Hong Kong variety show: I Am a Tycoon

Chapter 189 Thunderous Means
He Tian'er, the apple of the He family's eye, initially dreamed not of going into business, but of art. At the age of nineteen, she wanted to be a star.

The recent acquisition of Jiahe Cinemas and purchase of Diamond Hill Studios by Hung Hing Films has caused quite a stir.

He Tian'er learned that Hongxing Film Studio was owned by Chen Jiajun, and she was determined to get a minor role from him.

“Boss.” Zeng Ziwei pulled over Zhu Baoyi, the female lead in the film: “Ms. Zhu, this is Mr. Chen Jiajun, the boss of our Hongxing Film Industry. He personally selected you to play the female lead.”

"Hello, Miss Zhu."

Chen Jiajun, wearing sunglasses, nodded slightly with an expressionless face, but his eyes lit up beneath the sunglasses.

Zhu Baoyi grasped Chen Jiajun's hand, somewhat nervously saying, "Thank you for your appreciation, Mr. Chen."

Zhu Baoyi is from Taiwan. Her father passed away when she was young. When she was ten, she went to the United States with her mother. She debuted as a model before she was an adult and soon joined the film and television industry.

To ensure the film remained as authentic as possible, Chen Jiajun located her and invited her to develop her career in Hong Kong.

Upon hearing that the owner of a large company in Hong Kong was interested in her, Zhu Baoyi immediately joined Hongxing.

Before coming, Zhu Baoyi had specifically inquired about Hung Hing Films and its boss, and learned that Chen Jiajun was the head of Hung Hing in Hong Kong.

"Just call me Brother Jun." Chen Jiajun nodded.

Zeng Ziwei said, "Awei, Zhu Baoyi is the first female star signed by our company. We must protect her and not let anyone bully her, understand?"

“I understand, boss.” Zeng Ziwei immediately replied solemnly. He naturally knew that Chen Jiajun’s original intention in starting the film and television company was simply to play around with female celebrities…

After exchanging a few words, director Wu Yusen asked Zhu Baoyi to audition. Zeng Ziwei took out a cigarette and offered it to Chen Jiajun, saying, "Hey boss, wanna have a cigarette?"

"Speak your mind." Chen Jiajun could tell that the chubby boy had something on his mind.

“McGarden, along with Ishida, switched allegiance to Raymond Lam of Golden Princess Cinemas and formed Cinema City. He asked me to give you a heads-up,” Zeng Ziwei explained.

"I see."

Chen Jiajun nodded, but sighed inwardly.

It seems history has returned to its original course; Mecca ultimately followed Lei Juekun.

However, unlike in his previous life, he had already broken up the Seven Eccentrics of Yicheng, and Megan only took Ishida with him.

Who is Lei Juekun?
Kowloon Motor Bus, owner of Kowloon Construction, a second-generation rich kid from Hong Kong.

Lei Juekun founded Golden Princess Cinemas. Initially, he did not intend to participate in film production, but due to unforeseen circumstances, he decided to make his own films.

Originally a good employee at Art City Film Company, Mai Jia was kicked out of Hung Hing Films by Chen Jiajun. Naturally, he was unwilling to be subordinate to Chen Jiajun. For him, having no say was equivalent to being a dependent.

It would be better to start Cinema City with Raymond Lam of Golden Princess Cinemas. Ishida was a good friend of Michael and the second largest shareholder of Cinema City. When Michael withdrew from the company, he followed his friend.

As for Huang Baiming, he didn't own much of the shares in Yicheng Company. After selling his shares to Maijia, he chose to stay with Hongxing Film Company.

Perhaps Mecca felt that with Lei Juekun protecting him, Chen Jiajun wouldn't cross the line.

Originally, Chen Jiajun really didn't want to cross the line. The fact that Mecca switched sides had nothing to do with him, but it just so happened to be Lei Juekun from Golden Princess Cinemas.

Chen Jiajun had his eye on New Princess Cinemas for a long time.

Today, Shaw Brothers has 18 cinemas, Hung Hing Cinemas has 19, and after Lui Kok-kwan acquired Li Sheng Cinemas, there are a total of 18 cinema chains.

Chen Jiajun, who aspires to become a tycoon in Hong Kong's film and television industry, can easily handle Lei Juekun, a rich second-generation.

After making a phone call to Lei Juekun, Chen Jiajun introduced himself: "Boss Lei, I am Chen Jiajun from Hongxing Film Industry."

"Brother Jun, I've long admired your name."

"I'm sorry, Mecca and Ishida approached me on their own initiative, and I was just helping them out."

Lei Juekun spoke very humbly to the big boss Jun.

Because he knew about Boss Jun's influence.

Chen Jiajun said with a smile, "It's an honor for Mecca and Ishida to be noticed by Boss Lei..."

After a pause, Chen Jiajun continued, "I called to ask if you have any plans to sell Golden Princess Cinemas?"

"I'm sorry, not at the moment. However, if you would like your film to be screened in Golden Princess Cinemas, you are most welcome to do so and we will certainly offer you the most favorable terms."

Lei Juekun knew Chen Jiajun's power, but he was not afraid of Chen Jiajun.

The reason is simple: as the owner of KMB and Kowloon Development, he also has many triads that rely on him for their livelihood.

Without the support of a criminal organization, bus companies are easily robbed on minibus routes.

In the movie "Young and Dangerous," Brother Kei, Han Bin, and other gang members fought tooth and nail for a minibus route.

"That's good." Chen Jiajun smiled broadly.

In the afternoon, at the Chen Family Manor.

Sima Xiang, Huang Shitong, Zhan Peizhong, Chen Zhan and other members of the landlords' association, escorted by young demon slaves, secretly arrived at the Chen family manor.

Upon arriving at the rooftop reception room, a handsome young man was leisurely brewing tea.

Sima Xiang immediately recognized the aroma as that of top-grade Pu'er tea.

"Chen Sheng."

"boss."

Everyone addressed him in various ways.

"sit."

Chen Jiajun gestured for them to enter, and Zhan Peizhong and the others didn't stand on ceremony with him and automatically opened their cigar boxes.

Several handmade teacups were laid out, arranged in a tea setting. Chen Jiajun picked up the teapot, poured water, and then waved his hand, saying, "Please have some tea."

After a round of banter, Chan Ka-Chun flicked his cigar ash and said, "I specifically called everyone here today to discuss the acquisition of KMB."

"KMB's current share price is HK$14, with 15.8 million shares and a market value of HK$14.8 billion. Boss, if we want to acquire it, we need ample funds. Should we withdraw some from the Japanese stock market?"

Zhan Peizhong immediately began to analyze the situation for Chen Jiajun. As someone who frequently dealt with the stock market, he naturally knew the situation of Kowloon Motor Bus.

Sima Xiang then asked, "Mr. Chen, why do you want to acquire Kowloon Motor Bus?"

Sima Xiang knew that Boss Jun was not interested in Kowloon Motor Bus. Kowloon Motor Bus's annual profit was about one or two hundred million Hong Kong dollars, but one or two hundred million Hong Kong dollars was just a piece of cake for Chen Jiajun.

Big Boss Jun even owns a considerable amount of land, but it remains undeveloped to this day.

There is no need for Boss Jun to acquire KMB for the sake of KMB's land; this is truly a case of buying the box and returning the pearl.

Furthermore, Kowloon Motor Bus has a very powerful background. Its founder, Tang Shiu-kin, was among the first Chinese Justices of the Peace in Hong Kong and also the chairman of the Po Leung Kuk. What is the Po Leung Kuk in Hong Kong?
Po Leung Kuk is one of the most prestigious charitable organizations in Hong Kong. Tang Shiu-kin, who is able to serve as the chairman of Po Leung Kuk, has shares in many large groups in Hong Kong. He has connections in both the legitimate and underworld circles and has also received a knighthood award of CBE level from the British Royal Family.

He himself has made generous donations in Hong Kong, and more than 40 things in society are named after him, including charitable foundations, hospitals, schools and playgrounds.

“I need to give a warning to Lui Kwok-kwan, the major shareholder and general manager of Kowloon Motor Bus.”

The acquisition of KMB was not just about making a show of force or acquiring land; more importantly, Chen Jiajun viewed KMB as an excellent media platform.

"As for the source of the acquisition funds, Hung Hing Finance Company will lend a sum of money to Guojun Group, and this acquisition will be carried out in the name of Guojun Group."

Hung Hing Finance Company absorbed more than HK$5 million in funds and lent them to Guojun Group, which was essentially a transfer of funds from one hand to the other.

Huang Shitong put down his teacup and said, "How do we explain this to Sir Deng Zhaojian?"

“I will personally pay a visit to Sir Deng,” Chen Jiajun set the tone.

Sima Xiang took out paper and pen to do some calculations and asked, "Mr. Chen, do you want to acquire the whole thing or just a part of it? Is it urgent?"

"The sooner the better. I have a total of 5 million in funds. You can spend it all, but you have to act like you're acquiring all the shares," Chen Jiajun replied after a moment's thought.

Chen Jiajun nodded, then picked up the cards and said, "Alright, let's settle this for now. Everyone, let's play cards."

Sima Xiang, Huang Shitong, Zhan Peizhong, Chen Zhan and others lived up to their reputation as top brokers. The next day, they mobilized their resources to acquire 1000 million shares of Kowloon Motor Bus in the secondary market, bringing Guojun Group's shareholding to 9.45%, with an average acquisition price of 1 yuan.

Meanwhile, the price in the primary market has quietly risen to 11 yuan.

Immediately afterwards, James Chan, representing the Guojun Group, brazenly announced that he would use HK$4 million to acquire Kowloon Motor Bus at a price not exceeding HK$14.2 per share.

The news sparked a very strong market reaction.

Kowloon Motor Bus General Manager Lei Juekun never expected that Chen Jiajun would act so unpredictably.

The film and television industry is something Lei Juekun values; otherwise, he wouldn't have acquired Lisheng Cinemas and made a major foray into the film and television industry.

But his hometown is about to be robbed, what's the point of him playing around?

As a shareholder of Kowloon Motor Bus and one of the major financial backers of Golden Princess Cinemas, Fung Ping-chung paced back and forth anxiously: "Ah Kun, why don't we call Boss Jun and sell Golden Princess Cinemas to make him give up the acquisition of Kowloon Motor Bus Group?"

“As a billionaire investor, how could Boss Jun possibly give up once he has his eye on Kowloon Motor Bus?” Lei Juekun immediately rejected the idea: “Convene a board meeting immediately.”

KMB Board of Directors Meeting.

Although Tang Shiu-kin was in good health, he was nearly eighty years old, so his reaction speed was inevitably a step slower. By the time these Kowloon Motor Bus veterans had gathered, the latest battle report had come from the stock exchange: Kwok Chun Group was about to acquire nearly 20% of Kowloon Motor Bus's shares.

Lei Juekun gasped: "Boss Jun moved so quickly?"

Deng Zhaojian pondered for a moment and said, "There must be a mastermind behind Guojun Group, and they have been planning this for a long time."

Lei Juekun hurriedly urged, "Let's not worry about whether there are any powerful figures behind Guojun Group. Our top priority is to stabilize morale..."

After Kowloon Motor Bus held a meeting to study the acquisition, it later urged shareholders to temporarily ignore the acquisition until Kowloon Motor Bus completed its asset valuation report.

Around noon, Kowloon Motor Bus issued another statement: The Kowloon Motor Bus Board of Directors notified shareholders to carefully consider that the estimated net asset value of Kowloon Motor Bus per share should be HK$25.2, and that a decision on establishing a subsidiary listed company could be made by the end of the year.

In its statement, Kowloon Motor Bus further stated that, according to the patent provisions of the Public Buses Ordinance, if the company's buses have sufficient space for construction, repair, maintenance and decommissioning, the company will sell the property. However, without the Financial Secretary's consent, the property may not be developed for purposes unrelated to bus services, and the Financial Secretary will not unreasonably refuse to consent.

When Chen Jiajun saw the statement, he smiled and looked at Zhan Peizhong, saying, "Zhong, it seems Lei Juekun is getting desperate. Zhong, how many shares have we acquired?"

“We have already acquired 3000 million shares, representing a 28.36% stake. Lei Juekun holds a 26% stake in KMB Group,” James Chan said with a smile.

"Continue the acquisitions until the money runs out," Chen Jiajun continued to instruct.

"Yes, boss." Zhan Peizhong nodded and immediately picked up the phone.

In the afternoon, securities professionals believed that the acquisition by Guojun Group was a healthy move, and predicted that Guojun Group's acquisition of Kowloon Motor Bus Group was aimed at land hoarding.

With Guojun Group's acquisition, the real estate development market is poised for a surge.

The Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) discussed the acquisition of Kowloon Motor Bus shares by the Kwok Chung Group. Deputy Commissioner Miao Lesi stated that the acquisition proposed by the Kwok Chung Group was entirely legal, and therefore the SFC would not issue any statement.

Furthermore, Miao Lesi stated that Guojun Group had notified the securities regulator before the stock market opened.

The highest fare for Kowloon Motor Bus that day was HK$15, and the closing price was HK$14.20, an increase of HK$3.90 from the previous day.

Zhan Peizhong of Guojun Group announced that the acquisition cost 504.1 million yuan, and the number of shares acquired is still being calculated.

On the same day, other stocks were also stimulated, with the Hang Seng Index rising 43.96 points and the turnover of the four Hong Kong stock exchanges reaching HK$1.054 billion.

"Ah Jun, the acquisition of KMB Group has caused quite a stir. You should personally pay a visit to Sir Deng, so as not to damage the relationship."

That evening, Henry Fok called Chan Ka-chun, who was an old acquaintance of Sir Tang and some of the old-timers from Kowloon Motor Bus.

Ultimately, the founding family of Kowloon Motor Bus was an unavoidable hurdle in the acquisition of Kowloon Motor Bus.

At Fok Ying-nam's suggestion, Chan Ka-chun made a special trip to visit Tang Siu-kin.

Tang Shiu-kin is a Justice of the Peace in Hong Kong, and Chan Ka-chun is also a Justice of the Peace in Hong Kong.

Deng Zhaojian is an entrepreneur, as is Chen Jiajun, and the strength of Guojun Group, Hongxing Group, and Guojun Clothing is beyond the reach of Deng Zhaojian's business empire.

Deng Zhaojian is a philanthropist, and Chen Jiajun is also a philanthropist.

The only difference between the two is that Tang Shiu-kin is a knight.

Moreover, Tang Shiu-kin was known in Hong Kong as the last aristocrat, and he had very good relationships with the Queen of England, Princess Diana, and high-ranking officials in mainland China.

In light of all these comparisons, Chen Jiajun personally stepped forward, giving face to the senior Deng Zhaojian.

When Chen Jiajun left the Diamond Hill film set, a large number of reporters who had been waiting there swarmed over, and even the Mercedes convoy could not move an inch:

"Mr. Chan, when you targeted KMB Group, at what price did you decide to exit?"

"Mr. Chan, there are rumors that you and Lui Kok Kwan, the owner of KMB, had a dispute over the cinema chain. Is this true?"

"Mr. Chen, could I possibly have a few minutes of your time?"

Those familiar with Chen Jiajun's past operations know that his sniping tactics are extremely sharp. When he leaves the market, he always manages to take a large slice of the pie. For example, in the sniping operations of Carinthia Group, Wharf Holdings, and Hutchison Whampoa, Chen Jiajun timed his moves perfectly and struck at the heart of the matter, reaping huge profits from each of them.

Therefore, many stock investors, including reporters, are speculating that after a year of silence, the "stock god" tycoon, Jun, has launched a blitzkrieg against KMB, aiming to take a piece of the pie from several major shareholders of the KMB Group before leaving.

Therefore, today investors are frantically buying Kowloon Motor Bus Group shares on the market, and the share price has risen from the opening price to HK$18, with Kowloon Motor Bus Group's market value jumping from HK$10 billion to HK$20 billion.

Chen Jiajun sat in the back of the 6.2-meter-long Mercedes-Benz Pullman, and could only smile at the reporters.

Immediately afterwards, dozens of young demon slaves walked out of the film set and pulled up a fence to let their eldest brother leave first.

(End of this chapter)