A grand feast for the Chinese entertainment industry

Chapter 238 The Grand Trend!

"Sir, here we are."

There was no response from the back row.

The driver and his assistant, Zhou Jinyun, remained silent and waited patiently.

The car was parked downstairs in the office building where Media Asia Films is located. It was an old building with no underground parking and the parking lot in front of the building was also very crowded. It was just before nine o'clock in the morning, and almost every moment, white-collar workers in suits and uniforms rushed past the car and poured into the old office building.

The security guard on duty in the parking lot quickly noticed the car parked there and was about to come over to drive it away, but soon, when he realized it was a Rolls-Royce and recognized the license plate, he decisively backed away.

After only a minute or two, Lin Jianlu took a deep breath and said, "Forget it, I don't want to go anymore, let's go back!"

The driver then agreed, "Okay!"

The car quickly drove away from the building and rejoined the traffic on the street. Lin Jianlu took out her phone, thought for a moment, and suddenly said, "I remember there was a cigar bar on that street when I came here. Let's stop there for a bit."

After saying that, without waiting for the driver's response, he started dialing.

The call connected quickly, "Yo, Mr. Lu!"

"Old Jiang, what cigars were you talking about before, the ones that were good to smoke?"

Jiang Wen didn't hesitate; he knew this inside and out. "Monte Montecristo No. 2! Or Partagas D4, hey, it's an old thing, been around for years. The Churchill from the Pork Belgrano is also a good model, smooth, strong, but not harsh! The Pork Belgrano is actually called Romeo and Juliet... What's up, want to smoke a cigar? Hey, let me tell you, you don't have many No. 2s left lately, and I'm about to run out, so get some!"

Lin Jianlu chuckled, "Okay. ...What was it called again?"

This time, Jiang Wen actually thought about it for a moment and then said, "How about this, you should try Trinidad. It's a brand called Trinidad. They have a nice product called Colony. Try it, it's very delicious!"

"Trinidad colony, great!"

"Hey buddy, what's bothering you? Come back here, let's have a drink, and everything'll be fine!"

Jiang Wen is a smart person.

Lin Jianlu thought for a moment, "Actually, there's nothing to worry about, it's just a bit of a struggle, but it's okay, I can get through it! I'll come back and have a drink with you after I've finished this!"

"Got it!"

So I hung up the phone.

Lin Jianlu casually instructed, "Contact the capital and get another batch of cigars over there. What's it called again, Montecristo No. 2 or something? Get a little more!"

Zhou Jinyun immediately agreed.

Well, when we were filming "The Myth," Lao Jiang was either an assistant director or an acting coach. He basically followed the filming from beginning to end. Many of Lin Jianlu's actions and expressions, mainly the dialogue scenes, were demonstrated by Lao Jiang for him to learn from. After the job was done, he didn't take a penny.

Later, he even sent Liu Xiaoli to give him more money, but he refused. Lin Jianlu called him specifically and said, "That's not my money. It's from a joint investment by many companies. Why don't you want it?" Only then did he accept it.

Good buddy.

Speaking of the capital city alone, almost everyone in the industry knows that Dou Wei and Lin Jianlu are the closest of friends. However, only a few close friends within the music circle know that Dou Wei is also very close to Lin Jianlu. After them come Liu Huan, Zhang Yimou, and others. As for people like Na Ying and Sun Nan, to put it mildly, they are just junior colleagues.

Unfortunately, in the last few months when I returned to the capital, my father seemed to have gone mad. He became increasingly unkempt. He could still drink, and he was definitely not a problem, but he was becoming more and more cynical.

Ugh……

Of course, it's also possible that I'm becoming more and more worldly.

…………

Early in the morning, the cigar bar had few customers; it felt like it had just opened.

When the big star suddenly appeared, the shop owner and staff were all very excited. They ordered something called the Colonial Trinidad, took a couple of sips of the accompanying whiskey, but for some reason, they found it tasteless.

Yes, it's agonizing.

I am indeed a bit annoyed.

In fact, Lin Jianlu knew very well that she was probably a bit overloaded.

In my past life, I wasn't a particularly capable person. My academic level was always just so-so. After graduating from music academy, whether I was singing in bars, doing live streaming, or teaching music at a private school, I always lived a miserable life as an ordinary person. I lacked both ability and experience...

Having transmigrated into this world, in just over two years, I've suddenly risen to this level. If you're talking about music, making albums, acting in movies, or doing commercial performances and endorsements, it's all alright. None of them are particularly complicated. In fact, back in October and November of last year, I was already doing quite well.

Although it was all about buying, back then it was mainly about buying up real estate at rock-bottom prices. To be honest, either the buildings were there, or the land was there. We negotiated prices, and if we felt it was right, we just bought it. Only after we had it in hand did we organize and sort it out. Now, it's gradually come together.

But now, Hang Seng Bank, Wing Lung Bank, Kwong On Bank, Dao Heng Bank, including Wing On Bank which has already been acquired, each one has its own situation. Then there are cinema chains, Golden Harvest, ATV, ATV's satellite TV station, and even Phoenix TV, and so on. There are too many things, too many complicated matters. It's almost like a thousand threads in a million. Oh dear, I can't take it anymore, my brain can't keep up!
Ultimately, I'm still just an ordinary person.

Although Lao Cai was basically doing all the back-and-forth and exhausting work, and I only received the final result and judged whether it was okay or not, I still felt that my brain's CPU was being used up!

What if HSBC insists on not selling for less than HK$70 billion?
To admit it or not?
I'm not buying it, that's a damn Hang Seng Bank!

Buying it means continuously injecting capital to help it survive this downturn, which could potentially create a huge hole in your own cash flow—oh my, being a big shot is exhausting!

Maybe I should just back down and stick to singing and chasing girls!
With "21" being so popular, if I can release another album in the second half of the year, even just riding on the wave of its popularity, it could sell 20 to 30 million copies, which would be a real windfall...

Moreover, The Myth has already finished filming. Although it's hard to say how well it will sell, The Matrix is ​​almost certain to be a global blockbuster!
And then, well, after a long delay, the world tour is finally here!

Let's open two or three hundred shows and make a billion or eight hundred million US dollars at the box office!
call……

But no!
Looking ahead, if I miss today, I might not even know if the 08 subprime mortgage crisis will have any impact on Hong Kong's banking industry. But even if it did, by then, it wouldn't be my turn to buy Hong Kong banks. By then, major mainland banks would have ample capital and be poised to swoop down and acquire Hong Kong banks everywhere. As an entertainment superstar and someone with some influence in the media industry, even if I still have face and political value, I'm not qualified to covet a strategic financial asset like Hang Seng Bank—this opportunity is almost a once-in-a-lifetime chance!
Looking ahead from 1998, it might be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!
If you can't win him over, he'll become an entertainment superstar, media mogul, real estate tycoon, or maybe an internet godfather. But if you do win him over, he'll really be a bit like the Governor of Hong Kong!

ATV, ATV Satellite TV, and China.com are all mouthpieces. Hang Seng Bank and Wing On Bank, and perhaps with some potential to further acquire Wing Lung Bank, represent the financial and capital world. Media Asia, Longxin, Forbidden City, and even Golden Harvest (with a certain possibility), along with subsequent cinema chains in mainland China, and an online video-on-demand website that could be fully integrated, make them the cream of the crop in the entertainment industry. Add to that a large amount of commercial real estate in Hong Kong and mainland China... and the aura of a tycoon is already emerging!
The financial industry, particularly banks, is the most dazzling jewel in the crown of modern economic operations!
call……

Thinking about it again, this trip to America should bring in about 1.7 to 1.8 million US dollars in royalties, which is more than 13 billion Hong Kong dollars. If we include that amount, the total is 96 billion Hong Kong dollars!
In addition, there's a series of endorsements that can be negotiated in the future...

Hmm, no, still no... The cash flow is too tight, too tight!
Adding the 300 million USD credit line I just received, that brings my total debt to over 850 million USD... Wait, I still owe 10 million USD in Japanese yen loans!

So it's a loan of 8.6 million US dollars!
Give me two years, and even if the market only recovers slightly, the assets I recently acquired will inevitably see a price rebound. By then, these loans will be easily covered and will not pose any threat. But not now—I've been borrowing to buy at the bottom for half a year now, and apart from Hong Kong City Telecom, which was a lucky accident, I've hardly managed to buy at the real bottom!
Since I started spending a lot of money to buy houses and land last October and November, the house prices have dropped by about 10% to 15%, not to mention the properties I bought even earlier!
What kind of copying is this?!

Even now, they dare not mortgage the real estate and land they own!

He came from humble beginnings and has always been cautious in ways that are hard for outsiders to understand. He truly dares not give bloodthirsty capital even the slightest opportunity to take advantage of him!
Sigh... It's really hard to become a truly great person!
Exhaling a puff of smoke, Lin Jianlu dejectedly put down his cigar, raised his hands, and rubbed his head. At home, as his woman, or outside, as his friend or business partner, he always appeared calm and composed. But in reality, only when he was alone, such as in his car, would he take off these masks and suffer to the point of almost banging his head in agony!

Suddenly, he looked up, glanced at the coffee table, picked up his wine glass, poured the rest of the glass into his mouth, put it down, stood up, and didn't even smoke the remaining half. "Let's go, check!"

So after leaving the cigar bar and getting into the car, he said to Zhou Jinyun, "Let's go stay with Zhang Min for a while!"

"Good boss."

…………

"Hey! Mr. Lin!"

The door opened quickly, and Zhang Min looked pleasantly surprised. This time, there were men's slippers. When Lin Jianlu came in, she immediately squatted down, took off Lin Jianlu's leather shoes, and put on the slippers.

However, seeing that she was wearing jeans and a chiffon blouse, she looked like she was about to go out. "Are you planning to go out?" In a hurry, she looked up and said, "Yes! But it doesn't matter. I made plans to go shopping with a friend. I'll call her right away and tell her I can't make it."

So Lin Jianlu nodded and went into her house.

In early May, Ganggang was already getting a bit warm, but it didn't seem worth turning on the air conditioning yet, so she just left the windows open and let the sea breeze blow in, which was quite comfortable.

Lin Jianlu entered the room, chose the most comfortable single sofa, plopped down on it, took a deep breath, and immediately entered a daze.

Zhang Min quickly returned, first pouring Lin Jianlu a cup of hot water, then making a phone call—judging from the way she addressed her, it seemed to be to Qiu Shuzhen. So when she returned, Lin Jianlu took her hand and asked with a smile, "Qiu Shuzhen?"

She nodded and said with a smile, "She's preparing for her wedding and asked me to go with her to choose clothes and look at wedding rooms."

Lin Jianlu nodded, then suddenly remembered Wang Jing.

Alas, there is no way.

Wang Jing promised her that as long as she didn't ask for marriage or children, he could support her for life. But unfortunately, she didn't want it and simply retired from the entertainment industry.

It seems they've found the right person and are planning to get married and have children.

Yes!

In fact, Lin Jianlu now has over a dozen women, and he's gradually become more open-minded. If one day a woman comes to him and tells him she wants to leave him, find someone to marry, and have children, he feels he probably wouldn't stop her. Take Zhang Min in front of him, for example. As long as she's willing to live an ordinary life, frankly, the money and assets she has now are enough to live a worry-free life. As long as she doesn't cause trouble, she could even be a wealthy woman collecting rent for the rest of her life. If she really wants to seek a simple and happy life in her later years, why stop her?

While she's still at her best, let her play around for six months to a year, and when you've had your fill of sex, just let her go!
Of course, there are exceptions!

Chen Shuhua and Su Huilun are no good!
Those two aren't going anywhere!

Because in terms of Lin Jianlu's inner emotional needs, no matter when, the two of them are exceptionally special - they are the kind of foolish women who would take out their savings of many years to squander!

Of course, by extension, this applies to everyone who has given birth to their own child!
Children cannot be without their father, nor can they lose their mother; they must have both.

Apart from that, Chen Hong is not suitable!
She has become deeply involved in her own strategic layout within the film and television industry chain!

Looking ahead ten years, I can only feel at ease entrusting everything in this industry chain to her.

Sigh... After thinking it over, it seems like there aren't many I'd be willing to part with?
Is it Yu Feihong who's willing to give up, or Wang Zuxian? Or maybe the concubine? -- Don't be ridiculous, I'm not willing to give up any of them!
Grass!
Lao Tzu's possessiveness is really strong!

"Shall I give you a massage?" "Huh? You can give massages?"

"Yes, I can! Uh, I'm not very good at it! Before, I wanted to do some small business in Shanghai, so I considered opening a beauty salon or a massage parlor, so I went to learn for a few days!"

"Come on! Give me a massage on your head!"

Then a pair of gentle little hands rested on her head and began to massage it softly.

Well, my technique is rather clumsy, and I don't have much strength in my hands. However, having a pair of hands randomly grabbing and pressing around my head feels quite comfortable and relaxing. It suddenly reminds me of Zuo Xiaoqian. She has a lot of strength in her hands, after all, she retired from the national rhythmic gymnastics team!
Yeah, it feels like it's been ages since I've been back to the capital!
Since last year, I have gradually gotten used to, adapted to, and even come to like life in Taipei and Hong Kong, especially Hong Kong. But now that I think about it, I realize that most of my time in Hong Kong was spent in a rush. So if I had to compare, I would say that I feel more relaxed in the capital.

Well, it's too late. Now I just hope that all the messy things in Hong Kong can be sorted out and made sense before I leave. That would be good enough. Then I'll be heading to America!
No, we still need to go to Korea and Japan first to earn the money from the two performances that Sylvia Chang negotiated—1500 million US dollars per performance! Korea and Japan are still rich these days!
They looked as vibrant as if the financial crisis hadn't yet drained them dry.

"You seem tired?"

"Huh? Is there any?"

"Yes, I usually see you looking so energetic and imposing. Sometimes, the way you look in my eyes even makes me a little scared. But today you seem so tired! ...Are you feeling alright?"

Lin Jianlu smiled and said, "Comfortable."

After a while, Lin Jianlu suddenly noticed that she wasn't talking, so she opened her eyes and said, "Say something! Why aren't you saying anything? Just say what you want to say!"

"Oh, okay, I thought I was going to disturb your rest."

Lin Jianlu smiled, "No. Go ahead and say whatever you want."

So she said, "Actually, during my most popular years, I was often really tired, really tired. Every day was filled with filming, I had to get up at six in the morning, and by the time I finished filming the night scenes and had some late-night snacks with everyone before getting home, it was almost midnight. The more tired I was, the less I could sleep, so I often felt mentally exhausted from filming! But in the last six months, with Mr. Lin willing to protect me, although I haven't had many roles coming my way, suddenly having some free time made me feel, wow, so comfortable! Finally, I don't have to get up early and work late anymore, I have time to research cooking a couple of dishes, I have time to go shopping, buy some things, go hiking, go for a walk on the beach, in short, I feel like life has finally relaxed..."

Lin Jianlu listened and laughed, but suddenly, for some reason, he felt as if he had fallen asleep. Although he was asleep, he seemed to be listening to Zhang Min's words all the time, and he could even clearly understand the meaning of each of her words. The gentle sea breeze blowing in from the window was blowing softly on his face, and his gentle hands were slowly and softly massaging his temples. He could feel everything clearly.

Suddenly, at a certain moment, Lin Jianlu woke up with a start.

The phone rang. Zhang Min had already let go of his head, picked up the phone, and handed it to Lin Jianlu. Lin Jianlu took it with a slightly blank expression, surprised that she could suddenly fall asleep—she had slept for a full five and a half hours last night, which was not short. Normally, she only needed to sleep for a few hours each day to be full of energy all day long. "I fell asleep? How long did I sleep?"

Zhang Min answered timidly, "About... one minute? Two minutes?"

She explained, "I heard you snoring, but it seems like you just got up and were woken up by the phone."

Lin Jianlu was surprised. She glanced at her phone and immediately answered the call.

It was Cai Zhongxin: "Boss, watch TV! Your judgment was right, another financial crisis is coming!"

…………

"Fuck!"

On the television screen, it seemed to be a hastily arranged program by TVB, where an expert was rapidly analyzing and interpreting the stock market's K-line chart—no need to listen, anyone could understand this trend.

Before October 1997, the Hang Seng Index had been hovering around 10,000 points for a long time, even reaching 11000 points at one point. But when the financial crisis hit, it was hit hard, plummeting by two or three thousand points. International speculative capital left, and just when the stock market finally stabilized and recovered a little, a second wave came, directly crushing the Hang Seng Index to just over 6,000 points. Now, several months later, the Hang Seng Index has finally begun to slowly try to break through 8000 points again. Good heavens—a straight line, it has collapsed again!

But Lin Jianlu's eyes lit up.

Don't miss this opportunity! Don't miss this opportunity!

It's like God is helping me!

No, there's no God at all. It's the transmigrator's precognitive advantage that helped him accurately predict the third wave of the financial crisis—"Old Cai, what do you think?"

"Wait!"

"wait?"

"Right! Wait! It's not the right time for us to make any moves. If we speak first, we'll never know HSBC's bottom line, and we'll almost certainly end up spending more money!"

"Makes sense."

Lin Jianlu's eyes grew brighter and brighter, almost frighteningly so, as he stared at the large disc display on the television screen.

He took a deep breath, and his face gradually became expressionless. "Old Cai! I think we should change our target. Don't worry about the price. As long as the Wu family contacts you again, try to make it happen! Let's take over Wing Lung Bank first, and make HSBC feel that I'm already satisfied!"

After a moment of hesitation on the other end of the phone, Cai Zhongxin said, "It's a bit risky. What if HSBC realizes our ambition because of this and starts to be wary of you? They might hold onto it and refuse to sell!"

Lin Jianlu laughed, "I'm just a singer who's made a little money. I'm just showing off. What ambition could I possibly have? You said HSBC has its own arrogance. Do you really think they'd be afraid of me?"

On the other end of the phone, Tsai Chung-hsin laughed out loud.

After a moment, he said, "Okay! I understand what to do! Get ready to sign!"

After hanging up the phone, he turned to Zhang Min and said, "Change the channel, let's see what ATV is broadcasting!"

Zhang Min, who had been staring at Lin Jianlu with a surprised expression and seemed a little distracted, suddenly snapped out of it, quickly picked up the remote control, and switched to ATV.

Fortunately, they were also broadcasting market trends and providing explanations.

That's right. If they don't even have this much adaptability, the vice president in charge of this area at ATV should just be fired!
Taking a deep breath, Lin Jianlu revealed a slightly strange smile.

Suddenly, it seemed that he had everything under control again!
Turning her head, she saw Zhang Min looking at her again, his face full of surprise. Lin Jianlu beckoned to her, so she walked over. Lin Jianlu hugged her and kissed her, saying, "You're very good at massage, you massage very well!"

She looked up at me, smiled, but didn't say anything.

Lin Jianlu suddenly lifted her chiffon blouse with her hand, "Why did you look at me like that just now?"

This time she couldn't stay silent. Subconsciously assessing how much he liked her, she said, "It's just...it's a little scary! It's like you suddenly perked up! Just now you seemed so tired, so exhausted, but suddenly...suddenly you became the person I remember—charming, and...very domineering, very scary...Has the stock market...crashed again?"

"Yeah! It crashed again! The third time!"

Lin Jianlu tilted her head back and chuckled silently, instantly making Zhang Min blush. She kissed her again, then suddenly reached out to unbutton her clothes and stroked Zhang Min's hair. "Don't want to move? Come give me a massage!"

Zhang Min was taken aback for a moment upon hearing this, but then looked pleasantly surprised and smiled charmingly at Lin Jianlu.

call……

…………

The Hang Seng Index was immediately crushed.

The most powerful stabilizing force in the stock market, the 37 blue-chip stocks, failed to hold up, each collapsing more severely than the last. The banking sector goes without saying; just consider Hong Kong City Telecom. When Lin Jianlu bought in for the second time last year, its market capitalization had fallen to less than HK$30 billion. However, since the release of its annual report in January, the stock has repeatedly hit new highs, reaching a peak market capitalization of over HK$160 billion, making it a key force driving the recent stock market recovery! But now, in just one day, it has plummeted to less than HK$70 billion!
Cut in half!

Hang Seng Bank's share price plummeted by 65%. Yesterday, its market capitalization was just over HK$103 billion, but today it was pushed off a cliff, closing at only HK$36 billion!
However, just like the previous two times, the Hong Kong government couldn't care less about the stock market and had to prioritize protecting the Hong Kong dollar's exchange rate. That evening, the Financial Secretary of the Hong Kong government gave a speech on the news, stating that the government had used a massive amount of foreign exchange reserves, amounting to 106 billion US dollars, to repel the opponent's fierce attack!

However, what he didn't say, but which was revealed by both television stations, was that the Hong Kong government's foreign exchange reserves were almost depleted—international capital couldn't possibly be unaware of this, so the Hong Kong dollar exchange rate would likely face an even fiercer attack tomorrow!

The Hong Kong dollar is essentially tied to the US dollar, and Hong Kong's monetary policy has always been tied to the US dollar. For every US dollar that flows into Hong Kong, the Hong Kong government instructs the three note-issuing banks to issue HK$7.8 in response – a free port, freely convertible!
If the stock market isn't protected, at worst we'll just be fleeced. But if the Hong Kong dollar can't be saved and collapses completely, then the entire Hong Kong will collapse, and everything will cease to exist. The whole of Hong Kong will become a marketplace where foreign capital can come in and buy up assets at will. Therefore, Lin Jianlu knows that perhaps tomorrow, or at the latest the day after, the government will take action!
Despite personally participating in such a financial battle, even though she didn't have much strength to contribute and was even the one who benefited from it, Lin Jianlu still couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement!
Tsai Chung-hsin will probably be up all night.

Such a fierce and brutal financial battle terrified countless people in Hong Kong. Almost everyone who had lowered their guard in the two or three months prior was destined to make desperate, ill-advised moves that night. Boss Qiu was frantic. Lin Jianlu had specifically notified him when he wanted to make a move on Hong Kong City Telecom, which was at its peak with a market value of HK$1500 billion. However, he was reluctant, thinking that Hong Kong City Telecom still had room to rise. Now, he was completely stunned!
The problem is that even with 2% of the shares, he was still not satisfied and continued to be optimistic. So he quietly invested as much as HK$20 billion and bought another 1.5%!
That's it, I'll have to stay in this high position for at least a while!

The problem is, although he is known as a media tycoon in Taiwan and does have considerable influence and assets in the Taiwanese media industry, he can't easily draw on two or three billion Hong Kong dollars in cash. When he called to ask for a solution, Lin Jianlu immediately sensed that he must have used a loan!

Should we run away?
If he runs now, he will lose some money, including the unrealized profits from buying at the bottom. However, he can still recover most of his funds. After all, his initial investment was made at the same time as Lin Jianlu's, and the purchase price was low enough. If he doesn't run, he might lose it all!
Having witnessed firsthand the fierce attack of external speculative capital, which brought the Hong Kong dollar to the brink of collapse and wiped out billions of US dollars of the Hong Kong government's foreign exchange reserves in a single day, who can guarantee that Hong Kong can hold out until the next day?
At this point, Lin Jianlu obviously couldn't give him any guarantees; he could only say that he still had faith in Ganggang!

Well, that afternoon, the Wu family took the initiative to contact Cai Zhongxin. The two sides met in the evening and began a tug-of-war. According to Cai Zhongxin, the other side was obviously anxious and reluctant.

After talking for three hours straight, they finally relented.

The Wu family's entire 64.1% stake in Wing Lung Bank was transferred to Lung Wah Investment for HK$6 million—less than half a month ago, the offer had been HK$20 billion! Although that offer was highly inflated, Lin Jianlu had agreed to take it over for around HK$13 billion at the time!

However, today, HK$6 million is already a high price!
Because of today's market closing, Wing Lung Bank's market value has been halved, leaving it with less than 8 million!
This is a bank with total assets of over HK$180 billion, 26 branches, and a full range of financial licenses in Hong Kong—if the Hong Kong dollar cannot be defended, the next step will be for foreign capital to come in and take it all!
Tonight's price of HK$6 million is already a significant premium. If you sell now, you can secure your profits. If you try to sell tomorrow, the price might only be HK$3 million left when the market opens!
On such a night, with high winds and rough seas, Lin Jianlu's heart had finally settled down.

While Cai Zhongxin was still locked in a tug-of-war with his opponent, he was already fast asleep with Chen Shuhua and Su Huilun in his arms. The two naive women, oblivious to the turmoil outside, were even discussing with Lin Jianlu before falling asleep whether or not to have a second child—Chen Shuhua had originally planned to, but tonight, for some reason, Lin Jianlu seemed to have suddenly shifted his focus away from business and acquisitions, saying he would make an album for them and write songs tomorrow, so even Chen Shuhua was starting to hesitate.

The next morning, Lin Jianlu woke up and, as usual, calmed himself down. He went for a run, then stood in the living room and practiced boxing. After finishing his boxing and resting for a while, he lay in the bathtub. As Chen Shuhua gently wiped his body, Lao Cai called again—the 10% stake in Wing Lung Bank held by the Development Bank of Singapore for 8500 million had been secured before the market opened!
The other party had already cut their price to HK$2 million for this portion of the shares, but Lin Jianlu had not accepted it—before dealing with the Wu family, this 10% in their hands was just a useless asset.

But thankfully, this is a win-win situation!

With Hong Kong in dire straits, the Development Bank of Singapore seems to be alarmed and is reportedly shifting its business focus back to Singapore, temporarily withdrawing from Hong Kong altogether.

So, yes, HK$6.85 million for a 74.1% stake in Wing Lung Bank!
A fully licensed bank!
Absolute control!

For me, the banking industry in Hong Kong has no barriers to entry whatsoever!

Even if we don't gain control of Hang Seng Bank and fail to achieve this historic leap, at least we will have our own flag on Hong Kong's financial map!

But will HSBC continue to hold on to this secret?

For a mid-sized bank like Hang Seng Bank with total assets exceeding 100 billion, its market value has already collapsed to its current state. If it is to be held in the dark any longer, HSBC itself will have to step in and inject capital to save it!
Ha, would HSBC do that?

After hanging up the phone, Lin Jianlu lay in the bathtub, took a deep breath, and then slowly exhaled. He closed his eyes again, feeling Chen Shuhua gently washing his back. A smile almost uncontrollably appeared on his face.

Yes, I can already smell the scent of final victory!
HSBC certainly won't sit idly by and watch Hang Seng Bank sink completely into the stock market, or even eventually collapse and go bankrupt. But there's a 99% chance that they wouldn't be willing to throw money into the bank to save it, prop up the stock price, or even inject capital to revitalize it!
Hang Seng Bank absolutely cannot fall into the hands of HSBC, because no matter what the real reason is, Hong Kong people will think that HSBC is to blame and that they deliberately ruined Hang Seng Bank. But if it falls into the hands of a singer who has made some money after becoming famous and insists on entering the banking industry to show off, that would be perfect. HSBC could then take over or manage the bank at low cost or even for free, and play the role of a white knight again!
Ah……

The tide has turned!
***
I'd like to ask for a few more guaranteed monthly votes!

(End of this chapter)