A Silent Change of Ownership

On a remote island deep in the Pacific Ocean, in the study of a safe house, Richard Walton, after signing the "agreement" that would hand over half his life's work, seemed to have his soul instantly emptied.

He slumped onto the cold floor, leaning against the table leg, staring blankly at the ceiling, like a rapidly weathering stone statue.

However, the gears of time in the external world do not stop turning because of someone's collapse. Instead, under the hunter's precise control, they begin to run at an unprecedented speed.

Within an hour of Lin Feng's "hunter's call," the agreement framework was transmitted in the form of an encrypted data stream to Walton's legal team and Walton himself.

There was no room for negotiation, no ambiguous terms. The core terms were cold and direct: to acquire all NLG shares held by the Walton Family and their affiliates, as well as a list of NLG's core assets, based on the closing price of NLG stock on the last trading day before it was suspended from trading on the exchange due to a "major event" (a heartbreakingly low figure).

In consideration, Lin Feng will pay a fixed amount of cash to an offshore account designated by the Walton Family through an anonymous trust set Cayman Islands. The agreement also includes strict confidentiality, non-compete, and non-defamation clauses, and requires the Walton Family to "voluntarily" resign from all positions in NLG and all affiliated companies, and promise to cooperate with a smooth transition.

Walton's legal team consisted of Seattle's top M&A lawyers, but faced with this almost one-sided agreement and the employer's despondent attitude of wanting to settle things as quickly as possible, all they could do was make a last-ditch effort on some insignificant procedural clauses and wording, trying to preserve the last bit of legal "decency" for the employer and ensure the absolute security and secrecy of the payment process.

The real negotiations had already ended when Lin Feng gave him "ten minutes to consider." The "negotiations" at this moment were more like a farewell performance with a predetermined outcome.

Downtown Seattle, a top-tier law firm renowned for handling high-net-worth clients and complex cross-border transactions. The largest conference room was booked, its heavy walnut doors tightly shut, providing excellent soundproofing.

At one end of the long conference table sat Walton and his two core lawyers, all three looking ashen and their eyes darting around. At the other end was K personally leading a team, along with a group of lawyers, accountants, and financial advisors from New York and Hong Kong urgently brought in by Lin Feng, all experts in United States. securities law and cross-border mergers and acquisitions.

They wore impeccably pressed dark suits, their expressions focused and calm, with thick stacks of documents, open laptops, and complex financial models laid out in front of them.

The meeting lasted a full thirty-six hours, with only brief breaks for food and rest. The atmosphere was oppressive, with only the rustling of pages turning, the soft tapping of keyboards, and the lawyers' rapid-fire, hushed discussions using technical jargon.

K sat silently most of the time, only offering his final opinion in concise and clear language when confirming key terms. His presence was like a cold, steady guide, ensuring that the negotiations did not deviate from the predetermined course.

Walton himself was like a soulless bystander, only stiffly picking up a pen when his own confirmation or signature was required, prompted quietly by his lawyer.

His gaze rarely met the person opposite him; he stared intently at the table or looked out at the gloomy sky, as if gazing at his own crumbling world.

Finally, late the following night, a final agreement, supplementary documents, disclosure lists, and various legal commitment letters, totaling over a thousand pages, were neatly organized and presented to both parties.

There were no witnesses, no champagne, and not even a few extra words at the signing ceremony.

Walton picked up the Montblanc pen that had been with him for many years and had been used to sign countless important contracts. The nib hovered above the signature area, trembling slightly. The camera could get a close-up of his hand, which was covered with age spots and was now bloodless, with the veins bulging on the back of his hand, and his profile, which seemed to have aged ten years in an instant.

He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and when he opened them again, all that remained was utter numbness. Then, with all his might, controlling his trembling, he carefully signed his name at the end of the document—Richard Walton.

His handwriting was crooked and weak, a stark contrast to his usual elegant and flowing style. After signing the last letter, he seemed to have been drained of his last bit of strength. His hand loosened, and the expensive fountain pen fell with a "clatter" onto the clean table, rolling a few times.

On K's side, the person signing on behalf of the acquiring party was a middle-aged Chinese lawyer with a sharp and capable demeanor, wearing gold-rimmed Glasses. He moved steadily, picked up the pen, and smoothly and forcefully signed his authorization signature on the document representing "Silent Wind Capital)," then stamped it with the company seal that had been prepared beforehand. The whole process took less than ten seconds, precise, efficient, and without the slightest hesitation.

The agreement is effective immediately upon signing.

The transfer of power, in a legal sense, was completed silently in the still of the night, in this starkly lit conference room. There was no applause, no congratulations, only the dull thud of the documents being closed, like a boulder finally settling down, stirring up invisible dust.

The instruction to activate the agreement was transmitted via the encrypted network almost simultaneously with the stamping of the seal.

At NLG Group, most employees had already left work. However, the lights were still on in key areas such as the finance department, IT center, human resources department, and the president's office.

Dozens of men and women dressed in dark suits and wearing temporary "Silent Wind Consulting" badges on their chests, accompanied by a small number of "Blood Spear" mercenaries (who had changed into security uniforms), calmly and quickly moved into the various core departments.

Their actions were efficient, orderly, and carried a military precision.

The finance department controls all bank account USB tokens, electronic payment keys, and company seals.

The IT center took over the highest privileges of the core servers and deployed a new security gateway and auditing procedures.

The Human Resources Department has blocked the personnel files of senior executives and key personnel, and is preparing new employment contract templates.

The president's office and board meeting room underwent access control system replacement and important documents were inventoried.

There was no conflict, no resistance. The few night shift staff and middle managers remaining at NLG mostly chose to remain silent and cooperate after receiving brief emails or phone calls from the "new boss" and seeing the "takeover personnel" who had calm expressions but sharp eyes and were clearly well-trained.

A few die-hard Walton supporters attempted to question or obstruct the proceedings, but they quickly fell silent under the presentation of legally valid documents and the silent yet intimidating gaze of the "Blood Spear" security personnel. The tide had turned, and resistance was futile.

Meanwhile, the ABZ Team scattered across various states received new instructions. They shed their cold masks and, instead posing as "special security advisors for the new management," contacted the drivers who had been "on sick leave" again. This time, it wasn't a threat.

They carried envelopes containing cash (small "return-to-work incentives"), along with a printed "safety guarantee commitment" and "salary and benefits optimization announcement" from the "NLG new management team," going door-to-door or by phone to "reassure" and "persuade" the workers.

"The trouble has been resolved; those who threatened you have been dealt with."

"The new boss values everyone's safety and will strengthen line protection and driver safety measures."

"Upon returning to work, in addition to your regular salary, you'll receive a bonus. The benefits will only improve in the future."

"Of course, the choice is yours. However, NLG will remember every friend who was willing to come back during difficult times."

The second half of the carrot-and-stick approach quietly unfolded. Fear was temporarily soothed, and benefits were promised. Under the dual influence of cash and "safety guarantees," coupled with the fear of NLG's potential collapse and their own complete unemployment, most drivers, amidst fear and hesitation, chose to believe, or at least, go back and check. The lifeblood of this giant logistics network began to flow slowly and laboriously again.

The following morning, before the Nasdaq opened.

Northwest Logistics Group (NLG) released a brief announcement through official channels:

Northwest Logistics Group announced today that it has reached a framework agreement for equity transfer with an investment fund ("the Fund"). According to the agreement, the Fund will acquire all the equity held by the Company's controlling shareholder and its affiliates, and thus gain control of the Company.

This transaction aims to provide the company with necessary liquidity support to address current operational challenges and ensure its long-term stable development. Meanwhile, the company confirmed that the recent logistics disruptions have been initially resolved and the network is being restored. Trading in the company's shares will resume today.

The announcement was carefully worded, making no mention of the Walton Family, no statement of the acquisition price, and not even revealing the specific name of the acquiring party. However, the keywords "change of control," "liquidity support," and "resolvement of operational challenges" were enough to stir up waves in the market.

NLG shares, which had been suspended from trading for two days, resumed trading amid great uncertainty. The opening price was significantly lower, with panic selling and stop-loss orders surging, causing the stock price to drop again.

However, as the market quickly digested the news of the "change of control" and "preliminary resolution of the problem," and with the massive short-selling orders from the earlier period settling down and prices falling, orderly closing out positions to realize profits, buying interest began to emerge. Amidst violent fluctuations, the stock price staged a deep V-shaped rebound, ultimately closing more than 18% higher than its price before trading was suspended. Trading volume reached a new record high.

This is not a "return" to NLG's value, but rather a combined result of the event's resolution, short covering, and the market pricing in the uncertainty (or hope) that the "new owner" may bring.

The stock price is still far from its peak, but at least it has temporarily avoided the nightmare of going to zero. For Lin Feng, who just completed the acquisition, this means that the assets they bought at extremely low prices have instantly gained a considerable unrealized profit on paper. Of course, the real test has only just begun.

Reactions from all parties:

Wall Street, Allen Derrick's office.

Derrick stared at NLG's stock price chart and the vague announcement on the screen, tapping his fingers lightly on the table. His face showed a mixture of surprise, admiration, and a hint of regret.

"So fast..." he muttered to himself, "Faster and cleaner than I imagined. This Lin Feng... is no ordinary person." He turned to his assistant. "Calculate how much money we made from this through securities lending interest, bond trading, and intermediary fees."

In addition, gather all new information about this ' Mofeng Capital ' and Lin Feng behind it. I have a feeling we'll have many more opportunities to deal with this new friend."

The fisherman had caught his catch, but he was already thinking about which pond to cast his net in next, and... whether he could "cooperate" with this efficient fisherman.

The Oak Hall private club in Manhattan.

David Hendricks and Michael Rosenthal met again, but the atmosphere was completely different from their previous excitement. Both men looked somber.

"We were outmaneuvered." Hendricks ' voice was cold. "And in a way and at a speed we didn't expect. Walton just gave up like that? Just how much pressure did Lin Feng put on him?"

"The announcement mentions 'a certain investment fund,' but it's definitely them." Rosenthal frowned. "Our customer acquisition plan is only halfway done, and driver recruitment isn't going well either."

Now that they've taken control of the company and resumed operations, it'll be much harder for us to poach their talent. And..." He looked at Hendricks, "This new adversary is too ruthless and unpredictable. We need to reassess."

Hendricks nodded slowly. "Tell the rest of you to suspend all 'emergency' operations against NLG. Go into a wait-and-see mode. At the same time, strengthen monitoring of this ' Silent Wind ' and its logistics operations."

"I need to know what they're planning to do next." The wolf pack encountered an even fiercer member of their own kind, temporarily sheathing their fangs, but their eyes became even more wary.

VIP ward at a private hospital in Seattle.

Uncle Gong, his head wrapped in thick bandages and his face still bearing scars, leaned against the hospital bed, watching a brief news report on TV about NLG's change of ownership. His face was expressionless, but his eyes held a complex mix of deep fear, bitter resentment, and a chilling sense of shared misfortune.

He touched his still throbbing head, and then recalled the heavy machine gun pointed at his men, and Lü Yi's smiling yet cruel face. He said nothing, only waved his hand, signaling his men to turn off the television.

Then, he pulled the blanket over his head, as if trying to completely isolate himself from that terrifying outside world. Revenge? At least for now, he didn't even dare to think about it. Only a deep-seated fear and an indescribable dread about that young man remained.

Seattle, on the edge of the financial district, a 15-story operations center in an office building.

The atmosphere here was different from the tense "battle" state of the past; there was more calm and orderly after the success. On the huge screen, NLG's stock price curve had stabilized.

Thorne and his trading team are rapidly and systematically closing out the massive short positions they had previously established. Put options are being exercised or sold, shorted shares are being bought back and returned, and profits, like trickles of water, are flowing into designated accounts, eventually accumulating into astonishing figures.

K stood in front of the command platform, listening to Thorne's report on the progress of closing positions and preliminary profit calculations. His face showed no elation; he simply nodded slightly.

"After clearing all positions, the team will have three days off. Bonuses will be paid out as agreed," K told Thorne, then turned to another group of data analysts, "Start importing all of NLG's operational data, financial data, customer information, and supplier lists into our system. Conduct preliminary vulnerability analysis and value reassessment. I need a preliminary integration plan within seventy-two hours."

"Yes, Mr. K." The group responded, their tone conveying a sense of relief at completing their mission and anticipation for new challenges.

The smoke of the financial battlefield is gradually dissipating, but the long battle of real economy integration has only just begun. The hunter has successfully captured the prey; now, it needs to consider how to tame and transform it, and make it pull its cart.