In Hong Kong, we build a global business empire

On the morning of July 7, in the lobby on the first floor of the Bank of East Asia headquarters building.

At this moment, although it was not yet nine o'clock in the morning, the lobby was already crowded with people.

Yesterday, after Lin Haoran took Ho Sin Hang to the headquarters of Bank of East Asia, he discussed with Dashan about Ho Sin Hang taking office as the chairman of Bank of East Asia today.

The most important one is to invite Hong Kong's mainstream media to participate in today's press conference.

That’s right, at this moment, a press conference venue has been set up in the lobby on the first floor.

Mainstream media such as Oriental Daily, Hong Kong Commercial Daily, South China Morning Post, Ta Kung Pao, Sing Tao Daily, TVB and others had already arrived in advance, with reporters armed with cameras and ready for action.

No one knows what Bank of East Asia wants to announce.

However, this did not stop everyone's curiosity, but instead made the atmosphere on the scene even more tense and heated.

So many things have happened to Bank of East Asia, a Chinese bank with a long history, during this period of time.

First, Lin Haoran took over the Bank of East Asia with great force, and then Huifeng Bank suddenly attacked like a hunter that smelled a crisis and launched a targeted offensive against the Bank of East Asia.

However, Bank of East Asia responded quickly and launched a fierce counterattack.

This series of compact and intense actions was like a wonderful financial drama, which made the citizens of Hong Kong dazzled and eye-opening.

In the past, if someone claimed that any bank could defeat Bank of Hong Kong in the financial hotbed of Hong Kong, it would be regarded as a fantasy and no one would believe it.

After all, Huifeng Bank has deep roots and strong strength in the Hong Kong financial community, like an unshakable financial giant.

But now, Bank of East Asia has won great victories in head-on confrontations with Huifeng Bank time and time again in an amazing manner.

Not only that, Bank of East Asia also cleverly took the opportunity to draw nutrients from Huifeng Bank and continuously strengthen its own strength. In contrast, Huifeng Bank was seriously damaged in repeated collisions and gradually declined.

It has to be said that the financial war staged in the Hong Kong financial market during this period has been far more exciting than people imagined and can be called a peak showdown in the financial world.

Therefore, when all major media received the invitation letter from Bank of East Asia, they all keenly realized that there must be major news hidden behind it that would shake the Hong Kong financial circle.

At this moment, the office of the chairman of the Bank of East Asia upstairs has been opened.

In the office, in addition to Lin Haoran, He Shanheng and Dashan, people such as Burton, Chen Shoulin, Ma Shimin and others also arrived one by one.

Any one of these people is a well-known figure in Hong Kong.

Now, they gather here naturally to support Bank of East Asia.

After all, they all have the same boss, and although the companies are not affiliated with each other, they can be considered sister companies.

Moreover, as the strength of Bank of East Asia continues to grow, companies under Lin Haoran, such as the Hong Kong Land Group, the Wan Ching Group, and the Hong Kong Electric Group, will also have more opportunities for collaborative development.

For every enterprise, capital is the lifeblood of development!
As a financial institution, Bank of East Asia has unique advantages and can become a core hub for the flow and allocation of funds among its sister companies.

This chairman's office has been idle since Li Fushu left the Bank of East Asia with everyone in Li Peicai's family.

After all, although Lin Haoran often comes here, he goes directly to the president's office, which is Dashan's office.

Now, with He Shanheng taking office, this office has welcomed a new owner.

Looking at this office, He Shanheng couldn't help but recall the office of Hengsheng Bank.

The location is different, and the furnishings in the office are also different. The only thing that remains the same is perhaps his identity as the chairman of the board, and the dream in his heart that he has never been able to realize at Hengsheng Bank now has the opportunity to be realized here.

Thinking of this, He Shanheng couldn't help but clench his fists, with a burning fighting spirit burning in his eyes.

Even if I’m 81, so what?
After Hengsheng Bank was acquired by Huifeng Bank, it not only failed to bring new impetus for development, but instead seemed to be put in a heavy yoke.

This shackle tightly bound Hengsheng Bank's innovation and development, causing many originally promising ideas to die in the womb before they could be put into practice.

Not only that, Hengsheng Bank has also become Huifeng Bank's "blood supply station", being drawn by it from time to time, causing serious damage to its own vitality.

Now, at Bank of East Asia, the situation is completely different.

Today, the Bank of East Asia has not just one backer, but a solid group of backers!
Many companies, including Hongkong Land Group, Hong Kong Electric Group, Man Ching Group, Kowloon Motor Bus, China Gas Group, and Hong Kong Telephone Group, are strong backers of Bank of East Asia.

After all, these companies and Bank of East Asia have the same boss. As sister companies, they will naturally give priority to developing in-depth cooperation with Bank of East Asia and moving forward together in terms of financial business.

This huge and intricate resource network is like a tightly woven net, which continuously injects momentum into the development of Bank of East Asia and provides a solid guarantee.

If Bank of East Asia still cannot develop into a large multinational bank under such favorable conditions, it would be a waste of such a good foundation.

Because of this, He Shanheng is full of confidence at the moment, to the point of being determined to win.

He was determined to build Bank of East Asia into a world-renowned international bank, as famous as Citibank.

And when the Bank of East Asia becomes successful, Ho Sin Heng will also become one of the world's top bankers.

In this way, even if he passes away in the future, his legendary stories will be passed down in the world.

Thinking of this, He Shanheng seemed to be twenty years younger, his blood boiling and full of energy.

"Mr. President, Mr. Walter Reston, chairman of Citibank, has arrived, and the front desk supervisor is accompanying him upstairs in the elevator." A voice mixed with some noise but still clear came from the intercom on the mountainside.

"I understand." Dashan picked up the walkie-talkie and responded briefly, then turned his gaze to Lin Haoran and others.

Naturally, everyone present heard what was said on the intercom.

"Let's go and meet Mr. Walter Reston together!" Lin Haoran said loudly with a smile on his face.

Mr. Walter Reston came to Hong Kong a few days ago, stayed in Hong Kong for two days, and then left Hong Kong.

However, he did not rush back to the United States, but instead went to Beijing in the mainland.

As early as 1902, Citibank opened its first branch in the Mainland in Shanghai, becoming the first American bank to enter the Mainland market.

However, after the founding of New China, due to the complex political and economic situation at the time, all foreign banks withdrew from the mainland, and Citibank was no exception.

Although it was forced to leave this market, Citibank has always been obsessed with the vast land of the mainland with unlimited potential.

You know, as a financial institution with a global layout and great influence, Citibank has long had a blank in the mainland market in its business map.

This is like a person with obsessive-compulsive disorder facing an incomplete puzzle. No matter how he looks at it, he feels it is awkward and unbearable.

In recent years, with the accelerated pace of reform and opening up in the mainland, the international financial community has paid increasing attention to the mainland market, and Walter Reston is no exception.

This time, he took the opportunity to come to Hong Kong and went to Beijing specifically to explore the possibility of re-establishing connections with the mainland financial sector.

Walter Reston paid a three-day visit to the capital, and then went south again and returned to Hong Kong.

It just so happens that Bank of East Asia is preparing to hold a very significant press conference, at which it will announce that Ho Sin Hang, the former founder of Hang Seng Bank, will officially take over as chairman of Bank of East Asia.

Lin Haoran felt that this was a great opportunity, so he sincerely invited this leading figure in the global financial industry to attend, adding great weight to the press conference.

The group soon arrived at the elevator entrance.

At this moment, the elevator door slowly opened, and the first person who came into everyone's sight was Mr. Walter Reston.

The chairman of Citibank is a well-deserved top giant in the global financial field. His respected status and profound influence are second to none in the industry.

Through many collaborations with him, Lin Haoran gradually won the friendship of this financial giant.

Nowadays, he can be invited to attend just an ordinary press conference.

In Hong Kong, only Bank of East Asia has this honor and face.

If it was Huifeng Bank that invited us, I'm afraid they wouldn't even look at us!
"Mr. Walter Reston, welcome to the Bank of East Asia." Lin Haoran smiled and shook hands with Walter Reston warmly, and then introduced them one by one, "Let me introduce you, this is Mr. Ho Shanheng, the new chairman of the Bank of East Asia, this is Mr. Dashan, the president of the Bank of East Asia, and this is Mr. Ma Shimin, the president of the Hong Kong Land Group..."

"Mr. Ho, I have heard of you for a long time! As the creator of the Hang Seng Index, you are also a well-known leader in the global financial field. I have the impression that you have been working hard at Hang Seng Bank. I didn't expect that Mr. Lin would invite you to Bank of East Asia. This is really surprising."

It is undeniable that Ho Sin Hang’s status has not yet reached world-class level, but the influence of the Hang Seng Index in the global financial field cannot be underestimated.

Therefore, it is normal that Walter Reston knows He Shanheng.

This circle is indeed very large, crisscrossing various financial centers around the world, covering countless complex interests and professional fields;

But from another perspective, it is pitifully small, with only a handful of the world's top financial figures, who are closely connected to each other through business cooperation or have formed a bond through industry events.

In recent years, Ho Sin Hang has become famous in the financial world thanks to the Hang Seng Index. Although he is still a second-tier figure in the global financial circle, he has successfully entered the vision of global financial giants such as Walter Wriston.

Everyone exchanged greetings for a while, and soon one of their subordinates came over to remind them that the press conference was about to begin.

"In that case, let's move to the press conference downstairs!" Lin Haoran said with a smile.

So, the crowd walked towards the press conference downstairs in a mighty manner.

In the lobby on the first floor, reporters had been waiting for a long time.

Seeing Lin Haoran and others coming down, the atmosphere on the scene was instantly ignited. The sounds of shutter clicks and flash lights intertwined into one. Reporters raised their equipment one after another and rushed forward like hungry wolves, trying to capture every valuable moment.

Lin Haoran walked in front with a smile and steady steps, followed by He Shanheng, Dashan, Walter Reston and others. They walked through the crowd and went straight to the podium of the press conference.

When everyone saw He Shanheng, there was an uproar at the scene.

No, how could Mr. Ho Sin Hang, Chairman of Heng Sheng Bank, appear at the press conference of Bank of East Asia?

Although everyone knows that Ho Sin Hang has submitted his resignation to Hang Seng Bank, no one has heard that Ho Sin Hang is going to switch to Bank of East Asia?
At this moment, He Shanheng undoubtedly became the most dazzling focus of the scene, and all eyes were closely following him.

On the other hand, Walter Reston, the chairman of Citibank, seemed to be temporarily "ignored" at the moment and did not attract much attention.

It is undeniable that Walter Reston is a well-deserved top giant in the global financial industry, but he is not a native of Hong Kong after all, and his exposure in Hong Kong is not high.

Most of the reporters present were not insiders of the financial industry. Even though many of them would have recognized this financial big shot if they had looked carefully, their attention was naturally distracted by Ho Sin Hang's dazzling brilliance.

After everyone was seated, Lin Haoran walked steadily to the center of the podium, holding the microphone, and looked around the audience calmly, saying loudly: "I believe everyone must have many questions in their minds at this moment, so I won't keep you in suspense, and I'll make it short.

From now on, Mr. Ho Sin Hang officially takes up the post of Chairman of Bank of East Asia and comprehensively coordinates the relevant affairs of Bank of East Asia and Dao Heng Bank. At the same time, I would like to thank Mr. Walter Wriston, Chairman of Citibank, for attending this press conference as a guest. "

As soon as Lin Haoran finished speaking, there was a burst of warm applause and exclamations from the audience.

Reporters were whispering to each other, discussing this major personnel change.

At the same time, everyone noticed the old white man next to the podium.

"It's really Mr. Walter Reston, the chairman of Citibank! He was present at the important event when Mr. Lin acquired shares in Citibank a few days ago. I didn't expect that this financial tycoon would appear here. It seems that he is supporting the Bank of East Asia!" A reporter was amazed and couldn't help but said loudly.

Walter Wriston is a well-known figure in the financial world.

If Shen Bi is the well-deserved "ceiling" of Hong Kong's financial world, then Walter Wriston is the top of the pyramid in the current global financial world.

One is a big shot in Hong Kong's financial world, while the other is a master of global financial operations. They both seem to represent the highest position in the financial field. However, in terms of geographical coverage and the depth and breadth of influence, there is a world of difference between the two.

At this moment, Walter Reston's appearance at the Bank of East Asia's press conference undoubtedly injected unparalleled international influence and authority into the press conference.

The atmosphere at the scene was instantly ignited, and everyone looked towards the rostrum with eyes full of shock and expectation.

Ho Sin Hang's appointment as chairman of the Bank of East Asia was enough to stir up a stir in the financial world and become a major news;
The fact that Citibank Chairman Walter Wriston personally endorsed Bank of East Asia was a rare event in the financial circle and could spark widespread heated discussion even when singled out.

Who would have thought that today these two major events that were enough to shake the financial world would miraculously come together.

What exactly does this mean?

This undoubtedly sends a strong signal: Bank of East Asia may have obtained strong support from Citibank!

Under such circumstances, does Bank of East Asia still need to be afraid of Bank of East Asia?

Indeed, Huifeng Bank is firmly in the dominant position in Hong Kong's financial sector and its influence is huge and should not be underestimated.

But if we broaden our horizons to the global level, the influence of Huifeng Bank becomes inadequate.

In contrast, Citibank is a top banking giant that ranks among the top in the global financial field.

With Citibank backing it up, why should Bank of East Asia worry about the tricks and dirty tricks used by Bank of East Asia?
The press conference did not last long and ended.

After all, the core matters that really need to be announced to the public are not complicated. The most critical and highly anticipated one is undoubtedly the breaking news that Ho Sin Hang officially took office as the chairman of Bank of East Asia.

Before reporters and media had time to organize and publish their reports, within just a few hours after the press conference, the news that Ho Sin Hang had been appointed Chairman of Bank of East Asia spread like a strong whirlwind, sweeping across the streets of Hong Kong.

Whether in the bustling commercial district or the quiet residential area, people were enthusiastically discussing this major event that shocked the financial world.

In major financial institutions in Hong Kong, senior executives put aside their current tasks and held emergency meetings to discuss the possible impact of the personnel changes at Bank of East Asia.

“When he was at Hang Seng Bank, Ho Sin Hang demonstrated outstanding leadership and keen market insight. The Hang Seng Index he created has become an important reference indicator for the global financial market.

Now that he is in charge of Bank of East Asia, Bank of East Asia's competitiveness in the financial market will probably be taken to a higher level." A senior financial analyst said with a worried look on his face during an interview with the media.

Among ordinary citizens of Hong Kong, this move by Bank of East Asia has also won wide praise.

Many citizens have expressed that Bank of East Asia has always been a financial institution they trust, and now with a big figure like Ho Sin Hang in charge, they are even more confident about the future of Bank of East Asia.

"I have been doing business with the Bank of East Asia and I feel that their service has always been very good. Now that Mr. Ho Sin Hang has come, I believe that the Bank of East Asia will develop better and better, and I will continue to support them in the future." A citizen who was doing business with the Bank of East Asia said proudly.

The impact of Ho Sin Hang's job-hopping to Bank of East Asia is definitely beyond imagination.

As the news spread further, Bank of East Asia's reputation soared like a rocket.

The most direct impact was that the original customers of Hengsheng Bank were shaken when they saw that even the founder of Hengsheng Bank had jumped to Bank of East Asia. Many customers began to re-examine their financial asset allocation and considered transferring funds from Hengsheng Bank to Bank of East Asia.

After all, Ho Sin Hang's reputation and influence in the financial world are real, and his joining Bank of East Asia is seen by many as an important signal that the Bank of East Asia has great potential for future development.

It can be said that He Shanheng has made the greatest contribution to the development of Hengsheng Bank to its current level. Many people choose Hengsheng Bank because of his reputation and credibility.

Now that he has resolutely turned to the arms of Bank of East Asia, Hengsheng Bank seems to have lost its backbone, and its originally solid foundation has begun to crumble.

The balance in the customers' hearts also slowly tilted.

This situation is just like the famous JD e-commerce platform in Lin Haoran's previous life.

That year, its founder was forced to sell his shares and leave the core team for various reasons. The market share of JD e-commerce platform was lost rapidly like a broken dam.

Later, out of desperation, they had to invite the founder surnamed Liu back to take charge, and only then was the situation barely stabilized.

It can be seen from this that the role of a company's founder is like a stabilizing force, and has a crucial influence on the company's success or failure.

This is exactly what is happening with Hengsheng Bank now. The founder has left and has gone to a competitor. One can imagine how much damage this has caused to Hengsheng Bank!
All the business outlets of Bank of East Asia were crowded with customers coming to handle business in an endless stream.

Huifeng Bank Headquarters Building, Chairman's Office.

Shen Bi also received the news as quickly as possible.

When this was confirmed, he simply couldn't believe it.

Ho Sin Hang really switched to Bank of East Asia.

"This...how is this possible!" Shen Bi slumped in the chair, his hands shaking slightly uncontrollably, his eyes full of disbelief.

Just yesterday, He Shanheng officially completed his resignation procedures from Hengsheng Bank.

But who could have imagined that just one night later, he would appear in the Bank of East Asia openly today and suddenly become the chairman of the Bank of East Asia!

This news was undoubtedly a loud slap in the face for Huifeng Bank!
Yesterday, when the news from Pu Weishi was placed in front of him, Shen Bi's first reaction was disbelief.

He secretly guessed that Ho Sin Hang was probably invited by Lin Haoran to go to the Bank of East Asia to give this young Chinese man some advice.
Or maybe the security guard was mistaken, and the person who took He Shanheng away was not Lin Haoran at all.

In his opinion, Ho Sin Hang is old and since he has already resigned from Heng Seng Bank, he should enjoy his retirement and not get involved in the disputes in the financial industry again.

Even so, Shen Bi still had doubts and arranged for people to investigate He Shanheng.

However, no valuable clues can be obtained in a short period of time.

Moreover, Ho Sin-heng and Lam Ho-ran had only a handful of private meetings, and the investigators provided very little information, with no substantive evidence to suggest that Ho Sin-heng had any intention of changing jobs.

Therefore, until the news came that Ho Sin Hang would be the chairman of Bank of East Asia, Shen Bi always held a glimmer of hope in his heart and stubbornly believed that Ho Sin Hang would never change jobs.

But now, the truth has been confirmed, and the hope in his heart was instantly shattered like a bubble. Shen Bi felt dizzy, as if the whole world was collapsing at this moment.

He never imagined that his judgment had been so wrong. Ho Shanheng actually jumped to Bank of East Asia and became the chairman.

As a subordinate of Ho Sin Hang for many years, he naturally understood that Ho Sin Hang's ability in the financial industry was definitely no worse than his own.

In fact, Hui Feng Bank has always been on guard against Ho Shan Heng. Otherwise, with Ho Shan Heng's personal ability, it would not be impossible for him to climb to the position of chairman of Hui Feng Bank.

Therefore, Shen Bi understood that Ho Sin Hang's joining the Bank of East Asia would undoubtedly be a huge threat to the Bank of East Asia.

Bank of East Asia has been on a strong momentum and has not lost in many confrontations with Bank of East Asia. Now with the leadership of Ho Sin Hang, an experienced and capable financial tycoon, its future development is limitless.

"Traitor, He Shanheng, this traitor!" Shen Bi was so angry that his face turned red, veins popped out on his forehead, and he slammed the desk with both hands so hard that the documents and teacups on the desk jumped up.

"How could he do this! Has he forgotten that he is the founder of Hengsheng Bank? Has he forgotten who supported him behind the scenes when he was at Hengsheng Bank, and who gave him the opportunity to show his talents? Now, he has turned around and joined the Bank of East Asia. Isn't this clearly going against our Huifeng Bank?"

Shen Bi paced back and forth in the office, his anger growing stronger and stronger.

What worried him most was the appearance of Mr. Walter Reston, Chairman of Citibank, at the press conference of Bank of East Asia.

It can be said that in front of Citibank, Bank of Hong Kong is just a local financial force. Even though it has deep roots and dominates the land of Hong Kong, the gap between it and Citibank, a giant that is active in the global financial landscape, is still as insurmountable as a chasm.

Therefore, Huifeng Bank never dared to offend Citibank easily, especially since they were still thinking about globalization, they could not afford to offend an international giant like Citibank.

But now, Bank of East Asia has actually clung to the big brother of Citibank, which makes Shen Bi feel unprecedented pressure and anxiety.

Originally, the Bank of East Asia was difficult to deal with, and now it is even more difficult. (End of this chapter)