Chapter 437: Capital City Call, the National Team Sends a Reminder

The red encrypted phone lay quietly on the desk.

But for everyone in the apartment, the few words Ye Ning had just spoken were more deafening than the news that Bear Stearns was about to go bankrupt.

Capital City.

Wang.

The combined meaning of these two phrases already exceeded the scope that anyone present, except Lu Qingshan, could comprehend.

David Cohen had just gotten up from the floor when he heard it; his foot slipped, and he fell back onto his butt again, this time without even the strength to howl, his mouth agape as he stared stupidly at the phone, as if the sound about to come from it were from another dimension.

Li Junjie's mind was rapidly processing the information, but his prideful logical analysis completely failed at that moment.

Morgan Stanley, the Federal Reserve, the President of the United States… these opponents are powerful, but at least they still operate within the rules of commercial and political competition.

But Capital City… what does that mean?

In Lu Qingjun's chest, an indescribable scorching emotion surged wildly.

This is… a direct line to the heavens!

Lu Qingshan walked to the phone, and the air in the whole apartment seemed to solidify with his movement.

He didn't immediately pick up the handset; instead, he glanced at his team, watching the complex expressions on their faces—a mix of shock, bewilderment, excitement, and Fear.

"Everyone, pull yourselves together."

His voice wasn't loud, but it was like a bucket of cold water poured over everyone's heated minds.

"The war has only just entered the first half."

After speaking, he finally lifted the handset and pressed the speakerphone button.

"Hello, this is Lu Qingshan."

There was a two‑second silence on the other end, then a steady, deep baritone—devoid of personal emotion yet seemingly born with a massive sense of authority—slowly sounded.

"Comrade Lu Qingshan, we saw your movements in New York from Capital City."

"Very impressive."

The single word "Comrade" made Li Junjie and Zhang Qianru's bodies instinctively tense.

David Cohen didn't grasp the deeper meaning of the term, but he could hear a presence in the other's tone that was completely different from that of Rockefeller, Bowen, or even President Reagan.

It was neither a merchant's scrutiny nor a politician's courting.

It was a tone… like an elder assessing one's own junior.

"Alleviating the nation's worries is within our duty."

Lu Qingshan's reply was equally concise, his tone neither servile nor arrogant.

In the voice on the other end, there seemed to be a faint, almost inaudible hint of amusement.

"Alleviate worries? Ha ha, it looks like you want to lift the roof off someone's house."

"Your fire burns brightly. Lehman Brothers fell, Bear Stearns is close, even Morgan Stanley has been stripped of a layer. All of Wall Street now regards you as the number‑one public enemy."

"How does it feel? Do you think you've gone too far?"

The words sounded like a questioning and a teasing at the same time.

Everyone in the apartment felt their hearts rise to their throats.

Lu Qingshan merely smiled.

"The fire isn't hot enough yet."

He walked to the window and looked at the still‑lit lights of Bear Stearns' headquarters in the distance.

"The building is too big, too old, full of termites; if the fire isn't hotter, it won't purge it cleanly."

"Oh?" The voice on the other end clearly showed a hint of interest, "So what level are you planning to burn it to? Do you want to turn the building into a white wasteland, or just smoke out the pests and replace them with our own people?"

The question was exceedingly sharp.

It was no longer asking about Lu Qingshan's business plan, but about his political stance.

"The building can't be burned," Lu Qingshan said, looking at the night view outside, his voice deepening, "If it collapses, it will crush not only them but also us."

"However, some of the foundation and pillars have rotted and must be replaced."

"Some of the good stuff they've stockpiled in warehouses should, at this opportunity, be rightfully taken back into our own hands."

Those words rang out with authority.

A bright light instantly flared in Li Junjie's and Zhang Qianru's eyes.

They finally understood the deeper, terrifying scheme behind Lu Qingshan's mad plan!

He wasn't just after profit, nor merely to build his own Financial Empire.

He intends, taking advantage of the crumbling Wall Street towers, to lever back piece by piece the foundations that support America's industrial, technological, and agricultural hegemony into Huaxia!

That's no Short Selling.

This is a wealth war for the entire nation, waged without a whiff of smoke.

On the other end, a prolonged silence settled.

This silence was longer than any previous one.

The atmosphere in the apartment was so oppressive that people could barely breathe.

After a full minute, the voice sounded again, this time carrying an indescribable complex emotion, part relief, part sentiment.

"Good… very good."

"It seems we didn't misjudge you."

"Comrade Lu Qingshan, you think farther and bigger than we imagined."

"The nation will not let you charge ahead alone and isolated."

Those words rang like a thunderclap in everyone's mind.

David Cohen only half‑understood, but he realized the big figure on the other end was backing up his own boss!

"My God... is this... is the National Team stepping in personally?" he covered his chest, feeling his heart about to leap out of his throat.

"What do you need me to do?" Lu Qingshan asked directly.

"You don't need to do anything," the voice on the other end said, regaining composure, "Continue according to your plan; burn however you wish. The hotter the fire, the faster those hidden demons and monsters will flee."

"However, there's something I need to remind you."

"Please speak."

"Do you think your opponents are only those investment banks on Wall Street?" the voice on the other end grew cold, "You're wrong. Your real opponents are Finance Ministry's Bowen, the Federal Reserve, and the entire American financial hegemony system."

"They let you take down Lehman to set an example and clean up the doors, but they will never allow you, this tiger from the East, to hunt recklessly in their backyard."

"Bear Stearns is only the second appetizer. Their real counterattack has already been prepared for you."

Lu Qingshan's expression became serious for the first time.

"Where do they plan to strike from?"

"AIG," the voice on the other end spat out a name.

American International Group, the world's largest insurance company!

"Goldman Sachs' Belankfan and Morgan's John Mc met secretly for three hours last night in Bowen's office."

"They devised a plan, a... strangulation plan specifically prepared for you."

"They intend to proactively trigger AIG's financial crisis, forcing AIG to file for bankruptcy protection. Once AIG collapses, the credit default swap (CDS) contracts you hold for Short Selling, worth hundreds of billions, will instantly become worthless!"

"Because your counterparty is AIG!"

"They want to make all the money you earn this time, along with your principal, drop to zero in an instant!"

Boom—!

The news exploded in everyone's hearts in the apartment like a nuclear bomb.

Li Junjie and Zhang Qianru's complexions turned as pale as paper in an instant.

"A trap! This is a massive trap!" Li Junjie's voice trembled with Fear, "They... they want to use their own people's lives to go down with us!"

David Cohen collapsed outright onto the floor; this time, he was truly terrified.

"It's over... completely over... we've fallen into the devil's trap..."

Lu Qingshan's hand gripping the phone turned slightly white at the knuckles from the pressure.

He finally understood how insidious and ruthless Wall Street's true counterattack was.

They would even sacrifice the ten‑thousand‑ton AIG vessel, just to drag this intruder down to the sea floor and drown together!

"Comrade Qingshan," the voice on the other end said, with a hint of gravity, "Now, do you still think the fire isn't burning hot enough?"

Lu Qingshan looked out the window at the city shrouded in darkness; in his eyes it seemed to become a abyssal beast with a gaping blood‑filled maw.

He took a deep breath, then, into the phone, spoke word for word.

"I understand."

"Thank you for the reminder."

"However, it seems they also got one thing wrong."

"What thing?"

Lu Qingshan turned, looking at his team whose faces were ashen, yet the corner of his mouth slowly curved into a faint, serene smile.

"This fire of mine was never meant only for Wall Street to watch."

"Since they want to play big..."

"Then I'll join them, using this great fire, to tear down American International Group as well!"