In Hong Kong, we build a global business empire

Chapter 652 Counterattack, with the support of elder brother Lin Haoning

If we're talking about what shareholders care about most, besides the bank's performance, it's the stock price.

After all, if the stock price is high, the wealth of those shareholders will also increase accordingly. If they want to cash out, they can sell at a more favorable price and obtain a substantial profit.

Therefore, the continuous decline in stock price put enormous pressure on the senior management of Huifeng Bank.

If Hui Feng Bank's stock price rose simply because of Li Jiacheng's support, it would naturally make Sim Bi very happy.

"Mr. Sir Michael Sandberg, in my opinion, Mr. Li Jiacheng's strong support has caused the share price of our Huifeng Bank to rise. If other partners can follow suit and make a positive statement or engage in in-depth cooperation with us, the share price may rise even more!"
At that time, investors' confidence in our bank will definitely soar, and our bank's customers will also have more confidence in us. At least there won't be another large-scale transfer of funds due to customers' lack of confidence in us!
Take Swire Group, for example. They've always had various strategic collaborations with us, so getting them to publicly endorse us shouldn't be difficult. And CLP Power is currently doing very well with us. If these business giants all voice their support, the entire financial market will be shaken!

John Bao became more and more excited as he spoke, his eyes shining, gesturing with his hands in the air. He had clearly tasted great benefits from the stock price increase brought about by Li Jiacheng's support.

Although Huafeng Bank did suffer significant financial losses at the hands of Bank of East Asia during this period, they were still a behemoth.

Today, Huifeng Bank and Hengsheng Bank still have hundreds of billions of Hong Kong dollars in capital.

Therefore, they still have a lot of confidence.

Although Bank of East Asia has risen strongly, its foundation is still not strong enough. It will not be easy for it to shake the foundation of HSBC in Hong Kong's financial industry in a short period of time.

Both Sir Michael Sandberg and John Bower knew that as long as they could stabilize the current situation and take gradual measures, Huifeng Bank might have a chance to maintain its dominant position.

“Mr. John, you make a good point, let’s do it that way!” Shen Bi was also a decisive person. Both sides had already tasted the benefits of the public opinion brought to Huifeng Bank by the statement of the major power, so they naturally wanted to press their advantage and push this favorable wave of public opinion to a new height.

"We immediately set about making preparations, starting with Swire Group, and arranged a high-level meeting. I personally went to explain to them the challenges and opportunities our bank is currently facing, as well as the long-term significance of their public support for our cooperation."

Swire Group's influence in Hong Kong's business community is not to be underestimated. Their statement will undoubtedly give our stock price a strong boost. With Swire Group taking the lead, many other forces in Hong Kong that support us will naturally follow suit, forming a positive wave that cannot be underestimated.

This will not only effectively boost market confidence, but also build a solid defense against pressure from competitors like Bank of East Asia. As he spoke, Sir Michael Sandberg paced back and forth in his office, his eyes gleaming with determination and resolve.

“In that case, let’s take action. There’s an old Chinese saying, ‘Strike while the iron is hot.’ We must capitalize on this momentum and make swift and precise plans to show the market that Huifeng Bank is not only well-founded but also full of vitality and foresight.” John Bao continued, his eyes burning with enthusiasm.

Therefore, they decided to split up.

Even a starved camel is bigger than a horse, let alone Huifeng Bank, which is not dead yet, just temporarily ill, and still has strong capital and a deep network of connections.

A day later, Hong Kong citizens discovered that newspapers not only featured Li Ka-shing's support for Hui Fung Bank, but also various British and Chinese-owned financial groups stood up to speak out for Hui Fung Bank.

Swire Group was the first to publish a statement in its financial section, expressing its sincere appreciation for the years-long cooperation with Huifeng Bank and its expectation for deepening cooperation in the future. The statement emphasized that Huifeng Bank is a trustworthy partner due to its professional capabilities and sound management in the financial field.

CLP Power also followed suit, releasing information through several mainstream media outlets, mentioning its successful cooperation with HSBC on energy finance projects, praising HSBC's efficiency and professionalism in funding support and financial services, and stating that it would continue to work hand in hand with HSBC to contribute to Hong Kong's economic development.

These statements were like bombshells, causing a huge uproar in Hong Kong's financial markets.

When Huifeng Bank's shareholders saw so many business giants supporting the bank, their anxiety over the falling share price instantly subsided, and they began snapping up Huifeng Bank's stock.

In an instant, Huifeng Bank's stock price soared like a runaway horse, and within a morning it was about to rise back to a market value of HK$150 billion, setting a new recent high.

Lin Haoran sat in his home at Shi Xundao's villa, reading the newspaper reports, his heart unmoved, appearing very calm.

In reality, these voices of support published in mainstream media by these forces will not bring much new funding to Huifeng Bank, because these forces are already partners of Huifeng Bank.

All of this is nothing but superficial prosperity.

In the past few days, He Shanheng reported to him that although the high interest rates had to be stopped, the number of customers at East Asia Bank continued to increase.

Bank of East Asia's overwhelming defeat of Hui Fung Bank made many Chinese citizens feel proud. As a result, even without high interest rates, Bank of East Asia continued to attract new customers.

After all, not all citizens make regular deposits; there are also quite a few customers who make demand deposits.

Today, these customers are much more likely to choose Bank of East Asia when they have financial needs.

Adding to the previous controversy surrounding the unfair "choose one of two" clause, although Huifeng Bank eventually withdrew the clause under pressure from public opinion, it had already sown the seeds of dissatisfaction in the minds of some customers.

These customers may not transfer their funds immediately, but their trust in Huifeng Bank will undoubtedly be greatly reduced in future financial decisions.

Therefore, while Huifeng Bank's stock price is rising, its market share is not increasing at all, and is even being eroded.

The current surge in Huifeng Bank's stock price seems more like a false frenzy.

Huifeng Bank's plan is indeed good. Even if it doesn't stabilize the business, it at least prevents the stock price from falling every day like before.

But will Lin Haoran do as they wish?

Of course it’s impossible!
After all, he still owes Huifeng Bank shareholders 25.6% of the shares, and he will have to buy them back and return them to those shareholders sooner or later.

Therefore, the lower the share price of Huifeng Bank, the lower his cost of buying it back, and the more profit he will make!
"It's time to give Huifeng Bank a reality check after they've been gloating for two days!" Lin Haoran murmured with a smile.

This time, he intends to place another ingenious piece on Huifeng Bank, instantly cooling down this seemingly bustling stock price feast and even triggering a deep reflection on the true value of Huifeng Bank.

The reason for the previous inaction was the fear that Huifeng Bank would jump too fast and that the Governor's Office would intervene.

In this way, his plan to gradually take over Huifeng Bank may fall through.

Above Lin Haoran, the Governor's Office has always been like an invisible mountain, its attitude and movements constantly affecting the sensitive nerves of Hong Kong's financial circles.

Lin Haoran understood that although the Governor's Office did not directly interfere in the daily operations of the banks, at critical moments, a policy adjustment or public statement from it was enough to drastically change the market trend.

Therefore, he had to act cautiously, ensuring that his every move did not cross the Governor's bottom line, while also skillfully utilizing market rules to achieve his goals.

But now, Huifeng Bank seems to have gained a foothold with the support of all parties, but in reality, it is all bark and no bite, making it the perfect time for him to make his move.

With that in mind, Lin Haoran sat on the sofa on the third floor of the villa and started making a call on his mobile phone.

Although the Mid-Levels and Peak villa areas are sparsely populated, the residents are all wealthy and influential, and are potential clients of Hong Kong Telephone Company.

Therefore, mobile signals now naturally cover this area.

Lin Haoran first called Guo Henian, and after talking for less than five minutes, he hung up.

The reason was naturally that the conversation went very smoothly, since Guo Henian was now considered his ally and was very supportive of him.

Immediately afterwards, Lin Haoran called his sixth uncle, Shao Yifu. After learning the purpose of the call, the sixth uncle immediately said that he would cooperate with Lin Haoran's actions.

After hanging up with his sixth uncle, Shao Yifu, he didn't stop there. Instead, he called Li Mingze, Liu Luanxiong, and others.

He made more than a dozen phone calls, which took nearly two hours. Finally, he called He Shanheng to tell him to prepare for more funds to enter East Asia Bank before the call ended.

Lin Haoran put down his mobile phone, his face already full of smiles.

These were the bigwigs he had visited who agreed to transfer their financial business to Bank of East Asia, and they were his most important network of contacts in Hong Kong.

Now, it's time to take this step.

The reason they were asked not to relocate earlier was simply because they were worried that Huifeng Bank would be unable to withstand so many blows and would collapse directly. Ultimately, the Governor's Office intervened, which is why they were asked not to relocate for the time being.

With so many Hong Kong forces now supporting Huifeng Bank, its stock price has briefly rebounded. Adding fuel to the fire now, putting real pressure on Huifeng Bank, is just the right time.

Lin Haoran pondered in his heart, a confident smile playing on his lips.

He was well aware that the influence of the bigwigs he had contacted was not to be underestimated, and that once their financial business began to shift to East Asia Bank, it would undoubtedly be a major blow to Huifeng Bank.

He had already calculated that once the funds of these dozen or so business tycoons and the companies behind them were transferred to Bank of East Asia, the bank's funds would increase by more than HK$20 billion!
Most importantly, 90% of the funds of these dozen or so business tycoons are held in Huifeng Bank.

This means that once completed, Huifeng Bank's funds will decrease by more than HK$20 billion again!

Liu Luanxiong alone, including his own private funds and the funds of the investment company he co-owned with Lin Haoran, is involved in more than HK$3 billion!

Not to mention the enormous sum of money involved in Guo Henan's case, which exceeds HK$5 billion.

Other bigwigs control funds ranging from hundreds of millions to over a billion Hong Kong dollars. For example, Uncle Six controls over a billion Hong Kong dollars. Although it cannot compare with the funds of Guo Henan and Liu Luanxiong, it is still a considerable amount.

Once these funds are transferred from Huafeng Bank or other banks to Bank of East Asia, it will be enough to cause a considerable stir in Hong Kong's financial circles.

Once completed, the Bank of East Asia's capital size will directly surpass the combined capital size of Huifeng Bank and Hengsheng Bank, and may even exceed 100 billion!

After all, the current capital scale of Bank of East Asia and its subsidiary Dao Heng Bank has reached about HK$75 billion. With another HK$20 billion, there is a real chance that it will break through the HK$100 billion mark!
At that time, Lin Haoran would like to see how Huifeng Bank could still be the hegemon of Hong Kong's financial world.

Once this incident is over, it will definitely be a huge blow to Huifeng Bank. At that time, Huifeng Bank's stock price may even fall below its market value of 10 billion.

After all, even if it loses HK$20 billion, Huifeng Bank still has a total of HK$80 billion in funds.

Logically speaking, even with such a large amount of funds remaining, a market value of HK$20 billion would not be excessive.

But don't forget, the stock market doesn't correlate with actual strength!
For example, Huifeng Bank previously had a capital scale of over HK$130 billion, but its market value at its peak was only over HK$20 billion.

Its subsidiary, Hang Seng Bank, had a maximum capital of just over HK$20 billion, but its market value once reached HK$16 billion, more than half the market value of HSBC!

The rise and fall of the stock market is often influenced by a number of complex factors, among which market confidence, investor expectations, and public opinion play a crucial role.

While Huifeng Bank's stock price appears to be rebounding, this is merely due to positive news. If significant negative news were to emerge, market confidence would collapse instantly, and a sharp drop in the stock price would not be impossible.

Lin Haoran's move was intended to be the final straw that broke the camel's back for Huifeng Bank's stock price.

With its capital exceeding that of the Huifeng Bank Group, Lin Haoran had achieved his most basic goal. Therefore, he could proceed with his next plan to further consolidate East Asia Bank's position in Hong Kong's financial world while delivering a fatal blow to Huifeng Bank.

Even if the Governor's Office intervened at this point, it would not have stopped the Bank of East Asia from overtaking the Bank of Hong Kong and ascending to the top of Hong Kong's financial throne!

After making those dozen or so phone calls, he sat quietly on the sofa, his mind filled with all sorts of possibilities.

He has no plans to go out for the time being, because Ma Shimin, Cui Zilong and others have called him to tell him that many reporters are waiting for him at places like the Kang Le Building.

However, Lin Haoran has no plans to give an interview at the moment.

These reporters definitely wanted to interview him about his plans in the face of Huifeng Bank's counterattack.

He's too lazy to get involved in these verbal battles; it would lower his standing to some extent.

In his view, instead of engaging in verbal battles with Huifeng Bank in front of the media, it would be better to demonstrate the strength of Bank of East Asia through concrete actions.

Lin Haoran got up and went to the terrace on the third floor of the villa, overlooking the skyscrapers in Central and Wan Chai, and even the magnificent view of Victoria Harbour in the distance.

Ships shuttle back and forth in the harbor, and waves gently lap at the shore. Everything seems so vibrant, yet it also conceals the unpredictable nature of the financial market.

Just then, Lin Haoran's mobile phone rang.

He picked up the phone and looked at the number; it was an unfamiliar number.

Although I had some doubts, the person who knew his mobile phone number was clearly not a simple person.

So he pressed the answer button.

"Hello, I am Lin Haoran."

"Haoran, it's me, your older brother." To Lin Haoran's surprise, it was his older brother Lin Haoning's voice on the other end of the phone.

This older brother is someone I rarely contact. We mostly chat about recent events when we have family gatherings at the Deep Water Bay villa area, in the study.

Perhaps influenced by their previous competition, neither Lin Haoran nor Lin Haoning wanted to contact each other proactively.

At this moment, Lin Haoning called him, and he didn't think of anything else but wondered why the other party was calling him.

After all, although they are brothers, they have no business dealings with each other.

Even considering their blood relation, Lin Haoran only reminded Lin Haoning a few times.

Lin Haoning listened carefully to each piece of advice and made a fortune from it.

For example, the suggestion to let Lin Haoning's fan factory enter the North American market was adopted by Lin Haoning without hesitation, and he successfully made a lot of money in the North American market;

Later, Lin Haoran suggested that he invest all his funds in the real estate market, and Lin Haoning did the same, investing all the money he earned in the real estate market.
Later, Lin Haoran reminded him to sell his properties while the market was at a high level. Lin Haoning acted decisively and made a fortune.

As a result, Lin Haoning has accumulated considerable wealth and is now a relatively low-profile but formidable figure in Hong Kong's business world.

However, although Lin Haoning benefited greatly from Lin Haoran's advice, the two brothers were usually busy with their own things and did not communicate much. At this moment, Lin Haoning's sudden call made Lin Haoran feel a little suspicious.

"Brother, what can I do for you?" Lin Haoran asked with a smile.

"Haoran, I've been following the situation between East Asia Bank and Huifeng Bank closely. I've also read the news reports today. I know my abilities are limited, but as your older brother, I feel it's my duty to support you."

"I currently have over HK$900 million in cash assets, which I previously held at Huifeng Bank. Now that Huifeng Bank has become your competitor, Haoran, I naturally can't continue to keep the funds there. I plan to transfer all of these HK$900 million to Bank of East Asia, which can be considered as contributing to your business," Lin Haoning replied.

Lin Haoran was slightly taken aback, and a warm feeling welled up in his heart.

Although the two brothers don't usually communicate much, the older brother still stood by his side without hesitation when it mattered.

This deep-rooted family bond warmed his heart.

"Thanks, brother." Lin Haoran didn't know what to say for a moment.

Others supported him, such as Guo Henian and Uncle Liu, but he didn't feel that much yet.

After all, he and those people actually had a cooperative relationship, and their support for him was more about giving him face.

While it was only natural for Lin Haoning to support him, Lin Haoran was still touched by something different for some reason.

Perhaps this is the power of family ties; no matter how much or little contact there is on a daily basis, they can always provide the strongest support in crucial moments.

"Why be so polite with your elder brother?" Lin Haoning laughed heartily. "You've made a name for yourself in Hong Kong's financial world, and I'm proud of you too."

Now that you're facing a formidable competitor like Huifeng Bank, while I can't offer much help with business decisions, I can still provide some financial support.

Moreover, I believe in your abilities; under your leadership, East Asia Bank will definitely get better and better.

"Anyway, thanks. You haven't been home to visit in a long time. Let's have a good drink at home another day, until we're completely drunk!" Lin Haoran said slowly after a moment of silence.

“Sure! Father’s birthday is coming soon, let’s all get together at home and the two of us brothers can take this opportunity to chat.” Lin Haoning laughed heartily.

After hanging up the phone, Lin Haoran stood on the balcony, gazing into the distance, his mind filled with countless thoughts.

More than HK$900 million, close to HK$1 billion. Even though Lin Haoning downplayed it as a small amount, it was by no means a small sum.

After all, the funds are currently held in Huifeng Bank.

Once this fund is transferred from Huifeng Bank to Bank of East Asia, the difference in fund size between Huifeng Bank and Bank of East Asia will widen to nearly HK$2 billion.

In short, he definitely appreciated Lin Haoning's kindness, and his previous reminders weren't wasted!

Lin Haoran originally thought that was the end of it.

Unexpectedly, he then received calls from his second and third brother-in-laws.

Back when Lin Haoran and Lin Haoning were vying for the title of heir to the Wan'an Group, his second and third sisters didn't think highly of Lin Haoran, believing he couldn't beat his eldest brother, Lin Haoning.

Nevertheless, his two older sisters each gave him their own savings when he was short of money.

Lin Haoran would naturally not treat his two older sisters, who had helped him so much, unfairly.

Although Lin Haoran's two brothers-in-law come from wealthy families, they are not direct heirs of the family line.

Later, as Lin Haoran gradually made a name for himself in his career and gained fame, he began to arrange for his two brothers-in-law to develop independently.

He encouraged and helped them build their own business empires, providing valuable advice on key decisions and generously offering numerous resources and substantial support.

With his meticulous support, both brothers-in-law have overcome numerous obstacles and made remarkable achievements in their respective business fields.

Today, both brothers-in-law have personal net worths of hundreds of millions of Hong Kong dollars and have secured their place in the business world.

"Never forget the well-digger when you drink water." He always remembers those who lent a helping hand and gave him assistance when he was in trouble, and has never forgotten their kindness.

Sure enough, these two brothers-in-law called one after the other, with the same purpose as Lin Haoning: they both wanted to transfer all their funds from Huifeng Bank to East Asia Bank.

(End of this chapter)