Chapter 9, counting money until one's hands cramp

With a loud bang, as soon as the iron box emerged from the spatial bag, it suddenly expanded to a size of two meters. Even with his immense strength, Ji Feng was unable to lift it, and its large volume left him with no place to grasp it.

Ji Feng can certainly exchange all the bonds for cash at the market, but carrying out such a transaction involving tens of billions in cash would likely have a significant impact on the global financial system.

After pushing open the thick steel door, which was ten centimeters thick, with some effort, Ji Feng was immediately stunned by the golden light that flashed from within

Ji Feng wiped the few beads of sweat from his forehead and decided not to take the Republic bonds with him. He casually tossed the bonds into the spatial ring on his hand, stood up, patted his backside, and headed towards the market. Ji Feng remembered a stall from the Republic era that specialized in bonds and currency, and he thought it would be better to exchange them for British currency there, as the Republic was simply too unreliable.

Of course, Mr. Ji can rest assured that we at Shida are the most professional in the world; there is no lawsuit we cannot win, and we have never leaked any client information. Partner smiled as he shook hands with Ji Feng, feeling somewhat excited. To encounter such a monumental international lawsuit in his lifetime is undoubtedly a stroke of luck for him. Compared to disputes worth hundreds of millions or even billions of dollars, the ownership of an entire Jeju Island is simply trivial.

The structure is divided into five levels. The bottom two levels are neatly arranged with blocks of cast gold bars, while the middle level is piled high with a variety of sparkling gemstones and jewelry. The top two levels are filled to the brim with British government bonds

Upon arriving in the study, I opened the drawer and took out the valuable bonds along with the illustrated books to count them. There was only ten million. However, this time, Ji Feng noticed that there was also a key in the bag, which looked very much like one used for a safe.

The key issue is that these are all bonds. If one were to exchange them for cash at the market, it would only be at their original value, which means one would not just incur a slight loss. Ji Feng's mind is still clear, so he would naturally not choose to do this.

Ji Feng, however, holds doubts regarding the convertibility of certain bonds, such as those belonging to Old Jiang, which he estimates are likely no longer acknowledged by anyone now

Each layer contains dozens of stacks of bonds, each 30 centimeters high. Conservatively estimating, each stack amounts to nearly 100 million, which means at least several billion of these items are required

Partner's heart was racing uncontrollably, a sensation reminiscent of the early days of my practice. The case before me was indeed monumental, so significant that if it were to leak, it would undoubtedly attract the attention of the entire world

However, when the peak of the season turned to the side of the crack and I pried it open with my hand, I realized that I had been mistaken. There were more than a dozen solid steel columns, each as thick as a thumb, and correspondingly, there were more than a dozen holes on the other side. I tried to forcefully pull out a steel column that extended 20 centimeters, but it remained completely immovable

Ji Feng frowned slightly and asked, "For example?"

Ji Feng frowned slightly and said, "Ms. Partner, please first assemble the team I need. I require at least five senior partners, of which at least three must be genuine Americans. Once your team is in place, we can discuss the price I need to pay. However, it would be best not to be too greedy, as the - picture - book is a legacy left by my great-grandfather, and I wish to reclaim it intact. I certainly do not want it to be in a dilapidated condition or to have any flaws in certain aspects. Lastly, I need you to keep my identity confidential. I do not wish to be involved in any disputes, at least not until the matter is resolved. I do not want my identity exposed."

Considering that I need to quickly gather sufficient funds, the key issue is that these bonds may not be recognized by the British government one day, so I must exchange them promptly

I can't believe it, how much could this be? Could it be that my great-grandfather surrounded the British bonds back in the day?

Ji Feng immediately accepted the other party's reminder and smiled, saying: "I will go find them next, and I believe I can still impress those guys."

It is acceptable, as long as it is not leaked. Let us meet in a week; I believe your team should be in place by then. After all, the other party is a globally renowned law firm, and they do have the necessary professional ethics. Besides, it is just a copy, and it would be of no use to them even if they took it.

Although the iron lump was large, the keyhole on it was not. I tried a slender key I had in hand, and it fit perfectly. I gently turned it, and with a crisp sound, a crack appeared on the other side of the iron lump

1.2 billion Republic of China bonds, Ji Feng exchanged for 34.28 million pounds of bonds, and after verifying the amount was correct, casually tossed them into the ring

As the number of bonds in the box increased, Ji Feng realized that these bonds had been purchased separately before his great-grandfather's passing, with the earliest dating back to 1890 and the latest to 1965, which means a span of 75 years.

Jifeng had never taken a good look at the items left to him by his great-grandfather. Seizing the opportunity of having nothing to do at the moment, he swiftly entered the Dragon Space.

Upon returning to the hotel, Ji Feng took out his laptop and went online to check the location of UBS's office in the Magic City. However, when Ji Feng called, he was informed that if he wanted to withdraw the deposits from that year, he would likely have to go to the Swiss headquarters.

Scratching his head and looking at the enormous iron lump in front of him, Ji Feng felt a mix of surprise and amusement. It turned out that this spatial bag also had the ability to shrink items. He realized that he would have to be more careful when taking things out in the future

In the past, Jifeng never imagined that there would come a day when counting money would lead to cramps in his hands. However, faced with such a vast amount of bonds, it is not so easy to count them relying solely on oneself. Although this is not real money, it is worth more than real money.

"Mr. Ji, if you don't mind, may I keep this copy? I must emphasize that the board is utilizing all its resources to win this lawsuit, and I believe the chairman would also be very willing to take on this commission from you." Partner said quickly as Ji Feng seemed to want to leave

However, Jifeng was puzzled, as it seemed he had not heard of the British government issuing so much back then. Having three to five hundred million would have been quite a lot, especially since money at that time was not as easily spent as it is now; the currency back then was still quite valuable.

Shaking his head, Ji Feng couldn't help but complain about who exactly designed such a safe back in the day. Not to mention, the design is somewhat unreasonable; can such a small key really secure a library lock?

Although this issue perplexed Jifeng greatly, since this thing exists, he would not waste it either

Some unfortunate individuals glanced at these items, feeling a sense of frustration as they counted them for themselves. Picking up a stack to examine, they found it to be true; it was indeed identical to the British bonds in the file folder

Partner's hand holding the copy trembled slightly, still not having recovered from the immense shock. Upon hearing Ji Feng's words, he walked back and forth in the conference room a few steps before stopping and turning to Ji Feng, saying: "Alright, if you guarantee that this is true, then we at Shida have a 50% chance of helping you retrieve it. If you are willing to pay a bit more, we have an 80% chance, as this will require mobilizing all our resources. It is likely not just a matter of legal fees; I believe that any law firm you approach would not charge only for legal fees."

Reflecting on the bearer bonds and stock certificates left by his great-grandfather, Ji Feng ultimately decided to make a trip to Europe, as the largest holdings were all located there, particularly the government bonds issued by the British government in 1905, which by now must be worth a considerable sum.

Furthermore, we need countries around the world to exert pressure on the South Korean government, and this will inevitably come at a certain cost. You must be aware that governments do not solely consider financial aspects. Of course, if you entrust this matter to us at Shida, we are absolutely confident in our ability to help you recover what is owed. However, it is likely that what you recover will not be the entirety, or rather, not the full ownership. For instance, in certain aspects, you may have to make some concessions, such as regarding taxes or other matters. This is what governments around the world hope for.

Moreover, it contains not only British assets but also includes those from France, Germany, the United States, Japan, and other countries. It even features bonds issued by Chiang Kai-shek, with a substantial amount totaling 120 million.

Ji Feng tilted his head slightly and frowned, saying: "I will let you see the original document, but that requires you to organize a professional legal team and be confident in helping me win this battle. Yes, in my view, the South Korean government is unlikely to willingly return Jeju Island to me, so this is a war, a war that may be fraught with smoke."

For instance, if we need to hire a certain number of mercenaries to ensure everyone's safety, and compel South Korea to cede such a large area of territory, even if we possess ample evidence, South Korea is unlikely to willingly present it. An assassination and conflict targeting everyone may be inevitable

"In less than a week, the team will arrive this Friday. I am absolutely confident that the board will send the best legal team to assist you. Perhaps, you should now seek an accounting team, such as a professional investment bank, to help you with accurate analysis and judgment," Partner kindly reminded Jifeng at last.

After searching the rooms within reach and finding nothing, it suddenly occurred to me that there seemed to be an iron box in that space bag. I hurried to the hall, and Ji Feng reached out to pull it out.

Even if we consider the original purchase value from back then, these bonds would amount to 2 billion pounds. If we were to exchange them now, who knows how many times that amount it could have multiplied.

After returning to the hotel, I went out and bought more than ten travel cases. Once again entering the space, I sat down heavily on the floor, while Ji Feng gradually took them out to count.