“Hu Yuanyuan, are you missing me?”
Li Feng rushed to the company after receiving Hu Yuanyuan’s call. Although she didn’t say what was wrong over the phone, her weary voice worried him. Upon arriving at the president’s office, he teased her with a playful question.
As he spoke, Li Feng’s gaze fell on Hu Yuanyuan’s bright red lips, still savouring yesterday’s kiss.
Hu Yuanyuan, preoccupied with worry, shot him an exasperated glance at his teasing, her face slightly flushed.
“Stop fooling around. Be serious.”
Li Feng grinned, “Serious? I’m already a handsome guy, aren’t I?”
Hu Yuanyuan said, “Enough joking. I called you here for something important.”
“What is it?” Li Feng sat at her desk.
“There’s trouble with the company. I want your advice on how to handle it.” Hu Yuanyuan briefly explained the situation, then added, “It’s critical. If we can’t resolve this effectively, the company faces catastrophic losses.”
“How did this happen out of nowhere?” Li Feng was stunned. He wasn’t well-versed in finance and hesitated to comment, but his gut told him this wasn’t simple.
“Someone’s targeting us. Before this, a large number of investment department staff submitted resignations. This was planned.” Hu Yuanyuan replied.
“Do you know who’s behind it?” Li Feng asked.
Hu Yuanyuan shook her head, “No clue. I don’t have the energy to investigate now. The priority is saving the company. Even if we find out who’s targeting us, it’s useless without funds. I need a lot of capital. Any ideas?”
Hu Yuanyuan was desperate. She had no funds and was counting on Li Feng, whose mother was the chairman of the Li Corporation. If Li Feng could secure money from her, it might ease the company’s crisis.
But the Li Corporation wasn’t like Xiangfeng Investment. It was the Li family’s business, and while Li Feng’s mother managed it, she didn’t have full decision-making power. Mobilising large funds might require board approval, which would be complicated.
“Will funds alone solve the problem?” Li Feng, unfamiliar with financial rules, believed force was the best solution, given his preference for strength.
“Yes, with funds, I can counterattack.” Hu Yuanyuan nodded, “Li Feng, can you call your mother?”
“Mother? Which mother?” Li Feng was confused.
“Stop playing dumb at a time like this. You know who I mean.” Hu Yuanyuan glared at him, annoyed. Did he not realise this company was partly his too?
“I really don’t know which mother. I don’t have any aunts, do I?” Li Feng looked genuinely puzzled. His father, Li Chuanwei, was the eldest son, so he had no aunts, only some distant relatives.
“Your mum.” Hu Yuanyuan said irritably.
“My mum? Just say so. Why all this aunt nonsense? It’s confusing.” Li Feng grumbled, then realised, “Wait, why’s my mum your aunt? You should be calling her Mum.”
It dawned on him that he and Hu Yuanyuan were married, so she should call his mother Mum.
“I…” Hu Yuanyuan was speechless.
“What do you want me to call Mum about?” Li Feng emphasised “Mum” heavily.
Hu Yuanyuan blushed, catching his meaning, but didn’t dwell on it, saying, “The company needs funds. Only your mum can help.”
“Our mum.” Li Feng corrected.
Hu Yuanyuan glared but didn’t argue, saying, “Your mum runs the Li Corporation, which has plenty of cash. With her support, the company’s problems could be resolved.”
“No need for that hassle.” Li Feng shook his head. He lacked many things, but not money. He’d earned five hundred million USD from Microsoft, won about five hundred million RMB at Tianya Pavilion, and borrowed one and a half billion RMB from Tiantian Loans. After giving one billion to Liu Shichao, he still had roughly five hundred million RMB. Building a training base, buying equipment, paying the Black Hawk team, and purchasing training materials cost three to four hundred million, leaving him with about two hundred fifty to two hundred sixty million.
Tossing his bank card on Hu Yuanyuan’s desk, he said, “There’s over two billion in here. That should solve your problem.”
Hu Yuanyuan stared, stunned, “Li Feng, I don’t have time or mood for jokes.”
She didn’t believe Li Feng could casually produce that much money. Even selling Xiangfeng Investment wouldn’t fetch that amount.
“Joking? You think I’m joking? The password’s my birthday. Check it yourself.” Li Feng shook his head, disappointed by her lack of trust. Winning her heart would be a long road.
Hu Yuanyuan glanced at him sceptically, opened her computer, and checked. She had to be cautious, given the stakes, and didn’t believe Li Feng had that kind of money.
But the screen left her dumbfounded. She wasn’t someone unfamiliar with money, but she never imagined Li Feng had such a sum.
“Where did you get this money?” Hu Yuanyuan asked suspiciously. She wouldn’t believe his family gave him that much.
“You don’t need to worry about that. Just tell me if this money can solve the company’s problems.” Li Feng said.
“Not only can it solve them, but we can strike back.” Hu Yuanyuan said confidently. This was her expertise. She’d been hesitant without funds, but with this capital, she had the confidence to act.
“Strike back? How?” Li Feng’s eyes lit up. He disliked being on the defensive and preferred taking the initiative, though he didn’t understand the company’s operations.
Hu Yuanyuan confidently outlined her plan. In her element, with sufficient funds, she devised a strategy instantly. At that moment, she was like an empress commanding the battlefield, radiant and authoritative.
Li Feng shook his head after hearing her plan.
“What, got a better idea?” Hu Yuanyuan asked, valuing Li Feng’s opinion, given his knack for miracles.
“Your plan is to swallow the funds targeting our company, right?” Li Feng asked.
Hu Yuanyuan nodded, “Yes, with your funds, I can absorb that capital. It’s a rare opportunity. That fund is worth at least a few billion. Absorbing it would double the company’s strength.”
“Your appetite’s too small. Satisfied with just that?” Li Feng shook his head.
Hu Yuanyuan looked at him, waiting for his explanation.
“To me, we shouldn’t just absorb the funds. We should crush the opponent.” Li Feng’s eyes gleamed as he said gravely, “They used this much money to target us and gutted our investment department. This isn’t just a business rival. It’s likely a personal enemy. If we don’t destroy them, they’ll come back, and the consequences could be dire. We need to not only defeat them but ruin them.”
Hu Yuanyuan nodded, agreeing with Li Feng. This time, his money saved them, but next time might not be so easy.
“But who hates us this much?” Hu Yuanyuan was puzzled. She was cautious and rarely offended anyone.
“Could it be your enemy?” She looked at Li Feng.
“No way. I don’t show up at the company. Why would they target it to get to me?” Though he said this, Li Feng felt uneasy. Li Quan and his group were after Xiangfeng Investment, but he couldn’t tell Hu Yuanyuan yet.
“Then who? I don’t think I’ve offended anyone.” Hu Yuanyuan frowned.
“No point guessing now. The key is finding them, even if it costs us.” Li Feng couldn’t pinpoint the culprit either. Li Quan’s group? Unlikely, or Liu Shichao would’ve heard something unless they suspected him.
Besides them, Song Zhiyuan’s group was possible. Li Feng had offended them at Tianya Pavilion, and they weren’t the type to let it go. If it was them, it’d be trouble.
Song Zhiyuan represented the Nanling Song family, no less powerful than the Li family. Li Feng could defeat them but not destroy them.
Then there was Sun Xipeng. Li Feng had humiliated him at Tianshang Renjian, and Sun, beaten badly at the company, was vengeful and wouldn’t let it slide.
And Su Xin. Li Feng had foiled his plans before, and Su had retaliated through Lin Sheng. Now, with the new smart chip Li Feng helped develop rendering Su Yang’s decades-long research obsolete, Su Xin wouldn’t take it lightly.
Hu Yuanyuan’s expression shifted, and she nodded firmly.
