area51novel Page 117
Page 117
When Elaine Chao realized that she had been caught red-handed, she knew she had no way to defend herself.
She took a deep breath, trying to calm her shock.
She didn't say anything, but silently massaged Lei Hao's shoulders.
Now that Mr. Shen has arrived, we can leave everything to him.
Lei Hao then gestured for Abu to personally go to the front desk and lead Shen Lei to his office.
It's not convenient for him to do that himself, as it could easily lead to misunderstandings.
After all, Hong Kong is still under the control of foreigners.
"Mr. Shen has come from afar, and I was unable to come out to greet you. I hope you will not be offended!"
Lei Hao stood up with a big smile to greet him and warmly invited Shen Lei to sit down.
Then, he turned his gaze to Zhao Xiaolan beside him and commanded in an unquestionable tone:
"Secretary Zhao, go and get the top-grade pre-Qingming Longjing tea I bought last time, and brew it for Mr. Shen!"
When Shen Lei heard the title "Secretary Zhao," his gaze lingered on Zhao Xiaolan for a moment, but he quickly returned to normal.
He observed that Elaine Chao had not suffered any substantial harm or abuse; she was simply kept by Raymond Chow's side to do odd jobs.
In Shen Lei's view, this was not a serious matter; it was merely a small price to pay for her own willful and reckless behavior.
His purpose in making this trip, besides resolving Elaine Chao's issue, was more importantly to ascertain Raymond Chow's true attitude towards the development of mainland China.
Lei Hao is not only a top tycoon with unlimited potential, but also has a complex network of connections in Hong Kong's triads, business circles and even political circles.
He also wielded extraordinary influence in Taiwan and Japan.
As long as Lei Hao firmly chooses the mainland as the focus of investment and development, no one will care about Zhao Xiaolan's little matter.
As for her father, Zhao Lichun, he certainly doesn't have the right to speak on this level of consideration.
Shen Lei couldn't help but say with a hint of teasing, "Mr. Lei, it seems Miss Zhao is doing quite well here with you?"
This statement contained multiple layers of meaning, but Lei Hao seemed completely unaware of them.
He shamelessly replied with a beaming smile:
"Of course! Secretary Zhao was spoiled since childhood, has an unruly personality, and is used to using his power to bully others."
“She could probably get away with bullying ordinary people or weaker opponents without any consequences.”
"But if she encounters someone truly capable, her behavior could cost her her life in no time!"
"It's fortunate that I'm the kind of person who knows how to cherish women."
"I kept her by my side for the sake of her future life, so I could correct her bad habits."
"So that she won't cause a huge disaster in the future, and even her father won't be able to save her!"
Shen Lei: "..."
Zhao Xiaolan, who happened to be carrying two cups of hot tea back, was speechless.
At that moment, the same thought popped into their minds: they had never seen such a shameless person!
Suppressing her humiliation, Zhao Xiaolan placed the teacup in front of Shen Lei, then suddenly raised her head, staring intently at Lei Hao.
"Lei Hao! What exactly do you want to do?" She called him by his name, her voice carrying a hint of despair and a sense of resignation, but more so a fearless acceptance of what was to come.
Lei Hao met her gaze, and a barely perceptible hint of approval flashed in his eyes.
This woman's inherent tenacity has not been worn away.
“It’s very simple.” Lei Hao leaned forward slightly, his sharp gaze locking onto her eyes. “I want to do business with you.”
"However, your previous attitude was too arrogant, which I didn't like very much."
Upon hearing this, Elaine Chao bit her lower lip until it turned white.
She fully understood that this was Lei Hao's way of giving her a warning.
It was also clearly telling her that in front of him, she had to completely put away the arrogance she had once been so proud of.
Upon hearing this, Shen Lei's eyes lit up, and a strong sense of curiosity welled up within him.
What big business deal does Lei Hao want Zhao Xiaolan to do?
Little did he know that Lei Hao had already noticed the subtle changes in his expression.
Lei Hao originally planned to work on Zhao Xiaolan's personality further, and discuss the matter again after she was completely tamed.
But since Shen Lei was already here, there was no better time than to lay everything bare.
Some ambitious plans do indeed require strong support from the mainland in order to maximize their benefits.
“Mr. Shen,” Lei Hao said, taking a prepared document from his desk drawer and gently placing it in front of the other man. “I have some information here; you might want to take a look first.”
Then, he turned his gaze to Zhao Xiaolan, who was standing to the side, and said in an unquestionable tone, "Come and take a look too, so you can have a better understanding of the situation."
Zhao Xiaolan was stunned for a moment, not expecting that Lei Hao's words about cooperating were not just a joke.
The confidential documents that Shen Lei was showing him at that moment were also available for her to view.
Seeing this, Shen Lei became even more convinced of Lei Hao's intentions.
He subtly shifted the documents in his hand, making room for Zhao Xiaolan to read them together.
He is now truly beginning to believe that Lei Hao did indeed bring Zhao Xiaolan to Hong Kong, and that it was not simply for punishment.
But Lei Hao was clearly extremely dissatisfied with Zhao Xiaolan's past style of using her power to oppress others.
Therefore, it is necessary to temper her arrogance and force her to abandon her unwarranted haughtiness.
Cooperation must be based on fairness and equality.
One-sided dominance is destined to be short-lived.
“My wealth accumulation,” Lei Hao stood up and slowly walked to the huge world map hanging in the center of the office, “is not only due to financial investments, but also stems from my profound and keen insight into the world situation.”
His finger landed precisely on the vast, boundless red territory on the map—the Russian bear.
“Based on the latest intelligence and in-depth analysis I have,” Lei Hao’s voice was calm and powerful, “the situation in the Russian bear is deteriorating rapidly at this stage, and the entire country has fallen into a deep systemic crisis.”
"The country is facing a severe shortage of supplies, and the living standards of ordinary people are declining at an unprecedented rate."
"This predicament may not be obvious in parts of Europe, but in Siberia, the situation is already very serious."
"I predict that this crisis will sweep across the entire country next year and will only get worse."
"This place, once one of the world's two poles, will soon become a memory for people."
Lei Hao's tone was unusually calm, but the information contained in his words was like a thunderclap, exploding violently in the hearts of Zhao Xiaolan and Shen Lei!
"How...how is this possible?!" Zhao Xiaolan's voice trembled noticeably with shock. "You must be mistaken?!"
Although Shen Lei, who was sitting to the side, did not say anything, his tightly furrowed brows and solemn eyes clearly showed that he shared the same huge question as Zhao Xiaolan.
Lei Hao began his analysis in a clear and logical manner:
"The root of their problem lies in a decades-long, frenzied arms race and a long-standing, stagnant and corrupt economic system."
"And then combine this with the actual survey data I showed you."
"Russia's foreign trade data has continued to shrink in recent years, and the production of light industrial products has declined sharply year after year."
"At the same time, its massive defense spending has swallowed up a staggering share of its GDP."
"This extremely distorted economic structure will inevitably lead to the decline of people's livelihoods and the stagnation or even regression of productivity."
"The disintegration of the Russian bear is only a matter of time, and with the help of the United States, this process may be faster than anyone expects, even... within the next few years!"
Shen Lei and Zhao Xiaolan involuntarily exchanged a glance.
Although the data in the document is alarming and clearly depicts the plight of the Russian bear.
Is Lei Hao's assertion too alarming, like a prophecy of the end of the world?
The Russian bear was once one of the two poles of the world, and is now one of the most powerful superpowers in the world!
........................
“Think about it carefully,” Lei Hao’s gaze swept over the two of them, sharp as if he knew everything, “What would be the most urgent need of a country with a vast territory but an internal economic structure on the verge of collapse right now?”
As Zhao Xiaolan listened to Lei Hao's clear and logical analysis, she felt a complete blank in her mind.
She had never considered the fate and needs of such a large country from such a macro perspective.
"Is it...supplies?" she asked tentatively, a hint of uncertainty in her voice.
“That’s right!” Lei Hao snapped his fingers crisply, his eyes gleaming. “They are desperately short of all the necessities of life! From food to keep warm to all kinds of daily necessities, almost everything is in a state of extreme scarcity.”
“And our mainland,” he changed the subject, pointing to the map of China, “has the world’s most complete light industrial production system, which can continuously provide a massive amount of high-quality and inexpensive goods!”
“Zhao Xiaolan,” Lei Hao’s gaze was sharp and fixed on her, “you have a deep background and a wide network of connections in the mainland.”
"This is precisely your core value. You can make full use of this advantage to organize a huge supply chain and transport goods from the mainland to Russia."
"The profit margin from this price difference will be astronomical!"
“More importantly,” Lei Hao’s voice suddenly rose, “during the transportation of supplies, you will naturally infiltrate and establish connections with all aspects of the Russian network.”
"This is the most important part of the whole plan!"