Hong Kong: Rise of the Kings

boom!

Explode!

Claim 100 million? !

Everyone at the scene couldn't sit still.

Ni Kuang jumped up first: "Is there any mistake? He dared to claim 100 million?"

Shen Baoxin continued: "Yes, even if the claim is real, it won't be such an exaggeration - 100 million, just a fool's dream!"

Jin Yong also felt that this matter was a bit exaggerated, 100 million? Give it to me!

Others were shocked, but also laughed, thinking that Du Yongxiao's legal team was joking. There has not been such a lawsuit in Hong Kong for so many years, and the reputational damage fee was 100 million. Do you think this is a fairy tale?

However, Li Zhihui, the newspaper's legal advisor, looked solemn and looked at everyone laughing and joking, as if he had not yet realized how serious the situation was.

"Everyone, please listen to me." Li Zhihui had to say.

"Haha, Lawyer Li, just say it."

"Yeah, let's hear what you, a legal expert, think about this matter?"

Jin Yong and others calmed down and looked at Li Zhihui together.

Li Zhihui then took a deep breath and said: "Everyone, based on my many years of legal experience and my deep knowledge of the laws of the British Empire, the claims made by the Du Group and Du Yongxiao against our newspaper this time are reasonable and reasonable!"

boom!

The scene exploded again.

"What did you say?"

"Did I hear you correctly? Claiming 100 million is reasonable?"

"Lawyer Li, don't be alarmist!"

Everyone questioned Li Zhihui.

Jin Yong also looked at Li Zhihui with great confusion. After everyone calmed down, he asked: "Lawyer Li, don't be joking. A claim of 100 million is unreasonable!"

"Yes, how is such a terrifying figure possible?" Shen Baoxin also questioned.

Li Zhihui knew that if he didn't provide evidence, no one would believe his words.

So Li Zhihui opened his briefcase, took out a bunch of documents inside, put it on the conference table, pointed at the documents and said: "Everyone, at first, like everyone else, I had doubts about the Du Group's claims and thought they were exaggerating, especially The amount of the claim is huge and beyond imagination, so I carefully investigated some situations of Du Group and Du Yongxiao himself. I don’t know if I don’t investigate. I was shocked when I investigated. These are the results of my investigation. You can take a look at it——"

Seeing that Li Zhihui said it seriously, everyone was filled with doubts and took the information and looked through it separately.

Jin Yong, Shen Baoxin, and Ni Kuang also picked up the information and checked it.

Li Zhihui said: "First of all, as for To Yongxiao himself, he asked for compensation for mental damages and reputation damage. If it were an ordinary person, we could just ignore it. However, To Yongxiao himself is the first Chinese police commissioner in Hong Kong and holds a high position. , has a special status in the Hong Kong government, even the Hong Kong governor is afraid of him. In addition, he is the president of the Phoenix Pharmaceutical Group in the United States and the United Kingdom, the chairman of the Paramount-Fox Film Alliance in the United States, and a close friend of Edward, the leader of the Conservative Party in London. President Carter's close friend - if you think these relationships are not enough, then Du Yongxiao, as the first Chinese earl of the British Empire, this title is enough to kill everything!"

Everyone at the scene had already begun to gasp.

Earl of the British Empire,

Commissioner of Police,

business tycoon,

A close friend of the British Prime Minister,

An old friend of the President of the United States——

With such a status and status, now that the reputation has been damaged, how much compensation should be paid?

Seeing that everyone was silent, Li Zhihui sighed and said: "Okay, I know this is too general. After all, a person's status cannot be measured by specific money, so now let's take a look at the Du Group's claim -"

"Dushi Group owns Hong Kong Evergrande Real Estate, Shunfeng Express, McDonald's Catering, and Mitsubishi Motors, which is currently under construction, etc. In foreign countries, it owns Phoenix Pharmaceuticals in the United Kingdom and the United States, two major Hollywood film companies in the United States, and Polygram Records. , and Pangu Security Company, etc., these are what I have found. If my guess is correct, there are many subsidiaries of Du Group that I have not found. "

"For these companies alone, their total assets are as high as tens of billions of dollars, and their annual profits are calculated in hundreds of millions of dollars—"

Before Li Zhihui finished speaking, the scene exploded again.

"Impossible! How can the Du Group be so huge?"

"Ten billions? Isn't Du Yongxiao a veritable tens-billionaire?"

"Is the Du Group's wealth so terrifying?"

No wonder these people are asking soul torture.

Since its establishment, the Du Group has adhered to Du Yongxiao's principles of doing things and never showing off its status. Therefore, no one knows about its huge size, and probably even less about its financial resources.

Now that Ming Pao has been sued for compensation, Li Zhihui has conducted a comprehensive asset investigation on the Du Group for the first time.

When he knew the result, his surprised expression was no weaker than that of everyone present here.

Who would have thought that the Du Group, which everyone often talks about, could be so terrifying, and with such strength, it would be able to occupy a place among the top 100 companies in the world.

"What everyone has in hand now is the financial statements of the Du Group in recent years. Of course, these are only part of the public part. I don't have the ability to get the specifics. But the total figures are enough to surprise me. Explosive! The profit of 3.3 billion US dollars is equivalent to 25 billion Hong Kong dollars! Therefore, the total compensation requested by the other party is 100 million Hong Kong dollars, which is actually not high!"

Li Zhihui's words directly set off the scene.

"Isn't a claim of 100 million high enough?"

"Damn it, why is the Du Group so valuable?"

"It's over! You can't run away without a hundred million!"

Jin Yong looked ashen as he held the information in his hand.

Ming Pao was created by him, just like his biological son. Now someone wants to cut his son's flesh directly, and he will pay 100 million for each cut! After the operation, my son will definitely die!

Shen Baoxin was also sweating on the back of his spine. He took out a handkerchief and wiped his forehead, saying: "Impossible! How is this possible?" It seems that he still doesn't believe what he is seeing.

Ni Kuang opened his mouth wide and muttered: "One hundred million, this guy named Du is so powerful. He can earn 100 million by doing nothing and just writing a complaint! I will never earn that much by writing novels in my whole life!"

Others were even more restless and chattering.

"There's no way to save it!"

"How can we fight this lawsuit?"

"Lawyer Li, are you confident that we can win?"

"Yes, Lawyer Li, you are the main complaint of our newspaper office. This kind of matter can only be solved by you!"

Everyone once again focused their attention on Li Zhihui, hoping to see the light.

Li Zhihui smiled bitterly, "Although our legal team is very good, compared with the Du Group, neither the hardware nor the software are inferior! If nothing else, the other party's chief prosecutor Brando is not something you and I can deal with!"

"So awesome!"

"Brando? I think I've heard of him. He's a very sharp person!"

Everyone fell into silence again, no longer singing and laughing as before, and loudly clamoring for a celebration banquet.

At this moment, Ming Pao ranked first in sales volume, surpassing all other major newspapers. The joy brought by these good news was gone. What filled the air was the worry that the newspaper was about to suffer compensation claims, or even go bankrupt and close down.

A moment——

Jin Yong suddenly stood up and said: "Okay, everyone doesn't need to discuss it anymore."

After a pause-——

"The meeting is dismissed!"

sound,

Weak.

…

Jin Yong held a portion of Zai Chai and brought it to his mouth little by little with a silver spoon. When he was young, he spoke eloquently at the wine table, eating big fish and meat, and was not afraid of meat and wine. When he got older, he didn’t have so much to say. Speaking of which, wine and meat are too greasy, but instead I am interested in some sweets that I was too lazy to touch in the past.

When I first started Ming Pao, I often ate cheap sweets commonly found on the streets in Macau. When I was full, I started writing novels. With thirty-six novels, I supported Ming Pao.

As his status increased, Jin Yong had long been tired of bird's nest and shark's fin. Instead, he had a special liking for this street snack. But now, if he doesn't try a bowl every day, he always feels like there is no taste in his mouth.

Slowly eating the bowl of sweets, and waiting for the live-in maid beside him to wipe the corners of his mouth carefully, Jin Yong said to Li Zhihui, who had been sitting next to him for more than ten minutes, waiting patiently for him to finish eating and speak: "Ah Hui, it's inconvenient to talk about a lot of things at the meeting today. Are you sure about this lawsuit? If so, what percentage is it?"

"To be honest, Mr. Cha, you are not very sure!" Li Zhihui poured cold water on Jin Yong directly, "What I said at the meeting was what I wanted to say. Even if you invite me over tonight, I will still say the same thing. If you really want to fight, We are not even 30% sure about the lawsuit!" Li Zhihui saw Jin Yong's finger move and immediately handed over a cigarette and lit it for him.

"Not even 30%?" Jin Yong frowned and stopped smoking, "Are you saying we will definitely lose this lawsuit?"

"Yes!" Li Zhihui said without any scruples. "Not only will he lose, Chasheng may also go bankrupt! In addition, as the person in charge of the company, that is, the legal representative, if he loses the lawsuit and is unable to repay the 100 million Hong Kong dollars in compensation, , then Cha Sheng, you might even go to jail!”

"What?" Jin Yong stood up suddenly in shock and looked at Li Zhihui with wide eyes.

Li Zhihui said calmly: "These words should not have been said, but as the company's legal representative, I still think it is better to make it clearer."

Jin Yong rubbed his forehead and felt a headache. He had wanted to change the legal person of the company a long time ago. He excused himself from taking up the role because he was old to avoid being involved in a lawsuit. Unexpectedly, the plan did not change quickly.

"How credible is your statement?" Jin Yong unbuttoned his sweatshirt and asked. The maid next to him hurriedly raised a fan to gently fan him.

Li Zhihui pondered for a moment and then said: "According to Du Yongxiao's vengeance, if you offend him, he will definitely put you in jail! Unless you can pay 100 million in compensation."

"One hundred million?" Jin Yong smiled bitterly, "They say I am a newspaper tycoon, but I don't have that much money personally! Unless I sell all the copyrights of my novels, I will be able to make up a sum in a short time."

Jin Yong spoke very slowly. Although his eyeballs were slightly cloudy, his thoughts became clearer and clearer. "The question is, who is willing to help me in this situation?"

Jin Yong was right in saying this. The person he offended was Du Yongxiao.

Who is Du Yongxiao?

Hong Kong Police Commissioner and business tycoon.

Now that the news has spread, everyone knows that they have been extorted by the Du Group and have been sued for 100 million. Who dares to help him in this situation?

If you help him, you will offend Du Yongxiao.

When the time comes, retaliation from Du Yongxiao will be inevitable.

Li Zhihui sighed and said, "Cha Sheng, actually you still have a choice now..." He hesitated.

Jin Yong was slightly taken aback when he saw Li Zhihui's expression, "Whatever choice you have, just tell me!"

Li Zhihui gritted his teeth and said, "Then... go find Mr. Du, and then - plead guilty!"

"Apologise while shouldering a thorn?" Jin Yong was stunned.

Not only is he so old, but he is also the cultural icon of Hong Kong, a famous martial arts master, and has a great reputation. Now he is asked to "please bear the burden of sin" to a young boy -——

Why is it so embarrassing?

"Is there no other way?"

"No!" Li Zhihui shook his head, "For today's plan, only you can save Ming Bao!"

"Only I can save Ming Bao?" Jin Yong closed his eyes.

Which is more important, personal reputation or publicity? It’s really hard to decide!

…

New Territories, private villa.

"Uncle Shao Liu, what brought you to call so late?" Du Yongxiao held the phone receiver and said to Shao Yifu, the tycoon on the other side of the phone.

During this period, To Yongxiao was busy with the Tsuen Wan construction site and had been living in the New Territories. He did not go back to Kowloon and Hong Kong Island much.

Shao Daheng's voice was very loud, which showed that during this period, his health and Qi training had reached a new level: "You are a busy man, especially your phone number is very valuable. I finally asked Yan Xiong for it. , he said he wanted to talk to you about something urgent, so he was willing to tell me your current number..."

Shao Daheng's tone was full of helplessness.

Once upon a time, Du Yongxiao was just a little Inspector Hua. At that time, if he wanted to make a movie, he had to look at his eyes. Now, on the other hand, he, Shao Daheng, had to do everything possible to get the other party's phone number.

"Ahem, I'm sorry, Uncle Six! There are too many people looking for me recently, so I just gave my number——"

"No need to explain, I know this kind of thing." Shao Daheng interrupted Du Yongxiao: "You are a busy man, and so am I, so there is no need to be too polite when speaking, let's get straight to the point."

"Okay, Uncle Six, what are your orders?"

"I don't dare to give orders, I'm just entrusted by others. I heard that you are suing Ming Pao recently, right?"

"This is true," Du Yongxiao said, "The other party published a lot of news that damaged my reputation regardless of whether it was true or false. Therefore, our company's legal team is collecting evidence to accuse the other party."

"Give me some face, can you just let this matter go?"

"Haha, Uncle Liu, of course I have to give you my respect, but I can't make the decision on this matter. Our company's legal team is handling it, and I can't personally interfere with their work..."

"Do you mean you don't want to?" Shao Daheng sounded a little unhappy.

He has a good personal relationship with Jin Yong.

In particular, Shaw Brothers was able to dominate the Hong Kong film industry before. Thanks to Jin Yong selling the exclusive rights to adapt the novel to Shaw Brothers, Shaw Brothers became the leader in martial arts films.

In addition, Shao Daheng himself also likes to communicate with cultural people. He has morning tea and coffee, and everyone talks about literature and art. He feels that his level has improved a lot.

Now that Jin Yong took the initiative to find him for help, he was of course obligated. He thought that with his old face, Du Yongxiao would be able to show off his face, but he didn't expect that Du Yongxiao would refuse like this.

"I know what to do to satisfy you!"

"Satisfy me? Haha, Uncle Liu, you think highly of me. I'm just a businessman, a government official, not the emperor of the old society..." Du Yongxiao laughed, "I won't be angry with anyone who offends me. Everything Just go through the legal process!”

"Then there's nothing to talk about!"

"Even if we talk, it is Mr. Cha who is talking to me, isn't it? Why do you have to work so hard for me!" Du Yongxiao smiled slightly and finally said: "No need to say more, I am in Tsuen Wan now, and I will treat you to tea when I return to Hong Kong Island." Du Yongxiao hung up the phone easily with a smile on his face.

According to his status at this time, he can deny face to anyone!

Don't talk about Shao Daheng, even if the Hong Kong Governor comes, it won't work!

On the other end of the phone——

Shao Daheng put down the phone calmly, turned to Jin Yong with a hopeful look on his face and said, "Sorry, there's nothing I can do!"

Jin Yong was stunned for a moment: "Is there no other way?"

Now he was completely anxious.

Du Yongxiao didn't even give Shao Daheng face, let alone himself. Mingbao might go bankrupt.

"To untie the bell, you must tie the bell!" Shao Daheng said seriously, "As for you, take care of yourself!"