Chapter 54 What a Coincidence, We Meet Again
At Prince's Building, in the headquarters of Global Shipping Group, inside Bao Yugang's office,
upon hearing his subordinate's report, Bao Yugang frowned deeply, though a smile soon crept back onto his face.
Over the past weekend, leveraging his deep network of contacts,
Bao Yugang had cleverly maneuvered among many renowned stock market speculators,
earning not only their respect but also successfully absorbing a large number of Wharf Holdings shares.
Many speculators, out of respect for Bao's reputation and enticed by prices slightly above market value, chose to let go of their holdings—leading to an initial victory in Bao's acquisition campaign.
After securing shares from the well-known stockholders, Bao Yugang once again turned his attention toward the more elusive, unknown players.
He knew these shadowy speculators were extremely difficult to track,
even for his group's powerful intelligence network.
Thus, he could only attempt to reach them through the securities exchange's trading supervisors.
However, Bao Yugang clearly understood that this approach would not be easy.
The brokers held a wealth of information but, bound by professional ethics and concerns over personal risk,
would not easily disclose client identities.
Therefore, he had specially entrusted HSBC's Shen Bi to intervene personally,
maximizing their chances of success.
As the undisputed titan of Hong Kong's financial world,
Shen Bi's influence was immense—
even the four major stock exchanges had to respect him.
After private negotiations, the Hong Kong Stock Exchange agreed, in principle,
to act as an intermediary to connect Bao Yugang's side with those mystery speculators.
However, they would not reveal any specific client information—strictly avoiding legal violations.
The exchange would merely act as a message bridge.
If the speculators were willing, Shen Bi's favor would encourage them to engage in direct negotiations.
Otherwise, it was none of the exchange's business.
Moreover, Jardine Matheson must not find out about these activities.
Otherwise, the exchange would risk offending Jardine as well.
Everything had to be conducted in strict secrecy.
Without Shen Bi's intervention, Bao Yugang's own influence alone would not have persuaded the exchange to take such risks.
Over the past two days, through bribed connections inside the stock exchange,
Bao's team had begun reaching out to potential major holders anonymously,
seeking cooperation.
Though the trading supervisors couldn't leak client lists,
they had a good grasp of who the real players were behind the scenes.
And thus, they managed to establish contact with Huanyu Investment Company.
This mysterious entity—suspected of holding a crucial share of Wharf Holdings—finally agreed to formal negotiations,
but under one strict condition: Bao Yugang himself must come personally.
This news delighted Bao Yugang.
"Reply immediately. Tell them I will personally come. Ask them to confirm the exact time and place," Bao instructed decisively.
Though he didn't know exactly how many Wharf shares the other party controlled,
based on the trading supervisors' attitude, it had to be a significant amount.
If he could secure those shares, it would greatly extend their lead over Jardine Matheson.
Thus, meeting the counterpart—and persuading them to sell—was critically important.
Meanwhile, he would continue competing against Jardine in the open market.
With the twin strategies of market absorption and private acquisition,
their odds of ultimate victory would rise considerably.
Given Long Fung International's imminent new stock issuance,
combined with HSBC's financial backing,
Bao Yugang no longer needed to worry much about funding.
"Understood, I'll arrange it immediately!"
his subordinate responded swiftly, leaving the office to convey the message.
Earlier that morning, Bao's son-in-law Wu Guangzheng had officially assumed the role of Chairman of Long Fung International.
He was now busy adapting to his new position and handling various preparations.
Thus, for now, Bao Yugang personally oversaw all matters concerning Wharf Holdings,
ensuring every step stayed on track.
Meanwhile, at Huanyu Investment Company, inside Hengfeng Building,
Su Zhixue entered Lin Haoran's office again, bringing good news.
"President Lin, I have replied to the Bao family.
Mr. Bao Yugang has agreed to come personally for negotiations.
They are asking about our meeting arrangements," Su Zhixue reported.
Lin Haoran thought for a moment, then decisively said,
"Good. Schedule the meeting here at our company. Set the time for 8 PM tonight."
"Understood, President Lin," Su Zhixue nodded and left.
Everything was going smoothly—
now it remained to be seen if tonight Lin Haoran could force Bao Yugang to compromise.
After Su Zhixue and the others got off work at 6 PM,
Lin Haoran took Li Weiguo and Li Weidong out for a big dinner.
Only after 7 PM did they leisurely return to the office.
As the clock neared 8 PM, Lin Haoran prepared tea in the office.
He couldn't help but feel curious—
what kind of expression would Bao Yugang have when he realized who he was dealing with?
At the same time, Bao Yugang arrived at Hengfeng Building with a bodyguard.
The distance between Prince's Building and Hengfeng Building was only a few hundred meters—
an easy walk.
Thus, Bao Yugang arrived right on time.
The elevator reached the 19th floor,
and stepping out, Bao Yugang quickly found the target—Huanyu Investment Company.
To Bao Yugang, this was an unfamiliar company.
He had never heard of it before.
He had even conducted a background check beforehand—
discovering it was newly registered.
Thus, he mistakenly assumed Huanyu Investment had only entered the Wharf Holdings market after the recent boom.
When Bao Yugang reached the company's entrance,
Lin Haoran had already come out to greet him.
With a warm smile, Lin Haoran said,
"Uncle Bao, what a coincidence—we meet again."
"Haoran? What are you doing here?" Bao Yugang asked in shock, clearly not expecting to see him.
Their brief encounter previously had left a deep impression on Bao.
He had even warmly invited Lin Haoran to visit his home—though they hadn't seen each other since.
Now, Bao Yugang's mind raced.
He suddenly recalled Lin Haoran's identity—
the youngest son of Lin Wanan, chairman of Wanan Group.
Though in Bao's view, Wanan Group was merely a moderately successful enterprise—
not quite in his league—
given that they were neighbors at Deep Water Bay, they at least shared a nodding acquaintance.
Glancing again at Huanyu Investment,
Bao Yugang couldn't help but wonder:
Could Lin Wanan really be the one backing Huanyu Investment?
Once that thought took root, it grew rapidly.
The possibility seemed very high.
Yet he immediately hesitated—
he knew Wanan Group's financial strength wasn't that impressive.
How could they muster the capital to participate in a battle over Wharf Holdings?
This question lingered in his mind,
making him even more curious about Huanyu Investment's true background.
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