Chapter 375 We Cannot Possibly Accept This Proposal!
However, Lin Haoran didn't care about any of that—this was his first uncompromising bottom line in the negotiation.
If the other side couldn't even accept this condition, then there was no point in continuing the negotiations.
Although he had already considered giving up Jardines Matheson, it was only on the premise of securing enough benefits!
Using the opportunity of giving up Jardines Matheson to privatize the Land Group at the lowest possible cost was the fundamental reason he was even willing to consider letting go.
If he couldn't achieve the privatization of the Land Group, then he would definitely not give up Jardines Matheson.
Ho Kin Ning, being a sharp mind, fully understood his boss's meaning after Lin Haoran finished speaking.
"Got it, boss. I've memorized this condition," Ho Kin Ning nodded.
Lin Haoran continued, "If we can settle this precondition, then I actually don't have many other demands.
First, all British shareholders of the Land Group must give up their shares—I will buy them at the market price.
Second, Jardines Matheson must transfer Gammon Construction and Jardine Fleming Securities to the Land Group.
Moreover, the subsidiaries managing Mandarin Oriental Hotel and Oriental International Hotel must also be transferred under the Land Group.
Of course, my ultimate bottom line is that they must return the Mandarin Oriental and Oriental International Hotel brands themselves to the Land Group.
As for Gammon Construction and Jardine Fleming Securities, strive for them if you can, but I'm not particularly interested.
Also,..."
Ho Kin Ning listened carefully, afraid of missing a single important detail.
Meanwhile, Lin Haoran clearly laid out all the terms and bottom lines he had spent the afternoon formulating.
He also carefully briefed Ho Kin Ning on the backgrounds of the British consortium bosses, especially highlighting the role of Amos Rothschild—the heavy hitter that Henry Keswick had brought in.
By the time the two finished dinner, more than an hour had passed.
"That's it for tonight. Go home and carefully digest everything I've told you and the materials I gave you.
Tomorrow, speak boldly during the negotiation. If you misspeak, I'll step in to guide you—so there's no need to be nervous," Lin Haoran said, patting Ho Kin Ning's shoulder with a smile.
"Understood, boss. I won't let you down!" Ho Kin Ning responded solemnly.
After bidding farewell to Ho Kin Ning, Lin Haoran left Joy Lai Restaurant and returned to his villa on Shixun Road.
Time passed quickly, and in a blink, a new day arrived—November 20th.
That morning, served by Guan Jiahui, Lin Haoran woke up feeling refreshed.
Although Guan Jiahui was temporarily living with him, Lin Haoran planned to move her out soon, arranging a light job for her elsewhere.
Keeping her at the villa for the long term was inappropriate, especially considering that Guo Xiaohan could visit at any time.
After all, Guo Xiaohan had already clearly expressed her feelings and was waiting for Lin Haoran's answer.
It would be inappropriate for Guan Jiahui to continue living here.
Given his wealth, finding a place for her was no issue—he would let her move into the apartment he had bought two years ago at Hang Fung Building.
Although Guan Jiahui's father's debt problems had been resolved, Lin Haoran was still concerned about her safety.
Thus, arranging a separate residence would put his mind at ease.
Even if he regarded Guan Jiahui merely as a lover, as his woman, he would take care of her needs.
For Lin Haoran, he didn't expect Guan Jiahui to earn much; he just needed her to be like a beautiful vase—an adornment that belonged solely to him.
At around 9:30 AM, Lin Haoran left the villa and headed directly to Jardine House.
Upon arriving at Niu Bijian's office, he found Ho Kin Ning already waiting there, having arrived earlier.
It was clear Niu Bijian recognized Ho Kin Ning's identity and had allowed him into the office without issue.
Seeing Lin Haoran, both Ho Kin Ning and Niu Bijian stood to greet him.
Lin Haoran nodded but quickly noticed that Niu Bijian's loyalty level had dropped even further—from the forties down to the thirties.
It was obvious now: Niu Bijian no longer regarded Lin Haoran as his true boss and was merely putting on a facade.
Not surprising—especially now that even the royal family had stepped in. Niu Bijian naturally assumed Lin Haoran would have no choice but to give up Jardines Matheson.
Checking the time, it was already 9:55 AM.
"Boss, Mr. Henry Keswick, Mr. Amos Rothschild, and others are already waiting in the conference room. Shall we head over now?" Niu Bijian said.
"Alright, let's go," Lin Haoran replied.
Following Niu Bijian, Lin Haoran and Ho Kin Ning took the elevator down to a conference room on the 19th floor of Jardine House.
Inside, a dozen key figures from the British consortiums were already seated, including Henry Keswick and Amos Rothschild.
Their faces carried polite yet serious smiles—clearly, they held high expectations for this negotiation.
"Good morning, Mr. Lin," Henry Keswick greeted, his tone polite but laced with a faint trace of arrogance—a pre-negotiation formality.
Lin Haoran paid no mind to Henry Keswick's attitude. As long as he achieved his objectives, he couldn't care less about these British elites' airs.
He smiled and replied, "Good morning, gentlemen. Let me introduce my assistant, Mr. Ho Kin Ning.
He will represent me in the negotiations regarding Jardines Matheson."
Instantly, everyone's gaze turned to Ho Kin Ning.
Upon realizing he was so young, many British executives couldn't hide their surprise.
In their minds, Lin Haoran should have chosen an experienced old hand like Ma Shiming to lead such critical talks, not a young man like Ho Kin Ning.
At once, many underestimated him.
After Lin Haoran and Ho Kin Ning sat down, the negotiations formally began.
The atmosphere in the room grew subtly tense.
Another person might have panicked facing so many seasoned British tycoons.
But Lin Haoran remained calm, confident that he had every advantage.
Among them, only the Rothschild family's representative warranted special attention.
As for Henry Keswick?
Honestly, Lin Haoran's wealth now far exceeded that of the entire Keswick family.
Tapping the table lightly, Lin Haoran signaled Ho Kin Ning to begin.
Taking a deep breath, Ho Kin Ning stood up.
Though initially nervous, he quickly composed himself.
He knew full well that today, he represented his boss.
If he faltered, it would shame the boss and tarnish his own career prospects.
Success today could open a bright future for him; failure would be a major setback.
Thus, he must do his utmost not to let Lin Haoran down.
"Gentlemen, first, I must clarify that our boss maintains an open attitude regarding the possibility of giving up control of Jardines Matheson.
This openness means that if you meet our conditions, everything can be negotiated—including returning Jardines Matheson's control to you," Ho Kin Ning said clearly and powerfully, each word striking the heart of everyone present.
Lin Haoran, sitting beside him, was very satisfied with this strong opening.
It wasn't easy to remain composed before so many powerful figures.
"Mr. Ho, what are your conditions?" Henry Keswick asked directly.
"Before discussing giving up Jardines Matheson's control, we have a precondition:
We must first settle the issue of mutual shareholdings between Jardines Matheson and the Land Group.
Our boss insists on a one-to-one, equal-ratio share exchange, not based on current market fluctuations but strictly on the proportion of shares held.
In short, once the exchange is completed, Jardines Matheson and the Land Group will no longer hold any of each other's shares, achieving complete clarity in ownership structure," Ho Kin Ning stated.
Hearing this, the British consortium leaders looked at each other, clearly uncomfortable.
"This proposal... we cannot possibly accept," one British shareholder stood up and said, visibly shaken.
"Based on the current market value, the Land Group's shares are worth significantly more than Jardines Matheson's.
If we proceed with a straight share swap, Jardines Matheson shareholders would suffer a loss of over 500 million HKD.
Even if we were willing, it would be impossible to explain this loss to Jardines Matheson's public shareholders."
Indeed, at current market values, Jardines Matheson's 30.2% stake in the Land Group was worth about 3.08 billion HKD, whereas the Land Group's 30.1% stake in Jardines Matheson was worth only about 2.53 billion HKD.
Agreeing to Lin Haoran's terms would mean Jardines Matheson effectively giving away over 500 million HKD.
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