1977: The beginning of the blind date with the daughter of the king

Chapter 741 A Trap That Pierces the Heart!
"Ah Yang, you really are..."

In the study, Bao Yugang was both amused and exasperated when he heard Li Changhe's arrangements for Mark.

Li Changhe's arrangement wasn't terrible, but it certainly wasn't good either.

At this moment in the Middle East, the Iran-Iraq war is still raging. Although Saudi Arabia is not directly involved in the war, it cannot be said to be absolutely safe.

As a logistical base in Iraq and one of the current strongholds of the Sunnis, Iran has not turned a blind eye to Saudi Arabia, and assassinations at various levels have been rampant.

After all, although Saudi Arabia is a predominantly Sunni country, it does not mean that there are no Shia Muslims in the country. In the Middle East, the power of religion often transcends nationality.

If Mark goes to Saudi Arabia, although he won't directly face the risk of war, it will still be a high-risk area, a risk that Denise and Thatcher would probably find difficult to bear.

Bao Yugang could easily imagine just how furious Dennis and his wife must be.

"This is risky, but if it succeeds, the benefits will be obvious."

“Once this is accomplished, Mark’s future will be in my hands, and then our Prime Minister will have to value our cooperation.”

"Of course, if they are determined to take their anger out on me, that's fine too. At worst, I'll just give up all communication with them and use shell companies in the US to do business with the UK from now on."

Li Changhe said with a smile.

This move was a risky one for him, but Li Changhe still decided to take the risk, after all, fortune favors the bold.

Thatcher was going to be in power in Britain for another seven or eight years, and during that time, she sold off a lot of British assets.

After their last encounter, Li Changhe realized that Margaret Thatcher was a typical strong woman in politics. Her title of "Iron Lady" was not just flattery, but also a summary of her governing style.

This is a woman who rarely weighs national interests against personal feelings; such people are often not influenced by personal relationships.

Therefore, Li Changhe felt that even if he increased his bet on Margaret Thatcher, he might not be able to gain the Iron Lady's approval and support.

She was different from Riggan. Riggan was an actor, so he could fake it, but Thatcher couldn't.

However, Bao Yugang's success also allowed Li Changhe to see through Thatcher's weakness: she was indifferent to personal feelings, but she was not without them.

Her husband and her son were both her weaknesses.

Bao Yugang was following the same path as her husband Dennis, but this path wouldn't work for Li Changhe.

Li Changhe couldn't possibly become close friends with Dennis, so he placed his bets on Mark.

So far, it seems we've at least achieved half the success.

"Forget it, you've already done it, so I don't know whether it's good or bad now. I can only wait and see."

Bao Yugang didn't say much. Since the matter had already happened, there was no point in saying anything more. It was better to wait and see the outcome.

And Bao Yugang's guess was correct. At this very moment, inside the official residence at 1 Downing Street, Mark, Dennis, and the Prime Minister had just had a fierce argument.

The argument ended with Mark angrily slamming the door and leaving.

The next day, Li Changhe received an invitation call from Denis Thatcher, Margaret Thatcher's husband.

As promised, Li Changhe arrived at a secluded coffee shop and met the Prime Minister's husband.

Strictly speaking, Thatcher is the family name of Denis Thatcher. Margaret Thatcher was called that after she married Denis Thatcher; her original name was Margaret Hilda.

"Hello, Mr. Dennis."

After meeting, Li Changhe took the initiative to ask.

Dennis looked at Victor and couldn't help but shake his head.

“Vic, you little rascal, you’ve been making my life really difficult lately.”

“Just last night, my son Mark had a huge fight with my wife and me, and it was all because of you. That’s why I’m meeting with you today.”

Dennis's bluntness even led him to abandon traditional British gentlemanly manners; clearly, he was extremely annoyed by the matter.

Seeing this, Li Changhe smiled slightly: "I understand. Mr. Dennis wanted me to cancel my cooperation with Mark, right?"

Seeing that Li Changhe was so cooperative, Dennis calmly nodded.

“Vic, I know your intentions. You just want to gain Mary’s support through Mark in order to buy the car brand, right?”

“Your uncle Bao has already talked to me about this. I’ve actually been considering whether or not to help you persuade Mary.”

"But to be honest, I'm very disappointed in your behavior toward Mark."

“Vic, although Mark is a few years older than you, he is not as capable as you. I only thought you could be friends, not partners, especially since you sent him to a dangerous place like the Middle East.”

After listening to Dennis's account, Li Changhe did not rush to explain, but instead looked at Dennis.

"Mr. Dennis, may I share my thoughts with you?"

Dennis hesitated for a moment after hearing Li Changhe's words, then nodded.

Out of respect for Bao, he was willing to give Victor a chance to explain, but he had already made up his mind that he would just listen and would not help the young man anymore.

Li Changhe then began to speak slowly and deliberately.

“Mr. Dennis, what I’m about to say may be a bit blunt, but I hope you can listen to me objectively until I finish speaking.”

"First of all, I think we have one thing in common: Mark is relatively mediocre in business, and doesn't actually have very high business acumen, right?"

Dennis nodded calmly; he knew very well what level his son was at.

"Secondly, Mark has a very bad reputation. In the eyes of the public and the media, he is a good-for-nothing who only relies on his family background. I think I'm right."

Dennis continued to nod; he knew how the British public and media viewed Mark.

"Now, let's put ourselves in Mark's shoes, Mr. Dennis. Do you think Mark is willing to admit that he's such a loser, or does he want to change that image?"

“Mr. Dennis, you are Mark’s father, so you should know about his experiences growing up. I think Mark grew up surrounded by ridicule and contempt.”

"Have you ever considered that while the Prime Minister's success is an honor for you, it is also a form of harm?"

“I think you, Mr. Dennis, may have also experienced being ridiculed by the media. You should know what it feels like to be mocked and looked down upon. But as an adult, you can understand and endure all of this, and silently support His Excellency the Prime Minister from behind the scenes.”

"But the same pressure falls on Mark. Do you think he can do the same as you?"

"What on earth do you want to say?"

Dennis said with some dissatisfaction, "Don't I know all this? I didn't come here to listen to Li Changhe's accusations."

“I’m sorry, Mr. Dennis, I didn’t mean to criticize you when I said this. I just wanted to say that Mark may have always had this kind of pressure in his heart. He doesn’t want to be called a stupid Mark, or be laughed at as a good-for-nothing.”

"But one undeniable fact is that he lacks the ability to improve himself, so he rebels, seeks thrills, and vents his emotions. In my opinion, this is all a form of escapism, an escape from his own incompetence." "But on the other hand, he keeps changing jobs and even starts his own company. Isn't this also a kind of experiment? He is constantly trying to change himself and prove himself!"

"Mr. Dennis, do you agree with what I've said?"

Li Changhe asked calmly.

Dennis looked at Li Changhe in surprise. How could this young man understand Mark so thoroughly in such a short time?
"so!"

Li Changhe stared intently at Dennis and slowly asked.

"Mr. Dennis, do you and the Prime Minister want Mark to be a good-for-nothing for the rest of his life, or do you want him to try being a hero who takes control of his own destiny?"

"When you say 'taking control of one's life,' do you mean sending him to the Middle East?"

Dennis spoke up in a cold voice at this moment.

Li Changhe smiled and nodded: "The Middle East may be dangerous, but I think it's very suitable for Mark."

“I could send Mark to the US, but do you think he would go? Is he even capable of going?”

“I can get him in touch with the Rockefeller Group, the California Group, the Texas Group, and I can even get him to talk to the Rothschild family, the Dassault family, and the top executives of any multinational corporation in Europe to do business.”

"But like I said, do you think he can do it?"

"Mark can't get into the upper echelons of the European and American elites with his business acumen. He might be able to get in with his status as Prime Minister, but he would just be someone they would fool."

“Vic, I actually think what you’re doing now is no different from what those people are doing.”

Dennis said with a hint of sarcasm.

Li Changhe shook his head: "No, at least I respect Mark, and I think the cooperation options I offered are in line with Mark's capabilities."

"The money in this world is concentrated in the hands of two types of people. The first type is those who gradually increase their influence in the world through their own abilities, thereby controlling more resources and money. These are the upper-class elites recognized by the public. Mark wants to be that kind of person, but he doesn't have the ability."

"The second type is a group of people who are born with enormous wealth and status by utilizing the resources bestowed by God, such as princes in the Middle East, or the offspring of warlords and dictators in Africa."

“Mark is also considered a second type of person in terms of status, but the only one who is not supported is that you and His Excellency the Prime Minister did not provide him with enough money.”

"So having status but not enough wealth is one of the reasons why he was ridiculed and despised."

“Wealth, generally speaking, is the ticket to the upper-class elite society. Even if Mark is a complete failure, if he has hundreds of millions or even billions of dollars in assets and owns a globally renowned company, he will still be accepted by the upper class.”

"Because most people may not like Mark as a person, but most people like money. As long as they can make money from Mark, then Mark is their brother, friend, and beloved brother."

"So you mean you want him to go to the Middle East to make money?"

Dennis no longer underestimated Li Changhe; he suddenly became interested in Li Changhe's explanation.

“The princes and warlords in the Middle East and even Africa have one thing in common: they are not business elites, and they can’t talk to business elites. They prefer eating, drinking and having fun, or some exciting things.”

"And such people, like Mark, are naturally resistant to the business elite and like to find like-minded friends to play with."

"In my opinion, Mark is one of their kind, and they can build friendships through various recreational activities such as racing, boxing, and hunting."

“Mark’s status and position also give them enough confidence to deal with each other on an equal footing. With my support for Mark, he will be able to provide these Middle Eastern princes and African warlords with many resources that they cannot obtain on their own.”

"In return, what they gave back to Mark was a sufficient amount of money."

"After all, besides money, those people don't have anything else to offer."

"With money, Mark's shame will naturally be washed away, and on the contrary, he will become one of the representatives of the West in the Middle East and Africa. Those Middle Eastern princes, sheikhs and warlords will become resources behind Mark invisibly."

"Isn't this a good thing for Mark?"

“Mr. Dennis, we all know that politicians have an expiration date. No one can say for sure how long the Prime Minister will be in office—three years, five years, or even ten years—but in short, it won’t be for a lifetime.”

"And once you leave Downing Street, the resources you originally had will gradually diminish, since no one will truly support a prime minister who has already passed away."

“You want to protect Mark for the rest of your lives, but that’s clearly impossible.”

"So, I'll say it again: do you really want him to be a loser who's ridiculed for the rest of his life?"

Li Changhe asked in a calm tone.

Dennis fell silent.

"And what about the shelf life of your relationship with Mark? Doesn't it also depend on the time Mary spends at Downing Street?"

After a moment, Dennis spoke slowly.

Li Changhe smiled and shook his head: "Mr. Dennis, I can tell you with certainty that it's not!"

“I chose Mark partly because of his status, but another reason is that he meets my needs.”

“Like I said, I am the first type of person. I am not attractive to the second type of wealth owners. I need an advocate to help me deal with them.”

“Mark is a good fit in terms of both personality and identity. Most importantly, he is white, which is much better than my Chinese identity.”

“Mark isn’t smart, but he’s not stupid either. He’s willing to cooperate with me because the things we’re working on are truly promising, not just empty promises from me.”

“I also gave you the right to choose. I told him from the beginning that if you did not agree, I would not cooperate with him.”

"So the real choice in this matter has always been in the hands of Mr. Dennis and His Excellency the Prime Minister."

"You are the ones who decide the direction of Mark's life."

Li Changhe said with a smile.

Dennis, meanwhile, was looking at Li Changhe with a strange expression.

He finally understood what Bao meant when he said his nephew was a genius.

He didn't actually fool Mark, but unknowingly, he used the most real interests to create a heart-wrenching trap between Mark and the couple.

This trap will determine the future of their entire family: will it lead to a breakdown or a dangerous adventure?
Dennis now fully understands why Mark was so adamant about cooperating with Victor last night.

This kid's language skills are absolutely phenomenal.

What he promised Mark was not simply wealth, but a broad road to proving himself, which was a lure that was far more tempting to Mark than wealth.

At this moment, he and Mary were actually standing on the edge of a cliff, with no other choice but to destroy their son's expectations and turn him into a complete waste.

But in that case, would their father-son and mother-son relationships still exist?
Dennis didn't know how to answer at that moment, but he knew one thing: they were in big trouble.

And the only ones who can solve this problem are themselves!
(End of this chapter)