In Hong Kong, we build a global business empire

Chapter 714 Kadoorie Takes the Initiative to Seek Peace

Back then, Lin Haoran secretly took control of Hongkong Land Group to counter-control Jardine Matheson, ultimately forcing the senior management behind Jardine Matheson to sacrifice numerous interests and even abandon Hongkong Land Group. This was enough to shake the entire Hong Kong and let the citizens of Hong Kong know the terrifying power of Lin Haoran.

Three months ago, Huifeng Bank took the initiative to provoke Lin Haoran, and the final result for Huifeng Bank was even more disastrous. After this incident, Hengsheng Group has become the sole hegemon in Hong Kong's financial industry.

However, not long after the Huifeng Bank incident, just one month later, Lin Haoran once again used swift and decisive means to seize nearly 50% of the shares of Xiangjiang Hotel, completely igniting the powder keg of the entire Hong Kong business community.

This tremor is no less severe than any before.

Yesterday afternoon, TVB Jade and Hong Kong Radio broadcast the news conference of Hongkong Land Group throughout Hong Kong.

Today, thanks to reports from dozens of mainstream media outlets, it has become headline news in major newspapers, and the news has swept through every corner of Hong Kong like a hurricane.

Radio and television morning and afternoon news programs, as well as the express editions of major newspapers such as the Hong Kong Commercial Daily and the Oriental Daily News, all featured shocking headlines on their front pages:
"Hong Kong Land Group makes lightning acquisition! Hong Kong Grand Hotel changes hands!"

"Mandarin Oriental swallows up Peninsula, Kadoorie loses its family glory!"

"Li Jiacheng's 'outburst' at the airport, Xiangjiang Hotel changes hands: the underlying pain points revealed?"

……

The name Lin Haoran, with an unprecedented and tremendous impact, has once again been deeply etched into the hearts of every Hong Kong business tycoon.

The Peninsula Hotel, a symbol of Hong Kong's high society and a century of British glory, has had its true power suddenly seized by a young Chinese man overnight.

This was not merely a business merger, but a dramatic shift in power, a blatant subversion of the established order of Hong Kong's business community.

Another powerful British-owned conglomerate in the local market has been defeated by Lin Haoran!
With nearly 50% of the shares in the Hong Kong Grand Hotel, even someone unfamiliar with finance knows that under such circumstances, the Kadoorie family, holding only 12% of the shares, has absolutely no ability to resist.

As a long-established British-owned tycoon family in Hong Kong, the Kadoorie family has not been as high-profile as conglomerates such as the Huafeng Group and Jardine Matheson Group in recent years, but no one in Hong Kong has ever dared to underestimate this family.

As the electricity "dominant force" in Kowloon Peninsula and even outlying islands, CLP Power, controlled by the Kadoorie family, has firmly held the power supply lifeline of Kowloon, the New Territories and outlying islands for decades.

Because of its monopoly on electricity supply, CLP Power is not as prone to losses as other companies.

It can be said that the Kadoorie family made a fortune solely from CLP Power.

Since its founding in 1901, China Power Company has gone through eighty years of history.

No one knows exactly how much wealth the Kadoorie family accumulated over those eighty years.

It is important to know that the Kadoorie family's assets are not only held in HSBC; they also have a large amount of undisclosed funds in banks in the UK, Switzerland, and other countries.

In the past, when Jardine Matheson and Huafeng Bank dominated Hong Kong's business world, even the heads of these two giants treated the Kadoorie family with great respect!

For this reason, the Kadoorie family can be considered an extremely low-profile, hidden super-rich family in Hong Kong.

No one dares to underestimate the Kadoorie family.

Moreover, they have a deep presence in many fields such as the hotel industry, real estate, and finance. Among them, the Peninsula Hotel is the "apple of the eye" of the Kadoorie family.

However, at this moment, this precious pearl has gone from the hands of the Kadoorie family to the hands of Lin Haoran.

This led many Hong Kong citizens to exclaim that Lin Haoran was truly the nemesis of British-owned conglomerates!
Meanwhile, in the top-floor offices of various skyscrapers in Central, the performances of the business tycoons were truly spectacular!

Sun Hung Kai Properties headquarters office.

Guo Desheng put down the urgent intelligence in his hand, let out a long breath, and his eyes were filled with complex emotions: "The younger generation is truly formidable, indeed! Fast, accurate, and ruthless! They don't give anyone any time to react."

From Yingni in Qingzhou, to Hong Kong Electric Group, Hongkong Land Group… and now the Xiangjiang Hotel, Lin Haoran's ambitions as a young man are truly remarkable.

Business tycoons like them have access to more detailed information than what's reported in the newspapers. Therefore, Guo Desheng is even more aware of just how formidable Lin Haoran's surprise attack was.

Guo Desheng put down the intelligence documents in his hand and turned to his eldest son beside him, saying, "Give the order that all important projects in the near future, especially those involving Lin Haoran's businesses, be handled with utmost caution, and the evaluation reports must be as detailed as possible."

This man is too sharp-tongued; we cannot afford to offend him. Cooperation would be best, but we must not easily become his enemy unless absolutely necessary. We cannot follow in the footsteps of Mr. Li Jiacheng.”

He naturally understood that Lin Haoran's reach extended into real estate, utilities, finance, retail, energy, ports, and now even the luxury hotel industry; it could be said that he had touched upon almost every industry in the world.

Its business empire is becoming unbreakable, and any attempt to confront it head-on is now seen as nothing more than a moth drawn to a flame.

The fates of the Jardine Matheson Group, the Hui Fung Group, and the Kadoorie family serve as a stark warning.

In a high-level conference room at Henderson Land Development's headquarters.

At this moment, there are more than a dozen people sitting in the conference room. These people are all core senior executives of Henderson Land Development.

At this moment, Li Zhaoji was frowning, repeatedly reading the details of Hongkong Land Group's acquisition of Raffles Hotel and Xiangjiang Hotel.

“49.9%... One step in, triggering a mandatory takeover offer. This leaves the Kadoorie family no chance to turn the tables. What a grand move!” he muttered to himself.

Li Jiacheng's disheveled appearance at the airport was broadcast throughout Hong Kong through reporters' lenses, which deepened Li Zhaoji's apprehension.

Today, Henderson Land Development's strength is only about the same as Cheung Kong Holdings.

However, it should be noted that Li Ka-shing also owns Hutchison Whampoa.

In other words, Li Zhaoji's current strength is considerably inferior to that of Li Jiacheng.

Even with Li Jiacheng rallying together several British tycoons, they couldn't handle Lin Haoran, let alone him.

He looked up at his subordinates and said, "Gentlemen, Mr. Li Jiacheng has suffered a complete setback this time. His attempt to build a luxury hotel alliance has backfired, and the foundation of the alliance has been destroyed."

Lin Haoran's strategy has already transcended the chessboard; his momentum is undeniable. We need to rethink Henderson Land's development strategy—we must both leverage his strengths and avoid his sharp edge.

Lin Haoran's tough tactics and unfathomable ability to mobilize resources made Li Zhaoji realize that the previous strategy of "forming alliances" to confront giants had failed in the face of Lin Haoran.

As a Hong Kong real estate tycoon, Li Zhaoji naturally understood Li Jiacheng's purpose. Luxury hotels were just the beginning. Once they won against the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group in the luxury hotel sector, they would inevitably launch attacks on Lin Haoran in more areas.

But now, it's clear that they've only just begun, and Lin Haoran has already knocked them back to square one with a powerful punch.

New World Development, Headquarters.

Zheng Yutong frowned as she watched Liang Zhonghao shake hands and make peace with Ma Shimin at the televised press conference.

The Liang family was a major shareholder in their New World. Now that the Liang family has withdrawn from the hotel, huge sums of money have flowed back, and their stance seems to have subtly changed.

He turned to a senior executive at New World Development beside him and said, "Old Liang's timing in withdrawing this time was perfect. He even got in touch with Lin Haoran. Kadoorie is in big trouble now. It seems that our assessment of Lin Haoran's strength was too conservative."

All branch offices are hereby notified to strengthen cash flow management and guard against sudden changes in market conditions. Effective immediately, Regent Hotels is withdrawing from the Luxury Hotel Alliance and has issued a statement to the media stating that New World Development's cooperation with the Luxury Hotel Alliance was purely a business partnership and has now expired and terminated.

Furthermore, I will find time to meet with Lin Haoran and apologize to him in person!

Zheng Yutong felt an invisible pressure. Lin Haoran was not only conquering cities and territories, but also subtly changing the balance of power between allies and opponents.

Previously, Li Jiacheng personally visited him to persuade him to include the Regent Hotel under New World Development in their luxury hotel alliance to jointly increase occupancy rates.

Driven by self-interest, he eventually agreed.

However, Lin Haoran's sudden acquisition of the Xiangjiang Hotel brought him to his senses.

He was even more surprised that Liang Zhonghao sold his shares in Xiangjiang Hotel to Lin Haoran without telling him beforehand.

No matter what, he and the Liang family were very close business partners.

He knew Liang Zhonghao very well, and the fact that Liang Zhonghao decisively chose to sell his shares in Xiangjiang Hotel to Lin Haoran was enough to show that the other party was even stronger than he had imagined.

He had already spoken with Liang Zhonghao on the phone last night.

Liang Zhonghao didn't explain much, but he emphasized one sentence: "Old Zheng, if you trust me, you'd better choose not to be Lin Haoran's enemy!"

Therefore, Zheng Yutong decided to immediately sever ties and protect herself!

Fortunately, this luxury hotel alliance isn't the main force behind New World Development. If he personally goes to apologize, Lin Haoran probably won't blame him.

For Zheng Yutong, apologizing to Lin Haoran, a younger businessman, was not a shameful thing.

In the business world, strength always reigns supreme, not seniority!
High moral standing and great prestige mean nothing in the face of true strength.
The executive looked at Zheng Yutong in surprise, not expecting that the boss would actually decide to go to Lin Haoran's place to apologize.

Despite his surprise, he immediately nodded in agreement: "I'll arrange it right away."

Standard Chartered Bank.

Brown locked himself in his office, staring at the newspaper headlines showing him looking ashen-faced, accompanied by footage of Li Jiacheng waving his arms and roaring. He felt a surge of frustration build up in his chest, almost suffocating him.

Lin Haoran's "double kill" on them was precise and deadly. He quickly took over the Raffles Hotel and the Xiangjiang Hotel, directly shattering the morale of their alliance, which was showing initial success.

Worse still, the change of ownership of the Xiangjiang Hotel has deprived them of their most crucial bargaining chip and strongest symbol of their "luxury hotel alliance" against the Mandarin Oriental.

"Among all the business giants in Hong Kong, who else would dare to easily join us?" A chilling feeling made Brown realize that the front against Lin Haoran was already on the verge of collapse before it could be fully deployed.

At this moment, he began to regret forming this so-called "anti-Lin alliance" with Li Jiacheng.

Hong Kong businessmen are all realists; seeking profit and avoiding harm is their instinct. When Lin Haoran's chances of winning and his deterrent power are demonstrated in such a direct way, even more attention will be drawn to him.

This pervasive sense of apprehension, like invisible threads, entangled everyone who attempted to challenge or doubt Lin Haoran's power.

Lin Haoran's "killing the chicken to scare the monkey" had a remarkable effect.

The more prestigious and powerful the "chicken" that was killed was in the past, the more deeply it intimidated the "monkey." In the office of Lawrence Kadoorie in the CLP headquarters building on Argyle Street, Kowloon, the atmosphere was suffocatingly oppressive.

Today, instead of going to the Peninsula Hotel, he arrived early at the office of the Chairman of the Board of Directors of CLP Power and had the public relations department send a letter of inquiry to Hongkong Land Group.

On the expensive Persian carpet lay the wreckage of a television set that had been smashed this morning, fragments scattered everywhere, like the aftermath of a silent storm, yet to be cleaned up.

The curtains were drawn, leaving only a dim lamp to illuminate Laurence Kadoorie's face, which was contorted with pain, anger, and humiliation.

He had just ended a meeting of his family's core members that had infuriated him.

The meeting was filled with arguments, sighs, and accusations.

"Roland, why did you agree to Li Jiacheng's request? You've ruined our family!"

"Losing the Peninsula Hotel? This would be a devastating blow to the family reputation! A century of business, ruined in an instant!"

"We can't let this go! We must take it back!"

"How can we take it? They have 49.9%! We only have 12%! If they announce privatization, it means they'll delist the company, and we'll be nothing more than minority shareholders!"

"Law! Legal recourse! Prosecute them for hostile takeover!"

"A hostile takeover? Where's the evidence? Liang Zhonghao's sale was legal, and his acquisition on the secondary market was also compliant! The other party did everything flawlessly!"

The feeling of powerlessness eventually overwhelmed the anger.

The hardliners' clamor appears pale and powerless in the face of harsh statistics and legal realities.

Laurence Kadoorie was furious but unable to vent his anger at the family meeting.

After all, it was he who proposed and implemented the Kadoorie family's reduction of their shareholding in Hong Kong Grand Hotel Company.

In Laurence Kadoorie's view, given his large stake in the Hong Kong Grand Hotel Company, it would be better to sell some of his shares while the Hong Kong Grand Hotel's stock price is high to recoup some funds, as long as the Peninsula Hotel remains under the family's control.

This is also the biggest reason why these core family members blame him.

But what's the use of regretting it now?

He convened the family meeting to find a way to take back the Peninsula Hotel, not to be scolded!

He knew better than anyone that, legally, the Kadoorie family had virtually no chance of overturning the verdict.

Lin Haoran's business operations are extremely sophisticated, and he has almost completely avoided all known risks.

The legends circulating in the financial world about Lin Haoran's "foresight" and "unerring strategies" seem so real at this moment.

The family's century-old reputation, his personal dignity, and the inseparable affection he felt for the Peninsula Hotel—it was not just property, but also a symbol and a belief—weighed heavily on his heart like a giant ship.

The only way out that a once-powerful British tycoon could think of after being driven to the brink of despair was such a humiliating one.

"Reconciliation, perhaps, can only be achieved by trying... seeking peace." He squeezed out these words with difficulty.

Under the complex gazes of his family members, Rowland made a decision he never thought he would make in his life: to humble himself and go to the Kang Le Building to bow his head and beg the young Chinese man he had once looked down upon.

As a traditional and long-established super-rich family in Hong Kong, the Kadoorie family has never bowed down to anyone in the past.
But now, in order to regain control of the Peninsula Hotel, he has no choice but to try this path.

This is an absolutely shameful decision for the Kadoorie family.

However, the Peninsula Hotel is a landmark property that accompanied the rise of the Kadoorie family and is a symbol of the family's glory.

If the Kadoorie family were to lose the Peninsula Hotel, their standing in Hong Kong's business world would plummet, and they might even become a laughingstock.

Therefore, he ultimately chose personal shame over family disgrace.

Normally, even if I bowed my head in front of Lin Haoran, no one else would know.

Lin Haoran wouldn't go so far as to reveal such a thing.

After leaving the Deep Water Bay villa, Lin Haoran had Li Weidong drive directly to the Kang Le Building.

He wasn't surprised by the impact that taking down the Xiangjiang Hotel had on Hong Kong.

After all, he's been through this far too many times.

In the past, every acquisition, such as those involving Ching Chau Ying Ni, Hong Kong Electric Group, Hong Kong and China Gas, Kowloon Motor Bus, Hongkong Land Group, and so on, has had a huge impact on the entire Hong Kong market.

Therefore, it seems that he has already gotten used to it.

Just as he returned to his office, Ma Shimin strode over.

"Boss, the public relations department of CLP Power called and said that Mr. Laurence Kadoorie wants to visit you in person. Should we decline?" Ma Shimin said with a smile.

"Oh? Laurence Kadoorie is coming to see me in person?" Lin Haoran was somewhat surprised.

Is the other party trying to take back control of the Hong Kong Grand Hotel, especially the Peninsula Hotel, from him?

After thinking for a moment, he said, "Reply to them that I'm waiting for him in the office!"

Meanwhile, inside the CLP headquarters building, Roland Schaffner, who was deep in thought, was startled awake by a series of urgent knocks on the door.

"Come in!" he replied in a deep voice.

"Boss, Landmark Group has replied. Mr. Lin is waiting for you in his office." The assistant pushed open the door and immediately noticed the scattered debris on the floor. He trembled with fright but still managed to finish his sentence.

Roland Garland gradually calmed down, glanced at the messy floor, and instructed his trembling assistant, "Understood. Clean this up later, I'm going out for a bit."

As soon as he finished speaking, he walked straight out of the China Power headquarters building.

At this moment, the clock hands have pointed to 10 a.m.

Half an hour later, a very low-key black Mercedes-Benz sedan slowly pulled up in front of the Kang Le Building.

Laurence Kadoorie did not use his usual Rolls-Royce to keep a low profile and avoid attracting attention.

The car door opened, and he quickly walked into the Kang Le Building with a bodyguard.

He deliberately avoided going around to the main entrance of the building and instead chose to enter through the side door.

Laurence Kadoorie was wearing his most formal dark gray three-piece suit, his hair was neatly combed, but his eyes were bloodshot and he could not hide his haggardness.

Ten minutes later, Lin Haoran received him in his private office on the 51st floor.

His attitude was neither enthusiastic nor deliberately cold.

“Mr. Kadoorie, what a rare guest you are. May I ask what brings you here in person?” Lin Haoran pretended not to know the other party’s purpose.

In fact, it's easy to guess why the other party came.

"Mr. Lin, I do have something to discuss with you this time." Roland tried to force a smile to ease the tension.

“Oh? Mr. Kadoorie, you are a senior figure in Hong Kong’s business community. When did you need to visit me in person? As a junior in the business world, it is I who should be the one paying you a visit!” Lin Haoran chuckled.

However, this smile was so glaring in the eyes of Laurence Kadoorie.

Roland Kadoorie took a deep breath, suppressing his anger and trying to maintain his composure: "Mr. Lin, you are too kind. The business world is like a battlefield, and the successful come first. Mr. Lin is so young yet he can manipulate the capital market. I am ashamed of my own abilities."

Lin Haoran raised an eyebrow, leaned back on the leather sofa, crossed his legs, and looked at the other party with a half-smile, saying, "Mr. Kadoorie, you flatter me. But you didn't come all this way just to praise me, did you?"

"I think Mr. Lin can guess the purpose of my visit today, so I won't beat around the bush. The Peninsula Hotel has achieved its current reputation through the hard work of the Kadoorie family over the years, which is truly remarkable." Laurence Kadoorie paused here.

Lin Haoran nodded slightly, looking at the other person without replying, quietly waiting for the other person to continue.

Roland took a deep breath, suppressing the humiliation churning within him: "Mr. Lin, things in the business world are sometimes unavoidable. Different positions lead to different outcomes. When Mr. Li Jiacheng and his group formed an alliance, I... I was perhaps too conservative at the time, worried that the expansion of Mandarin Oriental would impact the entire industry ecosystem. Coupled with some... misjudgments about the market prospects, that's why I chose to join."

He downplayed the responsibility by attributing it to "industry concerns" and "misjudgment," trying his best to distance himself from the true intention of confrontation.

“Mr. Lin is a sensible man. I came here this time specifically for the Xiangjiang Hotel. You must also know that a large part of the core value of the Xiangjiang Hotel comes from the unique historical heritage of the Peninsula Hotel, as well as its irreplaceable service culture and reputation forged by its long-term management and service team.”

While observing Lin Haoran's changing expression, Laurence cautiously revealed the key condition: "Mr. Lin must also know that the Peninsula Hotel is of great significance to our Kadoorie family."

I am here today hoping to regain control of Xiangjiang Hotel from Mr. Lin. I also hope that Mr. Lin can sell some of the shares of Xiangjiang Hotel to us. As for the terms, everything is negotiable!

If Mr. Lin is unwilling to sell his shares, then I hope he can continue to entrust the management of the Peninsula Hotel to our Kadoorie family. We are willing to manage the Peninsula Hotel for Mr. Lin on the most favorable terms for the long term, ensuring that its brand value and service standards remain completely unaffected.

That last sentence was almost a plea.

He hoped that Lin Haoran would at least retain the Kadoorie family's nominal control over the Peninsula Hotel, which was crucial to preserving the family's last shred of dignity and substantive influence.

The office fell silent.

Roland held his breath, as if he could hear his own heart pounding.

He had never felt such a long and agonizing wait in his entire life.

(End of this chapter)