We're building a super chaebol in Hong Kong

In the past six months, as the market gradually recognized Su Cheng's control over Jardine Matheson and Hongkong Land, the stock prices of these two British giants also soared, hyped to staggering heights.

Their total market values have broken through the HK$30 billion mark, even beginning to approach the market capitalization of Hongkong Electric Holdings, a phenomenon that has caused a huge sensation in the industry.

In the eyes of many, Jardine Matheson and Hongkong Land, with their profound historical heritage and vast business landscape, should have surpassed Hongkong Electric Holdings in terms of strength.

However, today's Hongkong Electric Holdings, under Su Cheng's meticulous leadership, is no longer what it used to be.

Su Cheng has not only successfully brought Hongkong Electric Holdings into a new stage of development, but also achieved a leap in corporate value through a series of forward-looking strategic layouts.

Therefore, Hongkong Electric Holdings' ability to distribute such a huge amount of funds as a one-time dividend is by no means accidental, but a direct reflection of its strong strength and good financial condition.

This series of changes not only demonstrates how excellent the companies under Su Cheng's leadership are, but also proves once again the huge potential and attractiveness of high-quality companies in the capital market.

With Su Cheng's further integration and improvement of Jardine Matheson and Hongkong Land, the future of these two giants will undoubtedly be even more worth looking forward to.

Despite facing numerous difficulties, the Keswick family did not give up easily.

They once again united all the shareholder forces they could unite and decided to use the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) as a third party, inviting it to intervene, with the aim of launching negotiations with Su Cheng regarding the future fate of Jardine Matheson.

The core issue of this negotiation is mainly aimed at whether Su Cheng is willing to give up his controlling stake in Jardine Matheson.

The Keswick family understands that this request is certainly a long shot, but they still hold a glimmer of hope that through the efforts and communication of both parties, they can find a win-win solution that not only meets Su Cheng's interests but also allows Jardine Matheson to return to the control of the Keswick family.

At this moment, the curtain of negotiation slowly rises in a solemn and elegant conference room inside the Jardine House.

This conference room, with its spacious space, exquisite layout, and good sound insulation, provides a formal yet flexible environment for the upcoming tripartite talks.

Inside the conference room, representatives from the three parties sat on either side of a long table, forming a delicate balance of opposition and cooperation.

One party is the delegation from Su Cheng, dressed in formal attire and focused, representing local interests and expectations.

The other party is the British financial group represented by the Keswick family, whose behavior reveals a deep heritage and confidence, representing the power and wisdom of international capital.

And in between the two is the neutral observer group led by the SFC. Although nominally neutral, there is an unspeakable bias in the air.

After all, the same cultural background and long-term cooperation history make the SFC's position inadvertently lean towards the British financial group, as if laying an invisible scale for this negotiation, one end of which unconsciously adds weight.

The atmosphere at the negotiating table was tense and subtle, with every word and every exchange of glances containing deep meaning.

Each party's representatives are carefully constructing their arguments, trying to gain the upper hand in this clash of interests and wisdom.

Su Cheng's delegation used local advantages and long-term planning as weapons, striving to win the most favorable conditions for their own development.

The British financial group, with its international perspective and strong strength, put forward a series of proposals that seemed reasonable but contained hidden agendas.

And the SFC, as a "neutral party," shuttles between the two, striving to maintain the order and balance of the negotiations, although the scale in their hearts may have quietly tilted, they are more partial to the British financial group.

As the discussion deepened, the atmosphere in the conference room became more and more tense, but it is this tension and subtlety that constitutes an indispensable landscape on the negotiating table, foreshadowing that this contest about interests and the future will be a wonderful duel of wisdom and strategy.

"Mr. Su, assuming we need to discuss the possible transfer of equity in Jardine Matheson, under what conditions do you think you would consider such an arrangement?" Max, Chairman of the SFC, as the nominal neutral representative, asked Su Cheng's side a question that was both cautious and direct.

In order to regain control of Jardine Matheson, the Keswick family has carefully built a strong alliance, gathering the strength of several well-known British financial groups.

The overall financial strength of these financial groups combined is not inferior to Su Cheng's, and may even exceed Su Cheng's in some aspects. This is the source of the Keswick family's confidence at the negotiating table.

It is particularly worth mentioning that the Keswick family has successfully won the strong support of the British super financial group, the Rothschild family.

The Rothschild family is known worldwide for its global financial network and deep industry influence, and its addition has undoubtedly injected strong financial backing and strategic resources into this alliance.

The Rothschild family has clearly stated that it will provide the Keswick family and its alliance with the necessary support and assistance at the appropriate time, which undoubtedly further enhances their confidence and strength in acquiring Jardine Matheson.

Therefore, the Keswick family is very confident that as long as Su Cheng's side has any loosening of its intention to sell Jardine Matheson, they can quickly mobilize resources and successfully realize the acquisition plan of Jardine Matheson with strong financial resources and a wide network.

"Mr. Max, I must clearly express that I have no intention of selling the controlling stake in Jardine Matheson. In my opinion, Jardine Matheson is not only an excellent company, but also an investment object that I have carefully selected and placed high hopes on.

I firmly believe that with its unique advantages and potential, Jardine Matheson is fully capable of becoming one of the world's top companies. In fact, I have already formulated a detailed plan for the future development of Jardine Matheson for more than ten years. This attention and investment is something I cannot easily give up.

Of course, the business world always has its flexibility. If there are indeed irresistible cooperation opportunities, I am also willing to open discussions. But then again, if we really want to talk about share transfers, I think a reasonable price should be HK$30 billion. This is the basis for me to discuss the 49.99% of Jardine Matheson shares I hold.

Please understand that this proposal is not arbitrarily made, but based on my deep understanding of Jardine Matheson's current value and future potential."

Su Cheng's words revealed firmness and confidence. He naturally knew that the value of Jardine Matheson was far more than that. Although the current market value of Jardine Matheson has soared to more than HK$30 billion, this increase is the result of his forward-looking layout and precise investment.

Recalling the initial forays into Jardine Matheson and Hongkong Land three years prior, the market environment was vastly different. Costs were relatively low then. Even with the shares acquired later from Hongkong Land, which increased the cost somewhat, his total investment for the 49.99% stake was still only a little over five billion Hong Kong dollars.

Now, with the soaring value of the Jardine Matheson Group, this investment had undoubtedly yielded substantial returns.

Of course, this was also an exorbitant price.

Three hundred billion to buy 49.99% of the shares, wouldn't that mean Jardine Matheson Group is now worth 600 billion? That's certainly impossible.

"Mr. Su, your proposal does surprise me. Even based on the current market value, the shares you hold are only worth around a hundred billion Hong Kong dollars, and you're asking for three hundred billion Hong Kong dollars. This… seems a bit beyond the pale," Simon Keswick said, striving to maintain his composure, though his tone betrayed his surprise and dissatisfaction. Su Cheng's words almost suffocated him.

He knew that this wasn't just about the price; it was Su Cheng's firm stance on not relinquishing control of Jardine Matheson Group.

That "three hundred billion Hong Kong dollars" offer was more like a carefully designed barrier, intended to discourage any potential buyers.

"Mr. Keswick, my position has always been clear. The price is there. Acceptance is up to you. Moreover, I must emphasize that if your side is truly intent on acquiring control of Jardine Matheson Group, then you must consider a full acquisition of the shares in my hands.

Otherwise, every share I retain could become an uncertain factor in future developments. After all, the business world is ever-changing, and no one can predict what will happen in the future, including how the shares in my hands might affect the trajectory of Jardine Matheson Group," Su Cheng said with a smile, his words revealing an undeniable firmness and confidence, as if everything were under his control.

"Mr. Su, as the facilitator of this negotiation, I dare to interject. Your offer does seem rather unreasonable, but perhaps we can be more pragmatic and explore a more reasonable price that is acceptable to both parties," Mr. Mathers interjected at the opportune moment, taking a seemingly fair and objective, but actually biased, stance, attempting to build a bridge of communication between the two sides.

Subsequently, the atmosphere at the negotiating table grew intense as the representatives of the three parties began a heated discussion.

Representing the Keswick family, with their deep family ties to Jardine Matheson Group and their vision for its long-term development, they argued their case forcefully, outlining their determination and plans to revitalize Jardine Matheson Group.

Their words were filled with nostalgia for the past and longing for the future, seeking to sway Su Cheng.

Su Cheng, with his usual calmness and wisdom, responded with ease.

He not only expressed his unique insights and unwavering confidence in the future development of Jardine Matheson Group but also elaborated in detail why he believed Jardine Matheson Group possessed such high value.

The two sides exchanged blows, the confrontation fierce, yet without losing composure or courtesy.

For Su Cheng, he was negotiating with an indifferent attitude.

He was fine with either having or not having Jardine Matheson Group.

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The most important asset of Jardine Matheson Group, Hongkong Land, had already been snatched by him. As for another important channel, it wasn't very important to him, because he possessed even more powerful channels himself.

Therefore, if these British consortia really wanted to be fools, Su Cheng would be very willing to sell Jardine Matheson Group back to them.

Of course, the premise was that the price offered by the other party could satisfy him.

Otherwise, Su Cheng would definitely not sell.

So what if the Securities and Futures Commission was biased towards the British consortia?

Su Cheng was not afraid of the threat from the Securities and Futures Commission at all. If pushed too hard, he would withdraw some of his investment in the UK in minutes to see how the other party would dare to treat him.

For example, moving the European headquarters of the Su's Group from London to Paris. France would definitely welcome it.

Su Cheng had already stood at the pinnacle of capital, and he was really not afraid of these simple threats.

Unless European and American countries united to exclude him, but how was that possible? He was a law-abiding citizen and was very popular in various countries.

The Securities and Futures Commission really didn't dare to push too hard. They knew they didn't have the strength to threaten Su Cheng.

Otherwise, their final outcome would not be good.

Although he wanted to help his fellow villagers, Mathers was unwilling to risk his future prospects; it wasn't worth it!

In the end, the negotiations broke down unhappily. Su Cheng was simply asking for too much, and even with the Rothschild family's participation in the British consortium, it didn't mean they would agree to any price.

After that, some time passed, as if things had returned to calm.

Even Su Cheng thought these British consortia had given up.

Soon, it was May.

This month, a major event occurred in Hong Kong, namely that the term of Hong Kong Governor Murray MacLehose was about to end this month.

His successor was Hong Kong Governor Edward Youde.

Therefore, Edward Youde arrived in Hong Kong in advance.

When Edward Youde arrived in Hong Kong, he specially invited Su Cheng, the world's richest man, to chat privately for a long time.

Su Cheng's feelings towards Governor MacLehose were somewhat complicated.

In any case, MacLehose's contribution to Hong Kong was recognized by all parties. In addition to being awarded honors by the British government many times, he was also ennobled as a life peer this year. The MacLehose Trail and MacLehose Lady Holiday Village in Hong Kong were also named after him to commemorate his contribution.

May 20, 1982, was the day of the handover between MacLehose and Youde.

On this day, Su Cheng, Silas Chou, Yue-Kong Pao, and others were invited to personally witness their handover ceremony.

This Hong Kong Governor Edward Youde was also a very outstanding official.

His wife was Chinese, so Edward Youde could speak fluent Chinese.

Youde was known for his love of Chinese literature and Chinese language. He would read several Chinese newspapers every day when he had breakfast.

Su Cheng also specially checked some of his information through Little Ai.

What impressed Su Cheng most was that Youde was the only Governor who died in office. He would die of a heart attack during a visit to the mainland on December 5, 1986.

Looking at the spirited little old man in front of him, Su Cheng shook his head.

Who would have thought that this spirited Governor would die in four years!

After Edward Youde took office for a period of time, nothing major happened.

However, on the first day of June, Su Cheng once again received an invitation from Edward Youde, hoping that he could go to the Government House, as he had something to discuss with him.

Although Su Cheng was a little puzzled by this, he accepted the invitation.

After all, Edward Youde was now the highest official in Hong Kong.

(End of this chapter)