Chapter 83: SD

At this moment, Liu Tianci seemed to be free and walked over to Xia Yu.

"Xia Sheng, what did you talk about with Fifth Uncle? Was everything alright?"

Liu Tianci clearly noticed Zhou Rongchang talking to Xia Yu and inquired with concern. It seemed that Zhou Rongchang was a significant figure deserving careful consideration.

"We didn't discuss much. He just mentioned that being passionate is both good and bad and advised me to find a balance. He also offered some encouragement. What do you think?"

"By the way, who is he?"

Xia Yu did not hide anything and directly told Liu Tianci about his conversation with Zhou Rongchang. He wanted to see Liu Tianci's opinion since it was clear that Liu Tianci knew Zhou Rongchang and could provide some insight into his words, which might help clarify Xia Yu's confusion.

Upon hearing Xia Yu's account, Liu Tianci's expression became serious. Instead of directly answering Xia Yu's question, he said solemnly, "He is from the Zhou family of Kowloon. The Zhou family is an old and powerful family in the Kowloon area, much stronger than the Wu family. They primarily engage in finance, real estate, and trade. Of course, the Zhou family doesn't have much to do with you directly, but Zhou Rongchang does, because he is the Chairman of the Kowloon Stock Exchange Board! The Kowloon Stock Exchange was established under his leadership."

Realizing Zhou Rongchang's role as Chairman of the Kowloon Stock Exchange Board, Xia Yu understood why Zhou Rongchang approached him.

Now that Xia Yu knew Zhou Rongchang was the Chairman of the Kowloon Stock Exchange, he realized, as Liu Tianci said, that their relationship was significant.

Even though Xia Yu didn't personally know him, some matters weren't about personal acquaintance but about the context.

Xia Yu hadn't forgotten how *Jiuding Daily* rose to prominence.

During this time, Xia Yu often recommended stocks and was actively involved in trading, effectively using public opinion to influence stock prices.

Although the financial regulatory system in Hong Kong was not yet fully developed and the future Hong Kong Stock Exchange had not been established, making it unclear whether stock price manipulation was illegal, Xia Yu had indeed influenced stock prices, affecting the normal operation of the exchange.

Now that the Chairman of the Kowloon Stock Exchange had approached him, it was evident that he was warning Xia Yu to be more restrained.

Although the words weren't harsh, Xia Yu knew this was a warning in a polite manner. If Xia Yu continued to act recklessly, stronger measures would follow.

Xia Yu remembered that the Kowloon Stock Exchange was a private entity, not government-run. The Zhou family was one of the major shareholders and likely held a substantial stake.

Xia Yu's actions had severely disrupted the market, and given the recent incident with the Wu family, the Kowloon Stock Exchange was likely aware of Xia Yu's disruptive potential. They were concerned about future uncontrollable events and thus chose to warn him in advance.

Making money on their turf meant Xia Yu had to give them face. If he angered the Kowloon Stock Exchange, they might limit his access.

After all, they set the rules, and it was within their power to accuse Xia Yu of violations.

Seeing Xia Yu's expression, Liu Tianci knew Xia Yu had understood. He advised, "Xia Sheng, I suggest you lay low for now. Manipulating public opinion isn't unusual—many people do it. As long as you distance yourself and keep it discreet, it will appear more acceptable."

"As long as you don't give them a handle to catch you on, there's no need to worry. With your capabilities, you will eventually need to establish your own securities company or fund, operating in a regulated manner. Once your strength grows, you'll set the rules. For now…"

"I understand!" Seeing Liu Tianci's concern, Xia Yu felt a warm sensation and nodded gratefully.

"It seems we need to expedite the publication of *Economic* magazine!" Xia Yu thought to himself.

Once *Economic* magazine is published, it will further solidify *Jiuding Daily*'s foundation. With articles and analyses from other economic experts, it will reduce reliance on Xia Yu and present a more favorable image to Zhou Rongchang.

After all, Zhou Rongchang came representing the Kowloon Stock Exchange, so Xia Yu had to show respect.

As Liu Tianci said, Xia Yu needed to give face while making money on their turf.

This didn't mean Xia Yu couldn't recommend stocks, but his actions had affected the stock market's normal operation and had become frequent enough to impact their interests.

Xia Yu could shift his approach. By establishing his own securities company, providing stock research reports would be normal. When *Jiuding Daily* reprinted those reports, the Kowloon Stock Exchange would have no grounds to object, and the effect would be similar.

It might even be better since a professional securities company's stock research reports would carry greater credibility and authority.

Previously, recommending stocks was a standard practice, and the Kowloon Stock Exchange couldn't fault Xia Yu. His funds were managed by HSBC Securities, and the funds transferred to his account by HSBC Securities were not detectable by the Kowloon Stock Exchange's regulatory body. Even if there were rumors, they were baseless, and Xia Yu was untouchable.

However, in the recent case with Dafang Real Estate, Xia Yu's involvement was too obvious. It was clear to anyone that Xia Yu was participating, and his frequent visits to HSBC Securities made it impossible to hide. The evidence was likely caught this time, leading to Zhou Rongchang's direct approach to warn Xia Yu.

Given Xia Yu's apparent manipulation of stock prices, the Kowloon Stock Exchange had to act to prevent others from following suit, as it could lead to future problems.

From a rational standpoint, if Xia Yu were in Zhou Rongchang's position, he would also take warning measures.

This was understandable; interests shaped positions and actions.

Of course, reducing dependence on Xia Yu for *Jiuding Daily* was a plan already in place. Now, it was just pushing Xia Yu to complete it sooner.

Xia Yu felt somewhat dissatisfied, as being coerced had a different psychological impact compared to acting voluntarily.

However, sometimes enduring was necessary. This was the reality—he lacked the power to refuse.

If he had tens of billions in assets and stood at the top of Hong Kong, he wouldn't need to give the Kowloon Stock Exchange's backers any face!

Unfortunately, Xia Yu didn't have such capital. So, smart people would see the situation clearly and know when to bow. Impulsiveness wouldn't solve the problem, so he had to comply for now.

"It seems that after *Economic* magazine is published, I need to quickly establish a securities company or fund to operate in a regulated manner. This will ensure higher safety and freedom!" Xia Yu thought.

Afterward, Xia Yu chatted with Liu Tianci and mingled with others. When the party was winding down, he said goodbye to Liu Tianci.

In the car, Xia Yu looked out the window. The fresh breeze from outside cleared his mind.

As the car passed by a bar, Xia Yu's attention was caught. He said to Yan Shining, "Brother Yan, stop for a moment."

Yan Shining immediately braked and looked back at Xia Yu, who was staring out the window. Following Xia Yu's gaze, Yan Shining saw that Xia Yu was focused on the glass window of a bar.

Inside the bar's glass window was a half-meter-high brown bottle with the English word "Taghta" on it. Yan Shining didn't recognize it, and there were also the letters "SD" on the bottle's neck.

Yan Shining was puzzled and didn't understand why Xia Yu was interested in this.

If Xia Yu hadn't suddenly asked to stop and look, Yan Shining wouldn't have noticed these details.

Was there something special about these letters?

Yan Shining couldn't figure it out but knew better than to interrupt Xia Yu's thoughts.

After half a minute, Xia Yu withdrew his gaze and said to Yan Shining, "Brother Yan, let's go back."

"Okay!"

The car resumed, heading toward Xia Yu's home.

However, Xia Yu remained lost in thought, still pondering the bottle.

"Taghta… Scottish whisky…"

"SD… shadow…"