Chapter Nine: Applying Pressure

After Lin Chu left, Li Fengyu took a moment to survey the office. It was a spacious single room of about eighty square meters, with two desks and a portrait of Andrew Jackson hanging on the wall. Li Fengyu thought to himself, “Lin Chu’s taste isn’t bad at all.”

Li Sen placed the file he had just taken from Li Fengyu onto the desk, wiped the sweat from his brow, and said, “There’s so much work… I’m starting to regret coming with you.”

Li Fengyu smiled faintly, soothing him with a casual tone, “Since we’re here, we might as well settle in. You went to school to earn money, didn’t you? Here, you get paid for doing good work too—it’s just a different path, but the outcome should be the same.”

Hearing this, Li Sen could only nod reluctantly. Li Fengyu then moved toward the pile of documents, his mind still turning over Lin Chu’s earlier words. But as the saying goes, “Since we’ve come, we’ll make the best of it.” When the enemy comes, we’ll meet them head-on; when the waters rise, we’ll build dams.

From then on, Li Fengyu began working alongside Li Sen under Lin Chu’s leadership. Everything was conducted with meticulous order. Whether it was market research or data analysis, their work was commendable. However, a month later, circumstances took a turn.

At that time, Lin Chu wanted to take control of the iron ore futures contracts. The market had already made its downward move and was beginning to rebound at the bottom, accompanied by increased trading volume. The funds and price gains in iron ore were also quite significant. Lin Chu was ready to deploy capital to take charge, but others refused, leading to a fierce argument.

During a meeting, Lin Chu pointed at those present and said, “I know you are shareholders here. My father has given you some respect, and I understand you think I’m young. But your actions are holding back the company’s future. If this continues, the company will be ruined by your hands.”

Compared to Lin Chu’s youthful arrogance and fiery spirit, the shareholders spoke and acted with a much more seasoned air. One of them, a man who habitually wore a black hat, had beneath its brim small but piercing eyes that stared coldly and directly at Lin Chu. Those eyes held a sharp, indifferent gaze. In the middle of his expressionless face rose a straight, prominent nose. Below it, his slightly parted lips spoke coldly:

“Young president, you misunderstand us. I understand your eagerness to achieve greatness, but haste makes waste. We are not opposing you outright, merely holding a different view.”

Lin Chu furrowed his brows tightly, gripping the conference table with both hands. Despite his burning impatience, he was helpless. He could neither persuade them nor produce compelling evidence to force their compliance. Yet he knew that if he yielded now, it would be tantamount to surrender, and he would never have a chance to turn things around.

Inwardly, Lin Chu cursed, “I learned in elementary school that it’s better to strike the first blow than to endure a hundred. But now I’m powerless. Those damn old men—relying on their past glories from last century, trying to carry their lingering influence into this one. They want to keep me down? No way!”

Frustrated and helpless, Lin Chu stormed out. The old men merely smiled coldly. Indeed, they looked down on him from the bottom of their hearts. These survivors who had fought tooth and nail through the chaos of the last century naturally despised a scion of a prestigious family. But as Lin Chu thought, their glory was of a bygone age. Times had changed. They were growing old and conservative—a survival tactic in bear markets, but one that meant missing opportunities in bull markets.

Lin Chu stormed all the way from the meeting room to Li Fengyu’s office. As soon as he opened the door, he exclaimed, “This is infuriating!”

It was midday, and Li Fengyu and Li Sen were having lunch. Lin Chu’s sudden entrance startled Li Fengyu so much that he dropped his chopsticks. As he picked them up, Li Fengyu asked with a smile, “What’s wrong? Who managed to anger our young president so much?”