Chapter 86: Banks Demanding Payment

Li Xue felt weightless, utterly at ease.

The pillow supported her neck perfectly, allowing her to sleep in absolute comfort.

The pillow even smelled of sunshine. 'Mu Lin must have deliberately put it out to sun for me.'

Everything was just too perfect.

'He's actually quite good to me. I can't be so harsh with him in the future.'

「At a hotel」

Wu Long strode into a private room.

He was instantly surrounded by tall, elegant waitresses.

"Ah, Brother Wu, you're finally here! I ordered a whole table of food and was just wondering what to do with it!"

The speaker was none other than Young Master Yang. With him was his eighteen-year-old eldest son.

At an age when his peers were cramming for their college entrance exams, he was already enrolled in business school. He spent his free time following Young Master Yang to gain worldly experience.

"Good day, Uncle Wu!"

'Now this is a proper son,' Wu Long thought. The comparison immediately brought his own worthless child to mind, and he seethed with an anger that was hard to bear.

"Young Master Yang, your son is so well-behaved. When I think of my own boy, who does nothing but eat, drink, and fool around all day... it drives me mad!"

As he spoke, Wu Long took a sip from the insulated flask he carried.

The flask was filled with hard liquor. Only the anesthetic of alcohol could help him suppress the piercing pain.

The pain had been so unbearable last night that he had nearly given in to the idea of surrendering to Mu Lin.

But he had gritted his teeth and endured. If he surrendered, decades of his life's work would vanish in an instant.

Starting over from scratch was out of the question.

He had to bear it, even if it killed him.

Young Master Yang caught the scent of alcohol and realized it was coming from Wu Long's flask.

He didn't let it show on his face, however. Instead, he smiled faintly. "Chairman Wu, the Yang Family has stood for over a century. With you joining us, it is as if a tiger has grown wings!"

Wu Long laughed heartily. "You flatter me. I'm well aware of my own standing. If I hadn't run into difficulties, I would never have thought to seek an alliance with the Yang Family."

The conversation thus naturally shifted to Wu Long's troubles. Young Master Yang, of course, knew this was Wu Long's true purpose and said:

"If you're facing difficulties, why don't you tell me about them?"

Wu Long said, "The Li Group is the second-largest construction company in this city. I've been trying to acquire it, but they're a tough nut to crack. No matter how much pressure I apply, they refuse to yield. I'm at my wit's end and was hoping Young Master Yang could devise a solution."

The corner of Young Master Yang's mouth lifted. This was more or less what he had expected.

"A deputy team leader in the Li Group's project department is a formidable fighter. Many of my best men have fallen at his hands. I hope the Yang Family can... take care of him for me."

A glint appeared in Young Master Yang's eyes. "Chairman Wu, your Yuelong Group's enforcers are renowned throughout Anhua. How is it that they were bested by someone else? Can this man truly be so powerful?"

Wu Long nearly swore an oath on the spot. He puffed out his chest and declared, "It's the absolute truth. If I'm lying, I'll hand over the Yuelong Group to you."

Young Master Yang pondered for a moment. He was about a third of the way to being convinced. Then, he waved his hand dismissively. "There's no need for that. It's a small matter! I'll have my men look into it. We'll do whatever it takes to help your enterprise advance."

Wu Long raised his flask. "Young Master Yang, you are truly magnanimous!"

Young Master Yang nodded. "For now, though," he said to Wu Long, "why don't you tell me more about this plan to acquire the Li Group."

Wu Long said, "Well, it's like this..."

He began by explaining the Li Group's position in the construction industry. "Our Yuelong Group is the largest in Anhua in terms of scale. Logically speaking, absorbing them should be a piece of cake."

"But Li Yinhe is a real pain to deal with. He's been constantly raising funds to compete with me for projects. Many bank managers are frequent guests of the Li Group. A large portion of the capital currently on the Li Group's books has been borrowed from banks."

"Young Master Yang, if we can just cut off that line of funding, the Li Family will be plunged into a crisis with no end in sight!"

Wu Long explained excitedly, then suddenly remembered his place. He was a guest, and from this day forward, a subordinate to the Yang Family. His tone instantly grew humble as he said to Young Master Yang, "My apologies, Young Master Yang. You certainly understand these matters far better than I do."

Young Master Yang chuckled. "It's a trivial matter. As long as you remain loyal to the Yang Family, everything else will be handled for you! It won't be long before the Li Family is on its knees, begging you for mercy."

Wu Long was overjoyed. "Yes! Yes!"

Young Master Yang picked up his glass and clinked it against Wu Long's. "To your future fortune!"

"Yes! To future fortune! Yes!"

「In the special team's office」

Mu Lin was absorbed in his research.

Chen Xi had finished memorizing all the material, so Mu Lin gave him permission to go out and relax. After all, Chen Xi was the official team leader and didn't actually have to report anything to Mu Lin.

Still, out of respect, Chen Xi always kept Mu Lin in the loop.

Mu Lin agreed without a second thought.

Chen Xi let out a whoop of joy and took off to enjoy his break.

A short while later, Chen Xi burst back into the office in a panic.

He saw the other team members playing games and was forced to lower his voice.

"This is bad! The bankers are here!"

Mu Lin glanced at Chen Xi and said with a chuckle, "What's the big deal? Who in business doesn't take out loans? It's perfectly normal for bankers to show up."

Chen Xi said anxiously, "But the secretary from the finance department had red-rimmed eyes! They must have had a huge fight!"

"I tried to ask for details, but she wouldn't elaborate. She just said the bank is demanding immediate repayment."

Mu Lin's expression grew solemn.

Chen Xi continued, eager to show off his knowledge. "Brother Lin, let me tell you, property development might look glamorous, but it's a bitter business. The developers don't give us much upfront. We have to figure out how to cover the initial costs ourselves."

"Building materials, labor, machinery, not to mention the costs of dealing with the Government—we have to cover all of it. We even have to pay a deposit to the Government to kick off the project, and that money is borrowed too."

He pointed to the floor, the ceiling, and the desk. "All this? It was all mortgaged long ago. My grandpa told me that from the day this office building was finished, its deed has never truly left the bank's vaults. We pay off one damn loan just to take on the next. It's a miserable cycle!"

"And what's worse, that's not even enough. The amount you can borrow against collateral is limited. To get more, you have to rely on unsecured credit loans, and the interest rates on those are sky-high."

"Our group's asset-to-debt ratio is less than one. We're technically insolvent. Some people might think a company in that state is done for, but the truth is, we've been like this since the day we were founded..."

"The only reason we haven't gone under is by groveling to the bank executives—wining, dining, and finding them women, right?"

Chen Quan must have told Chen Xi a great deal. Otherwise, how could a pampered heir like him understand all this so clearly?

Chen Xi's expression was grave. "If the banks call in their loans, the company will go bankrupt instantly. There's almost no room to maneuver."

Mu Lin realized the situation was indeed serious.

'But there's nothing I can do to help. Besides, some things are just inevitable. What will be, will be.'

'If the Li Family goes bankrupt, I still have some money. I can help them out and make sure they can live comfortably.'

'Li Xue is very capable. At worst, she'll struggle for a few years, but she'll definitely be able to make a comeback.'

With that thought, Mu Lin wasn't worried anymore. He said to Chen Xi, "Relax. It's not that big of a deal. President Li has weathered storms before. She can handle this."

Chen Xi, however, continued to pace back and forth, his brow furrowed.

Mu Lin couldn't be bothered with him. He just leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes to rest.

「In the General Manager's office」

Li Xue was now fully refreshed and energized. The pillow was tossed to one side.

She was considering the approval of a new project.

Her young secretary came in. "President Li, Director Lu is asking to see you!"

Li Xue waved her hand. "Fine, let him in."

The secretary had barely opened the door when Lu Yi barged in.

"Li Xue, look at what a mess you've made!"

WHAM!

Li Xue slammed her hand on the desk and shot to her feet. "I am the General Manager of this group! You will show me some respect!"

"Respect? The group is about to go under, what respect is there to talk about?!" Lu Yi threw a stack of documents onto the desk, his face grim.

"What in the world did you do to have so many banks come calling for their debts at the same time?"

The color drained from Li Xue's face, as if she had been struck by lightning.

'The company's operations are running smoothly, and I've worked so hard to maintain our relationships with the banks. How could so many of them suddenly come to collect at once?'

"When did this happen?" Li Xue asked, her voice grave.

"Just now! After a great deal of pleading, I managed to send most of them away. Only the representatives from the six biggest banks are still here. They're in the reception room having tea right now!"

"Li Xue, tell me, how are we supposed to fix this?!"