Hong Kong variety show: The mastermind behind the scenes is emerging.

At exactly eight o'clock, the carved double doors of the living room were pushed open by two servants, and Wei Yixin strode in.

He wore a dark gray suit today, his tie was tied meticulously, and his hair was combed neatly more than usual. He looked perfectly normal, but the bluish-gray shadows under his eyes couldn't lie.

He probably hasn't slept a wink since the US stock market crashed yesterday.

"Mr. Lu, Mr. Huo, please forgive me for disturbing you so late at night." Wei Yixin stepped forward and shook hands with everyone in turn.

"Governor, you are too kind. Maintaining stability in Hong Kong is also our responsibility," Lu Chen replied on behalf of everyone.

Afterwards, Wei Yixin sat down next to Lu Chen and got straight to the point without exchanging pleasantries.

"Thank you all for coming tonight. I'm sure you all know the situation better than I do—the Hang Seng Index plummeted at the opening this morning, and by the close of trading at 4 p.m. today, it had fallen by 450 points, a drop of more than 12 percent. HSBC, Standard Chartered, Cheung Kong, Hutchison Whampoa, Wharf Holdings—everything you can see is in the red."

He raised his eyes and his gaze swept across the faces of everyone present.

"It's not just a stock market issue anymore. When the banks open tomorrow morning, the crowds will stretch from HSBC to Queen's Road. Once the credit market freezes, small and medium-sized enterprises won't be able to pay their wages, and society will start to become unrest... In short, I invited you all here tonight to hear your opinions."

He sat down and placed his hands on the table, crossed.

There was a silence in the reception room for about five seconds before Li Huanggua spoke first.

"Mr. Governor, I believe the most important thing is how to boost the market," he said, pushing aside the agenda in front of him and leaning forward. "Cheung Kong shares fell by 14 percent today. This morning I contacted Citibank, and they said their credit line was full. I contacted HSBC, and they said they needed to reassess the value of the collateral—but the stocks I hold are the largest collateral today. These stocks have fallen by more than 10 percent in one day, and HSBC's assessment will only result in me needing to provide additional collateral, not a new loan. Government House must act quickly to stabilize market confidence, otherwise, within three days, the share prices of all listed companies on Hong Kong Island will be back to what they were a decade or so ago."

After he finished speaking, representatives from several British trading companies behind him nodded in unison.

The shipping magnate put down his teacup, the bottom of which tapped softly on the porcelain plate. "Everyone agrees on stabilizing market confidence. But how exactly to stabilize it needs to be clarified. A stock market crash can't be solved simply by the Governor's Office printing money."

"What does Bao Sheng mean by that?" Zheng Yuyin frowned.

"It doesn't mean anything. It just means that market rescue should not become a rescue for bosses. Every listed company on Hong Kong Island hopes that the Government will inject capital to support the market, but if this money ends up in the pockets of British trading companies, then the Government is not rescuing the market, but paying the bill for the Japanese."

Silence fell on both sides of the long table.

Wei Yixin slowly traced a line on the table with his finger, then turned to look at Lu Chen.

"Mr. Lu, what are your thoughts?"

Lu Chen looked away from the emblem on the table and then sat up straight.

"Mr. Governor, I have only one suggestion—don't just try to save the market capitalization, save the industry. What's really important now is not how many points the Hang Seng Index has fallen, but that the real economy on Hong Kong Island cannot collapse. Once the docks shut down, once the cargo throughput along the port really drops sharply, then the surrounding maintenance and transportation industries will collapse, and the entire economic cycle will experience a real avalanche."

A moment of silence fell over the council table.

"The docks are the lifeblood of Hong Kong Island. If shipping stops, factories will have no raw materials; if factories shut down, workers will not be paid; if workers are not paid, even tea restaurants will have no business. At that point, how many points the Hang Seng Index will fall will no longer be the issue; the issue will be how many unemployed people will be standing on the streets." He paused, shifting his gaze from Wilson to the representatives of the British trading companies on either side of the long table. "As for those speculative positions built purely on leverage—that's your own problem. The Governor's Office has no obligation to pay for wrong investment decisions."

The faces of the British representatives instantly turned extremely ugly, but facing Lu Chen's overwhelming aura, not one of them dared to utter a word of rebuttal.

Just as the atmosphere reached a stalemate, the chairman of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, who was sitting next to Wilson, suddenly spoke up.

He held a freshly printed transaction data report in his hand, his eyes behind his glasses were bloodshot, and he spoke in a hoarse voice.

"Mr. Governor, I have a suggestion—whether we should consider temporarily suspending the market? The Stock Exchange could announce a four- to five-day suspension to allow market sentiment time to cool down. Resuming trading after the panic has subsided might prevent an even larger sell-off."

Upon hearing this, Wei Yixin frowned slightly and was just about to speak to assess the feasibility of the plan when Lu Chen's voice rang out decisively.

"no."

The chairman of the Stock Exchange turned to look at him.

"Closing the market won't solve anything," Lu Chen said calmly, but with an undeniable authority. "Shutting down the exchange won't eliminate the panic; it will only suppress it. It's like pressing down on a spring—the more you press, the harder it bounces back. When the market reopens in a few days, all the backlogged sell orders will flood the market at the same time, and the stock price will only fall even faster."

He was so certain because Hong Kong Island had done the same thing in the past—they cleverly closed the market for four whole days, and as a result, the Hang Seng Index plummeted like an unprecedented waterfall on the day it reopened, causing far more devastating consequences than if the market hadn't closed.

Wei Yixin listened silently, then picked up the now-cold coffee in front of him, took a sip, licked the remaining coffee stains from the corner of his mouth, and pushed the cup aside.

"In the coming days, the Government House will work with the Financial Secretary, HSBC, and the Stock Exchange to establish a Market Stabilization Fund. The Financial Secretary will allocate special funds from the Exchange Fund, HSBC and Standard Chartered will provide matching credit lines, and the Stock Exchange will be responsible for identifying which listed companies have actual assets and the ability to continue operating—those that meet the criteria will have their shares repurchased by the Stabilization Fund to prevent share prices from falling."

He paused for a moment: "But—you must understand one thing. This intervention is neither unlimited nor long-term. The stabilization fund's duration is tentatively set at three to six months, after which it will be reassessed based on market conditions. During this period, any company that receives a buyback from the fund must simultaneously submit a business restructuring plan and a financial transparency report. The Governor's Office will not use taxpayers' money to fill a hole that can never be filled."

He stood up after he finished speaking.

"The detailed operating rules for the Market Stabilization Fund will be communicated to your offices by the relevant departments by tomorrow afternoon. This concludes tonight's meeting. Thank you all."

As soon as the words were spoken, people on both sides of the long table began to rise. Chairs were pushed aside on the wool carpet with a dull thud. Some stood still and talked in hushed tones, while others picked up their briefcases and walked towards the door without looking back.

Lu Chen stood up and straightened his cuffs. Wei Yixin walked up to him, extended his hand, and lowered his voice slightly: "Mr. Lu, your analysis of the port industry is very insightful. Regarding the Market Stabilization Fund proposal, the Financial Secretary will need a few more days to secure the initial funding, but I hope you can join the Stock Exchange's evaluation committee."

Lu Chen shook hands with him: "Okay, give the list to my secretary, she will arrange a time."

Wei Yixin nodded, then turned to Bao Chuanwang and Huo Daheng, shook hands with them in turn, and then strode out of the conference room. His secretary, carrying a folder, chased after him, her heels clicking rapidly on the stone slabs of the corridor before disappearing around the corner.

……

Stepping out of the reception room, Hong Kong tycoons were standing in twos and threes in the corridor, waiting for their cars. The shipping magnate was standing by a pillar, smoking a cigar with tycoon Fok. When he saw Lu Chen come out, he immediately waved to him.

Just then, a voice came from behind.

"Lu Sheng".

Lu Chen stopped and turned around.

Li Huanggua stood under the pillar, the light from the porch lamps cutting a narrow silver edge along the shoulder of his dark blue suit. He took a deep breath and smiled broadly.

"Mr. Lu, if you have some free time another day, I would like to pay a visit to your residence. Would that be convenient?"

Lu Chen narrowed his eyes slightly and looked at him for a moment.

He didn't like Li Ka-shing. He was a "banana"—yellow on the outside but white on the inside—who had groveled before the British for decades, devouring the best locations on Hong Kong Island piece by piece, only to turn around and become a comprador for HSBC and Standard Chartered.

However, Cheung Kong Holdings is, after all, one of the top Chinese-owned giants in Hong Kong, and Li Huanggua himself is a prominent figure in the British comprador camp. If they could take advantage of this stock market crash to completely subdue him, or even turn him against them, it would be a good deal for the Chinese camp.

Finally, Lu Chen extended his hand and said calmly, "Mr. Li, you're too kind. I welcome you anytime."