Chapter 352: The Nine-Person Meeting

"Good evening, Mr. Huo!"

"I was wondering who arrived so early; it turns out to be you. That's not surprising then!"

Xia Yu shook hands with Huo Yingdong warmly and joked a bit, praising him lightly.

"Hello, Xia Sheng!"

"I just arrived a few minutes ago, so we're about the same."

Huo Yingdong replied with a friendly smile.

"Don't stand around, sit down and chat!"

Seeing Xia Yu and Huo Yingdong still standing, Bao Yugang smiled and invited them to take their seats. The three settled down, and Bao Yugang poured tea for Xia Yu, who quickly expressed his thanks.

The time then passed pleasantly with the three chatting happily.

Although Bao Yugang and Huo Yingdong were older and could be considered as Xia Yu's elders, in the business world, capability and achievement were valued over age. Focusing too much on age to judge someone could even be laughable.

Despite Xia Yu being young, his skills and achievements made him worthy of attention from top figures like Huo Yingdong. His performance over the past period had shown his capabilities, making him a figure of interest.

Moreover, Huo Yingdong, being the one most connected with the mainland among the top figures in Hong Kong, was well aware of the mainland's regard for Xia Yu, making it impossible for him to underestimate him.

Thus, both men were keen on getting to know each other better, and their conversation was filled with laughter.

As Xia Yu laughed, his eyes subtly scanned Bao Yugang and Huo Yingdong, then retracted his gaze, thinking to himself.

From Huo Yingdong's and Bao Yugang's relaxed and casual manner, and considering he was the first to arrive, it was clear their relationship was quite close.

However, Xia Yu recalled a rumor from his previous life: during the election for the first Chief Executive of Hong Kong, Bao Yugang's son-in-law was competing against Dong's family son. Huo Yingdong supported the Dong family due to his closer ties with them, resulting in Dong's family son winning. But looking at the current situation, there seemed to be some discrepancies.

This brought to mind Hong Kong's shipping market.

The shipping market in Hong Kong was basically monopolized by four companies: Bao's Global Shipping, Dong's Dong's Group, Zhao's Huaguang Shipping, and Cao's Wanbang Shipping.

Among them, the first and second tiers could be distinguished.

Zhao's Huaguang Shipping and Cao's Wanbang Shipping were in the second tier.

Dong Haoyun and Bao Yugang were both listed among the world's top seven shipping magnates. Although Dong Haoyun's total ship tonnage was less than Bao Yugang's, the variety of ships, their tonnage, and the new machinery surpassed Global Shipping Group.

Therefore, competition between them was fierce. Although Bao Yugang and Dong Haoyun were both magnanimous and their relationship wasn't too strained, it wasn't expected to be very friendly either.

"Forget it, I shouldn't think too much about this. There might be some insider information I don't know about. I'll look into it later. For now, I should focus on my own matters."

Xia Yu shook his head slightly and refocused, thinking to himself.

Regardless of who was closer to whom among Bao Yugang, Dong Haoyun, and Huo Yingdong, Xia Yu would consider the current situation and continue observing for future interactions.

Maintaining a good relationship with Huo Yingdong was essential.

Given the factors of factions and the mainland, these considerations aside, the Kowloon Warehouse Company, which was undoubtedly under Xia Yu's control, also needed Huo Yingdong's support.

After all, Huo Yingdong was known as the "King of Sea Sand" and monopolized Hong Kong's sea sand industry. Any real estate construction company needed sand provided by him. Without it, even if Kowloon Warehouse had many land plots, high buildings couldn't be constructed.

Additionally, Huo Yingdong owned Lixin Real Estate Ltd. and was the current chairman of Hong Kong's Real Estate Construction Association, making his influence on the real estate construction industry immense. Maintaining a good relationship with him was very beneficial for Xia Yu.

"Oh? Someone else has arrived. Let me see who it is."

Just as the three were engrossed in their conversation, the sound of an engine roared from outside. Bao Yugang stood up and walked out.

Xia Yu and Huo Yingdong exchanged smiles and stopped their conversation, waiting for the new arrivals.

Soon, Xia Yu saw Bao Yugang chatting and laughing with three people as they entered.

Seeing these three, Xia Yu and Huo Yingdong's eyes widened in surprise, and they immediately stood up.

These three were none other than the famous "Three Musketeers" of Hong Kong from over a decade ago, now top figures in Hong Kong: Guo Desheng of Sun Hung Kai Properties, Li Zhaoji of Henderson Land Development, and Feng Jingxi of Sun Hung Kai Securities.

Xia Yu was less familiar with Guo Desheng, having met him a few times. Li Zhaoji was on relatively good terms with Xia Yu.

Only Feng Jingxi was someone Xia Yu had admired from afar for a long time but was not well-acquainted with. Even now, Xia Yu felt it was somewhat strange to see him.

Xia Yu was known as the "Stock God" among Hong Kong investors, able to easily sway the stock market.

However, there were many influential figures in Hong Kong's stock market, one of whom was Feng Jingxi of Sun Hung Kai Securities, whose annual profit also exceeded 100 million HKD. Feng Jingxi was considered a big shot in the stock trading market and had been known as the "Securities Trading King" and "Stock Market Guru" among other titles.

The arrival of a "rival" was unexpected.

Next came a round of warm greetings. Xia Yu behaved naturally.

The arrival of the "Three Musketeers" seemed to be just the beginning. More big names continued to arrive, and Bao Yugang didn't have the chance to sit down and enjoy his tea.

Li Jiacheng of Cheung Kong Holdings, Wang Defhui of Huamao Group, and Zheng Yutong, known as the "Shark's Heart" and the "Jewelry King" of New World Development.

With the arrival of these people, the large living room finally seemed bustling with energy.

"Bao Lao, are there any more people coming?"

After waiting a few more minutes and seeing no one else arriving, Huo Yingdong casually asked.

"It's past the time now. It looks like this is it. Tonight, there are just the nine of us. Not too few people."

Bao Yugang glanced at his watch and said with a smile.

"Mr. Huo is right. The place is already filled with distinguished guests. If a Japanese shell fell, the entire Hong Kong would turn upside down!"

Xia Yu joked with a smile, making everyone laugh and adding to the lively atmosphere.

"Haha!"

"Haha, Xia Sheng's joke is spot on!"

The crowd was momentarily stunned but then burst into hearty laughter. Li Jiacheng even gave Xia Yu a thumbs-up in admiration.

A few people's gazes slightly sharpened as they thought about Xia Yu being one of Cheung Kong Holdings' shareholders, wondering what that implied.

"No need to wait. Let's go to the table and eat while talking."

After the laughter, Bao Yugang invited everyone to the dining table and instructed the waiting maids and chefs to serve the dishes.