As dawn broke, the stock market on NASDAQ in the United States finally closed.
In the face of imnse difficulty, Yu Lei International managed to stabilize its position, thanks to the relentless efforts of the Athena Group, avoiding a complete defeat. However, everyone knew that when the stock market reopened the next day, Yu Lei would face another round of even more intense attacks. Without sufficient funds to fight back, Yu Lei's defense system could collapse at any mont.
This financial war, fought without gunpowder, had only just begun.
In a presidential suite of a five-star hotel in Zhonghai, the expansive floor-to-ceiling windows offered a view of the misty city bathed in the nascent morning sun. The soft, warm light gradually spread over the bustling tropolis.
An elderly man with white hair, dressed in a white silk pajama set, stood by the large window, seemingly having completed his morning exercise routine. He turned around and walked to a glass table where a large plate of fresh fruit, a steaming cup of milk, and several pieces of garlic-flavored toast were already laid out.
Before the old man could pick up his toast, he heard soone reporting from outside the suite, "Sir, Mr. Gao is here."
The old man frowned slightly, apparently displeased at having his breakfast interrupted, but he still said, "Let him in."
The door opened, and a well-dressed man with a dignified appearance walked in, wearing a fawning smile. Bowing deeply, he said, "Sorry to disturb your breakfast, Sir Mao. I shouldn't have co so early."
The old man, referred to as Sir Mao, put down his toast, resting his hands on the chair, and looked at Gao Guoxiong with a half-smile. "It seems you have good news."
A gleam of fierce excitent flashed in Gao Guoxiong's eyes. "Indeed. The stock market just closed, and our Southeast Asian team has taken the upper hand. Yu Lei has already lost at least three billion."
"Taking Yu Lei by surprise is nothing significant," Sir Mao murmured to himself. "The key lies in the next two days. With the funds you've pooled from Singaporean and Malaysian tycoons, we're sure to outmatch Yu Lei, who is currently strapped for cash. Besides, I've already pressured the banks, making it difficult for Yu Lei to get loans. Unless sothing unexpected happens, it's only a matter of ti before Lin Ruoxi concedes."
"Your vast network is the real key," Gao Guoxiong said, a trace of venom in his eyes. "Without you, I would still be stuck in prison because of Lin Ruoxi. Even if I had managed to gather enough funds, it would have been hard to compete against Yu Lei's prestigious brand. But now, with her lack of capital, even her business acun won't save her. Plus, we have other plans beyond the stock market. Once our hidden bombs in Yu Lei explode, Lin Ruoxi won't be able to withstand it."
"You're quite the scher," Sir Mao snorted with a cold laugh, glancing at a stack of copied docunts on a nearby table. "I didn't expect Lin Ruoxi to have such a background. You were smart to dig up that information. It might not have been useful before, but now it can deliver a fatal blow."
Gao Guoxiong's mouth curled into a sinister smile as he thought, "Lin Ruoxi, the humiliation you subjected to will be repaid with your suffering."
Just then, another report ca from the bodyguard outside, "Sir, Young Master Ning Guodong of the Ning family wishes to see you."
"Ning Guodong?" Sir Mao's eyes showed a hint of curiosity. "Let him in."
Ning Guodong, dressed in a fashionable Versace suit, walked into the room with a friendly and handso deanor. He didn't even spare a glance at Gao Guoxiong, who stood to the side, as if deeming him unworthy of his attention.
"Sir Mao, you truly are full of surprises, coming from Yanjing to Zhonghai all of a sudden and causing such a commotion behind the scenes," Ning Guodong said with a mischievous smile.
The old man tapped his fingers on the chair. "Young man from the Ning family, I'm curious. While Ning Zongli didn't show any reaction, you discovered the problem early on. What's going on?"
"It's simple," Ning Guodong said, peeling a small banana he had picked up from the round table. "Lately, I've taken an interest in Lin Ruoxi of Yu Lei International. So I started paying attention to everything around her. When the financial war erupted in the U.S. stock market last night, I had people investigate the situation. Early this morning, I was inford that it was you, Sir Mao, behind it all, along with a group of unruly followers. I then investigated your motives and found out that Lin Ruoxi has so deep-seated grudges with your family. Sir Mao, you're a senior, but bullying a young woman like this isn't right."
"Spare the sweet talk. You're nothing like your father," Sir Mao shook his head. "What's your purpose here?"
Ning Guodong took a bite of the banana and laughed. "This matter isn't that significant to . The reason Yu Lei is struggling now is because of its lack of political backing. The banks, under your pressure, won't lend to Yu Lei. But Sir Mao, you should know that the Ning family's influence is still greater."
A gleam appeared in Sir Mao's eyes. "So?"
"To , it doesn't matter who controls Yu Lei or if it gets destroyed. Right now, I just want one woman to be the future lady of the Ning family. I can't let anything happen to Lin Ruoxi, but I also need her to submit to ."
Sir Mao pondered for a mont and then gave a signal to Gao Guoxiong.
Without hesitation, Gao Guoxiong went over and brought a stack of copied docunts, handing them to Ning Guodong.
Ning Guodong took the docunts casually and quickly scanned them. At first, he looked puzzled, but then he froze in shock.
Sir Mao narrowed his eyes. "If it weren't for this, I wouldn't have co all the way from Yanjing to Zhonghai. It's because of these docunts that I'm confident of victory. I ca to Zhonghai to claim the spoils. However, since you care so much about that young woman, I'll leave these docunts in your hands. You can decide her fate."
Ning Guodong's hands trembled slightly as he rolled up the docunts.
In the old town area of Western Zhonghai, along a quiet little river, stood a row of old villas.
The villas were surrounded by 19th-century style wrought-iron fences adorned with intricate floral patterns. Inside the fence were various bushes, so of which had small red flowers blooming. Further in, there were green lawns and trees just beginning to sprout.
In the garden of one of the villas near the bend in the river, Guo Xuehua, who had just moved in the previous night, got up early to trim the branches with a pair of scissors.
Although the villa had been cleaned inside, the plants outside had not been tended to. Taking advantage of Wang Ma and Zhenxiu being busy in the kitchen preparing breakfast, Guo Xuehua wandered out to do so gardening.
As she walked along the path near the neighboring villa, Guo Xuehua saw a young woman bending over to water so potted plants in the neighboring garden.
The woman appeared to be about twenty-three or twenty-four years old, with fair and smooth skin. Her wavy long hair shimred faintly in the early sunlight, and her graceful, full figure could be vaguely seen under her loose cotton ho clothes.
Guo Xuehua, seeing the young woman in the morning light and sensing her gentle and relaxed deanor, couldn't help but watch for a while.
Noticing soone watching her, the young woman lifted her head and t Guo Xuehua's gaze.
Her face, devoid of makeup, was serene and elegant, with a touch of subtle charm, like distant mountains shrouded in mist and a clear lake covered in morning fog.
What a beautiful girl, Guo Xuehua thought, smiling kindly. "Hello."
The young woman seed slightly surprised but bowed politely. "Hello."
"We just moved in here. We'll be neighbors from now on," Guo Xuehua said with a smile.
The young woman nodded in realization and said straightforwardly, "I actually moved here not long ago myself. This is my old family ho, but I haven't lived here for many years. I recently found a partner and moved back here."
"Is that so? It seems we are quite fated to et," Guo Xuehua chuckled lightly. The more she looked at the girl in front of her, the more she liked her. For so reason, Guo Xuehua thought of her cold daughter-in-law. If her son Yang Chen had married this young woman, she might already be holding a grandchild. This girl was so polite, sincere, and kind-hearted. Although she wasn't as stunning as Lin Ruoxi, she was still a first-class beauty and seed much more approachable.
But then, Guo Xuehua thought wryly, what say did she have in whom her son married?
At that mont, a small motorbike stopped outside the villa's iron gate. A thin middle-aged man in a green coat took a bundle of letters from his canvas bag and shouted, "Mail delivery! Soone co and collect!"
The street was still quiet with few people around, and the postman's call was clearly heard.
Guo Xuehua glanced over, frowning. "Why doesn't he just put it in the mailbox? How troubleso." But she put down her scissors and walked towards the gate.
The woman in the neighboring garden also looked towards the postman, her delicate eyebrows knitting slightly, a strange glint passing through her beautiful eyes.
In a few monts, Guo Xuehua reached the gate, took off the big lock, and opened the heavy iron door.
"Why are there so many letters? We just moved in not long ago," Guo Xuehua asked, puzzled, looking at the thick stack of mail in the postman's hands.
The postman kept his head down and said nothing, stepping closer to Guo Xuehua. Suddenly, he lunged at her!
A white handkerchief covered the "postman's" hand, which he aid straight at Guo Xuehua's nose and mouth!
Guo Xuehua's face turned pale with fear. She instinctively tried to dodge, but she wasn't quick enough to avoid the man's swift attack!
"Bang!"
A dull thud sounded, and the man was sent flying by an unseen force, crashing into the gate pillar and losing consciousness imdiately.
"Auntie, are you okay?" It was the young woman from the neighboring garden who had appeared beside Guo Xuehua in the blink of an eye and kicked the man away!
Guo Xuehua almost stumbled but was caught and steadied by the young woman. It took her a mont to regain her composure. She turned to the young woman, still shaken.
"Auntie, he's unconscious now. It's safe," the young woman said with a gentle smile.
Guo Xuehua exhaled deeply, her gaze complex as she looked at the unconscious man. Who would suddenly want to drug her? She then realized she had been saved by this girl she had just t and felt a surge of gratitude. Patting the young woman's delicate hand, she asked, "Thank you, dear. I didn't catch your na."
"Rose," she replied with a radiant smile.
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