Chapter 34: Assembling a Trading Team

"Tell me, how can we accelerate the acquisition of Wharf Holdings shares?" Lin Haoran asked.

"Mr. Lin, the simplest way is to increase our number of traders. Our current staff is too small to compete with the trading teams of major financial groups. However, fortunately, it seems these teams are absorbing shares cautiously to avoid driving the price up too quickly. That is the only reason we have been able to secure some shares ourselves," Su Zhixue suggested.

Lin Haoran had considered expanding his team, especially by hiring talented traders like Su Zhixue who were facing personal hardships. However, during his visits to the Wan An Group, he had not encountered anyone else in a similarly dire situation. Without such leverage, he could not guarantee the loyalty of new recruits, so he had shelved the idea.

But now, it seemed building a formal trading team had become a necessity. If the progress of acquiring Wharf Holdings shares remained too slow, the resulting increase in costs would be counterproductive.

Furthermore, he faced another looming crisis: Green Island Cement could be targeted by Li Ka-shing at any moment. Although Lin already held nearly 13.9% of Green Island Cement, if Li’s team began an acquisition, their immense resources would likely allow them to quickly surpass his stake. After all, the Cheung Kong Group had become flush with cash after selling their Wharf Holdings shares to Sir Pao, and Lin could not compete with them in terms of financial strength.

Stock acquisition was not limited to the open market. With Li Ka-shing’s connections and resources, he could easily persuade existing shareholders to sell their stakes, drastically accelerating his takeover.

Lin had to act fast. He needed to solidify his position as a major shareholder and make that fact public. If he were invited to join the Board of Directors of Green Island Cement, word would surely reach Li Ka-shing, potentially deterring him from the acquisition. Even if Li persisted, having a seat on the board would give Lin more maneuverability to thwart his efforts. Additionally, once he reached his target share count, Lin planned to drive up the stock price, forcing Li to spend more time and capital if he wished to compete.

As long as Lin could successfully extract sufficient funds from his Wharf Holdings holdings, he would be able to continue purchasing Green Island Cement stock to achieve true control. Time was the one thing Lin Haoran lacked.

Most traders were bound by professional ethics and non-disclosure agreements, so they rarely leaked company secrets. After considering Su’s advice, Lin decided to assemble a small team to speed up the process.

"Zhixue, since you are in this line of work, you must have studied finance in university, right?" Lin asked.

"Yes, Mr. Lin. I graduated from the Finance Department of the University of Hong Kong," Su replied.

Although the University of Hong Kong was not yet globally renowned at the time, its finance program was gaining significant recognition alongside the city's booming financial sector.

"I want to build a trading team with you as the leader, starting with five people. Do you have any trustworthy friends you could recommend?" Lin asked directly. He trusted that with Su’s absolute loyalty, anyone he recommended would be vetted for character and skill. Moreover, Lin could use his own unique ability to verify their loyalty once they were brought in. He realized he had been too timid until now.

Su’s eyes lit up. "Mr. Lin, I know many people in this industry, and most of my classmates are in it as well. I have a few close friends—the ones who helped me when I was raising money for my surgery. I can personally vouch for their character. Recruiting four people won't be difficult; if you offer a better salary than their current firms, they will be willing to jump ship."

"Are any of them available to start immediately? Resignation usually takes time, doesn't it?"

"Mr. Lin, with the rapid development of Hong Kong's financial sector—especially after the recent bull market—talent is abundant. I have a friend who is currently between jobs; he left his previous firm over a month ago and is looking for work. His trading skills are professional-grade. For the others, it usually takes about a week to complete the handover process."

"Fine. Tell them to come for an interview tomorrow night. I’ll set the base salary at 4,000 HKD per person, with bonuses based on performance," Lin said.

A 4,000 HKD base salary was quite generous; traders typically relied on performance-based commissions. Previously at Wan An Group, Su’s base salary had been only 2,500 HKD, with total monthly earnings only reaching 4,000 HKD after commissions.

"Understood, Mr. Lin. I will notify them tonight. Aside from the friend who is currently unemployed, the other three can only come during their lunch break, though their offices are nearby, so it shouldn't be an issue."

"Good. Thank you for your hard work tonight. Do well, and you will be the head of this team. As long as you perform, you won't need to worry about bonuses or commissions. You may go home and rest now," Lin said with a smile.

As Su left, Lin sat in his chair, contemplating his next moves. Once the new team was in place, the speed of his stock accumulation would surely increase, easing his concerns regarding Wharf Holdings. After all, his target of just over a million shares was a drop in the ocean compared to the company's total of over a hundred million.

His real worry remained Green Island Cement. Despite being a major shareholder, he could not guarantee absolute safety. With no intelligence coming from the Cheung Kong Group, he would have to rely on luck and his own wits. After sitting in deep thought for a long time, Lin decided to leave. He knew that overthinking was useless; only by continuing to execute his plans could he prepare for the challenges ahead.