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Shortly after He Shanheng finished speaking, Lin Haoran's mobile phone rang again.

Lin Haoran glanced at the number; it was another call from the Governor's Office.

"Mr. Lin, this is Mak Lei-hao. I would like to ask you to come to the Governor's House now to discuss the matter we discussed this morning regarding the 'Hong Kong Financial Stability, Real Estate Recovery and Revitalization Plan' which involves leading multiple local and international capital entities to jointly launch a plan with a total scale of no less than HK$200 billion!"
Before the afternoon press conference, we need to hold an emergency internal coordination meeting. Some things need to be finalized in person, and I have already called the heads of the major companies one by one.

Lin Haoran's heart skipped a beat. It seemed that the governor had already started contacting major banks and real estate giants as he had suggested, and that they might have encountered resistance, requiring him to personally intervene and coordinate.

Or perhaps, the communication with those people in private was not going smoothly?
This was the only question Lin Haoran could think of.

After all, he knew that when he proposed to lead the plan for the stabilization and revitalization of Hong Kong's financial and real estate sectors, the most enthusiastic person would definitely be Governor Murray.

With Meryl Streep's term nearing its end and negotiations still some time away, this mess is bound to draw criticism from the UK.

After stepping down, Meryl Streep will definitely return to the UK to continue his political activities.

Therefore, the fact that such a major event occurred in Hong Kong during his term of office, with the financial industry almost collapsing, is clearly a major stain and political burden for Mak Lei-ho.

Therefore, he will definitely try to minimize his influence before stepping down.

However, this is normal. At this time, everyone is struggling to survive and has become extremely nervous. It is indeed difficult to get those giants to invest more money in the real estate industry.

"Yes, Governor, I'll be right there."

After hanging up the phone, Lin Haoran said to He Shanheng, "Uncle He, the governor wants me to go over now. It should be to meet with major banks and key business forces to finalize the details of the fund."

"Prepare the plan according to schedule. Once it's ready, have someone send the preliminary plan to the Governor's Office. I'll go there first."

"Be careful, Haoran. Those old foxes are all very shrewd," He Shanheng warned.

"Don't worry, I know what's going on."

Lin Haoran, along with Li Weidong, Li Weiguo, and others, quickly went downstairs and took a car to the Governor's Mansion.

As he drove, he looked out the window at the still somewhat chaotic street scene, pondering the situation he might face later.

Although Chen Songqing's arrest eliminated the biggest threat, the market's panic has not completely subsided. The financial institutions involved must be on edge and seeing threats everywhere.

After all, he has his own intelligence agency, and other major powers will certainly have theirs as well.

He even saw a large crowd gathered in front of a commercial building in Central.

He knew this place was the headquarters of a medium-sized real estate company in Hong Kong.

Similar situations are probably not uncommon in Hong Kong today.

Contractors, suppliers, citizens who bought pre-sold homes, creditors...

Faced with such a sudden event, people from all walks of life did not know what to do and could only gather at the company headquarters to protest, demand payment, and request the handover of the property.

Lin Haoran withdrew his gaze.

This was his first experience with a real estate crisis since he transmigrated to this world.

In fact, he had seen it through the news in his previous life as well.

That was in the 2020s.

At the time, there was even a popular joke circulating on social media: "Those who worked hard a few years ago are now heavily in debt."
When Lin Haoran was led to a small conference room by the governor's staff, there were already more than a dozen people sitting inside.

He knew almost all of these people; they were all business tycoons in Hong Kong.

Standard Chartered Bank Hong Kong CEO Tyronn, Swire Pacific Chairman Schjoker Swire, Wheelock Chairman John Madden, Cheung Kong Holdings Chairman Li Ka-shing, New World Development Chairman Cheng Yu-tung, World Shipping Chairman Charter King, Citibank Hong Kong President, Morgan Stanley Asia Pacific Head, Goldman Sachs Asia Chairman...

Chinese, British, and American capital—almost half of Hong Kong's business community has gathered here.

As soon as Lin Haoran entered, everyone's eyes turned to him.

Tyronn from Standard Chartered Bank seemed hesitant to speak further.

After all, Caring Group currently owes them HK$3 billion, not including interest.

Originally, this debt belonged to Huifeng Bank, not Standard Chartered Bank.

Initially, Lin Haoran stated that he could acquire Huifeng Bank, but the debts of Jialing Group must be transferred to Standard Chartered Bank to offset the funds owed by Huifeng Bank to Standard Chartered Bank.

At the time, they thought they had gotten a great deal and gained a major client, Jianing Group, for free.

But now they realize how wrong they were.

HK$30 billion, that's no small sum.

In fact, the price they paid to acquire Huifeng Bank was already enormous.

Now, with HK$30 billion suddenly out of reach and even the principal unlikely to be recovered, Standard Chartered Bank's operations in Hong Kong are under immense pressure, and this could even jeopardize its financial health across the entire Asia-Pacific region.

The look in Tyron’s eyes as he looked at Lin Haoran was incredibly complex. It contained both the frustration and anger of being “tricked” in the past, the helplessness of having to rely on the other party’s “market rescue” plan, and even a hint of awe that he himself was unwilling to admit.

After all, Lin Haoran's ability to accurately "predict" that the Jianing Group would run into problems and use that as leverage to facilitate the transfer of HSBC's debts was already astonishing in its foresight and skill.

Now that Chen Songqing's crimes have been exposed, it further confirms Lin Haoran's "foresight."

Of course, if Standard Chartered Bank hadn't accepted this condition, Lin Haoran wouldn't have acquired Huifeng Bank.

In this way, Standard Chartered Bank ultimately had to bear the debt.

Therefore, Tyronn and the senior executives of Standard Chartered Bank behind him knew that even if they confronted Lin Haoran and demanded an explanation, it would ultimately come to nothing.

They were the ones who begged the other party to buy Huifeng Bank back then, so what else can be said?
“Mr. Lin, please have a seat.” Governor Merrihout gestured to the empty seat next to him, his expression serious. “Everyone is here, let’s begin.”

After Lin Haoran sat down, he nodded slightly to everyone present.

Mai Lihao cleared his throat and got straight to the point: "Everyone, I'm sure you all know why I've called you all here today."

Chen Songqing's reckless actions have posed an unprecedented threat to Hong Kong's financial reputation and market stability.

Although the main culprit has been apprehended, the crisis is not over. The market needs confidence and needs to see the determination and actions of us business leaders to unite and overcome these difficult times.

He paused, his gaze sweeping over everyone present: "Therefore, after discussing with Mr. Lin, on behalf of the Governor's Office, I formally propose that the core business organizations present here jointly establish a 'Hong Kong Financial and Real Estate Stabilization and Revitalization Fund,' with an initial scale of HK$200 billion."

This funding will serve as a market 'stabilizer' and 'revival engine,' used to attract high-quality assets, stabilize the financial and real estate systems, and demonstrate Hong Kong's commercial cohesion to the international community.

This matter has been settled. Now let's discuss how much each of you can contribute.

I promise that the funds you contribute will be used to liquidate the property assets of companies in Hong Kong that are beyond saving due to broken capital chains, such as the Carnation Group, Carnation Group, and Carnation Company, in order to minimize losses and prevent creditors from losing everything.

HK$200 million!
This number made many people in the room jump.

Although they are all extremely wealthy tycoons, 200 billion in cash is more than many companies present even have a market value of.

Especially now, when the market is frozen and cash flow is tight.

Tyronn from Standard Chartered Bank was the first to speak: "Governor, Standard Chartered Bank has always fully supported the Hong Kong government in maintaining financial stability, but is a scale of HK$200 billion too large?"

What the market needs most right now is liquidity support and a restoration of confidence. Perhaps we can explore some more flexible and targeted solutions.

His words were tactful, but the meaning was clear: he had too much money, didn't want to spend it, or couldn't afford it.

Swire's Schjok Schweitzer echoed, "Governor, Swire's business spans the globe, and we are currently facing some pressure in terms of capital allocation."

We are certainly willing to contribute to the stability of Hong Kong, but the specific amount of investment needs to be carefully evaluated by the board of directors.

Furthermore, the fund's operating mechanism, investment direction, and risk control all require very clear planning.

John Madden of Wheelock was more direct: "Governor, many of Wheelock's real estate businesses have also been affected, and we ourselves are also worried about cash flow."

Participating in the fund is my duty, but I'm afraid the amount of money I can contribute is limited.

Before the meeting had even begun, several major British companies had already expressed their support, setting the tone for the meeting: support, but limited support.

This made Governor Merrih's face darken, but he ultimately remained silent.

Clearly, he must have communicated with these people in advance.

At this moment, Li Jiacheng pushed up his glasses and said, "Governor, colleagues, Cheung Kong Holdings is rooted in Hong Kong and shares its glory and disgrace. The current crisis is indeed severe."

With the real estate market frozen, transactions sluggish, developers facing widespread cash flow problems, and banks facing rising bad debt risks, this 200 billion yuan fund is well-intentioned.

As you all know, Cheung Kong Holdings was facing difficulties. I paid a considerable price to secure a HK$20 billion loan from Heng Sheng Group, which allowed Cheung Kong Holdings to temporarily overcome its financial difficulties.

However, I am also willing to contribute. My initial consideration is that I can contribute HK$5 million.

HK$5 million may not seem like much in a total of HK$200 billion, but given the current situation, especially compared to the vague response from the British giant, it demonstrates considerable sincerity and responsibility.

Most importantly, everyone knows about the difficulties faced by Cheung Kong Holdings.

Previously, Li Jiacheng was forced to publish a thank-you notice for Lin Haoran in the newspaper, which became a hot topic of discussion throughout Hong Kong.

That was a disgrace to Li Jiacheng.

In fact, the reason why Li Ka-shing dared to withdraw HK$5 million from his limited funds was that he saw it as an opportunity for Cheung Kong Holdings. In addition, he had also called Lam Ho-yin and felt confident.

After a moment's thought, Cheng Yu-tung of New World Development also spoke up: "New World Development is also willing to support us and will contribute HK$1 million." Bao Yugang glanced at Lin Haoran, and seeing Lin Haoran nod, he finally stated: "On behalf of Wharf Holdings, I can contribute HK$3 million to do my part."

The statements from several Chinese business tycoons softened Mak's expression slightly, but it was still far from the target of 200 billion.

Next up are American-funded institutions.

The Hong Kong president of Citibank shrugged and said in English with an American accent, "Governor, as an international bank, Citibank must be accountable to its global shareholders."

We are optimistic about the Hong Kong market in the long term, but there is indeed a high degree of uncertainty in the short term. However, out of respect for Mr. Lin, we can play an advisory role in the fund and provide professional support.

However, direct investment requires headquarters approval and may not be very large; initially, HK$5000 million seems achievable.

Representatives from Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs expressed similar views, preferring to provide "intellectual support" and "access services" rather than investing real money, each only making symbolic commitments of HK$3000 million and HK$2000 million respectively.

After everyone had expressed their opinions, Lin Haoran silently did some mental calculations.

Cheung Kong Holdings has 5 million, New World Development has 1 million, and Wharf Holdings has 3 million, which is only 9 million.

British companies like Standard Chartered and Wheelock have an ambiguous attitude; even if they each contribute 100 million, the total would only be 300 to 400 million.

The three American-owned companies together have a combined investment of 1 million.

As the leading British-owned company, Swire has to give face, so it might contribute 2-3 million.
Even if the governor has a lot of influence, other unspeakable tycoons could still raise tens of millions to a hundred million.

All things considered, it will definitely not exceed HK$20 billion.

We are 200 billion short of the 180 billion target!
Just as he expected, these shrewd businessmen, with Hong Kong's future uncertain, the real estate market mired in difficulties, and themselves facing bad debts and cash flow pressures, were simply unwilling to take on this risk with too much real money.

The so-called "support" is more of a political statement and a face-saving project.

The atmosphere in the meeting room became somewhat awkward and somber.

Governor Merrihau looked grim. He had hoped these business tycoons would generously contribute to prop up the market, but the response was minimal, and the amount raised was woefully inadequate.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the scale of 200 billion is something that Mr. Lin and I have carefully considered. It is not just a number, but also a signal to the market and the international community!"

If we can't even demonstrate this basic unity and responsibility, how can market confidence be restored? How can international capital dare to remain in Hong Kong?

He looked at Lin Haoran: "Mr. Lin, as the active advocate of this fund, what are your thoughts?"

All eyes were once again focused on Lin Haoran.

There was anticipation, scrutiny, and a bit of spectator mentality; everyone wanted to see how Hong Kong's most powerful business tycoon would respond to this awkward situation.

Lin Haoran stood up from his seat, looked around at everyone, and their expressions were on full display.

He smiled and said, "Governor, esteemed seniors, and colleagues."

"First of all, I fully understand your concerns. The current market environment is indeed severe and highly uncertain. Every penny invested requires extreme caution."

“However,” Lin Haoran changed the subject and continued, “crisis contains opportunity. The current Hong Kong real estate market is like a forest burned by wildfire.”

On the surface, it appears as scorched earth, a scene of devastation. But precisely because of this, the underground nutrients are more concentrated, making it easier for truly resilient, deeply rooted tree species to be discovered and given space to grow.

He used a vivid metaphor.

"We established this fund not to save the dead trees that have been burned to death, but to discover and irrigate the saplings that are covered by ashes but still survive, and even to sow new and better seeds."

This process certainly involves risks, but in the long run, the rewards will undoubtedly be substantial.

“I can tell you all clearly,” Lin Haoran raised his voice, “that Hengsheng Group, as well as my affiliated companies such as Hong Kong Land Group, Hong Kong Electric Group, and Wanqing Group, have firm confidence and determination to participate in this ‘Revitalization Fund’.”

Our initial plan is to be able to cover HK$100 billion of it!

100 billion!
This number exploded like a bombshell in the conference room!

Even the American representative who had only offered tens of millions earlier showed a look of surprise.

Those present were all extremely shrewd businessmen; they knew all too well what 100 billion in cash meant at this moment.

That's not just enormous wealth, but also terrifying courage and absolute confidence in one's own judgment!

Governor Merrih breathed a sigh of relief.

But most other people, after a brief moment of shock, had a more complicated look in their eyes.

Cheng Yu-tung and Lee Chiu-kei exchanged a glance.

Representatives from British and American companies mostly expressed disdain and wariness.

Is this the right time to invest in the market?
They're tired of living!

Lin Haoran took in everyone's reactions and continued, "I know that 100 billion is a huge investment for our Hengsheng Group."

However, I believe that if managed properly, focusing on truly high-quality assets, and with a professional and responsible attitude, this investment can generate substantial returns for our shareholders in the future.

More importantly, it can help Hong Kong emerge from the shadow of the pandemic as soon as possible and restore a healthy economic ecosystem. This is both a business investment and a matter of corporate social responsibility.

He once again linked business interests with social responsibility, and his words were impeccable.

"Therefore, I would like to sincerely appeal to everyone here once again that we should all make money together and share the risks. This is not only to respond to the Hong Kong government's call, but also for the common future of all of us."

If we unite as one and weather this winter, we will all reap the rewards when spring arrives. You can reconsider your fund shares; this is a rare opportunity.

Lin Haoran could even take on 200 billion yuan, but he knew that would be too greedy and would also alert the Governor's Office.

Therefore, he bet that these people wouldn't contribute too much money.

His words seemed inflammatory, but who among them wasn't a seasoned veteran who had weathered many storms?
While emotional appeals are understandable, when it comes to real money, we still need to consider the tangible benefits and risks.

Standard Chartered's Cadman shook his head and said with a wry smile, "Mr. Lin, your boldness is admirable, but Standard Chartered has its own difficulties. The global board of directors is very cautious about investing a large sum of money at this time and place."

As everyone here knows, Standard Chartered Bank is a major creditor of the Carignan Group. We simply don't have much more capital to offer; HK$1 million is our limit. We apologize.

Swire's Swire also stated: "Swire can only offer a maximum of 1 million."

Wheelock's Madden shrugged: "Whelton's situation is similar, 1 million."

The American representatives shook their heads, indicating that they would maintain their original commitment to contribute only a small amount of capital.

Li Ka-shing didn't say anything more. After all, Cheung Kong Holdings was indeed facing many difficulties. Taking HK$20 million out of a HK$5 billion loan was a desperate gamble.

Upon seeing this, Cheng Yu-tung and Pao Yue-kong also indicated that they could each increase their investment by 5000 million, bringing the total to 1.5 million and 3.5 million respectively.

Other Chinese-owned entrepreneurs, under Li Ka-shing's influence, have also seen slight increases, but the amounts are not large.

Finally, after some reluctant "additions," the Governor's Secretary quickly tallied the figures and reported a number to Merrihau:
"Governor, the total amount of funds pledged by the gentlemen is HK$116.8 billion."

The rest of the group totaled 16.8 billion!
In addition to the HK$100 billion that Lin Haoran mentioned.

We are still 83.2 billion short of our 200 billion target!
The meeting room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

This figure is undoubtedly a heavy blow to the prestige of Governor Merrih and the Governor's Office, and it also starkly reflects the pessimism and self-preservation mentality of the mainstream Hong Kong business community regarding the market outlook.

Mai Lihao's face turned extremely ugly.

He looked around, his eyes filled with questioning and disappointment, but he mostly met evasive or helpless gazes.

Finally, his gaze fell on Lin Haoran, his eyes filled with complex emotions—gratitude, helplessness, and a last glimmer of hope.

Lin Haoran smiled inwardly, knowing that the real drama was about to begin.

His face displayed just the right amount of solemnity and a hint of "forced" responsibility. He slowly stood up and addressed Merrihau, as well as the entire room: "Governor, gentlemen, it seems that your concerns about the current market are deeper than I imagined. I respect everyone's decision."

He paused, as if making an extremely difficult decision: "However, this fund must be established, and the signal of 200 billion must be sent out!"
This concerns Hong Kong's international reputation, the recovery of the real estate industry, the confidence of millions of citizens, and the fundamental interests of all of us!

Looking at everyone, he continued solemnly, "Since everyone is holding back for the time being, then for the sake of Hong Kong and the overall situation, the remaining HK$83.2 billion will be borne by my affiliated companies!"

How could he miss such a great opportunity to acquire prime real estate in Hong Kong?
He was well aware of how outrageous Hong Kong's future property prices would be.

Especially those commercial buildings, some of which can generate more than HK$10 billion in revenue a year just from rent alone.

Since these people don't appreciate it, then he'll gladly accept it.

boom!
If Lin Haoran's promise of 100 billion was a bomb, then this promise of 83.2 billion is a nuclear explosion!
The entire conference room was completely stunned!
Everyone stared at Lin Haoran in disbelief!
Originally, everyone thought that since Lin Haoran was the biggest tycoon in Hong Kong, he would definitely not want Hong Kong's economy to suffer, so they believed that Lin Haoran's remarks were deliberately encouraging everyone to contribute money.

But I never expected him to be so brave!

HK$183.2 million!
He single-handedly shouldered over 90% of the entire 20 billion fund!

What a courage!
What strength!
How insane!
No, this goes beyond madness.

This is either an overconfident statement with absolute certainty and a trump card, or an unprecedented gamble!

The most excited person was Governor Merrih.

He already plans to announce a HK$200 billion 'Hong Kong Financial Stability, Real Estate Recovery and Revitalization Plan' at a press conference; if he can't raise the funds, he'll be embarrassed.

Now, Lin Haoran has turned the tide and made up for the remaining deficiencies, which has given him a sense of relief. (End of Chapter)