Chapter 58: Li Chao's Worries

Bao Yugang left in a hurry; after all, it would take him twenty to thirty minutes to drive back from Central.

After Bao Yugang's departure, Lin Haoran first took a shower and then reclined on the sofa to read a book, waiting for feedback from Bao Yugang's side.

Bao Yugang had told him before leaving that regardless of whether it succeeded tonight, he would call to inform him of the result.

This news might not arrive for another two or three hours, so he could only wait quietly.

Although he had great confidence in Bao Yugang's abilities, until success was achieved, everything was merely speculation.

Only upon receiving Li Jiacheng's reply would he truly be at ease.

No matter what, he was unwilling to compete with Li Jiacheng over Qingzhou Emerald the way Bao Yugang competed with Jardine Matheson.

As he was currently lacking deep foundations, he could not afford such turbulence.

Meanwhile, Bao Yugang had already driven back to his home in Deep Water Bay. Without taking a moment to rest, he walked directly to the Li family villa.

The two villas were not far apart—so close that the silhouette of Li Jiacheng's residence could be clearly seen from Bao Yugang's balcony. Such a location seemed to add a sense of convenience and tacit understanding to their frequent interactions.

"Brother Bao, a visit so late at night is truly flattering. I presume there is an urgent matter to discuss?" Outside the villa threshold, Li Jiacheng had already been waiting for some time. Seeing Bao Yugang approaching slowly, he hurried forward to meet him, his face beaming with a sincere smile.

In this era of shifting winds and changing tides, Bao Yugang was undoubtedly a leading figure in the Hong Kong Chinese business community, his prestige and achievements commanding respect.

Beyond professional respect, Li Jiacheng held a deep personal friendship for him.

"Brother Li, visiting so late is indeed presumptuous, but there is indeed a pressing matter I must discuss with you," Bao Yugang nodded slightly, his tone carrying a hint of apology and sincerity. "I know you are busy; this interruption is truly a matter of necessity."

As he spoke, Bao Yugang couldn't help but reflect that his purpose for coming was indeed somewhat asking too much of the other man.

But for the sake of the bigger picture, he had to thicken his skin and push forward.

After all, in the floating seas of commerce, sometimes a bit of persistence and courage can bring about unexpected turning points.

"Come, let's go into the study to talk in detail," Li Jiacheng said with a smile.

Because they visited each other frequently, they were quite familiar with each other's home environments and did not observe strict formalities.

In an instant, they had entered Li Jiacheng's study, which was filled with the scent of books.

Just as Li Jiacheng was about to fetch tea sets to brew tea, Bao Yugang waved his hand gently and smiled, "Don't trouble yourself with tea tonight, lest I toss and turn in the quiet of the night and find it difficult to sleep."

Hearing this, Li Jiacheng stopped his movements. A flash of curiosity crossed his eyes as he asked warmly, "Brother Bao, what kind of urgent matter is it that makes you so eager to discuss it overnight?"

"Brother Li, have you recently been secretly planning an acquisition of Qingzhou Emerald?" Bao Yugang first asked in a confirmatory tone, his voice laced with caution.

After all, Li Jiacheng always acted with meticulous care. The leak of this information made him suspicious, especially regarding how Lin Haoran had found out—whether there was a misunderstanding or a miscommunication involved.

Bao Yugang's question caused Li Jiacheng to look up abruptly, his eyes full of surprise and confusion.

He looked directly at Bao Yugang and said, "Brother Bao, how did you find out about this? We are indeed secretly preparing this plan, but the company has maintained strict confidentiality and has not disclosed a single detail to the outside world. Although progress has not been as smooth as expected, this is undoubtedly an important part of the CK Asset Holdings strategic blueprint."

Li Jiacheng's words revealed a hint of confusion and worry. His every move was always extremely cautious, and those involved were always the most reliable members of the group.

He began to meticulously sort through his thoughts, attempting to find any possible point of information leakage, yet after much deliberation, he still could not pinpoint any individual suspected of a leak.

"Are you attempting to quietly absorb Qingzhou Emerald's shares in the stock market, only to find little success?" Bao Yugang did not respond directly to Li Jiacheng's question, but instead further elaborated on the reason for his visit.

"That is indeed the case," Li Jiacheng nodded, his tone carrying a hint of helplessness. "Sell orders in the market are scarce, while buy orders are incessant, making it difficult for us to increase our holdings effectively. I have been observing recently and plan to change strategies in a while by approaching the shareholders of Qingzhou Emerald directly."

"Brother Li, my visit today is actually to ask you to give me some face and consider abandoning the acquisition plan for Qingzhou Emerald. I know this is asking too much, but if you agree, I can compensate you from other sources.

Furthermore, I also know that although your financial strength is immense, acquiring Qingzhou Emerald is now basically impossible, because someone else began positioning themselves for Qingzhou Emerald long before you did.

The shares they currently hold are quite substantial; they have long since become the largest shareholder of Qingzhou Emerald in secret. This is also the reason why you cannot absorb many shares from the stock market. More importantly, the financial strength of this behind-the-scenes player is equally not to be underestimated.

It is as if he has a complete grasp of your actions. If you insist on intervening, I fear it will only trigger a fierce battle for equity, which will most likely result in a situation where both sides suffer heavy losses," Bao Yugang said seriously.

Hearing this, Li Jiacheng's expression instantly turned solemn, and an unmistakable shock flashed in the depths of his eyes.

He muttered to himself in disbelief, "So someone has already taken the first step and firmly secured the upper hand."

At this moment, Li Jiacheng realized the truth. The numerous obstacles they encountered in the stock market were far from simple market fluctuations; instead, there was a much more complex and powerful manipulative force hidden behind them.

"How did he gain insight into our strategic deployment?" This question weighed on his heart like a massive boulder, becoming the most urgent mystery he wished to solve.

A chill rose in Li Jiacheng's heart; his greatest fear was nothing more than a traitor appearing within his own team.

This was not just a collapse of trust, but a massive threat to his future layouts.

He understood that if any of his secret plans were leaked, they would turn into nothingness and become a laughingstock in the eyes of his opponents.

Therefore, Li Jiacheng made up his mind: he had to investigate thoroughly to find out why his action plans were being leaked.

This uncertainty and the potential sense of betrayal made it impossible for him to sit idly by.

"Regarding that point, I truly know nothing," Bao Yugang responded, his tone carrying a hint of helplessness. "But if Brother Li truly wants an answer, I can try to arrange a meeting for you. At that time, you can ask him directly. Coincidentally, the other party is actually our close neighbor," Bao Yugang said, a bitter smile curling at the corners of his mouth.

Both of them held significant status in the Hong Kong business community; even when facing those massive British-funded enterprises, they could navigate with ease and composure.

However, this young man named Lin Haoran had been delivering continuous shocks to them in a way that far exceeded their expectations.