In Hong Kong, we build a global business empire

Chen Songqing's madness, ironically, gave Lin Haoran an excellent opportunity.

This presents an opportunity to completely eliminate Chen Songqing, the biggest cancer, and to redefine the rules of the game in Hong Kong's financial sector, establishing Hengsheng Group as the "arbitrator" and "guardian" of the new industry order.

He picked up the original copy of the "Exposé Statement" signed by Chen Songqing, a cold smile curving his lips.

After putting it into his briefcase, Lin Haoran left He Shanheng's office and returned to the conference room.

At this moment, in the conference room, officials from the Governor's Office were discussing a bailout plan with He Shanheng.

As soon as the conference room door opened, everyone's eyes turned to Lin Haoran.

Especially the briefcase in Lin Haoran's hand.

He walked into the conference room and sat back down in his original seat.

Then, he simply placed the briefcase on the conference table, opened it, took out all the documents inside, and pushed it in front of the governor.

"Mr. Lin, what is this?" Mai Lihao asked, looking at the stack of documents with curiosity.

"Governor, and everyone else, please take a look at this document first!" Lin Haoran said in a deep voice.

He took the most eye-catching "exposé statement" with Chen Songqing's handwritten signature and handed it to Governor Merrih.

Mai Lihao took the document, his gaze falling on the arrogant and domineering words: "The aforementioned financial institutions, in their greed for high interest rates and business scale, knowingly allowed or even colluded with our company (Jia Ning) to commit fraud despite knowing that our accounts were questionable, which is a conspiracy to defraud us!"

If my demands are not met, I will submit all original evidence and details of all transactions to authoritative international media outlets such as the *Wall Street Journal* and the *Financial Times*. At that point, Hong Kong's reputation as an international financial center will be utterly destroyed! ...

As he read, Mai Lihao's expression changed from confusion to shock, then turned ashen, and his fingers gripping the paper trembled slightly with force.

He abruptly raised his head, looking at Lin Haoran with disbelief, anger, and a hint of fear in his eyes: "This...this is Chen Songqing's own handwriting? How dare he?"

Lin Haoran did not answer directly, but instead gestured for the governor to continue reading the documents below.

Financial Secretary Robert Ho, Head of Financial Affairs Paul Chan, and Commissioner of Police Han Yi-li each picked up several photocopies and quickly began to look through them.

The only sounds in the meeting room were the rustling of papers turning and increasingly heavy breathing.

“Yumin Finance, Hong Kong Bank of Communications, West Texas State Bank, Berkeley, Chase Bank, Dalai Credit…” Peng Lizhi muttered incredulously as he looked at the list; he recognized every name on it.

"And there's also Lianhe Financial, Aksona... This, this almost covers more than half of Hong Kong's major credit giants and a number of well-known international banks!"

Bai Lijue's hands trembled: "Governor, these documents, these loan approval records, meeting minutes, and guarantee letters, although they are all photocopies, the format and seals are too real!"

If this "evidence" were to leak out, regardless of its veracity, what would the international community think? How furious would the headquarters of these banks be? Where would Hong Kong's regulatory bodies be placed?

Han Yili's face was so dark it could drip water. As a law enforcement officer, he was well aware of the destructive power of these materials: "This is blatant extortion! It's a terrorist attack on Hong Kong's financial security!"
"Chen Songqing is a madman; he wants to drag everyone down with him!"

After reading the statement and several key documents, Merrihow slammed them on the table, his chest heaving violently. Clearly, the governor was far from calm.

He looked at Lin Haoran, his voice hoarse: "Mr. Lin, are these materials reliable? Are they really involved on such a wide scale? How much money is involved?"

Lin Haoran met Mai Lihao's gaze and said directly, "Governor, these materials were anonymously submitted to my Oriental Daily this morning."

A preliminary review revealed that more than forty financial institutions were involved, both local and international. The total amount shown in the so-called 'loan' documents was staggering, with preliminary estimates suggesting it could exceed HK$10 billion.

The authenticity of the document requires authoritative verification, but Chen Songqing's signature and his motives, combined with the current situation, suggest a very high degree of credibility.

“Over 10 billion, more than 40 companies!” Mai Lihao murmured repeatedly, as if all his strength had been drained away, and he slumped into his chair.

This number and its scope have exceeded the psychological limits he, as governor, could handle.

This is not just a problem for Jialing Company; it's a super bomb that could detonate throughout the entire East Asian financial sector!
At this moment, the Governor's Office was no longer thinking about having Lin Haoran as a "stabilizing force".
Now all they can think about is how to prevent this "super bomb" from being detonated in Hong Kong, right under their noses!
Mai Lihao supported his forehead with both hands, his fingers digging deep into his gray hair, his shoulders trembling slightly.

He could almost hear the stern questioning from Downing Street in London, imagine the sensational headlines on the front pages of international media, and foresee the apocalyptic scene of capital fleeing in a frenzy, banks running, and citizens panicking.

He originally just wanted to smoothly get through the last few months of his term and hand over the reins respectably, but now, everything may be ruined by a crazy liar!

Financial Secretary Robert Ho and Head of Financial Affairs Paul Chan also looked ashen-faced; they understood the underlying financial logic and chain reaction better than MacLehose.

Once trust collapses, the cost of rebuilding will be astronomical, and Hong Kong's economy could regress by more than a decade.

Commissioner of Police Han Yi-ri stared intently at the documents, his eyes revealing a murderous intent.

Chen Songqing's actions were no longer a challenge to the law, but a challenge to the entire ruling order.

Amidst this suffocating despair and anger, Lin Haoran's voice rang out once more.

He calmly said, "Governor, esteemed officials, Chen Songqing's madness has precisely exposed that he has no other way out but to take desperate measures and attempt to drag the entire financial system down with him."

But this also gives us a chance to achieve our goal in one fell swoop, a chance to completely eradicate this cancer, and to demonstrate to the international community with decisive action that Hong Kong has the capability and determination to clean house and safeguard financial stability!

Mai Lihao suddenly raised his head, his bloodshot eyes fixed on Lin Haoran: "Mr. Lin, do you have a way? Now, there are only two hours left before the time he threatened us at noon!"

He was completely convinced by the young man in front of him.

To build such a large business empire at such a young age is truly remarkable.

Therefore, he had no doubt that Lin Haoran had a solution, and at this moment, he felt as if he had grasped a lifeline, placing all his hopes on Lin Haoran.

"There is a way, but it requires your absolute authorization, it requires breaking with convention, and it requires the most decisive and ruthless action."

Lin Haoran continued quickly, "I suggest that we immediately activate a three-tiered emergency response: decapitation, isolation, and disinfection."

"Level 12: Decapitation Operation. Objective: Before noon, at all costs, to control Chen Songqing and all his core associates, and to seize all relevant evidence."

Given the extreme urgency of the situation and the seriousness of the threat, I recommend that His Excellency the Governor immediately invoke the Emergency Regulations Ordinance to grant the Commercial Crime Bureau of the Police Force and the Joint Special Operations Team of the Independent Commission Against Corruption the highest authority to simplify or even temporarily bypass some routine legal procedures and handle this matter on a case-by-case basis.

I will provide all possible intelligence support regarding Chen Songqing's whereabouts, communications, asset transfer channels, and possible locations where evidence may be hidden.

I believe the Governor's Office has a stronger intelligence network than mine, so the Governor's Office is fully capable of handling this matter.

The operation must be kept absolutely secret, conducted simultaneously on multiple fronts, and completed with lightning speed to prevent the perpetrator from destroying evidence or absconding. This is the only chance to stop the 'nuclear explosion'!

Han Yili stood up almost as soon as Lin Haoran finished speaking. He looked at Mai Lihao with the determination of a soldier: "Governor! I request that the 'decapitation operation' be carried out immediately!"
Every minute of delay reduces the chances of success! Please authorize!

Mai Rihau's facial muscles twitched violently, indicating that authorizing such a near-wartime action carried enormous political risks.

But he knew even better that if he didn't authorize Chen Songqing to detonate the bomb, he would lose not only his political life, but also his historical reputation as the last governor of Hong Kong, and might even face accountability from London.

“Approved!” Mai Lihao squeezed out a hoarse but extremely firm word from deep in his throat. He slammed his hand on the table. “Director Han, execute the ‘decapitation operation’ immediately!”
I authorize you to use all necessary resources and means! I want to see Chen Songqing in the interrogation room before lunch, and all the people he's been involved in must be arrested and brought to justice!

"If anything goes wrong, I'll take responsibility! But if Chen Songqing gets away or the evidence is leaked, you're fired!"

"Yes, Governor!" Han Yili solemnly accepted the order, turned around and rushed out of the conference room to make arrangements. He couldn't even wait to go outside to make a phone call.

“Level Two: Isolation and Division.” Lin Haoran continued to the remaining Mai Lihao, Peng Lizhi, and Bai Lijue, “While the ‘decapitation operation’ is underway, we must immediately stabilize the banks that Chen Songqing named, especially international giants such as Standard Chartered, Chase, and AmBank.”

I suggest that Your Excellency the Governor, or Secretary Peng or Supervisor Bai, immediately and secretly meet separately with the top officials of these banks in Hong Kong.

"Separate meetings?" Peng Lizhi frowned.

“Yes, we cannot give them the opportunity to band together, unite to confront, or exert pressure,” Lin Haoran explained. “During the meeting, we will directly present copies of some of the most sensitive materials, pointing out Chen Songqing’s ‘nuclear blackmail’ behavior and that the Hong Kong government has launched the most resolute ‘decapitation operation’ to crack down on it.”

The core message is threefold: First, it emphasizes that this matter poses a serious threat to the financial stability of Hong Kong and even the world, and the Hong Kong government will not tolerate it.
Second, they were required to immediately launch the highest-level internal emergency review, conduct a self-examination of all business dealings with Jianing, and prepare to deal with possible external investigations and public opinion crises.
Third, and most importantly, it implies that the Hong Kong government has some 'preliminary clues' that may point to dereliction of duty or violations by individual personnel within its ranks, urging them to 'proactively and thoroughly' cooperate with the investigation and clean house.

At the same time, the Hong Kong government promised that, provided they cooperated actively, it would do its utmost to control the impact of the incident and would consider prioritizing their interests in subsequent market stabilization measures.

Bai Lijue's eyes lit up: "This is to force them to 'cut their losses and save themselves' first, while at the same time pulling them to our side, so that they have to publicly support the Hong Kong government's crackdown on Chen Songqing in order to protect themselves, thereby dismantling the illusion of 'bank collusion' that Chen Songqing is trying to create!"

"That's right. In order to protect their global reputation and avoid more severe regulatory penalties, the most rational choice for these international corporations after learning that the Hong Kong government had 'clues' and acted swiftly was to distance themselves from the issue, cooperate actively, and publicly declare that they stand with the Hong Kong government."

"This will isolate Chen Songqing to the greatest extent possible, focusing the conflict on his personal criminal acts," Lin Haoran affirmed. Mai Lihao took a deep breath and ordered Peng Lizhi and Bai Lijue, "Director Peng, Supervisor Bai, handle this immediately! Contact them and arrange separate meetings!"

Your tone should be firm, but you must also leave them room for maneuver and hope; you must keep them calm!

"Yes, Governor!" The two men accepted the order and hurriedly left the meeting room to make arrangements.

"Level Three: Disinfection and Reconstruction." Lin Haoran looked at Mai Lihao and He Shanheng, the only two people left in the conference room, and said in a softer but heavier tone, "This is the reassurance and blueprint for the future of the 'post-Chen Songqing era'."

Initiate immediately after the 'killing operation' is successful and the main threat is eliminated.

"First, to purify public opinion and rebuild confidence, the Governor's Office, together with the aforementioned major international banks, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, and our Hengsheng Group, held an emergency joint press conference."

They publicly announced the successful crackdown on financial crimes, the arrest of the ringleaders, and the control of evidence.

This act of financial terrorism is strongly condemned.
Reaffirming its firm confidence in the rule of law and financial market rules in Hong Kong;
The government announced the establishment of an interagency joint investigation team to thoroughly investigate the case and to strengthen international cooperation in financial regulation.

We must use the most resolute approach to counteract the potential negative impact of Chen Songqing's threats.

"Secondly, demonstrating strength and ultimate stability." Lin Haoran's eyes were piercing. "At the press conference, on behalf of Hengsheng Group, I will officially announce that we will lead a consortium of local and international stable capital to jointly launch a 'Hong Kong Financial Stability and Revitalization Plan' with a total scale of no less than HK$200 billion!"

"20 billion?" Mai Lihao was shocked by this number again. This was a full 10 billion more than the 10 billion that Lin Haoran had mentioned before!

This is not just about funds, but also about demonstrating to the world an amazing strength and determination to support the entire market!
“Yes, HK$200 billion.” Lin Haoran said with certainty, “This funding will serve as the ‘ultimate firewall’ and ‘revival engine’ for Hong Kong’s financial system.”

Its purpose is clear: to establish an 'extreme liquidity support mechanism' to prevent systemic risks;
Establish a 'High-Quality Core Assets Protection Fund' to absorb panic selling;
Establish a "small and medium-sized enterprises and people's livelihood security channel" to stabilize the economic fundamentals;
Furthermore, it will provide the strongest capital and credit backing for our previously discussed 'high-quality asset restructuring fund,' ensuring its efficient and fair operation and truly playing its core role in 'eliminating long-standing problems, guiding healthy capital, safeguarding people's livelihoods, and reshaping the industry ecosystem.'

These funds were not actually provided by Lin Haoran himself.

Therefore, he didn't care at all.

However, it's all just using bank depositors' funds.

No need, it's just a number in the bank anyway.

Bringing in international capital is merely a way of indicating that Hengsheng Group does not have a unique market.

Even if Hengsheng Group were to cover the entire HK$200 billion itself, it wouldn't be a problem.

Moreover, this is tantamount to the Governor's Office directly agreeing to allow Hengsheng Bank to lead this "cleansing" and "reconstruction," and the potential benefits and long-term impact it brings are far beyond what two hundred billion dollars can measure.

He Shanheng then spoke up, saying, "Governor, the timing of this 'Revitalization Plan' announcement is of paramount importance."

It must be closely coordinated with the successful crackdown on Chen Songqing to create a strong contrast of 'breaking the old and establishing the new'.

This is a declaration to the world that Hong Kong not only has the ability to eliminate the cancer, but also has sufficient capital depth and wisdom to rebuild a healthier, more transparent, and more vibrant new financial order from the ruins.

Hengsheng is willing to devote all its efforts to this cause and assume leading responsibility, but it needs the full trust and authorization from the authorities, and to ensure that local healthcare capital has a voice commensurate with its contributions in the construction of the new order.

Looking at the old man and the young man before him, Mai Lihao saw that their proposed solutions were interconnected and meticulously planned. They not only dealt with the devastating crisis with precision and ruthlessness, but also outlined a grand picture of the redistribution of power and interests and the reshaping of order after the crisis.

The role played by Hengsheng Group has evolved from an "important partner" to one of the indispensable "core builders".

He slowly stood up, walked to the window, turned his back to Lin Haoran and He Shanheng, and looked out at the still restless city under the overcast sky.

After a long while, he turned around. His face was still tired, but his eyes now held a calm and resolute look, as if he had burned his bridges.

“Mr. Lin, Mr. He.” Mai Lihao’s voice was still hoarse, but unusually clear. “Your plan is far-sighted and ambitious.”

Please finalize the details of the 'Revitalization Plan' as quickly as possible and prepare to release it to the public at the appropriate time!

He paused, his gaze becoming incredibly sharp: "Whether Hong Kong can survive this calamity and rise from the ashes depends on this! On behalf of the Governor's Office and on behalf of five million citizens, I entrust this to you two!"

"We will do our utmost to live up to your trust!" Lin Haoran and He Shanheng stood up at the same time and solemnly agreed.

The clock on the wall points to 10:35 a.m.

The two escorted Mai Lihao to the underground parking garage downstairs.

Then he returned to the Hengsheng Group office.

As I passed through the lobby on the first floor, I still saw many reporters waiting outside, hoping to get an exclusive interview.

Back in He Shanheng's office, after closing the door, Lin Haoran suddenly broke into a hearty smile.

One can imagine how many prime real estate assets were controlled by the real estate companies that went bankrupt.

Assets in prime locations such as Central, Wan Chai, Causeway Bay, and Golden Finger will be laid out before them, allowing them to choose freely.

And the selection process is conducted at a very low price!
Such an opportunity is very rare.

If Chen Songqing hadn't brought this upon himself, forcing the Governor's Office to resort to the most extreme "clearing" measures and tacitly allowing, and even requiring, a "white knight" like Heng Sheng to clean up the mess and stabilize morale, such an opportunity to "harvest" would never have appeared.

In normal business competition, acquiring companies that hold prime real estate assets requires a huge price to pay and may also face a series of obstacles such as antitrust scrutiny, shareholder resistance, and public pressure.

But now, things are completely different.

Under the threat of Chen Songqing's "financial nuclear bomb," and with the Governor's Office's urgent need to extinguish the fire and restore order, the assets of those problematic companies, especially the high-quality assets that were "mistakenly killed," will no longer be coveted, but rather a hot potato.

Banks are eager to recover loans, creditors are eager to get their debts back, homeowners are eager to see their houses completed, and employees are eager to keep their jobs...

Everyone needs a "scapegoat," a capable, reputable "savior" who can keep the project going.

Through this deep partnership with the Governor's Office, Hengsheng Group perfectly positioned itself as this "savior."

They not only have ample funding, but also official backing and policy approval.

More importantly, their proposed "high-quality asset restructuring fund" model, disguised as "protecting people's livelihoods, stabilizing employment, and guiding the healthy development of the industry," possesses strong moral legitimacy and political correctness.

Perfect, absolutely perfect!

Chen Songqing's reckless and crazy methods actually helped Lin Haoran to achieve his grand plan!
Lin Haoran's smile faded, and he said to He Shanheng, "Uncle He, there's something I don't understand. Chen Songqing knows that the Oriental Daily is my company, so why did he still choose to 'walk into the trap' at this crucial moment? Was he deliberately provoking me?"
"Given Chen Songqing's shrewdness, this shouldn't be the case."

Calming down, Lin Haoran thought about this problem, which was something he couldn't quite understand.

He Shanheng, a seasoned veteran in the business world, thought for a moment and then smiled and said, "Haoran, Chen Songqing knew that the Oriental Daily News belonged to you, but he also knew that as a financial tycoon in Hong Kong, you must maintain market stability."

If you suppress the news, he can turn to international media to confirm the 'Hong Kong financial scandal,' making it even more difficult for you and the Governor's Office to clean up the mess.

If the news is published, it will directly trigger a crisis and force official intervention. Regardless of the outcome, Chen Songqing will be able to disrupt the situation and profit from it.

He is now merely choosing 'devastating revenge' out of desperation; his actions are essentially a life-or-death gamble, not a calculated strategy.

Upon hearing this, Lin Haoran suddenly realized what was going on.

That makes sense.

In reality, Chen Songqing was gambling!
This could be considered Chen Songqing's last act of madness; he had no other way out.

However, he did not expect Lin Haoran to so decisively hand the matter over to the Governor's Office to handle, as he had no intention of handling it himself at all!
If Chen Songqing knew that Lin Haoran had actually instigated the Governor's Office to carry out a "decapitation operation" against him, he would probably be filled with remorse.

Lin Haoran shook his head and laughed, "Uncle He is right. I just didn't get it right. Chen Songqing is already a gambler who has lost everything. He doesn't care about being careful with his money anymore."

He just wanted to flip the table so that no one could play, or perhaps take advantage of the chaos to see if he could get his hands on the last chips.

Unfortunately, he chose the wrong target to overturn the table, and he underestimated our determination and methods in responding.

"Given his current situation, it's understandable that he would completely lose his mind!" He Shanheng said with some emotion. (End of Chapter)