Rebirth of Hong Kong Island, leading the technology war

Chapter 558 A secret agreement is reached, and Catherine arrives in Hong Kong.
Huo Jiangting thought for a moment and couldn't help but say, "Wait, Mr. Fang, do you mean that this time, the Oulaim Group is coming here and there, but we can't make a decision at all?"

Fang Chenyang looked around and said in a low voice, "I just received news that the Singaporean negotiation team has arrived in Hong Kong."

Huo Jiangting and Hu Wenxin exchanged a surprised glance.

Hu Wenxin said, "...They, they're in such a hurry? They're even coming to our door to snatch up the project!"

Fang Chenyang sighed and spread his hands: "What can we do? The people from Singapore said they came to conduct business exchanges, and they followed all the normal procedures. We can't refuse them entry."

"So when they come to cause trouble, there's nothing we can do?"

"There's really no other way. We can only try our best to show our sincerity to O'Leem and get them to stop considering New Po Kingdom."

Hu Wenxin and Huo Jiangting gave wry smiles.

Fang Chenyang made it sound so simple, but it's not that easy in reality.

Fang Chenyang said, "Singapore must have made thorough preparations for this trip. We can't be careless; we must keep a close eye on them."

Huo Jiangting said, "Fang Sir, don't worry, we will definitely do our best."

To put it bluntly now, it's all about doing your best and leaving the rest to fate.

The Changhe Group and Songming Group were already difficult enough to deal with, but now with the addition of Singapore, the competition is going to be even fiercer.

Hu Wenxin and Huo Jiangting are both feeling uncertain and even a little discouraged.

Because their situation is becoming increasingly unfavorable.

For Fang Chenyang, it didn't matter whether Hu Huo won or Li Guo won; they were both his flesh and blood, as long as they were both safe and sound.

But if Singapore takes away the Oleem project, Fang Chenyang will be in a bad mood; that would be a complete failure for Lei.

Therefore, from the perspective of the Hong Kong government and Fang Chenyang, the combination of Li and Guo might be more reliable and have a greater chance of success. After all, Changhe Group and Songming Group are slightly stronger and can offer better terms, allowing them to lose more money.

If all else fails, they might push Changhe Group and Songming Group out to discuss cooperation with Oulaim.

What if the four of them joined forces?
Fang Chenyang would certainly be happy to do so if possible, but the key issue is that these four companies simply cannot work together.

They're not from the same line of thinking; you can't force them together.

Just then, Li Ziji walked over and asked, "Inspector Fang, what are you talking about?"

Fang Chenyang coughed lightly and said, "Chairman Li, here's what happened. I just received a message..."

Fang Chenyang relayed what he had just said to Li Ziji.

Sure enough, Li Ziji's expression changed slightly, and he looked thoughtful. He said, "Fang Sir, this matter is of utmost importance. I'll go talk to Chairman Guo and think of a solution."

Fang Chenyang nodded: "Okay, Mr. Li, please feel free to do as you please."

Li Ziji left in a hurry, probably to find Guo Pingjiang.

Judging from Li Ziji's expression, he must not have been informed of the situation beforehand, and it was equally sudden for him.

In the afternoon, the negotiations officially began.

Fang Chenyang, the IR, first arranged for Li Ziji and Guo Pingjiang to have a private conversation with the Oulaim Group.

Hu Wenxin and Huo Jiangting waited in the reception room.

This arrangement doesn't imply that anyone is important or unimportant; it was simply pre-arranged.

Since everything wasn't finished being discussed, no one could leave; it was just a matter of who waited first and who waited later.

Moreover, Hu Wenxin and Huo Jiangting both felt that this arrangement was quite good, as it gave them more time to prepare their speeches, devise negotiation strategies, and subtly inquire about the outcome of Changhe and Songming's negotiations with the Oulaim Group.

Of course, it's impossible to get a negotiation result right now; it's just a matter of seeing how the negotiation atmosphere is.

Negotiations can't last too long either. The big bosses in Hong Kong generally speak fluent British, so they don't really need translators. Two hours is a very long time.

Even if it goes on for a long time, those Europeans won't be able to hold on; they've gotten used to enjoying life.

Meetings are tough? I can't stand them at all.

Hu Wenxin asked, "Chairman Huo, what do you think O'Leem is really up to? They said before that they had to land in Hong Kong, so why are they talking to Singapore?"

Huo Jiangting gave a wry smile: "You know how shrewd Europeans are. They won't negotiate a contract unless they feel they've gotten a good deal. Maybe they just want to find a negotiating opponent to pressure us for a lower price."

Hu Wenxin said, "If that's really the case, that would be great. But I'm afraid that Singapore has offered particularly generous terms, making O'Lem feel he has no choice but to talk to them."

Huo Jiangting also fell silent. To be honest, what Hu Wenxin said was more likely.

If Singapore and O'Leem were just putting on a show, then the Singaporean team wouldn't have flown to Hong Kong Island and gone through the proper business visit procedures.

Singapore's Ministry of Commerce isn't stupid; such painstaking efforts must indicate they intend to achieve something, and O'Leem must have given them some definite promises.

Just then, someone came in; it was Li Ziji and Guo Pingjiang.

Hu Wenxin checked the time; they had talked for a little over an hour, neither too long nor too short.

At this moment, Huo Jiangting had already greeted the two of them, and Hu Wenxin also stood up and went forward to meet them.

Huo Jiangting asked, "Chairman Li, Chairman Guo, how did your talks with O'Leem go?"

Li Ziji replied, "It's alright, nothing special. We've only had initial contact and communication, so don't expect to reach any conclusions yet."

Hu Wenxin and Huo Jiangting were observing each other's expressions. Although they were calm, there was a hint of amusement in their eyes, suggesting that they had gained something and that it wasn't just a formality as they had claimed.

This made Hu and Huo somewhat uneasy.

Li Ziji smiled slightly and said, "When we were communicating with the people from the Oulaim Group just now, they mentioned Singapore several times. It seems that Singapore is also an important candidate for them."

"If that's the case, then we're in trouble."

"The Singaporean business negotiation team has arrived. They've come with great force; they certainly don't want to leave empty-handed."

Huo Jiangting said, "I know they also want to bring the Oulaim project to Singapore, but didn't the Oulaim Group already agree to land it in Hong Kong? They can't go back on their word, can they?"

Guo Pingjiang said, "Why is it impossible? It's highly likely. Don't be fooled by the fact that Europeans usually seem a bit clueless and innocent. When it comes to business, they are very shrewd. They will choose whoever offers them real benefits. They are very pragmatic."

"According to you two, we might be outmaneuvered by Singapore this time? So we're the ones who benefit from the conflict between the snipe and the clam."

Li Ziji and Guo Pingjiang exchanged a glance, seemingly not intending to do so.

Huo Jiangting paused for a moment: "Do you two have any other tricks up your sleeve? Why don't you share them? After all, we're all from Hong Kong Island. We can fight behind closed doors however we want, but we still need to unite against the outside world."

Hu Wenxin nodded: "Yes, we originally thought it was a battle between the two sides, but now that a third party from Singapore has come, we still need to unite. If they really reap the benefits, Hong Kong will suffer heavy losses." Li Ziji smiled slightly: "Well, it's not necessarily that pessimistic."

Hu Wenxin was taken aback.

Judging from Li Ziji's expression, his so-called lack of pessimism clearly did not mean that they could defeat the new kingdom, but rather that he meant something else entirely.

Li Ziji said with a smile, "Actually, we can also achieve mutual benefit and win-win results with Singapore. We don't necessarily have to fight to the death."

Guo Jiangting frowned: "Chairman Li, I don't understand. How can we achieve mutual benefit with the people of Singapore? Hong Kong and Singapore are basically competitors and cannot complement each other, so there is no way to establish any cooperative relationship."

Huo Jiangting also said, "What exactly does Chairman Li mean by 'mutual benefit and win-win'? Could you explain it more clearly?"

Li Ziji waved his hand: "Hey, this is just our imagination. It's still a long way from a real city. Let's figure it out first."

Guo Pingjiang said, "The people from O'Leem are resting. You can go in in a little while. You should prepare in advance."

After saying that, Li Ziji and Guo Pingjiang waved and went to the lounge next door.

Their behavior is suspicious; they may be plotting something.

Hu Wenxin said in a low voice, "What do you think they're up to?"

Huo Jiangting shook his head: "Who knows? We're not mind readers, who knows what they're up to? It doesn't look like a good thing."

At the same time, Li Ziji and Guo Pingjiang were indeed whispering to each other, discussing some things that could not be said publicly.

Guo Pingjiang said, "Chairman Li, do we really have to do this? Won't the Hong Kong government blame us?"

Li Ziji glanced at Guo Pingjiang: "What's the use of the Hong Kong government blaming us? What can they do to us? They can only complain a few times. As long as we are still the backbone of Hong Kong's economy, the Hong Kong government won't do anything to us. If they really push us too far, they'll be afraid."

"What if mainland government departments intervened in this matter?"

Li Ziji waved his hand: "It's not that serious. Although this project is very big and important to Hong Kong Island, it's nothing to the mainland and won't affect the overall situation. I know the mainland government departments very well. They have too many things to deal with every day and can't afford to worry about these things."

"Besides, we didn't do anything. We were just cooperating with Singaporean companies at the request of the O'Leem Group. Hong Kong and Singapore are sister cities with close ties. To call them mortal enemies is really going too far."

Guo Pingjiang nodded: "Indeed, it's perfectly reasonable for us to cooperate with companies in Singapore and follow the normal procedures. No one can say anything about it. Moreover, the Oulaim Group also prefers to do so. If we force Oulaim Group to choose between Hong Kong Island and Singapore, they probably won't make a decision so quickly. There will be a lot of negotiations."

Li Ziji shook his head: "Chairman Guo, you are wrong. The Oulaim Group will most likely choose Singapore. Hong Kong still has a significant disadvantage and a major weakness."

“Yes, if that’s the case, Hong Kong Island will suffer even greater losses. If we cooperate with companies from Singapore, at least Hong Kong Island will still benefit, and we won’t lose everything.”

It turns out that Li Ziji and Guo Pingjiang had just been negotiating with the Oulaim Group. At first, it was just a tentative and polite conversation, but later, as the talks progressed, the other party proposed a plan for Li Ziji and Guo Pingjiang to consider.

In simple terms, the plan is to have them partner with a company in Singapore to establish a joint venture, which would then take over the Oulaim Group's projects in the Asia-Pacific region.

The people at the O'Leem Group are indeed very clever; they said this method is a win-win situation.

They can cooperate with both Hong Kong Island and Singapore simultaneously and enjoy huge benefits, while both Hong Kong Island and Singapore will also benefit.

Actually, this is a good solution, as it benefits all three parties.

However, the problem is that the Oleum Group also proposed to establish the joint venture in Singapore, arguing that Singapore has better geographical conditions and more favorable terms.

If it were Hu Wenxin and Guo Jiangting, they definitely wouldn't agree to such a proposal.

Setting up a company in Singapore is essentially contributing to Singapore's development. Even if there are profits in Hong Kong, they will be negligible, hardly better than having Singapore take away the profits.

Moreover, if the joint venture is located in Singapore, Hong Kong will be unable to provide adequate support and assistance if anything happens.

Li Ziji is different from Guo Pingjiang; they are too easy to talk to. As long as it is truly beneficial to them and the benefits are significant enough, they might as well give it a second thought.

Guo Pingjiang then said, "By the way, Chairman Li, do you think the people from Oulaim Group will make these demands to Hu Wenxin and Huo Jiangting? If they do, then this matter will be difficult to handle, and there will be a lot of fighting involved."

Li Ziji shook his head: "Probably not. The Oulaim Group should have done its research beforehand and knows the background of Hezhong Group and the Huo family. They would never agree to such a request in the first place, so naturally they wouldn't have brought it up."

"That's good. That makes things easier for us. We can talk to the people from the Oulaim Group again later."

"By the way, Mr. Guo, arrange to meet with Mr. Carlos and get to know him first. There are no additional terms yet."

"No problem, we'll arrange it after they finish their talks."

Two hours later, Hu Wenxin, Huo Jiangting, and others came out of the conference room.

They appeared calm on the surface, but neither of them was actually in a good mood.

Although I was mentally prepared that the meeting with the Oulaim Group would not yield any results, I never expected it to be so lukewarm, consisting mostly of polite and perfunctory remarks.

Everyone says that Europeans are different from Easterners, but after talking to them this time, I feel that they are even more Eastern than Easterners, and very cunning.

When you try to talk to them about practical issues, they completely ignore you, dodge the question, and always end up talking about irrelevant things.

Huo Jiangting frowned and said, "The people from O'Leem don't seem to be sincere at all."

Hu Wenxin nodded: "Negotiations with these guys are exhausting."

"Chairman Hu, what did they say to Li Ziji and Guo Pingjiang just now?"

"Well... I'm afraid they're talking about different things."

Recalling the expressions of Li Ziji and Guo Pingjiang just now, they certainly didn't seem to have been offended.

Just then, O'Leary's team members came out, with Anne Donard leading the way.

Hu Wenxin and Guo Pingjiang exchanged a glance, hesitating whether to go over and say hello.

Li Ziji and Guo Pingjiang came out of the lounge and chatted warmly with Annie and the others.

Li Ziji would occasionally glance back at Hu Wenxin and Huo Jiangting, looking extremely arrogant.

Hu Wenxin and Huo Jiangting suddenly understood that the Oulaim Group had probably reached some verbal agreement with Li Ziji and Guo Pingjiang.

Just then, Annie said to Li Ziji, "Dear Li, I heard that your Changhe Group is cooperating with the Gas Group?"

Li Ziji paused for a moment, then suddenly realized: "That's right, the Gas Group. We're collaborating with the Gas Group on a major project in Hong Kong!"

Anne said, "Perfect timing. Ms. Catherine Guise will be here in a bit, and we can sit down and have a good chat."

"...Huh? Katherine Guise? She's coming over?"

Hu Wenxin and Huo Jiangting exchanged a glance, both surprised and delighted.

(End of this chapter)