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

P.S.: Don't be fooled by this being only one update; it's a long one, 6000 words! So, please vote with some monthly tickets! Being ranked over 900 is really pathetic.

……

"Wow, what do you mean? You didn't invite me to the party? You're excluding me! How could you be so mean!"

Wang Yaotang did not answer Huo Lao's question, but instead shouted and turned the tables on him.

"Wait for me, I'm coming right now!" Without waiting for a reply, she slammed down the phone.

Hearing the busy tone on the phone, everyone looked at each other, thinking, "This kid is still as energetic as ever."

"Wait a minute, did they just say where we are?" Guo Desheng suddenly said.

Everyone was taken aback. Didn't he say that?
How did Wang Yaotang get here?

Or perhaps Wang Yaotang forgot he would call back later?

Or……

These old foxes quickly figured it out and all turned their attention to Li Xiangjiao. In fact, Wang Yaotang already knew they were gathered together.

Li Xiangjiao's expression panicked for a moment, but he quickly suppressed it. If the bomb really was dropped by Wang Yaotang, how could he not know that it hadn't exploded? If he really wanted to kill his whole family, given Wang Yaotang's ruthless and reckless nature, how could he not have arranged for someone to monitor him?

If Shen Bi was really the one killed by Wang Yaotang, given the professional team that attacked Shen Bi that day, he would have died on his way here!

Old Huo, Old Bao, and their group exchanged glances; they could certainly think of what Li Xiangjiao could think of as well.

So... something's going on here.

As a result, everyone stopped rushing and sat quietly drinking tea and chatting, except for Li Xiangjiao, who was frowning and fidgeting.

After a few cups of tea, voices could be heard outside, and then the door was pushed open, and Wang Yaotang strode in, "Good morning, Mr. Huo, Mr. Bao."

"Brother Zheng, Brother Li, Brother Guo, you didn't invite me to the gathering. Are you treating me like an outsider?"

"Ah Tang".

"Yaotang".

"Hey, what are you standing there for? Pull me a chair over here. Do you expect me to sit down by myself?" Wang Yaotang said to the waiter who followed him in.

"Hey, Brother Banana, why do you look so haggard? Did you suffer from alcohol and women?" Wang Yaotang strode over to Li Xiangjiao, spread his arms, and teased him in an exaggerated manner.

"Pah! You surnamed Wang, you still won't admit what you did and break business rules. I will never let you get away with this!" Li Xiangjiao suddenly stood up, her small stature belying her loud voice.

"Ha!" Wang Yaotang grinned, showing his big teeth. "Do you know who said what I just said?"

"What, you don't know?"

"Let me tell you, he's a traitor who served three masters, Lü Bu!" Wang Yaotang sneered and strode into a chair.

"Bullshit, you're spouting nonsense!" Li Xiangjiao's face suddenly turned red. Although he didn't understand why Wang Yaotang said that, "traitor who has served three masters" was definitely not a good description.

Zheng Yutong, Guo Desheng, and Li Zhaoji frowned, somewhat puzzled.

Old Bao and Old Huo exchanged a glance, their eyes darting around. They suddenly remembered that in previous discussions, Wang Yaotang had always sided with the Chinese.

This wasn't the first time Wang Yaotang had done something like this; everyone was used to it, but now that we think about it, it might be related.

“500 kilograms equivalent? If I wanted to take you down, you'd be fucking meeting your maker by now!” Wang Yaotang glanced sideways at Li Xiangjiao. “Empty!”

"Back in my hometown, it would only take ten minutes at most for two policemen to come and carry me away. But in Hong Kong, in Deep Water Bay, they've dragged it out for over eight hours and still haven't gotten it done. Bah!"

"This is a microcosm of the bigger picture: Hong Kong under British rule had no future, Hong Kong under colonies had no future, the future lies in the North!"

"Mr. Huo, Mr. Bao, and all my fellow elders," Wang Yaotang said solemnly, clasping his hands in a fist salute. "Let me be clear today: I'm determined to have Hong Kong Electric, and nothing can stop me!"

These words were so impolite, almost like outright robbery. Apart from Old Master Huo, the others looked rather displeased. But given what had just been said, it was clear that Wang Yaotang was trying to intimidate them by invoking his hometown's reputation.

Considering his long-standing inclinations, no one really dared to say anything.

Besides, it's Li Xiangjiao who's going to suffer, so why should they jump out and confront Wang Yaotang at this time?

These young people are often impulsive and act without considering the consequences; there's no need for that.

"What gives you the right?!" Li Xiangjiao retorted angrily.

"Just because I have men and guns, just because I have powerful backers!" Wang Yaotang stood up abruptly and pointed his hand directly at the other person's nose.

"What do you, Li Xiangjiao, have?!"

"Even if I die, my hometown will cover for me. Nobody can take anything from me, Wang Yaotang."

"What do you, Li Xiangjiao, have to offer!"

"Even if I die, I'll still be a son of the Han people, a patriotic Chinese businessman."

"What do you, Li Xiangjiao, have to offer!"

"If you, Li Xiangjiao, die, it'll be a miracle if your two stupid sons even survive. Don't even think about keeping any of your family property!"

"Compare me? What the hell do you have to compare with me?!"

"Will Little Britain stand up for you?!"

"We're still counting on HSBC to stand up for you!"

"They'll just pounce on your corpse and devour it!"

Wang Yaotang spat in Li Xiangjiao's face, cursing him until Li Xiangjiao's face turned ashen, but he couldn't utter a single word in rebuttal.

Old Huo smiled, Old Bao nodded slightly, and the others' eyes flickered.

This blatant barrage of violence made the air inside the room feel like reinforced concrete, leaving everyone breathless.

After venting his anger, Wang Yaotang turned to the others and said, "After taking over Hong Kong Electric, I will gradually merge the power grids of Hong Kong Island and Kowloon. In a few months, the power plant I invested in in Zhuhai will also be put into operation. At the same time, I am also working in France to obtain their technology and jointly build the Shajiao B Power Plant with my hometown. Once completed, I will promote the grid connection between Hong Kong Island and the mainland."

"What is electricity? Electricity is an essential industry for people's livelihood!"

"Britain, France, and the United States, they have state-owned monopolies on electricity in their own countries, and then they come to Hong Kong and shout about capital, freedom, and the market. I have my own way of dealing with you!"

"I want to make money, but I must also ensure the safety of electricity supply. This absolutely cannot be controlled by people who are not friendly to China."

"Li Xiangjiao, let me put it more bluntly: your relationship with HSBC is far too close. You are not trusted." Wang Yaotang looked at Li Xiangjiao again. "If you dare to reach out, you're dead. You know my background; I'm not afraid of getting my hands dirty!"

"Did you understand?!" Wang Yaotang suddenly roared, "Speak!"

Whether from anger or fear, Li Xiangjiao's lips trembled and her hands shook uncontrollably. "I, I..."

"I'm quitting." After saying that, he slumped down like a deflated balloon.

Wang Yaotang then looked at Zheng, Guo, Xu, Li and the others. Their faces were full of polite but embarrassed smiles, clearly frightened by the blatant threat they had just received.

If it were someone else, with a different reason, or in a different setting, they would have exploded long ago.

But this person was none other than Wang Yaotang, who had fought his way up the ranks, and his reason was national power security. In full view of everyone, with righteousness in his hands, Wang Yaotang went berserk, and no one dared to utter a single word.

Otherwise, it will get out...

These people's ancestors were all businessmen during the Republic of China era. Why would they move their whole families to Hong Kong for no reason?

"Brothers, please don't blame me for being too impetuous today. What kind of young man wouldn't be impetuous?" Wang Yaotang laughed and joked to himself. "I still have self-awareness. I promise that I will not touch the real estate business in Hong Kong. The fattest piece of the real estate market is all yours."

"I'll take on those tough, asset-heavy, slow-profit industries that nobody wants."

"So, are you all satisfied, brothers?"

"Hahaha." Old Huo was the first to laugh out loud. "Well said. Young people should be full of vigor. If everyone were like us old men, where would the business world have any vitality? Go for it. If you have any difficulties, call us, sit down and talk. Don't do surprise attacks next time. We're all getting old, our hearts can't take it."

"Yes, Dong."

“If there’s anything, let’s sit down and have a good talk. What are the conflicts that can’t be resolved?”

"Yeah."

Once Old Huo started, everyone began chatting and laughing, and the tense atmosphere in the room dissipated instantly.

Li Xiangjiao remained silent with a gloomy face, but she didn't get up or leave either. She just sat quietly to the side, pretending to be dead.

Wang Yaotang ignored him and chatted and laughed. When it was almost time, he suggested having lunch together, but Zheng, Guo, Xu and others all declined, saying they had other things to do. Bao Lao and Huo Lao didn't say anything either, and everyone dispersed.

What happened today must have been quite a shock to everyone. We all need to go back and calm down, and determine our future development path.

Wang Yaotang didn't care much; as long as the goal was achieved, that was enough. As for invoking his hometown's reputation, well, he wasn't afraid of making a fool of himself.

Even if these people have connections and actually go to ask around, the result will inevitably be that Wang Yaotang is indeed preparing for the merger of the power grid. Even if the higher-ups directly deny it and clearly say that they will not interfere with normal business activities, you can see if the laundry detergent believes it!
Moreover, would anyone actually dare to ask?
Wang Yaotang has good intentions and is a patriotic businessman. Why don't you learn from him?
Once in the car, Li Xiangjiao pounded the seat violently, hissing and cursing in a low voice. It was clearly his house that had been bombed, it was clearly a man surnamed Wang who threatened to kill his whole family, it was clearly his hard work negotiating with Jardine Matheson and HSBC to finally reach an agreement on the business, it was clearly a normal business transaction, but now they had snatched Hong Kong Electric from his hands and were pointing their fingers at him and cursing him, and he had to endure it.

Is there any royal method?
Is there any law?
You gave up Kwai Chung Pier 6 to get Hong Kong Electric, and now you're going back on your word? Damn you, a robber bred by a corrupt system.

Those damn bastards, go to hell!
The secretary and driver huddled together, not daring to make a sound, for fear that the boss's anger would be vented on them. At this moment, they dared not go anywhere and could only silently drive towards the company building.

“Go home!” Li Xiangjiao suddenly said.

He wanted people to leave the large hole in the lawn, fill it with cement, and use it as a constant reminder to be wary of these robbers!

He hasn't been planning to go to the office lately. He wants everyone to know that he's being coerced and threatened by certain forces and individuals, forcing him to stay home and making it impossible for him to handle official business. They don't want him to speak? Fine, then let everyone see their true colors!
Otherwise, how would Jardine Matheson explain themselves?

How will we explain the agreement with HSBC?

HSBC has completed the fund allocation, and many financial institutions have already placed their bets on HK Electric. Everything is ready except for the final push. If you say now that you can't acquire it, believe me, you'll be chopped into mincemeat in no time!
He's not like that barbaric beast Wang Yaotang; he's not afraid of death!

Now he can only hide.

If you fucking wanted to rob Hong Kong Electric, you should have said so earlier! If you fucking had said so earlier, I would have given up. Now that you're all set, you're saying you're determined to take it.

Son of a bitch!
Grooves!
When Li Xiangjiao returned home, she waved away the Filipino maid who came upstairs and quickly went back to her study.

When they arrived at Jardine Matheson, they were shocked to hear that an aerial bomb had fallen from the sky over Li Xiangjiao's house in the middle of the night.

It couldn't have been abandoned by the Germans, could it?

During the morning meeting, everyone discussed it animatedly. With the deal about to be finalized and the funds needed to save the group's most important asset, Jardine Matheson, they couldn't help but pay close attention to Li Xiangjiao's every move. However, there was still no news.

Oakley felt his scalp tingle during the meeting. That guy surnamed Wang was simply a sodium monoxide poison, no, he was absolutely a sodium monoxide poison. 500 kilograms of aerial bombs! That's wiping out an entire family!
On one hand, he was glad that he had been wise enough to agree to be an inside man, but on the other hand, he was deeply afraid that he had already boarded a pirate ship and there was no way to turn back.

After dragging on until noon, feeling that it was about time, Jardine Matheson's general manager, Morris, made a phone call to Hutchison Whampoa to inquire about Li Xiangjiao, only to be told that he was not there.

Changshi wasn't there either, and they finally found him by calling Li Xiangjiao's house.

Li Xiangjiao's voice was hoarse, and her speech became indistinct. One moment she was complaining about not being able to go out, the next she was complaining about unfairness, and then she was talking about adjusting the industrial structure. But when asked what was going on, she wouldn't say anything specific, and just kept apologizing, which made Morris feel uneasy.

"Regarding the acquisition of Hong Kong Electric..."

“I have reached an agreement with HSBC, the funds have been transferred, and all teams are ready,” Li Xiangjiao said hoarsely.

Morris's heart sank further. "And then?"

"There's no 'then' now."

"What do you mean there's no 'then'!" Maurice suddenly stood up.

Li Xiangjiao remained silent for a long time before saying, "It's because I'm incompetent; all the problems are my fault."

Morris's mind went blank. Damn it, we've been negotiating the acquisition for months, and we desperately need funds to solve the group's problems, and you're telling me you don't have the ability!
"Who is it?!" Maurice now wanted to kill.

“It’s beyond our control, there’s no point in saying anything,” Li Xiangjiao gritted her teeth. “Their lackeys will be coming for you soon.”

Morris immediately understood, and slammed his fist on the table. "What about commercial freedom? This is blatant and barbaric illegal interference! This is backwardness! This is fascism!"

After hanging up the phone, Maurice sat there blankly, his worst fears had come true.

The reason for selling HK Electric is certainly due to excessive debt and a tight cash flow, but there are many ways to attract funds, so why must it be a clear and excellent asset like HK Electric?

What I fear most is that the Chinese will nationalize the country in a decade or so.

After all, the domestic power industry in Little Britain is monopolized by the nationalized Central Power Generation Board (CEGB) and 12 regional distribution boards, which own all the national power grid and the vast majority of power plants.

France also has a monopoly held by EDF (Électricité de France).

Since the global wave of independence began, newly independent countries have nationalized some important industries that previously benefited the people, such as Middle Eastern countries, Myanmar, and Malaysia. Among these, Little Britain was the one that ultimately suffered the most losses, without exception...

Even France maintained most of its colonies in West Africa, and even the currency remained unchanged.

So, as a small British capital, and in such a sensitive industry as electricity, Jardine Matheson was genuinely afraid.

We can't wait until almost 97 to discuss this. By the 90s, it's doubtful anyone will dare to take it on.

Doesn't this situation perfectly confirm our previous guesses?

Call the secretary in and inform the senior management that there will be a meeting this afternoon.

After a short lunch break, Morris recounted the events at the impromptu afternoon meeting, including the issue of the bomb that was now confirmed to be an empty shell. The meeting room erupted in uproar, with everyone shouting curses.

Of course, everyone was criticizing the Chinese, but no one was criticizing Wang Yaotang.

Such meetings are hardly confidential. The man surnamed Wang is ruthless and now has powerful backers, so he acts without any scruples. They are afraid of being retaliated against by this beast.

I'm not afraid that Wang Yaotang will kill someone over something like this; I'm not that crazy. My main fear is getting beaten up.

At most, they'll arrest the person who did the assault. They won't care. They can arrest one person at a time and beat them up for ten years without repeating the same person.

That's terrifying!
Just as everyone was having a good time arguing, the conference room door was pushed open, and Morris's secretary quickly walked in and whispered in his ear, "Wang Yaotang is here, he's already upstairs."

Morris was taken aback, but his body reacted faster than his mind and he had already stood up.

Morris thought for a moment, then said, "Have someone come directly over."

"Okay." The secretary nodded and left.

"What's wrong, Morris?" someone asked immediately.

Just as Morris was about to speak, before the secretary had even left, the conference room door was pushed open again, and Wang Yaotang strode in.

"Wow, everyone's here. Were you waiting for me?"

The air in the meeting room suddenly froze, and many people subconsciously shrank back, wondering if this guy had heard their earlier insults against the Chinese.

"What were you talking about just now? You guys seemed to be having a lively time."

The group of people quickly avoided Wang Yaotang's gaze.

"Why aren't you saying anything? Were you just cursing at me?" Wang Yaotang's voice suddenly turned cold.

"No."

"How can it be."

"The meeting was naturally to discuss company business issues."

"So that's not it. Then it seems I'm virtuous and talented, and everyone respects me a lot." Wang Yaotang grinned.

"Wang Yaotang, how could you barge in like this? Don't you think it's incredibly rude of you?" Morris shouted, his face dark.

"Oh, so you don't welcome me? Then I'll leave." Wang Yaotang chuckled and turned to leave.

Morris froze on the spot. No, I just wanted to gain the upper hand in the negotiations!

You're kidding me!
Do you think I'm easily scared?!

You're here because you want to acquire Hong Kong Electric!
You have a political mission!
Wei Tao pushed open the conference room door. Wang Yaotang was about to leave when Morris finally snapped, "Are you crazy? You're already here!"

If Wang Yaotang really leaves, I guarantee that the next day major newspapers will break the news that Jardine Matheson's negotiations with Li Xiangjiao have broken down and that there are doubts about the sale of Hong Kong Electric's assets.

By then, even if the cash flow hasn't dried up yet, it'll be completely cut off!
"Wait, wait!" Morris hurriedly chased after him. "Alright, Wang Yaotang, you win. Come back and talk."

Wang Yaotang burst into laughter, "You knelt down so quickly? I actually preferred your arrogant demeanor just now."

Morris's face darkened, and many of the company's executives lowered their heads to suppress their laughter. They had all lived in Hong Kong Island for many years and understood Cantonese.

Re-entering the meeting, Wang Yaotang patted one of the men on the shoulder and said, "Make room for me with a chair."

The man stubbornly insisted, "Fine, I'll move!"

"Damn it, why are you yelling so loudly, you bastard?" Wang Yaotang pulled up a chair and sat down, crossing his legs on the table. "We've been negotiating for so long, and we've discussed the terms. I'm not going to hold your attempt to drive up the price against me. HK$38 billion, I'll take Hong Kong Electric."

"Impossible!" Morris had barely sat down when he stood up again in anger. "This is robbery, blatant robbery!"

"That's a really pointless thing to say. It's not like we Hong Kongers invited you Anglo-Saxons over. That's how business works. If I'm better than you, I naturally have the right to set prices," Wang Yaotang said, tilting his head.

"We bring civilization and liberation, transforming Hong Kong from an ignorant and backward feudal society into..." Seeing Wang Yaotang's unfriendly expression, Morris's voice grew softer and softer, finally swallowing hard. "This is a business transaction. We won't talk about politics. Let's get back to the issue of equity transfer. 38 billion is impossible; the management can't explain it to the shareholders."

"Can you explain what this has to do with me?" Wang Yaotang sneered. "I'll put it this way, no one in Hong Kong dares to interfere. Be thankful that modern society saved your lives."

"This is forced buying and selling!" Morris's chest heaved with anger.

"That's right, that's it. Do you know why I waited until today to come? It's so you can talk to Li Xiangjiao and tell everyone that I'm going to take Hong Kong Electric, and nothing can stop me!"

Wang Yaotang coldly looked at the group of people present, "We value decorum in our business dealings, so I still offered a high price. But if some companies don't want to maintain decorum, I also have ways to help you do so!"

"This is Hong Kong, my territory. If you want to make money here, you'd better know your place. British capital used to have special privileges, but not anymore. Do you understand?"

"Aren't you afraid of damaging your international reputation if this gets out? Nobody will come to Hong Kong to invest... cough cough!" Morris gritted his teeth.

"Then I guess I have to thank you. You've given me all the business, and I've made a fortune." Wang Yaotang curled his lip. "Don't say things like that in the future. It's just a little reputation. What impact will it have? The only impact will be the lack of profit. With a 50% profit, capital will take risks. For a 100% profit, it will dare to trample on all human laws. With a 300% profit, it will dare to commit any crime."

"reputation?"

"You're so unprofessional!"

Morris's face turned ashen. "You can lower the price, but that will hurt the company. But attacking me personally is absolutely unacceptable!"

But he could only suppress his anger; this barbaric guy dared to drop aerial bombs.

"38 billion is too little; the proposal has already been submitted to the board of directors!"

“That’s your problem, that’s all.” Wang Yaotang stood up. “I’m here to inform you. Remember, Jardine Matheson still needs to make money in Hong Kong. Think it over and call me.”

"The fact that you are still alive is the greatest kindness I can show you." (End of Chapter)