Chapter 186: The Serpent Spits Its Tongue

Su Hao silently observed the man opposite him.
Jho Low—this guy's personal charisma was undeniable. He had an exceptionally handsome face, a full forehead, and a sincere smile.
His speech was filled with passion, portraying 1MDB as an impeccable, gold-rich investment paradise.
Every statistic, every curve, seemed perfect.
But, for some reason…
Just as Jho Low was passionately describing his grand vision, a strange change occurred in Su Hao's vision.
Wisps of faint, crimson mist began to emanate from Jho Low's mouth, swirling and rising around him, eventually coalescing behind him into a massive, ethereal serpent!
The serpent flicked its tongue, its golden, vertical pupils cold and greedy, as if tempting Eve to pluck the deadly forbidden fruit.
The scene was chilling, sinister, and carried a bone-chilling coldness.
Su Hao felt a shiver run down his spine, a chill running down his spine.
The bizarre scene made him feel like he was watching some cheap, low-budget special effects film, yet the deep-seated unease and dread he felt wouldn't dissipate.
He didn't hear a word of what Jho Low said afterward; his mind was completely consumed by the crimson snake.
"...In short, I hope you will all make a wise decision.
Malaysia will surely become the next great nation like my country.
At that time, through close cooperation with our government, you will also reap unimaginable rewards."
Jho Low finished his speech and left the stage confidently.
Before leaving, he emphasized repeatedly, "Partnering with 1MDB means you will receive the closest cooperation and comprehensive support from the Malaysian government."
"This guy, calling it an invitation, is practically a half-threat, half-bribe," Qin Han muttered, scoffing.
“He was smiling the whole time, but I felt the same way,” Huang Fengwen agreed wholeheartedly.
“Without investing money, don’t expect any government benefits. I heard Jiangjin Group is preparing to aggressively expand into the Southeast Asian market?”
“That’s right, Malaysia is the bridgehead.” Qin Han nodded.
“Our next major focus is Europe and Southeast Asia. They probably heard about it and came knocking.”
Jiangjin Group has big ambitions; they plan to enter the Southeast Asian mobile phone and home appliance market.
“The mobile phone market is too competitive, but we’ll take it one step at a time, first getting into the market and securing our entry.”
Qin Han spoke with great confidence.
“Besides, we also have home appliances. In a place like Malaysia, which is unbearably hot, air conditioning is a necessity, right?”
Therefore, Qin Han was genuinely interested in the 1MDB project.
If the Malaysian government would give the green light, Jiangjin Group’s home appliances could easily penetrate the market, which would be more effective than any advertising.
“Jiang Jin is planning to invest.” Qin Han looked at Huang Fengwen, then turned his gaze to Su Hao, who hadn’t said much.
“What does Fang Huan say?”
Huang Fengwen smiled but didn’t answer, only asking Su Hao with his eyes.
Instantly, the eyes of both bigwigs focused on Su Hao.
“…Personally, I think,” Su Hao began slowly, his tone calm, “it’s better not to invest.”
“Oh? Right, I remember you said you like short-term trading?” Qin Han was taken aback, then suddenly realized,
“Investing in this national fund would probably require a long-term perspective of eight to ten years. That doesn’t suit your style, right?”
That was indeed one reason.
More importantly, the faintly visible crimson serpent behind Jho Low still lingered in his mind’s eye, its chilling and sinister aura making him uneasy.
He even had a bizarre thought: could those online theories about the world’s top billionaires actually being lizardmen in disguise be true?
“That’s not what I meant,” Su Hao shook his head.
"Hmm? What do you mean? You mean, that Jho Low is a fraud?" Qin Han frowned.
"There's no need to worry about that. Before I came, I specifically had someone thoroughly investigate his background; it's spotless.
He is indeed the actual operator of 1MDB.
Besides, this is a sovereign wealth fund, backed by the national team and the credit of Malaysia. How could he possibly cheat?"
Yes, a sovereign wealth fund is theoretically safer than any private fund because it represents the face of a nation.
Su Hao understood this principle, of course, but that eerie feeling was etched into his mind like a brand.
"Chairman Qin, instead of focusing on Southeast Asia, why don't you consider concentrating your efforts on a strong push into the European market?" Su Hao changed the subject.
"You think I don't want to?" Qin Han gave a wry smile.
"The barriers in Europe are too high, and there's a lot of xenophobia. Especially in Germany, there's a bank called 'Deutsche Bank,' you know it?"
Germany's largest bank, a behemoth in the European financial world.
Unlike domestic banks, these giant foreign banks are themselves top-tier investment banks and M&A operators.
Deutsche Bank, in particular, is the cornerstone of the German financial system, holding massive amounts of capital and wielding significant influence throughout Europe.
“It’s this Deutsche Bank, it seems like they have a grudge against us, constantly trying to trip us up. We can’t expand our business in Europe at all.”
“Deutsche Bank…”
The moment that name entered his ears, Su Hao’s head buzzed, as if something had been touched.
“Deutsche Bank…why are they targeting Jiang Jin?” Su Hao suppressed the strange feeling in his heart and pressed for an answer.
"What else could it be? Profit, of course!" Chairman Qin said indignantly.
"We want to enter the European mobile phone and home appliance industry, but Deutsche Bank happens to hold shares in Siemens, a European home appliance giant. If we go in, wouldn't we be taking away their business?
What's even more infuriating is that these guys also hold Apple stock. Do you think they'll look favorably upon us?"
Apple phones are arguably the world's number one. The gap between domestic mobile phones and Apple is still significant.
But when it comes to home appliances, China's home appliance industry is definitely in the top tier.
Therefore, starting with home appliances is the key to Jiang Jin's breakthrough.
"We originally planned to build a home appliance production base in Germany, using it as a springboard to radiate throughout the entire European market."
But the plan was ambitious, while reality was harsh.
With Deutsche Bank, a local powerhouse, in the mix, Jiangjin Group found itself unable to make any progress in Europe, forcing it to turn its attention to Southeast Asia.
“Oh dear, I’ve digressed. So, Brother Su, what you mean is,” Qin Han concluded,
“that you not only advised Fang Huan not to invest in this sovereign wealth fund, but also advised Jiangjin to stay away?”
“Yes,” Su Hao nodded, “I feel… a little uneasy.”
“That’s really… if someone else had said that, I probably would have laughed out loud.” Qin Han fell into deep thought,
“But it’s you who said it, which makes me have to think it over…
Okay, I understand. If Fang Huan doesn’t invest, I’ll have to reconsider this matter.”