Chapter 184: A Hundred‑Million Hong Kong Dollars Overnight! A Tycoon

On Wednesday afternoon, the sky over Hong Kong Island was shrouded in heavy clouds, as oppressive as the whole financial market's atmosphere. The Hang Seng Index fell to a new historic low again, the 1443‑point figure glaring blood‑red on the trading screen; from Monday's opening to now, in three days it has plunged more than 13%, a drop enough to be recorded in the Financial History Book of Hong Kong Island.

In the Far East Exchange's No. 7 VIP Trading Room, Li Zhi'an and Wang Yuyun's expressions had long shifted from initial tension to numb shock. The numbers on the screen were almost unbelievable—Lu Qingshan's account had a floating profit that had already broken the HK$100 million mark!

"Holy cow!" Li Zhi'an couldn't help shouting, "One hundred million! It's really a hundred million!"

Wang Yuyun's hand trembled, even the way she tapped the calculator was distorted: "HK$103 million! The return over these three days is already close to 300%! I've been a trader for eight years; the most aggressive private‑equity fund I've seen tops out at about 50% a year, and Mr Lu achieved 300% in three days!"

In the corridor outside the trading room, traders and analysts from other firms gathered at the doorway like pilgrims, their eyes full of awe and disbelief. At first some blamed luck; now even the most stubborn professionals have gone silent. In three days the Hang Seng Index fell from 1670 to 1443, each point drop confirming Lu Qingshan's uncanny judgment.

"Stock god! A true stock god!" a senior analyst whispered in the corridor, "I've seen Buffett himself on Wall Street, and he never pulled off an operation of this divine level!"

"The key is he wasn't even on the floor!" another trader chuckled, "A hundred‑million floating profit while he's leisurely sipping tea outside—his mental composure is simply inhuman!"

Every street and alley of Hong Kong Island buzzed with a legendary tale. In cha‑chaan restaurants, taxi drivers no longer discussed last night's horse‑racing results but the mysterious mainland tycoon. News‑stand crowds swelled, the front pages of every financial newspaper were filled with reports of this financial earthquake.

"A Qiang, look at today's *Sing Pao*—it says Lu Qingshan might have a government background!" a middle‑aged man pointed to the analysis article in the newspaper.

"What does a government background matter? I think he might be an alien!" the person beside him joked, "How could an ordinary human possess such foresight?"

In the top‑floor conference room of the Far East Chamber of Commerce headquarters, the atmosphere was especially heavy. Li Fuying sat at the head seat, a thick stack of analysis reports and newspaper clippings spread before him. Wang Qiting paced back and forth in the office, his cigar long since extinguished, yet he seemed oblivious.

"Li, the situation over these three days has completely exceeded our forecasts," Wang Qiting halted, his gaze complex, "To be honest, I've lived over sixty years and have never seen personal operations of this caliber. Even Buffett, Soros and those international sharks are only at this level."

Li Fuying nodded, his voice a little hoarse, "The key is he only used HK$50 million of capital and tripled it in three days. At this pace, it won't be long before he becomes one of Hong Kong Island's largest individual investors."

"And there's more." Wang Qiting sat back down, "I had people investigate and found a flood of short‑selling capital following the trend today. Conservatively, at least HK$1 billion is mimicking Lu Qingshan's moves. What does that indicate? It shows he already possesses the power to sway the market!"

Li Fuying's brows knit, "Old Wang, are you worried about his background?"

"I'm not worried, I'm curious." Wang Qiting's eyes flashed with a deep gleam, "A mainland youngster in his twenties suddenly appears on Hong Kong Island, accurately forecasting market trends. If there's no massive information network and capital backing behind it, would you believe it?"

The room fell into a brief silence. The two veteran market foxes both contemplated the same question—what force does Lu Qingshan truly represent?

"Li, I'd like to invite Mr Lu to a meal," Wang Qiting suddenly said, "Formally, the three of us, to have a proper chat."

Li Fuying was a bit surprised, "Old Wang, are you… can't sit still?"

"It's not that I can't sit, but when it's time to state a position, you must," Wang Qiting rose, walked to the massive floor‑to‑ceiling window, overlooking Hong Kong Island's bustling scene, "Li, how do you think Hong Kong Island's future will look?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean this." Wang Qiting turned, his gaze turning extremely serious, "If Hong Kong Island never returns to China, what will become of people like us? If it does return, what will the situation be?"

Li Fuying froze for a moment, then grasped Wang Qiting's deeper implication. The topic was too sensitive, touching Hong Kong Island's political trajectory, yet it was a practical issue every Hong Kong Island businessman had to consider.

"Old Wang, do you think Lu Qingshan's investment in Hong Kong Island signals a political message?"

"From a business standpoint, his moves are flawless. But politically…," Wang Qiting paused, "At this moment, with capital of this scale and such precise forecasting, it's hard to say it's purely personal."

Li Fuying thought for a moment, "If that's the case, we should forge a good relationship with him. No matter how Hong Kong Island's future shifts, befriending someone with strength is always right."

"That's why I want to invite him to dinner," Wang Qiting relit his cigar, "It's not just a simple business deal; I want to hear his view on Hong Kong Island's future. If he truly has insider information, that would be hugely important to us."

Meanwhile, in the presidential suite of the Hilton Hotel, Lu Qingshan was leisurely enjoying afternoon tea. Beyond the floor‑to‑ceiling window lay the stunning Victoria Harbour, a distant cruise ship looking especially elegant in the sunset.

Lu Qingjun brandished a fresh newspaper, ecstatic, "Second Brother! Look at today's *Ming Pao*—they say you might be a financial expert sent by the China government! And *Oriental Daily* claims you're the vanguard of Hong Kong's return! Ha, these reporters have such vivid imaginations!"

Lu Qingshan gave a faint smile, "Let them guess; whether they're right or wrong doesn't affect our profits."

Ye Ning sat nearby, her gaze complex as she watched Lu Qingshan. After three days together, she found him increasingly inscrutable. He appears young and easy‑going on the surface, but his precise market grasp and unflappable mental composure are certainly beyond an ordinary person.

"Mr Lu," Ye Ning couldn't help asking, "Do you really think the Hang Seng Index will keep falling? It's already at 1443, and many technical indicators show it's oversold."

"Technical indicators?" Lu Qingshan set down his teacup, a hint of sarcasm in his eyes, "Miss Ye, when a true macro trend arrives, technical indicators are nonsense. Once market sentiment collapses, rational analysis becomes useless."

He moved to the window, watching the distant sea, "Do you know what a panic stampede is? Investors on Hong Kong Island now are like movie‑goers in a burning cinema—once someone shouts 'It's on fire', everyone rushes out wildly, regardless of whether there's actually fire ahead."

At that moment, the phone in the room rang. Lu Qingjun answered, and after a few sentences his face lit up, "Second Brother! It's Manager Huang—Chairman Li wants to invite you to dinner, and Old Wang of the Far East Chamber of Commerce also wants to meet you!"

Lu Qingshan raised an eyebrow, "Wang Qiting?"

"Yes! It's Mr Wang Qiting! Manager Huang said he's a behind‑the‑scenes shareholder of the Far East Chamber of Commerce and wields great influence in Hong Kong Island's business circles."

Lu Qingshan thought for a moment; in his past‑life memories, Wang Qiting was indeed a key figure in Hong Kong Island's business world and later played a notable role in political upheavals. It seemed his recent maneuver had already attracted the attention of the island's elite.

"Tell them," Lu Qingshan turned slowly, a meaningful curl at his mouth, "I'm free tomorrow night. They can pick the venue, but it should be a quiet place."

Lu Qingjun relayed the news excitedly, then hung up.

"Second Brother, this is an invitation from Hong Kong Island's top circles!" Lu Qingjun's eyes sparkled, "We're truly entering high society now!"

"High society?" Lu Qingshan smiled calmly, "Qingjun, remember one thing—on the market, strength always speaks. They're inviting me to dinner not because I'm handsome, but because of that hundred‑million in my account."