Chapter 391: That Giant Dragon Is Right Above Our Heads
"A sovereign wealth fund has agreed to trade with us," Alice suddenly announced.
"Huh?" Li Tang was momentarily stunned before grasping the meaning behind her words.
Just a moment ago, he had been caught in disappointment and mild frustration. Now, suddenly, a glimmer of hope appeared.
"Can you stop pausing so dramatically when you speak?" he complained, slightly irritated.
"What did I do?" Alice replied innocently. She had only paused briefly.
"Never mind. Tell me, what does this sovereign wealth fund want from us?"
"The fund currently holds about 1.1% of Gala Aluminum's shares. They saw our public request to buy shares at high prices, so they proactively contacted us."
"Then don't hesitate—trade with them immediately!" Li Tang didn't want to miss this crucial final opportunity.
"But their conditions are outrageous!"
"What conditions?" Li Tang wasn't worried about their terms; his primary concern was the timeframe for completing the transaction.
"They're demanding we purchase their entire 1.1% stake in Gala Aluminum," Alice said through gritted teeth, clearly angry about the fund's excessive demands.
"Buy it."
"They're asking for 110 magnesium dollars per share!"
"110 magnesium dollars per share?"
"Gala Aluminum's current share price hasn't even reached 85 magnesium dollars yet. Their demands amount to robbery! They're clearly taking advantage of us!"
"Do we have any other options to quickly purchase a large number of shares besides this fund?"
"Given a bit more time, I'm certain I can arrange other sellers! We don't have to waste money like this—110 magnesium dollars per share is too high. At such a price, there's absolutely no chance of turning a profit. It guarantees losses!"
"But we don't have time," Li Tang replied firmly.
His recent meeting with Wiggins had ended in refusal but yielded a crucial piece of information: Gala Aluminum's board had already approved Rinto's bid.
Gala Aluminum would soon contact shareholders worldwide, convening a shareholders' meeting to vote on accepting Rinto's offer. Even shareholders unable to attend physically would vote online after reviewing the meeting documents.
They needed to finalize this key transaction immediately, before the shareholder vote occurred!
"Why such urgency?" Alice asked, unaware of the detailed circumstances. "Give me one week—I'm confident I can find alternative sellers."
"Today, if possible. Tomorrow at the latest!" Li Tang was adamant.
"That urgent?"
"Yes, exactly that urgent!"
"At 110 magnesium dollars per share for a 1.1% stake, we're looking at around 450 million magnesium dollars in total!" Alice's voice trembled with concern. "Are you really willing to throw away 450 million magnesium dollars without batting an eye?"
From an investment perspective, this transaction would inevitably lose money.
"We won't lose all 450 million. At most, we'll lose around 40 million," Li Tang calmly clarified.
Li Tang was well aware that even if shares were bought at the inflated price of 110 magnesium dollars each, Rinto would bear most of the final cost.
Losses would indeed occur—unless Rinto decided to abandon their nearly guaranteed acquisition.
But this was one of the world's three largest aluminum giants—after integrating Gala Aluminum, Rinto might even surpass Russian Aluminum to become the world's top producer of primary aluminum. Such prestige was irresistible.
Rejecting such an opportunity would require almost supernatural restraint.
It was akin to a chain smoker lighting a cigarette after a long craving but inexplicably stopping midway—completely irrational and unthinkable.
"We don't have enough liquidity to complete the transaction right now. They're demanding immediate payment, or at most within one month," Alice reminded Li Tang, forcing the funding issue into the open. Such a significant transaction required his direct approval.
"Can Jiangda Securities provide further financing?"
"Yes, they can," Alice confirmed. Yet, anxiety colored her voice: "But we're already heavily leveraged. Especially with our recent financing—over a billion magnesium dollars—mostly used to buy Gala Aluminum shares at extremely high prices. Any slight decline in the share price could break our leverage, wiping out our principal completely!"
"Don't worry," Li Tang reassured her.
"Those capitalists specialize in sabotage! Recently, influential media like The Wall Street Journal and the Financial Post have closely covered our investments in Gala Aluminum, openly discussing our returns and financial vulnerabilities. Those financial tycoons know our weaknesses. If someone starts shorting Gala Aluminum, companies like Rinto, Magnesium Aluminum Group, and BHP might join forces to intentionally lower the share price, causing catastrophic losses for us. These giants have every incentive to cooperate in suppressing Gala's stock to reduce their acquisition costs significantly."
"You're absolutely right," Li Tang admitted calmly.
He knew his financial maneuvers were transparent, unsophisticated, and highly visible. Like a reckless barbarian, he charged straight through the financial markets. Everyone knew Li Tang was fully committed to Gala Aluminum—betting everything he had. He seemed like a madman, an amateur gambler in the sophisticated capital market.
Yet, Li Tang knew the historical outcome.
Unless history itself played a cruel joke and took an unexpected turn, he remained confident.
"Since you recognize we're essentially walking a tightrope, why aren't you being more cautious?" Alice pressed further.
She knew Li Tang had always taken bold, risky positions—though he'd never failed before. Initially, she frequently cautioned him. Over time, however, Alice had come to unconditionally trust Li Tang's judgment.
But this time, the amount was dangerously huge. Failure would threaten the very foundation of Li Tang's Shengshi Holdings, erasing years of effort.
"You agree with me, yet I sense you're not changing your mind," Alice concluded, understanding Li Tang well.
"You've got to gamble big to win big," Li Tang said lightly.
"If these acquiring companies see our actions as threats or insults and mutually withdraw their bids, it'll devastate us!" Alice warned again. "We're extremely vulnerable to any unexpected setbacks."
"Rinto and others are smart enough to differentiate between emotions and profits. If they're willing to abandon a once-in-a-lifetime acquisition merely to ruin us, I'd sincerely salute their bravery!" Li Tang chuckled, tone relaxed. "Don't hesitate. Proceed boldly without any second thoughts! Indecision will cost us the opportunity!"
"Alright, I trust your decision!" Despite lingering doubts and anxiety, Alice chose to execute Li Tang's instructions without reservation.
Gala Aluminum announced a major press conference, drawing global media attention. Reporters from all major news agencies crowded into the venue, cameras flashing constantly, even before the event began.
Board members, including Wiggins, awaited backstage in the lounge.
Upon entering, Wiggins spotted Richard and Gala Aluminum's senior management already gathered.
"Richard!" Wiggins greeted cheerfully. "You don't look too good—are you feeling ill?"
"Not ill, just nervous. Last night, I stayed up preparing for today's crucial announcement," Richard explained, masking his disappointment with tiredness.
Rinto's offer—38.1 billion magnesium dollars in cash, 101 magnesium dollars per share, a premium of over 66%—would undoubtedly please all shareholders.
Yet, as Gala Aluminum's CEO, Richard felt profoundly saddened.
Despite assurances from Rinto that he and Gala's senior management would retain their positions, he knew Gala Aluminum would fundamentally change. His original five-year plan to reinvigorate the company by aggressively expanding into the Huaxia market would inevitably be replaced by Rinto's directives.
Gala Aluminum was essentially no longer the same entity.
Wiggins, indifferent to Richard's emotional turmoil, sat down comfortably, smiling broadly. "Let me share something amusing!"
"What's making you so happy, Mr. Chairman?" someone asked.
"As expected, Li Tang couldn't reach his target of 14% ownership. He actually approached me yesterday!" Wiggins laughed heartily. "He wanted to buy shares from me at an incredibly high price."
"What price?"
"101 magnesium dollars per share."
"Isn't that exactly Rinto's offer?"
"Yes. Li Tang somehow knew Rinto's exact bid!" Wiggins observed everyone carefully. Who leaked the board's confidential discussions?
Everyone expressed shock, seemingly astonished by this revelation.
"Someone leaked our internal discussions?"
"I can't confirm that, but Li Tang's information is incredibly accurate—almost as if he has God's eyes!" Unable to pinpoint the traitor, Wiggins abandoned the topic, smiling again. "But don't worry—before coming here, I confirmed Li Tang hasn't reached 14% ownership."
All the directors present, apart from executives, were significant shareholders. If any major shareholder collaborated with Li Tang by selling or voting strategically to disrupt the acquisition, all shareholders would suffer disastrous consequences.
Thankfully, no one had betrayed their collective interests thus far.
"Our board remains united. We've prevented Li Tang from interfering."
"If he had reached 14%, we'd face serious trouble."
"It's astonishing to see a Huaxia investor so aggressively active in international capital markets."
"Until now, they mostly stuck to their own markets—they don't truly understand international finance."
"Nevertheless, Li Tang's vision and boldness are undeniable."
"He leveraged just 1 billion into nearly 4 billion magnesium dollars—a daring move."
"Without nerves of steel, who'd dare play this big, this dangerously?"
"Yet despite his amateurish approach, he's undeniably this acquisition's biggest winner!"
"He's earned higher returns in months than I've made from Gala shares over five years!"
"That Huaxia investor deserves our respect."
They reflected quietly, realizing Li Tang's growing global impact.
Initially, they hadn't worried about a distant threat. Now, in the midst of this acquisition, they finally sensed reality:
That giant dragon wasn't far away—it was already hovering right above their heads.
Its piercing gaze watched them closely, ready to strike.
When it finally descended, could anyone withstand its ferocity?
The once jovial atmosphere fell silent, fear and awe mingling uncomfortably.
Yet someone eventually raised a toast, breaking the silence:
"Congratulations to us all—let's celebrate our success!"
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