Chapter 452 Unexpected Evidence, Live Public Address
In the evening, after having dinner with Ma Shimin, Lin Haoran returned to his villa on Sassoon Road. Not long after he arrived, a servant came to report that Cui Zilong, the General Manager of Oriental Press Group, was visiting. Lin Haoran immediately stood up and personally went to welcome Cui Zilong inside.
"Mr. Cui, since you came in person, does it mean you have obtained some important information?" Lin Haoran asked curiously.
"Boss, let's talk in the study," suggested Cui Zilong, carrying a briefcase.
Lin Haoran nodded and led Cui Zilong into the study on the first floor. After closing the door, Cui Zilong eagerly opened his briefcase and took out several photos, handing them to Lin Haoran.
"Boss, after thorough investigation, we have confirmed that the media narrative led by Sing Tao Daily, Overseas Chinese Daily News, and Hong Kong Industrial & Commercial Daily is indeed connected to Jardines Matheson. At first, we focused our investigation on Jardines Matheson directly but found nothing. Later, we shifted our strategy to focus on the heads of those newspapers, but still came up empty—clearly, their confidentiality measures were very tight. That's why we hadn't been able to uncover any solid evidence for so long. However, by a stroke of luck, we obtained sufficient proof of the financial relationship between Jardines Matheson and those newspapers."
"These photographs are the evidence," he said, handing the prints to Lin Haoran. "We bought them from a photographer who initially approached our Oriental Daily reporter. As the leading newspaper in Hong Kong, we often purchase interesting news photographs at high prices, and this photographer simply wanted to make a good sale, unaware of the immense value these photos held for us."
Lin Haoran remained silent as he took the photos and began examining them one by one. Though not very clear, the subjects' faces were distinguishable. It appeared to be a private booth in a café, and the photos were clearly taken from a building across the street—evidently, they were candid shots. In every picture, Lin Haoran quickly spotted a familiar face: Bautista, the former General Manager of Jardines Matheson. Also visible in each photo was a box filled neatly with Hong Kong dollars.
"Boss, look, here is Bautista meeting with the General Manager of Sing Tao Daily at the Atlantic Café in Central. The next two photos show Bautista meeting with the Chief Editors of Overseas Chinese Daily News and Hong Kong Industrial & Commercial Daily, respectively. Although we don't know exactly what was said, these photos are enough to prove that some kind of transaction was taking place. They thought being in a café's private booth would ensure their safety, but they neglected to close the curtains, allowing them to be photographed from the building opposite," Ma Shimin explained while pointing at the people in the photos.
Lin Haoran nodded thoughtfully. He knew Bautista well, though he was unfamiliar with the others in the pictures. Bautista, once the General Manager and Executive Director of Jardines Matheson, had returned to its senior management after British interests regained control of Jardines Matheson. This move stemmed from Bautista betraying Jardines Matheson's original leader Nobby Clive during previous struggles against Lin Haoran, siding instead with Henry Keswick and other British groups. Although they ultimately failed, Henry Keswick recognized Bautista's loyalty and reinstated him after regaining Jardines Matheson. As for Nobby Clive, after being ousted by Henry Keswick and others, he had tried to join Jardines Matheson to replace Ma Shimin but was firmly blocked by Lin Haoran, eventually leaving Hong Kong in defeat.
Lin Haoran carefully scrutinized every detail in the photographs, especially the boxes full of Hong Kong dollars, which served as the strongest evidence of these secret transactions. His gaze lingered long on the cash-filled boxes, silent witnesses to the dark deals and power plays behind the scenes.
"Mr. Cui, excellent work. These photos are more than enough," Lin Haoran laughed heartily after finally looking up.
"It really was pure luck," Cui Zilong said with a bitter smile. "If that photographer hadn't contacted our Oriental Daily reporter, we might still be looking for any proof connecting Jardines Matheson to those newspapers."
"I understand," Lin Haoran replied with a smile. "Their dealings were exceptionally discreet, limited to high-level secret meetings, leaving almost no traces. Even for us, it would have been nearly impossible to uncover their dealings without luck."
After handing over the evidence, Cui Zilong soon bid farewell and left.
Lin Haoran returned to the study and sat down again, gazing at the photos.
"Jardines Matheson, you just won't give up, huh?" he muttered.
Even with Jardines Matheson about to exit Hong Kong, they still managed to cause trouble. Their spirit of retaliation was indeed strong.
However, if they wanted to play hardball, Lin Haoran wasn't going to be lenient either.
Now that he had confirmed Jardines Matheson was the mastermind behind the crisis, he was determined to teach them a harsh lesson. As for the implicated media outlets, he wouldn't spare them either.
If they wanted to use him as a tool to make money, they would have to pay the price.
With the power he now held, a few media outlets daring to exploit him was laughable.
After putting away the photos, Lin Haoran didn't dwell on the matter anymore. He washed up early and went to bed.
That night, Lin Haoran had his driver pick up Guan Jiahui.
Tonight was special—it was New Year's Eve.
Since coming back, he hadn't seen Guan Jiahui yet, so it was the perfect opportunity to bring her over.
When Guan Jiahui saw Lin Haoran, she was ecstatic, eager to share everything she had experienced during the past few weeks.
After Lin Haoran took control of Jardines Matheson, he had personally chosen a shop of over 300 square meters for Guan Jiahui near the Landmark building in Central, intended for her to run a high-end clothing business.
Not only that, but he had arranged for her to join one of Jardines Matheson's premium fashion brands, ensuring that all supplies came directly from its professional subsidiaries—both convenient and efficient.
Guan Jiahui didn't have to pay any rent or franchise fees, only the cost of goods.
With Lin Haoran's strong backing, her business flourished.
According to Guan Jiahui, after deducting costs, she had made nearly 100,000 Hong Kong dollars net profit this month—something she had never dared to imagine.
Despite her inexperience, thanks to the waived rent and franchise fees, her overheads were low and her profits impressive.
Naturally, her gratitude toward Lin Haoran grew even deeper.
When the midnight bell rang twelve times, the sound seemed to transcend time, heralding the end of the old year and the arrival of the new.
Time, the silent traveler, had quietly stepped over the threshold of 1980 into the unknown and hopeful 1981.
At that moment, the sky above Victoria Harbour lit up, and colorful fireworks streaked across the night sky like meteors, blossoming into magnificent displays.
Some sparkled like stars, twinkling softly;
Some shot across the heavens like showers of meteors, leaving dazzling trails;
Others burst open like flowers, painting the night sky in dreamlike colors.
In the villa on Sassoon Road, Guan Jiahui clung tightly to Lin Haoran, her cheeks flushed.
Together, they experienced a very meaningful New Year's Eve.
The next morning, Lin Haoran got up full of energy.
Although Guan Jiahui had been exhausted from the night's festivities, she too got up early.
She explained that it was New Year's Day, and business at the store would likely be booming, so she wanted to get there early to prepare.
Lin Haoran simply arranged for Li Weidong to drive her to the Landmark.
As for himself, he stayed home, enjoying a leisurely breakfast while reading the newspaper.
As expected, today's editions of Sing Tao Daily, Overseas Chinese Daily News, and Hong Kong Industrial & Commercial Daily contained no more articles about the real estate crisis.
It was clear they had received Governor MacLehose's instructions to rein in their previous aggressive reporting.
However, the impact of their previous stories had already deeply affected public sentiment.
Even without further coverage, discussions among the public about the real estate crisis remained heated.
Around eight o'clock, Lin Haoran dressed neatly and made a call to TVB's Board Chairman, Shao Yifu, requesting about ten minutes of airtime during Jade Channel's prime-time New Year's special that evening.
He planned to deliver an important public address to all Hong Kong viewers.
As one of TVB's major shareholders, although Lin Haoran did not involve himself in the station's management, Shao Yifu could not refuse such a request.
Thus, upon hearing Lin Haoran's call, Shao Yifu immediately agreed to adjust the scheduled programming for the New Year's show to make room for Lin Haoran's live broadcast.
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