Rebirth of the Hong Kong Millennium Conglomerate

The morning mist had not yet dissipated, and the air in Hong Kong still carried a trace of the salty and humid moisture of Victoria Harbour. The clock hands steadily pointed to 9:30 a.m., and the entrance to the stock exchange was already crowded with people.

The moment the electronic display screen lit up, countless eyes were fixed on the flashing numbers, and the fervor and restlessness of this era were ignited in that instant.

As the opening gong rang out, the Milk Company's stock soared like a wild horse breaking free of its reins, surging forward across the trading floor.

Yesterday's price, which was still based on acquisition rumors, has now been quickly left behind. The red upward arrows are dazzling, and in just ten minutes, the stock price has broken through the HK$200 mark per share.

This figure, like a spark thrown into boiling oil, instantly ignited the already overheated Hong Kong investment market.

In the tea restaurants on the streets, brokers in suits and ties squeezed around a table with retail investors in t-shirts, discussing the legendary trajectory of the dairy company with great enthusiasm.

At the bank counters, citizens carrying heavy amounts of cash lined up in long queues, all vying to buy a share or two.

Even housewives who are usually oblivious to worldly affairs are anxiously inquiring about the account opening process, clutching their husbands' wages.

The surge in Dairy Farm's stock price over two consecutive days has made "HK$200" a wealth code in everyone's eyes, with the stock price soaring to a high of over HK$200, seemingly without end.

But the tide of fervor will eventually recede.

As the market's excitement gradually cooled, people belatedly realized that Zhou Xinian, one of the main figures in this acquisition saga and chairman of the board of directors of Dairy Farm International Holdings Limited, had remained completely silent throughout.

The front pages of newspapers were dominated by the positive news about Hongkong Land, and the financial commentators were engaged in heated debates, but not a single word from Sir Zhou was heard.

There was no counter-statement, no announcement of increased shareholding, and not even a word to reassure shareholders.

Retail investors started to panic.

Clutching their shares, they eagerly awaited Zhou Xinian's swift and decisive action, hoping he would deliver a crushing blow to Henry Joseph, just as he had dealt with the financial tycoons who coveted the milk company years before.

But as the days went by, the Zhou family mansion on Hatton Road in Victoria Peak remained quiet, without even the slightest disturbance.

A wait-and-see attitude spread like a plague through the market.

On November 2, 1972, a day etched in the memories of countless investors, the Milk Company's stock price finally succumbed to market pressure and began to decline.

Sell ​​orders rained down on the trading floor like snowflakes, and the red gain figures turned into green losses in the blink of an eye. The stock price fluctuated downwards all the way down, eventually closing at HK$191 per share.

At this moment, at Qiangu Securities, the door to Zhang Zeyang's office was gently pushed open, and Su Qing walked in wearing high heels, holding a thick report in her hands.

She walked over to Zhang Zeyang and handed him the report: "Sir, the stock market has closed today."

Zhang Zeyang took the report and his eyes fell on the most eye-catching line of numbers.

"Today, the total trading volume of the Hong Kong stock market exceeded HK$3 million, and our company's book profit is approximately HK$800 million."

"There's something strange, though. Dairy Farm's stock price surged to over HK$200 yesterday, but suddenly dropped so much today. Logically, Sir Zhou shouldn't have remained completely silent."

Zhang Zeyang flipped through the reports, a thoughtful smile playing on his lips. He looked up at Su Qing and said calmly, "The market is watching and waiting for a signal. But I suspect Zhou Xinian's counterattack is coming soon."

Su Qing was slightly taken aback. She wanted to ask something else, but Zhang Zeyang waved his hand, signaling her to go down first.

She nodded, turned, and left the office, her mind filled with doubt. Would Sir Zhou really retaliate? His silence these past few days was so unlike him.

Unbeknownst to Su Qing, while the market was in an uproar over the rise and fall of the milk company's stock price, a silent battle had already begun in London, thousands of miles away.

Unbeknownst to anyone, the day before the stock price decline, a flight that took off from Hong Kong's Kai Tak Airport had already landed at London Heathrow Airport with Ke Lin, the general manager of Dairy Farm Company.

This trip was arranged by Zhou Xinian himself, and it was kept so secret that not a word was leaked.

Ke Lin had two purposes for this trip: first, to reconnect with Zhou Xinian's old connections scattered throughout the UK; and second, to visit a renowned investment and finance company in the British Isles—Rothschild & Sons London Limited.

In the European financial world, this company is so powerful that it can cause an earthquake with a stomp of its foot.

They possessed massive amounts of capital and were adept at various capital operation methods. Zhou Xinian knew very well that dealing with a behemoth like Jardine Matheson Land would ultimately be somewhat difficult for him on his own.

Ke Lin didn't dare to delay at all; as soon as he got off the plane, he went straight to the residences of Zhou Xinian's old friends.

However, when he knocked on those doors with high hopes, he keenly sensed something was amiss.

The British gentlemen who used to treat Zhou Xinian with utmost respect now wear polite but distant smiles.

They warmly welcomed Ke Lin and promised to "give him their full support," but they never made any concrete promises.

Having been in the business world for many years, Ke Lin could easily detect the perfunctory tone in these words.

He sighed inwardly, knowing that Sir Zhou's influence was no longer what it had been in his heyday, when he was knighted by the Queen and a guest of honor at the Governor's House.

The turmoil of the 1960s ultimately left a thorn in the side of the British government that was difficult to remove.

The path of building old connections wasn't smooth. Ke Lin suppressed his disappointment and rushed to the headquarters of Rothschild & Sons London Limited.

Unlike those insincere old friends, Rothschild's attitude was much more direct.

As a profit-driven investment advisory firm, they didn't care about Zhou Xinian's past reputation; they only cared about the profits from this anti-takeover battle.

When Ke Lin, representing the Milk Company, presented a generous consultant appointment letter, the two parties almost immediately reached an agreement.

"We will develop the most comprehensive anti-takeover plan for Dairy Farm Company," said Rothschild's chief advisor, shaking hands with Colin. "Our goal is singular—to preserve Dairy Farm Company's independence and never let Jardine Matheson's scheme succeed."

Ke Lin's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled down.

On November 3, 1972, as the first rays of sunlight touched the land of Hong Kong, newspaper deliverymen rode their bicycles through the streets and alleys.

When newspapers, still smelling of fresh ink, were delivered to readers, the headline news on the front page instantly caused a sensation throughout Hong Kong.

Breaking news! Dairy Farm Company has officially appointed Rothschild & Sons London Limited as its exclusive financial advisor to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the proposed acquisition of Jardine Matheson!

The bold, large font occupied the entire front page of the newspaper, alongside the Rothschild company logo.

This news was like a bombshell, creating huge waves on a calm lake.

Zhang Zeyang, who was having breakfast in the restaurant, took the newspaper handed to him by the butler Li Fu. His eyes swept over the headline news, and the smile on his lips gradually deepened.

He put down his milk glass, lightly tapped the words "Rothschild" on the newspaper with his fingertip, and muttered to himself, "Zhou Xinian has finally made his move. It seems he sent people to London a long time ago, but he hid them well enough."

He knew all too well the power of Rothschild & Co. With the company's assistance, the battle between acquisition and anti-acquisition truly entered its most intense phase.

As expected, the market sentiment reversed instantly after the announcement of this news.

Investors who were initially hesitant began to increase their holdings of dairy company stock.

That afternoon, on the stock exchange's trading screen, Dairy Farm's stock price rose again, and the red upward arrow lit up once more.

This time, however, the rise was not as rapid as in the previous days. After all, retail investors' confidence needs time to recover from the previous stock price decline.

Meanwhile, at Kai Tak International Airport, a flight from London was slowly landing on the runway.

The hatch opened, and Ke Lin dragged his tired body down, but his face showed undisguised excitement.

He declined the company staff who came to pick him up and got into the car that was already waiting outside the airport, speeding towards Hatton Road on Victoria Peak.

The car wound its way up the hill and finally stopped in front of the Zhou family mansion. Ke Lin opened the car door, strode into the living room, and immediately saw Zhou Xinian sitting on the sofa, resting with his eyes closed.

"Sir Zhou! I'm back!" Ke Lin's voice was filled with excitement.

Zhou Xinian slowly opened his eyes, his gaze falling on Ke Lin, a hint of anticipation in his eyes: "How was it? Did you see my old friends?"

"I saw them." Ke Lin nodded, then shook his head with a wry smile and recounted his experience in London in detail. "Those old friends were all very polite on the surface, but... I'm afraid it's hard to expect them to do anything."

Zhou Xinian showed no surprise upon hearing this. He sighed softly, his tone calm: "I expected this long ago. Times have changed, and the friendship of yesteryear ultimately cannot withstand the realities of life."

He paused, then looked up at Ke Lin, his gaze sharp: "What about Luo Fuqi?"

"The deal has been reached with Rothschild!"

"They have been formally hired and will develop the most professional anti-takeover plan for us, thereby preserving the independence of the Dairy Farm Company!"

A sharp glint finally flashed in Zhou Xinian's eyes. He slowly stood up, walked to the window, and gazed at the vast expanse of blue water in Victoria Harbour outside, a cold smile curling at the corner of his lips.

Henry Joseph, do you really think this battle is something you can decide on your own?

This war without gunfire has only just begun.

The outcome is still uncertain!

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