Chapter 261 Brother Yifu, You're Too Late!
Originally, Run Run Shaw had planned to wait another day or two before contacting the Lee family.
But now, with Yu Bok Kwan proposing to convene a board meeting to re-elect the TVB chairman, Shaw decided he needed to act immediately.
To Run Run Shaw, the chairman position at TVB was essential—he had to secure it.
After all, as his Third Brother had said, Shaw Brothers needed a new way forward.
The television industry was the best possible path.
Thus, Run Run Shaw picked up the office phone and called Lee Ming Chak.
Although Lee Ming Chak wasn't technically a shareholder of TVB, everyone in Hong Kong knew that many of the Lee family's decisions were made by him—he was the head of the Lee family.
Shaw's goal was simple: acquire the Lee family's shares and become TVB's largest shareholder.
That way, he could rightfully and openly assume the chairman position.
And if he wanted to persuade the Lee family's shareholders, getting Lee Ming Chak as an intermediary was the most appropriate strategy.
"Ming Chak, what are you busy with these days?" Run Run Shaw said politely once the call connected.
"I'm at the office handling some matters.
What brings you to call today, Brother Yifu?" Lee Ming Chak asked curiously.
They were only two years apart in age, both over seventy years old now, and had known each other for decades, so their relationship was fairly close.
"I'll get straight to the point.
I have a small favor to ask," Run Run Shaw answered.
"Brother Yifu, you know you only need to ask.
If I can help, I certainly will," Lee Ming Chak said, even more curious now.
"I'll be blunt—does Ming Chak have any interest in taking over as TVB's chairman?" Shaw asked with a chuckle.
"You know me.
Even when you all founded TVB, I wasn't interested.
Now that I'm even older and holding many positions, I don't have the energy to manage TVB," Lee Ming Chak replied bluntly.
"Good, that makes things easier.
Since you have no interest, I would like to purchase the Lee family's shares in TVB.
I'm willing to offer a fair price.
Could you act as a go-between and see which of your brothers might be willing to sell?" Shaw finally revealed his true intentions.
"Brother Yifu, I'm afraid I can't help you with that. I'm sorry," Lee Ming Chak said, smiling bitterly.
"Why not?
Surely someone in the Lee family intends to inherit Brother Siu Ho's position?" Run Run Shaw asked immediately.
"No, Brother Yifu, it's not that we want to keep it.
The problem is—you're too late.
Our shares were already sold yesterday.
We had planned to inform you at the board meeting.
We honestly didn't expect you would be interested in our TVB shares.
If I had known, I would have told them to wait," Lee Ming Chak said helplessly.
In truth, it was deliberate.
Lee Ming Chak knew full well that TVB's shareholding matters should at least be communicated to other key stakeholders like Shaw.
But this time, he had purposefully withheld the news.
To Lee Ming Chak, although Shaw was a legendary figure in Hong Kong's business scene, he was already in his seventies.
How many more years could he lead?
In contrast, Lin Haoran's rise had been meteoric, and his influence now exceeded even Shaw's.
After all, even Jardines Matheson had been forced to bow to Lin Haoran publicly.
Clearly, the Lee family would benefit more from aligning with Lin Haoran than with Run Run Shaw.
Thus, he had deliberately kept Shaw in the dark.
It was a rare opportunity to strengthen the Lee family's ties with Lin Haoran, and he wasn't going to miss it.
For Lee Ming Chak, TVB was nothing to be sentimental about.
Selling it was no real loss.
Hearing this, Run Run Shaw was stunned.
The Lee family's shares—already sold?
It was the classic case of "the early bird catches the worm."
At this moment, he deeply regretted his hesitation.
He had thought it was inappropriate to approach the Lee family so soon after Lee Siu Ho's death.
But by waiting a few extra days, he had missed his chance.
Calming himself, Shaw asked helplessly,
"Who bought them?"
"Mr. Lin Haoran.
He approached us and offered to buy our TVB shares.
After some discussion, my brothers agreed, and the deal was concluded the same day.
Now, our 24% stake belongs to Mr. Lin," Lee Ming Chak said truthfully.
"I see.
Thank you, Brother Ming Chak.
I'll find time to treat you to tea," Run Run Shaw said, clearly unwilling to continue the conversation.
"Alright, Brother Yifu, you take care.
I have to get back to work," Lee Ming Chak said.
Both men quickly and politely ended the call.
After hanging up, Run Run Shaw sat in his chair, his expression complicated.
He hadn't imagined he would be beaten to the punch—especially by a young man like Lin Haoran.
He wasn't too concerned about the slight difference in shareholding—21% vs. 24%.
What troubled him was Lin Haoran's intentions.
Was Lin Haoran planning to completely control TVB?
As for Lin Haoran, Shaw wasn't very familiar with him.
They had no previous business dealings and had only met briefly at the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce and at Lee Siu Ho's funeral.
"A young man capable of making Jardines Matheson bow...
It seems I need to meet him in person," Run Run Shaw muttered.
He needed to understand Lin Haoran's true intentions.
The sudden emergence of such a powerful competitor had caught him off guard.
Until now, he had assumed taking over TVB would be straightforward.
Now, with Lin Haoran's involvement, things were far more complicated.
Had it been anyone else, Shaw would have had confidence.
But Lin Haoran—who had recently completed several massive acquisitions and forced a British conglomerate to apologize publicly—was no ordinary opponent.
Thinking about it further wouldn't help.
Shaw decided to meet Lin Haoran directly.
He searched his wallet and soon found a business card—Lin Haoran's card, exchanged at the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce.
At that moment, Lin Haoran was sitting in Huanyu Investment's office.
After leaving HSBC headquarters, he had taken Li Weiguo and Li Weidong for a simple lunch nearby, then headed straight to Wanqing Building.
As he discussed stock trading strategies with Su Zhixue, Lin's pager suddenly buzzed.
"I'll make a call," Lin Haoran said.
"Boss, I'll go check on things in the investment department," Su Zhixue said, understanding immediately.
Some conversations weren't meant for others to overhear.
Dialing back, Lin Haoran answered:
"Hello, this is Lin Haoran. Who's calling?"
"Mr. Lin, this is Run Run Shaw.
Am I disturbing you?" came an elderly but spirited voice.
"Mr. Shaw, of course not!
It's an honor to receive your call," Lin Haoran said warmly.
He wasn't surprised.
Clearly, Shaw had learned about his acquisition of the Lee family's TVB shares.
He had expected this call sooner or later.
"Mr. Lin, if you're free, I'd like to visit you for a discussion," Shaw said directly.
"Mr. Shaw, you're always welcome.
I'm at Wanqing Building, 31st floor.
Please come over," Lin Haoran invited readily.
"Thank you.
I'll head over now.
I'm currently at TVB headquarters in Kowloon Bay—it'll take about thirty to forty minutes," Shaw said.
"No problem.
I'll be waiting," Lin Haoran replied with a smile.
After hanging up, Lin Haoran calmly called the Wanqing Building reception to inform them of Shaw's visit.
Then he resumed reviewing the stockholding reports Su Zhixue had prepared earlier.
Coming from Kowloon Tong to Central was no quick journey—especially with the usual city center traffic.
It would take at least thirty to forty minutes.
Meeting Run Run Shaw was inevitable.
Even if Shaw hadn't called, Lin Haoran had intended to arrange a meeting.
He knew TVB's current ratings lagged behind Rediffusion, but after Shaw took over, TVB would soon overtake its competitor.
In his previous life, Asian Television eventually collapsed, while TVB remained dominant for decades.
Thus, Lin Haoran had no intention of fighting Shaw for management control.
As TVB's largest shareholder, he would still have substantial influence.
And when he needed TVB's support, he could easily wield it.
As for running the station himself?
No thanks.
He knew his limits well enough.
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