Among the acquisitions of listed companies in Heung Kong Commercial, there are many acquisitions involving more than HK$500 million.
But for unlisted companies, a transaction amount of 520 million is undoubtedly extremely rare, and it is still in cash.
The reason why Tao Yushu emphasized cash acquisition was because Jin Yong wanted to retire unscathed, and cash was of course the most practical option for him.
After clarifying the conditions, Tao Yushu did not rush to speak anymore, but gave Jin Yong sufficient time to think about it.
The atmosphere at the banquet was calm, Tao Yushu's face was calm and relaxed, and Jin Yong's face was full of emotion.
Suddenly, Lin Chaoyang stood up and poured a cup of tea for Jin Yong.
"Thank you Lin Sheng."
Jin Yong politely thanked him. He was always very good at receiving people and treating them well.
Holding the tea cup to his mouth and taking a sip, Jin Yong looked at Tao Yushu and asked, "Did Mrs. Lin only consider this one plan?"
"Of course not. I just think that this may be more in line with Mr. Cha's wish to retire and take care of himself. It seems that Mr. Cha still has a deep affection for Ming Pao Group."
Tao Yushu said and provided another plan.
The second plan is for Tao Yushu and Jin Yong to jointly establish a holding company, with Tao Yushu holding 70% of the shares and Jin Yong holding 30%, to conduct a technical acquisition of Mingpao Group, and the acquisition funds will be paid in 50% stock and 50% cash.
As a result, Tao Yushu controlled just over 50% of the Mingpao Group's shares, while Jin Yong disposed of a large amount of the shares.
At the end, Tao Yushu suggested: "Actually, I think Mr. Cha can choose the cash and stock acquisition method. Yulang Institution's stock price still has a lot of potential."
The cash plus stock approach can significantly reduce the financial pressure on Tao Yushu, the acquirer. As for the reduced Yulang institutional stocks, it does not matter to Tao Yushu.
She and Lin Chaoyang, the couple, hold more than 70% of the equity of Yulang Institution, and they will use up to 12% of the equity share to acquire Mingpao Group.
As long as the control of the company is still in her hands, the number of shares does not actually matter. Her acquisition method is equivalent to cashing out in disguise.
After another period of silence, Jin Yong asked: "If Mrs. Lin acquires Ming Pao Group, how does she plan to develop the company?"
Tao Yushu knew that Jin Yong must be tempted by her conditions, so he asked this question.
"When Mr. Cha was in charge, Ming Pao had a paternalistic management style. I heard that all the printing business of Ming Pao is still wholly owned by Mr. Shen, Xinchang Printing. This is really not in line with the style of a modern enterprise...
Mr. Shen, Jin Yong’s partner Shen Baochang, is a minority shareholder of Ming Pao Group.
""..——-If I were to take the helm of Ming Pao, I hope to achieve modern and institutionalized management within Ming Pao.
Of course, such words are empty.
But I think Mr. Cha also understands that only in this way is it more conducive to the development of Ming Pao.
In addition, at the stage of Mingpao, operation and listing are the only way to go.
If Mr. Cha approves, I hope to integrate several newspapers and periodicals such as Yulang Organization's "Tian Tian Daily", "Fresh Weekly" and "Youth" with Ming Pao Group to form a new newspaper group.
The name of the newspaper group is still Ming Pao. If we work together, we might as well sit on the throne of Hong Kong's number one newspaper group!"
Tao Yushu's tone was firm, decisive, and meaningful. The pie was large and round, very tempting, even Jin Yong's knowledge was a little swayed.
"Lin is so brave!" After thinking about it for a while, Jin Yong couldn't help but sigh in admiration.
"Thank you, Mr. Cha. These ideas are just ideas on paper right now. If we really want to realize them, we still need Mr. Cha's support."
Listening to Tao Yushu's words, Jin Yong said nothing. He was always like this. As long as his mind was moving, he would remain silent to prevent distractions and mistakes.
Tao Yushu waited for a long time, but did not get Jin Yong's opinion. Instead, he said goodbye.
"Thank you Lin Sheng, Mrs. Lin for your hospitality today. I have been busy all day and am a little tired, so I will take my leave first."
Tao Yushu was a little surprised, but he also knew that such a major matter could not be settled in just one meal.
So he said calmly: "Okay, Mr. Cha, walk slowly."
The couple sent Jin Yong out of the Hangzhou Hotel, and when Jin Yong's car left and disappeared at the end of Wan Chai Road, she, Tao Yushu, turned around and asked Lin Chaoyang:
"What do you mean by him?"
Lin Chaoyang spread his hands and said, "I don't know. I guess it is most likely that your thorough preparation has disturbed his thoughts. Didn't you notice? He has always been polite and thoughtful, and he will not speak easily without careful consideration.
He forcibly interrupted the topic just now, obviously because he was tempted. He knew that if you continued the conversation, you would easily lead him astray, so he quickly stopped the topic."
Tao Yushu couldn't help but chuckle when he heard this, "I feel the same way. It seems that our conditions are indeed very good. It seems that he intends to wait for a price to sell."
"From today's investment perspective, Ming Pao Group is indeed a high-quality asset, and it is normal for him to have this mentality.
After the news is made public, we will inevitably have competitors!" Lin Chaoyang sighed lightly,
Tao Yushu's eyes looked far away, not much worried, but full of fighting spirit.
Beginning in May, the Hong Kong film industry, which had been dormant for more than a month, became agitated again. First, Lam Pictures' "Dark Blood" was released, and then Golden Harvest's "Miracle" was released.
"Dark Blood" is John Woo's first work after leaving New Arts City. It attracted much attention before its release. After its release, the film received a good reputation, but it did not have any dominance in box office performance.
Especially after "Miracle" starring Cheng Long and Anita Mui was released, the box office was cut in half.
According to the current box office trend, it is difficult for the local box office of "Dark Blood" to exceed 20 million, and it will basically rely on other places to make money.
The new owner had a bad start, and John Woo was in a low mood. Fortunately, the boss didn't seem to take this matter to heart and had no plans to cut the budget for his new film.
The biggest advantage of working at Lin's is that the boss respects artistic creation very much and won't interfere with everyone's ideas easily. Even if the film's performance is temporarily unsatisfactory, he doesn't have to worry about being fired.
This kind of atmosphere makes John Woo feel very stable, so much so that even before "Blood" has been released, he has already begun to work hard to plan a new film. He is bound to make a well-received and popular film and return to "A Better Tomorrow"
》The pinnacle of.
"Okay, okay, I hope you can achieve good results in Cannes!"
"Okay, let's do this first."
Tao Yushu, who had just finished a new film meeting, returned to the office and received a call from Yu Yuxi from Cannes, France.
The opening date of this year's Cannes Film Festival is May 11. Two days before the opening, Lam Films sent a team led by Yu Yuxi.
Among them are the crew of "Parasite", which was shortlisted for the main competition unit, and two employees from the distribution and publicity department of Lam Pictures.
Unlike in the past when participating in film festivals, they could only sell participating films. Nowadays, Lin's Pictures is fully fledged, with an annual production volume of 20 films. The Cannes Film Festival is also a trading market for them.
The film festival has been open for more than a week and will end in three days. Yu Yuxi called Tao Yushu to report on the past few days.
Three years ago, Ann Hui won three awards at the Cannes Film Festival with "The Truman Show", and now she is making a comeback with "Parasite".
Hitting the Palme d'Or again.
The organizing committee of the Cannes Film Festival gave it a very high courtesy, and "Parasite" premiered on May 14 at the Lumienne Cinema of the Palais des Festivals.
For this red carpet, the organizing committee officially invited more than 30 movie stars who came to the film festival to attend. Coupled with the Hong Kong celebrities who came to support the event, the red carpet premiere of "Parasite" in Cannes was a grand one.
Stealing the limelight.
After the premiere, the reputation of "Parasite" came out. The Cannes Film Festival gave the film a high score of 3.2. The film also received excellent reviews from film critics and fans, and is regarded as a strong contender for this year's Palme d'Or.
But according to Yu Yuxi, the prospects for "Parasite" to win awards are not optimistic because there are so many strong films at this year's Cannes Film Festival.
"Sex, Lies and Videotape", "Cinema Paradiso", "Song of the Wanderer" and many other films are all acclaimed works, and it is still unclear who will win.
The only thing that is gratifying at the moment is that the organizing committee attaches great importance to Ann Hui and "Parasite". After all, "The Truman Show" stunned the world at the Cannes Film Festival.
In a sense, Xu Anhua can be regarded as a direct descendant of the Cannes Film Festival, which is the biggest advantage between her and the film.
In terms of copyright transactions, Lin's Pictures brought 12 film sources to the film festival this time, and has signed more than 20 copyright transaction contracts over the past few days, with a contract amount of US$8.25 million.
Most of these films are films that have already been released, but there are also two films that are still being shot, including "Ancient and Modern War between Qin Terracotta Warriors" that Zhang Yimou is currently filming.
Among the overseas copyright transactions of more than 8 million yuan, "Ancient and Modern Battle of Qin Terracotta Warriors" accounted for one-third of the credit. This is the influence of the famous director.
Even though this new film is not one of Zhang Yimou’s forte literary films, it still has the reputation of being the winner of the Golden Bear Award at the West Berlin Film Festival.
Those overseas film businesses are also following suit.
I went to the Cannes Film Festival and saw that "Ancient and Modern War" has already paid off before it is finished filming.
Of course, the most anticipated thing about this film festival is the copyright transaction situation of "Parasite". Everything will not be known until after the festival ends.
After putting down the phone, Tao Yushu stood in front of the window and rubbed her temples. She had been busy since she arrived at the company in the morning, maintaining a working state all day long, and occasionally felt tired.
On the 20th, a storm was forecast to hit Hong Kong.
Since the morning, the wind has been as strong as a knife and the rain has been pouring.
The violent typhoon did not affect people working normally in the office building. Xiangjiang is located in the subtropical zone and experiences one or two typhoons every year.
People have become accustomed to this.
There was a knock on the door.
"Come in!" Tao Yushu said without looking back.
"Mr. Tao, Ming Pao called and the celebration banquet has been cancelled."
Today is the 30th anniversary of the founding of "Ming Pao". We originally planned a cocktail party to celebrate, but looking at the current situation, we can only cancel it.
The wind and rain continued, and even if the guests were able to arrive as scheduled, they would probably be in a miserable state. They must not offend anyone or lose face.
Taking the initiative to cancel the reception is the most honorable thing to do.
"knew."
After Wu Meizhen went out, Tao Yushu came to the desk again and flipped through the newspaper delivered in the morning.
To celebrate today, "Ming Pao" has attached more than 30 special editions to witness this special moment. In this special edition, Governor Wei Yixin and many cultural celebrities have congratulatory messages, including Lin
Chaoyang.
There are also many editors, reporters, authors, and readers of "Ming Pao" who have written many reminiscence articles.
The news of Jin Yong's retirement as expected in the newspapers did not appear. It seems that the old fox still wants to Kun Yikun. Tao Yushu naturally understands Jin Yong's thoughts.
These days, the news of Jin Yong's retirement has been spreading in Hong Kong newspapers, and some newspapers reported that Jin Yong will immigrate to Canada after retirement.
Jin Yong and Ming Pao have yet to refute the rumors, apparently to stimulate the desire of potential buyers and prompt them to join the battle.
Thinking like this, Tao Yushu couldn't help but shook his head. It was really frustrating to deal with such an old fox.
In the evening, the wind and rain continued.
Tao Yushu did not go home after get off work, but came to the Peninsula Hotel to meet an old acquaintance.
"Mrs. Lin!"
Liang Botao walked into the restaurant. There were still some water stains on the outside of his arms and back in his suit, but his face was still enthusiastic. When he saw Tao Yushu, he shook hands and said hello.
"Thank you for your hard work!"
Liang Botao said with a smile: "Serving big customers like Mrs. Lin is the foundation of our survival. Why bother?"
He said a few polite words and then got down to the topic.
"After the news came out that Mr. Cha intended to sell his shares in Ming Pao Group, many consortiums took the initiative to express interest.
The information we have collected now includes the South China Morning Post controlled by international media tycoon Murdoch, the Mirror Group owned by British newspaper tycoon Maxwell, Singapore's Lianhe Zaobao Group, and Japan's Tokuma Bookstore Group.
consortium.
In Xiangjiang, Li Chaoren's Changshi, Ma's Oriental Newspaper and Sing Tao Newspaper are also interested.
In addition, Zheng Jinghan came to me the day before yesterday and hoped to join hands with me to negotiate the acquisition of Ming Pao. He was quite well prepared this time.
If I hadn’t promised Mrs. Lin in advance—..."
When Liang Botao said this, he couldn't help but burst into laughter, which seemed to be a way of claiming credit for himself.
Tao Yushu said sincerely: "If you cooperate with me, Liang Sheng will not suffer any loss."
"That's natural."
In addition to the Ming Pao acquisition case, Tao Yushu also made an agreement with Liang Botao that once the acquisition is successful, Ming Pao's listing case will also be handed over to him.
The powerful alliance between the news business of Yulang Organization and the Ming Pao Group will definitely be a shock bomb for the Hong Kong news industry, and it is fully expected to create a Hong Kong newspaper giant.
Liang Botao's Peregrine was founded less than two years ago and is in urgent need of such performance.
"I heard that Zheng Jinghan from Paramount also contacted Mingpao?" Tao Yumo asked.
Zheng Jinghan is a well-known publisher in Hong Kong. He is best known for two things. One is that he married Xu Xiaofeng, a popular singer at the time, in 1975, and the other is that he was the first to introduce the Chinese version of "Playboy" in Hong Kong in 1980.
"Zheng Jinghan indeed asked someone to contact Mr. Cha. It is said that he offered a sky-high price, far exceeding the actual value of Mingpao." Liang Botao revealed a shocking news.
"A sky-high price?"
Liang Botao nodded gently, "The price is sky-high. He is the weakest among the competitors who are currently exposed. It seems that he wants to take a different approach."
After being surprised, Tao Yushu quickly regained his composure, "He dared to quote this price, so he must be rushing to go public, right?
Man: "That's right. Based on the financial performance of Ming Pao Group, it will not be difficult to earn back the money after listing as long as it operates properly."
"Do you know what Mingpao thinks?"
Liang Botao shook his head, "I don't know."
His answer made Tao Yushu feel anxious. The figure of 1 billion was indeed scary. It was not only very tempting for Ming Pao, but also very stressful for competitors like them.
When Tao Yushu met Liang Botao, at the same time in Villa No. 75, Deep Water Bay, Dong Qiao walked in despite the rain. After complaining a few words, he smelled the aroma coming from the kitchen and shut up.
"You don't think cooking a few dishes will make me rebel, do you?
More than twenty minutes later, Lin Chaoyang brought the dishes to the table, and Dong Qiao couldn't help but laugh.
"With your thick eyebrows and big eyes, you definitely can't do anything rebellious.
However, Ming Pao is not only the hard work of Mr. Cha, but also the hard work of you Ming Pao people.
The kind of person who will take over Ming Pao in the future concerns each of you."
Lin Chaoyang's tone was relaxed, but it hit Dong Qiao's vital point.
As one of the executives of Ming Pao Group, the company is about to change hands, and his inner tangle and complex emotions are definitely no less than anyone else.
When Dong Qiao was silent, Lin Chaoyang served him a bowl of rice.
"Try my handiwork!"
Dong Qiao held the bowl, hesitated for a moment, and picked up the chopsticks.
At night, the children were all asleep, and there was silence in Villa No. 75, Deep Water Bay.
".--Still hesitating is actually a statement. After all, Zheng Jinghan's quotation is already higher than common sense.
Since he didn't agree immediately, he obviously had some concerns.
It is true that he is wily and calculating, but it seems that he really hopes to find a good successor for Ming Pao.
Zheng Jinghan is a shrewd businessman, but not an excellent newspaperman."
Lin Chaoyang relayed the news he heard from inviting Dong Qiao to dinner today and provided his own analysis. Tao Yushu listened quietly to the side.
There is an indescribable peace of mind.
After Lin Chaoyang finished speaking, she gently rested her head on Lin Chaoyang's shoulder.
"Thanks to you as a strategist, this news is so important."
Lin Chaoyang put his arm around her shoulders, "Ming Pao is about to change its owner. Dong Qiao and others are also in a state of confusion. They can't decide who will be the future owner, but they definitely hope to find a boss who is interested in the newspaper industry.
.”
Tao Yushu asked, "You just said that Jin Yongman admires the middleman of Tokuma Bookstore. Will he become a stumbling block for us?"
"To prevent problems before they happen, we still need to investigate."
"That makes sense."
Two days later, Liang Botao visited Yulang Building.
"Yu Pinhai, a native of Xiangjiang, went to Japan to study part-time in his early years. In 1976, he went to the University of San Diego in the United States to study television journalism. However, because he was unable to raise the tuition fees, he transferred to the University of Saskatchewan in Canada to study political economy.
After returning to Hong Kong in 1979, he and his friends started a political magazine, which only published five issues.
Later, because of this resume, I worked as a telecommunications translator for the Financial Daily, and also worked as an editor for the Hong Kong Economic Journal, where I met some business people.
In 1985, he founded the Zhicai Management Consulting Company and made his first fortune by operating the Liyuan Hotel in Guilin, Guangxi. After that, he——
This time he contacted Mr. Cha on behalf of Tokuma Bookstore, mainly relying on the contacts he accumulated while working in the media."
Listening to Liang Botao introducing Yu Pinhai's resume, Tao Yushu asked: "It sounds like this person is quite capable?"
A trace of disdain flashed in Liang Botao's eyes, "This man is more of a customer than a businessman."
In the business world, "customer" is not a nice word, and can basically be equated with "liar".
Tao Yushu didn't think Liang Botao was a villain who took advantage of wealth and status. She asked, "Did you find out anything else?"
"When I was in Canada, I was sentenced to two years in prison for stealing credit cards and writing checks for others. I was deported after serving four months, and I falsely claimed that I was returning to Hong Kong after graduation.
I was also deceived in the mainland, and at the beginning of this year I even went to the Philippines, where I spent a lot of money and made friends with people in the military and political circles."
Hearing this, Tao Yushu's expression did not change, but he felt a little happy inside.
For a potential enemy, it is certainly gratifying to be able to grasp its weaknesses.
Liang Botao did not take a small person like Yu Pinhai to heart, and said to Tao Yushu:
"Mrs. Lin, based on the information we have collected so far, Mr. Cha probably did not intend to hand Mingpao into the hands of foreigners.
Several newspapers in Xiangjiang have their own foundations. If Ming Pao is acquired by them, it will inevitably face the fate of being dismembered. I believe Mr. Cha does not want to see such a scene.
As for buyers like Cheung Kong and Paramount, they are unable to promote Ming Pao to a wider audience.
No matter from which angle you look at it, with media resources such as "Tiantian Daily" and "Qingqing Monthly", you are the best choice for Mr. Cha to cooperate with."
Liang Botao's compliment did not make Tao Yushu's expression fluctuate. Tao Yushu said: "This analysis is too optimistic. Now the initiative for acquisition is in the hands of Mr. Cha. He is a good girl and has no worries about marrying!"
"No matter how good the target is, the price has an upper limit. The conditions you gave Mr. Cha are generous enough."
Liang Botao's words did not mean to remind Tao Yushu. He was afraid that Tao Yushu would make a mistake if he was eager to acquire.
This situation has occurred more than once in his career.
"The conditions I gave may not be the most profitable plan in the short term, but it must be a win-win plan. All we can do now is wait." Tao Yushu said calmly.
Her calm demeanor made Liang Botao feel very at ease. It was very comfortable to work with a Party A who had a big-picture perspective and no need to be afraid.
On May 24, the city woke up to the roar of engines early in the morning. In the days after the typhoon passed through, the sun was shining brightly in Xiangjiang, and it was already bright at six o'clock in the morning.
On Lantau Island, the crew of "The Swordsman" just shot a big night and was exhausted.
This movie is Tsui Hark's first work after joining Lam Pictures. He originally wanted Xu Guanjie for the leading role in the movie, but Lam Pictures wanted to favor Jet Li. Now that Lam Pictures is his boss, Tsui Hark can only do so reluctantly.
accept this proposal.
After the filming of the movie started, Tsui Hark's requirements could be described as excellence. The leading actor Jet Li's acting skills were average, but he had outstanding martial arts skills and beautiful fighting scenes, which gave Tsui Hark some comfort.
After all, this is a martial arts film, and fighting scenes are very important.
After confirming with the assistant director that all the necessary shots had been shot, Tsui Hark ordered the work to end and got into Shi Nansheng's car.
As soon as he got in the car, Shi Nansheng threw a newspaper over to him.
"What?" Tsui Hark asked.
"See for yourself."
Tsui Hark flipped through the "Tian Tian Daily" in his hand and saw a big headline without any trouble - "
Won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival.
"Did you really win the award?" Tsui Hark's tone was strange.
"The Truman Show was a hit at the Cannes Film Festival three years ago, so it's natural to win the award this time." Shi Nansheng said while driving.
There was some truth to what his wife said, but Tsui Hark still couldn't believe it.
Xu Anhua and he were among a group of debut directors who benefited from the New Wave movement, and later had contact with New Art City.
He had made literary films in his early years and knew that the influence of the Hong Kong New Wave would be difficult to spread beyond Southeast Asia.
For directors like them in Hong Kong, the highest honor of the three major European film festivals is extremely far away. Even though Tsui Hark is now a famous director in Hong Kong, he has never dared to expect to be recognized by the three major European film festivals.
But now, Ann Hui actually won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival.
Tsui Hark looked at the newspaper in his hand, feeling like he was in a dream.
This year's Cannes Film Festival is the 42nd. The Palme d'Or, the best film, was awarded to "Parasite", and the jury prize was a double-yolked egg, awarded to "Sex, Lies and Videotape".
” and “Cinema Paradiso”.
Tsui Hark did not look at the remaining awards.
"I heard that the competition this year is very fierce. "Parasite", "Sex, Lies and Videotape" and "Cinema Paradiso" have almost equal reputations.
That year, "The Truman Show" lost to "The Show". Anhua made a comeback this time, and the support from the organizing committee is also very important."
The couple both make movies and know the inside story of the film festival very well.
Tsui Hark folded the newspaper and said to himself: "How many times is this Lam Pictures' top three in Europe?"
"The gold one is the second one, and the silver one is the fourth one."
Tsui Hark couldn't help but be astonished. Lam's Pictures was established only three years ago, and these awards are almost catching up with wholesale awards. These are the top three awards in Europe, not the Academy Awards or the Golden Horse Awards.
Shi Nansheng sighed: "No one in Hong Kong can refuse Lin's movies from now on!"
Tsui Hark understands his wife's intentions very well. Who wouldn't want to act in a movie that can show his face abroad?
Don't look at these movie stars in Hong Kong and Taiwan, and show off their power in this three-thirds of an acre of land in Southeast Asia, but outside this land, they are all unknowns.
Look at the media reports that went to Cannes a few days ago about Xu Guanwen's popularity there. He can be called an international movie star.
Faced with such a temptation, what ambitious movie star could refuse?
"Not only the influence, but also the benefits are huge."
A film that won the highest honor at three major European film festivals can easily earn tens of millions of Hong Kong dollars. Lam has made gains at international film festivals every year since its establishment. This is the confidence!
Tsui Hark couldn't help but think of Xinyi City. Facing such a terrifying opponent, what could they do to compete?
Since last year, New Arts City's voice in the Hong Kong film industry has become smaller and smaller. I really don't know how long they can persist.
Thinking of this, Tsui Hark couldn't help but feel happy in his heart.
Chapter completed!