Chapter 800
Large intestine wrapped in small intestine, one set after another!
After returning to Shenzhen, Lu Yang's life returned to normalcy, and he devoted himself to spending time with his family. The afternoon sun shone through the layers of green leaves, casting dappled shadows on the meticulously manicured lawn. The air was filled with the fragrance of grass and trees and the lazy atmosphere of late spring and early summer.
Lu Yang's tall figure was bending down, with a rare, almost childlike smile on his face, his eyes covered by a pink children's scarf.
"Daddy! Daddy! You can't find me!"
A clear, bell-like voice, like that of a little girl, rang out from behind a rose bush not far away, filled with barely concealed excitement and mischief.
"Shh... Xin'er, hide well, Daddy's coming to catch you right away!" Lu Yang deliberately slowed down, spread his arms, and groped his way forward, making a rustling sound under his feet, which made the little figure behind the flower bushes giggle.
At this moment, the bloodshed and carnage of the port city, and the muddy ruins of southern Jiangxi, seemed to be temporarily dispelled by the warm sunshine in the garden and the laughter of the daughter.
He was just an awkward father who cherished the peace he had before him.
Just as he was about to "touch" the edge of the flower bushes, his personal cell phone in his pocket suddenly vibrated violently, the buzzing sound breaking the rhythm of the game.
Lu Yang paused, his brows furrowing almost imperceptibly.
Not many people know this number, and it wouldn't be called at this time unless it's something important and urgent.
"Xin'er, be good. Daddy's taking this call and I'll be right back."
He pulled off the blindfold, gently reassured the flower bushes, then walked to a tall banyan tree and pressed the answer button.
"Hey, Dajun?" Lu Yang's voice returned to its usual calm, with a hint of sharpness that was barely perceptible.
The voice on the other end of the phone was Dajun's distinctive, slightly accented, and straightforward military tone. It was quite loud and could be heard clearly even in the garden: "It's me! Are you at home in Pengcheng? I hope I'm not disturbing you?"
"Get to the point." Lu Yang said succinctly, his gaze sweeping over the flower bushes to make sure his daughter was still obediently hiding.
"Yangzi, something's not right here!" Dajun's tone turned serious, and he lowered his voice. "You asked me to keep an eye on that ten million yuan special fund, and I haven't dared to relax these past few days. I've been running to the Education Bureau and the Finance Bureau every day. As you instructed, every expenditure must have details and supporting documentation, and it must be used wisely..."
But… those bastards are really underhanded!
Lu Yang's eyes turned slightly cold: "Specifics."
“They pulled several tricks!” Dajun spoke faster, his voice filled with indignation. “First… the first batch of school reconstruction lists they handed over included several schools that were close to the city and had convenient transportation. These schools were not the most severely affected by the disaster. The list didn’t even mention the dilapidated schools in remote mountainous areas that really needed reconstruction.”
Damn it, I just slapped it back.
Make them resubmit their reports, according to the severity of the disaster and the degree of danger to the school buildings.
Their faces...tsk tsk...and their material procurement quotes were outrageously high, 20-30% above market price. Wasn't it obvious they were trying to skim off the top? I asked them to get quotes from at least three suppliers, and they started making excuses, saying things like "time is tight and the task is heavy..."
Da Jun paused, his voice tinged with confusion and a barely perceptible hint of defensiveness: "Boss, but Commissioner Du... Leader Du is really great, beautiful inside and out. She takes this matter quite seriously and personally oversaw the list and budget."
On two separate occasions, I happened to be there when I went to run errands and happened to witness her getting angry, scolding her subordinates for their incompetence and ulterior motives.
She even spoke with me specifically to express her gratitude for our donation and promised to make good use of the money.
Um... she... she seemed to take good care of me, probably because she knew I was sent by you? She even asked about you... but I didn't say much, just that you were very kind.
Yangzi, Commissioner Du helped us a lot before. She's a great benefactor in our startup. You've made the right choice by donating your money here. To be honest, did you consider Commissioner Du's influence?
Want to make her look good?
"But her subordinates, sigh, they're not easy to deal with..."
Lu Yang's fingers tightened slightly as he looked at the stubborn, frail figure in the mud beside the ruins of southern Jiangxi.
Dajun was too straightforward and didn't think too deeply about it, simply regarding it as a normal act of gratitude.
But to him, this "care" felt like tiny needles pricking his heart, carrying an indescribable bitterness and a heavy sense of longing.
"Hmm." He could only respond to Dajun's guess with a single syllable, then quickly suppressed his surging emotions and asked coldly, "Anything else? You said the situation is delicate?"
"That's right!" Dajun was immediately brought back to the main topic, and his tone became excited again. "It's because I stopped them from doing these little tricks that there's a lot of resentment down below!"
I've heard a lot of rumors, like "It's free money from out-of-town bosses, why not take it?" and "What does a bodyguard know about engineering? Why is she meddling?" There are even worse rumors, saying that Commissioner Du... well, that she's "turning her back on us," using our money to "buy people's hearts" and "establish her authority." Some people are even hinting that she's going to... well, anyway, it's not good stuff!
Yangzi, I, Dajun, am a rough man, but I'm not stupid. These local bullies are eyeing this money! They're trying every means to get a piece of it!
Although Commissioner Du holds a high position, he has only been here for a little over a year. Even a powerful dragon can't suppress a local snake!
Many people below are outwardly compliant but inwardly defiant, and don't really listen to orders.
This is truly a case of 'bad people come from poor and remote places'!
Yangzi, what do you suggest we do now?
These people are so despicable! Should I... should I just confront them directly? Throw the evidence in their faces? Or... make a bigger scene?
Dajun's last sentence carried a hint of ruthlessness and a desire for instructions, but it also revealed his concerns that if he handled things strictly by official procedures and made a big fuss, it would affect Du Lingling's future.
Without the slightest hesitation, Lu Yang's voice was cold and hard, carrying an undeniable killing intent: "Listen, army."
You should remember what I said before.
This money is for building school buildings that can withstand wind and rain for the children!
Anyone who dares to reach in and try to take this money, no matter who they are or how powerful their background is, you'd better strip them naked!
Collect all the evidence, expose everything that needs to be exposed, don't hold back for anyone! Do what needs to be done! If things get out of hand, I'll take the blame!
"As for Commissioner Du..." Lu Yang's voice paused, as if a thousand words were stuck in his throat, but in the end, they all turned into a resolute guarantee, which was not only addressed to Dajun, but also seemed to be a promise to that figure thousands of miles away, "You don't need to worry about her. She has her own methods, and her position is what it is. Even if someone tries to take advantage of this and cause trouble, it won't affect her foundation or future. You just need to focus on doing what you're supposed to do and keep a close eye on every penny!"
"Understood!" Dajun's voice immediately filled with confidence. "With Yangzi's words, I know what to do! Don't worry, I will make sure that every penny of this money is used to build a solid teaching building!"
"Okay, take care of yourself, and contact me anytime if anything happens," Lu Yang said before hanging up the phone.
He put his phone back in his pocket, stood still, and looked into the distance, his gaze seemingly piercing through space and landing under the gray sky of southern Jiangxi.
Du Lingling's stubborn profile, her figure in the mud, and the promise of "...to go to a place where no one knows her, and then the two of them will have a child together" clearly surfaced in my mind.
A four-year term... to complete this term... Will she... still remember this agreement?
Will they still be willing to comply?
Lu Yang had no answer in his heart, only a heavy fog.
He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his turbulent thoughts, and put on a gentle smile again. He turned and walked towards the flower bushes: "Xin'er, Daddy's here! Are you hiding well?"
At the same time, in Hong Kong, on Victoria Peak, at the Lee Family Estate in Repulse Bay.
In stark contrast to the warm sunshine and childlike fun of Pengcheng Garden, the atmosphere here is so oppressive it's almost oppressive.
Outside the huge floor-to-ceiling windows is a magnificent yet gloomy seascape, with the waves of the Pacific Ocean seemingly carrying a restless atmosphere as they constantly crash against the reefs below.
Inside the study, the expensive mahogany furniture and antique furnishings exuded a cold luster.
Li Zekai irritably loosened his tie and slammed a copy of the Financial Daily onto the large rosewood desk. The papers scattered, and the headline on the front page was: "Yingke's takeover bid effect fades, Lianxiang Technology (0992.HK) stock price stagnates, and market sentiment is cautious."
"What the hell is going on?! What the hell is going on?!" Li Zekai's low roar echoed in the empty study. He paced back and forth like a trapped beast, his expensive Italian handmade leather shoes making a dull sound on the thick carpet.
He stopped abruptly, grabbed the crystal whiskey glass on the table, and took a big gulp. The amber liquid couldn't extinguish the raging fire in his heart.
"Second Young Master, calm down," Uncle Zhong, the old butler sitting on the sofa, advised in a low voice. He was an old man who had watched Li Zekai grow up.
“Calm down? How can I calm down!” Li Zekai pointed at the newspaper, his fingers turning slightly white from the pressure. “Look! Soros and his pack of wolves have been on the run for almost a month! How much has the Hang Seng Index rebounded? Cheung Kong, Hutchison Whampoa, and New World Development under the Cheng family—aren’t they all showing impressive gains? Even some junk stocks are getting a piece of the action! Why? Why is Lianxiang’s stock price stuck like a nail?! HK$20… HK$21… HK$20.5… HK$20.3… just hovering around these few cents! How many days has this been? It’s like constipation!”
He grew increasingly agitated, downing the remaining wine in his glass in one gulp and slamming it heavily on the table: "It makes no sense! Absolutely no sense! Lianxiang is the largest computer company in mainland China! Its profitability is undeniable! Now that the worst of the financial crisis is over, backed by the huge mainland market, it should be the fastest-recovering tech stock leader! What's more... what's more, there's me, Li Zekai! I've poured real money into PCCW Digital, buying over 5%, and even issued a takeover announcement! I personally endorse it! Is this market blind? Or have they all lost their minds? Why isn't anyone following suit? Why can't the stock price go up?!"
He scratched his meticulously styled hair in frustration, staring glaringly at the surging waves outside the window.
A deeper, more unsettling thought, one he didn't want to dwell on, crept in like a venomous snake: "Could it be... that mainland guy is behind this? That shouldn't be... he raised his stake to 5%! According to Hong Kong Stock Exchange rules, within six months of raising a stake, would he dare to sell off a large portion? Would he dare sell below 5%? Unless he wants to be fined into bankruptcy and sued by Lianxiang! He's not that stupid..."
Li Zekai seemed to be convincing himself, but his tone was full of uncertainty.
Just then, there was a gentle knock on the study door.
His chief investment analyst, William Chen, strode in with a grave expression, holding a report that had just been printed and was still warm from the printer.
"Mr. Li! Something's happened!" Chen William's voice trembled slightly.
"Speak!" Li Zekai turned around abruptly, his gaze sharp as lightning.
"We have just obtained more detailed, retrospective trading data from the exchange, focusing on the unusually large transactions of Lianxiang shares in the week before Yingke began its large-scale buying spree, and in the three weeks following our shareholding increase..."
William Chen handed over the report, his voice tense as he said, "The data... the data is very wrong!"
Li Zekai snatched the report, his eyes quickly scanning the dense numbers and charts. The more he looked, the more ashen his face became, his knuckles turning white from gripping the report so tightly.
“This…this is impossible…” he muttered to himself, his pupils suddenly contracting.
The report clearly shows that before Yingke made a high-profile announcement of its takeover bid, which caused a market frenzy, and during the "glorious period" when they continued to buy and pushed the stock price to a high of 20 yuan, there was another powerful and extremely hidden selling force in the market!
This force did not come from scattered sell orders by retail investors, but rather from multiple dispersed but skilled trading accounts conducting continuous, stable, and large-scale sell operations!
The total amount sold off was... appalling.
This far exceeds the normal turnover of circulating shares in the market.
What chilled Li Zekai even more was that data tracking showed that the source of this massive selling pressure was unusually clear.
It originated from Lu Yang, a mainland Chinese, who established a bridgehead in Hong Kong, and Century Investment, controlled by Chen Fan!
"That guy surnamed Lu... he's selling?! He's been selling all along?!" Li Zekai's voice suddenly rose, filled with disbelief and rage.
"Where did he get so much stock to sell?!"
"Isn't his 5% already locked in?!"
William Chen swallowed hard and, with an almost strained tone, pointed out the fatal flaw that everyone, including Li Zekai before him, had overlooked: "Mr. Li...we...we may have all miscalculated...Hong Kong Stock Exchange regulations stipulate that after a shareholding announcement, the shareholding ratio must not be less than 5%."
But... before he made the takeover bid, how many shares of Lianxiang did he actually hold? That number... is probably... far more than 5%! He may have already secretly accumulated an astonishing percentage of shares below the takeover threshold.
Then, leveraging the announcement of the shareholding increase and the market's enthusiasm for our actions... he... he calmly and massively... liquidated his holdings and cashed out!
boom!
It was like a thunderclap exploding in Li Zekai's mind!
He staggered a step, barely managing to steady himself by grabbing the heavy desk for support.
All the confusion, doubts, and stagnant stock prices... at this moment, have found the cruelest yet most reasonable explanation!
It turns out that the trap dug by that "country bumpkin" was not, as he thought, a struggle for control of Lianxiang!
From the very beginning, this was a meticulously designed, massive trap that exploited Li Er Gongzi's reputation, capital, and market appeal to take over at a high price!
Li Zekai, this self-proclaimed shrewd little superman, actually jumped in like a fool, waving banknotes to help the other party raise the stock price, and then watched helplessly as the other party dumped all the piles of chips onto him!
“Lu…Yang!” Li Zekai squeezed out the two words through gritted teeth, his eyes bloodshot, veins bulging on his forehead, an unprecedented rage and immense humiliation instantly engulfing him.
He felt like a clown who had been stripped naked in public and made a fool of.
He grabbed the crystal wine glass from the table and, with all his might, roared, "You damned mainland nouveau riche, you bastard, I'll make you die! Die, you bastard!!!"
"Bang!"
A loud bang!
The expensive wine glass shattered on the hard mahogany corner, shards and leftover wine scattering everywhere, just like his shattered reason and pride at that moment.
Although numerically speaking, he didn't lose money and even made a small profit, his morale was completely shattered by Lu Yang's series of tricks. Moreover, there was a six-month ban on resale after he raised his bid, and he didn't know what would happen next.
What if the opponent has a trump card? (End of Chapter)