Chapter 65: It's Time to Take Control of Qingzhou Cement
The two of them chatted a little longer, but Lin Haoran soon realized he should not linger and politely excused himself, stating he had matters to attend to.
He understood that Mr. Shen Bi, as the head of Hui Fung Bank, had a very busy schedule and should not be disturbed for too long.
Moreover, Lin Haoran himself truly needed to return to his company — by this time, Su Zhixue and the others had already entered the second half of the day's trading session.
Originally, this outing had been only to confirm the arrival of the transferred funds.
He hadn't expected to be unexpectedly invited by Shen Bi.
This meeting, he believed, had left a positive and deep impression on Shen Bi, paving the way for further communication and potential collaboration in the future.
"Mr. Lin, it was a truly enjoyable conversation. I look forward to opportunities for us to work together," Shen Bi said warmly, standing up to personally send Lin Haoran off, showing his regard for him.
"Likewise, I am very much looking forward to the opportunity to cooperate with Hui Fung Bank," Lin Haoran replied with a smile.
Walking out of Hui Fung Bank's main entrance, Lin Haoran exhaled deeply, as if releasing a burden from his shoulders.
Even though he had maintained a calm demeanor throughout the meeting, it was impossible not to feel a certain invisible pressure when facing a financial titan like Shen Bi.
After all, Shen Bi was known as Hong Kong's Financial Emperor, and the Hui Fung Bank under his command essentially controlled the arteries of Hong Kong's finance.
However, thinking back on the meeting, Lin Haoran felt a sense of satisfaction.
From Shen Bi's words and actions, Lin Haoran had keenly sensed a trace of recognition and appreciation. This meant that he had left a good impression, which would make future dealings or requests for assistance far smoother — undoubtedly a new boost for his career development.
By the time he and his two bodyguards returned to Huanyu Investment Company, it was almost two o'clock in the afternoon. Su Zhixue and the other traders were already deep into their afternoon trading operations.
After his promotion and salary raise, Su Zhixue was even more motivated in his work.
Lin Haoran quietly observed for a while and noted that even in the afternoon, the team maintained an astonishing pace of stock absorption.
This improvement was undoubtedly closely tied to Li Jiacheng's withdrawal from the competition.
Without the former competitive pressure and interference, Huanyu Investment's team was able to operate much more freely in the market, absorbing quality shares more efficiently.
Indeed, without Li Jiacheng's shadow looming over them, Su Zhixue's team could fully concentrate on their own strategies and judgments, boldly striving for greater market gains.
Thus, the acceleration in stock absorption was not only a reflection of seized market opportunities but also a testament to the team's growing strength and confidence.
Just a few minutes after four o'clock, Lin Haoran received the trading report for the day from Su Zhixue.
Carefully reviewing it, he was surprised to find that Su Zhixue's team had successfully absorbed a staggering 969,000 shares of Qingzhou Cement today.
This figure made Lin Haoran momentarily dazed, but he quickly realized it made perfect sense.
It was, without a doubt, the most brilliant trading day they had had since they began operations in Qingzhou Cement.
Of course, this aggressive absorption had driven the stock price up to HK$5.36 per share.
The more aggressive push had not only attracted more sell orders but also, since Li Jiacheng's team was no longer involved, allowed the majority of those shares to fall into Su Zhixue's team's hands.
As a result, Lin Haoran's total holdings of Qingzhou Cement had now reached 11.459 million shares.
Of course, acquiring today's new shares had cost him over HK$5 million.
However, given his current strong financial position, Lin Haoran felt no pressure at all.
At this point, he was nearing the critical threshold of 23% ownership in Qingzhou Cement, prompting him to sit in deep thought in his office, contemplating when to make an official move to approach the company's management.
After such a long preparation, it was time to take control of Qingzhou Cement — Hong Kong's largest cement producer.
Lin Haoran understood that in this game of corporate control, information was paramount.
According to his research, Qingzhou Cement's current shareholder structure revealed no particularly strong opponents.
This situation was very similar to the alternate history he remembered, where Li Jiacheng had easily acquired Qingzhou Cement.
And now, with Li Jiacheng having given up, it presented Lin Haoran with a perfect opportunity.
However, while 23% ownership was impressive, it was still insufficient to guarantee absolute control over Qingzhou Cement. He needed to continue accumulating shares.
He knew that if he stopped at 23%, several shareholders could easily band together and oppose him, shattering his dreams of control.
Moreover, though Li Jiacheng had abandoned his acquisition attempt, there was always the risk that another deep-pocketed consortium might appear.
Twenty-three percent ownership was by no means secure!
Therefore, Lin Haoran had already made up his mind: he needed to push his stake to at least over 30%. Only then would he have the proper qualification to formally take control of Qingzhou Cement.
After he took control, he planned to continue quietly absorbing shares until he owned over 50%, achieving absolute majority control.
But there was no rush for that. Once he secured the company, increasing his stake over time would not be difficult.
Judging by today's rate of stock absorption, Lin Haoran was full of confidence that he could reach the 30% milestone in the short term.
He believed that as long as the current momentum continued, it would only be a matter of time.
As for Li Jiacheng, Lin Haoran was unsure how many Qingzhou Cement shares his team had accumulated during their earlier phase.
If the opportunity arose, he planned to buy out all the shares still in Li Jiacheng's team's hands.
Doing so would drastically shorten his timeline for seizing control of Qingzhou Cement and give him a decisive edge in future strategic planning.
Glancing at his watch, it was now 4:40 p.m.
According to his agreement with Li Jiacheng, they were set to meet at 5:00 p.m. at the Juquande Teahouse downstairs.
Realizing the time was fast approaching, Lin Haoran straightened his attire, gathered his bodyguards, and left his office.
They exited the company building and took the elevator down to the second floor.
The lower levels of Hengfeng Building were bustling with activity. Numerous shops were packed together, ranging from convenience stores and traditional teahouses to real estate agencies offering various services, creating a lively, authentic atmosphere.
Earlier in the morning, Lin Haoran had already reserved a private room at Juquande Teahouse.
After all, Li Jiacheng had given up on acquiring Qingzhou Cement, clearing the path for Lin Haoran's own plans. That was a piece of very good news for him.
Thus, treating Li Jiacheng to a meal was only proper.
Inside the private room, Lin Haoran sipped tea leisurely, waiting for Li Jiacheng's arrival.
He had already instructed the teahouse's cashier to escort Mr. Li Jiacheng to this private room upon his arrival.
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