Chapter 280: Olive Branch from the Imperial Governor's Office!

In the conference room, the huge World Map still hung on the wall; the blood‑red circle over London pulsed like a scorching heart in everyone's pupils.

The cold air that had solidified from Fear moments ago had already been fully ignited by Lu Qingshan's "borrowing a chicken to lay eggs" crazy plan, turning into a scorching surge hot enough to melt steel.

"Dammit, borrowing the Englishman's money to hit the Englishman's home! I've lived sixty years, and this is the first time I've heard of such a play!" Guo Dongying's tiger‑like eyes widened, shining brightly; his thick fingers trembled as he lit a cigar, but he forgot to ignite it, shoving it into his mouth repeatedly, shouting incomprehensibly, "Qing Shan, what the hell is your brain made of? If anyone ever calls you a lunatic again, I'll be the first to smoke them! That's what I call motherf***ing genius! It's divine!"

"Alright, Old Guo, settle down, your cigar's about to be chewed to bits," Li Fuying scolded outwardly, but the suppressed smile at the corner of his mouth and the volcanic excitement in his eyes already betrayed him. He had lived his whole life valuing stability, moving step by step as if treading thin ice. Yet today, he felt the hot blood that had lain dormant for decades inside him ignited completely by Lu Qingshan's words.

Beside them, Character, the usually most seasoned real‑estate magnate, was now holding a fountain pen, his hand trembling as if he had Parkinson's, frantically scribbling on a napkin while muttering, "Fundraising… no management fees… fixed returns… control… My god, this is profit without capital, no, this is turning others' profit into our capital!"

This is no business; this is writing legend! This is using finance as a weapon, launching a war without smoke!

Lu Qingshan watched the group of fully mobilized business titans, his face still bearing that calm smile. This was exactly the effect he wanted; hearts had been twisted into a single rope, and now it was time to turn the grand blueprint into brick and mortar.

His gaze shifted and landed on Wang Yuyun, who had been maintaining professional composure and quietly taking notes among the crowd.

"Sister Yuyun."

Wang Yuyun immediately set down her pen, straightened, and her eyes toward Lu Qingshan burned with the same flame of admiration: "Mr. Lu, your command."

"A bit of trouble for you," Lu Qingshan began his orderly briefing, "The assets we previously acquired, aside from the portion we retain, should promptly cooperate with the companies of the various uncles and elders of the Business Association to complete the Settlement procedures; the accounts must be clear, and the money should be returned to Xinghan Capital's account as soon as possible."

"The building in Central—tomorrow have someone tear down the 'Wilson' sign; I want it erased from the Hong Kong Island map! Replace it with the four characters 'Xinghan', made of pure copper, the brightest! I want everyone on Hong Kong Island, when they look up, to see our name!"

"The pier and warehouse in Kowloon should immediately be merged into Xinghan Enterprises; have Qingjun coordinate with you. I want it operational quickly, becoming our future global logistics hub."

"As for that piece of land on Lantau Island," he paused, his tone softening with a hint of future aspiration, "first set up a project company and complete the land deed paperwork. The design plan isn't urgent; I want to find the world's best designer, take it slow."

Wang Yuyun's eyes lit up as she listened, showing no hesitation or doubt, she nodded vigorously, her voice crisp and strong: "Understood! I guarantee the task will be completed!"

This series of orders, clear and decisive, brimmed with unquestionable authority. The crowd looked at Lu Qingshan as if watching a king who had just captured a city and was now allocating troops and planning construction.

"One more thing," Lu Qingshan said, looking at Li Fuying. "Uncle Li, the bank's license is about to be issued, but a license alone isn't enough; I need Liang Zhiwei to quickly roll out the network points."

Li Fuying instantly understood and smiled, "I've spoken with Liang Zhiwei; he's a master at real‑estate site selection and project development, reliable and down‑to‑earth."

"Good. Entrust the bank project to him; time is of the essence," Lu Qingshan nodded.

At that moment, the office door was gently knocked, and Li Fuying's secretary entered with an odd expression, his steps somewhat airy as if walking on clouds, hurrying to Li Fuying's side and whispering a few words in a lowered voice.

Li Fuying's complexion shifted from calm to surprise, then to a complex mix of disbelief and ecstatic joy.

He jerked his head up, looked at Lu Qingshan, his voice slightly altered, even with a tremor: "Qing Shan… the Imperial Governor's Office, a call has come."

"Imperial Governor's Office?"

Those three words hit like a massive stone dropped into a boiling oil pot; the entire conference room fell silent in an instant, then exploded with a "Boom!" Guo Dongying's tea cup, just about to bring to his lips, froze mid‑air, and everyone's gaze fixed on Li Fuying.

That was the Imperial Governor's Office! The symbol of the highest authority on Hong Kong Island! It was a place this group of Chinese businessmen had never even dared to imagine!

"The call came directly from the Governor's Chief Secretary," Li Fuying suppressed her excitement, speaking word by word, each syllable like a nail driven into everyone's hearts, "He said that Governor Mr. highly values our Chinese Chamber of Commerce's initiative to establish the 'Xinghan Bank', deeming it a 'significant measure beneficial to the stability and prosperity of Hong Kong Island's financial market'."

"The Governor has personally signaled the financial regulatory department; all approval processes are green‑lit all the way, to be completed at the fastest speed!"

"And moreover…" Li Fuying continued, unable to hold back a swallow, her eyes shining like never before, almost shouting, "The Governor's secretary said that Governor wishes to invite you, Mr. Lu Qingshan, and several representatives of our Chinese Chamber of Commerce, to the Imperial Governor's Office next week for a discussion, to jointly plan Hong Kong Island's future!"

"Boom!"

The news detonated in everyone's minds like a nuclear bomb, booming!

If defeating Wilson earlier was a victory in the business war; humiliating Li Jiasheng was the establishment of our underworld standing; then now, the olive branch from the Imperial Governor's Office represents an official, powerful, supreme endorsement!

These Chinese businessmen, once marginalized and suppressed, now find the highest ruler of Hong Kong Island proactively inviting them to "discuss the future"!

What an honor! What a glory!

Guo Dongying, flushed with excitement, slapped his own thigh hard, producing a loud "Bang", and roared, "Dammit! Reputation! That's what real reputation looks like! I'm going back to incense for my father, tell the old man that the Guo family has finally made something of itself!"

Everyone turned their gaze to Lu Qingshan, their eyes now holding not only admiration but also a god‑like awe. They knew it was all because of the young man before them. He, with thunderous means, forcibly elevated the Chinese businessmen's status to an unprecedented height.

Yet, faced with this sky‑splitting glory, Lu Qingshan's face showed none of the excitement the crowd expected, not even a ripple.

He simply listened in silence, then lifted the now‑slightly cool tea cup before him and took a gentle sip.

Amid everyone's expectant gazes, he slowly set the tea cup down, looked toward the direction of Victoria Harbour outside the window, his eyes deep and contemplative, and softly whispered a single sentence:

"It seems, Governor, your days aren't easy either."

Lu Qingshan's airy remark, like an icicle, instantly pierced the feverish atmosphere of the conference room.

Guo Dongying, who had just been dancing with excitement, froze; his mouth open, he glanced at Lu Qingshan, then at Li Fuying, and the mush of pride that had been baked by glory seemed doused by a splash of water, making a "sizzle" and snapping him back to awareness.

Indeed, who is the Governor? The highest ruler dispatched by the British Empire to Hong Kong Island, wielding life‑and‑death authority. Why would he proactively extend goodwill to a group of Chinese businessmen he once despised?

Offering unsolicited flattery is either treachery or theft.

Which old veteran here doesn't understand this principle? They were just blinded by that sky‑splitting wealth and glory, unable to turn their heads in time.

In the conference room, the lingering heat of euphoria quickly faded, and a cold, scheming chill silently spread.