Chapter 177: On the Eve of the Storm, the Harvest Begins!

Monday's Hong Kong Island sky was a wash of clear blue, the sea breeze lightly brushed Victoria Harbor, the glittering surface reflected the morning light. Lu Qingshan stood before the floor‑to‑ceiling window of the Hilton Hotel, watching the distant skyscrapers, a ambitious curve lifting his mouth.

Today, HK$56,000,000 of capital is about to be poured into the battlefield! That figure is enough to shock the entire Hong Kong Island financial world.

"Second brother, what do you think the market will do today?" Lu Qingjun asked nervously while nibbling the hotel's delicate breakfast. The table held pricey Hong Kong‑style dim sum, but he clearly had no appetite; his hands were trembling slightly.

"Let the damned die, let the living live." Lu Qingshan lifted his coffee cup, took a light sip, a flash of murderous intent in his eyes, "The market never believes tears; it only respects strength."

"My god!" Lu Qingjun set down his fork, his voice trembling, "HK$56,000,000! If we lose that, the two of us will have to go to Victoria Harbor to feed fish! I'm still young, I haven't even taken a wife yet!"

Ye Ning sat on the sofa beside them, a pile of technical analysis charts spread across her knees, her eyes blood‑red. She had barely slept last night, constantly poring over data, and the coffee cup beside her was already empty three times.

"Mr Lu, according to the data I analyzed through the night," Ye Ning lifted her head, her voice hoarse yet professional, "the Hang Seng Index should see a modest rebound after the opening. Last Friday's drop released a lot of panic, and technically there is rebound demand."

Lu Qingshan glanced at the dense charts in her hands, a cold sneer forming inside. Memories from his past life clearly told him that today's rebound was a massive trap; countless retail investors would re‑enter on this bounce, only to be utterly buried by the ensuing crash.

"Technical analysis?" he set down his coffee cup, a hint of contempt flashing in his eyes, "In the face of absolute strength, these are just waste paper. What truly decides the market's direction has never been some indicator, but human sentiment and the larger trend."

His words made Ye Ning's heart tremble, yet she still clung to her professional judgment.

At 8:30, four black‑clad bodyguards arrived at the hotel entrance on time.

A Qiang walked at the front, his eyes scanning the surroundings with hawk‑like vigilance. The roar of the Tiger‑Head engine turned heads on Hong Kong Island's streets; passersby couldn't help but stare, some even pulling out cameras to snap photos.

"Mr Lu, the Far East Exchange has prepared VIP Room No. 7 for you," the driver A Hua said respectfully, "Chairman Li specifically instructed that all equipment be the most advanced on Hong Kong Island, even the Bloomberg Terminal is the latest model. Moreover, several major HSBC and Standard Chartered clients are on the same floor today, so the trading looks set to be lively."

Lu Qingshan leaned against the leather seat, a surge of conquest flooding his mind. In his past life he could only watch these tycoons online; this life he would stand at the top of the food chain! More importantly, he would use his past‑life memories to harvest everything in the looming financial storm!

The Far East Exchange building rose like a solitary crane in Central, Hong Kong Island, its 38‑storey height making it the king's tower of this financial sanctuary. The guard at the entrance saw the license plate and immediately saluted with utmost respect.

"Mr Lu!" Huang Chaowen had been waiting at the door, a professional smile on his face, though the tension in his eyes was unmistakable, "You're here! Chairman Li specifically ordered that you receive the highest‑level service!"

Onlookers and other clients cast curious glances this way; anyone who could be received personally by the Far East Exchange manager was certainly no ordinary figure.

VIP Room No. 7 is on the 28th floor, its floor‑to‑ceiling windows overlooking the entire Hong Kong Island financial district. The room is equipped with jaw‑dropping top‑tier gear: six brand‑new Bloomberg Terminals flashing dense global financial data, and twelve massive display screens on the wall showing real‑time quotes from all major exchanges.

"My god!" Lu Qingjun was utterly stunned as he entered, "This is literally the command center of a Financial War! Second brother, are we about to command a Financial War?"

"It's not command, it's slaughter," Lu Qingshan's words sent a shiver through everyone.

Two young traders stood respectfully in the room; they were elite members of the Far East Exchange, specifically assigned to assist this unprecedented large‑scale operation.

"Mr Lu, this is Wang Yuyun, a graduate of the University of Hong Kong's finance department with five years of trading experience," Huang Chaowen introduced, his voice a bit excited, "And this is Li Zhi'an, who previously worked at HSBC and is very familiar with Hang Seng futures. They are both our ace players!"

Lu Qingshan looked around, nodding with satisfaction. Even on Wall Street, a trading room of this caliber is top‑tier; Li Fuying had indeed invested heavily.

"Everyone, today we will Creating History," Lu Qingshan's voice was low yet filled with a heart‑pounding authority, "HK$56,000,000 of capital is enough to leave a heavy mark on Hong Kong Island's financial history. But remember, we're not here to play games; we're here to harvest."

Everyone felt the tense atmosphere permeating the air; this was no ordinary investment, it was a Financial War!

At 9:20, the entire Trading Hall's atmosphere grew taut like drawn bows. Every trading room made final preparations, phone rings rose and fell, and keyboard clacks fell like raindrops.

Lu Qingshan closed his eyes, the memories of his past life vividly resurfacing: a fake rebound would occur this morning, the Hang Seng Index would surge to around 1,670, then plunge in the afternoon, dropping below 1,100 points within the week. Countless people would re‑enter on that rebound, only to be utterly crushed.

"Mr Lu, there are ten minutes until the opening!" Ye Ning looked at her watch nervously, sweat already beading on her palm, "Do you need me to prepare anything?"

"Not for now," Lu Qingshan said, seated at the head seat, his expression as calm as a deep ancient well, revealing nothing of his true thoughts, "First let's watch how these little fish and shrimp perform."

His composure shocked everyone; faced with HK$56,000,000 of capital, this man remained so unflustered! Yet even more terrifying was the confidence in his eyes that seemed to have already seen through everything.

At 9:30, the opening bell rang!

The Hang Seng Index opened at 1,652 points, 44 points higher than Friday's close of 1,608. The entire Trading Hall instantly boiled, buy‑sell orders flooding the system like a torrent.

"It's rebounding! The index is surging up!" Wang Yuyun shouted excitedly, "Looks like the technical analysis was right!"

"Up 44 points!" Li Zhi'an also got excited, "If we Long Buying now, this rebound alone could earn a lot!"

Ye Ning looked at her technical analysis charts, a hint of pride swelling in her heart. It seemed her professional judgment was correct.

But Lu Qingshan still sat in his chair, eyes fixed on the numbers flashing on the screen, showing no sign of acting. He was like a coiled beast, waiting for the perfect hunting moment.

At 10:00, the Hang Seng Index rose to 1,665 points.

At 11:00, it continued climbing to 1,668 points.

All morning, the Hang Seng Index steadily rose, and the others in the trading room grew increasingly excited. Even the ever‑cautious Ye Ning began to believe today would be a good day.

"Mr Lu, it really looks like a good day today!" Huang Chaowen came over, his face beaming, "If we Long Buying now, we can already earn a lot! Want to consider entering?"

The surrounding traders cast hopeful glances; if the HK$56,000,000 capital entered a Long Buying now, the returns would be astronomical!

"No rush," he said, a dangerous curve lifting his mouth, "A hunter must be patient; a restless hunter can't catch the big prey. Moreover, the fattest prey often appears at the very last moment."