Dusk sank into Victoria Harbour, tinting the glass curtain wall of the TVB building a dark gold. Inside, however, the atmosphere felt unlike usual, relaxed as the workday ended. Instead, an invisible chord clung to the air.
The property changed hands.
These four words exploded on every floor like drops of water thrown into boiling oil.
The typewriters in the news department were roaring like crazy, reporters were yelling until they were hoarse while grabbing the phones, and editors were holding the freshly-written telegram drafts, and that light page of paper now weighed more than a thousand pounds.
In the corridors, the tea room, and the powder room, all the whispers were drowned out by a surge of noise after a brief silence. It wasn't just a simple discussion, but an excitement mixed with great astonishment, disbelief, and even a hint of fear.
"Have you heard?...Jiadi! Kobayashi Tenwang takes over Jiadi!" The voice was low, but it couldn't suppress the shock.
"Damn... is this true? He owns half of Central!" The response was filled with suspicion and panic.
“…Twenty years old? How old is he? I was still doing odd jobs on the set when I was twenty…” Someone muttered to himself, his eyes blank, as if his cognition had been crushed.
To them, Hong Kong Land was not just a distant name. It was a concept, a behemoth that sat at the pinnacle of power and wealth on Hong Kong Island, symbolizing the unshakable rule of British capital.
It seemed frozen in the clouds, untouchable. And now, a young man who had been in Hong Kong for less than three months was dragging him down from his pedestal? The news was like an invisible shockwave, sweeping through everyone's nerves. Instead of jubilation, it felt more like a dazed, bewildered feeling, the shattering of the boundaries of cognition. Had the world... truly changed?
Meanwhile, the TVB news studio was ablaze with lights. The director's rapid-fire commands, the scurrying figures of technicians, and the air thick with the smell of ink and sweat all betrayed the importance of an urgent, special live broadcast.
Above the huge curved studio, the title "Change of Ownership of Jardine Matheson! A Chinese Capital Myth?" flashed under the glaring lights.
Host Chen Qingsong, the renowned news commentator known for his calm professionalism, had his collar slightly open tonight, sweat glistening on his forehead. He was facing a recently invited heavyweight from Hong Kong's financial world:
Professor Zhou Henian, an authority on economics at the University of Hong Kong, with gray hair and a traditional Tang suit; Peter Wellington, a former HSBC executive and British economist, dressed in a suit and tie with an arrogant look;
Several well-known local stock analysts and representatives from securities firms were present. Time was tight, and even adequate communication beforehand was a luxury. Everyone's face was filled with lingering shock and the tension of being ready for debate.
"Dear viewers," Chen Qingsong said, his voice heavy and solemn, typical of live broadcasts. "Half an hour ago, news of the change in ownership of Hong Kong Land Group swept across Hong Kong like a storm! We have immediately invited experts from all walks of life to try to interpret this shocking reversal in the heart of the capital market! Professor Zhou, as a senior scholar with many years of experience in Hong Kong's economy, what is your assessment of Mr. Kobayashi Tenmo's move?"
Professor Zhou Henian pushed his glasses, his eyes behind the lenses still sharp, but he couldn't conceal the excitement deep inside.
He didn't directly answer the host's question, but instead let out a long, emotional sigh. "This is unprecedented, Mr. Chen! Hong Kong Land! They're the landlord of Central, the most dazzling jewel in Jardine Matheson's crown, a symbol of British capital that has stood on Hong Kong Island for nearly a century! Today, without any warning, control has been seized by a young man who arrived less than three months ago and is only twenty years old!"
His voice gradually rose, with an excitement that was almost cathartic. "Do you see this path clearly? Hong Kong's capital market, where the British financial consortium set the rules and suppressed power, was instantly shattered by a single contract! Kobayashi Tenwang, although he holds a Japanese passport, he has the blood of the Chinese people flowing in his body!
The meaning behind this equity document is an unprecedented breakthrough! The game of capital is without smoke, but it is more powerful than any cry on the battlefield!
This was a landmark event in the awakening of Chinese capital! It was the first time that Chinese capital, on the treacherous battlefield of Hong Kong Island, conquered the highest fortress symbolizing British rule with a thunderous force!
Its profound significance far exceeds the commercial value of the property itself! This is by no means a simple transfer of equity, but a reshuffling of capital power! His words became exceptionally powerful when he spoke of the "blood of the Chinese people" and "conquering the fortress," imbued with a sense of national identity.
"Conquer the fortress? Haha!" Wellington interrupted with a cold laugh, with the condescending sarcasm unique to the British. "Professor Zhou, with all due respect, your words are filled with narrow nationalism and emotional exaggeration, and seriously deviate from the essence of business logic!
"Kobayashi Tenmo, a young man who made his fortune through stock market speculation, media hype, and comics! His so-called 'rise' reeks of opportunism!" He spoke sarcastically, waving the special edition in his hand, which still exuded the fragrance of ink.
"Look at his tactics!" Wellington raised his voice and looked around the room, as if trying to convince everyone. "He took advantage of the temporary strategic errors experienced by Jardine Matheson's overseas investments, Australian coal mines, and London silver futures. He then cleverly used the farce of jealousy between him and the eldest son of the Huo family to create panic in the media and the stock market, thereby suppressing the stock price.
Finally, at the critical moment when Jardine Matheson temporarily encountered liquidity difficulties, it cooperated with HSBC's special "arrangement" and obtained huge financial support through unknown means, launching a surprise attack that caught the enemy off guard!
How could this be some 'capital myth'? This is clearly taking advantage of someone's misfortune! Exploiting a loophole in the rules! A business practice... bordering on theft! He emphasized the terms "temporary business strategy blunder," "taking advantage of someone's misfortune," and "theft."
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