Hong Kong variety show: I Am a Tycoon

"Hey Martin, you actually made it this far? You're several time zones away from here."

Martin, an American journalist, said with a smile, "There's no way around it. This president of Brunei is quite an interesting person. Every time he personally appears, it's on behalf of something important. I don't want to miss his press conference."

Martin is a reporter for the Miami Herald and is an old friend of Li Yaohua.

Randolph, the journalist who last interviewed Li Yaohua, has now won the Pulitzer Prize and been promoted to editor-in-chief.

Not only American journalists like Martin, but also journalists from other countries, especially those from the countries where the tourists were victimized, rushed over.

After everyone had arrived, Li Yaohua rented a conference room in the hotel and held the press conference.

Standing on the stage, Li Yaohua glanced at all the reporters present and then said in a deep voice, "I'm sure you all know about the recent disappearance of tourists from Brunei, right?"

The reporters in the audience nodded in agreement; the opening seemed to offer nothing new.

Li Yaohua continued, "This was a kidnapping case. All the tourists were kidnapped by a criminal organization called 'Red Headscarves.' After many days of search and rescue by our Brunei police and guards, all the tourists were finally rescued. However…"

Li Yaohua paused at this point.

The reporters' eyes lit up; they knew a turning point was about to begin.

“However, this is not just a simple kidnapping case, but a long-planned terrorist activity. Moreover, this ‘Red Headscarf’ is not a criminal organization, but a terrorist organization supported by certain powerful figures.” Li Yaohua’s expression was solemn, his eyes sharp, and his crisp uniform made him look exceptionally tall and straight, like a pine tree.

Upon hearing Li Yaohua's words, the reporters' faces immediately lit up with excitement.

The earth is coming, and huge melons are coming soon.

Li Yaohua continued, "I want to tell the person who is pulling the strings behind the scenes that your plans have failed. Brunei never accepts coercion from others, and we will use our own methods to crush all the petty tricks of you ambitious people."

That concludes Li Yaohua's opening remarks.

Next, it will be time for reporters to ask questions.

The reporters present all raised their hands, eager to ask their various tricky questions. After all, judging from Li Yaohua's words, this kidnapping case didn't seem to be so simple.

"Mr. President, who are you referring to as this powerful figure from a certain country?"

Once a reporter was selected, he immediately asked a question loudly.

Li Yaohua said calmly, "I won't say anything before the matter is investigated. I can only tell you that we now have a suspect."

"Is Brunei safe now?" another reporter then asked.
Li Yaohua said solemnly, "Boni is always safe, but I need to advise all tourists that when you come to Brunei, you must be accompanied by a local guide and do not leave Brunei's territory. Only by doing so can Brunei guarantee your safety while you are traveling."

"Your Excellency President, are you implying that the Malay government is behind this?"

No, I didn't say that.

"So what are the findings of the investigation in Brunei regarding this 'Red Turban' organization?"

When a reporter asked a crucial question, Li Yaohua smiled slightly and said, "Regarding this, our investigation revealed that this 'Red Headscarf' organization comes from the local Wu tribe. Although we don't know the reason yet, we have reason to suspect that they are doing this to provoke unnecessary conflict."

In fact, once Li Yaohua said those words, he and Chen Jiajun had already achieved their goal.

Now that the tourists have been rescued by Li Yaohua's men, and the kidnappers are from the Wu tribe, you people from all countries should know who to go looking for trouble with, right?

The reporters were very cooperative, and the next day major newspapers began reporting on the matter.

Moreover, under Lee Yew Wah's seemingly subtle guidance, almost all the firepower was directed at the Malaysian government.

This has caused the Malaysian government considerable headaches, and they have vehemently denied it.

Moreover, Li Yaohua instigated local Chinese businessmen to recall the Malay riots that occurred more than a decade ago.

This two-pronged approach has only added to the headaches for the Malaysian head of state.

Various protests and armed clashes erupted, turning Kuala Lumpur into complete chaos.

Meanwhile, Genting Casino...

The boss behind the scenes had a dark expression as he listened to his backer cursing him.

No one expected that a kidnapping incident would cause such a huge uproar, which made the mastermind behind it even more resentful of Brunei.

After hanging up the phone, the boss prepared to call his subordinates.

But after calling for a long time, no one responded.

This immediately put the boss on alert, and he reached into his desk drawer and retrieved a gun.

At that moment, a cold voice suddenly rang out: "If I were you, I wouldn't take this useless thing."

"Who?" The boss behind the scenes was shocked and immediately pointed his gun at the window.

He then noticed a man in a hooded robe standing by the window in his office.

The boss behind the scenes asked warily, "Who are you? Where are my bodyguards?"

“They were too nervous, so I asked them to rest for a while. They should wake up soon.” The hooded man turned to the boss behind the scenes and said, “As for who I am, that’s not important. You just need to know that we are from Brunei.”

"What?" The boss behind the scenes widened his eyes in surprise.

The man chuckled, not bothering to feign surprise: "We've known all along that those 'red-headed women' are kept by you and the people behind you."

"What do you want?" the behind-the-scenes boss said with a gloomy face.

“Warning.” The man continued in a deep voice, “Whether it’s pressure from abroad or the riots by the local Chinese, it’s all a warning. In fact, fearing you might not remember it well enough, our boss has given you a big gift.”

As they spoke, the office door opened, and two men dressed in identical hooded robes walked in carrying a wooden box.

This nonchalant attitude led the bosses behind the scenes to believe that this was their territory.

"Is this the gift you were talking about?" the boss behind the scenes said coldly.

"Just open it and you'll see," the man said casually.

The boss behind the scenes glanced at the other person, then carefully lifted the wooden crate.

Then a nauseating stench of blood hit them, almost knocking the boss off his feet.

Upon closer inspection, it became clear that the wooden box was filled with heads.

And those red-turbaned heads that his men left in Kuala Lumpur.

The man continued, "Besides those guys who died causing trouble in Brunei, we also paid a visit to the nearest Red Turban stronghold and brought you this big gift. The purpose of doing this is to let you know that we can easily find you and take your lives."

"No matter where you are or what methods you use, it will be useless. This time it's just some low-level extremists. If there's a next time, the target won't be these scumbags, but you and the Sudan behind you."

The man spoke without any emotional fluctuation, as if he were asking, "Have you eaten today?"

However, the mastermind behind the scenes could sense the extremely pure killing intent emanating from the hooded man in the long robe.

“During this period, the Sultan who was causing trouble behind the scenes should behave himself a lot,” Chen Jiajun said to Li Yaohua.

Lee Yao Hua nodded and said with a smile, "Malaysia has nine sultans, so they certainly won't allow any one person to act recklessly. This is how they check and balance each other."

“However, we still need to investigate whether this guy acted on impulse or if someone was behind it,” Chen Jiajun said sharply.

Brunei was his stronghold, and most of his men were stationed there to develop the country. Chen Jiajun didn't want to end up with nothing.

Just as Chen Jiajun and Li Yaohua were chatting in the office, Bai Lu walked in: "Boss, Orn is back."

"Yes, judging by the time, they should be back by now." Chen Jiajun nodded.

A moment later, Orn walked in with his men.

These days, Orn really does have the air of a mad scientist.

Wearing an ill-fitting white lab coat stained with engine oil, and with thick glasses around his eyes, he looked absolutely ridiculous.

However, in Brunei, Orn was exceptionally respected.

She was even more popular than when she was in the Hong Kong triads.

After all, thanks to the existence of Orn, the Kingdom of Brunei has an exceptionally rich variety of electronic products.

Orn even threw many of the experimental products to the young people around him to play with, which could be considered as conducting market research.

Besides constantly evolving products like Walkmans, AON has also come up with a lot of trendy gadgets.

"So, Orn, what kind of electronic product licenses did you get from Japan?" Chen Jiajun asked curiously.

Orn said excitedly, "Boss, we're probably going to be making waves with Earth this time."

After Japan suffered a setback, many previously thriving industries were severely impacted. With Chen Jiajun's massive spending spree, he acquired many companies' unique technologies.

For example, one product that Chen Jiajun is very optimistic about is the mobile phone.

This technology comes from Sanyang Company. This company is quite interesting. They previously collaborated with mainland manufacturers to create the Bird brand, which was eventually acquired by Kyocera. However, this time, Chen Jiajun intercepted the deal first.

Although this brand's technology is a bit rough, it's sufficient for Ornn at this stage.

Given enough time to conduct research, Orn will surely be able to iterate rapidly.

At that time, it will definitely become another cash cow in Chen Jiajun's hands. How profitable the mobile phone industry will be in the future is something Chen Jiajun doesn't even need to explain.

In addition, Orn also acquired some automotive parts technology from Japan.

This was spun off from a certain company.

With these technologies, Tesla, under Chen Jiajun's control, will be able to usher in another wave of technological iteration.

We can't say we'll beat Europe and America or kick the US and Japan, but at least we'll have a target to catch up with.

Given time, they could easily create their own car brand.

However, Ornn's team needs to digest all of this information.

Aoun said to Chen Jiajun somewhat embarrassedly, "Boss, if these important projects are launched, I guess my team will have to recruit more people."

Ornn was definitely not developed by one person; he couldn't have done it even if he worked himself to death.

So long ago, Orn began recruiting his own team, which included many scientific and technological talents from the Soviet Union, as well as those unsuccessful scientific research freaks.

These talents are all Chen Jiajun's treasures.

Therefore, in response to Orn's request, Chen Jiajun generously waved his hand and said, "Approved. If you need money, just go and negotiate with Wesley."

"Hehe, thanks a lot, boss." Orn grinned, revealing his big teeth.

For a scientific research talent, having people, research projects, and funding is an extremely fortunate thing.

Not to mention the generous compensation offered by the Orn team, making it impossible for anyone else to poach one of their members.

After listening to Aoun's report, Chen Jiajun pondered for a while and asked Aoun's team to produce a mobile phone first.

Although people in Hong Kong are still using old-fashioned mobile phones, many mobile phone brands have already emerged.

When it comes to seizing market share, Chen Jiajun won't let it slip by easily.

However, if they want to promote their brand, they will probably have to start with telecommunications companies.

There is only one telecommunications operator in Hong Kong, namely Hong Kong Telecom.

Mobile phones are definitely not something that can be developed in a short time, even if there is readily available technology.

If you use someone else's patented technology, you'll be held hostage.

However, Chen Jiajun felt that it was possible to acquire Hong Kong Telecom.

However, Hong Kong Telecom is different from CLP Power, which Chen Jiajun previously acquired through a bargain.

This is a company controlled by the British Eastern Telegraph Company, which almost monopolizes the entire telecommunications, communications network, and telephone business in Hong Kong.

Its market value is astonishingly high, reaching hundreds of billions.

It is simply impossible to acquire it completely.

However, that doesn't mean Chen Jiajun has no chance at all.

Because the negotiations for the return of Hong Kong have taken a turn for the better, many British foreigners are no longer optimistic about Hong Kong's future; otherwise, there wouldn't have been that infamous colonial withdrawal plan.

It's not impossible to break up and acquire Hong Kong Telecom.

Having this idea in mind, Chen Jiajun became restless and did not stay in Brunei for long. He returned directly to Hong Kong and summoned Wei Li to discuss the acquisition.

Although Sima Xiang was quite shrewd in business, when it came to developing acquisition plans, Wei Li was far more professional.

However, Chen Jiajun's idea still frightened Wei Li.

"Boss, our Guojun Group has only just broken the 100 billion mark. Do you really want to go this far?" Wei Li said with a worried look on his face.

Chen Jiajun said irritably, "Are you crazy? Who said we were going to swallow Hong Kong Telecom whole? Even a snake trying to swallow an elephant isn't done like this. I was planning to persuade the English to split Hong Kong Telecom off, not to swallow Eastern Telegraph Company as well."

Hearing Chen Jiajun say this, Wei Li finally breathed a sigh of relief: "If that's what you're saying, then there's still a sliver of a chance. But boss, given our relationship with the English, I think the possibility is slim."

"It's all up to human effort," Chen Jiajun said dismissively, waving his hand. "Besides, those foreign capitalists might not be on the same page as the government. If we do nothing, it'll be even more impossible."

Well, I'll go find out. But I've heard that those Englishmen are planning to sell Hong Kong Telecom to Singaporeans.

Chen Jiajun shook his head and said, "I think it's unlikely. After all, it's a company that has already monopolized the entire Hong Kong telecommunications industry. Even if it were to be broken up and acquired, it certainly wouldn't be sold to foreigners. Even if the English agree, the people back home might not agree. This is the opportunity I'm talking about."

Welley said with a hint of amusement, “That’s not our turn. We’ve already been relegated to the ranks of left-wing businessmen. Even if the foreigners wanted to sell, they would definitely go to wealthy British merchants.”

"Tsk, there are so many competitors." Chen Jiajun frowned and said, "Why don't you go and investigate first?"

Wei Li nodded and prepared to deal with the matter.

Chen Jiajun was still too presumptuous about some business matters.

It was just a spur-of-the-moment idea, but I never expected it would encounter such great difficulties.

Since there was no clue for the time being, Chen Jiajun stopped thinking about it.

It's already amazing that a gangster like him could get to where he is today. You can't have all the benefits in your own hands, right?
So Chen Jiajun simply took two days off to spend time with his women.

He would occasionally go to the film company to tease Sister Zhi and Brigitte Lin.

Now, in the early 1990s, Hong Kong's film and television industry has entered a stage of "unsaturated competition".

The entire industry has reached its peak, with all kinds of films flourishing.

Among the dozens of film and television companies, a situation has emerged with one dominant player and many strong competitors.

And this "surpass" refers to Hung Hsing Film Industry.

With his long-term vision, Chen Jiajun attracted a large number of talents and cultivated many superstars even in the early stages.

They practically dominate half of the entire Hong Kong film and television industry.

They can produce nearly a hundred films a year.

With its collaboration with TVB, Hung Hing Films can be seen in both television and film.

Even under these circumstances, people still flock to this circle.

Many of these organizations have become involved.

However, since they didn't dare to target Hung Hing Film Company, they turned their attention to other film companies.

Meanwhile, the artists under their management are having a very difficult time.

This indirectly led to the unprecedented growth of the Hong Kong Performing Artistes Guild.

Hong Jingbao, as the president of the Hong Kong Performing Artistes Guild, has enough influence and seniority in the entertainment industry to provide some protection for persecuted artists, at least to prevent things from getting too ugly.

"Not bad, much better than I expected." Chen Jiajun muttered to himself after learning about the industry.

Only he knew how chaotic the Hong Kong film industry would have been without the emergence of Hung Hing Films.
Chen Jiajun then inspected the situation of companies such as Tesla and Guojun Electronics.

It must be said that these industries were carefully selected by Chen Jiajun, and they are all doing quite well.

It can bring a continuous stream of cash flow to Guojun Group, the parent company.

Moreover, it has benefited many Hong Kong residents.

In addition, Chen Jiajun's continuous donations to schools and his involvement in charity work over the years have made many people forget his background as a gangster.

They are the kind of people who are respected wherever they go.

After touring his own company, Wei Li also clarified the issue of acquiring Hong Kong Telecom.
"Boss, let's just forget about this," Wei Li said pessimistically.

Chen Jiajun asked, puzzled, "Didn't you say we still had a chance to get involved? Why are you giving up now?"

With a wry smile, Wei Li said, "Have we forgotten who's behind the Great Eastern Telegraph?"

"What? Have you had a grudge?" Chen Jiajun raised an eyebrow and asked.

Welly nodded: "The main player behind Great Eastern Telecom is Vodafone, the telecommunications supplier in England, which has close ties with HSBC."

"Try again, it's HSBC." Chen Jiajun said with a displeased look, "These capitalists really want to have their cake and eat it too."

Upon hearing Chen Jiajun's words, Wei Li looked at Chen Jiajun with a strange expression and remained silent.

Chen Jiajun immediately said, annoyed, "You little brat, are you asking for a beating? What are you staring at me for?"

Wei Li quickly waved his hand and said, "No, no."

Chen Jiajun sighed and said, "Since the time isn't right, let's just forget about it."

Chen Jiajun vaguely remembered that Hong Kong Telecom changed hands around the time of the new millennium.

That period of time was after the handover, so there were probably some political factors involved in this matter.

Since there was no way to seize control beforehand, Chen Jiajun gave up. However, he still instructed Wei Li to keep an eye on Hong Kong Telecom from time to time and report any unusual activity to him immediately. (End of Chapter)