Rebirth of the Hong Kong Millennium Conglomerate

In October 1972, the heatwave from Hong Kong, accompanied by a humid sea breeze, seeped into the glass windows of the Qian Gu Securities Company. More than an hour had passed since the Hong Kong Stock Exchange opened, yet the clamor of trading still seemed to resonate in the air.

Zhang Zeyang leaned back in his large office chair, his fingertips holding a warm coffee cup—brewed by Su Qing herself, its rich aroma wafting to his nose. He glanced down at the "Eternal Daily" on the table; the stock market information on the page was densely packed, but it didn't hold his gaze for long.

The crisp sound of high heels approached from afar, breaking the silence of the office. Su Qing pushed open the door and entered, her face showing a hint of urgency.

"Mr. Zhang, the stock price of Dairy Farmers has suddenly fluctuated wildly today."

Violent fluctuations?

Zhang Zeyang raised an eyebrow slightly. Ever since he instructed Qiangu Securities to secretly acquire shares of Dairy Farm International Holdings Limited, the stock price had remained stable in the HK$40-50 range, like a stagnant pool of water.

But shortly after the Hong Kong Stock Exchange opened today, this stagnant market completely turned upside down. The stock price surged from the HK$60 mark all the way up, breaking through the HK$100 mark in the blink of an eye. Su Qing noticed the abnormality and rushed over to report it immediately.

In the current bull market in Hong Kong, a rise of more than ten dollars at the opening is nothing unusual, and investors wouldn't even give it a second glance.

But Zhang Zeyang knew exactly what was going on.

Someone has made a move!

The person who took action was Zhou Xinian, the chairman of the board of directors of the Dairy Farm Company.

As the person in charge of the dairy company, Zhou Xinian must have sensed something unusual, which is why he couldn't hold back and began to take action.

Zhang Zeyang looked up at Su Qing, who was looking confused, and slowly said, "Su Qing, a storm is coming."

Su Qing blinked, not quite understanding the deeper meaning behind those words, and tentatively asked, "You mean, the milk company's stock price will continue to skyrocket?"

Apart from Zhang Zeyang himself, Su Qing and the others in the company couldn't figure out his true intention in hoarding this stock.

Only Zhang Zeyang knew that the chess game he had spent more than a year setting up was only truly beginning today.

The unusual activity at the Milk Company perfectly illustrates the turbulent history of the Hong Kong stock market, which has not deviated from its course due to his arrival.

What is about to unfold is the largest acquisition battle since Hong Kong opened to foreign trade.

A capital showdown that could shake the world – Hong Kong Land is set to take over Dairy Farm.

During the morning trading session, more and more buy orders poured into the dairy company, flooding the trading floor like a tidal wave.

The bell rang signaling the midday market close, and the bustling trading hall temporarily fell silent.

At 1 p.m. sharp, the Hong Kong Stock Exchange reopened, and the market was completely ignited. Funds poured in like a swarm of locusts, rushing to buy Dairy Farm's shares.

When the closing bell rang that day, Dairy Farm's share price was fixed at HK$137 per share.

This figure represents a new all-time high for the stock since its listing.

When Zhang Zeyang initially ordered the accumulation of shares, the average price of this stock was only HK$40 or HK$50. This translates to an increase of over HK$80 per share, almost tripling in value.

"Mr. Zhang, the stock price of Dairy Farm International Holdings Limited has skyrocketed today, it's amazing!" Su Qing's voice was full of amazement. The stock, which was hovering around fifty Hong Kong dollars yesterday, has soared to over one hundred dollars in just one day. Anyone who sees this will be astonished.

Zhang Zeyang put down his coffee cup, a sharp glint in his eyes: "Secretary Su, from today onwards, the Milk Company's madness has truly begun."

Su Qing immediately realized what was going on and quickly asked, "Sir, should we continue to buy more shares of the dairy company?"

All things considered, the company's current average cost per share is only around sixty Hong Kong dollars, which isn't considered high. However, the future trend will likely be very different from what we see now.

Without the slightest hesitation, Zhang Zeyang said, enunciating each word clearly, "Buy, keep buying."

On Harton Road in Victoria Peak, a magnificent villa is nestled amidst lush greenery.

A Rolls-Royce with a license plate containing the number "3" slowly drove up and stopped outside the ornate iron gate. The heavy iron gate slowly opened, and the driver smoothly drove the car into the villa's courtyard.

The car door opened, and a middle-aged man in a sharp suit, exuding a composed demeanor, stepped out. He was Zhou Xinian, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Dairy Farm Corporation.

Yesterday, he heard rumors that someone was secretly eyeing the milk company.

At that time, the share price of Dairy Farm was hovering around HK$40 or HK$50, but overnight, it jumped to HK$70 or HK$80 when the market opened in the morning.

Having been immersed in the business world for decades, Zhou Xinian's sense of smell was far more acute than that of ordinary people, and he immediately sensed that something was wrong.

Given his status and position, finding out who was stirring up trouble behind the scenes would be a simple matter of a single sentence.

However, the investigation results made Zhou Xinian's heart sink - the person who did it was actually Henry Joseph of Jardine Matheson.

That's why, as soon as the Hong Kong Stock Exchange opened today, he immediately mobilized funds and ordered a massive increase in his own company's stock holdings. But to his utter surprise, as soon as he made his move, Dairy Farm's stock price surged even more rapidly, as if it had been injected with adrenaline.

Hong Kong is currently experiencing the peak of a bull market, with investors making a fortune. There's even a saying circulating that goes, "shark fin soup with rice."

The sudden surge in the dairy company's stock was seen by most people as a normal sign of a positive market trend, and no one bothered to delve into the underlying undercurrents.

However, some astute speculative investors have sensed the bloody battle among capital players and are eager to seize the opportunity to enter the market and buy shares.

At this moment, Zhou Xinian had already concluded that it was Jardine Matheson Land who was vying with him for control of the Dairy Farm Company.

At the villa entrance, servants had been waiting for a long time, and Zhou Xinian's confidante, Chen Baoqi, also came out to greet them personally.

Five years ago, Zhou Xinian's wife passed away. In the huge villa, he and his servants were the only ones who kept him company.

It wasn't until he met Chen Baoqi that her companionship gradually soothed the pain in his heart. Over the years, Chen Baoqi has often lived in the villa, occasionally handling her own private matters.

"Sir, you're back." Chen Baoqi stepped forward and gently took the coat that Zhou Xinian had taken off.

Zhou Xinian nodded and walked straight to the study without saying a word.

Since founding Chinese Bank in 1955 and serving as its chairman and general manager, Zhou Xinian's business empire has continued to expand. He once held chairmanships for dozens of companies, including Uni-President Fireworks Co., Ltd., Xiangjiang Milk Company, and Hong Kong Kowloon Motor Bus.

But of all these titles, the one he values ​​most has always been the position of Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Dairy Farm Company.

After his political setbacks, Zhou Xinian poured all his energy into the business world, with the dairy company being the culmination of his efforts.

Now that he knows Jardine Land has its eye on this lucrative opportunity, how could he not be extremely anxious?

He couldn't help but sigh inwardly. If it were in the 1950s or 60s, no matter how arrogant those foreigners were, they would never have dared to so openly covet his property.

Amidst his chaotic thoughts, Zhou Xinian picked up the landline on his study desk and dialed the number of Ke Lin, the general manager of the milk company.

At this moment, Ke Lin had just returned home from his high-rise apartment in the central district. He also felt something was amiss about the unusual surge in Dairy Farm's stock price that day and had already sent people to investigate.

Ke Lin's voice came from the other end of the phone. Zhou Xinian said in a deep voice, "Ke Lin, it's me."

"Sir Zhou, I just had my men investigate. The surge in Dairy Farm's stock price is indeed inextricably linked to Jardine Matheson." Ke Lin's tone was somewhat grave.

Zhou Xinian frowned: "Come to me immediately."

"Yes, Sir Zhou, I'll be right there."

After hanging up the phone, Ke Lin grabbed his coat and went outside. He went downstairs, got into his Mercedes-Benz, and sped off towards Hatton Road on Victoria Peak.

Before the 1970s, villas in the Victoria Peak area were an unattainable forbidden zone for the vast majority of Hong Kong residents. It was the exclusive domain of white elites and privileged classes, and only Chinese people of high status and great influence like Zhou Xinian were qualified to own property there.

Later Chinese tycoons like Li Ka-shing and Cheng Yu-tung weren't unable to afford houses here at the time, but rather simply weren't qualified to live there.

Moreover, most of these wealthy people are believers in feng shui, and they believe that the feng shui fortune of Victoria Peak has long since shifted to Deep Water Bay, which is the real place to accumulate wealth.

Ke Lin sat in the car, lost in thought. He had traveled this road countless times; he could find the gate of the Zhou family villa with his eyes closed.

A short while later, the Mercedes-Benz pulled up in front of the villa. As soon as Ke Lin got out of the car, he saw Chen Baoqi standing inside the door waiting.

"Mr. Ke Lin, the master is waiting for you in the study."

Ke Lin nodded and followed Chen Baoqi into the villa, through the long corridor, and to the door of the study.

Pushing open the door, Ke Lin immediately saw Zhou Xinian standing with his back to him, gazing into the distance from the window.

From the study window, the panoramic view of Victoria Harbour unfolds. As dusk settles, the lights of the harbour area gradually illuminate, outlining the unique and bustling scenery of Hong Kong.

"Sir, General Manager Ke Lin has arrived," Chen Baoqi announced softly.

Zhou Xinian slowly turned around, his face devoid of any smile.

Chen Baoqi tactfully withdrew and gently closed the study door.

"Ke Lin, the more I think about it, the more something seems off." Zhou Xinian's voice was low and hoarse. "I've heard rumors that Jardine Matheson is eyeing our Dairy Company."

Upon hearing this, Ke Lin nodded solemnly. He knew very well that what Zhou Xinian said was true.

Over the years, under Zhou Xinian's leadership, the Milk Company's business strategy has been conservative. Although it has accumulated wealth from its early cattle farms and owns large tracts of land near Causeway Bay and Pok Fu Lam, land prices in Hong Kong have skyrocketed since the 1970s, making these plots highly coveted.

Especially after the opening of the Hung Hom Tunnel, the value of Causeway Bay's land has skyrocketed, making it extremely valuable.

Zhou Xinian was solely focused on the dairy business and never considered revitalizing the land to enter the real estate sector. If no one else had coveted it, perhaps he could have continued to live a peaceful life with his family business.

But the tree may wish to be still, but the wind will not cease.

"Sir Zhou, I just received news that this was indeed done by Jardine Matheson Land." Ke Lin echoed in a deep voice, his tone full of helplessness.

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