money player

After leaving the Flower Market Stadium, Sin Yiu-man was unable to calm down for a long time.

£1000 million is a lot of money, and it's a stretch to say that it all belongs to some individuals in the British intelligence agencies.

The most likely scenario is that he was involved with both individuals and public entities, and he was probably put in the position of "gatekeeper" by Griffith Jr., thus gaining access to the intelligence agency's black fund.

Assassinations, coups, overthrowing regimes, bribing informants, all sorts of covert operations... In the future, some of the funds needed for these activities will likely pass through his hands, and he will become entangled in the mess caused by Britain.

This is just speculation at the moment, and the final answer will be revealed in two years. Given the intelligence capabilities of the British intelligence agencies, the flow of this money cannot be concealed at all.

Two years later, if the 1000 million cannot grow to 1850 million, he will not only need to personally fill the missing part, but may also be discarded like garbage.

He will likely be arrested, tortured, and stripped of all his value before either meeting a terrible end or a quick and painless one.

If the number were to grow to 1850 million, or even more, the troublemakers would smear him with excrement, clinging to him and sucking his blood. Ten or twenty years later, if he wanted to cut ties cleanly, he would inevitably unleash a bloodbath, naming and robbing a large number of British civil servants from top to bottom.

Troublesome, very troublesome, but he had no choice but to accept it. If he dared not, Little Griffith would most likely flip the table. His crotch was full of shit; if he counted it off, it would be enough to get him hanged seventy or eighty times.

Actually, saying "I had no choice but to accept" is a bit pretentious.

Ten million pounds is equivalent to 160 million Hong Kong dollars or 28.07 million US dollars. Even though achieving a minimum annualized return of 36% would be extremely challenging, it's not impossible, and it's not even that difficult.

The ten million pounds in October 1951 was far more valuable than it would be two years later, and even the twenty million pounds in October 1953 was far less; the difference between the two was exponential.

Now that he's taken on this task, there's no need to overthink things for the time being. His most important task right now is figuring out how to maximize his profits.

Having roughly planned where the ten million pounds would go, the car pulled into the Peninsula Hotel's parking lot.

As he got out of the car and walked into the lobby, he was about to go to the front desk to call Judy when he saw Judy walking towards the elevator arm in arm with a man.

Judy saw him too, but showed no sign of panic; she simply walked straight toward him.

He nodded and smiled, his gaze sweeping across the man's face. In just one glance, he could tell that the man was an Ashkenazi Jew and had Caucasian features. If he wasn't mistaken, his grandfather and even his father were Russian Jews.

The man appeared to be in his early thirties, with a typical American English-speaking face. Based on the timeline, his family likely fled to the United States during the First Russian Revolution in 1905, and he was born in New York, Chicago, or Philadelphia, with New York being the most probable location.

The man's complexion was warm and tanned, with a hint of sunburn. His eyes were slightly deep, carrying a hint of "reading people's expressions," as if he possessed an extra layer of Eastern sophistication, forbearance, and the ability to read between the lines.

He walks with steady, unwavering, and unassuming steps, displaying a military-like discipline, suggesting he may have experience as a civilian military officer.

In early 1941, the U.S. military knew that to win the war against Japan, it was necessary to be deeply involved in the Chinese battlefield. To this end, the Army Intelligence Department launched the MISLS (Military Intelligence Language School) and opened the first Chinese and Japanese language training classes in San Francisco.

After the attack on Pearl Harbor, the scale expanded rapidly, and students were transferred to universities such as Yale and Harvard.

The man most likely attended a special training course and was sent to the mainland in 1945 or even earlier to participate in surrender and prisoner management, postwar order maintenance, mediation between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party, and a hidden mission: "intelligence gathering".

In early 1947, the U.S. Forces Command in China underwent a significant downsizing, with a large number of intelligence, news, and language officers being the first to evacuate the mainland. Men may have evacuated around this time, or perhaps not until 1949.

In short, if a man had been sent to the mainland, he stayed there for at least two years.

Grace told him that Judy had met someone in Singapore who "had a resemblance to Adam," and he couldn't see any similarity between himself and the man in front of him.

Having made a basic judgment about the man, Judy and her companion also happened to reach a point of social distancing.

"Adam, have you come to pick me up?"

Judy remained composed, showing no embarrassment at encountering an old flame with a new love; in fact, a hint of longing for him lingered in her eyes.

“Yes.” Sin Yiu-man smiled and nodded to the man beside her. “Judy, aren’t you going to introduce her?”

He was in a good mood. Judy had a new love, which meant that the green hat that had been hanging over his head for so long would never fall. He was completely free from the formal crisis of being cheated on, and that faint label of "private property" was also torn off—she, officially or informally, belonged to someone else.

Without ownership, there is naturally no responsibility to maintain it; if he wants, he can stand up and kick it whenever he wants.

Judy gently tightened her grip on the arm of the person next to her, a polite smile playing on her lips: "This is Milton Ginder, a new friend I met in Singapore. Milton, and this is Adam Hepburn, whom I mentioned to you before."

Milton extended his hand, his posture composed yet carrying a touch of gentlemanly aloofness. "Adam, it's good to know you. She's mentioned you every single day since the first day we met."

He spoke Chinese with a pidgin accent, seemingly making no attempt to hide his experience of living in Shanghai.

"Judy was speaking in English, but this kid insisted on speaking Chinese. Was he trying to get closer to me, a half-Tang, or was he deliberately setting a trap? Normally, he wouldn't need to reveal this experience, at least not now."

Sin Yiu-man's mind raced, several thoughts flashing through his mind in an instant—he guessed that Milton had probably heard of the name "Adam" before, and that he was very likely the kid's target from the beginning, and Judy might be a bridge.

CIA?

Other forces within the U.S. Army, and the Charlotte family's adversaries?

A half-baked secret agent?

It seems that anything is possible.

But why use Judy as a bridge?
By chance, or perhaps a combination of both, Judy was another mission.

He reached out and shook Milton's hand, his tactile nerves tingling – Milton had a hard callus on the outer tip of his index finger, likely from years of pressing the shutter button. The fingertip had a thin callus, but it wasn't rough, unlike the dry, cracked skin of a manual laborer, which was likely from adjusting focus, twisting lenses, and winding film.

There were no calluses from holding a gun for a long time, and no traces of training in Fairban-Sykes close-quarters combat.

Sin Yiu-man chuckled and said, “Milton, it’s a great honor that my name is often heard by you. I sincerely invite you to my brother’s wedding tomorrow, where we can have a good drink together.”

Milton's smile remained unchanged as he gripped his hand slightly tighter, his pidgin Chinese carrying a hint of amusement: "I can't refuse your kind invitation, I'll definitely be there on time, oh, with Judy."

"I look forward to your arrival." Xian Yaowen gently withdrew his right hand. "Excuse me, I need to borrow Judy for a moment."

“Can do.” Milton shrugged, indicating indifference.

Sin Yiu-man nodded in acknowledgment, "See you tomorrow."

As soon as she finished speaking, Judy naturally released Milton's hand, walked to Xian Yaowen's side, gently took his arm, and said softly, "Adam, I'm hungry."

What would you like to eat?

"Shanjinlou's egg tarts and pineapple buns, as well as mandarin duck soup."

Sin Yiu-man raised his left hand to glance at the time, "There are no more egg tarts left at this time."

Judy pouted slightly, looking a bit aggrieved and pouty: "Okay, I'll have one more pineapple bun."

The two chatted all the way into the carriage. As the car drove away, Sin Yiu-man asked casually, "Judy, what role does Milton play in your story?"

Judy lit a cigarette, gently twirling the cigarette between her fingers, her tone as indifferent as if she were talking about something trivial: "Adam, I need something, you're not here, you're a wives, Milton happens to be here, he's single."

After saying that, she tilted her head back and gently placed a kiss on his cheek.

So, you're getting married?

“Maybe we don’t know yet.” Judy leaned on his arm. “I can go back to the hotel a little later after the party, Adam. I miss you.”

Do you still remember Ruoyunna?

"Hmm, I attended your wedding with her."

She's pregnant.

"so?"

"She has needs too."

"You can't do it?" Judy teased.

"No, her immune system is weak right now, making her susceptible to infection."

"Understood, tomorrow?"

"OK."

In the blink of an eye, we arrived at Shanjinlou.

Judy ordered two pineapple buns and a cup of milk tea, while Sin Yiu-man ordered half a bowl of wonton noodles.

When the steaming hot pineapple buns were served, Judy took a bite, the crispy crust crunching on her fingertips. She smiled, her eyes crinkling, "This is the taste! I love it."

"Shanjinlou plans to open a branch in London."

"When?"

"Before next year's Foot Bath Festival."

“I want to invest in the London branch so I can have the right to eat egg tarts anytime.”

Sin Yiu-man shrugged. "This is not something I can decide."

"Cen?"

"uh-huh."

"I'll talk to her."

She's not here.

Where did she go?

"New York."

"Give me your address, and I'll send her a telegram."

"Ok."

Judy wiped the crumbs from the corner of her mouth with her thumb, looked up at him, and asked, "What day did you and Eileen agree to meet? She was supposed to go to Taipei to see you."

"Let's do it together tomorrow night."

What do you think?

"what?"

"Investing in Jinji Trading Company".

"Jinji Trading Company is not short of money."

“I know, Eileen knows… Margaret knows too.” Judy put down her pineapple bun and said with a serious face, “My grandfather founded Montague Bank, which was once one of the five major gold pricing banks in London. The Montague family had long-standing intermarriages with Jewish families such as the Rothschilds, Sassoons, and Warburgs.”

My father, the legal father, was deeply intertwined with the Asquith family, the Churchill family, and the top echelons of the Liberal Party.

My mother, a Stanley aristocrat and former socialite, maintained a long-standing platonic relationship with Herbert Asquith.

Judy shrugged. "She has a long-term lover, William Ward, the third Earl of Dudley, who is supposedly my biological father."

Xian Yaowen chuckled and said, "This probably doesn't need to be said; your face is very similar to that of Earl Dudley."

“That’s not important. What’s important is that my name is in his will. He was a coal tycoon and a Conservative politician.”

Sin Yiu-man understood her implication—her network of connections spanned the Liberal Party, the Conservative Party, and the Jewish financial circles; she was a close friend of Princess Margaret and also maintained a good personal relationship with Queen Elizabeth II.

In upper-class British circles, one could list many of her distant relatives; for example, Churchill's wife, Clementine, was her maternal aunt.

"Judy, I know all of this, otherwise we wouldn't have become business partners."

Judy smiled and said, "There are some things you may not know. Two years ago, I went to the United States for tourism and met Adelaide. He was smart, melancholic and charming. We talked about everything and corresponded with each other."

"Which Adelaide?"

At this point, Judy brought it up, and Sin Yiu-man guessed that Adelaide was the same Adelaide Stevenson who was running for the Democratic presidential nomination.

Judy tapped her fingertips lightly on the table, a meaningful smile playing on her lips. "Adam, the Adele I'm referring to is the Adele you think of."

Sin Yiu-man chuckled lightly, "So, you're no longer a penniless pauper?"

Judy picked up her glass, took a sip of the milk tea, and said, "I'm still a penniless guy, but I have channels for raising funds."

“Very good.” Sin Yiu-man shrugged. “You understand me, I understand your thoughts, and our friendship will last forever.”

Judy smiled slyly, "There's something you probably don't know: I want to have a beautiful baby. No matter who my future husband is, I hope the baby's father is you."

Xian Yaowen feigned helplessness and said, "Well, can I continue to keep it as if I don't know?"

"Haha, no way."

Sin Yiu-man raised an eyebrow. “Alright, we’ll talk about this in detail later. Now let’s eat something.”

Judy pointed to the wontons in his bowl and said in a coquettish tone, "I want to eat one."

With a mix of helplessness and amusement, Sin Yiu-man picked up a spoon, scooped up a plump wonton, gently blew on it a few times, and then held it to her lips: "Open your mouth, be careful not to burn yourself."

Judy tilted her head slightly, obediently opened her mouth and bit into the wonton, her tongue deliberately brushing lightly against his fingertips, making her squint slightly from the heat, but the corners of her mouth curved into an unconcealable smile.

"Mmm...delicious." She chewed vaguely, her eyes sparkling as she looked at him. "I want one more."

Seeing her acting spoiled yet charming, Xian Yaowen shook his head, but still scooped up another one as instructed, patiently blowing on it to cool it down before handing it over: "The last one, I want to eat it myself too."

Judy proudly raised her chin, took a small bite, and the delicious flavor of the soup spread in her mouth. Her eyebrows curved into crescents: "It tastes so good, I must invest."

Sin Yiu-man secretly admitted to himself that his previous understanding of Judy was ultimately superficial. This woman, who came from the upper echelons of British society, was not only shrewd in her dealings with others, but also a master of emotional maneuvering.

One second she's plotting transnational interests and political connections with him, and the next she can come over and beg for food without any awkwardness. She has the perfect sense of proportion, making it seem neither deliberate nor irresistible.

That's true. A player who manages to survive all the way to the final circle in PUBG isn't some naive fool. Even if they can't control recoil, they're definitely experts at escaping the zone. They may seem harmless, but they're actually incredibly cunning and ruthless.

"Pretty baby? Bullshit!"

After finishing two pineapple buns and two wontons, Judy's eyes revealed a lazy satisfaction. She reached out and gently pulled at her corset to loosen it, finally relieving her slightly bloated stomach.

"I've eaten too much, so I can't drink too much later."

"Just a sip of the cocktail, I'll cover for you."

"uh-huh."

"Let's go, head to Hong Kong Island, we still need to pick someone up."

"Who?"

"Liao, the wife's brother's wife."

"Ha, this is complicated."

Sin Yiu-man shrugged, got up, and helped Judy walk out.

The car arrived at the entrance of the Chow residence at 1008 Hatton Road, Mid-Levels West. Judy remained quietly in the car, while Sin Yiu-man took a box of transforming toys from the trunk and went to open the gate.

He followed the servant into the garden and saw Zhou Yuming sitting at the stone table in the distance, his head down and his fingers rapidly twisting the Rubik's Cube in his hand.

He stepped forward and softly called out, "Yuming."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yuming immediately stood up and bowed respectfully to him, saying, "Uncle."

Xian Yaowen stepped forward, gently patted Zhou Yuming's head, and said in a softer tone, "No need for formalities, please sit down."

As she spoke, she handed over the toy she was holding, along with a red envelope. "It's a toy that hasn't been released yet, so you can play with it by yourself. The red envelope is for you; keep it safe and use it to buy whatever you want."

Zhou Yuming accepted the gift with both hands, his fingertips tightening slightly. He then bowed respectfully and whispered, "Thank you, Uncle."

He glanced down at the pattern on the toy box, a fleeting hint of joy flashing in his eyes, but he restrained himself and didn't open it immediately.

Seeing this, Xian Yaowen smiled faintly and said, "Don't be so reserved. If you want any toys in the future, just ask your aunt."

After saying that, he looked up and glanced in the direction of the front door, "Is your mommy home?"

"exist."

Where is Daddy?

"They're not back yet."

"Oh, go and call your mom. Your uncle and mom are going to a cocktail party."

Xian Yaowen was too lazy to go in and deal with Zhou Xiaoyun's concubine whom he had never met. Zhou Ruoyun was a supporter of Liao Kexin's sister-in-law, and he didn't want to join the new lover's party and fight against her.

"Ah."

While waiting, he casually looked around the mansion, silently reminiscing about his father-in-law, Zhou Maochen, and also thinking of his brother-in-law, Zhou Xiaohuan. He hadn't paid attention to him for some time and didn't know the progress of the family's decline or whether a marriage proposal had been made.

Sigh, it seems he doesn't know where this new Zhou residence with Ling Junru is either. That's a bit inappropriate. He should take a detour and ask around, bypassing Zhou Ruoyun.

Before her mind could settle down, Liao Kexin came out of the house.

Her attire was striking; she wore a wine-red, floor-length cheongsam made of smooth, lustrous fabric. The fitted cut flowed gracefully down her figure, perfectly accentuating her waist and hips, making her appear both slender and curvaceous without feeling cramped.

The high collar gently wraps around the neck, and the diagonal placket is adorned with three small pearl buttons, simple and elegant; the slits on both sides of the skirt are just right, revealing only a section of the slender calves when walking, and the graceful gait has a natural charm.

Because of Zhou Xiaoyun, he hadn't paid much attention to her before.

Upon closer inspection, it becomes clear that Liao Kexin is exceptionally beautiful: her eyes are long and slender with slightly upturned corners, and her pupils are clear and bright, radiating a captivating charm even when she is not smiling; her nose is straight and delicate, and her lips are full and soft, which are made even more beautiful with just a touch of rouge.

Her long hair was loosely tied into a low bun at the back of her head, with two soft, curly strands falling by her temples, making her face appear even more delicate. A teardrop-shaped jade pendant hung from her right ear, a delicate beaded necklace rested lightly on her collarbone, and a pair of elbow-length black satin gloves covered her arms. In her hand, she held a small velvet handbag of the same color.

She walked quickly to Xian Yaowen and said softly, "Yaowen, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."

Xian Yaowen quickly withdrew his slightly burning gaze, nodded slightly, and said in a calm and polite tone, "It's nothing, I just arrived a little while ago. Sister-in-law, have you eaten yet?"

Liao Kexin's smile deepened, her fingertips unconsciously tracing the texture of the velvet handbag in her hand. Her captivating peach blossom eyes curved slightly, carrying a touch of just the right amount of gentleness: "I ate a few pastries to fill my stomach."

"Let's go then, it's almost time."

After getting into the car and exchanging brief pleasantries, Liao Kexin began to explain the business situation of Jin Fugui Holdings.

"Two weeks ago, Stanley Dodwell, the head of Tianxiang Trading Company, visited Ruoyun in her office, hoping to obtain HK$500 million in financing. Ruoyun did not agree and kept delaying."

Why didn't you agree?

“Tianxiang Foreign Firm is in very bad shape.” Liao Kexin paused, organized her thoughts, and slowly said, “Starting in the 1920s, Tianxiang Foreign Firm suffered several investment failures in a row. In 1932, its investment in the Shanghai Santashi Mineral Water Plant caused huge losses, and its accounts have never looked good.”

In 1937, Tianxiang Trading Company prepared a pre-war reserve of £30, which was completely depleted during the war. From 1946 onwards, its cash flow was negative.

The current debt ratio is over 80%, approaching 85%.

Two years ago, Tianxiang Foreign Firm successively closed all its mainland branches in Shanghai, Hankou, Fuzhou, Guangzhou, Tianjin and other cities, and its century-old foundation in silk, tea and local product exports was wiped out overnight.

In May of this year, Shanghai Tianxiang Co., Ltd. was officially ordered to cease operations, resulting in a 50% drop in revenue, asset freeze, and huge losses in employee severance pay.

Due to the embargo, Tianxiang Trading Company, which mainly dealt in luxury goods, textiles, machinery, automobiles, and imported wines, was unable to trade with the mainland and its survival space was squeezed by Jardine Matheson, Swire, and Hutchison Whampoa.

Although Toyo's business has recovered, it faces direct competition from revitalized Toyo manufacturers, resulting in meager profits.

Tianxiang Trading Company had a weak business structure, with no monopolies, no real industries, and no monopolistic assets such as docks, shipyards, electricity, or real estate. Its main business was agency trade, commissions, and shipping.

It has few assets, but its ability to withstand risks is extremely poor.

Due to excessively high debt ratios, HSBC and Standard Chartered were unwilling to provide support, and their London headquarters believed that there was no hope for the Far East and were unwilling to inject further capital.

Tianxiang Trading Company's current situation is that without new capital injection, it may not survive this winter.

Xian Yaowen nodded slightly: "In order to acquire this five million, how many shares are you willing to give up, Mr. Dodwell?"

"The specific amount was not disclosed, only that they were willing to give up a large amount of equity or pay high interest."

“With light assets, business stalled, and high debt, the only thing we can use for valuation now is our manpower,” Xian Yaowen muttered to himself, then looked up at the other person. “Sister-in-law, I need a detailed assessment report, including information about the London headquarters. Bring it to me when we get to the wedding tomorrow.”

Liao Kexin nodded slightly, "Some materials may not have time to be translated, so the report will be mainly in English."

“It’s alright,” Sin Yiu-man asked casually. “Will Mr. Dodwell attend the reception?”

"He will definitely be there."

"If he doesn't come over on his own initiative, arrange for me to have a private talk with him when the party is nearing its end."

Liao Kexin readily agreed.

"Alright, let's move on to the next one." (End of Chapter)