After rebirth, I became a great master

Chapter 584 Repaying with Jade

International capital is launching a decisive battle.

In the foreign exchange market, HK$20 billion was sold off over two consecutive days, triggering a strong ripple effect. As a result, the Hang Seng Index plummeted to 7018 points on Friday, August 7th.

It's worth noting that on August 7th of last year, the Hang Seng Index was at 16673 points!
In just one year, HK$2 trillion evaporated from the Hong Kong stock market!

Among them, stocks in the media and entertainment industries were the hardest hit.

The general decline was as high as 70%.

Take TVB, for example. A year ago, its market capitalization was HK$320 billion, but now it's only HK$110 billion. Another example is Oriental Charm, whose share price has fallen from HK$1.18 to HK$0.22.

Amidst the market's wailing, Mr. Big arrived.

Over the weekend, Zhou Haoran and Tang Shiyi booked a teahouse near Central and met with many visitors, all bigwigs in the Hong Kong entertainment industry, who came seeking help.

The most eager of them all was a record company.

Fitto Records.

Affected by piracy and poor performance, the company has a debt of HK$2500 million and is already struggling to stay afloat.

"How about acquiring Fitto Records?"

After seeing the guests off, Zhou Haoran and Tang Shiyi stood by the window, gazing at Victoria Harbour in the distance.

"Didn't you say..." Tang Shiyi was somewhat surprised by the suggestion, "Didn't you say that digital music concerts would replace the traditional record industry?"

"Correct."

Zhou Haoran nodded.

"Then you still..."

Tang Shiyi felt this was a losing proposition.

Zhou Haoran said, "In the short term, songs are still more profitable than film and television. Just like 'Everyone's Art Up' and 'City Playlist,' songs are more attractive."

Piracy cannot be stopped.

Tang Shiyi lacked confidence in this direction.

Zhou Haoran smiled and said, "It might not be a bad thing."

"Huh?" Tang Shiyi was both amused and exasperated. In front of Zhou Haoran, she showed none of her usual aloofness. She pursed her lips and said, "Piracy is a good thing?"

Zhou Haoran bluntly stated, "Because of piracy, record companies are offering very low prices. Especially in the mainland market, music copyrights are practically dirt cheap, and nobody cares about them."

"Music copyrights..." Tang Shiyi had known him for a long time and understood his business principles well. "You mean buying at the bottom?"

Zhou Haoran nodded. "If you want to buy at rock-bottom prices, you first have to get into the industry. Didn't you hear? The Hong Kong and Taiwan music markets have been invaded by international capital. Warner Music, Universal Music... they've all had disagreements with local music producers. In the face of international giants, local record companies are losing ground."

"Should we step forward?"

Tang Shiyi's eyes lit up.

Zhou Haoran said, "Someone has to hold the line. Chinese music should belong to local record companies. They can't all be working for foreign record giants."

"Fitto Records..."

Tang Shiyi naturally had no objection.

Now that their relationship is settled, all that's left is to finalize it.

She already considers herself a member of the Zhou family.

"Then I'll try to contact them."

Tang Shiyi didn't know much about the record business, but since the head of the family had made the decision, he had to carry it out.

“This is a rare opportunity, we must do it.” Zhou Haoran had already decided on his strategy. “These days, singers are more famous than movie stars. The Shanghai entertainment circle wants to integrate the entertainment resources of Hong Kong and Taiwan, and this is the first step.”

If he doesn't do it, someone else will.

In their previous life, Fitto Records couldn't survive.

It was eventually acquired by Emperor Group.

It was renamed Emperor Entertainment.

Within a few years, the Hong Kong entertainment industry improved, ushering in a wave of popularity for the Hong Kong and Taiwan record industry. A series of top singers and hit songs emerged, and Emperor Entertainment took advantage of this opportunity to become an entertainment giant in the industry.

As they talked, the conversation drifted from business to their personal relationship.

"By the way, have you chosen a date yet?"

Zhou Haoran was quite generous, giving the other party the choice of when to take possession of the house.

Tang Shiyi knew what he meant, and without shame, impatience, or panic, calmly said, "I've made my choice."

What number?

Zhou Haoran decided to stop agonizing over it. The constant pressure from Senior Brother Tang was driving him crazy. Plus, Tang Shiyi wasn't as aloof in front of him as she was in front of others, so he made his decision decisively.

"May 9th."

"Well, yes."

"This is the date that Suiqing helped me choose."

Tang Shiyi became somewhat flustered when she brought this up.

Zhou Haoran asked, puzzled, "What's wrong?"

Tang Shiyi bit her lip lightly, "She said that September 1st is your anniversary."

"September 1st..."

Zhou Haoran then vaguely remembered.

Yes!

On this day last year, he and Sister Suiqing got married.

September 1st was the day Qiao Suiqing took possession of her new house.

Tang Shiyi was also scheduled for this day.

From now on, Qiao Suiqing can celebrate the festival with Teacher Tang every year; it will be a special day for the two of them. This Qingmei (Qiao Suiqing's nickname) seems to really care for her Teacher Tang.

"How to do?"

Tang Shiyi appeared to be in a very passive position.

Zhou Haoran laughed and said, "Great! It's settled then. This is proof of our deep sisterly bond!"

After the weekend.

Monday arrived.

The delegation is about to have a meeting.

The specific implementation of the market rescue plan was discussed and studied.

Which stocks should I buy?
After several days of research, it's time to produce concrete results. Once we have the results, we must act immediately. The Hong Kong stock market is currently in a state of panic; this southbound capital should be injected decisively to give the Hong Kong stock market a strong boost!

The meeting was held in a conference room at the Beijing-Hong Kong Hotel.

There are nine people in total.

Three deputy leaders and six group members.

The six group members were just there to make up the numbers.

The decision-making power actually rested with the three deputy regimental commanders: Zhou Haoran, Zhou Zhengqi, and Jiang Feibiao.

"Oh, Mr. Zhou?" Zhou Zhengqi was as smug as ever, making no attempt to hide his provocation before the meeting. "Well? Do you understand the situation in Hong Kong?"

Zhou Haoran shook his head. "The market is too big; it's difficult to understand it clearly in a short period of time."

Zhou Zhengqi chuckled and said, "I heard you've been dealing with people in the entertainment industry these past few days?"

"Yes, I participated in a charity auction."

Zhou Haoran did not hide anything.

The Hong Kong government newspapers have widely reported on it, showing him side-by-side with media tycoon Shaw Yi-fu, with large photos appearing in the newspapers. They even provided an introduction to his identity.

His name is Zhou Haoran, and he is the deputy head of the Hong Kong business delegation. His trip is to help the Hong Kong government fight against international capital and do his part.

At the same time, they also dug up a lot of details.

For example, he was the head chef of the Haigang Honglou Teahouse, which is said to be an intangible cultural heritage passed down for over a hundred years. At the same time, he was also a renowned world-class computer expert, known as "the number one person in the open source world".

That's why the Hong Kong government has such a well-developed media presence.

They have strong investigative skills.

Zhou Zhengqi said meaningfully, "If you're interested in the entertainment industry, Mr. Da, feel free to tell me. I have some connections in the Hong Kong and Taiwan entertainment circles. I have channels with those stars and Miss Hong Kong contestants."

"No need."

Zhou Haoran remained calm.

Zhou Zhengqi glanced at him and asked, "Have you investigated thoroughly? Which companies will be the focus of this bailout plan?"

Zhou Haoran said, "We can't provide targeted assistance to just a few companies. Commander Yang said before that we need to avoid any suspicion of transferring benefits."

"Ah!"

Zhou Zhengqi's lips curled into a smile.

Somewhat disdainful.

When Commander Yang was around, saying this might have had some effect. Now that he's gone, what's the point of bringing this up?

President Jiang had been making arrangements for so many days; he had already taken care of everything!
The meeting officially begins.

Zhou Zhengqi, looking confident, chuckled and said, "Deputy Commander Zhou, why don't you go first? How exactly do we plan to implement our market rescue strategy? Do you have a plan yet?"

"Have."

Zhou Haoran nodded.

Zhou Zhengqi said, "Alright, tell me about it?"

Zhou Haoran readily agreed and calmly said, "I think what Commander Yang said before was correct. Our market rescue efforts should not be too limited; we should try to generate a greater social impact. Based on this idea, I came up with a plan for market rescue."

"Oh?"

Zhou Zhengqi's expression was playful, wanting to see how he would perform.

Zhou Haoran said, "I believe we should save the Hong Kong government's entertainment industry!"

"what?"

Zhou Zhengqi was stunned for a moment.

Zhou Haoran said in a deep voice, "Over the past few days, I have been conducting research on the entertainment industry under the Hong Kong government, and I have gained a lot of insights. As everyone knows, to help with flood relief efforts in mainland China, Hong Kong celebrities held benefit performances and numerous charity auctions. Under the call of these celebrities, the Hong Kong government donated a total of HK$6.8 million! Ranking first in the world!"

These words shocked everyone present.

The contrast makes it more intense.

The funds sent south to rescue the market amounted to HK$4 million.

That's ironic.

The funds sent south to help stabilize the economy amounted to HK$4 million, while the donations sent north to fight floods reached HK$6.8 million.

This shabby attitude was immediately apparent.

No wonder there's a prevailing atmosphere of disdain and contempt for the North in Hong Kong society.

"You give me a peach, I give you a precious jade in return. The Hong Kong government's entertainment industry has made a huge contribution to flood relief and disaster relief. I have seen their efforts and hard work." Zhou Haoran naturally stood on the side of righteousness. "The donations sent north were mainly driven by celebrities in the entertainment industry. The relief funds sent south should naturally be tilted towards them as well."

"Makes sense."

Some team members have already been convinced by his words.

Help is mutual.

The Hong Kong government's entertainment industry is very united and compassionate.

Despite facing such a huge economic crisis, with many entertainment companies on the verge of bankruptcy, they are still actively working to help with flood relief and disaster recovery in mainland China... People are all made of flesh and blood, who could remain unmoved?
Zhou Haoran said, "Rescuing the entertainment industry also aligns with what Commander Yang said before: rescue efforts must have political significance and generate a sufficiently large positive social impact. The celebrity effect is the best choice."

Then he compiled a list of measures to rescue the market.

There are five listed companies.

They are Shaw Brothers, TVB, China Star, Golden Harvest, and Media Asia.

These were the companies he had the most successful negotiations with this weekend.

(End of this chapter)