Chapter 104: Breaking Free from Their Claws!

Shen Zekai was sprawled out on the throne he'd always dreamed of sitting on—
In the chairman's office of Changqing Group, in that brown leather executive chair symbolizing supreme power!
The Italian imported calfskin was unbelievably smooth to the touch!
It was said that his obsessive-compulsive father, to keep this chair "fresh," replaced it with a new one every month.
Thanks to this peculiar habit, a wonderfully subtle fragrance of top-quality leather was wafting into Shen Zekai's nostrils—refreshing!
It was invigorating, more effective than any coffee!
And look at the ceiling—high enough to fly a kite!
A lifelike crimson-gold dragon, intricately carved and painted, its eyes wide and bulging.
It seemed ready to burst through the wall at any moment, to personally place the gleaming "dragon pearl" from its mouth into Shen Zekai's palm!
The name implies "Destined by Heaven, boundless wealth!"
"Chairman, sitting here is practically tailor-made for you! Your aura is simply amazing!"
Uncle Cui, who used to be the board assistant, has now become the chairman's secretary.
This position is practically the chairman's shadow, his most trusted confidant, someone who can read his mind!
All instructions must pass through him before being issued.
Uncle Cui's flattery was perfectly timed, neither too strong nor too weak.
Shen Zekai grinned, his smugness overflowing:
"This position is indeed comfortable. However, it wasn't easy to get, so you'd better hold on tight and guard it well!"
"That's right, that's right!" Uncle Cui deftly took a folder from his briefcase.
"By the way, Chairman, this is the detailed information about Fanghuan Investment that you asked for before. I've got it all figured out for you."
Shen Zekai's eyes suddenly sharpened. Fanghuan Investment!
What he hated most right now was the group of opportunistic bastards from Fanghuan Investment!
These scoundrels were a thorn in his side, a constant source of pain!
As the ancients said, "Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated."
He wanted to see just what kind of monsters Fanghuan Investment was!
"Oh? They released their performance report so quickly?" He raised an eyebrow.
"Yes! Chairman, private equity firms release performance reports quarterly."
Performance? Hmph! Shen Zekai sneered inwardly.
The succession battle at Changqing Group had been fierce and bloody, and what was the result?
On the contrary, it was Fanghuan Investment and their bunch of opportunistic swindlers who reaped a huge advantage, making a fortune!
This matter had already spread throughout the industry, with people saying that Changqing Group had only been doing the work for others, getting slapped in the face repeatedly, and becoming a laughing stock in the industry!
"Hmph, they brought in 2 billion, and managed to poach 10 billion from us. How could their performance not look good?"
Shen Zekai gritted his teeth, his anger barely contained.
"Chairman, please take a look at this..." Uncle Cui handed over the document with a wry smile, "I'm afraid it's more than that."
"Hmm?" Shen Zekai took the report, his eyes scanning it rapidly. The next second, he almost thought his presbyopia was acting up prematurely; his pupils suddenly contracted!
"Wait! This... their own capital has tripled? Their profits are far more than 10 billion?"
Compared to the previous quarter, Fanghuan Investment's equity capital had tripled exactly!
In just a few months, they seemed to have unlocked a magic formula, making a fortune!
"You have no idea, this quarter, the entire financial industry was in despair, with performance so dismal that many were forced to close down!
First, the stock market crashed, then the Greek crisis hit, leaving countless financial giants bankrupt!
But Fanghuan Investment stood out, making a killing!"
Shen Zekai rubbed his eyes. These financial statements looked suspiciously manipulated!
Even in a once-in-a-century bull market, it's impossible for the financial industry to triple its equity capital in a single quarter!
Moreover, this is in the context of a global economic downturn, a veritable "epic bear market"!
How did Fanghuan Investment defy the odds and create such a miraculous rate of return?!
"So, Chairman, there's a rumor going around," Uncle Cui said in a low, mysterious voice,
"They say that ever since the stock market crash, a mysterious force has been quietly making a fortune in the market, frantically raking in money.
Then there was that emissions scandal, those bastards really squeezed a killing off German companies on their own turf, thoroughly exploiting the German market, and then they just walked away!"
Shen Zekai had heard rumors about this.
However, it's said that even the arrogant guys at the German Federal Financial Supervisory Authority investigated for a long time but couldn't find the mastermind, and in the end, it was just dropped, so it's always been considered a baseless urban legend.
"They're incredibly audacious! They dare to so blatantly fleece people in the German market and get away unscathed? Are those bastards really that powerful?"
Shen Zekai narrowed his eyes and gasped.
"Judging from their phenomenal performance this time, it's highly likely!" Uncle Cui said decisively. "Otherwise, there's simply no explanation!"
Back then, when Shen Zekai first heard that Fang Huan Investment, this unknown little player, dared to stir things up with only 5% of Changqing Group's shares, he didn't take them seriously at all.
After all, on the international stage, they were just small fry; how much of a ripple could they possibly cause?
But now it seems things are far more complicated than that. The more he thought about this company, the more sinister it seemed.
He had personally experienced it; the ability to leverage 2 billion to control 10 billion—their ability to manipulate people's hearts with such ease was truly exceptional!
If the rumors were true, then their ability to predict market trends was practically superhuman!
'Wait a minute! When I met that old fox Huang Fengwen the other day, he didn't seem like someone who could make decisions!'
Shen Zekai suddenly remembered something, a flash of insight striking him:
'Deep in his eyes, there was a barely perceptible hint of obedience and apprehension! That's definitely not the look of a behind-the-scenes boss!'
'That old fox Huang Fengwen, there's someone else behind him!' A storm raged in Shen Zekai's heart:
'Behind this pirate ship of Fanghuan Investment, there's a true mastermind!
A peerless tyrant capable of simultaneously manipulating and stirring up storms in domestic and international financial markets!!'
'Uncle Cui, about our hotel project in France…'
Shen Zekai took a deep breath, a resolute glint in his eyes.
“Ah, you mean that flagship hotel project in Paris?”
“Yes! Do everything you can to get the schedule forward! The sooner the better!”
“Ah? But Chairman, there are still many details to be perfected for that project. Forcing it ahead now might…”
“We can’t wait!” Shen Zekai waved his hand, interrupting him.
“We must get the hotel in France up and running as soon as possible, to secure cash flow in the European market!
Otherwise, we’ll be completely controlled by those bloodsucking bastards at Fang Huan Investment!
Only in this way can we raise enough funds quickly and break free from their clutches!”
Fang Huan Investment!
The thought of Changqing Group having such a large sum of money held as collateral by them sent chills down Shen Zekai’s spine!
He felt a thorn in his side, unable to eat or sleep!
Who knows what kind of wicked schemes those ruthless lunatics will devise next?
We must pay off our debts to them as soon as possible, then sever all ties and never see them again!
“Notify the project team immediately! Tell them to work overtime, give it their all!
As early as possible! I'll take responsibility if anything goes wrong!”
Shen Zekai’s voice carried an undeniable authority.