As the reporters' small yachts sailed closer, the leader of the demonstration beamed, assuming they were there again to publicize him and his organization. He paused his chanting, waiting for the press to approach.

The reporters scrambled aboard the protest vessel, instantly surrounding the leader and thrusting microphones towards his mouth, all eager to ask questions.

The leader, clearly a man acquainted with public life, offered a slight smile that enhanced his righteous appearance. He then spoke, his baritone voice rich and measured: "My journalist friends, please, no need to rush. Ask your questions one by one; I will accommodate all of you."

The throng quieted immediately. One reporter began, "Mr. You Xi, how do you explain the six young women rescued from beneath your residence?"

You Xi flinched, a flicker of panic crossing his mind. He replied, "Which media outlet are you with? How dare you speak such things? I haven't the faintest idea what you are talking about. Do not slander my name here, or I will sue you."

Another reporter shouted, "Mr. You Xi, Hong Kong police just rescued six young women from a secret basement dug beneath your home. These women accuse you of holding them captive as slaves for two years—that is the latest intelligence we have. Is that also false?"

You Xi began to sweat. He pushed the microphones away and warned, "Watch your words carefully, or I will charge you with defamation." With that, he turned to leave.

The reporters, having finally cornered such explosive news, certainly wouldn't let him escape so easily. They pressed in, forming a tight circle to block his exit, snapping photos incessantly.

One journalist held up a tablet, saying, "Mr. You Xi, a video was just uploaded online. It appears to be footage recorded while you were abusing the poor girls you held captive in your basement. In this video, you state that once you complete this major demonstration against Starry Sky Group's massive floating island, completely ruining their reputation, you will receive substantial wealth and high status. Who are you serving, and why direct this protest specifically at Starry Sky Group?"

Seeing the situation rapidly deteriorating, You Xi immediately shielded his face with his sleeve, attempting to squeeze through the ring of journalists. Far in the distance, the police officers monitoring the protest received intelligence and directives from their superiors. They immediately piloted their patrol speedboats toward the demonstration vessel. A team of officers then stormed the ship, weapons drawn, surrounding the reporters and shouting, "Everyone remain still! We are apprehending a wanted fugitive, You Xi. All of you, hands behind your heads, squat on the ground and await our instructions."

The reporters felt a rush of adrenaline; after three days of dull waiting, they had finally stumbled upon high drama. They quickly complied with the police, squatting down while their colleagues positioned on the periphery frantically filmed the unfolding scene.

The police rushed forward and quickly subdued You Xi, who was trying to flee, pinning him to the deck and cuffing his wrists.

The members of the "Protect Earth" organization watched as the police appeared and subdued You Xi. Confused by the sudden escalation, they quickly formed a circle around the officers, shouting, "We have the right to protest; you police have no right to make arrests. Release him immediately, or we will march on the Chief Executive's residence!"

A leading officer scoffed, "We have just received orders from above to arrest the wanted fugitive You Xi, who has committed extremely serious criminal offenses. You people dare to obstruct police work; you are all now suspects. I am taking every one of you back to the precinct for questioning. This is no longer about a demonstration; you are now implicated in criminal activity."

As soon as the officer finished speaking, several more police speedboats appeared on the sea, disgorging a large contingent of officers who quickly encircled the protestors in a counter-containment maneuver. Simultaneously, several police helicopters appeared overhead, circling the vessel incessantly.

Although the "Protect Earth" demonstrators were unsure of the precise cause, they sensed that the situation had taken a serious turn. The sheer scale of the police deployment suggested something major was wrong. They ceased their resistance and obediently squatted on the ground, allowing the police to detain them for investigation.

Inside the Starry Sky Group headquarters, Desheng watched the demonstration being dispersed by the police. He spoke with admiration, "Boss, I am truly impressed. How did you know this man, You Xi, was problematic?"

Liu Hui chuckled, "Desheng, that flattery wasn't very smooth!"

Desheng gave an embarrassed laugh and fiddled with his hair.

Liu Hui continued, "Actually, when I first saw this You Xi, he seemed somewhat familiar."

Desheng exclaimed in surprise, "So, the Boss knew him! No wonder you knew he was trouble."

Liu Hui shook his head, "No, I don't know him at all. I only recognized the peculiar aura about him. You came from the mainland too; doesn't he remind you of someone from back home?"

Desheng pondered briefly, then realization dawned. "Does the Boss mean that You Xi's bearing is very similar to those officials back in the mainland?"

Liu Hui smiled, "Exactly. They all present themselves as righteous and virtuous, speaking words full of patriotic concern, appearing incredibly relatable. It’s easy for people to trust them at first glance."

Desheng chuckled, "Now that the Boss puts it that way, I see a strong resemblance!"

Liu Hui said, "Many officials in the mainland are like that. On the surface, they seem flawless. But reality has shown us that often, the more outwardly upright and moral an official appears, the dirtier their hands are underneath. They engage in all sorts of unspeakable clandestine dealings. So, regardless of how righteous or virtuous they appeared publicly, once they fall from grace and are investigated, it often reveals the terrible things they did in private."

Liu Hui paused, then resumed, "This is because human thought is balanced; everyone harbors both justice and evil, though people usually only display the righteous side. However, the evil aspect never vanishes. Thus, everyone carries a hidden demon, merely one that hasn't been unleashed. If the display of virtue becomes too extreme, the inner evil side grows more active, leading them to commit great wickedness in secret. Therefore, a perfectly flawless person does not exist in this world. If someone appears almost perfect, they are certainly concealing something. I merely considered this fact, and that’s why I concluded You Xi was compromised."

Desheng laughed, "Thanks to the Boss's brilliant insight, you not only exposed You Xi's hidden filth but also simultaneously resolved this entire demonstration. Moreover, the environmental slogans they shouted have turned into a massive joke because of the depravity surrounding You Xi. It will be much harder for them to organize similar protests in the future."

Liu Hui sighed, "I only suspected You Xi might have issues before, but I never imagined he would dig a cellar under his own house and imprison six young women as slaves—such a perverse act. Your investigation immediately uncovered the problem. You did the right thing this time; handing You Xi over to the police is far more effective than us handling him directly."

Desheng replied, "Thank you for the compliment, Boss. Our thinking was that since You Xi committed such an appalling act, the law would naturally deal with him. This is Hong Kong, after all; the legal system is relatively sound, and corruption is unlikely."

Liu Hui suddenly smiled, "Indeed. You Xi will likely be behind bars for a very long time. However, this demonstration event serves as a reminder: in our future endeavors, we must consider social tolerance and improve our environmental efforts. We must strive to leave them no legitimate fault to find, so that if further protests arise, we will stand on the right side and feel no fear."

Desheng assured him, "Please rest assured, Boss. We have already intensified our intelligence gathering in this area. If any signs of future demonstrations emerge, we will crush them in the bud immediately."

With the protest organized by "Protect Earth" against "Sky City" neatly resolved, construction officially began on the "Starry Sky Terminal Illness Hospital." Upon learning the massive scale of the project, Mei Peng felt energized to his core. He personally supervised the construction progress while simultaneously recruiting medical personnel globally and procuring various types of medical equipment, keeping him thoroughly occupied.

Whenever Liu Hui returned home during this period, he noticed Hu Xian'er had become significantly more affectionate. She frequently moved about in front of him wearing scant clothing, occasionally adopting provocative poses. This always made it impossible for Liu Hui to control his excitement; he would sweep her up, rush into the bedroom, and severely 'punish' the little enchantress.

As Starry Sky Group continued its expansion, Liu Hui became increasingly aware of a department the company critically lacked, so he made the necessary arrangements late last year. Today, he was in his office having a discussion with a man.

"Yuan Zhiguo, how is your work progressing?" Liu Hui inquired.

The man named Yuan Zhiguo, in his early forties with an average build, smiled shrewdly. "Boss, following your instructions, I have acquired numerous small banks worldwide recently. Based on the operational reach of these institutions, they can now cover nearly the entire globe, save for nations with stringent banking regulations."

"Oh, and how many banks do we hold in total now?" Liu Hui asked.

"Boss, we have acquired twenty-two banks globally. Although these are minor, regional institutions, they collectively possess three hundred fifty-three branches and employ eight thousand four hundred people. Their combined assets total eight billion nine hundred million US dollars, with liabilities amounting to seven billion three hundred million. The total expenditure for acquiring them was four billion five hundred million," Yuan Zhiguo responded, the figures firmly memorized, allowing for immediate and accurate reporting.

Liu Hui asked, "If we consolidate these small banks into a single entity, are there any procedural issues?"

Yuan Zhiguo assured him, "Boss, rest assured. We hold one hundred percent equity in all these banks. Therefore, legally, consolidating them into one entity presents no problems, though certain countries might complicate the administrative process."

Liu Hui smiled. "Since the legality is sound, let us merge these twenty-two small banks into one large institution. The name of this merged bank shall be 'Starry Sky Bank,' with its headquarters established here in Hong Kong. The entire process of integration and establishing the new bank is entrusted entirely to you. You will serve as the CEO of this 'Starry Sky Bank.'"

Yuan Zhiguo was overcome with joy at Liu Hui's words. He had once been a down-on-his-luck banking management expert on Wall Street, even publishing several articles on the subject, possessing keen insights into financial administration. However, due to his Chinese background and certain strokes of bad luck, despite holding his ground on Wall Street and having his abilities recognized, he had never secured a breakthrough opportunity to fully realize his ambitions.

Liu Hui had located Yuan Zhiguo through a headhunting firm. After an initial assessment of his capabilities, he used the Starry Eye to investigate his background, discovering a clean profile worthy of trust. This led Liu Hui to assign him the task of worldwide small bank acquisitions. The success of this acquisition process further validated Yuan Zhiguo's capabilities, prompting Liu Hui to entrust him with the major undertaking of integrating the small banks to form "Starry Sky Bank." Should the integration proceed smoothly, Yuan Zhiguo would naturally become the CEO of "Starry Sky Bank."

Yuan Zhiguo, transitioning from an obscure Wall Street banking specialist to being recognized by the Starry Sky Group’s boss, Liu Hui, and being handed such a crucial role—including the CEO position of the new "Starry Sky Bank"—filled him with immense elation. He resolved then and there to achieve significant success within "Starry Sky Bank" and never disappoint the Boss's expectations. After all, exceptional talents are common, but true patrons are rare; in that moment, Liu Hui secured Yuan Zhiguo's absolute loyalty.

Watching Yuan Zhiguo depart, brimming with excitement, Liu Hui finally felt relieved. The Starry Sky Group had reached a stage where daily financial transactions were colossal. Handling such volume through external banks was inconvenient, and keeping their capital in others' institutions felt inherently insecure; any instability at those banks could spell trouble.

This was why Liu Hui decided to establish a bank entirely their own. Only by keeping funds within their own institution would he truly feel secure. Moreover, in his initial vision, "Starry Sky Bank" wouldn't necessarily need to solicit external deposits right away. The sheer volume of internal fund transfers between subsidiary departments and employee salary processing would be enough to sustain the bank. If "Starry Sky Bank" later decided to open for external business, its global network of financial outlets would instantly demonstrate its power. Once established, "Starry Sky Bank" would become a crucial asset, giving Liu Hui far greater flexibility in all maneuvers, both advancing and retreating.

Lately, Liu Hui had been constantly reviewing the current state of Starry Sky Group's development and sensing numerous areas that required refinement. In his long-term vision, Starry Sky Group would eventually own its own newspapers, television stations, websites, entertainment companies, and so on. While these sectors might not all be immediately profitable, they were indispensable components that would serve as Starry Sky Group's voice. If wielded effectively, Liu Hui could significantly enhance his control over public opinion, preventing others from dictating the narrative. Furthermore, having these assets would aid Liu Hui's broader mission to promote Chinese culture, as he was a Chinese national hoping his civilization's culture would become mainstream and recognized globally. To achieve this, television dramas and films were essential cultural vehicles; they could subtly influence people into accepting Chinese culture, perhaps even fostering a generation of 'Sinophiles.' In this way, audiences would be passively absorbing Chinese culture through entertainment.

Currently, the United States' Hollywood was the best practitioner of this cultural diffusion. Liu Hui knew achieving a similar effect would require considerable time and preparation. Since Starry Sky Group’s immediate focus remained on massive capital generation and the construction of Sky City, this project was temporarily shelved, existing only as a strategic note in Liu Hui’s mind.

Just a few days after the "Protect Earth" demonstration concluded, Liu Hui suddenly received formal correspondence from the Hong Kong government, alongside a visit application from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Both documents stated that King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia was planning an official tour and visit to the Starry Sky Group and requested appropriate reception arrangements.

Thank you to book friend: Da Han Guo Xing Liu for the generous tip! A