Chapter 16: Taking Action

Lin Haoran had instructed Su Zhixue to obtain the stock transaction records of Qingzhou Cement over the past six months because he wanted to see whether Li Jiacheng had made any moves on Qingzhou Cement.

In his previous life, Lin Haoran had lacked a thorough understanding of Qingzhou Cement and did not know exactly when Li Jiacheng had started acting on it. Therefore, these transaction records became a crucial basis for him to assess the current situation and grasp market dynamics.

He knew that Li Jiacheng had likely begun his covert acquisition of Qingzhou Cement stocks at the end of 1978, swiftly acquiring nearly 25% of the shares that year. This made Li Jiacheng a major shareholder and earned him an invitation to join the company’s board of directors.

If Qingzhou Cement’s stock transactions suddenly showed an unusual surge, it would be clear that Li Jiacheng had started making his move. From what Lin Haoran understood, Li Jiacheng’s secret acquisitions had proceeded smoothly, with no other forces standing in his way.

Although Li Jiacheng had lost the opportunity to acquire Kowloon Wharf, he had made nearly sixty million Hong Kong dollars by selling stocks to the shipping king.

Thus, Li Jiacheng’s cash flow was currently very ample.

After receiving the transaction records, Lin Haoran quickly and carefully reviewed the data, paying close attention to the daily trading volumes.

He finished examining the records swiftly.

After reviewing the data, Lin Haoran breathed a sigh of relief.

Based on the figures, Li Jiacheng had probably not yet made a move on Qingzhou Cement, as the daily trading volumes remained moderate.

This put Lin Haoran at ease.

Nonetheless, he knew he must act quickly, as it was already September.

Ideally, he wanted to become Qingzhou Cement’s largest shareholder before Li Jiacheng made his move, making it difficult for Li Jiacheng to acquire shares on the market.

Whether he had sufficient funds was a question he set aside for the moment.

Once the fifty million Hong Kong dollars arrived, at least until that amount was fully spent, he did not worry about running out of money.

If funds fell short after that, especially regarding Kowloon Wharf, he would find a way to raise capital then.

Setting down the transaction records, Lin Haoran turned his gaze to Su Zhixue, who sat nearby.

“Boss, what would you like me to do?” Su Zhixue understood this meant there was a task at hand.

“If I want you to secretly acquire Qingzhou Cement stocks without others noticing, keeping the price from rising too much and maintaining stability—would that be difficult for you?” Lin Haoran asked.

“General Manager Lin, rest assured, this type of task is not difficult for me. In fact, it is exactly what I specialize in,” Su Zhixue answered confidently.

“Good. Starting immediately, I need you to fully commit to acquiring as many Qingzhou Cement shares as possible without any quantity limit. But you must ensure the entire process remains secret; we cannot let outsiders detect our actions. At the same time, the price must stay stable throughout, avoiding market fluctuations, and the acquisition pace must be efficient. Do you have confidence in completing this mission?” Lin Haoran continued seriously.

“Confident!”

“I’ve linked my stock trading account with my bank card. There’s currently over one million Hong Kong dollars as initial capital. Once those funds run out, I’ll inject more. My goal is to become the largest shareholder of Qingzhou Cement as soon as possible, preferably within a month.

“I’ve learned that other business owners have shown strong interest in this stock and might act within the next month or two. Therefore, we must race against time and acquire as many shares as possible before they do. It’s a tough task, but I believe in your ability. I hope you’ll give it your all and not disappoint me!” Lin Haoran emphasized sternly.

“General Manager Lin, I have always believed Qingzhou Cement holds immense potential. I once presented my insights to the company, but unfortunately, when the information reached the chairman, it was not taken seriously enough to advance further.

“This caused my in-depth research on Qingzhou Cement to stall. Now, seeing how much you value this stock, I am truly encouraged.

“Please rest assured, General Manager Lin, I will dedicate all my resources and efforts to serve you wholeheartedly and ensure we achieve our goal!” Su Zhixue was full of confidence, surprised that his boss shared the same vision for this stock—truly kindred spirits!

“Your tasks don’t stop there. When Kowloon Wharf’s stock price drops to a certain level, I’ll have you act on that too. You may need to handle two stocks simultaneously,” Lin Haoran said with a smile.

Given the current situation, it would be better to recruit one or two more stock traders, or even form a team. But if their loyalty was uncertain, the plan might leak. Whether the information reached Lin Wanan or spread outside, it would greatly impact his next moves. Lin Haoran didn’t want to take that risk, so for now, Su Zhixue must handle this alone.

Moreover, judging by the present situation, Kowloon Wharf’s stock would still take some time to fall to the low point Lin Haoran anticipated—at least until the fifty million Hong Kong dollars arrived.

So for now, Su Zhixue only needed to manage Qingzhou Cement’s stock.

Lin Haoran would keep an eye on Kowloon Wharf himself; he was not idle.

“Handling two stocks simultaneously will be stressful, but I will do my best to help you, General Manager Lin, achieve your goals!” Su Zhixue, considering Lin Haoran his benefactor, had long resolved to give his utmost effort.

“Alright, no more talk. Get started!” Lin Haoran smiled.

“Yes, boss!” With the order received, Su Zhixue began his work.

Lin Haoran was taking a gamble.

He was betting that Li Jiacheng had not yet started acting on Qingzhou Cement in the past month or two.

He was betting that Li Jiacheng would only make his move at the end of the year.

If he won, he would have the chance to control the largest cement company in Hong Kong.

If he lost, he could simply sell to Li Jiacheng and profit from the price difference.

No matter the outcome, he would not lose.

That was why Lin Haoran had his eyes set firmly on Qingzhou Cement’s stock.

Watching Su Zhixue busy at work, Lin Haoran stayed in the office for a few more minutes before leaving.

He had other matters to attend to next.

For example, monitoring the stock market activity of Kowloon Wharf.

At this moment, he felt that what he lacked most was perhaps a team dedicated to gathering intelligence, analyzing information, data, and research materials.

If only he had a think tank capable of investigating any commercial intelligence for him, he might be able to learn about Changjiang Industrial’s moves.

Unfortunately, his current strength was insufficient; he had no ability yet to form his own think tank.