After he finished speaking, he no longer gave the reporters any chance to ask further questions. Blocked by two security guards who had been on standby nearby, he walked straight through the noisy crowd and walked steadily towards the Silver Shadow Rolls-Royce that was quietly waiting at the hotel entrance.
The driver had already respectfully opened the car door. Lin Huowang bent down and climbed into the back seat. The door closed quietly and neatly, blocking out all prying eyes and noise from outside.
The Rolls-Royce glided silently into the morning traffic in Central and drove straight towards the skyscraper, now renamed "Landmark Plaza", standing in the heart of Central.
The exclusive office of the new chairman of the board of directors of Hongkong Land Group occupies the top corner with the best view, and the huge floor-to-ceiling windows frame the unparalleled view of Victoria Harbour.
Gao Qiaohao was wearing a neat suit and had a solemn expression. He had been waiting inside for a long time.
"Boss, good morning!" Seeing Lin Huowang walk in, Gao Qiaohao immediately gave a standard bow.
Lin Huowang walked straight to the large mahogany desk, unbuttoned his suit, and sat down casually: "How's the situation?"
"Yes!" Gao Qiaohao stepped forward and spread a thick folder in front of Lin Huowang. "According to your instructions, the initial integration and inventory are underway. Hongkong Land's core properties include several high-quality commercial buildings on Queen's Road, the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Admiralty Shopping Center, etc. The ownership rights are basically clear and the value is stable. But..."
His tone was slightly solemn as he flipped to a specific page in the document, pointing to a line of records. "The biggest problem lies with Wharf Holdings! Before Jardine Matheson signed the share transfer agreement with us, they had already taken the initiative and transferred all of Hong Kong Land's Wharf Holdings shares—approximately 28% of the total share capital—to Jardine Matheson Securities, which they controlled, completing the divestiture."
Gao Qiaohao pointed at the data, his voice filled with regret and a hint of anger: "Although there are hundreds of millions of Hong Kong dollars in cash on the books of Swire Properties, the value and future potential of the lost Wharf Holdings assets are far beyond the comparison of this amount of cash. This is a naked asset transfer!" This loss made the usually calm Gao Qiaohao feel painful.
Lin Huowang glanced at the report, but there was no expression of surprise or regret on his face. Instead, he showed a knowing smile that said "as expected".
He tapped the documents lightly, his tone as calm as if he was commenting on a trivial matter: "As expected."
He looked up at Gao Qiaohao, his gaze penetrating. "If Jardine Matheson doesn't transfer this most valuable core asset—the stake in Wharf Holdings—in advance, will HSBC's Stephen Sham be so confident in signing the agreement that we can take control of Hong Kong's Hong Kong property? Will they allow a 'Chinese-Japanese' individual to take control of both Hong Kong's and Wharf Holdings' two core assets in one fell swoop?"
He leaned back in the large leather chair, his posture relaxed yet filled with the confidence of being in control. "HSBC wants checks and balances! It's a situation of mutual defiance. The Fok family is watching covetously, and Pao Yue-kong is secretly interested in Wharf Holdings... How could Shen Bi let Hongkong Land and Wharf Holdings fall into the same hands? Even if he gave me, who they consider an 'obedient' pawn, it would be impossible."
Lin Huowang paused slightly, the cold smile on his face deepening. "As for Jardine Matheson? They gained extra cash from HSBC through this deal, probably using it to partially fill that hole they have in Australia? It's like recycling waste. Oh, on the surface, this deal only gave us the 'ship' of Hong Kong Land, and we also lost some of the valuable 'cargo', which made both HSBC and Jardine Matheson breathe a sigh of relief. We each got what we needed. And we..."
He stood up and walked to the huge floor-to-ceiling window, overlooking Victoria Harbour and the vast assets belonging to Hong Kong Land. His voice was calm and powerful. "We used the almost costless leverage we obtained from the stock market to acquire a controlling stake in the entire Hong Kong Land Group in one fell swoop, acquiring a large number of top-notch properties and land in the most core areas of Central, Admiralty, and Causeway Bay! This is a real gold mine! Compared with the golden development cycle of Hong Kong Island's real estate industry that will only come once in a century, this little cash and the temporary losses of Hutchison Whampoa are nothing. It's not even a drop in the bucket!"
Lin Huowang turned around and looked at Gao Qiaohao sharply: "When doing things, you must have a long-term vision and an open mind.
"We were able to use the situation to force HSBC's boss, Shen Bi, and Jardine Matheson to provide us with such a low-interest loan, helping us to leverage the Hong Kong Land empire. We... should be content!"
As Gao Qiaohao listened to Lin Huowang's detailed and insightful analysis, the resentment in his heart instantly dissipated, leaving only admiration for his boss's foresight and broad-mindedness.
He bowed deeply. "Yes! Boss, you have a great vision! I understand!"
"I understand," Lin Huowang nodded. He walked to his desk, picked up the report, and flipped through it briefly. His eyes swept over the familiar names and general data of high-quality assets—the Mandarin Hotel, several commercial buildings on Queen's Road, the Admiralty landmark shopping mall, and many plots of undervalued, undeveloped land... Everything was exactly the same as his memories before and after his rebirth. He closed the folder and said firmly:
"It's basically consistent with what we previously understood. Very good, let's hurry up and consolidate the team. Prepare to leave for TVB News. It's time to officially announce the new direction of Hong Kong Land Group to the people of Hong Kong!"
Gao Qiaohao stood up straight immediately. "Understood! Boss! The special car and security are ready and we're ready to go. TVB has also coordinated the live broadcast signal and is waiting for you to arrive."
Lin Huowang nodded, buttoned up his suit, and was about to take a step.
Sudden!
"Bang!" The office door was hastily pushed open by the secretary, his face showing a rare hint of nervousness:
"Mr. Xiaolin! Mr. Takahashi! Turn on the TV! TVB News... Live News! The eldest son of the Fok family, Fok Chun-ting... has issued a statement on behalf of the Fok family!"
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