sbdcsierra Chapter 634: Betrayed in Secret
Chapter 634: Betrayed in Secret
Singapore, headquarters of the Xue Group.
"Catherine, as per your request, we have pledged the shares of several listed companies under the group for a short period of time, and the funds obtained will be used for the acquisition of rubber plantations and palm oil processing plants in Indonesia."
Sitting behind her executive desk, Zhang Yun put down her coffee cup and nodded to indicate that she understood. This was part of her plan to expand the Xue Group's territory. If all went well, the Xue Group would triple in size within five years. She wanted to show Xue Xiangsheng that the Xue Group would become even better under her leadership.
Steve, who had just finished reporting on his work, looked hesitant to speak.
Zhang Yun naturally saw Steve's expression and said, "Just say what you have to say, don't beat around the bush."
Steve mustered his courage and said, "Catherine, I have to remind you that since you took over the Xue Group, you have been expanding through acquisitions, which has led to a gap in the group's cash flow. I suggest that we temporarily put some acquisition plans on hold to alleviate the financial pressure."
Zhang Yun glanced at Steve and then said, "Proceed according to plan. Keep a close eye on the funds, and let me know immediately if there are any problems."
Steve could only nod and leave; that was all he could do.
Zhang Yun's confidence in taking such a gamble on large-scale acquisitions and expansions stemmed from the man standing behind her; it was precisely because of this that she dared to do so.
However, Zhang Yun was still somewhat stubborn and self-willed. She underestimated the resentment her uncle Xue Bingkang harbored towards her. Because of her, Xue Bingkang had completely lost the possibility of inheriting the Xue Group. Now, Xue Bingkang hated Zhang Yun to the bone; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call her an enemy.
Zhang Yun's commotion was so big that it naturally couldn't be kept from Xue Bingkang. Although Xue Bingkang was a playboy, he still had a few informants within the Xue Group. He quickly learned about the gap in the capital chain and the impending financial loopholes.
Amidst the swirling smoke of cigars, Xue Bingkang made a decision: if I can't have it, then neither can you. I'll make sure Zhang Yun's efforts are all for naught.
The next day, in a private room at a top-tier club on Orchard Road, filled with the smells of cigars and aged whiskey, two middle-aged men sat and talked.
"Brother Lin, now is a rare opportunity. That little bastard is arrogant and recklessly expands and acquires other businesses. She has already encountered a cash flow problem and I think she is about to collapse. Brother Lin, your intervention at this time will hit that little bastard right where it hurts. I guarantee you will achieve twice the result with half the effort."
Lin Gaolang toyed with the wine glass in his hand, watching the ice melt inside.
"Young Master Kang, your niece is quite a character. Are you trying to pull a fast one on me? Have you two dug a pit for me, waiting to bury me?"
Lin Gaolang had long coveted the Xue Group, but he hadn't found an opportunity yet. He was waiting for the right chance, since the Xue Group was too large. For the Lin Group to swallow the Xue Group whole would be like a snake trying to swallow an elephant, making the plan very difficult to achieve.
Originally, Lin Gaolang planned to take action against Xue Bingkang, that spendthrift son, after he inherited the Xue family business. However, Zhang Yun suddenly appeared and forcefully took over the entire Xue Group, which made Lin Gaolang feel quite frustrated.
But to his surprise, the spendthrift son of the Xue family personally came to propose a collaboration to ruin Zhang Yun. Lin Gaolang was overjoyed! This was like a piece of fat meat being delivered to his door.
However, being cautious by nature, he still dared not immediately trust Xue Bingkang, because all the wealthy families in Southeast Asia knew that this guy was a notorious playboy, proficient in eating, drinking, gambling and whoring, and when it came to doing business, well, this guy was no better than a pig.
Seeing that Lin Gaolang didn't believe him, Xue Bingkang threw a financial statement in front of him. This was information he had obtained by bribing someone inside the Xue Group. Xue Bingkang didn't believe that Lin Gaolang would remain calm after reading it.
He added fuel to the fire, saying, "This is the most accurate financial situation of the Xue Group right now. I also have real data on several of the Xue Group's core listed companies. If this is disclosed, you know what will happen to you, Brother Lin."
Lin Gaolang casually glanced through the financial report and immediately spotted the fatal problem, but he remained expressionless.
He asked Xue Bingkang a question: "Young Master Kang, let's not beat around the bush. If the Lin family makes a move, then the Xue family won't have much to do with you in the future. At most, you'll be given a directorship and receive a fixed dividend every year."
Xue Bingkang gritted his teeth and replied, "If I can't have it, that little bitch won't have it either."
Lin Gaolang scrutinized Xue Bingkang for a long time but couldn't detect anything unusual on his face. Besides, the Xue Group was such a tempting piece of meat that he had been eyeing it for a long time, so he decided to give it a try. Fortune favors the bold!
Soon, a rough plan took shape after the two discussed it. Xue Bingkang promised to provide Lin Gaolang with internal intelligence about the Xue Group, while Lin Gaolang was responsible for uniting several financial groups that were dissatisfied with Zhang Yun's aggressive acquisition to maliciously short the stocks of listed companies under the Xue Group. In short, it was about taking advantage of their weakness to kill them.
A week later, as usual, the stock exchanges in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, opened for trading on time.
At that moment, Zhang Yun was in the conference room listening to her subordinates' report on the progress of the rubber plantation acquisition when her deputy, Steve, suddenly pushed the door open and interrupted the meeting.
"You guys go out for a bit, I have something to discuss with Catherine."
After everyone in the meeting had left, Steve closed the door and said to Zhang Yun, "Catherine, the stock prices of several core listed companies under my Xue Group plummeted after the market opened today. By the time I entered the meeting room, the drop had exceeded 11%. And when I checked, the trading volume was abnormal; it wasn't normal trading at all."
As a skilled trader in the financial securities industry, Zhang Yun was naturally well aware of the reasons behind this phenomenon. She immediately stood up: "Come on, let's go to my office!"
Zhang Yun hurriedly took Steve back to her office, switched the computer screen to today's stock market, and after carefully examining the trading situation, she found that there were a large number of sell orders in the stock market, while the number of buy orders was very small. This phenomenon was obviously an organized sell-off. As a result, investors who originally planned to enter the market would be scared away. Generally, no one would buy stocks that were plummeting. Zhang Yun had done this many times before, so she naturally understood.
However, Zhang Yun remained calm and composed. She instructed, "Steve, find out immediately who the mastermind is."
"We're already investigating, but it will take some time. To be honest, Catherine, it seems like the other side knows something about us. They chose to make their move at this time, and the timing was too precise. I suspect someone leaked information from within," Steve said, expressing his suspicion.
Zhang Yun's mind raced, but she couldn't immediately guess who the mole was. She went through a list of people, but she missed Xue Bingkang, because Xue Bingkang had long been kicked out of the core of the Xue Group and now only had the right to receive annual dividends.