Almost at the same time when Kobayashi Tianwang called the media to announce that he would go to the Governor's Office to petition, the news was like a lit fuse, spreading rapidly among all classes of people in Hong Kong Island with scorching heat.
The clamor of cheap curry fish balls and silk stocking milk tea filled the air of a bustling tea restaurant in Causeway Bay. At a greasy round table, a man in a work vest, freshly returned from the loading dock, sipped a murky cup of frozen mandarin duck and rasped, "Damn! Can't you handle it? Those bosses of the Fok and Pao families are truly ruthless! Just a few words and the foreigner is on his knees begging the Governor for help? Look how arrogant he was before! With newspapers and Hong Kong Land!"
A shirtless dock laborer nearby, his arms covered in tattoos, wiped his sweat and sneered, "It's been said before, a powerful dragon can't defeat a local snake. He thinks that by taking a crooked path to make some money and buy some stocks, he can become a Hong Kong tycoon? This brat! The Huo family is wealthy and powerful, and deeply rooted. Let's see how he dies!"
In the corner, an insurance broker wearing a cheap suit and looking tired looked at the newspaper supplement headline "Kobayashi goes to the governor's office to petition and protest" with a complicated look.
He whispered to his companions, "Alas, the world is unpredictable. I thought he was a rising star who could disrupt the situation, but I didn't expect him to be strangled by the Chinese capital so quickly. Although the means... but to force an upstart to petition the Governor's Office, the foundation of Mr. Huo and his people is really unfathomable."
In his words, he expressed the common people's direct feeling towards the power of the behemoth, mixed with some ridicule towards Kobayashi Tenno's arrogance and awe towards those truly powerful families.
After all, the image of Fok Chun-ting, the eldest son of the Fok family, declaring war on Kobayashi Tianwang on television yesterday was still fresh in everyone's mind. The subsequent severance of diplomatic ties and boycotts by the Chinese tycoons was even more devastating. To the average person, Kobayashi Tianwang's move was tantamount to a desperate plea for help.
Inside a chain coffee shop beneath an office building in Central's financial district, several white- and gold-collar professionals, clutching takeout paper cups and dressed in well-tailored business suits, were whispering about the breaking financial headlines.
"This step... is truly unwise. Lowering oneself to protest at the gate of Governor's House, what good will it do even if Murray MacLehose is willing to meet him?" An investment bank manager pushed his gold-rimmed glasses, speaking with the usual calm judgment of an analyst.
"Chinese capital is a solid block. Any one of Fok, Pao, Guo, Li, and Zheng would cause three shocks to the Hong Kong economy if they stomp their feet. Kobayashi Tenmo was too aggressive and angered the public, leaving him isolated and helpless. Although this move is shameful, it can also be regarded as a way to survive by cutting off an arm and exchanging face for room for maneuver, right?" another younger lawyer speculated.
"It's hard to say! Did you notice that banquet he hosted at the Mandarin Hotel yesterday? It looked like he was just enjoying himself, but in reality, he was deliberately trying to show weakness to his enemies... And those Huo-affiliated directors within Today Land suddenly turned on him, setting up obstacles everywhere... I think he's trapped from both inside and outside, and he's resorting to desperate measures!"
"Ultimately, it's because their foundation is too shallow. They'd barely acquired the giant ship of Hong Kong Holdings, barely had a firm grip on the helm, when the Chinese tycoons teamed up to overturn the deck. If I were him, I'd probably only be hoping for 'official arbitration' to ease the internal pressure and external blockade... But, is Murray MacLehose that easy to deal with?"
Although there is no straightforward gloating in the words like those in the market, it is more of an insight and helplessness into the reality of the capital game. It also reveals some sympathy and prediction for the hasty response of Kobayashi Tenmo, the "dragon from the river", under the siege of traditional Chinese capital forces.
Deep Water Bay, in the study of the Fok family mansion. Fok Chun-ting's phone practically crashed in, his voice, filled with irrepressible excitement, piercing through the cacophony of the TVB office: "Daddy! Turn on the TV! Watch the live news! That kid, Kobayashi Tenwang, has gone all desperate and run to the Governor's Mansion, kneeling and begging for mercy! We've crushed him this time! Hahahaha!"
Huo Yingdong played with a warm jade gallbladder in his hand, his eyes as calm as water. "Well done, very impressive."
His voice was steady, with his usual tone of approval. "This coordinated pressure campaign is perfectly timed. Leveraging public opinion while he's still shaky ground, they're forcing him to lose his composure. Excellent."
Huo Zhen on the other end of the phone laughed triumphantly, "Don't worry, Daddy! I'll add fuel to the fire and have the reporters write about him as a lost dog..."
"Okay, let's proceed according to your plan." Huo Yingdong gently interrupted his son and hung up the phone. As soon as the receiver was put down, the study fell into silence.
Huo Yingdong slowly walked to the huge French window and gazed out at the shimmering harbor. He silently rubbed his jade gallbladder in his palm. The approving expression he had shown his son earlier faded like the tide, replaced by a deep apprehension and a subtle dread.
Fortunately... this time, I'm acting with Lin Huowang. This kid... every move is as precise as walking a tightrope on a cliff!
Although he controls a huge amount of capital, he is able to judge the situation so well that he does not hesitate to sacrifice his superficial dignity as "Kobayashi Tianwang" and takes the initiative to play the role of a person who is forced into a corner by the Chinese tycoons and has no choice but to seek shelter from the Hong Kong government.
He was able to use this seemingly foolish and shameful petition to instantly focus the attention of all forces in Hong Kong on the doorstep of the Governor's House! Every move he made truly struck a chord with the entire city. This ability to attract attention and manipulate the situation...
Huo Yingdong sighed silently as he thought of his son, Huo Zhenting, feeling carried away by his small achievement. Zhenting…wasn't even on the same level as Lin Huowang. If they were to become his enemy, with his ruthless mind and ability to assess situations, the Huo family's vast foundation would likely be largely destroyed by Zhenting, or even used as a stepping stone without realizing it.
Tsim Sha Tsui, on the top floor of the Worldwide Shipping headquarters building. After listening to his secretary's briefing, Pao Yue-Kong put down the documents regarding the new ship's docking.
He wiped his thick glasses with a handkerchief, his tone lacking emotion. "Petitioning and protesting to the Governor? This kid's pretty direct. Is this a clumsy tactic we used to use when we were oppressed by British capital in our early years? Using a publicly 'weak' stance to ask the authorities to uphold business justice? It's a bit humiliating, but... given the current situation of internal and external blockades, it's a viable way to limit losses. At the very least, Murray MacLehose can't completely turn a blind eye."
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