Chapter 918
Unwilling to Give Up, One More Bets
After leaving the Century Tower.
Xiao Jun and Mu Qizhong got into the same car.
Xiao Jun leaned back in the large leather seat in the back row, his face ashen, his eyes vacant as he stared at the rapidly receding street scene outside the window.
The glass curtain walls of the skyscrapers reflected the blinding afternoon sunlight, making him feel irritable. His sister Qian Youyou's last words, "Okay, I understand," pierced his heart like a cold awl. Lu Yang's attitude couldn't be clearer—he was giving up on him. He wouldn't abandon the share reduction because of his personal reasons and would continue to hold a sufficient number of shares in the listed company, Little Prodigy, as the major shareholder.
Mu Qizhong, standing beside him, remained silent, unconsciously twirling an unlit cigar between his fingers, his thick eyebrows furrowed.
While Lu Yang's "verdict" on Xiao Jun was ruthless, it also pointed out a stark truth: Xiao Jun's abilities were indeed unworthy of the position of president of the prodigy company, which was worth tens of billions of dollars.
Without the protection of the Century Group, it was only a matter of time before this kid fell.
A sense of relief, almost indescribable, swept through Mu Qizhong's heart: thankfully, he had already reduced his holdings and cashed out, securing his profits. This investment had been incredibly lucrative.
As the car merged into the bustling traffic of Shenzhen, the neon lights began to illuminate the city's vibrant nightscape, yet this did nothing to dispel the gloom inside.
"Old Mou," Xiao Jun's dry, hoarse voice broke the suffocating silence, "How about we go get a drink?"
Mu Qizhong turned his head, looked at Xiao Jun's face filled with resentment, anger and fear, and sighed.
He understood this feeling all too well, just like when he first suffered a major setback in the business world.
He nodded, his voice low: "Okay."
Without a word, the driver tacitly drove the car to "Cloud Top," a top-tier private club they co-owned in the most secluded and luxurious area of Shenzhen.
This place is a haven exclusively for their little circle, but also a den of iniquity and decadence.
The Maybach silently stopped in front of the clubhouse's unassuming yet incredibly heavy ebony door.
The doorman was already bowing and waiting, and quickly opened the car door.
As soon as the two got out of the car, the lobby manager, a middle-aged man dressed in impeccably tailored clothes with a standard professional smile, rushed up to them like a gust of wind, his humility ingrained to the core.
"President Mou! President Xiao! You two have arrived!" He bowed deeply, his gaze quickly sweeping over the two bosses' gloomy faces. His heart tightened, and his smile became even more cautious.
"Hmm." Mu Qizhong snorted in response, without stopping.
Xiao Jun didn't even lift his eyelids and walked straight inside.
"Arrange a private room for us that is the quietest and most soundproof," Mu Qizhong instructed as he walked, his voice leaving no room for argument. "Bring the best wine. Rémy Martin Louis XIII, and two bottles of Latour. Don't call the girls in; we have important business to discuss. No one is allowed to come in and disturb us, understand?"
He emphasized the words "serious business" and "anyone".
"Yes, yes, yes! Understood! Mr. Mou, Mr. Xiao, please rest assured, it will be absolutely quiet and no one will disturb us!" The lobby manager responded repeatedly, stepped aside to lead the way, and personally took them to the "Tingtao Pavilion," the deepest part of the club with the highest level of security.
The heavy, soundproof door closed silently behind us, as if shutting out the whole world.
The private room was extremely luxurious. Expensive Persian carpets absorbed all footsteps, and priceless abstract oil paintings hung on the walls. Outside the huge floor-to-ceiling windows was a meticulously designed courtyard landscape with flowing water, which only made the interior more eerily quiet.
Mu Qizhong walked to the bar and skillfully opened the ice bucket containing the chilled Louis XIII, pouring the amber liquid into two heavy crystal glasses.
He slammed one of the glasses down on the black marble coffee table in front of Xiao Jun, making a dull thud.
"Drink!" He picked up a glass himself, tilted his head back and took a big gulp. The spicy and mellow liquid rolled down his throat, bringing a burning sensation, but it couldn't dispel the pent-up frustration in his heart.
Xiao Jun mechanically grabbed the cup and took a big gulp.
The rich aroma of the top-grade brandy now tasted only bitter. He slammed the glass down on the table, and a few drops of the liquor splashed out.
"No!" he suddenly roared, pressing his hands to his forehead, his knuckles turning white from the force. "Old Mou, the more I think about it, the more unwilling I am! If I just let this go like this, doing nothing, my position as CEO is definitely over! Lu Yang's meaning couldn't be clearer; he won't give me any more support! Even my sister… she…"
Mu Qizhong put down his wine glass, sank into the soft sofa, crossed his hands on his slightly protruding belly, raised his eyelids, and looked sharply at Xiao Jun: "So what do you want?"
His voice was calm, with a hint of scrutiny.
Xiao Jun suddenly raised his head, his eyes bloodshot, flashing with a light that resembled that of a crazed gambler. He licked his chapped lips, took a deep breath, and as if he had made a momentous decision, squeezed out each word from between his teeth.
"I... am going to buy it back!"
"what?!"
Mu Qizhong sat bolt upright, his composure vanishing instantly. He stared at Xiao Jun in disbelief, his voice rising sharply with intense skepticism, "Xiao Jun! Are you drunk?! Buyback? With our company's current market value?!"
He slammed his finger on the coffee table as if he'd heard the most absurd joke in the world: "What's the stock price of Little Prodigy now? The Nasdaq broke the 5000-point mark, and it followed suit, soaring to almost $70 a share! How much higher is that than the $65 we were told to sell? $5! Tell me, how much money do you have?! Even if you go bankrupt and fight tooth and nail to buy back 500 million or 1000 million shares, so what?!"
Mu Qizhong became increasingly agitated as he spoke, his words flying: "Do the math! 1000 million shares multiplied by $70 is $7 million! Do you have $7 million? Even if you do, how much will your shareholding increase after investing? At most, it'll rise by a few percent! You still won't become a major shareholder. Your share buyback is just a drop in the ocean; it won't change the overall situation at all!"
He took a breath, trying to use reality to wake the almost delusional man in front of him: "Brother, stop struggling! Take my advice. As long as we unite, with me, Brother Lu, the Qian Group represented by your sister, and even state-owned capital like Shenzhen Investment Holdings, our influence over the little prodigy is deeply entrenched. As long as we stick together and support you, your position as president might not be so unstable! Why do you have to gamble everything and take such a huge risk? How many chips do you have to bet against the market and potential competitors?!"
Mu Qizhong's analysis is clear and brutal, like a bucket of ice water.
However, the flames in Xiao Jun's eyes did not go out; instead, they burned even brighter.
He paused for a moment, then leaned forward, lowered his voice, and said with a desperate, mysterious air, "Brother, you're right. Under normal circumstances, this amount of money I'm throwing in won't make a difference. But..."
He paused, lowering his voice even further, as if afraid of being overheard by an invisible wall, “I have a reliable source of inside information! Very reliable! That second young master Li in Hong Kong is currently frantically buying up shares of our Little Prodigy in secret! His actions are very discreet, but the amount is substantial! There are even rumors that several foreign institutions that have long cooperated with and have close ties with the Li Group have already reached the threshold for disclosure of their shareholding in Little Prodigy.”
“Think about it! What if, I mean what if! They join forces with those other foreign investors in our company who only care about profits and are like weather vanes… Lao Mou, I’ve done the math in private! In terms of shareholding, if Young Master Li and those foreign investors join forces, plus the possible support from speculative capital in the market, we… we’re already at a disadvantage, and we might even be in an absolutely weak position! I, as the president, could be overthrown by them at any time!”
After hearing Xiao Jun's "insider information," Mu Qizhong was completely stunned. His hand holding the wine glass froze in mid-air, and the wine sloshed around on the glass.
This news was so sudden and so shocking.
He only knew that Lu Yang was dumping shares and reducing his holdings, and that there were unusual movements in the market, but he never expected that a behemoth like the Li family was quietly accumulating shares behind the scenes!
However, this brief shock only lasted for a few seconds.
Mu Qizhong was, after all, a seasoned veteran who had weathered countless storms. He quickly calmed down and didn't even feel much panic.
why?
For Mu Qizhong personally, the child prodigy was essentially just a very successful financial investment, an icing on the cake in his vast Nande Group business empire, and an efficient way to increase the value of idle funds, rather than an indispensable economic lifeline!
Who is its chairman?
Who is the CEO?
Who will control the future?
As long as it doesn't affect his core interest of cashing out and leaving, Mu Qizhong really doesn't care!
There was only one thing he cared about from beginning to end: how many times the return this investment would ultimately bring him!
It was this detached mindset that allowed him to quickly recover from his shock.
He even recalled the recent surge in Little Prodigy's stock price when the Nasdaq broke through the 5000-point historical high—it had far exceeded the $65 range when Lu Yang led everyone to reduce their holdings, and had even surged to $80! In reality, compared to the price he sold at, he did indeed have a paper loss of several million dollars. That number sounds substantial, but—
Mu Qizhong's lips twitched upwards almost imperceptibly, with a hint of mockery and immense satisfaction.
Back when Little Prodigy was first established, Mu Qizhong only invested less than 1000 million RMB! And now? In less than ten years, that initial investment of less than 1000 million RMB has brought him a real return of hundreds of millions of US dollars! And it's a huge profit that has already been safely pocketed!
What more could you want?
I'm very satisfied, extremely satisfied! It's a stroke of genius that turns lead into gold!
So, after only a brief moment of surprise, he quickly adjusted his mindset and began to play the role of a "confidant older brother," trying to soothe Xiao Jun, who was about to be consumed by lust for power and panic.
"Brother," Mu Qizhong put down his wine glass, leaned forward, patted Xiao Jun's knee, and said earnestly, "Listen to my advice, don't worry, everything will be alright! The sky won't fall! Even... even if what you just said is true, so what?"
He deliberately slowed his speech: "At worst, we'll quit being the CEO of this prodigy company! Then, the two of us will seize the opportunity, sell all our stocks, and cash out the money—hundreds of millions of dollars in real cash! Brother, as long as we have money, there's no shortage of opportunities to make a fortune in this world. There are plenty of good projects waiting for us to invest in! Why hang ourselves on this prodigy company?"
“That’s true…” Xiao Jun shook his head bitterly, his face full of resentment, as if the “bright future” described by Mu Qizhong held no appeal for him.
He grabbed the bottle, poured himself a full glass, the golden liquid almost overflowing, and then tilted his head back and drank it all in one gulp.
The pungent liquor made him cough violently, his face instantly turning bright red, the veins on his neck bulging. He gasped, "Brother...cough...cough...you make it sound so easy! Starting a new business? Ha...it's not that simple! Do you know who I am now? I'm the president of a listed company with a market value of tens of billions of dollars! Listed on NASDAQ! Whether I go to Shenzhen, Beijing, or even abroad, who doesn't treat me with respect? To put it bluntly, even the current leadership in Shenzhen, whether it's the top leader or the second-in-command, when they see me, Xiao Jun, they all treat me with utmost courtesy, like brothers, and regard me as an honored guest. Policies, resources, loans...everything is given priority."
His voice carried an almost morbid obsession and fear: "But! What if I lose this identity? Do I start over? Start all over again? When...when will I be able to achieve what I have today? Who...who will still respect me? Will I still be able to casually knock on the mayor's office door and become a guest of honor for provincial and municipal leaders? Will those people who used to fawn over me still look at me with a second glance?!"
Xiao Jun's words starkly exposed his deep dependence on the power and prestige of being the "president" of a listed company with a market value of tens of billions of US dollars, and his extreme fear of losing all of this. This fear was far greater than the fear of monetary loss.
Mu Qizhong was completely speechless.
He looked at this "little brother" who was blinded by the illusion of power, and his heart was filled with contempt and disdain.
How many years has this kid been basking in the glory of being the president of a multi-billion dollar listed company?
He forgot that he was once just a spoiled brat in the wealthy circles of Shenzhen, relying on his family's background and acting arrogantly.
What kind of "distinguished guest" is this?
Without Lu Yang and Century Group's backing, and without the Qian family's influence, who is Xiao Jun?
Now they're actually going after Brother Lu?
That's utterly overestimating themselves and incredibly stupid!
Of course, Mu Qizhong would never say these words aloud.
He sneered inwardly, but forced an understanding expression on his face, chuckled, shook his head, and poured himself a full glass of wine.
"Sigh, brother...you...never mind, drink! Everything is in the drink!" He raised his glass, thinking: there's no way to persuade him now, this kid has gone mad and gone down a dead end.
He just wanted to end the conversation as soon as possible, to numb the other person with alcohol, and to numb himself as well.
However, Xiao Jun's next words made Mu Qizhong's heart sink.
"Brother Mu." Xiao Jun put down his empty glass, his bloodshot eyes fixed on Mu Qizhong, a desperate madness and a desperate plea in his voice, "Now... now only you can help me! You... lend me some money!"
"Huh?!" Mu Qizhong's hand holding the wine glass trembled, and the wine almost spilled.
He never expected that Xiao Jun would directly ask to borrow money, especially when he knew it was a huge risk!
"How much?" Mu Qizhong's voice deepened, tinged with wariness.
“200 million US dollars!” Xiao Jun blurted out, then quickly added, “No! 300 million US dollars! Brother, I know you have it! You own 5% of the shares in our Little Prodigy! Based on the market value on the day the major shareholder reduction announcement was issued, your 5% stake is worth at least 900 million US dollars! I know you haven’t cashed it all out, but you acted quickly, you’ve already cashed out at least 2%, even close to 3%! Brother, there should be at least 300 to 400 million US dollars lying in your Nande Group’s overseas accounts right now, right? Am I right?”
Xiao Jun's eyes gleamed, like a hungry wolf staring at its prey, filled with eager anticipation, as if he had grasped at the last straw.
Mu Qizhong's face instantly turned extremely ugly. He abruptly turned his head, turning his face to the side, his brows furrowed into a deep frown, his cheeks bulging slightly from clenching his teeth, and a flash of barely suppressed anger and displeasure in his eyes!
How could Xiao Jun know so much about him?
He even knows the approximate amount of money in his overseas accounts? When did this kid start secretly investigating me?
A feeling of being offended and coveted instantly gripped him!
But Mu Qizhong is, after all, Mu Qizhong.
Years of experience navigating the ups and downs of the business world have honed his ability to control his emotions instantly.
The anger and displeasure lingered on his face for less than two seconds.
He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the anger in his heart, and slowly turned his head back.
Faced with Xiao Jun's expectant, even pleading, gaze, Mu Qizhong forced out an extremely complex expression that mixed helplessness, embarrassment, and a hint of subtle calculation.
"Sigh..." He sighed deeply, as if making an extremely difficult decision. "Brother Xiao... since you call me 'older brother,' and since you've gone to such lengths, I can't... really leave without giving anything in return." He paused, seemingly weighing his options, then abruptly changed his tone, becoming resolute. "But! 3 million US dollars! That's far too much!"
He leaned forward, adopting a candid posture: "This money isn't just spare cash! It has other important uses! I'm not afraid to tell you the truth, I recently found a project abroad in the aerospace field. It's a rare opportunity with huge potential, and I absolutely need US dollars! I've been researching it for a long time and invested a lot of preliminary resources. It's all set, and I can't possibly give it up just because of you! So..."
Mu Qizhong was silent for a moment, tapping his fingers on his knees as if making an extremely painful decision. Finally, as if reluctantly parting with something precious, he held up two fingers: "At most... I'll lend you... 1 million US dollars for now." He deliberately emphasized the words "for now" and "borrow".
"Good!!" Xiao Jun's eyes blazed with ecstatic joy, as if he had heard heavenly music. He almost jumped up, grabbed Mu Qizhong's hand, and said excitedly, "Good! It's a deal! Brother! You're a true friend! Loyal and loyal! Unlike some people!" He gritted his teeth and once again alluded to Lu Yang.
Seeing Xiao Jun's ecstatic expression, Mu Qizhong's inward sneer intensified.
He subtly withdrew his hand, his gaze turning unusually serious, even carrying a hint of cold warning, as he stared directly at Xiao Jun's excitedly flushed face: "Brother, don't be too happy yet! Even between brothers, accounts must be clear. This money comes at a price; it's not something I can lend you for free."
His tone left no room for negotiation, "You need to sign a formal, legally binding guarantee agreement for me first! One year! Within one year, you must repay me the principal of $1 million, plus… well, let's say 10% annual interest, principal and interest! If…"
Mu Qizhong's voice suddenly became more forceful, carrying an undeniable coldness: "If you can't repay this money after a year, then we'll calculate the equivalent amount based on the real-time market price of Little Prodigy's stock on NASDAQ at the time of your default, and use the Little Prodigy stock under your personal name to offset it! How about that?"
He leaned back slightly on the sofa, lit the cigar he'd been smoking for a while, and exhaled a thick cloud of smoke. His eyes, sharp as an eagle's, peered through the smoke: "Don't blame me for being blunt, the conditions are out there. Do you want to reconsider? This is 1 million US dollars, no small sum. Brother, I advise you... to think it over carefully." He emphasized the last two words, "think it over carefully."
The conditions he proposed were extremely harsh.
Putting aside the high annual interest rate of 10%, the most crucial point is the clause that "compensates with shares based on the stock price at the time of default"! This means that if the Nasdaq crashes a year later and the stock price of Xiao Jun plummets by half or even halved, Xiao Jun will be forced to hand over a number of shares far exceeding the value of the original loan in order to repay the principal and interest of the $1 million (approximately $1.1 million)!
This would be a double fatal blow to his wealth and equity!
However, Xiao Jun, who was already blinded by the "life-saving money" and the "hope to turn things around", had no time to carefully calculate this terrible debt.
All he heard was "1 million US dollars" and "I'll lend it to you"!
"No problem! No need to think about it!" Xiao Jun waved his hand and answered decisively, his face beaming with an almost morbid excitement. "I agree! I'll sign right now! I trust you, brother! As long as I get the money, I'll agree to any conditions!"
He was completely unaware, or rather deliberately ignored, that he had already stepped into a financial trap that Mu Qizhong had meticulously prepared for him, a trap that could lead to his utter ruin.
Little did he know that at that very moment, on the other side of the Pacific, a colossal wave, personally ordered by Lu Yang, was brewing in the capital markets, poised to erupt.
Seeing Xiao Jun jump into the pit so readily, the last trace of hesitation in Mu Qizhong's eyes disappeared, replaced by a businessman's satisfaction at having made a deal.
He finally showed his first real smile of the night, though a cold calculation was hidden deep within that smile.
"Good! That's great! You're really straightforward, brother!" Mu Qizhong clapped his hands, his voice becoming loud and clear, sweeping away the previous dullness.
He got up and walked to the communicator in the private room, pressing a button: "Manager Wan, come in for a moment."
Soon, the lobby manager respectfully pushed open the door and entered.
"Go get the template of the private agreement I have here, and find a reliable lawyer to video call me immediately for on-site notarization," Mu Qizhong instructed. He then added, his tone relaxed and carefree after everything had settled down: "Also, call people over! Bring over all the prettiest girls here so my brother can have a good look! I'm happy today, I need to relax!"
"Yes, Mr. Mou! Mr. Xiao! Arrange it immediately!" The manager understood and quickly withdrew.
The agreement was quickly signed under the remote witness of a lawyer.
Looking at the document with his signature, Xiao Jun felt as if he had obtained the key to the throne of power, and he was so excited that he could hardly contain himself.
"Brother Mu, you go first today! You pick two!" Xiao Jun waved his hand with an air of magnanimity, as if he were the master of the place.
Mu Qizhong completely relaxed at this moment, putting his arms around the two hot, scantily clad, and glamorous women the manager had brought in, letting out strange chuckles as his large hands caressed the women's smooth waists: "Haha, then I won't be polite! Brother, do as you please!"
He deliberately used a slightly lewd tone to say, "But forget about that 'one against a row' challenge, I'm too old, my back can't handle it anymore, I'll leave it to you young man! Hahaha!"
Xiao Jun was also very pleased with himself, and casually picked out two of the most alluring-looking girls.
Expensive liquor was refilled, and deafening music started playing, mixed with the girls' charming laughter and deliberate flattery.
The private room was filled with the smoke of expensive cigars, and under the dim lighting, it was filled with a decadent atmosphere intertwined with money and desire.
With women on his left and right, Xiao Jun laughed wildly, temporarily forgetting all the crisis, Lu Yang's warning, Qian Youyou's disappointment, and the high-risk guarantee agreement he had just signed.
He was immersed in the illusory sense of security built by the $1 million loan, fantasizing about how he could turn the tide, defeat the Li family, and firmly sit on the CEO's throne.
Mu Qizhong squinted, enjoying the massage from the woman, and looked at Xiao Jun, who was completely absorbed in the moment, with an enigmatic smile playing on his lips.
In that smile, there was satisfaction with the high interest return that was about to be received, mockery of Xiao Jun's foolishness, and perhaps, a trace of secret anticipation for the storm that might be coming, which even he himself was unwilling to delve into.
He's guaranteed to make a profit if he lends out $1 million.
As for Xiao Jun's life or death... that depends on fate and his own destiny.
Both of them believed that this extravagant night was the starting point for their respective "breakthrough" or "profit".
However, when the first pale rays of dawn pierced through the gaps in the heavy curtains of the "Cloud Top" club's top-tier suite and shone on Xiao Jun's forehead, which throbbed with pain from a hangover—
The sky has truly fallen. (End of Chapter)