Chapter 267: Li's Voice and Conspiracy

Li's Voice, founded in London in 1920, initially served as a radio relay for remote areas in the UK that could not receive radio signals, using cables. In the 1950s, it expanded into television stations, television rental, and sales.

On March 22, 1949, Li's Voice established a subsidiary in Hong Kong—Hong Kong Li's Voice. In April 1957, Li's Voice was granted permission by the Hong Kong government to start cable television and was issued a license.

On May 29, 1957, Li's Voice launched "Li's Vision" in Hong Kong, officially beginning television service. This was the first TV station in Hong Kong and the Far East.

...

On April 6, 1973, Hong Kong Li's Voice ceased its radio broadcasting business, and the company was renamed Hong Kong Li's Television Limited...

...

On July 23, 1958, Li's Voice expanded to India...

On March 7, 1960, Li's Voice expanded to Malaysia...

...

After reading the report, Xia Yu closed his eyes and pondered for a moment, sorting through the information and thoughts.

The situation was relatively good. The commercial investigation report indicated that the British Li's Voice was in a poor position. Not only was its subsidiary in Hong Kong struggling, but its operations in Thailand and Malaysia were also dire. There were already discussions within the parent company about selling off non-performing assets.

The Hong Kong subsidiary of Li's Voice was indeed listed among the assets for sale.

Thinking about it, since the establishment of Jia Yi TV in 1975, Li's Television had been struggling. By the end of 1975, Jia Yi TV had overshadowed Li's Television, and in 1976, Li's Television suffered a significant decline. Despite Li's Television investing heavily in producing dramas such as "The Top Ten Assassins," "The Big Brother," and "The Top Ten Fraud Cases" to counter Jia Yi, it was still overshadowed by TVB.

This year, Jia Yi TV, backed by many wealthy Chinese tycoons, had launched a fierce financial offensive, causing Li's Television to sink further.

With such fierce competition and immense operational pressure, coupled with ongoing losses, it was no wonder the parent company wanted to sell Li's Television.

It was still unsold until an Australian consortium's naïve representative bought it, only to discover it was a pitfall and eventually sold it to Qiu Degeng of East Asia Bank.

Now, with the London branch of Li's Voice wanting to sell, Xia Yu was naturally interested in acquiring it.

The investigation report showed that the London Li's Voice held a 61% stake in Hong Kong Li's Television, with the remaining 39% scattered among smaller shareholders. Acquiring that 61% stake would make dealing with the remaining 39% easier.

As for the acquisition process, Xia Yu had a plan. He intended to ask Shen Bi to help with the acquisition through HSBC. Having cooperated several times before, Xia Yu was very satisfied with HSBC's efficiency.

Xia Yu glanced at his watch and saw it was already 9 PM.

Hong Kong time is about eight hours ahead of the UK, so it was 5 AM in Hong Kong, and Shen Bi would still be asleep.

"Let's do it tomorrow then. It's getting late; I should get some rest."

With HSBC's

strength, acquiring Li's Television should be straightforward given that Li's Voice in London was looking to sell. As long as Xia Yu was not stingy, it was possible to secure all the shares within a few days. Xia Yu was not concerned about waiting another night.

...

That evening, while Xia Yu was busy with his own affairs, in another corner of London, someone was discussing how to scheme against him.

In a quiet courtyard, Wu Honglin and Charles Kessick sat facing each other. Wu Honglin's servant, Liu Yue Song, stood respectfully behind him.

"Charles, why do you need information on Xia Yu?" 

Charles Kessick, with his golden hair, lit a cigar, took a puff, and blew out a smoke ring, then asked Wu Honglin. Charles was Wu Honglin's English name.

Wu Honglin, with a grim face, explained honestly, "He and I have conflicts, and he has interfered in our family matters, threatening my position."

Charles Kessick paused his smoking, looked at Wu Honglin with surprise, and said, "I remember he left the UK just over ten days ago, and his strength is not comparable to the Wu family's. How could he interfere in your family's affairs?"

Wu Honglin's eyes were dark, and he snorted angrily, "Who knew he would cause so much trouble!"

"So, you want to deal with him?" Charles Kessick asked.

Seeing Wu Honglin nod, Charles Kessick showed a meaningful smile. He thought for a moment and said, "Charles, this is indeed a good opportunity."

"If it were in Hong Kong, we would never find such a good opportunity. Let me tell you something."

Hearing Charles' words, Wu Honglin's spirit was aroused, and he stared intently at him.

Charles Kessick then elaborated on everything he knew about Xia Yu, adding his own analysis. He particularly emphasized rumors about the Ma family and the "Oriental Daily," indicating that Xia Yu had some formidable connections. If they were to deal with Xia Yu, they should be cautious of this aspect.

"Charles, to be honest, Xia Yu is someone who loves to stir up trouble. In Hong Kong, we all resent him, but because we are in different fields, it's hard to target him."

"But there's no denying that he is a business genius. His Jiuding Media and Jiuding Securities are undoubtedly high-quality assets. The combination of media and finance has immense influence. If they were in our hands, they would have unparalleled power."

Charles Kessick sighed.

Words spoken without intention can often be interpreted differently by listeners. Wu Honglin's mind flashed with an idea, and he blurted out, "Charles, do you think there's a chance we could take over his companies?"

"They aren't publicly listed, so how…"

Charles reflexively began to answer, but halfway through, he realized what Wu Honglin meant. He abruptly looked up, astonished, at the eagerly awaiting Wu Honglin.

"Hmm…"

"I need to think!"

Confirming that Wu Honglin was serious, Charles took a deep breath, his mind racing as he considered the possibility and implications of this idea.

To be honest, during gatherings of the prominent families in Hong Kong, they often talked about Xia Yu. No one had ever coveted his companies as much as they did now, especially Jiuding Media and Jiuding Securities. The other two companies were less appealing.

Some even attempted to approach Xia Yu to invest in his companies, but Xia Yu had flatly refused.

Because conventional business methods were ineffective against Xia Yu, and underhanded tactics were difficult to execute, given that Xia Yu was always accompanied by bodyguards and rarely went out, making it hard to find an opportunity.

The most important thing was that if Xia Yu faced trouble in Hong Kong, it would definitely trigger strong reactions and alerts from Chinese investors. Hence, no one dared to target him; they only talked about it.

However, the situation was different now. Xia Yu was no longer in his stronghold in Hong Kong but had come to London with just a few bodyguards.

Given the influence of the Wu family and the Kessick family in London, dealing with him was quite possible.

If they could take over Jiuding Media or Jiuding Securities, it would allow them to challenge his brother's position as the first heir of the family.

With this thought, Charles Kessick's heart began to race with excitement.