People in Hong Kong create super chaebols

Su Cheng's understanding of the Zhang family was not in-depth, and was limited to those slightly strange reports he read in the newspapers.

Two years ago, a sensational lawsuit involving the Zhang family made this name appear frequently in the public eye and became a topic of conversation after dinner.

One of the protagonists of this lawsuit is Zhang Yulong's sister-in-law, who accused Zhang Yulong of monopolizing the control of most of the family's properties and put forward several core demands:
First, they demanded a thorough inventory of all Zhang family assets to ensure that Zhang Yulong did not hide or embezzle any assets;

Secondly, she insisted that the Zhang family's assets should belong to all family members, including her son-in-law, and every family member should have a share;
Finally, she advocated that all property should be divided equally among the four families.

However, this battle of family feuds ended with Zhang Yulong's victory, and his sister-in-law's appeal was not supported.

This lawsuit not only had a tortuous plot, involving complex family relationships and huge property disputes, but also revealed the unknown secrets and contradictions within the wealthy family. Therefore, it caused a huge sensation in the Hong Kong area, and even Su Cheng knew a thing or two about it.

The Zhang Yulong family is well-known in Hong Kong for its unique family characteristics, the most prominent of which are "living together and sharing property" and "strict family rules".

The so-called living together and sharing property means that family members will never separate, share property, and advance and retreat together. This concept goes beyond the scope of traditional family economic management and is for the family's high spirit of unity and cooperation.

Throughout history, there have been many families that have adopted similar strategies when they were first established or in trouble in order to pool their strength and overcome difficulties together. However, as the family's power grew, members often began to pursue their own interests and space, private property gradually arose, and separation and independence became the norm.

However, Zhang Yulong's family did the opposite. They not only regarded "living together and sharing wealth" as the cornerstone of the family's long-term development, but also pushed it to the extreme.

Without exception, all family members must work in the company, live under the same roof, and share consumption equally, completely eliminating the concept of private money and ensuring absolute fairness and transparency within the family.

In the Zhang family, fairness is not only reflected in the economic level, but also permeates every aspect of life.

The sons all wore uniform clothing, and although the daughters-in-law wore different clothes, they all followed the same value standards, demonstrating the equal treatment and respect within the family.

In addition, family members are strictly prohibited from dining out except for necessary business activities. This regulation not only strengthens the close ties between family members, but also reflects the adherence to family traditions and rules.

Family members also need to exercise restraint when faced with the occasional craving for home-cooked meals, because the strictness of family rules and the reality of selfless house money make any thought of dining out a thing of the past.

This seemingly harsh regulation is actually a profound reflection of family cohesion and values, making the Zhang Yulong family a unique and eye-catching presence in Hong Kong and even the wider region.

The Zhang family has more than 120 house rules, which are numerous and strict, especially the regulations for daughters-in-law, which are very detailed.

For example, it is stipulated that daughters-in-law cannot come home late because their husbands are away; they cannot play or stay overnight at other people’s homes except for their immediate family members;

Every morning, you must greet your mother-in-law and participate in rituals such as worshiping Buddha and chanting scriptures together.

These family rules were carefully framed and hung above the ancestral hall on the first floor of the ancestral house, becoming the code of conduct that must be followed by all family members.

It is worth noting that these family rules were not inherited from their ancestors, but were jointly discussed and formulated by the Zhang brothers, especially the eldest brother Zhang Yujie and his mother Guo Geng.

The ancestral house they live in was built by themselves after 1949 when they purchased land in Hong Kong. It was originally a two-story bungalow, but was destroyed by a short-circuit fire in 1952.

In order to continue the tradition of family cohabitation, Zhang Yujie spent millions to rebuild it into a five-story copper-structured building. Every detail demonstrates his long-term planning and ingenuity.

At that time, a huge sum of money of millions was rare, which shows how much the Zhang family valued family inheritance.

This ancestral home is not only grand in scale, but also carries the history and memory of the Zhang family.

During its heyday, more than 30 family members lived here, maintaining a lifestyle of living together and sharing their wealth.

However, this harmonious coexistence was challenged by the death of Mrs. Zhang in 1977.

As the spiritual pillar of the family, the old lady's death has made the family's future full of uncertainty.

As expected, with the passing of the old lady, the balance within the family was gradually broken, and the model of cohabitation and sharing of property became unsustainable.

This change eventually led to disputes and lawsuits within the family, and the root of all this can be traced back to the ancestral home that witnessed the rise and fall of the Zhang family.

Zhang Yulong eventually won the lawsuit and took over most of the Zhang family's property.

Just like the shares of Wheelock Group controlled by the Zhang family, on the surface they are managed by the Zhang family, but in fact they have long become Zhang Yulong's private property, so he has the final say.

After taking over most of the Zhang family's property, Zhang Yulong had already thought about leaving Hong Kong with his wife and children.

In recent years, I have been looking for a way out in Australia.

Su Cheng brought Zhang Yulong and soon arrived at the Xiyuelai Restaurant.

Afterwards, he asked the restaurant manager to arrange a private room for him, and provided tea sets, tea leaves, and snacks in the room, and then the two began to chat.

"Mr. Zhang, I wonder why you are looking for me?" Su Cheng was indeed a little curious.

He and Zhang Yulong met for the first time today, and there had been no communication between them before.

Even when Su Cheng entered the board of directors of Wheelock Group last time, the representative of the Zhang family was just one of Zhang Yulong's subordinates. He did not come in person. At that time, Zhang Yulong should still be in Australia.

"Mr. Su, I wonder if you are interested in the shares of Hutchison Whampoa Group that I have?" Zhang Yulong did not intend to beat around the bush and directly expressed his thoughts.

Zhang Yulong holds a 23.5% controlling stake in Wheelock Group, which is even higher than John Madden's.

It’s just that the Zhang family has never interfered in the management of the Wheelock Group.

Originally, Su Cheng did not have as many shares as Zhang Yulong, but over the past year or so, he had Tianyuan Investment Company gradually absorb the shares of Wheelock Group, and now his shareholding has exceeded 25%, making him naturally the largest shareholder.

Now, Wheelock Group's profits have plummeted for two consecutive years, and Wheelock Shipping has suffered heavy losses. Zhang Yulong finally couldn't bear it anymore and convened this board meeting.

However, it is obvious that the board meeting is of little use, and even if John Madden is attacked, it will be of no use.

Therefore, Zhang Yulong, who had originally thought of withdrawing from Hong Kong, had this idea after seeing the meeting end.

Everyone in the world knows that the wealth that Su Cheng possesses is difficult to estimate, and the flow of funds on hand is even more terrifying.

Now, Wheelock is in such a situation, it may not be possible to sell it to other buyers, but it may be possible to sell it to Su Cheng. After all, Su Cheng cannot become a shareholder of Wheelock Group for no reason. Although he does not care about Wheelock Group on the surface, he may secretly covet the controlling rights of Wheelock Group.

And now that he is selling the shares of Henderson Land Development held by the Zhang family to Su Cheng, it is obvious that Su Cheng is very likely to want them.

In another world, the Zhang family would have sold their shares to Bao Yugang in 1984, thus completely withdrawing from Hong Kong and taking their families to immigrate to Australia.

However, it is obvious that in this world, many things in Hong Kong have been changed by Su Cheng unknowingly.

For example, he is now the major shareholder of Wheelock Group.

Therefore, it is understandable that Zhang Yulong wants to sell his shares in advance.

After all, at the board meeting, it was obvious that the Zhang family and John Madden were no longer in harmony, and it would be difficult for them to continue cooperating as before.

Therefore, Zhang Yulong believed that it was most appropriate to sell the shares of Wheelock Group and leave Hong Kong with the funds at this time.

Looking at Zhang Yulong's expectant eyes, Su Cheng thought for a while, then said: "Mr. Zhang, you also know that the current situation of Wheelock Group is not good and it is suffering heavy losses. If I buy your shares, I will definitely control the Wheelock Group, so most of the debt will be borne by me. I wonder what price you will offer? If the price is right, I can accept it." Su Cheng directly threw the question back to Zhang Yulong.

It depends on the price you offer. If the price is right, I will buy it. If the price is not right, then the deal will definitely not be reached.

Of course, Su Cheng just said this, he had already decided in his heart to buy Zhang Yulong's shares.

After taking over Zhang Yulong's shares, John Madden's shares are no longer enough. Su Cheng's shares completely surpass John Madden.

At this time, John Madden naturally had no choice but to step down.

There is no point in not stepping down. Su Cheng owns so many shares that he can directly force John Madden out of office through a board meeting and become the chairman of the Wheelock Group.

Wheelock Group was one of the original four major British trading companies, and its value is not inferior to Hutchison Whampoa.

Therefore, Su Cheng is naturally willing to take over this British bank.

In this way, his strength in Hong Kong will be further enhanced.

Although the performance of Wheelock Group was not good due to Wheelock Shipping Company, the share price of Wheelock Group has already risen a lot in recent years. Compared with the time when Wheelock Group's shares were acquired from Hutchison Whampoa, the current share price of Wheelock Group has more than doubled.

It's not just the Wheelock Group, in fact, most of the listed companies in Hong Kong are like this.

Those that perform well can increase several times.

"HK$10 billion. If Mr. Su is willing to pay HK$10 billion, I will sell all of my 23.5% shares to you." Zhang Yulong thought for a long time and finally offered a very fair price.

Currently, the market value of Wheelock Group is around HK$50 billion, but the trading volume is not large, so the stock price is a bit inflated.

Zhang Yulong's bid of HK$10 billion is actually equivalent to putting the total market value of Wheelock Properties Group at around HK$42.5 billion.

So, he did give in.

"Mr. Zhang, how about 8 million Hong Kong dollars? You also know that after I take your shares, I will have to keep finding ways to pay off the debts of Wheelock Shipping. The price to be paid at that time will not be small. Now the stock trading volume of Wheelock Group is not active. Mr. Zhang obviously wants to sell it through the stock market, which is not feasible. And now there is a real estate crisis, and many companies are struggling to survive. Even Swire Properties would have almost fallen into a major crisis if I hadn't acquired it." Su Cheng said with a smile.

Although he doesn't care about HK$2 million, he might as well save it.

Zhang Yulong is not familiar with him, so there is no need to give him face.

Why not save HK$2 million?

"Mr. Su, the price of HK$10 billion I offered is already very sincere. If it was this price a year ago, those Chinese and British entrepreneurs would have scrambled to get my shares. But the importance of being able to compete with John Madden for the controlling stake in the Wheelock Group is obvious." Zhang Yulong said unwillingly.

After all, 2 million Hong Kong dollars may not be a big deal for Suzhou City, but for Zhang Yulong, it is a huge sum of money.

Su Cheng drank a cup of hot tea, ate a snack, and sat in a chair to think.

"Mr. Zhang, let's put it this way. We each make a concession. I will pay HK$9 million to buy your shares. After all, I am also taking a big risk. Although I can take over the Wheelock Group, I will face various difficulties after taking over. If Mr. Zhang is reluctant to give up even this HK$1 million, then our deal may be impossible. I believe that in the whole of Hong Kong, except me, no one should be willing to take out such a huge amount of money to make this deal at this time." Su Cheng said directly.

Since we can't save HK$2 million, then saving HK$1 million will do.

"Mr. Su, let me think about it." Zhang Yulong did not rush to answer, but said so.

"Of course, please take your time to think about it." Su Cheng said with a smile.

Then, he concentrated on eating his snacks.

The dim sum made by Xiyuelai Restaurant is indeed delicious. Every time Su Cheng comes to Xiyuelai Restaurant, he will order some of his favorite dim sum and then slowly drink tea. How comfortable it is.

Zhang Yulong frowned and didn't eat anything.

At this moment, he naturally had no appetite.

He was considering whether it was worth selling his Hutchison Whampoa shares for HK$9 million.

Now, this year, Hong Kong's stock market is not as good as it was in the previous two years.

It can even be said that, like an electrocardiogram, it rises and falls, and there is no idea what its future will be like.

Therefore, Zhang Yulong is also worried that the stock price will fall back to the level of two years ago in the future. If that happens, it would be good if he could sell the shares he holds for HK$500 million or HK$600 million, let alone HK$900 million.

Su Cheng was eating attentively. He didn't know how long it had been, maybe five minutes, or maybe ten minutes. Finally, Zhang Yulong spoke.

"Mr. Lin, I agree. HK$900 million, deal!" Zhang Yulong took a deep breath and finally said this.

When he said this, the stone in his heart seemed to be pushed away, and he felt extremely relieved. (End of this chapter)