Chapter 71: A Hidden Contest
Lin Haoran paid no mind to the receptionist's inner turmoil.
To him, he had no interest in creating conflict or humiliating such people for the sake of petty satisfaction.
Soon enough, Lin Haoran saw an elderly British man step out of the elevator.
"Mr. Lin, welcome. I am Halier Centurion, Chairman of the Board of Qingzhou Cement. Welcome to Qingzhou Cement," Halier greeted him. Compared to the blonde receptionist, Chairman Halier Centurion appeared much more modest and courteous.
However, Lin Haoran knew very well that in the business world, age often came hand in hand with experience, and that these elderly figures, who had weathered countless storms, were true "old foxes," masters of human nature and strategy.
Thus, he remained highly vigilant toward Halier Centurion.
Lin Haoran understood that one must never judge a person's capability or intentions by appearances or first impressions, especially not someone like Halier, who had ruled Qingzhou Cement for over a decade.
Lin Haoran shook his hand and smiled. "Mr. Halier, it's a pleasure to meet you. I look forward to our discussion."
"Mr. Lin, let's talk in my office," Halier said.
"Of course."
The two took the elevator up to the 5th floor.
"Would you like something to drink?" Halier asked once they were seated on the sofa.
"No, thank you," Lin Haoran declined with a slight shake of his head.
"I'm curious, Mr. Lin — why are you so interested in Qingzhou Cement?" Halier asked, studying him carefully.
"I have great confidence in Hong Kong's real estate market, and cement is one of the most essential materials for the industry. I've reviewed Qingzhou Cement's performance over the past few years. Although the profits haven't been particularly high, the company's future prospects are extremely promising. Holding shares of Qingzhou Cement will surely be a profitable long-term investment," Lin Haoran replied with a smile.
For now, he had no intention of revealing his true ambitions regarding Qingzhou Cement.
Because deep inside, Lin Haoran had his doubts.
He had thoroughly studied Qingzhou Cement's financial reports. Despite its impressive size, the company's annual net profit was oddly low — just over HK$4 million — something that greatly puzzled him.
If he hadn't already been involved in the construction materials business through his own Huafeng Cement Factory, he might not have questioned it.
But given that his much smaller Huafeng Cement, even without major targeting by competitors, could generate tens of thousands of Hong Kong dollars in monthly profits, the situation at Qingzhou Cement seemed suspicious.
Qingzhou Cement's production scale was several times that of Huafeng, and its brand was deeply rooted in Hong Kong's market, yet its annual profits appeared almost insignificant. This defied logic.
Moreover, Qingzhou Cement also owned three commercial buildings in Hung Hom — Castle Peak Tower, Tsing Yi Tower, and Qingzhou Tower — with rental income from two of the towers alone generating significant monthly revenue. Yet this was nowhere properly reflected in their financial statements.
All this made Lin Haoran deeply skeptical of Qingzhou Cement's reported financial situation.
The company's consistently low profits were likely the reason its stock price had remained undervalued.
Lin Haoran had a strong suspicion in his heart.
"Mr. Lin, may I ask how many shares of Qingzhou Cement you currently hold? And, more importantly, your intentions behind acquiring them?" Halier Centurion pressed, unable to conceal his urgency.
After all, these questions directly affected his own interests and strategic plans.
Halier was no fool. In fact, he had noticed the unusual activity in Qingzhou Cement's stock market a month ago.
Unfortunately, there was little he could do.
Thus, he was eager to learn more about Lin Haoran's holdings and intentions to better plan his next moves — perhaps to find a chance to protect and even expand his interests.
Halier Centurion came from a declining British noble family. Over a decade ago, he had brought the last remnants of his family's wealth to Hong Kong and, with some maneuvering and the help of friends, successfully gained control of Qingzhou Cement.
However, his grip on the company had always depended on paying off the other British shareholders to maintain their support.
Under the shelter of his position as chairman, Halier had long siphoned profits from Qingzhou Cement, leaving only a minimal amount publicly reported. Over the years, he had amassed considerable private wealth.
Yet, that wealth flowed like water — most of it funneled back to his sprawling, cash-hungry family in Britain.
With over a hundred family members accustomed to luxurious lifestyles, the annual expenses were enormous. Even the hefty dividends he drew from Qingzhou Cement were barely enough.
When the stock market upheaval hit, Halier immediately sensed danger: Qingzhou Cement had caught the eye of powerful players.
Still, he knew that with his current financial situation, he could not wage a serious battle against a well-funded opponent.
This helplessness weighed heavily on him. Holding onto his hard-won control was proving harder than ever.
If Halier had saved the profits he siphoned off all these years, he would have amassed tens of millions of Hong Kong dollars.
But reality was cruel. Most of that money was long gone.
Facing an unknown competitor in the market, he realized he was likely powerless.
Though he briefly considered leveraging his position to take out loans to defend his shares, he eventually abandoned the idea.
Borrowing could have bought him time, but it would have brought crushing interest payments and mounting pressure — risks he was unwilling to take.
More importantly, he wasn't sure he would even win. If he lost, the consequences would be devastating — not just losing control but also seeing his shares plummet in value.
Thus, Halier finally decided to abandon the idea of increasing his holdings, choosing instead to watch silently from the sidelines.
He secretly hoped that the mysterious opponent was merely a short-term speculator looking to cash out quickly — not someone truly intent on taking over Qingzhou Cement.
When Halier learned that the person targeting Qingzhou Cement was a young man, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Compared to seasoned veterans of the business world, a young man like Lin Haoran seemed far less threatening.
He believed that experienced old foxes would have easily crushed him, but Lin Haoran's youth gave him hope — hope that he might still preserve his position.
In Halier's mind, youth often equated to impulsiveness and inexperience — weaknesses he could exploit.
He began thinking about how he could use his experience, connections, and deep understanding of Qingzhou Cement to counter this young opponent.
Halier's confidence grew. He believed that after so many years of surviving and thriving in business, he could easily handle a greenhorn like Lin Haoran.
In his view, Lin Haoran was just a "young chick," not yet capable of threatening his position.
This confidence revived his spirits, though Halier knew that blind arrogance was dangerous.
Thus, he was determined to find out exactly how many shares Lin Haoran held and what his true intentions were.
After all, most of the board members were already loyal to him — carefully cultivated over the years.
If Lin Haoran's holdings weren't as extensive as he feared, Halier was confident he could still maintain his grip on Qingzhou Cement.
Sitting across from Lin Haoran, Halier Centurion waited patiently for his answer.
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