In Hong Kong, we build a global business empire

Chapter 756: Huang's former generals want to sideline Lin Haoran?
After listening, Lin Haoran smiled approvingly.

"Very good! We'll proceed with the first option you suggested. You'll be in full charge of this matter. Come up with a share placement plan as soon as possible, with the goal of reducing our shareholding to around 75%. Remember, the price at which the shares are sold cannot be low!"

"We need to meet regulatory requirements while also preserving enough room for us to maintain a controlling stake," Lin Haoran decided.

Holding 75% of the shares is enough.

For example, he holds a 75% stake in Hong Kong Telephone.

He stood up and continued, "Let's go to Hutchison Whampoa Building."

In the underground parking lot of the Kang Le Building, a black Rolls-Royce was quietly parked in a reserved parking space, with two bodyguards standing guard beside it.

Ever since the last incident where a "time bomb" was planted under a Rolls-Royce, he has been extremely careful with his car.

Before each trip, the security team conducts a rigorous and comprehensive inspection of the vehicles to ensure that nothing goes wrong.

When we're out, we leave two bodyguards behind after parking, because safety is the most important thing!

Having finally transmigrated, finally lived a second life, and finally built such a vast business empire, he couldn't bear to die young again!
Upon seeing Lin Haoran and Ma Shimin approaching with Li Weidong, Li Weiguo, and others, the bodyguards waiting by the car immediately stepped forward and respectfully opened the car door.

Lin Haoran nodded slightly and bent down to get into the car.

Ma Shimin followed closely behind and sat down next to him.

The car door closed gently, shutting out the outside world.

A convoy of cars slowly drove out of the underground parking lot of the Connaught Building and merged into the slightly busy traffic flow in Central at midday.

Lin Haoran leaned back in the comfortable leather seat, his gaze thoughtfully drifting out the window.

The skyscrapers of Central flew by, and he chatted casually with Simon Murray about the upcoming takeover of Hutchison Whampoa.

Li Ka-shing has been in control of Hutchison Whampoa for less than a year, and before that, Cheung Kong Holdings was a pure real estate company.

Therefore, after taking control of Hutchison Whampoa, Li Ka-shing understood that controlling this massive company was no easy task, especially given its highly diversified conglomerate businesses, including container terminals, shipyards, pharmaceuticals, and retail.

It can be said that Li Ka-shing, as the chairman of Cheung Kong Holdings, is unfamiliar with many things.

In addition, his subordinates are mostly real estate professionals, and he doesn't have many trustworthy people.

Therefore, Li Ka-shing ultimately did his best to appease Hutchison Whampoa's senior foreign managers and entrusted them with important responsibilities.

Although he secretly wished to get rid of all these old officials from the Wei Li era and put his own trusted people in power, Li Jiacheng was smart enough to know that it was not the right time yet.

Therefore, after the former tycoon, Wayne Lai, was forced to resign, Li Ka-shing immediately appointed Wayne Lai's deputy, Richard Sin, as CEO. Business Director, Xia Boyin, and Administrative Director, Peter Wai, were both retained, forming the three-horse carriage of Hutchison Whampoa's new management team.

Therefore, the change of ownership of Hutchison Whampoa, with Lin Haoran taking over, will not cause drastic personnel turmoil due to Li Ka-shing's resignation.

Because what truly sustains Hutchison Whampoa's daily operations are the three foreign executives, Richardson, Peter Schaffner, and Peter Wesley, and their professional teams, not Li Ka-shing.

Li Ka-shing plays more of a strategic investor and final decision-maker role, and has not yet been able to deeply imprint his own mark on Hutchison Whampoa's management structure.

Although he appointed two senior executives from Cheung Kong Holdings to serve as executive directors of Hutchison Whampoa during this period, the time was too short and the foreign executives were resistant, so the two senior executives from Cheung Kong Holdings did not actually integrate into the core of Hutchison Whampoa.

"Boss, what are your plans for Hutchison Whampoa? Will you continue to let Richardson's team take charge of Hutchison Whampoa, or will you make other arrangements?" Ma Shimin asked, looking at the cars rushing past the car window.

He now has to lead the behemoth Hongkong Land Group, and is also preparing to establish the "Galaxy Strategic Development Committee." Therefore, it would certainly be inappropriate for Simon Murray to concurrently serve as the head of Hutchison Whampoa.

No matter how talented Ma Shimin was, he was still an ordinary person with limited energy.

"Richard's team appears to be stable at present, and they are very familiar with Hutchison Whampoa's operations. In the short term, maintaining the status quo is the safest option, but in the long term, it may not be appropriate."

"I've investigated. Richard is capable, but not enough to lead Hutchison Whampoa, such a behemoth, for the long term, and he can't drive Hutchison Whampoa to develop better. So he's more suitable to be a deputy!" Lin Haoran recalled the information Cui Zilong had given him and then said.

“Actually, I have a suggestion. Boss, why don’t you invite Mr. Wei Li back to continue to lead Hutchison Whampoa? What do you think?” Ma Shimin said with a smile.

“Mr. Wei Li?” Lin Haoran looked at Ma Shimin with some surprise.

Lin Haoran had never dealt with Wayne Lai, the former head of Hutchison Whampoa, but he knew that Lai was indeed an outstanding professional manager who had made great contributions to Hutchison Whampoa.

It's fair to say that without Wayne Lai, it's questionable whether Hutchison Whampoa could have survived to this day. They might have gone bankrupt years ago, with their businesses being swallowed up by others.

Therefore, Mr. Wei Li's contributions to Hutchison Whampoa were indeed very significant.

In the mid-1970s, Hutchison International, the predecessor of Hutchison Whampoa, fell into a serious financial crisis.

At that time, due to overexpansion, Hutchison International suffered losses totaling nearly HK$100 million for two consecutive years under the impact of the 1973 oil crisis, setting a record for the largest corporate loss since the opening of Hong Kong and once on the verge of bankruptcy.

“I remember it very clearly,” Ma Shimin said, his tone tinged with nostalgia. “Back then, Huifeng Bank had to inject a huge sum of money to take over Hutchison, and that’s when Wyman was brought in to act as the ‘firefighter.’”

Lin Haoran nodded to indicate that he understood.

Most people in Hong Kong's business circles know this history: after taking over this mess in 1975, Wayne Lai demonstrated amazing abilities.

He first merged Hutchison International with Whampoa Shipyard to form the current Hutchison Whampoa Limited, and then carried out a series of sweeping reforms, closing loss-making departments, selling non-core assets, and restructuring the debt structure.

"William is indeed a capable man. Under his reorganization, Hutchison Whampoa not only escaped the bankruptcy crisis, but also turned a profit in 1977. His business acumen ranks among the top five of all professional managers in Hong Kong," Lin Haoran commented.

In Lin Haoran's view, Wei Li's talent is on par with that of Ma Shimin, and it could even be said that Wei Li has more experience in managing large enterprises.

"Let alone the top five, I think the top three are perfectly achievable," Ma Shimin added. "However, Ralph Waldo has a strong personality and disagreed with HSBC on development strategies, which is why HSBC chose to support Li Ka-shing rather than Ralph Waldo when Li Ka-shing made the acquisition offer."

Lin Haoran nodded.

In fact, although Wayne Lai left Hutchison Whampoa because Li Ka-shing wanted to completely control the company, he knew that staying at Hutchison Whampoa was no longer very meaningful, so he left.

However, when he left Hutchison Whampoa, Li Ka-shing actually hoped that he would stay, because Li Ka-shing knew that he was a rare talent and that if Wayne Lai was willing to stay, he would definitely be of great help to Hutchison Whampoa.

However, as Li Jiacheng gradually gained real power, Wei Li realized that he could not show his talents, so he took the initiative to submit his resignation.

This decision was not a compromise, but a rational assessment of his career prospects; he needed a new platform to continue his ambitions.

He already knew that even if he stayed at Hutchison Whampoa, his future power would inevitably be greatly weakened. Rather than struggling in this increasingly marginalized situation, he would rather leave gracefully and seek a wider world to realize his ambitions.

Lin Haoran leaned back in his car seat, pondering the suggestion made by Ma Shimin.

“Boss, the reason I suggested that you invite Wayne Lai back to Hutchison Whampoa is because I know that you are different from Mr. Li Ka-shing.”

You are willing to delegate authority, giving professional managers room to demonstrate their talents, while Mr. Li Jiacheng has a strong desire for control, making it difficult for Weili to fully utilize its abilities under his leadership.

"But you are different. You have a broad mind and a long-term vision. If Wayne Lai could return to Hutchison Whampoa, with your support, Hutchison Whampoa will surely reach a new level," Ma Shimin said sincerely.

“Inviting Wei Li back is a bold and attractive idea,” Lin Haoran said slowly. “However, there are also many variables involved.”

We don't fully understand Willie's current state of mind and thoughts after leaving Hutchison Whampoa, and whether he's willing to return to the place he left behind is also unknown.

As far as Lin Haoran knew, after leaving Hutchison Whampoa, Wei Li took a break for a while before being invited by Mr. Luo Xurui, Chairman of Bailibao Group, to join Bailibao Group.

Bailibao Group's goal was clear: they hoped that Weili could assist them in acquiring the renowned Chung Hwa Bus.

However, according to Lin Haoran, it is highly unlikely that the other party will be able to successfully acquire China Bus.

After all, the strength of the Bailibao Group was ultimately inferior, while their competitor was the famous top Hong Kong family, the Kwok Tak-seng family behind Sun Hung Kai Properties, whose strength was even comparable to that of Li Ka-shing!

This is no longer a matter of Wei Li's ability, but rather that Bai Baoli simply doesn't have the capability.

Ma Shimin nodded and said, "Boss, your consideration is reasonable, but no one can match Wei Li's understanding of Hutchison Whampoa. If we can make use of his experience and abilities, it will greatly promote the future development of Hutchison Whampoa and our entire business layout."

Given Mr. Wei Li's talent, I believe that no one in Hong Kong is more suitable to be the helmsman of Hutchison Whampoa. We can try to make contact and sound him out.

"Let's put this aside for now, I need to think about it carefully!" Lin Haoran did not agree immediately.

He doesn't choose company leaders so casually.

Just as Lin Haoran and Ma Shimin were heading to Hutchison Whampoa, seven or eight people were sitting in a conference room in the Hutchison Whampoa Building.

These people were all foreigners.

If you are familiar with Hutchison Whampoa, you will definitely recognize that these people are all former Hutchison Whampoa employees.

Among them was Richard Shin, who stayed after Wayne Lai left Hutchison Whampoa.

However, since they were a team built by Wei Li, they have more or less inherited Wei Li's philosophy. They do not want the boss to interfere too much in corporate management, otherwise they will easily become constrained and even lose their say.

At this moment, Richard looked at his senior executives, these former confidants of Mr. Willie, who had become his confidants after Mr. Willie's departure.

Therefore, Richard's ambition gradually swelled.

He joined Hutchison Whampoa in 1927 and has been with the company since the era of Kee Tak-tsun and Wylie, as well as the takeover by Cheung Kong Holdings. He has been with Hutchison Whampoa for a full 54 years, making him a true veteran among the senior management of Hutchison Whampoa.

In the nearly one year since Li Ka-shing took control of Hutchison Whampoa, Richard Shin led his team in a battle of wits and courage against the directors Li Ka-shing had placed in Hutchison Whampoa, vying for power.

The reason they dared to do this was naturally because they understood that Hutchison Whampoa, after Li Ka-shing took over, could not do without them.

If they all resign, Hutchison Whampoa will be thrown into chaos, and it will be a disaster.

Therefore, they had the confidence to work under Li Jiacheng, and Li Jiacheng was indeed always very polite to them, never daring to show them any disrespect.

But who would have thought that Li Ka-shing would be ousted from Hutchison Whampoa less than a year after successfully taking control?

The new boss, Lin Haoran, is a figure they find very troublesome.

After all, before Wayne Lai left Hutchison Whampoa, he had told them, "Lin Haoran is not someone to be trifled with. Unless absolutely necessary, never make an enemy of him!"

Richard Xin naturally dared not take a chance on someone whom even Mr. Wellesley was so wary of.

But the allure of power and their desire for self-governance led them to take the risk.

"Gentlemen," Richard said in a low voice, glancing around at his trusted confidants, "Although Lin Haoran is powerful, he has only recently taken over Hehuang and his foundation is not yet stable."

We have complete control over Hutchison Whampoa's daily operations, core customer relationships, and the advancement of major projects.

If we unite and make some 'reasonable' demands on him, he will surely have to consider them for the sake of overall stability. Then, won't Hutchison Whampoa be under our control?

Compared to Li Jiacheng, Richard Xin was more afraid of Lin Haoran taking over.

The reason is simple: Li Ka-shing was mainly engaged in the real estate industry, so he basically had no subordinates who took over the management of Hutchison Whampoa.

Richard and others took advantage of the fact that Cheung Kong Holdings still needed management talent like themselves in its trading, retail, and container terminal businesses after acquiring control of Hutchison Whampoa, and actively expanded their own influence.

The most obvious example is the attempt to exclude senior Chinese executives from Hutchison Whampoa, prevent their influence from expanding, and form an alliance with Cheung Kong Holdings.

In the nearly one year since Li Ka-shing took over, several senior Chinese employees of Hutchison Whampoa have been forced to resign.

Li Jiacheng seemed not to notice their actions and did not respond to them at all.

This indeed led Richard to believe that Li Jiacheng's takeover had actually brought him an opportunity.

But Lin Haoran is different. The companies under Lin Haoran's original control also have the same businesses as Hutchison Whampoa.

As a result, he was very worried about one issue: once Lin Haoran announced his takeover, would he transfer too many senior executives from subsidiaries such as Hongkong Land Group, Wanqing Group, and Hong Kong Electric Group to Hutchison Whampoa?

As a result, they will inevitably be ostracized, and may even end up like their predecessor, Mr. Wayne Lai, who saw no hope at Hutchison Whampoa and had no choice but to resign.

This is what Richard was most worried about.

He had finally become the most powerful professional manager at Hutchison Whampoa, and he was really unwilling to give up this position.

Business Director Xia Boyin hesitated: "Mr. Lin Haoran is not like Mr. Li Jiacheng. He is ruthless and even Jardine Matheson and Huifeng were defeated by him. Li Jiacheng couldn't even last a few days before he was defeated. Isn't it too risky for us to do this?"

“It is precisely because of his ruthless methods that we must strike first!” Richard Xin interjected, a shadow crossing his eyes. “We must make him understand that Hutchison Whampoa cannot function without our team.”

As long as he agrees to grant us sufficient autonomy and not excessively interfere in daily management, we guarantee a smooth transition for Hutchison Whampoa and even better performance—a win-win situation.

Previously, they had intended to support Li Jiacheng in his fight against Lin Haoran's shareholding battle, but they didn't give him a chance before Li Jiacheng lost.

This forces them to now accept the fact that Lin Haoran has taken over Hutchison Whampoa.

Another executive chimed in, “Yes! We can draft a ‘management proposal’ that, on the surface, offers suggestions for the company’s future development, but in reality, clearly states our bottom line.”

Strategic direction can be discussed together, but specific operations must be handled by our professional team. If he disagrees…

Richard picked up the conversation and continued, "If he disagrees, or tries to install too many cronies to sideline us, then we do not rule out taking a 'non-violent non-cooperation' approach."

For example, the progress of some key projects may slow down unexpectedly, the maintenance of relationships with some important clients may be neglected, and if they really want us to hand over our work, we can simply drag it out.

At that time, it will be Lin Haoran who faces performance pressure and market skepticism!

A brief silence fell over the meeting room. The plan was undoubtedly very bold, even somewhat crazy.

But once you've tasted power, who would be willing to give it up so easily?

During the Wayne era, they were one of the company's de facto leaders and were accustomed to having considerable influence.

Although there were some constraints during Li Jiacheng's time, he was not proficient in diversified businesses, so they still had room to maneuver.

Now, facing a younger and more capable new boss, their sense of crisis is stronger than ever before.

“Okay! Let’s do it this way!” Richard finally decided. “Let’s quickly draft a well-written proposal.”

Once Lin Haoran arrives, we will first show a cooperative attitude, and then at the appropriate time, present our 'sincerity'.

Remember, our goal is to gain space, not to tear things apart. We need to be careful about how we handle things!

While Richard and his entourage were plotting, Lin Haoran's convoy had already entered the underground parking lot of the Hutchison Whampoa Building.

The car stopped, and Li Weidong said, "Boss, Mr. Ma, we've arrived at Hutchison Whampoa Building."

Lin Haoran then noticed that they had arrived at the underground parking lot of the Hutchison Whampoa Building.

A bodyguard opened the car door for Lin Haoran.

"Let's go, it's time to go up and declare our sovereignty over Hutchison Whampoa." Lin Haoran composed himself and got out of the car.

He straightened his suit and said to Ma Shimin, "We can discuss Mr. Wei Li's matter later. Right now, the priority is to stabilize Richard's team and smoothly take over Hutchison Whampoa."

Ma Shimin nodded in agreement.

The group entered a private elevator and went directly to the boardroom on the top floor of the Hutchison Whampoa Tower.

When the elevator doors opened, Richardson and the Hutchison Whampoa executive team were already waiting neatly at the conference room door.

Because when Lin Haoran and his group appeared at the Hutchison Whampoa Building, the security guards had already informed the leaders upstairs via walkie-talkie.

As for the senior executives that Li Ka-shing brought from Cheung Kong Holdings, they naturally could not stay here any longer and have now all returned to Cheung Kong Holdings.

At the elevator entrance, Richard maintained his professional smile, but a hint of nervousness was hard to hide in his eyes.

After all, just moments ago they were plotting how to sideline the new boss and seize power.

Behind him, Chapman and Peter Weil also looked serious, clearly harboring doubts about the new boss's intentions.

“Mr. Lin, Mr. Ma, welcome to Hutchison Whampoa,” Richardson stepped forward and said in fluent English.

Lin Haoran shook hands with him, his gaze sweeping over the executives present, and replied in clear Hong Kong dialect: "Mr. Richard, everyone, no need to be so polite. From today onwards, we are partners in our common struggle."

Stepping into the spacious and bright boardroom, the long conference table was already filled with Hutchison Whampoa's core management team.

Lin Haoran walked straight to the head seat, while Ma Shimin sat down to his right.

Without much small talk, Lin Haoran got straight to the point: "Ladies and gentlemen, you must have already learned about the equity change from this morning's press conference. My Galaxy Securities now holds a whopping 86.9% stake, and there is no longer any objection to my absolute control of Hutchison Whampoa. So you should all know what my purpose is in coming to the Hutchison Whampoa Building!"
These words instantly created a somewhat awkward atmosphere that had been relatively harmonious at the scene.

Lin Haoran paused, his gaze slowly sweeping across everyone's faces, and then said, "I am here not to disrupt the existing order of Hutchison Whampoa, but to hope that Hutchison Whampoa can reach a higher level under my leadership."

I understand that everyone here is a key member of Hutchison Whampoa, possessing extensive experience and a deep understanding of the company's operations.

Upon hearing this, Richard and the others were slightly taken aback, and their tense nerves relaxed a little.

(End of this chapter)