Chapter 42: Fishing in Troubled Waters
Seeing that every member of the team now had a loyalty rating above 70, Lin Haoran felt an unprecedented sense of satisfaction and relief.
He knew exactly what that meant.
As long as he didn't dismiss them himself, they would never betray him lightly.
Filled with confidence about the future, Lin Haoran looked forward to the next stage of his plans.
"Since Zhixue has already given everyone a thorough overview of our current operations, I'll now outline this week's specific assignments."
His gaze swept across the five people seated before him.
"This week will mark a major shift in our strategy.
"Ah Shi, after working with us throughout last week, I believe you've already developed a comprehensive understanding of all our operations.
"So I've decided to put you fully in charge of acquiring Qingzhou Yingni shares this week. This isn't just recognition of your abilities—it's also a sign of my trust in your sense of responsibility.
"As for everyone else, you'll continue following Zhixue's lead and concentrate all your efforts on Wharf Holdings.
"In other words, Wheelock will become our highest priority from this point onward.
"As for when to increase our buying or when to hold back, I'll issue instructions based on market conditions and our overall strategy.
"Rest assured, I'll personally oversee the entire process to ensure every move is executed precisely."
After speaking, Lin Haoran paused and observed everyone's reactions.
At this point, he was carrying HK$100 million in debt.
Every decision he made would determine his future.
There was no room for carelessness.
To him, the opportunity surrounding Wharf Holdings stock was like a decisive battle.
He had to seize the momentum and make a fortune from it.
If he missed this chance, another one like it might never come again.
It could even jeopardize his long-term plans for acquiring Qingzhou Yingni.
Of course, Lin Haoran also dreamed of the day he could hire a first-rate professional manager, allowing himself to step back and become a hands-off owner.
But he knew rationally that now wasn't the time.
The company was still in a critical stage of development.
Every important decision still required his direct supervision.
There was no room for complacency.
"The revolution has yet to succeed; comrades must continue striving," he reminded himself silently.
"Does everyone understand?"
Lin Haoran looked at each person in turn.
"We understand!"
Everyone answered in unison.
"Very good."
He nodded approvingly.
"Zhixue, as the leader of the team, I'll leave the upcoming operations entirely in your hands.
"Especially regarding our acquisition of Wheelock shares.
"Today we're going to increase our buying pressure.
"There's no need to fear our competitors noticing us.
"We'll advance with overwhelming force."
Lin Haoran glanced at the clock on the wall.
It was nearly 9:30 a.m., and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange was about to begin another day of trading.
"Don't worry, Mr. Lin."
Su Zhixue answered confidently.
"I know exactly what to do."
After working closely with Lin Haoran for quite some time, he had learned that his job was simply to execute the boss's decisions faithfully.
There was no need to question the larger strategic reasoning behind them.
As the company expanded and more talent joined the team, Lin Haoran—a man without a formal finance background—had successfully transitioned into the role of strategic commander.
He no longer needed to participate personally in the day-to-day trading simply because they lacked manpower.
Instead, he devoted most of his energy to analyzing market trends and formulating broader strategies.
Right on schedule, the clock struck 9:30 a.m.
The stock market instantly sprang to life as another trading day officially began.
As for Li Ka-shing's camp, judging from their consistently cautious style, they were unlikely to make any overly aggressive moves in the short term.
Even so, Lin Haoran knew it would be unwise to allow Li Ka-shing's team to dictate the direction of Qingzhou Yingni's stock price unchallenged.
To that end, he devised another plan.
He assigned Dai Shi to act as a flexible chess piece on the battlefield.
Dai Shi's mission wasn't to purchase large quantities of Qingzhou Yingni shares.
After all, that wasn't their immediate objective.
Lin Haoran's strategy reached much further.
He intended for Dai Shi's trading activities to create confusion and false signals, making it impossible for Li Ka-shing's team to discern their true intentions.
In doing so, they could effectively interfere with Li Ka-shing's plans while weakening his influence over the market.
Simply put, Lin Haoran wasn't seeking an immediate victory.
Instead, he wanted Dai Shi to keep Li Ka-shing's team lost in a fog of uncertainty, buying precious time and room for his larger plans.
Compared to the previous week, the number of sell orders for Qingzhou Yingni had dropped significantly.
Perhaps that was because two different teams were quietly accumulating shares behind the scenes.
To Lin Haoran, however, the reduced supply of shares was actually good news.
It meant Li Ka-shing's team would face increasing difficulty acquiring stock through the open market.
Soon, Lin Haoran shifted his attention back to Wharf Holdings.
Trading activity in Wharf Holdings had become exceptionally lively in recent days.
Volume continued climbing, making it one of the hottest stocks among investors.
At the close of the previous trading week, Wharf Holdings had finished at HK$27.69 per share.
The moment today's market opened, the stock surged to HK$27.92, with trading activity becoming extraordinarily active.
Although the market environment had grown increasingly competitive, four members of the team were now dedicated exclusively to trading Wharf Holdings shares.
This allowed Su Zhixue to coordinate operations far more efficiently while greatly increasing their success rate in capturing lower-priced shares.
By the noon trading break, after only two and a half hours of trading, Su Zhixue and his team had successfully acquired 156,000 shares of Wheelock.
The volume they purchased in a single morning exceeded what they had often accumulated during an entire trading day.
Such an aggressive buying campaign naturally sent shockwaves through the market.
At the same time, it produced an obvious side effect.
Their aggressive purchases pushed Wheelock's share price to approximately HK$29 per share, an unusually large increase compared to previous sessions.
But Lin Haoran didn't seem particularly concerned.
He was no longer obsessed with keeping Wharf Holdings's price low.
Including that morning's acquisitions, he now owned 1.113 million shares of Wharf Holdings.
That meant his holdings now exceeded 1% of the company's total outstanding shares.
This represented a major milestone and laid a solid foundation for his next move.
Lunch consisted of boxed meals that Zhao Lin had gone out to buy.
After eating, Lin Haoran immediately called Su Zhixue into his private office.
"Zhixue."
His expression became serious.
"I'm authorizing you to use up to HK$20 million to push Wharf Holdings's share price higher.
"Our objective is to raise the stock above HK$40 per share if possible.
"However, while doing so, we should try to keep our average purchase price below HK$35 per share.
"We don't need to drive the rally ourselves.
"We only need to give it a strong push and let others carry the momentum forward.
"Can you accomplish that?"
Lin Haoran understood that if this strategy succeeded, it would both drive Wharf Holdings's price upward and keep their acquisition costs under control, reducing the risks associated with buying at excessively high prices.
More importantly, he intended to use this opportunity to completely muddy the waters of the market.
If his competitors couldn't determine what he was really trying to do, it would create the perfect conditions for him to fish in troubled waters and carry out the next phase of his plan.
The author humbly asks for your continued support—please keep reading, please keep reading, please keep reading!
(End of Chapter)
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