章節 223: Chapter 223: Seeking Shen Bi Again
"Boss, since *South China Morning Post* is already publicly listed, the difficulty of acquiring it is quite high. There's a risk of leaking information, which could disrupt our acquisition plans or even lead to their failure."
"So, to be cautious, I started by investigating the ownership structure of *South China Morning Post*, including the shareholders and the difficulty of the acquisition. I just got a detailed result yesterday."
"The largest shareholder of *South China Morning Post* is HSBC, with a 32% stake, making them the controlling major shareholder."
"The second largest shareholder is the Kairi family, with a 10.8% stake."
"The third largest shareholder is the Edmonds family, with a 9.5% stake."
"Aside from these top three shareholders, the remaining shareholders hold relatively small stakes. The fourth to tenth shareholders together hold a combined 11.6% of the shares."
"The remaining 36.1% of the shares are scattered in the stock market. Currently, *South China Morning Post*'s total market value is around 10.2 million HKD. The low price is mainly due to the impact of *Asian Wall Street Journal*, which has lowered market confidence in *South China Morning Post*."
"I discovered an issue, though. The Kairi family and Edmonds family are part of the Jardine Group and are closely aligned with the Keswick family. Our relationship with British capital is quite strained, so the difficulty of the acquisition is questionable."
"That's the situation, Boss."
After speaking, Yan Wenhan looked at Xia Yu, hoping he would make a decision.
Xia Yu furrowed his brows and quickly thought through the situation. He hadn't anticipated that the shareholding of *South China Morning Post* would be in such a condition.
It's surprising that a newspaper run by Chinese has its shares concentrated in the hands of the British. It's hard to imagine what had happened previously.
Given this situation, Yan Wenhan's caution was understandable.
His relationship with British capital is indeed poor. Not to mention the issues with the Qingzhou British Mud Company, even the recent development of the company indicates some tension.
Most of the companies advertising in Jiu Ding Media's newspapers or magazines are Chinese-owned, with very few British companies involved.
Additionally, a senior official from the Hong Kong government once hinted to Xia Yu that the British-affiliated officials were not friendly towards Jiu Ding Media and Xia Yu, which reflects some underlying issues.
However, Xia Yu's industries are mainly media, comics, publishing, and securities, while British capital primarily focuses on heavy industries and various public welfare sectors. The only intersection with Xia Yu's interests is the media and securities industries.
Yet, British capital rarely ventures into the newspaper sector, which is primarily dominated by Chinese capital.
Moreover, Jiu Ding Media's strength is significant, so in business, Xia Yu is hard to handle unless the government gets involved.
But this isn't realistic either. The media industry is too sensitive and impactful. Without a solid excuse to dismantle Jiu Ding Media, there would be a fierce backlash.
The securities industry is even less likely to clash with Xia Yu, unless the British capital goes completely irrational.
For these objective reasons, the conflict between Xia Yu and British capital is not overt, but there is tacit resistance against him.
The most important point is that Xia Yu heard that the Keswick family, the core family of the Jardine Group, once expressed dissatisfaction with Xia Yu at a British capital gathering, showing an unfriendly attitude.
The Kairi and Edmonds families are smaller families within the Jardine Group. If they know it's Xia Yu's company looking to acquire *South China Morning Post*, they are likely to refuse or even obstruct the acquisition.
After all, *South China Morning Post* is worth around 10 million HKD, and 20% of the shares amount to just over 2 million HKD. To the Jardine Group, this is a small amount, hardly worth their notice.
So it's very likely they won't just watch Xia Yu grow stronger.
"This must be guarded against. You did the right thing by not rushing into the acquisition."
"But since you have investigated thoroughly, there are targeted solutions."
After thinking for a moment, Xia Yu came up with a plan and his frown eased.
Hearing this, Yan Wenhan perked up, looking at Xia Yu expectantly.
"The 36.1% of scattered shares can be acquired secretly through Jiu Ding Securities."
"I will approach Shen Bi of HSBC. He should be willing to give us some consideration. We can't make a direct move, but we can have HSBC assist us in the acquisition. It shouldn't be too difficult."
"Once our shares exceed 75%, we can force the company to delist. If the other shareholders are smart, they will sell their shares to us."
"So, for the acquisition of *South China Morning Post*, I will first approach HSBC. Once we reach an understanding, you will be responsible for taking over."
Xia Yu said slowly, then made a firm decision.
"Understood!"
Yan Wenhan said relaxedly. Since the boss would personally handle it, and given his connections, he felt confident that there would be no issues.
Later, Xia Yu first made an appointment with HSBC and learned that Shen Bi would be available in the afternoon and would meet him at the HSBC headquarters.
In the afternoon, as the time approached, Xia Yu went to HSBC and followed the staff to Shen Bi's office. Shen Bi was already there, having prepared tea and waiting.
"Mr. Shen, good afternoon!"
Xia Yu smiled and quickened his pace, walking up to Shen Bi to shake his hand.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Xia. Welcome."
Shen Bi greeted with a friendly smile, shook hands with Xia Yu, and made a gesture inviting him to sit.
After several rounds of tea, Xia Yu set down his cup, ready to discuss business.
Shen Bi, sensing the shift to business matters, gently put down his cup and leaned slightly forward.
"Mr. Shen, I'm here to discuss several business matters with your company."
"The first is to apply for a loan."
Xia Yu said with a faint smile.
Hearing that it was a loan, Shen Bi's smile broadened. Xia Yu had finally come to him for a loan—quite rare!
He said loudly, "That's not a problem. How much do you need to borrow?"
"I'm looking to borrow 20 million HKD in the name of Jiu Ding Media."
After hearing this, Shen Bi's eyes lit up, and his smile grew even wider as he agreed directly, "No problem, we can arrange it today."
Jiu Ding Media is like a gem, and its bank account is with HSBC. Shen Bi is fully aware of its financial flow.
Moreover, due to Jiu Ding Media's explosive growth, HSBC has already increased its credit limit for the company. Therefore, borrowing 20 million HKD is straightforward, and Shen Bi even wished Xia Yu had borrowed more.
As for why the successful Jiu Ding Media needed a loan, Shen Bi didn't ask. There was no need, and the amount was relatively small compared to Jiu Ding Media's assets. This was an opportunity for him to show his generosity and win Xia Yu's favor.
"Thank you, Mr. Shen."
Xia Yu expressed his gratitude, nodding at Shen Bi.
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