Chapter 24

The next morning, Jifeng saw Xuxian off at the building entrance. As they were parting, Jifeng said with a hint of reluctance, "Xiaoxian, you are too kind. Although it's a good quality, sometimes you need to be firm. I'm really worried that someone might bully you. Remember to call me if anyone does, and I'll help you out."

Looking at the confident Jifeng, Xuxian said with a slight scolding tone, "You're talking about that again. I didn't say anything to you yesterday, but don't resort to violence so easily. It's not good."

Jifeng awkwardly rubbed his nose and laughed, "I hardly ever use violence. I've just been a bit sensitive lately because of some things I've encountered. I promise to try not to use force in the future."

Seeing that Jifeng was willing to listen to her advice, Xuxian was very pleased and nodded with a smile, "Remember that. Alright, you go back inside. I have to go now. You're welcome to visit Seoul anytime."

Noticing the reluctance in Xuxian's eyes as she looked at him, Jifeng felt as if something important was about to be lost. Without thinking, he said, "Xiaoxian, when will you be free? I'll come to Seoul to find you directly."

Xuxian, who had just entered the car but hadn't closed the door yet, brightened up at Jifeng's words and said, "It will probably take at least half a month. If you come, just give me a call. I'll be off now."

Watching the car slowly drive away from the hotel, Jifeng realized that although he had only been with Xuxian for a few days, he had truly fallen for her. The feeling of not wanting her to leave was so strong, as if he wanted to tie her to his side. This feeling was even more intense than when he pursued Gaoyuan.

Perhaps it was because of her kindness, her beauty, or her small stubbornness, but this was Xuxian. He seemed to like her just the way she was, a girl who seemed to have a meticulous plan for everything.

After returning to his room last night, Jifeng did some more research and found out that Korean artists had it tough. They started rigorous training from their early teens, and even after debuting, the glamorous life they led was often overshadowed by the harsh exploitation and pain behind the scenes.

From that moment on, Jifeng suddenly had a strong desire to protect her. This desire grew rapidly once it took root, even catching him off guard.

Looking back at Jifeng, who was still standing at the hotel entrance, Xuxian reluctantly turned her head, sighed softly, and felt a bit helpless. Perhaps they were from two different worlds and shouldn't have any connection.

"Xiaoxian, I think Mr. Ji is a good person, someone you can entrust your life to. If possible, you shouldn't miss this opportunity," the bodyguard in the passenger seat said, noticing Xuxian's gloomy expression.

Xuxian was startled and quickly forced a smile, "What are you talking about, Brother Guang? We're just good friends."

The bodyguard, Brother Guang, smiled and turned back around but continued, "You know best, but you're already 22. You need to plan for your future. No group can stay popular forever."

The other bodyguard driving the car scolded him, and he finally shut up. However, Brother Guang's words clearly touched a chord in Xuxian.

Jifeng returned to the hotel with a somewhat low mood. He didn't go anywhere all morning, unable to calm down. Finally, he went to the Shenlong Space and practiced the Body Strengthening Technique several times to ease his mind.

The next morning, he returned to his hotel room and saw multiple missed calls on his phone. He quickly called Spark.

"Have you arrived? Did you attract any attention?"

"Boss, I thought you had been kidnapped and was about to report it today. I arrived yesterday afternoon. Don't worry, I came via Europe, so I doubt anyone noticed."

"I forgot to switch my phone to vibrate mode yesterday. I'm in my room now. You can come over."

Two minutes later, Spark entered Jifeng's room with a file folder and said with a smile, "Boss, I'm so relieved to see you're safe."

Jifeng poured him a cup of coffee, gestured to the sofa, and said with a smile, "Thanks, but you might be disappointed. There's no one in this world who can kidnap me."

Spark tilted his head and didn't continue the topic. He handed the file folder to Jifeng, "This is the complete acquisition plan. If everything goes smoothly, it will take no more than three months for this Han Tai Bank to become your personal property. Their asset size is not large, only about 1 billion US dollars, but they have never been in the red. Despite not expanding outward in the past decade, this is due to their strategic focus on a specific region. Their business capabilities are excellent, and they meet all the strict requirements of a bank. After acquiring it, we only need to make some minor adjustments to turn it into a very good private bank."

Jifeng nodded slightly as he looked through the detailed information and acquisition plan in the file folder. The shareholder list was not complicated, with only three or four major shareholders. The plan also listed the personal assets of all shareholders, and he believed that with some strategic maneuvers, they could make the shareholders willingly give up their shares in Han Tai Bank.

The reason for choosing this bank, besides its good operation, was that it had the fewest shareholders, making a full acquisition relatively easy. Even three months was a conservative estimate.

"Alright, let's go with this one. Although it's a Korean bank, we can move the headquarters out in the future," Jifeng nodded and signed his name on the file folder. Acquiring such a small bank wouldn't even cost 1 billion US dollars.

Spark smiled as he took the signed plan, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "Boss, can I ask you a personal question? Of course, you don't have to answer."

Jifeng looked at him and smiled, "Sure, go ahead."

Spark pursed his lips, took a deep breath, and said, "Boss, based on various signs, I personally suspect that you are the owner of this island that everyone has been looking for."

Jifeng laughed heartily. After spending a month with Spark and others, it was impressive that he had held back until now.

In fact, Jifeng had not deliberately publicized himself. Fortunately, the two major partners he had found, Sida and UBS, had done an excellent job of keeping client information confidential, so no one knew that Jifeng owned Jeju Island.

However, Spark was different. Not only was he the most familiar with Jifeng, but through hiring UBS as his accounting team to assist Sida in negotiations, even though Jifeng had said it wasn't for himself, Greta, the old fox, could definitely guess the truth. Therefore, it wasn't surprising that Spark knew.

"Alright, I admit it. So, we'll set up the bank's headquarters here. You can start looking for a suitable location for the headquarters. Of course, you don't need to worry about housing. I'll give you a house in the future."

"Yes, Boss, you're amazing! It's my greatest honor to serve you. Oh my God, I can't believe someone owns such a vast island. I want to make our bank the only one on Jeju Island, helping you monitor all the islanders' assets."

Jifeng looked at the excited Spark, who was almost jumping with joy, and said with a mix of amusement and exasperation, "Do as you please, just don't cause any public discontent. After all, they are my islanders, and I don't want to upset them. Most of them are simple and kind people."

Spark remained excited, "Boss, I won't let you down. Of course, I will be friendly to your islanders."

After chatting with Spark for a while, he left with the plan and flew back to Europe, then would transfer to Korea.

After seeing Spark off, Jifeng continued to monitor the progress of the negotiations online. In the email Bruce sent last night, he mentioned that the negotiations had advanced further, and the Korean government was willing to lower the price to 50 billion US dollars. However, this was still far from Jifeng's bottom line. Bruce also said that it seemed unlikely that the Korean government would lower the price further, but if they did, the area of the sea or the island would have to be reduced.

Of course, this did not satisfy Jifeng. In his reply to Bruce, he stated that the ownership agreement clearly defined the scope of the island and sea that belonged to him, and it also noted that the fees had been paid. The island, which should have belonged to him since 1970, had been occupied by the Korean government for decades. Were they still not satisfied? They must fulfill the agreement as stated, and he would not accept any reduction in area.

The reason he was willing to pay them several billion US dollars was in recognition of their work and effort, which had contributed to Jeju Island's current state. However, this was not a reason for them to blackmail him.

Thinking about the methods his great-grandfather might have used, Jifeng couldn't help but snort. If his great-grandfather could make them give up, he would not let his great-grandfather's name be tarnished. Although his current strength was not overwhelming, he was certainly not a pushover. It seemed he needed to visit Seoul.

The ongoing negotiations were also being closely watched by the international community. After all, this was an unprecedented agreement, where a sovereign nation was selling a province and a large area of sea, and giving up all rights. Most countries in the world were watching the Korean government's predicament, eager to see how they would resolve the situation.

PS: The status has been changed to signed. Haha, I'm so happy. Please give me some recommendations if you like it. And if you find it good, please consider adding it to your favorites. Thank you!