Hong Kong Island chaebol prince: Starting from marrying Zhong Chuhong

This is undoubtedly a huge crisis for Cao Kun.

He had to hurry back to Hong Kong Island for the time being to deal with the sudden crisis.

Hutchison Whampoa, a company founded by the English family of Hutchison Tak Zun, has a long and strong history.

It was formed by the merger of two companies, Hutchison & Co. and Whampoa Dockyard, and has been one of the largest companies on Hong Kong Island since the sixties.

However, due to the overexpansion of the Kee Tak Zun family in the course of operation, the capital chain was broken, and eventually Hutchison Whampoa had to be mortgaged to HSBC.

HSBC, as a creditor, has no intention of directly controlling Hutchison Whampoa.

They were looking for a suitable buyer to take over the company.

So, they brought in Wei Li, hoping to use his talent and experience to help Hutchison Whampoa out of the predicament.

Wei Li, a well-known professional manager on Hong Kong Island, is known as the company's doctor.

With his business acumen and vision, he has successfully rescued a number of companies that were on the verge of bankruptcy and brought them back to life.

His reputation is thunderous in the business world, and everyone knows about it.

He successfully restructured and reformed Hutchison Whampoa, soaring its market capitalization to more than $6 billion, once again becoming a leader in the Hong Kong Island business community.

However, just when Wei Lizhi was complacent and ready to make a big difference, Cao Kun reached a cooperation with Shen Bi, chairman of the board of directors of HSBC.

Through a series of complex operations and transactions, they successfully purchased the equity of Hutchison Whampoa from HSBC, making Cao Kun the majority shareholder of Hutchison Whampoa.

......

Prior to this, Hong Kong Island's economy was changing, and at the time of the downturn in the stock market, Cao Kun discovered the pearl of Wharf Company, which was ignored by the market, with his keen business sense.

Wharf, as an important asset of Jardine Matheson, has a depressed stock price due to poor management, but in Cao Kun's eyes, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

He quietly bought Wharf's shares on the stock market, and moved "873" quickly and covertly.

When Cao Kun bought a 20% stake in Wharf, he realized he had reached a tipping point.

If we continue to make acquisitions, we will have tremendous financial pressure, and if we give up, we will lose all our previous achievements.

However, at this critical moment, the world ship king Bao Yugang also fell in love with the fat of Wharf.

Instead of competing head-on with Bao Yugang, Cao Kun cleverly found a win-win solution.

He transferred his shares in Wharf to Bao Yugang at a price lower than the market price.

This move not only allowed Cao Kun to quickly cash out hundreds of millions of cash, but also cleverly took advantage of Bao Yugang's deep relationship with HSBC.

Pao Yugang, a director of HSBC and an old friend of more than 20 years, paved the way for Cao Kun's acquisition of Hutchison Whampoa.

With Bao Yugang's matchmaking, Cao Kun was able to acquire more than 20% of Hutchison Whampoa's shares from HSBC on extremely favorable terms.

Not only was the transaction price less than half of the market price, but HSBC also allowed Cao Kun to pay in installments.

In the end, Cao Kun managed to control Hutchison Whampoa, which had a market value of up to $1 billion, for only $30 million.

This move shocked the Hong Kong Island business community, and Cao Kun became the first Chinese entrepreneur on Hong Kong Island to acquire the four major foreign companies.

His fame and influence quickly rose through the business world, putting him in the limelight.

......

This news was undoubtedly a bolt from the blue for Willy.

He originally thought that he had firmly sat on the throne of the president of Hutchison Whampoa and could control the company as he pleased.

However, now he found out that he had been making wedding dresses for Cao Kun all along.

His heart was full of anger and unwillingness, but he was helpless.

At that time, Li Bancheng found Wei Li and wanted to deal with Cao Kun with him.

......

Sunlight pours through the glass windows in the luxurious office, and Cao Kun sits behind a spacious desk with a deep gaze at the view of Hong Kong Island.

His mood was the opposite of the sunny weather.

Wei Li, the president of Hutchison Whampoa under his command, actually colluded with Li Bancheng behind his back to try to buy control of Hutchison Whampoa.

But now, his ambition and dissatisfaction drive him down the path of betrayal.

At that time, Wei Li was extremely dissatisfied with Cao Kun's rise.

As a well-known professional manager on Hong Kong Island, he has saved many endangered companies with his outstanding talents, and is known as the company's doctor.

In the case of Hutchison Whampoa, Willy also demonstrated his business acumen, successfully restructuring the debt-ridden company and leading it to new heights.

Therefore, when he saw Cao Kun buy the equity of Hutchison Whampoa from HSBC on extremely favorable terms, Wei Li's heart was full of anger and unwillingness.

His grievances stemmed from three main sources: First, as a proud Englishman, he was prejudiced against the success of the Chinese in business.

Secondly, he believes that Hutchison Whampoa was saved by him, and he should control the company.

In the end, he felt extremely unbalanced about the preferential terms that HSBC had given to Cao Kun.

This mixed emotions drove him to publicly satirize Cao Kun in the media, accusing him of gaining control of Hutchison Whampoa almost empty-handedly.

However, in the face of Wei Li's provocation and attack, Cao Kun showed unexpected generosity and wisdom.

Instead of being angry or retaliating against Willy's remarks, he valued Willy's talents more.

In Cao's view, Willy is a rare business wizard, and his knowledge and operational experience of Hutchison Whampoa are crucial to the company's future development.

As a result, Cao Kun decided to continue with Wei Li as President, overseeing the day-to-day operations of the company, while he himself took on the role of non-executive director, providing strategic guidance and support to the company.

This arrangement reflects Cao Kun's mind and foresight of cherishing talents and loving talents.

He understands that talent is the most valuable asset in business competition.

Only by allowing the right people to play a role in the right position can the long-term stable development of the company be achieved.

However, Cao Kun's generosity and wisdom did not exchange Wei Li's loyalty and gratitude.

On the contrary, the Englishman went so far as to collude with his old enemy Li Bancheng behind his back in an attempt to quietly acquire control of Hutchison Whampoa.

For this acquisition, Li Bancheng even found his Chaoshan eldest brother Lin Baixin to borrow funds.

Patrick Lam is another prominent business leader on Hong Kong Island who has a deep friendship and cooperation with Li Bancheng.

With the support of Lin Baixin, Li Bancheng raised more than a billion assets and prepared to launch a quiet acquisition war against Hutchison Whampoa.

......

"Mr. Cao, Wei Li is plotting with Li Bancheng to increase the pace of acquiring Hutchison Whampoa!"

Cao Kun's assistant Huo Jianlu walked into the office and said with a solemn expression.

Cao Kun frowned slightly, he had long sensed Wei Li's dissatisfaction, but he didn't expect him to take such an extreme action.

"How far have they progressed now?" Cao Kun asked in a deep voice.

"It is said that Li Bancheng has raised more than a billion assets and is ready to launch a takeover war against Hutchison Whampoa!" Huo Jianxi replied.

Cao Kun sneered, he knew that this business war was inevitable.

But instead of taking immediate action, he decided to talk to Willy first.

In the afternoon of the same day, Cao Kun asked Huo Jianxi to invite Wei Li to his office.

"Wei Li, I heard that you have been very close to Li Bancheng recently, is there anything I don't know?" asked Cao Kun straight to the point.

Wei Li's face changed slightly, he didn't expect Cao Kun to question him so directly.

But he quickly regained his composure and sneered: "Mr. Cao, I'm just looking for better development opportunities.

Hutchison Whampoa has indeed achieved great results under your leadership, but I think we can do better!"

"So you chose to collude with Li Bancheng in an attempt to acquire Hutchison Whampoa?" Cao Kun's tone revealed a chill.

Wei Li didn't deny it, he looked directly into Cao Kun's eyes and said, "Yes, I think Li Bancheng can provide me with a bigger stage."

And he also has a strong interest in Hutchison Whampoa, and our cooperation is a win-win result!"

Cao Kun listened to Wei Li's words, and the anger in his heart gradually rose.

But he knew that getting angry now wouldn't solve anything.

He took a deep breath, calmed his emotions, and said, "Wei Li, I have always admired your talent.

But you should know that Hutchison Whampoa can achieve today's achievements, not only because of your efforts, but also because of the dedication of the whole team.

If you really want better development opportunities, we can work together to make Hutchison Whampoa bigger and stronger.

Instead of choosing betrayal and collusion with outsiders!"

Wei Li listened to Cao Kun's words and fell silent.

He knew that Cao Kun was right, but the ambition and dissatisfaction in his heart made him unable to turn back.

He raised his head and looked at Cao Kun and said, "Mr. Cao, I am very grateful for your appreciation and trust.

But I've made my choice, and I hope you understand!"

Cao Kun looked at Wei Li's determined eyes, knowing that there was no point in going on.

He waved his hand and said, "Okay, Wei Li, since you've made your decision, then please."

But I hope you don't regret your choice today!"

Willy didn't speak, turned and left the office.

Li Bancheng, the business tycoon, with his unfathomable strength and cunning strategy, is approaching Cao Kun's territory step by step.

However, in the face of this surging offensive, Cao Kun did not show the slightest fear, but his eyes flashed with an indescribable firmness and determination.

Cao Kun knew that if he wanted to win in this business war, he had to break the routine and surprise him.

So, he began to carefully plan an illusion that was enough to confuse Li Bancheng.

And the key figure in this illusion is Wei Li, who has always been dissatisfied with Cao Kun.

Wei Li, the president of Hutchison Whampoa, hides a secret in Cao Kun's office — a bugging device.

This was carefully arranged by him in order to steal Cao Kun's intelligence.

However, Cao Kun had already learned the secret.

Instead of exposing Willy, he decided to use the bugging device to deliver the wrong information.

One evening, Cao Kun summoned several of his cronies and aides to his office.

The office is dimly lit and the atmosphere is solemn.

Cao Kun sat at his desk and said with a solemn expression: "Everyone, I have bad news to tell you now.

I lost a lot of money because of gambling and now our money chain is very tight!"

The assistants looked at each other when they heard this, and their faces showed expressions of disbelief0 .......

One of the assistants couldn't help but ask, "Mr. Cao, how is this possible? You have always been very cautious......

Cao Kun waved his hand and interrupted his assistant's words: "That's the case.

I need your help now, we must raise funds as soon as possible, otherwise we won't be able to compete with Li Bancheng!"

The words reached Willy's ears clearly through the eavesdropper.

Willy felt a wave of ecstasy in his heart when he heard this, and he felt that the opportunity he had been waiting for for had finally arrived.

He immediately told Li Bancheng the news, hoping that he would take the opportunity to buy Hutchison Whampoa's shares in a big way.

After Li Bancheng received Wei Li's call, a smug smile appeared on his face.

He put down the phone and said to the assistant beside him: "It seems that Cao Kun is really desperate this time."

We took immediate action to acquire a large number of shares of Hutchison Whampoa!"

However, just when Li Bancheng was confidently preparing to push Cao Kun into a desperate situation in one fell swoop, Cao Kun had already quietly launched his counterattack.

He took advantage of Lee's obsession with Hutchison Whampoa and the misinformation provided by Wei Li to buy shares in Cheung Kong on a large scale.

Soon, Changjiang Industrial was about to be controlled by Cao Kun, but Li Bancheng was still immersed in the fantasy of defeating Cao Kun.

......

Cao Kun sat in his spacious office with a smug smile on his face.

Through his well-planned strategy of encircling Wei and rescuing Zhao, he successfully put Li Bancheng in a difficult situation.

Now, it's time to reap the fruits of victory.

The phone rang suddenly, breaking the silence of the air.

Cao Kun picked up the phone, and his assistant Huo Jianlu's excited voice came from the receiver: "Mr. Cao, good news! We have successfully acquired a large number of shares of Cheung Kong Industrial, and now we have reached the edge of control, and Li Bancheng must be caught off guard now!"

Cao Kun smiled slightly and said, "Well done! Continue to pay close attention to market dynamics and continue to acquire as soon as you have the opportunity!"

After a while, Huo Jianxi, Cao Kun's right-hand man, walked into the office excitedly.

His eyes flashed with a desire for victory and anticipation for the future.

"Boss, we won a big counterattack this time, and Li Bancheng was beaten to the ground.

Now that the stock price of Cheung Kong is at a low ebb, should we take advantage of the victory to pursue Cheung Kong Industrial, completely control Cheung Kong Industrial, and end Li Bancheng's nest?"

Huo Jianxi's tone revealed an excitement that was difficult to hide.

Cao Kun looked unusually calm, raised his head slightly, looked at Huo Jianxi, and a faint smile hooked up at the corner of his mouth.

"In the mall, sometimes winning doesn't mean everything.

Cheung Kong is like a piece of chicken ribs to me, tasteless to eat, and it is a pity to abandon it!"

Cao Kun's tone was calm and firm, as if telling an indisputable fact.

A trace of doubt flashed on Huo Jianxi's face.

He didn't understand why Cao Kun would choose to give up the pursuit of Changjiang Industry at this time.

After all, this is a perfect opportunity to push Li Bancheng into a desperate situation in one fell swoop.

Cao Kun saw Huo Jianxi's doubts, he shook his head lightly, and continued: "What I want is to control a larger and well-funded Hutchison Whampoa.

That's what 0.4 I'm really aiming for.

Although Changjiang Industrial is the foundation of Li Bancheng's business for more than ten years, the talents in it are all his cronies, and it is not good for us to control it.

The reason why I did this was purely to encircle Wei and save Zhao!"

Huo Jianxi listened to Cao Kun's explanation, and the doubts in his heart gradually dissipated.

He understood the deep meaning and wisdom behind Cao Kun's decision.

In this mall, sometimes giving up is also a strategy, a more clever strategy.

At this time, Li Bancheng was anxiously pacing back and forth in his office.

Anger and helplessness were written all over his face.

By the time he learned that Cheung Kong's shares had been bought in large quantities, it was already too late.

He understood that this was a well-planned counterattack launched by Cao Kun against him.

"How so?"

Li Bancheng slammed the table angrily, "Didn't we already buy the shares of Hutchison Whampoa before, why are we in this situation now?"

His assistant stood aside and said cautiously: "Mr. Li, we did acquire the shares of Hutchison Whampoa before, but we didn't expect Cao Kun to adopt this strategy of encircling Wei to save Zhao.

He took advantage of our inattention and instead bought our roots, Cheung Kong.

Now we are in a dilemma, if we continue to buy Hutchison Whampoa shares, we will lose our base camp, CK Industrial, and if we abandon the acquisition, we will lose a lot of money!"

Li Bancheng was silent for a moment, and then sighed helplessly: "It seems that I was careless this time, Cao Kun, the opponent, is really not simple!"

He walked to the window and looked out at the view of Hong Kong Island, filled with frustration.

He has lost a lot in this business war, not only failed to acquire Hutchison Whampoa and lost more than 600 million yuan, but also was forced to buy Cheung Kong shares from Cao Kun at a high price, and lost more than 300 million.

Back and forth, he lost a total of 10 billion, and his vitality was greatly damaged, which can be described as a blood loss!.