A century-old wealthy family that rose from Shanghai

Nearly three months have passed in the blink of an eye.

At this point, four months had passed since Hutchison Whampoa's first negotiations to acquire Husky Energy of Canada.

Four months ago, Simon Murray was tasked with negotiating the acquisition of Husky Oil, a Canadian company.

He flew back and forth between Hong Kong and Calgary, Canada, with endless meetings and 20 lawyers arguing incessantly around the negotiating table.

The boss, Chen Wenjie, told Ma Shimin that he would never pay more than 11 Canadian dollars per share.

Husky's team made it clear that they would not sell shares for less than 12 Canadian dollars per share.

When the situation reaches a stalemate, the role of the chief negotiator becomes particularly important.

In actual negotiations, how to compromise is often more important than refusing to compromise.

Lincoln once said, "If you want to win a supporter for your cause, just make him believe that you are his friend."

However, the two sides ultimately could not reach an agreement on the price.

Chen Wenjie called Simon Ma from Hong Kong: "Simon, 11 Canadian dollars per share, not a penny more. If they can't accept that, come back. Let's call it quits."

Canning Fok was an accountant at Hutchison Whampoa and a data statistician personally appointed by Chan Man-kit, with the aim of ensuring that Simon Murray's offer would not be too high.

He looked exhausted and said to Ma Shimin in a desperate voice, "Alright, Simon, let's go home."

Ma Shimin was unwilling to give up, so he told Huo Jianning to go back first, while he stayed behind to make a final effort by drinking a farewell toast.

Later, Ma Shimin was at Husky Oil's office in Calgary, Canada.

To Bob, the representative of the major shareholder, it was said: "President Bob, we are very keen to make this deal!"

Bob, the president of Nova Corp, saw Ma Shimin's determination and said helplessly, "But where is the problem?"

Nova Corp. certainly wanted to sell its 57% stake in Husky, because oil prices had fallen from $33 to $11 this year, and they were no longer able to support Husky.

According to industry experts, this oil price crash may last for a considerable period of time.

Ma Shimin began, “You think so too, and I know Chen Wenjie thinks so too. It’s a pity that we can’t reach an agreement just because of a difference of one Canadian dollar per share. You have an office on Pedder Street in Hong Kong, and Chen Wenjie’s office is just across the street from your office (Poly Tower). If you fly to Hong Kong tonight, I think I can arrange one last meeting between Chen Wenjie and you, and maybe we can reach a deal.”

This statement was, of course, a final attempt to salvage the situation.

In fact, as the president of Hutchison Whampoa, he had already done his best, and he could have given up at the last moment.

But Ma Shimin never knew what giving up meant. He could see that everyone wanted to make the deal, but it seemed that everyone was reluctant to let go of their last resort.

After thinking for a moment, Bob said, "Let's think about it!"

Ma Shimin left anxiously, because this was the last chance. If Bob and the others didn't go to Hong Kong tonight, it meant the deal would never go through.

But soon he received news that Bob and others had decided to fly to Hong Kong that night on a private plane.

Ma Shih-min smiled and said to his assistant, "Hope has returned. We'll fly to Hong Kong immediately and try to see Chan Man-kit before they do."

"it is good"

Ma Shimin arrived ahead of time and immediately went to find Chen Wenjie.

It was clear that Chen Wenjie was disappointed, but he had already put the matter out of his mind.

"Anyway, Simon, you've worked hard on this, and done a great job. But we can't win this time. Please say goodbye to Bob and Art for me."

At this moment, Ma Shimin demonstrated the responsibility of a CEO and a moderate degree of firmness in front of his boss: "No, Wenjie, I won't say goodbye for you. You have to see them off in person. They have an office across the street, and they've already flown over. They're there now. I think they'll want to discuss this project with other people in Hong Kong. After all, you've been dealing with them for so long, you should at least say goodbye to them."

Chen Wenjie thought that made sense; even if they couldn't make the deal, they still needed to maintain their connections in Canada.

"Okay, okay! Let's go say goodbye to them together."

They soon arrived at Jardine House on Pedder Street and met Bob, the president of Nova Corp, and Art, the president of Husky.

Bob said as soon as they met, "Jack, thank you for coming to see us off, but I think we can talk in the conference room before we leave Hong Kong."

Chen Wenjie said with a smile, "Of course, we Chinese have an old saying: 'Even if business is over, friendship remains.' We are still friends!"

The two parties entered the conference room.

Bob could tell that if he didn't make the first concession, the family wouldn't either.

So he said, "We can change one thing and remove the limit of no more than 12 Canadian dollars. I think Jack is willing to continue the discussion, right?"

Ma Shimin was overjoyed and immediately gave his boss Chen Wenjie a meaningful look. At this moment, he didn't seem like a 'jobman' at all, but more like a senior advisor.

Chen Wenjie was also trying to prove himself. His father had once said that the Chen family had developed to the point where no asset was necessarily going to be sold.

They have plenty of cash on hand, allowing them to choose their investments freely, rather than being controlled by others.

But at this point, Bob's initial compromise served as a stepping stone for him.

Chen Wenjie knew that this acquisition of Husky Energy was an important step in Hutchison Whampoa's energy strategy.

Therefore, he compromised and said, "Of course, we can also make concessions. After all, I can see everyone's sincerity and I don't want to disappoint everyone!"

Bob was delighted, but he was afraid that the other party would continue to be stubborn, so the two sides began price negotiations.

It's just a tug-of-war over 'price'.

Fifteen minutes later.

"Sold for CAD 11.8!"

“A pleasure to work with”

An extra 0.8 Canadian dollars is nothing to Hutchison Whampoa.

Ultimately, all Chen Wenjie wanted from the beginning was for the other party to give him an attitude.

Simon Murray smiled. He had finally facilitated this deal, marking a major breakthrough for Hutchison Whampoa's overseas acquisition efforts.

In November, the Chen Guangliang family and Hutchison Whampoa announced a major acquisition through the media: they spent HK$32 billion to acquire a 52% stake in Husky Energy Limited, of which Hutchison Whampoa held a 43% stake and Chen Zeli held a 9% stake; in addition, the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, in which the Chen family held a 9% stake, also participated in the acquisition of a 5% stake in Husky Energy.

This news caused a great stir in Hong Kong.

There were speculations, and there were also cheers!
Husky Energy, headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, is one of Canada’s major independent energy companies. It holds the rights to more than 5000 oil and natural gas production wells in Canada, of which about 40% are operated by the company. In addition, it owns a 26.67% stake in a heavy oil refinery and 343 gas stations.

Later, Chan Man-kit gave an interview to the media: "World oil prices will not appreciate much in the short term, but the long-term outlook is promising. Moreover, the development of Hutchison Whampoa's Hong Kong Electric is closely related to oil, so this is an acquisition that is beneficial to Hong Kong."

Subsequently, Chen Wenjie personally traveled to Canada to give an interview to local media: "In order to seek suitable energy investment opportunities, I spent several years investigating in Europe and the United States. There are two main reasons why I chose Husky: First, I have a special personal affection for Canada; second, I have a very close personal relationship with Husky's president, Mr. Blair, and I trust his endorsement."

A series of actions finally managed to quell public opinion.

After everything was completed, Chen Wenjie went to his father's side and reported on the recent situation.

Upon hearing the details of the acquisition, Chen Guangliang lamented that he and his son had almost missed the opportunity to acquire Husky due to their insistence. Fortunately, President Ma Shimin was extremely capable.

"What are your thoughts on Husky's future development?"

Chen Wenjie was no longer as calm as he was before the acquisition; now he was full of fighting spirit. "Father, we have developed a strategy. First, Husky will customize the entire oil plant to improve efficiency; second, we will acquire more oil reserve wells while they are cheap; and finally, we will drill more oil to reduce debt."

No problem, that's how it works.

Of course, in Chen Guangliang's view, when Nova Corp sells the remaining 43% of its shares to them, Husky can continue to acquire natural gas in the United States and expand into the mining sector, forming a huge enterprise.

Under their family's control, Husky will definitely develop better and become much larger than in its previous life.

"Yes. Ma Shimin and other senior executives have made great contributions to this acquisition, so we can issue some incentive shares to them."

"Ok"

Incentive shares are essentially newly issued shares given to senior management at a discount. After purchasing them, these executives can sell them at a higher price at an opportune moment, thereby reaping substantial profits.

This is income in addition to salary, and sometimes it is much higher than salary.

end of June.

Chen Guangliang invited Guan Jiahui, Li Zhi, and his "new lover" Zhang Min to his "Tranquility" superyacht for a vacation.

Now nearly 77 years old, Chen Guangliang still has a passionate heart and a sense of novelty towards young girls.

Zhang Min is undoubtedly the youngest, only a little over 18 years old this year. Li Zhi and Guan Jiahui are also in their early twenties, the prime of their youth.

He had all three women under his thumb, and even when Kwan Ka-wai and Lee Chi gave birth to his son, it didn't cause a stir in Hong Kong.

Of course, for safety reasons, both women gave birth to their children in the United States.

"uncle"

Guan Jiahui walked in first, calling out sweetly, followed by Li Zhi and Zhang Min filing out.

All three women wore sexy outfits. Kwan Ka-wai wore a pink halter dress with black stockings, looking both delicate and charming, and was the 'face of the three'. Lee Chi wore a striped bodycon dress with black stockings, looking incredibly sexy. Cheung Man wore a women's formal suit with metal-framed glasses, looking capable and elegant.

Chen Guangliang appreciated it generously, without showing any embarrassment at having brought the three women together.

Women are both important and unimportant to him.

It doesn't matter; he's free to come and go as he pleases. If you don't want to stay with him, just leave.
Importantly, Chen Guangliang still harbors a desire for women, and is always surrounded by beautiful women.

“Uncle, the girls around you are getting younger and younger. What if one day you get tired of them and forget about us old folks?” Guan Jiahui sat directly in Chen Guangliang’s lap, taking the initiative.

Chen Guangliang put his arm around her waist, placed one hand on her black-stockinged thigh, and said bluntly, "If I forget you, wouldn't my son be calling someone else 'Dad'?"

"Oh, come on! I would never do that. I've always told him since he was little that his dad is a great man," Guan Jiahui said ingratiatingly.

Of course, Chen Guangliang also sent his son, Guan Jiahui's son, and Li Zhi's son to this ship, and they are currently being cared for by servants.

"Haha, you're smart, you know you're eyeing my money!"

"No, that's not true."

Guan Jiahui, realizing her secret had been exposed, started to act coquettishly.

After giving birth to Chen Guangliang's son, her wealth began to skyrocket, and her business also began to grow.

Guan Jiahui's current wealth is over HK$5 million, and she also has a very successful business – an IT clothing retail chain.

Li Zhi, standing next to the "money-grubber," joked, "Mr. Chen, you're absolutely right! Whenever we meet, she's either discussing real estate and the stock market or her clothes!"

When Guan Jiahui's secret was exposed, she blurted out without thinking, "Ah Zhi, you northern girl, you're kicking me when I'm down!"

Upon hearing this, Li Zhi and Zhang Min's expressions changed slightly, clearly revealing Guan Jiahui's youthful true nature.

Chen Guangliang lifted her skirt and slapped her buttocks three times hard, laughing and cursing, "You woman, you even curse me? I'm still Ah Can!"

In fact, this is an inevitable part of society.

In today's Hong Kong, older Hong Kong residents discriminate against newer Hong Kong residents.

Many highly educated intellectuals are respected in mainland China, but in Hong Kong they are contemptuously referred to as "Ah Chan" or "Chan Mei".

This is inevitable.

Just like how people from Shanghai in their previous lives called others "outsiders," and even referred to people from Hohhot who came to Shanghai during the Republic of China era as "people from Ningbo" or "people from Jiangbei."
Despite being hit, Kwan Ka-wai was not afraid. She just smiled and said, "Uncle, I was wrong. I would never think that way. People in Hong Kong say that Hong Kong belongs to the Chan family. My son also has the surname Chan!"

At this point, Lizhi laughed and scolded, "You certainly know how to gloss over things."

Guan Jiahui wasn't afraid of Li Zhi and Zhang Min. She stretched out her neck and said, "I'm your older sister. What's wrong with saying something unintentionally?"

Chen Guangliang then said, "You guys hold her down for a bit, I'll teach this little slut a lesson for you!"

Guan Jiahui was immediately frightened, but she did not beg for mercy from the two women.

Later, Lee Chi wisely changed the subject: "Mr. Chan, for a long time now, there has been talk that Joseph Lau is going to acquire Hong Kong and China Gas and Bank of East Asia. The stocks of these two companies have also skyrocketed. For example, when we bought Hong Kong and China Gas, it was HK$13, and now it has risen to more than HK$21; Bank of East Asia's stock has also risen by 70%."

Chen Guangliang put Guan Jiahui down and then asked, "Do you have any information?"

Lizhi quickly replied, "Yes, I'm prepared!"

She just graduated from a business school in the United States this year and returned to Hong Kong for the summer to officially manage her investment company. Her wealth has already exceeded HK$400 million.

Then, Chen Guangliang picked up the documents and started looking at them.

He quickly said, "The market value of Hong Kong and China Gas has exceeded 70 billion. How could Joseph Lau possibly acquire it? You guys should hurry up and cash out. I reckon he'll be cashing out and leaving soon too."

In this life, Chen Guangliang did not acquire Hong Kong and China Gas, mainly because the company was then in the hands of the Li family, who were Chinese-owned. A malicious acquisition of a Chinese-owned company would obviously be very bad for the Chen family's reputation, and would be without any legitimate reason.

Later, rumors circulated that Jardine Matheson was going to acquire Hong Kong and China Gas, and the Li family invited Lee Shau-kee to join the board of directors, allowing Lee Shau-kee to reap a bargain. After all, the Li family held a small number of shares, and Li Mingze and Li Xiaohe had passed away in the early 1980s.

"Ah, we're not going to acquire it!"

Guan Jiahui said disappointedly.

Chen Guangliang laughed and said, "What qualifications does this Liu Luanxiong have to acquire such a large company? It's all just hype. If you don't hurry up and cash out, be careful that he cashes out first and then drives down the stock price."

At this time, Li Ka-shing was spending HK$10 billion to acquire shares of Hong Kong and China Gas. Once someone took over, he had to release the shares as soon as possible.

"it is good"

The three women immediately had no further questions.

Then, Chen Guangliang looked at the East Asia Bank stock and said, "This stock can also be released in December. There are people buying it at a high price on the market. It's just the right time to release it. Acquisition is nonsense. If we're a step too late, Liu Luanxiong will cash out at a high price."

"Understood"

The three women had invested over HK$2 million in these two stocks, and could now cash out HK$4 million, a considerable fortune.

However, Chen Guangliang is still making money personally. Since May of this year, he has entrusted Ping An Bank to start trading stock index futures, which can be considered as making money for his illegitimate son.

Inviting the three women to the ship was naturally Chen Guangliang's idea, so the three women soon learned that serving the powerful sometimes meant giving up their dignity.

But Chen Guangliang's strength made them realize once again—a powerful man needs no reason! (End of Chapter)