Chapter 398 Three Years of Crisis
"You didn't watch the news?"

"You mean the Middle East?"

"Yes," Wang Deming pointed out the window, "Did you notice anything?"

"The cargo volume on Hong Kong has at least doubled compared to last year?"

"Hong Kong's largest export has changed from textiles to petrochemicals?"

Niu Bijian looked at Wang Deming, who looked like he had everything under control, and was silent for a while. Then he asked softly, "Are you saying that the oil industry will be the most profitable in the next few years?"

Without answering him, Wang Deming stood up and waved to Niu Bijian. The two of them stood together in front of the French window, watching the endless stream of cargo ships and oil tankers coming and going in Victoria Harbour.

Niu Bijian did not walk shoulder to shoulder with Wang Deming, but lagged behind by one body length.

Wang Deming glanced at him and raised his lips unconsciously. He asked softly, "Niu Bijian, where do you think Hong Kong's future lies? Real estate? Finance? Freight? Or industry?"

Just as Niu Bijian was about to open his mouth, Wang Deming raised his hand and added, "Don't be impatient. Answer with your British perspective."

Then the office on the ninth floor of Gloucester Building fell into silence.

The only sound was the "clicking" of the Qianlong cloisonné enamel floor clock in the corner.

Niu Bijian replied after a while: "If we follow the British idea, Hong Kong would better belong to the British Empire forever, but the truly smart people know that this is impossible."

Niu Bijian looked out the window, his gaze seemed to pass beyond Kowloon and look into the distance.

"No one could fight Mao, not to mention Britain, not even the United States. Otherwise, there would not have been a visit to China in 72, nor would there have been this round of surge in Hong Kong stocks in 72."

"If Mao wanted to take back Hong Kong, he only had to ask. So the British only collected taxes before, calling it non-interventionism."

"It's not that they don't want to interfere, it's that they don't dare. This determines that the British view Hong Kong as a place where they can continue to suck blood."

He took a deep breath and said, "So, the British in Hong Kong will definitely continue to advance in the financial sector, and then real estate. After all, these two sectors are the easiest to exploit."

Wang Deming declined to comment, and then asked, "Niu Bijian, what do you think of the war in the Middle East now?"

"Ugh!" Niu Bijian almost couldn't breathe, the question changed too quickly and he was completely unprepared.

He kept thinking about how to answer.

He couldn't figure out Wang Deming's position.

Although the Chinese have always been helpful to the Jews, it started with diplomats in the Republic of China period issuing more than 2 visas to the Jews, allowing many Jews to have a place to settle down in war-torn Shanghai.

Many enthusiastic Chinese people in Shanghai gave the Jews food and clothes.

However, what the Jews had done in China made him hesitate. The Hong Kong area used to be a concession. Wherever the Jews built houses, it was a concession.

Moreover, Wang Deming's actions in Hong Kong clearly indicated that he was going to be repaid later.
"Don't hesitate, just say whatever you want to say." Wang Deming's voice sounded in his ears, and he couldn't help but look at the back of Wang Deming's head.

Niu Bijian couldn't figure out Wang Deming's attitude, so he could only tell the truth: "Although I am Jewish, I also understand that without a strong backer, how could Israel continue to provoke the Arab world in the Middle East?"

"If the Jews want to gain a foothold in Israel, they must and will become a pawn of the Americans."

"War is a continuation of politics. The Americans want to disrupt the Arab world in the Middle East and confront the Soviet Union through the Middle East."

"Very good." Wang Deming turned around and gently patted Niu Bijian on the shoulder. "Niu Bijian, your judgment ability is worthy of being the best in Hong Kong."

Wang Deming was generous in his praise. After all, Niu Bijian had completed his first step plan very well. Of the four old families in Hong Kong, the Ho family had fallen apart, the Zhou family was about to follow, the Li family was now barely surviving, and the last Li family was not a concern. He had already approached the Governor's Office to merge the four stock trading centers in Hong Kong into one.

Li Zhaofu, the current head of the Li family, is the chairman of the Far East Club. He will at most be a vice chairman of securitization and will be marginalized afterwards.

It can be said that the four old families in Hong Kong have become a thing of the past.
As for the four major families in Hong Kong in the future, it all depends on their luck. Wang Deming has already let out half of his anger, and the remaining half is to clean up the British capital, and the time is coming soon.

He has already set his sights beyond Hong Kong.

After so many years in Hong Kong, in addition to the various events he remembered from reading novels in his previous life, he made plans in advance to maximize his gains.

His vision has also been greatly improved. It is no longer limited to the business perspective, but he is able to look at economic changes from the perspective of political economy and from the perspective of changes in the world economy.

"Niu Bijian, the land reserves of Hong Kong Holdings in Hong Kong Island are still good. The future direction should be to Kowloon, starting from places like Tsuen Wan and the New Territories. You are right. In the future, Hong Kong will be supported by the two industries of finance and real estate."

"Industry is slow to show results, so the British will not support it."

Wang Deming did not continue to talk with Niu Bijian about the fourth Arab-Israeli war taking place in the Middle East and its impact on the oil industry and the world's shipping industry.

Instead, he just mentioned the future development direction of the land and sent him away.

After all, he is a Jew. Wang Deming doesn't want him to know about his speculation in oil futures.

Currently, Wang Deming’s biggest competitor in oil futures is the world’s richest man, Paul Getty.

In addition, Wang Deming also secretly made a billion US dollars in silver futures.

In the 70s, oil futures and silver futures were the most profitable businesses. Hong Kong stocks were just a small case. Wang Deming just played around with them through Hong Kong Holdings. Most of his funds had already been invested in oil and silver futures.

Since the collapse of the Bretton Woods system in 1971, the price of silver has skyrocketed, increasing nearly three times.

After the outbreak of the Fourth Middle East War, oil futures rose from US$3 to US$13 in just over ten days.

The United States now has the Soviet Union as its biggest rival, and has no way to directly control the Middle East oil with the US dollar. Niu Bijian is right, Israel is the vanguard of the United States.

If you don't let me control you, I will let Israel attack you.
At the end of 73, Wang Deming liquidated all his oil futures and silver futures, with a total profit of more than 10 billion US dollars, and then entered the gold futures market.

At the end of 74, due to the impact of the Middle East oil crisis, the Hang Seng Index fell to a low of only 170 points. The price of Hutchison Whampoa had fallen to more than 1 yuan, and the stock of Hong Kong Land also fell to more than 2 yuan.

Niu Bijian convened a shareholders' meeting and forcefully approved the issuance of new shares to raise funds. The shareholdings of the Li family and the Zhou family in the land were suddenly reduced to less than 10%.

However, Hutchison's shareholders' meeting failed to raise cash through new share issuance, and by September 75, the company was on the verge of bankruptcy.

Through HSBC, Wang Deming used only 1.5 million Hong Kong dollars to acquire 33.65% of Hutchison's shares. Together with the previous acquisitions, his stake exceeded 51% and he completely controlled Hutchison Whampoa.

Time flies and it is already 76.
Wang Deming and his family were allowed to return to the capital.

　I was very troubled and exhausted writing this volume of Xiangjiang, because it was not what I wanted to write. To be honest, I felt that the writing was very messy and the book had deviated from the original outline and theme.

　　Xiangjiang is just a sideline, for making money.

　　It's just that I don't have the habit of ending the book unfinished, so I've persisted until now and there's only one volume left to finish. Thanks again to the book friends who have always supported me.

　　Thank you for your support and companionship along the way. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have been able to persevere.

　　Thank you
　　
　
(End of this chapter)