The Favored Heiress
Chapter 706: Bullying Xiao Wu, Do They Think We’re All Dead?

Chapter 706: Chapter 706: Bullying Xiao Wu, Do They Think We’re All Dead?

The next day, officers from the Customs Enforcement descended on the Yan Emperor Parma Branch to commence their investigation.

Rumors and gossip were rampant online.

At nine in the morning, Li Qiao registered an account and logged into the Parma social media platform. She briefly scanned the related news, and chuckled, "Quite a few internet trolls."

The content of the copy was more or less the same, and the number of clicks continued to rise steadily.

The rhythm of public opinion is not to be underestimated; a slight misstep could lead to someone seizing the opportunity to ensure you never recover.

For example, the Ming family, which is still nailed to the pillar of shame.

The Ming family?

Li Qiao exited the page and searched for the Ming family’s keywords again, seeing the reduced level of discussion, her gaze was cold.

She looked towards Shang Yu beside her, her expression revealing understanding.

The man noticed her gaze, turned his head to look at her, and adoringly asked, "What is it?"

"It seems I provided them with the idea." Li Qiao stuffed the phone into Shang Yu’s hands and pursed her lips, "Using public opinion pressure to create trouble, the Elders’ Hall has learned and applied it well."

Online news has a very strong timeliness.

Unless someone is controlling the narrative, even scandals might not spread widely.

Not long ago, she had exposed the identity of Tan Sri from Myanmar, and had stirred up the online denouncement of the Ming family.

Now, the Elders’ Hall applied what they had learned to Shang Yu.

Li Qiao turned away, malice swirling in the depths of her eyes.

At that moment, Shang Yu rubbed her head and said, "It’s nothing. Let’s wait and see."

Li Qiao covered her eyelids and pursed her lips without speaking.

To deal with Shang Yu, the Elders’ Hall surely had other moves up their sleeves.

Influencing public opinion was just the first step.

...

As noon approached, the news online fermented again. Soon the identity of the Chairman of the South Sea Yan Emperor Group was exposed.

The name Shang Shaoyan climbed to the top of the trending searches.

The local netizens of Parma fell silent for a time. Aside from the internet trolls who continued to set the narrative, most netizens chose to watch from the sidelines.

The South Sea Yan Emperor Group’s branch was suspected of smuggling and tax evasion. Once the scandal broke, it directly caused the stock to plummet, evaporating three billion in market value.

Many people within the country also heard the news, and stockholders began to sell off their shares in droves, with rumors that Yan Emperor Group could not escape its doom circulating quickly.

Various factions became restless, many eager to kick someone while they were down.

Meanwhile, Zong Zhan in Imperial Capital City laughed coldly upon seeing the domestic news reports and made a phone call.

He Chen of the Portuguese Silver Underground Casino, holding his phone, licked his molar and, three seconds later, ordered Ah Yong, "Arrange the flight back to Parma, the sooner the better."

On the picturesque Wenxi Island, Jin Rong summoned the finance director and muttered quietly while caressing his gun, "Prepare all the transaction details from the past three years. They think they can bully Xiao Wu; do they consider us dead?"

British Imperial’s Feng Yi...

Aida State’s Meng Jun...

The border’s Liuzi...

The South Sea Li Family...

And Li San was the last to hear the news. Soon, he made a call to Li Qiao.

At that moment, Li Qiao, sitting in the manor’s study watching the Yan Emperor Group’s stock trend, answered lazily, "Mhm, it’s not a big problem."

Li San, with a cigarette clamped in the corner of his mouth, spoke in a muffled voice, "Are you sure? Right now, a lot of stockholders at home and abroad are denouncing the Yan Emperor Group. If it’s just one branch in Parma that has an issue, how could it have such a big impact?"

Li Qiao clicked the mouse and checked the time. There were five minutes left until the stock market closed.

She casually made a few moves, her tone steady and unflustered, "Just a chain reaction."

Just a chain reaction?

Li San chuckled softly, "A chain reaction that can cause such a huge sensation, and it’s not a big deal?"

If it were proven that tax evasion through smuggling was taking place, not to mention Yan Emperor Group, even Shang Shaoyan wouldn’t be able to get off easily.

"It’s not real," Li Qiao leaned back, her tone slightly arrogant, "Even if it were, I could make it seem false."

At this point, Li San had no doubts; he exhaled a puff of smoke, laughing, "Alright, I won’t interfere. If you need support, remember to tell Third Brother. Our family might lack other things, but I have ten armories at your disposal."

"Thanks."

The call ended, and with two minutes left before the stock market closed, Li Qiao narrowed her eyes, a gleam flashing through them. She gently clicked her mouse, and the stock chart’s K-line, which had been close to the limit-down, suddenly soared to the highest point of the day.

This kind of end-of-day manipulation, buying in at a low price, would undoubtedly create an extremely high opening price the next day.

On the hour, the stock market closed, and Yan Emperor International Group’s stock price, after falling all day, ended at the transaction price.

The numerous investors who had sold off Yan Emperor Group’s stock were dumbfounded.

Those holding their positions saw renewed hope, and suddenly there were people contemplating buying Yan Emperor Group’s stock, for only two reasons.

Either they were driving up the opening price for the next day to sell off in large quantities, or... they were optimistic about the future of the stock and were building positions at a low price.

At this time, Li Qiao calmly logged out of the stock market page and leisurely left the study, as if nothing had happened.

...

In the evening, Luoyu returned to the estate after collaborating with the Customs Enforcement investigation.

As soon as she got out of the car, she saw Li Qiao and Mo Jue near the garden, seemingly in conversation.

It must be good news because Mo Jue’s round, beaming eyes sparkled with a brilliance she had never seen before.

More excited than smuggling paintings.

As Luoyu nodded and prepared to pass by, Li Qiao turned her head and called out to her, "How’s the company doing?"

"Not too well."

Luoyu stopped, summarizing the day’s investigative results in a few words.

Li Qiao smiled faintly, nodding meaningfully, "Who provided the evidence for smuggling?"

Luoyu pursed her lips, speaking with difficulty, "It was an anonymous tip, the Customs Enforcement wouldn’t reveal it."

"Who led today’s investigation?"

After pondering, Luoyu answered truthfully, "Ho Zijue, the captain of the Customs Enforcement."

Li Qiao showed no surprise, lifting her eyebrows slightly—so it was someone from the Ho Family.

She didn’t say much, waving Luoyu off and turning her eyes back to Mo Jue, her voice softening, "He should arrive tomorrow."

Mo Jue nodded excitedly, rubbing her hands together, unable to hide her delight, "Great, great, I won’t go anywhere. I’ll just wait here for the boss."

Li Qiao looked at her thoughtfully, sighing silently.

She really doubted if what her second brother had given Mo Jue back then was really a baguette, or perhaps a gold bar.

In the living room, Huo Mang and He Qing sat across from Shang Yu, with the lingering smell of smoke in the air.

"Shaoyan, I’ve managed to get some information. The Security Bureau and Customs Bureau have already started investigating Yan Emperor’s export goods, and... the crime of illegal possession of weapons is no small charge."

For scions of prestigious families like them, who didn’t have a few guns?

Parma, as an independent country, has many ties to the interests of elite families.

Certain things, as long as they aren’t brought to light, public authority organizations would not be foolish enough to break the alliance of interests.

However, this particular incident started spreading from the public, and without an investigation, it would be hard to silence the many loose tongues.

Leaning against an armchair, Shang Yu lazily smoked, the corners of his lips curling up in an amused arc, "Let them investigate."