From Inheriting a Small Factory to Becoming a Global Financial Tycoon

Chapter 44 This Stock Market Feels Strange

"We must maximize the use of every cent of available funds.

If Hongkong Land loses control of Wharf Holdings, it would be a catastrophic blow to the entire group.

But Hongkong Land should not worry too much—Jardine Matheson will fully support it.

The Wharf Holdings shares held by Jardine Securities will be transferred to Hongkong Land at the right time to strengthen our holdings.

If necessary, Hongkong Land could even consider selling premium properties like Gammon House to rapidly raise more cash," David Newbigging said decisively, looking at Robert Fell.

Within Hongkong Land, David Newbigging's authority was unquestionable.

Even as the Managing Director, Robert Fell understood that, at critical moments, he had to follow Newbigging's strategic leadership.

"Sir, I fully understand and agree with your decision.

Wharf Holdings is crucial to Hongkong Land.

I will personally oversee developments to ensure that Mr. Bao Yu Gang does not gain the upper hand," Robert Fell said solemnly, knowing the heavy responsibility he bore.

"Good, Mr. Fell. This afternoon, I will stay here personally to monitor the market.

We must not only defend but also counterattack.

Let's see what tricks this Mr. Bao has up his sleeve," Newbigging said, his eyes flashing with a dark gleam, but more with a sense of calm readiness for the upcoming capital battle.

Against most competitors, David Newbigging and Robert Fell could have remained relatively composed.

After all, the combined strength of Jardine Matheson and Hongkong Land had few equals in Hong Kong's business world.

However, this time they faced the world-renowned number one shipping tycoon, Bao Yu Gang.

His strength and influence were formidable.

Even trickier was Bao's close relationship with HSBC, a giant in the financial world whose backing of Bao was strong and unwavering.

This meant that in the upcoming competition, they were not just battling Bao personally but also the formidable financial firepower behind him.

Thus, both David Newbigging and Robert Fell knew that this battle allowed no arrogance.

They had to be cautious, meticulous, and thoroughly prepared to meet all possible challenges.

Only in this way could they maximize Jardine Matheson's and Hongkong Land's chances of winning this brutal capital struggle.

Besides the Bao family and Jardine Group, there was another force whose reaction was unusually intense:

the vast mass of retail investors in Hong Kong—the ordinary shareholders.

Since Mr. Bao publicly declared he had no intention of increasing his stake in Wharf Holdings, many retail investors, misreading the situation, had rushed to sell off their high-priced Wharf shares, causing the stock to plunge rapidly.

This was another brutal demonstration of the herd mentality in the stock market.

Retail investors, often called "leeks," typically chased market hotspots, hoping to ride the wave to profits.

However, when Wharf Holdings' price, after a period of stagnation, began to rebound and climb,

only a small minority of astute retail investors sensed the opportunity.

Most, having been burned before, remained hesitant and fearful of stepping into another "slaughterhouse."

But this morning, as Wharf Holdings' trading volume suddenly surged and the price soared,

the frenzy reignited the passion of the retail investors.

Unable to resist, they rushed in eagerly, desperate to grab a piece of the action—

what they called "drinking the soup first."

This vividly illustrated the intertwining of greed and fear in human nature.

Meanwhile, seasoned stock market manipulators also turned their eyes toward Wharf Holdings.

These players, controlling vast funds and moving flexibly, were not easily swayed by market sentiment—

sometimes they could even single-handedly influence a stock's movement.

To these veterans, the sudden explosion of trading volume in Wharf Holdings was no random accident.

They sharply perceived the underlying dynamics—

perhaps a fierce acquisition battle was about to break out.

Such speculation was not unfounded but based on deep analysis of market trends, company fundamentals, and capital flows.

For these insiders, the upheaval in Wharf Holdings presented a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

They too began adjusting their positions, ready to dive into the upcoming capital feast and reap handsome profits.

At this moment, Lin Haoran remained unaware of the ripples his team's morning actions had caused.

Their operations, which were merely a tentative "small test,"

had already triggered intense reactions across various sectors.

Had Lin Haoran known all this, he would have been delighted.

After all, this was exactly the result he had hoped for.

In his view, the market's feverish response validated their strategy and paved the way for future maneuvers.

He knew that in this smoke-free war, every step was critical—

and today's wide-reaching ripple effects had bought them more time and space for their grander strategic moves.

At exactly 1 PM, as the stock market reopened after lunch,

Su Zhixue's team sprang into action like arrows from a bow.

With the boss's explicit authorization,

their first plan was to sweep up all Wharf Holdings shares priced below 30 HKD.

Based on the market listings during the noon break,

they estimated over 60,000 shares were available in that price range.

From past experience, Su Zhixue knew that swift, decisive action could often catch competitors off guard,

allowing them to absorb large quantities of cheap shares.

However, unexpectedly, despite the team's full efforts,

they managed to buy only 26,000 shares—far short of the target.

Even more surprisingly, as they moved in, the stock price soared,

breaking through the 30 HKD mark and climbing swiftly to 31 HKD.

Facing this sudden shift, Su Zhixue frowned deeply.

He realized:

"President Lin, something's wrong with the market.

The volume is much higher than we anticipated.

The market's reaction is far more intense than we expected.

We haven't even gone all out yet, and the stock price is already surging dramatically!"

"Immediately—start buying up all listed shares priced below 35 HKD!"

Lin Haoran swiftly commanded.

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