Chapter 47: Business Warfare is Like a Game of Chess
Facing such a situation, would Pao Yue-kong easily bow his head?
Of course not!
Today, as the major shareholder of Wharf, he was firm in his resolve and swore to sustain this strong momentum.
As long as he firmly consolidated his position as the major shareholder and continued to increase his holdings in Wharf's stock, the advantages held by Jardine Matheson and Hongkong Land would eventually fade away. When that time came, control would naturally transfer into Pao Yue-kong's hands!
"Friends from the media, thank you for taking the time to attend. I suppose everyone present already has an inkling of the reason for today's gathering. Here, I officially make my response to the outside world: as the major shareholder of Wharf, I candidly express my desire—I indeed hope to successfully acquire Wharf. Since Mr. David Newland of Jardine Matheson has publicly declared war, I, Pao, am not one to cower. I gladly accept this upcoming competition and am fully prepared! Please witness this business showdown with me!" Facing dozens of reporters, Pao Yue-kong displayed his ambitious declaration.
Pao Yue-kong understood very well that it was no longer necessary to deny his intentions at this point.
Therefore, after decisively announcing his intentions to the public, he immediately carried out a series of meticulous deployments within his company.
Following that, he hurried to the headquarters of HSBC, personally meeting with HSBC's Taipan, Michael Sandberg, to discuss grand strategies.
Pao Yue-kong knew in his heart that relying solely on the Pao family's strength to win this fierce battle would be extremely difficult.
However, if he could gain the full support of HSBC, he would have immense confidence and absolute certainty in conquering Wharf.
This meeting was a crucial move for him.
In the business storms of another spacetime, Pao Yue-kong relied on extraordinary courage and strategy to resolutely pour over three billion Hong Kong dollars into this battle, ultimately successfully seizing control of Wharf.
Behind this magnificent feat, HSBC's staunch support was undoubtedly an indispensable and key factor.
Without the powerful financial backing provided by HSBC, even someone hailed as the "King of World Shipping" would have found it difficult to mobilize such a massive cash flow in a short period to complete this brilliant chapter in business history.
On this day, through the extensive coverage of various news media, Lin Haoran keenly captured the fierce clash between Jardine's Taipan David Newland and Pao Yue-kong revolving around the control of Wharf.
Witnessing this business war gradually transition from undercurrents to an open confrontation, an indescribable wave of excitement surged within Lin Haoran's heart.
In his view, the more white-hot the conflict between the two sides became, the more opportunities and benefits it meant for him—the "chess player" pulling the strings from behind the scenes.
As for whether he would be detected by either side due to his subtle role in this contest, Lin Haoran did not feel overly worried at the moment.
Because he knew very well that the loyalty of the traders he had carefully selected remained above a reassuring 70 percent. Such high loyalty was enough to guarantee that they would not easily betray him, nor would they leak his arrangements to the outside world.
As for whether the truth might come to light in the future, Lin Haoran appeared quite open-minded.
He believed that as long as he gave himself enough time on the vast stage of the business world, he would undoubtedly steadily climb to a dazzling height.
By then, whether facing business giants like Pao Yue-kong or established forces like Jardine Matheson, he would possess sufficient strength and confidence without needing to harbor any fear.
Furthermore, intense competition was inherent in the business world, and the covert rivalry between Pao Yue-kong and Jardine's Taipan David Newland was the norm.
What Lin Haoran had done was merely bring this competition to the surface ahead of time, making the development of events more transparent.
From a certain perspective, he had merely accelerated the process without changing its essence.
Therefore, for Lin Haoran, this was not really a big deal.
In this white-hot business competition, what Lin Haoran valued most was profiting from it and thereby earning his first true pot of gold in his career.
Such an opportunity was once in a lifetime; not only would it allow him to rapidly accumulate considerable wealth, but it would also lay a solid foundation for his future in the business world.
On this Tuesday morning, the media circle in Hong Kong felt as if it had been ignited, bustling with extraordinary liveliness.
The Wharf incident swept through the news industry like a powerful whirlwind, bringing unprecedented attention and popularity.
Major newspapers successively focused their lenses on this business drama, vying to publish in-depth analyses, insider exposés, and market forecasts regarding Wharf, attempting to get a share of the pie in this information feast.
Interestingly, the media soon discovered a pattern: the more in-depth and detailed the reports on Wharf, the hotter the newspaper sales would be.
This discovery acted like a shot of adrenaline, prompting major newspaper and periodical companies to devote themselves even more wholeheartedly to this reporting war.
To attract eyeballs and boost sales, some newspapers even went so far as to exaggerate and fabricate rumors, all to stand out in the fierce competition that followed.
This craze quickly spread to the stock market, and Wharf's stock instantly became the focus of heated discussion among all Hong Kong stock investors.
Whether ordinary citizens on the streets and alleys or elites in the financial sector, they all successively joined this stock market carnival, attempting to capture a glimmer of opportunity in this business game and realize their wealth dreams.
Lin Haoran, who had been constantly keeping his eyes on the dynamics of Wharf, felt completely certain in his heart at this moment.
He foresaw that when the Tuesday bell rang, Wharf stock would undoubtedly usher in an unprecedented wave of frantic speculation, with its price soaring straight to the clouds.
Even without the direct participation of Pao Yue-kong and Jardine Matheson, the sharp-nosed ordinary retail investors and powerful market makers in the market alone would be enough to buy out Wharf shares and drive its price soaring continuously.
Moreover, Lin Haoran also understood that Pao Yue-kong and Jardine Matheson would never sit idly by.
Currently, their investments in Wharf were still in the initial stage, and their capital reserves remained ample.
Under such circumstances, neither side could tolerate the other independently absorbing a large amount of shares and thus occupying a distinct advantage.
Therefore, they were bound to join this scramble to ensure they did not fall behind in this business game.
Such a result would naturally lead to further driving up Wharf's stock price.
Looking at the news in the newspaper, Lin Haoran was currently deep in thought, carefully weighing at what level of Wharf stock he should choose to sell, and when he should secretly make contact with Pao Yue-kong.
He knew very well that the 1.478 million shares of Wharf stock in his hands, although accounting for only 1.4% of its total issued shares of 105 million, could often play a pivotal role at critical moments amidst the unpredictable changes of the stock market.
As Wharf stock continued to rise, the chips in his hands would become even more precious.
His primary consideration was how to skillfully layout his moves in this business game to ensure he could reap the maximum financial returns.
At the same time, he was also calculating how to cleverly use this 1.4% stake to reach a tacit understanding or transaction with Pao Yue-kong when necessary, thereby securing a more advantageous position in this business contest.
Business warfare is like a game of chess, requiring deliberate steps at every turn.