For this kind of non-core company, Chen Zhiwen does not pursue absolute privatization of 100% control, besides, when the time comes for the future, even the most core industries such as Midea and Red Bull also need to appropriately introduce capable shareholders.

At the beginning of October, Hutchison officially took control of Yingxiao in Jingzhou, and the Kane family was given a board seat, but everyone knows that a board seat has no meaning in the face of absolute control.

Subsequently, Jingzhou Yingni sold the old land in Hung Hom to Hutchison Whampoa Company at a market price of 15 million Hong Kong dollars, and the cement business of Jingzhou Yingni was also merged into Hutchison Infrastructure, although the benefit is not great, but at least the cost of Hutchison Infrastructure to purchase cement is much lower.

As for the operation of the cement factory, Hutchison did not move anyone, and everything was as usual, but several Britons in it took the initiative to resign, allowing a few capable Chinese to take advantage of the opportunity.

Unconsciously, in half a month, the acquisition of Jingzhou Yingxiao seemed to have become history, and no one paid attention to it anymore.

After Hutchison acquired the land of Yingni in Jingzhou, he immediately began negotiations with the Hong Kong government to "convert the land into business" at a normal price.

The whole market also doesn't care too much about how Hutchison will deal with Jingzhou Yingxiao, but there was once a group of people who believed that after Hutchison acquired Jingzhou Yingxiao, it would definitely carry out privatization operations, because this is Chen Zhiwen's consistent style, but this time it obviously failed, after Hutchison acquired the land in Hung Hom of Jingzhou Yingxiao, it has been stated that it will not be privatized again, and it seems that Jingzhou Yingxiao only has the Sunset Industrial Cement Factory left, which has led to a sharp drop in stock prices, and many speculators have suffered heavy losses.

However, this only affected a small group of people in the market, and half a month later, an earth-shattering event happened in Hong Kong shopping malls:

John Madden, chairman of the board of directors of Wheelock, officially announced that he had invited Jardine Matheson Land to propose a comprehensive acquisition of Wheelock, which is not operating well at this stage, by the end of October.

As soon as this news came out, it immediately caused a sensation throughout Hong Kong.

Hong Kong's four major foreign firms, used to be Jardine Matheson, Hutchison, Swire and Wheelock, of which Jardine Matheson is the strongest, not only has a large number of overseas businesses, just a landmark, is an invincible existence, Hong Kong's core Central, everywhere is the property of Landmark Land, collecting hundreds of millions of Hong Kong dollars in rent every year, and the hard work of other companies for a year, and each building is a very high-quality asset.

The second is Swire, Swire & Co.'s core business is the airline Cathay Pacific that monopolizes Hong Kong, the Coca-Cola OEM business that controls Hong Kong and several nearby Asian countries, port and ship maintenance business, and a real estate company composed of a large number of high-quality real estate, among which the airlines alone are very large, but the oil crisis in the past few years has dealt a fatal blow to the global aviation industry, and Cathay Pacific has also lost a lot, but fortunately it has returned to normal in the past year, as for the beverage business, although it looks average, But the victory is in a large volume, and basically there will be no loss, it belongs to the best quality business, and in terms of real estate, just a Taikoo City has made countless people envious.

Before the acquisition, Hutchison and Wheelock belonged to the level of half a catty, both of which were very large, but there was no core business that could be handled.

For example, Wheelock, the shipping business is very good, but it is not as good as Bao Yugang and Dong Haoyun, the real estate business is also OK, there are two buildings in Central, and there are many plots of land in other places, but there is a certain gap with Hongkong Land and even Swire Properties, retail department stores, there is a high-end brand Lane Crawford, and Lane Crawford controls the Dah Sing Department Store and China Department Store, which are the four major department stores in China, and involves antiques, jewelry, cosmetics and other retail businesses.

In fact, any one is not small, but it is too weak in the hands of a giant company like Wheelock.

However, although Wheelock has many disadvantages, it is undeniable that its scale is very large, and the number of people working in the hands of Wheelock and the companies it controls in Hong Kong is at least 10,000.

If Jardine Matheson buys Wheelock, it can reach a higher level in scale and influence, and even suppress HSBC, Hong Kong's quasi-central bank.

Hong Kong, HSBC Headquarters:

Shen Bi looked at the news he suddenly got, his brows furrowed, and he didn't say anything for a while, and Diess beside him was also silent, thinking about the changes and what HSBC could do.

"What do you think?" Shen Bi broke the silence and asked.

"We must not allow Jardine Matheson to annex Wheelock, and now Jardine Matheson often works with us on the board of directors, if Jardine Matheson buys Wheelock, then Jardine Matheson must not ride on our heads?" Diese thought for a moment and said.

Although HSBC is large, larger than Jardine Matheson + Hongkong + Wharf, HSBC is also a listed company, although the Hong Kong government has imposed legal restrictions on HSBC's shareholders for protection, but HSBC also has a large number of directors, and Jardine Matheson Group is also one of HSBC's directors.

Although the management has a higher voice in the Western business model, on the board of directors, one of the directors is always against him, and no one is happy.

"But how do you stop this? Forced debt? Although both Jardine Matheson and Wheelock owe loans to HSBC, with their network, they can find other banks to transfer their debts. Shen Bi frowned and said.

Although HSBC is powerful, the loan business of Jardine Matheson also accounts for a large share of HSBC's revenue, and the other party is also a director of HSBC, so it is too stiff and not good for themselves.

"It's not appropriate for us to come forward in person, it's not in line with the rules set by the Hong Kong government." "The only way is to find someone else, for example, Chen Zhiwen," Diess said. ”

"Chen Zhiwen? Do you want him to come forward to buy Wheelock? This is even worse, although the scale of his assets is not as large as Jardine Matheson, but the potential is too great, if we get Wheelock again, we are afraid that we will cultivate a bigger opponent than Jardine. Shen Bi hurriedly shook his head and said.

If there is a regret medicine, Shen Bi is estimated to have taken it a long time ago, in the initial period of Chen Zhiwen, HSBC should not help him, but the matter has come to this point, there is nothing that can be changed, but Chen Zhiwen must not be allowed to acquire a large British-funded company again.

"It's not for Chen Zhiwen to buy Wheelock, but for us to provide him with more resources, but the premise is that he can work against Jardine Matheson in other places, snatch other resources from Jardine, or consume Jardine's funds." Dees said.

"You mean their supermarket competition?" Shen Bi said after thinking about it.

"This is one of them, but only with this supermarket business, at most it makes Jardine a little uncomfortable, and it can't hurt the foundation of Jardine, as for where to start, we have to discuss it with Chen Zhiwen, and we also need to consider Chen Zhiwen's choice." Dees replied.

"If you want to let Chen Zhiwen and Jardine work against each other in such a short period of time, without paying a certain price, Chen Zhiwen will not agree, and if you can acquire Wheelock, Jardine Matheson will not give up at will." Shen Bi said.

"Another way is that we guide overseas giants to also participate, as long as there is competition, the board of directors of Wheelock will naturally choose a higher price, Jardine Matheson's current economic situation, we all know that it is not good, as long as the competition is fierce, we will take a slight loan, Jardine Matheson may be difficult to retreat." Dees said.

"That's the only way, the two sides will act together, in this way, you go and meet with Chen Zhiwen to see what he wants, and then how to do it, I will be responsible for the situation overseas." Shen Bi thought for a while and said, HSBC, as a quasi-central bank, cannot acquire companies without problems for no reason, and if it can't start, it can only indirectly count on other companies.

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(End of chapter)