Chapter 92

"Governor," Fields said cautiously, "Please allow me to explain. Although I have had dealings with Todd Chen, I only met the young Edward Lee standing behind him a few days ago. So, the information I have about him is not necessarily more than what you know."

"That's fine, Mr. Fields, please go on," Governor MacLehose nodded.

"Todd Chen was born in Hong Kong, graduated from the University of Virginia in the United States, and studied at Harvard Business School. He is a very cautious person, good at analysis, and has a keen eye. Even without acquiring TVB, he would have quickly established himself in Hong Kong," Fields said immediately. "As for young Edward Lee..."

He shrugged: "He is very young, still studying at Harvard."

"Harvard..." MacLehose chuckled lightly, concealing his sense of superiority well.

"We only had a brief conversation. I asked him why he wanted to acquire TVB, and he said he liked movies and TV shows," Fields shrugged again. "I'm not sure if he was sincere."

"Mr. Fields, did you know that before young Edward Lee acquired TVB, his father, Edward Lee, had already acquired Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK)?" MacLehose asked after a few minutes of thought.

Fields was somewhat surprised: "I apologize, Governor, I didn't know."

"That's fine, I only received the information recently," MacLehose shrugged. "Additionally, I learned that this young Edward Lee is dating the youngest sister of the future princess."

"You mean... the youngest daughter of the Earl of Spencer?" Fields was even more surprised.

Last year, the engagement of Prince Charles to Elizabeth Spencer, the eldest daughter of the Earl of Spencer, had spread throughout the Commonwealth and the world.

"Yes," MacLehose nodded. "So, Mr. Fields, do you think it's possible that he is here to... buy at the bottom?"

Fields blinked, momentarily puzzled. It wasn't strange that the Governor knew the term "buy at the bottom," but using it here seemed a bit odd... Wait a moment!

"Are you saying they might know something?" Fields asked seriously.

"You know, since last year, the Americans and the mainland have been getting closer. They might know something," MacLehose was somewhat worried.

Fields frowned. Last year or the year before, the Governor had visited Beijing and learned that the mainland's policy toward Hong Kong would not change. To avoid causing panic, he did not make this public, only saying that the mainland assured Hong Kong investors. Of course, a few top British executives in Hong Kong knew about it.

So, if this young Edward Lee also knew this and "accidentally" or unintentionally mentioned it, and his background was convincing enough, it could cause significant trouble for Hong Kong's financial sector.

"We will be holding a gathering at the Peninsula Hotel in two days. I hope you can honor us with your presence, Governor," Fields said, understanding what the Governor was concerned about.

"I will try to make time," the Governor nodded.

"Then, please allow me to take my leave," Fields stood up.

After he left, the Governor sat back and shook his head with a sigh: "A time of many troubles."

While different people were busy gathering information about the same target, the target himself was holding a company-wide meeting in the TVB building.

"I know you have all been worried these past few days about the change in ownership of the TV station, whether it will affect you, whether there will be pay cuts, or even job losses. I can now give you an answer: no! Although I am American, I have a good understanding of Hong Kong, and I will not act like an outsider. So, you will continue to do your jobs as you have always done, and all senior executives will remain in their positions!" Li Xu said loudly to the majority of the employees in the hall.

Of course, he spoke in Cantonese, with a firm and commanding tone, and his Western maturity and handsomeness gave people a sense of confidence. After he finished speaking, some people clapped, and the applause quickly spread. Even a few women in the corner were secretly swooning:

"Wow, the new boss is so handsome! And he can speak Cantonese!"

"Right, right, I really like him."

"He must be rich, maybe the son of some group?"

Especially in the back row of the actors, a big-eyed girl was staring at Li Xu without blinking, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

"Now, please return to your positions and convey my thanks to those who have been working diligently. Thank you all," Li Xu concluded his speech with this, earning another round of applause. He then went to the meeting room with the executives to discuss the future plans of the TV station, which was just beginning.

The meeting room was not large. After the general manager, department directors, directors, and producers took their seats, Li Xu walked to his position, which was on the left side of the long table. The head seat was for someone else.

"Mr. Ho, please sit," he gestured to an elderly man with glasses and a long beard.

"Thank you, Xu," the man smiled and sat down without hesitation.

"Alright, although I have already met all of you, I will introduce myself again. My name is Edward Lee, also known as Li Xu, Li as in the character for wood, and Xu as in the rising sun. I am the chairman of Imagination Holdings," Li Xu's gaze swept over Wong Suk-chow, Mak Tang-hung, and Siu Yuen-yuen.

"I have watched some Hong Kong movies and TV shows, including Bruce Lee's works, and I am very interested. So, when TVB needed to sell the station to raise funds, I bought it," he continued. "I know many of you are worried that as an American, I might not understand Hong Kong's social environment, and if I act rashly, the advantage you gained over TVB last year might disappear. I can assure you again: it will not happen!"

Although he said this, the smiles on the faces of the executives like Wong Suk-chow seemed somewhat perfunctory.

Li Xu didn't care much: "First, I said that everyone will remain in their positions, and this is non-negotiable. Mr. Wong will still be the general manager, and Mr. Mak will still be the production director, with no issues. Second, I will invest in upgrading the station's equipment to the best. Third, from now on, all profits from the station will be reinvested in the station. I will not take all the profits like RTHK did."

At this, he smiled: "I can earn much more in the financial market than the station's annual profit. I don't care about this money; I bought the station out of interest."

This statement made most of the people in the room twitch, and some even turned black. Was this guy really showing off his wealth? The elderly man at the head of the table also took off his glasses, shook his head, but his shoulders moved slightly.

"So, unless there are special circumstances, I will not interfere with any operational matters. I have invited Mr. Ho to serve as the chairman of the board, and I will be a supervisor," Li Xu said, turning to look at the elderly man.

Then, someone who understood the situation started clapping, and enthusiastic applause followed, making the elderly man smile and nod repeatedly.

"Of course, I am not a philanthropist, and I have my own goals," Li Xu said after the applause stopped. "What I care about is one thing: whether I receive enough respect here."

He scanned the room with a stern gaze: "Let me be clear, I am very young, only half a year past my majority, and still studying at Harvard. I am well aware that there are always some people who rely on their seniority and look down on others, and some who think they know everything and can deceive others. This is true in both the East and the West."

At this, Li Xu suddenly emphasized: "I don't care about these things, but if they affect me, it's a different matter. If I fund a TV series and the director and actors are available, but I get a bunch of misfits; or if I want to try a new program with detailed planning and data support, but I get all sorts of excuses, I will use every means to make these people understand the consequences."

As soon as he said this, the faces of the executives in the room turned even darker. Was he here to cause trouble or to reassure them? He said he wouldn't interfere, but was this really not interfering?

"Of course, as the saying goes, 'a carrot and a stick,'" he suddenly changed his tone. "For those who genuinely contribute to the station, I will try to reward them. For example, for directors, writers, and producers, I will have mathematicians design a model to convert the success of your works into data, and based on this data, apply for different amounts of funding from the film fund I will establish to produce movies."

At this, directors and writers like Mak Tang-hung, Siu Yuen-yuen, and Li Chiu-hung were all shocked and looked at Li Xu with surprise.

But at this moment, he stopped the topic and turned his gaze back to Mr. Ho: "Alright, I know you might be unhappy now, thinking I am going back on my word. I won't say more, and we will work it out over time. Now, let's hear a few words from Mr. Ho as the chairman of the board."

Applause sounded again, but it was sparse, with mixed feelings. Only the general manager, Wong Suk-chow, remained calm.

"Thank you all..." Mr. Ho still had that gentle demeanor, as if Li Xu's promises and threats were just normal everyday affairs.

Most people now listened intently, after all, even if TVB went bankrupt, Mr. Ho was still a respected media figure.