Chapter 66: Reasonable and Grounded Nonsense

At this moment, Li Ka-shing finally understood why Pao Yue-kong had spoken so highly of Peter Lam’s formidable financial strength.

The number of Wharf shares that could capture the interest of a business tycoon like Pao Yue-kong must undoubtedly be astronomical.

Given that Wharf’s stock price had already surged to over seventy Hong Kong dollars per share, even a block of one million shares would be valued at upwards of seventy million Hong Kong dollars.

Considering the scale of the transaction concluded between Peter Lam and Pao Yue-kong, it was evident that the figures were far greater than that—likely well exceeding millions of shares.

Consequently, Li Ka-shing deduced that the liquid funds currently at Peter Lam’s disposal amounted to at least hundreds of millions of Hong Kong dollars, and possibly far beyond his initial estimation.

The wealth and financial prowess of this young man were far more staggering than appeared on the surface.

With such a massive pool of capital at his disposal, coupled with Peter Lam’s preemptive positioning and the substantial holding of Green Island Cement shares already in his hands, everything fell logically into place.

Right now, Li Ka-shing felt a secret wave of relief. Thank goodness Pao Yue-kong had been willing to step in as a mediator; otherwise, he likely would have found himself embroiled in a fierce acquisition battle with Peter Lam.

Judging by the current situation, Peter Lam not only commanded abundant capital but also held a massive stake in shares, clearly possessing the upper hand in a takeover contest.

Although Li Ka-shing was a formidable player in his own right, he had ultimately entered the game too late to bridge this gap in a short period of time.

While he could attempt to acquire shares directly from other shareholders, success in fully securing Green Island Cement was far from guaranteed. He rarely engaged in ventures where certainty was lacking.

Though he felt a twinge of regret over missing out on Green Island Cement as a stock with such high potential, Li Ka-shing knew that Hong Kong was a land teeming with British-funded enterprises and that opportunities remained plentiful.

Rather than pinning all his hopes on a single target, he maintained a flexible and adaptable investment strategy.

Therefore, despite the disappointment, he hadn't suffered any heavy losses over Green Island Cement, and future opportunities to flex his muscles in other projects awaited him.

The dazzling success Li Ka-shing achieved today was largely attributable to his consistently prudent attitude.

This caution was not only the cornerstone of his business success but also the key to mitigating risks and forging steadily ahead.

Deeply aware of the turbulent tides of the business world, Li Ka-shing never lightly ventured into domains where he lacked certainty.

Among his management philosophies, an ironclad rule was "never engage in a losing business."

Since the 1950s, he had let this principle guide him, ensuring that his company turned a profit every single year without ever experiencing a single loss.

The secret behind this was his thorough deliberation and meticulous preparation for every single business decision.

In major maneuvers such as the acquisition of American-funded or British-funded enterprises, Li Ka-shing demonstrated extraordinary patience and strategy.

He was never in a rush for quick success; instead, he chose to quietly and gradually accumulate sufficient shareholdings, or engage in in-depth communication and negotiation with major stakeholders, only making a decisive, fatal strike once all conditions were fully ripe to successfully achieve his acquisition goals.

This steady, step-by-step approach not only spared Li Ka-shing unnecessary risks but also earned him the reputation of a "prudent sage" in the business community.

"Mr. Lam, you must already have some inkling of the purpose behind my invitation to meet you today. What I am most eager to understand is: how did you know that our Cheung Kong Group was secretly plotting the acquisition of Green Island Cement?" Li Ka-shing’s tone revealed a mixture of sincerity and directness.

This was his primary objective for coming here today.

He understood that in this commercial battlefield, the mastery of intelligence often decided victory or defeat.

Although consumed by curiosity regarding the trajectory by which Peter Lam had built his enterprise into what it was today, Li Ka-shing chose restraint, not letting this curiosity overshadow the central focus of the conversation.

He understood that everyone had their own growth path and secrets, and some stories were not meant to be easily pried open by outsiders; respect and boundaries were equally important.

Last night, Li Ka-shing had tossed and turned until late, his mind replaying various possibilities as he tried to unravel the mystery of how the other party had discovered their covert operations regarding Green Island Cement's stock acquisition.

This lingering doubt had weighed heavily on his heart like a massive boulder, until today’s meeting finally afforded him the opportunity to confront the riddle directly and hopefully find an answer.

"Mr. Li may find it hard to believe, but when Green Island Cement's trading volume surged dramatically within just two or three days, I keenly sensed that another financially formidable individual, much like myself, had set their sights on the company.

"Following that, I conducted an in-depth study of commercial merger and acquisition cases in recent years, systematically eliminating potential competitors through meticulous comparative analysis. Ultimately, my gaze focused directly on you, Mr. Li Ka-shing!

"Though Green Island Cement boasts a long history, it has never drawn widespread attention for quite some time.

"Within the horizons of British-funded enterprises, it perhaps does not shine so brightly, and few companies have expressed an intention to acquire it.

"Consequently, I deduced that this maneuver was more likely the handiwork of a Chinese-funded enterprise.

"Proceeding further through a process of elimination, I discovered that Mr. Li Ka-shing’s past acquisition cases—such as the takeover of A.S. Watson or the quiet absorption of Wharf shares—consistently demonstrated a clear strategy: targeting enterprises whose market value fell far below their actual worth, predominantly those with foreign-owned backgrounds.

"Coupled with the fact that Mr. Li had just sold his Wharf shares to Uncle Pao, leaving you with a massive reserve of cash, you were bound to seek out another suitable target for acquisition at that exact moment.

"As for the situation with Green Island Cement, Mr. Li naturally knows it inside and out far better than I do.

"Not only does it possess a solid business foundation, but it also sits on an 800,000-square-foot prime waterfront estate in Hung Hom, Kowloon. Based on current land valuations, its worth has long surpassed 500 million Hong Kong dollars, not even counting the potential value-added benefits brought by its well-established industrial chain.

"Clearly, Green Island Cement's stock price was severely undervalued.

"Based on all the conditions mentioned above, I firmly believed that the person most likely to be interested in Green Island Cement and put it into action would be none other than you, Mr. Li Ka-shing.

"Of course, my judgment was not absolute, so dispatching Uncle Pao to act as a mediator was actually a form of probing. I never imagined that this probe would truly lift the veil and confirm my suspicion—that the person suddenly meddling in Green Island Cement was indeed Mr. Li!" Peter Lam explained earnestly and with absolute confidence.

The foundation of Peter Lam’s deductions actually stemmed from his profound memories of this historical trajectory from his past life, yet he naturally could not speak of this ability to foresee the future in advance.

Thus, he could only fabricate a plausible explanation, skillfully weaving together a series of seemingly sound deductions in hopes of resonating with Li Ka-shing.

As for whether the other party believed it, that would entirely depend on Li Ka-shing’s own judgment.

Having listened to Peter Lam’s well-organized and insightful analysis, Li Ka-shing could not help but nod slightly. The heavy anxiety that previously clouded his heart was swept away as if by a gentle breeze, lightening considerably.

Moreover, upon learning Peter Lam’s true identity, he actually believed that his trusted subordinates were definitely incapable of being bought off by Peter Lam.

Since Peter Lam was not affiliated with him in any special way, pressing further would be considered impolite, so Li Ka-shing refrained from asking any more questions.