Chapter 49: The Shifting Winds of Global Geopolitics
The birth of the Li Group marked the official ascent of Li Fengyu and his companions onto the historical stage, plunging them into a turbulent game of wits and power. It was an era of sweeping changes, where everyone yearned to carve out their own dominion and contend for supremacy.
There were the Gu family of Shanghai, led by Gu Yumin; the Liu family of Shanghai, led by Liu Xinyang; Lin Chu from the Hebei Xingtai branch; and the Lin family, headed by Lin Dongjiang in Beijing. Beyond China's borders lay a pantheon of heavyweights from the international financial sphere: Wayne, the legendary investor from the Czech Republic; Reichbert, the Belgian securities titan; and Pilsudski, the Polish financial prodigy. Every single one of them was a towering figure, to say nothing of the elites entrenched in the financial hubs of the London City and New York's Wall Street.
The official establishment of the Li Group by Li Fengyu and Li Sen signaled that the younger generation was beginning to form the backbone of the financial world. This was a bitter pill to swallow for the veteran investors and elites of the previous century, for it signaled that they were on the verge of being phased out by the tides of time.
The world has never been short of those harboring wild ambitions, nor has it lacked grand talents capable of managing nations and ruling the world. Setting aside legendary emperors like Qin Shi Huang, Emperor Wu of Han, Emperor Taizong of Tang, and Emperor Taizu of Song—or the chaotic twilight of the Eastern Han dynasty where warlords vied for dominance before Cao Cao, Liu Bei, and Sun Quan carved the realm into three—there were eras of even greater upheaval, such as the Sixteen Kingdoms of the Five Barbarians and the Northern and Southern Dynasties. In the late Tang and early Five Dynasties, there were figures like Zhu Wen and his son who usurped the throne, the fierce Shatuo warrior Li Keyong, and Song Wentong of Qidi, whose ambitions knew no bounds. Throughout the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, countless heroes and gallants emerged in waves. This world has always been an arena of fierce contention. Fate can conquer man, yet man can also conquer fate; history is ultimately forged by human hands.
Returning our perspective to Li Fengyu, he now faced a similarly critical crossroads. His dream was to become a financial genius whose name would echo through world history for all eternity, yet he did not even possess a company that belonged entirely to him. The primary shareholder was Gu Yumin, the secondary was Liu Xinyang, and while he ranked third, his stake was pitifully small. If he could not even call the shots in this tiny corner of a company, how could he ever march onto the international stage?
Yet, no matter how much he lamented, Li Fengyu could not afford to lose heart. He knew that the chance to start over was entirely thanks to the help of Gu Yumin and Liu Xinyang; otherwise, he would likely be wandering the streets as a homeless vagrant. Indeed, business had to go on. Moving forward, Li Fengyu continued to secure bank loans, raise capital, and press ahead with his ventures. That was simply the kind of man Li Fengyu was—unyielding in defeat. Though frequent setbacks plagued him, his greatest strength lay in his resilience. At the slightest opportunity, he would soar upon the wind, determined never to bow beneath anyone. Such men are always the most likely to succeed.
Meanwhile, a new wave was sweeping through the financial world. Following the exposure of the plot by Lin Dongjiang and Zhou Yushan to usurp control of the Lin family, they faced scathing collective condemnation at a financial summit. Yet Lin Dongjiang possessed a nature that brooked no slight, retaliating against every grievance. Although he knew Li Fengyu was a friend of Lin Chu, he never showed mercy to anyone who had caused him to lose face. After the summit concluded, he instructed his secretary to investigate Li Fengyu's recent activities, leading the secretary straight to the newly established Li Group.
Thus, a conspiracy masterminded by Lin Dongjiang against the Li Group was about to unfold. How would Li Sen, Li Fengyu, Liu Xinyang, and Gu Yumin neutralize the impending crisis? This could be regarded as the very first clash between the veteran traders of the old guard and the elite traders of the younger generation. How would it all end? And where would the friendship between Lin Chu and Li Fengyu ultimately lead? All of this remained shrouded in uncertainty, yet Li Fengyu firmly believed he could conquer any obstacle in his path.