Chapter 515: The Listed Hua Shang Bank

"Hua Shang Bank, this is the place."

After getting out of the car and looking at the sign with the four Chinese characters "华商银行" (Hua Shang Bank), Xia Yu smiled lightly.

"It seems quite powerful!"

Looking around, the area was filled with high-rise buildings. Even from a distance of over ten meters, he could see the Goldman Sachs logo. The fact that Hua Shang Bank could establish itself here and appeared to be more than ten stories high was indeed a testament to its strength.

After his admiration, Xia Yu, accompanied by Li Qian, walked toward the bank, leaving a few people to wait outside while Li Wuming and another bodyguard followed them inside.

Seeing Xia Yu and his entourage enter, dressed luxuriously and accompanied by bodyguards, the bank staff immediately noticed. A Chinese staff member quickly approached, slightly bowing and respectfully said, "Sir, is there anything I can assist you with?"

Xia Yu smiled and replied, "I'm not here for business. I'm Xia Yu, a friend of your president, Wu Hongyi. I called him this morning. Is he here now?"

Hearing Xia Yu's words, the staff member was taken aback, glancing at the luxury cars outside. He didn't doubt Xia Yu's claim and immediately became even more respectful, saying, "Sir, our president is currently upstairs. Please wait a moment while I make a call to inform him. I'll then take you up."

"No hurry, thank you!"

Xia Yu replied with a smile. He watched as the staff member went to the front desk, spoke briefly with a receptionist, and then made a phone call.

After a brief conversation on the phone, the staff member's expression changed. He quickly hung up and returned with an even more respectful attitude.

"Sir, our president is in his office. I will take you up now. Please follow me!"

Soon, Xia Yu and his party entered the elevator. When the elevator doors opened, they were greeted by Wu Hongyi's familiar yet new face, smiling warmly at the door.

"Xia Yu, long time no see!"

Wu Hongyi embraced Xia Yu with a hint of excitement in his tone.

"Hongyi, it's been a while. I've missed you!"

After exchanging pleasantries, Wu Hongyi greeted Li Qian and Li Wuming, both of whom had met Wu Hongyi before, so they were also acquainted.

"Mr. Li, Ms. Li, good afternoon!"

…

"Xia Yu, come in and sit down. You finally made it, haha!"

Once inside Wu Hongyi's office, Xia Yu and his companions found seats and looked around the room.

The office was very spacious, featuring a grand and luxurious Huanghuali wooden desk, with matching chairs that also seemed to be made of Huanghuali wood.

At the back was a bookshelf, on the left was a filing cabinet, and on the back wall hung a plaque with five powerful characters: "诚信赢天下" (Integrity Wins the World)!

Besides that, three paintings were hung on the adjacent wall, each densely covered with prints, clearly valuable antique calligraphy and paintings.

Wu Hongyi's teapot and cups for making tea were made of purple clay and blue and white porcelain, respectively.

Most importantly, Xia Yu compared Wu Hongyi now to his impression from half a year ago. The changes were significant. The most notable was his demeanor—his mature and steady presence was very apparent.

Additionally, there was a confident and sunny aura about him.

Xia Yu clicked his tongue in admiration, saying, "Hongyi, it's been half a year, and you've changed so much. You've become the president of Hua Shang Bank. Congratulations!"

Wu Hongyi had just poured water into the teapot and covered it with the lid. He looked up and modestly smiled, "You flatter me. Although I've achieved some success, compared to you, it pales in comparison."

"Hey, don't compare us. I'm not doing that great either. But compared to six months ago, your transformation is huge. At such a young age, leading Hua Shang Bank shows how much your grandfather values you. The future looks bright! It's definitely worth celebrating!"

Xia Yu waved his hand to refute.

Wu Hongyi's smile grew wider, acknowledging Xia Yu's comment, and poured a cup of tea for Xia Yu, saying, "This is also thanks to your advice. Otherwise, I'd still be muddling through."

"By the way, Xia Yu, how long will you be staying here?"

Wu Hongyi changed the subject, asking with concern.

"Hard to say, but at least a few months."

Xia Yu replied with a light smile.

"Really? That's great!"

"In the future, I must learn from you. Although I'm in this prestigious position now, the pressure is immense. I'm not capable enough, and I worry about managing things poorly."

"Your skills are ten times or even a hundred times better than mine. Please make sure to teach me."

Wu Hongyi exclaimed with delight and began to share his troubles, completely shedding the demeanor of a bank president.

"You're overestimating me. I also have many things I want to consult with you. Let's explore them together."

"…"

It seemed that they hadn't seen each other for a long time, and Wu Hongyi spoke candidly with Xia Yu about everything. The conversation was rich and varied, and before they knew it, it was already past five in the evening.

In December, the sun's direct rays had shifted south to near the Tropic of Capricorn. The northern hemisphere experiences shorter days and longer nights, and London, close to the Arctic Circle, had particularly long nights. By five in the afternoon, the sky had already darkened.

Noticing the dimming light, Wu Hongyi suddenly realized the time and stopped talking.

"Xia Yu, it's getting late. Let's go out for dinner. We can chat while eating. I've asked Uncle Chang to prepare many delicious dishes. You'll definitely like them!"

He said and led Xia Yu and the others to the Phoenix Tower in Chinatown.

As time passed, Xia Yu and his party sat in a private room at the Phoenix Tower, with the table covered in a variety of delicious dishes. Everyone enjoyed the meal heartily.

"Xia Yu, I toast to you, welcoming you back to London!"

Wu Hongyi raised his glass, filled with wine, and said solemnly to Xia Yu.

Xia Yu and the others immediately raised their glasses as well. Since Li Qian couldn't drink, she had juice, and Li Wuming, who didn't drink at all, had tea instead.

"Hongyi, thank you for the warm welcome. Cheers!"

"Hiss… Ha!"

"Cheers!"

"Come on, Hongyi, eat more!"

…

As they ate and chatted, the conversation naturally returned to Hua Shang Bank.

"Hongyi, how is Hua Shang Bank performing?"

Xia Yu asked while picking up a piece of lobster meat.

"It's doing alright. The UK economy is in trouble, and most banks are struggling. Fortunately, we Chinese have banded together, and with Hua Shang Bank being the largest Chinese-funded bank in the UK, we have the support of many Chinese businessmen. So, we're doing reasonably well."

Wu Hongyi said with a somewhat relaxed expression, his tone filled with emotion.

After taking over Hua Shang Bank, he had gained a deeper understanding of the UK's financial industry, learned more about the inside story, and his mindset had changed accordingly.

"I remember that Hua Shang Bank is a listed company, right?"

Xia Yu suddenly asked.

"Yes, although Hua Shang Bank is relatively young, it was the first Chinese-funded bank to be listed and remains the only one to this day!"

Wu Hongyi, though puzzled by Xia Yu's question, answered proudly. After all, Hua Shang Bank was founded by his father.

"Is something wrong, Xia Yu? Why are you asking about this?"

Seeing Xia Yu looking somewhat lost in thought, Wu Hongyi asked with curiosity.