Hong Kong Film Intelligence King

Chapter 327 The Governor's Helplessness

The Governor's Mansion.

The three departments and one bureau dared not utter a sound.

The governor leaned on his walking stick with both hands, almost ready to smash the thick carpet to pieces.

Someone outside the window was shouting slogans.

The governor's face was ashen, and his eyes glared at the three men like a wolf.

"Listen!"

"Listen to this, all of you!"

"For so many years, no one in Hong Kong has dared to demonstrate or shout slogans outside the Governor's Mansion."

"Now, it has actually appeared."

"It's all because you guys are incompetent."

"This is really unreasonable!"

The three officials lowered their heads, not daring to speak, but inwardly they were cursing.

If you hadn't said you wanted to handle William and the other two more cleanly, would they have been able to "commit suicide" in the Security Bureau's interrogation room?

If you hadn't said you were going to leave everything to Shen Daban, would he have been able to escape so easily and effortlessly?

What nonsense about escaping! He went through customs and boarded the plane perfectly legitimately.

You should have considered the consequences before making this decision.

it's good now!

The consequences have come to light, and now they're trying to shift the blame onto us?
A higher-ranking official can have absolute power over you!
"say!"

"Mute?"

The governor was furious.

The Secretary for Justice and the Financial Secretary were both looking at the Chief Secretary for Administration, whose lips curled into a bitter smile. "You two bastards have never shown me such respect before, but now you remember that I am the head of the three secretaries?"
However, in this situation, he really was the only one who could speak.

The Chief Secretary for Administration, gritting his teeth, said:
"Your Excellency, those are just lowly commoners, the most forgetful of all. Let them chant slogans for a couple of days, then let it go."

"Once they've forgotten, we'll settle accounts with them one by one."

The Governor glared at the Secretary for Administration with murderous intent:
"You think this is Chongqing?"

"Do you think these people can be easily dismissed?"

"You think this is like in the foggy city, where you can just send royal cavalry to arrest and imprison these people at will?"

"Use your brains."

"This is Hong Kong, not Chongqing."

"These people are not from Chongqing, but from our hometown."

"We rely on our hometown!"

"We live right next to our hometown."

“If we make any big moves, protests from our hometown will come like snowflakes.”

"Understand?!"

The three officials nodded obediently.

The governor shouted:
"I'm not kidding."

"I have to tell you."

"This matter is extremely important."

“If you dare to put me in a passive position because of this, I will make sure that whoever makes me miserable for a lifetime.”

The three officials gasped in shock; the governor was furious!

The governor paused for a moment and asked:
"Is there any other solution?"

The Secretary for Justice and the Financial Secretary both looked at the Chief Secretary for Administration, the latter glaring fiercely at the Financial Secretary:
"Your Excellency, I think it would be best if the Financial Secretary addressed this matter."

The Governor immediately named the Financial Secretary:
"You tell me."

The Financial Secretary was secretly lamenting, but he still stepped forward to speak out; there was no other way, as he was in charge of this area.

He regretted it a little. If he had known he would be criticized, why didn't he remember to call the security bureau?
With him around, I don't have to step in and take the blame for these kinds of things.

It's obvious that this is a matter for the Security Bureau.

Wait, something doesn't seem right!
The Financial Secretary had a flash of inspiration and grasped the key point in an instant.

"Your Excellency, I understand your concerns."

The governor glared at him. "Do you really understand or are you just pretending?"

The Financial Secretary said he truly understood.

"HSBC's exposure has affected other banks in Hong Kong, causing Hong Kong citizens to lose trust in banks, especially Hong Kong banks."

"This led to citizens withdrawing their money from the bank even if they were absent from work."

"This has led to a worsening situation, and there is even a risk of triggering a financial crisis."

"In fact, there are already signs of this."

After a pause, the Financial Secretary continued,

"Financial crises are common in the Western world. They can occur every thirty years, every ten years, or even as a black swan event."

"Western citizens are used to it."

"People in Hong Kong are used to it, but people in their hometowns would never have seen it before."

“In their society, it seems that there is no option for a financial crisis.”

"At this time, a financial crisis would be disadvantageous."

The Chief Secretary for Administration asked, puzzled:

"at this time?"

The Financial Secretary explained:

"Not long ago, the special envoy from Chongqing visited his hometown and specifically mentioned the status of Hong Kong."

"Our argument is that Hong Kong can only achieve something if it is in our hands."

"However, for them, Hong Kong is their territory."

"We only have one thing in mind—Hong Kong is in our hands, and it has developed into a more prosperous place than theirs."

"But now..."

The Secretary for Administration fell silent. Diplomatic matters are never trivial. The Governor's worries were not unfounded.

He just said it.

The governor has always been more interested in theory than practice, so why is he suddenly taking charge of such matters?

So that's where the root of the problem lies.

The governor nodded in satisfaction:
"Yes, that's exactly what I'm worried about."

He was certain that the Financial Secretary truly understood his thoughts.

"So what's the solution?"

The Financial Secretary stated bluntly:

"The trouble should end it."

"The problem originated from the bank, so it should be solved by the bank."

"Because Hong Kong residents can't get their savings back, they are now protesting on the streets of Hong Kong every day."

"This has already affected normal production and daily life."

The Department of Justice asked:
"Can we stop it?"

The Chief Secretary for Administration said speechlessly:

How do you stop something like this?

"Didn't any of your civil servants participate in the protest?"

“Our assets in Hong Kong were previously managed by HSBC.”

"This includes firewood and water."

"You can make them not participate if you want, as long as you can return their money."

"Do you have money?"

The Department of Justice thought to himself, "Even if I had the money, I wouldn't give it to them. It's not like I owe them any money."

At this point, the Chief Secretary for Administration had already grasped the crux of the problem.

This matter will not be over unless the money is returned to the citizens of Hong Kong.

In other words, the one who tied the knot must untie it.

The Chief Secretary for Administration asked:
"Besides the money issue, there's also the media's meddling."

"How can this be resolved?"

The Financial Secretary earnestly stated:

"The premise for public outcry is the ability to empathize."

"Otherwise, even the most outrageous reports wouldn't trigger a crisis."

"The reason why the media has such a great influence now is because saving is something that is closely related to every family in Hong Kong."

"It is almost a given that Hong Kong citizens all know how to save money."

"Then everyone will empathize."

“A matter that concerns more than five million people will naturally trigger huge public opinion, which is why the media can stir up trouble.”

"Once the bank's debt issue is resolved, the media will be like water without a source, unable to stir up any waves."

The Department of Justice frowned and said:

"The corruption of Commissioners Shen Daban, William, and the others is quite substantial."

"Is it so easy to calm things down?"

The Financial Secretary earnestly stated:

"Of course it's not easy, but it's not that difficult either."

"Have you considered what will happen once the bank issue is resolved?"

The Department of Justice was taken aback.

He's already in such a mess, how could he possibly think about the future?

The Financial Secretary said calmly:

"Hong Kong citizens should return to normal work."

"I got my savings back, now it's time to make money!"

"Do you really think you can make money by protesting in the streets?"

"Would they have taken to the streets to protest if they hadn't been forced into it?"

"No matter what, you have to live your life well, right?"

"Once people return to their normal work, there's no need to take the media's reports seriously."

"That's like a rootless duckweed, or water without a source."

"At most, it will be reported for a while, and then the matter will calm down."

"Whether it's Shen Daban or the three commissioners William, they'll at most be one of the topics of conversation in the future."

Everyone's eyes lit up.

The governor clapped and said:
"Listen to this, this is the right attitude to solve problems."

"It pinpointed the problem directly, instead of passing the buck."

"Financial Secretary, you've found the root of the problem, so you should be able to find a solution, right?"

The Chief Secretary for Administration and the Secretary for Justice looked at the Financial Secretary with hopeful expressions. If the other party could come up with a solution, then they wouldn't have to be scolded here!
The Financial Secretary is quite a bachelor:
"Have!"

Everyone was overjoyed and asked in unison:
"any solution?"

The Financial Secretary looked at the crowd and said:
"Get HSBC to complete the acquisition as soon as possible."

Everyone was stunned:

"HSBC acquisition?"

"Who is HSBC going to acquire?" the Financial Secretary asked impatiently.
"HSBC is on the verge of collapse due to a bank run. Who does it still have the capacity to acquire?"

"What I mean is, it was acquired by someone else!"

what? !

The Governor, the Chief Secretary, and the Secretary for Justice were all shocked:

"HSBC is going to be acquired?"

The Financial Secretary smiled wryly:

"if not?"

"Their stock prices have hit rock bottom."

"It's almost a penny's worth!"

hiss!
The governor exclaimed:
"How is this any different from bankruptcy?"

The Financial Secretary shrugged:

"It's far from bankruptcy, but it's not far from being acquired."

"HSBC holds high-quality assets. They've gotten to this point entirely of their own making."

"If they hadn't brought this upon themselves, they would be living a much more comfortable life than anyone else."

"However, due to problems with Shen Daban and others, HSBC is now in a complete mess."

"According to insiders, HSBC's management misappropriated more than one billion dollars in capital."

"HSBC is big enough."

"Even with such a large misappropriation of capital, they should have been able to recover."

"Generally speaking, the funds in a bank's capital pool are at a relatively stable level, so misappropriating some of them is not a big problem."

"But then a run on the bank occurred."

"Isn't this just digging your own grave?"

The governor frowned and said:
"Has HSBC really had enough?"

The Financial Secretary stated bluntly:

"Either go bankrupt or be acquired."

There is no middle ground.

The governor had nothing to say!

The Secretary for Administration thought for a moment and said to the Governor:
"Your Excellency, we must make a decision as soon as possible. Once the city of Wudu or our hometown sends inquiries, we will be in a difficult position to respond."

The governor gritted his teeth and said:
"Then we should find a way to facilitate the acquisition by HSBC."

"Once we get acquired and resolve this run on the bank, everything else will be much easier."

"Everyone, all I want is a peaceful Hong Kong."

The three officials nodded in unison. They also wanted a peaceful Hong Kong; they had no desire to get involved in such a mess.

The governor asked:

"So, who is the key figure in this matter?"

The Financial Secretary suddenly gave a wry smile:
"The key lies with the two of them."

"One of them is not a problem, but the other is a big problem."

The governor quickly said:
"What time is it? You're still playing games. Answer me already."

The Financial Secretary had no choice but to say:

"One of them is Simon, the head of Jardine Matheson."

"This case was originally caused by him; it was triggered by his discovery that a listening device had been installed in his office."

“We all know the temper of rich people. If someone dares to lay a hand on Simon, Simon will naturally retaliate.”

"Otherwise, people will look down on you and think you're a coward."

“In the Western world, being labeled in this way is not a good thing.”

"Therefore, he was one of the ones who put in the most effort!"

The governor frowned and said:
"Are there still people who hate Shen Daban?"

The Department of Justice smiled wryly:

"There really is someone!"

The governor looked at him, puzzled:
"you know too?"

The Department of Justice sighed:
“William and the other two have confessed that they were ordered by Shen Daban to investigate the truth of the deal between Simon and Wang the richest man.”

"According to the testimonies of William and the other two, Shen Daban did not want the deal between Simon and Wang the richest man to go through."

He said this would increase Wang's wealth and strengthen his power structure.

The governor was taken aback:
"Isn't this nice?"

The Chief Secretary for Administration shook his head and said:

"Shen Daban is telling this to William and the other two."

"He may genuinely not want the deal between Simon and Wang to go through, but the underlying reasons are definitely not so selfless."

"If one is truly so selfless, a simple action would make the matter a success."

The governor hurriedly asked:

"What action?"

The Chief Secretary for Administration earnestly stated:

"It's actually quite simple. All Shen Daban needs to do is make a phone call to Simon."

“Shen is a senior executive at HSBC, and he always needs to expand his business. It’s normal for him to call Simon.”

"However, he did not make such a call."

"Therefore, we can understand one thing..."

"Shen Daban is fooling the three William brothers."

"He has his own purpose."

The governor snorted coldly:
"So, he brought this upon himself?"

The Chief Secretary for Administration nodded:

"Correct!"

The governor pondered for a moment and said:
"Please get me in touch with Simon. I want to consult him about some things at the Governor's mansion."

The Governor's Mansion had its own advisory team, and Ximen was one of them.

This is also a symbol of status.

Incidentally, Shen Daban was also one of the advisors.

Half an hour later, Simon entered the Duchess's reception room.

Simon was speechless when he heard the offer to acquire HSBC:
"Your Excellency, our group has no plans to acquire HSBC."

He explained,

"To facilitate our work, we have invested in banks, but the investment target is Standard Chartered, not HSBC."

"It's not that I have a problem with HSBC, it's just that we had a very good relationship with Standard Chartered from the beginning."

"Such a good relationship will naturally not be allowed to be ruined by others."

"You're right, aren't you?"

The governor frowned and said:
"But I heard that you acquired a lot of HSBC shares during this crisis."

Simon nodded:
"This was originally a trade secret, but you are not an outsider, and I believe you would not casually tell our secret to others."

The governor was in a good mood:

"It is an honor to have earned the Sir's trust."

Simon then said softly:

"One of the reasons we acquired HSBC shares was to offset the losses we had incurred recently..."

"Another reason was to use it as one of the bargaining chips in a deal with Wang."

The governor was taken aback:
"HSBC was used as leverage?"

Ximen smiled wryly:
"Yes, if we don't use HSBC as leverage, we have to use the Standard Chartered shares owned by our group."

"As you know, Wang rose to prominence too quickly and did not establish business connections with banks in Hong Kong."

"No one knows what the future holds."

"Once the cash flow is short, no one can guarantee that the bank won't hold them hostage?"

"Therefore, foreign firms in Hong Kong would all have good relations with a certain bank."

“I may not need it, but I can’t let the banks hold us back when we need funds.”

The governor nodded repeatedly:

"That's the truth."

Simon calmly said:
"Our group has a long-standing cooperative relationship with Standard Chartered Bank, and the cooperation between the two parties is very pleasant."

"We have no plans to change our partner banks."

"But Wang, he is a rising star and has not yet established basic trust with the banks."

“I even suspect that Shen Daban’s attempt to sabotage our deal with Wang is a way of showing Wang his power.”

"This way he can easily acquire a major client for HSBC."

"Furthermore, he interacted with the king from a relatively dominant position."

The governor looked at Ximen in disbelief:

"Is that so?"

Simon shrugged:

"Shen Daban is very controlling. To be honest, we have a very good personal relationship."

"Even so, he still wants to control me!"

"This is absolutely not allowed."

The governor pondered for a moment and said:
"HSBC is a century-old foreign firm in Chongqing. Is it really going to be acquired by Wang?"

Ximen shrugged:

"Hutchison Whampoa is a century-old foreign firm, but didn't Wang still have enough of it?"

"Jardine Matheson does not have enough money to make the acquisition."

"Even if it were possible, Jardine Matheson would not acquire a bank."

The governor smiled wryly:
"So, in other words, the only one capable of acquiring HSBC right now is Wang?"

Simon nodded:
"Correct!"

However, the governor raised another question:
"Jazz, will Wang be able to quell the run on the bank after the acquisition?"

Simon said frankly:
"To be honest, the current bank run is quite alarming."

"Standard Chartered doesn't dare to lend money casually anymore."

"What I'm afraid of is a run on banks and not having enough cash."

"Jardine Matheson is incapable of calming things down..."

The governor pressed on, asking:
"Can the king quell the bank run?"

Simon said seriously:
“If Wang wasn’t confident enough, he wouldn’t just casually acquire a bank.”

The governor remained silent for a long time before making his request:
"Sir, these kinds of wild thoughts are bad for everyone."

"Please help us if we can calm things down as soon as possible."

Ximen asked, puzzled:
"What do you want me to do?"

The governor pleaded:
"I would like to ask you to discuss my opinion with Wang."

Ximen was taken aback:
"what do you mean?"

The governor explained:
"Since only Wang can solve this problem in Hong Kong, then let Wang handle this matter."

"I would appreciate your help."

(End of this chapter)