Chapter 180: Golden Radiance

After the ceremony.
“Chairman Huang! Oh my god, the way you were on stage just now, my goodness, your aura, your presence, you were absolutely stunning! So incredibly charismatic!”
Su Hao sidled up, showering him with compliments.
“Can’t you speak properly? That cheesy stuff gave me goosebumps.”
Huang Fengwen rolled his eyes at him, annoyed. “Same as always, call me Brother Huang.”
“No way! Today, you have to call me Chairman Huang!” Su Hao said seriously, then couldn’t help but laugh.
“When you were speaking on stage just now, I felt my blood boil, my heart pounded!”
“Yeah, so much so that my retirement plans are completely ruined for the foreseeable future,” Huang Fengwen complained.
"Of course! You'll have to work for at least another ten years!"
"Pah! We agreed I'd hand over the chairmanship to you and retire to enjoy life. Are you just jealous of my success and have to bring the whole company into this mess?"
"That's right!" Su Hao retorted confidently, "As long as I don't retire, you're not getting away!"
Su Hao was secretly overjoyed.
To be honest, the whole "company" and "grand plan" were never his intentions.
However, by a twist of fate, the outcome was good, and that was enough.
As long as Huang Fengwen, this pillar of strength, was firmly tied to the company, that was more important than anything else.
Inside the banquet hall for the inauguration ceremony, glasses clinked, and the atmosphere was bustling.
"Ugh, I'm exhausted. Just shaking hands and exchanging pleasantries has made my face stiff from smiling so much," Huang Fengwen said, rubbing his cheek, looking tired.
"Then you should go back and rest."
"No. I have to meet with another important group of people. You, and Lao Du, come with me."
"Who are we meeting?"
"Officials."
Huang Fengwen's status is now vastly different.
From a private equity firm owner, he has risen to become the head of a conglomerate controlling a significant portion of the global shipping industry.
His influence has increased exponentially, naturally attracting official attention.
Among the guests present today are many powerful figures from ministries.
"However," Huang Fengwen lowered his voice, his expression grave,
"The people we're meeting this time are different from the others… I feel they're here to give us a warning."
The person they are going to meet is a deputy director-general from the Ministry of Commerce, named Lin Weiming.
Although his rank is not ministerial, he is said to be a powerful and promising figure within the system.
In a suite on the top floor of a hotel, Lin Weiming has been waiting for some time.
"I'm sorry to have kept you waiting, Director Lin." Huang Fengwen extended his hand first, a perfectly measured smile on his face.
What can I say about Director Lin's first impression?
His face was arrogant, his eyes sharp, carrying the scrutinizing quality unique to elites within the system.
"Congratulations on your appointment, Chairman Huang."
A secretary accompanied Lin Weiming, who merely nodded slightly, his congratulatory words devoid of warmth, as if simply completing a necessary formality.
"I truly didn't expect that the establishment of our group would attract the attention of someone as distinguished as Director Lin," Huang Fengwen said politely.
"Heh, Fanghuan Group is quite the hot commodity right now," Lin Weiming sneered, leaning forward slightly, his sharp gaze sweeping back and forth between Huang Fengwen and Su Hao, his words carrying a hidden meaning:
"We were just getting strangled by the Americans, and you guys snatched all the business and even built a shipping empire. Quite clever, isn't it?"
Here comes the barb!
"The timing was also impeccable." Lin Weiming's tone became meaningful.
"Before the official announcement of the US sanctions, you swiftly completed the acquisitions of those overseas companies, and then turned around and monopolized our blocked orders…
Tsk tsk, Chairman Huang, I'm curious, your intelligence network seems…
more informed than ours, even more so than some people in Washington?"
This question was highly suggestive, almost a direct question:
Did you get advance notice from the US?
What exactly is your relationship with the US?
"Director Lin is joking; it was purely good luck."
Huang Fengwen remained outwardly calm, but inwardly he tensed, immediately understanding the unspoken message. He calmly replied:
"To handle the surge in orders, we were expanding our fleet, and it just so happened that we ran into this crisis.
Although Fang Huan made some money because of it, we hope more than anyone that the US restrictions will be lifted as soon as possible; after all, it concerns the well-being of the country's foreign trade."
"It doesn't matter," Lin Weiming waved his hand, adopting an attitude of "I can't be bothered to argue with you."
He leaned back on the sofa, crossed his arms, and continued:
"You have indeed helped the country in its time of need; the higher-ups acknowledge that. However,"
his tone shifted sharply,
"We will never sit idly by and allow any capital to exploit the national crisis for excessive profits!
Furthermore, we cannot allow the nation's economic lifeline to be controlled by a financial capital with an unclear background!"
“Director Lin, your words are too serious.” Huang Fengwen’s face also turned completely cold.
“We hire domestic crew members to alleviate the country’s financial difficulties, paying them reasonable wages so they have work and income.
Which side we’re on, I think the facts have already proven.”
Lin Weiming seemed too tired to beat around the bush any longer. He abruptly stood up from the sofa, looking down at the three men.
“I’m here today to give you a clear message.
Once this storm passes, you’d better voluntarily reduce your shipping capacity and return your market share to our own state-owned enterprises.
We don’t want capital like yours to dominate our maritime lifeline; it’s too unsafe for the country.”
A ruthless glint flashed in his eyes.
“If you don’t heed our advice…
Then be prepared to be forcibly evicted by us using administrative means!
Don’t think you have anyone backing you. On this land of Xia, there’s no capital we can’t touch!”
Before he finished speaking, he turned and left without looking back.
Dead silence filled the suite.
“…Ha, I'm so damn angry!” Huang Fengwen slammed his hand on the table in anger.
“This isn’t a congratulatory invitation, it’s a challenge!”
“Chairman Huang, this is a blatant threat. It’s too arrogant!
If it weren’t for us, their mountains of cargo at the port would be rotting somewhere right now!”
Du Yuanhang also looked indignant.
“Right now, they can’t do anything to us; they can’t find a replacement.”
However, as that guy surnamed Lin said at the end, things will be different once this logistics crisis is over.
Then, the power will be back in their hands.”
Everyone knows that Fang Huan's current advantage is only temporary.
Once the crisis is over, the authorities can easily turn their backs and abandon them.
“Ah Hao, what do you think?” Huang Fengwen looked at Su Hao, who had been silent.
“Ah Hao? What are you daydreaming about?”
“Ah, sorry, Chairman Huang.” Su Hao snapped out of his reverie.
“What’s wrong? You seem distracted, are you angry with that bastard?”
“It’s a bit…outrageous.”
Su Hao said this aloud, but his mind was in turmoil.
The reasons, however, were entirely different.
'That person…why is he glowing? Like a golden statue?'
From the first moment he saw Lin Weiming, he sensed something amiss.
As the other man's words grew increasingly sharp, a faint golden light began to emanate from his arrogant face, quickly spreading throughout his entire body!
It was a dazzling, radiant golden glow, representing the immense fortune of the nation!
A guy who came to make threats and threats, yet was enveloped in such a dense, auspicious golden light…
The scene was utterly incongruous!
Even now, that blinding golden halo seemed to be imprinted on Su Hao's retina, refusing to fade.