Great Power Reclamation

The rain in London lasted for three days. The Thames rose, and its murky waters, carrying the scent of the city, rushed toward the North Sea.

On his first day back at the London School of Economics, Ye Guigen was summoned to the department head's office.

"Mr. Ye, someone has filed a complaint against you with the school." Professor Hudson, the department head, adjusted his glasses, his expression serious.
"They said you were using your student status to engage in commercial activities, which violated school regulations."

Ye Guigen's heart sank: "What business activity?"

“This.” Hudson handed over a document, which was the business plan for the “Cornerstone and Wings” fund, with Ye Guigen’s name and contact information printed on the cover.

“This is a legally registered investment fund,” Ye Guigen said. “I did not use school resources, nor did it affect my studies.”

“But you’re raising funds as a student,” Hudson said. “That carries reputational risk for the school. You know how sensitive LSE is to conflicts of interest.”

Ye Guigen understood. This wasn't a simple matter of violating regulations; someone was deliberately targeting him.

Who is the complainant?

“Anonymous,” Hudson said, “but the email came from the school’s internal system. Mr. Ye, I suggest you suspend all business activities until the investigation is complete. Otherwise, the school may consider more severe penalties.”

As soon as he left the office, Ye Guigen called Elizabeth.

"Investigate who's behind this," he said.

“It’s already under investigation,” Elizabeth’s voice was cold, “but the results may not please you.”

Two hours later, they met at Knightsbridge Villa. Elizabeth turned her laptop towards Ye Guigen:

"The sender's IP address was traced to the student dormitory building. The specific room could not be found, but the building is full of international students, mostly studying finance and economics."

Who could it be?

“Competitors,” Elizabeth said, “or perhaps people who are jealous of you. Although you keep a low profile at LSE, the name ‘Return to Your Roots’ itself is eye-catching. Coupled with the support of the Cavendish family, many people are envious.”

She paused, then added, “There’s another possibility—Charles’ remaining influence. Although my second brother is in Australia, his friends are still in London.”

Ye Guigen rubbed his temples: "What do we do now? Professor Hudson told me to suspend all activities of the foundation."

“Then let’s pause,” Elizabeth said calmly.
"But it's not a real stop, it's just going underground. The foundation's legal entity has been registered, and my team can take over the day-to-day operations. You can appear to be focused on your studies, while secretly continuing to advance the project."

Will this work?

“In London, appearances matter,” Elizabeth said.

“As long as the school can’t find any real evidence against you, they won’t really punish you. After all, you’re Ye Feng’s son, and the London School of Economics won’t easily offend the Brothers Group.”

She walked to the window and looked at the garden outside:
"Ultimately, this is the world I live in. Every step I take is being watched, and every action I take could become a weapon against me. You have to learn to play this game."

"I don't like this kind of game."

“Nobody likes it.” Elizabeth turned to look at him. “But if we want to change the rules, we must first learn the rules. Your fund’s idea is good, but to make it work, you have to survive in this system first.”

That evening, Ye Guigen received an email from Ye Yini. She had helped Kevin refine his business plan in Los Angeles and had also contacted several musicians to try out the app; the feedback was very positive.

“Kevin asked me to ask you when the funding will be available,” Ye Yini wrote. “He said if you have any difficulties, he can find other investors first. But I think he should wait for you.”

Ye Guigen replied, "Tell him the funds will be in place within a week. Let him start preparing."

He shut down his computer and stood by the window, gazing at the London nightscape. The city was elegant and charming by day, but revealed its fangs at night.

He recalled the nights in the military reclamation city, quiet and reassuring, where even danger was always open and honest, unlike here, where hidden dangers lurk everywhere.

My phone vibrated; it was a text message from Su Xiao: "I'm having my spring recital at the Royal Academy of Dance this Saturday night. Do you have time to come?"

Ye Guigen hesitated for a moment, then replied, "Okay. Send me the address."

On Saturday evening, Ye Guigen arrived at the small theater of the Royal Academy of Dance. The audience was small, mostly students' families and industry professionals. Su Xiao's performance was the third one scheduled.

She was dancing a modern dance called "Breaking the Cocoon".

When the music started, she was like a shackled butterfly, struggling, spinning, falling and getting up on the stage.

Her movements were powerful, yet possessed a delicate beauty. Especially the difficult continuous spins, so fast they were dazzling, yet they ended perfectly still, like a flower blooming in an instant.

The applause was enthusiastic. Ye Guigen noticed several middle-aged men who looked like teachers in the front row talking quietly and nodding frequently.

After the performance, Ye Guigen went backstage to find Su Xiao. She was removing her makeup, and when she saw him in the mirror, she smiled.

"You jumped very well," Ye Guigen said.

"Thank you." Su Xiao turned around. "You know what? This dance was for you."

Ye Guigen was taken aback.

"No, that's not what I meant," Su Xiao quickly said.

“I mean, from the time I met you until now, it's like I've emerged from a cocoon. From that girl working as a hostess in a bar to the dancer standing here. You showed me another possibility.”

She stood up and walked to him: "So this dance is a farewell to that period of time, and a celebration of new life. Thank you, Ye Guigen."

Her eyes were clear and bright, filled with no regret or resentment, only sincere gratitude.

"What are your plans for the future?" Ye Guigen asked.

"The Royal Academy of Dance has given me a full scholarship for the next semester."

Su Xiao said, "I want to continue studying here for another year. Then... I applied for a UNESCO project to teach dance in Africa. I want to bring dance to children who may never see a professional performance in their lives."

"That's fine."

“Yes,” Su Xiao smiled. “I’ve finally found what I really want to do—not to become a star dancer, but to make more people fall in love with dance. That’s more important than standing on a big stage.”

She paused for a moment: "And you? How's the fund going?"

"I've run into some trouble, but it's solvable."

Su Xiao looked at him and suddenly said, "Ye Guigen, do you know what I admire most about you? It's not your family background, it's not your ability, it's that you're never defeated by difficulties. Every time you encounter a problem, you find a way to solve it instead of running away from it."

She gave him a gentle hug: "Keep going. I believe you can achieve what you want to do."

The hug was short, but warm. As they left the theater, a light rain began to fall in London. Ye Guigen didn't use an umbrella, letting the raindrops fall on his face.

He thought, perhaps this is what growing up is—constantly saying goodbye, constantly reuniting, constantly walking in the rain, yet still believing that there is sunshine ahead.

On Sunday, Elizabeth brought the findings of her investigation.

“I found it.” She placed a report on the table. “There are three people who complained about you. One is named Anderson, an American student whose father is a Wall Street fund manager. Another is named Lin, a Singaporean student whose family runs a private equity firm. And the third one… guess who?”

"Who?"

"Max Schmidt."

Ye Guigen was stunned. Max, the German student he met at the Oxfordshire Manor, was the grandson of the Schmidt family.

"why?"

"Jealousy, plus a bit of family feud."

Elizabeth said, "The Schmidt and Cavendish families are competitors in the German market. Max sees you getting close to me and running your own fund, and he feels that you are a threat to his position."

"childish."

“But it worked,” Elizabeth said. “The school has begun a formal investigation. Professor Hudson wants you to come to his office again tomorrow.”

The next day, Ye Guigen went into the department head's office again. This time, there was another person in the office—Professor Williams, the vice president in charge of student affairs.

“Mr. Ye, the situation is more complicated than we thought,” Hudson said. “We have received new complaints that you are suspected of academic misconduct and are also involved in underground financial activities.”

Professor Williams handed over a document:
"This is evidence provided by an anonymous whistleblower. Your paper for the International Finance course last semester has an 80% similarity to a paper published in a professional journal."

Ye Guigen opened the file and froze. The author of the "plagiarized" paper was none other than Max Schmidt, and it had been published two months earlier than his course paper.

"This is a setup," Ye Guigen said calmly.

“My paper was completed independently during the course and I have a complete record of the writing process. Moreover, there is a problem with the publication time of Max’s paper—two months ago, that journal had not even been published yet.”

He took out his phone and opened the journal's official website:
"Look, the latest issue was only released last week. How could Max's paper have been published two months ago?"

Hudson and Williams exchanged a glance.

“We will verify,” Williams said, “but in the meantime, you still need to suspend all business activities. That’s the school’s policy.”

Ye Guigen knew that further arguing was pointless. He stood up:
“I demand that the school thoroughly investigate this matter. If I am proven innocent, I will file a complaint against the school for defamation.”

That's your right.

After leaving the office, Ye Guigen called Elizabeth:
"I need evidence of when Max's paper was published."

“We’re already looking,” Elizabeth said, “but the journal isn’t cooperating. The Schmidt family is their main sponsor.” “Then look for other evidence.”

“There is a way,” Elizabeth paused, “but I need your approval.”

"any solution?"

“Let’s make this a big deal,” Elizabeth said.

“If you just passively wait for the investigation, the result may be unfavorable to you. But if we take the initiative and make this matter public, public pressure will force the school to handle it fairly.”

Ye Guigen thought for a moment: "How do we do it?"

"Accepting media interviews."

Elizabeth said, “Talk about your fund’s philosophy, talk about the obstacles you’ve encountered, talk about the challenges young entrepreneurs face. But don’t directly accuse anyone, just state the facts.”

"The risk is very high."

“But it’s worth a try,” Elizabeth said. “Ultimately, what you want to do is change the rules. Those who benefit from the existing rules won’t let you succeed easily. If you can’t even get past this obstacle at school, how will you face the bigger challenges in the future?”

Ye Guigen understood. This was not a simple investigation; it was the first real test—a test of his resolve, his wisdom, and how many resources he could mobilize.

“Okay,” he said. “We’ll do it.”

Two days later, the Financial Times published an interview titled "The $1 Billion Dream of an 18-Year-Old".

The article details Ye Guigen's "Cornerstone and Wings" fund, his investment philosophy, and the obstacles he has encountered—including school investigations and anonymous complaints.

The article does not directly accuse anyone, but it quotes comments from several well-known investors who believe that the concept of returning to one's roots is valuable and should be supported rather than suppressed.

On the day the article was published, the London School of Economics received dozens of emails, including from students supporting Ye Guigen, investors inquiring about fund details, and several media outlets requesting interviews with the school.

Professor Williams met with Ye Guigen again, this time being much more polite.

“Mr. Ye, we have found that the allegations of academic misconduct are false accusations.”

He said, "Max Schmidt admitted that he falsified the publication date of the paper. The university will discipline him."

"What about the allegations of commercial activities?"

“The school has reviewed the regulations,” Williams said.

"Students are allowed to engage in legitimate business activities as long as it does not affect their studies or involve the use of school resources. However, you will need to sign a document promising that you will proactively report any conflicts of interest to the school."

"no problem."

As Ye Guigen stepped out of the office, he saw Max waiting outside. The once sunny and confident German youth was now pale and his eyes darted around.

“I’m sorry,” Max said softly. “It was my father who made me do this. He said we can’t let the Cavendish family expand further through you.”

Ye Guigen looked at him and said, "Your father is wrong. I am not anyone's pawn; I am myself."

“I know,” Max said with a wry smile, “but the Schmidt family tradition is to maintain the status quo, not to create something new. We are afraid of change, afraid of losing what we have.”

He looked up and said, "Ye Guigen, you might lose badly. In innovative investing, nine out of ten projects fail. But if you do succeed... remember, not everyone wants change."

Ye Guigen nodded and left. He knew Max was right. This path was difficult, and countless people would try to pull him down. But he had no way out.

Back at his lodgings, Elizabeth was waiting for him.

“Well done,” she said. “Now all of London knows about ‘Foundation and Wings.’ My father says it’s more effective than any advertisement.”

“But the pressure is also greater,” Ye Guigen said. “Now everyone is watching me, waiting for me to make a mistake.”

“Then don’t make mistakes,” Elizabeth smiled. “Or, if you do make a mistake, be able to get back on your feet.”

She produced a document: "The $500 million from Cavendish Bank is in place. Adding your father's $100 million, Ye Xin's promised investment of $50 million, and several family offices I've contacted, the total amount raised in the first phase is $870 million."

Ye Guigen's heart raced. Eight hundred and seventy million—this far exceeded his expectations.

“Now it’s time to make real investments,” Elizabeth said. “Are you ready for the challenge?”

Ye Guigen looked at her and thought of the hardships his great-grandfather faced when building a factory in the Gobi Desert, the courage his grandfather had when starting from scratch, and the resilience his father had shown when he ventured into Wall Street.

“Ready,” he said.

The following day, the "Cornerstone and Wings" fund was officially launched in the City of London. The office is located on the 40th floor of the Brothers Group's European headquarters building, with floor-to-ceiling windows offering views of the Thames and Tower Bridge.

The launch ceremony was simple, with only a few media outlets and partners invited. Ye Guigen, dressed in a custom-made suit, stood on the stage, facing the cameras.

"Some say that capital is greedy," he said.
“But I want to prove that capital can also be benevolent. Cornerstone & Wings does not pursue short-term profits. We look for innovative projects that truly solve social problems and improve people’s lives. We believe that only such investments can create real and sustainable value.”

He announced his first batch of investments: Kevin's music app "SoundBridge", Ye Xin's "Qingliu Technology", a British startup's carbon capture technology, an African solar agriculture project, and Mike Rosen's Asian superhero movie.

During the Q&A session, someone asked, "Mr. Ye, you're only eighteen years old. How can you manage nearly nine hundred million US dollars?"

Ye Guigen replied, "Because I have an excellent team, because I have the support of the entire Ye family and the Cavendish family, and more importantly, because I believe that age is not the only standard for measuring ability."

“My great-grandfather started an army and reclaimed the city at the age of forty, my grandfather founded the Warriors Group at the age of twenty-five, and my father established the Brothers Group at the age of twenty-eight. The tradition of the Ye family is to create the impossible amidst doubts.”

Another reporter asked, "What is your relationship with Miss Elizabeth Cavendish? Does the success of the foundation depend on a marriage between the two families?"

This is a very pointed question. Ye Guigen saw Elizabeth in the audience, her expression calm.

“Elizabeth is an important partner of mine and the chair of the fund’s joint management committee.”

Ye Guigen said, "Our relationship is based on shared ideals and mutual respect. As for the families... the Ye family and the Cavendish family are equal partners, not one dependent on the other."

After the launch ceremony, Ye Guigen and Elizabeth spent time alone together in the office.

“That was a good answer,” Elizabeth said. “It neither denied our relationship nor made it the focus.”

“Because you’re right,” Ye Guigen said. “Feelings are feelings, and career is career. We need to keep them separate.”

Elizabeth walked to the window and looked out at London: "You know what? Today is the first time my father has truly acknowledged me. He said I have found a new path for the Cavendish family—not just to maintain the status quo, but to create something new."

She turned to look at Ye Guigen: "It's all because of you. You showed me another possibility."

Ye Guigen walked to her side: "It's not me, it's us."

They stood side by side by the window, gazing at the London nightscape. This city had witnessed the birth and destruction of countless fortunes, the rise and fall of power and conspiracies, and how ideals had struggled to take root and sprout.

“It’s going to be very busy,” Elizabeth said. “I need to follow up on investment projects, build teams, and deal with all sorts of questions and challenges.”

"I know."

“But we’re together,” Elizabeth said, taking his hand. “That’s enough.”

Outside the window, the Thames flows quietly, like time itself, neither fast nor slow, yet never stopping.

Ye Guigen thought of the military reclamation city, the city that sprang up from the Gobi Desert. He remembered a sentence his great-grandfather had said:

"The quality of a member of the Corps is not determined by what they have achieved, but by what they have left behind."

Now, it's his turn.

Not an inheritor, but a creator.

They are not inheritors of the past, but pioneers.

He wants to leave something behind—not wealth, not power, but a possibility: capital can be benevolent, investment can change the world, and young people can create the future.

The road ahead is still long.

There are still many challenges.

But he's already on his way.

And this time, he wasn't alone.

With Elizabeth by his side, Ye Xin and Ye Yini in the distance, and the entire Ye family behind him.

He will keep going.

Keep going.

Until one truly returns to one's roots.

London is ablaze with lights at night.

The light in the boy's eyes was brighter than any lamplight.

That is the light of ideals, the light of determination, the light of dawn—darkness is about to pass, and dawn is about to arrive.

And a new day is always full of hope. (End of Chapter)