Chapter 467 Cutting the Ground from Under Their Feet
Through Simon Keswick's attempt to sell Jardines Securities, both Lin Haoran and Ma Shimin had clearly realized that Jardines Matheson was planning a complete withdrawal from the Hong Kong market.
The once-mighty king of the trading houses was about to bow off the stage of Hong Kong's history—a thought that inevitably stirred mixed emotions.
Seeing that Lin Haoran was unwilling to say more, Ma Shimin wisely refrained from asking further.
"By the way, how's the office occupancy rate at Connaught Centre? Do you have the latest data? Let me take a look," Lin Haoran asked after a moment's thought.
"Boss, I only have data up until the end of last year.
For the most up-to-date numbers, we'd need to check with the property management department," Ma Shimin replied.
"Alright, let me see last year's data first," Lin Haoran nodded.
Ma Shimin quickly pulled a folder from the bookshelf behind him and handed it over.
Flipping through it rapidly, Lin Haoran soon grasped the general situation at Connaught Centre.
Connaught Centre had relatively few floors used for internal purposes.
Jardines Matheson and its subsidiaries occupied about a dozen floors, while the rest were leased out.
After all, Jardines Property Group's main business was real estate, and most of its employees were scattered across Hong Kong's various regions, not centralized at headquarters.
As the tallest building in Hong Kong for a time (now the second tallest), Connaught Centre was undeniably a landmark, one of the most dazzling icons in Central.
Many overseas institutions, branch offices, and regional headquarters had set up shop there.
A 98% occupancy rate?
Lin Haoran was genuinely surprised.
This was much higher than he had anticipated.
With 52 floors in total, 98% occupancy meant almost 51 floors were fully utilized.
Vacant office space added up to just about one floor's worth.
"I was thinking of relocating Huanyu Investment's office here, but it seems there isn't enough room," Lin Haoran said, closing the folder with a slight frown.
"Boss, you want to move Huanyu Investment here?" Ma Shimin asked curiously, a faint smile on his face.
"Yes.
I used to go to Man Cheong Building often, which is why Huanyu Investment was set up there.
But now that I spend most of my time at Connaught Centre, it would be more convenient to have them here too," Lin Haoran replied.
After all, Jardines Property Group was now Lin Haoran's highest-valued company, and he naturally gravitated toward its headquarters.
Meanwhile, his visits to Man Cheong Building had become less and less frequent.
This was simply human nature—focus and attention always followed what mattered most, especially for someone like Lin Haoran who was managing a vast business empire.
"Boss, as far as I know, Huanyu Investment isn't that large yet.
And coincidentally, a company just vacated the 37th floor—should be enough space for them.
You don't think it's big enough?" Ma Shimin asked, puzzled.
"That's right.
Huanyu Investment used to be a small-scale investment firm.
But now I see the potential for it to leap forward.
I expect the employee count to exceed a thousand in the near future.
In that case, that little space definitely won't be enough," Lin Haoran said with a smile.
Ma Shimin, sharp as ever, immediately caught on.
"Boss, are you planning to recruit Jardines Securities' staff?" he asked, his eyes gleaming with curiosity.
"Exactly.
I didn't expect you to catch on so quickly!" Lin Haoran laughed.
"In fact, while you were away in the U.S., I had already discussed this with Huanyu's President Dai.
He was in favor but wanted to wait for your return before making a final decision.
Truthfully, if Huanyu Investment moves in here, we have more than enough space.
Jardines Property Group and its subsidiaries only occupy 16 floors.
We even have two to three floors set aside as reserve offices," Ma Shimin continued.
Huanyu Investment had proven itself during the Hong Kong Telephone Company acquisition, showcasing impressive stock market maneuvering skills—even someone as experienced as Ma Shimin was amazed.
Thus, he had already thought about relocating Huanyu Investment to Connaught Centre for greater synergy.
Moreover, on paper, Huanyu Investment was technically the parent company of Jardines Property Group—it was through Huanyu that Lin Haoran had completed the acquisition.
Yet Su Zhixue and Dai Shi held no management authority over Jardines Property Group's day-to-day operations.
"Originally, I thought about personally contacting Jardines Securities' top people, using this opportunity to poach as many as possible.
But thinking it through, you, Mr. Ma, as a former high-ranking executive of Jardines Matheson, are much better suited for this task," Lin Haoran said, smiling.
"Since Jardines Matheson intends to sell Jardines Securities, we'll strike at the root—cut them off at the knees by poaching their talent.
Offer them better terms.
Once their team is gutted, selling their shares will become much harder.
Mr. Ma, do you think you can handle this?" he asked.
Lin Haoran knew most Jardines Securities executives were probably still in the dark.
If they found out Jardines Matheson intended to abandon them, would they stay loyal?
Lin Haoran doubted it.
Without Jardines Matheson's backing, Jardines Securities' resources would dwindle, performance would crash, and if a weak new owner took over, the firm would spiral down quickly.
Meanwhile, Lin Haoran's influence in Hong Kong had already surpassed that of Jardines Matheson.
For those professionals, joining Lin Haoran promised higher salaries and better career prospects.
Thus, Lin Haoran was confident he could win them over.
Jardines Securities' true value lay in its people.
Without them, the firm would collapse overnight.
Its so-called 1.5 billion HKD valuation?
It might not even be worth 150 million after the team walked out.
As for the firm's brand reputation—
Lin Haoran understood that without a strong team, that reputation would wither away.
Previously, Lin Haoran could never have challenged Jardines Matheson head-on.
But now, with Simon Keswick offering him the perfect opening, how could he waste it?
"Boss, isn't this a little too brutal?
If we succeed in poaching them, Jardines Matheson will suffer even more.
They already had to pay 500 million HKD in fines.
If Jardines Securities collapses, their total losses will easily exceed a billion!" Ma Shimin exclaimed.
"Mr. Ma, they picked this fight.
They tried to make me the scapegoat for the real estate collapse.
Since they struck first, we won't show any mercy," Lin Haoran said coldly.
"They thought I would foolishly buy Jardines Securities and bail them out.
Instead, we'll make them realize that selling isn't so easy."
"Talent is the true core of any modern company.
Without it, a flashy brand is just an empty shell."
Standing up, Lin Haoran walked to the window, gazing at the vibrant Hong Kong skyline.
"Huanyu Investment must use this opportunity to rise.
I want it to become a leader not only in Hong Kong but across Asia."
"Mr. Ma, you're critical to this operation.
Not only must you succeed in recruiting these talents, but you must also ensure they integrate smoothly and maximize their value.
When all is done, I plan to bring Huanyu Investment's Hong Kong operations under Jardines Property Group's management."
After all, both Huanyu Investment and Jardines Property Group were his private companies.
Formally moving them around was a mere technicality.
Su Zhixue and Dai Shi lacked the capability to manage such a massive enterprise.
They had never been given any real authority beyond their titles.
Ma Shimin was different—a genuine top-tier manager with a loyalty rating of over 90%.
Lin Haoran could entrust him with real power.
After finishing his speech, Lin Haoran turned to Ma Shimin, awaiting his response.
"Boss, although this operation is ruthless—and even though I used to work for Jardines Matheson—
I assure you, my past affiliations will not hinder me.
In fact, they will help me understand Jardines Securities better and ensure we succeed," Ma Shimin said firmly.
Lin Haoran nodded in satisfaction, admiring Ma Shimin's decisiveness and loyalty.
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