Chapter 402: You Sue, I Take the Backdoor

From the other end of the phone came standard London‑accented English, carrying a hint of the composure of someone long in power, yet mixed with an unmistakable urgency.

"Hello, boss, this is Wilson."

The word "boss," spoken by Wilson, rang clearly through the Red Telephone's receiver and filled the entire top‑floor apartment.

The air in the apartment solidified for the third time.

If John Parker's roar brought fear, and the Huaxia official platform brought shock, then Wilson's "boss" delivered an almost absurd sense of subversion.

David Cohen, who had just sat up straight, slumped again. He stared wide‑eyed, fixed on the Red Telephone, his mouth open enough to fit an egg.

Wilson? The Wilson of the Shason Family? The financial shark who once ruled the London Financial City, clashed with them in battle, and lost four billion Hong Kong dollars?

He called him Mr. Lu… boss?

Lu Qingjun rubbed his ears, suspecting an auditory hallucination. He leaned toward Li Junjie and whispered, "Junjie, I didn't mishear, did I? That British old man called me brother… boss?"

Li Junjie gave no reply; the pen in his hand halted, his body seeming frozen, yet his mind raced at super speed, trying to parse every possibility the new variable introduced.

"Anything?" Lu Qingshan's voice broke the silence. He didn't even walk to the phone, just stood in place and asked the empty air.

"Yes, boss." Wilson lowered his posture to the extreme, "I saw today's news about you and Morgan Stanley. I… I'm excited for you."

He chose his words carefully and continued cautiously.

"That idiot Henry, after he got to Malaysia, kept humiliating me, thinking he was free. But I know the true victor is never the one who laughs first."

"I called to offer you a trivial bit of assistance."

Lu Qingshan lifted his teacup and gently blew the froth.

"What is your value?"

He asked directly and sharply.

The other end was silent for a moment, seemingly gathering words.

"Intelligence." Wilson spat out the two words. "Boss, you charge the battlefield in New York, but your enemies, their foundations, their allies, are spread worldwide, especially in London. I know them as well as I know the lines on my own palm. I know their weaknesses, their secret deals, I know where they hide the bodies."

"For example?"

"For instance, the names you just circled." Wilson's voice dropped lower, tinged with the thrill of sharing a secret, "Goldman Sachs appears publicly as a competitor to Morgan Stanley, but privately their relationship with Jimmy Dimon is far better than the world assumes. They are certainly covertly backing Morgan now."

"But," Wilson pivoted, "Goldman Sachs has a massive, undisclosed risk exposure. In the Russian long‑term bond market they hold secret positions exceeding two hundred billion US dollars. Only a handful of people, myself included, know this. If the news leaks, even as a rumor, it would cause an earthquake inside Goldman Sachs."

Li Junjie's eyes flashed brightly.

He seized Lu Qingjun's arm, trembling with excitement, "Insider! Top‑level insider! This is not a simple ally; it's a general who defected from the enemy command. He brings not a single soldier, but the entire enemy strategic deployment map!"

Lu Qingjun also understood, feeling his blood begin to boil.

This damn thing is more thrilling than watching a movie!

Lu Qingshan remained impassive, took a sip of tea, and then spoke slowly.

"How can I trust you?"

"You don't need to fully believe me, boss," Wilson replied instantly, "You can verify. Moreover, our interests are completely aligned. Helping you is helping myself."

"Very well." Lu Qingshan set down his teacup. "I have a task for you."

"Your command!" Wilson's voice trembled with eagerness.

"I want you to leak the news of Goldman Sachs's position in the Russian bond market to a person in an 'unassuming' way."

"Who?"

"George Soros."

"…" The other end fell silent again, this time the silence accompanied by a deep inhalation.

Soros! That greedy, keen‑nosed Financial Giant Shark! Toss this blood‑stained bait to him and he'll pounce without hesitation! It's like killing with a borrowed knife, and the knife is Wall Street's sharpest blade!

"I understand, boss." Wilson's voice now carried reverence. "Within an hour, the news will appear on Soros's desk."

Lu Qingshan said nothing more and hung up the phone.

He turned, looking at David Cohen, who had risen from the floor, his face shining with admiration.

"Now, do you still think we'll end up in Leck Island Prison?"

David Cohen's head bobbed like a rattle, and he stammered at Lu Qingshan, "Boss… you… are a devil? No… you're a god! You turned Wilson into your disciple, and you want Soros to work for you! This… this is no longer finance; it's theology!"

The whole team's morale peaked at that moment.

If before they fought on sheer ruthlessness and the confidence Lu Qingshan provided, now they have witnessed him orchestrate, turning seemingly impossible pieces into parts of his own board.

"Brother, what do we do now? Should we also go after Goldman Sachs?" Lu Qingjun clenched his fists, already impatient.

"No." Lu Qingshan shook his head.

He walked to the massive floor‑to‑ceiling window and looked at the names drawn on it.

"Soros will bite Goldman Sachs, the legal team will hold back Morgan. Their attention will be drawn to these two matters."

He picked up a black marker and drew a heavy cross over the name "Lehman Brothers."

"That creates a perfect window for us."

He glanced at Ye Ning, his gaze sharp.

"Notify Razor and Black Widow to temporarily cease all harassing attacks on Morgan Stanley."

"Our next battlefield shifts here."

Ye Ning and Zhang Qianru instantly straightened, awaiting new orders.

Lu Qingshan's finger rested on the cross.

"Ye Ning, mobilize all remaining liquid funds in the Lookout account. Zhang Qianru, have the legal team ready; we may need a new shell company."

He paused, then uttered a sentence that sent the room back into dead silence.

"Target: all AAA‑rated mortgage‑backed securities issued by Lehman Brothers."

David Cohen's complexion changed again, this time not fear but extreme confusion: "Boss, but… but those are AAA‑rated assets! Certified by rating agencies as the safest bonds, on par with U. S. Treasury! Short‑selling them? That… that makes no sense at all!"

Lu Qingshan gave no explanation, merely issuing the final order.

I want you, at the fastest speed, to buy all the credit default swaps (CDS) on these AAA-rated MBS that are available on the market.

Buy as much as there is.