I suppose.”

“Hang Lung offers the highest rate—2.19% for a one-year term. HSBC is at 2.16%, and Hang Seng is at 2.17%…”

“What about Citibank?” Li Yi suddenly asked.

“It was 2.17% two weeks ago, but I’m not sure if that’s still the case now—I’ll need to verify that!” Lan Xinyi replied.

Li Yi nodded, then said to Lan Xinyi, “Check this out as soon as possible, and while you’re at it, check the loan interest rates at all the banks!”

“Yes!”

“Manager Zhao, if we were to convert all of our company’s funds into US dollars and deposit them into a specific bank, would that be difficult?” Li Yi asked again.

“No, but since we’re moving such a large sum of money in and out, we’ll need to notify Hang Seng Bank in advance!” Zhao Xinlan replied.

“Alright, after the meeting, contact Hang Seng Bank and tell them we’re converting all the funds in our account into US dollars!” Li Yi said.

“And which bank should we deposit it into?”

“Deposit some in Hang Seng, Citibank, and Standard Chartered, but don’t even consider those small and medium-sized banks!”

Just as everyone was wondering what Li Yi meant by this, his next move left them even more baffled.

“Manager Zhao, after the meeting, contact the major banks and tell them our company wants to take out a loan, using the funds deposited in their banks as collateral.”

Hearing this, everyone in the room was dumbfounded, staring blankly at Li Yi!

Why would the company deposit its own money into a bank only to take out a loan from that same bank? What kind of strategy was this?

It’s important to note that there’s a huge gap between bank deposit interest rates and loan interest rates—in most cases, more than double.

In other words, when you deposit money, the bank pays you only about 2% interest, but when you take out a loan, you have to pay 4% or more—sometimes even higher.

In other words, if the bank were to lend the money Starry Sky had deposited with them back to the company, Starry Sky would effectively be subsidizing the bank with 2% to 3% in interest.

A few thousand here and there isn’t much, but when we’re talking about hundreds of millions or even billions of dollars, that’s no small sum!

“Boss, exactly what are you trying to do here…”

Before Zhao Xinlan could finish her sentence, Lan Xinyi, sitting beside her, interjected, “Don’t worry, Boss. We’ll handle this!”

Zhao Xinlan was instantly taken aback. She looked at Li Yi in confusion, then at Lan Xinyi sitting across from her.

Noticing Lan Xinyi giving her a subtle nod, Zhao Xinlan—who was no slouch when it came to picking up on cues—hurriedly added, “Please rest assured, Boss. I’ll contact all the major banks as soon as this meeting is over!”

Li Yi was very pleased with their reactions, especially Lan Xinyi’s—she clearly understood his temperament thoroughly.

“Manager Lan, I heard that the Hong Kong office of Zaiying has a batch of real estate properties up for sale. Get in touch with them. If the price isn’t too high, go ahead and secure them!” Li Yi said.

“Yes, I’ll get in touch with them right away!” Lan Xinyi replied.

“Hmm. At the same time, get everyone in your investment department moving. You must secure information on major land transactions on Hong Kong Island, and then await my orders!”

“Yes!”

“Dismissed…”

……….

“Hello, who is this?”

Li Futiao’s voice came through on the other end: “Mr. Li Yi, it’s me!”

“Chairman Li, why are you calling me so early? Is something wrong?”

“The kidnappers just contacted me again!” Li Futiao said in a grave tone.

“Tell me what’s going on. What do the kidnappers want from you?”

“The kidnappers demand that we have the ransom ready by noon, or else they’ll cut off one of Yunbao’s ears!” Li Futiao said, breathing heavily.

Even over the phone, Li Yi could sense Li Futiao’s fury.

But come to think of it, the Li family was, after all, the head of Hong Kong’s Four Great Families—true local powerhouses.

Normally, even the British Hong Kong government had to give the Li family some face, and as for the usual triads and gangs, few would dare to provoke anyone from the Li family.

He never expected that someone would dare to kidnap his son this time—not only demanding an exorbitant ransom, but also threatening to cut off an ear at the slightest disagreement. How could he not be furious?

Li Yi paused to think for a moment, then said to dxmbang, “When the kidnappers call again, tell them that 1 billion is too much. Say you can’t possibly prepare that much money in just a few hours—buy some time until tonight!”

“Do you think they’ll come down hard on Yunbao?”

“No, because what we’re saying makes perfect sense. Even if the British Hong Kong government were to step in, they couldn’t come up with 1 billion Hong Kong dollars in cash in just a few hours. They’ll understand!” Li Yi said.

“Alright, so what’s next?”

“Wait!”

“Wait?”

“Yes. They’ll definitely contact you again before six o’clock this afternoon. When they do, just tell them the money is ready and demand they release the hostage as soon as possible!”

Li Yi continued, “Barring any surprises, they’ll agree. At that point, you just go ahead with the ransom as usual—don’t worry about anything else!”

“Alright! I’ll do as you say!” Li Fu replied.

“You might get some calls today from people asking about this, especially Young Master Li’s friends and colleagues. No matter who calls, just tell them Young Master Li is fine!”

“But… why?”

“You don’t need to worry about that. Just remember: no matter who calls, that’s the answer!” Li Yi said.

“Alright, I’ll pass that along. Anyone who calls asking about Yunbao, tell them he’s doing just fine!”

“Right!”

“By the way, do we… do we really not need to call the police?” Li Futao asked again.

“Not for now. But if you feel the police should handle it after we catch the kidnappers, I have no objection!” Li Yi said calmly.

Hearing this, Li Futiao felt much more at ease.

“I understand. Then I’ll leave this in your hands!”

“Don’t worry, everything will be fine!”

“Hmm…”

………

Hong Kong Island, Sanjia Village Pier!

Inside a large, shiny, brand-new fishing boat, a group of people were gathered in the cabin eating breakfast.

The leader was a middle-aged man with graying hair. Wearing gold-rimmed glasses, with a slender build and a well-fitted suit and shirt, he actually looked quite refined.

His name was Zhang Chengzhi. He had once been the owner of an investment firm. Though his net worth was only in the tens of millions, having built his empire from scratch, he was still considered a major player in Hong Kong’s investment circles.

But this stock market crash had come too suddenly. Not only had it stripped him of his former glory, but it had also left him deep in debt—much of it high-interest loans from local triads.

To save his own skin—and to prevent his wife, children, and elderly parents from being dragged off by those heartless triads to be sold into prostitution—he had no choice but to set his sights on his son’s best friend. After all, he was a direct descendant of the Li family, the wealthiest and most powerful clan on Hong Kong Island!

Zhang Chengzhi asked, munching on a steamed bun, “Number Two, what’s the word from over there?”

The man Zhang Chengzhi called “Second Brother” was his second younger brother, Zhang Chengzhong. Also involved in the kidnapping were his third younger brother, Zhang Chengyong, his cousins Zhu Wendong and Zhu Wenxi, and Zhang Chengzhi’s son, Zhang Jiadong, who had been forced to participate.

“The Li family says they’ve already raised 400 million in cash, but to get the full 1 billion, it’ll take until at least six or seven in the evening!” Zhang Chengzhong said, his head bowed, his expression hidden.

The third brother, Zhang Chengyong, flew into a rage the moment he heard this, growling under his breath, “Damn it, are those Li family bastards trying to pull a fast one? Don’t they claim to be a hundred-billion-yuan dynasty? How could they possibly fail to raise even 1 billion?”

“If they can’t, let’s make that kid down there bleed a little. Cutting off a finger would do. I just don’t believe the Lis would stand by and watch their only son’s finger get cut off without doing anything…”

Before he could finish, Zhang Jiadong beside him hurriedly interjected, “No… you promised me you wouldn’t hurt him!”

“Shut up! Whose side are you on, anyway? Don’t forget—the survival of the Zhang family depends entirely on that kid!” Zhang Chengyong snapped angrily.

Zhang Chengzhi frowned, then said in a deep voice, “Enough arguing. There’s no need to be too harsh on that kid just yet. I don’t think the Li family is stalling—after all, it’s not easy to come up with 1 billion in cash!”

He then turned to Zhang Chengyong and added, “Third Brother, don’t take it personally like Jiadong. He’s just holding onto old feelings—after all, that kid from the Li family has always treated him well in the past!”

“That was then. Now the Zhang family is finished. If we don’t kidnap that kid, take the money, and run, we’ll just end up getting hacked to death by those gangsters if we stay here!” Zhang Chengyong said through gritted teeth.

“Mm-hmm!”

Zhang Chengzhi looked at his son, Zhang Jiadong, and said, “Jiadong, I know you’re close with that kid, but we’ve run out of options. Our deaths are of little consequence, but think of your mother, Jialing, and Jiaqi. If we can’t pay back the syndicate, they won’t spare them!”

“Right now, our only chance of survival is to get the ransom and flee Hong Kong Island. So you need to weigh the pros and cons in your heart.”

“I… I understand, but you promised me you wouldn’t hurt Yunbao!” Zhang Jiadong said, his face pale.

“If the Li family delivers the ransom as agreed, we certainly won’t harm the boy. But if they dare pull any tricks, don’t blame me or your uncles for being ruthless—we’ll drag him down with us!” Zhang Chengzhi said in a deep, menacing voice.

Zhang Jiadong hurriedly interjected, “Dad, Yunbao is the family’s only son. His father would never let his safety be compromised!”

“Besides, Yunbao used to visit our home often. Even if you want the ransom, please don’t harm him!”

However, Zhang Chengzhi replied impassively, “That depends on how the Li family behaves!”

The reason Zhang Chengzhi was determined to take action against Li Yunbao wasn’t just because he was Li Futiao’s son; there was another reason: it was precisely because he had taken on a contract from the Far East Association that his company had ultimately gone bankrupt.

Therefore, unlike his son Zhang Jiadong, he didn’t feel nearly as much guilt about kidnapping Li Yunbao!

Zhang Chengzhi wiped his mouth and asked again, “Wendong, have you made contact with our contacts over there?”

“It’s all set. As soon as we arrive, they’ll arrange legal status for us there!” Zhu Wendong replied.

“What about the price? Have you worked that out yet?”

“It’s settled. 200,000 Hong Kong dollars per person. There are 24 of us in total, so we’ll need 4.8 million!”

“Alright. As long as we get legal status there, we won’t have to worry about surviving in that area!” Zhang Chengzhi said in a low voice.

“Right!”

“Jiadong, give the Li family a call this morning and see what they’re thinking!”

“Well… all right then!”

“Third Brother, Wending, and Wenxi, you three head back to the city this afternoon. Stick to the original plan—get the ransom by tonight, then make your escape under cover of darkness!” Zhang Chengzhi ordered.

“Yes…”

………..

Hong Kong. Cloudtop No. 1!

When Li Yi received the call from Li Futao and learned that Li Yunbao had been kidnapped, he wasn’t particularly surprised.

He’d had a premonition ever since hearing what Li Yunling had said that morning.

On one hand, he knew Li Yunbao very well; on the other, he was fully aware of the circumstances surrounding the incident.

First, regarding Li Yunbao himself: although he was a bit stubborn and self-righteous, he had plenty of good qualities. For instance, he had a kind heart and always kept his word.

Put simply, whatever he promises to do, he generally follows through on!

The fact that he had resigned from a major law firm like Dingcheng yesterday—and had even spent the entire afternoon helping him draft contracts—clearly indicated that Li Yunbao was ready to honor their wager.

More importantly, today is the grand opening of Star International Investment Company. At such a crucial moment, they certainly couldn’t do without him—their sole legal counsel.

But Li Yunbao just didn’t show up—which clearly doesn’t fit his character!

Add to that the timing—it coincided perfectly with when he was kidnapped in his previous life—so Li Yi’s deduction was entirely reasonable.

But after hearing what Li Futiao said on the phone, Li Yi also realized that this kidnapping was somewhat different from what he knew. In his previous life, the kidnappers had only demanded a ransom of 500 million Hong Kong dollars from the Li family, but in this life, it had risen to 1 billion.

Clearly, this had something to do with Li Yi.

If he hadn’t been there, the Li family would undoubtedly have suffered heavy losses in this stock market crash.

The kidnappers were also worried that the family wouldn’t be able to raise that much ransom money in a short time, so they had settled for 500 million.

But thanks to his warning, the Li family not only avoided losses this time but actually made a huge profit from the situation—prompting the kidnappers to immediately raise the ransom to 1 billion!

Based on this alone, Li Yi could conclude that the kidnappers must be the same ones from his past life—it was still a case of acquaintances committing the crime.

After all, not many people knew about the Li family’s massive windfall in the stock market this time. Li Futiao was well aware that this had made them many enemies, so he hadn’t publicized it at all.

Even media outlets and magazines that had sought to report on the matter had been warned by the Li family. Consequently, aside from the major wealthy clans, likely only those close to Li Yunbao were privy to any details.

Consequently, when Li Futiao asked him for help, Li Yi didn’t hesitate.

First, he instructed Li Futao to immediately prepare the 1 billion Hong Kong dollars in ransom as demanded by the kidnappers and wait for the exchange.

At the same time, to prevent the kidnappers from resorting to desperate measures and harming Li Yunbao, Li Yi told Li Futao not to call the police just yet.

In Li Yi’s words, “Let’s get him back first!”

As for the ransom and the kidnappers, he would handle them.

After finishing his conversation with Li Futiao, Li Yi immediately called Huang Lixing.

He instructed him to immediately dispatch personnel to Sha Tau Kok Pier to secretly investigate nearby fishing boats, looking for a large vessel that had recently been repainted, with a blue lower hull and a green upper hull, and loaded with large red barrels.

At the same time, he should find out how many people had been buying or selling fishing boats at Shatoujiao Pier recently and get a clear picture of the boats’ basic details.

Li Yi recalled that Li Yunbao had once told him that after being kidnapped by his friend’s father, he had been held captive on a fishing boat at Sha Tau Kok Pier.

It wasn’t until two days later, after his father had paid the ransom to the kidnappers, that he was abandoned in the waters off Hong Kong Island.

The kidnappers had given him only a rubber dinghy and a small amount of fresh water—they hadn’t even provided him with oars.

So, relying only on his hands, he paddled through the sea all night long, and it wasn’t until noon the next day that he was rescued by a passing fishing boat.

By then, the kidnappers had long since left Hong Kong Island on a yacht and were not found by the Li family in Siam until ten years later.

According to Li Yunbao, his most vivid memories from those days in captivity were the choking smell of paint on that fishing boat and the dark, damp conditions below deck. Those harsh conditions remain etched in his memory and frequently haunt his dreams.

Based on this, Li Yi could reasonably conclude that the kidnappers’ boat must have been an old vessel that had recently been repainted; otherwise, the smell wouldn’t have been so strong.

Based on these known details, combined with Huang Lixing’s connections, they should be able to locate the vessel soon.

Once they locate the vessel, they’ll be ready to rescue the hostage at any moment!

……..

The night passed without incident!

Early the next morning, Li Yi was awakened by the shrill ring of the phone.

Reaching for the phone on the nightstand, Li Yi asked immediately, “Who is this?”

“It’s me, Old Huang!”

“Why are you calling so early? Is there news about the boat?” Li Yi asked, yawning.

“Right. We did find the ship you mentioned, but not at Shatoujiao—it’s at a temporary dock in Sanjia Village!”

“Sanjia Village?”

“That’s right, and based on the leads we’ve gathered, it’s highly likely that Young Master Li is on that very ship!” Huang Lixing said.

“Oh, what clues?”

“According to our investigation, that boat was sold by a fisherman in Sha Tau Kok a week ago. The buyer was in a real hurry, so the fisherman jacked the price up to 530,000 Hong Kong dollars, and the buyer actually agreed to it. This caused quite a stir over in Sha Tau Kok.”

Huang Lixing continued, “After that, the boat was taken to a nearby shipyard for minor repairs and a fresh coat of paint—exactly the ‘blue bottom, green top’ scheme you mentioned, Brother Li Yi.”

“But when our people went to look for the boat, they couldn’t find any trace of it. Fortunately, just then, someone provided us with a very crucial piece of intelligence!”

“What kind of tip?”

“The source claimed they knew where the ship was. They also said they’d personally witnessed several people carrying a young man onto the ship the night before last in Kowloon Walled City…”

Before he could finish, Li Yi asked in a low voice, “Who exactly is this informant? How do they know all this in such detail?”

Huang Lixing smiled and said, “You know the person who provided the tip!”

“I know them? I don’t have the slightest recollection. Who is it, exactly?” Li Yi frowned.

“Do you remember that big bald guy who came to our company yesterday morning demanding protection money?”

“Him?”

“That’s right. According to the guy, after he went back yesterday, the boss of the Tiger Gang gave him a severe beating—he almost broke his leg. Feeling frustrated, he went to Kowloon Walled City to look for some fun.”

Huang Lixing continued, “As luck would have it, after he was done, he was about to head back when he spotted someone being tied up in a dark alley. Out of curiosity, he followed them.”

“So how did your men track him down? I remember that guy got beaten pretty badly yesterday. Why would he tell us such crucial information?” Li Yi asked.

“He came to us on his own. He’s part of the underworld too, and since our people usually get information on these matters from other underworld figures, there was no way he could keep it from us.”

Huang Lixing continued, “The kid has his own agenda. He’s hoping we’ll cut him some slack—and the Mighty Tigers—for the sake of this whole situation!”

Li Yi nodded and said, “If the information he provided is really useful, then letting them off the hook is only fair!”

“Hmm, right. Now that we’ve found the ship, what should we do next?” Huang Lixing asked.

“Keep a close watch on that ship. First, find out if Li Yunbao is on board, and at the same time, figure out how many people are on the ship and if they have any firearms!” Li Yi said.

“Got it!”

Huang Lixing then asked, “Should we notify Chairman Li?”

“Not for now. He’s already in a state of confusion; telling him would only make things worse!” Li Yi said.

“You’re right!”

At that moment, Li Yi spoke again: “Make sure those yachts of yours at the dock are fully fueled and the crews are on standby. The moment you spot that fishing boat making any move to head out to sea, follow it immediately!”

“Don’t worry, we’re ready at a moment’s notice!”

“Mm-hmm…”

With that, Li Yi hung up the phone!

However, just as Li Yi was about to freshen up and head to the office, the phone on his nightstand rang again…

……..

PS: This chapter has been a real nightmare. I had back-to-back meetings for three straight days. I finally got a break to write, but just as I hit 2,000 words, my computer crashed—losing all that work. I just got it back up and wrote another 1,000 words, only for the system to update itself and reboot automatically, wiping out another 1,000 words. Old Cang is completely fed up with this!

Li Yi, who was busy with the opening of his new company, had no idea that his high-profile behavior in Hong Kong had actually put his father-in-law in a bind.

At that moment, he was busy signing contracts with these Chinese business tycoons in Hong Kong!

Just moments ago, at the opening ceremony, Li Yi had officially announced the company’s first investment project—the Dahai Private Equity Fund!

After the ceremony, Li Futao formally proposed a partnership with Star City International Investment Company!

He announced with great fanfare that the Li family would contribute 500 million Hong Kong dollars to be managed by Star City International’s private equity fund, and formally signed Star City International Investment Company’s first VIP contract.

Immediately afterward, other Chinese business tycoons—including Li Mingji, Guo Desheng, and He Guangdong—also stepped forward, each committing substantial funds to be managed by Star City International, thereby publicly demonstrating their support for Li Yi’s company.

In less than two hours, Star International’s first project had attracted a massive 3.8 billion Hong Kong dollars in funding.

Combined with the over 2.5 billion Hong Kong dollars from Li Yi and Huang Lixing’s personal funds, Star International became the investment firm with the largest cash reserves on Hong Kong Island right from its launch.

The speed of this rise was truly staggering!

However, more than these figures, what the bigwigs in Hong Kong’s upper echelons were truly concerned about was how Li Yi would manage this massive sum of money moving forward.

After all, according to the contract they signed with Li Yi, not only were losses guaranteed to be covered, but more importantly, the funds were required to deliver a minimum annual return of 10%.

In other words, the 3.8 billion Hong Kong dollars raised by Dahai Private Equity Fund must generate 380 million Hong Kong dollars in returns for them after one year—regardless of whether the fund makes a profit or not.

For an investment firm, this is no small pressure!

Moreover, Li Yi had previously mentioned that he would be making his second investment very soon.

Suddenly, all eyes were on him; everyone wanted to see if this investment genius from the mainland would deliver another stunning performance with his second investment, just like the last time.

However, unexpectedly, the first news to emerge wasn’t about Li Yi making a move, but rather that the eldest son of the Li family had been kidnapped.

……..

Li Mansion. Study!

“Speak up. What exactly happened?”

When he learned of his son’s kidnapping, Li Futao had just returned from Yuanhua Tower. He had been in a good mood, but the moment he walked in, he was met with a shocking revelation—his son was missing.

Zhou Xinghua hurriedly replied, “When our men went to the young master’s residence, they found it empty. After questioning the security guards at the complex, we learned that shortly after returning home last night, the young master drove away alone and has not returned all night!”

“Our men immediately launched a citywide search for the young master, but we only found his car in a parking lot near Kowloon Walled City—we still haven’t found him…”

Before he could finish, Li Futiao frowned and asked, “Why would Yunbao go to Kowloon Walled City?”

It must be noted that Kowloon Walled City is currently the most chaotic place on the entire island of Hong Kong. Due to its unique administrative status, an increasing number of people have been flocking to the city, creating a mixed crowd of all sorts. Gradually, Kowloon Walled City has become a breeding ground for crime.

With no authority to govern and no legal constraints, opium dens, casinos, and other such establishments operated openly on the streets.

Many criminals even fled here to evade the police, and the entire Kowloon Walled City was filled with an atmosphere that was chaotic, dangerous, yet strangely alluring. With so many outlaws gathered here, the police dared not come to make arrests.

And that is precisely why the wealthy residents of Hong Kong Island generally never set foot there!

“I’m not entirely sure about that…”

Just as he spoke, the frantic voice of Old Feng, the butler, came from outside the study: “Sir, someone called the house saying they have the young master…”

Before he could finish, Li Futao and Zhou Xinghua rushed out the door!

“When did the call come in? What did the caller say?”

“It was just a moment ago. They said the young master is in their custody and demanded we prepare 1 billion Hong Kong dollars immediately, then wait for their call…”

“Smash!”

Li Fuzhao slammed the exquisite porcelain teacup in his hand violently onto the floor, shattering it into a thousand pieces.

“Find out who has the audacity to lay a hand on my son!”

His assistant, Zhou Xinghua, replied immediately, “We’ve already sent people to investigate, but the leads we have so far are very limited. It’ll likely be difficult to track down the kidnappers’ information in the short term. We should focus on figuring out what their demands are!”

Li Futiao furrowed his brow, then asked, “Xinghua, how much cash can we free up right now?”

“We were originally able to set aside 1.3 billion, but we just signed a contract with Mr. Li’s company. According to the terms, we have to transfer 500 million into their account within three days, so…”

Li Futiao paused briefly, then said, “Yunbao’s safety comes first. Get the money ready. I’ll speak to Li Yi personally about this!”

“Got it!”

“Also, contact the 14K and Sun Yee On. Have them help track down the people involved. We must ensure Yunbao’s safety at all costs!”

“Yes…”

After watching Zhou Xinghua leave, Li Futiao returned to his study, looking exhausted.

The kidnapping of his son had truly caught him off guard. He never would have imagined that, in this small corner of Hong Kong, there were people so reckless as to dare lay a hand on his son.

At the same time, he thought of Li Yi!

The man had warned him time and again, and each time he had spoken with absolute certainty, as if he knew something.

With that thought, Li Futiao immediately picked up the phone, intending to call Li Yi to ask about the situation.

But after picking up the receiver and dialing just three digits, he paused.

After a moment’s hesitation, Li Futiao hung up and immediately dialed a different number!

“Ring… ring… ring…”

The call was answered almost immediately: “Qinglong Society, who is this?”

“Mr. Huang, this is Li Futao!”

Upon hearing him identify himself, the person on the other end paused noticeably, then replied respectfully, “Mr. Li, this is Huang Lixing. Did you need me?”

“Mr. Huang, may I ask you a few questions?”

“Go ahead! I’ll tell you whatever I can!”

“Mr. Li Yi… does he… does he really know how to tell fortunes?”

“Mr. Li, has something happened to Young Master Li?” Huang Lixing asked cautiously.

Li Futao paused briefly, then gave a soft “Mm-hmm,” effectively acknowledging the matter.

Huang Lixing, on the other end of the line, fell silent as well.

After a long while, he finally said, “Mr. Li, to be honest, Brother Li Yi really can tell fortunes. He doesn’t speak lightly, but every time he does, it comes true!”

“Is that true?”

“Mm-hmm!”

Immediately, Huang Lixing began telling Li Futao the story of how Li Yi had saved their entire family last year.

After hearing what Huang Lixing had to say, Li Futiao was utterly shocked.

He didn’t doubt Huang Lixing’s words. On the one hand, Huang Lixing was already someone who didn’t quite measure up in Hong Kong Island; in the circles of the wealthy elite, he was practically invisible, so he likely wouldn’t dare to deceive him.

On the other hand, he had no reason to fabricate such a far-fetched story to deceive him, unless he wanted to ruin his standing in Hong Kong.

But that was clearly impossible!

After all, with Li Yi’s help, Huang Lixing’s net worth had skyrocketed, and his social standing had risen significantly. There was no reason for him to give up such a promising future at this very moment!

“Mr. Huang, do you think if I go to Mr. Li Yi now, he’ll be able to help Yunbao get through this crisis?” Li Fu asked.

“He can!” Huang Lixing replied with absolute certainty.

“Can he really do it?”

“Yeah, Brother Li Yi has actually been preparing for this all along. As long as he steps in, I don’t think there’ll be much of a problem!” Huang Lixing said.

“Alright, I understand. If Yunbao comes back safely this time, you’ll be a friend of the Li family from now on!”

With that, Li Futao hung up the phone immediately!

……….

Yangcheng. Provincial Party Committee Office!

Jiang Shiying was in the middle of a meeting with members of the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection when, just as the meeting began, a series of urgent knocks sounded from outside the conference room, interrupting Jiang Shiying mid-speech.

Before he could even react, two middle-aged men in their forties pushed open the door and walked in.

Then, under the stunned gazes of everyone present, they addressed Jiang Shiying: “Comrade Jiang Shiying, we’re here from Beijing. We have some urgent matters that need to be verified with you!”

As he spoke, one of them produced his identification!

Upon clearly seeing the man’s credentials, Jiang Shiying’s heart skipped a beat.

This scene was all too familiar to them; this was exactly how they usually phrased it when they invited someone in for a “cup of tea.”

Except today, it was comrades from the higher-level Discipline Inspection Commission inviting him for a “cup of tea”—and he was the one being “invited”!

“Right now?”

“Yes!”

Although he had no idea what was going on, Jiang Shiying nodded anyway!

He immediately instructed his deputy to continue presiding over the meeting, then stood up and strode out of the conference room.

As soon as he stepped out of the conference room, the two of them flanked him, one on each side.

Their stance made it clear they were afraid he might run away!

Soon, the three of them arrived downstairs, where a car had been waiting for them all along.

Jiang Shiying’s sudden removal caused an immediate uproar throughout the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection and left the vast majority of people stunned.

Although this top leader had only been at the helm of the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection for a short time—barely six months at most—everyone could see that he was a man of action.

In just this short time, he had led his team to take down quite a few people under immense pressure, including some corrupt officials with powerful backers.

In fact, just moments ago, they had been in a meeting discussing the investigation of a deputy head of a prefecture-level city!

Who would have thought that their own immediate superior would be taken away by comrades from a higher-level department? What on earth was going on?

For a moment, the entire Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection was gripped by panic…

In contrast, Jiang Shiying, the one who had been taken away, didn’t seem particularly alarmed.

For one thing, if the higher-ups truly had it in for him, the Jiang and Ye families would have noticed something amiss long ago—or, more likely, would have been targeted themselves.

But the fact was, just last night he had been on the phone with his wife and daughter, and had even chatted with his father, without noticing anything out of the ordinary.

More importantly, Jiang Shiying had complete confidence in his work record over the years; he hadn’t committed a single illegal or criminal act—his hands were clean.

Under these circumstances, he wasn’t afraid of an investigation.

So he surmised that perhaps someone else had gotten into trouble, and he might just be caught up in it.

But who exactly had gotten into trouble? And who was this person that had prompted the higher-ups to come looking for him with such urgency—even to the point of seeming reckless?

Was it Long Yin or Long Ze? Surely not that hothead Long Cheng?

Just as Jiang Shiying was deep in thought, the car pulled up in front of a guesthouse.

“Comrade Jiang Shiying, please get out of the car!”

Without hesitation, Jiang Shiying got out of the car, followed the two men into the guesthouse, and took the elevator all the way to the top floor.

They then led him all the way to the door of a room!

“Knock, knock, knock…”

After a few knocks, the door opened, and Kang Se-young was greeted by Director Zhou from the Supervision Office.

They had last seen each other at a meeting just last month; he never imagined that so soon after, they would meet under these circumstances.

“Comrade Jiang Shiying is here. Come in!”

Upon entering the room, Jiang Shiying realized it was a suite—the inner room was occupied, while the outer area served as a reception room.

Besides Director Zhou, there were two men and one woman in the room—all middle-aged people in their thirties or forties.

However, Jiang Shiying had never seen these people before and didn’t know if they were from the higher-level inspection department.

Seeing no interrogation equipment or restraints put her mind at ease.

It wasn’t that only criminals were subject to interrogation or handcuffing; when the Commission for Discipline Inspection conducted interviews, if they believed the interviewee was a major suspect and posed a risk of suicide, they would sometimes take such measures.

But clearly, these people weren’t treating him that way!

Just then, Director Zhou spoke up: “Comrade Jiang Shiying, on behalf of the organization, we need to ask you a few questions. We hope you will cooperate!”

Jiang Shiying nodded and said, “Director Zhou, I am fully aware of the procedures and discipline. Please ask me directly whatever you need to know; I will certainly speak openly and honestly about everything!”

In truth, he was also curious to know exactly what had happened and who was involved that had prompted officials from the higher-level discipline inspection and supervision department to come looking for him.

Moreover, the fact that they had dispatched someone of Director Zhou’s rank clearly demonstrated the seriousness with which they viewed the matter.

Director Zhou glanced at the people standing beside him, then took out a photograph and placed it in front of Jiang Shiying.

“Comrade Jiang Shiying, do you recognize the person in this photo?”

With a hint of curiosity, Jiang Shiying picked up the photo and examined it closely.

The photo wasn’t very clear, but he recognized him at a glance—the man in the picture was none other than his son-in-law, Li Yi.

Instantly, a sense of foreboding welled up inside him.

Could it be that this good-for-nothing had gotten himself into some kind of trouble and caught the attention of the higher-ups?

“I know him. His name is Li Yi!”

“What’s your relationship with him?”

“He’s my son-in-law; my daughter is his wife!” Jiang Shiying said.

“Then do you know where he is right now?”

“Barring any surprises, he should be on Hong Kong Island!”

“So you knew Li Yi was going to Hong Kong Island?”

“Yes, I do. He came to see me here before heading to Hong Kong Island, and he even stayed with me for two days!” Jiang Shiying replied truthfully.

“Do you know why he went to Hong Kong Island?”

“He didn’t go into detail about that. He just said he was going over there to take care of some business and see if there were any investment opportunities!”

Jiang Shiying then asked again, “Did that good-for-nothing dxmbang get himself into some trouble over there? If so, and if it involves me personally, I’m willing to take full responsibility!”

Director Zhou fell silent at that moment, then turned his gaze to the lean, capable middle-aged man standing beside him.

The other person cleared his throat and said, “Comrade Shiying, so Li Yi did mention to you that he planned to invest in Hong Kong Island?”

“Yes, he did!”

“What did you think at the time?”

“I…”

Jiang Shiying thought carefully for a moment, then said, “I didn’t think much of it. That rascal has a natural knack for business. I figured as long as he wasn’t breaking the law, there was no need to stop him!”

“Then do you know that he made nearly 4 billion Hong Kong dollars in less than 25 days on Hong Kong Island?”

“How much?”

Jiang Shiying stared at the other man in shock, thinking he must have misheard!

“4 billion Hong Kong dollars!”

“That’s impossible. How did he do it… He didn’t use any shady methods, did he?”

Jiang Shiying’s voice trembled slightly. He simply couldn’t imagine any way to make that much money in such a short time other than through illegal means!

“Not at all. According to the information we have so far, he made his money on the stock market—completely legally. It’s just that his investment methods are a bit baffling!”

Hearing the word “legal,” Jiang Shiying finally breathed a slight sigh of relief.

But the figure of 4 billion still left his head spinning…

It took a while for Jiang Shiying to calm down. Then he said, “So, you called me here today because of my son-in-law?”

“Yes. According to our investigations, your son-in-law has been on a rampage in Hong Kong, practically sweeping the entire Hong Kong stock market. Not only has he amassed billions in profits, but his identity has also sparked speculation among Hong Kong’s elite circles and even the British Hong Kong government, causing a massive uproar on the island!”

As he spoke, the man produced another stack of “documents” and pushed them toward Jiang Shiying!

Picking up these so-called documents, Jiang Shiying saw that they were all photographs, apparently cut directly from newspapers.

They depicted not only Li Yi being escorted by a entourage of black-clad bodyguards, but also scenes of him chatting and laughing with Hong Kong’s tycoons, and even images of him surrounded by numerous beautiful women!

Bodyguards, mansions, beautiful women—all of this made Jiang Shiying’s brows furrow deeply…

………

As soon as they reached the door, Li Yi saw more than a dozen young men dressed in a rowdy, thuggish manner, carrying over a dozen large flower baskets and standing in the company’s office area.

Upon seeing Li Yi and his group, the leader—a bald man with a cigarette hanging from his lips—spoke up: “Which one of you is the boss?”

“Me,” Li Yi replied coolly.

“The boss’s company has opened, and we from the Flying Tigers Gang have come to offer our congratulations. We wish the boss a steady flow of wealth and great prosperity!”

The bald man then pointed to the flower baskets behind him and said, “Twelve baskets—you should know the rules!”

Li Yi gave a cold smile. These guys had actually come to collect protection money from him and Huang Lixing—how interesting.

On Hong Kong Island, whether it’s a company or a small shop opening, whenever a gang sends a flower basket, it carries a deeper meaning.

It meant that from now on, they were under the gang’s protection—and if anything went wrong, the gang would take care of it!

Of course, nothing in life comes for free. If they help you out when trouble arises, you’ll have to pay tribute to the gang in return.

As for how much protection money you pay, that depends on how many flower baskets they send.

The going rate is basically 10,000 Hong Kong dollars per flower basket; the more they send, the more you pay.

Clearly, these thugs had already sent people to check out their company. Knowing it had a large staff and was likely a substantial operation, they sent them 12 flower baskets all at once.

In other words, from now on, their company would have to pay 120,000 Hong Kong dollars in protection money to this so-called Flying Tigers Gang every month just to stay out of trouble.

That comes to 1.2 million Hong Kong dollars a year—a truly exorbitant demand.

But these guys clearly hadn’t done their homework—Huang Lixing also held a stake in the company.

Although the Blue Dragon Society couldn’t hold a candle to the four major triad groups—14K, Sun Yee On, Wo Sing Wo, and Yee Kwan—it was by no means a weak force among the second-tier gangs.

As long as it’s not one of those four major gangs, they should be able to handle it.

So, barring any surprises, these bastards are in for a world of trouble!

Sure enough, the moment the thought crossed Li Yi’s mind, Huang Lixing strode right up to the bald guy!

Then, he suddenly slapped him across the face…

“Smack!”

After the loud crack, a bright red handprint appeared on the bald man’s face, and his right cheek swelled up instantly.

“Damn it, that bastard Fat Cat’s gotten some nerve—he’s actually come after me for protection money!”

The bald thug was about to fly into a rage, but when he heard Huang Lixing call their boss “Fat Cat” by name, he instantly realized this man was no ordinary guy.

Soon, the bald-headed man recognized Tie Ying and Ah Bin standing behind Huang Lixing, and instantly figured out Huang Lixing’s identity.

Realizing he’d actually provoked the boss of Wan Chai Pier, the Bald-headed Man was so terrified he nearly wet himself!

Just as the bald-headed man was about to back down, something even more terrifying happened.

A sharp electronic “ding” sounded, and immediately afterward, the elevator on the side suddenly opened. Seven or eight bodyguards then emerged, flanking a man and a woman.

The Bald-headed Man recognized them immediately: the man in the center, heavily guarded, was none other than the Chinese business tycoon Li Futiao, and the young woman beside him was his daughter, Li Yunling.

More importantly, one of the bodyguards by Li Fuzhao’s side was actually holding a large decorative piece—a white jade toad holding a copper coin in its mouth!

On Hong Kong Island, only very close friends would present feng shui ornaments at a grand opening.

After all, if an ordinary person gave such a thing, no one would dare to display it!

After Li Futiao arrived and was about to congratulate Li Yi, he quickly sensed something was wrong and immediately asked, “Brother Li Yi, what on earth is going on here?”

“Some troublemakers came by looking for a fight!”

Li Futiao glanced at the dozen or so flower baskets by the door and immediately understood what was going on.

He furrowed his brow and asked the few henchmen in a deep voice, “Who do you work for?”

“Mr… Mr. Li, we’re from the European Flying Tigers Gang!” the bald man stammered.

He was kicking himself now—what kind of monster had he provoked? The Blue Dragon Society at Wan Chai Pier was one thing, but for them to have ties to the Li family? This was a recipe for disaster!

“Where did this Flying Tiger Gang come from? How dare they come here and cause trouble? I don’t think they have a right to exist!” Li Futao said coldly.

Hearing this, the bald man immediately dropped to his knees and pleaded, “Mr. Li, please spare us! Otherwise, our boss will really have me thrown into the sea… I beg you…”

Li Yi didn’t want to see blood on the day his company opened—it would be bad luck—so he said immediately, “Old Li, let’s deal with this later!”

Li Futao understood exactly what Li Yi meant. He immediately turned to the bald man and said, “Get your men out of here right now, and have your boss come here personally to apologize to my brother!”

“Yes, yes, yes… Thank you, Mr. Li. Thank you, boss…”

After saying that, the bald-headed man immediately took his gang of henchmen and left, and all the flower baskets were cleared away without a trace.

After this little incident, Li Yi invited Li Futiao into the company!

As soon as he walked in, Li Futiao smiled and said, “You’re a big boss worth billions, after all. I won’t even mention getting a whole building for your office—finding such a small place is really a bit shabby!”

“Haha, it’s just a temporary stopgap—no rush!” Li Yi replied with a smile.

“I have an unused property over on Paoma Road. It’s plenty big…”

Before Li Futiao could finish, Li Yi cut him off: “No need for now. I’ll ask you when the time comes!”

The hardest debt to repay in this world is a favor. Unless absolutely necessary, Li Yi didn’t want to owe anyone anything.

“Alright!”

Just then, Li Yunling, who was standing nearby, suddenly asked, “Mr. Li, where’s my brother? Did he go out?”

“Your brother isn’t here today!”

“How could that be? My brother told me last night that he had to come in early today. He said that with the grand opening, he’d definitely be extra busy with legal matters!”

Hearing this, Li Yi’s heart suddenly skipped a beat!

He immediately turned to Li Futiao and said, “Old Li, contact Young Master Li right away. I have a feeling that his fortune-telling prediction is about to come true!”

Li Futiao was taken aback at first, then immediately recalled that Li Yi had previously cast a divination for his son.

Although he didn’t entirely believe Li Yi’s words, since his son’s safety was at stake, he still called over a bodyguard and ordered him to go check on his son’s residence immediately.

However, he wasn’t actually worried. After all, his men had personally escorted his son back to his residence yesterday, so logically, nothing could have gone wrong.

The reason he hadn’t shown up was most likely because he’d stayed out late last night and overslept!

No sooner had he finished speaking than he saw bigwigs like Li Mingji, He Guangdong, and Guo Desheng arriving one after another…

It wasn’t even nine o’clock yet, but the bigwigs who had come to celebrate the opening of Star Investment had already packed the company to the brim—there wasn’t even room to stand.

Outside the company entrance, aside from the bigwigs’ bodyguards, there were flower arrangements and various congratulatory gifts brought by the crowd.

Such a grand display truly made the small companies nearby green with envy!

At the same time, everyone was quietly speculating about the background of this newly opened company—after all, nearly all the major Chinese business tycoons on Hong Kong Island had turned out.

Even British-owned institutions like Hang Seng Bank, HSBC, and Standard Chartered had sent representatives.

Looking across the entire island, only the Four Great Families likely possess such influence!

Finally, at 9:30, the company’s opening ceremony began!

However, what Li Yi didn’t know was that while he was busy with the company’s opening here, his father-in-law was in big trouble!

The next morning!

As a shrill alarm rang out, Li Yi, who seemed almost embedded in the soft, luxurious bed, slowly opened his eyes.

He casually turned off the alarm and climbed out of bed!

Since today was the grand opening of his new company, Li Yi had set the alarm on purpose!

In fact, to avoid letting alcohol interfere with his duties, he hadn’t touched a drop of alcohol even at such an important event last night.

After all, the grand opening of the new company was a major event—there was no room for carelessness!

After a quick wash, Li Yi slipped into a newly purchased suit and strode downstairs!

In the living room on the first floor, Huang Lixing, Lan Xinyi, and the others had already gathered.

Everyone was chatting casually, but their eyes kept glancing upstairs.

Hearing the sound of footsteps coming from upstairs, the crowd immediately fell silent.

When Li Yi came downstairs, they all stood up, showing him the utmost respect.

Just last night’s banquet alone had made everyone realize just how formidable Li Yi’s influence was.

Not to mention that he had not only managed to invite so many bigwigs from prominent families to support him, but also dared to openly confront the Governor’s Office right in front of everyone—displaying an overwhelming display of power.

Such a man left a profound impression on everyone—whether it was Lan Xinyi and her group or the other guests who attended last night’s banquet!

“Everyone’s here. Let’s go!”

At Li Yi’s command, the group immediately left Cloud Peak No. 1 and headed straight for the city center!

By the time they finished breakfast and arrived at Star Investment, it was nearly eight o’clock.

By then, all 50 of the previously recruited employees had arrived.

Everyone was either cleaning the office or sitting at their desks reading—neither chaotic nor rowdy!

Seeing this, Li Yi was quite satisfied!

He had handpicked each of these people, and their quality was quite good.

Even though the company hadn’t assigned them to departments or given them tasks yet, they hadn’t turned into a aimless flock!

Of course, it could also be that they had just started work—some hadn’t even had time to sign their contracts yet—so they were still keeping a low profile.

But in any case, at least for now, they’re doing quite well.

Upon entering the office, Li Yi clapped his hands and said, “Everyone, assemble in the conference room for a meeting!”

Since the company was officially set to open at 9:30, Li Yi decided to finalize the organizational structure beforehand.

Actually, he had already finalized this earlier; all that remained was to announce the personnel appointments, and the rest would be left to the department managers to handle!

Hearing Li Yi’s order, everyone immediately sprang into action, rising from their seats and heading toward the conference room next door.

Although it was only a temporary office space, it had everything they needed, including a conference room.

However, due to limited space, the room felt a bit cramped—it was less than 30 square meters in total.

With over sixty people pouring in at once, most of them—except for a few—had no choice but to stand around the perimeter of the conference table. In an instant, the once-spacious room turned into a sardine can.

Fortunately, this kind of situation was all too common on Hong Kong Island, so everyone was used to it.

After Li Yi took his seat at the head of the table, he immediately turned to Lan Xinyi and said, “Take roll call and see if everyone’s here.”

“Yes, boss!”

Lan Xinyi quickly finished taking attendance and reported, “Boss, everyone is here except for Attorney Li from Legal Affairs!”

Upon hearing that Li Yunbao hadn’t shown up, Li Yi frowned briefly but quickly composed himself.

“Never mind him. Let’s start the meeting!”

“Alright!”

Li Yi looked around the room and said, “First, welcome everyone to Star International Investment. Since you’re all already familiar with the company’s situation, I won’t go into detail. I’ve gathered you here today primarily for two reasons!”

“The first is to announce the company’s personnel appointments. In addition to me serving as General Manager, Mr. Huang Lixing will serve as Deputy General Manager. Please give him a warm round of applause!”

“Clap, clap, clap…”

Huang Lixing immediately stood up, first bowing formally to the crowd, and then said, “My position as Deputy General Manager is merely a title. You should primarily follow Mr. Li’s instructions!”

After a round of enthusiastic applause, Li Yi continued, “As a startup, the company currently has only five departments. Next, I’ll announce the heads of each department!”

Hearing this, everyone present grew a little nervous.

Through their interactions over the past few days, these employees had gained some understanding of the company.

As far as they knew, the company had only recently been established, and aside from the few people close to the boss, Li Yi, the rest were all new hires.

As such, theoretically, any one of them could become part of the company’s management.

What they didn’t know, however, was that Li Yi had already largely finalized the company’s management team during the hiring process; he was now simply here to announce the appointments.

“Miss Lan Xinyi is appointed Head of the Investment Management Department, and Cai Bingyan is appointed Deputy Head!”

“Ms. Lan Xinming is appointed Head of the Administrative Department, and Ms. Lin Xueyi is appointed Deputy Head!”

“Appoint Ding Can as Director of the General Affairs Office!”

“Ms. Zhao Xinlan is appointed Head of the Finance Department, and Mr. He Tiansheng is appointed Deputy Head!”

“Appoint Li Yunbao as Head of the Legal Department… These are the heads of the company’s various departments. Please give them a warm round of applause!”

Instantly, the office erupted in enthusiastic applause once more.

After the applause died down, Li Yi spoke again: “Next, I will assign tasks to each department: Li Yi from the Administration Department will assign all employees to departments based on their professional backgrounds and strengths, and will have all employees sign employment contracts, non-disclosure agreements, and non-compete agreements!”

“At the same time, you must identify which positions are still vacant and conduct a second round of hiring as soon as possible!”

“Yes, sir!”

“The General Affairs Office’s next task is to prepare for the grand opening ceremony in one hour. We’re sure to have visiting companies coming to celebrate, so you’ll be responsible for hosting them!”

“Yes, sir!”

“As for the Investment Management Department, your task is to assist me in hosting the many people who will be coming to discuss partnerships shortly!”

Li Yi then pulled out a private equity fund partnership agreement and said, “Use this template to draft 30 VIP contracts immediately—we’ll need them shortly!”

“Yes!”

“Finance Department, you are to accompany Vice President Huang to Hang Seng Bank immediately to open the company’s corporate account!”

“Yes, sir!”

Li Yi then turned to Huang Lixing again and said, “Old Huang, once the company’s corporate account is opened, transfer all the funds currently held at Hang Lung Bank and allocate them proportionally into the company account!”

“Got it!”

After giving these instructions, Li Yi stood up and said, “Everyone, although our company is new, it has substantial resources. As the company’s first employees, you will become its founding members in the future, with a bright future ahead…”

However, just as Li Yi was about to deliver some motivational words to his employees, a defiant voice rang out from outside: “Where is everyone? Have they all died?”

The sudden outburst cut Li Yi off mid-sentence.

Immediately afterward, an employee standing near the door said nervously, “Boss, it looks like the gang’s here!”

Hearing this, Li Yi froze for a moment, then led everyone out of the conference room…

…….

Second Floor. Reception Room!

The group of Hong Kong bigwigs in the room had originally intended to invest in Li Yi’s company, hoping to use that as a way to connect with Li Yi and the “forces” behind him.

They were all somewhat disappointed after being turned down, but they didn’t expect Li Yi to shift the conversation and offer them a glimmer of hope.

“Mr. Li, I’m not sure what kind of partnership you’re referring to,” Li Mingji asked first.

Li Yi smiled and said, “I’m sure you’ve all heard of private equity funds. My investment firm specializes in this very field. If you’re interested, you can entrust a portion of your funds to our company for management!”

The private equity funds were, of course, no strangers to those present, and upon hearing that this was the nature of the collaboration Li Yi had mentioned, they were somewhat disappointed.

After all, the typical annual return on private equity funds isn’t particularly high; even 20% is considered remarkable. Just think of that “stock god” from Zaiying—his annual return on investment is only around 28%.

More importantly, private equity funds require management fees, typically 5% of the total assets under management.

To be honest, this held absolutely no appeal for the people gathered here!

For a moment, the room fell silent!

It was Li Futiao who stepped in to break the ice, smiling as he said, “Brother Li Yi’s company is launching, and the Li family is the first to support it. Tomorrow, I’ll have our finance department transfer 50 million Hong Kong dollars to your private equity fund!”

The others quickly caught on and immediately chimed in, “Hongji Real Estate is willing to contribute 10 million Hong Kong dollars for Mr. Li to manage on our behalf!”

“Our Ho family is willing to contribute 20 million…”

However, Li Yi raised his hand and said calmly, “Ladies and gentlemen, I am personally very grateful for your support. But business is business. I would still ask you all to listen to the rules of our Star International before deciding whether to invest and let us manage your funds!”

“Brother Li Yi, are your company’s rules different from others’?” Li Futao asked with interest.

“They are indeed quite different!”

As he spoke, Li Yi motioned to Li Yunbao standing nearby. Amidst the stunned gazes of the crowd, the young master immediately handed the documents in his hands over to Li Yi.

This move took everyone present by surprise—after all, everyone knew exactly what kind of temper the young master had.

He’s a real hothead—prone to outbursts and impossible to please!

No one could have imagined he’d be so obedient—it was truly unbelievable!

Li Yi paid no heed to what others were thinking. After taking the document from Li Yunbao, he immediately opened the section outlining the rights and obligations of both parties and placed it directly on the small round table in front of everyone.

Then, speaking clearly and distinctly, he said, “Ladies and gentlemen, the policy at Star Investment is that regardless of the amount of funds you manage on our behalf, we charge a flat 5% management fee annually. However, we also guarantee that the annual return on the funds will not fall below 10%. If it does, our company will make up the difference…”

Before he had even finished speaking, the representative of the Guo family interjected, “Isn’t that how other private equity funds operate in the market? What makes this any different?”

Upon reflection, the crowd realized this was indeed the case. Some funds set higher management fees and guaranteed returns, while others set them lower, but overall, the differences were minimal.

“Please bear with me a moment and let me explain. The biggest difference between us and other investment firms is that our performance fee is high—50% of the fund’s return!”

Upon hearing this, the bigwigs present all furrowed their brows.

It’s standard practice in the industry for private equity fund managers to take a cut of the returns, but the standard commission rate is typically kept below 20%.

Li Yi’s opening offer of 50% made him seem like a complete outsider—or, at the very least, someone who lacked respect for these wealthy Hong Kong Island elites…

However, before they could speak, Li Yi’s voice rang out again: “Of course, there’s a reason for the high commission—our company guarantees to cover any losses!”

“Whoosh!”

Li Yi’s words were like dropping a depth charge into a calm lake, leaving everyone wondering if they’d heard him wrong!

Loss coverage—is there really such a risk-free investment option on the market?

After all, by the very nature of private equity funds, capital is not guaranteed, and losses are quite normal.

And by regulation, investment losses—whether in stocks or funds—are borne by the investors themselves. No institution would promise investors guaranteed profits, let alone guarantee compensation for losses.

“Mr. Li, are you serious about this ‘full compensation for losses’?” Li Mingji asked in a deep voice.

“Of course I’m serious—this will be explicitly stated in the contract!”

Saying this, Li Yi pointed to the contract template on the table.

“What percentage will you cover?” Li Mingji asked again.

“100% compensation. As long as I can afford it, I’ll cover the full amount of all losses—but…”

A shift in tone often signaled a key point, and for a moment, everyone’s attention turned back to Li Yi.

Li Yi didn’t keep them in suspense and continued, “However, I’ll only issue a limited number of these loss-coverage contracts tomorrow when we open—no more than 30 copies—and priority will be given to everyone here.”

“Furthermore, the contracts are valid for a maximum of five years. After five years, these contracts will terminate, and we will never issue them again!”

Although the promotional impact of such contracts was obvious, Li Yi knew that they violated standard business practices. It was acceptable to do this once in a while, but it couldn’t be sustained over the long term.

Otherwise, it would not only deal a devastating blow to the entire market but also have adverse consequences for him personally.

It’s not hard to understand why. After all, doing this would funnel the majority of capital into the companies he controls—how could other investment firms survive?

If they can’t survive, they’ll certainly find a way to take you down!

Li Futiao said with a slightly serious expression, “Brother Li Yi, you’d better think this through. This is a 100% loss guarantee—it means your company is shouldering all the investment risks alone!”

“I’m well aware of that, which is precisely why I dared to propose a 50% profit split!” Li Yi replied.

“Mr. Li, is there a cap on your company’s investment amount?” asked He Guangdong.

“There’s no upper limit, but the indemnity contract has a minimum investment requirement—each contract must be no less than 100 million Hong Kong dollars!”

“Whoa!”

At those words, everyone present couldn’t help but gasp.

Although 100 million wasn’t a huge sum for people like them, it was by no means a small amount—after all, most of them hadn’t yet reached a net worth of 10 billion.

More importantly, investing in private equity funds requires cash—and net worth is not the same as cash.

Take Huang Lixing, for example: despite a net worth of three or four hundred million Hong Kong dollars, he could ultimately only scrape together 37 million Hong Kong dollars.

On top of that, the recent stock market crash had left the vast majority of them with heavy losses; there were likely only a handful of people on the entire island of Hong Kong who could actually put up 100 million Hong Kong dollars for investment.

However, the terms Li Yi offered were indeed tempting: an annual return of no less than 10%, with Li Yi personally covering the shortfall if that target wasn’t met. Moreover, he promised to fully compensate for any losses—it was a surefire win!

Just as everyone was deep in thought, Li Yi spoke again: “That’s the gist of the investment partnership. Please take some time to consider it carefully once you return!”

“If you’re interested in partnering, please come to Star International Investment on the 17th floor of Yuanhua Tower tomorrow morning. I’ll be there waiting for you!”

“As for now, let’s head downstairs and have some fun with the rest of the group!”

Hearing Li Yi’s words, everyone rose to their feet and headed downstairs…

……….