Liao Chengde's face suddenly turned gloomy, and anyone could see the anger in his eyes.
Liang Wanru was the receptionist at this brokerage firm, the kind of employee who would later be known as a front desk lady. However, in this era, she was called a receptionist. She was a very cunning girl, extremely beautiful, and with a good education, holding a bachelor's degree in psychology from Hong Kong Baptist University. Originally, she could have become a psychologist, a profession that, like doctors and lawyers in Hong Kong, was well-paid and respected. Psychologists were no exception.
However, she had other plans for her future. At graduation, she gave up the opportunity to study abroad and instead concealed her educational background, joining this small brokerage firm, where she spent her days interacting with a group of well-dressed financial talents.
For her, marrying into a wealthy family was the most suitable life plan. The future tycoons would inevitably emerge from the financial market, and these new tycoons would be a group of young, energetic, and full-of-vitality people who did not place much importance on family background. These were the ideal men in her mind.
As soon as she joined the brokerage firm, all the men in the company went crazy over her, vying for her attention. However, with just a few words, she managed to get her suitors to reveal their financial details, and naturally, nothing came of it.
Unsatisfied, she turned her attention to other companies in the same building. After dating a few men who claimed to be eligible bachelors, she lost interest in them. Their financial status seemed ordinary to her, with the wealthiest having only a few million, far from her ideal price.
Until Liao Chengde appeared!
Liao Chengde, who spent lavishly, immediately became the talk of the brokerage firm. The brokers gossiped, and Liang Wanru, who was listening, carefully investigated and discovered that this unremarkable Mr. Liao was not only wealthy but also had a son in his twenties who frequently appeared on the front pages of entertainment magazines. This made Liang Wanru very pleased.
Every day, Liang Wanru, dressed up beautifully, waited at the door for Liao Xiaohua to appear. However, after waiting for a long time, she still did not see him. Just as she was about to lose hope, Liao Xiaohua appeared.
"Miss, would you like to have dinner with me?" Liao Xiaohua approached Liang Wanru, putting on a gentlemanly act, but his words were full of innuendo.
"Sir, please do not interfere with my work, thank you!" Liang Wanru said expressionlessly, continuing to work diligently, looking very professional.
Liao Xiaohua, who had been embarrassed, was taken aback. He scratched his head, unsure of what to do. He had no intention of seducing her; he just felt a bit itchy after hearing Zhong Shi's words and couldn't resist striking up a conversation. Who would have thought he would be rejected?
"..." He turned to Zhong Shi, shrugged, and spread his hands, showing a helpless expression. He saw Zhong Shi's half-smiling face and his father's gloomy, almost dripping face.
Liao Xiaohua's heart sank, and he returned, hanging his head and saying nothing. Liang Wanru, standing behind him, secretly glanced at him, her face turning pale.
"How was it? How did it feel to flirt?" Seeing Liao Xiaohua's disappointed expression, Zhong Shi teased.
"Ah, don't mention it! It's hopeless!" Liao Xiaohua glanced at Liao Chengde and whispered.
"It seems this girl is quite cunning. She knows that what is easily obtained is easily lost. She's just playing hard to get!" Zhong Shi continued to tease, not taking it seriously.
"Alright, stop talking nonsense! Let's focus on the market!" Liao Chengde coldly snorted, rarely interrupting Zhong Shi.
"Lao Liao, don't you want to have a grandson soon?" Zhong Shi chuckled and aimed his words at Liao Chengde again.
Hearing this, Liao Chengde sighed deeply, glared at Liao Xiaohua, and fell silent.
"Alright, alright, let's focus on the important things!" Liao Xiaohua, seeing Zhong Shi about to speak again, quickly interrupted, feeling guilty.
At this moment, the market was still green, with component stocks continuing to fall, which meant Liao Chengde was making money. After watching for a while, Liao Chengde's mood improved, and he even regretfully said to Zhong Shi, "I should have bought more contracts. It doesn't seem to have hit the bottom yet!"
"What do you think is the bottom?" Zhong Shi asked with interest.
This question stumped Liao Chengde. After much thought, he finally understood, "You mean..."
"The stock market changes rapidly, and no one knows what will happen next. It's best to be cautious!" Zhong Shi nodded, his expression serious.
He could only say this to Liao Chengde. In fact, Zhong Shi knew the future direction of the Hong Kong stock market, even the trend for the next one or two months. The Hong Kong stock market would suffer the most severe decline in this stock market crash, with its market value halving by December.
Zhong Shi's original two hundred million dollars, a large portion of which was invested in S&P 500 contracts, also had about ten million dollars (approximately 78 million Hong Kong dollars) invested in the Hang Seng Index. These contracts amounted to about 5,000, and for every point the index fell, he earned 250,000 Hong Kong dollars.
He didn't tell Liao Chengde this. In fact, Zhong Shi didn't care much about this money. What he was most concerned about was what would happen to the Dow Jones Index that evening.
"Ding... ding..." The noon break bell rang, and the Hang Seng Index was at 3,548 points, having fallen 235 points, a drop of over 6%. Everyone was filled with uncertainty, unsure of what would happen in the afternoon.
"Lao Liao, would you like to have lunch together?" As the three were about to leave, Ma Taihua appeared from somewhere, extending his fat hand and repeatedly inviting Liao Chengde.
"Hey? Where's Lu Hu?" Zhong Shi suddenly remembered the other person and asked in surprise. In his memory, Lu Hu was always punctual. He had said he had some business to attend to at the building entrance, but he hadn't shown up for a long time, which surprised Zhong Shi.
What he didn't know was that Lu Hu was at the police station in Central, being questioned by the police.
Earlier, Lu Hu had discovered a paparazzo following him. He knocked the person out with a hand strike, then dismantled the camera and exposed the film before leaving. However, this was all captured by another paparazzo who arrived later. The paparazzo called the police, and armed officers promptly arrested Lu Hu, handcuffed him, and took him to the police station in Central.
Now the entertainment reporters had a story to write, even coming up with a headline: "Rich Heir Arrogant, Bodyguard Assaults on the Street." The gossip reporters finished their statements at the police station and left satisfied.
"Where did he go?" Hearing Zhong Shi's question, Liao Chengde and Liao Xiaohua finally realized what had happened. They declined Ma Taihua's invitation and left the building together, searching for Lu Hu, but found no trace of him.
Zhong Shi, now worried, sought help from the police and learned that Lu Hu was at the police station in Central. The three were shocked and rushed to the station, learned the details of the incident, and paid the bail to release Lu Hu.
"It's not your fault!" Zhong Shi looked at the dejected Lu Hu and whispered in comfort. Liao Xiaohua's face turned awkward.
Indeed, if it weren't for his usual womanizing, this wouldn't have happened.
"Entertainment reporters in Hong Kong are really everywhere!" Zhong Shi frowned, thinking for a moment, then turned to Liao Xiaohua, "Will this be on the magazine tomorrow?"
"Probably!" Liao Xiaohua's face turned pale, suddenly realizing something. He was used to appearing in magazines, but if Zhong Shi was exposed, it would be a different matter.
"Can we handle it through official channels?" Liao Chengde also realized the complexity of the situation and asked.
"Usually, there are two ways to handle it: pay them off or burn all the magazines!" Liao Xiaohua thought for a moment and answered uncertainly.
"It seems we need to take some decisive action!" Zhong Shi's face turned serious, his voice cold, clearly indicating that this incident had touched on something he didn't want exposed.
"Zhong Shi, you can't act rashly. Hong Kong is a place of law..." Liao Chengde quickly advised. He didn't know what Zhong Shi's "decisive action" was, but he suspected it wasn't a legitimate method.
In fact, Zhong Shi was overthinking. If it were an ordinary person, even if they appeared in a magazine, their image would be blurred to avoid privacy infringement. However, Liao Xiaohua and Liao Chengde, though low-key, were public figures and couldn't afford to tangle with these low-level magazines, as it would only increase their notoriety.
"Just do this... and this..." Zhong Shi looked deeply at the Liao family, then called over Lu Hu and whispered instructions in his ear. Lu Hu, having received his orders, left without looking back.
Liao Chengde and Liao Xiaohua, after Zhong Shi's glance, felt as if they had fallen into an ice cellar, shivering. They never imagined that the usually carefree Zhong Shi could exert such a powerful presence, making them feel a chill with just a look.
Zhong Shi always knew that in this country, whether in the underworld or the legal world, connections were necessary. Now was the time to use them.
The three, with different thoughts, hurriedly had some food and continued to watch the afternoon market.
The Hong Kong stock market continued to plummet, but it was much better than in the morning. A large amount of capital entered to support the market, and many companies announced stock buyback plans, boosting market confidence. However, despite this, the market still suffered a significant decline. By the close, the Hang Seng Index had fallen 420 points, closing at 3,362 points.
In the futures market, all contracts fell by more than 300 points. Many long position holders not only lost their paper wealth but also owed a large amount of debt.
However, Liao Chengde's short positions earned him millions of Hong Kong dollars!