Chapter 284: The Imperial Governor's Office's Token of Allegiance, Financial License Secured at Lightning Speed!

Lu Qingjun stared blankly at the almost negligible dot on the map, then glanced at his brother's terrifyingly calm face, feeling his brain not merely stopped but ground into powder by an incomprehensible massive force. He even heard a buzzing ringing deep in his eardrum, and everything before his eyes seemed separated by a layer of water ripple, distorted and unreal.

War, empire, Vulture…

These words, like heavy hammers falling from the sky, smashed the twenty years of hard‑won understanding of business, wealth, and the world into fragments, leaving not even a speck of residue.

He had always thought his brother was making money from money, maneuvering the market, aiming to become the king of Hong Kong Island, the richest Chinese.

Only now did he, from the depths of his soul, terrifyingly realize that his brother was not playing at business at all.

He was using the whole world as a board, treating a nation's rise and fall, an empire's fate as pieces, playing a cataclysmic game he didn't even have the right to look up at! And the so‑called 9 billion Hong Kong dollars, in this game, wasn't even an important piece; at best it was a trivial Leverage to shift the rotten board called the "Empire on which the Sun Never Sets."

Lu Qingshan withdrew his finger, no longer looking at the map, as if the impending war and the river of blood that would follow had already settled like dust in his heart.

He patted Lu Qingjun's slightly trembling shoulder, his tone returning to its usual flatness, as if they had just discussed an ordinary transaction rather than an empire's collapse: "Go. Have Ye Ning and Li Zhi'an set off immediately. Tell them to move fast, keep a low profile, like a drop of water merging into the sea, and not attract anyone's attention in London."

"Yes, brother…" Lu Qingjun mechanically nodded, not even aware how he turned. As he pulled open the heavy mahogany door, bright hallway lights and distant voices poured in; the once‑familiar world now seemed like a scene from another dimension—blinding yet distant. He felt his soul left behind in the dim conference room, while the body that stepped out was an empty shell. He had glimpsed a divine secret; from then on, a barrier impenetrable to mortals separated him from the world.

When the conference room door closed again, only Lu Qingshan remained inside.

The financial storm of the past few days, capable of overturning Hong Kong Island, seemed to be swept away along with everyone's departure.

The vast space was left with boundless silence. On the wall, a blood‑red sword forged from 4 billion in cash and everyone's trust silently emitted its edge, pointing straight at London.

Lu Qingshan walked to the window and pulled aside the heavy curtains. Afternoon sunlight poured in unabated, and countless specks of dust drifted quietly within the golden beam. The light cast his upright figure into a long, solitary shadow on the expensive, plush carpet.

He no longer looked at the map, nor did he think about the 9 billion capital.

The pieces have already been placed; all that remains is to wait for Wind Rises.

He reached out, his fingertips lightly touching the cold floor‑to‑ceiling glass. Outside, Victoria Harbour displayed its bustling splendor, the countless masses hurrying about. In his eyes, all of this was merely ornamentation on the board.

In an instant, memories from a past life surged like tide. The cold, damp cell, the bowl of icy rotten rice, and the crushing helplessness upon learning after release that his wife and daughter had already met a tragic end—tearing his heart and extinguishing all hope. At that moment, Lin Yue'e's gaunt face and her daughter's timid eyes burned into his soul like a branding iron. Back then, he was not only powerless against an empire; even his own fate felt like an ant trampled at will.

And now…

He slowly clenched his fist, feeling the power within that could shake the world.

"I'm back," he whispered to the sky beyond the window, in a voice only he could hear.

"This time, I refuse empty wealth and hollow dignity."

"What I want is absolute power. A power that can snuff out every threat in its cradle; a power that lets those I love live forever, never to be bullied again—a divine power!"

The curve of his mouth, under the sunlight, appeared cold and cruel.

"The death knell of the British Empire will soon toll for me."

"And I will be the first guest to attend this feast."

Central, the former Wilson Building.

"Wha—"

A massive bronze plaque bearing "Wilson Building" was violently pried off the exterior wall with crowbars and hammers; with a muffled thunderous crash it slammed onto the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

In the top‑floor office, Lu Qingshan, Li Fuying, Guo Dongying, and a middle‑aged man wearing gold‑rimmed glasses with a scholarly, poised demeanor stood before the huge floor‑to‑ceiling window, watching the scene in silence.

"Damn, watching this is a thrill!" Guo Dongying sucked hard on his cigar, exhaled a huge smoke ring, his face full of satisfaction, "If that old Wilson kid were still on Hong Kong Island and saw this, he'd probably die of rage!"

Li Fuying's mouth twitched with a smile as he looked at the middle‑aged man: "Zhiwei, sorry for the laugh; old Guo is just like that."

The middle‑aged man was Liang Zhiwei, former HSBC Chinese executive and now the incoming President of Xinghan Bank. He adjusted his glasses, looked at the deformed bronze plaque below, his eyes unable to hide his excitement: "Mr. Li was joking; Mr. Guo is a man of feeling. Honestly, I feel even more thrilled than Guo."

He turned, faced Lu Qingshan, and respectfully handed over a brand‑new document, his hands trembling slightly from excitement.

"Mr. Lu, look. The Imperial Governor's Office has given the nod; the Financial Regulatory Department gave a green light all the way, and Xinghan Bank's financial license has been granted! From submission to approval, it only took five days!"

Five days!

At this speed, not even Guo Dongying, let alone Li Fuying, who is accustomed to storms, could help but gasp sharply.

"Fuck!" Guo Dongying slapped the window glass, making it buzz, "These British bastards—back when we Chinese merchants wanted to open a bank, we had to beg grandpa and grandma; a single procedure could take you half a year! Now look, they rush to hand the license right to our door! That's what the hell they call reality!"

Lu Qingshan took the document, calmly flipped through it, as if everything were expected.

He looked at Liang Zhiwei and asked, "Do we have preliminary plans for staffing and branch locations?"

"We've already, per your order, recruited a batch of experienced, trustworthy Chinese core staff from HSBC and Standard Chartered. As for branches, I plan to start in Central, Jianshazui, and Mong Kok—these three core districts—securing the premises, renovating and opening as quickly as possible to launch the first strike."

"Too slow," Lu Qingshan shook his head, cutting him off.

Liang Zhiwei was startled.

Lu Qingshan extended a finger: "One month. Within a month I want Xinghan Bank's sign covering Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, and the New Territories. Keep renovations simple; no ornate marble columns, spend money on the blade. Our money is to produce golden eggs for depositors, not for display."

One month, open across the whole city?

Liang Zhiwei's forehead instantly beaded with fine sweat; this was no longer a challenge but an impossible task!

Lu Qingshan ignored his shock, continuing: "But there's one thing that absolutely cannot be cut."

He stared at Liang Zhiwei, each word deliberate, voice low, yet it left everyone stunned.

"All branch counters must not be fitted with glass."

"What?" Liang Zhiwei shouted, thinking he had misheard.

"No glass? How to ensure safety? How to handle cash transactions? No bank in the world operates without glass!"

Guo Dongying was also baffled: "Qing Shan, what… play are you performing? No glass, does that turn us into a grocery store?"

Lu Qingshan smiled, walked to the center of the office where Wilson's expensive desk still stood. He tapped the tabletop lightly, his gaze sweeping the room.

"HSBC and Standard Chartered sit aloft, speaking to customers through a layer of cold bullet‑proof glass; that's a bank defending against its clients like a thief, a master's posture toward his servants."

"Our Xinghan Bank, as I've said, is a bank of our own Chinese people. What I want is the people's hearts."

His voice suddenly became powerful, filled with unquestionable resolve.

"I want every depositor who walks into our bank, whether they deposit a hundred or ten thousand, to sit face‑to‑face with our staff and share a cup of hot tea. We're not conducting cold business; we're making friends."

"A big shop must not cheat customers. Our hearts must be warmer than the counters."

Liang Zhiwei stood dumbfounded, his mind buzzing. He suddenly realized that what Lu Qingshan intended was not a traditional bank at all.

What he wanted to build was a weapon, a fortress, a super platform capable of uniting the hearts of all Hong Kong Chinese.

He took a deep breath, suppressing all doubts and impossibilities, bowed heavily to Lu Qingshan, his voice hoarse from emotion.

"Mr. Lu, I understand! One month! Even if I don't sleep, I guarantee I'll complete the mission!"