Chapter 267: This plan is indeed quite exciting.

"Brother Su, you know, I'm not that ambitious. My main goal is to get my hands on those chemical materials companies."
Qin Han, who had been flushed like he'd drunk two jin of fake liquor, suddenly brightened up like a searchlight the moment business was discussed, showing no trace of his drunkenness.
"Chemical materials? You've got your eye on those semiconductor core material suppliers, haven't you?"
"Haha, I knew it! Nothing escapes your notice. You knew this from the start, didn't you?" Qin Han slapped his thigh.
"That's right! Those Japanese companies that dared to act tough with us a while back, relying on their technological monopoly!
Of course, I know those Japanese won't give in easily; after all, these are their most prized assets with the highest global market share.
Trying to break them is like trying to climb to the sky.
But… hehe, with you, Brother Su, around, things might have a chance now!"
The sudden collapse of YCC has triggered a financial tsunami that is sweeping across the entire Japanese archipelago with devastating force.
In ordinary countries, a 2% increase in interest rates can send the economy trembling, like someone with Parkinson's.
But Japan, a "homebody" that has been living in a zero-interest-rate paradise for decades, has suddenly had its interest rates yanked by 5%.
The feeling was akin to being dragged from an ICU bed and forced to run a marathon.
Under this apocalyptic economic shock, let alone ordinary companies, even the wealthiest behemoths would be reeling, barely able to stand.
Moreover, the companies Qin Han had his eye on were far from being financially powerful giants.
While they held absolute sway in specific materials fields, in terms of overall company size, they were at best ordinary enterprises, with extremely limited resilience.
“How’s it going, Brother Su?” Qin Han leaned closer, lowering his voice,
“Have you secured any targets yet?”
At this moment, the Japanese market was practically a fire sale of unprecedented value, with all assets slapped with rock-bottom prices, practically begging through megaphones to “Don’t miss out!”
Logically, such a once-in-a-lifetime buying opportunity should have prompted global funds and institutions to pounce like sharks smelling blood.
But strangely, they've all remained remarkably indifferent.
Why?
Because this sudden surge in interest rates was a direct blow to fund institutions as well, leaving them reeling.
Especially those financial institutions that had been hoarding the yen as a safe-haven asset, treating it like the dollar, have suffered devastating losses, nearly losing everything. They have no time to scavenge for bargains in someone else's backyard.
“Indeed, we have a few targets under consideration,” Su Hao casually revealed his plan.
“Especially two iconic shipping companies in Japan. I’m figuring out the easiest way to acquire them.”
“Hahaha! Great minds think alike! I knew it!
To get those guys under control, we have to strike at their maritime lifelines!
Your move, cutting off their lifeline, has thrown their shipping schedules into complete chaos.”
"Those major ports are now jammed like the Second Ring Road during rush hour. This move is absolutely brilliant!"
A report Su Hao had his research team submit a few days ago included a detailed analysis of these two Japanese shipping giants.
Fang Huan Investment's shipping company, under Su Hao's direction and Du Yuanhang's leadership, is expanding globally in an almost ruthless manner.
Their approach to all potential competitors is a simple and brutal strategy of "price wars" and "capacity crushing."
They're sweeping through like a whirlwind, giving their opponents no chance to breathe.
This "lower-dimensional attack" has dealt a heavy blow to Japan's shipping industry.
Originally, there were four leading companies, but this attack directly crippled two of them, forcing them to declare bankruptcy on the spot.
The remaining two are also teetering on the brink of collapse, their balance sheets looking like they've been chewed by a dog, on the verge of collapse.
From a rational perspective, it would be better to let these messes fend for themselves than to acquire them.
But Su Hao's intuition detected something unusual about these two companies.
Qin Han continued his analysis:
"I've already analyzed this, see if I'm right:
The Japanese economy is already teetering on the brink of collapse, and now if their logistics were to completely paralyze it, their top management would be in a real bind.
At this point, your 'Fanghuan Shipping' makes its grand entrance, saying, 'Don't worry, I'll acquire these two nearly bankrupt companies and, incidentally, clean up the mess at the ports!'
Wouldn't the Japanese have no choice but to agree?"
"That's true," Su Hao nodded slightly.
"Then our next move will be incredibly flexible!" Qin Han said, getting more and more excited.
"On one hand, we'll feign helping the Japanese government with their 'urgent business' to keep them calm;
On the other hand, we'll further tighten logistics controls on the semiconductor material companies we really want! We'll cripple them!
When they ask, we'll just shrug and say, 'Oh dear, the ports are too chaotic, we're overwhelmed, please wait a little longer,' and slowly stall them."
"Hmm. That makes sense."
"We'll cooperate 'sincerely' with them while swallowing up the shipping companies.
Then we'll use logistics as our trump card, slowly boiling those semiconductor material companies until they're completely exhausted.
Then, won't we be able to choose whichever company we want and buy from them at whatever price we want?"
"Haha... Brother Su, how was my guess?
Was this whole game planned from the very beginning?"
Su Hao thought to himself, "Qin Han has orchestrated this whole show, all the fanfare and drama."
However, upon closer examination, the plan was indeed quite intriguing.
Perhaps, his seemingly mystical intuition was actually aiming for just such a grand and dramatic spectacle.
***
Across the ocean, Elon Musk, fresh from being ousted from his position as chairman of Tesla, was in high spirits.
Although the stock manipulation scandal had resulted in a hefty fine of twenty million US dollars, looking back, he didn't show a trace of regret.
Regret? Regret my foot!
There's no way he'll ever regret anything in this lifetime.
To thoroughly crush those arrogant, domineering empty promises, he'd gladly pay them a few more times, let alone a $20 million fine.
Besides, stepping down as chairman doesn't mean he's being stripped of his company.
His position as CEO of Tesla is still perfectly secure.
"How are those newly launched satellites doing? No problems?"
"Reporting, boss, everything went smoothly! From orbit insertion to signal docking, perfect!"
However, all Musk's antics and these groundbreaking projects have one ultimate goal:
A dream that sounds like a fantasy:
To terraform Mars and colonize it.
Everyone thinks he's crazy, calling him a delusional fantasist.
But Musk firmly believes that one day, humanity's dream of Mars will become a reality.
And the person who ushered in this great era must be Elon Musk.
To this end, he founded Tesla, established the space exploration company SpaceT, and is currently pushing forward with a grand project called Starlink.
All of this points to the same goal:
For Mars!