Chapter 442

The rain in Victoria Harbour fell without any warning.

Just a moment ago the neon‑lit night was dazzling, and in an instant the pouring rain turned it into a blur.

Yushui streamed wildly across the floor‑to‑ceiling window of the Peninsula Hotel room, smearing the lights of Kowloon Peninsula opposite into a hazy, flickering patchwork, like a tipped‑over palette.

Lin Xueqing stood by the window, a little stunned.

She had left Beijing barely a month ago, and the shift from Shenzhen to Hong Kong was so rapid it caught her off guard.

It is more "cosmopolitan" than Shenzhen, yet even more crowded and cramped. The air is filled with brine, exhaust, perfume, and an indefinable, scorching aura of money and desire rushing through.

Around her ears were incomprehensible Cantonese, English, the shrill bells of trams, and the low hoot of ships.

"What, not used to it?" Li Ping'an's voice came from behind, gentle and steady.

He had just finished a telephone conference, a faint, hard‑to‑notice fatigue on his face, yet his eyes remained bright under the light.

He walked to his wife's side and also gazed out at the rain‑disturbed brilliance beyond the window.

"A bit… too noisy, too fast," Lin Xueqing sighed lightly, speaking frankly, "It feels like even taking a breath you have to seize the moment."

She turned to look at her husband, who wore a neatly pressed shirt with sleeves rolled up; in this overly luxurious suite, he seemed as natural as if standing in his own study.

Li Ping'an smiled, slipped his arm around her shoulders: "Tomorrow I'll take you up to The Peak, walk around Repulse Bay, and the pace will slow down. Hong Kong is like this—half sea, half flame. On this trip we'll see the sea and also get a taste of the flame."

The next day, the rain stopped, and the sky was a wash of deep blue.

Li Ping'an truly cancelled his morning schedule and rode the old Peak tram with Lin Xueqing.

As the tram tilted upward, the dense skyscrapers of Hong Kong Island gradually turned into a delicate model beneath their feet, while the azure bay and speckled islands unfolded.

Lin Xueqing clutched the handrail tightly, amazed by the steep angle yet drawn by the grand scenery before her.

"Look, that's Central; the Wanshang Bank Hong Kong branch is right there."

Li Ping'an pointed to the most densely packed buildings in the distance, "That's Tsim Sha Tsui, where we stayed last night."

Standing on the Lingxiao Pavilion observation deck, leaning on the rail and looking afar, Lin Xueqing felt many of the knots in her heart loosened by the vast wind.

She suddenly understood why her husband always liked high places. Seeing far makes it harder to be trapped by immediate constraints.

"Ping'an, you didn't come to Hong Kong just to accompany me, did you?" she asked softly.

"Yes, there's an important meeting," Li Ping'an said without concealment, "about the bank's next move."

"To Europe?" Lin Xueqing recalled the vague phrase she had heard a few days earlier.

"Right." Li Ping'an nodded, his gaze reaching farther, as if beyond the harbor to the distant continent of Europe, "Our family's enterprises have spread; we need a more stable financial lifeline and a springboard to a broader world."

Lin Xueqing was silent for a moment, then grasped her husband's hand: "You always see several steps ahead of others. I don't get all that, just one thing—don't wear yourself out. The kids and I are fine now; you don't have to push yourself like before… to the death."

Li Ping'an returned the grip, his palm warm and dry: "Don't worry, this isn't a desperate push, it's a layout. Like a game of chess, the opening move is placed, then the rest proceeds calmly."

After lunch on the Peak, Li Ping'an escorted Lin Xueqing back to the hotel, instructing the bodyguard and assistant to accompany her to explore The Landmark and buy things she liked. He himself took a car to the Wanshang Bank Hong Kong headquarters in Central.

In the conference room, the atmosphere was starkly different from the Peak's leisure.

Heavy curtains blocked part of the sunlight; a long conference table was spread with numerous English documents and complex financial statements.

Zhou Wenbin and Lin Wanyi had already arrived, and there were two new faces—one the branch manager of Wanshang Bank Hong Kong, Gu Zhixing, about fifty, hair meticulously combed, wearing gold‑rimmed glasses; the other a senior M&A consultant freshly recruited from London's financial district, a Briton whose Chinese name is Luo Bo'an, in his early forties, dressed in a grey suit, eyes sharp and keen.

"General Manager Li." Seeing Li Ping'an enter, the others rose.

"Sit down," Li Ping'an walked to the head seat, without extra small talk, "How's the situation?"

Luo Bo'an spoke first; his Chinese carried an accent but was very fluent: "The target bank's condition is even more 'attractive' than we expected. Johnson & Matthew Bank was technically taken over by the Bank of England in September last year—in reality it collapsed. This bank is one of the five London gold‑pricing houses, a venerable name, but its rapid expansion in the early 1980s left internal management in shambles, lending huge sums to fraudsters and shell companies, with losses exceeding $300 million."

He pulled out a document and pushed it forward: "The Bank of England, to preserve the London gold market's reputation, injected about £100 million of its own money and symbolically bought all shares for one pound. It is now seeking a buyer for the 'clean' assets and licence. Their preferred package buyer is Australia's West Pacific Bank, but negotiations seem uneasy, with price and terms diverging."

"One pound?" Zhou Wenbin couldn't help repeating, his tone full of disbelief. Even a big old bank, even if rotten, its shell and licence are valuable.

"Symbolic."

Gu Zhixing adjusted his glasses, analyzing calmly, "The key is the subsequent capital injection and debt carve‑out. The Bank of England wants to shed this burden quickly but without sparking market panic, so it's handling it discreetly. This is an opportunity for us, but also a risk—we must be able to absorb those 'toxic' assets or find a way to cut them cleanly."

Li Ping'an skimmed the document without looking up, "What about the other one? The Savings & Investment Bank."

"This one is worse."

Luo Bo'an shook his head, "It went into liquidation and bankruptcy in '82, headquartered on the Isle of Man. The cause was over‑concentrated loans that couldn't be recovered. Debt exceeded £30 million; depositors and creditors have waited over twenty years, with a recovery rate under 30 %. The local government, to quell unrest, even paid extra compensation to some depositors. Its main value… may be just a bankrupt bank 'shell' in an offshore financial centre and a handful of painful lessons."

He tried a joke, but no one laughed in the conference room.

The conference room fell silent, only the low hum of the central air‑conditioning.

Li Ping'an closed the file, his fingers lightly tapping the polished tabletop.

His gaze landed on a world map on the wall, with Europe highlighted.

"The gold‑pricing seat of Matthew Bank and the European banking licence are exactly what we need."

He spoke slowly, his voice unusually clear in the quiet room, "One pound is a gimmick; we need to assess how much real capital is required to resurrect this bank and make it cleanly belong to Wanshang. Luo Bo'an, make the most conservative estimate, including post‑acquisition capital injection, bad‑debt carve‑out costs, compliance overhaul expenses, and… the minimum operating capital needed to maintain that gold‑pricing seat."

"Understood, General Manager Li." Luo Bo'an wrote it down quickly.

"As for the Savings & Investment Bank…"

Li Ping'an paused, "Its 'shell' and its location on the Isle of Man might also be useful. Offshore centres have their uses. This can be pursued in parallel, but with lower priority. Gu, you have extensive contacts in European banking; using the Hong Kong branch's name, first establish an informal channel with the team designated by the Bank of England, expressing our 'interest'. The posture should be modest, but with confidence. We're not going to scavenge junk; we're offering a 'solution'."

Gu Zhixing nodded, "Understood. I'll keep the balance right."

"Wenbin," Li Ping'an looked at him, "coordinate with Director Gu and Luo Bo'an to mobilize some of our repatriated funds in the Japanese market, preparing the capital. This acquisition must use offshore capital, follow a compliant route, and avoid unnecessary scrutiny."

"Yes," Zhou Wenbin replied, then recalled something, "General Manager Li, there's another matter. He Xiao's side… keeps blowing up my telephone." A wry smile appeared on his face.

"Oh?" Li Ping'an raised an eyebrow, "What new ideas are coming from the automotive industrial park?"

"It's more than just new ideas."

Zhou Wenbin pulled out a few crumpled automotive magazines from his briefcase, along with a stack of photos and clippings, and said, "That kid somehow got a lot of foreign car data, studying it every day. He heard the group plans to expand into Europe and kept pestering me, asking if we could… also take a look at European car manufacturers."

He spread the photos; they showed several beautifully styled sedans, some elegant, some wild. "Here, this is Britain's Aston Martin, a handcrafted luxury sports car, but sales have always been weak and its finances are reportedly struggling; this is Jaguar, also a British classic—elegant but with many issues, and its parent company seems inclined to sell; and this one, an American JEEP, a pure off‑road vehicle, the brand is strong but now under an American auto group, its performance is also volatile…"

Zhou Wenbin pointed to another picture: "This is Italy's Alfa Romeo, the design is undeniable, handling is good, but reliability… uh, very Italian. He Xiao doesn't intend to buy the whole company—we couldn't absorb that. He wonders if we could, through investment, tech cooperation, or acquiring parts of distressed brands (like design departments, engine tech, patents), quickly absorb their 'essence'."

He mimicked He Xiao's booming tone: "Uncle Zhou! Making cars behind closed doors won't work! We need to see how others have built up a century's worth of assets! Even buying some blueprints or bringing back a few master craftsmen is better than us starting from scratch!"

Finally, a few light laughs rang in the conference room, easing the tense atmosphere.

Lin Wan Yi laughed, "He Xiao does know how to seize opportunities. But he has a point: the automobile industry needs buildup; we started late, so using capital to buy time and technology is a way."

Li Ping'an also smiled. He admires He Xiao's tenacity and his daring to speak and think boldly.

"We can start with research on the automobile matter."

He thought aloud, "Zhou Wenbin, since He Xiao has his eye on you, you should also put your name on this, bring two people who understand technology and law, cooperate with He Xiao, and specifically study the state of the European automobile industry. The focus is to find small‑ and medium‑sized brands or teams that have unique technology, excellent design capability, but are constrained by market, capital, or management issues. The goal is not to acquire whole companies, but to obtain core assets: engine technology, chassis‑tuning experience, safety design, styling team… even complete, experienced technical worker crews."

He looked at everyone, "This is a different matter from acquiring a bank, but the two can proceed in parallel. Banks are the vessels, automobiles are the muscles. Vessels must be clear, muscles must be strong. He Xiao has enthusiasm but lacks international M&A experience; Zhou Wenbin, you need to be more vigilant, don't let his zeal lead to unrealistic pricing. Remember, we are here to 'absorb the essence,' not to play 'savior' or 'sucker.'"

"I understand," Zhou Wenbin nodded, feeling the weight on his shoulders grow a few more pounds, yet a surge of excitement rose as well. Shifting from the Japanese financial market to European industrial M&A is a considerable challenge, but also broadening.

"Then we'll proceed in two steps."

Li Ping'an summarized, "President Gu, Luo Bo'an, focus on Johnson·Matthew Bank; objective: secure the license and the golden seat, establishing our financial foothold in Europe. Zhou Wenbin, you assist the front end, and also open a second front, leading He Xiao's team to research the feasibility of acquiring European automobile technology. Lin Wan Yi, you coordinate rear support, aligning capital and information."

He stood, walked to the window, pulled aside a curtain. The afternoon sun slanted in, illuminating the motes dancing in the air.

"Everyone, our battlefield is extending from Asia to the globe. Every step must be steady and precise. Acquiring a bank is a 'pound swallowing gold'—seems cheap but actually tests our ability to absorb risk and run an international financial institution. Researching automobile technology is a 'stone from another mountain'—the aim is to strike jade, forming our own automotive industry's backbone."

He turned, his gaze like a torch: "Do not fear difficulty, nor underestimate the opponent. With thorough preparation, meet every variable. Meeting adjourned."

The meeting ended, and everyone left on orders.

Li Ping'an sat alone in the conference room a while longer, mentally reviewing the points just discussed.

Finance and industry are like the two wheels of a car, the two wings of a bird; they must develop in tandem. Acquiring a European bank is not only commercial expansion but also planting a piece for China's capital to engage more deeply in the international financial system in the future.

And obtaining advanced automobile technology is a pivotal leap to solidify our manufacturing base.

The two seemingly unrelated matters, on his overall board, share an intrinsic logical connection.

When leaving the bank building, dusk was near. After the rain, Hong Kong's sky displayed a brilliant purplish‑red, the air filled with moist vegetal scent, temporarily masking the city's clamor.

Li Ping'an did not return to the hotel immediately, but had the driver cruise slowly along the coastline.

He needed some alone time to let his high‑speed mind relax a bit.

As the car passed Shallow Water Bay, he saw Lin Xueqing, escorted by a bodyguard, barefoot on the soft sand, bending to pick up shells, the sea breeze lifting her hair and hem.

At that moment, her face bore pure ease and curiosity, like a child seeing the sea for the first time.

Li Ping'an had the driver stop and watched from a distance.

All the twists and turns of the market, the thrilling cross‑border mergers—aren't they all to protect moments like this, simple and warm? To enable family, and more ordinary people who are like family, to have the confidence and composure to choose their lives.

That night, the couple dined in the hotel's top‑floor revolving restaurant.

Outside the window was the dazzling Victoria Harbour nightscape, and the slowly rotating restaurant gradually unfurled this radiant tableau.

Lin Xueqing had already changed into a silk long dress she bought that afternoon, her hair tied up; in the soft light, a faint glimpse of her youthful elegance could be seen.

"Was today's meeting smooth?" she asked softly, cutting into the steak on her plate.

"Hmm, the direction is set," Li Ping'an replied briefly, not wanting to disturb the tranquility with complex financial jargon, "We may have to travel to Europe frequently from now on."

"Europe, huh…" Lin Xueqing's gaze drifted, "I've heard it's beautiful. When you're less busy, shall we go see it? Visit the real Eiffel Tower, the water city of Venice?"

"Fine." Li Ping'an smiled in promise, "Once I smooth the road a bit more, I'll definitely take you. We won't join a tour; we'll go at our own pace, as you said, making up for all the places we never had time to see."

Lin Xueqing smiled contentedly, raising her wine glass: "It's settled then."

The glasses lightly clinked, producing a crisp sound.

"By the way."

This afternoon while shopping, I saw a Telephone called "Da Ge Da" that looks like a black brick; they say you can walk and talk with it, no need to find a phone booth. How curious.

"That's a mobile Telephone, just emerging," Li Ping'an explained, "It will become smaller and more widespread. Perhaps someday, even half a world apart, we can hear voices and see people's images at any time."

"So it won't become the mythic 'thousand‑mile eye' or 'wind‑carrying ear' then?" Lin Xueqing thought her husband was just joking.

Li Ping'an smiled without replying. Some futures are racing toward us at a speed beyond ordinary imagination. And he must do more than witness; he must participate and drive them forward.

After dinner, Li Ping'an returned to the suite's study and reviewed again the detailed reports left by Luo Bo'an and Gu Zhixing.

Johnson·Matthew Bank… this entry point is indeed clever. With minimal cost, it secures a ticket into the mainstream European financial circle, especially the core of precious‑metal trading.

The subsequent integration will be a tough battle, but Wanshang Bank, forged by Hong Kong and East Asian markets, already has a team capable of competing internationally.

As for the automobile technology acquisition, having Zhou Wenbin take He Xiao on the task pairs a seasoned, steady person with a highly driven one, complementing each other's shortcomings.

He Xiao needs to broaden his horizons, and Zhou Wenbin also needs exposure to a more tangible industry. This move, regardless of success, will be excellent training for the team.

He picked up a pen and wrote several words on a sticky note: financial foothold, technology absorption, talent repatriation, patent layout.

This is the core of the next phase of the European strategy.

Late at night, Hong Kong's lights still blaze, like an ever‑tireless beast, inhaling and exhaling endless capital and dreams.

Li Ping'an turned off the desk lamp, walked to the bedroom doorway, and saw Lin Xueqing already asleep, breathing evenly.

He gently closed the door.

Outside, a bright moon emerged from behind the clouds, its clear light spilling onto the calm sea surface. Tomorrow will again be a business voyage of three‑foot, wind‑less waves.

Yet at this moment, the gentle Hong Kong moonlight is soothing enough for weary travelers and bright enough to illuminate the road ahead.