The enemy dares not launch a hot war, and like Ning Yuan, she must prepare for the arrival of a financial "cold war"!
Ning Bingyu, hands in his trouser pockets, said calmly, "What are hot wars about? They're all about resources, land, and wealth!"
"Financial warfare may take many paths, but the battlefield and weapons have changed—warships have been replaced by the stock market, and missiles by tariffs and trade."
He looked at her with cool, captivating eyes: "Assistant Chu, if you want to learn something, there's no better classroom than experiencing a storm like this firsthand. You can spend a long time by my side and learn slowly from me."
He paused for a moment: "According to your terms, we are called... comrades-in-arms."
The man's deep, unfathomable gaze was too direct, carrying a kind of aggressive tenderness.
Chu Hongyu's heart skipped a beat, but she quickly suppressed it with reason.
She instinctively avoided his gaze, her voice regaining its professional calm: "Young Master, I will study hard. It's almost time; we should head out to meet the two chairmen of Huifeng and Chada."
Although she often thought to herself that this man was a complete capitalist who was exploiting her time and energy.
But rationally speaking, she should be grateful to him.
If Ning Bingyu only saw her as a plaything, he would only give her fine clothes and money, but would never give her such a platform.
He would not allow her access to almost all core business secrets, and would wholeheartedly guide her.
Giving her opportunities to learn and grow clearly demonstrates the intention to cultivate her.
If she doesn't return to the mainland, the top-tier resources and clients she gains access to through him would be enough for her to establish herself in any multinational company in the industry, secure a regional vice president position, or even start her own company.
This is the sentiment that belongs to this man...
She understands...
But... that's all there is to it.
This man is too sophisticated and too cunning; she can't see through him.
What he can give may not be what she can ask for.
No matter how many promises she made, she couldn't give them to him...
Because President Ning's assistant and mistress, "Sophia," is from "Europe," she cannot return to the mainland.
The only one who could go back was Chu Hongyu, a Shanghai girl who had returned from studying in Hong Kong.
If you want to rise through the ranks in the Ministry of Finance and realize your ambitions, you either have to stay single or marry someone who works within the system.
The matriarch of the Ning family... must be a socialite of equal social standing to the Hong Kong government or other Chinese businesses.
Ning Bingyu's gaze behind his glasses deepened, but he ultimately just nodded faintly: "Let's go."
As the group left the brightly lit office, several black cars were already waiting downstairs.
The convoy silently slipped into the Hong Kong night, heading towards the famous Joy Fook Club restaurant.
Joyful Fortune Restaurant.
This time-honored shop, which has been in business since the Qing Dynasty, has witnessed the vicissitudes of Hong Kong for a century. Its facade is unassuming, but its interior is a hidden gem.
It is the preferred venue for private banquets by the top tycoons and powerful figures.
They were led into a private room called "Guanlan".
Rosewood tables and chairs, carved screens, calligraphy and paintings by famous artists hanging on the walls, and a faint sandalwood fragrance in the air—it's all antique and full of charm.
Not long after they sat down, the door to the private room was pushed open, and two well-dressed, distinguished-looking foreigners walked in.
One of them is the current head of HSBC Bank, and he has a Chinese name – Shen Bi.
He was a blond, blue-eyed Englishman with a standard, warm smile, yet his eyes held a sharp glint.
The other is Smith, the Hong Kong chairman of Cha Da Bank.
The old man had gray hair and a serious expression, bearing the prudence of a seasoned colonial banker.
Shen Bi extended his hand first, beaming, "Nephew Ning, it's been a long time."
Shen Bi had put in a lot of effort to help the Ning family acquire land in Tsim Sha Tsui from Jardine Matheson, and the two sides had a very good relationship.
Ning Bingyu shook hands with each of them, his expression composed: "Good evening, Uncle Shen Bi, Mr. Smith, thank you both for coming."
Chairman Smith’s voice was deep and powerful: “Young Master Ning is a promising young man. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
After exchanging pleasantries and taking their seats, the waiters began to serve a continuous stream of exquisite Cantonese dishes.
Abalone, sea cucumber, shark fin, and fish maw—every dish was meticulously prepared, reflecting the host's sincerity.
The atmosphere at the table seemed harmonious, with toasts being exchanged and laughter filling the air as people chatted about trivial market anecdotes and the weather.
But Ning Bingyu, Smith, and Shen Bi all knew exactly what was going on.
The purpose of this meal was far more than just to enjoy delicious food.
After a few rounds of drinks, Ning Bingyu put down his ivory chopsticks and got to the point: "Chairmen, the reason I invited you here today is that I hope Huifeng and Chada can consider our long-standing cooperation and lend a helping hand to Ning's current short-term difficulties, and not withdraw their loans."
“We may even need to borrow a large sum of short-term funds to alleviate Ning’s imminent liquidity crisis.”
It's here!
Smith and Shen Bi exchanged a glance, both seeing the expected look in each other's eyes.
Shen Bi put down his wine glass, a smile still on his face, but his tone was apologetic.
“Nephew, due to the recent turmoil in the financial market, banks have tightened their risk exposure. The head office’s risk control department has regulations that require high-risk loans to be reassessed, and it may be difficult to extend the loan term. I can only try my best to help.”
He cleverly shifted the blame to the "head office risk control department".
We'll try our best to help, but there's nothing we can do if we can't.
Chairman Smith, who was being questioned, was even more direct. He put down his knife and fork, wiped his mouth with a napkin—
“Young Master Ning, I admire your abilities, but frankly, many people do not want us to continue providing financial support to Ning’s Group. Since Ning’s Group has triggered the prepayment clause, we also have to be responsible to our shareholders.”
He shrugged, looking like he couldn't help.
Smith and Shen Bi, those two old foxes, had already discussed it before they came.
They all received instructions from "relevant authorities" in their home countries—
This implies that at this critical moment, they not only cannot provide new financial support to the Ning family, but may even have to withdraw part of the loan.
Chu Hongyu sat quietly to the side, and she could clearly sense the perfunctory and evasive nature of their words.
She frowned; these two old foxes were indeed not easy to deal with.
The Ning family has deep roots and strong influence in the Hong Kong government, and has a long history of cooperation with the two banks.
They didn't dare to easily break off relations.
What if the Ning family pulls through?
Therefore, their strategy is clear: play games, make excuses, delay, and shirk responsibility.
He wanted to avoid offending "those above" while also not completely provoking Ning Bingyu.
However, Ning Bingyu's face showed no sign of anxiety or disappointment.
He even smiled and said slowly to Hui Fung Bank's tycoon Chen Bi, "Speaking of risk control, Uncle, in 1978, Hui Fung Bank seemed to have some more flexible approaches to risk assessment?"
Chu Hongyu then took a document from her briefcase, gently placed it on the turntable, and pushed it in front of Huifeng's boss, Chen Bi.
The document is thin, and the cover is made of ordinary kraft paper.
Shen Bi picked up the document with a puzzled look, opened the first page, and after just one glance, his face turned pale!
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