Chapter 226: The Farmer and Tycoon Tale Continues! Li Fuying in a Panic!

In the Hilton Hotel lobby, Li Fuying paced back and forth, their face as gloomy as a sky thick with black clouds. Each step was heavy, and their leather shoes clicked crisply on the marble floor.

Four bodyguards followed them, all in suits and leather shoes, expressions solemn. The four were former soldiers, towering and sharp‑eyed, clearly not ordinary men. The other guests in the lobby instinctively stepped aside, fearing trouble.

"Chairman Li, don't worry, Mr. Lu should be back soon," the secretary whispered, clutching the news just received from the exchange.

Li Fuying stopped, glanced at their watch—a million‑dollar Patek Philippe—and said, "It's already six o'clock; his press conference ended at three, and he still isn't back. He must be celebrating outside!"

Their voice trembled, not from fear but from anger and anxiety. As Chairman of the Business Association, they knew the weight of today's press conference better than anyone.

As the words faded, the hotel's revolving doors turned, and Lu Qingshan entered with Ye Ning and others. They had just left Long Jing Xuan, their faces still flushed from drink, clearly in good spirits.

Li Fuying quickly stepped forward, their expression as complex as a palette, and said, "Mr. Lu, you finally made it back!"

"Chairman Li, why the hurry?" Lu Qingshan smiled lightly, eyes sweeping over the four bodyguards behind Li Fuying, "And you brought so many people—are you here to negotiate with me or to kidnap me?"

Those words instantly made Li Fuying's bodyguards tense, their hands instinctively reaching for their waists.

"Mr. Lu, you promised me you wouldn't make radical statements!" Li Fuying lowered their voice, but the tone was full of urgency, "This time you exposed yourself before the Yingzi Group and became a target of everyone!"

Their voice grew more rapid, cold sweat beading on their forehead: "Everyone on Hong Kong Island has heard your farmer‑and‑tycoon story! The Yingzi Group now sees you as a thorn in their side! The Imperial Governor's Office is also urgently discussing countermeasures!"

The other guests in the hotel lobby began to notice the commotion, casting curious glances.

Lu Qingshan's expression remained calm, but a hint of amusement flickered in his eyes: "Chairman Li, are you concerned about me or about yourself?"

"I'm concerned about everyone!" Li Fuying nearly leapt up, voice cracking, "The Chinese‑capital families' influence will surely decline because the whole market is being shorted; you're hurting everyone, including yourself!"

He pulled out a handkerchief and dabbed the sweat from his forehead: "Did you know? While you were holding the press conference, Wilson of HSBC was already contacting the major Yingzi Consortium, preparing a full‑scale siege on Chinese‑capital enterprises!"

Lu Qingshan chuckled, reached out and patted Li Fuying's shoulder, a gesture that shocked the onlookers. After all, Li Fuying's standing in Hong Kong Island's business world is second to none: "Chairman Li, don't worry, come sit in my office."

"Mr. Lu, you can still laugh?" Li Fuying's voice trembled, "Do you know what the reporters outside are saying? They call you a Chinese radical, say you're a political envoy sent from Beijing!"

"The more like this, the more we must stay calm." Lu Qingshan turned toward the elevator, his steps still steady, "Come up, let's have a proper talk."

Ye Ning, Lu Qingjun and the others followed behind, sensing the boss's composed demeanor. Even under such immense pressure, the boss remained calm—that's the bearing of a strong person.

In the elevator, Li Fuying could no longer hold back: "Mr. Lu, what exactly are you planning? If you have no way to counter the Yingzi Group's retaliation, we'll all be destroyed by them!"

"Chairman Li, you underestimate me." Lu Qingshan looked at the elevator's floor display, "Since I dared to say those things at the press conference, I obviously have my confidence."

The elevator reached the top floor, and the presidential suite's door opened.

Inside the presidential suite, Li Fuying sat on the sofa, hands clenched, knuckles turning white. Their bodyguards stood at the doorway, watching the surroundings warily.

Lu Qingshan poured a cup of tea for them, the aroma of top‑grade Da Hong Pao filling the air: "Chairman Li, what did you think of today's press conference?"

"You still ask me how it was?" Li Fuying forced a bitter smile, took the cup but didn't drink, "The whole of Hong Kong Island is in chaos! The Yingzi Group members wish to tear you apart, and the Chinese‑capital families are secretly berating you for ignoring the bigger picture!"

He set the cup down, rose and paced the room: "Did you know? Just an hour ago, Smith of Taigu Group called me, threatening that if the Business Association doesn't distance itself from you, they'll impose full sanctions on us!"

"Is that so?" Lu Qingshan lifted his cup, took a light sip, "And you? What are you thinking?"

Li Fuying was momentarily stunned, then let out a long sigh: "Honestly, your words today set my blood boiling, but Rationality tells me this is too dangerous."

He sat down again, a complex glint in his eyes: "We Chinese have been suppressed by the United Kingdom on Hong Kong Island for over a hundred years; achieving today's status was already hard. To lose it all out of impulse would be a great pity."

"Danger?" Lu Qingshan set his cup down, "Chairman Li, what do you think is truly dangerous?"

"Retaliation by the Yingzi Group, targeting by the Imperial Governor's Office, isolation by the entire financial circle!" Li Fuying listed three dangers in one breath, "Did you know? In 1967, Chinese merchants who supported the left were stripped of all assets by the United Kingdom."

Lu Qingshan shook his head: "Chairman Li, what you mention are minor dangers. The real danger is that Chinese have no voice on their own land, and Chinese‑capital enterprises are forever reduced to subsidiaries of British capital."

He stood, walked to the massive floor‑to‑ceiling window, overlooking Hong Kong Island's nightscape: "Look outside, such a prosperous city, such wealth, yet who holds the reins? Still the British."

Li Fuying fell silent, a complex light flashing in their eyes. They knew Lu Qingshan spoke the truth, but reality was that cruel.

"Chairman Li, I have a question for you." Lu Qingshan suddenly turned, "How do you think Hong Kong Island will be after 1997?"

The question made Li Fuying's heart skip a beat. 1997 was a topic no Hong Kong Island resident could avoid.

"Well…" Li Fuying hesitated, voice trembling, "It should return to the motherland, I suppose."

"Since you know it will return, why still fear the Yingzi Group?" Lu Qingshan sat down again, eyes fixed on Li Fuying, "Do you intend to stand on the wrong side at this pivotal moment in history?"