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Chapter 653 The Joy Turns to Sorrow at Huifeng's Top Management: A Helping Hand from Liu Luanxiong!
If it's true that "a mother's status rises with her son's," then Lin Haoran's two older sisters are a classic example of "an older sister's status rises with her younger brother's."

Both of these older sisters married into wealthy families, so on the surface, they seem to be well-matched.

However, both Lin Haoran's second and third sisters had husbands whose families were actually more wealthy than the Lin family had been before, when they got married.

Furthermore, the men that the second and third sisters married were not direct descendants of the family, so their influence within the family was naturally not as stable or powerful.

Although both brothers-in-law cared for and loved them dearly, their status within their respective families remained only average.

However, since Lin Haoran's rise to power, the situation has been completely different.

With Lin Haoran as their powerful backer, the attitude of the two older sisters' families towards the Lin family is no longer what it used to be.

They could only look up to the Lin family, and even subtly hinted at their desire to curry favor.

That's why, nowadays, both the second and third sisters live very comfortably in their husbands' families. Their status is in no way inferior to that of the matriarch, and they have a lot of say in family affairs. Even the head of the family gives them some face.

Moreover, in the past two or three years, with Lin Haoran's help, both brothers-in-law have started their own businesses.

With Lin Haoran's support, their assets have grown rapidly, far exceeding the wealth of their family.

Such achievements were enough to allow the two brothers-in-law to gradually stand out in their original families. Even if they were not direct descendants, they could still obtain the qualifications to inherit the family headship and become prominent figures in the family.

In fact, neither Lin Haoran nor his two older sisters and brothers-in-law had ever asked Lin Haoran to transfer the funds to East Asia Bank during this period.

After all, although he himself had provided some support or assistance to these relatives, it was not to the point that he had to ask for help.

After all, if he has to ask his own family members for help, he feels like a failure.

Now, these relatives are taking the initiative to reach out to Lin Haoran one after another to express their support, which makes Lin Haoran feel somewhat gratified.

With so much support, Lin Haoran suddenly felt that dealing with Huifeng Bank was not such an insurmountable or insurmountable challenge.

At this moment, he also deeply felt the invisible yet powerful force behind his network of connections, like a tightly woven net that could play an unexpected and enormous role at crucial moments.

Huifeng Bank has a powerful network of connections, and Lin Haoran has one too.

Moreover, Huifeng Bank's main network of British financial groups has been continuously devoured by him in recent years, and its enormous power has long since been reduced to almost nothing.

For example, Hong Kong Telephone, Hong Kong Electric Group, Hong Kong Land Group, Hong Kong and China Gas, and Chow Ying Ni, etc., without the support of these powerful forces, HSBC Bank's strength has been continuously weakened.

Not to mention that Lin Haoran also swallowed up Kowloon Motor Bus, another Chinese-owned company with considerable strength.

Hong Kong's weather in July is like a fickle girl; one second the sun is blazing, making the asphalt roads soft, and the next second dark clouds gather and large raindrops pelt down.

Lin Haoran turned back from the terrace to the living room, sat on the sofa, and casually turned on the television.

TVB Jade is currently broadcasting its midday news.

On the television screen, the female anchor's clear voice rang out: "Today's stock market dynamics have attracted much attention. Supported by statements from major companies, the trading volume of Hong Kong financial giant Huifeng Bank's stock has seen an unusually large increase in the morning session."

According to relevant data, in just two and a half hours, its trading volume has reached more than three times that of the entire day yesterday, and the stock price has also shown a strange upward trend amid fluctuations.

Sir Robert Kwok, former Financial Secretary of Hong Kong and international advisor to Hong Kong Investment Bank, believes that the recent stock market fluctuations at HSBC Bank may be a positive reaction to the market's reassessment of its future prospects.

Sir Guo pointed out that Huifeng Bank, as a long-established financial institution, has a profound foundation. Although it has faced some challenges recently, it may be undergoing strategic adjustments. The surge in stock trading volume may be an affirmation of the results of its adjustments by investors.

However, Sir Guo also warned investors that the business competition between Bank of East Asia and HSBC is fraught with uncertainty, and advised them not to blindly follow the trend, but to carefully assess their own risk tolerance before making investment decisions.

In addition, our reporter also interviewed economist Zhang Wuchang. Mr. Zhang believes that Huifeng Bank's move will help stabilize its market share, which is a major positive for Huifeng Bank, whose stock price is currently at a low point...

The television footage showed the bustling scene inside the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, with many investors crowding forward at the various windows.

The simple electronic screen showed that Huifeng Bank's stock price had surged by more than 10% today.

Even Hang Seng Bank, a subsidiary of Hui Feng Bank, was affected, rising by more than 5%.

Lin Haoran smiled, his eyes revealing disdain.

These ordinary stock investors are like leeks, easily harvested by the market time and time again, blindly following the crowd and completely ignoring the risks behind it.

However, that's just how the public is, and no one can be blamed for it.

Lin Haoran knew perfectly well that Huifeng Bank had taken advantage of the public's tendency to blindly follow trends in order to create this illusion of prosperity in the stock market.

What did Lin Haoran find somewhat interesting was the interview with Sir Robert Guo Bowei on television.

To be honest, Lin Haoran's current confidence to compete with Huifeng Bank in the business arena is truly thanks to this old British man.

Sir Robert Kwok served as Financial Secretary of Hong Kong from the 1960s to the early 1970s, during which time he steadfastly pursued a "laissez-faire" policy.

He not only maintained a low-tax policy to stimulate market activity, but also significantly reduced government intervention in the market, creating a relatively relaxed and free environment for market development.

His economic philosophy was inherited and further developed by subsequent Financial Secretaries, laying a solid foundation for the Hong Kong government's later policies of "positive non-interventionism," prudent financial management, and free markets. This powerfully promoted the rapid development of Hong Kong's economy and paved the way for the economic boom of the 1970s and 1980s.

This is one of the important cornerstones that enabled Hong Kong to become one of the world's three major financial centers. In such an economic environment, Hong Kong's financial market has developed rapidly, with various financial institutions springing up like mushrooms after rain, and the competition is becoming increasingly fierce yet full of vitality.

Lin Haoran was well aware that it was the Hong Kong government's policy of reducing economic intervention that gave East Asia Bank the opportunity to rise and also gave him the courage to confront Huifeng Bank head-on.

Only then was Lin Haoran able to confront Huifeng Bank head-on, leveraging the influence of Chinese capital.

Imagine if Hong Kong had continued with the policies of the 1940s and 50s, Lin Haoran's attempt to challenge a British giant like Huifeng Bank as a Chinese-owned enterprise would have been nothing short of wishful thinking.

Before they could even retaliate, they might be overwhelmed by the Governor's Office's power, let alone compete with them in the business world.

But times have changed, policies have changed, and Hong Kong's business environment has been completely transformed, giving Chinese-owned entrepreneurs like Lin Haoran unprecedented opportunities.

British companies are being acquired by Chinese companies, and the once-glorious British conglomerates are gradually declining.

He had lost interest in what was happening on the television screen.

Lin Haoran picked up the remote and turned off the TV.

He stood up, walked to the window, and looked out at the lush trees of Victoria Peak, which were even more verdant after being washed by the rain. Raindrops slid down the veins of the leaves, as if nature was playing a refreshing melody.

The sweltering heat in Hong Kong seemed to be briefly relieved by the heavy rain, and a fresh and cool atmosphere filled the air.

Lin Haoran took a deep breath of the air, which was fragrant with the scent of rain, and felt an indescribable sense of joy welling up inside him.

In a conference room at the headquarters of Huifeng Bank, less than two kilometers away from Shi Xun Road Villa, the atmosphere was lively, with the senior executives all smiling broadly.

For the past two months, it has been rare to see smiles on the faces of senior executives at Huifeng Bank.

Time and again, they were suppressed by the Bank of East Asia in the competition, their market share continued to decline, and their stock price remained depressed. They were under tremendous pressure, and anxiety and frustration followed them everywhere.

For the past two months, Huifeng Bank seems to be in meetings all the time.

And almost every meeting ended without any results.

Every meeting was filled with nothing but arguments, shifting blame, and sighs, creating a negative and oppressive atmosphere.

Senior executives blamed each other for strategic errors, but few could offer practical solutions. The entire bank seemed trapped in a vicious cycle with no end in sight.

But today, the unusual movement in the stock market was like a ray of dawn breaking through the endless darkness, instantly igniting the long-dormant flame of hope in their hearts.

In just one morning, Huifeng Bank's stock price surged by more than 10%, a dazzling figure that was like a lifeline held tightly in the hands of the top management.

The once lifeless and oppressive conference room was instantly filled with excitement and enthusiasm, the atmosphere so intense it seemed about to explode.

In the past two days, Chinese and foreign capital forces such as Hutchison Whampoa, Cheung Kong Holdings, CLP Power, Swire Group, and Wheelock & Co. have successively stated their positions. This series of actions led the senior executives of Huifeng Bank to mistakenly believe that the situation had begun to tilt in their favor.

They seemed to see their lost customers lining up to return, and their long-sluggish stock price soaring like a runaway horse, giving them unprecedented confidence.

"With this stock price increase, the morale of our bank has also risen!" A senior executive waved his arms excitedly. "Those customers who lost faith in us before might reconsider coming back." "Yes, our decline is finally coming to an end. As long as we maintain our current market share, Huifeng Bank will still be the leader in Hong Kong's financial industry. Bank of East Asia's idea of ​​surpassing us is simply wishful thinking!" Another senior executive quickly echoed.

Vice Chairman John Bao also smiled broadly: "That's right, and we need to strike while the iron is hot and take advantage of this wave of stock price increases to quickly launch a few new financial products and offer some promotional activities to attract those customers who are still watching from the sidelines."

"Yes, we can't slack off on publicity either. We'll contact all the major media outlets and broadcast the news of our rising stock price and the support from various companies every day, so that everyone in Hong Kong knows that Huifeng Bank is still as solid as a rock." A senior executive in charge of the marketing department said excitedly, as if he could already see Huifeng Bank returning to its glorious peak.

Creating momentum and manipulating public opinion are tactics that Huifeng Bank has always been adept at.

They naturally understand that in the battlefield of the financial market, where there is no gunpowder, the power of public opinion is sometimes stronger than real money.

For example, Hengsheng Bank was doing so well back then, but they just played a little trick and manipulated public opinion, which directly caused a run on Hengsheng Bank, and it was eventually acquired by them due to a broken capital chain.

Sitting in the main seat, Shen Bi smiled confidently, "Everyone's points are very valid. This time, we must seize the opportunity to completely suppress East Asia Bank. However, we cannot let our guard down. Lin Haoran is not an easy opponent."

Speaking of Lin Haoran, many high-ranking officials present gritted their teeth, as they hated this young Chinese-American to the core.

Their Huifeng Bank has been based in Hong Kong for over a hundred years. When has it ever suffered such a severe blow?
Who would have thought that Huifeng Bank would be forced into such a sorry state by a fledgling Chinese businessman?

This is an absolute disgrace to them, and the greatest disgrace in history.

They wished they could crush Lin Haoran and his East Asia Bank immediately to wash away this humiliation.

The atmosphere at the scene became increasingly heated.

However, at that moment, there was a sudden, urgent knocking on the conference room door.

Normally, they would be discussing important matters in the conference room, and unless there was an extremely urgent situation, their subordinates would never dare to disturb them.

The knocking at that moment indicated that something extremely important had occurred, necessitating an interruption of the meeting to come in and report to them.

The room fell silent instantly, so quiet you could hear a pin drop, and all the executives turned their attention to the doorway.

Shen Bi slightly raised his eyes and gave him a look. The secretary understood immediately and quickly stepped forward to open the door.

A mid-level manager stood outside the door, his expression grave. He said in a deep voice, "Mr. Shen Bi, esteemed leaders, I have something extremely important to report to you!"

Shen Bi frowned slightly, a sense of foreboding rising in his heart, but he still calmly said, "Come in, and say what you need to say quickly."

The middle-level manager strode into the conference room, his steps slightly hurried. He took a deep breath and said, "Mr. Shen Bi, senior executives, I just received a message from the head office business manager. Mr. Liu Luanxiong, the owner of Far East Investment Company, has formally proposed to us that he wants to transfer all his funds out of Huifeng Bank. This matter is of great importance, so I had to come and bother you!"

Far East Investment Company was an investment company jointly established by Liu Luanxiong and Lin Haoran. However, few people knew that Lin Haoran also had a stake in it; Liu Luanxiong was the one who controlled the investments.

The moment these words were spoken, the atmosphere in the conference room instantly plummeted to freezing point. The previously high enthusiasm and excitement were instantly extinguished as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over their heads.

The smiles on the faces of the executives froze instantly, replaced by shock, astonishment, and disbelief.

Liu Luanxiong's rise to power was even shorter than Lin Haoran's, taking less than two years.

He initially gained fame in Hong Kong by manipulating the listing of Amlogic.

However, despite his short rise to prominence, Liu Luanxiong's importance among Huifeng Bank's many clients is definitely among the top ten!
The reason is simple: Liu Luanxiong has access to a huge amount of money, something that many large companies cannot do.

With over HK$3 billion in funds under its control, even a giant like HSBC would feel the pinch if it lost such a large sum, which could potentially impact the bank's liquidity and business operations.

In fact, Shen Bi and others had already made preparations, since the whole of Hong Kong knew that Lin Haoran and Liu Luanxiong had a very good relationship.

Therefore, they made a special trip to visit Liu Luanxiong together, promising him numerous benefits, believing that even with the best relationship, Liu Luanxiong would not easily withdraw his funds from Huifeng Bank as long as the benefits were sufficient.

But to their utter surprise, even with the many tempting offers, Liu Luanxiong was determined to transfer the funds.

Shen Bi's face instantly darkened, and a hint of anger flashed in his eyes, but he quickly regained his composure.

He knew perfectly well that at this critical moment, any panic or anger would be of no use.

"Did he say why he suddenly wanted to transfer funds?" Shen Bi asked in a deep voice after calming down.

The middle-level manager hesitated for a moment before cautiously speaking: "Mr. Liu said that he plans to invest in a large project in the United States and urgently needs to use all his funds. Therefore, he must first transfer the funds out of our bank and deposit them in a Swiss bank for temporary use, and then transfer them from the Swiss bank to the United States."

However, which of the high-ranking officials present wasn't shrewd? Who would believe such a flawed excuse?

This is clearly an excuse fabricated by Liu Luanxiong to transfer funds. Bringing it up at this critical juncture, anyone with eyes can see what he's up to—he simply wants to move the funds to East Asia Bank.

Everyone knew in their hearts that Lin Haoran was definitely involved behind the scenes.

"Hmph, what big American project? It's just an excuse," a senior executive said indignantly, his face full of anger.

“That’s right, Liu Luanxiong is too heartless. We offered him so many benefits, but he still chose to side with Lin Haoran.” Another senior executive echoed, his tone full of resentment.

Shen Bi sat in the main seat, his fingers lightly tapping the table as he fell into deep thought.

Although everyone knew Liu Luanxiong's true intentions, Huifeng Bank, as a banking institution, knew that even if the other party did not fabricate any excuses, Huifeng Bank had to cooperate with Liu Luanxiong in accordance with regulations to complete the fund transfer process.

After all, ensuring the freedom of customers' funds is an unshakable fundamental principle of banking operations, and it is also related to the bank's reputation and credibility.

Even if there are many hidden schemes and calculations behind this, they really cannot forcibly stop it.

However, watching such a huge amount of money flow out of their own bank, the executives present felt as if they had been hit hard by a heavy hammer, and their hearts were filled with resentment and anger surging like a tide.

At this moment, they hated Lin Haoran even more.

If it weren't for Lin Haoran, how could these funds have flowed out of Huifeng Bank?

Every market share they have earned is the result of countless days and nights of hard work and countless efforts. Now, however, they are facing the crisis of being devoured by Lin Haoran, this disruptive force that appeared out of nowhere.

Liu Luanxiong's withdrawal of this huge sum of money undoubtedly dealt another heavy blow to their already riddled defenses, making the already dire situation even worse.

The joy brought by the surge in Huifeng Bank's stock price vanished at this moment.

Huifeng Bank's capital had already fallen from its peak of HK$130 billion to HK$87 billion. Now, it will lose another HK$3 billion or so, and that HK$3 billion or so will definitely be added to Bank of East Asia.

This further narrowed the gap between their funding scale and that of the Bank of East Asia, which was unacceptable to the senior executives of Huifeng Bank present at the scene.

The phrase "extreme joy turns to sorrow" perfectly describes their situation.

If this news gets out, it will definitely be a further blow to Huifeng Bank.

"Let's think of a way to stop Mr. Liu's transfer of funds, even if it's just to delay it for a while," a senior executive said, frowning and looking anxious.

Another senior executive looked helpless and sighed, "But what can we do? Clients have the freedom to transfer funds, that's a clear rule. We can't just forcibly withhold their money, can we?"

If this gets out, our Huifeng Bank's reputation will be completely ruined. If Mr. Liu takes this matter to the financial regulatory authorities, we'll be in even more trouble.

Moreover, who would dare to entrust their funds to our bank in the future? The reputation we've built up over a century could be destroyed in an instant—the consequences are simply unbearable!

The meeting room fell silent again, the atmosphere so oppressive it was hard to breathe.

Shen Bi's face was so gloomy it seemed like it could drip water. He understood that if Liu Luanxiong's transfer of funds was not handled properly, it would bring immeasurable negative impact to Huifeng Bank.

Therefore, the only thing Huifeng Bank can do now is to cooperate with Liu Luanxiong to transfer his funds out; there is no other way.

Moreover, Shen Bi was well aware that they had already visited the other party before, but the other party still wanted to transfer the funds out. Going to negotiate with them again now would be futile and would only make them a laughing stock.

"Fine, let's do it the rules." Shen Bi gritted his teeth and squeezed out these words, each one seemingly filled with endless resentment and unwillingness.

The higher-ups looked at each other, reluctant but knowing they had no other choice.

“Yes, Mr. Shen Bi, I will go down now to have someone assist Mr. Liu with the transfer of funds.”

The middle-level manager bowed slightly and responded cautiously before hurriedly leaving the meeting room, as if afraid to stay in that oppressive atmosphere for even a second longer.

(End of this chapter)