Standard Chartered Bank's shareholding is dispersed; even 13.5% would make it the largest shareholder of Standard Chartered Bank.

If one could acquire 37% of the shares, or even more, one would already have control of Standard Chartered Bank. With control, there are many ways to increase one's shareholding.

It seems this really is an opportunity to acquire Standard Chartered Bank.

Zhao Ye smiled and said to his secretary Liu Yinyin, "Have Zhou Anping contact the management of Standard Chartered Bank and tell them that Wujiang Group is willing to buy shares in Standard Chartered Bank to help it repel the hostile takeover attempt by Lloyds Bank of the UK! By the way, this time, tell Zhou Anping that he must buy as many shares in Standard Chartered Bank as possible."

"OK!"

After giving his instructions, Zhao Ye thought for a moment, then turned back to continue developing DRAM.

No matter how many Standard Chartered Bank shares they can buy this time, they won't lose money, as Standard Chartered Bank's market value has been steadily increasing.

If they ultimately fail to acquire Standard Chartered Bank, they can simply establish their own bank and develop it gradually. In this way, in the early stages of the bank's development, Wujiang Group can still hold 100% of the shares. Even if the bank relinquishes some equity in the future for expansion, Wujiang Group will still retain the majority stake and firmly maintain control of the bank.

...

Around 8 p.m., Qiu Degen suddenly went to visit Bao Yugang's home.

Qiu Degen was the founder of Far East Bank. He was particularly sensitive to Lloyds Bank's hostile takeover of Standard Chartered Bank. He felt that this was a rare opportunity to take advantage of the situation to buy a large number of Standard Chartered Bank shares and become a major shareholder of Standard Chartered Bank!

However, he alone was not strong enough to defeat Lloyds Bank of Britain.

So they thought of the famous shipping magnate in Hong Kong and decided to join forces with him.

"Mr. Qiu, what brings you here so late at night?" Bao Yugang asked with a smile.

Qiu Degen stated bluntly, "Have you heard about Lloyds Bank's hostile takeover bid for Standard Chartered Bank? I intend to join forces with you to help Standard Chartered Bank defeat Lloyds. At the same time, we can take this opportunity to buy a large number of Standard Chartered shares and become its major shareholder! Even if Mr. Bao doesn't want to hold the shares long-term, he can gradually sell them later and make a fortune!"

After hearing this, Bao Yugang thought for a moment, then smiled and said to Qiu Degen, "Mr. Qiu, your idea is indeed quite good. I'm a little tempted. I wonder how much capital we need to prepare to defeat Lloyds Bank?"

Qiu Degen replied, "It will probably cost 1.5 billion pounds."

“1.5 billion pounds is no small sum! The risk is quite high!” Bao Yugang frowned, weighing the pros and cons in his mind, wondering if it was worth the risk.

Chiu Te-ken continued, "I've already contacted Australian businessman Robert, and he's also interested in getting involved. If the three of us join forces, with our substantial financial resources, we can definitely help Standard Chartered Bank defeat Lloyds Bank!"

Upon hearing this, Bao Yugang smiled broadly. "Boss Qiu has considered everything so thoroughly, even contacting more people. It seems he's confident of victory. I have no reason not to get involved!"

Chiu Te-ken laughed and said, "With the shipping magnate Pao involved, we are sure to win this time! Just a few years ago, the shipping magnate Pao raised HK$2.1 billion in three days to take over Kowloon Wharf. He was so full of vigor and confidence, and people still talk about it to this day!"

"Haha, Mr. Qiu, you flatter me. The past is too painful to recall..." Bao Yugang smiled modestly, waved his hand, and said, "To see who the truly remarkable figures are, look to the present. If we're talking about the most illustrious and eye-catching one right now, it has to be that one from the mainland!"

"You mean Zhao Ye?!"

"Haha, Mr. Qiu has also heard of this man's deeds?"

"How could I not have heard of him?!" Qiu Degen exclaimed. "It's said that many economic magazines and professional assessment agencies believe that Zhao Ye will definitely become the richest Chinese person in the world this year! Speaking of which, I even had someone investigate. I wish I hadn't investigated, because once I did, I was stunned. He's only 22 years old, and Wujiang Group's revenue last year was close to 5 billion RMB. This year, after entering the Japanese market, he directly generated hundreds of billions of yen in revenue within a few weeks. It's simply unbelievable!"

Upon hearing this, Bao Yugang nodded in agreement.

“Talented people emerge in every generation, each leading the way for hundreds of years! Our glorious era has passed!” Bao Yugang sighed.

Qiu Degen shook his head and said, "Bao Ship King, you are too modest. You are now in your prime, and your business is booming. Last year, you spent HK$2.6 billion to acquire Wheelock, one of the four major trading companies, which shocked the entire Hong Kong! How many people can compare to such a feat?"

The two old men flattered each other and chatted casually, and it wasn't awkward at all.

...

The following morning, after receiving instructions from Zhao Ye, Zhou Anping immediately contacted Mason Camp, the taipan of Standard Chartered Bank, and the two arranged to meet at the Peninsula Hotel at noon.

At around 11:40, Zhou Anping arrived at the hotel private room that he had booked in advance.

After waiting a while, Mason Camp knocked on the door and entered.

"Hello, Mr. Mason Camp!"

"Hello, Mr. Zhou Anping!"

The two shook hands and exchanged pleasantries.

After the waiter served the food, Zhou Anping bluntly stated, "Lloyds Bank's hostile takeover of Standard Chartered Bank has created a critical situation for Standard Chartered. Without external assistance, it will likely struggle to overcome this challenge. At that time, Standard Chartered's original management team will probably be purged by Lloyds, including Mr. Mason Kemp's position as head of the management team..."

Upon hearing this, Mason Kemp frowned slightly, clearly having hit the nail on the head by Zhou Anping; he was afraid of losing his position as a senior executive at Standard Chartered Bank…

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