Chapter 451 Almost Trapped by the Governor
Night quietly fell. Though the sun had not completely disappeared below the horizon, the streetlights of Hong Kong had already begun to bloom impatiently. The brilliant lights of Connaught Centre shone dazzlingly amidst the bustle of Central, echoing the enchanting lights of Victoria Harbour in the distance, welcoming the arrival of the night.
Lin Haoran leaned against the spacious floor-to-ceiling window, holding a cup of tea, leisurely enjoying the lingering glow of the sunset on the western horizon, while immersing himself in the mesmerizing nightscape gradually unfolding over Hong Kong.
Compared to other businessmen who were overwhelmed by the daily grind of managing their companies, Lin Haoran appeared exceptionally calm and composed.
He did not need to involve himself in the daily affairs of his various enterprises. Instead, he focused more on strategizing from behind the scenes, occasionally offering insights based on knowledge from his past life. That was the beauty of delegating authority.
In contrast, figures like Bao Yugang, Shao Yifu, and Li Jiacheng all personally managed their companies and expended considerable energy every day on operations.
In Lin Haoran's view, such a lifestyle was unnecessarily exhausting.
What he pursued was the lifestyle of a truly wealthy man: letting his subordinates generate wealth for him daily, while he relied on his past life's accumulated knowledge and experience to calmly steer the overall direction and maintain control over the big picture.
At that moment, the telephone on the table suddenly rang, interrupting his thoughts.
Ma Shimin had gone downstairs in the afternoon to the Dairy Farm International office to discuss entry into the Japanese market with their general manager and had not yet returned.
Since he was absent, Lin Haoran simply picked up the receiver.
"Mr. Ma? May I speak to Mr. Lin? I have something urgent to discuss with him," came the voice of Governor Murray MacLehose over the line.
Originally, Lin Haoran thought the call was for Ma Shimin, but surprisingly, it was the Governor himself, whom he had met just this afternoon.
Lin Haoran smiled slightly, having already guessed part of the reason for the call.
For the Governor to call so urgently, it was clear a decision had been made.
He had thought the Governor would notify him tomorrow, but it seemed he could not wait.
"Governor, this is Lin Haoran," Lin Haoran replied with a smile.
On the other end, Governor MacLehose's voice came, slightly hurried but still polite: "Good evening, Mr. Lin. After urgent discussions this afternoon, the government has decided to accept your proposal to defer the land payment by three years."
Lin Haoran was not particularly surprised by the news; it was within his expectations.
He smiled and said, "Governor, your decision is very wise. This will be a win-win situation for both Jardines Matheson and the Governor's Office. Moreover, I will have TVB and the Oriental Daily News assist in restoring confidence in Hong Kong's real estate market."
"Indeed, Mr. Lin, we hope to stabilize the real estate market as soon as possible. Your participation will be key. We look forward to seeing Jardines Matheson shine at tomorrow's auction," MacLehose responded with a smile as well.
"Governor, I do have one concern. As I understand it, Swire Pacific and Wheelock Marden will also be participating in the bidding. If they drive up the prices, we might not continue bidding," Lin Haoran raised an issue at that point.
There was a brief silence on the other end.
Had Lin Haoran been able to see Governor MacLehose at that moment, he would have noticed the Governor wiping sweat from his forehead.
In fact, MacLehose had indeed had a plan.
He knew Swire Pacific and Wheelock Marden would participate in the auction only out of courtesy and had no real intention of bidding aggressively.
During their conversation earlier, they hadn't discussed any limits on the final auction price.
Thus, MacLehose had planned to have Swire Pacific bid lightly, just enough to raise the prices slightly—a few billion extra Hong Kong dollars would still be a gain.
As for Wheelock Marden, since Jardines Matheson was a major shareholder, he did not plan to involve them in the same tactic.
However, with Lin Haoran suddenly bringing this up, he could no longer proceed with that idea.
It seemed there would be no way to squeeze those extra billions after all.
Since he needed Jardines Matheson to acquire all five plots to demonstrate full confidence in the market, having Lin Haoran pull out of any single bid would weaken that perception. Only by securing all five plots could Lin Haoran truly show faith in Hong Kong real estate.
MacLehose sighed and said, "Mr. Lin, rest assured. Barring any surprises, Jardines Matheson should be able to acquire the plots at their starting prices."
"Governor, you can rest assured that Jardines Matheson will not let the government down. We will secure all five plots tomorrow," Lin Haoran responded with a smile, hearing the Governor's helpless tone.
He had almost fallen into the Governor's trap.
It was only during a discussion earlier with Ma Shimin about the Governor's Office that Ma had mentioned this possible concern.
Now, judging from MacLehose's tone, it was clear that he had indeed intended such a maneuver.
But Lin Haoran's timely mention had forced him to abandon the idea.
"Well then, Mr. Lin, I won't keep you any longer tonight. I look forward to good news from you tomorrow," MacLehose said, signaling the end of the conversation.
"Goodbye, Governor."
After hanging up, Lin Haoran stood up and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, overlooking the bustling international city.
By now, the afterglow of the sunset had completely vanished, and night had fully enveloped the city.
However, the brightly lit streets of Hong Kong were dazzling.
The lights of the night spoke silently of the city's stories and hopes.
Through the agreement reached with the Governor's Office, the five plots were now essentially secured.
Adding five more premium plots to Jardines Matheson's portfolio was certainly great news for Lin Haoran.
Acquiring five plots for only 3 billion Hong Kong dollars was an incredibly low price.
It must be understood that in another timeline, Jardines Matheson spent 4.755 billion HKD in early 1982 just to secure the Exchange Square plot.
At that time, the Hong Kong real estate crisis had not officially erupted, and property prices, though stagnant, still maintained 1981 levels.
Thus, many developers, including the powerful Jardines Matheson, did not believe a crisis was imminent, which explained why they dared to bid so high.
Of the five plots to be auctioned tomorrow, two were located in Central, and their positions were even better than that of the Exchange Square plot.
The Exchange Square plot measured 144,000 square feet—not small at all.
The combined area of the two Central plots was comparable.
The other three plots, while slightly less prime than the two Central plots, were still top-tier and not far behind in value.
Thus, acquiring five such plots for just 3 billion HKD was an absolute bargain, much lower than it should have been.
After all, this was only the starting price, a very normal valuation.
Under normal circumstances, after competitive bidding, prices would rise by 50% or even double.
Earlier, Lin Haoran had ordered Jardines Matheson and Manching Group to sell off over thirty real estate projects, properties, and commercial buildings, saturating the market.
Coupled with the sudden media-fueled real estate panic over the past few days, developers were now hesitant to participate in government land auctions.
Thus, instead of reaching 4, 5, or even 6 billion HKD, the five plots would likely be acquired at starting prices without competition.
Shortly after, Ma Shimin hurried back.
"Boss, after careful discussions with the general manager of Dairy Farm International, we decided to invest in Japan's largest bakery company, Yamazaki Baking, as our first step into the Japanese market.
We also plan to introduce the Wellcome, Mannings, Health & Beauty chains, and Maxim's Cakes brands into Japan.
After thorough analysis, we concluded that Japan's large population, strong consumer spending power, and demand for high-quality goods make it a market we cannot afford to miss!"
As soon as he entered, Ma Shimin eagerly reported.
Lin Haoran nodded and smiled, "If you believe it's a good opportunity, go ahead!"
He had no objections to entering a large, wealthy market like Japan, where losses were unlikely.
However, if they wanted to invest heavily in a small, sparsely populated country like New Zealand, he would have objected.
International expansion was not to be pursued blindly, and Lin Haoran supported sensible growth.
"With your support, Boss, I am even more confident in Dairy Farm International's global strategy!" Ma Shimin answered enthusiastically.
"By the way, I just spoke with Governor MacLehose. The government has approved our deferred payment request, and the other two competitors are unlikely to bid.
If everything goes smoothly, we should be able to secure all five plots at the starting price," Lin Haoran briefly informed Ma Shimin.
Upon hearing this, Ma Shimin's face lit up with joy. "That's wonderful, Boss! This will be a new opportunity for Jardines Matheson's growth."
Once they secured the five plots, and with their current cash reserves, Jardines Matheson could quickly start development projects.
In the coming years, the company would add five more prime properties to its portfolio, solidifying its position as the top real estate developer in Hong Kong.
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