章節 362: Chapter 362: Sir Michael's Attitude
As night fell, the vibrant nightlife of the city began in earnest. Whether it was socialites or weary office workers looking to unwind, they all came out at this time.
However, the Governor's residence on Argyll Road in Central, Hong Kong Island, was enveloped in a serene and tranquil atmosphere.
Yet, within the Governor's residence, a few lights were still on.
Governor of Hong Kong, Sir Michael, was seated across from the current Commissioner of the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), Luke Ding-Tang. Sir Michael listened quietly, occasionally nodding slightly, while Luke Ding-Tang spoke in detail.
Though the name Luke Ding-Tang might suggest he was of Chinese descent, he was actually British. He had chosen a Chinese name to facilitate his work and management, as the majority of Hong Kong's population was Chinese. A Chinese name often helped bridge the gap.
Luke Ding-Tang was the head of the ICAC, whose English name was Norman John Ladington. He had previously served as a Legislative Council member and had only been appointed as the ICAC Commissioner on the 4th of this month, so his tenure was still less than a month old.
Although he had just taken office, Luke Ding-Tang was a trusted confidant of Governor Sir Michael.
The ICAC had a special status within the Hong Kong government. Unlike other departments such as the Financial Secretary's Office or the Secretary for Administration's Office, the ICAC did not require appointments from London. Instead, it was entirely appointed by the Governor, reporting directly to him and only being accountable to the Governor. No other institutions or individuals had the authority to interfere with the ICAC Commissioner's work.
At this moment, Luke Ding-Tang was reporting to Sir Michael about the Yi He consortium's actions against the Jiu Ding Group enterprises earlier that day.
As a department overseeing the entire government, the ICAC had taken note that on the same day, various government departments, including the Business Registration Office, the General Administration of Press and Publication, the Department of Justice, and the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission, had consecutively troubled Jiu Ding Group enterprises. Though ostensibly in the name of public service, it was, in fact, helping the Yi He consortium.
Multiple government departments assisting the Yi He consortium against a newly emerging Chinese conglomerate was a serious breach of the departments' functions, casting suspicion that they were serving private interests. Luke Ding-Tang had to pay close attention.
Moreover, the conflict between the Yi He consortium and the Jiu Ding Group had already become highly publicized in Hong Kong, creating a tense situation. With multiple government departments seemingly aiding the Yi He consortium and the Jiu Ding Group being a media giant adept at manipulating public opinion, the Hong Kong government risked significant backlash and damage to its reputation. As Sir Michael's confidant, Luke Ding-Tang naturally needed to be vigilant for Sir Michael's sake.
After gathering all the day's governmental activities, Luke Ding-Tang had come to the Governor's residence to report and await instructions.
After Luke Ding-Tang finished his report, he sat quietly, watching Sir Michael deep in thought.
Sir Michael's expression remained unchanged as he processed the information in his mind.
Though he was the Governor with authority over the entire government, many key department heads were appointed by London and had substantial autonomy. They did not need to report every action to him before proceeding.
Thus, Sir Michael was unaware of the activities of these departments until this afternoon. Hearing Luke Ding-Tang's report made him quite displeased. He was unhappy with the actions of these departments and also with the Yi He consortium's behavior.
The Yi He consortium had bypassed him and directly engaged officials from various departments.
Of course, if the Yi He consortium had approached him, Sir Michael would not have agreed to assist them in troubling Xia Yu. As the Governor of Hong Kong, it was crucial for him to remain neutral, not favoring either British or Chinese interests.
If he sided with British interests, it would provoke discontent among the Chinese population. While this might have been less of a concern when Chinese capital was weaker decades ago, it was a significant issue now that Chinese capital had grown. Such partiality would be detrimental to his governance of Hong Kong.
Moreover, from a political standpoint, Sir Michael would not help the Yi He consortium. The Keswick family, which controls the Yi He consortium, was not aligned with him. The political factions supporting the Yi He consortium were opposed to his own party, creating a competitive, even hostile, relationship. Although the Yi He consortium's influence was significant, and the Hong Kong government needed their cooperation for commercial matters, Sir Michael's role in governing Hong Kong also required the support of powerful Chinese conglomerates.
Thus, he would not interfere in their conflicts or take sides.
After a long pause, Sir Michael spoke in a deep voice, "You've just taken over the ICAC from Kee Da. You still need to get things sorted internally, so speed up the process."
"As for the actions of these departments, have someone monitor them discreetly. As long as they don't go too far, let them be. If there are any signs of trouble, report to me immediately and be prepared."
Though puzzled by this somewhat unusual order, Luke Ding-Tang did not question further and simply nodded in agreement, "Yes, sir!"
Without considering other factors, the actions of the various departments appeared to be routine administrative matters. Therefore, as long as there were no significant negative impacts, Sir Michael indeed could not interfere.
After all, the appointments and dismissals of department heads were under London's purview. His main role was to offer recommendations and supervise.
If the actions taken to help the Yi He consortium were carried out by the department heads themselves, he could only turn a blind eye. If they were done by deputy officials or lower-level employees within the departments, he would find it even more difficult to intervene, as it would be too intrusive. It was best handled within the departments.
To put it bluntly, as the Governor, his job at this moment was essentially to clean up after others.
Unless he had a valid reason to intervene, he had to tread carefully.
"Go now, it's getting late. Get some rest!"
Sir Michael said淡淡.
"Alright, Your Excellency. Please rest well too!"
Luke Ding-Tang replied and left.
After Luke Ding-Tang had closed the door behind him, Sir Michael interlaced his fingers and continued deep in thought. After a long time, he murmured to himself, "Yi He consortium… Jiu Ding Group… hmm…"
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"Hello, Mr. Dawson, this is Xia Yu. Good evening!"
"...Yes, there's good news. The Evergreen No.1 Fund's return rate has reached 8%... By the way, the Business Registration Office sent an enforcement team to my company today. Do you know about this?"
"...Alright, thank you. The fund needs a good environment to operate normally. Being constantly disrupted is problematic..."
After hanging up the phone, Xia Yu wore a faint smile, clearly in a good mood.
This was the fifth person he had contacted, all high-ranking investors.
Though Xia Yu's hints were somewhat obscure, these people were sharp and quickly understood his meaning. Those who were aware of the situation provided the information, while those who were not promised to help Xia Yu resolve the issue.
Xia Yu trusted their promises. With the connections established through the interest chain, they would be willing to assist, as long as it delayed things for a few days.
Of course, if the issues could be resolved directly, that would be even better!
"Keswick family, hehe, you have your strategies, and I have my own means. It's not just you who have connections..."
With a cold laugh, Xia Yu continued making calls.
Only by personally making calls could he ensure things were resolved more effectively.
每周推薦票狀態
-- 推薦票
榜單 
-- 推薦票