Chapter 139: I'll Give You a Chance

On the other side, Li Chaoren's team was quick to learn about the news from "Nine Ding Daily."

"Boss, now that Jiu Ding Securities has stepped up, they must be looking for a buyer. Should we act quickly? If we delay, it might be too late..." Wu Lei suggested anxiously.

Li Chaoren thought for a moment and shook his head, saying, "No need to rush. It's clear now that Jiu Ding Securities wants us to compete. The timing isn't as important as the price. They won't sell their stocks to the Keynes family until they hear our offer."

Hearing Li Chaoren's words, Wu Lei calmed down, realizing the situation. 

Indeed, the initiative was now with Jiu Ding Securities. Their high-profile announcement indicated that the highest bidder would win. As long as the owner of Jiu Ding Securities wasn't foolish, they would wait for our offer before making a decision.

"I didn't expect this! Jiu Ding Securities? Nine Ding Daily? It must be more than a coincidence; they are likely the same entity. It's probably that young man behind it. Did he discover it himself or learn about our company's secrets?" Li Chaoren mused.

This question was difficult to answer, so Li Chaoren chose not to dwell on it. The priority was to acquire the 26% stake held by Jiu Ding Securities.

If successful, this, combined with the 25% stake he already had, would give him 51% and allow him to take control of Qingzhou Yingni Company.

It was a rare opportunity! He had to seize it!

However, acquiring this 26% stake required nearly 100 million in funds. Although Cheung Kong Holdings could manage this amount, it would put a significant strain on the company's operations.

"Looks like I'll need to borrow money!" Li Chaoren thought to himself.

He quickly called a friend at the Industrial and Commercial Bureau to inquire about Jiu Ding Securities and soon confirmed that the legal representative was Summer Yu, who owned 20% of the company's shares.

20% of the shares? Li Chaoren shook his head slightly upon hearing the news, offering no further comments. He knew the company was controlled by Summer Yu.

During this period, Li Chaoren also reached out to several friends to borrow money, hoping they could provide funds on short notice.

The acquisition battle for Qingzhou Yingni Company had become widely known in Hong Kong and Southeast Asia following the "Nine Ding Daily" report.

Various Chinese families hoped for Li Chaoren's victory, especially with the Swire Group assisting Qingzhou Yingni Company. Their support would reveal some of the British capital's strengths and attitudes, which would also boost their morale, benefiting Chinese capital as a whole.

Therefore, those closely following the acquisition battle readily agreed to lend Li Chaoren money, eager to support him. Such timely help was invaluable!

With the promises from friends, Li Chaoren felt confident. He was determined to secure that 26% stake!

---

In the office of Jiu Ding Securities, the phone on the desk rang urgently.

Summer Yu, who had been waiting, raised an eyebrow and signaled Wang Qi to answer the call. Wang Qi took a deep breath and picked up the phone.

"Hello, this is Jiu Ding Securities… Mr. Simpson, hello…"

Wang Qi intentionally repeated Mr. Simpson's name, then gestured to Summer Yu, asking if he should let Summer Yu take the call personally.

Summer Yu, sitting nearby, shook his head slightly, indicating Wang Qi should continue.

Reassured, Wang Qi began talking with Simpson, while Summer Yu listened intently.

After the call ended, Summer Yu asked, "What did he say?"

"Boss, Mr. Simpson wants to purchase the shares we hold. He said he would come over shortly to discuss it with us," Wang Qi reported respectfully.

Summer Yu nodded slightly, closed his eyes to ponder for a moment, then looked at Wang Qi and said, "When Simpson arrives, you handle the reception and find out his bottom line, but don't give anything away, understand?"

"Understood!" Wang Qi immediately agreed.

Just then, the phone rang again. Without needing Summer Yu's prompt, Wang Qi answered it directly.

"Hello, this is Jiu Ding Securities… Oh, Mr. Li Chaoren, hello…"

After hanging up, Wang Qi reported again, "Boss, Mr. Li Chaoren will also be coming over shortly to talk with you."

Summer Yu smiled and said, "When Li Chaoren arrives, have someone bring him to me. When Simpson arrives, take him to another office. You handle it, and after the discussions, come report back to me, even if Li Chaoren is still here."

"Alright!" Wang Qi nodded and hesitated for a moment before asking, "Boss, are you planning to sell the stocks to Li Chaoren?"

Summer Yu smiled and nodded, "Indeed, that's the plan, but it's not certain yet. It depends on whether Li Chaoren can seize the opportunity…"

Summer Yu leaned toward selling the stocks to Li Chaoren for several reasons.

First, it was originally Li Chaoren's opportunity, which Summer Yu had intercepted. Essentially, Summer Yu was forcing money out of Li Chaoren's pocket. Li Chaoren wouldn't know this.

Second, the gap between Li Chaoren and the Keynes family was significant. Selling the stocks to the Keynes family would only bring money without any other benefit. Summer Yu didn't value the Keynes family's favor. However, selling to Li Chaoren would earn him a favor from Li Chaoren, which was valuable.

Third, the acquisition battle for Qingzhou Yingni Company had escalated following the "Nine Ding Daily" coverage. This put pressure on both Li Chaoren and Summer Yu.

If Summer Yu sold the 26% stake to the Keynes family, causing Li Chaoren's acquisition to fail, it would be a severe blow to Chinese capital's morale. Public opinion would be unfavorable toward Summer Yu. Even with "Nine Ding Daily" in hand, it would be hard to counteract. You can silence others' voices but not their hearts!

Conversely, if Summer Yu sold the stocks to Li Chaoren and supported him, it would greatly enhance Summer Yu's reputation and positively impact the companies under his wing.

Summer Yu also planned to leverage this battle to promote Jiu Ding Securities, attracting external funds to make money, as he was currently in need of cash!

There's a saying: Capital knows no borders, but capitalists have their stand!

In Hong Kong, where Chinese and British capital clash fiercely, Summer Yu naturally sided with Chinese capital. When it came to major issues, he had to stand on the side of Chinese capital.

Of course, nothing is absolute. If Li Chaoren didn't offer a high price and didn't make Summer Yu look good, Summer Yu would sell the stocks to the Keynes family. Others would have nothing to say, only blaming Li Chaoren for missing the opportunity. After all, the essence of capital is profit above all.

Now, Summer Yu was prepared to give Li Chaoren a chance. It remained to be seen if he could grasp it wisely!

"If he can't, it's not my fault. I'm no saint, and I'm not obligated to harm my own interests to help him…" Summer Yu thought to himself with determination.