Chapter 421 The Birth of a Believer
"So that's how it is?"
"It's not surprising. Brown is, after all, the chief manager of HSBC, and they do have connections."
"If he hadn't made some arrangements against me, that would be truly strange."
Lin Feng was unconcerned; he wasn't at all surprised by Brown's actions.
In business warfare, intelligence is the most crucial thing.
As long as one possesses intelligence, anyone can become a stock market guru.
If you don't believe it, look at the Rothschild family; they often receive accurate news half a day earlier than others, thanks to their intelligence network spread across Europe.
Don't underestimate that half-day; it's enough for them to manipulate the financial markets.
Closer to home are the various stock market gurus on Capitol Hill in America.
They are far more formidable than the Rothschild family.
The Rothschild family, at most, gets a one-day head start, while they get several days.
If Brown hadn't taken any action, then Lin Feng would have been surprised.
However, George's behavior, on the other hand, left Lin Feng feeling a bit confused—why was this guy acting more in tune than his own subordinates?
George thought to himself,'Sure enough.' Brown's actions couldn't possibly be hidden from Mr. Lin.
"Is there any problem with Brown doing that?"
Lin Feng chuckled:
"Since I dared to make a move against HSBC, I'm not afraid of his retaliation."
George quickly reminded him:
"Mr. Lin, I heard that Brown has activated all his connections and even made internal deals with Standard Chartered."
"You must be careful."
Lin Feng asked with a half-smile:
"You seem very worried about me?"
George quickly said:
"I'm not worried!"
Lin Feng was astonished.
George said earnestly:
"Mr. Lin knows everything and is sure to win."
Lin Feng burst out laughing:
"You certainly have a lot of confidence in me."
George steeled himself and frankly admitted:
"I was convinced by Mr. Lin."
"I am a senior agent of the Military Intelligence Agency, and my most important job is to gather intelligence. No one understands the role of intelligence better than I do."
"No matter the cost, it's worth it to obtain intelligence."
Lin Feng scoffed:
"You came to Hong Kong to gather intelligence?"
"That's not right."
"How come I remember the Military Intelligence Agency's mission for you was to accumulate as much money as possible? It seems Thatcher's government's finances aren't very good?"
George said calmly:
"That is the role of intelligence."
"Few people know the real reason I'm here; most assume London wants to lay groundwork for Hong Kong after its return."
"Only Mr. Lin immediately saw through my intentions."
"If one had an enemy like Mr. Lin, it would be hard to sleep even in dreams."
At this point, George said naturally,
"I don't want to be enemies with Mr. Lin, and selling white powder is not my intention."
"Mr. Lin, we aren't enemies, are we?"
Lin Feng said casually:
"You know my stance on white powder; anyone who dares to deal with it in Hong Kong, I will not spare them."
"When I judge people, I never look at what they say, but at what they do."
"No matter how good-sounding their words are, even if they speak with eloquence, if they say one thing and do another, I won't like them."
"Sweet talk is useless; you have to do things well."
George joyfully said:
"I'll go and resolve it now."
Lin Feng frowned inwardly. What was wrong with George?
Was he really scared?
That shouldn't be the case.
He was, after all, a senior officer of the Military Intelligence Agency, and he was about to become a member of the Cunningham Family. In London, he would be considered qualified to be on the stage.
George's standing might not be much in London, but in Hong Kong, even the Governor wouldn't ignore him.
Otherwise, that fellow from the Financial Secretary wouldn't have called him personally.
What exactly was going on?
It was truly puzzling.
George swore:
"Mr. Lin, I haven't dealt in white powder during this time. Apart from providing a batch to Chung Yee Shun, I haven't had any others."
"And the condition for Chung Yee Shun was to find a way to shed some blood when the Tycoon Group caused trouble."
"This was an order from London, aimed at making London even more disgusted with the Tycoon Group."
George was very frank and quickly spilled everything.
Lin Feng felt even more strange; George's behavior was very abnormal!
"You don't need to tell me this; I already know all of it."
George gave a bitter smile:
"I knew Mr. Lin couldn't be kept in the dark."
"Saying this is just to prove my honesty to Mr. Lin."
Lin Feng snorted coldly:
"With me, your honesty or lack thereof is useless."
I know everything you do; there's no need for you to tell me yourself.
George exclaimed admiringly:
"Truly worthy of being Mr. Lin."
Lin Feng smiled:
"I understand your intentions. Whether we are friends or foes will depend on your future actions."
George thumped his chest heavily, even though they were on the phone and Lin Feng couldn't possibly see his action.
"Thank you, Mr. Lin."
"I will definitely serve as Mr. Lin's eyes and ears."
Lin Feng chuckled:
"I have many sources of intelligence, so I don't lack you."
"I'll give you a piece of advice: powder is taboo. If you mess with these things again, once I've dealt with these matters, I'll make sure you regret it."
George hastily agreed.
After hanging up the phone, Lin Feng frowned slightly.
Ho Man asked:
"Ah Feng, who called?"
Lin Feng smiled:
"George."
Ho Man frowned:
"George? That Foreigner from the Political Department?"
Lin Feng never hid things from his family.
He was the leader of Causeway Bay in the Hung Hing Triad, a very sensitive identity.
Some things had to be known by his family to prevent misjudgment due to poor information exchange.
Treating good people as bad people wasn't a big deal; if a misunderstanding arose, at most one would apologize to the good person afterward.
But treating bad people as good people could be deadly.
Thus, even though Ho Man and the other women weren't involved in the underworld, they knew what these people did.
They were also very clear about Lin Feng's inclinations.
Lin Feng nodded slightly:
"This guy means to pledge allegiance to me."
Ho Man's eyes widened:
"Pledge allegiance to you?"
"A senior agent of the Anglo-Saxon Military Intelligence Agency pledging allegiance to you?"
"Could it be a trick?"
This was something no normal person would believe.
Although the strength of the Mainland was strong, in Hong Kong, under the long-term propaganda of the Anglo-Saxon, they were clearly a part of the Mainland but were disconnected from it.
They didn't have a very clear understanding of the situation in the Mainland.
Coupled with its position as a hub for East-West exchange, Hong Kong's development was very rapid, leading economically by a wide margin. This led to Hong Kong looking down on the Mainland from a psychological high ground.
Making Hong Kong people feel superior psychologically.
Furthermore, with the deliberate propaganda of the Foreigner, Hong Kong people naturally favored the West.
They always felt that following the Mainland would not lead to a good life, but following the Anglo-Saxon would.
Little did they know, Hong Kong, as a free port with nothing, was able to develop so splendidly precisely because it was located at the southern tip of the Mainland, serving as the only window for East-West exchange.
Under the influx of various influences, this free port was naturally built up.
If the Mainland were to open up, the advantage of this sole free port would disappear. In comparison, Hong Kong might not have as much advantage as the Magic City.
If it continued to be disloyal, its status might even further decline.
But I digress.
The current reality was that it was normal for people from the Mainland to defect to the West, but for Westerners to pledge allegiance to the East was very abnormal.
It was natural for Ho Man to have such worries.
Lin Feng smiled:
"I understand your concerns."
"In the past, I would have worried about your safety, but now…"
"Anyone who wants to harm you will have to think twice."
One of Lin Feng's goals in establishing Thunder was to provide security services for the women.
He had eight wives, none of whom were publicly married.
One reason was that Hong Kong had already legally abolished polygamy, and another was his identity.
His identity as an underworld boss and an invisible Tycoon was very likely to attract enemies.
If information about his wives became known, there was a good chance they would be secretly targeted.
One shouldn't say Lin Feng was overly worried; what kind of status did Tycoon have before, and wasn't Little Tycoon still kidnapped by Cheuk Tze-keung?
However, times were different now. The arrival of the Police Woman allowed Lin Feng to breathe a long sigh of relief.
Male security personnel were still quite inconvenient in daily life; there were some places they couldn't enter.
Police Woman, being female, was completely different.
With this group of Police Woman accompanying them, Ho Man and the others were safe and sound.
Of course, with Lin Feng's usual generosity, the salaries he offered the Police Woman were far higher than those of ordinary security guards, all on the same level as Wang Jianjun and Wang Jianguo.
Rarity makes things valuable!
Ho Man sat beside him, gently reminding him:
"Ah Feng, you are slowly appearing in public now; you absolutely cannot be careless."
Lin Feng smiled:
"That is natural."
"Whether George is sincere or not, I don't care."
"His other identity dictates that even if he pledged allegiance to me, I wouldn't treat him the way I treat Xiao Fu and Jian Jun."
Ho Man immediately felt relieved. She changed the subject.
"Ah Feng, we won't be accompanying you tonight."
Lin Feng pouted:
"You say that as if you accompany me every day."
Ho Man quickly tried to persuade him:
"Oh, isn't that because you're so formidable? If we didn't rest for two or three days, who would dare to serve you?"
"Besides, today is different."
"Old Mother is spending the night at Brother Kun's place for the first time, and we're going to keep her company."
Lin Feng was surprised:
"You all?"
Ho Man pointed at Lok Wai-Jan and Fang Ting and said:
"That's right, we sisters are going together."
Lin Feng said with a wry smile:
"It can't be that serious, can it? What will Brother Kun do if you all go?"
Ho Man raised an eyebrow:
"Brother Kun will be thanking us before he knows it!"
Lin Feng's expression turned strange:
"He'll thank you all?"
Lok Wai-Jan giggled:
"Brother Feng, you don't understand."
"If we don't go tonight, who do you think Sister-in-law Shuiling will be with?"
Lin Feng said speechlessly:
"Don't overthink it, Old Mother is very understanding."
Ho Man shook her head:
"It's precisely because Old Mother is understanding that we need to show our attitude."
"Sister-in-law is a great contributor now, so naturally, she needs to be well protected."
Lin Feng was silent:
"Alright, you all go."
Fang Ting still couldn't bear it and whispered:
"Brother Feng, after these two days, I'll keep you good company."
Lin Feng shook his head:
"Let's talk about it after the HSBC Group matter is resolved."
Fang Ting thought the same.
Lin Feng was too formidable; if she were to serve him these two days, she definitely wouldn't be able to go to work.
At such an important moment, Chen Taotao and the other two were already under immense pressure, and one more person could add a little composure.
Lin Feng personally escorted the three women to the car.
Ho Man smiled:
"Husband, no need to be so nervous. Brother Kun lives next door to us, it's really just a two-step walk."
Lin Feng casually said:
"Being careful is never a mistake."
He didn't tell Ho Man that the area around Lin Feng and Liang Kun's homes had already been equipped with various security measures by Thunder, and if necessary, roads could even be blocked.
This was Hong Kong; who knew what the guys from HSBC might do if they went crazy? Being careful was never a mistake.
Watching the women's car disappear from his sight, he then opened the system to look for today's intelligence.
Soon, a piece of intelligence caught his eye.
"George was awed by your intelligence capabilities. He firmly believes that the host is like a prophet, such as Isaiah. He is convinced by you and is willing to be your follower."
A prophet, my foot!
Lin Feng finally understood George's thoughts. This guy wasn't faking his surrender?
It seemed his performance had dealt him a significant blow.
No wonder he proactively confessed his phone call with the Financial Secretary. So that was it.
Lin Feng secretly shook his head.
George was no ordinary person. He was a senior agent of the Military Intelligence Agency and was soon to become a member of the Cunningham Family, likely to be given important responsibilities.
It could be said that this guy had a boundless future.
If he were in his Mainland, the faith of such a young man would be extremely firm.
He would not easily change his beliefs.
Yet George had offered his loyalty to him.
It was truly outrageous.
Logically, the monotheistic religions of the West should easily brainwash others when it comes to controlling faith.
But the truth was that Westerners' beliefs were outrageously chaotic.
They all seemed to be under the monotheistic framework, but there were countless sects.
Those who believed in the devil were not a minority.
Who would believe that a Military Intelligence Agency agent would surrender his faith?
"This is an unexpected surprise!"
Lin Feng stroked his chin, lost in thought.
He had to take back his words; from today on, George was one of them.
His faith seemed particularly firm.
Interesting!
Truly interesting!
Lin Feng looked at a few other pieces of intelligence in the intelligence system, curled his lips slightly, and made a call to someone.
"Brother Bao, Standard Chartered is being a bit dishonest."
Dai Kuen Pao replied:
"I'll report it to the higher-ups immediately."
"Do we need to make a move?"
Lin Feng smiled:
"You are my greatest backing; how could you make a move now?"
"HSBC is trying every possible way to deplete its quality assets in exchange for cash."
"We need to let them deplete a wave first."
"HSBC's volume is very large."
"If we don't let them deplete a wave, how can we swallow it?"
Dai Kuen Pao nodded repeatedly:
"The leader said to listen to you on this matter."
Lin Feng hung up the phone with a smile.
He stretched greatly.
If HSBC wanted to play dirty tricks, then let them.
The more active, the better.
If they remained inactive, Lin Feng would have some trouble.
Now... Lin Feng trimmed a cigar for himself as a reward.
Meanwhile, Liang Kun's mouth twitched as he looked at Shuiling. She was only eight weeks pregnant, but Shuiling's walking posture was already different from before.
Her flat abdomen showed no hint of a bump, yet she was holding her abdomen with one hand and her waist with the other.
It felt like Shuiling wasn't eight weeks pregnant, but eight months pregnant!
As if she was afraid others wouldn't know she was pregnant.
"Does it have to be so exaggerated?"
Liang Kun was exceptionally speechless.
"You're making Old Mother, Ah Min, and the others laugh at you."
Shuiling rolled her eyes at him:
"You simply don't understand!"
"When I act like this, they are so happy."
"This is the first child of our Old Li family."
Liang Kun sighed:
"Yes, yes, the first child of the Old Li family… Wait, Ah Sang was the first."
Shuiling rolled her eyes:
"Ah Sang isn't from the Old Li family; he's from the Old Lin family."
Liang Kun raised his hands:
"You have a belly, so you're the boss."
This kind of thing couldn't be argued with her, otherwise, the more they argued, the messier it would get.
Shuiling got into bed and happily pulled out a check:
"Here, this is Ah Feng's Meeting gift for the child."
Liang Kun said speechlessly:
"Didn't Ah Feng already give our child a Meeting gift for the last project?"
"Giving another one this time?"
For the last project, Lin Feng was truly generous. At that time, Shuiling's belly showed no movement, yet Lin Feng had thrown out a billion in total.
In other words, no matter if Liang Kun's child would be a boy or a girl in the future, they would be a billionaire from the start.
Shuiling giggled:
"He says it's for the child, but it's actually for me."
"It's just that Ah Feng is a younger brother-in-law, so he can't reward me directly!"
Rewarding Shuiling should be Liang Kun's job; if Lin Feng did it, it would be improper.
Liang Kun laughed and scolded:
"What's the difference between Ah Feng and me?"
Shuiling waved the check:
"Twenty million hong kong dollars, for pocket money."
"Oh, and five percent of the Angel Investment Fund shares."
Liang Kun was immediately surprised:
"This is for our child."
Shuiling said blankly:
"Is the Angel Fund very powerful?"
Liang Kun said speechlessly:
"The Biying Angel Fund, yes, they've invested in many companies and hold original shares in many of them."
"Don't underestimate five percent; in the future, it will be at least a billionaire."
Shuiling's eyes lit up, and she said seriously:
"It's mine!"
Liang Kun said with a wry smile:
"This is for the child."
Shuiling shook her head:
"Mine!"
Liang Kun was afraid of her:
"Alright, alright, it's yours, it's yours."
"A mother actually fighting for food with her child, I've never seen anything like it."
Shuiling puffed out her belly:
"I have credit!"
Liang Kun was utterly frustrated:
"Can you give birth by yourself?"
Shuiling ignored him:
"Anyway, I just have credit."
What else could Liang Kun do besides raise his hands in surrender?
He was obsessed with money, so letting go like this made Shuiling very excited.
Shuiling carefully put away her things and returned to bed, hugging Liang Kun and saying:
"This thing should be a lot of money…"
Liang Kun casually said:
"It will only be more than you imagine."
Shuiling stated her plan.
"What do I need so much money for?"
"We're both so old; even if we had so much money, there's not much good to use it for."
Liang Kun teased:
"Then why did you snatch it?"
Shuiling said seriously:
"I want to do good deeds."
Liang Kun was startled.
Shuiling whispered:
"We two will most likely go to hell after we die, but our child can't be like us, can he?"
"I want to accumulate some virtue for him…"
+++
Chapter 422 Sir Brown's Concerns Came True
Chairman of Standard Chartered immediately convened a board meeting upon returning to the company.
He briefed them on the situation.
"What do you all think about what Sir Brown wants us to do?"
Chairman of Standard Chartered was indeed the Chairman of Standard Chartered Group, but there was also the board of directors.
Decisions made had to align with the board's wishes.
Furthermore, Standard Chartered Bank's positioning was also different from HSBC's.
HSBC's full name was Hong Kong Modu, but Standard Chartered's was not.
Someone sneered:
"This stock market crash is purely man-made."
"If HSBC hadn't tacitly allowed Little Tycoon to act recklessly, how could such a stock market crash have occurred?"
Someone else had a different opinion:
"Hey, this is good for us."
"We can take advantage of the sluggish stock market to repurchase some shares. Little Tycoon won't be able to recover, and without Little Tycoon's support, the people of Tycoon Group can calm this turmoil."
"Once the stock market returns to normal, we can make a fortune."
"It's bad for ordinary investors, but it's good for us."
Little Tycoon's actions did not draw criticism from Hong Kong's upper class. Firstly, Tycoon was the head of the New Four Families, and everyone gave him face. Secondly, George Cunningham's methods against Tycoon made these figures empathize. If all Tycoons faced personal threats, who knows how they would retaliate?
The last point was here: a bull market has its ways, and a bear market has its ways.
For Tycoons, the difference was not significant.
Especially in a bear market, information was crucial, which ordinary people could not possess, and this was precisely what Tycoons excelled at.
Someone immediately retorted:
"Not at all!"
"This matter is no longer something Tycoon Group can settle."
"There hasn't been a run on banks for over thirty years. It might easily spread."
"HSBC is not Hang Seng."
"That is the main bank of the Anglo-Saxon consortium."
"If even they are experiencing a run, what about us?"
"Everyone in Hong Kong dares not deposit money into banks; they are all waiting and watching."
"Cash is becoming increasingly important."
At this point, that person emphasized,
"In terms of money in accounts, does HSBC not have money?"
"What a joke."
"Do their several banks, including Hang Seng, not have money?"
"No!"
"They have money; what they lack is cash."
"We need to be prepared. If we lend them cash, can we ourselves cope with this run?"
Everyone shook their heads in unison.
"That's impossible."
"A million-person run, let alone HSBC, even if our three major banks went in together, it would be impossible to succeed."
"There are too many people."
"Unless we terminate contracts early and recall our money."
"Otherwise, we absolutely won't survive."
The previous person said:
"So, have the customers who withdrew money from HSBC deposited it all with us?"
Someone immediately said:
"No!"
"Logically, if HSBC suffers a run, citizens would withdraw their money from their bank and deposit it with our two banks."
"However, our customer base has barely grown."
"According to my team's estimates, most citizens choose to keep their money in hand rather than deposit it in commercial banks."
The previous person gently tapped the table:
"What does that indicate?"
"This indicates that citizens' distrust of commercial banks is increasing."
"We need to take various measures to regain their trust!"
"At this moment, we need to take care of ourselves first."
Someone else hesitated:
"But the interest on short-term bank loans is very high."
The previous person was angry:
"HSBC has so much money at its counters that even if it fully paid out all deposits, it wouldn't collapse."
"But they don't have cash!"
"What's the use of having so much money in the accounts?"
"People want cash!"
"What if we suffer a run?"
"We absolutely cannot rely on luck and hope that we won't suffer a run."
"How enormous is HSBC?"
"Don't they have credibility?"
"Don't they have money?"
"Don't they have heritage?"
"They have what we all have."
"In fact, they have some things that we don't!"
"Look!"
"Such a formidable competitor, whom we consider a strong rival, is facing a run."
"How can we dare to hope that we won't encounter it ourselves?"
Everyone fell silent.
Chairman of Standard Chartered said:
"I've calculated it, and we can still support two hundred billion."
"It won't affect our operations."
"Even if we also experience a run, we can sustain it for three days."
Everyone looked at each other and said in unison:
"We can indeed support HSBC this time."
The interest on short-term bank loans was too high, even higher than usury.
The most important thing was that it was safe and risk-free.
Ordinary citizens needed cash, but they didn't necessarily need it.
Chairman of Standard Chartered said:
"This is not the main reason I invited you all here."
"The matter concerning Mr. Lin Feng is what I want you all to decide."
Someone frowned:
"Lin Feng?"
"I seem to have heard that name somewhere."
Someone immediately introduced him:
"The Causeway Bay Hall Master of Hung Hing Society, the true owner of Thunder Security, the owner of Angel Investment Fund, a very competent and respectable big shot."
"He is a true hidden Tycoon, a super VIP of our bank."
"My business intersects with his."
"Not only does he have numerous businesses in Hong Kong, but he also has quite a lot of businesses in Mainland, Taiwan, Okamoto, America, and Anglo-Saxon regions."
"Especially his businesses in Mainland, they are simply enormous."
This person gave a fluent and brief introduction.
Everyone was astonished.
Someone frowned:
"Could this run on HSBC be instigated by Lin Feng?"
Chairman of Standard Chartered said opportunely:
"I can confirm that it was instigated by Lin Feng."
Someone said with a dark expression:
"Even if there's a grudge, there's no need to be so ruthless, is there?"
"This is hitting HSBC to kill it."
Chairman of Standard Chartered said faintly:
"Lin Feng has a grudge with Tycoon."
"HSBC is Tycoon's most important supporter."
"Lin Feng just wants Tycoon to stay quietly in prison, but HSBC won't have it."
"What do you all think?"
The person who had just spoken looked even darker!
Good heavens, this was a life-and-death feud.
What else was there to say?
"I retract what I just said."
Both sides had clearly gone all out, determined to make the other yield.
Otherwise, this matter would be difficult to resolve.
Someone reminded:
"Lin Feng is our super VIP; he has billions in deposits in our bank."
"If this money is withdrawn, it would be a loss for us."
The person whose industry intersected with Lin Feng shook his head and said,
"More than that."
"In Mainland, Lin Feng is one of our biggest clients."
"His group company's daily turnover is simply enormous."
"If our attitude causes him to choose Mainland banks... our business will inevitably suffer a setback."
"It should be noted that a super VIP's influence is also super."
"It can easily create a bellwether effect."
"I don't recommend taking action against Lin Feng for HSBC's small favors."
"This absolutely does not align with our interests."
Everyone nodded in unison.
In business, it's all about calculations.
Although HSBC is also Anglo-Saxon capital, if helping you means a greater loss for me, then why should I help you?
No one would do such a foolish thing as losing a valuable client just by helping you once.
The board members were all shrewd people and naturally knew how to choose.
Someone else said:
"Now, what we fear most is pressure from the Governors Office."
Everyone looked at him in unison.
That person reminded:
"Mr. Shen's connections with the Anglo-Saxon government are too close."
"If he uses his connections from London to the Governors Office, even the Governors Office would find it hard to refuse."
Chairman of Standard Chartered sneered:
"Don't worry about that."
"Someone in London will bear this order."
"Don't forget the origin of this matter."
"If Mr. Shen were here, this matter might have variables."
"The trouble is that Mr. Shen is nowhere to be found."
"So, your concerns have no chance of coming true."
That person smiled:
"Then I have nothing to worry about."
Chairman of Standard Chartered said faintly:
"We are open for business. Logically, such a large deal from HSBC, we should have taken it over."
"However, we are a large enterprise, and when doing business, we don't just look at the present but also the long term."
"The situation in Hong Kong is very clear now; Hong Kong is bound to return to the Mainland, this matter is already decided."
"Forty years ago, Hong Kong was full of Anglo-Saxon consortiums."
"But look at it now, where is the Hong Kong of forty years ago?"
"Now that Chinese capital is rising, who are the Anglo-Saxon capitals that remain in Hong Kong?"
"HSBC stayed, not to look after Anglo-Saxon capital, they are equally optimistic about the Mainland market."
"The same goes for us."
"In comparison, HSBC is an extremely important opponent of ours."
"I want to remind everyone to fully understand this point!"
Everyone nodded in unison.
What was said was absolutely correct.
HSBC was also their opponent, and a very important one.
"In business, nationality and such should be put aside."
"If there were no disputes because of a businessman's nationality, that would be too ridiculous."
"Don't forget, why did World War II happen?"
Historians naturally have their own explanations, but in the eyes of businessmen, it was purely because the Rothschild family wanted to unify Europe and seize the greatest profits, so they secretly fanned the flames and started this war.
"We will not protect HSBC!"
"Who objects?"
Everyone looked at each other, all a bit surprised and uncertain.
They never expected that Chairman of Standard Chartered would be so resolute.
He was considering pure profit, without any sentiment.
Someone looked pained; many Anglo-Saxon capitals had withdrawn from Hong Kong, and HSBC was one of the few that remained.
So someone said:
"One tree cannot stand alone, otherwise, let's help them out."
Chairman of Standard Chartered was about to speak when suddenly someone pushed the door open.
Everyone's expressions changed drastically; just as they were about to scold, they saw the person holding up a phone:
"Chairman, urgent call."
"It's from the Mainland!"
Everyone forced themselves to hold back, their faces filled with bewilderment.
Chairman of Standard Chartered apologized and took the call, walking out.
After a while, he quickly returned.
"This matter is decided as such and shall not be changed."
Everyone was equally astonished, wasn't this a bit too decisive?
Chairman of Standard Chartered directly showed his phone and said seriously:
"This is a call from an important person in the Mainland."
"The call explicitly stated that if we want to continue doing business in the Mainland, then we should not interfere with HSBC's matters."
Someone frowned and said:
"The Mainland is being too meddlesome, aren't they?"
"Hong Kong hasn't returned home yet."
Chairman of Standard Chartered glared at him fiercely:
"Foolish!"
"What does this have to do with Hong Kong?"
"Just now, the Mainland has already transferred five billion US dollars to Mr. Lin's account!"
"Do you understand what this means?"
"Mr. Lin's relationship with the Mainland is much closer than we imagined!"
"Also, Mr. Lin is a super VIP of our bank."
"Have you thought carefully, do you want to embrace the friendship of Mr. Lin and the Mainland, or do you want to become their enemy?"
Everyone was speechless.
Does this even require a choice?
With such a large sum of money, how much business could they develop?
Everyone looked at each other and nodded in unison.
Chairman of Standard Chartered asked:
"So, who objects to my opinion?"
Everyone shook their heads in unison.
Chairman of Standard Chartered smiled:
"In that case, meeting adjourned!"
Everyone filed out.
The Secretary was the last to leave and said:
"Chairman, should we inform Sir Brown now?"
Chairman of Standard Chartered chuckled:
"Respect is given mutually."
"The Mainland took the initiative to call, we should make our respect more valuable."
"The struggle between Sir Brown and Lin Feng is their private matter, we at Standard Chartered will not get involved."
The Secretary said in surprise:
"You're going to tell Sir Brown tomorrow?"
Chairman of Standard Chartered smiled:
"Is that not allowed?"
The Secretary frowned and said:
"It's not that it's not allowed, but the problem is, we just finished the board meeting, won't someone tip him off?"
Chairman of Standard Chartered sneered:
"You underestimate the members of our board too much."
"It would be good enough if they didn't kick HSBC while it's down, and you expect them to offer timely help?"
"Wouldn't it be better to use that time to earn more money?"
The Secretary said wordlessly:
"How will that earn money?"
Chairman of Standard Chartered stared intently at the Secretary, making the latter feel uneasy.
"Since you know I'll only tell Sir Brown tomorrow, you naturally know the impact this news will have on them."
"So, do you think the members of our board will respond accordingly?"
"It's a stock market crash right now!"
The Secretary suddenly understood.
This was about playing a timing game.
Although this might constitute some kind of crime, there are always countermeasures to policies. Just find a few proxies, it's very simple.
Chairman of Standard Chartered had a good night's sleep, completely beyond the Secretary's expectation. Chairman of Standard Chartered didn't call Sir Brown all morning.
The Secretary came to remind Chairman of Standard Chartered that the money from the Mainland had already arrived in Lin Feng's account.
Only then did he pick up the phone, but it wasn't to Sir Brown, but to Lin Feng.
The Secretary said in surprise:
"Chairman?"
Chairman of Standard Chartered said calmly:
"I must explain to our esteemed guest, mustn't I?"
The Secretary gasped.
He truly learned a lesson.
The call connected smoothly.
"Mr. Lin, I am Peter of Standard Chartered Bank."
"I'm calling to inform you that the money from the Mainland has arrived in your account."
Lin Feng smiled:
"Sir Peter, thank you for the notification."
"But this small matter doesn't require you to call personally, does it?"
Peter chuckled:
"Of course, it's not just this news."
"Yesterday, Sir Brown of HSBC made several requests to us, and we decided to agree to some of their conditions."
Lin Feng said casually:
"Interbank lending is normal, two hundred million hong kong dollar won't save HSBC."
Chairman Peter, who had been sitting calmly, instantly lost his smile and blurted out:
"You know?"
Lin Feng smiled:
"Sir Peter seems unfamiliar with me."
"My friends all know that once I want to know something, I will definitely know the details of that matter."
"Thank you very much, Sir Peter, for standing on the side of justice."
"I think we should cooperate more in the future."
Peter gave a dry laugh:
"Of course, of course."
He hung up the phone, his eyebrows completely furrowed.
The Secretary said in surprise:
"The call finished so quickly?"
Peter waved his hand:
"Go investigate Mr. Lin's characteristics."
"Be quick!"
The Secretary asked curiously:
"Chairman, what's going on?"
Peter frowned:
"I haven't even shown goodwill to Mr. Lin, and he already knows."
The Secretary was greatly alarmed:
"You mean someone in our board of directors tipped off Mr. Lin?"
Peter neither confirmed nor denied:
"Go quickly."
The Secretary left, bewildered. Thinking of Peter's instructions, he was in a difficult position.
Clearly, Standard Chartered and Lin Feng were friends, not enemies, at least for now.
So the problem arose.
Who should he find to investigate?
This person was not easy to find; if he found the wrong person and caused a misunderstanding with Lin Feng, a good thing would turn into a bad one.
The Secretary thought about his connections and suddenly his eyes lit up, he could find him!
So, he called—George!
The Secretary calling George had a reason; given his status, calling George was just right.
Don't look at George as a senior agent of the Military Intelligence Agency, seeming high and mighty.
But in the eyes of industrialists, especially famous industrialists in Hong Kong, a senior agent of the Military Intelligence Agency was just so-so.
George understood as soon as he heard:
"You want to inquire about Mr. Lin, then you've really found the right person."
"Mr. Lin's biggest characteristic is his well-informed nature."
The Secretary was astonished:
"Well-informed?"
George was slightly proud:
"As well-informed as a prophet."
The Secretary didn't believe him:
"Are you kidding?"
George chuckled:
"Do you believe that Mr. Lin will immediately know the content of your conversation with me?"
The Secretary shook his head:
"I don't believe it!"
George smiled:
"No, you will believe it."
"He'll know as soon as our call ends."
The Secretary's eyes widened:
"Impossible!"
George explained:
"I'll tell Mr. Lin."
The Secretary was so scared his eyes almost popped out:
"What?"
George was very calm:
"My relationship with Mr. Lin is very good, so I naturally won't hide it from him."
The Secretary was terrified:
"George, the Chairman just asked me to investigate Mr. Lin's characteristics, he doesn't want to have a conflict with him."
"You absolutely must not transmit the wrong message!"