Chapter 264 Vice Chairman of TVB's Board
In the blink of an eye, it was the next day.
Today was already July 4, 1980.
Early in the morning, Lin Haoran got up around seven.
Hong Kong's July weather was extremely hot—by seven or eight o'clock in the morning, the temperature was already around 28 or 29 degrees Celsius.
The TVB shareholders' meeting was scheduled for 9 a.m., and it would take quite a bit of time to get from Shixun Road Villa to Kowloon Tong—especially during morning rush hour, when city center traffic was bound to be very heavy.
Thus, after a simple breakfast and a brief read of the newspaper, Lin Haoran left with Li Weidong and Li Weiguo around 8 o'clock.
As expected, the bustling traffic made the city's main roads extremely congested, especially Gloucester Road heading toward the Cross-Harbour Tunnel, where vehicles lined up in a long queue.
By 8:30 a.m., Lin Haoran's car finally passed through the tunnel and entered the Kowloon side.
Around 8:50 a.m., they successfully arrived at TVB headquarters on Broadcast Drive in Kowloon Tong.
By now, Lin Haoran was a well-known figure in Hong Kong.
Many people recognized him at a glance, especially at a place like TVB that dealt with the news media.
Thus, his appearance immediately caused a stir among TVB employees.
The news of his acquisition of TVB shares had not yet spread, so even TVB staff were unaware of it at this moment.
Still, some bolder ones came up to greet this prominent business figure.
Some even speculated that Lin Haoran might have become one of the company's bosses—why else would he show up at such a critical time?
After all, many shareholders and board members rarely seen on ordinary days had arrived today.
In such a special circumstance, Lin Haoran's arrival at TVB was self-explanatory.
"Good morning, Mr. Lin!"
"Mr. Lin, I didn't expect to see you here!"
"Mr. Lin, are you here to meet with Chairman Shaw? Should I take you to him?"
...
Lin Haoran smiled and nodded to everyone, then followed the young man who offered to escort him.
It was obvious—why else would Lin Haoran come if not to see Run Run Shaw?
Since Lee Siu Ho's funeral, Run Run Shaw had been frequently visiting TVB, practically taking over his deceased friend's responsibilities.
"You're Chow Yun Fat, aren't you?" Lin Haoran asked as they walked.
Indeed, the young man guiding him was the now-famous actor Chow Yun Fat.
At 25 years old, Chow Yun Fat had entered TVB's Actor Training Class in 1973, graduated in 1974, and after a brief period playing minor roles, he had secured important acting opportunities.
In 1975, he starred in the costume romance Dream of the Red Chamber.
This year, the drama The Bund had made him a household name across Hong Kong.
"You recognize me, Mr. Lin?" Chow Yun Fat said joyfully.
After all, the man before him was a towering business figure.
Despite being similar in age, Chow Yun Fat was just an entertainer, someone not usually on the same level as a tycoon like Lin Haoran.
"Of course I recognize you.
You played Hui Man Keung brilliantly.
Keep it up—I believe you'll soon become a superstar across the entire Chinese-speaking world!" Lin Haoran said warmly.
"I will work hard, Mr. Lin!" Chow Yun Fat said excitedly.
Even though he was now a famous star, standing before Lin Haoran, Chow Yun Fat still felt like he was facing a true boss.
They soon arrived upstairs by elevator.
At the Chairman's Office, the door was open.
Inside, quite a few people were already gathered—some sitting, some standing—including Run Run Shaw.
"Mr. Lin is here," Shaw called out with a smile.
Everyone turned to look at Lin Haoran.
"Good morning, Mr. Shaw, good morning everyone," Lin Haoran said politely, smiling at the crowd.
Those present were clearly shareholders or their representatives.
Aside from Shaw and Lin Haoran, other shareholders included the Eu Yan Sang family, ITV from the UK, Gilman Trading Company, NBC from the USA, and Hutchison Whampoa.
Back when TVB was founded in 1967, these forces had collectively pushed to secure one of Hong Kong's only two television licenses.
Without their help, Shaw and Lee couldn't have done it alone.
Today, Hutchison Whampoa's representative was Richard Li, assistant to current chairman Mr. Wheeler.
Although Li Ka Shing had become Hutchison's major shareholder, he had not yet formally assumed control, so Wheeler was still in charge.
Representatives from the other shareholder groups had also arrived.
Altogether, nearly ten people filled the room.
Run Run Shaw personally introduced them to Lin Haoran.
Clearly, everyone already knew Lin Haoran had bought the Lee family's shares, so no one was particularly surprised.
"It's about time—let's start the meeting," said General Manager Yu Bok Kwan.
The clock on the wall showed it was nearly 9:00 a.m.
Everyone moved to the adjacent conference room and sat around a large oval table.
As General Manager, Yu hosted the meeting.
"Before we begin, let's observe one minute of silence in memory of Chairman Lee Siu Ho."
After the moment of silence:
"First, let's welcome TVB's newest member—Mr. Lin Haoran, who is now TVB's largest shareholder," Yu Bok Kwan said.
Lin Haoran stood up and spoke briefly:
"Dear colleagues, I'm honored to work with all of you.
I hope TVB will continue to prosper."
Aside from Shaw, the others were mainly representatives and not major figures, so Lin Haoran kept his remarks simple.
"Today's meeting's main agenda is clear:
We are here to elect a new chairman of the board," Yu continued.
"I represent ITV, and we have no intention to compete for the chairman's position."
"I represent Gilman Trading—we also have no intention to compete."
"I represent NBC—we likewise have no interest."
"We, Hutchison Whampoa, have no interest either."
One by one, the representatives of the British and American shareholders made it clear they were not interested.
They rarely participated in TVB's management and knew their limited holdings meant they had little chance of winning even if they tried.
Run Run Shaw looked around.
Even though he had led Shaw Brothers for years, becoming TVB's chairman still made his heart beat faster.
At this moment, aside from Run Run Shaw, many attendees thought Lin Haoran had bought the Lee family's shares precisely to seize TVB's chairmanship.
Thus, several people prepared to watch the "show."
"Everyone," Lin Haoran spoke up.
Immediately, all eyes turned toward him.
They all assumed he was about to announce his candidacy.
"As TVB's largest shareholder, I officially recommend Mr. Run Run Shaw to serve as chairman of the board.
In my view, there is no more suitable candidate," Lin Haoran said with a smile.
His words stunned the room.
No one had expected this young tycoon to forgo the chairman's seat and throw his full support behind Shaw.
"I also represent the Eu family and fully support Mr. Shaw as chairman," added Yu Bok Kwan.
Together, Lin Haoran, Shaw, and the Eu family controlled over 50% of the shares.
Thus, even if someone else wanted to challenge, it would be futile.
Moreover, Shaw's long-standing prestige made him the natural choice after Lee Siu Ho.
"Thank you all for your trust and support," said Shaw, standing confidently.
"TVB is indeed facing challenges, but if you entrust me with this responsibility, I will do my best to manage the company and lead it to new heights."
"Let's proceed with a vote.
All in favor of Mr. Shaw becoming chairman, please raise your hand," Yu Bok Kwan proposed.
As expected, the vote went smoothly—unanimous approval.
"Thank you, everyone!" Shaw said joyfully.
"As my first proposal, I suggest appointing Mr. Lin Haoran as Vice Chairman of the TVB board.
With his support, I believe TVB will soon enter a new era of prosperity!"
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