Chapter 207: The Hong Kong Government Finally Intervenes

The situation had caused such a serious public outcry that now the entire Hong Kong was in an uproar. Naturally, the Hong Kong government turned its attention to this issue.

In the government meeting room, many heads of various departments were present.

At the top of the table sat the current Governor, Sir MacLehose.

Each person at the table had a copy of *Fengyun Daily*, along with several other newspapers and public opinion surveys in front of them. Everyone was carefully reading through them. For a time, the only sound in the meeting room was the rustling of newspapers.

After a while, seeing that most people had finished reading, MacLehose tapped the table.

*Knock knock...*

Everyone looked up at MacLehose.

"You have all read the newspapers and documents and have a general understanding of the situation. The public is in an uproar outside, with calls for a strict crackdown on the Hong Kong comic industry and severe punishment for those responsible. The government must come up with measures quickly. What are your views?"

After a moment of contemplation, MacLehose slowly spoke, his gaze sweeping over the faces of those present.

The Secretary for Home Affairs spoke up: "Governor, I have some understanding of this matter. Essentially, it stems from personal grievances. A traitor within Jiu Ding Animation Co., Ltd., which is a comic company, is responsible. It should be Huang Yulang of Yulang Publishing. *Fengyun Daily*, which is owned by Jiu Ding Media Co., Ltd., is also under Xia Yu's control. So what's happening now is clearly a manipulation of public opinion, intending to use the government's hand to clean up the comic industry and remove all obstacles."

"Indeed, it seems he's using us as a tool."

"Exactly…"

Several others agreed.

However, many others remained aloof and did not voice their opinions.

Even though they knew what was happening, they saw no need to speak out. The ones trying to smear Xia Yu were all British, and these British figures belonged to the British financial consortium.

Xia Yu had helped Li Chaoren acquire the Qingzhou British Mud Company, which slapped the British financial consortium in the face and got him blacklisted by the Hong Kong British financial consortium.

But Xia Yu was a major tycoon, and he had good relations with many big players in the Chinese financial consortium. This was a conflict between the two major camps in Hong Kong, and they, being smart people in high positions, of course, would not foolishly involve themselves. They had no intention of taking a stand.

MacLehose scanned the room, then said sternly, "Alright, that's enough of that. Whether it's personal grudges or something else, it's irrelevant to us. The comic industry is indeed a malignancy. It has been addressed before, but now it seems to be making a comeback. *Fengyun Daily* is stating the facts."

"Now we need to resolve this issue and provide a better living environment for the people of Hong Kong, and a healthy growing environment for the youth. What do you propose we do?"

Among the governors of Hong Kong, MacLehose was particularly outstanding in terms of managing Hong Kong.

During his tenure, he pushed through extensive reforms, leading to significant changes in Hong Kong's social landscape.

His reforms covered various aspects including housing, integrity, education, healthcare, welfare, infrastructure, transportation, economy, and society. Major policies and projects such as the Ten-Year Housing Plan, development of new towns, establishment of the Independent Commission Against Corruption, nine-year free education, construction of the subway, and local administrative reforms were all launched during his term.

He was a governor who genuinely wanted to build a better Hong Kong and improve the welfare of its people.

He was not interested in personal grudges. Business rivalries were ongoing, and he had neither the time nor the energy to interfere. In the capitalist world, capital was fundamental, and he did not wish to provoke capitalists.

He only needed to distinguish right from wrong; the rest was none of his concern! Moreover, from a rational standpoint, Huang Yulang had offended Xia Yu first, and Xia Yu's retaliation was understandable. There was no way to criticize that. Although there were suspicions of the government being used as a tool, the fact was that the government had failed in its governance.

MacLehose would not absolve himself or the government. If the government had governed well and there were no problems, Xia Yu wouldn't have had the opportunity to use them.

Seeing that Governor MacLehose had set the tone, the Secretary for Home Affairs chose to remain silent.

The Secretary for Justice spoke up: "Governor, previously, in order to regulate the Hong Kong comic industry, many regulations were issued. Now it seems that those regulations have some problems: they are not comprehensive enough, and their implementation and supervision are lacking. Therefore, I suggest another round of regulation, with strengthened supervision and punishment. We need to crack down severely on bloody violence and vulgar comics, and provide the public with an explanation, showing the government's determination!"

MacLehose nodded slightly, clearly agreeing with the Secretary for Justice's opinion, but he did not rush to make a statement. Instead, he looked at the others.

"What about you? Do you have any opinions?"

"Governor, I believe…"

"Governor…"

Governor MacLehose's stance was clear: the comic industry needed to be regulated. The people present, all smart enough to rise to such high positions, quickly made their suggestions.

Soon, a list of practical and actionable suggestions was compiled and presented to MacLehose.

After everyone had finished speaking, MacLehose nodded in satisfaction and said to the Secretary for Justice and the Director of Commerce and Economic Development: "You two will take the lead in this matter and come up with a completely feasible set of countermeasures."

"News Department…"

"Alright, you all have your tasks. Act immediately and make sure to announce them to the public as soon as possible…"

...

After assigning the specific tasks, MacLehose thought for a moment, ensured nothing was overlooked, then directly announced the meeting's conclusion and left.

After MacLehose departed, the others looked at each other, then left in small groups, reflecting on the situation.

Naturally, Xia Yu learned about the Hong Kong government's actions immediately.

Xia Yu's influence was growing, and his network was expanding. Therefore, it was simple for him to know many things.

This time, Xia Yu had already asked Yan Wenhan to monitor the government's movements, aiming to seize the opportunity to further enhance the authority of *Fengyun Daily*.

However, this time, Xia Yu did not need to prepare anything himself. After the government meeting concluded, someone from one of the departments managed to inform Xia Yu of the news, doing him a favor and trying to build a connection with him.

Xia Yu, of course, was very enthusiastic, accepting the goodwill and expressing his gratitude once again. He also invited the person to a meal or tea when they had time, which the person eagerly agreed to.

After hanging up the phone, Xia Yu was considering when to have Jiu Ding Securities launch another fund, specifically for government officials. At that time, these officials would all become his friends.

Such methods were common in Western countries, where many politicians relied on financial tycoons, especially those in finance. Politicians handed money to these tycoons for investment, while the tycoons acted as protectors of the politicians' interests. Both parties benefited from this arrangement.

In Hong Kong, Xia Yu was famous as a stock market guru, with top-notch investment abilities and vision. For politicians seeking legal and reasonable profits, Jiu Ding Securities was an excellent choice. Building closer relationships with Xia Yu would be highly beneficial for them!