Targeting the Shares Held by Li Ka-shing

"Mr. Lin, if you ever find some free time, you are most welcome to visit my humble home. As neighbors, interacting and getting to know one another is truly essential."

Despite Lin Haoran's youth, through their brief conversation just now, Li Ka-shing felt not a shred of contempt. Instead, his regard grew steadily, and by this moment, he already harbored the intention of forging a friendship.

The world worked precisely this way: exceptional capability always commanded involuntary respect.

"I am deeply honored to receive such a gracious invitation from Mr. Lin," Lin Haoran replied politely.

As exquisite dishes were served one by one, the two men tasted the fine food while naturally shifting their conversation toward insights and discussions in the realm of commerce.

The unique perspectives, sharp business acumen, and precise grasp of industry trends displayed by Lin Haoran left Li Ka-shing looking at him in a completely new light.

"By the way, Mr. Lin—pardon me, Mr. Li," Lin Haoran corrected his phrasing smoothly before pivoting to his main objective, "I wonder how many shares of Green Island Cement you currently hold? I am hoping to acquire them. To show my sincerity, I am willing to buy them at a price of HK$6 per share, ensuring that this transaction causes you no loss whatsoever. I wonder what your thoughts are on this?"

Although Li Ka-shing had previously indicated that he was giving up further plans to acquire Green Island Cement, Lin Haoran knew that as long as those shares remained in Li Ka-shing's hands, a certain element of uncertainty persisted.

Therefore, he hoped that through this proposal, he could not only increase his own control over Green Island Cement but also further dispel any lingering ambitions Li Ka-shing might have for the stock, giving himself greater peace of mind.

Li Ka-shing's average acquisition price was likely just a little over HK$5. By offering HK$6 per share, Lin Haoran was showing a tremendous amount of sincerity.

A premium acquisition was inevitable; otherwise, why would anyone sell to you? That was simply reality.

Even in his transaction with Sir Yue-Kong Pao, Li Ka-shing had profited sixty million Hong Kong dollars.

Friends were friends, and business was business—those were two entirely different matters.

To Lin Haoran's complete surprise, Li Ka-shing agreed to his request without the slightest hesitation.

"I currently hold approximately 3.91 million shares of Green Island Cement. If Mr. Lin has need of them, I would be more than happy to transfer these shares to you!" Li Ka-shing said with a smile.

To him, ever since he lost the opportunity to acquire Green Island Cement, those shares had lost their former halo of value.

Offloading them at HK$6 per share would not only easily net him a handsome profit—even if the sum might be a mere drop in the bucket to him—such a transaction was undoubtedly still well worth it.

Furthermore, he felt a strong sense of interest and affinity toward this talented young man.

He believed that Lin Haoran possessed not only a unique mindset but also boundless potential, destined to achieve extraordinary things in the future.

At this moment, why not go with the flow and grant this young man a favor?

After all, if even Sir Yue-Kong Pao held this young man in such high regard, what reason did Li Ka-shing have to look down on him?

The Li Ka-shing of today had not yet reached the heights of his later brilliance, but he already harbored extraordinary ambitions within his heart.

On his journey through the business world, Sir Yue-Kong Pao—the renowned King of World Shipping and universally acknowledged wealthiest ethnic Chinese in the world—was undoubtedly a towering peak he had to look up to, a formidable barrier difficult to cross.

Had it not been for the eventual support of Sir Yue-Kong Pao and Michael Sandberg, which allowed him to gradually swallow the commercial giant Hutchison Whampoa using an "ant swallows an elephant" strategy, it would have been utterly impossible for him to surpass Yue-Kong Pao and become the next generation's wealthiest ethnic Chinese in the future.

Hearing Li Ka-shing's declaration, a trace of pleasant surprise welled up in Lin Haoran's heart, though this emotion was laced with the calm of prior expectation.

Every day after the market closed, the trading team led by Su Zhixue under Universe Corporation would meticulously conduct in-depth analyses based on the day's trading volume and market dynamics. They not only calculated the exact number of shares their own team had absorbed, but also strove to estimate the approximate share acquired by their opponents.

Based on the carefully prepared estimation reports from the Universe trading team, the number of shares held by Li Ka-shing's team was estimated to be around 4 million.

Now, when Li Ka-shing officially announced his shareholding figure, it virtually coincided with Su Zhixue's estimation, fully validating the precision of their analysis.

Of course, the stock market was an open, complex, and ever-changing trading platform. Aside from themselves and Li Ka-shing's team, occasional interventions by other retail or small investors were entirely normal.

Therefore, although the projections by Su Zhixue and his team demonstrated an extremely high level of professional competence, they remained logical estimations based on existing information and could hardly achieve one hundred percent accuracy.

Being able to come this close to the actual figure was already enough to prove their exceptional analytical capability and the tacit coordination of the team.

At this moment, Lin Haoran was exceedingly satisfied with his proprietary trading team.

Over 3.91 million shares—that already accounted for 7.8% of Green Island Cement's stock!

Lin Haoran rejoiced inwardly, knowing that if Li Ka-shing had been given more time, even though the pace of stock absorption on both sides in the market had slowed down considerably and Lin Haoran held a massive lead, Li Ka-shing could easily have surpassed their shareholdings by acquiring shares from other shareholders of Green Island Cement.

It was precisely this potential threat that had compelled Lin Haoran to accelerate the process of dealing with his Wheelock Marden shares, because he understood that the slightest hesitation could leave the ultimate ownership of Green Island Cement unresolved and fraught with variables.

Fortunately, it was truly fortunate.

"Mr. Li, thank you so much! If it's convenient, I would like to personally visit your company tomorrow to complete this important transaction with you. What do you think?" Though inwardly he was immensely thrilled, Lin Haoran's expression remained exceptionally calm, devoid of any trace of haste or panic.

He calculated silently in his mind that once he successfully secured the Green Island Cement shares held by Li Ka-shing, his shareholding ratio would officially break past the 30% threshold.

This figure not only meant he was one step closer to taking charge of Green Island Cement and becoming the true helmsman of Hong Kong's largest cement producer, but it also marked a qualitative leap in his commercial strength, officially surpassing the Wan An Group founded by his father, Lin Wan'an.

Thinking of this, an indescribable wave of excitement and pride surged within Lin Haoran.

Green Island Cement—a behemoth with a market value over twice that of the Wan An Group—was now about to become a vital bargaining chip in his hands, and his path toward a commercial empire would begin right here with this company.

"Of course, Mr. Lin. I shall await your presence at the company tomorrow. This meal has been an absolute delight, and I look forward to hosting you next time to return the hospitality," Li Ka-shing said with a smile.

"Mr. Li, I feel deeply honored to make the acquaintance of a business titan like yourself. I wish to express my heartfelt gratitude for your willingness to transfer the Green Island Cement shares, which gives me the opportunity to control this company more steadily!" Lin Haoran said solemnly.

He understood that on the competitive and cooperative stage of the business world, his current strength and influence were still somewhat lacking. Therefore, he had to act with caution and avoid carelessly offending heavyweight figures like Yue-Kong Pao and Li Ka-shing.

To act arrogantly and offend countless people before even rising to prominence was the behavior of a fool who had no desire to succeed.

Toward these senior figures in the business world, respect was still due where respect was warranted. Once his financial resources and influence reached their level or even surpassed them, sitting with crossed legs in front of them would pose no problem whatsoever.

Having neither offended these magnates nor failed to secure maximum benefits for himself, he had undoubtedly laid a solid foundation for his future development. For him, this was truly a flawless opening.