September 9, Australia.

The east coastline stretches for 2,000 kilometers, and the tides over tens of millions of years have created the natural wonder of coral reefs.

The waters are clear and bright, with islands scattered around, similar to the Maldives. Each island is a hotel resort, and Brother Qiangdong's wedding will be held here tomorrow.

“Some institutions shorted the market and their behavior changed from strangers at the door to barbarians. This is unacceptable.”

Australian time is two hours ahead of domestic time. At 8pm, the Gulfstream business jet landed at the archipelago transit airport. Xie Jingxing got off the plane and the domestic stock market closed on the last trading day before the National Day holiday.

The regulatory departments had just concluded their routine press conference, and someone from the investor protection unit harshly criticized the recent market malpractices.

Chen Xiyi said sternly with a slightly raised tone: "If they become destroyers of Made in China, they are sinners!"

"Huh? This is also the content of the press conference?" Xie Jingxing was slightly surprised.

"Uh, no, it was said by Zhou Jianping, chairman of Heilan Home."

Chen Xi's momentum stagnated, and he introduced the situation with an awkward smile: "Zhou Jianping and Jia Yueting are old classmates of the Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business. There were quite a few students in the C6 class of their CEO training."

“They are all old things.”

Xie Jingxing made an objective assessment, and walked towards the commuter bus parked in front of the helipad as he spoke: "Continue."

"Zhou Jianping said that he called on his classmates to provide financial assistance to Jia Yueting when necessary."

Chen Xi quickly stepped forward and opened the car door. Xie Jingxing raised an eyebrow. She cleared her throat and restrained her expression: "Some financial entrepreneurs do not have the moral qualities to match their wealth!"

"It looks like he's shorting LeEco, but in reality he's maliciously suppressing the entire traditional manufacturing industry. Many down-to-earth and hardworking manufacturing suppliers have seen their stock prices evaporate by hundreds of millions or even billions of dollars because of his few words."

She stared with wide eyes and spoke with disdain: "The bad behavior of some individuals will be nailed to the pillar of shame in business history. He is responsible for the long-term negative impact on the financial and manufacturing industries. He should apologize publicly immediately!"

Comfortable, Xie Jingxing nodded with satisfaction.

During the three trading days this week, thanks to LeTV's market performance in the first half of the year and Taihe Xiyou's restrained public opinion, a large number of retail investors took advantage of the decline to buy at the bottom, and the stock price fell by a total of 7.5%.

However, after Terry Gou tightened LeTV's credit rating, the share prices of several listed companies among their main suppliers were affected and fell sharply.

They all issued announcements to clarify the misfortune, saying that the scale of their supply business with LeTV was only in the tens of millions, so even if they couldn't get a penny of the payment back, their market value would not drop by several hundred million.

Or they can reluctantly admit that although LeTV owes some debts, it is a completely normal transaction and the company's business operations are in good condition and have not been affected.

Zhou Jianping seized on this point and made a far-fetched argument. The essence of the matter is that traditional enterprises are old things that don't understand the Internet but want to get a piece of the pie.

Jia Yueting was able to fool Guo Taiming with just a few moves, and it was easy for him to brainwash these more traditional old classmates.

“That’s basically the situation.”

Chen Xi returned to normal after reporting, adding: "Jia Yueting responded by thanking his old classmates for their love and support, and welcomed them to visit LeTV."

"Good performance, keep it up." Xie Jing Xing was enjoying it with great interest.

The main regulatory agency did not comment on LeEco's situation at the press conference, and a subordinate unit was so eager to overstep its authority that it even used the descriptive term "barbarian" without directly naming him.

It is obvious that it is just Jia Yueting's friends who are anxious. He himself is also desperate and several traditional companies can only scrape together a few coins after emptying their pockets.

The more this happens, the more it proves that market sentiment divergence has reached its peak, and the market just needs divergence to provide liquidity.

Both the bulls and the bears feel that this is a profitable opportunity to make money, and they curse each other and think the other side is an idiot. Only then will the chips circulate in large quantities, and then they will reach a consensus in the stalemate.

"How many companies has Grapefruit negotiated with?"

The commuter car twisted and turned to the helicopter landing platform, and Xie Jingxing sorted out his thoughts.

"There is no new progress for now. There is still only the fund under Industrial Bank. The two funds under Agricultural Bank seem to have a personal relationship with Jia Yueting and are more resolute."

Chen Xi glanced at his phone: "People from Central Huijin revealed that LeTV's Secretary Zhao Kai hinted at a good news announcement after the holiday during an investor conference call tonight."

"There are too few institutional shareholders of LeEco's circulating shares." Xie Jingxing frowned without commenting.

"Taihe estimates based on the financial information it has collected that if LeEco's stock price drops by two limit-downs, it will break through the risk control line of equity pledge for Jia Yueting and the top ten individual shareholders."

The iron-wing rotary helicopter flew over the sea, and the air current blew the voice away. Chen Xi felt a chill and hugged his clothes tightly, only one step away.

…………

The helicopter landed on Hayman Island, the northernmost island of the archipelago, and the wedding eve cocktail party had just begun.

When Xie Jingxing arrived at the outdoor lawn venue, Brother Qiangdong and Xiaotian were busy receiving guests. He found a dimly lit corner and played the role of an autistic child.

Domestic public opinion is now in an uproar. It would be bad to cancel an appointment to attend a wedding several months in advance, so just keep a low profile and try not to cause trouble on someone's big day.

"Some music, some dance!"

"It's not enough to just dance. How about letting Dong Ge kiss you while we dance?"

"Come on, stop bragging about how happy you are. Men and women, hurry up and find a partner to dance with. If you can't find a partner, drink!"

Xie Jingxing sat there bored for more than half an hour. Brother Qiangdong said a few polite words, and the cocktail party entered the dancing session. The guests were able to disperse and gather in groups of three or four to socialize.

Looking around, there were not many familiar faces, most of them were friends and relatives of both sides, and the atmosphere was lively and quite relaxed.

"I was still wondering why you said you would come early, but I haven't seen you since." Brother Qiangdong came over with his arm around Zhang Zetian to say hello.

Xie Jingxing took a gift box from Chen Xi: "Congratulations, happy wedding, and may you have a baby soon."

"We'll have a drink alone later." Brother Qiangdong gestured to the waiter for drinks.

"You go ahead and do your thing. I have a sudden schedule and will take an early morning flight to the United States."

Xie Jingxing handed the gift box to Zhang Zetian: "Heroine, you are the most beautiful in the audience tonight."

"Now that you're here, don't be in a hurry to leave. Brother Xiao Ma will be here tomorrow. We haven't seen each other for a long time, and he wants to chat with you." Brother Qiangdong tried to keep her for the sake of his face.

A stable family life of a business leader often has a positive impact on stock price performance, so he invited entertainment reporters to cover tomorrow's wedding and stir up the hype to save JD.com some marketing costs.

Family members have their own affairs, and there is really no need to use a meaningless ceremony like a wedding to prove how good the relationship between the two parties is.

Xie Jing Xing insisted, knowing it tacitly: "I came to take a look, so I didn't miss the chance to witness your love blossom and bear fruit. When we have a chance to reminisce about the past, I'll treat you to a drink when I return to China."

"Helicopters and yachts are not safe in the middle of the night, how are you going to get to the airport?" Zhang Zetian persuaded while holding the gift box.

"My apprentice is so thoughtful. I almost forgot that the island is different from the mainland. Safety comes first. You should wait until the wedding is over tomorrow before leaving."

At this point, Brother Qiangdong tightened his arm around her waist and changed the subject, jokingly saying, "Xiaotian, open it and see if your master gave you a gift that was not thoughtful, so you are in such a hurry to run away."

It's just a wedding, how inconvenient can it be? You might as well be quick and decisive and do the favors to save face.

"Is it appropriate for me to open it like this?" Zhang Zetian smiled slightly.

Xie Jingxing raised his finger and pointed at Brother Qiangdong, saying, "It's not good for me to steal your limelight by giving you a gift in public, right?"

"Hurry up and see what good stuff it is. Xiaotian calls you master. I will add luster to whatever you give me." Brother Qiangdong responded calmly.

Xie Jingxing spread his hands to signal for permission, and Zhang Zetian opened the gift box with her big eyes blinking in anticipation. The white gold necklace, which was covered with diamonds and inlaid with a huge sapphire, shone brightly in the dim light.

Brother Qiangdong's mouth twitched. The young man had no martial ethics. How could he take it seriously when he was just joking?

Zhang Zetian was stunned for a few seconds, covering her slightly parted red lips with the back of her hand, with mist in her bright eyes: "Master, thank you!"

"nice! You love it."

Xie Jingxing was suddenly embarrassed and didn't know what to say. This thing was indeed always available at home. He had just successfully put one on Zhou Fenglan in London yesterday. Song Anli and Concubine Pei each had two or three.

Yuan Jin has the most, with styles made of leather, velvet, and pearls that she can wear in a variety of styles for a week without repeating herself.

Brother Qiangdong smacked his lips secretly. He was willing to give away luxury houses, luxury cars, and even bags and watches. Spending hundreds of millions to give stones had nothing to do with being willing or not. It was meaningless to be such a pure sucker.

"Hey, Xiaotian, your parents are asking us to come over."

He took a sip of the champagne glass and coughed lightly. Zhang Zetian was moved and thanked him again and again, and the two left side by side.

Xie Jingxing looked in the direction he was looking at. Xiaotian's parents looked like they were the same age as Brother Qiangdong. They were surrounded by their relatives and friends, their faces were beaming with joy.

Chen Xi couldn't help but mutter: "It's still too comprehensive."

"What?" Xie Jingxing was confused.

Chen Xi lowered his eyebrows and explained shyly, "It's rare to find a man like you who is willing to be romantic to a girl."

"Don't talk nonsense."

Xie Jing Xing couldn't help but look cold, and after a pause he said softly: "Xiao Tian has finally gotten what he wanted."

Chen Xi flattered the horse and nodded silently, thinking that even a cold person would have sensitive points, and a good disciple still had some real feelings. She was summing up her experience when a tall, thin middle-aged man suddenly emerged from the dark.

"Hello, Mr. Xie, can we chat for a few minutes?"

The man was dressed in a well-ironed suit and spoke standard Mandarin with a barely noticeable stiff accent, a typical European and American Chinese accent, perhaps because he had been abroad for too long.

Chen Xi perked up instantly, gestured towards the distance, and two burly bodyguards quickly approached.

Xie Jingxing put down his wine glass: "What do you want?"

"Mr. Xie, I have no ill intentions. You should be able to guess why I'm here."

The man calmly allowed the two bodyguards to approach him, one on the left and one on the right, sandwiching him in the middle, and raised his arms over his shoulders in a gesture of surrender.

Xie Jingxing felt the inquiring gazes from all around him: "You are playing rogue with me, right?"

"I'm really sorry that I have no other choice but to do this. Your Excellency is magnanimous. Please give me a chance, otherwise I can only kneel here and beg you." The man nodded calmly and sincerely to show his respect.

Xie Jingxing picked up the wine glass, and Chen Xi subconsciously reached out to grab the corner of his clothes, which was gently pulled open.

The group of four walked across the lawn and along the sidewalk for about ten minutes. The lights and stars were dimly lit, illuminating the sea with its clear and azure blue.

"Are you looking for money or survival?" He pulled up his trouser legs and strolled on the beach.

The man lagged behind by half a body length: "All of them, you can make a condition, and we'll stop here."

"If you want less, it's meaningless. If you want more, you can't afford it."

Xie Jingxing shook his head. The man was neither anxious nor impatient and waited quietly for the next words.

Four years ago, Jia Yueting used the Internet business model to lure out Zhang Zhao, a partner of Light Media, and founded LeTV Pictures, which within just four years achieved a 10% market share in film distribution.

On the one hand, IP movie series such as Tiny Times and Boonie Bears are making huge profits; on the other hand, The Crossing, Wolf Totem and The Great Wall, which are the largest single investment projects of the year, have suffered heavy losses for several consecutive years.

Is it that Zhang Zhao is not capable enough?
No, there are not many people in the country who can run like him while dragging their half-crippled bodies, continuously expand their market share and generate revenue.

But the reason why he is half-disabled is that he cannot refuse many projects that he knows will lose money, and it is difficult to stop Jia Yueting from withdrawing cash flow from LeTV Pictures time and time again.

The same is true for all other businesses in the LeEco system. This company is like a granary that claims to have stored 700 billion bags of rice. When Xie Jingxing kicks the door open, he will find that there are only 300 billion bags, or even less.

Some rats were in a hurry to pack up and take away their share before the truth came out. Some rats had taken too much before, and their traces were recorded in the book and difficult to erase. They died as soon as the door was opened and exposed to the light.

So it is about seeking wealth and also seeking a way to survive.

"I'm a pure businessman, you know that?" Xie Jingxing finally stopped after leaving a long trail of footprints on the beach.

The man was speechless and almost couldn't hold it in. He carefully looked at the profile of the young man in front of him in the moonlight, and inexplicably felt as if he was seeing a white lotus.

If he possessed the laws of absolute fairness and justice, he would also be the purest and cleanest broker, able to roll around in the wind, rain and blood without being stained by a speck of dust.

"Can you swim?" Xie Jingxing asked again.

The man thought he was hallucinating: "You mean swimming in the water, freestyle?"

"Help him take off his clothes."

Xie Jingxing turned his head and said to the bodyguard, the last guy who showed up with a ghostly look in his eyes and played tricks on him has now changed his name to Zhou Sen.

The man squinted his eyes and looked at his back, then at the two bodyguards who were standing there without moving.

He rolled up his sleeves and silently got into position, swinging his arms vigorously and jumping around, his hands clapping loudly.

This is a creature who can lie in the ICU on the bloody streets and still resolutely carry out business transactions as usual - and will not accept any threats.

The man was forced to force a chance to talk by approaching the woman at a cocktail party, and he was ready for revenge.

It's just swimming, which is easier than he thought. After warming up and preparing himself mentally, he took off all his clothes and swiftly walked into the sea to soak.

The two bodyguards looked at each other and gasped. The water was so cold!
…………

"Master, Master, is that you?"

A warm yellow camping light was floating in the air, and a slender shadow was moving from far to near, with one foot deep and one foot shallow. Zhang Zetian breathed a sigh of relief: "Why didn't you say anything?"

"You knew I was here?" Xie Jingxing lowered his head slightly, his face hidden in the shadows and unable to be seen clearly.

"The party is almost over. Dong Ge couldn't find you when he came to drink with you. He called you but you didn't answer. He thought you were gone."

Zhang Zetian looked at Chen Xi with a puzzled look and sat down on a chair nearby: "Ask the hotel staff, a waiter said he saw you coming here."

Xie Jing Xing took a sip of the wine and slowly swallowed it down his throat to feel the taste.

Chen Xi clenched her palms meaningfully. Not long ago, when Xindashi and Meituan were at a decisive moment, Liu Qiangdong visited him in the name of inviting him to attend his wedding, which led to their current master-disciple relationship. He also introduced Zhang Lei to meet and mediate the dispute.

It was just like this moment at that time, and this time there was no middleman to act as a matchmaker, and the bad intentions were even greater.

"Master, what's wrong with you?"

Zhang Zetian didn't get a response, so she turned around and tilted her head to look at Chen Xi: "What's wrong with you? Did I offend you?"

"I felt it when I went to the US for a fundraising roadshow. What does it mean that you keep looking at me with strange eyes? Do you think I'm taking your work and stealing your assistant job opportunity?"

As she spoke, she raised her voice: "Everyone can see your little tricks, why are you pretending to be dumb now?"

"Have you been drinking?" Xie Jingxing rubbed the wine glass in his hand.

Zhang Zetian waved her hand and said angrily, "Master, look at her."

"You've drunk too much. Let Liu Qiangdong pick her up." Xie Jingxing drank the wine in his glass.

Zhang Zetian stared blankly, trying to see through the night and see what he was thinking.

His eyes were red and sore, and at first he pursed his lips in grievance and shed silent tears, then he sniffed and sobbed, and finally he raised his chin and howled without crying.

"Get her away quickly." Xie Jingxing lost his patience.

Zhang Zetian stopped crying instantly, her face flushed and her mouth reeking of alcohol: "Xie Jingxing, stop talking nonsense! Is it wrong for me to care about you with good intentions? Did Liu Qiangdong offend you? He is him and I am me, you..."

"Pei Fei's artist studio has signed a contract with a girl named Chen Duling."

Xie Jing Xing stood up and interrupted, "You two are the same age, both studied in Nanjing, both became famous because of a campus photo, and participated in the same online school beauty ranking. She ranked first and you ranked second."

"You two have the same temperament and similar faces. Concubine Pei is spending a lot of resources to support her. I don't know why, do you know?" He spoke in a rapid series of words.

Zhang Zetian calmly brushed the messy hair around her ears and said, "I think Song Anli has the gift you gave me, too?"

"..." Xie Jingxing's brain froze and he was speechless.

"Master, you are so heartless."

Zhang Zetian smiled, hooked her fingers to take off a pair of high heels, and staggered past him barefoot: "Anyway, I really don't know what happened just now."

"and many more."

Xie Jingxing grabbed her arm, took over a pair of silver high-heeled shoes covered with sparkling diamonds, wiped the sand off the surface with his sleeve, and bent down.

"My feet are rubbing and it hurts." Zhang Zetian frowned slightly.

Xie Jing Xing carefully helped her put on her shoes: "From now on, every step will be a success."

"I thought you were going to say Rousseau."

"?"

"Man is born free, but is everywhere in chains. Philosophy is your second major." Zhang Zetian held on to his arm to steady herself and followed him closely.

Xie Jingxing opened his mouth: "Wearing shoes is a part of human civilization."

"Tsk, you talk like you're human... Eh? What's that person in the water doing?"

"Swimming toward shore."

"He was clearly soaking in the water and not moving."

"It's a philosophical question. He was running naked without any clothes on and only had the nerve to come ashore after we left."

The voices of conversation faded away. In the darkness, a man with a blue face and severe hypothermia climbed ashore. Trembling, he took out his cell phone from his pocket and sent a group message: If you see a dragon, disarm the merchant. Hand over your guns and don't kill us. Wait until dawn!
"Brother, have you recovered?"

The bodyguard shook his bear-like shoulders and said with concern: "Go down when you have recovered. It's still a long way to go before dawn. You need to soak thoroughly."

"Grass!" (End of this chapter)