NBA: The Dynasty Crusher (Basketball)

Friday, the 23rd.

A Level 7 typhoon loomed overhead. The sky was dark, humid, and ready to burst. It wasn't just the weather. A financial storm was on the horizon.

Rumors had started last night—that Storm Fund was preparing to acquire Changjiang Holdings and New World Development.

By this morning, those rumors had exploded.

---

"What? Storm wants to take Changjiang?"

Brother Cheng shot up from his chair, eyes wide in disbelief.

At the same time, Brother Tong received a similar report.

Even if it wasn't confirmed, they couldn't afford to ignore it. Storm's capital power was terrifying.

If Lindsay really wanted to take all three of them at once—it was absolutely possible.

Within a minute, the two made the same decision: cancel their promised 10 billion HKD loans to Brother Ji.

"Those two old bastards!"

When the calls came in, Brother Ji nearly coughed up blood.

Last night, they were talking about unity and fighting Storm together. And now—every man for himself?

"How can we beat Storm like this?!"

Standing on the 36th floor of Henderson Tower, Brother Ji stared out the French windows at the ominous skyline, the incoming rain like the wrath of heaven.

"Storm... I can't hold anymore. Who can stand against the will of heaven?"

Suddenly, his thoughts turned to the Guo family.

They'd been selling off non-core assets rapidly these past few days. Rumors said they were dispatching veteran staff to the mainland for inspections. It wasn't a total retreat from Hong Kong—but the signs were clear.

They were repositioning. Going inland to start fresh.

---

"Uncle Ji?"

Big Brother Guo was shocked to receive a call from Brother Ji. Wasn't he under attack from Storm? Why would he be calling now?

"Bingxiang, is your family really planning to expand into the mainland?"

"Uh... we're just doing some exploratory visits," Big Brother Guo replied, hesitant.

He didn't want to say too much. After all, when the Guo family was being crushed by Storm, Brother Ji stood by and watched.

And right now, the Guos were walking a fine line. The second and third sons were still in legal trouble. Mrs. Lindsay's attitude could determine their fate. Saying the wrong thing could be costly.

"Bingxiang," Brother Ji softened his tone. "Back then, when your family was in trouble, I didn't step up. I was wrong. I sincerely apologize."

Brother Ji knew he had to swallow his pride. In times like this, face didn't matter—survival did.

"Uncle Ji… you should talk to Mrs. Lindsay directly. I really can't say anything. Please don't put me in a tight spot," Guo Bingxiang said firmly.

"Mrs. Lindsay, huh? I understand."

He hung up.

If the Guo family was moving inland, and right now of all times, someone must've helped pave that path.

"Get the car ready. I'm going to Storm—no, Tianlong Investment Bank."

"Chairman, there's no appointment yet," his assistant reminded him.

"Then schedule one. I want to see Mrs. Lindsay as soon as possible."

The assistant was stunned. Since when did the chairman beg for meetings like this?

At Tianlong Investment Bank's Hong Kong branch, Lindsay was slightly surprised to receive the request.

"Li Zhaoji wants to meet? Fine. Set it up."

While Brother Ji was en route, the Hong Kong stock market opened.

"Chairman! Our stock price is dropping again. Large funds are clearly moving into Changjiang and New World. The prices are surging, someone's aggressively buying!" the assistant rushed in to report.

Brother Ji waved his hand wearily. "Give me a moment."

"Uh—yes, sir."

"Tell the driver to speed up," he added. Then leaned back and shut his eyes.

He hadn't slept a second last night, and his seventy-year-old body was running on fumes.

9:50 AM.

Brother Ji arrived at Tianlong Investment Bank.

10:05 AM.

He was ushered into Lindsay's office.

"Mr. Li. We meet again."

Lindsay stood up from behind her sleek desk.

"In just three days, Madam has taken one bite after another," Brother Ji said as they shook hands. "At this rate, in half a month, you'll have eaten all four of us alive."

Lindsay chuckled, gesturing for him to sit. "Mr. Li, are you here today for the same reason as the Guo family?"

"I'm not sure what they discussed with you," he said bitterly. "But I've reached my limit. You can take Henderson. But please… don't destroy everything. I need a way out. Like the Guo family."

Lindsay smiled faintly. "And you're so certain they got one from me?"

Brother Ji nodded. "The Guo family lost Xinhongji, but they still have assets in Hong Kong. Now they're suddenly shifting resources to the mainland and offloading local holdings. Clearly, someone showed them a new door."

Lindsay gave a soft laugh. The old fox had sharp eyes.

---

"Mr. Li, the Guo family chose a good path. And your Li family can walk it too. The mainland market is massive."

"We should go too?" he murmured, caught off guard.

"I only told Mrs. Guo one thing," Lindsay continued. "Tianlong Investment Bank will raise hundreds of billions in U.S. dollars to invest in various mainland industries."

"Hundreds of billions?" Brother Ji jolted up. His vision swam.

"Mr. Li!"

Lindsay gestured urgently, and her bodyguards moved to assist.

"I'm fine. Just got up too fast," he muttered, gripping the coffee table for balance. "Comes with age…"

He eased back down, then looked at her seriously. "Mrs. Lindsay, do you really believe in the mainland that much?"

Lindsay thought of Zhao Dong and smiled. "It will be the largest emerging market in the world. Entering now is the best opportunity."

"...The largest emerging market…"

Brother Ji fell silent, deep in thought.

---

Finally, he sighed and nodded. "Alright. The Li family will move inland too. And the 6% stake in Changjiang and New World we hold… we'll transfer it."

Thirty minutes later, the deal was struck.

Lindsay turned to Meilin. "Arrange the equity transfer. And halt the Henderson Land plan. Shift our entire focus to New World and Changjiang. Push the tender offer out immediately."

"Yes, ma'am," Meilin said, then stepped out to carry out the orders.

"Attack like a raging fire…"

Brother Ji sat back and watched Lindsay issue commands without hesitation. Not a single moment wasted.

In just one day, decades of hard work crumbled. Though the loss felt like a knife to the chest, Brother Ji forced himself to stay composed. Right in front of Lindsay, he pulled out his phone and instructed both his company and family to prepare for the equity transfer.

When the news reached the Li family and the board, it caused absolute chaos. The headquarters felt like it was collapsing.

Meanwhile, Brother Cheng and Brother Tong were already emptying their coffers, trying to resist Storm's offensive.

Lindsay's attacks were surgical. She wasn't just targeting Cheung Kong Holdings—she was going after Hutchison too. In fact, every publicly listed company under Cheng Ge's empire had become her battlefield.

This multi-pronged approach played to her biggest strength—capital depth. By spreading Cheng Ge's defenses thin, she made sure he couldn't concentrate resources to protect any single front.

In conglomerates like these, each company had cross-holdings. For instance, Cheung Kong owned 42% of Hutchison. If you took one down, the other was already wobbling. Lindsay understood this better than anyone. Break one node, and the entire web collapses.

---

Tong Ge was in the same position. Even his jewelry empire was being targeted—both the listed New World Development and the unlisted Chow Tai Fook were under siege.

Lindsay didn't discriminate. She paid top dollar to small shareholders, prying open ownership and gaining leverage in every direction.

Even Chow Tai Fook owned 10% of New World Real Estate. That meant one battlefield was connected to another. Like Cheng, Tong had no choice but to fight on multiple fronts, burning through cash.

The financial capital behind Lindsay was like a beast—bloodthirsty, relentless. It attacked industries with precision, without giving its targets time to breathe.

They fought desperately, because they understood one truth: if they lost, they would end up like Southeast Asia and South Korea in 1997—picked clean, down to the bone.

They mobilized personal wealth, tapped company reserves, and took out loans. Hundreds of billions of HKD went into the fight.

But when spread across so many battlefields… even that wasn't enough.

---

4:00 p.m., March 23 — Hong Kong stock market closed.

"Dad… we lost 7.6 billion today. Changjiang dropped another 1.3% of our holdings. Hutchison lost 2.3%. Storm's traders are monsters."

In Cheng Ge's office, Li Zekai spoke with a pale face.

"Storm lived up to its Wall Street legend," Cheng Ge muttered, eyes narrowing behind his signature black-rimmed glasses.

"Dad, we can't win this. They have better traders. More capital. We're just outgunned."

His eldest son, Li Zeju, couldn't hide his panic.

"Don't panic!"

Cheng snapped, voice sharp. He leaned back and stared at the ceiling.

Five minutes passed.

Then, he made a decision—mortgage company shares and raise even more cash from the banks.

---

That same afternoon, a special jet from Europe landed at Kai Tak Airport.

Lindsay had arrived early, surrounded by her elite security team.

Reporters huddled outside, whispering excitedly.

"Wait, is Mrs. Lindsay personally greeting someone?"

"Who's on that flight?"

"They're coming out!"

A large group of powerful individuals exited through the VIP channel—top-tier suits, sunglasses, briefcases. Each accompanied by assistants and bodyguards.

At the front was Mrs. Dolores—matriarch of one of Europe's largest financial houses.

"Madam!"

Lindsay greeted her with a warm hug.

---

This time, Mrs. Dolores didn't come alone.

She brought representatives from dozens of top financial institutions across Western Europe, including sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and elite banks from over a dozen countries.

Inside the car, she didn't waste time.

"Eve, that $100 billion we previously allocated from Europe? Not even close. Storm's prediction of the U.S. bear market shocked Wall Street. You've now become the number one global safe haven. We could raise a trillion dollars if we wanted to."

Lindsay's eyes lit up. "How much are we working with today?"

"I rejected dozens of groups. But this team? These funds are long-term, industrial-focused, and they meet our investment philosophy. They've brought $500 billion, and they're ready to invest it all through Tianlong Investment Bank."

---

Lindsay thought for a moment.

"We'll need to revise the recruitment plan."

Mrs. Dolores nodded. "Ece, if you need more, just sign the contracts. The funds are ready to deploy."

Lindsay smiled. "No need, Madam. Storm and our internal funds are sufficient for now. Tianlong's capital is earmarked for industrial investment, not acquisition battles. We must lead by example."

Mrs. Dolores gave her a look of pride. "You've done remarkably well these past two years."

Lindsay responded with a soft smile. "It's all thanks to my husband. His strategy and vision guide everything."

"Zhao Dong's ability to read the future is rare," Dolores agreed. "He's given us the upper hand."

---

5:30 p.m. — Hilton Hotel, Hong Kong

Lindsay and Mrs. Dolores held a joint press conference.

Earlier, Lindsay had called Zhao Dong to revise the fund-raising structure. The original plan was 36 funds under Tianlong Investment Bank, each worth $10 billion.

Now? That was tripled.

Each fund would be worth $30 billion, maintaining a closed-end structure.

Tianlong's total capital would soon exceed $1 trillion USD.

Closed-end meant the funds couldn't be redeemed mid-term. Their size was fixed. This ensured stability and long-term vision, rare traits in global finance.

At the podium, Lindsay officially announced:

"Tianlong Investment Bank has signed an investment agreement with our European partners for $500 billion USD. These funds will be used for long-term industrial development across China."

---

The news exploded in financial circles.

"$500 billion?"

Back in his office, Cheng Ge nearly had a heart attack.

He was already losing to Storm. Now there was another $500 billion behind them?

It was the final blow.

His head spun. His back went cold. White hairs surfaced on his temples in real time.

What he didn't know—none of that $500 billion was targeting him.

But ignorance didn't soften the blow.

It crushed morale.

At the same time, Brother Tong felt the pressure collapse onto his chest like a mountain. His lungs felt like they'd burst.

In the midst of the chaos, Lindsay and Brother Ji completed the equity transfer.

Henderson Land officially fell under Lindsay and Zhao Dong's personal control.

By 6:00 p.m., they publicly announced it.

Shockwaves tore through Hong Kong.

"It's over. Brother Ji's 6% stake in Changjiang… it's now in Mrs. Lindsay's hands. With Storm's holdings combined…"

Brother Cheng heard the news.

The white sweat on his forehead turned into a downpour.

Brother Tong? Same story.

---

In Beijing…

Zhao Dong, alongside his father Zhao Zhenguo, met with Mr. Zhu once again.

This time, not to be scolded—but to be praised.

Tianlong Investment Bank had raised $500 billion USD—more than China's total foreign exchange reserves.

It wasn't just a victory.

It was a historic shift in global finance.

(End of Chapter)

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