Chapter 193 Jardines Matheson's Dawn Raid
On the morning of the second day of the new year, Lin Haoran was still asleep when he was woken up by a knock on his door.
Outside was one of the Lin family's Filipino maids.
"Young Master, Madam asked me to wake you. Second Miss and Third Miss have already arrived," the maid reported when Lin Haoran opened the door.
"Alright, I'll be down shortly," Lin Haoran replied with a yawn.
Checking his watch, he saw that it was already ten in the morning—no wonder his two elder sisters had already come over.
After returning from the Governor's House last night, Lin Haoran hadn't gone to bed immediately.
Meeting so many influential figures required some time to process.
Each of them, if relationships were well maintained, could provide him with invaluable help, especially those in politics.
After a quick wash, Lin Haoran changed into a set of casual home clothes and stuffed a few red envelopes into his pocket before heading downstairs.
Even before reaching the bottom of the stairs, he could already hear the lively chatter from the living room.
"Second Sister, Second Brother-in-law, Third Sister, Third Brother-in-law, Happy New Year!" Lin Haoran greeted warmly as he stepped into the bustling first-floor hall, where more than a dozen family members were gathered.
There were no fewer than six children alone.
His second sister had three children, the third sister had two, plus his elder brother's son.
"Uncle Haoran, wishing you wealth and prosperity—hand over the red envelopes!" shouted his second sister's eldest son, a lively elementary schooler, rushing up to Lin Haoran impatiently.
"Alright, alright, everyone gets two red envelopes!" Lin Haoran laughed heartily.
He handed out red envelopes, making sure not to leave out his nephew Lin Jianbin, whom he had already gifted once.
"Haoran, you've made it big now. You'll have to look after us from now on!" his second brother-in-law said, stepping forward to shake Lin Haoran's hand with a smile.
His third brother-in-law also came over to exchange greetings.
Nowadays, Lin Haoran was someone they all looked up to—a true heavyweight in the business world.
It was no exaggeration to say that even if the two family lines and the original Lin family joined forces, they couldn't match the strength of a single Hong Kong Electric Group.
Meanwhile, they were just employees in their respective family businesses.
"Second Brother-in-law, Third Brother-in-law, have you thought about starting your own businesses? If you have any such plans, I could provide some support," Lin Haoran said with a smile.
His two elder sisters had always treated him well, and he knew how to repay kindness.
Both brothers-in-law were around thirty years old, younger than Lin Haoning. Though they held managerial positions in their family businesses, their actual authority was limited.
Moreover, their family backgrounds were stronger than the Lin family's, with many relatives involved. Holding significant positions might be possible, but becoming true heirs would be difficult.
That was why Lin Haoran suggested they venture out independently.
Given his current influence in the business world, it wouldn't be difficult for him to offer meaningful support.
Moreover, he had knowledge of future trends; while he might not guarantee they would become top tycoons, surpassing their family businesses wouldn't be hard.
Just like Amigo's general manager Liu Luanxiong, who, coming from a powerful family but sidelined in its business, had started his own company and eventually far surpassed his family's original enterprise.
If his second and third brothers-in-law were willing to strike out on their own, Lin Haoran would certainly back them.
With his resources and a little guidance, their futures would be very bright.
Hearing Lin Haoran's offer, both brothers-in-law beamed with joy.
After all, with Lin Haoran's position as Chairman of Hong Kong Electric Group, just one project referral could greatly change their fortunes.
"Haoran, are you serious? I've long wanted to start my own business. In the family company, the old guard never trusts me. If you're serious, we must have a proper discussion. I'd love some advice from you," said the second brother-in-law, excitement flashing in his eyes.
"Haoran, I'm planning to set up a human resources company. What do you think? Hong Kong has so many factories, and they all need lots of workers. I think this could be a promising field," the third brother-in-law added eagerly.
"Second Brother-in-law, it depends on what industries interest you most. I can certainly offer some suggestions.
As for you, Third Brother-in-law, a human resources company is indeed a good idea. My own fan factory employs over ten thousand workers during peak season. And the construction industry needs large numbers of workers too.
If you can get your company up and running, I can hand over recruitment tasks to you. If you want to set up a high-end headhunting agency, I can also provide business leads. But of course, the talents you find must meet quality standards," Lin Haoran replied with a smile.
"Third Brother-in-law, my Wanfeng Fan Factory also needs a lot of assembly line workers during the summer. If you want to do this, you'd better get started quickly," Lin Haoning chimed in, expressing his support.
Seeing the family gathered happily, Mother Lin looked on with great satisfaction.
"Haoran, when are you going to find yourself a wife? Mom was just saying she wants to be a grandmother soon," Third Sister teased.
Lin Haoran was now 26 years old—indeed at a typical marriageable age. Even in major families, many married around this age or younger.
But he wasn't in a hurry.
"Third Sister, I'm focused on my career right now. I don't have time for romance. Once my career is stable, I'll think about it," Lin Haoran said with a wry smile.
He stayed home all day at Deep Water Bay.
After lunch, however, his elder brother Lin Haoning left with his wife and son to visit his wife's family.
In the afternoon, Lin Haoran personally took gifts and went over to Bao Yugang's nearby villa to pay New Year's greetings.
Since Bao Yugang was a senior figure in the business world and had helped Lin Haoran considerably during the acquisition of Cheung Chau Cement Company and in oil purchasing deals, it was only right for Lin Haoran to visit him to pay New Year's greetings—especially since the two families lived just a few minutes' walk apart.
At Bao Yugang's home, Lin Haoran chatted with the world-renowned shipping tycoon for a long time.
Now, Bao Yugang's attitude toward Lin Haoran was no longer that of a senior addressing a junior, but rather one of equals.
Although it had been over half a year since Bao acquired control of Wharf Holdings, he was still recuperating and had temporarily lost much of his ambition in Hong Kong's business scene.
During the acquisition of Wharf, Bao's family had incurred a staggering debt of 2.1 billion Hong Kong dollars—a heavy burden not easily resolved.
Earlier this year, to reduce their debt ratio, Global Shipping Group had to sell off many of their ships, most of which were purchased by Wheelock's subsidiary, Wheelock Maritime.
Nevertheless, Bao's timing in acquiring Wharf had been impeccable, as real estate prices were on the rise, and the properties owned by Wharf were appreciating sharply.
In a year or so, the value of their holdings would likely double. Although Bao's family had suffered severe losses due to the acquisition's high premium, they would eventually recover and profit handsomely.
Chatting with Bao Yugang gave Lin Haoran many insights. Bao often shared stories of past business battles—each one a priceless experience.
Compared to his father Lin Wanan's business experiences, Bao Yugang's stories were far richer and more instructive.
After all, Lin Wanan had only played in Hong Kong's small business circles, whereas Bao Yugang had operated on the global stage and was respected by world leaders—the difference in scale was vast.
Additionally, Lin Haoran was introduced to Bao Yugang's four sons-in-law.
Surprisingly, only one of Bao's sons-in-law was a native of Hong Kong; the other three came from different countries. It wasn't an exaggeration to say Bao's sons-in-law could form a small "United Nations."
After spending more than two hours at Bao's home, Lin Haoran finally took his leave.
Bao had invited Lin Haoran to stay for dinner, but Lin declined, saying he had his own family waiting at home.
After all, today was a day for family reunions, and it would have been awkward for him to join someone else's family dinner.
That evening, Lin Haoran's second and third sisters and their families all stayed at the Lin family villa.
With so many children around, Lin Haoran—the beloved "Uncle Haoran"—asked Li Weiguo to buy a large batch of fireworks to entertain them.
The fireworks from New Year's Eve had long since been used up.
His elder brother Lin Haoning didn't return that night; he likely stayed over at his father-in-law's home.
Still, the Lin family was lively and joyful. Among all the days of the year, the second day of the New Year was the liveliest at the Lin household.
Throughout the day, Lin Wanan and Mother Lin wore smiles that never left their faces.
In a blink, another night passed.
On the morning of the third day of the New Year, Lin Haoran originally planned to head straight to Hong Kong Electric Group.
But Mother Lin asked if he wanted to visit his maternal grandfather's home.
Since his work wasn't urgent, Lin Haoran decided to pay the visit.
However, by noon, Lin Haoran had to rush off to Hong Kong Electric Group.
The reason was that Chen Shoulin had called, telling him that Jardines Matheson had launched their assault on China Gas Company!
After hurriedly bidding farewell to his maternal relatives, Lin Haoran rushed to the Hong Kong Electric Group headquarters.
At 12:30 PM, Lin Haoran appeared in the General Manager's office at Hong Kong Electric Group.
"Boss, this morning, after the stock market opened, China Gas Company's shares were heavily bought, causing the stock price to surge. By the noon break, the market capitalization had risen from 590 million to 720 million Hong Kong dollars. Trading volume reached nearly five times the volume of the previous trading day.
We just got the news—Jardines Matheson's subsidiary, Jardine Fleming Securities, in collaboration with Hongkong Land, launched a 'Dawn Raid' against China Gas Company. They announced a joint investment of 120 million Hong Kong dollars to acquire approximately 15% of the shares. This move pushed China Gas Company's market cap up to 800 million.
The news has already caused an uproar. This afternoon, China Gas Company's shares are expected to flood the market. After all, many people believe the company isn't worth such a high valuation, so many retail investors are likely to sell," Chen Shoulin reported without even exchanging pleasantries.
"How many shares have they secured so far? Any idea?" Lin Haoran frowned and asked.
"Jardines Matheson hasn't officially announced it. But based on our estimates, they control at least 25% of the shares.
Previously, they were already believed to hold nearly 20%, which explains their confidence.
After today's massive buying spree in the secondary market, it's highly probable that they now control around 25%. With their public offer to purchase an additional 15%, Jardines Matheson would control about 40% of China Gas Company.
That would be enough for them to become the company's major shareholder and seize control," Chen Shoulin explained.
Lin Haoran nodded, falling into deep thought.
At the close of the previous trading day, Hong Kong Electric Group already held about 8% of China Gas Company, with Huanyu Investment controlling another 2.8%.
In total, he controlled about 10.8%—still far short of Jardines Matheson's holdings.
With such a gap, and based on what Chen Shoulin reported, it would be very difficult to outcompete Jardines Matheson through normal means.
Meanwhile, the Chinese consortium led by Li Mingze still held about 33% of the shares.
If Lin Haoran allied with the Chinese shareholders, even if Jardines Matheson secured 40% ownership, they still wouldn't control China Gas Company.
Together, their combined holdings would exceed 43%.
However, Lin Haoran had no intention of cooperating.
Such a move would bring him no benefit.
Even if Jardines Matheson failed to take over China Gas Company, Lin Haoran still wouldn't have actual control.
What he wanted was real control of China Gas Company!
And just buying shares in the secondary market wouldn't be enough—not even enough to outdo Jardines Matheson.
(This chapter ends.)
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