Chapter 199 The Victor is King, the Loser is the Outlaw!
Sitting at the podium and looking at the reporters below, Li Mingze felt a complicated mix of emotions.
He had served as the Chairman of China Gas Company for several years now, and being forced to step down was undeniably bittersweet.
Over the years, through China Gas, he had made considerable profits for his family, steadily expanding their business empire.
But starting today, China Gas would no longer be a moneymaker for the Li family.
Lin Haoran sat next to him, ready to deliver his remarks once Li Mingze finished.
Just then, a staff member rushed into the room, went up to Li Mingze, and whispered, "Chairman, Mr. Nobby Jamieson from Jardines Matheson and others have arrived. They are coming upstairs now."
Although the staff member's voice was low, the reporters in the training room heard it clearly. After all, the room was quiet, and there were no other voices at that moment.
Hearing this, the reporters immediately perked up, sensing drama ahead.
As journalists, they thrived on exactly these types of events—controversial moments made for sensational articles, which drew in readers and kept them ahead in the competitive news market.
Hearing the news, Li Mingze decided to pause his speech, intending to wait for Nobby Jamieson and the others to arrive before proceeding.
The atmosphere became tense as everyone anticipated what would happen once Jamieson and his party entered.
Two minutes later, Nobby Jamieson, accompanied by a group of staff including Buffett from Hongkong Land, arrived at the training room under the guidance of China Gas employees.
Seeing Lin Haoran sitting among the group on stage, Jamieson was momentarily surprised. However, recalling that Hong Kong Electric Group was a shareholder in China Gas, he assumed Lin Haoran was merely representing his company and thought little more of it.
He had no idea that Lin Haoran had already secretly acquired the shares held by Li Mingze and the others.
After all, nobody would have imagined that Li Mingze and the other shareholders would have sold all their shares to the same buyer.
With 40.7% in hand, Jardines Matheson's team was confident they had already secured the controlling stake.
Jamieson smiled and greeted Lin Haoran politely. "Mr. Lin, fancy seeing you here."
"Good morning, Mr. Jamieson," Lin Haoran replied with a smile, standing up to shake hands.
As for Li Mingze, Jamieson barely acknowledged him. Their relationship had soured years ago during previous takeover attempts.
Jamieson's disdain for Li Mingze was obvious.
Seizing the moment, Li Mingze spoke into the microphone, "Since everyone is here, I will first announce a personal decision."
The room fell silent as everyone turned their attention to Li Mingze, including Jamieson.
Everyone assumed he was about to officially announce his resignation as Chairman of China Gas Company.
Given Jardines Matheson's holding, even if he refused to resign, they could force him out through a board vote.
As expected, Li Mingze continued, "Today, I officially announce that I am resigning from my position as Chairman of China Gas Company."
No one was surprised by the announcement; the photographers eagerly captured the moment, and some journalists already imagined it would be tomorrow's front-page headline.
Even Jamieson broke into a wide smile.
"He knows his place. I don't even need to propose a motion to dismiss him," Jamieson thought gleefully.
He couldn't wait any longer and strode up to the podium.
Li Mingze had intended to continue speaking, but Jamieson rudely took the microphone from him and announced loudly, "Since everyone is gathered here, let me also share some good news. Jardines Matheson now holds a controlling stake in China Gas Company. Therefore, I will be assuming the position of Chairman of China Gas Company effective immediately. From today onward, China Gas Company will become another listed company under Jardines Matheson!"
At that, the group of Jardines Matheson executives applauded enthusiastically.
However, beyond them, no one else clapped.
For Jamieson and Jardines Matheson, this moment represented the culmination of five years of effort. Now, they believed they had finally conquered China Gas.
For Li Mingze, the scene was humiliating.
He was a respected elder statesman in Hong Kong's Chinese business community, and yet Jamieson had shown him no respect at all.
But if Jamieson wanted to humiliate him, Li Mingze was more than ready to return the favor.
The Li family did not rely on the British financial groups for survival; they had their own extensive network of influence in Hong Kong.
Though their wealth couldn't compare to some of the newer Chinese financial families, their social standing was unquestioned.
Li Mingze himself was not just a patriarch of one of the Four Great Chinese Families; he was also the only Chinese Grand Master in the Hong Kong Freemasonry—an identity that commanded immense respect.
Thus, he wasn't afraid of Jardines Matheson.
To put it bluntly, even the Governor had to show him courtesy.
In terms of wealth, he might fall behind. But in terms of social status, he stood equal.
"Mr. Jamieson, sorry, but I wasn't finished speaking," Li Mingze said as he calmly took the microphone back.
Jamieson didn't object. He was curious to see what else Li Mingze had to say.
"In addition to resigning as Chairman, I wish to inform you all that the four directors—including myself—have sold all our shares in China Gas Company to three companies under Mr. Lin Haoran's control. From today onward, we have no further relationship with China Gas Company," Li Mingze said with a smile.
He could hardly wait to see Jamieson's reaction.
Having just been insulted by Jamieson, he relished the thought of slapping him back.
As expected, Jamieson's face immediately changed upon hearing this news. His expression showed utter disbelief.
The audience burst into excited murmurs.
Everyone knew roughly how much the four directors had held—about 33%.
And now it was all sold to Lin Haoran?
This development was beyond anyone's expectations.
At that moment, Lin Haoran stood up and addressed Jamieson directly.
"Mr. Jamieson, while Hong Kong Electric Group and Jardines Matheson have fairly competed, I must regretfully inform you that the position of Chairman should rightfully be mine—because the shares we now control far exceed those controlled by your group."
"Yesterday, we not only acquired Mr. Li Mingze and his associates' shares but also absorbed a substantial amount through the stock market. As of now, the shares we control in China Gas Company exceed 50%. Therefore, it is only natural that I take the position of Chairman. Mr. Jamieson, if you are interested, I believe you could take up another position within China Gas Company," Lin Haoran said with a smile.
This was normal business competition. Initially, Lin Haoran hadn't intended to embarrass Nobby Jamieson.
However, Jardines Matheson had been too aggressive these past two days—not only unilaterally announcing last night that they would take over China Gas Company but also now declaring themselves chairman before anything had been officially settled.
Thus, it wasn't Lin Haoran's fault.
Now that he held the controlling stake, there was no way he would defer to Jamieson for the chairman's position. Lin Haoran was no fool.
With abundant capital at his disposal, he was not afraid of Jardines Matheson—in fact, he was already secretly preparing to acquire Jardines Matheson and Hongkong Land in the future!
"By the way, here are the share transfer agreements signed yesterday with Mr. Li Mingze and the other three shareholders," Lin Haoran continued, pulling out the contracts and holding them up for everyone to see.
Although the audience couldn't read the detailed clauses, the bold words "Share Transfer Agreement" were clear enough.
At this moment, Jamieson's face turned pale. He was speechless.
He hadn't anticipated that while Hong Kong Electric Group remained silent, they had quietly played a decisive trump card.
Now, Jardines Matheson would inevitably become a laughingstock, and Jamieson himself would be ridiculed throughout Hong Kong's business circles.
"Dear members of the press, the press conference ends here. We will later provide official statements for your use. For now, please kindly leave," Lin Haoran announced.
Knowing that Jamieson was already humiliated, Lin Haoran decided not to rub salt into the wound in front of the media.
There was no need to completely ruin Jamieson—after all, he was still one of the top figures in Hong Kong's business world.
The reporters obediently and orderly left the training room.
No one dared to disobey Lin Haoran. Big news or not, offending such a powerful figure meant losing future invitations.
Besides, they had already gathered plenty of material for sensational headlines.
"Mr. Lin, could we speak privately?" Jamieson said, looking at Lin Haoran with a complicated expression after the reporters had left.
For him, this acquisition attempt was a total failure.
Jardines Matheson and Hongkong Land had invested more than HK$200 million in cash into this operation—and that didn't even include the cost of the shares they already held.
If those initial holdings were counted, the real investment exceeded HK$300 million.
Such an amount would normally be enough to control several mid-sized listed companies.
Yet here at China Gas, despite so much effort and money, they had ended up with nothing.
Worse, they had made themselves the butt of a major joke.
At this moment, Jamieson realized he had been too arrogant, thinking everything was under his control.
Reality had slapped him hard.
With over 50% of the shares now in Lin Haoran's hands, there was no hope of retaking control.
Even if they bought every remaining share from minor shareholders—who collectively held less than 10%—it would change nothing.
"Of course, Mr. Jamieson. Allow me to arrange a few things first. Please wait a moment," Lin Haoran said with a smile.
Then he turned to Chen Shoulin and instructed, "Chairman Chen, please coordinate with Mr. Li for the formal handover."
He also addressed Li Mingze, "Mr. Li, sorry to trouble you."
"Yes, Boss!" Chen Shoulin accepted the task—he would now be in charge of the company.
Li Mingze nodded and left the training room with Chen Shoulin.
Others also quietly exited, with the last one thoughtfully closing the door behind him.
Everyone knew that the two heavyweights inside would now decide the future of the company.
Soon, only Lin Haoran and Nobby Jamieson remained in the large room.
Jamieson, despite his earlier embarrassment, had already regained his composure.
"Mr. Lin, I must say, I truly admire you. Such tactics—far beyond what I'd expect from someone of your age," Jamieson said sincerely.
The victor is king, the loser a mere outlaw.
In this acquisition battle, Hong Kong Electric Group was the clear victor.
Jardines Matheson was the defeated party.
Jamieson was no stranger to victories and defeats. Such ups and downs were normal in the business world.
He just hadn't expected to be outmaneuvered by such a young man.
Was this the price of arrogance?
Losing control of China Gas wouldn't make Jamieson regard Lin Haoran as an enemy.
After all, Hongkong Land was still cooperating with Hong Kong Electric Group on other projects—larger and more profitable ones.
"Mr. Jamieson, to be honest, all of this was as surprising to me as it was to you. Originally, I had planned for Hong Kong Electric to withdraw from competing. Your Jardines Matheson is simply too powerful. We knew we couldn't match you.
However, surprises happen.
Yesterday, when I learned about your acquisition announcement, I was shocked by your boldness. We couldn't compare.
But then, Mr. Li Mingze and the other shareholders approached me to take over China Gas.
They convinced me.
Seizing the opportunity while trading volume was high, we acquired some additional shares in the market. Combined with the shares transferred to us, this is how today's situation came to be.
So, this wasn't some brilliant scheme of mine—just a fortunate coincidence," Lin Haoran said with a half-truthful smile.
In front of these seasoned veterans, it was unwise to appear too clever.
Otherwise, they would be wary of him in future dealings.
Had Jamieson and the others been more cautious, perhaps Li Mingze's group wouldn't have been pushed so hard to sell.
Lin Haoran's explanation made it sound like everything was just happenstance—nothing more.
(This chapter ends.)
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