The God of Wealth starts with doing whatever you want

"Alfred, do you know what the Rothschild family fears most?" Xu Yun suddenly asked.

After a moment's thought, Alfred replied, "Historically, they have experienced wars, revolutions, and economic crises, but each time they have survived and even become stronger."

If I had to pinpoint a reason… perhaps it's a loss of control over information?

"Close to, but not completely."

Xu Yun stood up, walked to the virtual window, and said, "What they fear most is the 'unknown'."

He turned around, his eyes blazing.

"For two hundred years, this family has built a global intelligence network, with eyes in every corner of the political, business, financial, and even academic worlds."

They can predict market fluctuations, anticipate policy trends, and know in advance which countries will go to war and which companies will go bankrupt.

This absolute control over information is the cornerstone of their power.

Xu Yun paused for a moment, then continued.

"But now, there has appeared a being they cannot understand at all: me."

My funding sources are untraceable, my intelligence gathering methods are beyond comprehension, and my behavior patterns do not conform to any known financial player model.

For a family like the Rothschilds, this is far more devastating than losing a hundred billion euros.

Alfred said thoughtfully, "So Edmund requested the meeting to personally investigate your background?"

"Not only that."

Xu Yun returned to the console, pulled up Edmund Rothschild's detailed information, and said, "This patriarch is seventy years old this year and has been in charge of the family for thirty-four years."

During his tenure, the Rothschild family weathered major events such as the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Euro crisis, and Brexit, seizing opportunities each time to expand their influence.

Such a person wouldn't easily request a personal meeting because of a minor fluctuation in the financial market.

Edmund's life trajectory was displayed on the holographic projection.

He holds a PhD in Economics from Cambridge University, joined the family bank at the age of 28, became the CEO of Union Bank of Switzerland at 35, and took over as patriarch at 41.

The elderly man in the photo has a gaunt face and sharp eyes; even through the screen, one can feel the oppressive aura of someone who has long held a high position.

He's testing the waters.

Xu Yun pointed to Edmund's recent public speech records and said, "Look here, he said this at the Zurich Financial Forum last week."

True power lies not in how much wealth you possess, but in the extent to which you can influence the rules that govern the world.

This statement is quite thought-provoking.

Alfred quickly skimmed through the entire speech, his brow furrowing as he said, "He's implying... that you're not challenging the Rothschild family's wealth, but rather the rules they've set?"

"Yes."

Xu Yun turned off the projector, leaned back in his chair, and said, "Shorting their companies and driving down their stock prices are just the surface."

What truly made them uneasy was that I broke the 'rules of the game' in the European financial market.

Those unspoken rules jointly upheld by ancient families such as the Rothschilds, Wittgenstein, and Onassis.

"for example?"

"For example, 'tacitly shorting the restricted area'."

Xu Yun explained: "There are several companies in Europe that, no matter how bad their business situation is, will not be subject to large-scale short selling."

It's not because they are truly invincible, but because the families behind them have reached a tacit agreement not to interfere with each other's interests.

Of the twelve companies I attacked this time, seven were on this 'no-go' list.

Alfred gasped.

"This means..."

"This means that I have not only challenged the Rothschilds, but also touched a nerve with the ancient financial groups of Europe."

A hint of excitement flashed in Xu Yun's eyes as he said, "Edmund requested a meeting, ostensibly to negotiate with me, but actually to confirm something."

Am I acting as a lone, madman, or am I a vanguard sent by some powerful force?

Do you want to see him?

"Of course I want to see him."

Xu Yun smiled and said, "However, I will decide the time and place. Reply to them that it will be forty-eight hours from now, at nine o'clock in the evening, at..."

He pulled up a map of Switzerland and zoomed in on a region in the Alps.

"The coordinates of the glacier observation station on the north slope of the Matterhorn, at an altitude of 3,800 meters, will be sent two hours before the meeting."

Edmund can only bring two people, and no electronic devices. I'll wait for him there.

Alfred quickly jotted down the requirements, but a look of worry crossed his face as he said, "That observation post has been abandoned for many years, and the surrounding terrain is complex. What if the enemy has set up an ambush..."

That's why I chose that place.

Xu Yun calmly said, "Electromagnetic signals in glacial areas are extremely unstable, making it difficult for drones to fly, and satellite monitoring is also blocked by terrain."

More importantly, that place can only be reached by a single cable car, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack. If they really want to play dirty tricks, I'll make them regret it.”

How many people do you want to bring?

"Not a single one."

Xu Yun stood up, walked towards the equipment area, and said, "Just me."

Alfred wanted to say something more, but seeing that Xu Yun had already started selecting equipment, he swallowed his words.

He knew this employer's character all too well; once he made a decision, he wouldn't change it.

For the next 24 hours, an eerie calm prevailed in the European financial markets.

The short-selling forces suddenly stopped increasing their positions, and the stock prices of the twelve companies that were attacked rebounded slightly. The euro exchange rate also stabilized at around 1:1.16.

But this calm only makes investors more uneasy. Experienced traders know that this often means a bigger storm is brewing.

After receiving Xu Yun's reply, the Rothschild family held an emergency internal meeting.

In the underground conference room of the family estate on the shores of Lake Zurich, seven core members, including Edmund, sat around a long table.

The room has no windows, and the walls are covered with portraits of past patriarchs, the oldest of which dates back to the Napoleonic era.

"Matterhorn Glacier Observatory..."

Maximilian frowned as he looked at the encrypted message sent by Xu Yun and said, "I've looked into that place. It was built in the 1970s for glacier research and was abandoned in the 1990s."

Now all that's left is a tin shack and broken observation equipment. Why did he choose this place?

"In order to control the environment."

The speaker was Jacques Leclerc, the family's security chief, former commander of the French Foreign Legion, codenamed "Grey Wolf".

He was around fifty years old and had a scar on his left cheek that ran from his brow bone to his chin. It was from a mission he carried out when he was young in the Congo.

“Tell me more details,” Edmund gestured.

Jacques pulled up a 3D topographic map of the Matterhorn and said, "The observation station is located in the middle of the glacier on the north slope, surrounded by 100-meter ice cliffs on three sides. It can only be reached from the southeast by a freight cableway built in the last century."

The cable car was old and in disrepair, carrying only two people at a time and moving extremely slowly. Once you were on it, it was like being stranded on a deserted island.

He zoomed in on the details around the observatory.

"The average temperature here is minus 15 degrees Celsius, and can drop to minus 25 degrees Celsius at night. The wind force is above level 6 all year round, and sometimes glacial winds suddenly break out, with wind speeds exceeding 20 meters per second."

Most importantly, the glacier surface has a large number of crevasses, some of which are covered by a thin layer of snow and are tens of meters deep.

Without specialized equipment and guides, an ordinary person simply wouldn't survive a night.

"So he's trying to test us?" a family elder asked.

"Not only that."

Jacques pointed to several key points on the topographic map and said, "These locations are excellent sniping spots, providing coverage of the cable car entrance and the area around the observation station."

If he has deployed manpower in advance, we will be sitting ducks.

Those of us below, due to the terrain obstructing our view, had no way of seeing what was happening up above.

Silence fell over the meeting room.

After a long silence, Edmund slowly spoke: "He is demonstrating his power."

Choosing such a place is telling us something.

He not only understands financial markets, but also special operations, wilderness survival, and psychological warfare.

He was saying it this way: 'Don't think your methods will work on me.'

“Should we still go?” Maximilian asked.

"go."

Edmund said firmly, “But we must be fully prepared. Jacques, you come with me.”

"Maximilian, you and your men are down below to meet me. If I don't receive a safety signal from you within two hours, activate the emergency plan."

"What's the emergency plan?" Maximilian asked.

Edmund paused for a few seconds, then revealed a plan that shocked everyone.

Meanwhile, at the St. Moritz underground base.

Xu Yun is testing a specially made low-temperature combat suit.

This is the equipment he redeemed with the system. It looks like an ordinary down jacket, but it actually contains a nano-thermal layer, tear-resistant fibers, and composite material plates that can withstand rifle bullets.

"Temperature regulation is normal, oxygen reserves are sufficient for eight hours, and the communication module has been encrypted."

Alfred helped Xu Yun put on the equipment while reporting on the preparations, saying, "As per your request, I have deployed twelve vibration sensors and six thermal imaging probes within a three-kilometer radius of the observation station. The data will be transmitted back here in real time."

"Where's the drone?" Xu Yun checked the control terminal on his wrist.

"Four miniature reconnaissance drones have been pre-deployed in the glacier crevasse, operating in a low-power standby mode, and can take off within 30 seconds of receiving an order."

However, please note that the strong winds there pose a significant challenge to the stability of drones, potentially reducing flight time to only half of normal.

"enough."

Xu Yun put on his outer windproof jacket, zipped it up, and said, "I only need them to provide ten minutes of God's-eye view."

After getting dressed, Xu Yun walked to the weapons cabinet.

Instead of choosing a rifle or submachine gun, he selected a modified precision international AX sniper rifle, disassembled it, and put it into a specially made gun case.

Then they selected two ceramic pistols, six smoke grenades, four stun grenades, and a set of multi-functional ice axes and climbing ropes.

"You really don't plan to bring support?" Alfred finally confirmed.

"Sometimes, the fewer people there are, the safer it is."

Xu Yun checked the equipment list and said, "If we take a team up, the other side will think it's a show of force, which could lead to unnecessary conflict."

"If I'm alone, they'll be more confused and won't dare to act rashly."

"But there are risks..."

"Risks always exist."

Xu Yun interrupted him, slung his equipment bag over his shoulder, and said, "Alfred, remember what I told you."

If I do not contact you within 72 hours, all funds will be transferred to a pre-set secure account.

Then destroy all data at the base, go to that safe house in Iceland, and never come back.

Alfred nodded solemnly: "I understand."

"All right."

Xu Yun glanced at the time and said, "Let's go."

The two took the internal elevator to the manor garage, where a bulletproof Mercedes-Benz G-Class SUV was already running.

The vehicle is painted in mountain camouflage, the tires have been replaced with snow tires, and a snowplow has been installed on the hood.

Alfred drove the SUV himself out of the manor and sped along the winding mountain road toward the Matterhorn.

Outside the window, the night view of the Alps is like a richly colored oil painting, with a dazzling starry sky and snow-capped peaks gleaming with a cold, silvery light under the moonlight.

After a two-hour drive, we arrived at Zermatt, a small mountain town at the foot of the Matterhorn.

The area has entered the off-season for tourism, with few pedestrians on the streets and only a few bars still lit up.

As planned, Xu Yun transferred to a cable car here to reach the cable car transfer station located halfway up the mountain. Alfred, on the other hand, remained in town to establish a temporary command post and maintain contact with the St. Moritz base via satellite link.

Before parting, Alfred handed Xu Yun a palm-sized metal box.

"What is this?" Xu Yun asked.

"High-frequency EMP generator, single use, effective radius of fifty meters."

Alfred explained in a low voice, “If things get out of control, activating it can paralyze all electronic devices within range, including your own.”

This is a last resort.

Xu Yun took the box, put it in his inner pocket, and said, "I hope I won't need it."

As the cable car slowly ascended, the lights of Zermatt gradually shrank beneath our feet, eventually becoming a blurry patch of light.

At altitudes above 3,000 meters, the air is thin and the temperature drops sharply.

Xu Yun breathed through the oxygen supply system inside the mask, and the white breath he exhaled condensed into frost on his goggles.

Forty minutes later, the cable car arrived at the transfer station.

The place was deserted, with only the wind whistling between the buildings.

The abandoned freight cableway station is located just 100 meters behind the cable car station. The rails are rusted, the control room glass is broken, and the room is filled with snow.

Xu Yun turned on his headlamp and inspected the cableway system.

The motor was long gone, but the basic pulley and cable structure was still intact.

He started the miniature generator in his backpack and connected it to the cableway's backup power interface.

This was a small nuclear battery that he had the system redeem in advance, with enough output power to drive this old equipment.

"Zizi..."

After a hissing sound, several indicator lights on the cable car control panel lit up.

Xu Yun pressed the start button, and the huge winch began to slowly rotate, moving the cable upwards towards the glacier.

He jumped onto the freight platform and gripped the railing tightly.

The platform swayed in the wind, making a teeth-grinding creaking sound.

Below lies a bottomless glacial canyon, where the ice gleams with a deep blue light under the moonlight, resembling the open mouth of a giant beast.

The ascent lasted for twenty minutes.

When the platform finally arrived at the observation station, the thermometer showed a temperature of minus nineteen degrees Celsius and a wind speed of twelve meters per second.

Xu Yun jumped off the platform and quickly scanned his surroundings.

The observatory is a two-story tin-roofed building with orange-red exterior walls that are now peeling and mottled.

The satellite dish on the roof was leaning to one side, and several rusty oxygen cylinders were piled up by the door.

He didn't go inside immediately, but first inspected the building, used a thermal imager to confirm there were no ambushes, and then set up miniature surveillance cameras in several key locations.

Finally, he pushed open the creaking iron door and entered the room.

The first floor is an equipment room, scattered with various discarded instruments and furniture.

Xu Yun cleared out an area, set up a portable heater, and then took out a metal box from his backpack, which contained a simple negotiating table and two folding chairs.

After finishing the arrangements, he walked to the window and looked down the mountain through the frosted glass.

The lights of Zermatt twinkled in the distant valleys like scattered stars.

Just then, the terminal on my wrist vibrated, displaying an encrypted message.

[The target has arrived at the lower cable car station, three people, expected to arrive in forty minutes. —Alfred]

Xu Yun replied with confirmation, then took a deep breath, walked to the center of the room, and lit a solid fuel rod.

The eerie blue flames flickered in the darkness.

He then sat down, opened the sniper rifle case, and began to assemble the weapon methodically.

The metal parts clicked in his hands, every movement precise and calm.

Once the last component was installed, he pulled the bolt and chambered a specially made subsonic sniper bullet.

The gun was pointed towards the doorway.

Then he turned off his headlamp and waited quietly.

Time ticked by. The wind howled outside, and occasionally the muffled sound of ice breaking came from afar.

The temperature continued to drop, and the heater could only maintain the heat within a range of two or three meters. Further away, the chill was palpable.

Forty-three minutes later, the sound of machinery running could be heard from the direction of the cable car.

Xu Yun raised his wrist and brought up the surveillance footage around the observation station.

In infrared mode, three heat sources are moving from the cableway platform toward the building.

Two of them were larger and were likely bodyguards, while the one in the middle was relatively thin and was probably Edmund Rothschild.

The three walked slowly, clearly wary of their surroundings.

Two bodyguards stood in front of and behind Edmund, protecting him in the middle, and they appeared to be holding weapons.

Xu Yun didn't move, but whispered through the earpiece: "Activate cameras 3 and 7, zoom in on the area near the entrance."

The scene changes, and the situation at the entrance is clearly displayed.

Both bodyguards were dressed in professional polar combat uniforms and equipped with assault rifles and tactical vests.

Edmund was wearing a heavy winter coat and had a trekking pole hanging from his arm.

Interestingly, one of the bodyguards had a bulging backpack with an unusual shape.

Xu Yun recognized it at a glance as a portable signal jammer.

"As expected, he brought some small toys." Xu Yun chuckled.

By this time, the three of them had reached the door.

A bodyguard tentatively pushed the door, and the iron door made a screeching sound.

"Edmund Rothschild, head of the Rothschild family, has come at your invitation." Edmund's voice came through the crack in the door, steady and powerful.

Xu Yun pressed the remote control, and the emergency light at the door suddenly turned on, enveloping the three of them in a blinding white light.

The two bodyguards immediately drew their guns and shielded Edmund behind them.

"Put down your gun and come in."

Xu Yun's voice came through the loudspeaker outside the door: "If you want to negotiate..."

There was a few seconds of silence.

Edmund patted the bodyguards on the shoulder, signaling them to put down their weapons.

Then he pushed open the iron gate and walked in first.

The 70-year-old man's pupils constricted slightly when he saw the scene inside the house.

In the center of the room, Xu Yun sat on a folding chair, with two steaming cups of tea on the simple table in front of him.

Beside him, a sniper rifle leaned casually against the edge of the table. Although the muzzle wasn't pointed at anyone, the invisible pressure emanating from it was palpable.

What shocked Edmund even more was the temperature inside the room.

Although it was still cold, it was at least twenty degrees warmer than outside.

Heaters, lighting equipment, and even a small air circulation system are in operation.

This doesn't resemble an observation station that has been abandoned for thirty years at all; it's more like a makeshift field command post.

"Please sit down." Xu Yun gestured to the chair opposite him.

Edmund composed himself, then slowly walked over and sat down.

The two bodyguards wanted to follow, but Xu Yun glanced at them.

"Wait outside."

His tone was calm, yet his words left no room for argument.

The two bodyguards looked at Edmund, who nodded slightly.

The two men left the house, but did not close the door. Instead, they stood guard on either side of the doorway, remaining highly vigilant.

The iron gate was ajar, and people inside and outside could see each other.

"Mr. Xu Yun".

Edmund finally spoke, taking off his winter gloves to reveal his wrinkled but still strong hands, and said, "It's an honor to meet you."

"Chief Edmund."

Xu Yun pushed a cup of tea towards him and said with a smile, "It's inconvenient for you to meet in a place like this."

Edmund didn't touch his teacup, but looked Xu Yun straight in the eye: "Let's get straight to the point, why did you attack the Rothschild family?"

"Because you're blocking my way," Xu Yun replied simply and directly.

"Blocking the way?"

Edmund frowned and said, "We don't know you at all, so why are you blocking our way?"

Xu Yun picked up his teacup, took a sip of hot tea, and slowly said, "Chief, the old order is collapsing, and new forces are rising."

And you ancient families are like giant rocks lying across a river, seemingly stable, but in reality, constantly being eroded by the current.

"Are you saying that you are that 'new force'?" Edmund's tone was tinged with sarcasm.

"Do not."

Xu Yun put down his teacup and said, "I am not power itself, I am just... a reminder."

Just so you know, times have changed.

Two centuries of accumulated wealth, connections, and influence can vanish overnight in the face of true change.

"Just like you do in the financial markets?" Edmund's voice turned cold.

"The financial market is just a facade."

Xu Yun leaned forward and lowered his voice, saying, "Clan Chief, do you really think that I went to all this trouble just to earn tens of billions of euros from you?"

Edmund did not answer, but the wariness in his eyes deepened noticeably.

Xu Yun continued, "I have researched the history of the Rothschild family."

In the 19th century, you used intelligence networks to learn in advance about Napoleon's defeat and made a fortune on the London Stock Exchange.

In the 20th century, you foresaw the outbreak of two world wars, transferred assets in advance, and even led the reconstruction plan in Europe after the war.

In the 21st century, you also made early investments in the Asian market, establishing a vast business network in China, India, and Southeast Asia.

He paused, looking into Edmund's eyes.

"Your family's core competency has never been making money, but rather 'foresight'."

You always seem to foresee the world's direction a step ahead, then plan ahead and reap the benefits.

This ability has allowed you to stand strong for two hundred years.

"So?" Edmund asked calmly.

"So now I'm going to tell you,"

Xu Yun said, word by word, "If you see me again in the future, you'd better avoid me."

After he finished speaking, the room fell into a deathly silence.

Only the wind howled outside, like some kind of ominous premonition.

After a long silence, Edmund slowly spoke, "Are you threatening me?"

"No, I am stating the facts."

Xu Yun took out a tablet computer from his pocket, unlocked it, and pushed it over, saying, "Take a look at this."

The screen displayed a complex chart and data stream, and Edmund's expression changed after just one glance.

Xu Yun said calmly, "My intelligence capabilities are even more monstrous than yours." (End of Chapter)