diymy Chapter 101 A Fateful Marriage: The Dog Brother's Secret Connection
Chapter 101 A Fateful Marriage: The Dog Brother's Secret Connection
Mandarin Suite, inner hall.
Regarding the sudden change of ownership of the Kowloon Society, everyone had different expressions from their own perspectives, but the happiest person was none other than Li Fuzhao.
The Li Peicai family had always been on good terms with them. Now that Chen Guanjiang has obtained the Kowloon Club license, the Far East Club and the Kowloon Club have merged into one, and the merged entity will be able to control most of the discourse.
However, Qiu Cuo and Hu Hanhui remained unfazed, completely unconcerned about the change of ownership of the Kowloon Club.
For Hu Hanhui, the foundation of the Hu family has always been the gold and silver trade. The securities industry was just something he seized the opportunity to do; otherwise, he wouldn't have messed around like that.
As for the stock market, whether Chen Pu-fen or Chen Guan-jiang is in charge, it only increases the voice of Chinese people in the securities industry, so there is no difference.
On the contrary, Chen Guanjiang was very interested in the two of them!
When people in Hong Kong mention Hu Hanhui, the most direct impression is that of "Hong Kong Gold King". In recent years, he has also taken on the title of president of the Gold and Silver Association.
But it should be noted that this guy founded Lee Hing Properties and Shun Fook Properties in 61, and served as the vice president of the Hong Kong Real Estate Builders Association for a long time. He was also a very important figure in the Hong Kong real estate industry.
In contrast, Qiu Cuo is very low-key, so low-key that even as the president of the Hong Kong Association, he is not well-known and is a completely unfamiliar figure to the British conglomerate, but no one dares to provoke or test him.
As Paul Chater's last disciple, he inherited a considerable fortune from his master, who had no descendants, as well as the connections and resources of Paul Chater's siblings' descendants and the Sassoon family, his powerful backers.
Apart from the three exchange chairmen and various established British financial groups, everyone else present was a representative of the banking industry.
Bigwigs from all walks of life in Hong Kong gathered together, but the general manager of Standard Chartered Bank was not present, which is understandable.
After all, four years ago, Chartered Bank and Standard Bank merged to form Standard Chartered Bank (Standard Chartered Bank), and the two factions fought tooth and nail for power.
The general manager of Standard Chartered Bank has changed several times in the past four years. The current general manager doesn't even know how long he can stay in his position. Keeping his job is the key. He has no interest in participating in any market rescue efforts.
Although the meeting was initiated by Li Fuzhao, the real person in charge must be HSBC's current general manager, Sir Michael Sandberg.
Seeing that everyone had arrived, Shen Bi said with a playful tone, "Everyone, please speak up! How do you plan to revive the market?"
"This stock market crash was caused by Chinese-owned stock exchanges pushing a large number of Chinese-owned companies with no real assets to go public, so of course the Chinese-owned stock exchanges are responsible."
"That's not how you put it! The number of listed companies in Hong Kong has remained around 60 for the past 20 years, at most no more than 65. Hong Kong's economy has long been capable of driving a new batch of listed companies."
"That doesn't mean just any lousy company can be listed! An industrial building, a dilapidated factory, or even just a piece of land can be listed. And what kind of companies are those Hong Kong Antenna and nightclub companies?"
"We can't blame it all on listed companies. This stock market crash was caused by inflation triggered by the depreciation of the US dollar. Naturally, people would convert their depreciated currency into assets..."
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Chen Guanjiang watched them argue back and forth with a smile, each trying to shift the blame and refusing to bear the cost of the market rescue. In the end, it would only result in a dog-eat-dog mess.
The reason is simple: saving the market requires money. Even if any one person were to pour all their money in, it wouldn't be enough. But knowing it's a bottomless pit, who would be willing to pour it in?
Moreover, this is tantamount to sacrificing oneself for the benefit of everyone. No one has the means to do such a thing, and someone with this intention would not be a resource, much less be sitting here.
"If an exchange doesn't take responsibility, what's the point of having one?"
"A large portion of the money lost in the stock market crash flowed into real estate stocks. Land and housing prices rose more than three times that of stocks. Why should only the stock exchange be held responsible? Didn't the banks provide funding?"
"What does this have to do with banks? Taking out a loan to speculate in stocks is a legitimate purpose, and every transaction is guaranteed to be regulated..."
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Shen Bi also knew that this was bound to be the outcome. No matter how many economic crises occurred, the theme of the meetings was always evasion and shirking responsibility. Of course, this does not mean that today's meeting was meaningless.
Because no matter how much they push the issue, it will eventually fall on the Hong Kong government, and only the Hong Kong government can suppress all capital. This is an unspoken understanding, but no one has spoken up first.
Although…
Listed companies have profited at the expense of shareholders, stock exchanges have made huge profits, and banks have received huge interest returns, but compared to the Hong Kong government, their profits are still far too small.
after all…
The Hong Kong government and various funds under the English government are also reaping huge profits from shareholders by selling off massive amounts of stock, and the profits are far greater and more ruthless than those of individual listed companies.
Compared to the 0.02% settlement fee, 0.6% stock stamp duty, and 0.05% securities commission transaction fee earned by the exchanges, the profits are dozens of times greater than the combined profits of the four exchanges.
Bank loan interest rates have reached 10%, but they also bear the risk of bad debts, while the Hong Kong government's Hong Kong Monetary Authority and Exchange Fund have all lost 8% as the US dollar depreciates.
and so…
In the eyes of many, the Hong Kong government is the one that has benefited the most, and the government should be responsible for saving the market; it has the capability and the responsibility to do so.
"Since the exchange is disrupting the market and unwilling to take responsibility, I have no choice but to turn to Mr. Peng Shizhi."
"I will also file a complaint with Mr. Xia Dingji regarding the bank's illegal lending practices."
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With everyone chiming in, complaining and accusing, it's clear that dragging these two institutions down will drag the Hong Kong government down with them.
"I have a small, albeit immature, suggestion..."
Chen Guanjiang spoke up inappropriately: "It's fine to contact the Securities and Futures Commission and the Financial Secretary, but I suggest that we conduct an internal investigation first, which would also serve as a statement to the Hong Kong government."
"When recommending someone from within the organization, one should not avoid relatives; when recommending someone from outside the organization, one should not avoid enemies. Since it was my suggestion, let's investigate the Kowloon Society first. I am reporting the former Kowloon Society chairman, Chan Po-fan, for abusing his power for personal gain and being utterly immoral!"
"They illegally promoted the listing of family-owned Anning Enterprises and personal Oriental Finance, and manipulated related companies such as Xiangjiang Antenna to cash out a large amount of money and hollow out the Hong Kong economy. Fortunately, the listing of Xiangjiang Computer was stopped."
"For personal gain, he went so far as to push for the listing of nightclubs and sell more than a thousand brokerage licenses at a premium, making him the main culprit in this stock market crash."
"I suggest a joint lawsuit against Chan Po-fan. If necessary, the Kowloon Club should release all transaction information for thorough investigation, giving the market, the Hong Kong government, and all shareholders affected by the stock market crash an explanation!"
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After a passionate speech, everyone looked at Chen Guanjiang with extremely complicated expressions. This mad dog had devoured Chen Pufen and now wanted to send him to prison.
On second thought, I can understand.
Even when Zou Wenhuai betrayed Shao Yifu and threatened him, he didn't manage to offend anyone to death.
They attacked Zhou Xinian and betrayed Keswick, but afterwards they all fawned over him.
Chen Pufen is different. If Chen Guanjiang cannot finish off the Kowloon Society after it was taken away, how could Chen Pufen not seek revenge once he recovers? The two sides are now locked in a life-or-death struggle.
Now, Chan Kwun-kong is using them to put pressure on the Hong Kong government to deal with this Justice of the Peace who was only appointed two years ago.
Even those who haven't run a stock exchange can guess the general idea from the perspective of the financial industry. With insider trading being exposed, the Hong Kong government may use this opportunity to revoke the Kowloon Club's license.
Shen Bi noticed that the phrase "if necessary" didn't seem as resolute as he had imagined. He looked at the other three chairmen with amusement; some had livid faces, some had fierce eyes, and some had a surprised smile.
If the Kowloon Stock Exchange releases its trading data for a thorough investigation and requires an explanation from the Hong Kong government, will other exchanges also be required to release their data to shareholders? Which exchange, including the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, can withstand such a thorough investigation?
Looking at the group of small bank representatives, they also wore unfriendly expressions, showing extreme dissatisfaction with Chen Guanjiang's group kidnapping behavior.
Any high-quality assets will first be mortgaged to large banks; what small banks get are just scraps.
Small banks that want to grow rapidly have no choice but to lend to risky assets in order to seek high-interest returns.
HSBC disdained cooperating with other brokerage firms, but Sir Michael Sandberg knew many small banks that illegally lent money to brokerage firms to speculate on licenses or helped them manipulate the stock market.
Once the Kowloon Club provides all the information for a thorough investigation, almost all of these small banks will be implicated.
The Hong Kong government is well aware of the true nature of the stock exchange, brokerage firms, and small banks, but it has to turn a blind eye for the sake of Hong Kong's economic stability.
However, if the Kowloon Club puts everything on the table, the Hong Kong government will have to deal with them under public pressure.
In other words, Chan Kwun-kong staked the entire Kowloon Club, dragging them into a gamble to destroy Chan Po-fan.
Throughout the entire process, Chen Guanjiang only gave them two choices.
Either we all go down together with the Kowloon Society, or we all help to nail Chen Pufen to the ground and never let him be reincarnated.
"Hmph! Since the Kowloon Society is willing to conduct its own investigation, then let each member form a syndicate of silver and a syndicate of evidence to conduct a thorough investigation together..."
"It's good to give the public a chance to vent their anger."
"That was really going too far..."
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Everyone admired Chen Guanjiang's cunning; he was indeed a ruthless character who had risen from the bottom. However, taking over the Kowloon Society was just the beginning; whether he could hold onto it was another matter entirely.
The meeting ended quickly, followed by a cocktail party.
The group gathered in small groups, whispering among themselves, spreading the news of Chen Guanjiang taking over the Kowloon Society.
In an instant, everyone in the suite looked at Chen Guanjiang, no longer with the expression of looking at a junior or a mad dog, but as someone who was on equal footing with them and even someone who deserved their respect.
Li Fuzhao walked over impatiently, raised his glass and said, "Haha! Ah Jiang, we haven't congratulated you yet, but you quietly took over the Kowloon Society, which gave us quite a shock."
"Ah Jiang, well done!"
Li Fushu patted Chen Guanjiang on the shoulder and whispered in his ear, "Don't worry, we'll definitely help you get rid of Chen Pufen."
In their view, if Chen Guanjiang took over the Kowloon Society, it would be the same as if the Li Peicai family had taken it over, and they absolutely could not allow Chen Pufen to turn things around. In fact, everyone else present thought so too.
Without the help of the Li Peicai family, Chen Guanjiang would never have been able to swallow the Kowloon Society, a lucrative prize. As for whether Chen Guanjiang would have to spit it out after they helped him swallow it, that's none of their business.
"Thank you, Uncle Shu and Uncle Zhao!"
Chen Guanjiang, knowing exactly what was going on, smiled and nodded: "Although the Kowloon Society has only been established for a short time, it is deeply entrenched internally. We will have to rely on Brother Neng to provide legal counsel and assistance."
Upon hearing this, Li Fushu and Li Fuzhao exchanged a glance, smiled, and shook their heads, saying, "Ajiang, Zhuo Ran did a good job! There's no need to change the legal counsel; we'll have him wholeheartedly help you."
Chen Guanjiang firmly refused, saying, "No, I trust Brother Neng more!"
"Ah Jiang, don't worry!"
Li Fuzhao thought Chen Guanjiang didn't understand, so he smiled and explained, "Zhuoran and Guoneng are both partners in Hu Guan Law Firm. They won't be at odds with you just because Kowloon Club has changed hands."
"Although lawyers are divided into solicitors and barristers, you should understand the principle of specialization. Zhuoran is more suitable for the Kowloon Club."
As laws become increasingly specialized, professional expertise needs to be continuously deepened, and even royal barristers cannot cover everything.
Thus, although there was no clear division of professions in this era, law firm partners spontaneously specialized in different areas.
For example, a partner at Hu Guan Law Firm!
Hu Baoxing's father, Hu Zhaozhi, was one of the founders of Wing Yip Company. After Wing Yip split up, the founders established Henderson Land Development and Sun Hung Kai Properties respectively.
Despite the business dealings, the friendship remained strong. Li Taoji and Guo Cuosheng entrusted their respective real estate companies with Hu Zhaozhi's son, Hu Baoxing, who also specialized in real estate law.
Kwan Cheuk-yan's father, Kwan Cho-yau, was a director of Hang Seng Bank and, along with Kan Yue-keung, the taipan of Bank of East Asia, were both alumni of Diocesan Boys' School and the University of London.
Even though Guan Zuyao passed away two years ago, his legacy as a royal barrister continues to benefit future generations, while Guan Zhuoran specializes in financial law.
Li Guoneng's father, Li Fuqiu, is a government official who previously served as Assistant Secretary for Administration and Assistant Director of the Personnel Department. He is currently the Deputy Secretary for Home Affairs and a member of both the Executive and Legislative Councils.
The third generation of the family, including Li Fushu, Li Fuhe, and Li Fushan, were widely involved in public affairs, while the fourth generation, Li Guoneng, specialized in lawmaking.
and so…
It is questionable that Li Guoneng was appointed as a director and legal advisor of the Koo News. Before that, Chen Guanjiang was not a big shot. He was confident that he could protect a small newspaper, so he accepted the position.
but!
As a stock exchange, Kowloon Club cannot take on too much responsibility in a muddled way. It is best to leave professional matters to professionals, especially since both of them are partners in the law firm of Hu and Kwan.
"No, I only want Brother Neng!" Chen Guanjiang firmly chose Li Guoneng.
Li Fuzhao was at his wit's end. This child was usually quite clever, so why couldn't he understand? Just as he was about to try to persuade him again, Li Fushu stopped him.
Li Fushu met those smiling eyes and seemed to understand something: "Then let me ask you another way: even if Guoneng refuses to take the position, are you still going to replace Guan Zhuoran?"
"Yes!" Chen Guanjiang nodded.
"Why? Zhuoran has done a good job, all these years..."
"Okay!"
Li Fushu quickly stopped Li Fuzhao from continuing to persuade him, and said with a dark face, "Since you have made up your mind, I can't persuade you anymore. Let Guoneng choose for himself."
The stock market has been so profitable in the past three months that Li Fuzhao has been so busy that he has not even known how his family is doing.
As the current patriarch of the Li Peicai family, Li Fushu knew all too well what had happened recently.
Dog lovers' associations are public affairs in nature and a brand-new type of welfare association, which is more in line with Li Guoneng's profession, so she goes to dog lovers' associations more often.
As time went on, and he had more and more contact with Chen Guanjiang's third sister, things gradually changed.
A dashing young man and a girl experiencing first love—this is a classic Cinderella story, especially since the prince already has a fiancée.
The story only describes the beauty of falling in love, but doesn't mention the messy reality of marriage. Love knows no social class, but marriage is different!
However, if Cinderella had a prince brother, the outcome would be different.
Li Fushu is not his father, and Li Fuzhao is not his mother. Ultimately, the choice is up to Li Guoneng to make...