Chapter 295 Perhaps We Should Try to Acquire the Competitor
The interview lasted only twenty minutes.
The two reporters wanted to ask more, but Lin Haoran declined politely, saying he had many matters to handle.
Even so, the two reporters left satisfied—they had gained substantial material.
They could already imagine the buzz that would result once their interview became an article.
After all, there were always plenty of people who loved excitement.
Although Lin Haoran hadn't directly mentioned DHL in the interview, every word seemed subtly aimed at them.
After the reporters left, Bill Stevens said worriedly,
"Mr. Lin, you revealed all our plans. Will we still be able to smoothly enter the West German market?"
"Mr. Stevens, you don't seriously plan to burn money in West Germany, do you?
Our goal is not to actually spend heavily but to pressure DHL into negotiating peace and halting their price war in Britain.
We've already regained market share here—our next move should be to focus on making money, not burning it.
West Germany is an important market, but it's DHL's home turf.
Competing head-on with them there would be extremely difficult.
The reason for proposing expansion into West Germany is mainly to irritate DHL," Lin Haoran explained, half amused at Stevens' literal-mindedness.
That day, although Supplee's stock price continued to rise, the gains were slower than the day before.
By closing time, the company's market cap had reached about £110 million.
"Haoran, your methods are truly impressive!
In just a few days, you've doubled the company's stock value!" President Liu said admiringly.
Lin Haoran had invested a total of £27.8 million in Supplee.
At current market prices, his investment had already doubled in value.
But to Lin Haoran, this was just a number.
Unless he sold, the gains were theoretical.
"This isn't my doing; it's just market behavior.
I didn't interfere with it," Lin Haoran said with a smile.
"I'm tempted to sell my shares now," President Liu joked.
"But thinking of what you said, I'll hold on.
I hope Supplee really does become a global logistics giant!"
President Liu still held 8% of Supplee's shares.
Given the current trading activity, selling wouldn't be hard.
And he was pleased that bringing Lin Haoran into the company had paid off so handsomely.
"Tomorrow, The Times will publish the interview.
The stock might rise another wave.
If you want to sell, that would be a good time.
Nobody knows the future—there's no guarantee Supplee will become a true giant," Lin Haoran said thoughtfully.
He was also doing President Liu a favor.
Given Liu's influence in the Chinese business community, maintaining goodwill could be very beneficial later.
"You're making it hard for me to decide," President Liu said with a wry smile.
"Think it over carefully.
I already hold 49.9% and have no intention of acquiring more.
Whatever you decide about your shares is up to you," Lin Haoran said casually.
In Hong Kong, many securities laws were modeled on British ones.
Thus, if Lin Haoran's stake exceeded 50%, he would be required to make a full acquisition offer—which he did not intend.
Owning 49.9% was enough.
Another day passed.
Early in the morning, Lin Haoran woke up in his hotel suite.
As usual, the hotel staff delivered his breakfast and newspapers to the living room.
Lin Haoran had grown used to this daily rhythm, though he missed Guo Xiaohan's company a bit.
For half a month, she had lived in the suite with him—though in separate bedrooms.
Her absence left the place feeling somewhat empty.
After dressing, Lin Haoran sat in the living room, enjoying his breakfast while reading the newspaper.
In his hands was today's edition of The Times.
As expected, The Times had given his interview prominent coverage.
Lin Haoran read the article carefully.
He was surprised to find the report even more dramatic than he anticipated.
The paper subtly steered readers to associate him directly against DHL.
The headline was striking:
"Business Competition Escalates: Lin Haoran Declares War on DHL!"
"These media people are really something," Lin Haoran muttered.
Still, it was within acceptable bounds.
He was curious to see how DHL would react.
At the same time, in a towering 40-plus-story building near London's financial district, a meeting was underway.
In a conference room, a dozen executives had gathered.
Seated at the head was none other than a major figure from Squid Capital—the financial powerhouse behind DHL.
Squid Capital controlled several major European enterprises and ranked among the top wealth holders on the continent.
They were DHL's largest shareholder and had fueled its rapid international expansion.
Their ambition was clear:
to extend DHL's reach worldwide—Britain included.
Following the Supplee news, senior Squid Capital executives had rushed to London.
They had already sunk tens of millions of pounds into the UK market and were unwilling to retreat easily.
However, watching their hard-won market share slip away was frustrating.
Clearly, continuing the price war was no longer sustainable.
Compared to Supplee, DHL's market cap was much larger—already exceeding £500 million after just a decade of rapid growth.
DHL's globalization was far ahead, and its revenues were several times that of Supplee's.
"Everyone has seen the newspaper, right?"
"We're facing a full declaration of war from Lin Haoran!"
"This young man's financial strength is on par with ours.
Continuing to fight will only hurt both sides.
What do you propose?" asked the Squid Capital representative, surveying the room.
"Mr. Altair, I think we should negotiate with Supplee," said a senior DHL executive.
"We don't want mutual destruction—and I'm sure they don't either."
"Indeed.
We've already gained ground in the UK over the past six months.
Even if Supplee reclaims some market share, several local competitors have collapsed, and we've absorbed their customers," another executive added.
"I say we should eliminate Lin Haoran—kill him and end the threat!" one extremist suggested.
"Do you think that's easy?" another senior officer retorted.
"I've already investigated him.
He travels with two personal bodyguards and has a government-assigned armed driver for protection.
Their hotel's security is also top-notch.
He rarely appears in public without heavy protection."
"Besides, launching a violent attack would bring terrible consequences," someone added.
Discussions continued.
The Times' article had forced them to seriously reconsider their strategy.
When Squid Capital had first entered the UK, their goal was simple:
Overtake Supplee and become the number two logistics player after Royal Mail.
Everything had been progressing smoothly—until Lin Haoran's intervention.
"Mr. Altair, everyone," one senior manager said,
"I have a suggestion:
Why not try acquiring Supplee instead?
Their market cap is not cheap, but it's justified.
They have loyal customers who stuck with them even during our price war.
Supplee's foundations in the UK are solid.
Before, their share structure made acquisition difficult.
But now, Lin Haoran owns 49.9%.
If we can persuade him to sell, we can still achieve our goal."
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