Chapter 329: The Tycoon's Fury
"Nonsense!"
Mr. Shen of HSBC slammed the table.
"Tycoon is Hong Kongs richest man. How dare they arrest him?"
Tycoon's eldest son quickly said:
"Sir, please, you must save my father."
It was difficult for a local Hong Konger to obtain a knighthood, but for some, it was not difficult at all.
Almost all old-school central bank Mr. Shens were knights. Incidentally, Tycoon was also one of the knights.
Mr. Shen said solemnly:
"Of course. I am good friends with your father, so I will naturally save him."
However, seeing Little Tycoon's appearance, Mr. Shen couldn't help but get angry.
"You were at least abducted by Cheuk Tze-keung once and went through life and death. You should have matured by now."
"Why did you only come to me two days after your father was taken away?"
"If your father doesn't return, you will bear the primary responsibility."
Little Tycoon's face alternated between green and white, and he gritted his teeth, saying:
"Has everyone else found out about my situation?"
Mr. Shen became even angrier:
"How would I know if others know or not?"
"But I knew about your situation immediately."
"Cheuk Tze-keung demanded a ransom of 1.04 billion, all in old banknotes. Do you think your group could gather enough old banknotes in just one day?"
"Didn't I put in the effort here?"
"But look at you, you never even considered such a thing!"
The more Mr. Shen spoke, the angrier he became. He flicked his sleeves and left. He had to rush to the Governors Office to lobby and save Tycoon.
All of Little Tycoon's words were stuck in his throat.
Mr. Shen's attitude hurt him deeply.
He had a belly full of grievances. Didn't he want to save Tycoon?
He wanted to!
But the problem was, Tycoon was arrested by George of the Police Political Department. Everyone Little Tycoon contacted couldn't see Tycoon in person.
Let alone seeing him, was the Garrison base a place where ordinary people could enter?
No matter how many business elders or top barristers, none of them were useful!
Little Tycoon had no choice but to think of Mr. Shen.
He originally wanted to explain the situation to Mr. Shen properly, but before he could, Mr. Shen scolded him mercilessly.
"Sigh!"
"Let him scold me. As long as my father is rescued, a few scoldings are fine. I'll even prepare a generous gift to thank him later!"
Little Tycoon made such a resolution.
Mr. Shen kept shaking his head in the car.
Tycoon was a hero his entire life, but he ended up with such a timid son.
Tycoon's second son, on the other hand, had some drive.
It was just a pity that in Hong Kong, seniority was always valued. No matter how talented their second son was, he couldn't take over Tycoon's business.
However, fortunately, people in the business world could retire whenever they wanted. As long as their health allowed, no one would care if you retired at eighty.
If the eldest son wasn't capable, they could pin their hopes on the eldest grandson.
Having stayed in Hong Kong for a long time, Mr. Shen was inevitably somewhat assimilated.
It could be considered a blend of Chinese and Western cultures.
Mr. Shen would not go to the Three Secretaries and Thirteen Bureaus; that would be too demeaning.
He went straight to the Governors Office.
Mr. Shen was not an ordinary person; he was someone who could chat and laugh with Prime Minister Thatcher and could directly reach the highest authorities, so he would not bother with the Three Secretaries and Thirteen Bureaus at all.
Meeting the Governor was his goal.
The Governor was very happy to give Mr. Shen a hug:
"My friend, long time no see."
Mr. Shen's expression was very serious:
"Governor, is Hong Kong Anglo-Saxon?"
The Governor was slightly startled, then smiled bitterly and shook his head:
"Unfortunately, we have less than ten years left to possess it."
Mr. Shen then said:
"Hong Kong is the Pearl of the Orient, providing our empire with unimaginable profits every year."
"Even if we cannot possess its sovereignty, we must ensure we have control over its governance."
The Governor shook his head even more:
"Unfortunately, we can't even protect its governance."
Mr. Shen, of course, knew about this matter.
"Then we must ensure that after Hong Kong's return, it will still be loyal to our Anglo-Saxon ways."
The Governor was startled:
"You mean?"
Mr. Shen said indifferently:
"We need to cultivate the goodwill of these generations of Hong Kongers towards us."
"We need to plant our own people in all walks of life."
"Most importantly, we need to embed a large number of our people, our own people, in Hong Kong and its political circles."
The Governor agreed quite a bit:
"Mr. Shen, a brilliant insight, however, this is not easy."
Mr. Shen waved his hand:
"Of course it's not easy, but it doesn't matter. As long as we are willing to do it, we will definitely succeed."
"Do you agree?"
The Governor nodded as a matter of course:
"I certainly agree."
"Does Mr. Shen have any candidates?"
Mr. Shen said proudly:
"I started planning a long time ago."
"From the 1960s, I began cultivating several people..."
The Governor gasped:
"It started in the 1960s?"
Mr. Shen said nonchalantly:
"After the crisis in the 1960s, Anglo-Saxon elites unanimously concluded that Hong Kong could not be held and that we would most likely lose it."
"So some foreign firms began to flee Hong Kong."
"This is the origin of the 1960s stock market crash."
"Of course, some foreign firms did not flee, holding onto a glimmer of hope, and remained in Hong Kong."
"But after Mrs. Thatcher's negotiations, that illusion was shattered."
"This then triggered another round of stock market crashes, which were not caused by any economic crisis, but purely by the crisis triggered when our Anglo-Saxon capital escaped."
The Governor asked:
"Will your bank leave?"
Mr. Shen shook his head:
"No!"
The Governor exclaimed:
"Not even after Hong Kong's return?"
Mr. Shen said firmly:
"No!"
The Governor frowned:
"Hong Kong's economy has developed so well because of our Anglo-Saxon governance. If it were handed over to Mainland, Hong Kong would inevitably decline..."
Mr. Shen said speechlessly:
"Governor, there are no outsiders here. Please don't bring up those deceptive words meant for others."
The Governor was speechless. He thought to himself that Mr. Shen was not at all subtle.
"Hong Kong's development is purely because it is a free port."
"Whether a free port has a future depends on only one thing—whether society is stable."
"You and I both know that Hong Kong is backed by Mainland, and even if we Anglo-Saxons leave, this will not change."
"Hong Kong will not decline; no one will turn their back on money."
The Governor was even more speechless.
Does this guy know how to chat?
You've killed the conversation, and there's no joy in boasting at all.
Like this, you can only offer advice to important figures from below. If you were truly in power, you would offend everyone.
The Governor secretly grumbled.
Mr. Shen didn't notice the Governor's state at all.
"To ensure that Hong Kong remains loyal to us after its return, the most crucial point is to form a cluster effect."
"There must be a leading figure who steps forward."
"Only in this way can the 'head sheep effect' be brought into play."
Mr. Shen said solemnly,
"Ordinary citizens are ignorant, so they naturally believe whatever important figures say."
The Governor nodded repeatedly:
"You are right. So, who is the person you have in mind?"
Mr. Shen said without hesitation:
"Tycoon!"
The Governor was startled:
"The reason?"
Mr. Shen waved his hand:
"Tycoon's loyalty to the empire has been personally verified by me."
"He has a certificate of allegiance."
The Governor found it amusing:
"Even God cannot grasp the human heart, how can you personally verify it?"
Mr. Shen said faintly:
"If I hadn't personally verified him, do you think I would have given Hutchison Whampoa to him almost for free?"
The Governor teased:
"You didn't give it for free; you paid him to take it!"
Mr. Shen's actions, in the eyes of others, were no different from paying someone to take it.
Not only did he give away Hutchison Whampoa for free, but he also provided an interest-free loan of 300 million to Tycoon as operating capital.
Of course, capitalists don't do charity; these loans and such have definitely been recovered.
After all, Tycoon is now Tycoon.
His net worth has long inflated beyond recognition.
A glint flashed in Mr. Shen's eyes, a trace of disdain, which quickly disappeared and was not caught by the Governor:
"Tycoon occupies a place in the empire's strategy."
"He is one of our people, a key to our continued significant influence over Hong Kong even after seven or eight years."
"He cannot have anything happen to him."
"However, I just received news that Tycoon has actually been taken in by the authorities."
"This is wrong."
At this moment, the Governor had already understood that Mr. Shen had gone to such lengths, only to be waiting for him here.
"Mr. Shen, please calm down."
"The arrest of Tycoon is in compliance with imperial law."
Mr. Shen's voice rose by an octave:
"Arrest?!"
"How could a legitimate businessman like him be arrested?!"
"What will the rest of the Hong Kong business community think of our Empire?"
"Governor, you mustn't be muddled!"
The Governor's expression turned cold:
"Mr. Shen, you are an elite of the Empire, a renowned leader in Hong Kong's business community. I would appreciate it if you could choose your words carefully."
"The arrest of Tycoon is an official decision made by the Governors Office in accordance with Hong Kong law, and it is not open to question."
Mr. Shen was furious:
"Your actions will push Tycoon towards his Mainland!"
The Governor picked up his teacup and slowly sipped his tea:
"If a small grievance can push a person towards the enemy, then that person's loyalty is questionable."
Mr. Shen was infuriated:
"You arrested him for no reason at all. Is that a small grievance?"
"If this is the case, I will make a recommendation to the mainland!"
The Governor put down his teacup and said with a chuckle:
"Mr. Shen, as soon as you walked in, you started lecturing me, giving me grand speeches, telling me to release Tycoon."
"But… why didn't you ask why Tycoon was arrested?"
"Why didn't you ask on what grounds Tycoon was arrested?"
"Why didn't you ask where Tycoon is being held?"
"You seem to have only brought your mouth, and not your ears at all?"
Mr. Shen was startled.
He was stunned by the Governor's tone.
When had he, this Empire elite who could reach the highest echelons, ever been questioned like this?
Was this still the Governor he remembered?
The Governor said coldly:
"You seem to have been talking to yourself this whole time; you haven't listened to a single word I've said."
"If you maintain this attitude, then go ahead and complain to the mainland."
"Let's see if the mainland will listen to you or to me?"
Mr. Shen was enraged and instinctively stood up to leave.
Suddenly, a thought flashed through his mind.
"No!"
"There's something wrong here!"
The politicians of the Empire are basically like dogs; when have they ever dared to speak like this in front of a big capitalist like himself (self-proclaimed)?
The Western world is for the rich, and those politicians are merely subordinates.
They never dared to speak harshly to big capitalists.
What was happening now?
Mr. Shen patiently said:
"Governor, what exactly is going on?"
The Governor was very pleased with Mr. Shen's attitude. Although he was still as unruly as before, and his attitude was still arrogant, he was much softer than before.
This gave the Governor a great sense of accomplishment.
"Grand Duke Andrei was attacked twice; you should know about this, right?"
Mr. Shen asked, puzzled:
"But what does that have to do with Tycoon?"
The Governor shrugged:
"Grand Duke Andrei went out at Tycoon's invitation. For this, he even deliberately avoided his bodyguard team."
"Such a matter should have been top secret."
"Whether it was Grand Duke Andrei or Tycoon's side, it was top secret."
"The unfortunate thing is that Grand Duke Andrei was attacked twice, each time resulting in a concussion."
"The most dangerous was the second time, because Grand Duke Andrei brought a bodyguard, and that bodyguard was killed."
"Heaven knows how desperate Grand Duke Andrei must have been when he woke up to face a dead man."
Mr. Shen's heart trembled:
"You mean… Tycoon did this?"
The Governor chuckled:
"Otherwise?"
"Did Grand Duke Andrei use some kind of trick, killing himself?"
"Don't be silly!"
"General Cunningham has already questioned both parties. Grand Duke Andrei told him that Tycoon invited him to discuss an important project, and that the other party wanted him to lobby an extremely authoritative department."
"For this, Tycoon purchased over fifty million pounds worth of bearer bonds."
"You should be aware of this too."
The Governor looked at Mr. Shen with a half-smile,
"Those bonds were purchased at your bank."
"George has already gathered the surveillance footage."
"The evidence is conclusive."
Mr. Shen said calmly:
"This is a common practice in the Western world."
"I don't see any problem."
The Governor said seriously:
"Inviting someone to lobby is indeed not a problem, and while fifty million pounds is a large sum, it's just average in front of some other levels."
"The problem is, Grand Duke Andrei was attacked, and even almost died because of it."
Mr. Shen raised a question:
"This is not Tycoon's style."
"He has always been benevolent."
The Governor was amused by Mr. Shen's words:
"Mr. Shen, I consider you a friend, so please don't joke with me."
"A big capitalist like Tycoon has always been benevolent?"
"Then how did he accumulate his wealth?"
The Governor's smile was unspeakably sarcastic.
"I consider you a friend, so I'll offer you some advice as a friend."
"Tycoon's case is very deep, almost all the great nobles of the Empire are implicated."
"Do you want to contend with them?"
Mr. Shen said angrily:
"The more you talk, the more ridiculous it gets. Are you trying to scare me?"
The Governor's expression turned grim:
"It's clear that trying to communicate with you nicely isn't working anymore."
"Never mind, I'll tell you the mainland's decision regarding the punishment in Tycoon's case."
"This case has been handed over to Superintendent George of the Police Political Department and General Cunningham of the Garrison to handle with full authority. Other agencies in Hong Kong are only to assist in the investigation."
"No one else, no matter who they are, has the right to interfere."
"All officials of the Three Divisions and Thirteen Bureaus must cooperate with them."
Mr. Shen looked at the Governor in horror:
"This doesn't conform to the rules!"
The Governor snorted coldly:
"Rules? They serve us."
"I've already told you."
"This matter has already alarmed the Cabinet, and special full authority has been granted!"
"It's not something you can meddle with."
"If you want to interfere, then you will have to face the collective wrath of twenty-nine Grand Dukes."
Mr. Shen asked, puzzled:
"How could this be?"
The Governor sighed and whispered:
"Grand Duke Andrei and Tycoon have been held in the barracks for the past two days."
"Fifty million pounds in bearer bonds is already an astronomical sum."
"However, when George investigated this case, an explosion occurred in the barracks."
Mr. Shen's glasses almost fell off:
"An explosion, and it happened in the barracks? Are you telling me a fairy tale?"
"But if that's the case, then this wasn't done by Tycoon."
The Governor actually agreed:
"You're right, this explosion was not done by Tycoon."
"The problem is that the people involved in this explosion case are too powerful, causing a considerable number of nobles in the mainland to fall into panic."
"They are both shocked and angry, and desperately need to find a target to vent their frustrations."
"So, Tycoon became the scapegoat!"
Mr. Shen felt quite absurd:
"If there are suspects, just find them directly. Why vent anger on the innocent Tycoon?"
The Governor hesitated for a moment, then sighed:
"The gentlemen in London dare not direct their anger at the real culprit…"
"They pick on the weakest."
"Compared to them, Tycoon is the easier one to handle."
"Honestly, not only Tycoon, but even Grand Duke Andrei has been hated by the noble gentlemen of London."
Mr. Shen was numb:
"Even Grand Duke Andrei is hated?"
"Why?"
"Just because the explosion revealed some kind of danger?"
The Governor actually nodded in admission!
Mr. Shen thought to himself, this really is a common failing of those noble gentlemen.
Bullying the weak and fearing the strong, an ostrich mentality… he was already too exhausted to complain.
However, he still wanted to struggle a bit:
"Then can you tell me, who exactly is involved in this case?"
"Why does it make those important figures so afraid?"
The Governor pondered for a while, and finally decided to speak. He even stood up, looked left and right, and actively closed the door.
Mr. Shen was terrified by the Governor's actions.
However, the Governor wasn't finished. He came in front of Mr. Shen and actually whispered in his ear.
Mr. Shen's mind was somewhat dazed.
In his confusion, he suddenly heard a word that made him immediately want to flee: "Zion"!
Boom.
Mr. Shen was struck by lightning!
The Governor sighed:
"I know Tycoon is innocent, and the noble gentlemen of London know it too."
"He can only blame his bad luck."
"The fear of the noble gentlemen needs to be vented, and Tycoon is that unlucky fellow."
"You can't save him."
+++
Chapter 330: You Must Save Yourself!
Mr. Shen returned in a daze.
He had gone with high hopes, only to return disappointed.
He knew the noble lords in London were scoundrels, but he never imagined they were such utter scoundrels.
Blaming others is a common trait of ill-tempered people, but ordinary folks might just get into an argument, whereas these noble lords could easily decide a person's life or death.
Unfortunately, Tycoon was the classic unlucky one.
He just happened to be caught at the wrong time!
Mr. Shen once again felt a sense of powerlessness—he really shouldn't have let those lawyers control the government.
Those guys only knew how to talk big and never dared to confront any difficult problem head-on.
It was truly a headache!
Tycoon was finished!
At least, that's how it seemed to the Governor.
Mr. Shen rubbed his temples vigorously—he couldn't let Tycoon be finished just like that; he was an important backup for his future plans, and if he were finished, then Hong Kong would truly drift away from London.
No, he had to find a way!
Mr. Shen rallied his spirits, disdainfully glancing at the Governors Office building, a sneer playing on his lips—a fool is not worth strategizing with!
He would not admit defeat!
He casually picked up a newspaper, and after just one glance, he felt dizzy; it boldly stated—
Tycoon is suspected of having deep connections to the attack on Grand Duke Andrei and is currently under investigation!
"Bastard!"
Mr. Shen suddenly stood up, slammed the table, and cursed loudly,
"Short-sighted scoundrels!"
"This is going to ruin the grand strategy for the empire's revival!"
Mr. Shen's face turned red with anger.
He didn't need to think to know what kind of turmoil the contents of this newspaper would cause!
This would surely throw the minds of Hong Kong people into chaos.
Even if it were clarified later, Tycoon's influence would drop by half a level.
And for this newspaper to be published, it must have been an announcement from the Hong Kong Government.
Otherwise, how could such a top-secret matter be leaked?
At this moment, Mr. Shen was single-mindedly determined to stop the noble lords in London by any means necessary.
After a moment of thought, he picked up the phone and called someone:
"Come to my office immediately, and be quick!"
Ten minutes later, Little Tycoon arrived at Mr. Shen's office, sweating profusely, carrying a newspaper:
"Mr. Shen, this is bad!"
Mr. Shen had completely calmed down:
"What's there to panic about?"
Little Tycoon said with a long face:
"I can't help but panic, the media has already released news about my father, but he's been framed."
Mr. Shen waved him to sit down:
"Don't look at those newspapers. Let the media spread the news; it won't have any substantial effect."
Little Tycoon's heart steadied:
"Mr. Shen, have you seen my father?"
Mr. Shen shook his head regretfully:
"I just went to the Governors Office and did not see your father."
"He's not there; he's being held at General Cunningham's place."
Little Tycoon was shocked:
"The Garrison?"
"Mr. Shen, why would my father be held at the Garrison?"
"He's been framed!"
Mr. Shen thought to himself, of course, Tycoon was framed. Almost everyone in the Hong Kong Government knew he was framed, and George and Cunningham, who were handling the case, also knew he was framed.
But there was nothing to be done; who told him to be so unlucky?
Who told him to be caught up in this?
Even if he was framed, he could only accept his bad luck.
Thinking this, Mr. Shen would not say it aloud:
"Don't talk nonsense. In front of the public, you must control your mouth."
"Your father is currently detained in the barracks; you don't know the specific situation at all."
"If you say the wrong thing and implicate your father, that would be bad."
"Do you understand?"
Little Tycoon could only nod repeatedly, incessantly saying:
"Mr. Shen, you are the only one who can contact London. I want to ask you to please save my father."
"I'm even willing to lose all our family's assets."
Little Tycoon's appearance was not feigned.
He knew that Tycoon was the true pillar of the family; Little Tycoon and his brother were not yet capable of taking on such a heavy responsibility.
If Tycoon had an accident, the whole family would fall apart.
Mr. Shen pondered for a moment and said:
"Your father's situation is very serious."
Little Tycoon was startled:
"Mr. Shen, didn't you just say you hadn't seen my father?"
Mr. Shen sighed:
"I went to see the Governor. Your father is implicated in Grand Duke Andrei's matter."
"With Grand Duke Andrei's corroboration, your father admitted that he originally intended to bribe the Grand Duke with fifty million pounds for public relations."
"The police even retrieved surveillance footage from the bank, obtaining strong evidence."
Little Tycoon was so scared he almost collapsed.
He had grown up under Tycoon's protection, and the biggest setback he had experienced since childhood was being kidnapped by Cheuk Tze-keung. And the latter, in order to get the ransom, didn't really do anything to him.
In other words, Little Tycoon had always had a smooth life and had never actually suffered a setback.
The current situation was the first time.
He was truly at a loss.
"What should I do?"
Mr. Shen said sternly:
"Are you truly willing to give anything to save your father?"
"Even if it means losing all your family's wealth?"
Little Tycoon said without hesitation:
"Of course, I am willing."
The logic was simple: with Tycoon, they were a wealthy family; without Tycoon, they would be swallowed by their rivals in an instant.
Mr. Shen clapped his hands and said:
"Then, go back quickly and do a few things."
Little Tycoon, who was utterly at a loss, suddenly heard Mr. Shen's words and clutched at them like a drowning man grasping a straw:
"Mr. Shen, please give your orders."
Mr. Shen nodded slightly:
"You are to do two things now."
"First, organize your group's workers to take turns protesting on the streets."
Little Tycoon was startled:
"Protest on the streets?"
Mr. Shen's expression was cold:
"The Governor is determined to punish your father now; we can only take risks to save your father."
Take risks?
Little Tycoon became even more worried.
"Mr. Shen, Father is in the hands of the Garrison. If we provoke them..."
Mr. Shen angrily said:
"With that obedient boyish face of yours, how will you learn to do business in the future?"
"Did your family's wealth all accumulate from being obedient citizens?"
Little Tycoon wilted!
Mr. Shen was not only his elder but also his father Tycoon's benefactor, so reprimanding him was a given.
Mr. Shen asked coolly:
"Are you saving your father or not?"
Little Tycoon gritted his teeth and said:
"Save him!"
Mr. Shen slowly nodded:
"Organize the employees of your group to take turns protesting on the streets. Remember to make a big stir, but keep it peaceful."
"We are only trying to put pressure on the Hong Kong Government, not to incite their murderous intent."
Only then did Little Tycoon breathe a sigh of relief.
"I'll write a list, and you take it and visit each person. No matter what method you use, you must get them to speak up for Tycoon."
Little Tycoon took the list and nodded repeatedly.
In his opinion, this approach was much more reliable than the previous one.
The list contained all the well-known figures in Hong Kong, including the Old Four Families and other prominent individuals.
Just as Little Tycoon was about to speak, he heard Mr. Shen slowly say:
"Actually, neither of these two methods will work."
Thud!
The things in Little Tycoon's hand dropped, his legs went weak, and he almost couldn't stand.
Mr. Shen looked at him coldly:
"Maintain composure in important matters. What kind of decorum is this from you?!"
Little Tycoon didn't care about composure or anything else; he burst into tears, crying and shouting:
"Uncle Shen, please save my father!"
Mr. Shen was annoyed by his crying.
Tycoon was framed? Of course, he was!
He was a scapegoat, there was no doubt about that.
Mr. Shen knew Tycoon was framed.
The Governor knew Tycoon was framed.
George and Cunningham, who were handling the case, both knew Tycoon was framed.
Even the noble lords far away in London knew Tycoon was framed.
So what?
They knew you were framed.
But the one who was framed was you.
Normally, Tycoon would be dead for sure.
To keep Tycoon alive, extraordinary measures had to be taken.
"Stop crying!"
"If you cry again, get out!"
Little Tycoon immediately dared not make another sound, desperately covering his mouth, tears streaming down his face.
Mr. Shen looked at him deeply and said:
"You do have a good heart."
"Listen to me carefully."
"The power that determines Tycoon's life or death is not in Hong Kong, but in London."
"I will select three people for you. Take enough money and immediately send people to lobby them."
Little Tycoon immediately asked:
"Uncle Shen, how much money should I bring?"
Mr. Shen thought for a moment and said:
"Fifty million pounds for each family!"
Little Tycoon gasped.
Mr. Shen mocked:
"You're reluctant?"
Little Tycoon said with a mournful face:
"My authority doesn't allow me to mobilize such a large sum of money!"
Mr. Shen angrily cursed:
You are the heir of Tycoon, now get back to the board and curse!
Little Tycoon was stunned:
"Curse?"
Mr. Shen said angrily:
"What time is it, and you're still sticking to the rules."
"Get lost quickly."
Little Tycoon gritted his teeth and said:
"Uncle Shen, don't worry, I will bring enough money."
Mr. Shen's expression finally softened.
"Hurry up!"
"I'll tell you the truth, Tycoon has already aroused the wrath of many nobles in London."
Of course, this was not entirely true, but in a way, it was.
"You must use money to lobby these three highly respected great nobles."
"And you must be quick."
"Otherwise, even immortals won't be able to save your father."
Little Tycoon's face turned pale with fright. After taking the list, he quickly thanked and left.
Mr. Shen suddenly realized and cursed:
"You brat, how dare you act in front of me?"
"And your acting is pretty good!"
Thinking about it, this guy was brought to board meetings by his father to observe when he was very young, so how could he not be in control of power?
He was just trying to probe his limits.
Mr. Shen inexplicably became happy; Tycoon's son still had some tricks up his sleeve.
But as soon as he thought of Tycoon's predicament, his face darkened again—Tycoon's current situation was not good.
Tycoon also had this premonition:
"How exactly can you let me out?"
"I'm really innocent."
George shook his head directly:
"I'll tell you the truth, what determines your life and death is not up to me now."
Tycoon was utterly puzzled:
"I don't know when I offended General Cunningham."
George smiled and shook his head:
"It's not General Cunningham either."
Tycoon wanted to cry but had no tears:
"I really didn't leak information about Grand Duke Andrei."
George sighed heavily:
"You still don't understand the situation. Forget it, I'll tell you the truth."
"London has already issued an order; you are finished."
Tycoon shouted loudly: "I am innocent."
George said indifferently:
"Firstly, you cannot prove your innocence—you can't explain the matter with Grand Duke Andrei."
"Secondly, the fifty million pounds you gave Grand Duke Andrei angered the nobles of London."
"Especially the great nobles."
"You might not know this, but Grand Duke Andrei himself doesn't have much prestige in London, especially among the old-money nobles."
"You actually gave such a person fifty million pounds to help you lobby."
"According to General Cunningham, Grand Duke Andrei is nothing but a nouveau riche with some stinking money."
"So, you angered all the great nobles."
"You insulted them!"
Boom!
Tycoon only felt as if a disaster had fallen from the sky, even more wronged than Dou E:
"I just thought Grand Duke Andrei was also willing to do business, and he and I could communicate more easily."
"Moreover, the nobles of London have too high a threshold; I can't reach them."
"How did this become an insult?"
George shook his head directly:
"Honestly, asking great nobles to lobby is a very common thing."
"Unfortunately, Grand Duke Andrei's standing is truly insufficient. If an ordinary person wanted to ask him to lobby, a few hundred thousand pounds would be enough at most."
"Then you, in turn, increased it a hundredfold."
"Fifty million pounds?"
"The Prince of Wales wouldn't be worth that much money."
"From now on, everyone will know that to get a great noble to act, the price must be above fifty million pounds."
"How many people in this world can afford such a price?"
"If not, what should they do?"
"Originally, the great nobles of London had quite substantial annual incomes, and there were many people who hired them as lobbyists."
"They might not be as generous as you, but little by little, they still had an income of one or two million pounds annually."
"Unfortunately, they won't have such good days anymore."
"Your fifty million pounds directly drew a line—even the least prestigious Grand Duke Andrei requires fifty million pounds, so what about those above Grand Duke Andrei?"
"How much money do they need?"
"You cut off their source of wealth."
"This is your capital crime!"
Tycoon's face was ashen, and his hands trembled incessantly.
George didn't need to say any more grand reason.
This was the greatest truth—cutting off someone's source of wealth is like killing their parents, an unforgivable offense!
Let alone those great nobles; if it were Tycoon himself, he would also kill the person who cut off his source of wealth.
For a moment, Tycoon's mind went blank.
George watched Tycoon's dejected look with a smile.
He wouldn't mention the nobles' anger.
That was indeed a reason.
The most important reason was what he had just said; this was hidden, and without careful consideration, one would never think of this layer.
This was the envy, jealousy, hatred, and impotent rage of the scavenging vultures.
Honestly, Grand Duke Andrei truly couldn't be seated at the nobles' table; in the ducal circle, he was at the very bottom of the contempt chain.
Yet, this Grand Duke Andrei actually received fifty million pounds in one go.
Thus, the nobles' pettiness erupted.
They couldn't deal with Grand Duke Andrei; that was the power of the royal family.
But could they not kill Tycoon, this clueless fellow?
Especially when the great nobles were generally being targeted by the people of Zion, it was even more natural to shift their anger!
George initially didn't understand until General Cunningham pointed this out to him, and then he suddenly realized.
So, this is how nobles behave!
Tycoon was utterly disheartened for a moment. He looked up at George and suddenly his eyes lit up:
"Officer, please save me."
George felt great.
Tycoon had always been arrogant, never called him "Officer," always calling him by his name.
This made George very displeased—
You are clearly my prisoner, yet you still put on airs as Tycoon. Who is that for?
George was very unhappy.
Now, this guy bowed his head.
Full of accomplishment.
George smiled and said:
"I cannot save you."
The light of hope in Tycoon's eyes dimmed.
"…But someone can save you."
Tycoon's spirits lifted:
"Please, Officer, show me a way out."
George said condescendingly:
"You did a stupid thing, cutting off the livelihood of the great nobles of London, so you need to compensate."
"But before that, you must understand one thing."
Tycoon quickly said:
"You say…"
George said unhurriedly:
"He who tied the bell must untie it."
"The kill order on you was issued by London. If you want to withdraw the kill order, you naturally need to persuade the noble lords of London."
"No matter where you go in this world, human connections are indispensable."
"You cut off the great lords' source of wealth, so you naturally need to make them happy."
"You understand what I mean, right?"
Tycoon gritted his teeth and said:
"I am willing to offer most of my family property, only to satisfy London."
"And please, Officer, speak on my behalf to Grand Duke Andrei…"
George abruptly cut him off:
"Do you want to die faster?"
Tycoon was stunned:
"I want to live!"
George was both annoyed and amused:
"No, I see you want to die!"
"London has already been disgusted beyond recognition by you and Grand Duke Andrei working together. You still want Grand Duke Andrei to lobby for you?"
"This is a path to death!"
Tycoon suddenly realized, wishing he could slap himself. He was utterly muddled just now, desperate and choosing the wrong path. How could he still choose Grand Duke Andrei?
However, he was very troubled:
"But I can't find any influential figures now…"
Gritting his teeth, Tycoon immediately said:
"I am willing to offer fifty million pounds. Please, Officer, help me."
George held out a hand:
"money for goods."
Tycoon nearly died of anger, but the other party said:
"I will definitely find a suitable person for you, believe it or not!"
Tycoon had no choice but to quickly write a check.
George took it with satisfaction and said:
"As expected of Tycoon, very generous."
"Actually, the person you need is far away, yet close at hand."
Tycoon said in disbelief:
"Is the Officer also a great noble?"
George shook his head directly:
"I am not, but General Cunningham is!"
"Wait, I'll call him for you!"
Tycoon was so depressed he wanted to cry. Was this money spent a bit unfairly?