Chapter 814: Inducement and coercion (Part 2)

"Mr Xia, welcome!'

Charles Lochiel was beaming with a smile and was very warm and welcoming towards Xia Yu.

'Mr Charles, I'm sorry to trouble you again.'

'Why would you be? It's an honour to have Mr Xia in our company. Please come in!'

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Charles Locher led Xia Yu into his office.

'Mr Charles, I have come this time to discuss a business opportunity with you. I wonder if you are interested?'

After a few idle chit-chats, Xia Yu got straight to the point and made his intentions clear.

In fact, before Xia Yu made the appointment, Charles Locher had roughly guessed Xia Yu's reason for coming, and he also called the head of the family, Jacob Locher, and received orders to make a preliminary plan.

With a confident smile, he made a gesture of invitation and said, 'Of course we are interested. It is always a pleasure to work with Mr. Xia, and given our family relationship, we will do our best to complete your business.'

Xia Yu smiled and nodded, saying, 'In that case, I'll get straight to the point.'

'Mr. Charles should know that I am in the process of acquiring shares in Hong Kong Telephone Company, but as of now, there are still some difficulties. I hope you can assist me in acquiring Hong Kong Telephone Company.'

It really was about this matter!

Charles Rothschild thought to himself.

Fortunately, he had already contacted Jacob Rothschild and received instructions to do his best to help Xia Yu if he sought help in this matter.

As for the reason, Patriarch Jacob Rothschild also explained to him, it was nothing more than executing the plan originally formulated, to exhaust Xia Yu's funds as much as possible, and also to dispel Xia Yu's suspicions.

After all, the influence of the eavesdropping incident was still there, and the Rothschild family, who had something to hide, also wanted to clear their own suspicions. The best way was undoubtedly to help Xia Yu acquire the Hong Kong Telephone Company.

The plan had already failed, and it could not be used again in the future. Whether Xia Yu acquired the Hong Kong Telephone Company or not would have no significant impact on the Rothschild family. At most, Xia Yu's influence on Hong Kong would be further strengthened.

But the Rothschild family thought that Hong Kong was a small place with a fixed upper limit on growth. Even if Xia Yu made Hong Kong into an iron bucket, its influence in the world would be limited. Xia Yu could build his lair as he wished. Which financial group did not have its own territory?

Compared to the foundations of those world conglomerates, the current Xiangjiang is really not a cause for concern.

Charles Rothschild just nodded with a smile, 'Mr. Xia, although this matter is a bit difficult, we still have a certain degree of confidence that we can give it a try, but it will take some time.'

Xia Yu laughed, 'I know that in Xiangjiang, if there is any problem that cannot be solved, then I will be right to come to you. Then I look forward to Mr. Charles's reply!'

'No problem...'

Next, Xia Yu and Charles Locher discussed the details of their business cooperation at length before bidding farewell.

...

After seeing Xia Yu off, Charles Locher immediately gathered the company's elite and formulated a complete acquisition plan. The first step was to target the small British shareholders other than the four major shareholders: the Swire Group, Jiuding Securities, the Hong Kong government, and the Kadoorie family.

Once this first step was completed, the Swire Group would be approached next.

Two days passed in a flash.

The smell of gunpowder in the stock market had faded considerably, because Jiuding Securities had already laid down its arms and stopped snatching shares of Hong Kong Telephone Company. It seemed to have given up, much to the disappointment of the onlookers waiting to see the big show.

Financial industry practitioners and a group of big shots were also baffled, wondering what Jiuding Securities was up to. Could it be that they knew the winning rate was too low and simply chose to give up the takeover?

As the saying goes, it takes two hands to clap. Without Jiuding Securities, one of the main characters in the drama, it is unrealistic for the Swire consortium to unilaterally rely on stock purchases to push up the stock price. Therefore, after a day of stability, the share price of Hong Kong Telephone Company is actually on a downward trend.

Just when Norman Shiawei was at a loss for words, Charles Rothschild suddenly paid him a visit.

'Mr Rothschild, welcome. I'm really surprised to see you!'

Norman Shiawei solemnly welcomed Charles Rothschild.

Although the Swire Group in Hong Kong is far more powerful than Charles Rothschild's Rothschild & Sons (Hong Kong) Ltd., in the UK and the world at large, the Swire Group is far less powerful than the Rothschild family.

Therefore, even if it is only Charles Rothschild, the head of the Swire Group in Hong Kong, Norman Shiawai also treats him with the utmost courtesy and attention.

'Haha, Mr. Shiawai, it really has been a long time since we last met, and I'm so happy to see you,'

Charles Locher said with a smile.

'Mr. Locher, please come inside. I've just received a batch of the best coffee beans, you must try them.'

'Oh? It seems I've come at the right time, then I won't be rude...'

Soon, in the luxurious living room of the Shih Ya-Huai family, Charles Locher was enjoying the coffee beans that Norman Shih Ya-Huai had ground himself.

'Mmm, the taste is really great, I like it,'

Charles Locher exclaimed with genuine admiration after taking a sip.

Seeing that Charles Locher was satisfied, Norman Schiawasy was in a good mood and said to him, 'Mr. Locher, since you like it, be sure to take two cans with you when you leave. This kind of coffee can only bring its greatest value to the hands of someone who truly knows how to enjoy it, like you.'

Charles Locher laughed heartily and said, 'Then I won't be rude.'

After a little bantering, Norman Shi Yaohuai gently set down his cup and asked with a poker face, 'Mr. Rothschild, may I ask if there is something I can do for you?'

Charles Rothschild slowly collected his smile, pondered for a moment, and when Norman Shi Yaohuai had a bad feeling, he spoke up, 'There is indeed something, and perhaps Mr. Shi Yaohuai will find it difficult, but I have been instructed by the family and I have no choice but to come over here with a thick face.'

Hearing that the Rothschild family, who were far away in London, were also involved, Norman Shiyahuai felt very serious and asked Charles Rothschild to continue.

'We want to buy the shares in Heung Kong Telephone Company that you hold!'

'What?'

Norman Shiyahuai's eyes widened and he blurted out, his tone full of surprise and disbelief.

He never imagined that Charles Locher's goal would be this.

A flash of inspiration crossed his mind, and he immediately asked, 'Mr. Locher, did the Jiuding consortium commission you to make the acquisition?'

Charles Locher smiled faintly and shook his head, saying, 'As for who it is, I am not at liberty to disclose. After all, keeping secrets for our clients is the core tenet of our company.'

Norman Shiawei's face kept changing, but he became more and more certain of his guess. After a long time, he reluctantly refused, 'Mr. Rothschild, you should know that I am currently competing with Jiuding Securities for Hong Kong Telephone Company. This is no longer limited to the ownership of a company, but involves a battle of pride between the two parties. If I give up the acquisition, then it will appear to the outside world that our Swire Group has failed, which will trigger a series of adverse effects. So...'

Just as Norman Shiawei was about to say the words to refuse, Charles Lochiel suddenly interrupted him, smiling and saying, 'Mr. Shiawei, don't be in a hurry to refuse. Why don't you hear my conditions?'

Norman Shiawei hurriedly stopped talking, took a deep breath, and said, 'Please go on!'

Charles Lochiel said slowly, 'We are planning to barter. As long as Mr. Norman Shi Yaohuai sells us the shares of Heung Kong Telephone Company, we will offer the North Sea Container and Supply Company as a bargaining chip, and the other party will fund the difference.'

Norman Shi Yaohuai's eyes narrowed, and his heart stirred. He was obviously quite tempted by Charles Lochiel's bargaining chip.

Norman Shi Yawai looked at Charles Rothschild, who was smiling at him, and he just couldn't refuse.

It was really too tempting a bargain. Compared to the loss of losing the Hong Kong Telephone Company, the benefits of getting the North Sea Container and Supply Company were definitely greater.

The North Sea Container and Supply Company was a target that the Swire Group had always wanted to acquire. It was a supplier that specialised in providing North Sea shipping equipment.

Last year, the Swire Group made a strategic adjustment and officially began to try to invest in the offshore oil business. In particular, the sharp rise in oil prices at the end of last year and the beginning of this year further stimulated the Shi Yahuai family and strengthened their resolve to develop the oil business.

However, in the past year, the development of this business, in which high hopes had been placed, has not been smooth. One important reason is that the transportation industry chain is not complete, and it is being held hostage, resulting in disadvantages in all aspects.

After much soul-searching, the Swire Group decided to first strengthen its foundations, find a position where it could have a say, and then use this to push forward the expansion of the oil business. After careful consideration, it planned to acquire an oil transportation equipment supplier.

Unfortunately, in the eyes of the British aristocracy, the Shih Yahuai family was just a wealthy country bumpkin, which caused the Swire Group's business to progress quite uneasily.

Now that an opportunity had suddenly arisen, Norman Shih Yahuai suddenly felt that there was a silver lining after the storm, and he could not bear to refuse.

If you miss this opportunity, you may never get another!

Seeing Norman Shiawai's face changing constantly, Charles Lochiel smiled secretly and continued, 'Mr. Shiawai, Hong Kong Telephone Company is not the core company of the Swire Group, but only a marginal company with a partial shareholding. As a successful businessman, you should understand that the British pound is more important than so-called face.'

Should you save face or save the company?

Which is better?

Should you accept or not?

Two little figures, one black and one white, were arguing fiercely in Norman Shi Yawei's mind.

Norman Shi Yawei deliberated for more than ten minutes.

The coffee in the Charles Locher cup had also emptied without him noticing.

Seeing that Norman Shi Yawei had not yet made a decision on such a simple question, Charles Locher became impatient.

After thinking for a while, he said softly, 'Mr. Shi Yawei, does it really take this long to make a decision? If you don't seize this opportunity this time, it will be several levels more difficult for you to set foot in the North Sea oil industry again in the future.'

The light and carefree words fell into Norman Shi Yahuai's ears, but they were like a bolt of thunder, causing Norman Shi Yahuai's mind to shake violently.

Is this a threat from the Rothschild family?

He looked at Charles Rothschild sharply, and although the latter was smiling faintly, Norman Shi Yahuai could not feel any warmth from him, and an unknown anger rose in his heart.