Chapter 422: Plan!

Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation

“Mr. Zhou, the Duke of Somerset called me last night. I’ve disclosed everything related to your situation to him. We just have to wait and see if he takes the bait,” early in the morning, Guan Ze called.

“Don’t worry; he should. Besides, Guan Lao, you know better than I do the value of the Victoria Parliament Scepter and the Crown to them.”

“That’s true. We can only wait patiently,” Guan Ze agreed. After all, he was quite familiar with this matter.

“If there are any developments, 1’11 call you right away.”

“Okay.”

After hanging up the phone, Zhou Chao got up from bed. It was still early, not even 8 a.m. He didn’t blame Guan Ze for calling so early; these circumstances tend to make people anxious.

After freshening up and changing clothes, he headed to the hotel’s restaurant for breakfast.

When Zhou Chao finished his meal and returned to his room, he met Lin Wu and Todd on their way down. Todd had a rather gloomy expression.

“Boss, why are you up so early today?” Lin Wu asked, surprised because their boss was known for his laid-back attitude.

“Something came up. Todd, what’s with the long face so early in the morning?” Zhou Chao inquired, noticing Todd’s dejected demeanor.

“Hahaha, boss, let me tell you what happened. Todd bought some stocks yesterday, but he didn’t pay attention to the stock market, and this morning he found out that he lost over 20,000 euros!” Lin Wu burst into laughter as he shared Todd’s misfortune.

Todd gave Lin Wu an annoyed look before explaining the situation.

It turned out that he had been too engrossed in their activities the previous day to check the stock market, and he ended up losing a tenth of his assets due to the plummeting stock prices.

“Boss, this was meant for me to save up to marry my future wife, and now, in the blink of an eye, it’s gone!” Todd’s face wore a pitiable expression, making Zhou Chao chuckle.

“Alright, alright, it’s not a big problem. There will be plenty of opportunities to make money in the future.” Todd’s words reminded Zhou Chao of something important.

These past few days, he had been so preoccupied with the artifacts that he almost forgot. Thankfully, Todd’s reminder jogged his memory.

Lin Wu saw Todd didn’t get it and gave him a nudge, whispering, “You should thank the boss!”

Realizing what had transpired, Todd’s demeanor shifted from gloom to gratitude. “Thankyou, boss, for the guidance!”

“That’s enough. You two go have your meal; I’ll head back to my room,” Zhou Chao said before stepping into the elevator.

Back in his room, Zhou Chao took out his phone and called Ling Chen.

“Boss, you’re in Europe enjoying yourself. What brings you to call me?” Ling Chen answered with a hearty laugh as soon as the call connected.

“Enough with the pleasantries; there’s something important to do.”

“Boss, go ahead,” Ling Chen replied, becoming serious.

“How much liquid capital does the group currently have?”

“Does that include Canghai Technology and the Fuxing Steel Plant?” Ling Chen understood that his boss was planning something big when he heard this.

“Yeah, as long as it’s the funds available under my name in the companies, tally them up. Also, start assembling a specialized financial team, and don’t forget the confidentiality agreements. We don’t want anyone else to know about this matter besides you and me. Additionally, you’re allowed to invest your own funds into it!”

“Hehe, thanks, boss!”

“Don’t mention it; it’s your responsibility. Please compile the fund details as soon as possible, and get the financial team organized. I’ll have further instructions later.”

“Understood, boss!” Ling Chen hung up the phone with a smile.

After ending the call, Zhou Chao sat on the couch, deep in thought. His fingers danced rhythmically on the couch as he contemplated his next move.

“The task ahead is too large for me to handle alone,” Zhou Chao thought. He realized he needed to collaborate with someone who had a vast network of connections. The pitch would revolve around the promise of substantial gains, but confidentiality was paramount, as financial dealings could strain even the closest relationships. At most, the partner would receive their fair share of profits when the opportunity arose.

Without hesitation, Zhou Chao picked up his phone and called Li Daoming. Instead of calling Li Yang, who was currently unable to speak, he decided to reach out to Li Daoming.

The call was quickly answered, and Li Daoming’s warm voice came through, “Xiao Chao, what brings you to call me?”

“Uncle Li, let’s get straight to the point. I might need a significant amount of capital in the near future. The sum is substantial, but it won’t affect your company’s development. Can you allocate some funds for this?” Zhou Chao skipped the pleasantries and went straight to the point.

Zhou Chao’s words left Li Daoming momentarily silent, and Zhou Chao allowed the silence to linger. After about ten seconds, Li Daoming finally responded, “I just checked, and 1 can mobilize around 6 billion in liquid assets. I’ll have it transferred to you right away. If you need more, I’ll figure something out for you.”

“Uncle Li, thank you. 1 might not need it immediately, probably in about two weeks. I’ll have Ling Chen contact you then.”

“Alright,” Li Daoming concisely agreed.

After ending the call, Li Daoming took out a cigarette from his pocket and began to smoke, murmuring to himself, “I wonder how big a game he’s playing.”

Li Daoming was well aware of Zhou Chao’s current net worth. He had personally visited Zhou Chao’s industries in Peng City, not to mention other undisclosed assets. All of these factors were sufficient to place him on par with influential figures within the country. The fact that he urgently required funding indicated that he was planning something significant!

One could say that he had invested the future of the Li Group entirely into this endeavor. Success would lead to rapid growth for the Li Group, while failure would result in a gradual decline.

It could be said that he had placed the future of the Li Group in Zhou Chao’s hands.

On the other hand, after Zhou Chao finished the call with Li Daoming, Qin Qingshun called him. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Zhou Chao finally asked for a loan. Qin Qingshun agreed readily, offering 3 billion, but the group could allocate up to 12 billion in liquid assets. Zhou Chao instructed Qin Qingshun to prepare in advance.

Once these arrangements were in place, Zhou Chao called Kailin from Lifeng Group. As the boss, Zhou Chao had the authority to mobilize funds. After inquiring, he learned that the group could allocate up to 27 billion US dollars.

Zhou Chao began calculating. He had about 4 billion US dollars himself, plus Li Daoming’s 6.9 billion, and Sany Group’s 15 billion, totaling around 21 billion US dollars. Even with these sums, he still needed over 3 billion US dollars.

Adding up various sources, Zhou Chao calculated that he had access to approximately 35 billion US dollars. Waiting for the group’s liquid assets to arrive, he estimated the total available capital to be around 30 billion US dollars. This should be all the funds he could mobilize at the moment.

“All, money is always scarce when you need it!” Zhou Chao couldn’t help but sigh.

“Should 1 ask Brother Yang for some support?” The thought crossed his mind, but Zhou Chao quickly dismissed it. After all, he couldn’t explain the full situation to him.

After careful consideration and reflection, he found no loopholes in his plans. He felt more at ease and lay back on the couch, playing with his phone.

Soon, Lin Wu and Todd entered the room, chatting and laughing. Seeing Zhou Chao lying on the couch, they quickly wiped the smiles off their faces.

“Todd, how many people can you command at most?”

Todd hesitated for a moment before replying, “We can only direct members of our own squad. If we need assistance, we can request help from local departments. Boss, do you need more manpower? You could have the company send some over.”

“Alright, 1 understand.” Zhou Chao nodded.

Observing Zhou Chao’s silence, both of them located a spot to sit down.

Knock, knock, knock!

The knocking on the door suddenly caught the attention of the three men. Lin Wu got up and opened the door, revealing Abdullah, the man they had spent time with the previous day.

Seeing Abdullah at the door, Zhou Chao sat up from the couch.

“Why are you here, without your group of mighty stallions?” Zhou Chao asked with a smile.

“Ah, you think I wanted to come? It’s all because Alice called me and asked about your situation!” Abdullah lay down on the couch without any ceremony.

“Alice?” Zhou Chao’s brows furrowed at the name.

“Yeah, she was bombarding me with questions, but 1 didn’t tell her anything about you. You can rest assured about that!”

Zhou Chao nodded thoughtfully.

Before Zhou Chao could say anything, the phone on the table started ringing. Without hesitation, he picked up the phone when he saw the unfamiliar number.

As soon as he answered, a familiar voice came from the other end.

“Zhou, how’s the bay in Monte Carlo? When are you returning to London?” It was none other than the Duke of Somerset speaking.

“Still planning to enjoy a couple more days here. Anything specific, or has the Duke made a decision?”

“Well, it’s getting close. We’ll need to discuss the details in person,” the Duke of Somerset responded, somewhat surprised by Zhou Chao’s directness. He had expected a different kind of conversation and was momentarily taken aback.

“I understand. I’ll fly back to London as soon as possible, and we can talk in person.”

“Very well.”

Zhou Chao knew that this time the royal family would likely send someone to handle the situation. It would be a protracted battle, and he was contemplating how to handle it. He realized that relying solely on himself would be challenging, and he needed to find individuals with the gift of persuasion.

“Abdullah, please have a seat for a while. I need to make a call,” Zhou Chao said, heading to the balcony to make a phone call.

In less than two minutes, Zhou Chao returned.

“What’s going on, Zhou?” Abdullah asked with a curious expression.

“It’s not anything crucial. I have the Victoria Parliament Scepter of the Eagle Kingdom in my possession.”

“What?” Abdullah stood up in disbelief.

“Don’t get too excited,” Zhou Chao chuckled.

“Do you understand the significance of this scepter to the Eagle Kingdom’s royal family?”

“I’m aware,” Zhou Chao replied nonchalantly.

Seeing Zhou Chao’s calm demeanor, Abdullah seemed to have a better understanding and nodded thoughtfully..