Chapter 279: Gains from the London Trip

"Mr. Yan, overall, you've done a good job! Keep it up!" 

Xia Yu put down the report in his hand and smiled approvingly at Yan Wenhan.

Upon hearing Xia Yu's praise, Yan Wenhan was delighted and humbly responded, "Thank you for the compliment, boss. I will continue to work hard."

After speaking, Yan Wenhan suddenly seemed to remember something and said, "Boss, there's something I need to report to you."

"Go ahead!" 

Xia Yu folded his hands on the table, leaning slightly forward, and gazed intently at Yan Wenhan.

"Boss, it's about the Sing Tao News Corporation." 

As soon as Yan Wenhan mentioned this, Xia Yu's eyebrows raised slightly, and he realized he had almost overlooked this matter.

Before leaving Hong Kong, the Sing Tao News Corporation had already announced the dissolution of its news agency. With Jiuding Newspaper Company's four newly acquired newspapers gaining momentum, Sing Tao News Corporation's Sing Tao Daily and Hong Kong Standard should have been affected, struggling significantly.

Xia Yu had already foreseen the future of Sing Tao News Corporation, so he hadn't paid much attention to it. If Yan Wenhan hadn't mentioned it, he might have completely ignored it.

Still, Sing Tao News Corporation was one of the few entities that could be considered a competitor, albeit a marginal one.

Now, Yan Wenhan suddenly reported on Sing Tao News Corporation, suggesting something unexpected had occurred.

"What happened with Sing Tao News Corporation?" 

Xia Yu perked up, eager to know more.

"Boss, if this news is true, it's favorable to us but detrimental to Sing Tao News Corporation. There's a newspaper in your desk drawer; please take it out and have a look." 

Yan Wenhan explained briefly.

Xia Yu pulled open the drawer on the right side of his desk and found a newspaper. He picked it up, and the bold headline on the front page caught his attention, piquing his interest immediately.

"Breaking News! Sing Tao Daily Suspected of Falsifying Sales Figures! Advertisers Could Face Huge Losses!" 

Xia Yu spread out the newspaper and read the entire article. He couldn't help but frown.

The article spoke confidently but lacked critical evidence such as images or data, making it hard to discern whether it was based on insider information or just rumors.

Considering it was a tabloid, Xia Yu found it hard to believe.

Noticing Xia Yu's expression, Yan Wenhan immediately clarified his point.

"Boss, it might actually be true!"

"Since you left Hong Kong, our four newspapers have been booming. Initially, the sales of Sing Tao Daily and Hong Kong Standard declined steadily, but the decline slowed down after just five days, and sales occasionally even rose. I couldn't understand why at first."

"After our people gave me this newspaper yesterday, I was initially skeptical that Sing Tao News Corporation would do something like this, but given their dire situation, it suddenly made sense. The more I thought about it, the more likely it seemed that Sing Tao Daily was falsifying its sales figures."

"I've already dispatched people to investigate discreetly, and we're also trying to contact the tabloid to see if they can provide any crucial evidence."

After listening to Yan Wenhan's report, Xia Yu fell into silent contemplation, considering the logic behind the situation.

If things were as Yan Wenhan described, it was highly plausible that Sing Tao Daily was indeed manipulating its sales figures. Xia Yu was confident in the strength of his own newspaper company; no competitor could match them.

However, in such a challenging environment, the fact that Sing Tao Daily had managed to stabilize, and even occasionally increase, its sales without any significant changes was highly suspicious.

"Come to think of it, Sing Tao News Corporation's Apple Daily was rumored to have falsified sales figures in later years, leading to the eventual suspension of Apple Daily." 

Xia Yu suddenly recalled seeing news about this on the internet in later years, a revelation dawning on him.

What Xia Yu didn't know was that in later years, the main person responsible for Apple Daily was Yu Hang, who was currently Sing Tao News Corporation's distribution manager and had suggested the idea of falsifying sales figures to Hu Xian.

"If Sing Tao News Corporation dared to do this in later years, it's not impossible that they would resort to it earlier given the current pressure." 

Xia Yu's eyes narrowed as he pondered the situation.

But how should he handle this?

*Thud! Thud! Thud!* 

Xia Yu unconsciously drummed his fingers on the table, deep in thought about how to proceed.

After glancing at the newspaper on his desk, Xia Yu made up his mind.

"Mr. Yan, continue to have our people investigate quietly. If the allegations prove true, we'll decide our next steps accordingly. In the meantime, let's not make any public statements; act as though nothing has happened. There will be plenty of people who'll step up to challenge them. We don't need to tarnish our reputation." 

Surprised by Xia Yu's decision, Yan Wenhan didn't question it but simply nodded and replied, "Understood!"

Yan Wenhan's silence prompted Xia Yu to offer a bit of explanation, "Since this has already been reported by a tabloid, it's likely just the beginning. If you keep following the news, you'll see more and more newspapers join the fray, escalating the situation. If concrete evidence emerges, Sing Tao News Corporation will pay a heavy price without us lifting a finger."

"Even if no solid proof comes to light, this will still severely damage the credibility of Sing Tao Daily."

"Hu Xian, after all, is just a woman. We're in a strong position now, so there's no need to kick them while they're down. Even if it's true, winning this way would only harm our reputation. It's unnecessary! Watching from the sidelines will suffice!"

"Of course, if the situation changes and we have evidence, we'll have more options to respond. Continue with the covert investigation, and if we secure any evidence, we can decide what to do then."

"Got it, I understand!" 

Yan Wenhan nodded respectfully.

After encouraging Yan Wenhan further, Xia Yu dismissed him.

Now, Xia Yu needed to reflect and organize the gains from his recent trip to the UK.

First, he had acquired the Rubik's Cube patent, costing $500,000—a highly worthwhile investment with immense potential returns!

Then, there was a 30% stake in Wing On Company, valued at £2.2 million.

Next, he had secured a 6% stake in Jardine Insurance, although this also involved incurring a HK$30 million debt to Bank of China.

Another significant acquisition was Hong Kong's Rediffusion Television.

HSBC's capabilities were impressive, particularly in acquisitions. Xia Yu now owned 100% of Rediffusion Television's shares.

Ten percent came from a gift by Woo Sing Tak, and the remaining 90% was acquired by HSBC. Including service fees, Xia Yu had paid HSBC HK$85 million, fully settled.

Although these acquisitions were impressive, none compared to the profits from gambling.

The money earned from gambling was staggering, with financial assets surpassing the HK$1 billion mark.

It was...