Siheyuan (courtyard house): My name is Shazhu!

Despite his predicament, Boss Mai brought the general managers of three banks to Dongda Group, hoping to borrow money or obtain guarantees.

"Boss Mai, it's impossible for them to provide a guarantee. Those three are super-large banks. We don't know about their specific business, nor do we want to know. It's their own business."

To be honest, I am very worried about the future of your hometown. I know about your relationship with the local bank, but ordinary citizens are not.

It's an indisputable fact that you own more than 30% of the bank in our hometown. It's understandable that you would support our hometown. However, 15 billion is too much for us to lend; it would be too risky for you.

Furthermore, our company has no interest in loan or lending business, and we sincerely apologize!

"Hey, Niu Feng Bank and the others have been innocently dragged into this mess. In Hong Kong, only you two can help them..."

"Boss Mai, it's not that we don't want to help, but their banks are too risky. The fact that they're borrowing 15 billion shows that their three banks have a huge shortfall."

It wasn't something that Hang Seng Bank could solve with just three or five hundred million back then. It would take them fifteen years to repay 15 billion based on last year's profits, and they still wouldn't do anything else.

"They have to pay back 900 million in interest alone in one year, and the remaining 100 million will be paid off over 150 years. Mr. Mai, would you lend it to them?" He Yuzhu pointed out the problems with the three banks.

Many of them are empty. It's impossible that Niu Feng Bank and its affiliates haven't done anything else. Although they're not expanding globally now, they're making preparations, and transferring funds back to their home base is certainly a given.

"Sir Ho, we don't want to borrow money. Can we get back the money we borrowed from your company in advance to help us through this difficult time?" The chairman of Niu Feng Bank was a shrewd man, and Sir Ho was also knowledgeable about banking affairs.

"With only 800 million in loans and a 30% penalty for default, you're going to terminate the loan early? Isn't that too much of a loss?"

"Sir He, we have no choice. Please forgive us. Consider the penalty fee a loan and we'll repay it later."

"Sure, you can come to our bank to collect the cash in an hour, or we can pay by cash check, and your customer can come to my bank to collect the money."

"We'll collect the money in an hour."

Boss Mai and his men hurriedly left to go find money.

"They are now 'all show and no substance.' They only need to borrow 15 billion from individuals and companies with deposits exceeding 12 billion in the three banks."

They need some money to continue operating various businesses, and they want to take advantage of us. They're just hoping to make a quick buck.

This message requires them to withdraw the money and then release it; they're so desperate they're calling back loans early for emergency relief. The bank doesn't have much money left; if they don't withdraw it soon, the bank will go bankrupt.

"This news must be released. Don't we have tabloid reporters? They're best at handling these 'small things,' and they love firsthand information."

"They're not going to let us endorse them, openly or secretly. We might take over one or two businesses if they go bankrupt."

"We don't lack banks. Malaysian banks are starting to expand this year, and we have enough of them. We'll see if there are any suitable banks in Europe that we can buy."

With two banks operating openly and covertly, plus the US and Europe, you have four multinational banks. Too many isn't good!

"Just defeat them."

Five hours later, a tabloid called "Fengyun" ran a shocking headline on its front page: "How poor are the three major banks?"

According to reliable sources, senior executives at Ng Fung Bank revealed that they still have no more than HK$500 million in deposits to repay, and their loan application to Dongda Group was rejected today.

Sir He from Dongda Group believed that their loan amount was too large and the risk was extremely high.... The loan was not granted, and Niufeng Bank recalled the 800 million loan in advance, of which 30% of the default penalty was returned to Dongda Group.

The consequences of their actions clearly demonstrate their massive funding gap; they're robbing Peter to pay Paul, while we, for our own savings...

This was the first day the three banks were closed, but the newspaper reports proved irresistible, and nearly 30,000 people came to the three banks demanding they reopen and withdraw their money.

More and more people gathered in front of the door; this was the prelude to something big happening. They were all people who had worked hard for their money.

With a population of over 4.4 million, at least 40% of households in the port city have deposits in the three major banks, representing 400,000 to 500,000 depositors, as well as some companies.

Dongda Bank transferred all its depositors, except for those with deposits of over one million yuan and its own employees who could make small deposits, to Hang Seng Bank.

They and Hang Seng Bank account for slightly over 40%, Niu Zi Bank accounts for 40%, and the remaining less than 20% are depositors of other banks.

More and more depositors were gathering in front of the three banks. The explanations from the bank executives were of little use. Amid the noise, only a few people could hear their voices!

And how many people would want to hear that taking their own money is their first choice?

The police also deployed a large number of officers to maintain order, fearing that something might happen or cause any disturbance. With 8,000 officers facing 60,000, their advantage was gone!

With the intervention of Boss Mai and other officials from the Finance Department, Commerce Department, and other departments, the situation gradually improved, but—

If you don't have the money to let the depositors withdraw their funds in three days, this matter will be impossible to resolve. You're all doomed!

He Yuzhu scanned the vaults of the three banks with his 'divine sense' and found no gold or Niu Niu coins, and very little American dollars and other foreign currencies.

Where did all the foreign currency go? Even a fool could figure it out. You're just too self-satisfied. You never thought your bank would have problems.

This time we're at our wits' end; we can only wait for Boss Mai and his team to resolve this matter through administrative means.

Niu Feng Bank has HK$430 million. Niu Zha Bank has HK$270 million. Li Ru Bank has less than HK$100 million.

Haha, this little bit of money isn't enough for three days. There's only 800 million in total, which is pitifully little. You'll have to take out a loan for these three days.

Several other companies, like Dongda Group, readily agreed to take out loans of 800 million yuan.

"Let's do them a favor. We can't let those three banks get away with it too easily in three days. The deposits there are all hard-earned money. They've already taken it, and I guess they're going to do something else with it."

Three American banks have refused to provide guarantees or loans for them, and two Japanese banks have also refused to lend. I estimate that no bank will lend or guarantee for them.

The amount is too large, and the three banks have no collateral; they are just shell banks. This news can be spread; that tabloid is good.

Give them the message!

"It's unlikely that they'll provide financial guarantees. Last year, their total fiscal revenue was less than HK$2.5 billion, not HK$500 million."

The three banks need a credit line of tens of billions of yuan, a huge hole that cannot be plugged by fiscal revenue.

"It's even better if it can't be blocked!"

The next day, our tabloid "Fengyun" once again published the exact amount of cash that Niufeng Bank and its three branches still had.

The title is "Where Did Our Money Go?!"

The inside information, obtained through newspapers from three bank executives, can be summed up in one word.

They have no money!

They're using our depositors' money for other things; they don't care about us depositors at all!

The depositors were furious. They were using our deposits for their own purposes, and the bank didn't have much money.

What about money?

Where is my money?

Give it back to me! This is the hard-earned money I've saved up over ten years!

Ah~~

Depositors were extremely angry and once again began to gather at the headquarters of the three banks.

I'm fucking exhausted. You guys can make a scene, I don't care anymore. I'll just go back to my hometown, it's even scarier here than my hometown.

There was a real old man!

He turned his hometown upside down!

I know who it is, but I dare not say!

Yesterday, the three banks recovered less than one billion yuan in loans in total. The borrowers all shook their heads, saying, "We really don't have any money."

Borrowing money from competitors is useless; they want a slice of the pie.

Old Mike isn't stupid!