The tea restaurant owner, wiping the table, chuckled and chimed in, "I heard someone say a few days ago that Hongkong Land's stock is going to rise to 200 dollars, and a lot of people are buying it."
Now that this news has broken, the market will definitely crash at the opening today; those people are in big trouble!
"To be honest, Kobayashi is too arrogant. He's so young to have reached such a high position, it's no wonder he's so proud."
Every seasoned businessman in Hong Kong knows how to proceed cautiously. He, on the other hand, ventured head-on into completely unfamiliar territory, going against Japanese giants. No wonder he lost.
A businessman in a suit spoke even more decisively.
Meanwhile, in the nearby vegetable market, the stall owners were also talking about the matter while serving customers.
As Aunt Chen, who sells vegetables, weighs cabbages for customers, she keeps saying, "Mrs. Zhang, did you buy today's newspaper? Kobayashi Tenma has actually invested in mainland electronics, and the newspaper says he's going to lose a fortune!"
Mrs. Zhang, carrying a shopping basket, shook her head with a smile and said, "I heard about it! My son wanted to buy shares in Hongkong Land a few days ago, but luckily I stopped him."
Japanese electronics are so good, and the quality of products from mainland China is subpar, so who would buy them?
Their electric fans probably won't even turn steadily, and their radios won't pick up stations properly. How are they going to sell them?
Uncle Li, who sells fish nearby, chimed in with a smile, "That's right! My brother works in an electronics store, and he says that electronics from the mainland are completely ignored. They're placed in the corner of the shop, and you can't sell a single one for months."
Kobayashi actually invested over a billion yen; that money is definitely going to go down the drain.
"Jackson Land used to be so powerful. They owned many landmark buildings on Hong Kong Island. It's all because of Kobayashi Tenmoku that they've fallen to this state," Aunt Chen lamented.
In the office building, employees were discussing the news during their lunch break.
"Did you see today's news? Jardine Matheson is going to go under!" a female employee said to her colleague.
"I saw it, and it scared me. I still have a few shares of Hong Kong Land stock, and I don't know how much it will drop when the market opens today. I'm really devastated," the male colleague said with a worried look.
"Who told you to follow the trend and buy? People said before that Kobayashi Tenno was too aggressive, but you didn't believe them. Now look what's happened, with all the negative news, the stock price will definitely plummet. You should sell it as soon as possible!" the female employee advised.
"Sell? I'm sure a lot of people will sell at the opening today, and there'll be no way to sell! Besides, the price has dropped so much that selling would mean a huge loss, but if I don't sell, I'm afraid it will keep falling," my male colleague said, looking conflicted.
"If you ask me, Kobayashi Tenmoku shouldn't have taken this risk. Jardine Matheson's core business is real estate. Wouldn't it be better to stick to real estate? Why did he have to get into electronics, and specifically mainland Chinese electronics? It's practically suicide," another male employee said.
On the streets and alleys, whether it was pedestrians or passengers waiting for the bus, almost everyone was talking about this.
Some people gloated, thinking that Kobayashi Tenno was too arrogant for his early success and deserved to run into trouble.
Some people felt sorry for Hongkong Land Group, after all, it was a long-established giant in Hong Kong Island.
Some people were worried that they would lose all their money if they bought Hongkong Land shares, and they looked anxious.
Meanwhile, in shipping magnate Sir Yue-Kong Pao's office, the atmosphere was unusually quiet.
Bao Yugang sat behind a large desk, holding a copy of the Asia Daily, his brows slightly furrowed.
His son-in-law, Wu Guangzheng, stood respectfully to the side, his expression equally solemn.
“Daddy, you’ve read the newspaper, haven’t you? Xiao Lin’s property company…” Wu Guangzheng asked first.
Bao Yugang nodded, placed the newspaper on the table, and replied in a calm tone, "I've read it. Kobayashi Tenno's move was too risky, even reckless. He's too confident, and I'm afraid he's gotten a little carried away."
"I agree. Japanese electronics companies monopolize the global market, and their technology, distribution channels, and brands are unmatched by mainland manufacturers."
"His decision to invest a huge sum of money in mainland electronics is truly courting disaster," Wu Guangzheng echoed.
"I also have some understanding of the electronics industry in mainland China. The technology is backward, the craftsmanship is rough, and the product quality is not up to standard. Even if the price is cheap, consumers will not buy it. After all, electronics are durable goods, and everyone wants to buy durable ones."
Bao Yugang spoke slowly, thinking to himself, "Xiao Lin Tianwang is probably blinded by his previous success and has forgotten that the business world is like a battlefield, where one wrong step could lead to utter ruin."
"Most of the funds of Hongkong Land Group are working capital for real estate projects."
He withdrew funds to invest in electrical appliances. If the electrical appliance business suffers losses, the cash flow of the real estate project will also be affected. At that time, Jardine Matheson will really be in jeopardy.” Wu Guangzheng nodded and said with some worry.
Bao Yugang nodded slightly and said, "In the Hong Kong business community, those who go with the flow are the ones who last."
Kobayashi Tenmo's attempt to go against the tide and challenge the Japanese electronics giant is tantamount to throwing an egg against a rock.
He's too young and inexperienced; he's become arrogant and complacent with even a little success, which is a major taboo in the business world.
"Daddy, how much do you think Hongkong Land's stock price will drop today?" Wu Guangzheng asked.
"The drop will be significant. Once the negative reports in the newspapers come out, the market will definitely panic, and investors will frantically sell off their shares."
Yesterday, Jardine Matheson had a market capitalization of tens of billions; today, it will likely have shrunk by more than half.
Pao Yue-kong concluded, and couldn't help but think that it was fortunate that his companies had never ventured into the electrical appliance sector, nor had they followed the trend of investing in Hongkong Land's stock, otherwise they would have been implicated today.
“Those investors who followed the trend and bought Hongkong Land shares are probably going to suffer huge losses this time,” Wu Guangzheng sighed.
"The stock market is inherently risky, and blindly following the crowd will always come at a price. Xiao Lin Tianwang's actions will not only harm himself but also drag down many other investors. Hopefully, he can cut his losses in time, otherwise the consequences will be unimaginable."
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