Return to 88: Starting from Marrying My Sister-in-law

No matter what, the Li family is still a Chinese family. They have been rooted in Hong Kong for decades. Even if they have dissenting thoughts and feel that this land will no longer be a capitalist's paradise after the handover, and have considered moving their assets abroad, they absolutely dare not make any moves at this most critical moment.

Young Master Li is very clever.

Upon hearing his father finish speaking, he immediately nodded respectfully and earnestly: "Father, you are right. There are no eternal enemies in the business world. Mr. Lu has already proven himself and is worthy of being a friend of our Cheung Kong Group. I will try to get along well with him. As for my brother, I will do my best to persuade him to put aside his past prejudices and not to bring personal feelings into business matters, so as not to make a powerful enemy for our Li family."

As he spoke, he cautiously raised his head again, glanced at Li Ka-shing, and hesitated before saying, "Father, there are some things I don't know whether I should say or not. PCCW, although it is not a business of our Li family, but was founded by my brother, others will not think so. They will always associate it with our Li family's Cheung Kong Holdings, and will not think that it is all due to my brother's ability. They will always think that we are supporting it behind the scenes. Once this preconceived notion is formed, I am worried... What do you think? My brother... he is still family with us after all."

Li Ka-shing waved his hand, his gaze still sharp as an eagle: "Victor, you're right. Lu Yang has already made a name for himself. It's always better to be friends than enemies. As for Yingke..."

He paused, then said in an unquestionable tone, "You can go now."

Li Zeju solemnly agreed and quietly withdrew.

Let the eldest son go out first.

Li Ka-shing remained silent for a short while before immediately making a phone call to his second son, Richard Li, telling him bluntly to come back immediately and not to make any irresponsible remarks, especially regarding Lu Yang, who had recently been enjoying great success. He warned Lu Yang that he was forbidden from having any contact or hostility with him until his patriotic title was revoked.

Although Li Zekai, the son of Li Ka-shing, was not convinced, he dared not disobey his father, Li Ka-shing, because he knew very well what was going on.

If this father is angered, and he gets angry, he and his company, PCCW Electronics, will definitely suffer. After all, Hong Kong is still the territory of the four major families.

At almost the same time, in another luxury villa in Repulse Bay.

"Bang!" The crystal glass was slammed onto the expensive Persian carpet, splashing wine everywhere.

Li Zekai's face was ashen. Faced with his father's stern order on the other end of the phone, he could only manage to squeeze out the words "I know" through gritted teeth.

Hanging up the phone, he irritably loosened his tie, staring at the gradually whitening skyline outside the window. Lu Yang's youthful, dazzling face and the words "three billion US dollars" and "Eastern Buffett" swirled in his mind, stirring up waves of humiliation and resentment.

"We'll see..." he muttered under his breath, but deep in his heart, a chill and apprehension stemming from his father's words had quietly begun to grow.

Singapore, garden villa.

Lu Yang stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window in the study.

The morning light shone on his sharply defined profile, reflecting a deep, calm stillness in his eyes.

Li Zekai's sarcastic remarks at a private party in Hong Kong, such as "making a film for the capital" and "not even making a sound," were presented to him verbatim through special channels.

"Heh." A faint, emotionless smile appeared on Lu Yang's lips.

He casually picked up a pen and clearly wrote "Li Zekai, Yingke" on a blank page of an open leather notebook, his strokes vigorous and powerful.

Keep a small notebook to record expenses and interest; calculate it slowly later.

Right now, there are more important things to do.

"Chairman."

An assistant's respectful voice sounded from outside the door, "Ms. Du and Ms. Xu are waiting in the meeting room to sign the relevant documents for Xingyue Media. In addition, Director Li's car from the Economic Department will arrive at ten o'clock."

"Understood." Lu Yang stubbed out his cigarette, instantly suppressing all his emotions and reverting to his usual self as a business tycoon in control of everything.

A new day begins, and two things need to be settled.

When Lu Yang pushed open the heavy walnut door of the reception room, sunlight streamed through the blinds, cutting out alternating light and dark stripes on the carpet. The air was filled with the rich aroma of coffee and the distinctive smell of ink from paper.

Du Yuanyuan sat upright on the main sofa, her back straight. A well-tailored beige business suit replaced her casual clothes from yesterday, and her carefully styled hair was perfectly styled.

She was looking down and quickly flipping through a stack of documents, her eyes behind her gold-rimmed glasses focused and sharp, a pen between her fingers lightly tapping the table, making a rhythmic soft sound.

When she looked up at Lu Yang, the hostility and complexity in her eyes from their first meeting yesterday had been replaced by a mixture of intense excitement, professional scrutiny, and awe of the unfathomable strength of the young man before her.

Xu Siqi sat quietly in the single sofa next to her mother, her posture relaxed yet elegant.

Her gaze followed Lu Yang more often, filled with complete trust and reliance, and occasionally, when it swept over her mother, a faint look of satisfaction appeared.

“Lu Yang, we’ve all read the documents.” Du Yuanyuan spoke first, her voice clear and steady, carrying the rhythm unique to a seasoned high-ranking official. “Siqi and I have no objections.”

She pushed several key documents to the center of the coffee table. “The framework of Star Moon Media is very clear: as the chief executive officer (CEO), I am fully responsible for operation and management. The goal is to establish a film and television base in Singapore, integrate resources, and export high-quality Chinese-language film, television, music and artist management content to the whole of Southeast Asia. As the major shareholder, Siqi represents her own interests and the future interests of Feifei and exercises the right of supervision.”

Her fingertip traced several lines of text: "The core terms—the right to operate independently financially, the right to appoint and dismiss personnel, and the right to make final decisions on projects—are clearly defined. Very good."

When her gaze swept over the appendix to the asset list and she saw the name "Xu Siqi" clearly marked on the copy of the property certificate for the garden villa that was currently located there, her eyes twitched very slightly.

The slight resentment I felt yesterday regarding the surname "Lu" evaporated completely like dew under the sun in the face of this priceless certificate.

Instead, a do-or-die determination burned within him.

This is not only about preserving immense wealth for her daughter and granddaughter, but also the golden starting point for Du Yuanyuan, after years of lying low, to truly wield power and realize her self-worth.

She picked up the pen and signed her name in the designated spot, her handwriting steady and powerful, carrying an unquestionable sense of commitment.

Lu Yang nodded slightly, his expression remaining calm and composed throughout.

He picked up another copy, signed his name as well, and completed the handover.

“Your aunt is a capable woman,” he put down his pen, looked calmly at Du Yuanyuan, and spoke with a steady yet powerful tone. “I am at ease entrusting the company to you.”

He paused, his gaze shifting to Xu Siqi beside him before returning to Du Yuanyuan. "Siqi and Feifei, I'll have to trouble you to take care of them, Auntie." These words were spoken casually, yet they were like an invisible contract, binding trust and responsibility to Du Yuanyuan's wrist. Power is yours, but they are the bottom line for whether I can trust you.

Du Yuanyuan's heart skipped a beat, and she immediately said seriously, "Lu Yang, you can rest assured, I will do my best. Siqi is my daughter, and Feifei is my granddaughter. This company is the foundation for their future!" Her response was resolute, both a statement and a demonstration of her "sensibility" to Lu Yang.

Lu Yang stood up nonchalantly. "You guys chat first. It's been so long since we last met. I'm sure yesterday alone wasn't enough. There are still many topics we haven't finished discussing. I have something to do later."

really……

Almost at that moment, the assistant trotted in from outside and whispered, "Chairman, Director Li of the Economic Department has arrived and is waiting in the study."

Without pausing, Lu Yang went straight to the study.

The heavy curtains in the study were drawn back, filtering the scorching Singapore morning sunlight into a pleasant glow. Director Li was sitting upright on the guest sofa, with a cup of steaming pre-rain Longjing tea in front of him.

After a brief, formulaic exchange of pleasantries, Lu Yang cut straight to the point without any beating around the bush: "Director Li, time is precious, let's get straight to the point."

He leaned forward slightly, an invisible pressure spreading outwards. "The agreement you and I reached back then seems to have dragged on for a bit too long, doesn't it? If Director Li thinks this was just a joke back then, then I have to take it seriously. I have to consider whether Singapore's current investment environment is still suitable for our Century Group to continue investing heavily there. As for the previous agreement to jointly maintain Singapore's favorable business environment, that's even more absurd."

With that $30 billion as a foundation, Lu Yang is now very confident.

They also adopted a rather arrogant attitude.

Director Li's smile remained as standard as ever, but a subtle hint of seriousness flickered deep in his eyes.

He slowly picked up the teacup, gently blew away the foam, took a sip, and then slowly put it down.

"Lu Sheng's courage and execution are truly impressive and awe-inspiring."

His tone was steady.

"Singapore's sincerity in pushing this forward is beyond doubt. Our communication channels with ASML and relevant countries have also remained consistently warm. However..."

He subtly shifted his tone, adopting the diplomatic shrewdness characteristic of diplomatic language.

"As you know, cutting-edge lithography machines, especially immersion DUV and even future EUV-level equipment, are extremely complex and have far-reaching consequences. Although the Coordinating Committee for Multilateral Export Controls (COCOM) has been declared invalid, there are reports that the framework for a new Wassenaar Arrangement is being drafted. This is a formidable barrier, and the so-called 'security concerns' of certain major powers regarding technology outflows are an insurmountable obstacle. Our preliminary work has made considerable progress, but at this crucial final moment..."

Director Li leaned forward slightly, lowered his voice, and hinted, "It may be necessary for you, Mr. Lu, to demonstrate greater and more substantial 'sincerity' and practical 'safeguards' to dispel those lingering doubts and push all parties to reach a final consensus."

He emphasized the words "sincerity" and "guarantee" with exceptional clarity, the subtext of which was self-evident.

Lu Yang's eyes instantly turned cold, and the temperature in the air seemed to drop several degrees.

He leaned back against the sofa, his hands clasped together on his knees, his posture seemingly relaxed, yet exuding a sense of impending doom.

"Sincerity?"

A cold, sharp smile curved his lips. "Isn't my $800 million investment in Singapore, and the ongoing investment plans, the most direct and powerful demonstration of my sincerity? As for 'guarantees'..."

Lu Yang's gaze pierced Director Li like a tangible object. His voice wasn't loud, but every word carried immense weight: "I can clearly promise that as long as the equipment successfully clears customs and enters the mainland for production, Singapore's semiconductor supply chain will become Century Group's absolute priority partner in terms of technological cooperation and production orders within its global strategy. However..."

His tone suddenly turned fierce, revealing the same sharp edge he had shown the night before when he dared to "draw his sword" against a financial behemoth worth hundreds of billions: "If anyone tries to take this opportunity to raise the price on the spot, or sets up any unacceptable obstacles that exceed the framework of the agreement, attempting to turn this fair transaction into an endless extortion..."

He didn't finish speaking, but just looked at Director Li quietly. His unfinished words were like the Sword of Damocles hanging over the negotiating table, instantly freezing the atmosphere in the study.

This battle over lithography machines, which is crucial to the nation's high-end manufacturing, has finally torn away the veil of sentimentality, revealing its cruel and ruthless nature.

The $30 billion in foreign exchange reserves is a huge sum that has attracted the attention of many in China, who hope to use it to help Hong Kong weather the financial crisis. Singapore is probably in the same boat, as the Southeast Asian financial crisis is escalating and could spread to Singapore at any time. Therefore, if Singapore can get Lu Yang's help, it will definitely increase its chances of surviving the financial crisis.

However, Director Li may have made a mistake; Lu Yang doesn't like being schemed against.

And so the situation remained deadlocked.

until……

"Lu Sheng, please calm down..." Director Li's throat bobbed, forcing out a more conciliatory smile, his fingertips unconsciously rubbing the warm teacup, but the heat could not dispel the chill down his spine.

"We do have difficulties with the equipment issue, but it's by no means an intentional delay," Director Li quickly adjusted his strategy, his tone unusually candid. "Your investment of $800 million and your commitment to help us stabilize the local financial market are naturally seen by Singapore as the highest level of 'sincerity.' However... some procedural hurdles need to be addressed more 'prudently.'" He deliberately avoided the sensitive term "safety measures."

Lu Yang remained leaning back on the sofa, his fingertips tapping silently on the armrest, his eyes sharp as knives, as if he were weighing the sincerity in the other person's words.

He didn't reply, but the silent pressure made Director Li feel like he was sitting on pins and needles.

"The Cabinet has authorized me to make this promise." Director Li steeled his resolve and laid out his bottom line: "Three months! Within three months, we guarantee that the customs clearance documents for the first immersion DUV lithography machine will be in front of you, and it will be installed in any wafer fab you designate in mainland China. All external obstacles will be coordinated and mediated by Singapore!"

He emphasized the word "guarantee" in an attempt to regain trust.

The cold, sharp curve of Lu Yang's lips finally softened a little.

He slowly sat up straight, looking directly at Director Li: "Director Li, remember your promise today. I'm only giving you this one chance. If the equipment isn't here in three months..."

He didn't mention the consequences, but Director Li understood that whether Lu Yang's "promise" could be fulfilled depended entirely on whether Xingfang would keep its promise on time.

This is a dangerous balancing act, with the nation's high-end manufacturing lifeline as the bargaining chip and Singapore's financial stability as the stake. (End of Chapter)