In Hong Kong, we build a global business empire

After hanging up the phone, Lin Haoran did not get up immediately.

He walked to the huge floor-to-ceiling window, where the morning light had already dispelled the thin mist, and the outline of Victoria Harbour became clear.

But the heart of the city, the Central financial district, seemed frozen by an invisible layer of ice, filled with an unprecedented tension.

This real estate crisis is clearly more ferocious and severe than the one in 1973!

Chen Songqing's madness was within his expectations and also within his plan.

He had anticipated that the other party would come knocking on his door yesterday.

After all, if things had gone according to the original course of history, Chen Songqing would have had eight or nine months to raise money and find a way to patch up this huge hole, allowing the Jianing Group to survive until 1983.

But now, thanks to Forbes, the real estate crisis has arrived a full nine months earlier, leaving Chen Songqing with absolutely no time to react or prepare.

The more this madman jumps around and becomes hysterical, the faster he will hasten his own demise. At the same time, he will be able to divert the market's attention away from Forbes' innocuous report and focus it on the real industry cancer and the mastermind behind it all.

To Lin Haoran, Chen Songqing's actions at this moment were not a threat, but rather a pawn that could be used, or even a tool that could be borrowed to clean house.

What he needs to do is not to personally engage in a fight with the mad dogs, but to stand at a higher level and calmly guide the direction of this storm.

Just then, his mobile phone rang again.

Lin Haoran looked at the number on the display screen and was surprised to find that it was Governor Merrihau's private line number.

Lin Haoran was slightly surprised, but quickly regained his composure.

The fact that Mak Rihau called personally at this time is clearly related to the series of crises that suddenly broke out this morning.

Previously, when Forbes published its first article exposing the Hong Kong real estate crisis, the Governor had not even contacted him.

Now, it seems that Mai Rihao has finally lost his temper.

Lin Haoran pressed the answer button and said with a smile, "Good morning, Governor."

"Good morning, Mr. Lin." Mai Lihao's voice came through the receiver, devoid of the usual polite greetings, getting straight to the point, with a sense of urgency and gravity.

"I think you've seen the newspapers and the commotion on the streets this morning; the situation is much worse than we anticipated."

“Yes, Governor,” Lin Haoran replied. “It’s not just the Forbes report, but also some irresponsible and reckless actions within the company that are pushing the situation to the brink of getting out of control.”

“Chen Songqing.” Mai Lihao called out the name directly, his tone somewhat cold.

"We have received intelligence from multiple sources and have basically confirmed that he orchestrated this 'whistleblowing' storm targeting the entire industry. This behavior has gone beyond the scope of business competition and is a blatant attempt to undermine Hong Kong's financial stability and social order!"

As the most powerful intelligence agency in Hong Kong, it was obviously not difficult for the Governor's Office to know who the mastermind was.

He paused, his voice revealing suppressed anger and a hint of helplessness: "The police and the Independent Commission Against Corruption have launched an investigation, and the list of people restricted from leaving the country has taken effect. However, Mr. Lin, you know that legal procedures take time, while market confidence can collapse in an instant."

“The Governor is right,” Lin Haoran agreed. “Once panic forms a self-reinforcing cycle, it is difficult to reverse it in a short period of time by administrative orders alone.”

“So, I need your help, Mr. Lin.” Mak’s tone turned earnest, even carrying a rare candor that belongs to a politician in the face of crisis.

"No, the entire Hong Kong needs your help. You are the most stable and powerful force in the market right now. Your attitude and actions have a greater impact on market sentiment than any government statement."

He continued, "I just convened an emergency meeting and deployed a series of measures, but we all know that to truly stabilize the situation, there must be a strong 'stabilizing force' from within the market sending a clear signal."

Hengsheng Group has the capability, and Mr. Lin, you also have the prestige.

Lin Haoran listened quietly without responding immediately.

He knew what Meryl Streep was going to say next.

Sure enough, Mak Lei-ho changed the subject and made a direct request: "Mr. Lin, I hope to talk to you in person, not as the Governor, but as the administrator of Hong Kong, to discuss specific plans for stabilizing the overall situation with you, a business leader."

Time is of the essence, and if possible, I would like to visit you in person at the Kang Le Building.

For the governor to personally visit a merchant was an extremely rare act in the hierarchical colonial system, and could almost be seen as a sign of political "condescension" and extreme importance attached to the matter.

Lin Haoran's heart stirred slightly.

Mai Lihao's move demonstrates his extreme concern about the current crisis and his urgency to solve it, as well as his view of Lin Haoran and Hengsheng Group as the most critical partners in dealing with this crisis.

This is undoubtedly a huge opportunity—an opportunity to deeply bind Hengsheng Group and his personal reputation and influence with the highest official power, and to jointly become "heroes who save the market."

But he knew he couldn't save the city.

The reason is simple: it's an inevitable trend.

Unless Hengsheng Group injects money to bail out the market, but he is clearly unwilling to do so.

After all, housing prices haven't actually dropped much yet.

Especially in the last few days, the trading volume has been terribly low, and it's impossible to accurately measure the market price.

The true asset value and debt situation of most real estate companies have become a mess amid panic and liquidity shortages.

Trying to rescue the market now is like trying to catch a handful of sharp, jagged shards of glass falling from a great height.

Not only will you fail to catch it, but you'll also get cut and bleed profusely.

As a financial giant that controls four major banks in Hong Kong, Hengsheng Group, no matter how rich it is, cannot and should not fill this bottomless pit full of filth.

Lin Haoran's goal was never to "save the market," as that was too ambitious and unrealistic.

His goal is to "harvest" and "reshape".

Harvest those "pearls" that were accidentally damaged in the storm but are of high quality;
Reshaping the rules of the game and the power structure of Hong Kong's real estate industry, making Hengsheng Group the undisputed king under the new order.

Mai Rihau hoped he would act as a "stabilizing force," sending a calming signal, which was acceptable.

But the initiative to achieve "stability" must be in Lin Haoran's hands.

“Governor, you flatter me.” Lin Haoran’s tone remained respectful, but his wording became more cautious. “Maintaining the prosperity and stability of Hong Kong is the Hengsheng Group’s inescapable duty.”

We are deeply honored that you have come to provide guidance in person, and we will certainly cooperate fully. However, the current situation is complex and intricate, and simply offering words of confidence and injecting funds may not be enough to fundamentally resolve the issue.

He paused slightly, giving Mak Lei-hao time to think, before continuing, "The Forbes report may be biased, but it reflects international capital's concerns about the risks of Hong Kong's real estate market, which are rooted in fundamental factors."

The madness of figures like Chen Songqing has exposed the long-standing cancers within the industry. Without eradicating these cancers and restoring market transparency and credibility, any market rescue measures will likely only be a stopgap measure, or may even cause the problems to erupt more violently in the future.

There was silence on the other end of the phone for a few seconds.

Mai Lihao was clearly processing Lin Haoran's words, which went straight to the heart of the matter and were even somewhat "harsh".

This is completely different from the usual practice of business leaders expressing their loyalty to and support for the government during times of crisis.

"What does Mr. Lin mean?" Mai Lihao's voice was inquisitive.

“What I mean is, Governor, perhaps we can change our approach. Instead of simply ‘rescuing the market’ and stopping prices from falling—that’s going against the trend and is extremely difficult—we should focus on ‘regulating the market’ and ‘guiding the market’,” Lin Haoran said slowly.

"Governing the city means cooperating with the government to resolutely and swiftly eliminate serious illegal and irregular 'cancer cells' like the Jialing Group, which are already terminally ill. We must use both legal and market means to make them pay the price and let everyone see that Hong Kong's rule of law cannot tolerate fraudsters."

This in itself is the most powerful way to rebuild confidence, telling everyone that there are still rules and bottom lines in this market.

"Market guidance means directing panic and capital from overvalued and toxic assets to truly valuable and promising sectors."

For example, our Hengsheng Group can take the lead and join forces with powerful real estate partners in Hong Kong to establish a "high-quality asset restructuring fund" to specifically receive and revitalize those well-located and well-designed projects under construction or mature properties that have been "mistakenly killed" due to problems with their parent companies.

To protect the legitimate rights and interests of small property owners and suppliers, turning unfinished buildings into safe and reliable ones, we can also announce a large-scale buyback of our own shares, demonstrating our long-term confidence in our company and Hong Kong's core assets through concrete actions.

Lin Haoran's words not only cooperated with the rule of law and eliminated the cancer, but also established a fund to repurchase stocks. This not only responded to Mai Lihao's need for a "stabilizing signal", but also completely put the initiative and control of the action in his own hands.

He is not passively "saving" the entire market, but actively "governing" and "guiding" the market. In this process, Hengsheng Group will become the biggest beneficiary and rule-maker.

This was Lin Haoran's purpose.

If successful, his group will gain unparalleled industry dominance and high social prestige, and may even take this opportunity to deeply intervene in the formulation of top-level rules for Hong Kong's financial and real estate sectors.

Mai Lihao fell silent again, this time for even longer.

He was clearly weighing his options.

Lin Haoran's plan sounds more rational and in line with long-term interests than simply "spending money to save the market".

In particular, the parts on "eliminating the cancer" and "protecting people's livelihood" are politically correct and can effectively respond to public anger and panic.

However, this also means that the government needs to give Hengsheng Group, which is behind Lin Haoran, considerable room for maneuver and policy support, and even tacitly approve its "harvesting" behavior to some extent.

“Mr. Lin, your thinking is very insightful.” Mai Lihao finally spoke, his tone complex. “Eliminating the bad apples and guiding capital towards high-quality assets is indeed a fundamental solution.”

However, this process may be quite drastic, and there will be short-term market pain...

“A short, sharp pain is worse than a long, drawn-out one, Governor,” Lin Haoran replied firmly. “Moreover, it’s better for a powerful and reputable company like ours to lead this process than to let the market collapse in panic or allow international vultures to take advantage of the chaos and snap up Hong Kong’s core assets at bargain prices. We can minimize social upheaval, preserve jobs, and protect the interests of ordinary citizens.”

This statement struck a nerve with Mak Lei Ho, highlighting social stability, the protection of people's livelihoods, and the need to prevent foreign capital from taking advantage of the chaos to control Hong Kong's vital industries.

Towards the end of his term, he absolutely did not want to see Hong Kong descend into mass unemployment and turmoil.

Especially now, at this crucial stage of negotiations, if the mainland seizes on any unfavorable points, they will be in an extremely passive position during the negotiations.

The stability and prosperity of Hong Kong is no longer just an economic issue, but has risen to the political level of Sino-British negotiations and sovereignty issues.

Any large-scale social unrest and economic collapse could be exploited by adversaries as a weapon to attack the colonial government's incompetence, and could even affect the transition arrangements and Britain's future interests in Hong Kong.

Thinking of this, the scales in Mai Lihao's heart tipped completely.

“You’re right.” Mai Lihao’s voice finally revealed a hint of determination. “Then, Mr. Lin, let’s meet and discuss in detail the ‘high-quality asset restructuring fund’ you just mentioned, the buyback plan, and how to cooperate with the government’s investigation and liquidation of problematic companies. We need to finalize the details.”

In addition, what kind of cooperation and support do you need from the government?

This is tantamount to basically acknowledging Lin Haoran's thought process.

“Governor, we are ready to assist you at any time,” Lin Haoran said. “As for cooperation, the first step is information sharing and action coordination, so that we can promptly identify which companies are ‘malignant tumors’ that must be eliminated and which are ‘pearls’ worth saving.”

Secondly, we hope to establish green channels for relevant legal procedures and policy approvals to improve efficiency.

Finally, and most importantly, we hope the government can clearly support this direction of "cleaning house, protecting people's livelihoods, and guiding healthy development" in public opinion, thus providing a legitimacy endorsement for our actions.

“Sure,” Mai Lihao replied readily. “We can discuss all of this. I’ll be at the Recreation Building around 9:40.”

"We will do our best to maintain order," Lin Haoran promised again, this time with more confidence.

Throughout the entire meeting, neither party mentioned the latest Forbes report that Lin Haoran's assets and net worth may have been halved.

The two seemed to tacitly avoid this topic.

Meryl Streep didn't mention it because, as the Governor of Hong Kong, he knew better than many others how much wealth Lam Ho-yin possessed in Hong Kong.

As governor, he was well aware of how companies like Hongkong Land had taken early steps to avoid a real estate crisis and reduce their debt to zero.

Although he didn't know exactly how much Lin Haoran's overseas assets were, he knew that Lin Haoran's wealth was by no means solely tied to Hong Kong real estate.

In recent years, he had heard about Lin Haoran's overseas investment plans.

Therefore, in Governor Merrihau's view, the latest Forbes article was simply a joke.

A speculative article based on outdated models and one-sided information fails to grasp the true core of Lin Haoran's business empire.

Mai Lihao even suspected that Lin Haoran might have deliberately concealed some of his strength in order to leverage it more effectively at a crucial moment.

Therefore, faced with the immediate crisis, Meryl Streep chose to completely ignore the report.

He needs Lin Haoran's cooperation, funding, and influence to stabilize the situation, rather than questioning a partner whose strength far exceeds what the report describes.

That would not only waste time, but could also damage the fragile trust that the two sides had just established.

Lin Haoran was also fully aware of this.

The governor's silence was itself an attitude, an acknowledgment of his power.

This allowed him to act more calmly in the following moments.

He doesn't need to defend himself; he only needs to prove everything with his actions.

After hanging up the phone, Lin Haoran glanced at the clock; it was 8:50.

At this moment, Guan Jiahui came out of the bedroom yawning.

"Brother Haoran, you look like you're busy today?" Guan Jiahui walked up to Lin Haoran and asked.

"Yes, the Governor called and said he wants to visit me to discuss something. I'll be going to the Kang Le Building in a bit, so I can't stay with you," Lin Haoran said, stroking Guan Jiahui's face.

"Wow, Brother Haoran, the Governor himself is visiting you! Go ahead and do your work, don't worry about me," Guan Jiahui said, looking at Lin Haoran with admiration.

The governor himself came to visit. What does that mean?
In any case, Kwan Ka-wai had never heard of anyone in Hong Kong who could command a personal visit from the Governor.

Lin Haoran smiled and didn't go into too much detail. Instead, he said, "By the way, things will be a bit chaotic outside these days. Try not to go out unless necessary. If you must go out, make sure Xiaolan and Xiaoli come with you."

"In addition, I will assign you a female doctor to prepare you for your pregnancy care and checkups." Lin Haoran looked at Guan Jiahui gently. "This matter cannot be taken lightly; we must find the most professional."

Guan Jiahui felt a warmth in her heart and nodded: "I'll do whatever you say."

Xiao Lan and Xiao Li are both female bodyguards who have undergone rigorous training at the Huanyu Overseas Training Base and are quite capable. They usually follow Guan Jiahui around.

Both of his female bodyguards had a loyalty rating of over 85, so he trusted them completely.

They not only protect Guan Jiahui's safety and handle some emergencies to a certain extent, but also report Guan Jiahui's whereabouts to Lin Haoran, where she has been and who she has met. If Lin Haoran wants to know, he can know everything.

Therefore, when Kwan Ka-wai said she was pregnant, he had absolutely no worries about whether the child was his biological offspring.

Not only Guan Jiahui, but Guo Xiaohan also has them around.

"Okay, I'm going out now. I've already had Li Weidong bring breakfast up. Eat it before you leave. Remember, it's very chaotic outside, so please be careful," Lin Haoran continued.

"Brother Haoran, don't worry, I won't go anywhere except the company and the villa on Old Hilltop! But today is New Year's Day, and business at my dozen or so Modern Girls clothing stores should improve, so I need to go to the company to oversee things."

Lin Haoran frowned slightly: "The situation outside is special today. Let the professional manager handle things at the company. Your priority right now is to get well."

Guan Jiahui gently took Lin Haoran's arm and said softly, "I know you're worried about me, but Haoran, the market is bad right now, and the employees in the store are restless. If I, as the boss, don't show up, what will they think?"

She looked into Lin Haoran's eyes and continued, "Besides, with the bodyguards you sent with me, I will be careful myself. Also, today is New Year's Day, and there might be promotional activities in the store. I want to go and keep an eye on things personally to see how bad the market response really is, so I can have a better understanding of the situation."

Looking into Guan Jiahui's determined eyes, Lin Haoran knew that although she was usually gentle, she had a tenacity and sense of responsibility that was second to none.

He finally nodded and said, "Then be careful. Call me if anything happens."

"Okay, go ahead and get busy. Meeting the Governor is important!" Guan Jiahui kissed Lin Haoran's lips, then pushed him towards the door.

Lin Haoran smiled helplessly, turned around and left the house.

Li Weidong and Li Weiguo were already waiting outside.

After giving the breakfast to Guan Jiahui, Lin Haoran left Hengfeng Building with his bodyguards and headed directly to Kang Le Building.

Although today is New Year's Day, January 1st, the events in Hong Kong are so significant that all of his key subordinates have returned to their posts.

Upon arriving at the Kang Le Building, Lin Haoran went directly to the headquarters office of Hengsheng Group.

As he passed the first floor, he noticed that many reporters had already arrived outside.

Clearly, everyone wanted to interview Lin Haoran to get his opinion on the Forbes article that was full of provocations.

Lin Haoran walked through the lobby expressionlessly, ignoring the reporters who tried to surround him.

The building's security guards quickly formed a human wall around him, blocking the microphones and recorders that kept being thrust at them, giving them no chance to get close to the boss.

"Mr. Lin, what is your response to the Forbes report?"

"Mr. Lin, have your assets really been halved as reported?"

"Forbes says the Hong Kong rich list has no credibility. What do you think?"

Reporters bombarded the lobby with questions, their voices echoing in the empty space.

Lin Haoran didn't stop walking, but just before stepping into the private elevator, he turned his head slightly and said to the group of reporters, "Regarding the Forbes issue, Oriental Media Group will issue a statement soon, so please stay tuned."

After saying that, he stepped into the private elevator, and the elevator doors slowly closed, shutting out the noise from outside.

The elevator finally stopped on the 42nd floor of the Kang Le Building, which is the current headquarters of Hengsheng Group.

Walking into the office, you can see that there aren't many people working overtime, but most of the senior management are here.

After all, such a major event happened in Hong Kong, and as a senior executive of Hengsheng Group, it was naturally impossible for him to remain uninvolved.

"Good morning, boss."

"Good morning, boss."

As soon as he entered, the executives greeted Lin Haoran.

Lin Haoran nodded and asked, "Has Chairman He arrived?"

"Boss, Chairman He is in his office, probably making a phone call," a senior executive said. (End of Chapter)