Great Power Reclamation

Chapter 2917 Since Capital Eats People, Then I Am Capital
Ye Feng hung up the phone with his father, Ye Yuze, but did not linger in the joy of the great victory on the Korean battlefield for long.

He stood alone in front of the floor-to-ceiling window of the top-floor office of Brothers Investments' New York headquarters, overlooking Wall Street, which was still brightly lit and bustling with activity under the night sky.

In the distance, the silhouette of the Statue of Liberty is faintly visible in the harbor lights.

Although he won a fierce battle and gained a great deal, it also caused him unprecedented shock and reflection.

Warrior Group is an industrial empire built up by his father, Uncle Yang Geyong, and others.

From its arduous beginnings in northern Xinjiang to its current status as a global high-tech giant, every step has been the result of painstaking effort, relying on genuine technological breakthroughs, high-quality products, and diligent market development. Industry is its foundation, its backbone, and is irreplaceable.

However, this time, facing the South Korean chaebols and the American capital behind them, what truly had a devastating effect was not the Warrior Group's latest chip or battery technology—

Although that was the last straw that broke the camel's back and the justification for launching the attack—

Rather, it is capital itself, the massive and suffocating flow of funds under Brothers Investment, the precise and ruthless short-selling strategy, and the propaganda and political offensive launched in conjunction with the "Future Party".

The power of capital is terrifying. It doesn't directly produce a single screw or develop a new technology, yet in a very short time, it can leverage its information advantage, overwhelming scale, and application of rules to shake a seemingly impregnable economy to its core, evaporating years of accumulated real-world assets in the stock market's numerical games.

This is a pure, efficient, and even ruthless form of plunder.

"plunder…"

Ye Feng repeated the word in a low voice. Industry creates value, while capital, to some extent, especially on the financial battlefield, exhibits more characteristics of distribution and value transfer, and even the characteristic of plundering through fluctuations and crises.

"Since that's the rule, then..."

A sharp glint flashed in Ye Feng's eyes. "We must become the ones who are most proficient in the rules and have the ability to influence or even create them."

He realized that while the future development of the Warrior Group could not be separated from the continuous innovation of its real economy, the protection and strategic role of financial capital could not be ignored.

In some cases, capital should even be the vanguard in opening up new battlefields and gaining greater dominance.

Simply defending is not enough; we must take the initiative to secure a more advantageous position for Chinese companies and for ourselves in the top-level game of global capital.

Established financial groups in the United States and Europe, having accumulated wealth and evolved over hundreds of years, are well-versed in this strategy. Through cross-shareholdings, control of financial institutions, and influence over political decisions, they have woven a global network of capital and power.

Cleveland and Arnim are merely pawns on the front lines. The real giants lurk in the deeper waters.

"In the next phase, our opponents will no longer be certain tycoons in a country or region, but the ancient, intertwined forces of capital entrenched in Wall Street and the City of London."

At the high-level strategic meeting the following day, Ye Feng shared his judgment with the core team of Brothers Investment and the core strategists of Warrior Group, who were connected via encrypted video link.

"Although we won the battle against South Korea, it also completely exposed our strength and intentions. They will not sit idly by and watch a new capitalist power rise that is not entirely under their control. Friction and suppression will come soon, or it may have already begun."

The conference room was silent; everyone could feel the weight of Ye Feng's words.

"Therefore, we must turn the passive into the active."

Ye Feng continued, pulling up a series of data and charts and projecting them onto the large screen.

"Brother Investment's capital cannot be satisfied with hedging, arbitrage, or follow-the-leader investments. We need to establish a dedicated strategic investment department to focus on key global sectors: semiconductors, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, new energy, and core mineral resources."

"Our goal is not financial investment, but strategic control. Through capital means, we aim to embed ourselves in the core nodes of the global industrial chain by acquiring shares, holding controlling stakes, and forming alliances."

“We need to find partners in Europe and break up their alliances; in the United States, we need to target undervalued but innovative companies with key technologies, or… those areas that are overlooked by established conglomerates but have great potential.”

A senior analyst asked, "Boss, this means we will be directly challenging the core interests of traditional financial groups in the United States and Europe, and they will retaliate fiercely. Our political risks and informational disadvantages could be significant."

“That’s right.” Ye Feng nodded. “So, money alone isn’t enough. We need allies, a stronger information network, and more flexible operating methods.”

He paused, then announced several important decisions:

First, further enhance the political influence of the Future Party and its affiliated think tanks, not only influencing domestic policy debates in the United States, but also extending its reach to the parliaments and executive branches of major European countries (such as Germany and France) to find like-minded individuals.

Second, strengthen ties with sovereign wealth funds in the Middle East and Singapore to build a broader international capital alliance. These funds are financially powerful and have certain channels within the Western system, which can serve as a buffer or even partners.

Third, leveraging the huge profits earned from the South Korean market and the stable cash flow of the Brothers Group and Warriors Group, the company will significantly expand the scale of Brothers Investment's asset management, while designing more complex financial instruments and offshore structures to enhance the secrecy and flexibility of its operations.

Fourth, launch the "Deep Blue Project" to recruit top global financial engineers, data scientists, geopolitical analysis experts, and even former intelligence personnel to build an information analysis and decision support system that far exceeds the capabilities of ordinary business intelligence.

"What we are fighting is a war of comprehensive strength. Capital is the weapon, information is the eyes, politics is the stage, and technology—the technology of the warrior group—is our ultimate value anchor and bargaining chip."

Ye Feng concluded, "From now on, the primary task of Brothers Investment is to carve out a path for Warrior Group, and for more Chinese companies going global in the future, to fight for a voice in the jungle of global capital."

With the strategic direction set, the entire machine began to operate at high speed.

Ye Feng, based in New York, was strategizing and planning. His first target was not the bustling stock market, but the relatively quiet private equity and venture capital sector.

He instructed his team to make intensive contact with European suppliers of advanced lithography machine components who were struggling to secure their next round of funding, and American startups focused on AI algorithm development.

Initially, many companies were both eager and wary of the huge capital coming from China. But Ye Feng's offer was extremely tempting: high valuation, long-term shareholding, no short-term exit, and a promise to help them implement their technology and expand their market through the Warrior Group's industrial chain.

At the same time, Brothers Investment's complex organizational structure makes its investment sources appear diversified, thus reducing political sensitivity.

Within weeks, several major deals were quietly completed. A long-established German manufacturer of precision optical instruments accepted an investment led by Brothers Investment, gaining much-needed funds to upgrade its production lines.

A little-known AI company in California, USA, but possessing revolutionary neural network compression technology, was acquired by Brothers Ventures' venture capital fund at an astonishing valuation.

These actions quickly attracted attention.

Inside a historic private club in Boston.

Sir James Cleveland, one of the de facto controllers of the Cleveland conglomerate and nearing eighty years old, was having dinner with Carl Anderson of Alnim Capital and another representative from the European Rothschild family. The atmosphere was somber.

"That Ye Feng, he's overreaching."

Sir James wiped his mouth with a napkin, his voice low and cold, "The South Korean affair made us a laughingstock. Now, they dare to come right into our backyard and poach our talent."

Carl Anderson's expression remained grim: "His financial strength is far greater than we anticipated, and his methods are extremely cunning. Several of our previous technology theft and patent lawsuits against the Warrior Group were resolved by them using unconventional methods, leaving us in a very passive position."

The Rothschild representative, a tall, thin man named Frederick von Kleist, slowly said:
"More importantly, he is not fighting alone. The influence of the Future Party is rising, and they are constantly introducing bills in Parliament that target our traditional interests. Moreover, we have noticed his close financial ties with some Middle Eastern countries. He is trying to build a new alliance."

"alliance?"

Sir James scoffed, "For centuries, many have tried to challenge the existing order, but they have all turned to dust. The world of capital is about foundation and rules, not the gambles of the nouveau riche."

Frederick shook his head: "James, don't underestimate them. His father has deep roots in China, and that warrior group possesses truly advanced technology; that's their confidence."

"Ye Feng himself has shown an amazing talent for applying and breaking through financial rules. He is not like a traditional Chinese entrepreneur, but more like... more like one of us, even more radical. Moreover, he is originally a US citizen."

"Then it's time to make him understand that some rules are not ones he can break."

A cold glint flashed in Jazz James' eyes. "We need a complete suppression. Economically, politically, and even in terms of public opinion."

"How to do it exactly?"

"First, push Congress to pass stricter foreign investment review bills, especially targeting high-tech and critical infrastructure sectors, to create insurmountable obstacles for Ye Feng's acquisitions."

"Secondly, we should unite with our European friends to put forward similar legislative proposals in Brussels (the EU headquarters)."

“Third,” he said, looking at Carl Anderson, “teach him a lesson in the financial markets. Doesn’t he like shorting? Let him experience what it’s like to be targeted. Find out the assets that Brother Investment has a large holding in and organize a counterattack.”

“Fourth,” Sir James added, “continue to put pressure on the Warriors Group on intellectual property. If necessary, have the Department of Justice launch some investigations. We need to put him on the defensive.”

A comprehensive crackdown on Ye Feng and his capital empire has quietly begun.

Soon, Ye Feng felt the pressure.

The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) rejected Brothers Investment's acquisition of a small U.S. company with specialized material coating technology, citing national security concerns, even though the technology was not cutting-edge and the deal was small. This is clearly a warning sign.

Subsequently, the European Commission announced an anti-dumping investigation into a certain model of high-performance battery produced by Warrior Group, even though its price was based entirely on market cost.

In the financial market, the stocks of several emerging cloud computing companies that Brothers Investment held a large stake in were suddenly attacked by a series of short-selling reports from anonymous institutions, causing the stock prices to fluctuate sharply in the short term. Although Brothers Investment withstood the selling pressure with its strong capital, it still suffered considerable paper losses.

Meanwhile, mainstream media outlets such as The Wall Street Journal began publishing a series of "exposing" reports, exaggerating claims that "Chinese capital circumvents regulations and steals Western technology through complex networks" and that "'Future Party' has an ambiguous relationship with foreign capital, harming U.S. interests."

The pressure suddenly increased.

“Boss, CFIUS has made it clear that any investment involving sensitive technologies will face the strictest scrutiny. Several of our negotiation projects in Europe have also been suspended, as they are concerned about political risks.”

The assistant reported to Ye Feng with a solemn expression.

Ye Feng looked at the green numbers in the Brothers Investment portfolio on the screen, but his face remained expressionless.

“As expected,” he said calmly. “They’re using the same old tactics: political pressure, smear campaigns, and market sabotage. If we back down, they’ll win.”

"Then let's..."

"They think they can force us to back down like this? How naive."

Ye Feng sneered, "They are using the walls of the old world to block the torrent of new capital. But the nature of capital is to pursue profit and to flow. No matter how high the wall is, there are gaps, and it can even be bypassed."

He quickly made arrangements:
1. Be flexible and adaptable: Adjust investment strategies immediately. Temporarily avoid direct acquisitions of the most sensitive "hard technologies" and instead invest in companies in the "downstream" application fields of these high-tech companies, or invest in non-US companies that compete with Western giants (such as certain technology companies in Japan, South Korea, or even Israel), thereby indirectly obtaining technological dividends and influence through roundabout means.

2. Public Opinion Counterattack: Hire a top-tier public relations team and lobbying group to proactively voice their opinions. Through investment forums and media interviews, emphasize the commercial nature of Brother Investment, its long-term investment philosophy, and its positive contributions to invested companies and the local economy. Simultaneously, support Future Party lawmakers in proposing bills that attract foreign investment and promote competition, thus challenging the opposing protectionist proposals.

3. Market Game: Against short-selling attacks, not only defense is crucial, but counterattack is equally important. Ye Feng ordered the "Deep Blue Project" team to operate at full capacity, analyzing and identifying weaknesses in the opponent's attack chain. "They're shorting our positions? Very good. Find out who's behind it, their positions and leverage. We need to find an opportunity to squeeze them out!" Battles in the capital markets are always two-way.

4. Opening New Fronts: Ye Feng instructed that communication and cooperation with large domestic financial institutions and policy banks be strengthened. "Going it alone has limited strength; we need broader strategic depth." At the same time, negotiations to establish a joint investment platform with Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds should be accelerated to solidify the international alliance.