Chapter 457 Simon Keswick in Panic
On the television screen, Lin Haoran held up the photographs, his face impassive as he continued his speech.
"At first, when Sing Tao Daily, Overseas Chinese Daily, and Hong Kong Industrial & Commercial Daily began steering public opinion, I naïvely thought they were merely chasing public attention and newspaper sales. However, when I accidentally acquired these three crucial photographs, I suddenly realized that behind it all lurked a massive conspiracy. In this world, how many coincidences can there really be? The executives of these newspapers just happened to meet with the senior figures of Jardines Matheson during this exact period, and each received a box full of cash.
I believe that by now, everyone watching must have already understood the real truth behind this sudden real estate crisis in Hong Kong. I must admit, during the acquisition battles involving Jardines Matheson and Jardines Matheson Holdings, I indeed touched the vested interests behind Jardines Matheson, but all of it was part of fair commercial competition. However, for the sake of revenge, Jardines Matheson was willing to drag down Hong Kong's entire real estate market with them. This is something I never anticipated!
It reminds me of over half a year ago when Hongkong Electric's Fortress brand was smeared by Jardines Matheson's department store chain and the Hong Kong Times, even going so far as to collude with corrupt police officers. Today, the same dirty tricks have surfaced again, making me deeply concerned about Hong Kong's business environment. What I long for is a fair, just, and open market. Even in fierce competition, I hope to see honorable confrontation, not underhanded tricks and conspiracies. Thus, I urge the Governor's Office to step forward to uphold justice and fairness!
At the same time, I hope Hong Kong's media will engage in more truthful reporting and less fake news, working together to convey positive energy and contribute to Hong Kong's development.
Today is New Year's Day. TVB's Jade Channel will soon present a wonderful New Year's Eve show. I, Lin Haoran, will end my remarks here so as not to delay your enjoyment of the evening's festivities. I sincerely wish every viewer a prosperous and harmonious new year!"
Finishing his speech, Lin Haoran gave a deep, sincere bow to the audience, expressing his heartfelt wishes.
He then left the studio, returning control to the TV station.
Checking the time, he noted that he had used just about ten minutes, as planned.
Immediately afterward, Jade Channel resumed its normal programming and officially launched its New Year's Gala.
Meanwhile, Lin Haoran returned to the Chairman's office.
Shao Yifu had been watching the entire speech with keen attention.
Seeing Lin Haoran walk in, Shao Yifu personally stood up to greet him, his eyes full of admiration.
"Haoran, among all the Chinese entrepreneurs in Hong Kong, you are the boldest. You even dare to openly challenge the British financial groups. Truly admirable!" Shao Yifu said sincerely.
This was not empty praise.
In Hong Kong, due to the Governor's favoritism, the British were seen as inherently superior, while the Chinese were often treated as second-class citizens.
Even someone as powerful as Shao Yifu would avoid clashing directly with the British elites, instead choosing a policy of peace and compromise whenever possible.
It wasn't because they lacked courage, but because reality forced them to act cautiously.
British groups had the full backing of the Governor's Office; offending them could result in catastrophic consequences.
Bao Yugang was one rare exception who succeeded in seizing control of Wharf Holdings from under Jardines Matheson's nose, but he had strong support from HSBC and had already obtained British citizenship, giving him leverage.
Other Chinese tycoons didn't have such advantages.
Who else, besides Bao Yugang, would dare to repeatedly confront the British conglomerates as Lin Haoran had?
There was practically no one else in Hong Kong like him.
This wasn't even the first time.
Previously, Lin Haoran had forced Nobby Clive, Jardines Matheson's former taipan, to publicly apologize on live television—an unprecedented victory for Chinese entrepreneurs.
Now, history was repeating itself—and on an even larger scale.
Lin Haoran's live broadcast detonated across all sectors of Hong Kong society.
Ordinary citizens, previously worried about the real estate market, regained confidence because of his speech.
Meanwhile, the credibility of Hong Kong's mainstream media plunged into an unprecedented crisis.
In a villa on the Peak, Simon Keswick, current taipan of Jardines Matheson, had just hung up a furious phone call with Bautista and now sat fuming, his face livid.
He had just berated Bautista harshly.
If Bautista had done his job properly, how could things have been exposed?
But what good was blaming subordinates now?
Their entire plan—to disrupt Hong Kong's real estate market and let Lin Haoran take the blame—had been meticulously crafted by the Keswick family as a form of revenge.
Their goal was clear: to strike Lin Haoran hard, ruin his influence in Hong Kong's property market, and leave him disgraced.
They figured that since Jardines Matheson was pulling out of Hong Kong and had no further ties to the local market, the crash of Hong Kong real estate would not affect them.
Their scheme had been so secretive, using Bautista to meet media heads discreetly at their own Atlantic Café.
They thought everything was airtight.
But what they didn't anticipate was a tiny oversight—the café's window had been left open.
Someone had captured everything from across the street.
This fatal blunder destroyed their plan.
Instead of a silent takedown, they had exposed themselves to the entire city, turning public opinion sharply against them.
Simon Keswick gripped his wine glass tightly, the wine inside swirling unstably, yet he did not drink a drop.
He stared through the villa's floor-to-ceiling windows at the glittering lights of Hong Kong, his heart weighed down by gloom.
He realized that not only had they failed to damage Lin Haoran, but Jardines Matheson's reputation was now in ruins.
Could Jardines Matheson deny it? Everyone could see the truth clearly.
"We underestimated him. We underestimated this young man," Simon Keswick muttered grimly.
Although he couldn't yet foresee the full consequences, he knew they would be severe.
Even though Jardines Matheson's business in Hong Kong had already shrunk to less than 10%, and most operations had moved overseas, they still owned multiple key commercial properties and controlled Jardines Securities, a giant in the financial sector.
Thus, even if Jardines Matheson's focus was no longer in Hong Kong, he couldn't afford to be careless.
This incident touched a nerve across Hong Kong's business community and unexpectedly dragged the Governor's Office into the fray, making the situation even more sensitive.
Everyone knew that today's government land auction had resulted in significant losses for the Governor's Office.
Simon Keswick had known about the auction results as soon as they came out.
At that time, he had remained calm because he thought his connection to the conspiracy was still hidden.
As long as no one knew, he thought, even if the Governor's Office was furious, it had nothing to do with Jardines Matheson.
But now, their involvement was public knowledge.
Simon Keswick understood that if they mishandled this, it could severely damage Jardines Matheson's remaining assets in Hong Kong and spark a wider political storm.
Especially critical was the need to maintain good relations with the Governor's Office—otherwise, their global business interests could suffer too.
As a British firm, Jardines Matheson answered ultimately to Britain, just like the Governor's Office.
This incident was, in effect, an embarrassment to Britain itself.
Even as Jardines Matheson prepared to relocate its headquarters to London, this scandal would make that move awkward and humiliating.
Panic gnawed at Simon Keswick.
He hurriedly grabbed the phone again and dialed his elder brother Henry Keswick in Britain.
Fortunately, it was still afternoon in the UK, and Henry answered quickly.
Simon Keswick, without leaving out a single detail, explained everything that had happened—including Lin Haoran's televised exposé and the devastating potential fallout.
Once he finished, he anxiously waited, hoping that Henry Keswick's experience and sharp judgment could provide a way out of this mess.
On the other end of the line, Henry Keswick fell silent, deeply considering every possible course of action.
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