Reborn with Consumption System-Chapter 473 - 222 We Have People at Every Step_3

"Who the fuck do you think you are, a Yang Pu rat messing with chump change, trying to sow discord with me here?!"

Damn! Yang Zhi completely broke down from the scolding, shaking all over with anger.

Gu Yong’s voice was indeed loud. Guests who were quite far away heard him and curiously looked over. But Gu Yong didn’t care at all and even stepped forward, his finger almost poking Yang Zhi’s nose.

"Come here! Apologize to Teacher Han!"

Yang Zhi’s vision darkened. He felt angry, anxious, frightened, and regretful, almost wishing he could faint on the spot.

Damn it! Why the hell did I, with nothing better to do, offend that little runt?!

Being watched by so many people, he felt his dignity shatter on the ground, not daring to resent Gu Yong but hating Han Lie to the core.

Just then, Liu Minghao suddenly walked up beside him and gently patted his shoulder.

"Little Yang, Teacher Han is my honored guest. Do you understand what an honored guest is?"

Yang Zhi shuddered, his mind clearing instantly.

Liu Minghao paid no heed to his reaction and calmly continued.

"An apology is in order, but Teacher Han doesn’t care for it. You two are not cut from the same cloth, nor are you on the same level. So, I’ll make the decision for you—you can leave. But just one thing: when you get back, remember Teacher Han. You don’t need to revere or flatter him, but you must fear him. The next time you have any unpleasantness with Teacher Han, regardless of the reason or who’s at fault, I will personally ensure you’re finished. Understand?"

Yang Zhi was terrified.

Having known him for so long, he had never seen Liu Minghao act so harshly.

In his memory, Liu Minghao always maintained a smiling, graceful, and composed demeanor, even when facing adversaries.

And the most critical issue was this: Yang Zhi could afford not to fear Gu Yong, even though Gu Yong indeed had considerable influence, with hundreds of tough men under his command ready to fight. However, in modern society, the law ultimately reigned supreme. Violence could intimidate honest people, but it wouldn’t scare hardened troublemakers. Yet, he couldn’t help but fear Liu Minghao, because Liu Minghao was practically a pillar of the Magic Capital’s legal system. Operating in the grey area of private lending, who wouldn’t fear a big shot with the power to call in the full force of the judiciary and police?

"Yes, yes, yes!" Yang Zhi nodded frantically, like a chicken pecking at rice, while inwardly, his sorrow formed a veritable river.

Damn it! If you valued him so much, why didn’t you say so earlier! You were just watching the show with a smile, not showing any particular warmth or protectiveness. So, you were just waiting for me to stick my neck out so you could use me to do someone a favor, huh?!

Actually, Yang Zhi wasn’t stupid. Far from it, he possessed the slickness and alertness typical of a minor figure. It’s just that Han Lie’s youth and appearance were so deceptive that he hadn’t truly grasped Han Lie’s importance. Consequently, he was addled by so-called "competitive pressure." Greed is the original sin; he had no one else to blame.

"T-Teacher Han, uh, s-sorry, I... I had a bit too much to drink... My apologies!"

In the end, Yang Zhi did apologize and then fled, covering his face. He hurried away as if a wolf were snapping at his heels.

"HAHAHA!" Just a few steps after Yang Zhi left, Gu Yong couldn’t wait to burst into laughter, returning to Han Lie’s side. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

"Teacher Han, just a buffoon making a fool of himself. Sorry you had to see that!"

Hearing this, Yang Zhi’s steps immediately faltered, and he nearly sprawled on the ground. He staggered a few paces, caught himself on a table, and then made a hasty, utterly disgraced exit.

The moment he entered the elevator, his eyes reddened, and he let out a string of over twenty curses—not aimed at Han Lie, but at Gu Yong.

In truth, Yang Zhi couldn’t really be considered a minor figure. Previously, when Gu Yong was desperately short of funds, Yang Zhi had secured a 350 million short-term bridge loan for him, helping Gu Yong through his toughest month. Regardless of whether one looked down on the private lending business, his ability was genuine, and so was the help he’d given Gu Yong. Yet today, Gu Yong had acted so...

"Fuck your ancestors!" Yang Zhi cursed venomously again, now hating Gu Yong to the bone.

Teacher Han? Oh, he wasn’t the main issue anymore...

Back in the hall, Gu Yong’s enthusiasm towards Han Lie intensified.

Han Lie understood his intentions, but at the same time, he didn’t dare underestimate this man who could turn hostile in an instant. When Yang Zhi was useful, Gu Yong called him Brother Yang Zhi. When Yang Zhi could no longer help and even seemed to want to bleed him dry, Gu Yong immediately switched allegiance to support Han Lie, whom he had met for the first time that day. This was a competent businessman, but not a trustworthy friend.

Therefore, Han Lie merely exchanged pleasantries with Gu Yong, consistently refusing to commit to anything.

"Boss Gu, firstly, my schedule is genuinely tight. Secondly, when it comes to this type of business, I’m only speaking theoretically. You should really look for someone else!"

But Gu Yong stubbornly latched onto Han Lie. "I only trust you!"

Han Lie scoffed inwardly. What use is your trust to me? Do you think I care about earning that paltry commission from you?

Then, Gu Yong suddenly lowered his voice and whispered, "Teacher Han, to be honest, my current funding gap is indeed quite large. 2.5 billion would be ideal, but 2 billion would also work if necessary. As long as you can get it done before March of next year, I’ll pay the full 15% contracting fee directly, regardless of your own profit margin. We can have Lawyer Liu witness it!"

Man, I really don’t care about your little... Wait a minute! How much... how much did you say you’re short?!

Han Lie had been somewhat inattentive before, not really listening closely. It wasn’t until the number echoed twice in his mind that he suddenly jolted. Holy hell! 2.5 billion?! Dude, you actually have that kind of financial muscle?

Liu Minghao had been watching the scene unfold from the sidelines, initially not intending to get involved. It was only at this moment that he noticed Han Lie’s surprise and sudden seriousness.

This perceptive man gently patted Han Lie’s shoulder and drew him aside.

"Teacher Han, don’t just see Gu Yong as a local developer who’s currently overwhelmed. He actually has some real strength. What kind of city is the Magic Capital? Developing real estate here is no easy feat. Old Gu’s main problem is policy-induced bank loan recalls, which have rendered his previous connections ineffective. If you genuinely have a solution, you could give it a try. I estimate that 15% is definitely not his bottom line. If you feel awkward about it, I can step in and help you negotiate further. Although earning money this way is arduous and not as quick as raising funds from the market, the market can’t absorb such a large amount of capital in the short term, right? If you can open up another path, it would be very significant."

That makes sense... Han Lie truly fell into deep thought.

The first thing he considered was what benefits he could gain from this. The friendship of real estate developers? Utterly useless! Han Lie wasn’t naive, so he couldn’t care less about developers who were about to hit their prime. If I need a house, I’ll buy it myself. Heck, even if the luxury housing market collapses, it doesn’t matter. I, Brother Lie, am experienced in spending money; buying at the peak is my prerogative.

The friendship of securities firms and trusts? Equally useless. They have in-house experts capable of handling ABS (Asset-Backed Securities) business. There might not be many now, but their numbers will explode in a couple of years.

So, there are only two benefits to doing this. First, he could make a lot of money. Second, he could bring Liu Minghao and Old Dou in to make money together.

Liu Minghao’s law firm would need similar business; even if his staff are on fixed salaries, such ventures are indeed highly profitable. Old Dou has many connections with state-owned enterprises and would likely be very willing to engage in some resource exchange.

Actually, this was even more meaningful than Han Lie making money for himself. A person forced to help many others make money, monetizing their power and influence, is merely a ’white glove.’ But a person who proactively leads a group of capable individuals to prosper, integrating everyone’s resources, is a leader.

Trying to hog all the profits wouldn’t get one far in the domestic environment. Besides, the ’solo gain’ from this particular venture wasn’t that substantial anyway.

Gu Yong needed 2.5 billion, with a fixed 15% cost. If he handled it well, Han Lie might be able to reduce the actual cost to around 11%, earning a 4-percentage-point spread. Four percentage points... that’s only 100 million... AHEM! Honestly, it’s not a huge amount, but it’s crucial in the early stages... So, this deal is worth putting some effort into!

Having considered the benefits, the next step was to consider the difficulty. Truth be told, the Han Lie of his previous life only had a superficial understanding of how to execute something like this. In contrast, the Level 4 Economics and Finance knowledge he had newly acquired in this life proved invaluable. At the very least, it allowed him to grasp the entire theoretical process. If any issues crop up, I’ll just adjust on the fly! With all this accumulated experience, what’s there to fear?

"Okay, find an opportunity to talk with Gu Yong, and I’ll reach out to the trust and securities firms," Han Lie said, having made up his mind, immediately displaying extraordinary decisiveness.

Liu Minghao beamed and gave Han Lie a knowing look, raising an eyebrow. "Brother, don’t underestimate our network! I’ve heard your general plan. We’ve got connections at every stage!"

「*******」