Chapter 49: The Ship King's New Strategic Deployment (Please keep reading)

Friday night, inside the headquarters of Global Shipping Group at Prince's Building in Central, the lights in the Chairman's office burned brightly, and the atmosphere was heavy.

Bao Yugang sat upright by the coffee table, his brow furrowed. He held a teacup loosely in his hand, and amidst the curling steam of the tea, his inner anxiety was difficult to conceal.

Opposite him, his son-in-law, Wu Guangzheng, also wore a somber expression, his posture betraying a hint of urgency.

"Father-in-law, the current situation is extremely thorny. Although we have the full support of Huifeng Bank, which has stabilized our capital chain and even allowed us to raise large sums for emergencies, the competition with the powerful Jardine interest has reached a fever pitch. It is difficult to predict the outcome.

While our funds are currently sufficient, they will soon run low if this continues. I fear we may not be able to ensure a decisive victory in this battle for controlling interest," Wu Guangzheng said, his tone filled with worry.

"Guangzheng, starting tomorrow, you will assume the role of Chairman of Longfeng International," Bao Yugang said slowly after a long period of thought.

His furrowed brow gradually relaxed; clearly, he had a new idea for the upcoming deployment.

"Father-in-law, why is that?" Wu Guangzheng asked in surprise.

In Wu Guangzheng's view, they were currently at the most critical stage of the competition for Wharf Holdings. As one of the core figures, how could he easily leave Global Shipping Group at this time to go to Longfeng International, which was nothing more than a shell company to them!

Longfeng International, an old-brand enterprise with over sixty years of history, had primarily focused on securities investment and lending. After changing hands several times, it eventually fell under Bao Yugang's command, becoming an important piece in the Bao family's business empire.

It was not only a capable assistant for Bao Yugang to raise funds and support the development of his shipping companies, but also the invisible driving force behind the expansion of Global Shipping Group's territory.

It could be said that Longfeng International had played a significant role in Global Shipping Group's development to date.

"Guangzheng, I already have a new strategic plan. I intend to use Longfeng International to raise capital through methods such as issuing new shares and deferred shares, and then use those funds to repurchase all the Wharf Holdings shares we currently hold at a high price. This way, we can raise a massive amount of capital again. As long as we can avoid borrowing from Huifeng Bank, we should try not to borrow from them for now; we haven't reached that point yet. By doing this, we can reduce our personal financial burden while preserving our strength to contend with Jardine Land to the end. We can advance or retreat as needed!" Bao Yugang said solemnly.

The "King of Shipping" understood that Longfeng International's status as a listed company acted like a solid defensive line. Even if they encountered setbacks in this commercial war, it could effectively buffer the impact and protect the family wealth from a fatal blow.

Transferring the Wharf Holdings shares to Longfeng International was, in fact, a brilliant move he had carefully considered. It both preserved the capacity for a counterattack and ensured the long-term stability of the family enterprise.

Therefore, selling the shares to Longfeng International was indeed a method that allowed for both offense and defense!

After years of navigating the turbulent seas of business, every move Bao Yugang made revealed his profound commercial wisdom and extraordinary courage.

He would never allow himself or his family to fall into an irrecoverable situation; instead, he sought the greatest interests and long-term victory at the minimum cost.

Upon hearing Bao Yugang's words, Wu Guangzheng instantly understood his father-in-law's meaning.

As Bao Yugang's son-in-law, Wu Guangzheng was also a business prodigy; all he lacked now was experience.

"Understood, Father-in-law. From tomorrow, I will officially take office at Longfeng International and personally spearhead the plan to acquire all our Wharf Holdings shares," Wu Guangzheng replied quickly.

"Very good. The future absorption of Wharf Holdings shares will no longer be conducted directly through the Bao family, but will be carried out using Longfeng International's identity. Furthermore, as this matter is of great importance, I will personally communicate with Mr. Shen Bi and Mr. Li Jiacheng. Their support is crucial to the success of our plan," Bao Yugang continued.

Mr. Shen Bi needed no introduction. As the Taipan of Huifeng Bank and its core figure, his attitude was of paramount importance to Bao Yugang's layout.

Without Mr. Shen Bi's full assistance, it would be difficult for Longfeng International to gain widespread market recognition and trust in a short period of time on its own.

However, once Mr. Shen Bi's support was secured, the situation would be vastly different.

If Mr. Shen Bi could represent Huifeng Bank in subscribing to a portion of Longfeng International's new shares, it would not only be a massive affirmation of Longfeng International's strength and credibility but would also significantly enhance its influence and calling power in the capital market, laying a solid foundation for subsequent acquisition actions.

As for Li Jiacheng, Bao Yugang valued his ability to manipulate the stock market.

The reason Li Jiacheng had developed so rapidly over the years was largely due to his trading team.

With Li Jiacheng's support, a portion of Longfeng International's new shares could also be underwritten through Li Jiacheng's team.

Li Jiacheng and Bao Yugang had known each other for many years, and their relationship was very good; they had long since become very friendly business partners.

"Father-in-law, regarding the current predicament, I have a proposal. Although the implementation cost might be high, it could quickly widen the gap between us and Jardine in terms of Wharf Holdings shares, thereby stabilizing our market leadership," Wu Guangzheng suddenly said.

"Oh? Guangzheng, tell me your thoughts in detail." Upon hearing this, Bao Yugang's eyes lit up, clearly showing a strong interest in the proposal.

"Over the past week, I have observed that besides our continuous efforts regarding Wharf Holdings shares alongside the Jardine interest, a group of well-funded market makers has also quietly entered the fray. They had already accumulated large quantities when the stock price was still at thirty or forty Hong Kong dollars.

Our success in absorbing such a large number of shares on Thursday was largely due to the assistance of these market makers' selling. As news of our competition with the Jardine interest spreads, this situation is unavoidable and expected. I suspect that there are still many market makers in the market holding large amounts of Wharf Holdings shares, waiting for their moment.

If we can find a way to persuade these market makers to transfer their shares to us, we can significantly widen the distance between us and our opponent and achieve a lead without alerting the Jardine interest," Wu Guangzheng articulated his strategy clearly.

After listening to his son-in-law, a look of approval appeared on Bao Yugang's face.

This was indeed a good method.

Although the cost was high, such was the nature of gambling in the stock market; it often required massive investment.

Moreover, since they had already come this far, there was no turning back.

Otherwise, stopping would only make the losses even larger.

"This method is feasible. I will personally contact these people in secret. As for you, Guangzheng, take over the management of Longfeng International as soon as possible. Next week, there will be more hard battles to fight!" Bao Yugang said solemnly.

Hong Kong was neither too small nor too large.

Having navigated the Hong Kong business world for many years, Bao Yugang naturally knew the entire territory like the back of his hand. He knew exactly which famous market makers were in Hong Kong; some even had decent relationships with him, and many of them would give him face.

Furthermore, the stockbrokers in the exchange wearing those iconic red vests possessed rich industry resources and networking capabilities. Although they were strictly regulated and could not directly leak client information, the "King of Shipping" could skillfully utilize these connections to indirectly convey his intention to privately acquire shares to certain key securities clients, thereby achieving his business layout.

(End of Chapter)