Chapter 266: Galaxy Fund and TV Stations

After successfully acquiring shares, Xia Yu and Wu Hongyi returned to London. Upon returning, Xia Yu immediately checked various bank accounts in secret and discovered that a portion of the funds had already been transferred, totaling over ten million pounds. The rest was expected to arrive within the next couple of days.

With the funds available, Xia Yu transferred £220,000 directly to the company account mentioned in the contract with Ye Huanrong. After completing the transfer, he immediately called to inform him.

Ye Huanrong was pleasantly surprised by Xia Yu's efficiency. His satisfaction was compounded by a direct sense of Xia Yu's strength; the fact that he could produce £220,000 on demand demonstrated extraordinary capability. With such a partner, Ye Huanrong felt more confident in expanding his business.

Back at home, Xia Yu called Wang Qi's office.

"Beep... Beep..."

After a few rings, the call was answered, and Wang Qi's respectful greeting came through.

Xia Yu didn't waste time and got straight to the point: "Wang Qi, how's the matter I asked you to handle?"

"Boss, the Galaxy Fund Management Limited has been registered, and we've implemented the strictest offshore measures. We have registered 3,000 shell companies across the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, and Bermuda, with cross-shareholding among these companies. There are absolutely no issues!"

Wang Qi reported respectfully on the phone, providing Xia Yu with the crucial data.

Upon hearing this, Xia Yu smiled and praised, "Well done, very timely!"

"Has the dark purchase plan been exposed?"

"..."

"... Alright, that's all for now. Call me if there's anything."

After hanging up, Xia Yu let out a long breath, sat back in his chair, and began tapping the desk with his fingers, feeling pleased.

Regarding the betting money, Xia Yu wouldn't transfer it to Jiuding Securities before his bank was established. Otherwise, once the money entered Jiuding Securities' accounts, it would be exposed under HSBC's watchful eye, leaving no secrets.

Such a large amount of money would definitely attract HSBC's attention. With many people involved, leaks were inevitable, and troubles would follow.

Thus, it was essential to have a shell company to hold the funds, making it unclear to others what the relationship was between this shell and Xia Yu, or how strong this shell company was. The more mysterious it was, the less likely the enemies would act recklessly before understanding the situation, thus keeping Xia Yu safer.

Moreover, to acquire Wharf Holdings, a strong offensive shell was necessary. The opponent this time was the Jardine Matheson Group, and the mere presence of Jiuding Securities in the open was not enough to deter them.

Thus, the notorious Galaxy Fund Management Company was quietly established in this world.

Before registration, the Galaxy Fund's role was already determined—to be a predator and a thief.

Entering the 1980s, the wave of privatization of European state-owned enterprises that started in the UK would continue for over a decade.

Besides that, the 1980s were marked by numerous stock market crashes and financial disasters. To survive better, major multinational companies began to band together, and a global wave of capital mergers and acquisitions was set to rise.

Xia Yu could not miss such a historic opportunity. Thus, he had to prepare early and establish a specialized shell company to handle these matters before the capital merger frenzy began.

Considering that other companies would not be easily acquired, and that forceful and ruthless measures might be necessary, he needed to disguise himself well. This was why he registered a large number of shell companies simultaneously in the three major offshore havens. With such a complex cross-shareholding structure, Xia Yu was confident that even the FBI would find it extremely difficult to uncover.

Typically, offshore company setups involve registering in only one offshore haven, such as the British Virgin Islands for multinational commercial companies.

Banks and trusts prefer the Cayman Islands.

Insurance and funds are more inclined towards Bermuda.

Now, with the Galaxy Fund registered and cross-shareholding in all three places, Xia Yu was completely at ease!

With the Galaxy Fund matters settled for now, Xia Yu opened a drawer and took out a set of documents. These were detailed investigation reports commissioned by Xia Yu from a research firm after he arrived in London. He had just picked them up this afternoon and had not had the chance to review them.

The investigation involved a television station that Xia Yu had been interested in for a long time!

Opening the manila folder, he pulled out a stack of documents with "Li's Voice Commercial Investigation Report" prominently written on the cover!

When Xia Yu was in Hong Kong, he had been thinking about the TV station issue.

The TV station was the core of his media empire. Although he had dominated the magazine and newspaper sectors and had Jiuding News Agency as his engine, exerting strong influence over public opinion, the lack of a TV station to coordinate and circulate content made his media system less flexible.

The best media model is similar to Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation in later years, achieving comprehensive influence. The core of this model is the TV station.

In later years, News Corporation controlled 40% of TV stations in the U.S.; in Europe, it had Sky TV based in the UK but covering the whole of Europe; in India, it had EETV; and in China, millions of people could access News Corporation's satellite channels.

Thus, for Jiuding Media Group to grow strong, it was essential to first acquire a TV station in Hong Kong. Then, before News Corporation could make its move, Xia Yu needed to find ways to acquire media and TV stations worldwide to strive for global media dominance.

Among the three major TV stations in Hong Kong, TVB was out of the question. As Li Jia gradually retreated, Shao Yifu continuously increased his stake in TVB. Even his film industry roots had taken a backseat, making TVB his future foundation. Shao Yifu would never sell to Xia Yu.

As for Jia Yi TV, it was backed by numerous tycoons, including Ho Chiu-chi from the Macau gambling family, the Lin family of Hong Kong bankers, and many other magnates or aristocratic families. Acquiring it would be extremely difficult for Xia Yu.

Moreover, Jia Yi TV was a trap. The Hong Kong government required it to broadcast eight hours of educational programs daily. Even though Xia Yu, coming from the future, had no shortage of ideas for educational programs, he could not monitor it constantly. This regulation made it a ticking time bomb. With other options available, Xia Yu would avoid Jia Yi TV.

Even if Jia Yi TV were to face bankruptcy soon, Xia Yu had no desire for it.

The final option, Li's TV, was a good choice. Not only was it the oldest, but it was also currently in British hands. Amid the fierce competition between TVB and Jia Yi, Li's TV had become a punching bag, making it a prime opportunity for acquisition.

However, acquiring Li's TV posed a problem—its ownership issues. Li's TV was a subsidiary of Britain's Li's Voice, and due to the time and spatial gaps, investigating thoroughly in Hong Kong was challenging.

This was the reason for the current commercial investigation report.

Thinking about it, Xia Yu began to read the report carefully.