After Lin Baicheng accepted his assistants' suggestions, Cheng Yufeng and An Yuan immediately took action.
First was An Yuan, who managed Baisheng Securities. He began slowly selling off approximately 100 million HKD worth of Hutchison Whampoa shares. This gradual selling was to prevent a sudden crash in stock price due to a massive sell-off, which would severely devalue their remaining holdings. If done carefully, with proper control of the market, there was even potential to make a profit.
At the same time as selling Hutchison Whampoa shares, An Yuan also began buying shares in Cheung Kong Industries. However, because Cheung Kong's market value was less than 700 million HKD and its daily trading volume was not very high, the amount purchased each day had to remain small in order to avoid drawing the company's attention. All he could do was quietly accumulate as much as possible.
Meanwhile, Cheng Yufeng began investigating the major shareholders of Cheung Kong Industries besides its controlling owner, Li Jiacheng. He also checked whether any financial institutions were holding large blocks of the company's stock. Once his investigation was complete, he would report back to Lin Baicheng.
In the blink of an eye, another week passed.
Ever since Lin proposed the concept of the show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, Asia Television had finally completed all the preliminary work. Lin personally reviewed everything and confirmed there were no issues—or at least, he didn't find any.
At this point, the program could officially begin external promotion, and the selection phase for the preliminary and semi-final rounds could start.
At this time, Huang Xizhao suggested that Asia Television produce a feature interview with Lin Baicheng himself. Currently, Lin was considered an idol and role model by many young people in Hong Kong. However, he had never once accepted a media interview. Most reports about him were based on speculation or outright fabrication by journalists—just cautious enough not to be sued by Lin.
If Lin agreed to appear on a televised interview, it could not only allow him to clarify rumors and negative news, but also help the public understand him better. Additionally, the show could serve as an opportunity to promote Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.
Huang Xizhao and the others prepared a complete interview plan. After reviewing it, Lin agreed.
Since he had already stepped onto the big stage of Hong Kong, it would be inappropriate to continue refusing all media exposure. And if he was going to do an interview, it might as well benefit his own television station. Besides, this ensured the interview wouldn't be edited in a way that misrepresented him—after all, he was the boss of the station.
After Lin agreed, Asia Television immediately announced that his interview would be broadcast the next evening at 7:00 PM during prime time.
In just one year, Lin had accumulated enough capital to acquire Rediffusion Television. According to media reports, his net worth was at least 500 million HKD. Sensationalist newspapers even claimed it exceeded 1 billion HKD. While Lin truly was worth more than 1 billion, most outsiders still saw that as an exaggeration.
Regardless of whether it was 500 million or 1 billion, he was unquestionably among Hong Kong's wealthiest elites. Many old established families didn't even have as much wealth as he did. Therefore, it wasn't just ordinary people who were interested in watching the interview—business elites and prominent family heads were also paying attention.
By the time 7 PM approached the next day, many people were already seated in front of their televisions. Most had just finished work and dinner—or were in the middle of it—making it the perfect time for viewing.
At exactly 7 PM, the interview began.
It was Lin's first time appearing on a television program. Fortunately, he had received some last-minute training and guidance, so he knew what to do.
"Tonight, we bring you a 30-minute exclusive interview with Mr. Lin Baicheng."
"First, allow me to briefly introduce Mr. Lin. He was born in 1960, has an older sister and a younger sister, and his family owns a small café—just like many ordinary families in Hong Kong."
"After finishing Form 5, Mr. Lin did not continue his studies. Instead, he began writing novels. The currently popular novel Storm Riders: The Conqueror of the World was written by him, and it earned him his first pot of gold."
"After earning his first fortune, Mr. Lin acquired an arcade factory and developed the game Hong Kong Blocks himself. This game is now a global success, earning him huge profits and putting Hong Kong on the world map. Later, he developed Pac-Man, and after showcasing both games in Los Angeles, he received numerous orders."
"Mr. Lin caused a sensation again when he bought 61% of the shares of the former Rediffusion Television from the Li's Voice organization. He has now fully acquired the station. This acquisition reportedly cost him nearly 180 million HKD—and it was not financed through bank loans. Because of this, it's speculated that his net worth exceeds 500 million HKD."
"How much is Mr. Lin truly worth? Why did he choose the gaming industry? How profitable is his company? Viewers are eager to know."
"So now, let us hear from Mr. Lin himself."
"Good evening, Mr. Lin."
As the host's voice ended, Lin appeared on the screen.
"Good evening, host."
Lin nodded to the host and then waved toward the camera. "Good evening to all the viewers watching this program."
"Mr. Lin, many people in Hong Kong are curious about you. In just one year, you've accumulated vast wealth while still being so young. You've surpassed many veteran businessmen and become a role model for the younger generation. Do you have anything you'd like to say to them?"
"Oh, I wouldn't dare say that."
Lin waved his hand modestly. "I'm still very young and have much to learn. I wouldn't dare say I'm someone younger people should follow. I still have to keep improving myself—how could I presume to teach others anything?"
"Mr. Lin, you are truly humble."
The host smiled and continued, "But with your wealth and achievements, I think the audience will agree that you're qualified to offer some advice or insights to your peers."
"I wouldn't say 'advice'—perhaps I can just share some of my experiences and opinions."
"People may think I only finished Form 5, but in my view, 'knowledge' is what truly matters."
"Knowledge? How so?"
The host voiced the question that many viewers were thinking.
One of the main purposes of this interview was to promote Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. According to the pre-arranged interview outline, this was the point where the conversation would naturally transition toward that topic.