"Ming Zai, why don't you have a rickshaw." The shopkeeper called his men. The guy just ran to the end of the street, still didn't find the car, sweating profusely, and bowed again and again: "Boss, I just asked someone to inquire, the rickshaw union is against the ferry price increase, and no car comes to Wan Chai Pier." ”

"Let's take a taxi."

The boss frowned, a rare luxury. The guy hurriedly agreed, called a taxi, and respectfully asked the boss to get in the car.

"Pounce on your grandmother, a waste of money." The boss was a little upset. But since the rickshaws all run to North Point, the transportation market in North Point will naturally be crowded, and taxis will not be able to attract business in North Point, but will gather in Wan Chai.

Taxis on Hong Kong Island currently start at 3 jiao, which is more expensive than a third-class ferry ticket. Ordinary small factory owners and shop owners are reluctant to take taxis, let alone ordinary citizens, and taxis will not be reduced because of ferry companies.

Many salarymen who come to Wan Chai by ferry and take rickshaws to work in their companies find that the rickshaws waiting at the pier in the past are nowhere to be found. In order to be in a hurry, I had to grit my teeth and take a taxi, and my heart hurt to death.

"Tomorrow we won't be in North Point."

Many of the guests sat in the taxis and swore that the taxi driver's business was much better.

For most people who are eligible to take a job on Hong Kong Island, time is important, but it is not so expensive, and they would rather wake up half an hour early and doze off in a rickshaw than pay a taxi fare of 3 jiao a trip.

You should know that the Kowloon City to North Point Line and the East Tsim Sha Sha Tsui to Wan Chai Line have a large number of natural passenger flows every day. They have a mentality of going with the flow of ferry fares, just reading the newspapers, and they don't have to buy high tickets anyway.

In public opinion, they resolutely resist price increases, but they run for life all day long, and they will not protest like the citizens at the bottom. Not to mention that because of the price increase of the Star Ferry, it will deliberately transfer to the ferry of Yau Ma Tei Ferry.

The premise is that it does not interfere with their working life.

This time, the rickshaw association stepped on the whole of Hong Kong, but it directly affected their interests. Citizens will choose with their feet, and whoever has the lowest transportation cost will choose whose ferry to take. At noon, several afternoon newspapers on Hong Kong Island published the news of the Rickshaw Association's "5 Immortals Stepping on Hong Kong", and public opinion was very loud and began to ferment, and the citizens supported the Rickshaw Association one after another, and the drivers were running around on the streets and toiling in the limelight.

Transport Advisory Commissioner Ms Anthony Yip again submitted a letter of objection to the Hong Kong Government and presented a letter of objection signed by 20,000 members of the public.

"Big boss, someone from the Star Ferry Company called and wanted to see you." At 2:30 p.m., Lard Boy knocked on the door of the governor's office and said, "They have booked a tea party at the Peninsula Hotel, hoping to talk in person." ”

"What are you talking about?"

"Let the Rickshaw Association stop working." He Dingxian smiled.

Lard Boy looked proud: "I must want to make peace." ”

"Save some effort." He Dingxian shook his head and said, "I'm very busy, I don't have time." ”

"Understood, boss." The lard boy opened his mouth to agree, he had expected it, and he washed his eyes last night, and his mood was much smoother.

This time, the big guy fought a business war for the sake of the police force, and he didn't want to merge and acquire the Star Ferry, so the Star Ferry Company had no chance to make peace at all. When the board of directors of the Star Ferry received the news in the morning, it immediately noticed that something was wrong, firstly, public opinion would impact the reputation of the Star Ferry, and secondly, the action of the Rickshaw Association immediately caused the stock of the Star Ferry to plummet.

If the Star Ferry is just a little worse in reputation, it doesn't matter, with the franchise route in hand, the passengers can't run away. This is also the confidence of the Star Ferry to take the lead in raising prices. But the rickshaw association has caused the cost of transportation for guests to rise, and it is not just a matter of reputation.

The chairman of the Star Ferry, Yi Migao, is a handsome and experienced Westerner in his early 40s, who was the manager of Wharf and a director of Wharf, and is an executive assigned by the Wharf Group to the Star Ferry.

The development of the 80-year history of the Star Ferry has also made the cost of capital behind it very complicated, and the shareholders include foreign companies such as Jardine Matheson, HSBC, and Swire, as well as Chinese compradors and parliamentarians, such as Chinese Councillor Jian Leqiang has a 3% stake in the Star Ferry.

Wharf has become the largest shareholder of the Star Ferry because it holds 31% of the shares, making Yimigao qualified to sit in the position of chairman, and the directors in front of him are all representatives of foreign banks and compradors. This kind of cash cow-like company is actually very simple to operate, so the major foreign banks rarely interfere in Yimigao's decision-making, and they did not expect that because of a price increase application that has been passed, things will make such a big fuss.

At this time, the secretary pushed open the door and shook his head lightly at the door: "Boss, He Sir refused the request for a meeting." ”

"Would you like to have Councilor Jane come forward to help communicate?" Yi Migao frowned, looked at a member of the board of directors and said, "Councilor Jian has a good relationship with the Guangdong Provincial Chamber of Commerce, and he can easily meet Mr. He, and the two sides can negotiate as long as they can talk." ”

"Although there is competition between the Yau Ma Tei Ferry and the Star Ferry, they should help each other when the ferry industry is facing a crisis."

"It's good for both sides."

Councilor Jian's representative already had the answer, shook his head and said: "No, Councilor Jian is only responsible for helping to pass the bill, and now, the bill for the price increase application has been passed with the efforts of Councilor Jian, and the things that arise after that are not Councilor Jian's business." ”

"Councilor Jian is very busy during this time, so I don't have time to wipe your ass."

Yi Migao hated the itch of hatred in his heart, and only felt that the Chinese were cunning and cunning, and he must not trust the Chinese in business, only in the nightclub can he believe a few points.

A director asked: "Yi sir, didn't you say that you have already communicated with the Taipan of the Oriental Group, and the two will raise the price together?" What the hell is going on now! If this matter is not handled well, we will initiate a board meeting to remove you from your position! ”

"I have already made an appointment with Qiu Daban to meet and talk again, and before tomorrow morning, you will definitely see the stock price recover." Yi Migao glanced at the director of HSBC and said coldly: "The company will take the most powerful measures to deal with it!" ”

In fact, there is no need for the board of directors to remove him, and if this matter is not handled well, Wharf Group will dismiss him. Because, at the most critical time of public opinion, the removal of executives and apologies to the people is the simplest and most effective way.

Yi Migao was already at a critical juncture without paying attention, and he didn't have the heart to make any more false promises with the directors, so he picked up the documents on the table and got up to leave. In fact, Qiu Daban of Oriental Bank didn't agree to see him at all, he just casually took it out to deal with the director, but as a professional manager, he couldn't sit still and lose his job.

Qiu De would never have imagined that the chairman of a British-funded company would personally drive to the door of the office to block him, and take people to stop in the corridor for more than an hour, becoming a scenery in the Oriental Bank. He had to ask the assistant to invite someone into the office, make a cup of hot tea, and apologize with a wry smile: "I'm sorry, Mr. Yi, there are some urgent documents to deal with in front of me, and I can't spare time." ”

"None of this matters, Mr. Qiu." Yi Migao didn't bother to dwell on the previous things with him, but got straight to the point: "The red tunnel project has been approved, and it will start next year, and there is not much time left for the ferry industry." ”

"And the price increase application has been passed, Yau Ma Tei Ferry not only does not follow the rise, but also launched a movement of the rickshaw association, as far as I know, it also has to invest tens of thousands of Hong Kong dollars every day, your company has money not to earn, but also to post money, is it really just for fame?"

His eyes revealed disdain: "If you want to take the opportunity to lower the stock price of the Star Ferry and acquire the Star Ferry Company, it is wishful thinking." Your company's power is simply unable to fight a takeover war with Wharf, not to mention that there are many foreign shareholders behind the Tianxing Ferry. ”

"Mr. Yi, I misunderstood."

Qiu Tak said even more bitterly, because the behavior of the Yau Ma Tei ferry is indeed very contrary to commercial common sense, but from another perspective, it is politically reasonable. It was impossible for him to tell the bigwig's political goals, so he had to explain weakly: "Yau Ma Tei Ferry has neither the idea of acquiring the Star Ferry, nor the intention of grabbing customers, and the activity of 5 immortals stepping on Hong Kong was not initiated by our company." ”

"It was an activity jointly initiated by the rickshaw association and the citizens, and public opinion was raging, and we didn't dare to raise the price if we wanted to."

"Can you take me to Mr. He?"

Yi Migao only had this one appeal, because he knew that if he couldn't see Mr. He, all his words would be in vain, and no one would dare to make a decision privately.

Qiu De shook his head: "No." ”

"It's the same in business."

Yi Migao stared at him for a while, and suddenly asked, "Qiu Sheng, I don't have anything to do with you, right?" ”

"Yi sir, you're laughing."

Qiu De smiled even more: "I haven't met with you a few times, what are you talking about?" ”

Yi Migao nodded clearly: "Yes, I haven't had a holiday with you, although the Star Ferry and Yau Ma Tei Company have competed before, but it has long been an old yellow calendar, and it is still a holiday, who has a holiday with whom?" ”

"Can you tell me?"

Qiu De's face still did not change, and he shook his head: "Yi sir, you have thought too much, if you want me to talk about it, it is better to lower the original price as soon as possible and calm down public opinion." ”

"Understood, Qiu Taipan." Yi Migao is worthy of being a veteran in the business world, and after meeting Qiu De, he immediately judged that there was an inside story in this incident, and it was an inside story that he did not know, and the key to solving the problem was to find out where the problem was.

If he couldn't find it, he had to try one by one.

Yi Migao walked out of the gate of the Eastern Group, sat in front of the car, suddenly changed his expression, and said viciously: "Since you don't want to make money together, let's play together, don't make money, see who can hold on!" ”

As a professional manager, he cannot veto his price increase policy, otherwise, even if he calms public opinion, it will not be credited. Because, the fare increase is a unanimous decision of the board of directors and Wharf. The price increase should be placed in front of public opinion, and it is impossible to distinguish the priorities, and it will seem clueless to do things.

He also has a card.

It's the last one, I thought I didn't have to fight, but it seems that I have to fight now.

(End of chapter)