Rebirth of the Hong Kong Millennium Conglomerate

Chapter 73 Guo Henian Takes Action

The door to the top-floor office of Baohua Building was gently pushed open. Qiao Wenli and Cao Wantong stepped aside to lead the way, and Guo Henian stepped in. His gaze immediately fell on the two people waiting inside: Zhang Guangdou, general manager of China Resources Company, and Zhang Zhenghong, deputy general manager.

These two are old friends of his, whom he has known for more than ten years. Since the 1960s, they have had many interactions due to trade between Southeast Asia and the mainland.

Robert Kuok felt a chill run down his spine. The personal welcome from the two senior executives, Qiao and Cao, had already made him realize that something was amiss. Now, with the two leaders of China Resources' core decision-making team gathered here, their expressions solemn, he became even more certain that this invitation was no ordinary business negotiation.

"Brother Henian, we've been waiting for you!" Zhang Guangdou stood up first, quickly stepped forward to shake hands with him, his tone filled with urgency and excitement, and his palm was warmer than usual.

Zhang Zhenghong also stepped forward to exchange pleasantries, but a hint of worry was etched between his brows: "Mr. Guo, you've had a long and tiring journey."

Robert Kuok and the two men took their seats in turn. His secretary promptly served them hot tea. He lightly tapped the rim of his cup with his fingertips and got straight to the point: "Brother Guangdou, Vice President Zhang, I'm sure you've all come all this way today because you have important matters to discuss?"

Zhang Guangdou glanced at his three colleagues beside him and said in a deep voice, "Brother Henian, to be honest, the reason I invited you here is because the mainland has encountered an urgent crisis."

Before returning to Hong Kong, we made a special trip to Beijing to report on our work. The state has officially issued an order for COFCO Group and China Resources Group in Hong Kong to jointly import 47 tons of white sugar to alleviate the urgent need.

47 tons?

'

Robert Kuok paused slightly in his teacup, spilling a few drops of scalding tea onto the table, but he was completely unaware.

This number struck him like a thunderbolt. Having worked in the industry for many years, he was intimately familiar with the global sugar industry landscape.

47 tons of white sugar, accounting for about 3% of the world's annual total production, such a huge purchase is enough to cause a huge upheaval in the international sugar market.

As the "Sugar King" who has deep roots in Southeast Asia, Robert Kuok's sugar empire has long been spread across Singapore, Malaysia, and even extended to Caribbean countries. The total amount of white sugar in his reserves is stable at around 150 million tons per year. Most of these supplies are used to supply Southeast Asia and surrounding markets, supporting the core trade of the Kuok Group.

However, he couldn't give a precise figure for the current available inventory, only remembering that the total reserves were roughly maintained at this level in the procurement plan formulated at the beginning of the year.

Seeing that his expression changed slightly, Zhang Zhenghong added, "Of the 47 tons, COFCO will take on 17 tons, and the remaining 30 tons will fall on the shoulders of China Resources and Ng Fung Hong."

After much deliberation, looking across the entire sugar industry in Southeast Asia and even globally, the only one who could raise such a huge amount of sugar in such a short time and was willing to lend a helping hand is you, Brother Henian.

Robert Kuok gradually understood, but a new question arose in his mind: "With China Resources' strength, purchasing 30 tons of white sugar on the international market would not be difficult. Why did they specifically approach me?"

Zhang Guangdou looked troubled and lowered his voice: "To be honest, the crux of the problem lies in foreign exchange."

Currently, China's foreign exchange reserves are negative $8100 million, which is simply insufficient to support such a large-scale international purchase.

"You've been operating in Southeast Asia for many years, with extensive supply channels, flexible cash flow, and most importantly, we trust your character."

The combination of a foreign exchange shortage and urgent demand led several senior executives of China Resources to place their only hope on themselves.

Looking at his old friends, whose temples were already streaked with gray, Robert Kuok saw that their earnestness and anxiety were genuine; the sugar shortage in mainland China had reached a point where it could not be delayed any longer.

The weight of 30 tons of white sugar weighed heavily on his mind. Even with his vast sugar resources, diverting such a massive amount of supplies in a short period would inevitably disrupt the normal supply in the Southeast Asian market and cause considerable commercial losses.

But he hesitated almost without hesitation. Having done business in Southeast Asia for decades, Robert Kuok never forgot his homeland and was well aware of the importance of building deep trust with the mainland.

This is not only a moral act of providing timely assistance, but also a crucial opportunity for the Guo Group to expand its business empire in the future.

He put down his teacup and said firmly, "Brother Guangdou, everyone, rest assured, I, Guo Henian, will take on this task!"

But this matter is urgent; we must act swiftly, or things will change.

As soon as he finished speaking, the four senior executives of China Resources in the office visibly breathed a sigh of relief, their tense nerves finally relaxing after days of tension.

Zhang Guangdou excitedly patted the table: "With Brother Henian's words, we are at ease. We entrust it to you then."

"To ensure the mission is completed, I plan to temporarily freeze some of the Kuok Group's sugar trade in Southeast Asia and concentrate all manpower and resources on this matter for one to two months," Robert Kuok further stated.

This matter is of great importance and we should not linger.

After the two sides briefly finalized the cooperation framework, Robert Kuok got up to take his leave without any further pleasantries or even lingering in Hong Kong.

Time is money. Every minute wasted increases the risk of rising international sugar prices.

After leaving the Po Wah Building, Robert Kuok quickly hailed a taxi and headed straight for Kai Tak International Airport.

It was peak travel season, and first-class tickets to Singapore were already sold out. Without hesitation, he bought the only remaining economy class ticket, with only one thought in his mind: to return to Singapore as soon as possible and start the procurement plan.

Half an hour later, the plane took off on time. The cabin was a bit cramped, a stark contrast to the usual comfort of first class, but Robert Kuok didn't complain. He ate a simple in-flight meal and then closed his eyes to rest, repeatedly rehearsing the procurement plan in his mind: How to avoid the notice of international speculators? How to procure 30 tons of sugar at the lowest cost? Which countries have both stable and discreet supply sources?

The four-hour flight passed in the blink of an eye, and by the time the plane landed at Singapore Changi International Airport, the setting sun had already painted half the sky red.

Robert Kuok walked briskly out of the airport, got into the waiting car, and went straight back to the Kuok family mansion.

As soon as he stepped into the villa, he instructed the servants: "Immediately notify Mr. Chen Jingzhi, Mr. Lin Bowen, and Mr. Zhou Qiyuan, and tell them to come to my study within half an hour to discuss urgent matters."

These three men were all core subordinates handpicked by Robert Kuok, who had followed him for many years and were respectively in charge of sugar procurement, market management, and international business. They were his most trusted right-hand men.

Meanwhile, his cousin Robert Kuok, who co-founded the Kuok Group with him, is currently in Kuala Lumpur, overseeing the operation of other industries such as rubber and shipping. The core sugar business in Singapore has always been personally managed by Robert Kuok.

At this time, the Kuok Group is still headquartered in Singapore, with Kuala Lumpur serving as its second headquarters, radiating out to the Malay Peninsula and surrounding markets.

Back in his study, Robert Kuok finally shed his weariness and slumped into a mahogany chair.

From receiving a mysterious phone call in the early hours of last night to flying alone to Hong Kong to meet with senior executives of China Resources, and then hurriedly returning to Singapore, he spent most of the eight hours on the plane.

Approaching fifty years old, this intense work made him feel extremely tired.

But when he thought about the great significance of this mission, he immediately perked up.

This is not only a business collaboration, but also an opportunity to change the fate of the Guo Group. If it is successfully completed, the Guo family's connection with the mainland will be even closer, and its future development will be limitless.

"Mr. Guo, please have some tea." The maid brought him a cup of warm black tea, interrupting his thoughts.

Robert Kuok took the teacup, took a small sip to moisten his dry throat, and instructed, "When Mr. Chen and the others arrive, bring them in directly. There's no need to announce their arrival."

Half an hour later, the study door was pushed open, and Chen Jingzhi, Lin Bowen, and Zhou Qiyuan entered one after another, all with solemn expressions.

They knew that their boss's urgent summons meant something incredibly important had happened.

As soon as he entered, Zhou Qiyuan, who was in charge of international business, couldn't wait to say, "Boss, something terrible has happened! The global sugar market has suddenly become volatile, and the situation is not optimistic."

Robert Kuok's heart skipped a beat, and his brows furrowed instantly: "What's going on?"

"This month, both London international sugar futures and spot prices have surged!"

Zhou Qiyuan spoke very quickly, "Last month, the price was still around forty pounds per ton, but now it has soared to nearly sixty pounds. In just one month, it has increased by more than ten pounds, a rise of up to 25%!"

We just received news from our office that there's a reluctance to sell in the market, and many traders are starting to hoard goods.

A 25% increase?

Robert Kuok suddenly stood up, and the air in the study seemed to freeze instantly.

His original plan was to secretly send people to major sugar exporting countries such as Brazil, Cuba, and India to quietly purchase 30 tons of spot sugar, while simultaneously hedging operations in the futures market.

In this way, the Guo Group could procure sugar for the mainland at a lower price, profit from it, and gain the mainland's trust—a win-win-win situation.

But now, the sudden surge in international sugar prices has completely disrupted his plans.

Has news of a large-scale sugar purchase by mainland China been leaked?

That's absolutely impossible!

China Resources executives have kept quiet about the matter, and he himself went to Hong Kong alone, acting in secrecy throughout. How could the news have been leaked in advance?

Robert Kuok paced back and forth in his study, his mind racing, various possibilities surfacing and then being dismissed. Suddenly, he raised his hand and said in a deep voice, "Close the study door!"

Chen Jingzhi immediately went forward and closed the door, leaving only the four of them in the study, making the atmosphere increasingly tense.

"There's no need to investigate the reasons for the price surge for now; the priority is to complete the procurement task."

Robert Kuok stopped and sharply scanned his three subordinates with his own eyes. "I just returned from Hong Kong this morning and met with senior executives of China Resources Group. The mainland urgently needs 30 tons of white sugar, and we will be fully responsible for this order."

"30 tons?" Chen Jingzhi, who was in charge of procurement, exclaimed in surprise. "Boss, such a huge purchase volume will likely drive up prices further in the current market environment, and it will be extremely difficult to make the purchases discreetly."

That's why we need to hurry!

"Brazil is the world's largest exporter of white sugar, accounting for 25% of global exports, and is our main target."

In addition, Cuban sugar is of excellent quality, and India's exports have been increasing in recent years; these countries should be targeted simultaneously.

Lin Bowen, who was in charge of market coordination, immediately added: "Boss, we can split into three groups and send people to Brazil, Cuba, and India respectively to make purchases under the names of different companies, so as to avoid attracting market attention."

If procurement is concentrated in a single country, it will be easily detected as abnormal, and prices will skyrocket.

Robert Kuok nodded, agreeing with Lin Bowen's suggestion: "That's right, it must be done quietly, and we must not let the outside world know that we are making centralized purchases."

If the information leaks and international speculators intervene, the price could double, not only increasing procurement costs but also potentially causing the mission to fail.

The reason why the mainland sought cooperation with him instead of purchasing directly from the international market was precisely because of his channel advantages.

If the final purchase price is too high, and the cost paid by the mainland even exceeds the cost of purchasing on its own, then the cooperation will lose its meaning, and the Guo family will find it difficult to gain genuine trust through this.

Robert Kuok begins assigning tasks!

"Chen Jingzhi, you are in charge of the Brazilian market. Lead a team and set off immediately. Make sure to establish direct cooperation with large local sugar factories, bypass middlemen, and secure the supply of goods at the most favorable prices."

"Lin Bowen, coordinate the procurement matters with Cuba and use our old relationships in the Caribbean to try to get priority supply rights."

Zhou Qiyuan, you are responsible for replenishing supplies from India and other small Southeast Asian countries, while closely monitoring international sugar price trends and providing timely feedback on market dynamics.

"Yes, boss!" the three replied in unison, immediately taking out their notebooks to record the details of the task.

After the arrangements were completed, Robert Kuok suddenly had the idea of ​​going to Brazil himself.

Brazil, as the core procurement location, presents the most complex situation, and his personal presence may expedite the procurement process.

But then he thought about it again. His identity was too sensitive. If he came forward in person, it would inevitably attract the attention of the international sugar market, and a price surge would be unavoidable.

After careful consideration, he finally abandoned the idea and decided to stay in Singapore to oversee the overall situation, entrusting the front-line procurement work to three capable subordinates.

"In addition, we should closely monitor price trends. If prices continue to rise in the short term, we should not stick to the original target. We can appropriately increase the procurement cost and make sure to complete the procurement task of 30 tons within two months. This is the bottom line."

He had a vague premonition that this surge in sugar prices was probably not so simple, and that global sugar production this year might be significantly reduced.

If this is the case, sugar prices may continue to rise in the coming months. The longer the delay, the higher the procurement costs and the more difficult the task will be.

The three subordinates dared not delay, and after noting down all the instructions, they hurriedly took their leave and went back to prepare for their departure.

The study returned to calm. Robert Kuok stood by the window, gazing at the night view of Southeast Asia outside, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

This unexpected sugar procurement task not only required him to contend with speculators in the international sugar market, but also to race against time.

Please vote for me! Please vote for me with your monthly tickets!

>