Chapter 229: Our Boss Is Taking Over Kowloon Motor Bus
Kwok Ying-shek's idea was simple: the current chairman of Kowloon Motor Bus, Tang Siu Kin, did not hold many shares. His position was maintained largely by his founder status and the Lui family's disinterest in actively managing Kowloon Motor Bus. Tang posed no real threat. The biggest obstacle was, of course, Lui Che-woo, the largest shareholder. If they could acquire Lui's shares, controlling the listed company would be an easy task.
"We can give it a try. But Dad, convincing Lui Che-woo to sell his shares won't be easy. Even if he's willing, he will surely take the opportunity to drive up the price," Lo Yuk-sui said cautiously. "We have to try. How will we know otherwise?" Kwok replied with a laugh. "Shall we contact Mr. Lui now?" Lo Yuk-sui asked. "Yes. I'll call him personally. He should at least give me the courtesy of a meeting," Kwok said decisively.
Thus, in the office of Eagle Group, Kwok Ying-shek picked up the phone and dialed Lui Che-woo's number, completely unaware that even if he succeeded in buying Lui's shares, he would still fail to seize control of Kowloon Motor Bus — his efforts were destined to be in vain.
At Huanyu Investment, after a brief lunch break, the trading team resumed work. Kowloon Motor Bus stock remained active in the afternoon session. The team, following the morning's pace, continued to absorb shares at reasonable prices. Time flew by, and soon it was after 3 p.m., less than twenty minutes to the market close.
Meanwhile, Lin Haoran was not at Wanqing Tower; he had gone to Hongkong Electric Group. After ensuring there was now solid security support in the Philippines, Chen Shoulin began eyeing the Philippine market. With over fifty million people, and a rapidly growing population, the Philippines offered a major opportunity. As a nation of islands, it had over four hundred rivers, making it rich in hydropower potential.
Chen Shoulin had sent a team of experts to conduct a survey. Upon their return, they confirmed that Manila, in particular, suffered from acute electricity shortages due to rapid urban growth. The government welcomed foreign investment in energy projects. Lin Haoran, understanding the Philippines' explosive population growth, naturally supported the plan. He knew that by his past life's standards, the Philippines would soon become a country with over one hundred million people.
Given the favorable conditions — no longer worrying about security thanks to their dominance in Manila — Lin Haoran fully endorsed Hongkong Electric's expansion into the Philippines. Moreover, Chen Shoulin planned to have Hong Kong and China Gas Company enter the Manila market too. After discussing these opportunities with Chen, Lin Haoran returned to Wanqing Group.
By the time he arrived at Huanyu Investment, there were only a few minutes left before the market closed. Lin Haoran didn't disturb the trading team. Instead, he sat in his office, sipping tea while enjoying the clear weather outside. It was an exceptionally fine day; from his window, he could see Kowloon's bustling traffic across the harbor.
After about ten minutes, there was a knock on the door. "Come in," Lin Haoran said. A moment later, Su Zhixue entered, holding a report. "Boss, today's task has been completed successfully!" he said, handing over the document. "Let me see," Lin Haoran said, smiling. He wasn't surprised. Tasks he assigned to Su Zhixue were almost always completed, and today's mission wasn't particularly difficult.
Su Zhixue passed him the report, then stood respectfully nearby. "Sit down, don't just stand there," Lin Haoran said casually. "Thank you, Boss," Su Zhixue said, finally taking a seat.
The report summarized their holdings in three major targets: Hongkong Land, Jardines Matheson, and Kowloon Motor Bus. Naturally, Lin Haoran's attention first turned to Kowloon Motor Bus. He was just a step away from fully taking it over.
"Holdings in Kowloon Motor Bus: 36.83%," Lin Haoran read aloud. "That much already?" he said in mild surprise. His goal had been to exceed 36%, but they had surpassed even that, almost a full extra percentage point. Though the purchase price was higher than before, it remained within an acceptable range.
The early purchases had been at much lower prices, so the average cost was still reasonable. "Boss, after Sun Hung Kai exited the competition, things went much smoother. Plus, no one expected us to aggressively sweep up sell orders well above today's opening price, which is why we exceeded the target," Su Zhixue explained.
Today's closing price was more than 6% higher than the opening — a rare surge. No wonder Huanyu's team could grab so many shares in one day. It was now obvious to the entire market that a major acquisition was underway. Tomorrow, Kowloon Motor Bus's stock price would likely continue to soar. But once it became clear no one else was buying, prices would cool off and stabilize.
At least for now, Huanyu Investment had no immediate need to continue buying. "At this stake, there's no way anyone can threaten us, right?" Lin Haoran asked. "Boss, no chance. We've thoroughly checked. The other major shareholders don't hold as much as we do. Unless a consortium not only holds secret shares but also acquires stakes from Lui Che-woo, Tang Siu Kin, and others — which is practically impossible at this stage. If someone had done it, Tang would have already been ousted as chairman," Su Zhixue assured him.
Lin Haoran knew the position was secure, but he was still slightly cautious. With 36.83%, if he couldn't dominate Kowloon Motor Bus now, it would be almost unheard of.
"Alright, send a formal notice to Kowloon Motor Bus, officially declaring our shareholding," Lin Haoran ordered. "Understood. I'll draft the notice under Huanyu Investment's name and have it delivered to Chairman Tang Siu Kin immediately," Su Zhixue said, leaving promptly to complete the task.
Soon, the notice was drafted, stamped with the Huanyu Investment seal, and placed into an envelope. Initially, Su Zhixue considered sending someone else, but thinking better of it, he decided to deliver it personally to ensure it reached Chairman Tang safely.
Kowloon Motor Bus's headquarters was located in Lai Chi Kok, Kowloon, home to the largest bus depot in Hong Kong. By the time Su Zhixue arrived, it was already after 5 p.m. Fortunately, Tang Siu Kin had not yet left for the day.
Although Su Zhixue wasn't a big-name figure, when the security team learned he was representing Lin Haoran, a major business tycoon, he was quickly ushered in.
"You represent Mr. Lin Haoran? What's this about?" asked Tang Siu Kin, who had already been alerted via walkie-talkie. "Mr. Tang, I'm here on behalf of Huanyu Investment, owned by Mr. Lin, to deliver a notice," Su Zhixue said, respectfully handing over the envelope.
"A notice?" Tang said, puzzled, as he accepted it. Given that Kowloon Motor Bus had no dealings with Lin Haoran's companies, he found it strange.
Tang, nearly eighty years old, his hand slightly trembling as he opened the envelope, donned his reading glasses, and slowly read the document.
Though slow, it didn't take long to read a notice. When he finished, Tang placed the document on his desk, his expression no longer calm.
36.83% ownership — he immediately understood the implication.
This had come completely out of nowhere. Although trading volumes had surged recently, as a listed company, they had no way to interfere in normal market activities.
And even if they had noticed earlier, it was too late. Tang had long realized a major acquisition was likely underway but hadn't imagined it would happen so swiftly.
And the acquirer was none other than the young Chinese tycoon famous for snapping up British companies.
"If Mr. Lin holds so many shares, what does he intend to do next?" Tang asked gravely after regaining his composure.
"Mr. Tang, our boss intends to take control of Kowloon Motor Bus and become its new owner," Su Zhixue answered directly.
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