Chapter 310 Li Jiacheng's Ambition
At the headquarters of Jardines Matheson, Niu Bik Kin also received a large number of reporters.
At this moment, he was fully aware of Lin Haoran's stance toward Jardines Matheson.
Facing this sudden and aggressive challenger, Niu Bik Kin was deeply worried.
After all, he knew that Lin Haoran had previously secured a HKD 2 billion loan from Huifeng Bank!
Back then, no one knew what the massive loan was intended for. Now, Niu Bik Kin finally understood — Lin Haoran intended to use it to acquire Jardines Matheson!
Whether it was Niu Bik Kin himself or other shareholders of Jardines, facing Lin Haoran's financial strength, none of them could remain completely unshaken.
Could they truly remain as steadfast as a rock?
The answer was likely no.
But in front of the reporters' relentless questioning, Niu Bik Kin remained firm:
"After extensive discussions with our shareholders, we can officially state that Jardines Matheson has no intention of selling.
Mr. Lin Haoran's ambitions will come to nothing.
Jardines Matheson will always remain the core of our British financial consortium and will never fall into Chinese hands!"
Publicly, he needed to maintain composure and show no sign of panic.
A reporter pressed,
"Mr. Niu Bik Kin, how do you view the fact that Mr. Lin Haoran has become the largest shareholder of Jardines Matheson?"
Niu Bik Kin answered solemnly,
"Even though Mr. Lin has become a major shareholder, he cannot shake our control over Jardines Matheson.
On this issue, all the British shareholders are completely united and unwavering!"
Another asked,
"If Mr. Lin continues to increase his stake, will it affect your control?"
"Mr. Lin will find it extremely difficult to acquire more shares.
We have already prepared countermeasures.
I advise Mr. Lin to abandon any thoughts of acquiring Jardines — he will not succeed," Niu Bik Kin replied swiftly and firmly.
"Mr. Niu Bik Kin, what strategies do you plan to adopt next to counter Mr. Lin's attempt?"
...
At Wanching Tower, 31st floor, in Lin Haoran's office.
At that moment, he was holding the evidence delivered by 13K regarding the mole in Universal Investment.
Lin Haoran glanced over it briefly, planning to let Su Zhixue handle it after the market closed.
There was no need for him to personally deal with an ordinary employee.
Meanwhile, as Land Development Corporation's stock price plunged, Universal Investment's team, led by Su Zhixue, had begun quietly absorbing shares again.
Today was the day with the most sell orders for Land Development Corporation in months.
Large numbers of sell orders flooded the secondary market.
Desperate to sell quickly, stockholders kept undercutting each other, pushing prices lower.
Universal Investment's traders steadily absorbed shares at the lowered prices.
Meanwhile, just a few hundred meters away in the Chinese Bank Building, another group was closely monitoring Land Development Corporation's trading.
It was the securities department of Cheung Kong Holdings.
Earlier this month, after returning to Hong Kong from the UK, Li Jiacheng officially took control of Hutchison Whampoa.
The previous chairman, Mr. Wheelock, was forced to resign.
Thus, another British giant — Hutchison Whampoa — had fallen into Chinese hands.
Li Jiacheng now fully turned his ambitions toward Land Development Corporation.
When he first learned that Lin Haoran had been laying plans for Land Development for over six months, Li Jiacheng thought bitterly,
"Too late. This time, I've lost again!"
But today's newspapers reported that Lin Haoran's real target was Jardines Matheson, not Land Development Corporation.
His confidence revived instantly.
Though Cheung Kong and Hutchison Whampoa together still didn't hold much of Land Development Corporation, Li Jiacheng was optimistic.
He knew Land Development was a giant — it wouldn't be acquired easily.
Given two years to operate in the shadows, he was certain he could seize it.
Now, after taking over Hutchison Whampoa, he had another powerful ally to assist in acquiring Land Development shares.
With his own intelligence network, Li Jiacheng quickly learned the contents of both Niu Bik Kin's and Lin Haoran's interviews.
To him, this was the perfect opportunity to speed up his acquisition plans.
Let Lin Haoran openly clash with Jardines Matheson while he quietly collected shares!
Lin Haoran had seen that the British consortiums together held only about 30% of Land Development Corporation —
and so had Li Jiacheng.
Although Land Development's stock price was ridiculously high at the moment,
Li Jiacheng thought:
"If I can control Land Development for just HKD 3 billion, it's a bargain!"
"Lin Haoran is still too young and greedy,"
Li Jiacheng thought, flipping through reports handed to him by his subordinates.
"Dreaming of controlling Land Development by buying Jardines Matheson?
If he had focused only on Land Development, I might have had no chance.
But now, he overreaches, aiming straight at the heart of British financial pride.
Let him taste failure for once!"
Thus, Cheung Kong Holdings and Hutchison Whampoa had also begun secretly accumulating Land Development Corporation shares.
Li Jiacheng even thought about extending Lin Haoran a helping hand once Lin's battle against Jardines started to falter —
to make him focus on Jardines while he himself seized Land Development.
Since taking over Hutchison Whampoa, Li Jiacheng's ambition had grown boundless.
If he could swallow Hutchison Whampoa, why not Land Development too?
If he succeeded, combining Cheung Kong, Hutchison Whampoa, and Land Development would make him the uncontested king of Hong Kong's corporate world!
That was Li Jiacheng's current burning ambition.
Meanwhile, Su Zhixue also detected something unusual.
"Boss, our mysterious competitor is still at it.
After the stock price fell, while we were buying, they also started buying again,"
Su Zhixue reported to Lin Haoran.
"Oh?
Persistent, aren't they?
I suppress the price, and they rush in to bargain-hunt?" Lin Haoran muttered, frowning.
He asked,
"What's their buying speed?"
"Not very fast.
They seem careful, afraid to push the price back up.
They only grab shares priced under HKD 68, and ignore anything priced higher," Su Zhixue replied.
HKD 68 per share corresponded to about HKD 100 billion total market cap for Land Development.
Lin Haoran nodded and said,
"Since they don't want the price to go up, let's push it higher —
raise Land Development's market cap to HKD 110 billion.
How many shares could we absorb then?"
"That will require some calculations, boss.
The market's sell orders are changing every moment," Su Zhixue said carefully.
"Forget calculating for now.
Just push the price up to HKD 110 billion.
Monitor everything closely — if they react, notify me immediately," Lin Haoran ordered.
Before today, counting Universal Investment's and Hong Kong Electric's holdings, Lin Haoran already controlled nearly 37% of Land Development Corporation.
He needed just another 3% — spending three to four hundred million Hong Kong dollars — to push his control past 40%.
With massive amounts of shares currently floating in the market, it was the best chance.
If he missed this window, future opportunities would be scarce.
Besides, he didn't want the mysterious competitor accumulating too many shares either.
If they later sold their holdings to Jardines or other British groups, his 40% wouldn't be as safe as it seemed.
Thus, it was critical to absorb shares aggressively now.
Li Jiacheng was hiding so deeply that Lin Haoran hadn't realized who his rival really was.
And in fact, after this, many Chinese conglomerates would eye Land Development —
Li Jiacheng was just the first to move.
In another world, Li Jiacheng had tried multiple times to seize Land Development, but had always failed.
Inside Universal Investment's finance department, Lin Haoran quickly reviewed his financial situation.
He discovered that out of the HKD 2 billion loan he had taken from Huifeng Bank, he had only spent about HKD 1 billion so far.
Moreover, during his time in Britain, he had earned another HKD 370 million from the Shipley Company deal.
Thus, he still had over HKD 1 billion in liquid assets available.
With such abundant capital, Lin Haoran now had absolute confidence in taking Land Development Corporation!
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