401, the most powerful group of people in Hong Kong (Part 2)
Although the merger of the four societies in Hong Kong would not be completed until 1986, in fact the four societies were already secretly fighting each other at this time.
The merger of the four associations means the concentration of power. In the past, no matter whether it was the Far Eastern Association or the Kowloon Association, everyone was in charge of their own group. But if the four associations merged, it would mean that there would be a chairman position.
In the current Hong Kong Stock Exchange Federation organized by the Four Associations, it is stipulated that the presidents of the Four Associations take turns every year.
But if the four associations merge, there will be too much to talk about.
Among the four associations, the Xiangjiang Association has been established the longest and has a stronger background, but its transaction volume has fallen to the third place among the four associations.
The Far East Association, the second stock exchange established, is also the stock exchange with the largest trading volume in Hong Kong.
And this power struggle actually comes from these two clubs.
Everyone wants to be the first chairman after the merger of the four associations.
In another time and space, the battle between the two sides has never stopped. The most important competition is the battle for membership. Today, there are 950 registered stock brokers in Hong Kong. Just last year, the first Securities Regulatory Commission in Hong Kong, Shi Weixian, proposed to start from 950 registered brokers.
Reduced to 300.
However, the Four Clubs jointly attacked him!
Membership is the embodiment of the competition for rights between the two parties, and naturally it has always been a thorny issue. Among them, the status of foreign members and corporate members is the most difficult to solve.
Traditionally, foreign members of stock exchanges could only obtain 'affiliate membership' status, and transactions had to be conducted through local brokers.
In 1969, a securities company in London applied to join the Hong Kong Association on the condition that all transactions must be conducted by a local member and all commissions should also be owned by the local member.
Other brokerage firms in London followed suit and became associate members of the exchange.
The associate membership fee is the same as that of a member, but if the associate member hopes to become a full member in the future, it will not be charged.
However, according to the Securities Ordinance, corporate members can join stock exchanges regardless of the practices of individual exchanges.
In this way, as soon as the Securities Ordinance was promulgated, London brokerage companies applied to become official members of the stock exchange.
In the early stages of preparations for the merger, Li Fuzhao suggested granting "full membership" qualifications to foreign members, but was strongly opposed by local brokers represented by Yixiangjiang Club.
In February this year, the Hong Kong Stock Exchange Federation passed a resolution refusing to accept overseas companies as full members.
As a result, in 1979, Li Fuzhao broke the convention and accepted Lao Rufu of Canada's Hongfa Securities as a formal member of the Far Eastern Association.
Hong Kong, which adheres to the principle of only accepting local traders, complained to the Financial Secretary and the Securities and Futures Commission of the Hong Kong Government.
However, the Securities Regulatory Office has no legal basis, because the association's resolution is not legally binding, and the securities regulations allow the admission of corporate members from any country.
In July 1979, in order to prevent anyone from violating the regulations, the Federation of Hong Kong Stock Exchanges passed a resolution: "...if any overseas member, or a person who is reasonably suspected of representing an overseas member, comes into contact with any member of the exchange
, seeking ways to become a formal member, members should immediately report to the (association) management supervisor."
Federation meeting and minutes: The purpose of the resolution is to prevent all overseas members, or overseas member companies, or persons who have reason to represent overseas members or overseas member companies, from becoming full members of any exchange in Hong Kong.
When the Securities and Futures Commission drafted the four merger regulations, it noticed that local members needed protection to avoid direct competition from overseas rivals, and agreed with the position that overseas companies can only be associate members.
As a result, in October 1980, after the Hong Kong Stock Exchange was established (but not officially announced to the outside world) and relevant policies were formulated, the Far East Association once again broke with convention and accepted the British company Vickers, which had always been an associate member of the Hong Kong Association, as a director in Hong Kong. Become a formal member of the Far Eastern Association.
Other exchanges such as the Hong Kong Club and the Gold and Silver Club saw the general trend and followed suit.
As a result, 10 overseas members were admitted as official members at once.
It can be seen from this competition that Li Fuzhao won in the end.
However, the Hong Kong Association is not a vegetarian. It used its influence in the Hong Kong government to forcefully not let Li Fuzhao become the first chairman after the merger of the four associations. Instead, Hu Hanhui of the Gold and Silver Association became the first chairman. Serve as Chairman.
However, Hu Hanhui was already suffering from physical problems at that time, so although Li Fuzhao held the title of vice chairman, he exercised the rights of chairman.
Back in time, is Li Fuzhao really looking out for Chu Huan for Chu Huan's sake?
Obviously not, he hopes that the company under Chu Huan's name can be listed on the Far East Association!
Now the whole of Xiangjiang knows that Chu Huan actually controls a total of five listed companies, Li & Fung Group, which holds 51% of the shares, Taihe Yang & Co., Qichang Yang & Co., a subsidiary of Li & Fung Group, and Dehui Bao Yang & Co., which has been acquired by Cao Yunshang. , and finally Chinese real estate!
However, in the Li & Fung Group, Chu Huan only holds shares and does not participate in the management of the group, so shareholders do not regard these three listed companies as Chu Huan's industry.
This is especially true for Dehuibao Foreign Company, which was acquired by Cao Yunshang. Strictly speaking, it has nothing to do with Chu Huan!
This Chinese Real Estate is the only listed company that has been officially classified as an industry under Chu Huan's name by the media!
As a result, Chinese Real Estate was listed on the Heung Kong Club and had nothing to do with the Far East Club!
So Li Fuzhao now approached Chu Huan, hoping to persuade Chu Huan to merge Hang Lung Properties with Huhua Properties and then list them on the Far East Club.
All people in Hong Kong know that as soon as these two real estate companies merge, they will become a super real estate company in Hong Kong that can rival Land and Wharf.
If we add in the companies such as Sun Hung Kai, New World, and Hopewell Properties that were previously listed on the Far East Club, Li Fu-siu's Far East Club is qualified to challenge the Heung Kong Club in terms of top consortiums!
After hearing what Li Fuzhao meant, Chu Huan immediately understood the twists and turns inside, and said with a smile: "Li Sheng, once I talk about the listing, I think you don't need to say more, although I do have some doubts now. We need cash, but we have never thought about listing those two companies.
It's better to keep the company in your own hands, and I haven't forgotten how I got these two companies!"
Chu Huan did not lie to Li Fuzhao about this. Chu Huan did have the listed company Huaren Real Estate in his hands, but Huaren Real Estate used it to prepare for the future.
That's why Chu Huan will always retain his status as a listed company. As for Hang Lung Real Estate and Huhua Real Estate, they are basically about to complete the merger.
The purpose of merging these two real estate companies is for better management, not for them to go public.
As for the funding issue, with the support of banks such as HSBC and Hang Seng in the early stage and his own existing funds, it can basically be completed. As for the mid-term, Chu Huan believes that by that time, he will no longer be short of funds.
.
Li Fuzhao frowned slightly when he heard Chu Huan's simple and clear rejection. He kept his word at home and was used to being the only one in the company. Li Fuzhao was not used to someone rejecting him at this time.
But thinking that the person in front of him was Chu Huan, a very popular figure in Xiangjiang, Li Fuzhao still suppressed the slightest bit of dissatisfaction in his heart.
"Director Chu, as long as you are willing, I can guarantee that Director Chu's new real estate company will become one of the companies with the highest stock price in Hong Kong even if it does not release too many stocks!"
Chu Huan glanced at Li Fuzhao thoughtfully, and then said with a smile: "Li Sheng is joking, since I have no plans to list the company's stock, then naturally there is no such thing as a stock price!"
In later generations of Hong Kong, there was a movie "Overheard 2", which told the story of the Independent Commission Against Corruption's plan to arrest a landlord association composed of several bosses of Hong Kong securities firms.
Although there is no real landlord association in Xiangjiang, there is such a person who can easily control the stock prices of listed companies in Xiangjiang!
And this person is Li Fuzhao, the most powerful person in the Hong Kong securities industry!
In fact, Li Fuzhao is also a very controversial person in Hong Kong.
In 1987, the Hong Kong stock market was affected by the North American stock market and another stock market crash hit Black Monday. In order to avoid greater losses, Li Fuzhao chose to go against the nature of business and declare a four-day trading halt!
But this does not allow the Xiangjiang stock market to avoid a stock market crash, and even causes a greater chain reaction!
Later, some people said that Li Fuzhao's announcement of the market suspension was not to save Hong Kong's stock market, but to avoid losses in his own interests.
In the second year, Li Fuzhao was taken away by ICAC and prosecuted for "accepting shares of listed companies as a reward for facilitating the listing." Later, Li Fuzhao was sentenced to jail. After being detained for two years and eight months, he was released early.
Seeing that Chu Huan was unmoved, Li Fuzhao left with a somewhat ugly expression.
After Li Fuzhao left, Jian Yueqiang came over and stood beside Chu Huan.
"It seems that you did not agree to Li Fuzhao's request to go public!"
"Li Sheng's attitude doesn't seem like a request, but more like an order!" Chu Huan said with a smile: "Uncle Jian also guessed Li Sheng's plan?"
"Li Fuzhao is used to being domineering. He even broke through the board of directors of the Bank of East Asia before. It will be difficult for such a person to ask him to ask for help." Jian Yueqiang said with a smile: "There is nothing hard to guess. Now Xiangjiang will fight with the Far East."
It is so powerful. Although the transaction volume of the Far East Club far exceeds that of the Hong Kong Club, there are several British-funded consortiums in the hands of the Hong Kong Club. If you want to surpass the Hong Kong Club in terms of influence, you can only find a way with you, the new richest man in Hong Kong.
!”
Chu Huan shrugged and said: "Then there is no other way. The lack of money is only temporary. For the sake of this moment of happiness, I am not so stupid as to let my company be remembered by others."
Jian Yueqiang laughed and said: "You are the only one in Xiangjiang who can say that!"
Seeing what Chu Huan wanted to say, Jian Yueqiang said directly: "Don't tell me that you are just lucky, no one will believe it anymore!"
Chu Huan said indifferently: "I am indeed relatively lucky!"
If rebirth and time travel are not lucky, then nothing is lucky!
Although some people really don’t want to be reborn.
Jian Yueqiang changed the topic, "Li Fushu came to see me just now. I hope you can let me chat with you. If you need it in the future, don't forget Bank of East Asia. After all, Bank of East Asia was the first to grow up with you!"
"Haha!" Chu Huan smiled and said, "Is he playing the emotional card? It's just that when he took over the position of the chief executive of the Bank of East Asia from you, he didn't play the emotional card very much!"
The competition between Jian Yueqiang and Li Fushu for the top position of Bank of East Asia is not as smooth as it seems from the outside.
To put it simply, judging a gentleman's heart with a villain's heart is what Li Fushu did in this matter.
Chu Huan, a descendant of Jian Yueqiang, has not even met Chu Huan a few times. He is not willing to return to Xiangjiang at all, but Li Fushu still believes that the Jian family is likely to compete with him for the position of the top class member of the Bank of East Asia.
So it was inevitable that he would resort to some small tricks. Jian Yueqiang was too lazy to have some ugly things happen within the company at the end of his life, so he simply quit early!
Jian Yueqiang was a little relieved. He was used to being cold and ruthless in the business world. Having a nephew like Chu Huan around him made Jian Yueqiang feel very warm.
"What happened is over, and I didn't take it to heart. I still said what I said before, if you can, help Bank of East Asia. After all, this bank was founded by my father. Although the Jian family has left Bank of East Asia,
I still hope that Bank of East Asia will get better and better!”
Chu Huan chuckled softly: "If you want to make Bank of East Asia better and better, there is no way!"
Jian Yueqiang glanced at Chu Huan helplessly and said, "Do you really want Bank of East Asia that much?"
Chu Huan said: "Uncle Jian, you said it would be best for me to have a bank of my own!"
Jian Yueqiang said: "Don't try to change your concept for me. What I'm saying is that it's best to have a foreign-funded bank!"
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! "You two, what are you talking about, are you so happy?"
While Chu Huan and Jian Yueqiang were chatting, Luo Bishi, the Coordinator of the Hong Kong Government, came over. Next to Luo Bishi was a 50-year-old white man. Chu Huan had also recognized the other person at this time, the Financial Secretary of Xiangjiang.
Sir Xia Dingji!
The administrative agency of the Hong Kong government is the Colonial Secretary (later the Chief Secretary), and its highest officer is the Colonial Secretary.
The status of the Colonial Secretary is second only to the Governor. In the absence of the Governor, the Colonial Secretary has the power to act as the Governor (the title is Acting Governor).
There are 14 policy sections under the Colonial Secretary's Office, and each section has dozens of administrative departments such as departments, divisions, and bureaus. Its jurisdiction covers almost all areas. For example, the administrative departments below the Security Department include: Security Department, Police Department,
People's Immigration Department, Correctional Services Department, Fire Services Department, Auxiliary Medical Service, Civil Security Service, Royal Auxiliary Police, Royal Auxiliary Air Force, Royal Auxiliary Corps, etc.
The Financial Secretary's Office is an administrative agency that specializes in managing the government's financial policies and work. It assists and supervises the specific administrative work of the Economics Branch, Finance Branch, Industry and Commerce Branch, and Public Works Branch within the Assistant Secretary's Department.
The highest official of the department is the Financial Secretary.
The highest official of the Department of Justice is the Department of Justice. He is the legal adviser to the Governor and the Hong Kong government. He is responsible for the legal guidance of various administrative departments and does not specifically manage the administrative agencies related to the Colonial Secretary.
The Colonial Secretary, the Financial Secretary, and the Attorney-General are the right-hand men of the Governor and are known as the three pillars of the Hong Kong government. They are ex-officio members of the Executive Council and the Legislative Council.
When Tang Yongquan dismissed Zhou Ruoqing from Hehe International, the other party proposed to complain to the Economics Department, which is under the jurisdiction of the Financial Secretary!
There are two little gossips about Xia Dingji. At this time, there was an employee in the Financial Department who followed Xia Dingji. This person's surname was Zeng. He was the second boss of Xiangjiang after Xiangjiang returned to his hometown, but there was a lot of controversy!
Another piece of gossip is that Jessica Xia’s granddaughter, Jesse Cave, played Wenda Brown in the popular IP “Harry Potter” and “The Betrayal of the Half-Blood Prince.”
It can also be said that this is the nominal God of Wealth in Xiangjiang!
But why didn’t you see him just now?
"Nothing to talk about!" Jian Yueqiang said with a smile: "How come you two are in the mood to come here!"
Luo Bishi said with a smile: "We are here to beg for alms this time!"
Jian Yueqiang looked at Chu Huan and said with a smile: "I just said that the title of richest man is not that good. Look, even the God of Wealth in Xiangjiang has come to ask for help from you!"
Chu Huan spread his hands and said: "Everyone, you have admitted the wrong person. I am not Chu Huan but Chu Le. I am Chu Huan's long-lost twin brother. If you want to beg, you should go to him instead of me.
!”
Luo Bishi, Xia Dingji, and Jian Yueqiang were all stunned. No one expected that Chu Huan would say this.
Then came happy laughter.
After laughing, Xia Dingji said seriously: "I didn't expect Director Chu to be such an interesting person. If I had known about it earlier, I should have met Director Chu earlier!"
Chu Huan said helplessly: "Sir Xia Dingji, let me tell you what the Hong Kong government wants me to do!"
Since Xia Dingji came here in person, it shows that this matter is definitely not a small matter. If you think about the Hong Kong government's previous preparations to join hands with HSBC to attack Youth Toys and Endeavor Printing Factory, you can understand that they are here to take advantage of the big players this time.
!
So even though Xia Dingji was still smiling in front of Chu Huan, Chu Huan still felt that his face was abominable.
But now Chu Huan really can't make too much trouble with the Hong Kong government. His factory workers are Chu Huan's trump card and cannot be used often, otherwise they will be worthless.
Of course, if the other party is a lion, Chu Huan would not mind letting this Hong Kong government experience what financial war is in advance!
Xia Dingji said: "We know that Director Chu and HSBC have always had a charity fund in operation. This time we approached Director Chu because we wanted to discuss with him whether the direction of the charity fund's funding this year could be the public housing that is about to be completed in Shatin.
Because of the stock market crash and the oil crisis, Hong Kong's economy has not been very good. The Hong Kong government has frequently run deficits in the past two years. The funds that can be mobilized are indeed limited now, so if Director Chu can help with the finishing work of public housing, we
The Financial Secretary is really grateful to Director Chu!”
When Chu Huan built Wah Yip City in Shatin, he removed 8 million square feet of land and reclaimed 8 million square feet of land, and returned 4 million square feet of it to the Hong Kong government to support the Hong Kong government's ten-year public housing plan.
It has only been less than two years, and Xia Dingji has asked Chu Huan to help complete the 'finishing' work?
"Sir Xia Dingji, I think you should go find my elder brother. I really can't do anything about this matter!"
Chu Huan refused aloud.
Xia Dingji smiled and said: "Dr. Chu, we don't mean to ask you to undertake all the projects behind the public housing project. We just hope that, Director Chu, you can provide a plan for the existing public housing residents who have completed the project."
convenient!"
Chu Huan didn't understand what the other party meant and looked at him directly.
Sure enough, Xia Dingji continued: "It's like this. Some New Territories residents have already lived in public housing, but except for Chu Dong's Youth Toys and Endeavor Printing Factory, there are no other large factories nearby. I think...
It is not an easy task to solve the work of so many people..."
Chu Huan understood that these people lived in public housing, but it did not solve their fundamental problem, which was their source of income. Therefore, Xia Dingji found him this time because he wanted to help the Hong Kong government solve the employment problem of these people.
.
However, there are two obvious things here that still make Chu Huan a little unclear as to why the Hong Kong government did this.
First of all, before this, the Hong Kong government should have known one of its trump cards, which is the 20,000 workers working in Youth Toy and Endeavor Printing Factory and the 20,000 families behind them.
Now the Hong Kong government actually wants to stuff people into itself?
Aren’t they worried about their growing influence?
Secondly, why did you mention the charity fund you cooperate with HSBC?
In fact, the Hong Kong government has no choice. The key to the public housing program is not to have a house. The key is to have financial resources after those people have a house to live in.
Only with financial resources can these people truly become a stable factor in Xiangjiang. Otherwise, they will still be an unstable factor in Xiangjiang!
This is not what the Hong Kong government wants to see.
Nowadays, the only person in Xiangjiang who has the ability to solve the employment problems of so many people is Chu Huan!
There is nothing they can do!
That's why Luo Bi only told Chu Huan before that the land applied for by Youth Toys and Endeavor Printing Factory from the Hong Kong government has been approved. This is the reason.
As for why Chu Huan’s charity fund should be used...
"Our idea is that the employees recruited by Director Chu's two factories and the game factory under construction will only be recruited from these families living in public housing. In addition, we also asked Director Chu's charitable foundation to cooperate with our Finance Secretary
Let’s jointly finance and build a school where public housing residents can learn and gain skills!”
Xia Dingji told Chu Huan his plan!
At this time, Chu Huan also solved the doubts in his heart.
To put it simply, the Hong Kong government is using its own money to buy their reputation!
Although the specific operator of these two matters was himself, when they were announced to the outside world, it must have been the Hong Kong government. Chu Huan even suspected that the Hong Kong government had already made some agreements with those in public housing at this time.
So I got the money, but the Hong Kong government lost my reputation.
even.......
"I have three questions!" Chu Huan put away his smile at this time and asked seriously.
Xia Dingji said: "Dr. Chu, please speak!"
"The first question is, how much budget is needed to build a night school like the one mentioned by Sir James Hsiadin-kee? The second question is, if the residents of public housing cannot meet the number of people needed for my three factories, can I not build a night school like that?"
Are workers recruited elsewhere? The third question is, if residents of public housing become factory workers but cannot work well despite their status, is there no way our factory can fire them?"
Chu Huan asked calmly.
Xia Dingji frowned slightly, but he didn't expect Chu Huan to directly ask the two most important questions.
In this matter, the Hong Kong government needs Chu Huan's help, but at the same time it is impossible to say that it is not vigilant or is plotting against Chu Huan. The most important thing is the last two of Chu Huan's three questions!
According to the discussion between Xia Dingji and Luo Bishi, in fact, we don’t care whether your factory has recruited enough people, you must recruit people from public housing. If it is not enough, then wait, wait until the number of people is enough, and then continue!
In addition, public housing residents cannot be fired.
But I didn't expect Chu Huan to discover these two points so quickly!
Haha, don’t you know the problems encountered during the reform of state-owned enterprises?
Seeing that Xia Dingji didn't speak, Chu Huan knew that he had guessed the matter correctly, and said: "Sir Xia Dingji, I personally very much hope to help the Hong Kong government in this matter, but if the consequences are beyond my ability to bear, then I'm sorry.
, this matter is non-negotiable."
Xia Dingji and Luo Bishi frowned again. They didn't expect Chu Huan to be so decisive, but thinking of Chu Huan's trump card and the fact that the Hong Kong government really needed Chu Huan's help now, Luo Bishi finally broke the silence.
"Dr. Chu, things are not as complicated as you think. The residents of public housing are still very good. I think they will definitely not be in the situation you mentioned?"
Chu Huan shook his head and said: "I also believe that those people are good and hard-working, but I can't bet on this matter. After all, there are tens of thousands of people eating with me now!"
Hearing Chu Huan say that there were tens of thousands of people eating with him, Xia Dingji, Luo Bishi and the two frowned again.
"Haha!" Xia Dingji suddenly laughed and said: "Director Chu, you are thinking too much. You are helping our Hong Kong government with this matter. Naturally, our Hong Kong government will not let Director Chu's business suffer. We can do these two things."
We’ll continue to discuss it, but we really can’t put it off any longer about night classes!”
Chu Huan understood that he couldn't be too disrespectful to the Hong Kong government, but it was impossible for Chu Huan to agree to the other party so easily. He had to get some benefits!
"Sir Luo Bishi, Sir Xia Dingji, I personally very much hope to make some personal contributions to the future development of Xiangjiang. However, I am just an ordinary citizen of Xiangjiang now. Many times I am powerless. If I can become a person like Uncle Jian,
If I become a member of the Executive Council, I think I can do more services for the people of Hong Kong!"
This time, the benefits Chu Huan wanted were not financial, but political!
The Executive Council was called the Hong Kong Political Bureau in the early days. You can tell how powerful it is just by the name. In the last century, the Executive Council had only three members, the Colonial Secretary, the Attorney-General, and the Commander of the British Forces in Hong Kong. These three members were also called:
Of course MP!
Later, the Financial Secretary was added, and the number of MPs also increased to four!
At the end of the last century, the Executive Council established unofficial members, usually served by senior executives from HSBC and Jardine. It was not until 1926 that the first Chinese unofficial member was appointed!
The number of unofficial members of the Hong Kong Administrative Bureau is now half between Chinese and ghosts!
And what Chu Huan wants is the identity of an unofficial member!