Rebirth of the Hong Kong Millennium Conglomerate

The next morning, Zhang Zeyang received news that Ma Shiming was not happy at the land company.

Furthermore, Black Ice TV provided him with detailed information about Ma Shih-ming and some business plans after he joined Jardine Matheson Land.

When Zhang Zeyang arrived at Qian Gu Group, he instructed Lin Huimin to immediately contact Ma Shiming.

Two hours later, the internal phone on Zhang Zeyang's office desk rang. It was Lin Huimin's voice: "Mr. Zhang, I have obtained Ma Shiming's contact information."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Zeyang immediately said, "Director Lin, contact Ma Shimin right away and tell him that I am representing Qian Gu Group to sincerely invite him to come to headquarters for a meeting. Remember, be sincere and convey our goodwill."

"Yes, Mr. Zhang, I'll take care of it right away," Lin Huimin replied crisply and decisively.

After hanging up the phone, Zhang Zeyang leaned back in his chair, his fingertips lightly tapping the table, as Ma Shimin's life trajectory floated into his mind.

He knew all too well the weight of this Englishman—who had served in the French Foreign Legion in his early years, forging an iron will amidst the deserts and smoke of Algeria, and after retiring in 1965, he turned to the business world, plunging into Jardine Matheson, starting from the bottom in air conditioning systems and elevator sales, and after many years of hard work, finally becoming a middle manager at Hongkong Land.

According to the original historical trajectory, Simon Murray would leave Hongkong Land soon to start his own company.

He then gained the appreciation of Li Bancheng through his extraordinary courage and skill, and his company was acquired and brought under his wing, eventually becoming the managing director of Hutchison Whampoa.

He spearheaded the acquisition of Hong Kong Electric, took over Husky Oil's business in Canada, and led Hutchison Whampoa into the mobile communications field. In the dot-com boom of 2000, he facilitated the landmark deal to sell the European mobile communications brand Orange for over HK$100 billion, making him a business legend.

But now, Zhang Zeyang wants to get ahead of Li Bancheng and bring this unpolished talent into his fold.

More importantly, Zhang Zeyang had a hunch that Ma Shimin's network of connections was far more complex than it appeared, and that he was very likely to have intricate connections with certain British intelligence agencies.

This special background means extremely wide channels and resources, especially in the European market, where Ma Shimin's name is almost equivalent to a pass that allows him unimpeded access.

In the future, as Qian Gu Group aims to introduce advanced technologies from Europe and expand its overseas presence, Ma Shimin will be an indispensable bridge.

As for that faint "spy attribute," Zhang Zeyang didn't care much about it.

Qian Gu Group is essentially a commercial company. As long as it safeguards its core interests, a little caution is sufficient.

When it comes to making a choice, just replace the person; there's no shortage of substitutes in the business world.

On the other hand, Lin Huimin was extremely efficient.

In just one morning, she successfully contacted Ma Shimin and relayed Zhang Zeyang's invitation in detail.

On the other end of the phone, Ma Shimin was at a career bottleneck, feeling frustrated at Hongkong Land. Hearing that someone had offered him a job, he had some doubts, but after a brief moment of thought, he accepted the meeting.

The afternoon sun grew increasingly intense, casting beams of light and shadow on Zhang Zeyang's desk through the gaps in the blinds.

"Knock knock knock—"

A crisp knock on the door interrupted his thoughts.

Zhang Zeyang looked up and saw Lin Huimin push open the door and enter, a polite smile on her face: "Mr. Zhang, Mr. Ma has arrived."

"Great!" Zhang Zeyang's eyes lit up. He immediately put down his pen, stood up, and said with a smile, "Quickly invite him in and brew a pot of the finest tea."

"Yes." Lin Huimin responded and withdrew. A moment later, she led in a tall, white man.

The man who arrived was Ma Shimin. He was dressed in a well-fitting suit, with a high nose bridge, sharp eyes, and a demeanor that exuded both the toughness of a soldier and the shrewdness of a businessman.

Despite his travel-worn appearance, he couldn't hide his inherent competence.

Zhang Zeyang strode forward, a genuine smile spreading across his face, and extended his hand, saying, "Mr. Ma, welcome, welcome! It's an honor to have you here amidst your busy schedule!"

Ma Shimin nodded slightly, reached out and shook hands with Zhang Zeyang, the warmth from his palm steady and powerful.

His gaze swept quickly across the spacious and bright office, his eyes filled with scrutiny.

"Mr. Zhang, you're too kind. Thank you for your invitation." Ma Shimin's Chinese was a little stiff, but his pronunciation was clear.

"Please sit down, please sit down," Zhang Zeyang greeted warmly, leading Ma Shimin to sit on the leather sofa next to him.

Soon, Lin Huimin came in carrying an exquisite tea set. She skillfully warmed the cups, rinsed the tea, and brewed the tea, her movements fluid and graceful.

The emerald green tea leaves unfurled in the boiling water, releasing a delicate aroma that filled the entire office.

Ma Shimin took the teacup from Lin Huimin, his fingertips tracing the warm cup. Just as he was about to bring it to his lips for a small sip, Zhang Zeyang cut to the chase and offered him a helping hand.

"Mr. Ma, Director Lin should have already explained it to you over the phone." Zhang Zeyang leaned forward slightly, looking intently at Ma Shimin.

"I hope you can join our Qian Gu Group. I have already made a decision regarding your position and compensation."

You will serve as the Deputy General Manager of Qiangu Group, providing comprehensive assistance to the General Manager in managing the Group's daily operations and overseas business expansion.

The annual salary is HK$3 million, plus stock dividends from the group; we can discuss the specific percentages later.

The office fell into a brief silence the moment the words were spoken.

Ma Shimin had just taken a sip of tea and hadn't even had a chance to savor it when he suddenly choked, and a violent coughing fit immediately followed.

He put down his teacup, raised his hand to cover his mouth, coughing until his cheeks turned red. It took him a while to recover. He looked at Zhang Zeyang in disbelief and said, "Wh...what?"

Three million annual salary! Deputy General Manager!

This offer was far too tempting, exceeding his expectations.

After years of hard work at Jardine Matheson, climbing the corporate ladder from the bottom sales level, Ma Shimin was still only a mid-level manager, earning less than a fraction of the salary he was making.

Not to mention the position of deputy general manager, which means having real power and being able to participate in the group's core decision-making.

He was indeed planning to leave Hongkong Land and start his own business.

Even though Ma Shimin had seen many storms, he couldn't help but feel excited at this moment.

But he was not an impulsive person after all, and after a brief moment of shock, his rationality quickly returned.

He looked at the very young Zhang Zeyang in front of him, his heart full of doubts—he was not a particularly famous person in Jardine Matheson or even Hongkong Land, so what did this young man see in him?

More importantly, when Ma Shih-min chooses a job, he never just looks at the salary and benefits, but also at the boss's vision and perspective.

Zhang Zeyang is so young, yet he is able to take charge of such a large group. He is no ordinary person. However, he still wants to personally confirm whether this new boss is worth serving.

After a moment's hesitation, Ma Shimin looked up at Zhang Zeyang and said frankly, "Mr. Zhang, if I may be so bold, I'm not a big shot at Jardine Matheson or Hongkong Land; I'm virtually unknown. I'm curious, why did you choose me?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Zeyang smiled knowingly.

He had anticipated Ma Shimin's question, so he got up, walked to his desk, picked up a thick folder, and slowly walked over to hand it to Ma Shimin.

"Mr. Ma, there is an old saying in mainland China: 'If you don't make a sound, you're good; but when you do, you'll amaze everyone.'"

"You may not be a household name, but you've risen from a low-level air conditioning and elevator salesman to where you are today not by luck, but by real ability."

This folder contains several business cases you led at Hongkong Land. I've studied them carefully, and I greatly admire your market insight, execution ability, and your courage to break with convention.

He paused, then looked intently at Ma Shimin and said, "Qiangu Group is at a critical stage of rapid expansion, and what it needs is a pragmatic person like you who has worked your way up from the bottom."

I hope that Qiangu Group can become a brand new stage for you to showcase your talents, and that we can work together to create a great future.

Ma Shimin was somewhat puzzled. He didn't understand what Zhang Zeyang meant by "remaining silent until the moment of truth."

So Zhang Zeyang explained the meaning of that sentence to Ma Shiming.

Even after hearing Zhang Zeyang's explanation, Ma Shiming still didn't fully understand the meaning of those words.

So, he slowly opened the folder in his hand, and the contents made his pupils shrink slightly.

Each case is marked in great detail, including his decision-making process, execution steps, and even those little-known details.

Clearly, Zhang Zeyang's decision was not made on a whim, but rather after a thorough understanding of himself.

A warm feeling quietly welled up in my heart.

A scholar will die for one who understands him.

These six words kept swirling in Ma Shimin's mind. His frustration at Hongkong Land and his unfulfilled potential at Jardine Matheson all vanished at this moment.

This young man in front of me may be young, but he has a keen eye for people and a magnanimous and tolerant mind.

Ma Shimin took a deep breath, slammed the folder shut, stood up, and solemnly extended his hand to Zhang Zeyang, his eyes filled with determination: "Mr. Zhang, I am willing to join Qiangu Group!"

Seeing this, Zhang Zeyang's smile grew even brighter. He strode forward, firmly grasped Ma Shimin's hand, and said with a steady, powerful grip, "Welcome! With Mr. Ma's assistance, the future of Qiangu Group will surely be greatly enhanced!"

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