The next morning, on the top floor of the Jardine Matheson Building.
Sunlight streamed through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, illuminating Newbigin's office, constructed of precious mahogany and marble, but it couldn't dispel the anxiety in the air. Newbigin stood by the window, overlooking the busy waterways of Victoria Harbour, cigar smoke curling between his fingers, a reflection of his current turmoil.
"President!" Confidant James pushed open the heavy wooden door, his steps hurried. "300 million Hong Kong dollars. HSBC has already transferred the funds. As you instructed, convert the entire amount into US dollars and transfer it to London to cover the margin gap on silver futures."
Newbigin didn't turn around, only humming a sound through his nose, his gaze still fixed on the dense forest of buildings outside the window. The huge losses in silver futures weighed on his heart like a cold rock—this was Jardine Matheson's blood, and also the damage to Newbigin's reputation in the City of London for half a lifetime.
"But..." James' voice became hoarse. "The creditors at Hearst Mining in Australia have issued an ultimatum... We're still over HK$100 million short. If we can't pay it off, they're threatening to freeze our iron ore interests in Western Australia and file a lawsuit."
This was the thorn in Newbigin's side. The Australian failure had exposed his reckless transatlantic investments. If this were exposed, the market would panic, the board would question him, and the consequences would be disastrous.
Newbigin finally turned around, his face expressionless, only a sharp glint flickered through his sunken eyes. A crisis is an opportunity—this was the creed he had firmly believed in throughout his business career.
"James," he said in a low, hoarse voice, with a cold calmness, "where is the share price of Hong Kong Land right now?"
James understood and quickly flipped open the stock quote book. The slight sound of paper rubbing against each other was particularly clear in the silent office.
"CEO, the market opened with great momentum. It opened at HK$112, and in just half an hour, the buying surged, and it already reached HK$120!" He pointed to the dense transaction records on the report. "Any sell orders that came in were instantly sold out. Sellers are reluctant to sell. With Hong Kong's market capitalization exceeding HK$8 billion, Kobayashi Tianwang's limited capital..."
He paused, a relaxed smile playing on his face. "He wants to acquire 5% of the shares in the short term? That's just wishful thinking. As long as there is confidence, the stock price will only rise in the short term."
Hearing the phrase "8 billion market value," Newbigin's lips curled into a cold, calculating arc. He walked back to his large mahogany desk and stubbed out his cigar in the crystal ashtray. "Very good." The comment was devoid of warmth, more like a confirmation of his prey's value.
His fingertips tapped unconsciously on the polished desk, his eyes fixed on the Jardine Matheson Securities holdings report, a symbol of his vast assets. A cold and bold plan instantly took shape in his mind.
"James," Newbigin's voice suddenly became clear and decisive, each word a command. "Immediately sell Hongkong Land shares through Jardine Matheson Securities' proprietary trading platform. Target: Reduce holdings by 2%, cashing out approximately 160 million."
The relaxed expression on James' face froze instantly, his pupils shrinking suddenly. "2%?!" He almost lost his voice, as if hearing an order to destroy the foundation of Jardine Matheson. "President! With such a large amount of capital being dumped into the market, the share price of Hong Kong Holdings is bound to plummet! Isn't this just giving that lunatic Kobayashi Tenmo a chance to buy shares? He's worried about not being able to buy shares! Once the share price plummets, the panic will intensify, and he'll be able to accelerate his accumulation of shares at low prices and reach the 5% mark faster! Then he'll announce a halt to the acquisition, and the market sell-off will crush Hong Kong Holdings like an avalanche! Putting billions of dollars worth of stock at risk of a plunge just for a mere 160 million is too much of a price to pay, and it's totally not worth it!"
Beads of sweat formed on James's forehead, and his voice was filled with anxiety and confusion. He couldn't understand why Newbigin would resort to such a risky self-harming method to rob Peter to pay Paul.
Newbigin's response, however, was a clearer, more playful sneer. "The stock price is falling?" He raised an eyebrow and looked directly at James. "Why do you think we're 'afraid' of a stock price drop?"
This question completely stunned James.
"President... President, we pledged 20% of Jardine Matheson Holdings' shares to HSBC in exchange for the life-saving 300 million!" James' voice trembled slightly as he thought of the fatal liquidation line. "Once the stock price falls below the pledge liquidation line of HK$60, HSBC will definitely demand additional margin or immediate repayment! Otherwise, they will forcibly liquidate and sell the pledged shares! That would be a real disaster!" He could imagine that the chain reaction of the stock price collapse and HSBC's ruthless liquidation would be enough to drag Jardine Matheson into the abyss.
However, Newbigin burst into a low and confident laugh, which echoed in the empty office, and the arrogance of being in control of everything was revealed in the harshness.
"James, James, you're still too rigid!" He walked around the desk and approached his subordinate, his eyes sharp as an eagle. "Who says the stock price will definitely fall to 60 yuan? Can't we control it so it doesn't break the line? Not only do we have to control it so it doesn't break the line, we also have to take advantage of this fluctuation and make a fortune!"
He took a deep breath and unveiled his plan: "Listen, do it! Step one, sell 2% of Hong Kong's shares at around 120, cashing in 160 million, enough to plug the hole in Australia." Looking at James's still-bewildered face, he gave a cunning, almost cruel smile. "Then, the moment the sell-off is complete, immediately spread this core 'information' through all the over-the-counter channels we control: Kobayashi Tianwang has secretly acquired over 5% of Hong Kong's shares and is about to formally launch a tender offer to secure a seat on the board of directors!"
He observed the shock on James's face with satisfaction. "What will those retail investors and the funds following the trend think? They'll be seized by a massive panic! They'll rush to sell their Hutchison Whampoa shares and flee! Once the sell-off begins, Hutchison Whampoa's share price will plummet like a stone! 80? 70? Anything is possible!"
"And then what?" Newbigin leaned in slightly, his voice full of incitement and a precise grasp of human nature. "When the stock price hit rock bottom, perhaps around 70 yuan, we at Jardine Securities quietly entered the market with the cash we just cashed out! We bought back all the panic-stricken stocks, especially the 2% we just sold! We could pick up even more bargains with the high volume and low prices."
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