Homo Sapiens

The phone slipped from his hand.

It clattered onto the desk.

Wu Heguang's pupils dilated. He suddenly clutched his chest, gasping for breath. "HUFF... HUFF... ugh..."

His secretary, standing nearby, froze for a moment before snapping to her senses. She quickly took a Life-Saving Pill from a drawer and gave it to Wu Heguang, then called for medical staff from the company's infirmary.

After a flurry of panicked activity, Wu Heguang finally recovered under the care of two medical personnel.

But under the recent, continuous blows, he had lost much of his vitality. His former composure and refined air were gone, replaced by a sense of decay and desolation.

Donghua Group was now teetering on the brink of a perilous crisis.

Across the ocean, Thomas Morgan, upon hearing through his inside channels at Donghua Group that their ammonia synthesis equipment had failed inspection, immediately had his people cut their losses and dump their final 3.3% of the stock.

Meanwhile, many senior executives within Donghua Group were also secretly selling off their company shares.

In an instant, Donghua Group's stock price on the Xiangjiang market plummeted. It fell to just 6.2 HKD per share that day, less than a quarter of its previous value.

And through their pre-planned short-selling, the Internal Affairs Division's finance office not only acquired 37.2% of Donghua Group's stock but also earned nearly 400 million HKD in the process.

At this point, less than 29% of Donghua Group's shares were left floating on the stock market.

In other words, if Li Qingye wanted to make a move, he could now consolidate the shares he held and call for a shareholder meeting.

But Li Qingye didn't do so. Making a move now would only put Wu Heguang on high alert, causing him to desperately cling to his own stock. After all, a 34% stake was enough to veto many board resolutions.

Furthermore, disclosing his holdings now would mean Li Qingye would have to take on Donghua Group's debts and troubles.

Although these troubles were being orchestrated by the Homo Sapiens Company, it didn't mean the company was willing to expose itself.

The finance office's operation to absorb floating shares from the market continued in secret.

Fortunately, Donghua Group was listed in Xiangjiang, not North America. The Xiangjiang stock exchange doesn't allow dual-class share structures. This was also why Ali Company was unwilling to list in Xiangjiang back then, as a single-class structure makes it easy for founders to lose their controlling say.

Wu Heguang was out of options. He knew Kailuo Company wouldn't let this go. He had to either file for bankruptcy and restructuring or sell off some assets to compensate Kailuo Company.

After much deliberation, he decided to call his old friend, Du Shuping.

"Shuping, you know the situation at Donghua. I need some funds for an emergency. Everything is negotiable."

"Brother Wu, it's not that I'm unwilling to help. But the real estate and building materials industries are in a slump this year. Xinxin Group has taken on considerable debt these past two years, and it's about the same for Jianxin's Purple Sky Group. The financial sector is also in a downturn..."

On the other end of the line, Du Shuping's tone was one of helplessness.

"Shuping, for the sake of our many years of friendship, please help me out. I'm willing to sell you my 6.3% stake in Xinxin Group. What do you think?" Wu Heguang felt incredibly frustrated.

Years ago, he, Du Shuping, and Yang Haibo had joined forces with other partners and major shareholders—18 parties in total—to carve up the shares of Xinxin Group.

Among them, Du Shuping, Wu Heguang, and Yang Haibo had profited the most.

Currently, among Xinxin Group's major shareholders, Du Shuping was first with 11.5%, Wu Heguang was second with 6.3%, Li Qingye was third with 5.8%, and Yang Haibo followed with 5.2%.

Du Shuping and the others had acquired their shares by buying up stock from smaller shareholders and employees through asset restructuring and subsidiary IPOs.

Now, excluding Li Qingye's 5.8%, the 18 parties including Du Shuping had increased their combined stake in Xinxin Group to around 67%, almost reaching the threshold for absolute control.

As for the shares in Li Qingye's hands, Du Shuping knew he couldn't get them.

But as the current chairman and president of Xinxin Group, he could use other means to funnel a portion of the group's profits to his son Du Jianxin's Purple Sky Group.

In fact, the other major shareholders were doing much the same, or even directly acquiring Xinxin Group's subsidiary businesses, slowly bleeding the company dry.

Therefore, Du Shuping wasn't actually very interested in the Xinxin Group shares Wu Heguang held.

He replied ambiguously, "Brother Wu, I need some time to think about it. I hope you can understand. After all, I have a large family to support over here."

"...Alright! I'll be waiting for your good news." Wu Heguang hung up with a dry laugh.

On his end, Du Shuping also hung up the phone.

Another person in his office spoke up with a smile, "Dad, you're not actually planning to lend Wu Heguang money, are you?"

"Lend him money? You must be joking." Du Shuping lit a cigarette. "Hah... He hasn't hit rock bottom yet. If we wait a while longer, we can acquire his businesses at an even lower price."

"That's a relief." Du Jianxin picked up his phone and dialed a number in Xiangjiang.

"Hello, boss! What are your orders?"

"Shi Yuan, continue shorting Donghua Group."

"I see. OK!"

Purple Sky Group's Xiangjiang branch primarily engaged in investment, finance, and IPO services. When the Donghua Group affair began, they reacted quickly and joined the ranks of the short-sellers.

Evidently, Du Jianxin didn't care much for Wu Heguang. So-called friendship was merely a distorted expression of self-interest.

Now that Donghua Group and Wu Heguang were in crisis, it was only natural that not one of the other 17 parties was willing to step up and help.

...

「Aboard the cruise ship, the Sapphire.」

This cruise ship had already been sold by Xu Yingming to the Blue Tourism Company, which was an asset under the name of Li Qingye's other identity: Andrew.

At this moment, Li Qingye had transformed into a genuine Latin American. Both in appearance and in his official identity, he was flawless.

The Blue Company was registered in the Bermuda Islands and operated in transportation, tourism, and finance.

Li Qingye was on board the Sapphire. The cruise ship, carrying several hundred other tourists, was currently on its way to Xiangjiang.

Taking a rare moment to relax, Li Qingye sat at a gambling table and glanced at the playing cards in his hand.

At this table were also a few minor tycoons and rich heirs from Xiangjiang, as well as the second daughter of the Chen Family from the Luzon Jollibee Company, and a middle-aged man from a branch of the Malaysia Guo Clan.

Li Qingye casually tossed out 500,000 in chips, then revealed his hand.

The two cards were the 3 of spades and the 8 of diamonds.

The others all called his bet.

He then stood up, casually adjusted his collar, and waved with a smile. "Deal the cards. Please, enjoy yourselves."

The dealer quickly dealt the cards.

And Li Qingye's figure had already vanished from the main hall.

Just then, the dealer turned over the card dealt to Li Qingye's spot. It was the 10 of hearts. Apparently, Li Qingye had won again.

「Back in his private cabin.」

"Boss, this is the latest intelligence." Phil appeared behind him as if out of nowhere.

Taking the earpiece and inserting it into his ear, Li Qingye immediately began to laugh.

'An alliance of interests... how much trust and friendship can you really expect from them? I thought they might huddle together for warmth. It seems the human impulse to kick someone when they're down is far more common than offering a helping hand in a time of need!'

"Sir, your lunch." Sangjibada Laiyal, dressed in a maid's uniform, set down the lunch. Her eyes filled with reverence as she spoke:

"In my heart, sir, you are the kindest person."

Li Qingye washed his hands and said with a smile, "Jasmine, no need to give me the 'good guy' card. Good people can't survive in this world. 'Ultimate evil' is the name that suits me best!"

"That's not true at all... Sir, you're obviously the best person in the world..." Sangjibada Laiyal murmured under her breath.

Putting down the towel, Li Qingye smiled and shook his head. "Because only by becoming the ultimate evil can one truly be kind."

"Only by becoming the ultimate evil can one truly be kind?" The girl struggled to comprehend the meaning of his words.

But Li Qingye didn't explain. Instead, he began to eat his meal in a slow, deliberate manner.

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