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By then, the acquisition plan, which was originally estimated to be completed for 500 million, will likely have a significantly higher cost, far exceeding expectations.
It might run wild like a runaway horse, soaring to 600 or 700 million, causing the acquiring party's financial pressure to increase exponentially, like a snowball rolling downhill, until it becomes a dauntingly large number.
Thinking of this, Ho Ying-tung felt a headache and his temples were throbbing.
Just a few days ago, he and He Yuzhu met in the magnificent lobby of Pedder Building with a ceiling height of dozens of meters. The luxurious decorations around and the well-dressed merchants coming and going showed the extraordinary nature of this place.
At that time, the two stood under a huge crystal chandelier, in front of them was a long table covered with exquisite velvet, on which were documents and checks.
They looked solemn as they each signed checks for astonishing amounts. Every stroke of the check seemed to have been poured with countless efforts, and they finally successfully acquired the shares of Pedder Bank.
Now that a large sum of money has to be spent to acquire Yu Ren Insurance, the originally abundant cash reserves are suddenly stretched, and the changes in the account numbers are worrying.
The problem of the two people's shortage of working capital is like a thick dark cloud, weighing heavily on their hearts and making it hard to breathe.
However, with his many years of experience in the business world, Ho Ying-tung, like a battle-hardened general, had already thought of a response plan.
He was confident in his heart and was not overly worried about it. He quickly turned the topic to buying and selling stocks with a calm expression, and enthusiastically discussed the subsequent stock purchase plan with He Yuzhu, his words full of considerations for future layout.
For the next three or four days, He Yuzhu would arrive at Li Yunzhen Company's spacious and bright office on time every morning.
Chen Jiapei always had a smile on her face as she handed over 1000 carefully arranged stock shares with both hands.
However, on the fifth day, Chen Jiapei looked slightly serious and told He Yuzhu: "Mr. He, it is becoming increasingly difficult to acquire stocks in the stock market these days. After the stock price of Yu Ren Watercraft fell to 3.6 yuan, the trading volume dropped sharply. Many shareholders are watching and are unwilling to sell easily."
After hearing this, He Yuzhu frowned slightly and nodded thoughtfully.
His eyes revealed a deep thought, and his mind was like a sophisticated machine, quickly analyzing the current complex situation.
After a moment, he spoke softly and asked in a steady tone, "What's the situation at Yu Ren Insurance Company?"
Recalling that before, in that luxurious and elegant sea view restaurant, outside the window was the sparkling and magnificent Victoria Harbour, and the waves gently hit the shore, creating layers of white foam.
He and Henry Fok sat opposite each other, with exquisite food and fine wine on the table, but their minds were not focused on this at all.
For a whole day, they had extremely in-depth communication regarding the acquisition of Yu Ren Insurance shares, covering everything from market prospects to potential risks.
After a long and careful consideration, we finally decided to try to acquire Yu Ren Insurance's shares.
Since all kinds of transactions have always been conducted through Li Yunzhen's company, the two parties have cooperated very well in every link in the past cooperation, forming a solid bond of trust.
Therefore, this time, Ho Ying-tung chose without hesitation to continue to complete the acquisition through Li Yunzhen Company.
Specific matters were handed over to the capable Chen Jiapei for execution. Chen Jiapei has always been rigorous, meticulous and decisive in her work. With her in control, both Ho Ying-tung and Ho Yu-chu felt more confident.
Chen Jiapei adjusted his glasses and explained in detail: "The acquisition has generally gone smoothly. However, Yu Ren Insurance Company has a large total share capital of 300 million shares, with a share price of around three yuan. Although there are many shares in circulation, in order to avoid large fluctuations in the share price, the daily acquisition limit has been set at 2000 shares, which is twice that of other companies."
He Yuzhu frowned slightly, a hint of seriousness flashing in his deep eyes. After a moment's thought, he slowly said, "Alright, let's proceed with this plan for now. We mustn't be reckless during the acquisition. If the number of shares acquired on a given day is less than 1000, there's no need to rush. We mustn't let small gains disrupt the overall rhythm. By the way, how's the progress of your company contacting the major shareholder?"
He knew very well that simply purchasing stocks from the market in small quantities was undoubtedly a complicated and tedious task. It would not only take up a lot of time and energy, but also easily arouse the vigilance of Williams of Yu Ren Group if he was not careful, thus increasing the difficulty of the acquisition.
Over the past period of time, Li Yunzhen has been using her connections to try to acquire shares directly from the company's shareholders, hoping to break the deadlock and open up a new path for the acquisition battle.
Yu Ren Water Boat Company is relatively small in scale among the four major trading companies, like a small boat.
Wheelock and Company and Hutchison Whampoa are its important shareholders, like two thick ropes that maintain its course in the business world.
Companies such as Dairy Farm and Haojing Electric Power Company are like stars, dotted in the company's equity structure as small and medium shareholders.
Upon hearing the news, Chen Jiapei's previously focused eyes instantly lit up, like a dazzling star suddenly rising in the night sky. Her excitement was palpable as she eagerly said, "Ms. Li, this progress has been incredibly smooth. We now have a very good chance of securing 4% of the shares from an individual investor! Looking back over the past five days, we've been navigating through thorns, carefully acquiring shares, and have only managed to gather 5000 shares, which is just 1% of the total share capital. But if we successfully acquire this 4%, conservatively speaking, it will save us more than ten precious days. What's even better is that this operation is extremely discreet, like a submarine lurking in the deep sea, without causing the slightest ripple on the surface of the market, without alerting any party."
Chapter 692 Acquiring 4% of the Shares
In the listed company system of Xiangjiang Club, there is no restriction on share sales. The stocks held by all shareholders can swim freely in the freely flowing business ocean like nimble fish. Such unique conditions have undoubtedly paved a relatively smooth road for their acquisition action and cleared away many potential obstacles.
He Yuzhu asked about many details in detail, from the key nodes of the acquisition process to the target company's financial status, market share and potential legal risks, without missing any factors that may affect the success or failure of the acquisition.
As Chen Jiapei patiently explained, a complete acquisition blueprint slowly unfolded before He Yuzhu's eyes.
After an in-depth exchange, Chen Jiapei politely stood up to say goodbye. She bowed slightly, her eyes revealing professional respect and competence.
As the office door closed gently, He Yuzhu was the only one left in the room.
He slowly sat back on the soft leather sofa, sank into it, crossed his hands on his chest, his brows unconsciously furrowed slightly, his eyes staring into the void in front of him, lost in deep thought.
Time passed quietly and before I knew it, it was afternoon.
In the office, He Yuzhu frowned slightly, concentrating on the complex and fluctuating stock chart on the blackboard. The mouse in his hand slid from time to time, trying to capture key information from the dense data and lines.
At this moment, a sharp phone ring suddenly rang, breaking the silence in the room.
He quickly glanced at the phone, and the three words "Li Yunzhen" on the caller ID were particularly eye-catching.
He Yuzhu quickly put down his mouse and answered the phone. Almost instantly, Li Yunzhen's excited voice, which unconsciously rose a few decibels, came through the receiver clearly: "Mr. He, great news! I have just reached an agreement with that individual investor after several rounds of arduous negotiations and have successfully obtained 4% of the shares!"
The heavy stone in He Yuzhu's heart finally fell to the ground.
A delighted smile instantly spread across his face, his eyes filled with gratitude, and he said sincerely, "Ms. Li, thank you so much! If it weren't for your help this time, I really don't know how things would have turned out. It's really thanks to you."
Not long after, the elegant Li Yunzhen hurried to the agreed coffee shop.
She walked briskly, and as soon as we met, a smile as warm as the spring sun appeared on the corner of her mouth, and she once again enthusiastically shared this exciting good news.
Then, she gently opened the exquisite handbag and skillfully took out a thick stack of stocks from it. As she stroked the papers, she seemed to be telling the story of a new business chapter that was about to begin.
"Thank you so much!" He Yuzhu's face was full of smiles, that smile was like the warm spring sun, and his eyes were sparkling with excitement.
His hands trembled slightly as he solemnly took the stocks with careful movements, as if he was holding a priceless treasure that carried countless hopes and dreams.
"Don't be so polite. This is my job." Li Yunzhen raised the corners of her mouth, revealing a gentle smile, and responded with a calm and firm look.
She paused slightly, her expression becoming somewhat serious, and continued, "However, recently, while I've been buying stocks, I've noticed that fewer and fewer people are willing to sell. It seems the market has sensed something, and everyone is becoming reluctant to sell."
Hearing this, He Yuzhu nodded slightly, his expression growing increasingly serious. After a moment's thought, he slowly said, "I understand what you mean. Look at the current stock market; activity remains sluggish, and most investors are adopting a cautious wait-and-see attitude, hesitant to make any rash moves. Under these circumstances, if a brokerage firm were to relentlessly and continuously acquire shares of the same company, it would inevitably attract attention from all sides and cause unnecessary trouble. Therefore, it's not necessarily necessary to acquire 1000 shares every day as originally planned. When the market environment is unfavorable and the situation is unfavorable, we can be flexible and suspend the acquisition plan, waiting for the market to show signs of recovery before making further plans."
After hearing this, Li Yunzhen's frown slowly relaxed, and she felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off her chest. She said gratefully, "Okay, Mr. He, I will definitely stick to this rule."
Looking back, when she first ventured into the stock market, she had no experience and naively thought that buying 1000 shares a day was a piece of cake.
But when she really got involved and went through the struggles for a few days, she was shocked to find that reality was far different from her imagination.
The market seemed to have eyes and responded quickly to their acquisition actions. Every order was like rowing against the current, and the difficulty of the acquisition was far beyond their initial imagination.
She came to meet He Yuzhu specially this time because she was full of anxiety and wanted to discuss with him a practical and feasible response plan.
Li Yunzhen subconsciously raised her wrist to check her watch. The packed schedule made her dare not delay for a moment. She could only hurriedly pick up the teacup, take two sips of tea, then politely but eagerly stood up to say goodbye and rush to the next trip.
He Yuzhu stood there, his eyes fixed on Li Yunzhen's receding back, until the slender figure disappeared around the corner. Then he slowly withdrew his gaze, raised his hand and rubbed his swollen and aching temples. He seemed to be crushed by a heavy burden and fell into deeper contemplation.
After reviewing the past in his mind and conducting an in-depth analysis, he realized more and more clearly that it would be almost impossible to achieve the set goals by simply using the conventional method of purchasing shares from the market.
Currently, he holds only a mere 5% of the shares, a tiny fraction of the company's vast equity structure.
Once the acquisition plan is made public, the shrewd Williams will definitely launch a counter-takeover action immediately.
With Williams' connections and methods in the business world, he only needs to communicate privately with those major shareholders who hold a large number of shares and make some promises of benefits to easily stabilize their shares. At that time, Williams' camp will have a voting power of more than 50%.
Looking at myself, even if I manage to acquire more than 40% of the shares with all my might, with Williams firmly controlling the key major shareholder, I still find it difficult to have absolute say in the company's decision-making, let alone control the entire company.
He Yuzhu paced back and forth in the cramped office, and the sound of his shoes rubbing against the ground seemed to be the embodiment of his inner anxiety.
His brows were furrowed, his eyes full of fatigue and struggle. Various coping strategies flashed through his mind like a kaleidoscope, but he rejected them one by one.
Time passed by minute by minute, and every second was like a heavy hammer hitting his tense nerves.
Finally, in extreme agony, he seemed to have grabbed a life-saving straw, and an idea flashed through his mind like lightning - to release news that was unfavorable to the company, so as to encourage those weak-willed small shareholders to sell their stocks.
As soon as this idea came to his mind, he felt bitter in his heart. He knew very well that this practice was undoubtedly on the edge of business ethics and was full of controversy.
However, looking around at the current business world where competition is so fierce that it is almost cruel, the predicament of being surrounded by enemies has made him realize that sometimes, in order to survive and win, one has to abandon conventions and take some extraordinary measures.
After coming up with an idea, He Yuzhu took a deep breath, tried to calm his complicated emotions, and quickly picked up the phone on the desk that was still a little warm.
His slender fingers slid skillfully across the blackboard and quickly dialed the phone numbers of Henry Fok and Ho Hung-shen.
The moment the call was connected, he immediately put on an enthusiastic tone, his voice carrying just the right amount of intimacy and anticipation: "Mr. Huo, Brother Hong Shen, it's been a while since we last met, and I miss you very much. I'll treat you tonight, how about we find a place to get together and have dinner together?"
After a brief silence on the other end of the phone, two people laughed heartily. As expected, they both readily accepted He Yuzhu's invitation.
Night falls quietly like ink, and the neon lights of the bustling city flash one after another, outlining a colorful scene.
Ho Ying-tung rode in the steady black car, and under the skillful driving of the driver, he slowly arrived at the reserved luxury box.
At the same time, He Hongshen's car stopped steadily, and the two of them walked into the box one after another.
The decoration inside the box is luxurious and exquisite. Priceless art paintings hang on the walls, and the crystal chandeliers on the ceiling emit a soft and charming light, making the entire space warm and cozy.
The beautiful waitresses in exquisite uniforms moved swiftly and gracefully, serving one dish after another of the carefully prepared, delicious dishes that were both visually appealing and fragrant, to the table.
Henry Fok, Ho Hung-sham and another important figure sat around the dining table, savoring the delicious food while chatting about light topics, and laughter echoed in the box from time to time.
"You two seem to be eating so happily. Were you very busy today?" He Yuzhu said half-jokingly with a smile as warm as the spring breeze on his face and concern in his eyes.
He Hongshen's lips curled up slightly, revealing a faint smile that was as warm as the spring sun. He nodded gently and responded slowly, "We are not like you, who are like a spinning top all day long, busy and unable to rest."
He Yuzhu heard this, a hint of curiosity flashed in his eyes, and he leaned forward slightly, impatiently asking, "By the way, how did the contest between you and Ye Han go?"
In the shareholder structure of Olympic City Entertainment, although Henry Fok was among them, he was only a figurehead and rarely interfered with the company's daily affairs; Yip Delin was obsessed with a life of luxury and had no interest in the company's operations.
In fact, all the company's affairs, big and small, are mainly shouldered by He Hongshen, who takes care of them with great care.
As an influential figure in the company, Ye Han was naturally unwilling to be gradually marginalized and become an insignificant role.
The open and covert battles between him and He Hongshen for the right to speak in the company never stopped, with both sides going back and forth and neither side giving in.
He Yuzhu saw all of this, and his mind was as clear as a mirror. However, he adhered to his own principles, always stayed out of it, and never got involved in the disputes.