Chapter 395 Catching a turtle in a urn
"Boom!"

"Damn British devils!"

"Damn you Jew!"

"Crash!"

"enough!"

An old lady in cheongsam, with a head full of silver hair, each strand clearly visible, came to Li Mingze's study tremblingly, supported by a middle-aged woman.

The old lady raised her eyebrows, her eyes shone coldly, and she looked at her eldest son in the study. Then her eyes softened and she said in a gentle tone: "Mingze, business is like a battlefield. Victory and defeat are common in the military."

Li Mingze looked like he was still hungover, his hair was messy, his eyes were bloodshot, his cheeks were sunken, and his suit was covered with wine stains and holes burnt by cigars.

He saw his eldest mother come in, sit down weakly on the chair, and pull her hair with her hands in pain.

This old lady was none other than Li Hiu-shin’s first wife, Huang Lan-fong, who was the principal wife according to Hong Kong’s feudal tradition.

Huang Lanfang is not Li Mingze's biological mother. Instead, Li Mingze's biological mother is a concubine. However, Li Mingze is Li Hiu-shen's eldest son.

When Lee Hi-sin was shot dead on Persia Street in Central, it was the old lady Huang Lan-fong who stepped forward and gave the position of the head of the Lee family to Lee Ming-ze, thus ensuring that the Lee family did not split.

The wealth of the entire Li family did not gradually disappear among the people as the family was divided.

Many of Hong Kong's old families have been able to maintain their huge wealth by not splitting up. For example, the Zhang Yuliang family also remains together and lives together.

Once these wealthy families in Hong Kong split up, their wealth would soon be scattered. For example, the Ho Tung family, the first family in Hong Kong, was known as the first Chinese knight to live on the Peak.

So even though Li Mingze is already 70 years old, he still respects the old lady very much.

"Alas," the old lady Huang Lanfang gently patted the middle-aged woman beside her, tremblingly walked to Li Mingze, reached out and touched his hair, and slowly said: "Back then, your father was assassinated in Central, and our Li family immediately became meat on the chopping board."

“How many people in Hong Kong want to have a bite?”

"Whether it's the British or the Portuguese, or the Chinese who previously cooperated with him in selling opium, didn't we survive it?"

"Although our Li family lost a few streets of land in Causeway Bay and 3 or 4 commercial buildings." When Huang Lanfang said this, the corners of her mouth twitched a few times, and she relaxed and continued: "But our Li family still has a foundation after all, and we still have 2 streets."

"As long as we develop it slowly and build a commercial building, we can still charge high rent. Besides, the Li family is now the second largest shareholder of the Hong Kong Land Group, and you are also the vice chairman of the Hong Kong Land Group. The annual dividend of the Hong Kong Land Group is still considerable. In the long run, this deal may not necessarily be a loss."

When Niu Bijian of the Hong Kong Land Group mentioned that HSBC would provide the guarantee, Li Mingze immediately changed his attitude.

In Hong Kong, who doesn’t know the status of HSBC?
This is the central bank, guaranteed by HSBC, and will definitely protect the interests of the Li family.

Therefore, after sending Niu Bijian away, Li Mingze immediately convened a family meeting with the four branches of the Li family to discuss whether to add part of the land in Causeway Bay to the Jardine Matheson Group according to the valuation.

Li Mingze also specifically cited Zhang Yuliang's family as an example.

After the Zhang Yuliang family merged Federal Realty into Wheelock, it immediately became the largest shareholder of Wheelock.

Although John Madden is still the boss of Wheelock, no one knows when Zhang Yuliang will take Wheelock into the Zhang family's pocket.

You should know that Wheelock is one of the four largest trading companies in Hong Kong, and its current valuation is as high as 20 billion!

Especially at a time when shipping is so profitable, perhaps the Zhang Yuliang family can earn back the profits from Federal Realty through stock dividends.

Now that the Hong Kong Land Group has come to them, this is also an opportunity for the Li family! Although the Li family is now very rich, they are not as rich as the four major foreign companies in Hong Kong, and even the rising stars cannot compare with them.

Not to mention the Bao family of Media Asia, the Dong family of Orient Overseas, the Fok family of Fok Yip Hing Tang, the current Li Jialian, and the five real estate tigers of Cheung Kong Holdings, Sun Hung Kai Properties, Hang Lung Properties, Hopewell Holdings, and Dah Chong Properties that just went public last year. These families can't catch up.

The Li family's business has been very stable over the past few decades. Just like an old farmer, they have been guarding the Feng Shui treasure land of Causeway Bay, building buildings and collecting rent.

But being stable means no high returns. However, unlike the Hong Kong Land Group, they do not have enough huge funds for development. They always save money or borrow money from banks to build commercial buildings and then continue to collect rent.
The only person who invested in other industries was Huang Lanfang's son, Li Hiu-shin's legitimate son, Li Ho-wo, who joined forces with Mr. Shaw, Hutchison's Qi Dezun and others to obtain the TVB license in Hong Kong and became the chairman of TVB.

But TVB’s current assets are only around 1 million.

But the Li family has four branches. Seeing other people making big money in Hong Kong, it would be a lie to say that the Li family is not envious.

Now that the opportunity has come, what makes them particularly relieved is that HSBC is really willing to come forward to provide a guarantee.

It has been confirmed that Li Mingze specifically visited HSBC's senior manager Sanders.

After just one family meeting, the four branches of the Li family reached a consensus.

Learn from the Zhang Yuliang family, use the estimated value of the land and commercial buildings in Causeway Bay to exchange for shares of the Hong Kong Land Group, become the second largest shareholder of the Hong Kong Land Group after Jardine Matheson, and then choose the right opportunity to replace it.

Afterwards, Li Mingze specially invited HSBC to be responsible for the valuation of land and commercial buildings.

In his opinion, HSBC is definitely on the side of the Li family, and the valuation of the Causeway Bay land is definitely floating upwards.

Finally, the Lee family exchanged 80% of the land they held in Causeway Bay for shares in the Hutchison Whampoa Group, accounting for 21% of the shares, second only to Jardine Matheson.

All the formalities were completed just on April 4st.

But who would have thought that just five months later, the shares of Hong Kong Land Development would be worth almost nothing? The assets of the Li family had shrunk by 5/9.

Of course, if it weren’t for the old lady Huang Lanfang, the 20% of the land in the western part of Causeway Bay owned by the Lee family, including the Lee Theatre, might not have been retained.

The old lady continued to comfort Li Mingze: "Sometimes you have too much money and don't have enough strength. It's a good thing to give up some of it! A blessing in disguise."

"When you are under someone's roof, you have to bow your head. We are in Hong Kong, and we cannot compare to the power of the British."

"Huh." Li Mingze looked up at his grandmother and apologized with a wry smile: "Grandma, I'm sorry to have made you worry!"

"Gui Lan, Grandma is so old, why did you invite her over?"

"Don't blame Guilan. I came here specially after I got the news. I was afraid that the other families would have objections."

Li Mingze was touched and said, "Grandma, thank you! You are still working hard for this family at your age."

"Well, it's not really hard work, I'm just telling you what's in my heart."

"As long as you hold on to Hutchison Whampoa's shares, you will be able to turn things around sooner or later!"

"Yes!"

At this time, a servant came over and said, "Master, Sir Zhou Xinian is here to visit."

(End of this chapter)