Chapter 262: Dominance over Hong Kong

Fortunately, despite his surprise, Xiao Ran remained rational. When he realized the situation was worsening, he immediately ordered strict oversight of the gang members in the protest crowd, ensuring no chaos ensued. His goal was to pressure the British government in Hong Kong, not to cause the Hong Kong economy to regress by several years.

Amidst his tension, Xiao Ran still smiled in satisfaction. Everything was largely as he had planned: eliminating Leung Kun’s influence, using gangs to create unrest, and leveraging media coverage with strong persuasive power to influence and provoke the public—resulting in the current situation.

Next, it should be the British government giving orders to Patten. Xiao Ran even dared to assert that even without the scandals he had exposed about Patten, just based on these recent events, Patten would surely be forced to step down.

Thus, the British government should be able to achieve its goals today or tomorrow by presenting some concrete actions to Hong Kong. Patten would undoubtedly come to him for help, as no one else could control such chaos without him. In fact, Xiao Ran himself wasn’t entirely sure he could keep the situation under control, as developments were far beyond his expectations.

Regarding the tax rates for actors, the British government’s approach was decent. However, since Hong Kong’s film industry still hadn’t stabilized, raising taxes hastily would be deadly. It might force actors to take on as many roles as possible just to make ends meet.

For example, the tax rate for actors in the United States is over 40%, while in the UK it’s even higher, seemingly exceeding 90%. No wonder British actors prefer to develop their careers in Hollywood—just the tax savings alone are significant.

This time, Patten truly couldn’t hold on any longer and collapsed to the ground, his face pale. He had just received orders from the British government’s higher-ups. Due to persistent coverage by British media and fierce protests from the Chinese government, he was certain to step down, and the government hierarchy might need to be reshuffled.

Before stepping down, Patten still had to do one thing: calm public anger. He could only turn to Xiao Ran for help, as no one else, aside from the mastermind Xiao Ran, could control the situation.

When Patten arrived, Xiao Ran was pleased, as the Chinese government had done him a favor by lodging the strongest protests with the British, demanding severe punishment for Patten. He liked such a government—at least it knew how to be firm where it mattered.

In fact, Patten was much taller than Xiao Ran, but at that moment, everyone felt he resembled a pitiful dwarf in front of Xiao Ran. Patten stared at Xiao Ran lying in bed and finally couldn’t help but bow deeply before him: “Mr. Xiao, I’m sorry. I apologize to you!”

“Sir Governor, there’s no need to treat me like this!” Xiao Ran smiled faintly, looking at the old man who seemed to have just been pulled out of water. “Sir Governor, what brings you here?”

Pang Ting-kuang looked at Xiao Ran with humiliation and a sense of failure, cursing inwardly countless times. If it weren’t for the bodyguard beside him, he would have rushed forward to kill him on the spot. “Mr. Xiao, you must be aware of what’s happened in Hong Kong these past few days! I think, aside from you, no one else can resolve this situation!”

Xiao Ran glanced at the sunlight beside him and said softly, “Sir Governor, of course I know. The citizens have many grievances against the current government. But I’m just an ordinary businessman; I doubt I can do much to help!”

That scumbag! Pang Ting-kuang wanted to bite Xiao Ran to death. What did he mean he couldn’t help? If it weren’t for this bastard’s instigation, how could all this have happened? But on the surface, he still had to speak humbly, “Mr. Xiao, you are Hong Kong’s most famous and respected tycoon. People are willing to trust you. I beg you—please help me! No, help the citizens of Hong Kong!”

The Secretariat for Security and the Secretary for Justice, who had been too afraid to speak, finally couldn’t hold back and said, “Mr. Xiao…”

Xiao Ran glanced at them with a cold, solemn expression. Without the cooperation of these people, even Pang Ting-kuang would be foolish to try to harm him. Xiao Ran coughed lightly a few times before signaling Lin Qingxia beside him. Lin Qingxia quickly handed him a glass of water.

Xiao Ran took a sip to moisten his throat before sitting up, saying calmly, “It’s ten minutes’ walk to the protest site. Due to traffic, we’ll need to take a detour, which will take another fifteen minutes. I want you to connect the sound equipment so that everyone participating in the protest can hear me clearly. Get it all done within fifteen minutes!”

Indeed, it was fifteen minutes—Xiao Ran’s calculation was spot-on. Fifteen minutes later, they arrived at the site. The official in charge of setting up the sound equipment rushed over and said, “President Xiao, everything is ready. The protesters can hear you!”

With the police’s intervention and control, the protest crowd stopped. Xiao Ran nodded at the official, praising his efficiency, then gently reached out to his wife. Seeing this, Lin Qingxia’s face paled, but she still smiled, showing her most charming side, and handed her hand to Xiao Ran.

The cameras faithfully recorded everything as Xiao Ran and Lin Qingxia slowly stepped onto the makeshift platform like a fairy couple. A microphone was attached to Xiao Ran’s collar, and occasional noises came from the crowd.

Only after reaching the platform did Xiao Ran and Lin Qingxia let go of each other’s hands. Looking around from above, they realized that a million-person protest was truly awe-inspiring. Especially when they saw the dense crowd below, it was staggering—something they had never seen in their lives.

All Xiao Ran could see was a straight main road that seemed endless in the distance. What they could see was only a fraction of it; the rest lay further away or in even broader areas.

Xiao Ran and Lin Qingxia had never experienced being stared at by so many people at once. Now they knew it was an absolutely unpleasant feeling—a force and presence that instilled fear deep in one’s bones. Even Xiao Ran, the one who had orchestrated this, felt fear at that moment. After regaining his composure, under the gaze of everyone, Xiao Ran finally spoke up: “If possible, I hope everyone can stop staring at me like this. It makes me feel as if I’m naked or an alien!” His words surprised everyone, especially those in the parade. They knew Xiao Ran had been invited to persuade them to disperse. But when they expected him to ask them to leave, he instead made a witty joke. It wasn’t very sophisticated humor, but it gradually eased the tension in the crowd. In the distance, faint echoes could be heard—hard to tell whether they were echoes or sounds coming from the speakers. Countless cameras pointed at Xiao Ran and Lin Qingxia beside him, capturing images of this highly famous couple, which were then quickly transmitted via satellite signals to Mirage Media and other media outlets around the world. While it’s hard to say the whole world was watching, at least everyone in Hong Kong was paying attention. “It takes great courage to stand on this stage. I have no regrets, but I still need my wife’s presence to have the strength to face everyone here,” said Xiao Ran, gripping Lin Qingxia’s hand tightly and giving her a tender look before turning to smile and saying, “I’ve always wondered what true wealth is—money or power?” Suddenly, his gaze became intense, powerful, and sharp: “Now I think I know. Wealth isn’t money or power; it’s people—you all! This is the lesson you’ve taught me. Perhaps you don’t realize it, but my legs were weak when I came up here—that was because of your strength!” The massive parade, like a long dragon, listened quietly as this respected billionaire spoke. Upon hearing this, the crowd couldn’t help but cheer in agreement with Xiao Ran’s words. The scene became emotionally charged, but Xiao Ran raised his hand to signal them to calm down. Miraculously, for reasons unclear, the chaos at the front of the crowd gradually subsided, and this calmness spread rapidly. When there was finally no noise, Xiao Ran looked down at them with enthusiasm: “This is exactly what I wanted to convey. With your strength, nothing in Hong Kong is invincible! We were able to create Hong Kong’s economic miracles before; now we can create miracles in Hong Kong cinema. In the future, we can overcome any difficulty, because we are the people of Hong Kong who create miracles!” “No, I was wrong!” Completely immersed now, free from his initial utilitarian thoughts, he raised his arms passionately and declared, “We are not only the people of Hong Kong who excel at creating miracles, but also the Chinese who excel at creating miracles!”

The entire parade quickly became filled with passion; people shouted loudly with high spirits, waving anything they could, unafraid to strain their voices, sending the crowd into further excitement.
When things gradually calmed down, Xiao Ran took a deep breath and said loudly, “I have a question. If we all unite, what can’t be conquered? Tell me, what else?”
“Nothing… nothing… nothing…” The synchronized shouts of millions were terrifying, even frightening Peng Dingkang inside the car.
“Then what is there for us to worry about?” Xiao Ran smiled reassuringly and waved his right hand. “Today, we’ve been able to unite. From now on, we’ll use our hands and minds to create wealth. We’ll do our best to make Hong Kong even better and more prosperous.”
“But do you believe you can create miracles?” Xiao Ran shouted with all his strength, his neck turning red from the effort. Lin Qingxia also felt her blood boiling.
“We believe… we believe!” The unified response from the parade echoed back to Xiao Ran’s ears.
“We have hardworking hands and intelligent minds. Why not use them to continue the miracle that our predecessors created for Hong Kong?” Xiao Ran shouted loudly with all his might. “So why not go home right now and take on the responsibilities that belong to us? Let’s go home together!”
After the parade loudly agreed, the largest demonstration in Hong Kong’s history gradually dispersed. Xiao Ran glanced at Peng Dingkang hiding in the car and flashed him a smile far more terrifying than any nightmare—definitely a nightmare for Peng Dingkang’s remaining years.
Xiao Ran was very dissatisfied with his speech that day. He felt he hadn’t delivered it perfectly enough, not even emotionally compelling enough. Yet he completely overlooked the fact that emotional appeal was already a strong element in his speeches.
But under such circumstances, how could he dare to be emotional? Even a slight attempt at usual emotional stirring might have triggered riots. Besides, he had come to urge the parade to disperse, not to incite it, so he had to control his words. Fortunately, he realized in time and avoided any problems, despite nearly losing control several times.
A few days later, Peng Dingkang officially stepped down. With the arrival of the new governor, the anti-monopoly laws and tax reform proposals being drafted were canceled, and a license was issued to ATV. Everything seemed normal…
But Xiao Ran knew very well that it was definitely different. The head of Hong Kong’s Security Bureau and other high-ranking officials were mostly removed from their positions. Peng Dingkang was formally charged with dereliction of duty and disrupting the financial economy, including one particularly serious charge—murder!

Murdering Xiao Ran! Liang Kun appeared in court in utter despair as a corrupt witness, and this guy even had recordings. Yet, the murder charge was not proven, and he was only convicted of abetting Liang Kun in the murder. The main reason for this charge was, of course, thatPeng Dingkang indeed did not order Liang Kun to kill, and the second reason was the death of witness Liang Kun himself.
It was a very peaceful night; Liang Kun even sensed a rare sense of tranquility. Perhaps this was what came after great chaos! Liang Kun sneered. There were many things he hadn’t expected—such as Xiao Ran having already established numerous insiders in the underworld and knowing everything thoroughly. He also hadn’t expected Xiao Ran to be able to plot to overthrow the British government in Hong Kong. He realized he was truly inferior to Xiao Ran and accepted his defeat wholeheartedly.
He quietly took out a small blade—we have no idea where he got it. One thing was certain: it wasn’t particularly difficult to obtain. He grasped the blade and slashed hard at his own wrist. His artery burst, and blood gushed out instantly!
As darkness gradually enveloped his vision, only one image remained in Liang Kun’s mind: Xiao Ran smiling at him. But what lay behind that smile? He could no longer think…