"Mr. Lin, if you find yourself with some leisure time, you are most welcome to visit my humble abode. As neighbors, it is truly necessary for us to exchange ideas and enhance our mutual understanding."
Despite Lin Haoran's youth, after their recent exchange, Li Jiacheng felt no hint of disdain; on the contrary, he grew increasingly impressed and already harbored intentions of building a friendship.
Such is the nature of this world: strength and capability inevitably command respect.
"I am deeply honored by your kind invitation, Mr. Li," Lin Haoran responded politely.
As exquisite dishes were served one after another, the two men naturally transitioned their conversation toward insights and discussions regarding the business sector while enjoying the meal.
The unique perspectives, keen business intuition, and precise grasp of industry trends demonstrated by Lin Haoran left Li Jiacheng unable to help but see him in a new light.
"By the way, Mr. Li, I was wondering how many shares of Qingzhou Cement you currently hold? I am hoping to acquire them. To demonstrate my sincerity, I am willing to purchase them at 6 HKD per share, ensuring that this transaction will not result in any loss for you. I wonder what your thoughts are on this?" Lin Haoran shifted the topic, revealing his true purpose.
Although Li Jiacheng had previously indicated he would abandon further acquisition plans for Qingzhou Cement, Lin Haoran knew that as long as these shares remained in Li Jiacheng's hands, a certain level of uncertainty would persist.
Therefore, he hoped that through this proposal, he could not only increase his control over Qingzhou Cement but also further dispel Li Jiacheng's ambitions regarding these shares, providing himself with greater peace of mind.
Li Jiacheng's average acquisition price should have been just over 5 HKD per share; offering 6 HKD per share showed that Lin Haoran was being extremely sincere.
A premium acquisition was inevitable; otherwise, why would anyone sell to you? That was the reality.
Even in the transaction with Bao Yugang, Li Jiacheng had profited 60 million HKD.
Friends are friends, and interests are interests—they are two different matters.
To Lin Haoran's surprise, Li Jiacheng agreed to his request without any hesitation.
"I currently hold approximately 3.91 million shares of Qingzhou Cement. If you have the need, Mr. Lin, I would be very happy to transfer these shares to you!" Li Jiacheng said with a smile.
To him, ever since he lost the opportunity to acquire Qingzhou Cement, these shares had lost their former aura of value.
Selling at 6 HKD per share would not only allow him to easily secure a substantial profit, but even though such funds might be a mere drop in the bucket to him, such a transaction was undoubtedly still highly worthwhile.
Furthermore, he felt great interest and goodwill toward the young talent, Lin Haoran.
He believed that Lin Haoran possessed not only unique thinking but also limitless potential, and would surely achieve extraordinary things in the future.
At this moment, why not go with the flow and give this young man some face?
After all, if even Mr. Bao Yugang valued this young man so highly, what reason did he, Li Jiacheng, have to look down on him?
The current Li Jiacheng, while not yet as glorious as he would become later, already harbored extraordinary ambitions in his heart.
On his journey through the business world, Bao Yugang—the renowned "World Ship King" and widely recognized richest person of Chinese descent—was undoubtedly a peak he needed to look up to, a difficult hurdle to overcome.
If it hadn't been for his eventual support from Bao Yugang and Shen Bi, through which he gradually brought the commercial giant Hutchison Whampoa under his control in an "ant swallowing an elephant" fashion, it would have been nearly impossible to surpass Bao Yugang and become the next generation's richest Chinese person.
Hearing Li Jiacheng's announcement, a surge of pleasant surprise rose in Lin Haoran's heart, yet this emotion was tempered by a sense of calm that he had long anticipated.
After the daily trading sessions ended, the Huanyu trading team led by Su Zhixue would conduct a detailed and deep analysis based on the day's trading volume and market dynamics. They not only precisely calculated the number of shares their own team had absorbed but also strove to estimate the approximate share absorbed by the opposing party.
Based on the meticulously prepared estimation reports from the Huanyu trading team, the number of shares held by Li Jiacheng's team was estimated to be approximately 4 million shares.
Now, as Li Jiacheng officially announced his shareholding, the figure was almost identical to Su Zhixue's estimate, fully validating the accuracy of their analysis.
Of course, as the stock market is an open and complex trading platform, it was perfectly normal for occasional intervention by other retail investors or small investors to occur alongside them and Li Jiacheng's team.
Therefore, although the estimates from Su Zhixue and the others demonstrated a very high level of professionalism, they were ultimately reasonable inferences based on existing information and could not achieve one hundred percent precision.
To be able to get this close to the actual value was sufficient to prove the excellence of their analytical capabilities and the seamless coordination of the team.
At this moment, Lin Haoran was very satisfied with his trading team.
Over 3.91 million shares—that already accounted for 7.8% of Qingzhou Cement's stock.
Lin Haoran felt a secret sense of relief. He understood that if he had given Li Jiacheng more time, even though the absorption speed of both parties in the stock market had been relatively slow and Lin Haoran had already gained a massive lead, Li Jiacheng could likely have easily surpassed their holdings if he had approached other shareholders of Qingzhou Cement.
It was precisely this potential threat that forced Lin Haoran to accelerate his handling of the Whampoa Dock shares, because he knew that with even a slight hesitation, the final ownership of Qingzhou Cement could remain undecided and full of variables.
Fortunately, truly fortunately.
"Mr. Li, thank you so much. If it is convenient, I hope to visit your company in person tomorrow to complete this important transaction with you. What do you think?" Lin Haoran was actually incredibly excited inside, but his expression remained exceptionally steady, without a hint of urgency or panic.
At this moment, he was secretly calculating that once he successfully secured the Qingzhou Cement shares held by Li Jiacheng, his shareholding ratio would officially break the 30% threshold.
This number not only meant he was one step closer to taking control of Qingzhou Cement and becoming the true helmsman of Hong Kong's largest cement producer, but it also marked a qualitative leap in his business strength, officially surpassing the Wan'an Group founded by his father, Lin Wan'an.
Thinking of this, an indescribable surge of excitement and pride welled up within Lin Haoran.
Qingzhou Cement, a behemoth with a market value more than twice that of the Wan'an Group, was about to become a major chip in his hands, and his path to a commercial empire would begin with this company.
"Of course, Mr. Lin. I will await your arrival at the company tomorrow. This meal was extremely pleasant; I look forward to the next opportunity to host you and treat you well," Li Jiacheng said with a smile.
"Mr. Li, I am deeply honored to make the acquaintance of a business titan such as yourself. I sincerely thank you for your willingness to transfer the shares of Qingzhou Cement, giving me the opportunity to control this company more steadily!" Lin Haoran said solemnly.
He understood that on this stage of business, filled with both competition and cooperation, his current strength and influence were still insufficient. Therefore, he had to act cautiously and must not easily offend heavyweight figures like Bao Yugang or Li Jiacheng.
To be incredibly arrogant and offend countless people before one has even risen is a foolish act that leaves no chance for actual success.
Regarding these business seniors, respect was due. Once his financial power and influence reached the same level as theirs, or even surpassed them, he could sit with his legs crossed in front of them without any issue.
Now, having neither offended these giants nor failed to secure the maximum benefit, he had undoubtedly laid a solid foundation for his future development. For him, this was indeed a perfect beginning.
(End of Chapter)