Chapter 423 Brown's Despair
"Financial Secretary, do you even know what you're saying?"
Brown's face was sinister; he never expected the Financial Secretary would dare to refuse his request.
The Financial Secretary frowned and said coldly:
"Sir, I respect you greatly, but I didn't expect you to disrespect me so much."
"Using foul language is not something a nobleman should do."
Brown cursed loudly:
"Go to hell with that!"
"My grandfather was an Earl, and no one said he was an incompetent nobleman even though he swore constantly."
"Are you going to side with Lin Feng?"
A wave of anger surged in the Financial Secretary's heart.
After all, I am one of the Three Divisions, and you treat me like a servant, ordering me around.
Previously, he had wanted to cling tightly to Brown's leg, hoping to get a good position back in London after his term in Hong Kong ended.
Now, he had no such thoughts at all.
Brown treated him like this; how could he give himself a decent position?
Of course, if he let him join the cabinet, anything would be fine, but was that possible?
"Sir, both you and Mr. Lin are people I respect."
"I will not take sides between two respected people."
"Do you have anything else?"
Brown's face turned red.
The Financial Secretary's answer was weak, but in reality, he had already refused him.
How was this possible?
How dare he?!
Brown suddenly realized his state was not right, took a deep breath, and tried to calm himself before asking:
"I apologize, Financial Secretary, I was too agitated just now."
"Did Lin Feng call you and say something?"
The Financial Secretary felt a secret pleasure in his heart; are you begging me now?
However, despite thinking this, he didn't dare to truly offend Brown, so he said with a wry smile,
"Sir, I am not qualified to speak with Mr. Lin on the phone."
Brown's face instantly flushed.
What does that mean?
Your status is so humble that you feel so honored just to speak with Lin Feng?
Then what is my status, who proactively called you?
Originally, Brown had been waiting for the call from Peter, the Tycoon of Standard Chartered, but he waited and waited, and it didn't come, and he was too embarrassed to call him proactively—that was not something a distinguished gentleman would do.
He was very anxious.
Suddenly, he remembered that the Financial Secretary hadn't called him either.
Brown immediately couldn't sit still.
My status is equal to Peter's, so it's understandable that I have to wait for his call.
What is your status, Financial Secretary, to treat my instructions like this?
So, Brown immediately called the Financial Secretary to question him.
The answer he got was that Lin Feng's status was too distinguished, and he hadn't investigated him!
This really infuriated Brown.
"I told you to investigate Lin Feng's background, what exactly did you find?"
Brown finally couldn't hold back his anxiety and roared loudly.
The pressure he was under now was too great.
Today, HSBC closed early again.
The HSBC board of directors had fully mobilized, searching for cash.
It wasn't bad; they managed to get three or four hundred million in cash.
But the problem was, there were many people waiting to withdraw money.
Hundreds of thousands of people; how could these three or four hundred million be enough?
Hong Kong is part of the Mainland, and the habits of the older generation of Hong Kong people and Mainland people are pretty much the same.
The savings rate is super high!
Three or four hundred million can at most satisfy the needs of tens of thousands of people, and there are still hundreds of thousands waiting to withdraw money.
Peter's call was still delayed, which made him feel immense pressure.
And that's not all.
Several consecutive days of early closing further worsened the market's outlook for HSBC Group.
They were under much greater pressure than before.
Originally, due to Little Tycoon, HSBC Group's stock price had already fallen by a fifth, and today a large number of short sellers entered the market, directly smashing HSBC's stock price to half of its original value!
If no measures were taken, HSBC's stock price might fall further.
This was life-threatening!
Even if HSBC had ample cash and gold on its books, and even if subsidiaries like Hang Seng provided support, once market panic set in, even pouring more funds into the market wouldn't work.
This morning alone, HSBC Group's capital had evaporated by a tenth in the stock market.
Yet, the stock price inevitably had to be saved; otherwise, HSBC might as well just collapse.
This was why Brown was so reckless; ordinarily, he would definitely pay attention to his words and actions.
Hong Kong constantly promoted the high quality of Anglo-Saxons, that the men were all gentlemen.
It was promoted so much that even Brown himself believed it.
Only when emotional did he truly reveal his true colors.
Brown roared:
"What the hell are you saying?"
"You're not qualified to speak with Lin Feng on the phone, so where does that leave me?"
The Financial Secretary's heart sank, thinking Brown was petty.
I just said one wrong thing, is it really necessary?
The Financial Secretary wanted to hang up on Brown but didn't dare.
Again, Brown was a true big shot, not someone the Financial Secretary could afford to offend.
The Financial Secretary had no capital to be tough.
"Sir, please don't be angry; I misspoke just now."
"It is my honor to speak with you."
The Financial Secretary apologized meekly.
"As for the matter you entrusted to me, I truly dare not investigate it."
"Mr. Lin, like you, is a respectable figure."
You two great gods can fight it out elsewhere; I, a small person, can't afford to offend either of you.
Brown frowned and said:
"What exactly did you investigate that made you so scared?"
Brown was not someone to be easily fooled.
Didn't he know what kind of person the Financial Secretary was?
The current situation was naturally clear: he must have found something that shocked him.
Otherwise, how could he be so cowardly?
Who doesn't know that the Financial Secretary is most adept at bullying the weak and fearing the strong?
The Financial Secretary pursed his lips and sighed to himself.
There was no way to avoid this now.
Thinking of George's words, the Financial Secretary felt a pang of toothache.
Facing a prophet-like figure, was he crazy to go against him?
Such a person was the most troublesome.
He knew everything you did; this was like playing with an open hand.
But you didn't know what the other party was doing!
That meant he was in the open, and the opponent was in the dark.
Knowing oneself but not the enemy, how could one play?
The Financial Secretary didn't want to answer Brown's question, but the other party pressed him, forcing him to respond.
"Sir, please don't force me."
"It's no use even if you keep forcing me."
Brown suddenly became surprisingly amiable:
"You must have encountered something that scared you. Just tell me what it was, and I promise I won't make things difficult for you."
"As long as you tell me, your previous offense to me will be wiped clean."
"After your term ends, I guarantee you a decent job."
The Financial Secretary hesitated for a long time, then finally steeled himself and said:
"Sir, I did not investigate Mr. Lin."
Brown was surprisingly angry, but at the same time, he tried his best to remain calm,
"Tell me why."
The Financial Secretary said with a wry smile:
"I swear to God, I truly wanted to help you investigate."
"However, I soon learned Mr. Lin's biggest characteristic."
Brown's heart stirred:
"What characteristic?"
The Financial Secretary whispered:
"My source told me that Mr. Lin can almost immediately know things that are detrimental to him."
Brown frowned and said:
"You're not trying to fool me, are you? What kind of news is that?"
The Financial Secretary explained:
"How dare I fool you?"
"After receiving the warning from the source, I really did investigate what Mr. Lin had done before."
"Some secret things couldn't be investigated, but he had one identity that was always public."
Brown said coldly:
"The Causeway Bay Hall Master of Hung Hing Society."
The Financial Secretary nodded repeatedly:
"Yes, that's it."
"Mr. Lin is also a well-known figure in the martial arts world, with friends all over the world and almost no enemies."
Brown sneered:
"Impossible!"
"How can a street Triad have no enemies?"
"Someone with friends all over the martial arts world is a good-natured person; do you think Lin Feng is a good-natured person?"
Lin Feng definitely wasn't a good-natured person; if he were, could he have done something like target HSBC?
Don't be ridiculous!
The Financial Secretary said with a wry smile:
"I'm not lying to you; I really did investigate."
He really wasn't lying. Ever since he hung up with George, the Financial Secretary truly went to investigate what Lin Feng had done in the martial arts world.
After investigating, he almost had a heart attack.
"Mr. Lin is not a good-natured person at all."
"But Sir, have you ever considered... another possibility for him having friends everywhere in the martial arts world?"
Brown said impatiently:
"What exactly do you want to say? Just say it directly; don't be so evasive."
"My temper is very short right now; if you keep beating around the bush, be careful, or I'll lose my temper again."
The Financial Secretary said helplessly,
"All of Mr. Lin's enemies are dead, so he only has friends in the jianghu, no enemies!"
Hmm?!
Brown's expression changed instantly:
"All dead?"
The Financial Secretary sighed:
"Yes, all dead."
"Whether they were from the Hung Hing Triad or outside the Triad, all of them."
"Being friends with Lin Feng might bring other dangers."
"But if you become an enemy of Mr. Lin, you're dead for sure."
"These things are common knowledge; you can ask around."
Brown's heart sank.
He didn't think Lin Feng was a pushover, but he had never imagined Lin Feng was a killing star!
Difficult to provoke and a killing star are two completely different concepts.
As for why these things weren't recorded in the archives, that only highlighted Lin Feng's power even more.
So powerful that even special agencies couldn't investigate his actions.
The jianghu is also a volatile place; no one would give up the chance to make a name for themselves to others.
In other words, what the Financial Secretary said could be easily verified with a little investigation.
Brown secretly thought, "This is bad."
If Lin Feng truly had such a personality, then things would be terrible.
Lin Feng and Tycoon have a blood feud!
For someone as protective as Lin Feng, Fang Ting's hatred naturally became his hatred.
With his style, he would definitely wipe them out, and certainly wouldn't give Tycoon any chance to breathe.
From Lin Feng's perspective, Tycoon was being held at the Garrison base by George and Cunningham, and Little Tycoon was imprisoned due to matters with the London nobility. This was originally an excellent development, not even requiring him to act personally.
Yet, Mr. Shen had been backing Little Tycoon.
What did this mean?
Naturally, it meant being an enemy of Lin Feng!
Thinking of Lin Feng's style, Brown felt a chill down his spine—only friends in the jianghu, no enemies. This statement sounded harmless at first, simply meaning he had good connections.
But the more he thought about it, the more terrifying it became!
To eliminate all enemies—just how ruthless a heart and how powerful an ability did that require?!
Brown himself couldn't do such a thing!
Brown sighed deeply, speechless.
The Financial Secretary was a high-ranking figure in the eyes of ordinary people, but in the eyes of people like them, he was just an ordinary civil servant.
Facing a fierce person like Lin Feng, how could he dare to investigate deeply?
It was too easy for Lin Feng to deal with the Financial Secretary; among the 50,000 Hung Hing disciples, there were always a few desperadoes.
As long as a knife was used, for a one-for-one exchange, no matter how many Financial Secretaries there were, it would be pointless.
And the other party only needed to be imprisoned for seven years!
Who wouldn't be tempted by a deal that exchanged seven years for a lifetime of wealth and glory?
The Financial Secretary had no idea that Brown had so many thoughts in an instant; he was still cautiously explaining:
"Sir, you and Mr. Lin are like immortals fighting; I really dare not interfere."
Brown sighed:
"I keep my word; this is not your fault."
"Alright, when your term is up, I will naturally give you a respectable job."
The Financial Secretary was overjoyed:
"Thank you, Sir."
After hanging up the phone, the Financial Secretary excitedly slapped his thigh. What he initially thought was a troublesome matter had unexpectedly turned into a good thing.
He had never even dared to imagine such a turn of events before.
Just as the Financial Secretary was about to cheer loudly, he suddenly thought of Lin Feng, and his entire face instantly turned bitter.
George must have reported his message to Lin Feng yesterday. Given Lin Feng's personality, would he think that the Financial Secretary was siding with Brown?
If Lin Feng thought that, then it would be terrible!
The Financial Secretary's excitement vanished without a trace—the future was good, but it had to arrive first.
If he provoked Lin Feng and directly lost his future, how wronged would he be!
Thinking this… the Financial Secretary became extremely flustered.
What should he do?
The Financial Secretary paced anxiously.
Suddenly, his eyes lit up:
"I was so foolish!"
"I can directly express my stance to Mr. Lin."
So the Financial Secretary picked up the phone and dialed Lin Feng.
He had to make Lin Feng understand that he was not on Brown's side, that he was innocent.
Brown had no idea that in such a short time, the Financial Secretary had done such a thing?
If he had known that the Financial Secretary was playing both sides, he would have surely made the Financial Secretary pay immediately.
Unfortunately, he didn't know.
Brown was very worried.
The Secretary knocked and entered, speaking with a slight urgency:
"Sir, our stock price has fallen by another third."
Brown asked:
"Didn't we retaliate?"
The Secretary said with a bitter face:
"This is the result after retaliation!"
Brown's eyes widened:
"What?!"
"It's still like this after retaliation?!"
"Are you sure?"
The Secretary gave a wry smile:
"Yes."
"This morning, in addition to the previous Chen Taotao, six other short-sellers suddenly appeared and targeted our stock."
Brown said coldly:
"These vultures!"
"Did you find out who they are?"
The Secretary hesitated.
Brown snapped:
"What can't you say?"
The Secretary said with a dark face:
"These six short-sellers, although very mysterious and rarely appeared before."
"However, they are all under our surveillance."
"They are the white gloves of the Standard Chartered board of directors."
Brown looked up sharply:
"What did you say?!"
The Secretary smiled bitterly:
"Sir, this is a very common occurrence."
"We do this kind of thing often."
"The sudden increase in short-sellers caused the speculative capital in the stock market to gather, and they found a breakthrough target."
"Almost half of the funds in the stock market are shorting us."
"We invested 5 billion hong kong dollars for this, barely managing to withstand their attack."
Brown's eyes were bloodshot:
"You say you withstood their attack, meaning it cost 5 billion hong kong dollars and caused today's stock price to drop by another third compared to yesterday?"
The Secretary sighed:
"This is already the maximum pressure our team can withstand!"
Brown's face completely darkened.
The Secretary smiled bitterly:
"The short-selling momentum is too strong. If we want to defend our stock, we need to invest another 5 billion hong kong dollars."
"However, this already exceeds the bond department's authority."
"Sir, do you say we give it to them or not?"
Brown roared:
"Can I say no?!"
The Secretary was silent, like a cicada in cold weather.
Not giving it was not an option; no one dared to let their company's stock fall to worthlessness.
If the other party took the opportunity to acquire shares, they might even initiate a takeover.
Brown fiercely pulled, tearing off his tie and roughly loosening his collar to make his breathing easier.
"5 billion is probably not enough."
"Approve another 10 billion for them."
The Secretary was greatly alarmed:
"Sir, won't that be too much?"
"If we do that, our profit this year…"
Brown said loudly:
"Don't think about this year's profit."
"Let's just focus on surviving first."
"If HSBC collapses because of you and me."
"We might as well both jump off the rooftop!"
The Secretary immediately dared not speak again.
Brown said coldly:
"Those six suddenly appearing short-sellers are frantically shorting us; this is not a good sign."
"Listen to me!"
"Tell the investment department, no matter what, no matter the cost, they must hold the line."
How could the Secretary dare to refuse:
"Yes!"
Brown took a deep breath and waved him away,
"Go quickly."
The Secretary asked:
"Sir Peter…"
Brown roared:
"I told you to get out!"
The Secretary quickly scurried away without looking back.
It was better not to mention Peter; the more Peter was brought up, the angrier Brown became.
He had never imagined that Standard Chartered would stab him in the back so viciously.
What did this mean?
He rejected his request?
Why reject such a good deal?
Brown was already on the verge of despair.
He stared fiercely at the phone, never before wishing for the phone to ring more than at that moment.
But after staring for a full ten minutes, the phone remained completely silent.
Brown sighed deeply. Forget it, what gentleman's rules, go to hell.
Given his current situation, what gentleman's rules was he maintaining?
It was right to ascertain Standard Chartered's situation as soon as possible.
Just then, the phone suddenly rang. Brown answered it like lightning, and his female Secretary's sweet voice came through:
"Sir, Sir Peter of Standard Chartered is on line one. Shall I put him through?"
+++
Chapter 424: Bountiful Harvest
"We harvested so much?"
Chiang Tin-Yeung looked at Lin Feng in shock.
"Is this a lot?"
Lin Feng was particularly puzzled.
Liang Kun shrieked:
"Ah Feng, don't have such high standards. Is it not a lot to earn two billion in one morning?"
Chiang Tin-Yeung nodded repeatedly.
That was a full two billion hong kong dollar!
And it was earned in just one morning!
No one would believe it if he told them!
Lin Feng sighed:
"The guys at Standard Chartered Bank didn't play fair. If they hadn't taken a cut, we could have earned another three billion hong kong dollar."
Liang Kun frowned:
"In that case, those guys at Standard Chartered are truly despicable!"
Chiang Tin-Yeung quickly said:
"You can't say that."
"If they hadn't suddenly placed a heavy bet and resisted HSBC's comeback, how could we have earned so much?"
Liang Kun was stunned.
Chiang Tin-Yeung sighed:
"Ah Kun, you don't understand the underlying principles."
"The stock market is not much different from a business war."
"This morning, while our Baishing had the mindset of burning our bridges, wasn't the other side also fighting for their lives?"
"Victory and defeat are often decided by a hair's breadth."
"There is also a large amount of speculative capital in the stock market."
"This speculative capital is like a fair-weather friend; they side with whoever is stronger."
"They always step on the weak and flatter the strong; only by doing so can they make a profit."
"If it weren't for the sudden appearance of those six short sellers, it wouldn't have been so easy for Chen Taotao to win."
Liang Kun suddenly understood:
"So that's how it is."
His previous dissatisfaction immediately vanished.
Liang Kun was a very practical person; he entered the underworld to make money.
If anyone blocked his path to making money, he wouldn't be polite to them.
Chiang Tin-Yeung asked with interest:
"Ah Feng, were those six short sellers from Standard Chartered Bank?"
Lin Feng shrugged:
"They were a few front companies for the Standard Chartered Bank board of directors."
Chiang Tin-Yeung nodded slightly:
"So that's how it is."
Liang Kun said happily:
"If Standard Chartered Bank is on our side, then won't HSBC be doomed?"
Chiang Tin-Yeung hesitated a little:
"Standard Chartered and HSBC are both Anglo-Saxon capital. It won't be easy to get Standard Chartered to stand with us, will it?"
Lin Feng said to Liang Kun:
"Don't think about such good things."
"This afternoon, Standard Chartered will announce that it will lend HSBC ten billion hong kong dollar, and at the same time, it has also completed an asset sale worth five billion."
Liang Kun said in astonishment:
"In other words, HSBC will have money soon?"
"Then why would Standard Chartered's directors do such a thing?"
"No, that's not right!"
"Why didn't Standard Chartered announce it earlier?"
Lin Feng shrugged:
"Businessmen!"
"If there's an opportunity to make money, why not make a little more?"
Liang Kun was very puzzled:
"If they had announced it this morning, wouldn't they have been able to go long? They could have still made a lot of money that way, so why didn't they do that?"
Liang Kun was very confused.
Isn't this contradictory?
Did the people on Standard Chartered's board think that using some front companies would solve everything?
Liang Kun didn't think they would be that naive.
You know, HSBC has a bank called Hang Seng, and the hang seng index was designed by them.
Liang Kun didn't believe that HSBC wouldn't be able to find out the background of these six short sellers.
Isn't this clearly causing Standard Chartered and HSBC to fall out?
It seemed unreasonable no matter how he looked at it.
Chiang Tin-Yeung smiled:
"Brother Kun, do you think it's possible that the transactions between the two banks are purely normal business dealings?"
Liang Kun was startled. What did that mean?
Chiang Tin-Yeung smiled:
"Business is business."
"Doing business with you doesn't mean standing on your side; it's purely about being able to make money by doing business with you."
Liang Kun was stunned:
"Can it be understood that way?"
Lin Feng smiled:
"That's a very normal thing."
"Look at the interactions between the two poles in the world; they also have transactions, even with the Iron Curtain blockade."
"There's no choice; this world is a whole."
"It's not that I want to do business with you, but rather that no other country can sell to me besides you."
"So there's only one option."
Liang Kun asked, puzzled:
"Standard Chartered and HSBC are both Anglo-Saxon capital; the former truly won't stand with the latter?"
"That's too outrageous, isn't it?"
"Why?"
Chiang Tin-Yeung looked at Lin Feng:
"Ah Feng, do you know something?"
Liang Kun also said:
"Ah Feng, there's no news at all in the market about the transactions between Standard Chartered and HSBC. How do you know about it?"
Lin Feng said casually:
"Peter told me, of course."
Chiang Tin-Yeung and Liang Kun exchanged glances, both confused:
"Who is Peter?"
Lin Feng shrugged:
"Peter, the Chairman of Standard Chartered."
"You don't need to rack your brains thinking about it."
"Peter specifically called me at noon today to explain the situation."
"Just as Mr. Chiang thought, their transaction with HSBC is a simple transaction."
"As for why they don't stand with HSBC, it's actually very simple."
"Standard Chartered doesn't want to offend me!"
Chiang Tin-Yeung and Liang Kun asked in unison:
"The Chairman of Standard Chartered personally called you to report information?"
Lin Feng smiled:
"Why not?"
Both of them were stunned.
That was the Chairman of Standard Chartered!
Liang Kun looked at Lin Feng with a strange expression,
"Ah Feng, honestly tell me, how much have you been hiding from me?"
"That's the Chairman of Standard Chartered, a person even the Governor wouldn't put on airs with."
"Do you have a relationship with him?"
Lin Feng shook his head:
"I only have business dealings with them."
"No personal relationship whatsoever."
Liang Kun said in surprise:
"That's not right. If that were the case, why wouldn't Peter stand with HSBC?"
Lin Feng said with a grin:
"Because I cooperate with them more often."
Liang Kun's mouth dropped open, completely bewildered.
Chiang Tin-Yeung's heart stirred:
"Ah Feng, is the scope of your transactions with them large?"
Lin Feng shrugged:
"I don't have a good impression of HSBC."
"They are overly involved in government activities."
"This gives me a very bad impression."
"After all, Mainland hasn't reclaimed Hong Kong yet."
Liang Kun and Chiang Tin-Yeung nodded simultaneously. Yes, these were words Lin Feng would say.
People with insight in the jianghu, specifically those with insight, all knew that Lin Feng was a vengeful person.
And ordinary mediocre people would only remember him as someone who was good at networking.
Little did they know, a good-natured person, because he is good to everyone, naturally poses no threat.
Since there is no threat, how many people would take his words seriously?
Only those who are vengeful and powerful will attract particular attention.
Because everyone knows that such people are best respected, otherwise, offending them will lead to suffering.
Too many examples illustrate this point.
However, only the two people close to Lin Feng knew his other side—prioritizing loyalty and having a chivalrous spirit.
Lin Feng walked the true path of a wandering hero.
Naturally, home and country came first.
His vision was very broad.
Lin Feng's path in the jianghu involved illicit businesses.
But he basically didn't do anything that harmed heaven and earth.
Things like firearms, smuggling, and counterfeit currency, he would absolutely not do.
He didn't even do things like brothels.
He was like the chivalrous young masters in novels and storybooks.
If people who didn't know him saw him, they would be quite confused.
Only those close to him knew Lin Feng's true situation.
Chiang Tin-Yeung praised:
"Ah Feng, your vision is very broad."
Lin Feng waved his hand and chuckled:
"I'm just a guy who runs around the jianghu, what vision am I talking about?"
"As long as I can make money and eat my fill, that's enough."
"It's just that I've always known what kind of business is the most profitable."
Liang Kun said speechlessly:
"I remember you saying that doing state-sanctioned monopoly businesses is the most profitable."
Lin Feng clapped his hands:
"Exactly."
"Doing state-sanctioned monopoly businesses is the most profitable."
"So, I will not betray the country."
"Mainland does not allow drug trafficking, arms dealing, or even committing crimes."
"Then I will absolutely not do such things in Mainland."
"I will even cooperate with Mainland's actions to do certain things."
"And I, naturally, received generous returns."
Chiang Tin-Yeung's heart stirred:
"Standard Chartered seems to have opened businesses in Mainland."
Lin Feng gave a thumbs up:
"Mr. Chiang is wise."
"Standard Chartered has many branches or representative offices in Mainland."
"My cooperation with them is also very extensive."
"There are not many foreign banks in Mainland; in our Fishing Village, besides HSBC, there is Standard Chartered."
"Compared to HSBC, Standard Chartered suits my taste a bit more."
"Therefore, I am a major client of theirs."
Liang Kun asked curiously:
"How big?"
Lin Feng smiled:
"Let's put it this way: the cooperation I have with them in Mainland is so significant that they are willing to subtly side with me when I have conflicts with HSBC."
Liang Kun was stunned:
"They non-publicly side with you?"
He clicked his tongue,
"This doesn't seem like a very deep relationship, does it?"
Chiang Tin-Yeung quickly said:
"No, this is already very impressive!"
"Standard Chartered and HSBC are both Anglo-Saxon capital, and their relationship is extremely close."
"It's inherently difficult for them to fall out."
"To get Standard Chartered to stand on your side, that's already incredibly, incredibly impressive."
Chiang Tin-Yeung said to Liang Kun,
"I need to correct myself; it's super impressive."
Liang Kun shrugged, indicating he understood.
"But… I always find it strange."
"Ah Feng's cooperation with Standard Chartered is a matter of the last two or three years, but HSBC and Standard Chartered have been cooperating for many years."
"Could there be a trick?"
Chiang Tin-Yeung nodded repeatedly:
"Ah Feng, Brother Kun has a point."
Lin Feng said with a smile:
"Thank you for the reminder, two big bosses; there's absolutely no possibility of that."
Liang Kun said seriously:
"In this world, apart from birth, old age, sickness, and death, there's nothing absolute."
"Ah Feng, you must be wary of others!"
Lin Feng laughed:
"Brother Kun, rest assured, Standard Chartered wouldn't dare to do anything."
Liang Kun insisted on getting to the bottom of it:
"Why are you so sure?"
Lin Feng shrugged:
"Mainland made a move!"
What?!
Liang Kun and Chiang Tin-Yeung were dumbfounded.
Both felt shocked.
"Mainland made a move?"
Lin Feng nodded slightly:
"That's right, someone from Mainland called Chairman of Standard Chartered."
"Otherwise, why do you think Standard Chartered's stance would be so clear?"
"You also said it, their cooperation spans dozens of times longer than my cooperation."
"How could they disregard decades of friendship because of me?"
Hiss!
Liang Kun gasped:
"Mainland making a move, that's a big deal."
Chiang Tin-Yeung exclaimed:
"Ah Feng, what exactly have you done in Mainland?"
"This is a huge favor!"
Lin Feng said very calmly:
"I am a Mainland person. I have never thought about changing my nationality. I have considerable investments in Mainland, and everything is done according to Mainland's rules."
"I probably have hundreds of thousands of factory workers in Mainland."
Chiang Tin-Yeung also gasped:
"Hundreds of thousands?!"
Lin Feng shrugged:
"Most of them are labor-intensive industries."
"A small portion are high-end industries."
"Anyway, Mainland currently lacks job opportunities, so I'm quite popular."
Liang Kun frowned:
"That actually makes some sense."
Chiang Tin-Yeung looked at him, thinking, you better not be fooled by Ah Feng.
Now, everyone knows that Mainland has great potential.
There are countless businessmen investing in Mainland, but how many can receive this kind of support from Mainland?
Even Mainland's state-owned enterprises probably don't get this treatment.
However, Liang Kun said:
"I don't know how big your industries in Mainland are, but Benny is indeed a distinguished guest in Guangdong Province right now."
Chiang Tin-Yeung was startled:
"Benny?"
Liang Kun explained:
"Benny is now permanently stationed in Guangdong Province. He built a very large warehouse in Fishing Village, opposite Hong Kong, and supplies various general merchandise to our group's convenience stores every day."
"Just these items alone are not a small number."
Lin Feng said as a matter of course:
"A single convenience store might not seem to have many things, but you can't argue with the sheer volume."
"Besides us, there are also convenience stores within Sun Luen Shing's territory."
"That's also a big chunk."
"I've calculated it roughly, just the daily supply alone reaches the millions."
Chiang Tin-Yeung's expression changed:
"Just convenience stores?"
Liang Kun nodded:
"Yes, just convenience stores."
"Water stations don't count!"
"Although Benny is also in charge of the water stations."
Chiang Tin-Yeung clicked his tongue:
"This is also a big project worth hundreds of millions."
Liang Kun sighed:
"When Benny returned last time, he had put on a lot of weight, he was completely plump."
"That guy has banquets every day."
"He said that we have literally turned certain products into bulk transactions."
"Benny is very popular with others."
Chiang Tin-Yeung wondered:
"Benny is an international smuggling kingpin, is he not doing his own business anymore?"
Liang Kun just laughed:
"You can still smuggle in Mainland!"
Chiang Tin-Yeung was so shocked he almost jumped up,
"Smuggling in Mainland?!"
"Are you crazy? Mainland is not Hong Kong, nor is it Taiwan. If you get caught smuggling in Mainland, you'll be eating peanuts (executed)."
Liang Kun laughed:
"It's not that exaggerated."
"But it's not far off either."
"Of course, we can't hide this kind of thing from Mainland."
"To be honest with you, this is allowed by Mainland."
Chiang Tin-Yeung almost popped his eyeballs out:
"Mainland allows you to smuggle?"
Liang Kun said with a bitter smile:
"If I hadn't experienced it myself, I wouldn't believe it either!"
Chiang Tin-Yeung immediately became interested:
"Can you elaborate?"
Liang Kun laughed:
"You are a high-level executive of the group, so of course you can know."
"Ah Feng judged that one of the two poles in the North was about to collapse. They were misled by America and foolishly tried shock therapy."
"Now, that pole in the North is severely lacking in civilian goods."
"So we organized people to transport goods to Moscow by rail."
"The profits are huge."
Chiang Tin-Yeung was stunned:
"That's it?"
Liang Kun chuckled:
"Don't rush!"
"Because the Red Bear in the North lacks currency, these people dare to exchange anything…"
Chiang Tin-Yeung had a vague premonition that what Liang Kun was about to say would be earth-shattering.
"Factory machinery, military weapons, as long as we dare to ask for it, they dare to use it to pay off debts!"
Chiang Tin-Yeung's heart skipped a beat:
"You mean they even dare to bring out weapons and equipment?"
Liang Kun nodded vigorously.
"Exactly!"
Chiang Tin-Yeung was greatly alarmed:
"Did you take them?"
Liang Kun shrugged:
"What would we want with that stuff?"
Chiang Tin-Yeung let out a long sigh of relief:
"That's good then."
Liang Kun stifled a laugh and said:
"Although we are in the underworld, to be honest, we are no longer purely in the underworld."
"Our company is about to transform and become a legitimate group."
"If people knew we were smuggling weapons, how could we do business with others?"
Chiang Tin-Yeung immediately nodded.
However, Liang Kun then said,
"But, we don't want those things, Mainland does!"
Chiang Tin-Yeung was stunned, he looked at Liang Kun in disbelief:
"You mean?"
Liang Kun shrugged:
"We don't want it, but someone else does."
"However, we don't handle it directly; certain people from Mainland handle it."
"We just exchange for certain things according to their requirements."
"It's just that Mainland is currently in ruins waiting to be rebuilt, and they don't have enough funds."
"Ah Feng reminded us to think long-term."
"The three of us discussed it and decided to half-sell, half-give it away."
Chiang Tin-Yeung gasped:
"So you guys are smuggling by imperial decree?"
Liang Kun quickly waved his hand:
"Who told you we were smuggling? We are seriously doing business with the Red Bear in the North."
"Smuggling is absolutely not allowed."
"Even if you are a high-level executive of the group, if you say that, I'll have to sue you for defamation."
Chiang Tin-Yeung was genuinely surprised:
"This matter was done by the three of you?"
Liang Kun nodded, very proudly.
Chiang Tin-Yeung was angry:
"Why didn't you call me for such a good thing?"
Liang Kun said speechlessly:
"We didn't even know you back then, okay?"
Chiang Tin-Yeung sighed regretfully:
"Oh, this was a great opportunity to interact with Mainland. It would have been great if you had called me for this."
He asked hopefully,
"Are you still short on capital?"
Liang Kun proudly retorted:
"With Ah Feng's golden touch, do you think we're short on capital?"
Chiang Tin-Yeung regretfully shook his head repeatedly:
"Then naturally, you're not short."
Liang Kun clapped his hands and laughed:
"This is just something Ah Feng, Benny, and the three of us did together."
"As for what Ah Feng did on his own, you can slowly think about that."
Chiang Tin-Yeung said solemnly to the two:
"If there are any more good projects like this, please be sure to include me."
Lin Feng laughed:
"There are no other projects for now, but there's a project that's purely about spending money, do you want to do it?"
Chiang Tin-Yeung asked:
"What project?"
Lin Feng smiled:
"Sister-in-law is pregnant, so I was thinking of doing some good deeds, accumulating some virtue…"
Chiang Tin-Yeung didn't wait for him to finish, and immediately said:
"Count me in!"