A century-old wealthy family that rose from Shanghai

Before the morning mist had completely dissipated, Fok Ying-tung was already sitting at his desk.

He held an unlit cigarette between his fingers, his gaze falling on the lease records of Star House spread out on the table—"January 15th, Wellcome Department Store terminated its lease, forfeiting its HK$50,000 deposit; January 20th, a potential tenant from an electronics store called, saying that Hong Kong Telephone Company 'suggested careful consideration,' and decided not to lease; March 5th, a bowling alley equipment supplier called, stating that Australian-made cash registers would require an additional 30% price increase due to the need to bypass US regulations in the transportation route..."

"Mr. Huo, another demand letter from HSBC has arrived." The deputy pushed open the door and lowered his voice. "They said that if a loan repayment plan cannot be provided by the end of the month, they may have to activate the guarantee clause—after all, that 1000 million was personally guaranteed by you."

Huo Yingdong finally lit a cigarette. Amidst the swirling smoke, he picked up the payment reminder letter, the red words "Risk of Overdue Payment" particularly glaring.

"understood."

He took a deep drag of his cigarette, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the table. "I saw the glass curtain wall of Starlight Plaza yesterday when I passed by; it was so dusty you could write on it. Any news from the British company?"

“William Paley of Hongkong Land mentioned at the cocktail party yesterday that he was ‘willing to help Mr. Ho resolve his troubles,’ but he didn’t specify the conditions. However, judging from his tone, he probably won’t be polite,” the deputy added. “Also, Mr. Ho’s secretary called to say that the shareholders’ meeting is scheduled for the day after tomorrow, and Mr. Ho hopes that you can come up with a plan that will satisfy everyone.”

Huo Yingdong stubbed out his cigarette, got up, and walked to the window.

Outside the window, pedestrians hurried along the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront, but the ground floor doors of Star House remained tightly shut, and the "For Rent" sign rattled in the wind.

He recalled the scene when Star House first broke ground in 1962, when he and Ho Tim and others stood on the construction site, dreaming that "this place will become the most bustling commercial center in Tsim Sha Tsui," but now it has become a hot potato.

"Wait a little longer," he said softly, "I'll think of something else."

meeting room.

The voice carried a hint of helplessness: "Yingdong, it's not that we don't support you, it's just that if you acquire it by yourself... you know, when we first started the joint venture, we agreed that each of us would own 25%. Now that you're taking over by yourself, if word gets out, people will say that we 'don't have the money to support us'."

It turns out that Fok Ying-tung wasn't short of money; in fact, he had plenty. He could afford both the HK$1000 million loan from HSBC and the shares held by the other three shareholders.

He Tian, ​​standing nearby, chimed in: "Yes, Yingdong, the real estate market is so bad, and we don't have much cash flow. If you can find a third-party buyer at a reasonable price, we're willing to sell; but it's really not appropriate to let you keep it all to yourself—we've been friends for decades, don't let this cause any rifts."

Huo Yingdong's knuckles turned slightly white. He had expected this outcome—the shareholders weren't short of money, but they were afraid of being "outdone" and even more afraid of being implicated by the subsequent pressure from Britain and the United States.

When everyone works together, the shares are equal, and when the shares are sold to someone else, regardless of profit or loss, everyone's interests are also equal. But if the shares are sold to Fok Ying-tung alone, it means that everyone doesn't have as much money as Fok Ying-tung, and Fok Ying-tung becomes the sole dominant shareholder, creating a hierarchy among everyone.

"I understand everyone's concerns."

He tried to keep his tone calm, "If there were a third-party buyer whose offer could cover the costs, or even leave a slight profit, would you be willing to consider it?"

“Of course I’m willing!” “But Yingdong, you know the current situation. Who would dare to take over Starlight Group? The British and American companies are watching closely. Apart from British giants like Hongkong Land, I’m afraid no one would dare to touch it.”

The other shareholders nodded in agreement.

Looking at their faces, Huo Yingdong suddenly felt powerless—he had thought that years of cooperation and friendship could withstand the difficulties, but he forgot that friendship could sometimes be so fragile in the face of "interests and face".

"I see"

"I will find another buyer and give everyone an answer as soon as possible."

After the meeting, the office fell into a deathly silence.

Huo Yingdong picked up the shareholder agreement of Starlight Entertainment, turned to the page with his signature, the ink of which had long since dried.

William Paley sat on the leather sofa, toying with a crystal glass, his gaze sweeping over Fok Ying-tung with scrutiny.

“Mr. Fok, let’s not beat around the bush. Everyone in Hong Kong knows about Star House’s current predicament.”

He put down his cup, his tone carrying an arrogant, almost condescending tone, and continued, "Jungland's willingness to offer HK$3000 million for the acquisition and to assume HSBC's HK$1000 million loan is already quite generous—you know, other companies probably wouldn't even be willing to offer HK$2500 million. Of course, our payment terms are as follows."

"3000 million, and 2000 million of that has to be settled with a promissory note?" Huo Yingdong frowned, his voice rising several decibels. "Mr. Pelly, are you kidding me? Starlight Investment invested 3000 million, and now they can't even get their principal back, and they're going to try to fob us off with a 'piece of paper'?"

“This isn’t just making excuses; it’s business practice.” William Paley spread his hands, his tone threatening. “Mr. Huo, you should understand the attitude of Britain and America towards Starlight Cinema—if it weren’t for Landsea’s willingness to take it over, who else do you think would want it? Don’t forget, your two cinemas in Pearl City still rely on American companies for film sources. If they find out you’re ‘not cooperating,’ the consequences will be…”

Huo Yingdong clenched his fists under the table, his nails almost digging into his palms.

He knew what William Paley was threatening—if the United States cut off film supplies, the two theaters would have no films to show, which was another major source of income for him besides shipping.

"You're taking advantage of our misfortune," he said coldly.

“Say what you want.” William Paley stood up and straightened his suit. “I’ll give you three days to consider. Either accept the terms, or… wait for Starlight Avenue to become an ‘unfinished project’.”

Stepping out of the Landmark headquarters, a cold wind blew in his face. Huo Yingdong wrapped his coat tighter, but still felt a chill all over his body.

He looked up at the skyscrapers in Central, the signs of British companies glaring in the sunlight—from being blacklisted by the United States during the Korean War to the suppression of Star House today, he suddenly realized that the living space for Chinese businessmen in Hong Kong has always been held by British capital.

"I can't give up." He gritted his teeth and pulled out the gold-embossed business card from his pocket—the three words "Chen Guangliang" had become his only hope at that moment.

Huo Yingdong looked at Chen Guangliang's business card repeatedly; the card was well-preserved. He recalled that day when Chen Guangliang stood out among a group of British businessmen in suits, yet dared to say frankly, "The oil tankers of the Global Shipping will sail all over the world in the future," and "Chinese people can also dominate the seas." That confidence left a deep impression on him.

"Should we make this call?"

He hesitated, his finger hovering over the old-fashioned dial telephone.

He didn't know if Chan Kwong-leung was willing to take over—after all, Starlight Entertainment was embroiled in the trouble of "pressure from Britain and the United States," and although 'Sir Chan' held a high position of power, he might not be willing to get involved in this mess.

"Give it a try." He took a deep breath and dialed the number on the business card.

The phone rang three times before Chen Guangliang's calm voice came from the other end: "Hello, who is this?"

“Mr. Chen, this is Huo Yingdong.” Huo Yingdong’s voice was a little tense. “There’s something I’d like to discuss with you—about Starlight Travel…”

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone, then Chen Guangliang's gentle voice came through: "Mr. Huo, don't rush, speak slowly. I also know a bit about Starlight Group."

Holding the receiver, Fok Ying-tung suddenly felt his eyes welling up with tears. After being cornered by British investors and politely rejected by shareholders, this phrase, "Take your time," had become the most comforting thing he had heard in days. He composed himself and began to recount the predicament of Star House—from being pressured to lease it to China Arts, to the tenants terminating their leases, and then to the harsh conditions imposed by Hongkong Land. Every word carried the struggles and resentment he had felt over the past few days.

“I know this is troublesome, but the location of Starlight Building is truly excellent,” Huo Yingdong concluded, a hint of anticipation in his voice. “Mr. Chen, Cheung Shui… are you interested in taking over this building?”

On the other end of the phone, Chen Guangliang's voice came through: "Mr. Huo, I'll be waiting for you at Cheung Kong's office tomorrow morning. Let's meet and talk. Bring the Starlight Group's information, and we'll discuss it in detail."

When Fok Ying-tung entered the office with Starlight Travel's documents, Chan Kwong-leung was standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, looking at the buildings in Central. Upon seeing him, he adopted a polite tone.

“Mr. Chen, this is detailed information about Starlight Holdings, including its shareholder structure, loan details, and the specific terms of pressure from the UK and the US.” Fok Ying-tung placed the documents on the table, his tone tinged with apprehension. “I have already asked my lawyer to inquire at the US Consulate in Hong Kong whether Starlight Holdings and I can be removed from the blacklist if the buyer is Cheung Kong Holdings. After all, this is my biggest concern.”

Chen Guangliang turned around, picked up the documents, flipped through a couple of pages, and a meaningful smile appeared on his lips: "Mr. Huo, don't worry, I've already communicated with them about the consulate's attitude in advance."

He took a document from the drawer and handed it to Fok Ying-tung. "This is the reply I received from the US Consulate last night. It clearly states that 'if Starlight Holdings is acquired by Cheung Kong Holdings, you will no longer be on the restricted list'—my relationship with the United States is still quite good!"

It's not just about the contributions of Worldwide Shipping to US transportation, but also about Chen Guangliang's years of political maneuvering in the US. Of course, the US is currently at war and quite dependent on Hong Kong, so the Chen family is naturally involved as well.

Huo Yingdong took the document and saw the official seal on it; his anxiety finally subsided.

Then, Chen Guangliang's gaze fell on the Landmark properties on the map, and his tone was firm: "Actually, there is another reason why I decided to take over Star House - Jardine Matheson has monopolized the Hong Kong real estate industry for too long. They have almost monopolized the core areas of Central and Tsim Sha Tsui. This time, I can take advantage of Star House to teach them a lesson for their arrogance."

Huo Yingdong suddenly realized that Chen Guangliang's plan was far more than just "Savior Guangxing"; rather, it was a formal declaration of war against the British real estate giants through this acquisition.

"Then the acquisition price..." he asked tentatively.

"HK$4300 million, paid in full." Chen Guangliang said confidently. "Of that, HK$1000 million will be used to repay the loan from HSBC, and the remaining HK$3300 million will be distributed according to the shareholders' shareholding ratio—you will get HK$825 million, which is nearly HK$300 million more than Hongkong Land's offer. Other shareholders will also have a good return. The key is that we have cash!"

This price far exceeded Huo Yingdong's expectations. He excitedly grasped Chen Guangliang's hand: "Mr. Chen, thank you so much!"

“We’re all Chinese, so it’s only right that we support each other.” Chen Guangliang shook his head with a smile. “However, we need to sign the contract as soon as possible to avoid any unforeseen complications—Jungland will definitely not let this go easily.”

Given his current influence, the British can only try to win him over; they would never risk a complete falling out with him over this matter.

On the contrary, the three shareholders are the uncertain factors.

"no problem"

John Keswick, sitting in the head seat, slammed Starlight's acquisition announcement onto the table, his face ashen.

The paper scraped across the mahogany table with a harsh sound. The executives in the conference room all lowered their heads, and no one dared to speak—the news that Cheung Kong had acquired Star House for HK$4300 million had exploded like a bomb in the British business community.

“Can anyone tell me why Chen Guangliang dared to take over? Why did the US consulate agree?” John Keswick’s voice was filled with anger as he swept his gaze across the crowd. “We put in so much effort, working with the UK and the US to put pressure on them, all to acquire Starlight Holdings at a low price, and now look what happened, Cheung Kong Holdings got a bargain!”

William Paley stepped forward, his tone tinged with resentment: "Boss Keswick, our previous plan was fine, but we didn't expect Chen Guangliang to have such power—he not only managed to get the US consulate in place, but he also came up with 4300 million in full, which clearly shows he was well-prepared. However, we still have a chance to fight back."

He leaned closer to John Keswick and lowered his voice: “We hold a 10% stake in Hong Kong Telephone Company, so we are the nominal majority shareholder. We were able to force tenants out by ‘cutting off the phone lines’ before, and we can do it now—as long as we spread the word that the tenants of Star House ‘may not be able to install telephones,’ even if Cheung Kong acquires the building, no one will dare to rent it. They will be left to watch Star House remain vacant and suffer heavy losses.”

John Keswick frowned and tapped his fingers on the table: "But Chan Kwong-leung is a knighted by the British, and this time he helped the Hong Kong government stabilize public opinion. Won't the Hong Kong government have something to say about that?"

“He is Chinese after all, and he’s not on our side,” William Paley said firmly. “Let’s scare him first. If Cheung Kong gives in, we might be able to get them to transfer Starlight Holdings to us at a low price. Even if that doesn’t work, it will still serve as a warning to other Chinese businesses—don’t even think about competing with British companies for territory.”

John Keswick was silent for a moment, then finally nodded: "Okay, go and make the arrangements, but be careful not to cause too much trouble."

"Have you heard? Renting Starlight Plaza means losing your phone!"

"Is this another trick by Jardine Matheson? They forced Mr. Fok to sell the property before!"

On the streets of Hong Kong in the early morning, the chatter of vendors rose and fell.

Rumors that Hong Kong Telephone Company "may not provide services to merchants in Star House" spread like wildfire throughout the streets and alleys.

Merchants in Tsim Sha Tsui looked at the brand-new "Cheung Kong Group" sign at Star House, feeling both excited and hesitant—everyone wanted to rent this prime location, but without a telephone, business was impossible.

At the Cheung Kong Group headquarters, Lu Xiaoqing rushed into the office with a newspaper in hand: "Chairman, the rumors have spread. Several merchants who were originally interested have called to say they want to wait. Hongkong Land's move is truly insidious!"

Chen Guangliang, however, appeared remarkably calm. He picked up the phone on the table and dialed the Oriental Daily News: "I have some news to spread for me—Cheung Kong is considering acquiring Hong Kong Telephone Company. After all, it is really not in line with Hong Kong's business rules for a monopolistic enterprise to suppress its competitors by 'cutting off services'."

After hanging up the phone, he said to Lu Xiaoqing, "Jungland thinks it can control us by relying on the telephone company, but it forgets that Hong Kong Telephone is a listed company, and we have enough funds to acquire it. Moreover, the Chinese have long been dissatisfied with the British monopoly, so this is a good opportunity to let everyone see the true face of British capital."

As Chan Kwong-leung had expected, that afternoon, the Oriental Evening Post published the news that "Sir Chan Kwong-leung is considering acquiring Hong Kong Telephone Company."

The report stated that "Hong Kong Telephone Corporation has repeatedly used its monopoly position to interfere with merchants' choices. This action against Star House has already aroused dissatisfaction among the Chinese business community. If Cheung Kong Holdings' acquisition is successful, it will promote the fairness of telephone services."

The news caused an uproar among Hong Kong's Chinese community.

Shop owners published comments in newspapers supporting Cheung Kong's acquisition; students marched in the streets holding signs that read "Break the British monopoly"; even some neutral British companies privately expressed that "Jung Kong has gone too far."

At the headquarters of Hong Kong Telephone Company, the senior executives were in a state of panic.

The president, holding the shareholder list, turned pale: "If Cheung Kong really takes over, we won't be able to stop them at all—they're the world's shipping magnate, and the board of directors will have to be replaced!"

In the conference room at Landmark, John Keswick stared at the newspaper, trembling with rage. William Paley stood by, at a loss: "Boss, we didn't expect Chen Guangliang to pull something like this. What do we do now?"

"What else can we do? Get the phone company to issue a statement!" John Keswick roared. "Clarify immediately that they won't restrict Starlight's phone service, or we'll be in big trouble!"

Hong Kong Telephone Company's statement came quickly and urgently, clearly stating in black and white that "any organization in Hong Kong has the right to apply for telephone services, and there is no discrimination," but it made no mention of the previous rumors. Anyone with eyes can see that this was because they were scared off by Cheung Kong's takeover threat.

That morning, Changshi held a simple inauguration ceremony in front of Xingguangxing.

The storm has thus been quelled!
However, some of the things exposed by this incident have been a topic of much discussion among citizens!

First, when the owner of Star House was Cheung Kong Holdings, the Hong Kong government initially stood by and did not make any statement.
Secondly, Hongkong Land was scared, and so was the board of directors of Hong Kong Telephone Company, because Chan Kwong-leung really had the strength to acquire it, which would then be the start of a war between China Capital.

Finally, Chen Guangliang not only managed to keep the Hong Kong British government neutral, but also secured the support of the US consulate.

Of course, everyone also understands that Chen Guangliang did not want to go to war with British capital, and the acquisition of the telephone company was just a forced counterattack; later, the share price of Hong Kong Telephone Company did not fluctuate, indicating that Chen Guangliang did not actually acquire it.

Afterwards, CK Asset Holdings did not immediately lease Star House, but instead put it aside, hoping to calm public opinion for the time being.

After all, Chen Guangliang didn't want to alert the enemy; he needed a change in the overall social environment before acquiring the British-owned company. (End of Chapter)