Hong Kong Island: From a small stall to a global supplier

During this period, due to the conflict between Wong Yiu-tong and the Kadoorie family, there were traffic jams and demonstrations, making things quite turbulent, and major newspapers criticized the Hong Kong British government.

Crude oil prices rose from $13 to $30 per barrel, an increase of 230%. Heavy oil, used for fuel-fired power generation, is the residue oil left after crude oil distillation. It is priced slightly lower than crude oil, but due to the shrinking global oil market, heavy oil has become scarce, resulting in a price increase of up to 300%. This price increase extends to electricity prices, which have risen by as much as 350%.

In 83, garment manufacturing remained Hong Kong's top export sector, followed by electronics. Electricity costs for these two industries were 6% and 15% respectively, a threefold increase…

With the economy already shrinking and electricity prices rising, some small factories are doing alright, at worst they can just shut down, but large and medium-sized factories are doomed. Decreasing profits are still a good thing, many are simply losing money or going bankrupt.

There was no outlet for venting at first, since this was a global crisis, but after Wang Yaotang started to fan the flames, everyone suddenly found a way to vent, and they all turned their anger toward the Hong Kong British government.

The pressure on Edward Yaude these past few days has been immense. When he gave Kadoorie Jr. his ultimatum, he made it very clear: "Either you sell your shares and force Wang Yaotang to back down, so that we can quell the resentment in Hong Kong society together, or the Governor's Office will shift all the responsibility to the Kadoorie family!"

In Europe, it's common practice to clean up oil stains when public discontent is too great, which can appease the people and make them a fortune!

That's how the Sassoon and Hardoon Jewish families, who had been entrenched in Hong Kong after World War II, came to be...

As the banquet concluded, the Governor's Palace also organized a press conference.

Today we must finalize this matter and publicize it to the outside world, so that everyone can see that the Government House attaches great importance to the electricity price issue and is making real efforts to improve it. This has led to the entry of Wang Yaotang, Hong Kong's most prominent Chinese-owned enterprise, into CLP Power, accelerating the development of coal-fired power generation!
Of course, the actual effect will not be immediately apparent, but we can hype up the drama of Chinese capital acquiring Oilstain Capital again to divert attention and boost national pride.

I've used similar tactics countless times, and they're incredibly effective.

……

In the press conference hall, more than a hundred reporters from dozens of media outlets sat in the middle chairs, flanked by cameras and microphones. After a brief opening speech by the host, Youde, Xiao Jiadaoli, and Wang Yaotang came out and greeted the media present. Then, in front of the cameras, they signed the equity transfer agreement.

Of course, the fake contract was just a formality.

A few minutes later, Wang Yaotang and Xiao Jiadao held up the contract for display, stood up and shook hands warmly, then turned to look at the reporters and let them take pictures, the flashes blinding everyone.

After the signing ceremony, Youde took the stage and delivered a passionate speech, discussing the global economic downturn caused by the oil crisis and Hong Kong's economic growth against the trend. He emphasized that this was all thanks to the Governor's Office, without mentioning that Hong Kong had benefited from the opening up of China and Laos.

Finally, he praised the entry of Chinese capital, saying it would surely lead to the rapid development of the electricity market, and then glossed over the rest.

After Youde stepped down, he stood next to Wang Yaotang. The young Kadoorie walked onto the podium with a bright smile and began by recounting how the Kadoorie family's investment in the power plant in 1903 had fueled Kowloon's development, and how over the years…

Wang Yaotang, too lazy to listen to his self-praise, whispered to Youde, "I heard that Jardine Matheson is planning to sell Hong Kong Electric?"

"Hmm!" Youde looked Wang Yaotang up and down with some surprise. "You want to acquire Hong Kong Electric!"

Wang Yaotang smiled and nodded, “With rising oil prices, an economic crisis, and Jardine Matheson’s numerous businesses, the construction of the Lamma Island coal-fired power plant requires a large investment. The power plant is indeed a good business, but the return on investment cycle is long and the return on investment is far away. For them, it is obviously more important to weather the economic crisis smoothly.”

Jardine Matheson's core businesses are currently Hongkong Land, which controls a large number of Grade A office buildings and commercial properties in Central, including Jardine House, Exchange Square, Prince's Building, and Swire Building.

Milk International controls retail, catering, and food processing businesses such as Wellcome Supermarket, 7-Eleven, Mannings Pharmacy, and Maxim's Foods.

Other companies include the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group and the financial and insurance industry, such as Jiantang Insurance.

Currently burdened with high debt due to large-scale real estate investment, and facing a financial crisis in 83 when the Hong Kong real estate market was sluggish, the company had to sell assets to alleviate financial pressure.

"Don't you have any financial pressure? You just got a $2 million loan from Standard Chartered!" Youde asked in a deep voice.

“I’m different. Tiansheng Entertainment, Yaoxing Audio-Visual, and the apparel industry are all asset-light operations and haven’t been affected much. We have plenty of cash reserves, and the annual cash income of over 100 million US dollars doesn’t put any financial pressure on me,” Wang Yaotang said with a smile. “I don’t do real estate, and my asset allocation can’t be all asset-light, can it?”

"Don't you have real estate investments in Siam?"

"We operate in partnership with local families in Siam, and the funding is secured locally, so it doesn't affect things in Hong Kong."

Yu De was starting to have a headache. CLP Power supplies Kowloon and the New Territories, while HK Electric supplies Hong Kong Island. If both of them fell into Wang Yaotang's hands, his influence in Hong Kong would be too great.

Although it's still quite big now...

But Yud was still unhappy.

Although the decline of British capital and the rise of Chinese capital were inevitable outcomes, London appointed him as the Governor of Hong Kong in the hope of maintaining Little Britain's influence over Hong Kong. Therefore, even though Jardine Matheson had to sell Hong Kong Electric due to its own development reasons, Edward Youde preferred that a Chinese person close to British capital take control of Hong Kong Electric.

Seeing that Youde remained silent, Wang Yaotang smiled and stopped mentioning it. He had said all this to spread the word and make that old bastard Li Xiangjiao wary.

after all……

While Xiao Jia was still rambling on, a white 'woman' among the reporters sitting below quietly reached under her arm and grabbed an American M67 hand grenade.

The grenade fuse was manually modified, changing the original mechanical fuse into an electronic one.

The advantage is that the detonation time can be precisely controlled to 0.1 seconds. The disadvantage is that the cost is high and the electronic components are extremely prone to failure if stored for a long time.

However, the renovation has just been completed, so there's no need to worry about that.

The white 'woman' removed her insurance under the cover of her clothes and tossed it lightly towards Xiao Jia, who was speaking eloquently on stage.

This throwing technique has been practiced hundreds of times, ensuring that the grenade will land exactly at Xiao Jiadao's feet 1.5 seconds after flying through the air and explode within 0.5 seconds!

The police officers providing security at the scene never expected an assassination attempt. Most of them didn't even have time to react when they saw something flying towards them. Two of them reacted and shouted "Danger!" but it was too late to rush forward and protect Xiao Jia.

When something fell, Xiao Jia instinctively dodged to the side, but it was too late to do anything else.

"Holy crap!" Wang Yaotang exclaimed and lunged to the side, grabbing Youde's collar and pulling him down with him.

"boom!"

A violent explosion rang out in the press conference hall. The M67 grenade had a charge of 184 grams of B explosive, and its explosive yield was about four times that of a regular grenade. In the instant of the explosion, more than 400 fragments covered the entire main stage!
Little Jia Daoli was killed instantly by the explosion, and one of his legs was blown off and landed in You De's arms.

The sudden explosion threw the scene into chaos. Everyone around the main stage fell down, all injured. The scene was filled with terrified screams. Most of the police officers stationed around the perimeter were stunned. The shouts of the two first officers woke everyone up, and a large group of people rushed towards Yud, only to collide with Shaze and his men who were rushing towards them.

"Protect the Governor!"

"Protect the boss!"

"Stop! Get out of the way!" Several policemen aimed their guns at Sha Ze and his group.

"Go to hell, that's my boss!" Sha Ze and his group ignored it and crashed into him.

The police ultimately did not dare to fire.

The distance was only 4 meters. Yud, who was almost 60 years old, was thrown so hard that he almost passed out. The sound of the explosion made his mind go blank. At this moment, his eyes rolled back and he passed out. When he fell, his arm was hit by shrapnel as he was raised. There were also two small holes on his thigh that were gushing blood.

Although Wang Yaotang was prepared, his ears were also ringing from the explosion, and he couldn't hear anything for a moment. A splinter from the explosion pierced his calf, and blood stained his trouser leg.

Seven or eight reporters sitting in the front row were also injured. Fortunately, they were far away and were only injured by shrapnel and splinters from the main stage. They bled quite a bit, but the injuries were not serious.

Chaos erupted at the scene. Uninjured reporters on both sides and behind rushed forward, their faces contorted in rage, their cameras flashing wildly, blinding the police and security personnel.

At the press conference, a man was assassinated. Xiao Jiadao was found lying on the ground, tattered and broken, with his arms and legs missing. He was clearly dead!

The governor and Wang Yaotang were surrounded and their fates were unknown. There were also a lot of injured officials, lawyers, and reporters!

This is a major news story, big enough to shake the entire Asian continent!
The reporters went crazy, like sharks that had smelled blood!
"Back off! Back off!" The police officers providing security at the scene were going crazy. The assassin was obviously in the group of reporters, but they couldn't just fire at the reporters.

Amidst the crowded group of reporters, the white woman took off her glasses and threw them on the ground. She quickly took out a small towel soaked in makeup remover from her bag and wiped off her lipstick, blush, and eyeshadow. She then deflated the two airbags in her coat, grabbed her suit jacket, and ripped open the waistline, instantly transforming her women's suit into men's clothing.

He took out a lipstick from his bag, twisted it open, and tossed it forward. With a hissing sound, gas smoke quickly filled the scene.

"Cough, cough, cough!"

"Ah..."

"Run!" The zombie-like reporter instantly turned into a rat scurrying around, and the chaos intensified. The man rushed outside with the terrified crowd.

Catching the murderer was important, but protecting Youde, Wang Yaotang, and the others was even more important. Police officers and security personnel set up a defensive line. Wang Yaotang stood up on one leg and supported Sha Ze. Three people carried Youde, while the others quickly dragged the injured people out of the back door of the press conference.

The Governor's Mansion was equipped with a medical room, and medical personnel rushed up to provide first aid immediately. Wang Yaotang's security team also included a field medic who cut open his pants to treat his wounds.

Once inside the governor's mansion and safely inside, screams and cries erupted, disturbing everyone's peace and quiet.

Yud was quickly revived with a mild concussion, a ruptured eardrum, and an injured forearm.

The ambulance arrived quickly. This was no time for politeness. You De and Wang Yaotang went first and headed straight to the hospital under heavy escort.

When Wang Yaotang took off his clothes for the examination at the hospital, the doctor was shocked to see that he was wearing a bulletproof vest and bulletproof shorts.

The outer layer is woven with multiple layers of Kevlar material, and the inner layer is silk. It is completely laboratory-grade. Although it is not very comfortable to wear, it is far superior to industrial products sold on the market.

After checking and treating the wound, Wang Yaotang finished relatively early. Although he still had some hearing problems, he could communicate in writing without any issues. Youde, being an old man, was in much worse condition and went to sleep after taking his medicine.

A bomb attack occurred at the Governor's Palace press conference, killing the famous Kadoorie Jr. instantly and injuring 15 people, including the Governor and Wang Yaotang. The hospital, the Governor's Palace, and the police headquarters were blocked by police. The headquarters building was brightly lit, and everyone canceled their vacations, as they had to produce a preliminary result before dark.

Although the death of Kadoorie Jr. had a far less significant impact on Hong Kong than that of HSBC tycoon Sir Michael Sandberg, the Kadoorie family was much wealthier!
Han Yili presided over the meeting with a stern face. All the senior executives sat on both sides, and the Criminal Intelligence Department played photos and videotapes of the attack before and after it were obtained from reporters.

There were so many cameras at the scene that the entire process from when the grenade was thrown to when it exploded was captured on camera, and you can watch the photos and videos from different angles.

"According to the existing photos and videotapes, the first people to notice the killer after throwing the grenade were two policemen. Wang Yaotang reacted almost simultaneously with them, and as he tackled the governor, he casually tugged at him..."

Han Yili glanced around and said, "Let's all talk about the targets we suspect."

These words didn't mention anyone's name, but everyone knew what they meant: someone's reputation wasn't very good.

Before Cabel could speak, Deputy Director Haywood interrupted, "Let me first tell you the news from London: Thomas Kadoorie was attacked by two gunmen in a coffee shop two hours before the assassination attempt at the press conference. The gunmen used UZIs to fire two magazines of bullets at Thomas and his bodyguard, killing them instantly. This must have been a premeditated assassination attempt against a member of the Kadoorie family!"

In the 80s, communication between different regions was poor. Neither the London nor Manchester police investigated the cases together. Moreover, news from the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Greece was still unknown to anyone that they had also died.

"What about the other members of the Kadoorie family?" Han Yili asked.

"I don't know, the Kadoorie Foundation office is probably trying to contact them right now," Haywood shrugged.

Kabel originally wanted to defend Wang Yaotang, but after thinking about it, he didn't say anything. This method was too similar!
"Tell them to hold a press conference before the end of the workday. This assassination attempt was not directed at the Governor's Office, but at a member of the Kadoorie family. The mastermind planned it meticulously and acted almost simultaneously around the world." Han Yili looked at the head of the public relations department.

The Governor's Office must be removed first. By targeting a specific family, political factors can be eliminated, and the pressure on the police will be greatly reduced.

"I see."

"Furthermore, no one at the scene can be ruled out as a suspect. We must launch a targeted investigation as soon as possible. The killer's photo must be sent to the airport and all ports immediately. We absolutely cannot let the killer escape!"

"Yes!"

"Meeting adjourned. Let's get to work."

……

“My client is a victim and is still at risk. You cannot disturb him.” Jiang Zhizhen blocked the police from entering the ward.

The police were led by a senior superintendent, but it was no use. Hong Kong is a society governed by the rule of law, and besides, he was a very wealthy man. The hospital couldn't possibly issue a certificate saying that the interrogation was fine, so they could only wait outside with their men.

The four brothers, Ah Jie and Ah Ji, the women, Teresa Teng and Sally Yeh, and the general managers of various companies all came, entering the ward in waves.

"Boss, it's no problem with so many people visiting." A man in his thirties with the rank of senior inspector smiled and gestured with his lips.

"Then go and say it," the senior superintendent said irritably.

"Hehe, we police have to respect the other party's rights."

"Then go buy some food and come back!"

The guy raised his voice slightly, "Boss, you don't know how generous the Little God of Wealth is. We're just doing our job. How could the Little God of Wealth let us go hungry? Just wait for the shark fin soup with rice."

Lu Shaotao, who was not far away, looked over with amusement and said, "You know the boss so well, why don't you quit your job and work for Umbrella Corporation?"

"You flatter me, you flatter me." The man cupped his hands in greeting.

Lu Shaotao smiled and instructed, "Did you hear that? Our police friend wants shark fin soup with rice. Go make the call."

"Yes, Captain."

The senior superintendent glared at his subordinates, somewhat embarrassed and annoyed, making them look like beggars, but he didn't stop them; he didn't care if his subordinates wanted to eat.

The next morning, Wang Yaotang went to visit Youde in his ward in a wheelchair, and no one stopped him.

As soon as he entered, Wang Yaotang shouted, "Governor, how do you feel?"

This is what deaf people are like...

Yude couldn't hear anything, but he smiled and waved his uninjured left hand. No matter who was behind it all, he felt that Wang Yaotang had pulled him back, otherwise he would most likely have been killed.

They communicated with pen and paper. Wang Yaotang quickly wrote: "You owe me a life. I want to acquire Jardine Matheson. The authorities cannot stop me."

Yud's expression froze. You're taking advantage of my kindness, and you can't even wait a day, can you?

Wang Yaotang: Yes, I don't believe in the character of you Anglo-Saxon robbers.

"The government will not interfere with normal business activities."

"No, no, no, don't try to fob me off with official jargon. I need the exact wording. Give me your guarantee, Governor. Write it down, and I'll wipe the slate clean of your life-saving grace!" Wang Yaotang wrote quickly.

Yu De gritted his teeth in anger, "You know I'm the governor, there's no way I'm going to write it for you!"

Wang Yaotang tilted his head and thought for a moment, "Then you have to write that you owe me a life. You must write this IOU."

"You bastard!"

"Thank you for the compliment!"

Yud gritted his teeth. As a politician, he could break his promises to ordinary people because it wouldn't affect them, but he had to maintain a good reputation in high society.

He grumbled and wrote an IOU, then threw it at Wang Yaotang and pointed to the door.

Wang Yaotang laughed loudly, put the bag away in his hand and shook it. He said, "I can't hear you cursing me. I'm the most magnanimous person."

After a long while, Yud's expression gradually returned to calm, and he said loudly, "Could this guy have done it?"

"I don't see what benefit this would bring him. After all, he has already gotten what he wanted, and now the contract is in trouble because of Kadoorie's death," the aide quickly wrote.

Yud thought for a moment, then squinted and said, "Only when the Kadoorie family is all dead will he have the opportunity to completely control CLP Power."

The aide frowned. "He has 23% of the outstanding shares. During the negotiations, he has the opportunity to directly obtain absolute control, unless he thinks we won't allow it. But even so, he will still have 45%, making him the largest shareholder, surpassing Kadoorie. Control is only a matter of time."

"Moreover, the danger is too great. If he had been even a second later, he could have been blown up on the spot. He is already a super-rich man worth billions. Only a complete madman would take such a risk."

Yud nodded, his expression softening. (End of Chapter)