After lunch, a group of people headed towards the Chamber of Commerce. Upon arrival, they found the president conversing with a man in a black robe. As they entered, the black-robed man vanished with a flicker, disappearing in the blink of an eye.
Such a feat left Tang Tianhao and the others in silence.
"Don't you knock when you come in?" Bai Qi looked at them coldly. Since the last meeting, he had stopped pretending, but his smile still unnerved them. His eyes were icy, yet he smiled, making him look eerie, as if his face didn't belong to him, with seven or eight thoughts on a single visage.
"Apologies, President. This matter is rather significant, and we were in a hurry." Since the last meeting, they no longer dared to have any temper with the president. Even someone of Tang Tianhao's stature wouldn't dare show any displeasure before Bai Qi.
"Speak!"
"President, it's like this. This morning, we took the documents to the bank to apply for a loan, but for some reason, all the banks refused us, stating insufficient loan quotas. Consequently, none of our thirty companies managed to secure a loan." Tang Tianhao took a deep breath, unsure if this news would anger Bai Qi, as an angry Bai Qi might very well eliminate them. Yet, it wasn't their fault.
"Are you suggesting that someone warned all the banks to deny you loans?" Bai Qi, understanding his implication, asked with a frown.
Tang Tianhao lowered his head and replied, "It's possible. The banks said they had a meeting at the City Mayor's Building this morning. The specifics of the meeting are unknown, but it might be related to this."
Bai Qi frowned, clearly surprised by this turn of events. After a slight nod, he said, "Alright, I understand. You can go back now. The Giant Whale Group has been established. Transfer all the funds to the Giant Whale Chamber of Commerce's account."
"Yes."
After they left, the black-robed man reappeared opposite Bai Qi and questioned him coldly, "Is this what you call having it all arranged?"
Bai Qi shrugged helplessly. "I didn't want this to happen either, but what can be done? According to you, Ye Longlin is most likely behind this. Besides him, I can't think of anyone else in Chang'an with such influence. His status is too formidable. Not only the banks, but Jin Wu would also treat his words as imperial decrees. Although he sought help from the Murong family and Yuan Zhan Group, I'm confident in my trading skills that no one can match me, especially on the international stage, where I rank first among traders."
Bai Qi, a legendary trader. His family owned a trading firm when he was young, and he developed a keen interest in it, learning by osmosis. At fifteen, he managed five hundred billion yuan in funds and doubled it to one hundred billion in just three days! Later, he studied finance in college and abroad. At twenty-five, he established a trading firm on Wall Street, rising from an unknown trader to the renowned "Wolf of Wall Street." However, due to a mistake, he lost all his investors' money, leading to a bounty on his head. Forced to flee, he encountered the Dark Hall, which recruited him, and he has been operating in Chang'an ever since.
Bai Qi had always wondered why, among so many major cities in the country, he was assigned to Chang'an. Now he understood. Perhaps the Dark Hall had discovered that the Xia family was Ye Longlin's mother's family and had been waiting there all along? Although this guess seemed far-fetched, the Dark Hall's methods were beyond his comprehension. Sometimes, the more far-fetched something seems, the closer it is to the truth.
"Never underestimate Great Xia. If you underestimate it, you'll be the one to suffer!"
"The Ye family is gone, and they've cost us an arm. Ye Longlin will definitely focus on dealing with us next. I have received orders from the Divine Leader to crush Ye Longlin in Chang'an, to absolutely not let him leave Chang'an alive! Yashin Tian has also received orders from the Palace Master. Once the trade war begins, Yashin Tian will come over after finishing his current tasks. Then... working with Yashin Tian, we will crush him here. There can be no mistakes this time! Ye Longlin has already caused considerable trouble for the Dark Hall, destroying overseas military bases and eliminating the Ye family domestically. Now, only the Finance Hall remains. This afternoon, the heads of the Finance Hall's chambers of commerce in major cities will come to Chang'an, and they will support you." the black-robed man said slowly, his tone calm. His face was indistinguishable, but judging by his voice, he seemed to be a middle-aged man.
Bai Qi fanned himself and pondered, "Chambers of commerce controlled by the Finance Hall across the country? Similar to the Giant Whale Chamber of Commerce?"
The black-robed man nodded. "Yes, a total of ten chambers of commerce. These are all from first-tier cities. They will bring money. They will land no later than eight o'clock tonight. You will arrange for them; they are all like you."
"Okay, I'll arrange everything. Also, I'd like to know your identity, or rather, if you are the Director of the Dark Hall in Chang'an. If so, I need your contact information. After all, to deal with Ye Longlin, it's best to communicate regularly. I can't discuss it with someone like Tang Tianhao, can I?"
Hearing this, the black-robed man remained silent for a moment, then nodded slightly, took a phone from his pocket, and threw it to him. "I anticipated this, so the phone is already prepared. Additionally, there are five catties of TNT under the chamber of commerce. If anything goes wrong, you can detonate it directly. The phone has a detonation number and my number. However, during the day, you must not contact me. My identity cannot be exposed. Contact me after ten o'clock at night. If something extremely important happens, contact me during the day, understand?"
Bai Qi took the phone and nodded. Then his gaze fell upon the black-robed man. "Since you put it that way, I have a general idea."
"It's good that you know. I will inform you in advance when Yashin Tian arrives in Chang'an. You can start preparing hidden locations for them now. Remember, it must be a place that cannot be discovered."
"I know. Aren't you confident in my abilities? Don't worry. Oh, regarding Ye Longlin, can you arrange for someone to monitor him?"