America: My Time

Chapter 619 Chaos in the Circle

Chapter 609 Chaos in the Circle

Standard Chartered Bank, while no longer expanding in Hong Kong (after all, Hong Kong is only so big, further expansion would be pointless), is making remarkable strides in Taiwan, Asia, Europe, and Australia, all of which are putting considerable pressure on HSBC. However, HSBC is overthinking things. For a long time, Standard Chartered's focus won't be on Hong Kong, but rather on Asia and Europe. After the stock market crashes in Japan and Taiwan, the pound crisis will arrive, so John has no intention of continuing to fight against HSBC, or even vying for its position in Hong Kong.

John not only has no intention of competing with HSBC for Hong Kong's position, but also intends to spin off Standard Chartered Bank's Hong Kong branch, giving him control over the issuance of Hong Kong dollars and letting the branch handle everything in Hong Kong, while the head office sets its sights overseas!

It would be foolish to remain confined to Hong Kong. Instead of competing with HSBC in Hong Kong, it would be better to turn overseas and accelerate its own development. The plan to move north has sparked different opinions in Hong Kong, but no one doubts Standard Chartered's strength. Standard Chartered has become too mysterious, especially now that no one knows how much capital it has.

"Tianfan, don't you feel that Hong Kong has changed a lot? As soon as our plan to expand north was announced, those guys changed their attitudes one by one? That's human nature. When they sense danger, their instinct is to reject us. You don't need to focus your energy on Hong Kong anymore. Hand over all the Hong Kong business to Standard Chartered Bank in Hong Kong, and also give them the right to issue Hong Kong dollars. Your focus should be overseas, on the comprehensive layout in Asia and Europe. Accelerate the improvement of yourself and strive to cover the whole of Europe and Asia. Moreover, Standard Chartered Bank also needs to rebuild its headquarters. At least we need to have sufficient reserves. These are all preparations that you need to make quickly. From now on, Hong Kong will no longer be our focus. Tomorrow, we'll go see Old Master Huo together!"

Upon hearing his boss's words, Yuan Tianfan nodded and said, "The layout in Southeast Asia is basically complete. Now, all that's missing is the further expansion of branches in various countries. After all, each branch requires considerable assets. Although we have completed some acquisitions, we still have significant shortcomings."

"The problem in Asia is not too big, but you must be careful in Europe. Those guys are on guard now. This acquisition of Northern Bank has also made them uneasy. Britain is our tentacles in Europe and a territory we must defend. Britain cannot have any problems. For a long time, Britain has been one of our focuses. In Europe, our short-term goals are Britain, France, and West Germany!"

With its European expansion becoming increasingly apparent, many are uneasy about Standard Chartered's growth, as its strength has exceeded their expectations, putting pressure on the British banking sector. This is especially true given its massive investments and acquisition of Northern Bank, a series of moves that have left them feeling like the wolf is coming.

The same is true in Hong Kong now. In the eyes of many people, John is like a wolf in sheep's clothing, making them worried and afraid, and uneasy. After all, the other party's strength has expanded too fast, to a degree that is hard for them to believe. Now that the Mandarin Oriental Group has sold off many properties in Japan and has huge funds in its hands, many people are even more uneasy, fearing that the other party will turn its attention to them at any moment.

During the stock market crash, Standard Chartered Bank held a significant number of shares in Hong Kong companies. Now that the crash is over, Standard Chartered Bank still holds these shares, which makes many people uneasy, fearing that they might be acquired by Standard Chartered.

After exchanging views with Yuan Tianfan about the changes in Hong Kong, John also learned about Asia Television. With the integration of Phoenix Group, the development of Asia Television has also been affected. Moreover, the situation in Hong Kong is somewhat chaotic, and the entertainment industry has been hit the hardest.

"Xi Zhao, what stage has the integration of Phoenix Group reached? Has the current situation affected Phoenix Group itself?"

"Boss, it would be a lie to say there's no impact, but overall the impact isn't significant. At least those people know the rules and won't force our artists to film. However, the entire industry has been severely affected. Many artists are now being pressured like this, and even TVB has been affected. I'm afraid we'll gradually be affected as well!"

"Has our contracted artists been affected, or is there some other problem? What did Yong Sheng say?" At this moment, John couldn't help but frown. This is a critical period for Phoenix Group, and it cannot be affected in any way. If anyone dares to ruin his plans, they will have to bear his wrath.

“There are outsiders breaking the rules, from Taiwan. The Hong Kong film market is booming right now, and these guys looking to make quick money are flocking in. Some have ulterior motives, so the Hong Kong film industry is being impacted!” “Have Win's Entertainment send a message to warn them not to mess with Phoenix Group, or their films can forget about getting into Phoenix Group's theaters. As for other matters, they're not our concern. They're not Phoenix Group employees, and we can't do anything about it. We need to focus on improving ourselves. In Asia, we want to control the largest theater chain!”

Although John had anticipated the situation in Hong Kong, it all happened too quickly. The lure of profit drove those looking for quick riches to invest recklessly, fueling the boom in the Hong Kong film industry while simultaneously destroying its reputation. Shoddy productions inevitably led Hong Kong cinema into a vicious cycle. Expanding into overseas markets became Phoenix Group's most important strategy, with Japan, South Korea, and Southeast Asia being particularly crucial.

“Chu Hong, you will come with me to visit Old Master Huo tomorrow. Also, please pay close attention to your safety. Listen to the advice of your security personnel. The situation in Hong Kong is too chaotic right now. Another batch of security personnel will be coming soon. You still don’t have enough security personnel around you.” John shook his head slightly as he looked at the cheerful laughter of the beautiful women in front of him.

"That's good. The situation in Hong Kong has become increasingly chaotic lately. Many people are being forced to make films. It's only because Phoenix Group hasn't been affected much yet. If this continues, the industry will become even more chaotic!" Ye Qianwen sighed at this point. She also felt the pressure of the current situation in Hong Kong. Without a powerful backer, it's difficult to remain unthreatened in this industry. The Hong Kong entertainment industry has become incredibly crazy these days, and those who want to make quick money are resorting to underhanded methods.

In contrast, Cherie Chung didn't have such worries. After all, she had retired from the entertainment industry and was involved in the management of Phoenix Group, albeit nominally. She was still learning a great deal, and her status had changed. Many bigwigs in Hong Kong understood that Cherie Chung could represent John in handling personal relationships, as business also involves personal connections. This subtly distanced her from Sally Yeh.

"This is a conspiracy by the British. There's nothing anyone can do about it. Phoenix Group has limited capabilities. At most, they can only ensure that their own artists are not affected. They can't manage other things either. You shouldn't get involved in these matters. These are not things you can interfere with. Many of those guys are desperate criminals. No matter how good your relationship is, don't get involved. If there's anything, just go directly to Huang Xizhao or Yuan Tianfan. They will handle it for you!"

As more and more hot money floods into the film market, the situation will become increasingly chaotic and the industry increasingly dangerous. This is something no one can change, and John is powerless to change it either.

While John was talking with a group of beautiful women, the atmosphere at the Xiang family's house became heavy. They received a call from Huang Xizhao. This sudden event made them a little uneasy. After all, Yong Sheng had only just started out, and they were under immense pressure because of this problem.

"I warned those guys a long time ago not to break the rules and not to mess with the Phoenix Group, but those bastards wouldn't listen. Now look what's happened, they've attracted the big boss's warning. Do those guys really want to get us all killed?!"

"It's no use talking about this now. This wasn't Huang Xizhao's decision, but rather the decision of his boss. Those ignorant guys crossed the line for Phoenix Group. They dare to threaten anyone, thinking they're omnipotent. If that big shot gives the order, none of their films will be shown in Southeast Asia. Phoenix Cinemas' influence is beyond their imagination. Moreover, that big shot isn't just a business genius, but also a conglomerate tycoon with a powerful naval force in Southeast Asia."

"I'll advise those guys one more time. It's best to make them realize the seriousness of the consequences. Even poaching TVB's talent is fine, but don't mess with Phoenix Group. Old Master Shao is easy to talk to, but that guy is not. Even the British have to bow down, let alone others!"

"Alright, let's talk to those guys again. If they don't listen, they'll have to bear the consequences. We'll tell Huang Xizhao everything and let him handle it. It has nothing to do with Yong Sheng. We'll follow the proper channels and not get involved with these guys to avoid unnecessary trouble in the future!"

"I just don't understand, didn't they carefully consider the Phoenix Group's reaction before taking action? Didn't they think about how terrible the consequences of doing this would be? If they really anger that person, the Hong Kong government will have to compromise and give an explanation. What is the Phoenix Group? It's a multinational corporation, and the power behind it is something they can't afford to mess with. If they can't give us an guarantee this time, then we'll sever all ties with them completely!"

(End of this chapter)