Hong Kong variety show: Building a century-old family, starting with Hung Hing

Chapter 377 Calculation

"money is not a problem."

Jiang Tiansheng suddenly spoke.

"The problem is your father's investment addiction."

Guan Jiahui was taken aback.

"You paid it back this time, but what about next time?"

Jiang Tiansheng's eyes were sharp as knives.

"We need to make him give up on this idea completely."

Kwan Ka-wai gave a wry smile...

"My dad is very stubborn..."

"A big stick plus fruit."

A cold, stern smile curved at the corner of Jiang Tiansheng's lips.

"Get him a job that involves behind-the-scenes work. If he does it again, then we'll disown him as our daughter."

Guan Jiahui bit her lip and finally nodded.

The dark warehouse was filled with the smells of mildew and sweat.

When Jiang Tiansheng stepped in with four bodyguards, more than a dozen gangsters stood up in unison.

"Boss Jiang has quite the grand entourage."

The young man at the head of the group sat slumped in his chair, a cigarette dangling from his mouth, his eyes filled with malice.

Jiang Tiansheng glanced at Guan Shan, who was tied up in the corner. The old man had injuries on his face, but his spirits were still good.

He looked away and tossed the duffel bag onto the table.

"62, count it carefully."

A henchman stepped forward to open the duffel bag, but Jiang Tiansheng's bodyguard suddenly stepped forward, startling the man into backing away.

"Don't you know the rules?"

Jiang Tiansheng said coldly.

"Pay money with one hand and hand over people with the other."

The young man burst into laughter.

"The bosses of listed companies are different; even with a net worth of hundreds of millions, they dare to come to places like this."

He narrowed his eyes.

"You've got some nerve."

Jiang Tiansheng didn't respond to that.

"What about people?"

The young man snapped his fingers, and Guan Shan was pushed over.

Jiang Tiansheng gestured to his bodyguard to pick up the person and pushed the luggage bag over at the same time.

The transaction should have ended there.

But the young man suddenly spoke.

"Mr. Jiang, are you interested in doing business with me?"

Jiang Tiansheng turned to leave.

"You're not qualified."

A dozen or so thugs surrounded them, and Jiang Tiansheng's bodyguards immediately formed a protective circle.

The young man smiled sinisterly.

"Paying back debts is a matter of course. But it won't be so easy for Mr. Jiang to walk out like this today."

Jiang Tiansheng's expression remained completely unchanged.

"If I don't go out within half an hour, the military and police will storm in."

He stared into the young man's eyes.

"At that time, your club can prepare to disband."

"Are you trying to scare me?"

The young man slammed his fist on the table and stood up abruptly.

"Believe it or not, I'll make you and this old man walk out sideways right now!"

Jiang Tiansheng suddenly laughed.

"Guan Shan is just my girlfriend's father."

He slowly and methodically adjusted his cuffs.

"If something goes wrong, I can just pay to settle it. But you... and the people behind you, are you prepared to bear the consequences?"

After saying that, he turned and left. The young man's expression was uncertain, but he ultimately did not stop him.

Central Police Station, the office of Superintendent Martin, a foreigner.

"Mr. Jiang, what brings you here?"

Martin stood up to greet him with a broad smile.

Jiang Tiansheng sat down on the sofa and got straight to the point.

"You know about Guanshan, right?"

Martin's smile froze.

"This...we're handling it..."

"I want an explanation from the person in charge of that gang."

Jiang Tiansheng's eyes were as cold as ice.

"And that arrogant little punk."

Martin's forehead was beaded with sweat.

"Mr. Jiang, this matter is a bit complicated... That gang has recently been trying to whitewash its image..."

"So you're using me as a stepping stone?"

Jiang Tiansheng sneered.

"I need to see the results by noon tomorrow. Otherwise..."

He stood up.

"Press conference or Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), you choose one."

Martin's expression changed drastically.

"Mr. Jiang! This is negotiable..."

Jiang Tiansheng had already reached the door.

Give me an answer by the day after tomorrow. Remember, I'm not asking for anything.

After the door closed, Martin immediately made a phone call.

"Summon Inspector Chen to my office immediately!"

Ten minutes later, Chinese-American Police Inspector Chen Zhiming rushed over. After listening to Martin's account...

"That gang did want to use Jiang Tiansheng to clear their name... but that thug was too reckless."

"What should we do now?"

Martin loosened his tie in frustration.

Chen Zhiming pondered for a moment.

"First, secure the position of the person in charge... but that troublemaker needs to be dealt with. If Jiang Tiansheng is still not satisfied..."

He made a motion of wiping his neck.

Martin let out a long sigh.

"Let's do it this way. Remember, don't leave any evidence against us."

Meanwhile, inside a private room at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel.

Jiang Tiansheng picked up his teacup and glanced at Guan Shan and Guan Jiahui.

Guan Shan sat opposite him, his face still showing signs of exhaustion from surviving a disaster.

Guan Jiahui sat quietly to the side, twisting her napkin with her fingers, glancing at Jiang Tiansheng from time to time.

"The matter has been resolved."

Jiang Tiansheng put down his teacup, his voice low and resolute.

"Those people won't bother you anymore."

Guan Shan breathed a sigh of relief.

"Mr. Jiang, thank you very much this time, but..."

"But what?"

Jiang Tiansheng raised his eyes, his gaze sharp as a knife.

Guan Shan hesitated for a moment, but still forced himself to speak.

"I still want to continue making movies."

Jiang Tiansheng sneered.

"Uncle Guan, you're not cut out for this."

Guan Shan's face stiffened, and his fingers unconsciously clenched.

"I……"

"The film you made flopped at the box office, the investors ran away, and you ended up with a mountain of debt."

Jiang Tiansheng spoke calmly, yet every word he uttered was piercing.

"If this continues, next time it won't be something that 62 can solve."

Guan Shan's face flushed red, and he wanted to retort, but Guan Jiahui gently pressed his arm down.

“Dad, Mr. Jiang is right.”

Guan Jiahui said in a low voice.

"You can't take any more risks."

Guan Shan lowered his head in dejection.

Seeing this, Jiang Tiansheng softened his tone.

"However, I can give you a chance."

Guan Shan suddenly looked up.

"what chance?"

"I plan to start a film company."

Jiang Tiansheng said calmly.

"You can work behind the scenes and occasionally play a supporting role."

Guan Shan hesitated.

"Behind the scenes? But I want to be a director..."

"director?"

Jiang Tiansheng gave a half-smile.

"The decision on who will be the director rests with the company's senior management; it's not up to me to decide."

Guan Shan understood the implication in his words. Want to be a director? You'll need Jiang Tiansheng's approval first.

Kwan Ka-wai interjected at the opportune moment.

"Dad, let's pay off the debt first and settle things down before we talk about it."

Guan Shan remained silent for a moment, then finally sighed.

"Okay, I'll do as Mr. Jiang says."

Jiang Tiansheng nodded in satisfaction.

"Don't worry, as long as you work hard, you'll have plenty of opportunities to learn and act in the future."

Guan Shan forced a smile, while Guan Jia Hui secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, someone could keep this troublesome father in check.

After leaving the hotel, Jiang Tiansheng sat in his car, tapping his fingers lightly on the armrest as he pondered the operation of the film company.

He doesn't intend to manage it himself, but rather wants to invest in a joint venture and find a suitable partner.

"That guy from my past life... he should be bankrupt by now, right?"

Jiang Tiansheng's lips curled slightly, his eyes filled with calculation.

He made a phone call.

"Check if anyone in the film industry has recently experienced a break in their funding chain, but still has resources at their disposal."

A respectful response came from the other end of the phone.

"Yes, Mr. Jiang."

After hanging up the phone, Jiang Tiansheng's gaze became deep and thoughtful.

The film company was just the first step; his real goal was to capitalize on the market crash of the following year.

By then, he will need enough cash flow to buy up properties that have been sold off in panic at low prices.

Now, he needs to solve another problem first: Hongpu Real Estate.

Back in the conference room of Zhao'an Real Estate, Jiang Tiansheng sat in the main seat, with Chen Zhilong and Cheng Jianshen sitting on either side.

“Li Yude currently holds 45% of the shares in Hongpu Real Estate, making him the largest shareholder.”

Chen Zhilong reported.

"But according to our investigation, his family has extremely high debt and faces enormous monthly interest pressure."

Cheng Jianshen added.

"He barely maintains his cash flow with his ginseng factory, but he could very well collapse if the market fluctuates."

Jiang Tiansheng tapped his finger lightly on the table, lost in thought.

"How do you think he will respond?"

Chen Zhilong analyzed.

"He either has to sell off assets or seek external funding."

Cheng Jianshen smiled.

"Mr. Jiang, why don't we wait until he's desperate before making a move? That way we can acquire his shares at a low price and avoid the trouble that comes with directly controlling Hongpu Real Estate."

Jiang Tiansheng's eyes were filled with approval.

"You mean, let him bring the meat to our mouths himself?"

Cheng Jianshen nodded.

"Exactly."

Jiang Tiansheng pondered for a moment, then shook his head.

"No, we won't be suckers who pay exorbitant prices for acquisitions."

Chen Zhilong frowned.

"So, what does Mr. Jiang mean?"

"I don't want Hongpu Real Estate's properties."

Jiang Tiansheng sneered.

"What I want is the shares held by Li Yude."

Cheng Jianshen smiled knowingly.

"President Jiang is brilliant. Once Hongpu Real Estate's cash flow breaks down, we can not only acquire the shares at a low price through debt-to-equity swap, but also legitimately take over control."

"Chen Zhilong".

Jiang Tiansheng suddenly called out names.

"exist."

Chen Zhilong stepped forward.

"Keep a close eye on every move of Hongpu Real Estate, especially their loan situation."

Jiang Tiansheng flicked his cigarette ash.

"I need to know when they start robbing Peter to pay Paul."

Chen Zhilong nodded.

"We have arranged for personnel to monitor the situation 24 hours a day. In addition, here is the detailed information you requested about Yonghua Co., Ltd. and Baohua Construction."

Jiang Tiansheng took the folder and quickly browsed through Yonghua's data.

"Market value of 3600 million, excellent assets, and also holds equity in peer companies... Not bad, this is the one."

"But Baohua Construction..."

Chen Zhilong hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.

Jiang Tiansheng flipped through Baohua Construction's documents, his eyes filled with greed.

"With a market value of 3.1 million, a shopping mall in Kowloon, and a booming main business... it's definitely a tough nut to crack."

"The board of directors has complex factionalism, making the acquisition very difficult."

Chen Zhilong reminded him.

Jiang Tiansheng laughed.

"When wild beasts hunt, timing is everything."

He closed the file.

"Let's resolve Zhaoan Real Estate's debts first, and as for Baohua Construction... we'll wait patiently."

Cheng Jianshen seemed to be deep in thought.

"Wait for their internal conflicts to erupt?"

"Exactly."

Jiang Tiansheng stubbed out his cigar in the ashtray.

“Even the strongest fortress can be breached from within. Chen Zhilong, keep a close eye on the dynamics of Baohua Construction, especially any changes in the board of directors.”

"clear."

Chen Zhilong responded respectfully.

The following morning, the HSBC trading floor was packed with people.

Jiang Tiansheng's arrival caused a stir, with many traders casting envious glances his way.

"Mr. Jiang!"

Zhang Taotao quickly stepped forward, his face beaming with smiles.

"You've come at the right time. I need to report to you on the progress of Hutchison Whampoa's stock acquisition."

Jiang Tiansheng nodded and followed Zhang Taotao into the VIP room.

Once the door is closed, the noise is immediately shut out.

"We have already purchased 1600 million shares, accounting for 4%, at a cost of 2.7 million yuan."

Zhang Taotao handed over a detailed report.

"Based on the current situation, we can still buy another 400 million shares to achieve a 5% share."