280 Million Secured

On Wednesday, Sanjiang remained suspended.

At two in the afternoon, Zhao Chen once again sat in the same spot at the Shiguang café.

Visibility outside was less than fifty meters. The forest of high-rises across the way had vanished completely into the milky-white haze, leaving only the halos of nearby streetlights bleeding into blurry yellow patches in the fog.

He had arrived ten minutes early and ordered an Americano, with nothing added.

When the coffee arrived, he was staring at Bitcoin's price chart on his phone—the price was fluctuating narrowly around 740 US Dollars, like the suffocating calm before a storm.

He knew that in another twenty days, that calm would be completely shattered. The price would soar, breaking through the 1000 US Dollars mark.

But Bitcoin was not what he had come here to wait for today.

At two oh five, the door to the café was pushed open, letting in a gust of cold, damp fog.

Zhang Qingxue walked in.

She wore a dark blue cashmere coat today, with a crisply pressed white shirt beneath it. Her hair was meticulously tied back, and she carried a black briefcase that looked heavy.

Even in such dreadful weather, the competence and precision that belonged to a top lawyer remained as sharp and distinct about her as a blade.

"Sorry. The fog was heavy on the road, so I drove slowly."

She sat down across from him, gently setting the briefcase on the empty chair beside her. At the same time, she waved to the approaching server. "One black coffee, thank you."

Only after the server left did she look at Zhao Chen. Her gaze lingered on his face for two seconds, as though assessing something, before she pulled a thick Kraft Paper File Bag from her briefcase and pushed it across the table to him.

"It's done."

Her voice was kept low, audible only to the two of them.

"The Special Opportunities Fund under Singapore's Rock Capital. Using the 10% stake in Henglong Group under your name as collateral, they issued a loan at 70% of the market value calculated from the closing price on the last trading day before the suspension. That comes to 280 Million Hong Kong Dollars, all of which has been transferred into the offshore account you opened at UBS Bank in Switzerland."

Zhao Chen did not touch the file bag. He merely watched her quietly.

Zhang Qingxue continued, her speech speed steady and clear, as if presenting a case in court.

"The interest rate is 15% annualized, payable quarterly. The pledge agreement runs for two years. This is the harshest condition—the forced liquidation line is set at a 25% drop in share price. Once it is triggered, you have a five-trading-day grace period for a margin call. If you fail to make up the margin within that period, they have the right to unconditionally force liquidation of the pledged shares."

She paused, her eyes behind gold wire glasses sharp as knives.

"Xiao Chen, I must remind you once more. If Henglong's share price falls sharply, this deal could cause you to lose all your shares in an instant. You might even end up saddled with enormous debt if you cannot cover the margin call. And if your father finds out before then..."

"He won't find out." Zhao Chen cut her off, his voice so calm that it carried not a single ripple. "I won't give him the chance."

He reached out and picked up the heavy file bag, but did not open it. His fingertips merely brushed the rough paper surface.

280 Million Hong Kong Dollars—roughly 220 Million RMB.

It was an astronomical sum that would drive most people mad, and it was the first truly meaningful ammunition on his Path of Vengeance.

"The grace period," he said, lifting his eyes to Zhang Qingxue. "You negotiated that?"

Zhang Qingxue nodded slightly. "They initially offered only three trading days. I cited the fact that the pledged subject involved shares held by the primary relative of a listed company's controlling shareholder, and that potential Information Disclosure Delay and Market Reaction needed to be considered. That got us two more days."

She took a sip of the black coffee that had just arrived. "But that is only a theoretical buffer. If it really comes to that, five days and three days won't make much difference."

"The difference is enormous," Zhao Chen said softly. A cold gleam flashed deep in his eyes, one only he could understand.

Only he knew that news of Father Zhao Jianguo being taken away for investigation would suddenly break on the morning of November 8th.

Henglong's stock price would suffer a flash crash within twenty minutes of the market opening that day, plunging by more than 29% at its worst, before struggling around the 25% mark for the rest of the day.

Without those five days of grace, his pledged position would be forced into liquidation the instant the share price hit a 25% decline. He would lose everything.

But now, those five days were the time difference he needed for a desperate counterattack.

"The money has arrived. How do you plan to use it?" Zhang Qingxue set down her coffee cup and studied him. "You mentioned Bitcoin during our last call. But I have to warn you, that asset is far more volatile than stocks and lacks regulation. Your principal..."

"Aunt Zhang," Zhao Chen interrupted again. This time, he leaned forward slightly, lowering his voice even further until it was nearly drowned out by the low background music in the café.

"I'm not buying Bitcoin. At least, not yet."

Zhang Qingxue's brows drew together slightly. "Then you need this much cash in order to..."

"Short selling." Zhao Chen enunciated the two words clearly.

The hand holding Zhang Qingxue's coffee cup stiffened almost imperceptibly.

"Short selling what?" she asked, and for the first time, unmistakable gravity entered her voice.

Meeting her scrutinizing gaze, Zhao Chen spoke one word at a time. "Short sell Henglong."