Chapter 44: Stealing the Heavens and Exchanging the Sun

Li Fengyu probed Lin Chu cautiously, saying, "The funds for the silver futures are running a bit low recently. Lin Chu, could you speak with your father and arrange for some additional capital?" Unaware that Li Sen and Li Fengyu had reached a settlement with the market makers of the silver futures, Lin Chu naturally assumed, "That shouldn't be a problem."

Indeed, Li Fengyu's original plan had been to follow Lin's father's instructions, believing that successfully trading the silver futures would save the Xinmin Group. However, the situation had changed drastically. Realizing that he and Li Sen had been pushed into a dead end by Lin's father and used as mere pawns, Li Fengyu had subsequently orchestrated the "accident" involving Chen Yuxuan.

Now fully aware of this grim reality, Li Fengyu knew it was impossible to continue working for Lin's father, meaning the Xinmin Group could no longer be saved. The only viable path left was to take those tens of millions, pledge allegiance to the Liu Group, or start a completely new company independent of any faction and build from scratch. At this moment, Li Fengyu realized that being subservient to others would never lead to true development.

Li Fengyu had once believed that as long as he helped Lin Chu, worked hard to make money, and expanded the Xinmin Group, success would eventually follow. Yet, after this ordeal, he discovered that true growth could only be achieved by being his own master and breaking free from external control. His resolve to start anew was now firm, and his mind was unusually calm. The only thing he regretted were the fond memories of fighting alongside Li Sen and Lin Chu—pacifying shareholders, personally heading to Shanghai for negotiations, and later recruiting Ye Chen and his associates. Yet all these cherished memories were about to vanish completely, leaving Li Fengyu feeling utterly lost about the road ahead.

Meanwhile, on Lin Dongjiang's side, when he received Lin Chu's request for funds, he did not harbor much suspicion. He merely asked offhandedly, "Why do you need so much capital? Taking your company's reserves into account, fifty million should be more than enough for you." Lin Chu replied, "We genuinely need seventy million; there's no money left in the company's accounts." In truth, Li Fengyu had already instructed the accountant to drain a massive sum from the company's books, leaving very little remaining on the balance sheet presented to Lin Chu. Li Fengyu had simply explained, "It was all used up during the earlier trading operations." Although Lin Chu held the title of president, all major and minor affairs of the company were actually handled by Li Fengyu and Li Sen, giving Li Fengyu ample room to maneuver.

Looking over the financial statements of the Xinmin Group, Lin Dongjiang lacked any deep understanding of the company's operations. Since Lin Chu insisted, Lin Dongjiang ultimately transferred the funds. The moment Li Fengyu received the money, he swiftly transferred all of it into the account of the Liu Group. Some might view Li Fengyu's move as biting the hand that fed him, but it must be remembered that Lin Dongjiang had previously manipulated Li Fengyu in a way that nearly killed him. Viewed in that light, Li Fengyu's actions were entirely understandable. With the Liu Group eventually withdrawing its capital, the Xinmin Group finally commenced its trading operations.

Three months later, the silver futures trading was finally concluded as anticipated. However, although the trading operation was completed, it resulted in a heavy financial loss. After factoring out any potential profits, they suffered a net loss of fifty million. Upon seeing this outcome, Lin Dongjiang flew into a rage and overturned the table on the spot. He was not grieving over the loss of fifty million; rather, his entire master plan with Zhou Yushan had completely collapsed. Not only had they failed to strike a blow against the Liu Group, but they had also been outmaneuvered by Li Fengyu. It was a classic case of the snipe and the clam grappling while the fisherman reaped the benefit—except that, in this instance, the snipe and the clam had not fought each other at all, but instead joined forces to trick the fisherman.