Chapter 343: An almost obsessive appreciation

“Phew… They’re all so concerned with saving face. When it comes down to it, they’ll have to bow their heads.”
Back in her office after the meeting, Merkel sighed wearily, rubbing her throbbing temples.
“But, Madam Chancellor,” her secretary said softly.
“Hmm?”
“Is it possible… that all of this, even our current predicament, was part of Fang Huan’s plan?”
The secretary’s words made Merkel’s brow furrow instantly.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean… we just withdrew our bailout proposal, and Beirut exploded.
The direct consequence of the explosion was a severe blow to our European financial markets.
Isn’t all of this too… precise?”
The secretary’s voice trailed off,
“Perhaps their initial target wasn’t some Middle Eastern port, but… the whole of Europe?”
“…!”
Merkel’s heart skipped a beat!
The timeline had perfectly connected!
The EU’s breach of the agreement came first, followed by the devastating Beirut explosion.
The explosion, like a precision-guided warhammer, struck precisely at the most vulnerable point of the European financial market!
Was this… was it really just a coincidence?
“Isn’t it too dangerous to put someone like Fang Huan in Europe?” The secretary’s voice was filled with worry.
“Enough!” Merkel snapped.
“I warned you last time, don’t bother me with these baseless conspiracy theories!
Besides, where else can you find life-saving funds besides their money?!”
"If you have a solution, just say so, and I'll adopt it immediately!"
"I...I'm sorry, Madam Chancellor."
"Get out! Go do your work!"
Merkel impatiently shooed her secretary out.
She looked down at the report on the table, but couldn't concentrate on a single word.
The secretary's audacious words echoed wildly in her mind like a demonic whisper.
If...if all of this really was a carefully orchestrated scheme by Fang Huan Investment...
Just how far is this game going?
What exactly does that financial behemoth from the East want, forcibly entering Europe?
***
The atmosphere at the Jiang Jin Group's board meeting was somewhat tense.
"What? Where did you say?"
Qin Han's eyebrows furrowed into a knot as he looked at the reporting vice president.
"Britain! Chairman, the market there is beyond 'serious,' it's like the sky has fallen!"
The vice president tapped on a candlestick chart on the projector; the line was a near-vertical plunge.
"You could say the British financial market is on the verge of collapse!"
"Tsk tsk," Qin Han clicked his tongue, a hint of schadenfreude in his voice.
"If you don't court death, you won't die. They insisted on leaving the EU, and now they've messed it up."
The pain of a forced Brexit was being returned to this once-mighty empire in a doubly painful way.
They were paying a heavy price for their populist choice.
"Brexit was just the fuse, but what truly pushed Britain off the cliff was Fang Huan Investment."
Another executive added, a hint of awe in his voice.
"Hmm? Fang Huan?" Qin Han's eyes sharpened.
"Yes, Chairman, you know.
A while ago, Fang Huan struck at the heart of Britain's weakness, igniting a short-selling frenzy.
This attracted a pack of hungry wolves from Wall Street, who swarmed in and utterly destroyed the British stock market!"
"Then the EU seized the opportunity and implemented a 'hard Brexit,' completely cutting off its escape route?"
"That's right! That blow already severely damaged Britain, leaving it barely clinging to life.
Unexpectedly, Fang Huan recently delivered another blow, this time piercing right through!"
Qin Han didn't even need to hear the whole story; two words already flashed through his mind.
"Insurance?"
"Exactly! The massive explosion in Beirut dragged down a whole host of Europe's top insurance and reinsurance giants!
The entire European insurance industry is in complete chaos!
The British insurance industry is naturally deeply affected as well.
They were barely hanging on thanks to the recovery in the US stock market, but now…
That breath of fresh air is probably gone."
The British Empire is truly on the verge of collapse.
From the day of the hard Brexit, it was sentenced to a suspended death sentence.
This time, however, Fang Huan Investment personally fired the execution bullet.
"The Beirut port explosion has truly left a trail of corpses," Qin Han sighed.
"It's not just Europe; even Levant Shipping, which had been battling Fang Huan Shipping, has reportedly initiated dissolution proceedings.
Not only did their $30 billion investment go down the drain, but their ships and cargo in the port of Beirut also vanished.
Faced with astronomical sums in lawsuits, their only option was to close down.
In the end… everything went as Fang Huan wished."
"As Fang Huan wished?" Qin Han's gaze swept over the executive who spoke, a hint of displeasure in his eyes.
“Yes, Chairman. Beirut port exploded. Who's the biggest winner? It's Fang Huan!”
Another executive added:
“Not only that, Chairman.
There are rumors that Fang Huan not only intends to use this opportunity to dominate the shipping industry, but is also setting his sights on the entire EU market!”
“Shut up, all of you!” Qin Han slammed his hand on the table, and the entire conference room fell silent instantly.
“Without evidence, don't speculate and spread conspiracy theories!
Do you think I don't know Su Hao? He's not the kind of person who would use such methods!”
“But Chairman, judging from the current situation…”
“Enough! Produce solid evidence! Otherwise, shut up!”
The conference room fell silent.
Everyone in the entire group knew that Chairman Qin Han held an almost obsessive admiration and trust in Fang Huan's Su Hao!
"Furthermore, you need to understand one thing," Qin Han said, surveying the crowd.
"Even if all of this were true, Su Hao would never target Jiang Jin Group or any company in our country!
He's the kind of person who only wants to help us grow the pie, not turn around and snatch our bread.
That's the greatest fortune for companies in our country!"
Everyone present fell silent.
Indeed, Su Hao's catchphrase, "I hope our own country and companies get better and better," had already spread throughout the business world.
His previous actions with the China Strategic Investment Fund proved his words were true.
Looking around, how many entrepreneurs in this world can place national interests above personal gain?
Extremely rare!
"So, what are your opinions in this report?" Qin Han steered the conversation back.
"We recommend further reducing all investments in the UK," the vice president immediately added.
"Whether it's home appliance sales or the semiconductor market, the UK is like a piece of chewed-out sugarcane—utterly tasteless.
We recommend cutting the region's budget and personnel to the bare minimum."
"Okay, let's do that."
Qin Han nodded in agreement.
"Yes! Oh, right, Chairman, there's one more thing.
I heard that several Premier League clubs in the UK are looking for buyers all over the world."
"Hmm? Football?"
Qin Han wasn't particularly interested in sports; he'd only heard Su Hao mention it before—that he wanted to support talent in sports, arts, law, business, and other fields.
“Newcastle, Everton, West Ham United…
The British economy is in severe turmoil, and many club owners are struggling to stay afloat, putting their clubs up for sale.
Among them, this one has caused the most uproar and attracted the most attention.”
A blue and white team crest appeared on the projector.
“Tottenham Hotspur? Isn’t that a well-known powerhouse?”
“Yes, it used to be one of the most profitable teams in the Premier League.
But a few years ago, they spent money like water building a new stadium, accumulating a mountain of debt.”
As a traditional powerhouse in the Premier League, Tottenham is a household name among Chinese fans, and has countless supporters in the UK.
This once-powerful club is now practically broke!