Chapter 67: Reasonable Yet Fabricated Speculation
At this moment, Li Jiacheng finally understood why Bao Yugang had spoken so highly of Lin Haoran's formidable financial strength.
The shares of Wharf Holdings, highly coveted even by a business titan like Bao Yugang, must have been of considerable volume.
Given that the current stock price of Wharf Holdings had soared past seventy Hong Kong dollars per share, even holding a million shares would already be worth over seventy million Hong Kong dollars.
Considering the scale of the transaction between Lin Haoran and Bao Yugang, it was clearly far more than a million shares — likely far exceeding that figure.
Thus, Li Jiacheng deduced that Lin Haoran's available funds must be at least one hundred million Hong Kong dollars, and quite possibly much more.
This young man's financial power was far more astonishing than it appeared on the surface.
With such vast resources, and with Lin Haoran having strategically secured a significant number of Qingzhou Cement shares beforehand, everything now made sense.
Li Jiacheng secretly felt relieved. He was glad that Bao Yugang had been willing to act as an intermediary; otherwise, he might have found himself entangled in a fierce acquisition battle with Lin Haoran.
Under the current circumstances, Lin Haoran not only had abundant funds but also controlled a large shareholding, clearly giving him a greater chance of victory.
Although Li Jiacheng was no lightweight himself, he had entered the scene late and would have found it difficult to close the gap in a short time.
While he could have attempted to buy shares directly from other shareholders, there was no guarantee he could have successfully acquired Qingzhou Cement. And Li Jiacheng had always been cautious — he seldom engaged in ventures without sufficient certainty.
Though he felt some regret over missing out on this promising opportunity, Li Jiacheng knew that Hong Kong was filled with British-owned enterprises — opportunities remained plentiful.
He never pinned all his hopes on a single target, instead favoring a flexible and diversified investment strategy.
Thus, although it was a pity, he had not suffered any actual loss regarding Qingzhou Cement and remained optimistic about future prospects in other ventures.
The reason for Li Jiacheng's remarkable success to date lay largely in his consistent caution.
This prudence was not only the cornerstone of his commercial achievements but also the key to avoiding unnecessary risks and maintaining steady growth.
Li Jiacheng understood the volatility of the business world well and never lightly ventured into areas where he lacked confidence.
One iron rule guided his business philosophy: "Never engage in loss-making ventures."
Since the 1950s, this principle had steered his decisions, ensuring that his company recorded annual profits without a single year of loss.
The secret behind this success was his meticulous deliberation and thorough preparation for every business decision.
In major operations like the acquisition of American or British enterprises, Li Jiacheng consistently demonstrated extraordinary patience and strategic foresight.
He never rushed but preferred to quietly accumulate shares over time or engage in deep negotiations with major shareholders. Only when all conditions were favorable would he make a decisive move to achieve acquisition in one strike.
This methodical, step-by-step approach not only minimized risks but also earned him the reputation of a "prudent sage" in the business world.
"Mr. Lin, I believe you already know the real reason for our meeting today," Li Jiacheng said sincerely and directly. "What I most urgently want to know is: how did you find out that Cheung Kong Holdings was secretly planning to acquire Qingzhou Cement?"
This was his primary purpose for coming today.
He understood that in the battlefield of commerce, controlling information often meant controlling the outcome.
Though he was also curious about how Lin Haoran had managed to build his career so rapidly, Li Jiacheng chose to restrain his curiosity, keeping the focus firmly on the matter at hand.
He respected that everyone had their own paths and secrets — some stories were not meant to be pried into.
Last night, Li Jiacheng had tossed and turned in bed, his mind replaying countless possibilities, trying to solve the mystery of how the other party had discovered their covert acquisition operation.
This unanswered question weighed on him like a heavy stone until today's meeting, where he finally had the chance to seek an answer.
"Perhaps it sounds unbelievable to you, Mr. Li," Lin Haoran said with a calm smile, "but when I noticed a sudden surge in Qingzhou Cement's trading volume over just two or three days, I became acutely aware that another powerful figure had set their sights on the company.
Afterward, I delved into recent major M&A cases. Through detailed comparative analysis, I systematically ruled out all potential competitors until my focus narrowed onto you, Mr. Li.
Qingzhou Cement, despite its long history, had rarely attracted much attention.
Among British enterprises, it wasn't considered especially dazzling, and few companies had ever expressed acquisition interest.
Thus, I reasoned that any recent moves would more likely be initiated by a Chinese-owned enterprise.
Narrowing it down further, I applied a process of elimination and recalled that, in past cases like the Yonggao acquisition and the quiet accumulation of Wharf Holdings shares, you, Mr. Li, had consistently displayed a clear strategy — targeting companies whose market value was well below their actual worth, particularly those of British background.
Additionally, after selling your Wharf Holdings shares to Uncle Bao, you would naturally have substantial liquidity on hand, seeking a new investment target.
Given Qingzhou Cement's situation — a company with a solid business foundation and ownership of 800,000 square feet of waterfront land in Hung Hom, valued at over HK$500 million at current land prices (excluding the additional value from its complete industrial chain) — it was evident that Qingzhou Cement was severely undervalued.
Based on all these factors, I firmly believed that you, Mr. Li, were the most likely party interested in acquiring Qingzhou Cement.
Of course, my judgment wasn't absolute, which is why I sent Uncle Bao as a negotiator — it was, in fact, a test. Unexpectedly, this test revealed the truth and confirmed my suspicion: the one secretly targeting Qingzhou Cement was indeed you," Lin Haoran explained earnestly and confidently.
In truth, Lin Haoran's real basis for all this was his deep memory of the events from his past life.
But since he obviously couldn't disclose his ability to foresee future events, he could only weave a plausible, reasonable-sounding story.
Whether or not Li Jiacheng chose to believe him depended entirely on his own judgment.
After listening to Lin Haoran's clear, logical, and insightful analysis, Li Jiacheng couldn't help but nod slightly. The heavy burden of worry that had weighed on him seemed to lift.
Moreover, after learning of Lin Haoran's identity, Li Jiacheng was convinced that his trusted subordinates had not been bribed — that Lin Haoran hadn't received insider information from within.
Since Lin Haoran was not one of his own, continuing to press him would have been impolite, so Li Jiacheng refrained from further questioning.
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