Chapter 644: Invitation

Fanghuan Investment, Su Hao's office.
The sun shone brightly outside the window, a peaceful scene unfolded.
Su Hao, holding a cup of tea, listened to Liang Haiyuan's report with the relaxed air of a retired old man.
"So, the stock markets in both countries are finally reopening?"
"Yes, Chairman Su. The situation there is basically stable."
Liang Haiyuan, sitting opposite him, looked at him with adoration, as if he were looking at a living god of wealth.
"The Empire has split into several major warlord factions, and Gao Li's side is also a mess.
These idiots fought tooth and nail before finally realizing that if they continued fighting, everyone would be finished.
Now they've entered a stalemate; no one can swallow anyone else, so now they can only sit down and negotiate. And..."
Liang Haiyuan paused, lowered his voice, and said with a hint of gossip:
"I heard it's because the nuclear briefcase was lost, and everyone is out of cards, which has created this delicate and terrifying balance."
"They haven't found it yet?" Su Hao raised an eyebrow.
“Didn’t find them. This whole thing’s all over the place right now,” Liang Haiyuan explained.
“I heard their security mechanism is more obsessive than a Virgo’s OCD. If you try to crack it, the base will self-destruct.”
Liang Haiyuan shrugged. “Right now, both countries are practically turning the world upside down looking for those two missing boxes.”
It was a kind of dark humor.
The safety mechanism that requires three boxes to launch a nuclear missile had become the biggest safety valve in this chaotic world.
Without all three, no one dared to act rashly, otherwise they would trigger the base’s self-destruct sequence, sending everyone to their doom.
Su Hao nodded thoughtfully.
This situation was actually most in Fang Huan’s best interest.
Chaotic, but controllable.
Divided, but with room for trade.
Liang Haiyuan paused, his expression turning somewhat strange, as if he was suppressing a laugh:
"By the way, Chairman Su, there's something else... There's a really outrageous rumor going around lately."
"Oh? Tell me about it." Su Hao picked up his teacup.
"Right now, it's being said on the black market," Liang Haiyuan couldn't help but chuckle, "that the missing nuclear briefcases are actually in Fang Huan's hands."
"Pfft—"
Su Hao almost spat out the tea he had just drunk. He and Liang Haiyuan exchanged a glance, and the air was silent for a second.
Then, they both burst into loud laughter.
"Hahahaha! Aren't these people's imaginations running wild?
We're legitimate businessmen, what would we need nuclear bombs for? To bomb fish?"
Su Hao laughed so hard he almost fell over.
"Yeah! I laughed so hard my stomach hurt when I heard that.
We're in finance, how did we become nuclear weapons engineers?
I also think these conspiracy theorists are out of their minds."
Liang Haiyuan wiped away tears of laughter.
"But you can't blame them. Fang Huan's recent asset acquisition speed is too fast, it's like they're using a cheat code.
Right now, Fang Huan is synonymous with 'evil empire' in the global financial world.
Forget nuclear bombs, even if someone said tomorrow that you're keeping a dragon in your basement, people would probably believe it."
Su Hao waved his hand with a smile, knowing the logic behind this rumor.
Fang Huan is too powerful now.
So powerful that the world thinks there's nothing Fang Huan can't do.
After all, Fang Huan has always been at the center of conspiracy theories.
Conspiracy theories are like parasites that thrive on the strong.
The stronger you are, the more parasites you attract.
This time, Fang Huan's rampage in the financial markets, plundering countless fortunes, naturally leads outsiders to imagine Hollywood blockbuster-like scenarios.
Indeed, being falsely accused of "possessing nuclear weapons" aligns with the public's imagination of an "evil empire."
"Following this logic, soon rumors will circulate that the civil war between the two countries was actually instigated by us?" Su Hao joked.
"Uh..." Liang Haiyuan's smile froze for a moment.
"Chairman Su, you really shouldn't disbelieve this; in fact... it's already one of the most mainstream conspiracy theories."
"..." Su Hao pursed his lips.
"Damn, this world! Nobody believes the truth, but nonsense becomes the truth.
Alright, let's not talk about that. Is the global market stable now?"
"Stable. As per your instructions, our 300 trillion in assets are completely 'silent,' like a stabilizing force suppressing the global stock market tsunami.
Now the global financial markets are watching our every move. As long as we don't give the nod, no one dares to stir up trouble!
So, Chairman Su, now that the market has stabilized, shouldn't we reap the rewards?"
"No, continue holding. Since the situation is settled, let's maintain the status quo." Su Hao shook his head.
"Besides, if we really withdraw this money, it could easily trigger another bloodbath."
A 300 trillion level of assets is a terrifying weight enough to crush any economy.
Money at this level is no longer just money; it's a shackle, and a responsibility.
“But now, a new problem has arisen.
As our shareholdings in various companies continue to expand, the operational control of many companies has automatically fallen into our hands.”
Liang Haiyuan said with a wry smile,
“Chairman Su, we now control so many companies that it’s like rabbits giving birth; we simply can’t manage them all.
Just the reports we have to review every day are piled up higher than me.”
“Sigh, there’s no way around it. Since we bought them ourselves, we have to manage them even if it’s painful.”
Su Hao rubbed his temples,
“We can’t really just wash our hands of things; that would be irresponsible to the shareholders—although I’m the largest shareholder myself, haha.”
Although he complained about being tired, a hint of excitement flashed in Su Hao’s eyes.
Controlling territories he had never ventured into before was like unlocking a new game map; this sense of conquest is irreplaceable.
“Perhaps… this is a sweet trouble.”
By the way, Chairman Su. The most important report today is actually this.”
Liang Haiyuan’s joking expression vanished, and he respectfully handed over an exquisitely crafted letter.
The envelope was black, without any writing on it, only a complex gold-embossed emblem.
“What is this?”
“An invitation,” Liang Haiyuan took a deep breath. “I think you’ll be quite surprised when you see what’s inside.”
Su Hao took it casually.
At his level, anything in this world that could truly surprise him was probably rarer than a dinosaur egg.
However, when he opened the envelope and pulled out the silky-smooth card...
Even with his composure, his pupils contracted sharply.
The envelope was printed with a line of French text, which translated to the name that haunted the dreams of countless conspiracy theorists—
[Invitation to the Bilderberg Meeting]
Su Hao's fingers paused slightly.
Good heavens.
This is the legendary "Shadow Government of the World"?
That mysterious round table that supposedly decides who becomes president, who starts a war, and who triggers a plague?
That elite club, hailed as the savior of humanity by countless sensationalist novels and conspiracy theories?
Those self-proclaimed gods hiding behind the scenes have finally lost their composure.
They've extended an olive branch of peace, or... a pledge of allegiance, to this newly crowned dark king?
"Interesting."
Su Hao lightly flicked the invitation in his hand, producing a crisp sound. His face showed no surprise, only the composure and mockery of a hunter eyeing its prey.
"Very well, let me see what these so-called 'world rulers' really look like."