Chapter 201 A Pleasant Surprise: Over HK$70 Million in Available Funds
"Take care, Mr. Jamieson! Drop by for tea when you have time," Lin Haoran said as Nobby Jamieson was about to close the door.
That parting line made Jamieson walk even faster.
Staying any longer would only add to his humiliation.
Although Jardines Matheson and Hongkong Land now held a combined 40.7% stake, without controlling the company, their shares were useless.
Jamieson could cause some trouble at board meetings, but it would be meaningless—it would only worsen relations.
He also realized that Lin Haoran, despite his polite demeanor, was full of cunning inside.
In fact, Jamieson had suffered defeat at Lin Haoran's hands twice now.
The first time was during the Hong Kong Electric acquisition—just as Jardines Matheson moved to take action, Lin Haoran secured control, cutting off their ambitions.
That defeat was relatively acceptable. At that time, Jardines Matheson held little Hong Kong Electric stock and later sold it for a profit as share prices rose, so the loss was minor.
But this time, their China Gas campaign had cost them not just vast sums of money but also a blow to their prestige.
Jamieson felt that Lin Haoran had become his nemesis—every time Jardines Matheson had a major plan, Lin Haoran ruined it!
Full of resentment, Jamieson left.
Once Jamieson and the others from Jardines Matheson and Hongkong Land departed, only China Gas Company and Hong Kong Electric Group people remained.
Lin Haoran checked the Chairman's office, where Chen Shoulin and Li Mingze were handling the handover, so he did not disturb them.
At that moment, a middle-aged man approached.
This was He Zhenxing, the General Manager of China Gas Company.
"Boss, would you like me to give you a tour of China Gas Company headquarters?" He Zhenxing asked respectfully.
To win the battle against Jardines Matheson for China Gas's control proved Lin Haoran was no ordinary businessman. Thus, He Zhenxing, despite Lin Haoran's youth, treated him with full respect.
Moreover, he knew that Lin Haoran's other identity was even more impressive—the boss of Hong Kong Electric Group!
While both were public utility companies, Hong Kong Electric ranked among Hong Kong's top ten listed companies, whereas China Gas was around the thirtieth.
The difference in market value was several times over.
"Sure, thank you, Mr. He!" Lin Haoran replied with a smile.
From Li Mingze, Lin Haoran already knew a bit about He Zhenxing.
He Zhenxing had studied abroad in Britain more than twenty years ago and had stayed on, working at the renowned London Gas Company, eventually rising to Deputy General Manager.
Had he remained in London, he likely would have become General Manager.
But out of filial piety for his aging parents, he resigned and returned to Hong Kong.
He joined China Gas Company and had been its General Manager for nearly five years.
Now, as Lin Haoran checked He Zhenxing's loyalty score, he was pleased:
He Zhenxing: [Loyalty: 89/100]
Much higher than expected.
It made sense: after returning to Hong Kong, China Gas was the best employer available for someone with his background. Besides, after years of service, he naturally had loyalty to the company.
Under He Zhenxing's guidance, Lin Haoran toured several departments:
The Gas Division, responsible for production, transmission, and sales of gas—the company's core business.
The Finance Department, managing financial operations, budgets, and reports.
The HR Department, handling recruitment, training, and performance management.
As well as Legal, Marketing, and Technical departments, each playing crucial roles.
After nearly an hour, Lin Haoran gained a solid understanding of the headquarters' operation.
To his pleasant surprise, he discovered that the company still had over HK$70 million in available cash flow!
Moreover, the company generated monthly profits of HK$6-7 million.
This figure excluded reserved funds for daily operations.
The recent changes at China Gas had happened too suddenly.
Jardines Matheson's high-profile share purchases had caused a buying frenzy, leaving no time for the former shareholders to distribute dividends.
Thus, Lin Haoran now found himself the beneficiary of a substantial windfall.
Although he had paid high share prices due to Jardines Matheson inflating the market, this undistributed cash significantly offset his acquisition costs.
With more than 50% control, Lin Haoran and Hong Kong Electric would be entitled to nearly HK$40 million of the surplus funds.
And since dividends in Hong Kong are not subject to withholding tax if corporate taxes have already been paid, these distributions would be tax-free.
Li Mingze and his group hadn't waited for the dividend because they knew that once Jardines Matheson took control, profits would be redirected into endless investments, not shareholder returns.
Similarly, companies like Hongkong Land and Wharf rarely distributed profits—instead using earnings for aggressive reinvestment and expansion, often leaving shareholders with nothing.
Had Li Mingze waited, the funds would have disappeared into new projects under Jardines Matheson.
Thus, Lin Haoran's straightforward offer, matching Jardines Matheson's market price, had been very attractive to them.
Looking at the latest financial reports handed over by the CFO, Lin Haoran couldn't help but smile.
Over HK$70 million in available funds!
Clearly, China Gas hadn't distributed dividends for nearly a year.
This was a major, unexpected bonus.
If Jardines Matheson later tried selling their shares at pre-New Year prices, Lin Haoran might even consider buying them out.
After all, the substantial cash surplus would greatly reduce his acquisition costs.
There was no urgent need to privatize China Gas, but if the deal was cheap enough, he wasn't opposed either.
Moreover, if he needed liquidity in the future, he could simply relist the company.
Thus, Lin Haoran wasn't particularly anxious about privatization.
For now, the decision largely depended on Jardines Matheson.
If they were willing to sell at a reasonable price, he would buy.
If they insisted on the current inflated valuation, he would let them hold their shares indefinitely.
He had no intention of distributing the HK$70 million immediately.
If Jardines Matheson requested a dividend? Sorry—not happening.
Instead, Lin Haoran planned to reinvest the money in real estate and other projects.
There was no way he would give Jardines Matheson a share of it.
Leaving the finance office, Lin Haoran called He Zhenxing aside in a private office.
"Mr. He, quietly investigate the head of auditing and the head cashier. I suspect they have issues," Lin Haoran said.
When entering the Finance Department, he had noticed that both individuals had very low loyalty ratings—below 30.
Clearly, they were problems.
"Boss, why do you suspect them?" He Zhenxing asked curiously.
"I observed their body language—their eyes were evasive. From a psychological perspective, I think they have issues. Please investigate discreetly," Lin Haoran said casually, making it up as he went along.
"You studied psychology too, Boss?" He Zhenxing was even more surprised.
"I took it as an elective during my time at university. I graduated from London Business School, you know," Lin Haoran said, smiling.
"Ah, so we're alumni! I studied engineering at University College London. After graduation, I started as a gas engineer before moving into management. I'll investigate immediately and report back," He Zhenxing replied.
The head of auditing and the cashier were critical positions. If they colluded, corruption could easily go unnoticed.
Without his "loyalty meter," Lin Haoran wouldn't have noticed anything.
After finishing the inspection, Lin Haoran returned to the Chairman's office.
"Mr. Li, Chairman Chen, have you finished the handover?" Lin Haoran asked with a smile.
"Boss, almost done. There wasn't much to hand over. Mr. He already knows all the key operations," Chen Shoulin replied.
Lin Haoran nodded.
Previously, Li Mingze had mostly played an oversight role, while real management was in He Zhenxing's hands.
"Chairman Chen, Mr. He, please arrange a senior staff meeting. With such a major change, people will be uneasy. We need to quickly stabilize the company and issue an official announcement," Lin Haoran instructed.
"Yes, Boss!" they both answered, immediately heading out.
Now, only Lin Haoran and Li Mingze remained in the office.
Get 30% off on my Patreon and enjoy early access to new chapters.
You can also purchase the next 100 chapters of the novel directly from my Patreon page.
Hurry up! The promotion ends on January 2, 2026.
Read 30 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/Albino1