Chapter 130: Plunging into the Abyss!

Dream City!

This was a five-star hotel established in the bay of the East Sea. It boasted top-tier facilities and services. Because of its luxurious amenities and strict confidentiality measures, many individuals of a certain status preferred to conduct business here. Beyond being a five-star hotel, it was also a premier leisure and entertainment venue, attracting countless visitors every year.

In the rooftop restaurant of Dream City, at a window-side table, Liu Shihui appeared visibly anxious. By now, his stock prices had plummeted to a terrifying level. If this trend continued, he was genuinely afraid he would face complete bankruptcy.

He shook his head, struggling to focus, trying to figure out how to persuade the head of the Thorne Investment Company.

"Chairman Liu!" At that moment, a voice reached his ears. Liu Shihui looked up instinctively to see Bank President Qin accompanied by a blonde-haired, blue-eyed beauty.

"Hello, hello!" Liu Shihui hurriedly stood up, bowing slightly with a fawning expression on his face.

A person’s tone and demeanor often shift with their status. In the past, Liu Shihui would never have worn such a sycophantic look. Bank President Qin noticed this and sneered inwardly, recalling how arrogant and overbearing Liu Shihui had been only a short time ago. Seeing him now, acting like a groveling pug, was simply laughable.

"Chairman Liu, let me introduce you. This is Ms. Alice, the representative of the American Thorne Investment Company here in China!" As he spoke, President Qin gestured toward Liu Shihui with a smile. "Ms. Alice, this is the chairman of the domestic Liu Group, Liu Shihui!"

"Hello," Alice said, shaking hands with Liu Shihui briefly.

Alice’s hand was delicate and smooth. In the past, Liu Shihui would have certainly tried to find a way to get this beauty into bed to see what this "foreign mare" was like. But now, he had no such thoughts. He spoke with a hint of flattery, "Ms. Alice, I believe President Qin has already conveyed the message. I would like to borrow 500 million USD from Thorne Investment Group."

"Hmm! I am already aware of this matter," Alice replied quickly in fluent Chinese. "However, Mr. Liu, regarding a loan of 500 million USD, first of all, I do not believe the Liu Group meets the qualifications for such a loan. I do not believe you possess the capacity for repayment. I saw the news about your company today, and with your stock price plummeting, from my personal perspective, you do not qualify for investment."

"There is always a way, Ms. Alice. I believe that everything is reported through you. Whether the loan is approved or not, I trust you have your ways, don't you?" Liu Shihui gritted his teeth and pulled a check from his pocket. It was for 50 million—a five followed by eight zeros.

Under normal circumstances, Liu Shihui would not have cared about 50 million. His son, Liu Kaifeng, had thrown away tens of millions just to bribe people like Boss Fang or Wang Zhi. But now, Liu Shihui was in desperate need of money. Fifty million was a significant investment for him.

However, Liu Shihui knew very well that this investment was necessary. As long as he could make a comeback, everything he was paying now would be worth it.

Fifty million?

Alice picked up the check, a faint smile appearing on her face. She didn't say much and simply tucked the check into her pocket. Before coming, Xiao Yu had told her that whatever benefits Liu Shihui offered today would be considered her bonus.

She had considered squeezing him for more, but she judged that there couldn't be much left in Liu Shihui’s coffers; even if she continued to gouge him, she wouldn't get much more.

"Mr. Liu, granting you the loan is not impossible," Alice said, smiling at him. "However, our company has regulations. We require collateral. Otherwise, no matter how much influence I have, I cannot approve a 500 million USD loan. You must understand, this is a substantial sum."

Liu Shihui hesitated for a moment but realized what Alice said was reasonable. He asked, "Then, Ms. Alice, what would you require as collateral?"

Alice looked at him seriously. "The Liu Group. I need you to use the Liu Group as collateral. I know you hold 30 percent of the company's shares. As a commission, we will take 10 percent of the Liu Group's shares, and the remaining 20 percent will serve as the collateral!"

"The Liu Group?" Liu Shihui’s pupils contracted violently. He exclaimed on the spot, "That's impossible! This is my life's work. I cannot use the Liu Group as collateral!"

Alice looked at him, took the 50-million-dollar check back out of her pocket, and said coldly, "Then, Mr. Liu, I cannot help you. If you cannot offer the shares as collateral and pay us the 10 percent commission, I have no way of helping you secure 500 million USD. You should go find someone else."

With that, Alice stood up as if to leave.

"Wait, wait a moment!" Liu Shihui said urgently. "Ms. Alice, please, let me reconsider. Let me think about it!"

"There is nothing to consider," Alice said coldly. "Mr. Liu, as you Chinese say, you want the horse to run well without feeding it grass. Do you think that is possible? If you cannot meet the conditions I have set, then I am sorry, I cannot help you."

Liu Shihui’s expression shifted rapidly. Normally, his 30 percent stake was worth at least several billion USD; 10 percent alone was far more than the current market price. This Alice was clearly robbing him while he was down. Even if Thorne Investment found out she had taken his 50 million, they likely wouldn't do anything to her. As long as he survived this crisis, his remaining shares would be worth far more than 500 million USD.

"I accept your terms, but I have a condition of my own: I want the loan amount increased to 1 billion USD!" Liu Shihui looked at Alice. "And I want to see the money this afternoon!"

"That is impossible. One billion is a much larger sum, and it cannot be transferred to your account all at once. I can grant you 100 million USD temporarily. For the full billion, I must communicate with the company headquarters," Alice said earnestly. "There are some things I cannot decide on my own, Mr. Liu. If you need me to do something, I hope you ask for things I am capable of doing."

Liu Shihui gritted his teeth and slowly replied, "Then I hope Ms. Alice can give me an answer as soon as possible. I am in dire need of these funds."

"Very well. I can contact the company now. In addition, I need you to provide the documentation for the Liu Group. I can authorize the transfer of 100 million USD this afternoon. As for the rest, if there are no issues, it will all be in your account within a week."

"A week!" Liu Shihui narrowed his eyes, frowning inwardly. With 100 million, he could hold out for a while. He gritted his teeth and said, "Five days. It must all be in my account within five days. And within three days, I need at least 200 million!"

Alice looked at him and replied seriously, "I will need to discuss that with my superiors. Mr. Liu, instead of making demands, you would be better off organizing the Liu Group's documents so I can report to my superiors."

Liu Shihui nodded. "Very well, I will wait for your response."

After spending half the afternoon, Liu Shihui finally received Alice's reply. After both sides signed the contract, Alice transferred 100 million USD to his account. The total loan amount was raised from 500 million to 650 million, and Thorne Investment promised the remainder would be deposited within three days.

"Foreigners are certainly efficient," Liu Shihui sighed. If he had dealt with domestic bureaucrats, he might not have secured this in a month.

With the money in hand, Liu Shihui poured the final remaining funds from his company into the stock market, finally stabilizing the teetering share price. Seeing this, he let out a sigh of relief.

From here on out, once the rest of the money arrived, everything would be fine. This was just a temporary setback; as long as he had a chance, making a comeback would be no problem at all.

However, at nine o'clock that evening, a phone call left Liu Shihui completely dumbfounded.

It was a call from a stranger, an international number.

"Mr. Liu, I am Charles, the Vice President of Thorne Investment. Today, we discovered that the information provided by our domestic representative, Ms. Alice, does not match the facts. Therefore, we have decided to suspend the loan to the Liu Group. The exact loan amount will be determined by our experts after further analysis. We apologize for any inconvenience caused."

*Clatter!*

The phone slipped from Liu Shihui’s hand. In that instant, he felt as if he had fallen into a frozen cellar.