In Hong Kong, we build a global business empire

Chapter 682 A Sea of ​​Talented Subordinates
Lin Haoran, Brown, Pu Weishi, He Shanheng, Dashan, and others walked up to the stage in turn and took their seats in the corresponding chairs.

Reporters' cameras were all pointed at the people on the stage, the sound of shutters clicking incessantly, and the whole scene was filled with discussion and noise.

Lin Haoran smiled and gently raised his hand, the gesture exuding an aura of authority without anger.

In Hong Kong, he still wielded considerable influence. As soon as he raised his hand, the once noisy and chaotic lobby instantly fell silent, as if by magic.

After the scene gradually quieted down, Lin Haoran, the boss, spoke first: "Good morning, friends from the media. I think everyone must be very curious these past two days about what kind of cooperation we have reached with Standard Chartered Bank."

Today, I'm not going to keep anything from you. I'm here to solemnly announce that Huifeng Bank has sold all of its 62.14% stake in Hengsheng Bank to me.

In other words, from today onwards, Heng Sheng Bank is no longer under the umbrella of Huifeng Bank, but has returned to the fold of Chinese capital, and Mr. He Shanheng will once again take charge of Heng Sheng Bank!

As soon as Lin Haoran finished speaking, the reporters at the scene erupted in chaos, with shouts of surprise filling every corner.

The news came so suddenly, like a bomb exploding on a calm lake.

It came so suddenly that the reporters were caught off guard; they hadn't received even the slightest hint of it beforehand.

Standard Chartered Bank kept the news tightly under wraps, and Lin Haoran also kept his mouth shut, not revealing a single word beforehand, so that everyone was completely unaware of the matter beforehand.

Hengsheng Bank is renowned and influential in Hong Kong's financial industry.

Looking back, when it was acquired by Huifeng Bank, it undoubtedly hit the hearts of countless citizens hard, becoming an unspeakable pain for them.

Heng Sheng Bank has been developing rapidly and has risen at an astonishing speed. With its sound operation and considerate service, it has quickly won the widespread trust of the citizens and become the well-deserved pillar of Chinese-funded finance in everyone's hearts.

However, things are unpredictable. The inexplicable rumors quickly plunged Hengsheng Bank into a run on its banks, and it was eventually forced to become a British subsidiary.

The regret of watching helplessly as local pride was controlled by British conglomerates is like a fine thorn, deeply embedded in the hearts of Hong Kong's Chinese community.

Only long-time residents of Hong Kong can truly understand this bitterness and helplessness; it's hard for young people to comprehend it.

"Mr. Brown, is this news true?" Many reporters immediately came to their senses and eagerly sought confirmation from Brown, hoping to obtain the truth from him.

Although they believed in their hearts that Lin Haoran would not fabricate lies without reason, this matter was too sudden, which was so shocking and unbelievable that it was simply unbelievable.

Hang Seng Bank was once the second largest bank in Hong Kong. Even though it was later forced to become a subsidiary of Hui Fung Bank, it still maintained strong momentum and developed smoothly.

In the hearts of many Hong Kong residents, its status is almost second only to Huafeng Bank.

Despite being implicated by Huifeng Bank some time ago, Hengsheng Bank suffered a severe blow and incurred extremely heavy losses.

But this has not shaken its lofty status in the hearts of Hong Kong citizens.

Moreover, even though it is now battered and bruised and has suffered huge losses, its cash balance still exceeds HK$10 billion, ranking among the top banks in Hong Kong.

Hang Seng Bank has long been deeply ingrained in Hong Kong's financial world, becoming a brand of iconic significance.

However, what is puzzling is that after Standard Chartered Bank acquired Huifeng Bank, it was willing to sell such a valuable subsidiary to Lin Haoran.
This looks incredibly incredible.

At this moment, facing numerous questions from reporters, Brown's expression turned somewhat grim.

Lin Haoran really did his best to embarrass him!
Could it be that they joined forces with Lin Haoran, a Chinese-owned bank, to bring down Huifeng Bank, which is also a British-owned enterprise?
Although this is the truth, and many bigwigs know it, if the truth gets out, it will definitely make many companies have some reservations about Standard Chartered Bank.

Although business competition is the norm, British-owned companies in Hong Kong have always presented themselves as united.

If word gets out that Standard Chartered Bank is colluding with outsiders to target its own people, it will inevitably erode many people's trust in the bank.

After all, when it comes to cooperating with Standard Chartered Bank, people inevitably have concerns: what if they get their eyes on us one day and we end up being devoured without a trace?

Therefore, after successfully taking control of Huifeng Bank, Standard Chartered Bank has consistently claimed that it stepped in to help Huifeng Bank when it encountered a cash flow crisis.

This seems like a logical progression, just as Huifeng Bank helped Hengsheng Bank back then and eventually gained control of it.

However, Standard Chartered Bank's transfer of Hengsheng Bank to Lin Haoran has inevitably led to speculation.

Wouldn't this be tantamount to announcing to the outside world that they have a conflict of interest with Lin Haoran in the Huifeng Bank matter, and even implying that Huifeng Bank is on the verge of collapse and that Standard Chartered Bank is secretly orchestrating the situation behind the scenes?

Brown struggled to suppress his embarrassment and awkwardness. Facing the throng of reporters, he forced a stiff and unnatural smile and said, "Ladies and gentlemen, Standard Chartered Bank's sale of Hengsheng Bank is purely a business decision based on its own strategic adjustments."

As you may have heard, we previously invested a huge amount of money to help Huifeng Bank resolve its funding difficulties, which put Standard Chartered Bank under considerable financial pressure.

After repeated discussions and weighing of the pros and cons by senior management, the decision was ultimately made to sell Hengsheng Bank. This move will effectively alleviate our current cash flow problems.

Therefore, I want to clearly inform everyone that Hengsheng Bank has indeed been resold to Mr. Lin.

Lin Haoran looked at Brown in surprise, not expecting the old guy to be so shrewd.

This response perfectly placed Standard Chartered Bank in a seemingly reasonable yet helpless situation, cleverly avoiding all the speculation from the outside world about their collaboration with Lin Haoran to bring down Huifeng Bank and the scheme behind it.

However, journalists are not so easily fooled.

An experienced and sharp-eyed female reporter immediately stepped forward, her microphone pointed at Brown, and asked in a sharp tone: "Mr. Brown, you say this is a business decision based on strategic adjustments, but Hengsheng Bank holds a pivotal position in Hong Kong's financial world. Even if Standard Chartered Bank is under financial pressure, aren't there any other better solutions?"
For example, seeking cooperation with other British-owned companies or introducing new strategic investors, instead of directly reselling it to Mr. Lin, who is a Chinese-owned company, is truly hard to understand.

Brown's forehead was slightly damp with sweat, but he forced himself to remain calm and replied, "My friend, business decisions are often complex and volatile. In the current situation, after evaluation and analysis by our professional team, selling Hengsheng Bank is the most direct and effective way to alleviate financial pressure."

Other methods were also considered, but they all involve numerous uncertainties and risks, potentially leading to even greater losses for Standard Chartered Bank.

At this point, another male reporter from Sing Tao Daily followed up with a question: "Mr. Brown, after Standard Chartered Bank successfully took over HSBC, it has always claimed that it was to help resolve the cash flow crisis."

But now that Standard Chartered Bank has sold off Hengsheng Bank, does this mean that Standard Chartered had a deeper strategic intention from the beginning when it took control of Huifeng Bank, and that helping to resolve the crisis was just a pretext?

Brown's face instantly darkened, becoming as grim as the sky before a storm, extremely unpleasant.

He took a deep breath, trying his best to calm his disordered breathing and keep his tone steady, and said with great effort: "This statement is completely baseless and malicious speculation. Standard Chartered Bank's initial intention in taking over Huifeng Bank was to genuinely help it solve its funding problems and to fully promote the stability and development of Hong Kong's financial market."

The subsequent decision to sell Hengsheng Bank was entirely based on a keen insight into market dynamics and a well-considered, reasonable adjustment made after careful consideration of the company's own circumstances. There is no necessary connection between the two.

Lin Haoran had solemnly promised him that he would not reveal any details of the cooperation between the two parties, which was the source of Brown's confidence in answering so confidently at this moment.

Otherwise, Lin Haoran could have easily exposed his flawed argument with just a few words.

However, at this moment, Brown had already cursed Lin Haoran a thousand times in his heart.

If Lin Haoran hadn't insisted on keeping him at the press conference, he wouldn't have ended up in such an embarrassing situation.

Although reporters interviewed him after the news of Hengsheng Bank's acquisition by Lin Haoran was released.

But as long as he doesn't give interviews or make any response, the matter will naturally fade away over time.

But now, being "held hostage" by Lin Haoran at this press conference, he is like a fish on a hot plate, caught in a dilemma.

The atmosphere at the scene grew increasingly tense, with reporters bombarding Brown with questions.

A young reporter from Ta Kung Pao, looking suspicious, asked loudly, "Mr. Brown, even if selling Hengsheng Bank is a strategic adjustment, why choose this juncture?"
Huifeng Bank has just weathered a storm, and Hengsheng Bank has changed hands at this time, making it hard not to suspect a more complex web of vested interests behind it.

Brown's lips twitched slightly. He suppressed his anger and tried to make his voice sound calm: "Young man, the market changes rapidly, and every decision is made after careful consideration."

Selling Hengsheng Bank at this time is what we believe to be the most appropriate decision after considering various factors, and there are no complicated conflicts of interest involved.

Lin Haoran wanted to laugh at the scene before him, but he managed to hold it in.

Well, in this kind of situation, we still need to maintain a serious and solemn demeanor.

He quickly lowered his head, suppressing the smile that was about to bloom on his face.

He had expected Brown to attend the press conference and that it would be quite a spectacle, but he never imagined that the situation would develop so unexpectedly.

The reporters, like sharks that have smelled blood, relentlessly pursued Brown, determined not to give up until they got the real answers from him.

……

The press conference lasted for more than an hour.

After realizing they couldn't get any more useful information from Brown, the reporters turned their attention back to Lin Haoran and He Shanheng. Strictly speaking, Lin Haoran was the real protagonist of the day.

After all, he did acquire Hengsheng Bank.

Near the end of the press conference, a reporter asked: "After acquiring Hengsheng Bank, does it mean that Hengsheng Bank will become a subsidiary of Bank of East Asia in the future?"

For Lin Haoran and He Shanheng, this was a completely expected problem.

After all, when Bank of East Asia acquired Dao Heng Bank, Dao Heng Bank directly became its subsidiary.

Moreover, the current capital scale of Bank of East Asia far exceeds that of Heng Sheng Bank, and it even has the potential to become as large as Hui Feng Bank was in the past.

Therefore, in everyone's view, it seems natural that after acquiring Hengsheng Bank, Hengsheng Bank was incorporated into the Bank of East Asia.

"On this point, I can make it clear to everyone that we have no intention of merging Heng Sheng Bank into the Bank of East Asia system. In my view, Heng Sheng Bank is outstanding and should maintain a certain degree of independence."

Therefore, after discussions with Mr. Ho Sin Hang, we decided to establish a banking group. This group will be implemented soon. Once established, East Asia Bank, Dao Heng Bank, and Hang Seng Bank, which we just acquired today, will all become subsidiaries of this banking group.

At that time, the three banks will not be subordinate to each other, but will be able to cooperate closely as brother companies. As for the name of the group, we have already decided on Hengsheng Group.

After the establishment of Hengsheng Group, I will appoint Mr. He Shanheng as the chairman of Hengsheng Group, while I will act as the behind-the-scenes boss and will not interfere excessively in the affairs of the group.

In the future, while consolidating its position in the Hong Kong financial market, our Hengsheng Group will also focus its development efforts on the international market. We hope that everyone will continue to support the banks under our Hengsheng Group. Thank you! Lin Haoran responded with a smile.

"Mr. Lin, why is the group named Hengsheng Group instead of Dongya Group? Can you explain this to us?" A reporter pressed on, wanting to continue asking questions.

By this time, the press conference had been going on for over an hour, but the reporters' questions seemed endless, one after another.

At this rate, this press conference is likely to go on indefinitely.

Seeing this, Lin Haoran gave Dashan a wink. Dashan understood immediately, stood up, and said, "Ladies and gentlemen, given that we have just completed the acquisition of Hengsheng Bank and there are still many matters to be dealt with, this press conference is now over."

Please leave in an orderly manner. Security supervisor, could you please assist in guiding all journalists to leave safely and in an orderly fashion?

After that, the people on the podium stopped paying attention to the reporters.

"Mr. Brown, thank you for participating in this press conference." Before Brown left, Lin Haoran smiled and shook hands with him.

Brown had been besieged by reporters for over an hour, and his face was still so gloomy it looked like it could drip water. But when Lin Haoran smiled and shook hands with him, he still managed to force a stiff smile.

Brown said in a dry voice, "Mr. Lin, I hope our cooperation will go smoothly from now on, and that we won't encounter any more of these troublesome situations."

Even so, she secretly grumbled to herself, hoping to stay as far away from this troublesome matter as possible in the future.

Lin Haoran smiled and said, "Of course, Mr. Brown, rest assured, our cooperation will definitely have a bright future. Thank you for your hard work today. If there is anything we need to discuss later, we can contact each other again."

Brown nodded slightly, released his hand from Lin Haoran, and then, with a gloomy expression, grabbed Pu Weishi and hurried toward the exit, his anxious appearance as if countless ferocious beasts were chasing him frantically.

Along the way, he cursed Lin Haoran in his heart, feeling that today's extremely embarrassing situation was definitely Lin Haoran's deliberate and meticulous planning.

Even though he was filled with resentment, he knew he was powerless to do anything about it, and could only grit his teeth inwardly: "If I can't afford to offend you, I'll just stay away, okay?"

Beside the elevator, Lin Haoran looked back at the reporters who, though leaving one after another, still lingered, reluctant to part. A meaningful smile appeared on his lips.

Tomorrow, the acquisition of Hengsheng Bank and the establishment of Hengsheng Group will become known to everyone in Hong Kong through these media outlets.

This will greatly increase Hengsheng Group's influence and further solidify its position as a financial industry leader.

As for Standard Chartered Bank?

Judging from the current situation, it will take them at least one or two years to completely absorb the market share brought to them by Huifeng Bank.

He withdrew his gaze, and then, together with He Shanheng and Dashan, stepped into the elevator. As the elevator doors slowly closed, they went straight up to the floor where the chairman's office of Hengsheng Bank was located.

"Boss, Chairman He." Back in the office, the senior executives of Hengsheng Bank had all arrived.

They looked at He Shanheng with great interest.

They were dissatisfied with being led by this foreigner, Pewter.

However, they were completely convinced that the position should be given back to He Shanheng.

"Haoran, come here, let me introduce you. This is Mr. Li Guowei, the general manager of Hengsheng Bank. This is Mr. Guan Shiguang, the person in charge of the Hang Seng Index. This is the deputy general manager of Hengsheng Bank..." He Shanheng began to introduce Lin Haoran one by one.

"Mr. Li Guowei? What is your relationship with Mr. Li Mingze?" Lin Haoran asked curiously.

There aren't many people with the surname Li, and when Lin Haoran heard this name, he immediately thought of the famous Li Xishen family.

He acquired shares in TVB and CLP Power from the Li family, so he was quite familiar with the Li family.

However, he did not recognize the man in front of him, Li Guowei.

“Boss, Li Ming is my cousin,” Li Guowei replied respectfully.

“Haoran, Guowei is very talented in financial management. I have always groomed him as my successor. When I was the chairman of Hengsheng Bank, I planned to make Guowei the new chairman after I retired,” He Shanheng explained with a smile.

Lin Haoran suddenly realized.

The man in front of me, Li Guowei, is actually over sixty years old, but compared to He Shanheng, he is indeed still young.

Therefore, it would not be surprising if Li Guowei were to be groomed by He Shanheng as his successor due to his outstanding abilities.

"Keep up the good work!" Lin Haoran said with a smile as he shook hands with Li Guowei.

These are all his top generals.

Today, he has a wealth of talented people under his command.

His gaze then fell on another industry leader – Mr. Kwan Sai-kwong, head of the Hang Seng Index.

Although Lin Haoran did not know Guan Shiguang, he had long heard of Guan Shiguang's reputation.

Although the Hang Seng Index was compiled under the leadership of Ho Sin-hang, the person who truly led the team in compiling it was Mr. Kwan Sai-kwong.

At this moment, Guan Shiguang is in his fifties, the prime of his career.

Excellent, excellent, they are all talented.

"Mr. Guan, hello, I've long admired your name!" Lin Haoran smiled and took the initiative to extend his hand to shake hands warmly with Guan Shiguang.

Guan Shiguang nodded slightly, a humble yet proud expression on his face.

He said, "Boss, you flatter me. This is the result of the team's joint efforts. Moreover, the Hang Seng Index has developed to where it is today thanks to Mr. He's initial guidance and planning. I have only done my best to execute and optimize the work based on that."

He Shanheng waved his hand with a smile, "Mr. Guan is too modest. Without you leading the team day and night on the front line, constantly adjusting and improving according to market changes, the Hang Seng Index would not have achieved its current success."

"The future development of our Hengsheng Group will still depend heavily on Mr. Guan's continued crucial role."

Lin Haoran nodded in agreement: "Chairman He is right, Mr. Guan. Now that Hengsheng Group is about to be established, we have grand goals. We not only want to gain a foothold in the Hong Kong financial market, but also to go international."

In this process, the importance of the Hang Seng Index is self-evident. I hope that Mr. Kwan can continue to lead the team to make the Hang Seng Index resonate in the international financial market and become an important window for global investors to understand Hong Kong's financial market.

Once the Hengsheng Group is established, Hengsheng Index Company will enjoy the same status as Hengsheng Bank, Bank of East Asia, and Daoheng Bank, directly under the leadership of the Hengsheng Group. Mr. Guan, do a good job!

Upon hearing this, a hint of excitement flashed in Guan Shiguang's eyes. This directly elevated the status of Hengsheng Index Company to a whole new level!

He solemnly said, "Boss, please rest assured, I will do my best. I will lead the team to conduct in-depth research on the dynamics and rules of the international financial market, and combine them with the characteristics of the Hong Kong market to further innovate and improve the Hang Seng Index, making it more internationally influential and competitive."

Lin Haoran smiled with satisfaction: "I am relieved to hear Mr. Guan's words. I believe that with the joint efforts of Mr. Guan and his team, the Hang Seng Index will surely become one of the most important financial indices in the world!"

(End of this chapter)