“Our neighbor? You mean someone else living in Deep Water Bay?” Li Jiacheng quickly ran through his mental directory.
Deep Water Bay, this high-end residential area, had few residents—only a few dozen households—but they were all prominent figures in the Hong Kong business community. He considered himself well-acquainted with most of them.
However, after careful recollection, he still could not immediately match the specific description of the neighbor provided by Bao Yugang.
“Brother Li, you’ll know once we meet. You absolutely won't guess it!” Bao Yugang said with a mysterious smile.
Recalling his own reaction when he first learned of this matter, Bao Yugang couldn't help but smile slightly; that sudden sense of astonishment remained vivid in his memory to this day.
“Brother Bao, I can agree to abandon the acquisition plan for Tsingzhou Ningphi. But at this moment, my greatest doubt is the source of the information leak. To fully solve this mystery, please arrange a meeting for me with that neighbor as soon as possible,” Li Jiacheng finally replied after careful consideration.
His final decision to abandon the acquisition of Tsingzhou Ningphi was, naturally, backed by multiple layers of deliberate thought.
The primary reason was to maintain his friendly relationship with Bao Yugang and to give him the respect and "face" he deserved.
After all, in the future business landscape, whether he could successfully take over Hutchison Whampoa would largely depend on Bao Yugang's full support and cooperation.
Secondly, Bao Yugang's explicit stance made him realize that the chances of a successful acquisition of Tsingzhou Ningphi were minuscule.
Li Jiacheng understood Bao Yugang's character well; such a judgment would not be made lightly, but would surely be based on in-depth analysis and factual evidence. Therefore, continuing to expend time and energy on this matter would be neither wise nor cost-effective.
Furthermore, looking at the current shareholding situation, Cheung Kong Holdings' stake in Tsingzhou Ningphi was not high. Since entering the market, they had only been making exploratory purchases. Even if they chose to exit, the impact on the company's overall strategy and financial status would be negligible. Such a decision was undoubtedly rational.
Most crucially, he was extremely concerned about the source of the leak.
How the other party knew of Cheung Kong's interest in Tsingzhou Ningphi was a mystery that hung over his heart like a massive boulder, making it impossible to let go.
Only by uncovering this truth could he sleep soundly at night; otherwise, he suspected he wouldn't be able to sleep at all.
Finally, he was unwilling to pour too many precious resources into a company with slim acquisition prospects.
In the fertile commercial soil of Hong Kong, there were many high-quality British-funded enterprises. He had both the ability and the desire to explore more and more potential investment opportunities rather than being confined to a single corner.
The game of business is always full of variables, requiring flexibility and profound insight.
It was precisely this wisdom—not being bound by fixed patterns and daring to adjust strategies—that had made the Li Jiacheng of today.
Had it not been so, he might have struggled to ride the waves in the sea of commerce and achieve such brilliant success.
Upon learning that Li Jiacheng had decided to abandon the acquisition of Tsingzhou Ningphi, a sense of relief and ease washed over Bao Yugang.
The purpose of this meeting had been achieved; it was a trip well worth making.
For Bao Yugang, this decision also signaled that he was about to receive over 1.47 million shares of Wharf Holdings from Lin Haoran. This would undoubtedly greatly enhance his own strength, causing the competitive landscape between him and Jardine Matheson to shift once again in his favor, further widening the gap.
At this thought, a satisfied smile bloomed on Bao Yugang's face—a smile of anticipation for future success and victory, and an expression of recognition and gratitude for Li Jiacheng's wise choice.
“Brother Li, please rest easy. I will call the other party as soon as I return home to ensure a meeting time is arranged for you. Their company happens to be in Central, just a stone's throw from your headquarters. Would tomorrow afternoon or evening be more suitable for you?” Bao Yugang spoke with a bright countenance, his words overflowing with pleasure.
“In that case, let's tentatively set it for tomorrow afternoon,” Li Jiacheng replied readily after a brief pause.
“Very well, Brother Li. I will head back immediately to call them and will give you an answer as soon as the call is confirmed. I won't delay your rest any further. I apologize for the disturbance tonight, and I look forward to our next conversation,” Bao Yugang said, standing up with a smile and bidding a polite farewell.
By this time, the night was deep, and the clock quietly pointed to ten o'clock.
Carrying a sense of ease and anticipation, Bao Yugang set off on his way home.
Upon returning home, he barely had time to exchange pleasantries with his wife. Driven by his preoccupation with the important matter at hand, he hurried into his study, his finger lightly touching the keypad to dial the number Lin Haoran had left him.
Hearing the ringtone, Lin Haoran put down his book and walked quickly to the telephone.
“Haoran, I have good news for you. I have successfully persuaded Mr. Li Jiacheng to abandon the acquisition of Tsingzhou Ningphi,” a hearty voice came through the phone into Lin Haoran's ear.
“Uncle Bao, thank you so much! To express my gratitude, I will sell all the Wharf Holdings shares in my possession to you!” Upon receiving Bao Yugang's response, the heavy stone in Lin Haoran's heart finally dropped.
Although deep down he had long believed in Bao Yugang's capabilities, knowing that if the man personally stepped in, the matter would surely be resolved, the uncertainty and anxiety had remained like a shadow until this definitive answer arrived.
Now, with Bao Yugang's confirmation, Lin Haoran could finally be completely at ease.
Without Li Jiacheng's competition, his control over Tsingzhou Ningphi felt as if it were within reach; he would only need a little time to easily bring it into his fold.
“However, there is one thing I need you to agree to, Haoran. Mr. Li Jiacheng wishes to meet you in person; he has some questions he wants to ask you,” Bao Yugang continued.
“Uncle Bao, could you tell me what it is about?” Lin Haoran asked.
“Mr. Li Jiacheng wants to know how you knew that Cheung Kong Holdings would set its sights on Tsingzhou Ningphi,” Bao Yugang said truthfully.
“Alright, Uncle Bao, thank you for telling me. I agree to meet Mr. Li. I wonder when he would like to meet?” Like Bao Yugang, Lin Haoran was now in an extremely pleasant mood.
“Tomorrow afternoon,” Bao Yugang answered.
“Then let's say tomorrow at five o'clock. Let's meet at the Chuen Tak Lok Tea House downstairs from my building,” Lin Haoran said after a moment's thought.
By that time, the stock market would have long since closed, and he would be free.
“Good, I will inform Mr. Li Jiacheng in a moment. Oh, and Haoran, regarding those shares in your hands, let's trade them tomorrow morning, how about that? As for the acquisition price, we will use today's final closing price on the stock market. Does that work for you, Haoran?” Bao Yugang continued.
“No problem, let's trade at that price!” Lin Haoran agreed readily.
To him, since Li Jiacheng had abandoned the acquisition of Tsingzhou Ningphi, what harm was there in meeting the man?
As for the Wharf Holdings shares, he was already very satisfied with the current price of over seventy Hong Kong dollars per share; moreover, since Bao Yugang had solved a major problem for him, he naturally had no reason to raise the price.
(End of Chapter)