Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Li Du rarely retaliated but now that he did, he delivered a crushing blow that fanned the flames!
This was the kind of person Li Du was. He had changed quite a bit compared to before, and this included his tolerance. He did not get angry easily, so he was not an easy person to rile up. Even then, he had his limits. He was no masochist, however, so how could he be expected to stay quiet while he was dealt blow after blow? Kelly Anderson had already mocked him a few times — he could tolerate this no longer!
Kelly Anderson was a stereotypical ill-bred man — arrogant, conceited, boorish, the kind to bully those weaker than him. This was especially so since he was the boss and thus was often tyrannical in the way he treated his employees. He had made a habit out of mistreating them that bled into the way he treated the people around him.
Those who worked under him might have swallowed this injustice because they had no other choice, but Li Du was not his employee. There was no way he would take this lying down.
Kelly Anderson was agitated. There was a somber look on his face as he said, “Hey, you trying to stir up trouble?”
Since Anderson has dropped the formalities, Li Du followed suit. He pointed at Conrad Anthony as he spoke to Anderson, not mincing his words anymore, “I am, so what about it? Come fight me if you think you can beat me, but before you swing, you should ask the kid what lessons he learned from standing in my way.”
Anderson erupted in anger. He rushed forward to shove Li Du, but Bale and some of the people hurried to pull both men apart. Carberry said unhappily, “Hey, what’s wrong with the two of you? Mr. Li, your words were—”
“It’s not Li’s fault. What happened today is my fault,” Bale interrupted him. He pushed Li Du back and continued speaking, “George, Kelly, Li — this isn’t a fighting ring, and we’re not barbarians. Friendship is what’s important.”
Anderson declared loudly, “I’ve said before that we were friends, but what did he say? He implied I was not good enough to be his friend. Didn’t you hear?”
Li Du spread his arms and said, “Well, I’m sorry, but this is who I am. I’m just this honest and direct, so please forgive me if I’ve bruised your ego. I’ll try to be more tactful next time.”
Anderson was so angry that he looked like he was about to pop a vessel. He hollered, “Just listen to the bullsh*t he’s spouting! You’re such an arrogant bastard, don’t you know who I am? All you do is pick up trash, so who are you to say that to me?”
Li Du countered immediately, “The trash pickers are the two standing beside you. Hasn’t George Anthony told you that I’m already in another trade? Besides, if what you’re saying is true, doesn’t that mean that people like Mr. Bale and Mr. Johnson are also trash pickers?”
Bale shoved him back and said, “Hey, Li Du, don’t throw me under the bus like that. Cool it, okay?”
Li Du nodded and said no more, but Anderson was adamant about not letting this go. “Don’t act dumb and try to divert the focus. I’m talking about you, Chinese man. You’re quite the glib b*stard, aren’t you?” Anderson ranted angrily, “I’m the boss of the KK Rainbow Bird Company, and who are you? Who do you think you are?”
If it were a war Anderson wanted, then Li Du would give him one. He looked vacantly at the others and asked, “What’s the KK Rainbow Bird Company?”
Playboy shook his head, too. “No idea, maybe it’s a company that sells apparel, Like American Eagle?”
George laughed from beside Anderson. “Stop mocking him. KK Rainbow Bird Company is an e-commerce company, involved in online transactions and offline delivery services. It’s a company that’s popular in Seattle, but it doesn’t really deal with the Chinese or other Asians, so maybe that’s why you’ve never heard of it.”
Kelly Anderson and he were competitors, so each gloated the moment the other slipped up. What George said seemed like an explanation, but it really was just a thinly veiled provocation. Li Du listened to the man’s words and side-eyed Anderson, saying, “Oh, it’s an e-commerce company? My apologies, I don’t know too much about this trade.”
Anderson responded haughtily, “This just goes to show how ignorant you are!”
Li Du said, “No, it’s because I’m too busy with my work. I am, after all, now the biggest shareholder of Harry Winston, Inc. I’d been busy with acquiring shares in the company so I haven’t really had the time to acquaint myself with your KK Rainbow Bird Company in Seattle.”
Li Du placed special emphasis on ‘your’ and ‘KK Rainbow Bird Company’, letting his sarcasm speak for itself. This riled Anderson up even more. The man opened his mouth to retort but finally caught up with what Li Du had said. He stared at Li Du in shock and asked, “What? You’re the biggest shareholder of Harry Winston, Inc.?”
Li Du responded, “Have you heard about us? Hmm, maybe you’re not so ignorant after all.”
Anderson was taken aback by his response, and so was Bale. They had little knowledge and understanding of Li Du’s involvement in luxury goods and the gemstone trade. Because the man kept such a low profile, not many people outside the trade knew he was that big of a shareholder.
Anderson turned to look at Anthony who was equally shocked. He said, “You’re lying.”
Carberry was the COO of Boeing, so naturally, he was a key figure in American high society. The man had an extensive network so he could easily verify what Li Du had said by getting in touch with one of his contacts in the luxury goods industry.
He got a response rather quickly. He looked at his phone and then said, “Mr. Li is indeed a shareholder in Harry Winston, Inc. However, you’re the second-largest shareholder in the company, right? Mr. Cole Winston’s got a bit more shares than you do.”
Li Du replied simply, “I’ve just completed an acquisition of a 4% stake and some parts of the change are still in discussion.”
This much was all semantics — whether he was the largest or the second-largest shareholder in the company was not important. Either way, his net worth was enough for people to gawk at, including Carberry.
The Boeing Group was a titan in the financial industry; just a fraction of that group was worth more than the entirety of Harry Winston, Inc. Despite that, Carberry’s capacity as a COO meant he was nothing more than a glorified pencil pusher. All he took from the company was a salary and bonuses — he did not own any shares.
The atmosphere changed in a split second. The Anthonys were panic-stricken and Anderson looked uncomfortable, but even then, he was no different from the average American man. He clung on to his pride and refused to back down. “Seems like you got lucky. Which warehouse did you land to gain all this money? Did you discover one full of gold? You must be really lucky to have been able to buy such a huge stake at the Harry Winston Group, huh?”
Li Du replied, “Luck? Sir, if you’re managing a company with this attitude you’re bound to go bankrupt sooner or later. Luck is a fickle thing. I got to where I am today with my own efforts.”
Anderson sneered. “Hah, effort—”
Li Du could not care less about what Anderson was going to say. He interrupted the man, “Listen, I came here today because I thought we could gather to chat and have a good time as we played, but you just had to stir up trouble. You might have become a boss based on sheer luck, but I’m nothing like you, do you understand?
“Here’s an example: this is my first time at a golf course. It’s my first time here, but I’ve already discovered a potential job worth at least six figures. Of course, this job is meaningless for me, but I could help someone earn some money if I so wanted. This is the difference between actual ability and luck. Do you get it now?”
