21: Chapter 21 A High-Stakes Gamble on Zhengmian: Tenfold Leverage

Only at this moment did Red Phoenix fully grasp the scheme behind Shen Du's "low-price tribute" open conspiracy.

He had calculated the murderous intent brought about by this batch of assets and had even turned passivity into initiative.

Using these core plots of land that she originally couldn't hold onto, he had forcibly exchanged them for a life-saving talisman from the center of power!

Red Phoenix's hands trembled imperceptibly.

She took a deep breath, suppressing the shock in her heart.

She took the lightweight card with both hands, bowed deeply, and said with gratitude and awe in her voice, "Hong Yun is here to thank this unseen lord."

Walking out of the City Hall gates, the early winter sunlight poured down from above.

Not until she sat in the back seat of her black Mercedes-Benz sedan, completely cutting off the outside gaze, did Red Phoenix feel as if all her strength had been drained; she leaned heavily against the leather backrest and exhaled the stale air that had been pent up in her chest.

Half an hour later, inside the penthouse apartment on the top floor of Lanting Mansion.

Red Phoenix didn't even bother to take off her high heels; she walked quickly to the bar and picked up the private mobile phone used exclusively for receiving information on fund changes.

The screen lit up, and a text message from the bank lay there quietly.

It was a transfer made directly from a special dedicated account.

A full thirty-five million, without cumbersome approval processes, not a cent less; it was safely in her pocket.

Looking at the numbers on the screen, Red Phoenix felt no heartache at all over losing the core plots of land; instead, she laughed softly.

She calculated the accounts in her mind.

She had previously used over sixty million in cash to sweep up goods; the cost of this portion of the core area, which the authorities specifically named for reclamation, actually only accounted for over twenty million.

Now that the government was buying it back at a premium, this meant that in this "tail-cutting tribute" transaction, not only had she resolved the dead end without a scratch, but she had even made a cash profit of fifteen million.

"Just by acting as a toll collector, I made a net profit of fifteen million…"

Red Phoenix pressed the phone tightly against her chest, feeling her heart beating violently, her eyes revealing a mix of fanaticism and clarity.

This thirty-five million in cash was enough for her to completely wash her hands of her past and live a respectable life.

However, this was merely an appetizer.

What was handed over to the government was just an admission ticket to "buy her life" and "exchange for a golden body."

At this moment, the remaining vast majority of non-core plots of land she held firmly in her hands, which were located within the policy radiation zone, were the true wealth about to skyrocket!

"The road money has been paid, and the talisman has been obtained. It's time for my real main course to be served."

Red Phoenix poured herself half a glass of red wine, carried the glass to the huge floor-to-ceiling window, and looked down at the magic city beneath her feet, which was about to boil over due to the Great Hongqiao approval.

There was no more of her usual anxiety and fear in her eyes.

At this moment, she was not complacent because of the sudden surge in wealth; deep in her heart, she felt awe and absolute devotion toward that young man far away in Beijing.

She was glad she had made the craziest and most correct decision of her life, executing Shen Du's instructions without reservation.

To be able to follow someone so infallible, even if it meant just being a white glove, Red Phoenix was willing to do so with pleasure.

Because she knew that her social class was finally about to truly experience a nirvana.

The early winter night wind carried a chill.

After dinner, Shen Du stood alone on the balcony of the men's dormitory, his hands resting on the rusty iron railing, watching the neon lights of the magic city in the distance.

The phone in his pocket vibrated. Shen Du took out the phone, pressed the answer button, and held it to his ear.

On the other end of the line came slightly hurried breathing. Red Phoenix lowered her voice, and it was very clear in the receiver: "Young Master Shen, the key areas in Hongkou have all been sold off."

"With a principal of twenty million, the other party gave thirty-five million."

Even for a woman who had been rolling in the underworld for years, her voice trembled slightly at this moment.

In just a few days, she had made a net profit of fifteen million. Immediately after, her tone changed, shedding her usual underworld air, and her voice became low and melodious: "Young Master, you said before that you don't like to eat before paying. Now, everything is as you expected. This dish of mine… how should it be placed on your dining table?"

The night wind blew across the balcony. Listening to the implication on the other end of the line, Shen Du remained expressionless, not even changing his breathing frequency.

He only had two hundred and thirty thousand in his pocket, and the system punishment was still hanging over him. What he lacked most right now was a massive cash flow to withstand changes in the situation; he had no leisure to play bedroom games with a woman.

Shen Du frowned slightly. He straightened up, just about to speak to dismiss her, his fingers tapping the iron railing, making a "tap, tap" sound.

His gaze passed through the night, falling on the flickering streetlights in the back street. In his mind, the K-line chart of the 2010 zhengzhou cotton futures main contract emerged.

This was a "great demon" in the history of domestic futures.

The market for zhengzhou cotton futures was too large. Shen Du knew that relying solely on the two hundred and thirty thousand in his hands, even if he maxed out the leverage, the chunk of meat he could bite off in this capital game would be pitifully small and not worth looking at.

He turned his head slightly. Deep in his retina, the system panel flickered: [Side Mission: Phoenix Returning to the Nest]

According to custom, the higher the completion rate, the more generous the resource rewards.

Merely letting Red Phoenix escape the gray industry and complete the land transfer could only be considered "passing" in Shen Du's eyes.

To maximize returns and truly establish the name of a "tycoon" in the magic city, he had to forge this chess piece into a financial blade.

Since she wanted to "sacrifice," it couldn't just be a simple flesh business; he had to let her leave the mark of Shen Du in this capital game and become a capital amplifier in his hands.

Shen Du withdrew his hand from tapping the railing, the plan taking shape in his mind.

Shen Du gave a chuckle into the receiver. There was no ambiguity in the laughter, only a condescending scrutiny.

"You made fifteen million, and that fills up your vision?"

Shen Du spoke slowly, his voice flat: "If you want to place yourself on my table, you… are not qualified yet."

The breathing on the other end of the line stopped. Red Phoenix's tenderness and probing were directly blocked back by this sentence.

"I'll give you another chance." Shen Du ignored her silence and threw out an instruction:

"Prepare the accounts and go long on zhengzhou cotton futures. Building a position is just the first step."

"As soon as there is a profit on the market, immediately roll all the money earned into margin, and continue to open ten-fold leverage and smash it in."

"Add to the position with floating profits and squeeze the profits dry."

"Don't be flashy; scatter the funds into dozens of personal accounts. This kind of money is safest when swallowed quietly into your stomach."

Shen Du paused, his tone calm: "If you are afraid of losing, just throw in ten million to hear a sound. If you want to cross the social class of the magic city, then throw all thirty-five million in your hands… into it."

Shen Du did not explain further. This was both her "pledge of allegiance" and using her funds to act as his vanguard in the zhengzhou cotton futures market.

As long as this battle was fought, the rise of zhengzhou cotton futures, combined with ten-fold leverage and the compound interest of adding to floating profits, was enough to allow Red Phoenix, this "gray sparrow," to transform into a blade that could pry open financial power.

"I will only say the instruction once." Shen Du looked at the night: "As for whether you dare to follow… that is your own business."

Without waiting for a response, Shen Du pressed the hang-up button, and a busy signal came from the receiver.

Inside the luxurious apartment, Red Phoenix stood frozen in front of the floor-to-ceiling window.

Having spent years handling fund flows for big shots, she was by no means a vase who knew nothing.

A word or two of insider information leaked by big shots at the dinner table could often earn her hundreds of thousands in returns.

Precisely because she understood, she was clear about how much murderous intent was hidden behind the words "ten-fold leverage, full position long, add to position with floating profits."