The night slowly deepened, and the lights of Victoria Harbour began to twist and turn on the inky sea, reflecting the desires and intrigues that this sleepless city was always filled with.
In the Governor's House, after the British bosses left, no one knew what they said afterwards except Shen Bi and MacLehose themselves, especially Shen Bi's response to Governor MacLehose's inquiry about his attitude towards Kobayashi Tianwang.
On the other side, in Villa No. 3 in Repulse Bay.
Shortly after the lights in the study went out, a figure quietly passed through the cleverly disguised secret passage, and then quietly left Villa No. 3 in Repulse Bay under the surveillance of a group of spies.
At another intersection not far away, an unmarked black car slid out of the corner of the mountain road, and then carried Lin Huowang at high speed towards a very secluded bay in the west of Hong Kong Island.
The salty and humid sea breeze here is filled with a mysterious atmosphere.
Lin Huowang pushed open the heavy wooden door of the hidden club's private room. Three people were already sitting there under the soft light.
Mr. Liao naturally sat in the main seat, while the president of the Xinhua branch, Liang Weilin, sat respectfully in a slightly farther position.
But when Lin Huowang's eyes swept over the third person, he didn't expect that Mr. Liao had also called Huo Yingdong tonight.
"Comrade Lin Huowang, please sit down!" Mr. Liao laughed loudly, his face showing unconcealable excitement. He explained: "I can't help but call you out so late! Please don't be offended. Mr. Huo and I are both like this.
You took over the control of Hong Kong Holdings with great vigour and decisiveness, and then launched the "Home Ownership for All" plan right under Murray MacLehose's nose... These consecutive heavy blows were so powerful that they left people dizzy!
I really rushed back to Hong Kong Island from Beijing overnight. If I don't see you and hear your thoughts, I will definitely not be able to sleep well! "
Mr. Liao’s generous words echoed in the box.
Today's meeting broke the isolation principle that the three parties had deliberately maintained for a long time. Except for the first introduction meeting, in order to avoid exposing Lin Huowang's identity, the three of them usually met and communicated in pairs, and never gathered together as a trio.
Huo Yingdong also smiled and said, "Mr. Lin! Your move this time is truly... earth-shattering. Even if you warned me in advance, I still couldn't imagine that you could really do it. Even the Governor's reaction was within your calculations. It really opened my eyes!"
Lin Huowang sat down with a smile and said jokingly:
"Mr. Liao, Mr. Huo, you're too kind. I also planned everything step by step. I'll just give it a try anyway!"
Mr. Liao waved his hand and said, "Comrade Lin Huowang, you are being modest again, aren't you?
Taking over Jardine Matheson is already a remarkable achievement, but Comrade Huowang, your subsequent “Home Ownership” plan is too bold!
The Governor's House is not a charity, and Murray MacLehose is certainly not a pushover. By publicly accepting this hot potato, you're putting yourself at the center of the fire!
As he spoke, Mr. Liao's expression grew serious. He continued, "Two major risks are unavoidable! First, what will the British Hong Kong government think of such a heroic undertaking that wins the hearts of the people and dares to take responsibility?
They're not blind or foolish. How can "Kobayashi Tenmo" maintain this neutral, even slightly pro-British facade? Will they immediately suspect you're one of us? How long can this cover-up last?
Secondly, the plan itself is a huge pitfall! The promise of affordable housing at 'half the market price' defies the ironclad laws of Hong Kong Island real estate operations!
Hong Kong Swire Properties has just experienced a shareholding earthquake, and you haven't even established your foothold yet, but you've already put the pressure on yourself to take on this livelihood project that is almost doomed to make a loss or a small profit. If the project succeeds, you'll at most gain a false reputation, but if it loses money, Hong Kong Swire Properties' foundation will be shaken, and your reputation as "Kobayashi Tianwang" will immediately become a burden and a laughing stock in the Hong Kong business community!
By then, let alone continuing to lean towards British capital to gain benefits, I'm afraid even the current advantages will be difficult to maintain!"
Huo Yingdong also took over the conversation at the right time, his tone becoming slightly more serious, and added: "Mr. Liao's words are full of wisdom. Mr. Lin, I admire your responsibility and feelings.
However, the business world is ruthless, and the "Home Ownership for All" program is incompatible with the Hong Kong Island real estate ecology with high land prices and high profits.
In my opinion, with current building material and labor costs, even with the scale advantage of Hong Kong Land, if it can meet the promised price while ensuring quality, its profit margin is already as thin as paper, almost charitable. And this is if everything goes smoothly.
More importantly, our two families remain sworn enemies. To maintain this facade, the Huo family not only cannot offer assistance, but in some areas... they even have to obstruct.
For example, when it comes to building materials supply, due to their position, the Huo family will never give you a price that is better than the market price, and may even... be slightly higher than the market price.
Under such circumstances, I am really worried about how you can keep the country running smoothly and maintain your hard-earned control?
If we fail in this battle, it will be a devastating blow!"
After Huo Yingdong finished speaking, the atmosphere in the private room became solemn again.
Liang Weilin, the president of Xinhua News Agency’s Hong Kong branch.
He listened to the conversation between the three people, holding his breath, his hands sweating as he held the notebook. He knew very well that his only role today was to "listen". The ideological confrontation between big men of this level was really beyond his ability to comment.
Lin Huowang was not in a hurry. He smiled, picked up the teacup in front of him and took a sip.
Then, he slowly put down his teacup and said calmly:
"Mr. Liao, Mr. Huo, I understand your concerns. However, I have repeatedly deduced the risks involved in every step.
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