In Hong Kong, we build a global business empire

Chapter 762 The Pledge of Allegiance: The Biggest Bargain for Breaking the Old Shackles!
Li Jiacheng put down his cup and glanced at the floor-to-ceiling window.

The view includes Lin Haoran's Kang Le Building, and even his own Chinese Building.

Perhaps, this is the best possible outcome.

He turned his head and met Lin Haoran's gaze.

His gaze remained calm as still water, but at this moment, Li Jiacheng's heart was also undisturbed.

What lies ahead remains to be seen.

But at least today, on the 21st floor of the Prince's Building, witnessed by Bao Yugang, he and Lin Haoran have already made a move for "peace" on the chessboard of Hong Kong's future.

Just then, Lin Haoran's phone rang. He glanced at it and saw that it was Dai Shi calling.

He walked aside and answered the phone.

Dai Shi called to inform the boss that Hutchison Whampoa's stock price had soared after the market opened that day, and he was asking at what price it would be appropriate to sell the shares.

After all, Galaxy Securities plans to reduce its stake in Hutchison Whampoa to 75%, leaving 11.9% of its shares available for sale, involving at least several billion Hong Kong dollars.

If the selling price is too low, at least tens of millions or even hundreds of millions of Hong Kong dollars will be lost.

Therefore, Dai Shi dared not make decisions on his own.

At this point, the matters at the Prince Building had been basically resolved, so Lin Haoran decided not to linger any longer.

So, after hanging up Dai Shi's call, he smiled and said to Bao Yugang and Li Jiacheng, "Uncle Bao, Mr. Li, I'm very happy to be able to shake hands and make peace with Mr. Li this time. I have urgent business to attend to back home, so I won't stay any longer. Let's have tea together sometime in the future!"

"Alright, Haoran, I know you're busy. You should go back first. Come over and chat with Uncle Bao when you have time, and also keep an eye on Wharf Holdings. After all, you are the vice chairman of Wharf Holdings!" Bao Yugang said with a loud laugh.

Li Jiacheng smiled and said, "Mr. Lin, please take care. Let's have a late-night chat sometime and talk about the future of Cheung Kong Holdings."

Lin Haoran nodded slightly, a sincere smile in his eyes: "Uncle Bao, don't worry, I will definitely keep the matter of Kowloon Wharf in mind."
Mr. Li, the suggestion of a late-night discussion is excellent. I look forward to discussing the future direction of Cheung Kong Holdings with you in depth.

After saying that, Lin Haoran waved to them and left the meeting room, departing from the Prince Building with his bodyguards.

As Lin Haoran's figure disappeared into the meeting room on the 21st floor of the Prince Building, Li Jiacheng and Bao Yugang also turned their gazes away from the room.

Sunlight streamed through the huge French windows, casting bright spots of light on the carpet, but it couldn't dispel the deep weariness and lingering bitterness between Li Jiacheng's brows.

He picked up the cup of premium West Lake Longjing tea in front of him, which had already cooled slightly, but found it tasteless. His gaze, somewhat unfocused, fell on Bao Yugang, who was as steady as a mountain across from him.

“Brother Bao…” Li Jiacheng’s voice, slightly hoarse, broke the silence.

He put down his teacup, took a deep breath, and tried to force a smile, but it turned into a long sigh. "Thank you for today. If it weren't for your mediation, I really wouldn't know how to handle this situation."

He was referring to Bao Yugang pulling him back from the brink of a complete break with Lin Haoran, thus facilitating this superficial "handshake and reconciliation."

This gratitude came from the bottom of my heart, but it was also mixed with unspeakable humiliation and lingering fear.

He knew about this and was indeed grateful to Bao Yugang.

Otherwise, the undercurrents and estrangement between Li Jiacheng and Lin Haoran caused by business competition may continue to surge in the business world of Hong Kong in the future, and may even evolve into a more intense collision.

Bao Yugang's gaze lingered on Li Jiacheng's face for a moment, as if he could see the turmoil in his heart.

He slowly sipped his tea, his face displaying his usual composure and gentleness.

“Brother Li, we have known each other for many years, there is no need for such formalities. In the Hong Kong business world, ups and downs are the norm. Today it may seem that you have taken a step back, but who knows if it is not laying the foundation for further progress in the future?”

Hao Ran is a man of sharp wit and ruthless methods. However, judging from his plans, his ambitions are global, not just focused on the small corner of Hong Kong. His takeover of Cheung Kong Holdings and becoming its second-largest shareholder may seem like a loss of face, but in the long run, it may well be adding an unbreakable moat to Cheung Kong Holdings.

His energy and vision are indispensable assets for Cheung Kong's future development.

Bao Yugang had mentioned these words in his previous analysis, and his reiteration of them now is mainly to soothe Li Jiacheng's still bleeding pride.

Li Jiacheng nodded silently. He understood the reasoning, but the pain and disappointment in his heart could not be easily smoothed over with a few words of comfort.

He said bitterly, "Brother Bao is right. It's just that I'm so unwilling to accept this defeat, but I'm also convinced of it. Lin Sheng's methods and courage are indeed beyond my reach."

He recalled the shocking scene described in the newspapers of Lin Haoran taking over and Huang Lei ruthlessly firing Richard Xin, as well as his own indecisiveness towards Richard Xin. The sense of shame that he was "not as decisive as others" grew stronger.

Bao Yugang nodded slightly, indicating his understanding.

He changed the subject, his tone becoming more serious: "Brother Li, now that we have reached a reconciliation with Mr. Lin and the formalities are done, the next step is to consider how to put this 'sincerity' into practice, truly win Mr. Lin's trust, and clear away some unnecessary obstacles for Cheung Kong's future development."

Upon hearing this, Li Jiacheng perked up and looked at Bao Yugang: "Brother Bao, what are your thoughts?"

Bao Yugang looked at Li Jiacheng and said seriously, "Brother Li, it's time for you to completely sever your 'involuntary' ties with Huifeng Bank."

Although HSBC has been acquired by Standard Chartered Bank, Paul Yugang was already a non-executive director of HSBC due to his previous deep cooperation with the bank.

Therefore, although he did not know the specifics of some of the agreements between Huifeng and Li Jiacheng, he was still clear about their general content.

Li Jiacheng's heart skipped a beat!
Huifeng Bank!

This is a name he deliberately avoids, yet it follows him everywhere.

Although HSBC has been acquired by Standard Chartered Bank, in reality, the agreements between HSBC and Standard Chartered Bank have simply been transferred to Standard Chartered Bank.

"Brother Li, do you still remember when I suggested that you gradually transfer Cheung Kong's core financial business from Huifeng to Hengsheng Bank?" Bao Yugang pointed out directly, "At that time, you had many concerns and had to decline due to the agreements you signed with Huifeng."

Those agreements, ostensibly strategic partnerships, are in reality invisible shackles around your and Cheung Kong's necks, forcing you to rely on others for many decisions and constantly hindering your progress.

Previously, Li Ka-shing visited Pao Yu-kang for help, hoping that Pao Yu-kang could mediate and help him reach a reconciliation with Lam Ho-yin.

However, he was unwilling to pay any price.

Therefore, when faced with Bao Yugang's proposal, Li Ka-shing politely declined, but in reality, he had many reasons to refuse.

If he actually does as Bao Yugang suggested, it would be tantamount to violating the relevant agreement with Huifeng Bank.

At that time, HSBC may even have the right to freeze his funds.

This is the most serious consequence.

Therefore, Li Ka-shing would never dare to take this risk lightly, and could only choose to fully support HSBC to the end.

It can be said that at that time, he was indeed in a situation beyond his control.

Who would have thought that Huifeng Bank would be so vulnerable? Not only did it suffer repeated defeats in its battle with East Asia Bank, owned by Lin Haoran, it was also taken over by Standard Chartered Bank, completely losing its independence.

As a Chinese businessman deeply intertwined with Huifeng Bank, Li Ka-shing was naturally implicated and severely affected.

Even when Hutchison Whampoa's performance declined sharply, he felt that Lin Haoran was deliberately targeting him, so he took the initiative to start a business war in a fit of anger.

As a result, he suffered a crushing defeat.

Within just a few days, Hutchison Whampoa changed hands and ceased to exist.

It can be said that all his previous actions were tantamount to courting death.

He paid an extremely heavy price for this.

At this moment, Li Ka-shing's expression became extremely complex, shifting between light and shadow.

Every word Bao Yugang said was like a sharp blade, precisely piercing the most vulnerable and painful part of his heart.

With its strong capital strength and special industry position, HSBC imposed many stringent conditions when it sold its Hutchison Whampoa shares to Li Ka-shing at an extremely low price. It even had an implicit veto power over some of Hutchison Whampoa's major strategic decisions.

This situation of being "controlled by others" is like being bound by invisible shackles, from which one is powerless to break free.

At the height of Huifeng Bank's success, his deep integration with the bank was undoubtedly a good way to achieve rapid growth.

Indeed, the Li Ka-shing family seized the opportunity of taking over Hutchison Whampoa to become one of Hong Kong's top wealthy families.

However, who would have thought that just six months after he took control of Hutchison Whampoa, Hui Fung Bank would rapidly decline and even be acquired by Standard Chartered Bank.

What disheartened him most was that, in this fierce business battle with Lin Haoran, HSBC and its parent company Standard Chartered, as his nominal "important partners," not only failed to fulfill their promises in the agreement and provide him with strong support,

Instead, they chose to stand by and watch at crucial moments, and might even be secretly weighing the pros and cons and calculating gains and losses, watching helplessly as Lin Haoran relentlessly pressed him into a miserable situation.

When Lin Haoran demonstrated overwhelming advantages in public opinion and the capital market, Huifeng fell completely silent, fearing that it would get burned.

This betrayal and self-preservation angered and disappointed Li Jiacheng more than Lin Haoran's direct attack.

It can be said that in this competition between him and Lin Haoran, neither Huifeng Bank nor Standard Chartered Bank played any role whatsoever.

The support he had initially thought he had turned out to be so unreliable.

This truly disappointed Li Jiacheng greatly.

"Brother Li, you must remember deeply the actions of Huifeng and Standard Chartered during this crisis. The agreement? They have already unilaterally neglected and even violated the original intent and spirit of the agreement. Now, the situation is completely different." Bao Yugang seemed to read his thoughts and began to offer advice. "First, Lin Haoran has officially become the vice chairman and second-largest shareholder of Cheung Kong Holdings. This status is enough to shake the entire Hong Kong financial world. What is Standard Chartered Bank most afraid of right now?"
They were afraid that Hao Ran would settle scores with them later! After all, they had offended Hao Ran before. Hao Ran's takeover of Cheung Kong Holdings was like driving a powerful wedge that could shake the whole situation into the 'special relationship' between Hui Feng and Cheung Kong Holdings.

If Standard Chartered and HSBC want to control Cheung Kong again as they did in the past, they'll have to carefully consider Hao Ran's attitude. This is your biggest bargaining chip to break free from the old shackles!

Li Jiacheng's breathing quickened slightly. Bao Yugang's words were like a beam of light, illuminating a path he had never considered.

Yes, Lin Haoran's very existence is the biggest threat to Huifeng Bank!

With this newly appointed, ruthless vice chairman in charge, will Standard Chartered Bank and HSBC still dare to interfere with Cheung Kong as recklessly as before?

They are probably more worried that Lin Haoran will take this opportunity to cause trouble!

Bao Yugang continued, "Secondly, your initiative to curry favor with Haoran at this moment, and your decision to shift your core financial business to Hengsheng Bank, which has a greater influence than Lin Sheng, is itself a very significant 'pledge of allegiance'."

This is a clearer way to express your genuine willingness to cooperate than admitting defeat at the negotiating table or shaking hands at a press conference.

Hao Ran is a smart man. He will understand what this means. It means that you, Li Jiacheng, are actively eliminating factors in the old structure that may pose a potential threat to him and to Cheung Kong's future strategy. It means that you are willing to place Cheung Kong's most important financial lifeline in a system that is more in line with the interests of Lin Hao Ran's companies.

This is undoubtedly a huge support for him in integrating resources and building a global business ecosystem.

Li Jiacheng's fingers tapped unconsciously on the mahogany armrest as his mind raced, weighing the pros and cons.

Bao Yugang's analysis is insightful and penetrating.

The separation of core financial business from Huifeng will undoubtedly affect Huifeng's huge vested interests and will inevitably encounter unprecedented resistance.

But at this moment, Lin Haoran's entry into the fray, and Huifeng's own guilty performance in this turmoil, gave him an excellent reason and confidence to fight back.

More importantly, this was indeed a perfect opportunity for him to show Lin Haoran his sincerity!

Rather than passively waiting for Lin Haoran's potential future liquidation of Huifeng to affect Changshi, it is better to take the initiative, turn the tables, and at the same time show loyalty to Lin Haoran.

This is simply an excellent pledge of allegiance!

“But…” Li Jiacheng still had concerns, “The agreement with Huifeng is very complex. If it is forcibly terminated, there will be penalties and a chain reaction…”

"That's the key!"

Bao Yugang interrupted him and continued, "Huifeng and Standard Chartered were in the wrong first! They chose to remain silent and back down when you needed support the most, which seriously violated the core terms of 'mutual support' and 'shared risks' in your strategic cooperation agreement."

This is your strong legal basis for claiming to terminate the agreement, be exempted from or have your liability for breach of contract significantly reduced!
Moreover, let's not forget that Hao Ran is now the vice chairman of Cheung Kong Holdings, and he has the responsibility and the ability to ensure that Cheung Kong Holdings' core interests are not harmed.

You can, on behalf of the board of directors, request Haoran or its legal team to intervene in this matter and jointly put pressure on Huifeng.

Given that Standard Chartered and HSBC are facing a joint operation between you and Haoran, and considering their own precarious situation, what are their chances of winning? They'd probably prefer to handle this discreetly to avoid completely enraging Haoran.

Li Jiacheng fell silent. Bao Yugang's plan was intricately linked, cleverly transforming Lin Haoran, this "powerful enemy," into his "strongest weapon" to break free from his shackles.

This move, seemingly a compromise, actually hides a sharp edge and achieves multiple benefits in one fell swoop.

This would allow them to break free from Huifeng's long-term control, demonstrate great sincerity to Lin Haoran, and leverage Lin Haoran's influence to suppress Huifeng and reduce their own losses.

Bao Yugang's shrewdness and cunning impressed him once again.

After much deliberation, the last trace of hesitation in Li Jiacheng's eyes finally faded, replaced by a resolute determination born of a do-or-die spirit.

“Brother Bao, you’re right! Even if a person has no intention of harming a tiger, a tiger may still want to devour a person’s heart. Standard Chartered Bank was ruthless first. If I were to consider past relationships again, I would be tying my own hands and feet, failing the shareholders of Cheung Kong Holdings, and unable to prove my sincerity to Hao Ran.”

Moreover, Standard Chartered Bank can no longer provide the assistance I need. Continuing to be deeply tied to them is pointless and will only hinder my development.

He stood up, walked to the window, and looked down at the bustling scene of Central, his voice resolute: "It's time to completely break free from this shackle of 'being unable to control one's own destiny'!"
Cheung Kong's financial lifeline must be in the hands of its own people and must be integrated into a more reliable ecosystem.

He turned around and looked at Bao Yugang: "I'll get started right away! The first thing to do is to immediately terminate all non-essential cooperation with Standard Chartered Bank and Huifeng Bank, especially those agreements with exclusivity or special restrictive clauses."

I will personally handle Mr. Tyron's situation.

He wanted to take this opportunity to sever ties with Standard Chartered and HSBC, both to show Lin Haoran his determination to break away from the old financial system and to send a further signal to Lin Haoran that he, Li Jiacheng, was fully siding with Lin Haoran, the new hegemon of Hong Kong.

"Good!" Bao Yugang's eyes revealed approval. "Hesitation leads to trouble. Brother Jiacheng's decisiveness is a blessing for Changshi."

The meeting with Tyron must be swift and decisive, with a firm stance and compelling reasons. Simply state that Huifeng Bank and Standard Chartered Bank breached the contract first, and that Standard Chartered has already yielded to Haoran based on previous actions. Tyron is a smart man; he won't dare to confront them directly at this point and will only go along with it.

Li Jiacheng nodded heavily, his long-dormant fighting spirit rekindled.

In this business battle, he lost part of the dominance of Hutchison Whampoa and Cheung Kong Holdings, but under the guidance of Paul Yip, he saw an opportunity to break free from deeper constraints, reposition himself in the new landscape, and gain the initiative.

Sometimes, admitting defeat is a way to launch a better attack.

He looked at Bao Yugang and said with emotion, "Brother Bao's guidance is invaluable. I will go and arrange a meeting with Tyron right away."

He picked up the mobile phone beside him, his previous dejection gone, and dialed Standard Chartered Bank: "This is Li Jiacheng. Connect me to the Tyronn office at Standard Chartered Bank. Tell them that I am Li Jiacheng, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Cheung Kong Holdings, and that I have important matters to discuss concerning the future cooperation between our two companies. I hope to arrange a private meeting as soon as possible."

Outside the window, the sky over Hong Kong was a clear, bright blue.

A campaign to reshape CK Asset's financial landscape and completely sever ties with the past quietly began with this phone call.

Li Jiacheng knew that his meeting with Tyron and his showdown with Huifeng would be the first step in proving his "sincerity" and "value" to Lin Haoran in this new game.

Bao Yugang's suggestion was like a beacon in the darkness, pointing him down a path that seemed like a retreat but was actually a path of progress.

He knew that he had come to the right place this time to find Bao Yugang!

……

In the top-floor office of Standard Chartered Bank's headquarters, the newly appointed head of the company, Tyronn, frowned as he held the visitor list handed to him by his secretary.

“Li Jiacheng,” he murmured, his Adam’s apple bobbing.

The sound of a cruise ship's horn from outside the floor-to-ceiling window in Victoria Harbour startled him, making his shoulders tremble.

The assistant cautiously reminded him, "As scheduled, you are to chair a creditors' meeting in ten minutes..."

"Reject it." Tyron suddenly interrupted. "Please ask Mr. Li to go to meeting room number one, no."

He stood up abruptly and said, "I'll come downstairs to meet you myself."

In the past few days, the landscape of Hong Kong's business community has undergone tremendous changes, but he has remained silent.

The reason is simple: he felt guilty.

The main reason is that Standard Chartered Bank backed down when Li Ka-shing and Lin Haoran were fighting, in order to reduce their losses.

Tyron knew very well that the series of agreements signed between Huifeng Bank and Li Ka-shing, which were left over from the Huifeng Bank era, had now become a hot potato.

The clauses in the agreement that once allowed Huifeng to deeply influence the decisions of Cheung Kong and Hutchison Whampoa have become extremely sensitive and dangerous now that Lin Haoran has taken a strong position in Cheung Kong as its second-largest shareholder and vice chairman.

As for Hutchison Whampoa, it has become obsolete with the takeover by Lin Haoran.

The reason is simple: Huifeng Bank signed the agreement with Li Ka-shing, not with the company.

Now, the company has a new owner, and Huifeng Bank can no longer control Hutchison Whampoa.

However, since Cheung Kong Holdings still belongs to Li Ka-shing, Cheung Kong remains a partner of Hui Fung.

Tyron hurried downstairs and met Li Jiacheng, who was waiting in the bank lobby.

He put on a warm smile, quickly stepped forward, and extended his hand, saying, "Mr. Li, what a rare guest! Please come with me to the reception room for a detailed discussion."

Li Jiacheng nodded slightly, shook hands with Tyron gently, and then they went to the reception room together.

Throughout the journey, Tyron was filled with a myriad of thoughts.

He knew that Li Ka-shing's visit was related to the previous actions of Huifeng Bank and Standard Chartered Bank in the Hutchison Whampoa incident.

Standard Chartered Bank has indeed acted unethically in this incident, and now that Li Ka-shing has taken the initiative to approach them, it remains to be seen what kind of storm this will bring.

Upon entering the reception room, the two sat facing each other.

Tyron broke the silence first, smiling as he said, "Mr. Li, you must have something important to discuss with me today. May I ask what it is?"

Li Jiacheng's gaze was calm as he slowly spoke, "Mr. Tyron, I've come here today to discuss our cooperation agreement with your firm."

Tyron's heart tightened, but he remained calm and said, "Oh? I wonder what Mr. Li's opinion is on our existing cooperation agreement?"

"My purpose in coming here is very simple: to terminate all cooperation agreements signed between us and Huifeng Bank!" Perhaps feeling confident, Li Jiacheng stated his purpose very directly.

Tyron's pupils contracted slightly. Although he had expected it, he was still shocked when Li Jiacheng so bluntly said that he wanted to terminate the cooperation agreement.

　Asking for a monthly ticket!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)