“Yes, we absolutely cannot accept this condition!” Henry Keswick also stood up and directly expressed his opposition.

If the Keswick family could regain control of Jardine Matheson, then their family would naturally occupy the largest share in the distribution of interests in Jardine Matheson.

After all, as the new person in charge, there are both benefits and risks. When they make more money, their family will naturally get more.

But at the same time, if Jardine Matheson suffers losses, their family will suffer the most serious losses.

In short, the losses of Jardine Matheson were directly linked to the losses of the Keswick family. The greater the losses of Jardine Matheson, the greater the losses of their family.

This is all solid money!

As for the claim that it is impossible to give an explanation to the majority of shareholders, it is just an excuse.

According to the current shareholding structure of Jardine Matheson, the shares held by Hong Kong Land Group and Lin Haoran have reached 49.1%. Together with the nearly 40% of shares held by the British consortium, if the British consortium also agrees, then nearly 90% of the shares will support this equity swap plan, and retail investors will have no right to object at all.

Just like when Huifeng Bank sold its shares in Hutchison Whampoa to Li Ka-shing at a very low cost, they did not obtain the consent of the shareholders at all.

Loss of shareholders’ interests? In the face of absolute control, shareholders have no right to object!
As Henry Keswick finished his speech, British shareholders of Jardine Matheson stood up one after another and expressed their firm disagreement with the decision.

Even Shen Bi was among them. As one of the important shareholders of Jardine Matheson, Huifeng Bank would naturally oppose the matter as it involved the interests of Huifeng Bank.

After all, Huifeng Bank holds 6% of Jardine Matheson’s shares. If the loss of HK$5 million is used as dividends, it would be equivalent to a loss of HK$ million for Huifeng Bank.

One after another, people came out to express their opposition.

James Rothschild did not say anything, but just sat at the conference table and watched the confrontation between Lin Haoran and the British financial group.

After all, he is not a shareholder of Jardine Matheson now, so he has no say at all and it is useless for him to speak.

At this time, Lin Haoran, who had been silent, also stood up.

Everyone’s eyes were immediately focused on him, wanting to see whether he would admit defeat when all the British financial groups opposed it.

However, they were destined to be disappointed.

Lin Haoran smiled and glanced at everyone present with a hint of sarcasm, and said, “Everyone, my assistant Mr. Huo Jianning has just made it very clear that the prerequisite for the negotiation is that you must accept this premise plan, otherwise there is no point in talking.

You should think clearly. At present, the controlling rights of Jardine Matheson & Co. are in my hands. I am willing to negotiate in the hope of seeing corresponding benefits in return. If you are not willing to give up even this little benefit, what is the point of continuing the talks?

It would be better if we each go our separate ways and return home. After all, I have no intention of selling the controlling stake in Jardine Matheson. If it were not for the consideration of Prince Charles, the royal family and all of you present here, I would not have given you the opportunity to negotiate.

If you think that my business is equivalent to charity, or if you think that so many of you want to bully me and that I am easy to bully, then there is really no need for us to continue talking.

From now on, Jardine Matheson will still be controlled by me, and you can just be shareholders with peace of mind. Isn’t that a good thing?
I believe that under my management, Jardine Matheson will surely prosper. When the company makes a profit, everyone will get a piece of the pie. Why not? “

Even if we face this group of British bigwigs, so what? Do they want to use their numbers to bully the minority?
As his wealth and strength increased, Lin Haoran became more and more confident.

Lin Haoran is so tough, and his meaning is very clear: either you agree to the preconditions, or there is no need to talk further.

To be honest, if it were in the past, even when facing big shots like Niu Bijian and Shen Bi, he couldn’t help but feel a little panicked.

And now, even if all the British financial groups present united to exclude him, Lin Haoran was not afraid at all.

Even if the Rothschild family intervenes, so what?

Of course, he didn’t want to have such a tense relationship with this group of people, and the premise was that the negotiations between the two sides had to be fair and just.

Since these people want to force him to give up Jardine Matheson, it is normal to give some compensation appropriately! Seeing Lin Haoran’s firm attitude, the faces of the British financial group leaders at the scene showed displeasure. Huo Jianning understood that he needed to stand up at this time, ease the atmosphere with a more rational attitude, and guide both parties back to the right track of negotiations.

He stood up slowly, smiling, and said in a calm and sincere tone: “Dear Jardine shareholders, I fully understand your position and concerns. Although Mr. Lin’s words are direct, they do point out the basis of the negotiation, that is, both parties must show sincerity and expect corresponding returns.

Everyone present here is a big shot in the business world, and naturally understands that any successful transaction is based on mutual benefit and win-win results.”

Huo Jianning paused, looked around, and continued: “Let’s think about it from another angle. Jardine Matheson is a company with a long history and far-reaching influence. Although the market value of Jardine Matheson seems to be lower than that of Hong Kong Land, its actual value is very clear to everyone. It is a company whose market value is completely underestimated.

Otherwise, you would not have attached so much importance to Jardine Matheson. Even though Mr. Lin Haoran already controlled the controlling stake in Jardine Matheson, you still tried various means to take back Jardine Matheson. The actual value of Jardine Matheson is not inferior to that of the Hutchison Whampoa Group.

I believe that all the business leaders present here agree with this, so the proposal we put forward is not an excessive request, don’t you think? “

He paused, observing the reactions of the shareholders present, and continued, “In order to take over Jardine Matheson, Mr. Lin has been planning for a long time. This is all normal business behavior, so he has paid a lot for it. If he just gives up Jardine Matheson, do you think our boss will be willing?

No matter who it is, I believe that no one would be willing to accept this. If you were any of you here, you would also be unwilling to accept this situation! Therefore, a fair and reasonable plan is the key for both parties to reach a consensus.

I believe that through careful negotiations, we will be able to find a solution that will both guarantee Mr. Lin’s return on investment and maximize the interests of all shareholders.”

Huo Jianning changed the subject and said in a gentler tone, “Of course, it is difficult for you to make such a major decision in a short period of time. It is normal to oppose it. It does require everyone to take some time to consider and decide. Our boss has already told you all about this prerequisite.

Whether you continue the discussion or give up Jardine Matheson, it all depends on you. You may wish to have an in-depth discussion among yourselves first and consider your respective bottom lines and expectations. “

He looked at Lin Haoran, and the two exchanged a subtle look. Lin Haoran nodded slightly, expressing his satisfaction with Huo Jianning’s answer.

Then Huo Jianning continued: “Mr. Lin has shown his sincerity and patience. He is willing to wait until you can find a solution that satisfies all parties concerned, so I urge you not to rush to make a decision to oppose it.

If you really want a controlling stake in Jardine Matheson, you should show your sincerity. Otherwise, you should understand that there is no point in continuing the talks.

Jardine Matheson is a very promising enterprise. Our boss told me yesterday that he really couldn’t bear to give up Jardine Matheson. If it weren’t for the face of people like you, he would not have given it up no matter how much money you offered.

Compared with short-term interests, Mr. Lin cares more about long-term interests, and the future of Jardine Matheson is obviously a very promising giant enterprise in Hong Kong. It is really unfair to ask him to give up just like that.

Therefore, I suggest that you discuss internally and consider whether to continue to take back the controlling stake of Jardine Matheson instead of considering the short-term interests. The business world is full of variables, but what remains unchanged is everyone’s pursuit of success and respect for cooperation. “

Compared with Lin Haoran’s direct and tough words, Huo Jianning’s words seemed softer and more rational, like a breeze blowing by, gradually easing the originally tense atmosphere in the meeting room.

The expressions of many shareholders began to relax, as if they were reassessing the situation and considering whether it was necessary to reject it so hastily.

All the shareholders of the British consortium look at each other.

At this time, Mr. James Rothschild, the representative of the Rothschild family, also spoke up: “What Mr. Huo said makes sense. Since Mr. Lin is so determined, we might as well find another time to talk to Mr. Lin. Before that, we should discuss it and make a decision. Otherwise, there is really no point in continuing the discussion!”

James Rothschild’s words were tacitly agreed by all the British shareholders present.

Henry Keswick nodded and said, “In that case, let’s end our negotiation with Mr. Lin today here!”

“In that case, we’ll go back first. You guys can discuss it slowly, Mr. Henry. You can inform me at any time when you have made a decision. Of course, I actually hope that you can give up Jardine Matheson. I really can’t bear to give up Jardine Matheson just like that! Goodbye, everyone!” Lin Haoran stood up, and after he finished speaking, he left with Huo Jianning.

A group of bigwigs from the British financial group stayed behind to continue discussing the matter.

Since their interests are at stake, the result of their discussion will definitely not come out so quickly.

It depends on whether they choose to sacrifice some of their interests to regain the Jardine Matheson Group and continue negotiations, or completely give up the controlling rights of Jardine Matheson Group. (End of this chapter)