Chapter 921
Brother, stop!
Xiao Jun paced anxiously behind his large desk, which was littered with documents, empty coffee cups, and cigarette butts, like a wild beast trapped in a desperate situation.
The expensive Italian handmade leather shoes rustled as they stepped over several crumpled candlestick charts, sounding like the groans of his nerves on the verge of collapse.
On the screen, the despairing green numbers of Nasdaq seemed to still be burning his retina.
The fourth attempt to buy at the bottom, and it's back halfway down the mountain! No, it's worse than halfway down the mountain, it's practically a fall off a cliff!
Nearly three hundred million US dollars were poured into a bottomless pit, barely making a ripple before being swallowed up and buried by the surging sell orders. The shocking losses in his account were like a cold, venomous snake coiling around his neck, tightening its grip ever more.
Cold sweat soaked the back of his expensive shirt, clinging stickily to his skin.
Panic, like a tangible tide, crashed against his crumbling reason.
"Is it over? No! It's not over yet!" Xiao Jun suddenly stopped in his tracks, a near-morbid excitement instantly overwhelming his fear.
On the edge of despair, what emerges is not a retreat of reason, but an even more frantic desperate gamble.
"I can still be saved! I still have my last two hundred million dollars!" he muttered to himself, his voice hoarse yet carrying an eerie determination, as if he were casting a spell on himself. "This time... this time I must seize the opportunity! Yes, as long as I seize this last chance, I can come back to life! I definitely can! I definitely can!"
He lunged at the telephone on his desk, as if it were not a communication tool, but the axle connecting to the wheel of fate.
His trembling fingers dialed the wrong number several times in his haste. He let out a furious growl, hung up abruptly, and redialed.
The call finally connected, and before the other party could speak, Xiao Jun let out a caged beast-like roar into the receiver, his voice distorted by extreme tension and excitement:
"Stop the acquisition! Stop immediately! Listen! Keep an eye on the remaining funds! Stabilize! Stabilize them completely! Don't touch a single penny more!"
He was breathing heavily, his eyes bulging slightly from the effort, each word seeming to be squeezed out between his teeth: "Observe further! Observe carefully! See when it stabilizes! Really stabilizes! Not those deceptive little rebounds! When it's completely stabilized, when it can't fall anymore, when it's lying there like a dead dog... then we'll make our move! Do you understand?!"
He practically roared out his final warning, his voice hoarse and desperate, with a sense of utter resolve: "We only have one chance! This is our last chance! Give it your all! Understand?!"
The trusted trader on the other end of the phone was clearly terrified by his boss's frantic state, which was on the verge of collapse. After a two-second silence, a cautious, trembling voice replied, "I...I understand, Mr. Xiao. Stop trading, observe for stabilization signals, and wait...for one last chance."
"Bang!" Xiao Jun slammed down the phone, as if he had exhausted all his strength, and slumped back into the expensive but stained leather chair.
His chest heaved violently, and cold sweat slid down his forehead.
Unfortunately, Xiao Jun once again made the same mistake of buying at the bottom halfway up the mountain, and ended up deeply mired in trouble.
Fortunately, just before plunging into the abyss, the string called "fear" finally snapped, bringing a twisted "calmness".
Unlike the previous four times, he did not immediately throw in his last chips under the influence of panic and greed.
This final two hundred million US dollars, like a withered branch peeking out from a cliff, became his only lifeline at this moment, supporting his crumbling, insane belief.
—Perhaps, just maybe, we can turn the tide.
On the other side.
The sunlight was perfect, streaming through the huge French windows into the meticulously maintained garden, warmly enveloping Lu Yang, who was lying in the wicker chair.
He was dressed in comfortable linen loungewear, his eyes closed, seemingly taking a nap and enjoying a rare moment of peace on the afternoon.
The air was filled with the fresh scent of grass and trees, a stark contrast to the foul and despairing atmosphere in Xiao Jun's office.
Suddenly, the silence was shattered by the vibration of the phone.
Lu Yang frowned slightly, opened his eyes, and saw no displeasure at being disturbed, only a deep, calm stillness.
He glanced at the caller ID.
—Mu Qizhong.
"Hey, big brother." Lu Yang's voice carried a hint of afternoon laziness, revealing no emotion.
"Haha, Brother Lu, did I disturb your sunbathing?" Mu Qizhong's signature hearty laughter rang out, but those who knew him well could tell that his laughter lacked some of its usual boldness and had a more tentative and tactful quality. "Brother, the international capital market has been quite turbulent lately, and it's making me quite anxious."
Lu Yang's lips curled into a barely perceptible smile. He didn't reply, but simply hummed softly, waiting for the other person to continue.
Mu Qizhong paused, seemingly considering his words, and lowered his voice, speaking in a tone of "sharing a secret": "Brother, I don't know if you've heard? That kid Xiao Jun... sigh, he's probably suffered a big setback in the US stock market this time, and it'll be hard for him to recover his losses."
He sighed, his tone filled with regret and concern, "Should we... give him another hand? After all, even if we don't care about the monk, we should at least consider the Buddha's feelings; he is..."
Lu Yang squinted in the sunlight, golden rays dancing in his deep pupils.
He knows this "older brother" all too well.
Was Mu Qizhong's phone call truly out of genuine desire to help Xiao Jun?
They clearly smelled blood and came to probe, distance themselves from the situation, or even... to make arrangements in advance.
“Brother.” Lu Yang’s voice remained steady, even carrying a hint of gentle laughter, but his words were like a precise scalpel, cutting right through the other party’s hypocritical politeness. “There’s no need to test me anymore. Xiao Jun’s path was his own choice, and he has to bear the consequences of his bets. I can’t help him now even if I wanted to.”
He paused, his tone unchanged, but then posed a crucial question: "I heard that of the $1 million my brother-in-law used to buy US stocks at the bottom this time, it was borrowed from you, his 'generous' older brother?"
He deliberately emphasized the words "righteous" and "borrowing," then changed the subject with an air of knowing full well, "I wonder what specific conditions he agreed to? The collateral... must have been something significant, right?"
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone.
Mu Qizhong clearly did not expect Lu Yang's intelligence to be so accurate, even knowing the loan amount and possible collateral.
He chuckled dryly, trying to hide his embarrassment at being exposed: "Ahem, Brother Lu is indeed well-informed. That... it's not anything too great, just the shares of Little Divine Power, a Nasdaq-listed company we're currently co-owning."
He immediately added, his tone becoming more "magnanimous," "But don't worry, brother! I, Lao Mou, am a man of my word! I definitely won't pressure him! We're all friends, and we've cooperated for so many years; our relationship speaks for itself! As long as Xiao Jun can repay the promised $1 million principal on time, plus a little reasonable interest, then there won't be any problem! Absolutely none! Even if we don't care about the monk, we have to consider the Buddha's feelings; I, Lao Mou, will give you face, Brother Lu, no matter what!"
As Lu Yang listened to Mu Qizhong's "righteous and noble" guarantee, his smile deepened, but his eyes grew colder.
One year later? On-time repayment? Interest?
He knew better than anyone that, given the current trend of the Nasdaq crash and the freefall of Xiaoshengtong's stock price, how would Xiao Jun repay this astronomical sum a year from now?
Unless a miracle occurs.
At that time, the number of shares in the prodigy, also valued at $1 million, would be large enough to shake the existing shareholder structure.
Mu Qizhong, this "smiling tiger," may appear to be loyal and righteous, but in reality, he has already opened his bloodthirsty mouth, waiting to swallow the piece of fat meat that is destined to fall into his mouth.
“Okay.” Lu Yang’s voice was completely calm. “You’re so kind, brother. Let’s get together again sometime.”
"Of course, of course!" Mu Qizhong replied as if he had been granted a pardon, his tone becoming warm again, "Brother, next time you have a good project, don't forget your big brother! We must continue to cooperate and make money together!"
"Definitely." Lu Yang's answer was concise and forceful.
"Haha, it's settled then! I won't disturb you sunbathing, my brother. Get some rest!" Mu Qizhong hung up the phone with satisfaction.
The satellite phone was busy.
Lu Yang casually placed it on the small round table next to him, closed his eyes again, and basked in the warm sunlight.
However, his brain was working at high speed, like the most sophisticated instrument analyzing the conversation that had just ended.
The purpose of Mu Qizhong's phone call couldn't be clearer:
On the surface, he emphasized "not forcing him" and "for Mr. Lu's sake," but in reality, he was informing Lu Yang in advance that the debt relationship existed and that if Xiao Jun could not repay it in a year, it was only right and proper for Mu Qizhong to legally take over the shares. He told Lu Yang not to blame him for being "unfeeling" at that time.
At the same time, it was also a test of Lu Yang's attitude towards Xiao Jun, as well as his attitude towards the shares of the listed company Little Prodigy, and whether he cared about losing the shares.
Finally, he adds a layer of mutual benefit, emphasizing "the Little Prodigy we're all shareholders in," implying that if Lu Yang wants to maintain control over the listed company Little Prodigy, he may need to deal with or even cooperate with Mu Qizhong (this potential major shareholder) in the future.
"It seems this old brother is truly interested this time, and has quite an appetite," Lu Yang thought with a cold smile.
A year later? He could almost foresee Xiao Jun's fate.
Unless a miracle occurs, the small amount of shares in Xiao Jun's Little Prodigy will inevitably change hands and fall into Mu Qizhong's pocket.
Unless... Lu Yang is willing to take action.
But, on what grounds?
This kid repeatedly ignored his warnings and never learned his lesson; now he's mired in this mess, entirely his own fault. People always have to pay the price for their choices.
The path you choose, you must walk it to the end, even if you have to crawl on your knees.
not to mention……
Lu Yang's thoughts drifted further away.
The Nasdaq crash is far from over, and Little Prodigy's stock price is very likely to fall to an incredibly low level within the next year, making it a truly "bottom-fishing" opportunity.
At that time, Lu Yang, as the founder and key figure of the company, would inevitably have to launch a share buyback plan to stabilize the stock price and strengthen control.
How could he possibly tolerate a large number of cheap and high-quality shares that belonged to the prodigy's core assets being held by an unruly, unsuccessful, and impulsive gambler?
The sun was still warm, and the garden was still peaceful and beautiful.
But Lu Yang had already begun to calmly plan for the potential battle for control of the company that might erupt a year later.
Xiao Jun's desperate struggle and Mu Qizhong's greedy scheming were nothing more than pawns on a chessboard that needed to be handled properly in his eyes.
He was the hunter sitting in the sunlight, patiently waiting for the best time to reap the harvest.
Hong Kong, Victoria Peak, Repulse Bay Road.
Li Zekai's study, nicknamed "Little Superman".
This place is equally spacious and luxurious, yet it is filled with a coldness and oppression that is completely different from Xiao Jun's office.
There was no smell of smoke or fast food containers, only expensive mahogany furniture, genuine leather sofas, and spotless floors. Outside the huge floor-to-ceiling windows was the dazzling night view of Victoria Harbour, but it couldn't penetrate Li Zekai's gloomy eyes.
He sat alone behind his desk, the computer screen in front of him still displaying the heart-stopping, ever-decreasing Nasdaq chart, especially the precipitous drop in the little prodigy's stock price.
As he watched the stock price of the target company he had once ambitiously wanted to "acquire" plummet, he felt not schadenfreude, but an extremely complex mix of emotions, a mixture of ice and fire.
After a long silence, he let out a long, deep sigh of relief.
That breath contained so much.
"So... Father was right," he murmured to himself, his voice hoarse.
That day, his father, Li Ka-shing, stormed into the study like a thunderbolt, forcibly halting his frenzied bottom-fishing plan with his cane and cold commands.
In retrospect, that violent and humiliating intervention at least saved him from a huge loss of hundreds of millions of dollars and prevented PCCW, the company he founded, from collapsing instantly.
From a purely rational business perspective, the father was right, and even saved him.
"But even so... so what?!" A stronger surge of resentment and unwillingness, which had been forcibly suppressed, suddenly rushed into his heart.
He could never forget the look of utter disappointment in his father's eyes, as if he were looking at a hopeless good-for-nothing!
I can't forget the seemingly silent but actually disdainful and victorious pity that my elder brother Li Zeju cast at my father before he pushed him away! I also can't forget the professionally pitying look in the eyes of my father's mistress, Aunt Zhou!
These images, like poisoned steel needles, repeatedly pierced his proud heart.
Li Zekai, from a young age, was known as "Little Superman". He was talented, ambitious and enterprising. He founded Yingke Digital with his own hands, just to prove to his father and everyone else that he was no less capable than his older brother!
He has more courage and is more daring to take risks and fight!
All he needed was a fair chance, a chance to control the core resources of the Li family!
He firmly believed that if given that position, he could do even better than his elder brother and lead the Li family to even greater heights!
However, in his father's eyes, there always seemed to be only that steady, obedient, and methodical eldest brother.
All his efforts and achievements seemed to his father to be labeled as "reckless" and "unreliable".
This time, his "correctness" will probably only be interpreted by his father as "fortunately, I stopped you, my unfilial son, from committing a terrible crime," rather than as recognition of Li Zekai's ability to pull back from the brink.
He was not convinced! He was a thousand times, ten thousand times, not convinced!
He was unhappy! This forced "rescue" only left him feeling humiliated and filled with even deeper resentment!
"Hoo..." Li Zekai took another deep breath, forcibly suppressing his surging anger.
He couldn't lose control; anger was the original sin—his father's cold words seemed to echo in his ears again.
His gaze refocused on the flashing green numbers on the screen, his eyes becoming unusually sharp, like a hawk eyeing its prey.
“Xiao Jun… Lu Yang…” He murmured these two names, one struggling frantically on the edge of the abyss, the other calmly laying out plans under the sunlight.
The Nasdaq crash and the plunge of Little Prodigy's stock price—this global financial storm has been a devastating blow for some, but for others... is it also a golden opportunity for a reshuffling and a chance to profit from the crisis?
Li Zekai's eyes were fixed intently on the continuously declining K-line chart, as if he wanted to deeply engrave the cruelty of the market and the fleeting opportunities it contained into his mind.
Yingke Digital is still around, and Li Er Gongzi hasn't lost all his chips yet.
This game is far from over.
He needed to remain calm, to wait, and to do as his father had taught him (though he vehemently rejected the idea) to find the most lethal yet safest blow in the storm.
The road to proving himself is still long, but he will never give up.
The cold light from the screen illuminated his handsome face, which was filled with resentment and ambition, making him appear particularly sinister in the quiet, luxurious study.
Our focus shifts back to Shenzhen.
Outside the CEO's office at the headquarters of Little Prodigy.
Qian Youyou took a deep breath, suppressing her anxiety and anger at their lack of ambition.
Ignoring the receptionist's hesitant attempts to stop her, she pushed open the heavy door to the CEO's office.
"Boss, this lady walked in without an appointment..." The receptionist's voice was filled with fear.
"Alright, you can go now." Xiao Jun's voice came from inside, tinged with impatience at being disturbed.
Qian Youyou's gaze froze on the scene in the office: Xiao Jun was sitting in his large boss's chair, while his hot female secretary, dressed in a sexy suit, was half-leaning and half-sitting on his lap in an ambiguous posture!
The two were clearly caught off guard by the intrusion, and their movements froze instantly, with the secretary's face flushing with embarrassment.
A surge of anger shot up Qian Youyou's head! What kind of time is this? With the situation so dire, how could she still be thinking about playing around with women?!
"You go out too!" Xiao Jun waved his hand and ordered his secretary in a hurried tone.
The secretary hurriedly jumped off Xiao Jun, head down, face flushed, not daring to look at Qian Youyou, whose face was frosty at the door. Like a startled rabbit, she quickly straightened her disheveled skirt, scurried out of the office, and closed the door behind her.
Qian Youyou's chest heaved violently. Looking at her older brother, who still seemed impatient at being interrupted, yet whose eyes betrayed exhaustion and anxiety, she felt a deep sense of powerlessness and anger well up inside her.
She turned to leave.
"No! Little sister! Don't go!" Xiao Jun suddenly jumped up from his chair, rushed to the door, and stopped Qian Youyou. He put on a fawning smile, but there was a hint of panic on his face. "I was wrong! I was really wrong! Little sister, please sit down and calm down!"
He half-pushed, half-pulled Qian Youyou onto the guest sofa, then sat down next to her, rubbing his hands together and trying to make his tone sound normal: "By the way, what brings you here? Is it...is it Lu Yang who sent you?" A faint glimmer of hope flashed in his eyes.
Seeing him like this, Qian Youyou's anger subsided slightly, replaced by a deeper sorrow and worry.
She took a deep breath, looked directly into Xiao Jun's eyes, and said in a cold, clear voice, "Didn't I warn you? Did I tell you not to act rashly? Did I tell you to think carefully about whether Lu Yang has ever made a single mistake in major decisions over the years? You know he's a miracle worker, so why did you have to go against him this time? Couldn't you just obediently follow his instructions, cash out when you should, or do nothing at all and peacefully collect your dividends and shares? Wouldn't that be a hundred times better than all the trouble and huge losses you're facing now?!"
Xiao Jun's smile froze, then was replaced by annoyance at having his sore spot hit.
"But if I really listen to him, how can I hold onto my position as CEO with my limited abilities?" His voice suddenly rose, filled with grievance and indignation. "With Lu Yang's one order, everyone listens to him! What am I as CEO? Just a figurehead? When performance declines, stock price falls, and shareholders question me, I have no bargaining chips to save my life. I'll be the first one to be brought down! Who has considered my situation? Who cares about me?!"
"Hmph!" Qian Youyou sneered angrily, mercilessly shattering his illusions. "Your position as president was given to you by Lu Yang! Without him, could you have sat in this position? Could you wield such power? Could you mobilize so much capital? Whether you still have this position in the future, is that really more important to you than preserving your life and fortune, or avoiding bankruptcy?!"
Looking at the stubborn obsession in her brother's eyes, she pleaded with heartache, "Brother, wake up! It's now basically proven that the international situation is exactly as Lu Yang predicted! Nasdaq has crashed! All Chinese concept stocks have crashed! Little Prodigy's stock price has also crashed! This is likely just the beginning! Next, there's very likely to be an even larger, global stock market crash! It's not too late for you to turn back now! It's not too late!" (End of Chapter)