Chapter 236: Kowloon Warehouse, I Want It!

"Very well, your results during this period have been quite impressive. I am very satisfied!"

Xia Yu said with a smile, drawing a conclusion while casting an appreciative glance at Wang Qi and the other two.

Wang Qi and the other two smiled in response, repeatedly expressing their modesty.

"During the coming period, I will be leaving Xiangjiang, for at least twenty days, or as long as a month or two. Therefore, I will need to arrange some things."

Xia Yu's gaze swept over their faces as he spoke slowly.

Wang Qi and the others were startled and focused their attention more intently, their eyes bright with anticipation for his instructions.

"Jin Jiajun, Ai Lewen, continue managing your respective funds according to your original plans."

Xia Yu first addressed Jin Jiajun and Ai Lewen. Both nodded to indicate their understanding.

The expression on Wang Qi's face turned serious. From his boss's tone, he knew that changes were coming to his tasks.

Sure enough, Xia Yu soon elaborated.

"Wang Qi, your task is heavy and crucial!"

"I will withdraw a portion of the funds. With the remaining funds, continue buying shares of Kowloon Warehouse. Buy while suppressing the price, and make sure not to let the share price rise too high. Before I return, try to buy as many shares as possible while keeping the price under control!"

Xia Yu's expression was very serious as he looked at Wang Qi, his eyes radiating a firm determination that he was absolutely serious.

Wang Qi nodded gravely, but his mind was in a state of confusion. He hesitated for a moment, preparing to ask.

After all, the boss's decision was too sudden, and it was clearly contrary to the previous investment strategy for Kowloon Warehouse that he had been given. If he didn't clarify this, he feared he might mishandle the situation and ruin his boss's plans.

"Boss, do you have specific intentions regarding Kowloon Warehouse?"

Wang Qi phrased his question tactfully, his eyes fixed on Xia Yu.

Upon hearing Wang Qi's question, Jin Jiajun and Ai Lewen were both shocked, their gazes turning to Xia Yu in unison.

Over the past few months, Xia Yu had not concealed his plans from them, as it would be detrimental to their morale. They were aware that the funds in Wang Qi's hands were invested in Kowloon Warehouse.

But now, the boss's attitude seemed to have changed, and it no longer seemed like a simple investment.

With Kowloon Warehouse's share price in the billions of HKD, Jiuding Securities Company simply couldn't handle it!

However, the boss definitely wasn't acting irrationally, so it meant he must have some confidence?

Did the boss have some hidden assets that they didn't know about, which gave him the courage to make such a move?

The two of them looked at Xia Yu even more intently, eager to understand his true intentions.

Xia Yu's expression remained serious, and after scanning the three of them, he saw their intense focus and slowly nodded, saying something that would shock anyone outside: "Yes, I do want to acquire Kowloon Warehouse!"

The moment these words were spoken, even though Wang Qi and the others had suspected it, they were still shaken to the core and stared at Xia Yu in astonishment.

They were indeed shocked by the boss's sudden idea.

Acquiring Kowloon Warehouse might sound straightforward, but in reality, the difficulty is immense!

Earlier this year, Kowloon Warehouse's share price had bottomed out, yet it still had a market value of over thirteen billion HKD.

Now, even with Jiuding Securities Company secretly suppressing the share price to aid the acquisition, Kowloon Warehouse's share price had still risen by over one billion HKD, reaching over fourteen billion HKD in market value.

Kowloon Warehouse's total shares amount to 98 million, and Jiuding Securities Company now holds 20.97 million shares, representing 21.4%.

Although Kowloon Warehouse's shares are mostly scattered in the market, the reduction of 20.97 million circulating shares has made the share price more sensitive, making it increasingly difficult for Jiuding Securities Company to suppress the share price secretly.

It also becomes harder to conceal the moves!

So, as time goes on, Kowloon Warehouse's share price will rise faster and faster until it reaches a reasonable level and then stabilizes.

"But boss, the difficulty is quite significant."

After a moment of hesitation, Wang Qi said tactfully.

In reality, the difficulty was not just great but extraordinarily huge.

Given Kowloon Warehouse's current share price, even if the price remained unchanged, acquiring it entirely would require over fourteen billion HKD, and absolute control would still need seven billion HKD.

However, would Kowloon Warehouse's share price remain unchanged?

Given this, the required funds would be even higher!

This is a financial issue!

But sometimes, even with enough money, it's not always possible to use it as one wishes.

Wang Qi had long understood Kowloon Warehouse's background. Kowloon Warehouse is part of the Jardine Matheson conglomerate and one of the largest British-funded corporate groups in Xiangjiang.

If Jardine Matheson knew that Jiuding Securities Company was targeting Kowloon Warehouse, they would not just stand by. Jiuding Securities Company would certainly face a fierce retaliation from Jardine Matheson, which Jiuding Securities Company's current strength could not withstand!

Therefore, Wang Qi was understandably worried.

"The difficulty is great, but since I've proposed it, I naturally have some confidence!"

"I will resolve the funding issue. Setting aside the funding problem, how do you assess the difficulty?"

Xia Yu smiled slightly, a gleam of light flashing in his eyes, and said calmly.

Wang Qi's spirits lifted, and he looked at Xia Yu with renewed focus. Seeing his boss's confident and mysterious smile, he began to rapidly brainstorm possibilities.

From the information Wang Qi had gathered about Kowloon Warehouse, its shareholding structure was somewhat special.

Kowloon Warehouse and the Hongkong Land Group have traditionally been known as the "Jardine Twins." By literal interpretation, they should be of equal status.

However, this was not entirely the case!

Jardine Matheson holds controlling shares in Hongkong Land, and Hongkong Land in turn holds controlling shares in Kowloon Warehouse. Over the years, Hongkong Land now holds less than 20% of Kowloon Warehouse's shares in reality.

So, Jiuding Securities Company is currently the largest shareholder of Kowloon Warehouse on paper, having replaced the Hongkong Land Group.

Although Jardine Matheson controls Hongkong Land, their shareholding ratio is also not very high. Thus, even if Jiuding Securities Company wanted to acquire Kowloon Warehouse, Jardine Matheson would have to retaliate through Hongkong Land, which adds another layer and significantly increases the operational difficulty.

As long as Jiuding Securities Company can withstand it, there will still be opportunities as time progresses.

Of course, if Jiuding Securities Company's funds are strong enough, and it can achieve victory in one wave before Jardine Matheson and Hongkong Land respond, that would be even better!

With this in mind, the acquisition of Kowloon Warehouse by Jiuding Securities Company is indeed possible and not far-fetched!

But the precondition is one: Jiuding Securities Company must be able to raise such a large amount of money!

Otherwise, if Jardine Matheson or Hongkong Land discovered the high-leverage stock purchases made through HSBC, Jiuding Securities Company would be vulnerable to a fatal weakness.

If they are determined to suppress the stock price despite suffering losses, and Jiuding Securities Company does not have sufficient funds as a cushion, a potential margin call could spell disaster!

And if Hongkong Land, as in the past, engages in competitive bidding, offering over one hundred HKD per share, Kowloon Warehouse's share price could rise to a market value of ten billion HKD. To gain control, Xia Yu would need to invest at least twenty to thirty billion HKD and barely reach the 50% control threshold.

Therefore, sufficient funds are fundamental! Without funds, it's just a fantasy!

The question is, can Xia Yu really raise over ten billion HKD?

With this in mind, Wang Qi looked inquiringly and said, "Boss, if the funds are sufficient and well-prepared, it is indeed very possible. However, about the funds…"

Before Wang Qi could finish, Xia Yu directly interrupted him, saying, "I will handle the funding. Since it's possible, you should start preparing the acquisition plan from now on. Is that alright?"

Xia Yu naturally couldn't tell Wang Qi that he was going to Europe to gamble and was certain to win.

If he said that, Wang Qi and the other two would definitely think he was crazy. After all, no one would be certain to win at gambling unless they were a god of gambling!

Xia Yu wasn't a deity, but he was a reborn individual, and he could make it happen.

However, this was something he absolutely couldn't disclose to them. Therefore, the source of the funds must remain confidential.

Xia Yu also planned to hide the funds after winning the gamble, using a suitable cover to bring the funds in and obscure his true intentions.

Wang Qi nodded firmly, saying, "No problem!"

Since the boss didn't elaborate, Wang Qi wouldn't ask further. He would assume the boss could handle it. If the boss ultimately failed to provide the funds, it would simply mean abandoning the plan and wasting some time and effort.

With this thought, Wang Qi's mindset became much more relaxed.

"By the way, boss, how much funding do you need to take with you?"

Wang Qi asked.

Xia Yu considered this for a moment.

When going

 to Europe to play the stock market, he needed a considerable amount of funds to place large bets and gain access to insider information.

At the very least, Xia Yu needed ten billion USD in cash to safely participate.

Currently, he had set aside thirty billion HKD, which was approximately four billion USD, for this purpose. After his latest transactions and investments, his liquid funds had been exhausted.

However, Xia Yu had prepared for this. He had sufficient confidence to ensure that he would secure sufficient funds for his activities in Europe, so he responded, "Fifteen billion USD."

Wang Qi was stunned.

"Fifteen billion USD!"

This amount was enormous!

In fact, fifteen billion USD was not only a small fortune but even on par with the combined market value of several major listed companies in Xiangjiang. If it were converted to HKD, it would be more than a hundred billion HKD!

However, Xia Yu's calm demeanor made it clear that he wasn't joking or boasting.

Therefore, Wang Qi's heart raced. This amount of money was far beyond what Jiuding Securities Company could handle!

But since the boss had already planned for this and had his own arrangements, Wang Qi didn't express any doubts and instead took on the responsibility to prepare for the acquisition plan as per his boss's request. He said, "Understood!"

After Xia Yu finished discussing the matters with Wang Qi, he turned to Jin Jiajun and Ai Lewen and instructed them to continue with their original plans and closely monitor any changes.

For the next few days, Xia Yu's plan progressed steadily.

His intention was to further suppress Kowloon Warehouse's share price to an acceptable level while preparing to acquire the remaining shares.

This was an enormous and risky move, but Xia Yu had enough confidence to pull it off.