In Hong Kong, we build a global business empire

Four days after the press conference, a low-profile but distinguished delegation arrived in Hong Kong.

The man at the head of the group was a gentleman in his thirties named John Morgan VII, from the prestigious Morgan family.

He visited under the guise of "private investigation of Hong Kong's real estate and financial industries," but during his brief meeting with Lam Ho-yin, the topic quickly shifted to a broader range of areas.

Morgan VII stated that the family trust is very interested in the future of the Asia-Pacific region, especially the Chinese economic sphere, and hopes to explore the possibility of "strategic cooperation" with Lin Haoran's capital, whether it is to jointly invest in emerging technologies or participate in large-scale infrastructure projects.

Compared to when Liu Luanxiong's assets of several billion yuan attracted attention from all sides, Lin Haoran and the capital he represents have reached a new level of appeal, attracting established European and American financial groups to actively seek cooperation.

It's worth noting that when Lin Haoran was in the United States, the Morgan family completely ignored him. In fact, after Lin Haoran made those remarks about the decline of the US stock market, Morgan's economists immediately came out to mock him.

However, the fact that the Morgan family heir personally came to his door, humbly seeking cooperation, is a stark contrast that perfectly illustrates the dramatic change in Lin Haoran's status and influence!

The initial mockery stemmed from their lack of understanding of Lin Haoran.

Now that his wealth has been revealed, the other party no longer dares to underestimate Lin Haoran.

The world of capital is always the most pragmatic, and also the most forgetful.

When you demonstrate power sufficient to influence the rules of the game, former detractors will quickly adjust their stance and become the most eager collaborators.

Faced with Lin Haoran's rapid display of wealth and strategic announcements, former competitors and potential challengers have undergone a dramatic shift in mindset.

Time flies.

In the blink of an eye, several more days have passed.

Within just one week of the press conference, Lin Haoran received several high-profile invitations and contacts.

A private letter bearing the seal of 10 Downing Street, the British Prime Minister's residence, was delivered to Lin Haoran through diplomatic channels.

The letter was written by Margaret Thatcher, the British Prime Minister known for her "iron fist."

In her letter, she praised Lin Haoran as "an outstanding example of free market economics," and said that his story of building an amazing fortune from scratch was "inspiring." She also "sincerely invited Mr. Lin to visit London at his convenience to exchange views on global economic development, UK-Hong Kong business cooperation, and other issues."

The letter was elegantly and pragmatically worded, elevating Lin Haoran to the level of an "economic exemplar" and "collaborator." This was undoubtedly a high-level echo of Merrihau's "bridge theory," and also demonstrated the British side's high regard for and intention to win over this new Hong Kong tycoon.

Almost simultaneously, an official invitation from the French Ministry of Economy and Finance was also delivered to Lin Haoran's office.

In the letter, the French government highly praised Lin Haoran's "outstanding leadership in promoting business innovation and regional economic integration," and invited him as a "special guest" to participate in the upcoming "Europe-Asia Economic Outlook High-Level Forum" in Paris. The government also expressed its expectation that Lin would deliver a keynote speech and share his insights on the rise of the Asian economy.

At the same time, the president also hopes to meet with Lin Haoran privately.

This clearly reflects France's desire to establish direct ties with this emerging Eastern capital giant and to gain a favorable position in the increasingly close economic ties between Europe and Asia.

In addition, a senior official in charge of Asian affairs at the U.S. Department of Commerce also conveyed an informal message through the U.S. Consulate General in Hong Kong, expressing appreciation for Mr. Lin’s contributions to the free market and hoping to exchange views on “facilitation of bilateral investment and trade between the U.S. and Hong Kong” at an “appropriate time”.

Meanwhile, a senior aide to the Senate Finance Committee also privately contacted Su Zhixue, Lin Haoran's representative in the United States, implying that if Lin Haoran was interested in increasing his investment in the United States, especially in emerging technology and energy sectors, Congress was "willing to provide the necessary communication channels."

These overtures from different levels of the executive and legislative branches reveal the complex attitude of the American political and business circles towards Lin Haoran and the capital forces behind him. They are wary of the challenges he may pose, yet find it difficult to resist the huge investment opportunities and market influence he represents.

At this moment, it was as if the nationwide ridicule of Lin Haoran's remarks in the United States had never happened.

On the stage of capital and politics, there are no eternal positions, only eternal interests.

When Lin Haoran proved with his astonishing wealth of HK$678 billion and a "Global Rich List" plan that challenged global discourse power, that he not only possessed breathtaking financial resources but also had the potential to influence global capital perception and flow, the brief collective ridicule and skepticism from the American political and business circles were instantly replaced by more pragmatic assessments and attempts to win him over.

They realized that this young Eastern tycoon was not someone to be easily ignored or mocked, but rather an important variable that had to be taken into strategic consideration.

In a short period of time, the eyes of the world's major economies and political forces, as if drawn by a strong magnet, focused on Hong Kong and on Lin Haoran alone.

These invitations from the highest levels are no longer simple business exchanges or courtesy visits, but are full of complex signals of geopolitical considerations, economic strategic enticement, and ideological probing.

Lin Haoran and the capital forces he represents have been pushed to the forefront of global change.

Just as the invitations from Britain, France, and the United States were still being considered, Japan extended its reach in a more direct and sophisticated manner.

Japan's response was swift, its gestures were grand, and its planning was meticulous, far surpassing that of its European counterparts.

They did not wait for the slow diplomatic pouches, nor did they stop at bureaucratic official letters.

Shortly after the press conference ended, Lin Haoran received a confidential phone call from Tokyo, which was relayed through several transfers, in his private office in the Kang Le Building.

The voice on the other end of the phone was humble yet firm, identifying itself as the Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary of Japan, directly conveying a message from the then-Prime Minister.

The message began with extremely formal and respectful language, but got straight to the point: "The extraordinary business acumen and courage displayed by Mr. Lin Haoran has shaken both sides of the Pacific Ocean."

You are not only a successful entrepreneur, but also a pioneer who has redefined the image and power of Chinese businessmen in Asia and even the world.

His Excellency the Prime Minister believes that Japan and Hong Kong, and even the entire Southeast Asian Chinese economic sphere, share more profound common interests and complementary potential than the outside world perceives.

To explore how to deepen this mutually beneficial and forward-looking partnership in the new global economic landscape, His Excellency the Prime Minister cordially invites His Excellency Lim Hao Ran to visit Tokyo.

This is not a routine state or business visit. His Excellency the Prime Minister wishes to hold a deep and candid strategic dialogue with you at his private residence, in the style of a tea ceremony, undisturbed by outside interference.

Lin Haoran responded to these invitations from the official bodies of economically powerful countries with great sincerity, stating that he was currently too busy to spare the time.

Once I have the time, I will definitely go and discuss the prospects for cooperation in detail.

Meanwhile, under Cui Zilong's command, Oriental Media Group demonstrated remarkable marketing prowess and execution.

A week after the press conference, the group spent money to buy the rights to broadcast on one of the most iconic giant electronic advertising screens in Times Square, New York, for one month.

Every evening as the city lights come on, tourists from around the world and New Yorkers alike are greeted by a breathtaking sight as they gaze upon the neon forest:
On the giant screen, the portraits of the top ten richest people in Hong Kong appeared one by one with a visually striking dynamic effect. Lin Haoran's image was placed in the most central and eye-catching position, and his wealth figure of "HK$678 billion" was highlighted with a burning gold effect.

At the bottom of the screen, a striking English slogan scrolls slowly: East Awakens, A New Era of Wealth.

The backdrop is the dazzling night view of Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong and the rapidly flashing skylines of Asian cities.

This move projected the "Eastmoney Ranking" brand and the concept of the rise of the East into the heart of global business and culture in the most direct and visual way.

This sparked another wave of media coverage in New York and even the United States, symbolizing that Lin Haoran's wealth was beginning to actively occupy the mainstream Western attention.

What's even more interesting is the spontaneous infiltration of culture.

In the City of London, some traders and analysts jokingly put up photos of Lin Haoran on their desks, calling him the "new God of Wealth," hoping he would bring good luck and investment inspiration.

Although it has a playful element, this undoubtedly shows that the name "Lin Haoran" and the wealth myth he represents have begun to infiltrate the daily culture of Western financial professionals in a unique way, which is an invisible output of soft power.

Meanwhile, far away in the Western Hemisphere, in a high-rise commercial building on Park Avenue in Manhattan, New York City.

This is the headquarters of Forbes, a well-known American magazine company.

In this prime location next to Central Park in Manhattan, Forbes has several floors of offices in this building.

At this moment, in a spacious and luxurious high-rise conference room on the thirty-fifth floor, Malcolm Forbes looked at the documents in his hands, his face extremely unpleasant.

According to Forbes' plan, in March of next year, that is, March 1982, Forbes will release a list of the Forbes 400 richest Americans.

Forbes spent years preparing for this rich list, and even decades building its influence in the business world.

According to Malcolm Forbes, once the Forbes 400 list of richest Americans is successfully published, it will establish its authoritative position in the global financial media field and become a core information hub for business leaders and economic trends.

Although Malcolm Forbes knows that their rich list is not very accurate, because many of the wealthy people they visited were turned away.

Moreover, many wealthy families are hidden from view, and some families are very low-key, preferring to operate behind the scenes and control their business empires.

But Malcolm Forbes doesn't care about any of that. After all, in his view, as the world's first truly modern rich list, the hype is big enough.

As for its authority?
Over its decades-long history, Forbes has long been a core source of information on the US economy and a decision-making platform for business leaders, thanks to its deep-rooted expertise and authority in the business media field.

Just a week ago, when news came from distant Hong Kong that a media company he had never heard of had released a rich list ahead of him and even invited mainstream media from around the world to participate in the launch event, Malcolm Forbes was somewhat angry that his first rich list had been taken by someone else, but he also scoffed at it.

After all, in his view, Hong Kong was just a tiny place, and what influence could a media company there possibly have?

He even suspected that this so-called list of Hong Kong's top 200 richest people was fabricated. He didn't even have his colleagues in the Asian branch track the details of the press conference, treating it simply as another regional commercial hype.

After all, the "story" of global wealth has always been defined by Wall Street and the City of London, and told and ranked by authoritative Western media such as Forbes and Fortune.

How much of a splash can a media company from an emerging Eastern market make?
However, within just one week, the news that piled up on his desk completely overturned his understanding.

Forbes, a well-known American media outlet, was naturally aware of the Morgan family's visit to Lin Haoran. They even learned of John Morgan VII's secret trip to Hong Kong earlier than some official channels.

Initially, they thought it was just a routine inspection of emerging markets by the Morgan family.

However, subsequent intelligence reports indicated that the matter was far more complex than that.

Following this, there was a private letter from British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, an official invitation from the French Ministry of Finance, and ambiguous overtures from the American political and business circles…

These fragments of information were quickly pieced together in Forbes' intelligence network, like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle.

Not to mention the giant advertising screen that stands in Times Square like a declaration of war, and the "new God of Wealth" cultural phenomenon in the City of London, which carries a subtle sense of worship.

When this information came together on Malcolm Forbes' desk, its impact far exceeded that of a simple wealth report.

In Malcolm Forbes' view, all of this was practically a public declaration of war by Oriental Media Group against Forbes, and they did it right on Forbes' doorstep!

Disgraceful, this is utterly disgraceful!

After all, it's no secret that Forbes is going to create the world's first rich list.

They've already been publicizing it extensively for a while now.

Because the investigation, including visits to numerous wealthy Americans, could not possibly be conducted in secrecy.

The rejections and backlashes from many wealthy individuals have become news in themselves.

The news that Forbes was about to release the "Forbes 400 Richest Americans" list had been circulating in European and American financial circles for two or three years and was regarded as a landmark event.

Everyone is eagerly awaiting to see how Forbes will draw this new map of American wealth.

But now, a surprise attack has suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

A little-known company from the East, with a globally renowned press conference and a series of strategic moves, snatched the title of "World's First Modern Rich List".

It has also drawn the world's attention from "American wealth" to "Eastern wealth".

The Times Square ad in New York was more like a slap in the face to Forbes.

Look, while you're still preparing your American story, we've already begun telling stories of the world and the East.

"This is not business competition, it is blatant provocation and humiliation. They know what we are doing, they deliberately preemptively, deliberately make a big show of it, and deliberately use our territory to announce their presence!"

"They want to tell us, and the world, that the story of wealth is written by the East, not the West, and certainly not by Forbes!" an angry senior executive from Forbes magazine said in the conference room.

This executive, Richard Ellis, is the senior vice president of content strategy at Forbes Group and is known for his tough style and sharp insight.

His words expressed the sentiments of most people in the conference room.

An angry feeling of being offended and belittled filled the air.

Malcolm Forbes didn't speak, but rhythmically tapped his fingers on the gleaming mahogany table, his gaze sweeping over each of the core members present.

Content Editor, Survey Supervisor, Marketing Director, Legal Counsel, Head of Overseas Affairs...

Everyone's face was filled with solemnity and varying degrees of indignation.

"Disgrace? Provocation? Of course." Malcolm Forbes finally spoke, his voice not loud, but carrying an undeniable weight.

“But anger won’t solve the problem. That young man named Lin Haoran, and the ‘Oriental Media’ behind him, gave us a vivid lesson in a week.”

They showed us that the battle for control of the narrative of wealth is no longer confined to Wall Street cafes and London clubs; it can begin in a banquet hall in Hong Kong and be amplified on a screen in Times Square.

He paused, letting his words sink into everyone's hearts: "What we need to think about now is not how rude they are, but why they were able to succeed, and how we should fight back and regain the initiative."

“I think the core of the problem is that their data is simply untenable!” James Kroc, the investigation director, broke the brief silence and said with absolute certainty.

"HK$678 billion? More than US$110 billion? Ladies and gentlemen, that's higher than the net worth of many established American industrial families that we've currently assessed!"
And Lin Haoran, a young man who was virtually unknown just a few years ago, what makes him so special? Just because he speculated on land in Hong Kong and dabbled in the entertainment and media industries? That's utterly absurd!

He pushed aside a stack of preliminary briefings in front of him, which were scattered pieces of information about Lin Haoran's businesses that Forbes Asia had urgently gathered.

“Look at these companies: Hongkong Land, Oriental Media Group, and a bunch of Hong Kong companies that we don’t even fully understand. Their asset valuations are extremely dependent on unlisted equity and future expectations.”

Especially in the real estate sector, the value of real estate in Hong Kong has been rising in recent years, but can it support such an exaggerated figure?

I bet this is rife with inflated related-party transactions, aggressive valuation models, and possibly even outright data fabrication!

James Kroc's words immediately resonated with some of the higher-ups.

The vice president in charge of overseas affairs, Elizabeth Wu, a capable middle-aged woman, nodded in agreement: "James is right. The business environment in Asia, especially in the Chinese business community, is relatively less transparent."

Cross-shareholding and pyramid holding structures are very common, which makes external assessment extremely difficult, but also gives insiders a huge opportunity to manipulate book value.

Although MediaCorp is a leading media company in Hong Kong, Hong Kong is just a small place, and its data collection capabilities are questionable.

Needless to say, Lin Haoran himself is the biggest beneficiary of this list, and the conflict of interest involved is self-evident.

We have reason to believe that this list, especially the wealth figures for Lin Haoran himself, is highly inflated, and may even be a carefully fabricated story to facilitate his global fundraising and seek political cooperation!

“Expose it!” Richard Ellis became agitated again, slamming his fist on the table. “As long as this Oriental Media Group is embroiled in scandal, Forbes will remain the sole authority!”

Malcolm Forbes did not comment immediately.

His gaze swept over James Crocker and Elizabeth Wu, finally settling on the excited Richard Ellis.

The atmosphere in the meeting room became even more tense because of this direct and pointed suggestion.

“Exposing scandals sounds direct and effective,” Malcolm Forbes said slowly, his fingers still tapping rhythmically on the table. “But, gentlemen, have you ever considered what our basis for ‘exposing’ is?”
Is it merely our 'reasonable skepticism' based on experience, or a stereotype of an 'opaque business environment in the East'?

"But, Mr. Malcolm, we have absolutely no foothold in Hong Kong, and we cannot find the evidence we want there."

Moreover, Hong Kong is Lin Haoran's territory. Even if we want to investigate, it would be easy for them to fabricate evidence. So are we just supposed to watch them gain the influence that should belong to us?
"If we don't take action now, all our efforts over the years will be in vain. Even if the list of America's richest people is released, so what?" Richard Ellis retorted.

“Don’t forget, Lin Haoran is an executive director of Citibank and owns shares in Citibank!” Malcolm Forbes said in a deep voice.

"So what if you own shares in Citibank? Although Citibank is one of the top ten financial groups in the United States, its market value is not high. It doesn't even rank among the top twenty listed companies in the United States. It's not that I underestimate Citibank, but the market value of financial companies in the United States is not very outstanding!"
Citigroup publicly disclosed that Lin Haoran only holds 6% of the shares, with a market value of just a few hundred million dollars! Yet he dares to claim he owns 113 billion dollars—isn't that just boasting?

A murmur of approval rippled through the conference room.

Indeed, they simply couldn't believe that Lin Haoran personally possessed a fortune of $113 billion!

This is absolutely blatant bragging, a fabrication made to gain worldwide fame!
Lin Haoran also made a lot of money in the United States, including a staggering $11.4 billion in gold futures.

However, this news did not get out, and Citibank kept Lin Haoran's secret, so the executives at Forbes magazine were naturally unaware of it.

All they know is that Lin Haoran made $3.25 million when he invested in Apple, which is common knowledge in the United States.

This wealth is an order of magnitude less than $113 billion.

As for Lin Haoran's wealth in Hong Kong?
In a tiny place, even if an individual controls several top local companies, how much is that worth?

Directly exposing the opponent's "fabrication" is undoubtedly the most satisfying, face-saving, and face-saving way to fight back, and it also best demonstrates Forbes' image as a "guardian of truth".

This aligns with the simple narrative in many people's minds that "justice triumphs over fraud."

Upon hearing this, Malcolm Forbes pondered for a moment before finally nodding.

He decided to adopt the radical suggestions of Richard Ellis and others. (End of Chapter)