In Hong Kong, we build a global business empire

Chapter 745 is indeed a very qualified traitor!

September 19th, Saturday morning.

As dawn breaks, the golden sunlight gently spills down, softly enveloping the entire city of Hong Kong.

Although it was the weekend and the stock market was closed, the city did not become quiet. The long lines of traffic jams at various intersections showed that many citizens still had to work hard to make a living.

Lin Haoran slept soundly until eight o'clock before waking up.

He got up and sat on the bed with a contented look, stretching comfortably.

At this moment, Guo Xiaohan, who was standing to the side, also slowly woke up. She opened her beautiful eyes, which were as bright as stars, and gazed at her lover quietly, her eyes full of tenderness and longing.

"You can sleep a little longer. I have some errands to run in a bit, so I won't be home for lunch." Lin Haoran had no interest in "morning exercise" today. He spoke with a smile as he got out of bed to put on his slippers.

"Well, I'm not sleepy anymore either. I was just planning to visit my aunt, so I'll have lunch with her." Guo Xiaohan said, turning to look at Lin Haoran.

After washing up, Lin Haoran ate a quick breakfast, glanced at the news, and then went out.

Today's news consists mainly of various rumors about the equity dispute between Lin Haoran and Li Jiacheng, as well as the shareholding information disclosed by Galaxy Securities.

None of the real inside stories are true.

After all, it wasn't that the reporters didn't want to interview Li Jiacheng and Lin Haoran yesterday, but they had to be able to meet them.

As for those senior executives, they are even less likely to speak recklessly.

"To Kang Le Building," Lin Haoran said to Li Weidong as they got into the car.

"Yes, boss." Li Weidong started the engine and slowly drove the Rolls-Royce out of Shi Xundao Lin family villa.

Meanwhile, outside the Governor's Mansion, Li Jiacheng got out of his Rolls-Royce Silver Spur.

He bought this Rolls-Royce after successfully taking control of Hutchison Whampoa, naturally to showcase his wealth and status.

Looking at the building in front of him, a symbol of power, Li Jiacheng felt a mix of emotions.

Last night, he hosted a dinner for those shareholders and chatted with them politely for a full two hours.

These people also gave him face and stood with him on the same side to help Cheung Kong Holdings overcome this difficulty and prevent Lin Haoran from taking advantage of the situation.

This put his mind at ease.

These people were all his brothers who fought alongside him. The shortest time they had worked together was six or seven years, and two of them had even worked together for nearly twenty years.

Over the years, they have all worked together, with Li Ka-shing at the helm, to make Cheung Kong Holdings increasingly successful.

Therefore, Li Jiacheng still trusted them a great deal.

Last night, in his drunken state, he spoke many heartfelt words, all to let these shareholders feel his brotherly affection for them.

As long as all these people continue to support him, at least with the shares he holds, he is not worried that Lin Haoran will take over Cheung Kong Holdings.

After all, he doesn't have any extra funds on hand right now.

If it really comes down to a battle of increasing shareholdings through the secondary market, he really can't beat Lin Haoran.

Cheung Kong Holdings is the foundation of his business. If he had to choose between Hutchison Whampoa and Cheung Kong Holdings, he would definitely choose Cheung Kong Holdings.

When Galaxy Securities disclosed its shareholdings in Hutchison Whampoa and Cheung Kong Holdings, Li Jiacheng knew that he was about to begin negotiations with Lin Haoran.

However, he wanted to build up more confidence for himself before the negotiations.

In this way, he can protect more of his interests during the negotiation process.

Otherwise, Li Jiacheng would be at a disadvantage at the negotiating table, and would be at Lin Haoran's mercy, making exorbitant demands and taking advantage of him at will.

This battle for control is not just a contest of capital, but also a game of psychology and strategy.

He is already at a disadvantage in this battle for control and can only try to recruit more people to help him.

The Governor's Mansion was undoubtedly an important target.

Li Jiacheng took a deep breath, straightened his suit, and strode into the Governor's Mansion.

He knew that today's meeting was of paramount importance.

"Hello, Mr. Li, the Governor is already waiting for you in his office. I'll take you in now." Mai Lihao's secretary had been waiting at the entrance of the Governor's Mansion for quite some time.

Led by his secretary, he arrived at Governor Merrihau's office.

At that moment, Meryl Streep was reviewing documents. When he saw him come in, he put down his pen and gave a professional smile.

"Mr. Li, please have a seat." Mai Lihao stood up and went to the reception area. "I heard you've been having some trouble lately!"

Li Jiacheng sat down on the sofa and said with a wry smile, "The Governor is well-informed. Indeed, the equity dispute with Mr. Lin Haoran is giving me a headache."

Mai Lihao nodded, and after having his secretary bring each of them a cup of coffee, he asked with a smile, "So, Mr. Li, what is the purpose of your visit this time?"

“Governor, Lin Haoran is trying to completely monopolize the entire Hong Kong business community. I request that the Governor’s Office intervene in Lin Haoran’s domineering behavior!” Li Jiacheng said solemnly.

Mai Lihao raised an eyebrow slightly, his gaze scrutinizing him. He picked up his coffee, took a sip, and slowly said, "Mr. Li, you're exaggerating. Hong Kong has a free and open business environment. The idea of ​​a monopoly is probably an overstatement."

"I've been observing your business competition. Lin Haoran's actions in the market are simply normal business tactics, and my Governor's Office has no reason to interfere!"

Li Jiacheng's heart tightened. He hadn't expected Mai Lihao to respond like that, and he quickly explained, "Governor, I'm not making baseless accusations."

In recent years, Li Ka-shing has been on a buying and selling spree in Hong Kong. First, he acquired Ying Ni in Qingzhou, and then many well-known Hong Kong companies, such as Hong Kong Electric Holdings, Oriental Press Holdings, Hong Kong and China Gas, Hongkong Land Group, Hong Kong Telephone, Kowloon Motor Bus, Bank of East Asia, and Hang Seng Bank, fell into the hands of Lin Haoran.

If Hongkong Land, Chow Tai Fook, Bank of East Asia, and Hang Seng Bank still retain their listed company status, Lin Haoran would account for at least 60% of Hong Kong's top ten listed companies. If this continues, Lin Haoran would have to acquire all the major companies in Hong Kong, essentially monopolizing Hong Kong's business world!

His purpose in coming here was simple: to use Governor Merrihau to put pressure on Lin Haoran.

In his current disadvantaged position, he has few powerful allies to rely on. If the governor's office can side with him, he will have much more confidence.

Despite hearing Li Jiacheng's list of acquisitions, Mai Lihao remained calm. He put down his coffee cup and said slowly, "Mr. Li, even if Lin Haoran has made so many acquisitions, it cannot be directly equated with his intention to monopolize Hong Kong's business."

Hong Kong's business landscape is diverse and complex, and the market has its own adjustment mechanism. Every acquisition and merger, to some extent, is also a way for market resources to be reallocated and for companies to seek greater development.

As a government agency, the Governor's Office has no excuse to interfere with Lin Haoran, given that Lin Haoran has not violated any laws or regulations. I hope Mr. Li can understand this.

Mai Lihao had naturally been watching Lin Haoran's actions.

In fact, he agreed with Li Jiacheng's words; Lin Haoran's acquisitions in Hong Kong were indeed somewhat excessive.

If this continues, all of Hong Kong's top ten listed companies could fall into Lin Haoran's hands.

This is tantamount to Lin Haoran controlling the entire Hong Kong business community, which is not in the interest of the British government.

However, as the governor, he had to follow the rules and procedures in his actions, and could not act rashly based on subjective judgment, provided that Lin Haoran had not harmed British interests.

He wouldn't even help Huifeng Bank, so what is Li Jiacheng anyway?
To him, Li Jiacheng was, after all, part of Chinese capital.

The struggle between Lin Haoran and Li Jiacheng is nothing more than an internal power struggle between Chinese-owned conglomerates.

However, the other party is now targeting Li Ka-shing. Considering the British government's plans and interests in Hong Kong, rashly intervening at this time could not only cause more intense conflicts within Chinese-owned businesses, but also embroil the Governor's Office in unnecessary controversy within Hong Kong's business community.

Of course, most importantly, Meryl Streep felt that the time was not yet right to intervene!
Mai Lihao frowned slightly, his tone still calm but unquestionable: "Mr. Li, I understand your concerns, but the Governor's Office's decisions must be based on the overall stability and long-term development of Hong Kong."

While Lin Haoran's actions have attracted attention, they haven't yet crossed any legal lines, so I have no suitable reason to directly intervene.

Li Jiacheng felt a pang of disappointment; he hadn't expected Mai Lihao to be so resolute.

He understood that if he couldn't persuade Merrihow, he would be at an increasing disadvantage in his equity battle with Lin Haoran.

He pondered for a moment, then spoke again: "Governor, Lin Haoran's large-scale acquisition, while not illegal, has seriously disrupted market order."

Many large enterprises are uneasy about his acquisitions, fearing they will become the next target, which is detrimental to the healthy development of Hong Kong's business.

Moreover, Cheung Kong Holdings and Hutchison Whampoa both hold significant positions in Hong Kong's economy. If they were to fall under Lin Haoran's control, it could trigger a series of chain reactions, impacting Hong Kong's economic stability.

Mai Lihao nodded slightly; Li Jiacheng's words were not without reason.

Cheung Kong Holdings and Hutchison Whampoa are both industry leaders in Hong Kong and hold a pivotal position in the Hong Kong economy. Changes in their companies could affect many related industries.

However, he still cannot easily express his opinion; he needs to weigh the various pros and cons.

"Mr. Li, I will seriously consider your concerns, but for now, I still hope that both of you can resolve this dispute through commercial means."

"The government will closely monitor market dynamics, and if any major situation arises that affects the stability of Hong Kong's economy, we will naturally take corresponding measures," Mak said slowly, attempting to offer Li Ka-shing some reassurance while also stating his own position.

Li Jiacheng sighed helplessly, knowing that continuing to argue would not lead to a better outcome.

He stood up and bowed slightly to Mak Lei-ho: "Thank you for listening patiently, Governor. I will go back and consider your suggestion carefully. I also hope that the Governor's Office will continue to pay attention to this matter and prevent Lin Hao-ran from doing whatever he wants in the Hong Kong business community."

Mak Lei-ho stood up and shook hands with Li Ka-shing: "Mr. Li, I hope you can handle this matter properly and maintain the stability of Hong Kong's commerce."

Li Jiacheng forced a smile, shook hands with Mai Lihao, and then left the governor's office.

As he stepped out of the Governor's Mansion, the sun was still shining brightly, but his heart was heavy.

Although he was mentally prepared to return empty-handed from his trip to the Governor's Mansion, the disappointment overwhelmed him when he actually received no help from them.

Li Jiacheng slowly walked towards his Rolls-Royce, each step appearing exceptionally heavy.

The driver was already standing respectfully beside the car, and opened the door without stopping when he approached.

Li Jiacheng sat in the car, leaned back in the soft seat, closed his eyes, and tried to calm himself down. However, the scene of his conversation with Mai Lihao and Lin Haoran's outrageous behavior kept flashing through his mind.

Inside the Governor's Mansion, after Li Jiacheng left, Mai Lihao sat on the sofa and picked up a cigar, which his secretary lit for him.

“Governor, are we really not going to stop Lin Haoran’s expansion in Hong Kong’s business world? This time, he has indeed gone too far. If Cheung Kong Holdings and Hutchison Whampoa both fall into his hands, it will be enough to make our Governor’s Office completely lose control of Lin Haoran, which is not in our Governor’s Office’s interest.” The secretary said with a frown after lighting a cigar.

Mak Lei-ho took a deep drag on his cigar, exhaled a puff of smoke, and slowly said, "Lin Hao-ran's behavior has indeed gone beyond the scope of normal business competition. We really need to intervene. Otherwise, the world of Hong Kong will not be ruled by our Governor's Office, but by Lin Hao-ran."

"Then why did you refuse Mr. Li Jiacheng just now?" the secretary asked, puzzled.

Mai Lihao narrowed his eyes slightly, a barely perceptible smile curving his lips as he said with a smile, "I enjoy watching the infighting between Chinese conglomerates. Directly expressing support for Li Jiacheng is not what I want, otherwise Li Jiacheng would definitely use his influence as a pretext."

Li Jiacheng wants to use our strength to suppress Lin Haoran. How can I be a pawn he can use at will? Let him and Lin Haoran fight to the death first, and then I will make my move at the right time to gain the greatest initiative.

Lin Haoran's business empire in Hong Kong should stop expanding, which is why I have been holding back from granting the Bank of East Asia the right to issue banknotes.

"I'll find a suitable time to meet with Lin Haoran, have a talk with him, and give him a little warning so he doesn't go too far!"

……

In the Kang Le Building, Lin Haoran sat in his office, with Ma Shimin sitting opposite him.

"Boss, I just received news that ParknShop supermarket has announced the end of the price war." Ma Shimin smiled slightly.

This price war has been going on for a full two weeks.

"It's normal to stop the price war. Now that I've become the largest shareholder of Hutchison Whampoa, it was only a matter of time before I took control of Hutchison Whampoa. It's pointless for ParknShop to continue its price war with Wellcome Supermarket at the cost of daily losses."

"Starting tomorrow, let Wellcome Supermarket return to normal. Say that after careful consideration, for the stable development of Hong Kong's retail industry, we have decided to stop this pointless price war." Lin Haoran leaned back in his comfortable office chair, his eyes revealing a hint of indifference.

Ma Shimin nodded slightly.

At this point, there is indeed no need to continue the price war.

Although they still made a profit even when engaging in a price war with ParknShop supermarkets because many of their products were owned by the Langwei Group, there was no need to continue this practice.

Seeing that ParknShop supermarkets are about to become the owner's own business, what's the point of continuing?
Moreover, stopping the price war will lead to a significant increase in profits, which is beneficial to the company in every way.

"Boss, after taking over Hutchison Whampoa, are you really planning to sell ParknShop supermarkets?" Ma Shimin suddenly asked.

He remembered that his boss had mentioned this before.

"As far as I know, there are at least 20 overlapping locations between ParknShop and Wellcome supermarkets, right?" Lin Haoran asked.

“That’s true. These stores are basically all within 300 meters, so there is definitely overlap in customer traffic!” Ma Shimin nodded and said.

"So, there's not much point in us continuing to hold onto this ParknShop supermarket. We might as well sell it off. With Langwei Group, a fast-moving consumer goods giant, we're not afraid of any competitors in the retail industry!" Lin Haoran laughed heartily.

“Boss, that’s true. But I also suggest that we sell all the non-overlapping stores to Wellcome Supermarket. This way, we can get rid of the excess burden, quickly recover funds, and further consolidate Wellcome Supermarket’s position in the retail market. It’s a win-win situation,” Ma Shimin added with great interest.

Lin Haoran nodded slightly and smiled, "Mr. Ma, your idea coincides with mine."

"After Hutchison Whampoa successfully completes the acquisition, I wonder if you plan to let Hutchison Whampoa operate independently, or to integrate it into the Hongkong Land Group system?" Simon Murray suddenly asked.

"I'll make a decision on these things after we've completely taken over Hutchison Whampoa," Lin Haoran shook his head, not giving a direct answer.

He was naturally aware of Ma Shimin's thoughts.

However, it is normal for Ma Shimin to have such thoughts, as he is, after all, the president of Hongkong Land Group.

Just then, Lin Haoran's mobile phone suddenly rang.

He picked it up, glanced at it, and saw it was an unfamiliar phone number.

Nevertheless, he pressed the answer button directly.

"Mr. Lin, this is Xu Yuhui. I have good news for you. Just now, I persuaded one of the shareholders of Cheung Kong Holdings. He has agreed to the conditions you proposed. Since there is still time, I will meet with the second one in secret. If all goes well, I hope to persuade all three shareholders today!" Xu Yuhui's voice came through the phone as soon as it was connected.

On the other end of the phone, Xu Yuhui's voice was noticeably more excited.

Lin Haoran could understand; the other party was finally free from being a double agent and finally had a team, so it was normal for him to be happy.

"Good, Mr. Xu did a great job! I'll wait for you. If you can get this done today, I'll have everything sorted out by tonight!" Lin Haoran was very satisfied with how quickly the other party had acted.

He checked the time; it was only a little past ten in the morning.

The other party probably only contacted the shareholder at 8 a.m., and it was quite unexpected that they were persuaded in just over two hours.

However, it's easy to understand why Xu Yuhui had leverage over the other party.

"Don't worry, Mr. Lin, I will definitely live up to your expectations!" Xu Yuhui said confidently on the other end of the phone.

Last night, after returning to the Shi Xundao villa, he received a call from Xu Yuhui around 10 p.m.

Xu Yuhui called him for a simple reason: to relay to Lin Haoran everything Li Jiacheng had said when he invited them to dinner.

Those who betray others should be brought to their senses.

Xu Yuhui is indeed a very qualified double agent.

There's nothing we can do now; the other party has no choice but to go down this dark path, there's no turning back.

Lin Haoran hung up the phone, a meaningful smile appearing on his lips.

Seeing this, Ma Shimin asked curiously, "Boss, is it good news from Xu Yuhui's side?"

Although he couldn't hear the voice on the phone clearly, he could roughly guess what it was from his boss Lin Haoran's reply and his smile.

“That’s right, we’ve already convinced one, and we’re in contact with the second. It seems these shareholders are easier to sway than we thought!” Lin Haoran nodded and smiled.

"That's how the business world is. Boss, although I'm just a professional manager, my experience and knowledge over the years have been enough to show that the business world is a place where profit is the only motive. As long as the profit is big enough, nothing is unshakable."

Cheung Kong Holdings is now burdened by Hutchison Whampoa, with an extremely high debt ratio. In addition, they have leverage over Xu Yuhui, and they can still sell shares at such a high price. The only drawback is that they have to betray Li Ka-shing. It is not surprising that they are capable of doing such a thing.

Li Jiacheng has been in the business world for decades, yet he has unexpectedly encountered such a predicament.

Ma Shimin shook his head slightly, a hint of感慨 about the coldness and indifference of the business world flashing in his eyes.

Lin Haoran nodded slightly and said, "That's right. In this seemingly prosperous business world, everyone is busy pursuing their own interests. Li Jiacheng thought that he could stabilize the situation of Cheung Kong Holdings by relying on so-called brotherhood, but he didn't know that people's hearts are the most fickle when faced with huge interests."

Li Jiacheng has rarely suffered defeats in recent years, which has fostered considerable self-confidence in him in the business world—perhaps this is also his weakness!

Actually, there was something he didn't say: most importantly, he had the golden touch to see loyalty, while Li Jiacheng did not.

After chatting for a while, Lin Haoran went to inspect other departments and didn't leave the Kang Le Building until 2 p.m.

Lin Haoran sneaked out through the side door.

Because a large number of reporters had gathered downstairs at the Kang Le Building, all hoping to interview Lin Haoran or Ma Shimin.

This battle for shares came too suddenly, so suddenly that not only were Li Ka-shing and Standard Chartered Bank caught off guard, but also the major media outlets in Hong Kong were caught off guard.

It was indeed too sudden; it was a blitzkrieg that gave the opponent absolutely no hope.

If Galaxy Securities hadn't suddenly accelerated its share acquisition, and if Galaxy Securities hadn't announced its shareholding at noon, no one would have known about this.

This clearly demonstrates just how strong Galaxy Securities' position is in the stock market.

(End of this chapter)