Zhang Yida and the others arrived at the Jardine Matheson Group in Hong Kong, and after informing them of their intentions, the reception staff of the group led them to a luxuriously decorated living room.

Huang Hongnian sat on the sofa, looking through the internal magazines of the Jardine Matheson Group on the coffee table, while taking a sip of tea.

Zhang Yida stood up, clasped his hands on his chest, and quietly observed the huge oil painting hanging on the wall.

A young foreigner wears a tuxedo jacket and a white bow tie, a pair of high-waisted wide-leg pants on the lower half of his body, and a white wig on his head.

is the kind of justice's curly wig that can often be seen in Hong Kong dramas.

From the Middle Ages onwards, wigs were worn by the upper class of the European aristocracy, not just for legal practitioners.

It is also said that in medieval Europe, there was no hygiene, and lice often grew on the head, so people began to cut their hair short.

Wearing a wig is not only a symbol of status strength, but also can cover up unsightly short hair and baldness.

During the Qing Dynasty, Europeans began frequent exchanges with China.

The Qing Dynasty, with pigtails and braided pigtails and well-shaved heads, became the object of contempt for Europeans.

The Europeans said: We bald people all know to wear a wig to cover our shame, and you are better to deliberately shave baldness.

So the Europeans gave the Qing Dynasty braid the nickname "Pigtail", which translates to pig's tail.

According to the British missionary Andrew: once he witnessed a 20-year-old Chinese cleaning the long braids on the back of his head, he had not washed his hair for a month, and when the braids were untied, a sour smell came to his nose, and he couldn't help but vomit on the spot.

Therefore, these have become one of the symbols of ignorance in the eyes of Westerners.

After Jardine Matheson Group's senior classman Li Tingji walked into the living room, he found Zhang Yida looking at the oil painting, and said with a smile: "This is the portrait of Sir William Jardine, the founder of Jardine Group."

He was a shipboard doctor for the East India Company and later founded our nearly 200-year-old Jardine Matheson & Company.

He was an adventurer, a great wise man and a pioneer!"

Li Tingji thought he was Chinese when he heard the name, but he was actually an authentic gray-haired British old man.

Hearing that he admired the promoters of the Opium War so much, Zhang Yida couldn't help but frown and reminded: "Sir, the opium trade is an immoral thing that has caused great suffering to the people of this ancient country where you have stepped on the land under your feet. ”

Li Dingji glanced at Zhang Yida, put away his smile, and said lightly: "I want to correct your point of view, Jardine Matheson was only allowed to trade in China at that time, and sold opium to Chinese middlemen who were willing to buy opium.

As for the spread of opium in China later, it is the fault of the Chinese themselves, who made them love to smoke opium so much?

At that time, it was legal for us to sell opium in Britain, but not many people were addicted to opium, so why are there so many in China?

I think all this is to blame on the corrupt and incompetent Qing Dynasty in the final analysis.

The Chinese people were innocent, and so were the British traders. ”

Zhang Yida laughed angrily: "But at that time, China had banned smoking, and Britain did not hesitate to launch the Opium War for this. The aim is to legalize the opium trade!"

Lai Ting-ji said: "That's right, Britain started the Opium War. But that's because until then, the Qing government had been discriminating against foreigners and foreign businessmen.

In addition, the Chinese at that time were reluctant to buy foreign goods, and China's trade with other countries has been in a surplus, which is not fair trade.

In addition, the Qing government's methods of banning opium were very brutal, and in the process of banning opium, they also abused British opium dealers and their families and their women.

So this war is a legitimate war to protect human rights, to protect citizens' property and trade. ”

Zhang Yida himself is a student of history and is very familiar with this history of humiliation.

Lai's words are partly true, but they are clearly evasive.

He sneered: "At that time, the only thing that could produce a surplus in trade with China was opium! This was a war waged for commercial interests, and there was no need to find any fig leaf."

Before Britain launched the Opium War, William Gladstone, a member of the British Parliament, publicly called the opium trade "unjust and evil".

He also said that the merchants who lobbied Britain to wage the Opium War at the time were using the British flag to "protect their notorious smuggling business."

And Warren Delano, an American businessman who also made a fortune from the opium trade in China, also admitted in a letter home that the opium trade was morally untenable, and he also confessed:

But as a businessman, I still have to tell others that the opium trade is fair, honorable, and legitimate.

This Warren Delano is not an ordinary person, he was the maternal grandfather of President Roosevelt of the United States during World War II. ”

Li Dingji saw that the debate could not be won by Zhang Yida, so he said with a cold face: "Mr. Zhang, we are talking about the sale of the shares of Gem Bank today, not to debate history.

If you want to debate history, I think you should talk to a historian!"

Zhang Yida didn't want to spray him, but when he saw that the descendants of this group of drug dealers openly hung up the portraits of the drug generation and washed the floor of the Opium War, he couldn't stand it.

As a businessman, before he officially talked about business, he had an unpleasant relationship with his partner, which was obviously immature.

But at the same time, as a Chinese, seeing others admiring an opium dealer, Zhang Yida would not go along with them to kill them.

The "Opium War" is repeatedly mentioned in Chinese textbooks, but British secondary school textbooks often "say nothing" about this historical event.

In addition, British academics are also washing the opium war, most of them like Li Tingji, who believes that the opium war is to protect trade and protect the people, and the Qing Dynasty has a greater responsibility for this matter.

This is the so-called English gentleman, the offspring of robbers!

Huang Hongnian didn't pay attention, seeing that the two were about to quarrel if they didn't agree on a word, he hurriedly came out to persuade him.

"Don't talk about that, the past is over, we have to look forward. ”

"Mr. Huang, I'll give you this face. ”

After speaking, Li Dingji glanced at Zhang Yida very unhappily, and made up his mind in his heart: Don't kill you hard, don't think that I will sell you the equity of the bank.

After a brief conversation, Lai Ting-kee said: "Banking has always been one of the most important industries of Jardine Matheson!

I'm very embarrassed by this request from the two of you!"

Huang Hongnian said with a smile: "When Jardine Matheson Group took over Tesla, wasn't it for investment purposes?

Now that there is a good exit channel, I think Mr. Li should think about it carefully. ”

Then Li Dingji pretended to think about it for a long time before he said slowly: "I don't know how much valuation you two can give to the gem bank?"

"5x P/E, $1.35 billion valuation!"

Li Dingji sneered, looked at Zhang Yida, and said, "Mr. Zhang, are you sure you're not joking?"

"I'm not kidding you, the asset quality and business growth rate is far better than that of China Minsheng Bank, which is only 3-4 times the price-to-earnings ratio for a long time.

I'm willing to give 5 times P/E, which is a serious overestimation of Gem Bank. ”

Li Dingji smiled and shook his head, "The national conditions are different, and they cannot be compared." If it's at this price, then the two of them should go back! Jardine Matheson Group will not sell its shares so cheaply. ”

Huang Hongnian asked again: "What is the psychological price of Mr. Li?"

Li Dingji compared two fingers, "20 times the price-earnings ratio, $5.4 billion!"

Huang Hongnian put away the smile on his face and said lightly: "At this price, you can buy the top five banks in Indonesia." ”

Li Dingji didn't answer, turned the coffee spoon by himself, and took a sip of coffee before saying: "$5.4 billion is the final offer of our Jardine Matheson Group."

Below this price, then I might as well continue to hold equity and get some dividends every year.

These bank stocks, like real estate in Hong Kong, not only have significant annual returns, but also grow in value over the long term. ”

Zhang Yida knew that he was "taking revenge" on himself, and he had just refuted Li Dingji's face because of the Opium War, and the latter couldn't tell how to hate himself in his heart.

"Mr. Li, in business, integrity comes first. If Jardine Matheson doesn't want to sell us the Gem Bank, then you just say it, and we won't bother you. ”

Zhang Yida also understood that Li Dingji had clearly slaughtered himself as a Kaizi.

20 times P/E, why don't you grab it?

Perhaps this is robbery, and the descendants of the robbers still have this inferior gene left in their blood.

However, there is also a Windu Bank as an alternative, and Zhang Yida does not have to be a gem bank.

Standard Chartered Bank is greedy and wants 10 times the price-to-earnings ratio, and Jardine Matheson Group is even more excessive to 20 times.

Gem Bank is no longer the best choice in Zhang Yida's mind.

"Okay, then I'll make it clear. "Less than $5.4 billion valuation, I don't consider selling the shares of Gem Bank." ”

Li Dingji made it clear that he wanted to kill people, Zhang Yida gave Huang Hongnian a look, and the two retired directly.

......

"Yida, something is wrong. ”

As soon as Zhang Yida returned to China, he received a call from Huang Hongnian.

"What's the situation?"

Huang Hongnian smiled bitterly: "CCB Indonesia is also going to buy Windu Bank, what do you think we are going to do?"

Zhang Yida frowned, CCB was going to buy Wendu Bank, and the news had a big impact on him.

If the acquisition of Gem Bank goes well, it is enough to give up Windu Bank and be a good person.

But now that the acquisition of Gem Bank is not going well, Windu Bank has become the only choice for Ruixiang.

"Is the news true?"

Huang Hongnian said anxiously: "It is true that the executives of CCB Indonesia have been in contact with the senior management of Windu Bank, and after the news came out, the share price of Windu Bank rose by 18%. ”

"Forget it, let's give up! ”

"Why did you give up? What happened to the state-owned enterprises, we still have to fight for what should be fought.

If you don't fight, when will you be able to wait for the next suitable goal?

Also, if the plan to acquire the bank is aborted, how will Ruixiang's next big financial strategy in Southeast Asia be implemented?

If Yiminbank is alone, if nothing else, the problem of capital alone will become a shortcoming that restricts your business expansion. ”

Huang Hongnian was angry and began to persuade Zhang Yida on the phone.

"China's national conditions, Huang Lao, you also understand. Now that CCB wants to buy Windu Bank, can we bid with them?

If it's a bid, wouldn't it be cheaper for outsiders?

Also, in the eyes of the higher-ups, I have become a disunity. ”

Zhang Yida said while recalling what happened to the richest man in his previous life.

It was because he grabbed projects with state-owned enterprises in Southeast Asia, and then he was ruthlessly educated to be a man.

"Well, I see! I'll find you another target! I don't believe in the 120 commercial banks in Indonesia, and I can't find a suitable one. ”

Zhang Yida thanked him on the phone: "Thank you, Mr. Huang! When I solve this domestic mess, I will invite you to drink in Singapore." ”

"Haha! That's fine! I'm a person who likes to drink!"