Chapter 664: Chapter 656: If You Want to Be a Dog, You Must Submit a Pledge

“Last night you were so excited when you arrived, and now you’re sleeping like a pig.”

The sun was high in the sky when Lu Liang naturally woke up. The quilt on him was gone, and beside him was an indescribable lump.

The quilt beside him was bunched up, and upon hearing Lu Liang’s words, it started to wiggle and reshape. Tian Xi poked her head out, her hair flaring like a lion’s mane.

She looked aggrieved: “I’ve been awake for a while, just pretending to be asleep. Do you have any conscience left? How dare you say that about me?”

Lu Liang was speechless and chuckled: “Alright, I’m heading out first. I’ll leave the room card inside. If you want to wander next door, feel free to go next door. Just charge everything to the card.”

He glanced out the window, where Disney’s iconic castle was not far away, with Mickey and Minnie holding hands to welcome visitors.

Lu Liang had been to Modu Disney before, but Xiangjiang Disney, built by the sea, seemed even more beautiful.

“Bye-bye, stay safe~”

Upon hearing the door close, Tian Xi poked her head out from the bedding again, feeling mischievous, and tentatively called out, “Liang? Mr. Lu? Lu Liang?”

The room was empty, with no response for a long time. Suddenly filled with excitement, she jumped up and grabbed her phone for some wild snapping.

Last night, at the J Hotel in Modu Center and during the private jet ride, she wanted to take photos, but hesitated, afraid that Lu Liang would think she was inexperienced.

Now that Lu Liang was out taking care of business, the room was her domain.

“Wahaha~” Tian Xi smiled with squinting eyes, started to let loose, compiled a photo collage, and uploaded it directly to Weibo.

Even though the web drama flopped, at least it gave her exposure. Her followers successfully broke thirty thousand. Excluding the twenty thousand bought ones, she had over five thousand active fans that needed careful cultivation.

After all, other idols could take beautiful photos and land luxury endorsements, making their fans proud. From now on, her fans would too.

Meanwhile, Lu Liang arrived at Central District. It was still early, and he first arranged a meeting with HSBC’s Vice President, Li Junwei.

Two years ago, after cashing out of ofo’s stock and packaging it for sale to the Golden Sand River, he obtained 14 million US Dollars and came to Xiangjiang.

He commissioned HSBC to establish a family trust fund in Lu Ya’s name and made a full stock purchase of Tencent.

At that time, Li Junwei was the person in charge.

“Mr. Lu, when did you come to Xiangjiang?” Li Junwei smiled with admiration and amazement in his eyes.

When they first met, Lu Liang was just a budding newcomer. Over the past two years, he had become a formidable capital giant that even Wall Street feared.

“Just arrived last night.” Lu Liang crossed his legs, drinking coffee while reviewing the trust fund’s earnings details.

The purchase price was 138 Hong Kong Dollars, holding a total of 760,000 shares of Tencent, currently valued at 262 million Hong Kong Dollars.

In two years, it had more than doubled.

Lu Liang signed the authorization to continue the lock-up strategy, then handed the contract to Li Junwei.

The amount wasn’t much, and he was too lazy to retrieve it, so he just let it sit there.

Leaving more contingencies for himself; it wasn’t a bad thing, though he hoped they wouldn’t be needed.

Moreover, Lu Liang sought out Li Junwei not for business, but for the individual.

He asked, “Mr. Li, how are you finding your time at HSBC? Have you considered switching to a more challenging role?”

Tianxing Quantitative was still lacking a general manager. Having dealt with Li Junwei several times, Lu Liang was impressed with him.

Being a 41-year-old vice president at HSBC with strong capabilities and native to Xiangjiang, he could help Tianxing Quantitative integrate locally.

Li Junwei was taken aback, not expecting Lu Liang to suddenly extend an offer. He asked, “Mr. Lu, could you let me know more?”

In recent years, HSBC had been on a decline. Just a while ago, they were involved in the United States’ interference with Meng Wanqiu, facing resistance from the mainland.

He himself did not feel strongly attached to HSBC, and a wise bird chooses the right tree to nest. If Lu Liang’s offer was suitable, he wouldn’t mind switching jobs.

“How much do you know about what happened at the London gold market a few days ago?” Lu Liang asked.

Li Junwei replied, “I’ve been keeping an eye on it. Tianxing returned triumphant, while JPMorgan took a heavy hit.”

The next two months were crucial for JPMorgan Chase. If they couldn’t satisfy investors before the Q3 report, and results disappointed, it wasn’t unlikely they’d replicate Lehman Brothers 2008 fiasco.

Since investment banks relied on credibility, a single action causing annual profit loss inevitably raised concerns over JPMorgan’s risk management abilities.

Once suspicion arose, the blame was already assigned.

If someone further fueled anxiety, this 200-year-old financial empire might suddenly collapse.

Take, for instance, the 1995 Barings Bank, founded in 1763 as one of the UK’s oldest banks, managing assets over 27 billion British Pounds globally.

The world’s wealthiest woman, Elly, trusted its financial management skills deeply, being a long-term client.

Barings had achieved numerous remarkable achievements, holding a unique place in securities history, hailed as a “radiant pyramid in financial markets.”

The reason for its collapse was both laughable and ironically, attributable only to a 28-year-old ordinary trader.

Once, due to an operational mistake, they lost 60,000 British Pounds. In fear of exposure, the trader first used the 88888 “error account.”

This account was reserved for tracking potential brokerage errors during client transactions but had never been used—just a backup fuse.

Later, when the New Singapore branch leader learned about the issue, they not only failed to report to the headquarters but deemed it a good way to balance accounts.

Thus, the ‘error account’ was used long-term, resulting in increasingly significant losses over time.

Eventually, one day, the branch account went deficit, and depositors began withdrawing money, rapidly spreading the crisis to Barings’ headquarters.

No bank could withstand a run, as depositors’ savings were used for lending or market investment.

The 232-year-old world-class bank declared bankruptcy in just three days amidst a flood of withdrawals.

And then there were the 2005 Neon Restructuring Bank, 2006 UK Northern Rock Bank, and 2008 Lehman Brothers.

There’s nothing new under the sun.

JPMorgan, also, had initiated a defensive alert and had been selling financial assets to increase cash, preparing for a potential withdrawal crisis post-Q3 report announcement.

Because they feared Lu Liang might deal a fatal blow at a critical moment, hitting them when they’re down.

“You have a thorough understanding.”

Lu Liang smiled, not delving deeper into the topic, and instead said, “Tianxing and Fantasia are collaborating to establish Tianxing Quantitative in Xiangjiang, focusing on quantitative trading in the international market.”

“President Liang and I both have our commitments and cannot concentrate long-term in Xiangjiang, needing a reliable professional manager.”

“Thank you, Mr. Lu, for your consideration.”

Li Junwei showed contemplation, although tempted, he didn’t immediately accept, contemplating for a moment before saying, “Mr. Lu, could you give me a couple of days to think it over?”

Lu Liang slightly nodded: “As soon as possible. I won’t stay in Xiangjiang for long.”

He came to Xiangjiang to do business and also to wait for someone.

To wait for his close friend, Cameron Wilson.

There were rumors indicating Wilson, after a misstep in investment decisions, was almost ousted by management. What happened after remained unknown, but he was still standing firm.

However, one thing Lu Liang could confirm was that Wilson was having a tough time now. The pressure of Q3 reports was enough to make him suffocate.

With only two and a half months left, recovering losses from the prior Dunren Gold Market incident seemed difficult. However, with Lu Liang’s help, it might not be so hard.

Previously he wanted to keep Lu Liang as a subordinate, but if Wilson sought him, their roles might reverse.

In such a case, Muddy Water, Gugen, Zade, and the powers behind them would no longer be intimidating.

To become a loyal subordinate, a pledge was necessary.

Lu Liang also had a suspicion in his heart that Muddy Water, Gugen, and Zade, that the instigator behind them was actually JPMorgan Chase.

It was a self-directed bitter-meat strategy. If there was no opportunity for a pledge, they would create one themselves.

After all, having previously nearly fought to the death, now wanting to wave the white flag, surely they would need to offer Lu Liang a step down.

Sacrificing an ally was a good option.

Seeing it was about time, Lu Liang ended his conversation with Li Junwei and headed to Cheung Shing Building.