Chapter 243 The Black Sheep of the Press
Central District, Jardine House, executive office.
Noel Croucher leaned back comfortably in his executive chair, appearing to be in a good mood.
Sitting before him was the general manager of Jardine Properties.
Jardines Matheson owned more than four hundred subsidiaries or publicly listed affiliated companies, including major enterprises like the Hongkong Land Company and Jardine Fleming Securities.
Jardine Properties was one of these subsidiaries.
"Mr. Taipan, over the past few days, the performance of our Jardine Electrical City has indeed skyrocketed. Sales have increased by more than 300% compared to the past. If this continues and Fortress Electrical Company cannot recover, we will inherit most of their previous market share," the general manager of Jardine Properties said with a beaming smile.
The eight Jardine Electrical City locations were all opened near Fortress Electrical's chain stores. Currently, in the whole of Hong Kong, only Jardine Electrical City and Fortress Electrical Company operated chain-format electronics stores.
If Fortress Electrical's reputation was utterly destroyed and they couldn't recover, the biggest beneficiary would naturally be Jardine Electrical City!
Jardines was already a prestigious brand in Hong Kong, with its subsidiaries covering nearly every industry—they had a stake in almost every major sector.
"You've done very well, but I still don't think it's enough. Only the Hong Kong Times among the mainstream media was involved; the others aren't significant enough. Contact more newspapers. I want Fortress completely crushed!" Noel Croucher laughed heartily.
Despite his outward smile, he felt a deep pain inside.
As the taipan of Jardines, having held this position for several years, he was accustomed to being treated with reverence in Hong Kong.
Even facing Governor Murray MacLehose, he considered himself an equal.
Thus, the humiliation he suffered during the failed acquisition of China Gas Company had left a lingering wound.
Although Jardine Fleming Securities later managed to sell off all the shares of China Gas without financial loss, Noel Croucher never forgot how Lin Haoran had ruthlessly "shamed" him during that ordeal.
On the surface, Croucher appeared to have moved on.
In reality, he had been plotting revenge against Lin Haoran ever since.
Although it had been their own arrogance—announcing the acquisition before anything was finalized—Noel Croucher didn't care about those details.
In his eyes, it was Lin Haoran who had caused him to lose face.
Not only had Jardines failed in the acquisition, but they had also become a laughingstock across the media for more than half a month.
Every time Croucher saw an article mocking him, his resentment toward Lin Haoran and the Hongkong Electric Holdings Group deepened.
The fact that Hongkong Electric Holdings owned 6% of Hongkong Land made them partners, but partnerships meant little in the face of personal grudges.
Even Jardines Matheson and Jardine Matheson Bank, though both British enterprises and even cross-holding shares—Jardines owning 3% of Jardine Matheson Bank and the latter holding 6% of Jardines Matheson—could not fully rely on each other in times of conflict.
After all, during the takeover battle for Wharf Holdings, Jardine Matheson Bank had helped Bao Yugang rather than Jardines.
Thus, for Croucher, interests always trumped partnerships.
When the heads of Jardine Electrical City and Jardine Properties proposed framing Fortress Electrical Company by alleging electrocution deaths, Noel Croucher had agreed without hesitation.
Not only could this boost his subsidiaries' market share, but it would also serve as delicious revenge against Hongkong Electric Holdings.
He even made sure to prepare by making some arrangements within the police department.
Over the past few days, everything had gone according to plan. Fortress Electrical Company, once the largest and most dominant electrical retailer in Hong Kong, had been thoroughly tarnished.
"Mr. Taipan, your strategy is simply brilliant! I'll immediately contact more influential media outlets. With some proper funding and the intimidating force of Jardines Matheson behind us, they will certainly cooperate!" the general manager of Jardine Electrical City said, full of flattery.
After the general manager left, Noel Croucher remained seated, immersed in thought.
He never intended to completely destroy Lin Haoran.
Hong Kong's business world was small; everyone would eventually cross paths again.
Full-scale war was impossible.
For Croucher, this action was merely a small lesson—a reminder to Lin Haoran that the real power in Hong Kong's business world still lay with British firms, not with upstart Chinese entrepreneurs.
It was also a way for him to vent his personal grievances.
Time quickly passed, and soon it was morning.
June 9, early morning.
On a street in Mong Kok, Old Li, a man in his forties, slowly rolled up the shutter of his newsstand, just as he did every morning.
Before long, delivery workers arrived, neatly stacking the day's newspapers inside.
Old Li was physically disabled. In his youth, he had fallen into the wrong crowd and joined a gang. During a brawl, he had lost an arm.
Afterward, abandoned by the gang and facing destitution, he relied on the help of relatives to open this newsstand.
He had been running it for nearly twenty years. Though it hadn't made him rich, the steady income allowed him a peaceful and stable life, far from the bloodshed of his youth.
He now enjoyed this simple, quiet existence.
After neatly arranging the newspapers, Old Li sat on his small stool under the dim lights and picked up a copy of Oriental Daily News, just as he did every morning.
At this early hour, it was still only a little after five o'clock, and there would be few customers until after six.
Thus, he had time to read.
Oriental Daily News was a hugely popular newspaper in Hong Kong.
One of its features was comprehensive local coverage—over a hundred reporters were stationed throughout Hong Kong to quickly report on local news.
It also featured a lively supplement section, filled with articles by prominent figures from Hong Kong's media and literary circles.
Moreover, its articles were short, varied, and written in plain language, catering to readers of all ages.
Old Li was particularly fond of it and had read it diligently for years.
Today's headline instantly cleared away his drowsiness:
"The Black Sheep of the Press — Hong Kong Times Accused of Fabricating Fake News to Malign Local Enterprises."
The article included a police forensic report and photographs showing burnt power strips caused by haphazard wiring—not product defects.
The evidence clearly showed that the tragedy had resulted from improper use by the household, not faulty products.
The article, well-written and rich in evidence, presented the facts so clearly that readers could immediately understand the truth.
As a newsstand owner, Old Li was well aware of the Hong Kong Times's previous sensational reports.
He had even been somewhat thankful he hadn't bought a Fortress Electrical heater for his home.
Clearly, the Hong Kong Times had severely damaged Fortress's reputation.
Yet now, to his astonishment, it was revealed that the reports had been fabricated.
Still, Old Li wasn't entirely surprised—Hong Kong's media was infamous for sensationalism, fake news, and clickbait.
"Oriental Daily never disappoints—truly righteous!" Old Li praised sincerely.
After finishing Oriental Daily, he picked up another of Hong Kong's best-selling newspapers, Sing Tao Daily.
Though its sales were slightly lower, Sing Tao Daily consistently ranked among the top three.
Today's Sing Tao headline screamed:
"Shocking! The Recent Electric Heater Leak Incident Exposed as Fake News!"
Although written by a different reporter, the content was strikingly similar to what he had just read.
With two of Hong Kong's top newspapers publishing identical exposés, Old Li realized the Hong Kong Times was in serious trouble.
He then picked up the Hong Kong Commercial Daily and Overseas Chinese Daily—both also reported the same story.
With four heavyweight newspapers releasing damning reports and irrefutable evidence, Old Li had no doubt now: the Hong Kong Times had deliberately slandered Fortress Electrical Company.
"Isn't Fortress Electrical owned by Hongkong Electric Holdings? That's Lin Haoran's company—the young Chinese tycoon everyone's talking about. Why would the Hong Kong Times target him?" Even Old Li, an ordinary citizen, couldn't help but wonder.
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