After divorce, I can hear the voice of the future

Chapter 743 Small matters require calculation, big matters require planning

HSBC has reserves of hundreds of billions of US dollars annually and is one of the three major settlement banks in Hong Kong, which gives them the confidence to compete.

This is also the fundamental reason why Zheng Jiachun chose to agree to the private placement, even though it would have been more beneficial to Hengtai.

Even Lu Liang would feel powerless when facing HSBC if he used conventional methods to raise funds.

Fortunately, he was always learning by doing.

Ant Group, as its name suggests, is capable of lifting objects with a weight between 100 and 400 times its own.

Three billion can leverage three hundred billion, but how much capital can three hundred billion US dollars leverage?

"We can't wait any longer. Come over this afternoon and take over Kwong Sang Bank from Chinese Estates Holdings."

In front of Xu Jiayin, Lu Liang called Wen Chao to say that the plan had changed and they couldn't wait three or six months.

He planned to use this opportunity to wage a full-scale war against HSBC, allowing Starway to operate under the guise of Guang Sheng Bank and enter the Hong Kong market.

Unlike Ant Group, which relies solely on its reputation, Lu Liang plans to leverage Xingheng's billions of dollars in assets and Bitcoin holdings to launch a $300 billion ABS bond issuance.

This is the foundational battle for Tianxing Financial Group; it cannot be a close contest, but must result in an overwhelming victory.

If they are already struggling to keep up with HSBC in Hong Kong, how will they face those century-old international conglomerates when they go global?

"Yes, Mr. Lu, I'll book the tickets right away."

Upon learning of Lu Liang's arrangements, Wen Chao abandoned his usual refined demeanor, his tone revealing barely concealed excitement.

After two years abroad, he is finally going back to China to participate in a financial battle that will go down in history.

How could I not be moved!
"Three hundred billion US dollars, two trillion RMB, that's Guangzhou's annual GDP."

Like a thunderclap from a clear sky, Xu Jiayin's pupils suddenly dilated, and she was unable to calm down for a long time.

This message is like the last piece of the puzzle, or a spider's thread, connecting everything together.

There's an analogy, though not perfect, that probably reflects the truest thoughts in Lu Liang's and Lao Ma's minds at that moment.

Ant Group's issuance of 300 billion yuan in ABS is intended to hold 1.4 billion people in mainland China hostage, achieving the goal of being too big to fail.

The $300 billion ABS that Tianxing is about to launch is intended to hold nearly 16 billion people in mainland China, Hong Kong, and even several East Asian countries hostage.

Xu Jiayin suddenly felt his mouth go dry. You know, he was the richest man in Dongda University, but even knowing Lu Liang's plan, he couldn't help but tremble.

Raising $300 billion, if it's just to help Hengtai acquire New World and incidentally damage HSBC's market position, would undoubtedly be like using a cannon to kill a mosquito.

Lu Liang's real goal is probably to take this opportunity to dominate the East Asian capital market.

The $300 billion in ABS bonds are definitely aimed at professional financial institutions, but ultimately the money comes from the financial institutions themselves.

The organization's funds all come from the people.

"Mr. Xu, you and Hengtai can just sit back and wait to take over the New World's assets."

After ending the call, Lu Liang looked at Xu Jiayin with a triumphant smile.

Small matters require calculation, big matters require planning.
To achieve great things, you can't rely solely on conspiracies.

If you don't speak out, you can't get things done.

This news will be made public soon, so it doesn't matter if Lao Xu knows it in advance.

"Then let's wait for Mr. Lu's good news."

As the two were talking, Xu Jiawei knocked on the door and entered, walking up to Lu Liang and whispering, "Mr. Lu, someone from Standard Chartered is here."

Lu Liang nodded and said, "Arrange for us to go to the reception room."

He looked at Xu Jiayin, who smiled and said, "Mr. Lu, please go ahead with your business. I'll head back to the hotel now."

He finally understood why Lu Liang wasn't in a hurry to contact Standard Chartered even though he knew the Zheng family had already contacted them.

And sure enough, Standard Chartered came to us on its own initiative.

"Jiawei, why don't you see Mr. Xu off?"

After seeing Xu Jiayin off, Lu Liang went to the reception room next door and met He Jiafan, the representative of Standard Chartered.

"Mr. He, hello, how can I help you?" Lu Liang asked with a smile as he enthusiastically brewed tea.

What Li Zhekai said is true; the relationship between Standard Chartered and HSBC has indeed reached an irreconcilable point, otherwise Standard Chartered would not have come to visit him.

“Mr. Lu, I’m a straightforward person and not good at speaking in official jargon, so I’ll get straight to the point.”

He Jiafan had just sat down and taken a sip of tea when he got straight to the point: Standard Chartered was interested in transferring its stake in New World Development.

Lu Liang smiled and said, "Thank you for your support, Standard Chartered and Mr. He. I wonder what we can do for you?"

He Jiafan responded with an "Eh," and waved his hand, saying, "Mr. Lu, you flatter us. We just want to contribute to Hengtai's acquisition of New World."

"The Hong Kong market has been stagnant for too long and urgently needs your and Mr. Xu's involvement to revitalize it."
He spoke with righteous indignation, as if Standard Chartered Bank had no regard for itself and was only concerned with the people of Hong Kong.

They'll do anything as long as it benefits the market.

On the one hand, it expresses its spirit of selfless dedication, and on the other hand, it expresses strong support for Lu Liang and Xu Jiayin's move to enter the Hong Kong market.

The claim that the two conspired to invade Hong Kong is merely ignorant rhetoric from uninformed individuals who have been misled by those with ulterior motives.

"Mr. He, you flatter us. We will do our best to ensure you are not disappointed," Lu Liang said with a smile.

"I absolutely believe that with the addition of the two of you, the future of the Hong Kong market will be even brighter." After exchanging compliments, He Jiafan excused himself, left the equity transfer agreement, and took his leave.

Originally holding 4.23%, after dilution, it is now only 2.961%, valued at HK$59.41 billion based on yesterday's closing price.

Watching He Jiafan's departing figure, Xu Jiawei couldn't help but ask, "President Lu, what's Standard Chartered up to?"

They came and went in a hurry, as if they had come specifically to deliver an equity transfer agreement without mentioning any conditions. It felt like a weasel offering New Year's greetings to a chicken with ill intentions.

Lu Liang shook his head and chuckled, explaining, "This is what a truly intelligent person would do."

He was initially surprised, but upon reflection, he realized that Standard Chartered's kindness was both unexpected and reasonable.

New World issued an additional 30% stake in the secondary market, and Standard Chartered's superior position was no longer there.

The terms promised by HSBC will certainly be significantly reduced, perhaps even to a degree that Standard Chartered cannot accept.

So they decided to forgo any conditions and sell at a normal price, just to save face for both Lu Liang and Xu Jiayin.

After all, they didn't know that Lu Liang had already decided to use the name of Guang Sheng Bank to enter the Hong Kong market ahead of schedule.

Therefore, from He Jiafan's perspective, if HSBC suffers a severe blow, the biggest beneficiary will be Standard Chartered Bank, which has a complete system.

Xu Jiawei suddenly realized and joked, "Then Standard Chartered will probably regret its choice today when the ABS bonds are issued, right?"

Lu Liang shook his head again and sighed, "That's where Standard Chartered's cleverness lies. They didn't pay any price and even sold New World's shares at a high premium. How can they regret it?"

HSBC is too large a bank, and it is one of the three major settlement banks and currency issuing banks in Hong Kong, so it is destined that it cannot be completely taken over.

Tianxing Financial alone cannot handle the situation, so Standard Chartered, which has goodwill towards them, will naturally be invited to join them.

In the future, Tianxing Financial will focus more on the international market, and less on the Hong Kong market, which will give Standard Chartered Bank another opportunity.

Hopefully, HSBC will suffer a major blow in this battle, and the enemy forces that will be severely weakened will not only include Lu Liang, but also Standard Chartered.

"I see, how come I didn't think of that?" Xu Jiawei suddenly realized, a look of regret on his face.

Lu Liang glanced at him and said irritably, "I'm going to take a nap first. You go to the airport to pick up Wen Chao this afternoon."

"Yes, Mr. Lu." Xu Jiawei smiled awkwardly, his intention to flatter was too obvious and was noticed by Mr. Lu.

As He Jiafan walked out of Plaza Tower Phase 2, news of Standard Chartered Bank's support for Lu Liang spread like wildfire.

"In this way, Hengtai's shareholding will reach 44.44%? This number doesn't seem very good."

"That was before the private placement. After the equity was diluted, it is now only 31.108%."

"Based on the diluted values, Zhengjia's is 34.384%, and Hengtai's is 31.108%."

"The gap between the two sides is getting smaller and smaller. Could the new world be about to change hands?"

"How could that be? The real boss, HSBC, they've already taken action."

Market investors are buzzing with discussion, wondering what measures Lu Liang will take to counter HSBC's aggressive intervention.

Although sources familiar with the matter revealed that Lu Liang has access to more than $300 billion, it is clearly insufficient compared to HSBC's annual reserves of hundreds of billions of dollars.

Moreover, the presence of retail investors, speculative funds, and institutional investors scrambling to buy shares adds even more uncertainty to this acquisition and anti-acquisition battle.

Meanwhile, at Yiyun Mountain Villa.

What action will Lu Liang take next?

Zheng Jiachun looked at the large screen and saw that all entrances and exits of Phase 2 of the Plaza Building were being monitored by dedicated personnel.

Whether Lu Liang goes out or someone comes to visit, he will know everything clearly, and thus be able to deduce the subsequent arrangements.

But several hours passed, and apart from Xu Jiayin leaving, He Jiafan going in and then leaving, and Lu Liang's assistant leaving, no other suspicious persons were found.

“Mr. Zheng, I have received authorization from headquarters to protect New World, no matter the cost.”

Qi Yaonian smiled, full of confidence. In the face of absolute strength, all schemes and tricks are just paper tigers.

HSBC's highest authority means it can mobilize all funds without affecting the company's operations.

It's time to show Lu Liang what a torrent of funds and the crushing power of capital really are.

"That's great. I hope my worries are unfounded."

Zheng Jiachun appeared relaxed, but he was still nervous.

The New World is the Zheng family's ancestral business, and it might be lost in his hands. How could he not be worried?

Just then, someone suddenly said, "Lu Liang's assistant, Xu Jiawei, brought someone back."

"Who is it?" Zheng Jiachun asked in surprise.

"Wen Chao, the president of Tokyo Xingheng Investment Company and Lu Liang's first secretary."

"Why would he come here if he wasn't in Tokyo?"

"I don't know, it must have been Lu Liang who called him back."

Zheng Jiachun looked at Qi Yaonian, hoping he could send someone to Tokyo to find out more, in order to avoid any unforeseen circumstances.

"Don't worry, I'll send someone to Tokyo to find out." Qi Yaonian nodded slightly, his smile fading as he prepared for anything.

Strategically despise the enemy, but tactically take them seriously. HSBC has a high probability of winning, but it's not a sure thing.

(End of this chapter)