In Hong Kong, we build a global business empire

Lin Haoran stood up from his chair and stretched.

Outside the window, the Hong Kong city center is bathed in sunshine under a clear blue sky.

Hong Kong in July is incredibly hot, with outside temperatures reaching at least 34 or 35 degrees Celsius. However, the central air conditioning in the Hong Lok Building is running at full blast, making the offices cool and comfortable, a stark contrast to the heat outside.

Lin Haoran stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, looking down at the bustling city below.

The streets of Central are bustling with traffic and pedestrians hurrying by.

Those white-collar workers in suits and ties are shuttling between office buildings, busy with their lives.

Those wealthy people driving luxury cars are heading to their next dinner party, maneuvering for their own interests.

This is Hong Kong.

A city that is always busy, always bustling, and always full of opportunities and challenges.

Since the establishment of the Renaissance Fund, property prices in Hong Kong have not risen significantly, but they have not fallen much either.

Although market panic persists and people remain concerned about Hong Kong's future, at least there hasn't been a collapse-style crash.

Therefore, in the eyes of the government and the citizens, Lin Haoran truly embodied the principle that with great power comes great responsibility.

The core properties acquired by the Recovery Fund at low cost have ironically become important bargaining chips for saving the market.

This was an unexpected and delightful surprise that Lin Haoran had not anticipated.

Business owners who originally planned to sell their properties at low prices hesitated after seeing the recovery fund enter the market.

They started to wonder, since Lin Haoran dared to make a move at this time, did it mean that housing prices had bottomed out? Would they lose money if they sold now?
Thus, the sell-off came to an abrupt end.

Those homebuyers who were originally observing the market have begun to reassess the market after seeing the actions of the revitalization fund.

They thought, surely someone as shrewd as Lin Haoran wouldn't do a losing deal?
If he dared to buy it, there must be a reason.

As a result, more people started looking at the property.

This is the transmission effect of confidence.

Lin Haoran didn't think he was particularly clever.

He just did what he was supposed to do and incidentally got a freebie.

But outsiders won't see it that way.

In the eyes of government officials, Lin Haoran is an entrepreneur who "understands the big picture and puts the overall situation first" and a hero who stepped forward when Hong Kong was in its most difficult time.

In the eyes of ordinary citizens, Lin Haoran is a wealthy man who "has money but doesn't forget his roots," and one of their own, standing with them.

In the eyes of those small and medium-sized business owners, Lin Haoran was their savior, the benefactor who saved them from bankruptcy.

These labels are more valuable than any business success.

Because the hearts of the people are the most precious treasure.

But Lin Haoran knew that in a little over two months, the Iron Lady would stumble and fall in the capital.

At that time, a wave of panic will surely sweep through Hong Kong again.

Therefore, the calm at this moment is merely the last tranquility before the storm.

Lin Haoran stood by the window, his gaze passing through the bustling Central district and landing in the distant north.

The Iron Lady's fall was interpreted by countless people in the past as a symbol that the fading glory of the British Empire would eventually be overshadowed by the Eastern dragon.

But for ordinary citizens of Hong Kong, those grand narratives are too distant. What they can see are the images repeatedly broadcast on television, the endless reports in newspapers, and the rhetoric that "Hong Kong is finished" and "the handover is the end of the world."

Panic can spread like a plague.

The stock market will crash, the real estate market will be under pressure, and another wave of emigration will surge.

But for Lin Haoran, this was a real opportunity.

If the Renaissance Fund helped him acquire properties and land in prime locations at low cost, then the real estate crisis that followed would be the perfect opportunity for Lin Haoran to solidify his position as the dominant force in Hong Kong's real estate market.

This isn't cold-heartedness; it's reality.

Panic belongs to others; opportunity belongs to him.

He understands this principle better than anyone else.

There was a knock on the office door.

"Please come in."

The one who came in was Ma Shimin.

Although his office has moved out of the president's office of the Landmark Group, the new office is still on the 51st floor of the Kang Le Building, right next to Lin Haoran's private office.

This was also to allow him to better coordinate the member companies of the Galaxy Strategic Committee, and also to facilitate communication with his boss, Lin Haoran, at any time.

Ma Shimin walked in and saw Lin Haoran standing by the window, with Liu Xiaoli organizing documents beside him. He nodded slightly.

Lin Haoran turned around and said with a smile, "Mr. Ma, please have a seat!"

Ma Shimin nodded and sat down on the sofa.

"How's the handover with Jianning going?"

"The handover is basically complete. If Jianning has any questions, he can ask me anytime. Now I can focus my attention on the work of the Galaxy Strategic Committee," Ma Shimin replied with a smile.

Lin Haoran nodded and sat down opposite him.

Previously, Simon Murray had to manage both Hongkong Land Group and the Galaxy Strategic Committee, which was indeed a bit overwhelming.

After all, whether it's Hongkong Land, HK Electric, Hang Seng Group, Hutchison Whampoa, or Oriental Press Group, they are all industry giants, and coordinating their synergistic development is indeed not an easy task.

Although Ma Shimin was exceptionally capable, human energy is ultimately limited.

Managing the entire Hongkong Land operation while also coordinating collaborations among so many industry giants inevitably leads to some neglecting others.

Now that Fok Kin-ning has taken over Hongkong Land, Simon Murray can finally focus on his work on the Galaxy Strategic Committee.

"That's good. Keep a close eye on Jianning. Although he's very capable, he's only recently taken over the company and is still young. If there are any problems, please give him some pointers," Lin Haoran said with a smile.

Ma Shimin nodded and said, "By the way, boss, there have been many reporters downstairs trying to interview you every day these past few days. There were even more reporters today, I estimate there were nearly a hundred. It should be related to Mr. Suzuki's press conference. Do you want to respond?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Haoran thought for a moment and said, "Perfect timing. I also have something to announce. Go and make arrangements for a press conference in an hour. I have some important things to announce then."

If Mexico wants to provide support, then let's give them support!

Moreover, this morning, Lin Haoran received news from Cui Zilong that Soros has not given up yet.

The other party still hasn't given up and continues to manipulate some media outlets to spread the message that although evidence suggests this was a propaganda war launched by the Quantum Fund, it doesn't prove that Soros didn't reach a cooperation agreement with Lin Haoran to short Mexico during his time in Hong Kong.

When Lin Haoran heard this news, he almost burst out laughing.

Soros is really in a hurry.

A once-powerful Wall Street tycoon can now only resort to such unscrupulous means in his death throes.

Using the argument that "there is no proof of no cooperation" as a weapon of attack is utterly ridiculous.

But Lin Haoran also knew that this ridiculous tactic was very popular in the eyes of some people.

Those who were already hostile to him, those media outlets that thrive on chaos, and those who enjoy conspiracy theories will all seize upon this statement and make a big fuss about it.

"Although Lin Haoran has proven that he did not manipulate public opinion, who can prove that he did not participate in short selling?"

If this kind of argument were to spread, it would definitely be a blow to the positive image he had worked so hard to build.

Even if he did participate in short selling and made a fortune.

However, this does not mean he should take the blame.

Shorting Mexico is a normal business practice for Global Investments.

He uses his judgment to operate legally and compliantly in the market and earn the profits he deserves, which is perfectly acceptable.

The problem is that Soros dragged him into it, making everyone believe that he was one of the masterminds behind this propaganda war.

These are two different things.

Legal short selling is a market behavior, and no one can say anything about it.

Manipulating public opinion and framing the innocent is morally reprehensible and universally condemned.

What Soros is doing now is trying to conflate these two things and make everyone think that Lin Haoran is in cahoots with him.

“Boss,” Ma Shimin couldn’t help but ask when he saw him remain silent for a long time, “how do you plan to respond?”

Lin Haoran snapped out of his daze and looked at him.

"Mr. Ma, what do you think Soros is most afraid of right now?"

Ma Shimin thought for a moment and said, "What he fears most is that you will produce evidence to prove that you have no relationship with him."

Lin Haoran smiled and said, "No, he has no idea that I have more evidence. What he is afraid of is that the Mexican market will reverse and turn his billions of dollars in short positions into a pile of worthless paper."

Ma Shimin nodded thoughtfully and said, "So he's desperately trying to create public opinion to buy time and stabilize the market?"

Lin Haoran sneered and said, "Delaying time? He has no time left. As far as I know, the International Monetary Fund is about to approve a loan for Mexico. Although it is not much, it is enough to support Mexico for another month. This matter should be resolved in the next couple of days."

In other words, once this is done, the Mexican peso will begin to rebound, and the panic he previously instigated is fading. All he is doing now is a death throes.

Besides, I'll give him a little something extra, so he can experience what true despair is like.

Ma Shimin felt a slight chill when he saw the cold glint in Lin Haoran's eyes.

Although he hadn't followed Lin Haoran for very long, he had experienced many business battles with his boss. He had seen his boss strategize and make his opponents vanquish with a smile, but he had rarely seen his boss show such an expression.

That was the expression on a hunter's face as he watched his prey struggle for its life.

Calm, cold, with a hint of appreciation, but absolutely no pity.

Lin Haoran was indeed angry. He originally didn't want to have too much contact with Soros because he knew that Soros would only become more and more notorious.

Who knew that he didn't want to provoke Soros, but Soros insisted on provoking him.

So, the only thing we can do is let Soros learn a lesson and let him know, let everyone know, that messing with Lin Haoran will not end well!

“Okay, boss, I’ll go arrange it now,” Ma Shimin said, standing up from the sofa.

"Okay, go ahead!" Lin Haoran waved his hand.

Ma Shimin nodded and turned to leave the office.

The door closed gently, and Lin Haoran sat back down on the sofa, taking a sip of his coffee.

Liu Xiaoli walked over and continued to stand behind him, using her slender hands to massage Lin Haoran's shoulders.

Meanwhile, outside the first floor of the Kang Le Building, there were indeed many reporters. Moreover, their numbers were clearly increasing.

They braved the scorching sun, yet showed no sign of backing down.

For journalists, news is life.

Lin Haoran has been the biggest news generator in the past few months.

From becoming the world's richest man to his wedding of the century, from Oracle Semiconductor to being embroiled in a media war with Mexico, every move he makes makes headlines, and every appearance is the focus of attention.

For interviewees like these, they would be willing to wait not just for an hour in the sun, but for a whole day.

"Let's interview Mr. Lin."

"Yes, let us interview Mr. Lin. We've waited so long, we can't leave empty-handed, can we?"

The reporters chattered amongst themselves as they spoke with the security manager of the Kang Le Building.

However, a dozen security guards stood in front of the gate, forming a human wall, and remained expressionless and motionless no matter how the reporters shouted.

They were all security guards from Universal Security Company, highly trained. Without orders from above, not only would these reporters not be able to get in easily, but even the governor himself wouldn't be able to.

"Gentlemen, it's not that I don't want you to go in, but without permission from above, I can't let you interview our boss. Please don't make things difficult for me," the security chief said to the reporters with a helpless expression, standing inside the security cordon.

The reporters, of course, didn't buy it.

"Then why don't you go and report it!"

"We've been waiting for over two hours. Is Mr. Lin going to see us or not?"

"That's right, you can't just leave us standing outside like this!"

The security chief gave a wry smile and was about to explain something when Ma Shimin's voice suddenly came through his walkie-talkie.

"Tell the people that the boss will hold a press conference in an hour, in the banquet hall on the second floor of the building, and that they can enter now."

The security supervisor perked up immediately upon hearing the voice coming from the walkie-talkie.

He quickly raised his hands, signaling the reporters to be quiet.

"Everyone! Everyone! Please be quiet! I just received a notification that our boss has decided to hold a press conference in an hour. The venue will be the banquet hall on the second floor of the building. Please enter in an orderly manner!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a deafening cheer erupted from the crowd.

"Great!"

"Finally!"

"Quick! Get in there and grab a spot!"

Reporters swarmed in, and security personnel managed to maintain order and guide them to the second floor.

The elevators and staircases were instantly packed with people, but everyone had an excited smile on their face; the wait had finally paid off.

Seeing the chaotic scene, the security manager signaled to his team to maintain order, while simultaneously speaking into his walkie-talkie: "Mr. Ma, the reporters have begun to enter."

"Thank you for your hard work," Ma Shimin's voice came through the walkie-talkie. "Maintain order and don't let anyone cause trouble."

"understand!"

More than half an hour later, in the office on the 51st floor, Lin Haoran stood up from his chair.

Liu Xiaoli helped him tie his tie, then carefully checked it again to make sure there were no wrinkles before nodding in satisfaction.

"Boss, you look really handsome today."

Lin Haoran laughed and said, "What's wrong? Aren't you handsome usually?"

Liu Xiaoli blushed slightly and said sweetly, "No, he's handsome all the time, but he's especially handsome today."

Lin Haoran burst into laughter.

Sometimes, teasing this little girl is quite fun.

At this moment, Ma Shimin knocked on the door and came in to report: "Boss, the reporters have started to enter, there are about two hundred of them, and the banquet hall on the second floor is packed."

Lin Haoran nodded and said, "Okay, let's go downstairs then. Xiaoli, you stay in the office and answer the phone for me. Contact me anytime if anything happens."

Liu Xiaoli nodded obediently and said, "Okay, boss, you can go ahead without worry."

Lin Haoran took a deep breath and strode out of the office.

Ma Shimin followed behind him, and the two walked together toward the elevator.

The elevator slowly descended from the 51st floor to the 2nd floor.

Upon arriving at the banquet hall, sure enough, the small hall was already packed with people.

Lin Haoran's arrival caused a stir.

The flashbulbs went off instantly, and the clicking of cameras filled the air as reporters stood up and jostled to get closer to him.

However, security personnel at the scene intervened in time to stop it.

"Mr. Lin! Mr. Lin! Look this way!"

Do you think Mexico will fall into a debt crisis?

Do you have any further response regarding Quantum Fund?

Problems came flooding in, but Lin Haoran did not stop.

With a smile on his face, he walked straight to the podium under the escort of security personnel, with Ma Shimin following closely behind.

Lin Haoran ascended the podium and stood on the speech platform.

He raised his hand, signaling for everyone to be quiet.

The room fell silent instantly, everyone holding their breath, waiting for him to utter his first words.

Over the years, Lin Haoran has developed a formidable presence in Hong Kong. His imposing aura, even without anger, intimidates every reporter present into silence.

He glanced around the room and slowly began to speak: "Hello, fellow reporters. Thank you all for coming here to wait for me in this sweltering heat."

A good-natured laugh rang out from the crowd.

"Everyone must be very curious about what I'm going to say this time. I know that there have been a lot of rumors about me and Soros lately."

Some people say I'm an accomplice of Quantum Fund, some say I participated in shorting Mexico, and some say I'm two-faced, making money in Mexico while stabbing people in the back.

Even though I had Mr. Suzuki, the president of Southern Company, provide evidence to prove that the rumors were orchestrated by the Quantum Fund, many people still don't believe that I have no working relationship with Mr. Soros.

The entire scene fell silent immediately.

Indeed, they also wanted to see if Lin Haoran had any more evidence to prove that he really hadn't colluded with Soros.

Although Lin Haoran had Suzuki Toshifumi produce the transfer records to prove that the public opinion was manipulated by the Quantum Fund, Soros's counterattack was also very clever.

They admitted to manipulating public opinion, but insisted that Lin Haoran had cooperated with Soros and that the two were a community of interest in shorting Mexican stocks.

These two things are two different things legally.

Manipulating public opinion is a moral issue, and may even involve illegal activities.

Short selling, on the other hand, is entirely a market-driven activity.

Soros is now trying to confuse the public, mixing up the two issues to make everyone think that Lin Haoran is in cahoots with him.

Lin Haoran stood on the stage, looking at the expectant eyes below, a smile appearing on his lips.

He continued, "That's right, I do have evidence to prove that I have no working relationship with Mr. Soros. I have a recording here that I didn't want to release, but they kept pressing me and insisted on smearing me, so I have no choice but to let everyone hear what this Wall Street tycoon really looks like in private."

Lin Haoran took out a small recording device from the inside pocket of his suit and held it up in his hand.

The reporters in the audience erupted in cheers.

recording!

Unexpectedly, Lin Haoran actually had a recording!

At this moment, staff members carried a tape recorder onto the stage and connected it to the sound system.

Lin Haoran handed the cassette tape to a staff member, then turned around to face the expectant gazes of the audience.

"As you all probably know, Mr. Soros did visit me before my wedding, and the media took photos of him walking out of the Connaught Building."

Before Mr. Soros visited me, I knew nothing about this financial boss from Wall Street, so I made a special effort to investigate him before meeting him.

Based on Mr. Soros's past behavior, I quickly realized that he was a man who would stop at nothing to achieve his goals.

Therefore, before he came to visit me, I made sure to set up a recording device beforehand. I have to be wary of this kind of person.

After hearing Lin Haoran's words, the reporters present were filled with admiration for him.

That was incredibly prescient.

Now they were even more eager to see what the tape contained.

The entire room fell silent; everyone held their breath, waiting for the recording to play.

Lin Haoran nodded to the staff.

As the recording played, the entire meeting process was clearly presented to everyone.

Soros first offered his congratulations, then steered the conversation toward Mexico's debt crisis, attempting to persuade Lin Haoran to participate in the short-selling plan.

However, Lin Haoran's series of firm responses in the recording, such as "unfamiliar with the market," "worried about damaging the partnership," and "not doing anything illegal," fully documented his on-the-spot refusal.

Despite being sped up during playback, the entire recording lasted nearly half an hour before ending.

As the last syllable faded, the entire audience fell silent once more.

This recording not only confirms that Soros took the initiative to invite Lin Haoran, but also irrefutably records Lin Haoran's clear refusal.

Every word of their statements about being unfamiliar with the market, worrying about damaging partnerships, and refusing to do anything illegal carried weight.

The reporters looked at each other, their eyes filled with shock.

So, this is the truth!

It wasn't that Lin Haoran and Soros joined forces to short Mexico; rather, Soros took the initiative to invite Lin Haoran, but Lin Haoran refused on the spot!
The answers regarding "unfamiliarity with the market," "concern about damaging partnerships," and "not doing anything illegal" were all clearly identifiable and carried weight.

More importantly, in the recording, Soros himself admitted that he intended to influence the Mexican market by manipulating public opinion and creating panic.

These methods, as Lin Haoran said, are illegal in most countries.

Lin Haoran, however, never agreed from beginning to end, and instead explicitly refused. (End of Chapter)