A grand feast for the Chinese entertainment industry

Chapter 233 Confidence!

HSBC? Hang Seng Bank? 75 billion?

Zhang Min was about to run away when she unexpectedly heard a voice coming from the microphone, which made her stop in her tracks. She was planning to go to the bathroom to deal with the fluid inside, but then she suddenly changed her mind and grabbed a few pieces of paper from the coffee table, haphazardly covering her lower body. She picked up the underwear she had taken off on the sofa before taking a shower and put it on, and then put on the long knitted skirt that someone had just pulled off.

In the midst of this series of actions, she heard Lin Jianlu say, "This offer... is a bit beyond our expectations! But now it seems that HSBC really wants to sell!"

While on the phone, Lin Jianlu didn't notice Zhang Min's series of actions. She simply sat down on the sofa and casually stubbed out her cigarette in the ashtray. "It's just... a little insincere."

It seems they want to sell, but also seem unwilling to sell!
We talked about this this morning. Although Lin Jianlu is an outsider, Cai Zhongxin is an expert in this field and has been dealing with capital for many years. The new assistant, He Zhiqian, comes from a bank. They are experts.

Ho Chi-him estimates that if HSBC were to make a move, it would likely ask for HK$65 billion, with the final transaction price set at over HK$60 billion. For Hang Seng Bank, whose performance has been consistently poor over the past two or three years and which has become even more mired in difficulties since the financial crisis, HSBC should be satisfied with the price it would pay for its 56.4% stake.

However, Cai Zhongxin tends to believe that HSBC has its own arrogance. Over the years, they have merged and taken over many small and medium-sized banks in Hong Kong. To show their innocence and indicate that they have no intention of monopolistic takeovers, they generally choose to sell the bank after a few years to make a profit, both to make money and to build a good reputation among the public.

However, once HSBC took over Hang Seng Bank, although on the surface they never interfered with the bank's internal operations and management, only looking at the financial statements, and truly gave it enough independence, for the past thirty years they have never chosen to sell their shares—out of fear, out of deep-seated fear!
After all, in the late 1950s and early 1960s, Hang Seng Bank truly began to compete head-on with HSBC, and even gained the upper hand at one point. Of course, now, more than 30 years later, Hang Seng Bank, which has always been held by HSBC, has not been without development. It is still a leader among local banks in Hong Kong and has already reached the size of a medium-sized bank. In contrast, HSBC is already a top-tier commercial bank in the world. It may no longer be a matter of fear, but Hang Seng Bank is still a company with total assets of over HK$100 billion. Selling it off at a low price now would be somewhat unbecoming of HSBC's lofty and superior style.

Well, there must have been considerable internal debate about whether to sell and at what price – which is why they gave such a strange offer!

Today, the company's market capitalization is only HK$107 billion. Given the current difficulties in the banking industry and the uncertainty surrounding everyone's livelihoods, if they really wanted to sell, they should have offered a slight premium over the share price. Asking for HK$65 billion for 56.4% of the shares, negotiating a price of HK$60+, would not only provide a large amount of cash to tide them over, but would also be considered respectable – which was precisely Ho Chi-him's previous prediction and judgment on this matter.

On the other end of the phone, Tsai Chung-hsin said, "It's not sincere. He seems very conflicted."

He paused for a moment, then added, "Perhaps it's related to the license plate."

Lin Jianlu remained silent, lost in thought.

Yes, we've discussed this issue before. The financial industry is quite unique, with multiple business lines internally, each with its own proprietary license. No business can be operated without a license.

When reviewing the materials earlier, Lin Jianlu had already noticed that there was a lot of unusual information in the assessment reports of the thirteen small and medium-sized banks in Hong Kong that Cai Zhongxin had collected and compiled.

So naturally, he asked.

For example, the Development Bank of Singapore is currently trying its best to sell its 10% stake in Wing Lung Bank. It even proactively lowered its price to HK$200 million after just a slight inquiry, showing its urgent need to raise funds to alleviate its own operational difficulties. However, around the same time, in fact, in early April, they proposed to acquire shares from the major shareholder of another bank, Kwong On Bank.

This cannot be explained solely from the perspectives of funding, price, and so on.

At that time, Ho Chih-chien told him about the license issue—the Development Bank of Singapore is the largest commercial bank in Singapore and has always wanted to enter Hong Kong to conduct business, but they have been unable to obtain a business license for many years. The best way for them to enter the market is to fully acquire a bank and merge with it, so that they can get the license.

They should have been very optimistic about acquiring Wing Lung Bank, because although Wing Lung Bank was not a large bank, it was a fully licensed bank. However, after taking over 10% of the shares, they probably failed to convince the major shareholder, the Wu family. Now, for them, the 10% stake is neither profitable nor worth giving up. They might as well sell it cheaply to solve their own problems and prepare for a comeback at any time.

Now, as the largest local bank in Hong Kong besides HSBC and Standard Chartered, Hang Seng Bank naturally holds all the industry licenses. For banks that already have licenses, Hang Seng Bank's licenses are not very valuable, but for outsiders, these licenses are worth a fortune!
The problem now is that, among those with licenses and big names in the banking system, only the three note-issuing banks – HSBC, Standard Chartered, and Bank of China – can be said to remain as stable as Mount Tai after the two rounds of financial storms. However, they themselves are also facing difficulties and it is basically impossible for them to make large-scale acquisitions at this time. As for the smaller banks, they are even more in danger – outsiders have to accept premiums!
"Hmm, license plate..."

Knowing that the banking industry was definitely not a fun business, and having prepared myself mentally, I planned to find ways to raise as much capital as possible, both for acquisitions and to inject large sums of money into them. However, after a few small attempts, it turns out that the difficulties I had anticipated were indeed present.

Yong An Bank is cheap enough, but it is small and lacks a full range of licenses.

Wing Lung Bank is of moderate size, with total assets of 180 billion and a market capitalization of 19 billion. If it can acquire the more than 74% stake held by the major shareholders, the Wu family and the Development Bank of Singapore, at a reasonable price, it can then smoothly privatize the bank. Using Wing Lung Bank as a fulcrum, it can then launch subsequent mergers and acquisitions. While others buy banks because they genuinely want to operate them, Lin Jianlu is actually buying banks to buy up real estate at rock-bottom prices. Therefore, small banks that others look down on are still very valuable to him!
Hang Seng Bank is certainly better. If there isn't enough capital, we can find ways to raise it. But Hang Seng Bank's huge size and strong social influence would bring many benefits if we acquired it!

Unfortunately, the Wu family offered an extremely high price, showing little sincerity in selling, while HSBC also offered an extremely high price, similarly trying to take advantage of laymen...

It's not that it's impossible; it's acceptable for outsiders to enter and pay some tuition fees. But given the current situation, your industry is already in such dire straits, with companies one after another on the verge of bankruptcy. I'm here with a large sum of cash to save you, and you still want to get ripped off...?

"Thank you!"

As Lin Jianlu was pondering, he saw Zhang Min obediently pour him a cup of tea and place it on the coffee table. When he looked up and thanked her, he saw her smile, exuding an indescribable tenderness and charm. Lin Jianlu subconsciously reached out and took her hand. With a smooth twist and a gentle pull, she sat down beside him and nestled against his shoulder.

Lin Jianlu's hand then slipped out, around her neck, down her shoulder, and into her wide knitted dress—not very big, but with a nice feel.

When I turned my head, her face was full of charm.

And so I was momentarily distracted.

Zhang Min became an instant sensation upon her debut, backed by the absolute support of Win's Entertainment, which had been a dominant force in Hong Kong for nearly a decade. As a result, she was known for her arrogant and spoiled personality. She wasn't a bad person and hadn't done anything truly evil or wicked, but she certainly had her share of petty temper tantrums and irritability, which offended many people. For example, just because director Wong Jing portrayed Chingmy Yau as very cool and beautiful in the same movie, while Zhang Min had fewer scenes and roles, she became unhappy. So Mr. Xiang had to send someone to give Wong Jing a good beating to vent her anger.

Not only that, it is said that when she got angry, she didn't even give Mr. Xiang, who was keeping her, any face. She had embarrassed him in public on several occasions. Even more so, there are rumors in the industry that Zhang Min once slapped Mr. Xiang in front of Mrs. Xiang and publicly mocked the Xiang family as "a lowly business of eating mud and shrimp".
At that time, she was favored, and the matter passed without much trouble. It wasn't until she fell out of favor that it became clear that everyone at Yong Sheng had never forgotten these past events!
But now, she's become obedient.

Having learned her lesson, and even nearly been frightened into running away, she has become as obedient as a kitten that loves to lick its owner's fingers, without needing any further instruction.

"Hmm, I made up my mind instantly, "Old Cai... Yong'an Bank is cheap, let's talk about it, no need to haggle too much, let's buy it first and see how it goes!"

He began to knead and roll the dough with force, and Zhang Min quickly raised his head slightly, looking up at him with narrowed eyes.

"Let's inquire about prices from Union Bank and Dao Heng Bank and see if they're willing to sell! These are small banks that are only worth a few hundred million now. If no one's willing to buy them, they're on the verge of bankruptcy. I'll take them on! It doesn't matter if they don't have all the licenses. Inquire about prices!"

"Then... HSBC rejected us outright! But we can leak a little bit about our offers to other banks! There aren't many fools left who'd still want to enter the banking industry! But being willing to enter the banking industry doesn't necessarily mean buying Hang Seng Bank!"

"And tell the Wu family at Wing Lung Bank that anything over 13 billion is not negotiable!"

The one who holds the money is the boss. This principle may not be immutable, but it is absolutely true for Hong Kong today and for its weak and feeble banking industry!

Wing Lung Bank's market value is only HK$19 billion, and it's not even certain whether it will continue to fall when the market opens tomorrow. At this point, offering HK$13 billion for 64.1% of the shares is already a premium, allowing you to leave with a sum of money and dignity. If you still think it's too cheap, then you can continue to hold on and we'll talk again in a month!

Hang Seng Bank will comply accordingly!

On the other end of the phone, Cai Zhongxin hesitated for a moment and said, "Isn't this attitude... a little too forceful?"

Lin Jianlu laughed, "Tough? Old Cai, the money's in my hands!"

He paused, then a sudden inspiration struck him. He smiled and said jokingly, "Besides, I'm the Governor of Hong Kong!"

Cai Zhongxin seemed to be doing something, and this time he hesitated for several seconds before solemnly replying, "Okay! I understand, boss!"

…………

Zhang Min glanced at Lin Jianlu, who casually mentioned the names of one familiar bank after another as he spoke of them—it turned out that he was actually planning to acquire these banks, large and small!
That's a bank!
The Xiang family is powerful and has a lot of money to launder every year. For many years, they have long wanted to own their own bank—any small one would do, they don't need to hold absolute shares, just more than 5%, and have someone on the board of directors to help them gradually make peace and clean up their money. Unfortunately, the banking industry generally looks down on the Xiang family, and even the smallest bank would never pay any attention to the Xiang family's overtures!

Zhang Min still remembers that around 92 or 93, when the Hong Kong film and television industry was booming, Mr. Xiang had acquired a considerable amount of shares in Dao Heng Bank on the stock market, which, as he recalls, exceeded 7%. Only then did he formally request to send representatives to the board of directors, but Dao Heng Bank refused without any courtesy. Moreover, they later issued a statement saying that Dao Heng Bank has always operated in accordance with the law and treats all shareholders equally, but the operation of the banking industry is a very professional and serious matter, and it will not necessarily invite certain shareholders to join the board of directors just because they hold more than 5% of the shares, thus disrupting the normal operation of the bank—an extremely arrogant and sarcastic attitude!
It's blatant disdain for you!

But Mr. Xiang, a figure who was very influential in Hong Kong, didn't dare to utter a word in the face of such ridicule, nor did he dare to sue the management of Dao Heng Bank according to the relevant laws. In the end, he had no choice but to give up and gradually sold off those shares.

I think he said it himself—"That's a bank after all! It's best not to mess with them!"

That was just Dao Heng Bank, which is relatively small in size among so many local banks in Hong Kong. Although it is a listed company, it has never seemed to be very powerful.

And now, judging from what Lin Jianlu said, are Wing On Bank, Dao Heng Bank, Union Bank, Wing Lung Bank, and even Hang Seng Bank, which is generally considered to be the largest local bank in Hong Kong, also in his purchase plan?

That's Hang Seng Bank!
Their signs are everywhere in Hong Kong!
Even Zhang Min himself has over ten million Hong Kong dollars in savings at Hang Seng Bank! He only has about six million in savings at HSBC—because Hang Seng Bank offers slightly higher interest rates!
Ah... Governor Hua!

Sure enough, this time even he admitted it himself!
Feeling the strength and power of the hand kneading his chest, Zhang Min subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief. At the same time, a sense of security instantly surged through him. In the past six months, the Xiang family certainly hadn't dared to provoke him again. In fact, because the story of Lin Sheng rescuing a damsel in distress was circulating everywhere in Hong Kong's entertainment circles, everyone was generally very polite when they met. The treatment he received felt much better than when he was with the Xiang family and at the height of his fame. However, deep down, he still felt uneasy!
The rumor is false!
I had prepared myself mentally, but the Governor of Hong Kong really never gave me a second glance!
If one day she were to reveal her true colors and everyone found out that she wasn't Lin Sheng's woman at all, it would be like the sky was falling. She had already offended the Xiang family and was no longer under the protection of the Governor of Hong Kong. When people found out the next time, she probably wouldn't even have a chance to run away!

In Hong Kong's social circles, there's never any tolerance for philanthropy!

Those big shots, when you look at them, they are dressed smartly and well-dressed, but behind the scenes they are always ruthless and greedy. What's more, almost everyone knows that they like to save money and buy houses!

It's all right now, it's finally all right!
Not only did he finally take himself, but he also began to clearly state his identity as the Governor of Hong Kong and was going to acquire the bank in a high-profile manner—this was the posture of someone who was going to do something big!

Although I dare not hope to be favored, at least my life and property will be safe under his protection—that would be very good, and very rare!
…………

After hanging up the phone, Lin Jianlu's expression didn't match the confidence in his tone. Instead, holding the phone in his hand, he looked serious and slightly anxious, his fingers tightening their grip. Just then, Zhang Min snuggled closer to him and unbuttoned the top button of his shirt, making it easier for him.

Lin Jianlu glanced at her, but then immediately looked away.

It seems this big piece of meat won't be so easy to swallow—we need to be prepared for a tough battle!

First and foremost, you need to have plenty of money!

When things get really bad, if all else fails, just throw money at it – so be it if you get ripped off. Compared to the amazing profits you'll make in the future, no matter how badly you're ripped off now, you'll still make a killing in the future!
You have to stretch when you need to, and not be taken for a fool, but you also have to bow your head when you need to, even if it means bleeding money!

It's done!

The more you all come up with your own ridiculous schemes, putting up so-called entry barriers to the banking industry, just to squeeze me dry before leaving, the more I'm going to go all out with you!
A rare opportunity!

Given the immense financial strength of the Development Bank of Singapore, it has been trying to enter the Hong Kong banking industry for the past decade, yet it has failed to acquire even a decent local bank, demonstrating just how tough the challenge it faces!

The banking industry is now at its weakest point!

Time waits for no one, once gone, there's no going back!
“Hey, Zhiqian, you speak to your old colleague at Citibank in New York on my behalf. When I mortgaged my Yahoo stock last October, it was worth less than $300 million. They only gave me a loan of a little over $200 million. Now Yahoo's stock price has reached over $330. Although the total market value has fallen back below $10 billion, it's still over $9 billion! My stock is now worth over $700 million. A loan of just over $200 million is not appropriate! I demand a revaluation, a re-pledge, and at least another $300 million in additional loans. Otherwise, I'll talk to another bank!”

"Hey, Aijia, go talk to Columbia. It's been half a year again, it's time to settle my royalties again! Also, I can't wait until the end of the year for the copyright operation fees, it's a special case, they have to settle them now! Tell them I recently wrote a song, and I'm hesitating whether to record it first and release a single EP for fun, to get me in a good mood, then I'll record it! Also, didn't you say last time that Japan and Korea are going to hold some kind of big concert in May to welcome the World Cup? They want to invite me? Let's talk about the price, I can go! And Warner Bros., is the first payment for 'The Matrix' coming soon? Hmm, good, keep an eye on it."

I hung up the phone and kept thinking.

Real estate is not suitable for mortgage. This period is too special. Real estate is worthless at this time. The land price may fall below the mortgage value at any time, which will give banks an excuse to interfere in their finances and take the opportunity to liquidate their assets. I even want to enter the banking industry at this time and get a piece of the pie. They are professionals in banking. Do they not know how to take advantage of people's illness?
US stocks are still the best option. Although Yahoo's market value has fallen below 10 billion again, it is quite stable at the price of 330 US dollars per share. There is no possibility of a further decline in the short term. Using it to pledge another amount is a safe option for both the user and the bank.

Oh, right, there's still some money we haven't collected. Even a tiny bit of money has some substance, right?
"Hey, Sister Hong, contact EMI Records. Don't let them keep dragging their feet and not paying me just because I can't remember! I got 5% of the royalties from Wang Fei's last album, and I think I also got a little over 1% from Zheng Xiuwen's duet? Make them pay! They need to settle accounts with me as soon as possible!"

On the other end of the phone, Ge Fuhong said, "You got 1.45% of Zheng Xiuwen's album... However, EMI didn't refuse to pay, nor did they delay. Do you remember? I called you before the Spring Festival. EMI was going to settle the account then, but you were rehearsing in New York. You told me then that there was no rush, it wasn't much money, and we'd talk about it later... It was my fault. I should have reminded you again when you came here this time."

"Oh... really? Oh, I remember now, I remember now, okay, it's not their fault! Then let them know, I'll go to Baidai tomorrow... this afternoon, to settle the accounts!"

"Okay! I'll take care of it!"

I felt better after hanging up the phone.

Longhua Investment has HK$53 billion in cash on its books, which is the largest sum. Next, it should be able to get a loan of US$3 million from Citibank, which is less than HK$24 billion, the second sum.

He originally had over 72 million US dollars from the settlement with Rolling Stone, 20 million US dollars from his appearance fee for the Super Bowl halftime show, over 49 million Hong Kong dollars from the royalties for "Short Hair" settled with Millennium Records, plus 5 million US dollars from his salary for "The Myth". But he has spent a lot recently, buying four houses for nearly 40 million Hong Kong dollars, plus other extravagant expenses, and paying the agents of Sylvia Chang and Ge Fuhong their commissions. If he remembers correctly, he should only have about 80 million US dollars left. It was originally his private savings, but he can spend it when it matters.

The amount of money that can be raised is approximately HK$83 billion!
Even with HSBC's offer of 75 billion, acquiring the shares of Hang Seng Bank would be no problem at all—but no, buying it is easy, but supporting it through at least two years of difficult times is not so easy! To keep it afloat, it needs continuous financial support, which requires even more money!
The maximum acceptable offer is HK$65 billion!
call……

Hang Seng Bank!
Hong Kong's largest local bank!

A very subtle feeling—it felt like once I took on the title of Chairman of the Board of Directors of Hang Seng Bank, I had truly transformed into a complete capitalist!
He turned to look at the woman in his arms, then lowered his head and kissed her.

I thought about making the call, but then I remembered that I was in the house of a woman I had just slept with for the first time today, so I put my finger back down—I'll make this call tomorrow during work hours!
You should give your supervisor a heads-up beforehand, or at least report it to them.

Ideally, we should get in touch with the Bank of China in Hong Kong through the leadership – in critical moments, this is the stabilizing force for Hong Kong and will undoubtedly be able to support us at the most crucial time!

Of course, when it really comes to asking the Bank of China for help, one's value in the united front will immediately drop by half!

Well, it's just a greeting, a preliminary step, and it's probably not going to be needed!

We'd rather lose this opportunity than lose its value in united front work!

There will be plenty of opportunities to make money in the future, but the value of united front work is the foundation for making even more money later!

Furthermore, Bank of China's position is actually more awkward than HSBC's. HSBC has been based in Hong Kong for many years and basically dares not really acquire any small bank. No matter how good the opportunity is, after managing it for a few years, it will sell it, just for fear of losing the good reputation of the people of Hong Kong. In this respect, Bank of China is even more cautious than HSBC!

Hong Kong people are more wary of the Bank of China than of HSBC!

Having obtained the right to issue Hong Kong dollars in the 1980s, the Bank of China's status is undeniably high. However, even today, the Bank of China is extremely cautious in expanding its business in Hong Kong, fearing that it might incur negative comments from the public and the business community.

But if it comes down to a critical moment, getting a special loan approved for yourself should be no problem!

…………

clap clap clap!
Lin Jianlu was preoccupied with worries tonight, but her interest was even greater.

Zhang Min's coquettish and obsequious manner, in particular, aroused Lin Jianlu's bestial instincts.

Lin Jianlu finally felt satisfied when her lower body began to swell noticeably, and she was so exhausted that she could only gasp for breath, completely paralyzed and motionless.

But looking at her now, I felt inexplicably guilty.

After resting for a while, he unusually got up and got her a wet towel. He didn't even wipe her face, but applied it directly to her face—"Ouch! That hurts!" This startled Zhang Min, who was catching her breath, and she shrank back towards the headboard. But she quickly explained timidly, "It's... a little cold!" So Lin Jianlu quickly comforted her, "It's a little swollen, let's apply a cold compress first!"

So she obediently accepted Lin Jianlu's gentle manipulation.

After a while of fussing and changing the towels several times, the swelling subsided slightly. Lin Jianlu then threw the towels back into the bathroom, came over, hugged her, and pulled a blanket over them both.

He was about to go to sleep when, just then, Zhang Min gradually regained some strength and snuggled into Lin Jianlu's arms. Like almost every woman, she reached out and stroked the well-defined muscles of Lin Jianlu's chest and abdomen, feeling the immense strength contained within them. She cautiously probed, "Actually... Mr. Lin, besides buying houses over the years, I've also saved money. I have about ten million in savings in Hang Seng Bank and HSBC. If you need money recently, I can go and withdraw it for you..."

Lin Jianlu was taken aback when she heard this, and looked down at her.

She looked up timidly, still with that ingratiating expression.

Lin Jianlu couldn't help but chuckle, leaning in to kiss her again. "No need! What would I do with your little bit of money? It's useless. Keep it for yourself! I'm not from the Xiang family!"

"By the way! I don't want your money, but if you trust me, contact my personal assistant tomorrow, Zhou Jinyun. I'll give you her contact information later. Contact her and ask her to help you find resources. If you find a suitable commercial building where the entire floor is for sale, you can still buy it. Qingxia and Aunt Thirteen took my advice and pooled their money to buy several floors. You can do the same!"

"Of course, this is just a suggestion. Whether you listen or not is up to you! I'll say it again: your money is your money. You can keep it without worry. I don't want a single penny!"

"Also, whenever you find someone you like, or if you just want to leave me to date or get married, that's fine. Just let me know in advance, and I will never stop you or make things difficult for you! The things the Xiang family did were too despicable; I wouldn't stoop to that level!"

"But...you have to tell me in advance, don't try to put a hat on me!"

Zhang Min was terrified. "No, Lin Sheng, I want to follow you for the rest of my life! I'm willing!"

Lin Jianlu nodded, "Okay, that works too. I'll tell Zhou Jinyun tomorrow that I'll transfer 100,000 yuan to your account every month for living expenses! I know you don't need this money, but this is my rule for supporting my girlfriend. Besides, you might run out of money, but as long as you don't leave me, I'll support you until you die!"

Zhang Min dared not say anything more, but now he was also a little happy. After hesitating for a moment, he said, "Thank you, Mr. Lin!"

After thinking for a moment, he said, "Then I'll contact the person you mentioned tomorrow, withdraw all the money, and buy the apartment!"

…………

The next morning, Lin Jianlu went to the Bank of China.

The Bank of China Tower, one of Hong Kong's landmark buildings, is very imposing, and its interior decoration is also luxurious and solemn.

Yes, we talked about some things.

The leader communicated over the phone and offered to help with the introduction, but Bank of China was indeed very cautious and indicated that it was impossible for them to join forces with Lin Jianlu to acquire a local bank—at least not now!

However, Mr. Lin is a patriot and has substantial assets, so it would be no problem for Bank of China to provide some unsecured loans—they can lend him the money whenever he needs it, it's just a matter of a word, and they can even transfer the money first and then go through the formalities!

That's it!

First, this means that the matter has already been reported to the higher-ups, and they have no objection to the actions, and even implicitly encourage them. The attitude of Bank of China shows this point. Second, compared to a large transaction like acquiring more than half of the absolute controlling stake in Hang Seng Bank, which often involves billions of Hong Kong dollars, Bank of China did not mention the upper limit of the loan amount that it could provide without asking. That means that it can provide a safety net!

That's all? What more do you want?

State-owned assets are not suitable for running rampant in Hong Kong; this is policy!
But if you, a mainlander, can be so successful in Hong Kong, and if you want to act recklessly, even to the point of acquiring strategic financial assets like Hang Seng Bank, the higher-ups are still very willing to secretly provide some support!

Communication with Citibank went relatively smoothly.

They agreed to re-evaluate and re-pledge the 226 million Yahoo shares that Lin Jianlu had initially provided. Those shares are currently worth about US$750 million. Only US$200 million was used previously. After the re-evaluation and re-pledge, it will be no problem to raise another US$300 million.

With the projected HK$83 billion in cash, we can now say that we've finally raised the required amount.

Plus, with Bank of China agreeing to provide a final guarantee... Hmm, we can do it!
Of course, we'll have to wait for a more suitable time!

In addition, Sylvia Chang called early in the morning. Although she was still in Los Angeles with Vivian Chow, accompanying Hai-mei Chow for a systematic physical examination, she had already contacted the Columbia University office.

That would be fantastic if Lin Jianlu could release a new song around the summer holidays!
Even a single song would be great!
Settling the remaining sales figures for "21" will be no problem at all; it can be settled all the way up to the end of March. Last September and October, Lin Jianlu went to Columbia Records headquarters in Washington, D.C., to settle sales of over 2400 million copies, receiving nearly $1.6 million in royalties. And by January, Columbia Records had officially announced that North American sales had surpassed 2000 million copies, and global sales had exceeded 4100 million copies. If settlements are made until the end of March, Zhang Aijia estimates that this time they should be able to settle around 2000 million copies sold.

Well, this amount of money isn't much less than the last time.

However, Columbia Records stated that the rules could not be broken, otherwise the accounts would be difficult to manage, so they declined the payment and repeatedly explained to Sylvia Chang, hoping that she could persuade Lin Chien-lu to give up the early settlement.

In order to make up for the losses and also to encourage Lin Jianlu to record a new song as soon as possible, they agreed to settle and pay the royalties for the "21 Global Collector's Edition" in advance.

It was officially released globally in March and sold out in just three hours!

Although it was only 10,000 copies, that's 9999 million US dollars in sales—the record companies in America are drooling with envy! This is pure profiteering!

Therefore, when Lin Jianlu goes to America after a while, he will probably receive royalties of 1.7 million to 1.8 million US dollars – which is about 13 billion Hong Kong dollars!
…………

Around noon, Lin Jianlu went to the training place of Song Huiqiao and Jin Xishan. She arrived right on time and only waited a short while before picking up the two beautiful girls. Then she took the two little ones, who were overjoyed, and went out for a big meal.

Song Hye-kyo has been here for a month or so, and has even learned quite a bit of Cantonese. She's becoming more and more accustomed to the Hong Kong environment. Kim Hee-sun, on the other hand, is still feeling quite unfamiliar with the place. But, regardless of other things, at least when it comes to food, the two of them share a common feeling—there's just so much delicious food in Hong Kong! It's all so amazing!

Seoul is nowhere near comparable!

Well, we had a meal, chatted, and then I took him back. Before 2 p.m., I arrived downstairs at EMI Records and met up with Ge Fuhong. Together, we went up to collect the debt—it was quite a lot of money!

Wang Fei's album "Red Bean" is widely recognized as the album that solidified her status as a diva, and even her status as a so-called "Cassiopeia." It has sold extremely well throughout the Chinese-speaking world.

In today's Chinese music scene, when it comes to male singers, Lin Jianlu is undoubtedly the one who has fallen to the very top. Others like Andy Lau, Richie Jen, and Jacky Cheung, no matter how popular they are, have all dropped a whole level!

But when it comes to female singers, there are many divas, but the two most recognized as the best are Wang Fei and Chen Shuhua.

Because only the two of them have albums that have sold over three million copies according to publicly available statistics!
Veteran diva Lin Yilian, and new divas Zheng Xiuwen and Liang Yongqi, are just one step away from being a hit. However, Zhou Huimin's new album, including "Gong Xi Fa Cai," has been a huge success, with a series of songs becoming incredibly popular. In addition, her image is a real advantage, with her face and legs even surpassing Wang Fei's. As a result, it has already sold over 260 million copies worldwide, and in the future, she may have the opportunity to experience the exhilarating feeling of surpassing 300 million copies.

More than 310 million tickets were settled, and I received more than HK$1400 million in royalties!
On the other hand, Cheng Sau-man's album only received 1.45% royalties, and the sales didn't even reach 200 million copies, so she only received less than 200 million Hong Kong dollars!
The two sums together barely amount to 1600 million.

If you want to do something big, you won't even have enough scraps, but it'll be enough to support a woman or buy a house!

Upon receiving the message, Wang Fei made a special trip over. "Oh my, our Master Lu finally remembered that you still have some money at Baidai. Well, since you're just sitting around doing nothing, let them calculate it first, shall we go play cards? You can lose a lot to me, just consider it as you supporting your goddaughter!"

Lin Jianlu laughed heartily, "How many times have you ever won at cards with me?"

She pondered for a moment, then quickly lost her composure, pouting, "Alright! You're busy, I'll be going now!"

This drew laughter from several senior executives at EMI.

Someone pulled her aside and gave her frequent winks, so they must have given her instructions beforehand. Wang Fei was usually reluctant to ask for favors, but at this moment, she still spoke up shyly and hesitantly, pretending to be all high and mighty, "Has Lu Ye written any new songs recently? I'm recording my new album, could you sing one more to help me out?"

Lin Jianlu thought for a moment, "Let's do it later. Speaking of songwriting, I'm in a huge debt right now, and I don't have time to record for you guys. I'll do it when I have time."

The people from Baidai were clearly getting impatient and kept giving her meaningful glances, but Wang Fei was quite nonchalant, though she spoke with a bit of cunning, "Alright, then I'm not in a hurry, I'll wait for you!" — This girl from the capital, regardless of her temperament, never loses out in a verbal battle, and Wang Fei is no exception.

Lin Jianlu chuckled, "Get lost! Don't act like I owe you something!"

(End of this chapter)