On the top floor of the HSBC Building, the atmosphere in the office seemed to be frozen.
When the sunlight came in through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, it illuminated the anxiety and anger on the face of Jardine Matheson's boss, Newbigin.
There was some sweat on his forehead, and the collar of his expensive suit was loosened by him impatiently. Even the British gentlemanly demeanor that he had always been proud of was gone at this moment.
Because just a few minutes ago, he had just left the Jardine Matheson Group board meeting which had surprised and shocked him greatly.
“Peter!”
Niu Bijian had just practically burst into Shen Bi's office, his voice filled with urgency, "Guess what Xiao Lin Tianwang did at the board meeting? He...he was simply openly rebelling!"
Shen Bi sat behind a large oak desk, his expression motionless.
"Sir Newbigin," Shen Bi said in a low voice, "Tell me slowly. It's just a board meeting. What earth-shattering thing could have happened to make you so panicked? Remember your identity. Tell me! What kind of shocking statement did Xiaolin Tianwang make?"
Newbigin took a deep breath, forced himself to remain calm, and said, "Identity? If you wait any longer, Jardine Matheson's board seat will probably be completely cleared out of Hong Kong Land! I'm afraid the Hong Kong Land Group, a sizable corporation, will soon be controlled by mainland China."
That Kobayashi Tenmo… right from the start, he overturned the core budget approval process left over from the Jardine Matheson era! He wasn't reforming at all, he was reshuffling the deck!
Then, even more importantly, he made a crucial procurement decision: building materials! He demanded that all building material purchases for low- and mid-range residential projects prioritize suppliers from state-owned factories in mainland China! The reasoning was low prices and stable supply!
"Chinese mainland?!"
This word immediately pierced the calm expression that Shen Bi had just deliberately maintained.
At this moment, his brows furrowed slightly. Although he had expected that Lin Huowang would find a way to use cost reduction to create an advantage, he did not expect that he would act so quickly and directly, and actually think of directly purchasing low-priced building materials from the mainland.
"Yes! The mainland!"
Newbijian raised his voice. "The price is very low, only two-thirds or even less than half of what you get in Hong Kong and Southeast Asia! But is this normal? Is there something fishy going on here?"
"Peter, I seriously suspect that Xiaolin Tianwang is simply a pawn planted by the mainland in Hong Kong! We handed over control of Hong Kong Land with such generous terms, not so that he could serve as a pawn to curry favor with the mainland! His actions are clearly using us to pave the way for the mainland to take over Hong Kong!"
These words revealed Newbigin's anger and panic. Jardine Matheson's original intention in handing over Hong Kong Land was to get rid of the hot potato and allow the Chinese investors to fight among themselves.
Now, Xiaolin Tianwang seems to be using this platform to quickly approach and show goodwill to the mainland. This feeling is even worse than being taken away directly by the Huo family.
Shen Bi was silent for a moment after hearing this.
At this moment, the air in the office seemed to have stagnated.
"Calm down, sir."
After pondering for a moment, Shen Bi finally spoke calmly and analyzed the situation, saying, "Impulsiveness will not help. Your suspicion is based on common sense and fear of the mainland. But Xiaolin Tianwang is exactly the person who is best at using this 'common sense' to create illusions."
Newbijian was stunned: "What do you mean?"
"You said he's a pawn of the mainland?"
Shen Bi said without hesitation, “If he is, then he should be like Huo Yingdong, low-key and continuous in his goodwill, and continue to help mainland China in the dark.
Instead, they announced large-scale commercial cooperation with mainland China in such a high-profile manner at a board meeting, having just gained control of Hong Kong Land and barely secured their seat. This was too conspicuous, too deliberate, and too easy for us to label them as "leftist." For a true lurker, this was a foolish self-exposure.
Upon hearing this, Niu Bijian frowned and thought deeply. Thinking about it this way, Shen Bi's words seemed to make sense.
Xiaolin Tianwang's previous actions revealed cunning and a deep understanding of human nature. Such a blatant rapprochement with mainland China was completely inconsistent with his calculating personality.
"Then what is his motive for doing this?" Newbijian continued to ask, his doubts deepening.
"It's simple, profit, pure commercial gain." Shen Bi said as a matter of course, "The cost of building materials in the mainland is low enough for him to obtain a profit margin far exceeding his expectations, especially in government projects such as 'Home Ownership for All', which have relatively low profits.
This would significantly alleviate the enormous debt burden he faced after taking over Hong Kong Land, as well as the interest on the loan we had paid him. He announced this decision at the board meeting to demonstrate his "open source" capabilities to his new associates within Hong Kong Land, establishing his authority.
Yuan is signaling to the market and the Hong Kong government that Hong Kong Land will be more efficient and profitable. As for mainland China? To him, it's simply a supplier of high-quality, low-cost goods. If South Korea or Vietnam could provide inexpensive building materials, I think Kobayashi Tenmo would have decisively chosen them for cooperation.
Shen Bi paused and added, "Of course, whether he is really so 'pure', we still need to continue to observe.
After all, these are related to the support that HSBC and the entire British Hong Kong government system will give to him and the future of the Hong Kong Land Group.
Attitude and stance determine everything.
If he really pushes himself too far and crosses that line, even if he has great value, we need to consider the risks involved.”
The panic in Newbijian's heart had subsided a little, but the resentment and doubts he had when facing Kobayashi Tianwang had not been completely eliminated.
My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
