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Just as Lin Haoran was thinking about how to convince He Shanheng to leave Hengsheng Bank and work for Bank of East Asia, there was a knock on the door.

Then, the voice of the restaurant's general manager was heard again.

"Please come in." Lin Haoran shouted outside.

Not long after, the general manager of the restaurant walked in.

"Boss, I have something to report to you. I just received news that Huifeng Bank will hold a press conference in a few minutes. I thought you would pay attention to this matter, so I came in to turn on the TV for you." The general manager said respectfully.

Lin Haoran was a little surprised. He didn't expect that the general manager of the Joy Lai Restaurant in Central was so eye-catching.

"Well, thank you for your help!" He nodded in response.

"This is what I should do." The general manager said and started to turn on the TV.

As a high-end restaurant, especially a private room, a television is naturally a necessary facility.

Soon, the TV screen lit up and the picture switched to ATV, with the live broadcast of the press conference appearing before the eyes.

On the rostrum, senior officials including John Pao and Pu Weishi all had stern expressions and sat upright.

But the only person missing was Shen Bi, the boss of Huifeng Bank.

However, Lin Haoran already knew through the intelligence from Cui Zilong that when their Bank of East Asia held a press conference, someone saw Shen Bi appear in the Governor's Mansion.

Therefore, it is normal that Shen Bi is not at the scene at this moment.

Not long after, John Bao, as the vice chairman of Huifeng Bank, began his speech: "I solemnly declare that the actions of the former employees of Bank of East Asia in Bank of East Asia were entirely personal actions and had nothing to do with Huifeng Bank, let alone any instructions or connivance.

It is a common phenomenon for companies to poach employees in commercial competition, but the inappropriate behavior of these former employees of Bank of East Asia this time does not represent the position and attitude of our Bank of East Asia.

We have always conducted our business based on fair, just and legal business principles and will never allow such behavior that damages the industry's reputation and disrupts market order to occur.

In light of the actions of these employees, we have decided to suspend the onboarding process for these former BEA employees who had already signed employment contracts and conduct an internal review of the entire recruitment process to prevent such incidents from happening again.”

Bao John's words seemed righteous, but Lin Haoran felt they were extremely hypocritical.

He knew too well the shameful methods behind Huifeng Bank. His eagerness to distance himself from the matter was only making things more obvious, showing their shamelessness to the fullest. However, these were also their common methods.

"Here, I also call on media friends to look at this matter objectively and rationally, and not be misled by some rumors with ulterior motives. We, Huifeng Bank, are willing to actively cooperate with the investigation of relevant departments to clear our name," Bao John continued.

Lin Haoran sneered. He naturally understood that Huifeng Bank was afraid that the matter would be exposed, so it wanted to take the initiative and completely shift the responsibility.

Those former employees of Bank of East Asia who had been persuaded by them became victims. Not only did they lose the high benefits promised to them, they could not even become employees of Huifeng Bank and were ruthlessly abandoned on the brink of this storm.

As for cooperating with the relevant departments’ investigations?
Aren’t the Governor’s Office and them just in the same boat? Lin Haoran secretly complained in his heart.

There are intricate ties of interest between Huifeng Bank and the Governor's Office; the so-called "cooperation with the investigation" is just a pretense to give an explanation to the outside world.

Even if the evidence is conclusive, the result of the investigation will be as Huifeng Bank wishes, which will be downplayed.

Even if ordinary people do not believe the results, as time goes by, the heat of this matter will gradually cool down until it is forgotten by the public in the flood of information.

Lin Haoran knew the ins and outs of this too well. In the gray area between finance and politics, the game of power has always been like this.

"Haoran, you've seen this kind of thing so many times that you're used to it. Our Chinese financial group has little chance of winning against Huifeng Bank. Maybe you think that since you won the battle against Jardine Matheson before, you can also win against Huifeng Bank? But the reality is not like that.

In the current situation, Jardine Matheson has withdrawn from Hong Kong, and large British-owned industries such as Hutchison Whampoa, Hong Kong Land Development, Hong Kong Telephone and Wharf Holdings have been acquired by Chinese capital one after another. Large British-owned financial groups are gradually declining. Although the strength of Chinese-owned financial groups has gradually surpassed that of British-owned financial groups, the position of Bank of Hong Kong in the Governor-General's Office has become increasingly stable.

In the eyes of the Governor's Office, the importance of Huifeng Bank is no longer what it used to be. They will never watch Huifeng Bank go wrong! "He Shanheng, who was standing aside, probably guessed Lin Haoran's thoughts, and said slowly while staring at the press conference being broadcast live on TV.

Lin Haoran was very clear about what He Shanheng said, and he knew that what he said was true.

The Governor-General's Office relied on British giants such as the Bank of Hong Kong to plunder Hong Kong's economic resources and control its financial lifeline in order to maintain their interests in Hong Kong.

Perhaps, Huifeng Bank is not welcomed in the UK, but this will definitely not be the case in the Governor-General's Office of Hong Kong.

Huifeng Bank is an important chess piece in the hands of the Governor-General's Office, so they naturally have to do their utmost to protect it.

However, it is not in his character to let Huifeng Bank go.

He doesn't provoke others easily, but if others provoke him, he will never let it go.

On TV, Bao John's speech was almost entirely about shirking responsibility. In Lin Haoran's opinion, there was nothing good to hear in the subsequent content.

Just as He Shanheng said, the other party should want to quell the turmoil through the Governor's Office and shift the focus of public opinion away from Huifeng Bank.

However, it is not easy for them to get rid of these responsibilities.

Today, the whole of Hong Kong knows that what happened to the Bank of East Asia is actually related to the Bank of East Asia.

Even if the government steps in and wants to forcibly change the direction of public opinion, it may not succeed.

After all, the public has sharp eyes and they are more willing to believe the signs they see rather than the deliberately whitewashed official rhetoric.

What’s more, Lin Haoran has no intention of doing nothing!

The investigation evidence they have is enough to keep Huifeng Bank caught in the whirlpool of public opinion.

At the same time, he might not be able to do anything to the other party inside Hong Kong, but he could also take action from the outside.

Now he has certain personal connections and business layout in Japan, the United States, and Southeast Asia. As long as the forces in these places exert targeted pressure on the Governor-General's Office, Huifeng Bank will not have an easy time.

These are all things that come later.

Now, his first priority is to completely privatize Bank of East Asia.

And now, there is one more thing, which is to persuade Mr. Ho Sin Hang, the pioneer of Chinese financial capital in Hong Kong, to leave Hang Seng Bank and switch to Bank of East Asia.

The difficulty is definitely not small.

After all, as the founder of Hengsheng Bank, He Shanheng has never left Hengsheng Bank since its establishment. Even when Hengsheng Bank was reluctantly acquired by Huifeng Bank, he still stayed in Hengsheng Bank and served as chairman.

After all, Hang Seng Bank is the result of his life's work. Even though it has now been acquired by Huifeng Bank, he still finds it difficult to part with Hang Seng Bank.

However, how do you know if it works if you don’t try?
Lin Haoran pondered secretly in his heart, but his expression remained calm. He picked up the teacup in front of him and took a sip to calm his thoughts. Then he put the teacup down and looked at He Shanheng sincerely.

"Uncle He, I have something to ask you, but I don't know whether I should ask it." Lin Haoran considered his words before speaking.

He Shanheng was slightly startled, then put down the teacup in his hand and smiled heartily: "Haoran, if you have anything to say, just say it directly. Although your father and I are not close friends, we have known each other for more than ten years. Over the years, the cooperation between the two sides has been very close, and we know each other well.

You are also a junior who I have watched grow up with my own eyes, so you don't have to be so reserved in front of me."

Lin Haoran nodded, and then said, "Uncle He, do you think that Hengsheng Bank has the potential to surpass Huifeng Bank?"

“This is absolutely impossible. If it was before the acquisition, I think Hengsheng Bank would have a great chance of surpassing Huifeng Bank. But after the acquisition, this possibility has dropped to zero.

As the parent company, Huifeng Bank will never allow a subsidiary to overshadow itself. Hengsheng Bank will be subject to many restrictions in strategic planning, resource allocation and other aspects.

Now Hengsheng is just a pawn of Huifeng Bank in the financial landscape of Hong Kong. It can only act according to Huifeng's will. How can it have any possibility of independent development and surpassing Huifeng?" He Shanheng sighed softly, his eyes full of helplessness and loss.

As the founder of Hengsheng Bank, he witnessed the arduous journey of Hengsheng Bank from scratch to something, and from small to large. He poured countless efforts into every decision and every breakthrough.

Now, watching the bank that once held endless dreams and hopes gradually lose its vitality and autonomy under the control of Huifeng Bank, his heart is filled with bitterness and resentment, yet he can do nothing about it.

After all, as the absolute controlling shareholder of Hengsheng Bank, Huifeng Bank can fully control everything in Hengsheng Bank, including personnel appointments and dismissals, business development directions, and even subtle decisions in daily operations.

The pioneering and innovative spirit of Hengsheng Bank has long been lost under the constraints of Huifeng Bank's rules and regulations.

"Uncle He, do you think that Hengsheng Bank can still achieve such brilliant success today without you continuing to be in charge?" Lin Haoran continued to ask with a smile.

As the second largest bank in Hong Kong, with a market value of over HK$15 billion, Heng Seng Bank's current achievements are indeed brilliant.

Although there is always Huifeng Bank above it, it cannot be denied that Hengsheng Bank is not weak at all. "Of course, Hengsheng Bank has already entered a stable development stage. Even without me, Hengsheng Bank will continue to operate according to the established model and track. It is not difficult to maintain the current business scale and market position.

To be honest, now that Hengsheng Bank is under the control of Huifeng Bank, there is actually not much difference between me and Hengsheng Bank.

Plus, I am already 81 years old, so I have planned to submit my resignation to the board of directors in two years and do something I like." He Shanheng said something confidential.

In fact, in another world, Ho Sin Hang did officially resign from the position of chairman of Heng Sheng Bank in 1983, two years later.

At this moment, he did not lie to Lin Haoran.

The reason why he resigned from the position of chairman early was not because he was old and had no energy.

In fact, Lin Haoran can see that He Shanheng is now in very good health. Although he is old, he is obviously full of energy.

The biggest reason is probably that Hengsheng Bank has already developed steadily, and it doesn’t make much difference whether it has him or not.

In addition, he no longer had any shares in Hengsheng Bank, and under the containment of Huifeng Bank, it would be difficult for Hengsheng Bank to have any breakthrough development and there was no greater room for growth. For him, staying in that position would be nothing more than maintaining the situation step by step, which was boring.

The passion he once had for working hard for Hengsheng Bank had long been worn out by the constraints and restrictions day after day.

But when Lin Haoran heard He Shanheng's words, he was pleasantly surprised.

This means that the probability of He Shanheng being poached has increased again.

He continued to ask: "Uncle He, do you think that the Bank of East Asia still has hope for development?"

Ho Sin Hang pondered for a moment and said slowly: "In my opinion, now that you have taken over the acquisition of Bank of East Asia, and with the financial and business guarantees provided by companies such as Hong Kong Land Group, there will definitely be opportunities for future development.

However, under the current financial market situation in Hong Kong, Bank of East Asia must make a key decision in the unfair "choose one of two" strategic layout of Huifeng Bank.

Competition in Hong Kong's financial market is currently fierce. British banks have a solid foundation, and Bank of East Asia is firmly in the leading position in the industry. There are also industry giants such as Hengsheng Bank and Standard Chartered Bank. As it is difficult for Bank of East Asia to develop in the Hong Kong market, it must accurately position itself and clarify its development direction.

In my opinion, this positioning is the international market. In Hong Kong, Bank of East Asia is suffering from an unfair siege launched by HSBC Bank and other banks, and its development space is really limited.

However, the international market is vast and contains infinite possibilities. Bank of East Asia can actively explore overseas markets with its flexible business model and keen market insight.

In addition, you have strong overseas assets and certain international connections and resources. If you want to develop the international market, you can go the route of mergers and acquisitions, so that Bank of East Asia can become a well-known multinational bank in the future. It will not be difficult at all."

He Shanheng paused, picked up the teacup on the dining table and took a sip.

Lin Haoran did not interrupt him, but remained silent, waiting for him to continue speaking.

“As for the Hong Kong market, as far as the current situation is concerned, unless Bank of East Asia can get support from established international multinational banks such as Citibank, it will be possible to break through the siege of Huifeng Bank. However, this is not easy.

Established international multinational banks such as Citibank have always been very careful with their finances. They have their own established strategic layout and interests, and will not easily get involved in the fierce competition among local banks in Hong Kong.

I know you have some connections with Citibank, so when you came here, I suggested that you contact Citibank, but I am not sure whether you can convince them to support you. A large international bank like Citibank values ​​profits more. Once they feel there is profit to be gained, cooperation will naturally not be a problem.

Once you successfully convince Citibank and get them to stand on your side, Bank of East Asia’s predicament in Hong Kong will be easily resolved!

Once the restrictions on Bank of East Asia in the Hong Kong market are broken, with your current influence and international market expansion, it will not be out of reach for Bank of East Asia to surpass Bank of Hong Kong in strength in the future.

Of course, the premise of all this is to successfully break through. If the deadlock in the Hong Kong market cannot be broken, Bank of East Asia will have to find another way and focus on expanding overseas markets. "He Shanheng said a lot again this time.

Lin Haoran listened quietly to He Shanheng's analysis, secretly marveling in his heart. The suggestions He Shanheng gave were indeed far-sighted, and many of his ideas coincided with his own. Those originally chaotic thoughts gradually became clear at this moment.

However, at this moment, the most pressing matter in his mind was not to continue planning the future development blueprint of Bank of East Asia, but how to convince Ho Sin Hang, a giant in the financial world, to join Bank of East Asia.

Although Dashan is temporarily stabilizing the Bank of East Asia, in his opinion, Dashan is not the most suitable candidate after all.

The founder of Heng Seng Bank, Ho Sin Hang, led Heng Seng Bank to become the second largest bank in Hong Kong, which is enough to prove his outstanding leadership and financial wisdom.

If Bank of East Asia can recruit Ho Sin Hang, it will undoubtedly be more powerful and will be able to overcome all obstacles and be successful in its future journey in the financial market.

Compared with Mr. Li Fushu, Lin Haoran feels that He Shanheng is more capable!
After losing Li Fushu and welcoming a stronger Ho Sin Hang, and with the development resources he can provide, Bank of East Asia will surely usher in a qualitative leap.

"Clap, clap, clap!" Lin Haoran clapped his hands.

"Uncle He, your analysis is so good. Every word hits the nail on the head. It gives me a clearer understanding of the future path of Bank of East Asia." He stood up and said sincerely.

He Shanheng shook his head and said, "I just made a simple analysis. It's just my humble opinion. If you have to analyze it in depth, it will be more than just this.

As the boss of Bank of East Asia, you need to carefully consider and make prudent decisions on how to develop the bank based on the actual situation. The financial market is unpredictable and the slightest mistake may lead to a complete loss. You cannot afford to be careless at all. "

Lin Haoran nodded slightly and said, "Uncle He, you are absolutely right. I know the pros and cons of this, so I am so eager to ask you for advice.

You have been working in the financial industry for so many years and have rich experience and broad knowledge. Every word you say is like a treasure to me. I also understand that it is not a matter of a day or a night to develop and expand Bank of East Asia, nor can it be achieved by just talking on paper. "

He Shanheng looked at Lin Haoran's sincere expression and couldn't help but feel a little admiration in his heart.

“At the same time, I also have an unwelcome request. I would like to invite Uncle Ho to come to Bank of East Asia and become the chairman of Bank of East Asia. I know that you are unwilling to see Hang Seng Bank being suppressed by Huifeng Bank, and Bank of East Asia can provide you with a stage where you can fully display your talents without too many constraints.

Here, you can rekindle the passion for the financial industry and realize your financial ambitions that have never been achieved. "Lin Haoran's eyes were burning, his words were sincere, and every word was full of sincerity.

He Shanheng was slightly stunned. He didn't expect that Lin Haoran would actually plan to let him change jobs.

This was really unexpected for him.

However, he soon shook his head and said, "Haoran, your uncle He is already eighty-one years old. At this age, my energy and mental strength are not as good as before. Even if I am ready to resign from Hengsheng Bank, I don't plan to continue to fight in the financial industry.

The financial industry may seem glamorous, but in fact it is full of undercurrents and pressure. When I was young, I could still overcome all obstacles with my drive, but now my old bones can't stand such a torment.

I would rather spend the rest of my life peacefully, do things that I have always wanted to do but never had the chance to do, and enjoy life."

Lin Haoran was not surprised by He Shanheng's refusal.

However, he had no intention of giving up just because of one sentence.

Lin Haoran looked at He Shanheng sincerely: "Uncle He, I completely understand your desire to enjoy your old age, but the wisdom and experience you have accumulated in the financial industry for so many years are priceless treasures! It is a great loss to the financial industry for them to be forgotten by the years.

Hengsheng Bank is controlled by Huifeng Bank, and its upper limit has been restricted by Huifeng Bank. But Bank of East Asia is different. It will be completely privatized by me soon. Once I successfully privatize it, I will have the final say. I can hand over all the management rights of Bank of East Asia to you, Uncle He. I believe in your ability.

With your joining, I am confident that Bank of East Asia will become a world-class bank in the future, and it is not impossible for it to even become one of the top ten multinational banks in the world!

By that time, you will be one of the top legendary figures in the world's financial industry. Your name will be forever engraved in the history of financial development and will be admired and learned by countless successors.

The ambitions that you were unable to fully realize at Hengsheng Bank due to various restrictions can now be realized at Bank of East Asia."

The pie that Lin Haoran painted was so big that He Shanheng didn't believe it at all.

"Haoran, it's not that I don't believe what you said, but I feel that you can't even break the situation in the Hong Kong market now, let alone become a top multinational bank. Besides, I don't know how many more years I can live with my old bones!" He Shanheng sighed.

Hearing this, Lin Haoran suddenly smiled and said, "Uncle He, although you are over 80 years old, with your current physical condition, I think it is no problem for you to live to be 20 years old. So, you still have at least years left. How can you say you don't have time?

As for the current situation of Bank of East Asia, Uncle He, how about we make a bet? "

"Oh? What bet?" He Shanheng became interested.

"If I can solve the embarrassing situation of Bank of East Asia in Hong Kong, how about you come to Bank of East Asia to help me? At that time, I can double your salary at Hengsheng Bank!
But if I can't solve it, I naturally have no face to invite you, let alone disturb you from enjoying your old age. Do you think this bet is feasible?"

Lin Haoran stared at He Shanheng with burning eyes.

He Shanheng was slightly startled, then burst into laughter: "Haoran, Haoran, you are really good at giving me problems. However, this bet is interesting. I accept it. If you can really do it, I will definitely help you with all my strength."

Obviously, he didn't believe at all that Lin Haoran could solve the difficulties that Bank of East Asia was facing in Hong Kong.

But if Lin Haoran can really solve this problem which He Shanheng thinks is completely unsolvable, what would happen if he tries again at this age?

For Ho Sin Hang, this was more like an exciting adventure, the last brilliant firework that might bloom in his twilight years.

The fire deep in his heart that had never been extinguished in his financial career began to beat again because of this bet. (End of this chapter)