Chapter 477: Too Late for Regrets Now!
The group of employees from Jardines Matheson Securities smoothly signed new contracts with Land Corporation. After signing, they officially relinquished their identities as employees of Jardines Matheson Securities. With this, Jardines Matheson Securities was effectively crippled.
Just a few days ago, Jardines Matheson Securities had still been the dominant leader in Hong Kong's securities industry, commanding a vast range of business. Now, over nine hundred of their core employees had left, leaving fewer than a hundred behind. How could such a small group possibly manage the enormous workload left behind?
If Jardines Matheson Securities failed to handle these business obligations, they would inevitably face a flood of accountability claims and even compensation demands.
Today was Saturday, and the former employees who signed with Land Corporation were technically still on their day off. Moreover, they had come secretly, without informing Jardines Matheson Securities. As a result, Jardines Matheson remained unaware of the full extent of what had happened.
Although Jardines Matheson held a press conference to try to minimize the impact, it was ineffective. Reporters, no longer intimidated by the declining giant, fearlessly reported every scandal and speculation without restraint. This weekend's newspapers were packed with juicy reports.
The most shocking revelation was that Hui Fung Bank, one of Jardines Matheson's major shareholders holding 6% of its stock, had made no moves to help the embattled company.
On Sunday, another explosive piece of news hit the streets: a fierce internal struggle had erupted within Jardines Matheson's management. The Keswick family, at the core of the leadership, was seeing its power steadily eroded due to the debacle with Jardines Matheson Securities. Meanwhile, the Rothschild family was reportedly eyeing the situation hungrily, ready to seize control of the company.
Although during Lin Haoran's prior acquisition attempt the Keswick family had managed to barely maintain control by urgently buying up shares, their position was still dangerously precarious.
Of course, these were just rumors circulating in the outside world, and their veracity remained to be seen. Nonetheless, it was clear that the Keswick family was in a deeply troubled state.
Time quickly passed, and January 12th arrived. It was Monday.
Lin Haoran rose early, had a simple breakfast, and was out the door by a little after eight o'clock. His destination was the 38th floor of the Concordia Building.
Upon arriving, he found the building bustling with even more activity than usual. On a typical day, close to ten thousand people moved through its halls — employees of Jardines Matheson and staff from various tenant companies. Now, with the addition of over nine hundred elite recruits from Jardines Matheson Securities and more than a hundred talents from Huanyu Investment Company, the building's population had swelled by nearly ten percent, making the atmosphere even livelier.
As soon as the elevator doors opened, Lin Haoran spotted a reception desk emblazoned with gold letters spelling out "Galaxy Securities Company."
"Boss."
"Good morning, Boss!"
"Morning, Boss!"
"Good morning, Boss!"
A chorus of greetings met Lin Haoran's ears the moment he stepped out of the elevator. He smiled and nodded in response.
Hearing the commotion, Ma Shimin, Allen, and others emerged from their offices.
"How are the preparations going?" Lin Haoran asked with a smile.
"Boss, everything is ready. We're just waiting for the nine o'clock opening. Also, I've invited TVB and the Oriental Daily to cover the company's opening," Ma Shimin replied, pointing toward a few reporters nearby, who were carrying cameras and microphones.
Lin Haoran turned his head and indeed saw the TVB and Oriental Daily journalists. Since they were from familiar and favorable outlets, Lin Haoran nodded at them slightly.
For a business, visibility was crucial. If no one knew you existed, what business could you expect to do? Thus, media coverage was essential.
Galaxy Securities Company — whether seen as a newly founded entity or merely a renamed version of Huanyu Investment Company — didn't make much difference in essence.
"Boss, you'll need to give a short speech soon. Are you okay with that?" Ma Shimin said, pointing to a podium already set up in the hall with a microphone.
"Alright, I'll say a few words," Lin Haoran agreed easily.
The importance of the financial sector in Hong Kong would only grow, and Galaxy Securities had immense potential. Finance had already become a pillar industry for Hong Kong; otherwise, so many financial firms wouldn't have been drawn there. If Galaxy Securities could rise to become the number one in the securities industry, it could very well become a giant company in its own right.
As the clock struck nine, everyone gathered in the hall.
Lin Haoran stepped up to the microphone, and immediately, the entire hall fell silent.
Respect — and now, fear — filled the eyes of those present. Lin Haoran's actions had devastated Jardines Matheson Securities, causing massive losses. Such a powerful boss naturally commanded not just respect but awe.
Clearing his throat, Lin Haoran began his speech.
"Dear colleagues, dear guests, good morning! Today is a day to remember, as our Galaxy Securities Company officially sets sail. I want to thank every colleague who has joined us from Jardines Matheson Securities. Your arrival has injected new vitality into Galaxy. I also want to thank the team from Huanyu Investment Company — your efforts and persistence have laid a solid foundation for our future. Lastly, I hope that Galaxy Securities Company will continue to grow stronger, and that everyone's incomes will rise higher and higher. Thank you, everyone!"
A wave of warm applause broke out, lasting for over a full minute before gradually dying down.
While Galaxy Securities was celebrating its lively new beginning, just a few hundred meters away, the scene at Jardines Matheson Securities was starkly different.
Inside their offices, it was eerily quiet, with none of the usual bustling energy.
Jardines Matheson Securities, once the undisputed leader in Hong Kong's securities industry, had employed thousands — nearly a thousand in the headquarters office alone. Now, barely 150 people remained. After accounting for clerks, janitors, and mid-to-high-level managers, fewer than 80 core employees were left.
Several high-ranking figures from Jardines Matheson, including Henry Keswick and Simon Keswick, were present, their faces black with rage upon seeing the desolate office.
"What's going on? Weren't there only around seven hundred employees who jumped ship? Where's everyone else?" Henry Keswick roared.
"Mr. Henry, we don't know either! On Friday night, we contacted all the employees who hadn't defected and promised them salary raises. They agreed over the phone, but today, only these few showed up!" said Martin, the general manager of Jardines Matheson Securities, his face full of confusion.
"Then why aren't you calling them?" Henry shouted again.
"I've already ordered HR to start calling," Martin answered miserably.
They still didn't realize that their company had been completely gutted. Originally, they thought that with over 200 core employees remaining, they could scrape by while hiring more via headhunting firms. But now it was clear that the situation was far worse than they had imagined.
Martin wiped the sweat from his forehead, anxiety gnawing at him. He knew very well that if this crisis wasn't handled properly, it could spell total disaster for Jardines Matheson Securities.
Before long, the head of HR rushed over, his face pale as a sheet.
"Mr. Henry, Mr. Simon, Mr. Martin — we contacted the families of those who didn't show up. They said... they've found new jobs, with much better salaries than what we offered. So... they're not coming back."
"What?!" Henry Keswick's eyes widened in disbelief. Furious, he slammed his palm onto the desk.
"These ungrateful traitors! Has Jardines Matheson not treated them well enough? How could they betray us so easily?!"
Simon Keswick's face darkened. This wasn't just about employee turnover anymore. Someone was clearly orchestrating an assault against Jardines Matheson Securities — a calculated effort to weaken Jardines Matheson as a whole.
There was no need to speculate about where the employees had gone. Besides Land Corporation, who else would pay so handsomely to poach them?
"They jumped to Land Corporation, didn't they?" Simon asked in a low voice.
"Y-Yes," the HR head stammered. "I called several families. They confirmed it — they've already started work at Land Corporation this morning."
The executives' faces grew even gloomier.
It was ruthless — utterly ruthless. The other side hadn't left them any room for survival.
Internal competition within Jardines Matheson had already grown fierce in recent days. The Keswick family had fought tooth and nail just to barely hold onto their leadership position. Both Simon and Henry Keswick were now utterly exhausted.
At this rate, how could Jardines Matheson Securities possibly survive?
At that moment, Henry Keswick was overwhelmed by a wave of regret.
They should never have tried to retaliate against Lin Haoran.
If they hadn't plotted with the media to frame him, maybe Jardines Matheson Securities wouldn't have ended up like this.
But now, it was too late for regrets.
Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.
Read 30 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/Albino1