In Hong Kong, we build a global business empire

As one of the world's three major financial centers, Hong Kong has a permanent office for many mainstream global media outlets.

For example, among the journalists present were those from media outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times, and The Economist, which had previously been bought off by Soros.

At this moment, their faces were at their most radiant.

The reporters who had received money and published articles were all on pins and needles, with fine beads of sweat appearing on their foreheads.

Their recorders and cameras were still running, but their minds were in complete chaos.

How should this report be written? Should I admit that I was misled before? Should I put all the blame on Soros?

The two journalists from Mexico present at the scene had even more complicated feelings.

Their newspaper had previously followed suit and published numerous reports attacking Lin Haoran, even calling on the government to confiscate Southern Company's assets in Mexico.

Now that the truth is out, they only feel a burning pain on their faces.

A reporter from Reforma, a Mexican newspaper, was the first to stand up, his voice trembling slightly with excitement: "Mr. Lin, since you have such solid evidence, why didn't you publish it sooner?"
Did you know that because of Soros's rumors, hundreds of your stores in Mexico were vandalized and countless employees were injured? These losses and suffering could perhaps have been avoided!

This question is sharp and direct.

All eyes were once again focused on Lin Haoran.

Lin Haoran's expression remained unchanged despite the questioning. Meeting the reporter's excited gaze, he calmly said, "I know."

Knowing this, I immediately sent Mr. Suzuki to Mexico to hold a press conference and release the transaction records, attempting to clarify the truth and quell the situation as quickly as possible.

I thought that was the end of it, but as you all probably know, some media outlets continued to stir up trouble and spread rumors that I was colluding with Soros.

Lin Haoran's gaze swept over the reporters with their various expressions below the stage, lingering for a moment on the faces of reporters from several media outlets, including The Wall Street Journal and the Financial Times.

“Some of these media outlets are paid to continue their work, some are deliberately hyping things up for traffic, and some are simply being used as pawns without even realizing it.”

His tone was calm, but every word was scathing: "I didn't want to make my private conversations public, but since someone insists on smearing me, I have no choice but to let everyone hear for themselves what kind of face this Wall Street tycoon really has in private."

The faces of some of the reporters in the audience looked even more unpleasant.

They certainly knew who Lin Haoran was talking about.

When Soros's rumors first surfaced, they were at the forefront, publishing one article after another, eager to nail Lin Haoran to the pillar of shame as an "accomplice of Wall Street."

Now that the evidence was right in front of them, they felt a burning pain on their faces and wished they could disappear into the ground.

"Furthermore, the reason I haven't released this recording is because I've never liked having extreme conflicts with people and I hope to resolve issues in a gentle way."

Mr. Soros is highly respected in the financial world. I originally thought that as long as I produced the transaction records to prove that he was manipulating the public opinion, he would stop.

After all, all he wanted was to profit from shorting Mexico, which didn't directly conflict with my interests.

Lin Haoran sighed softly as he finished speaking, his tone tinged with helplessness.

"But I was wrong. I underestimated the greed of people's hearts and overestimated the bottom line of some people. Mr. Soros not only did not stop, but intensified his efforts, using his remaining influence to continue to spread the absurd rumors that could not be proven that there was no cooperation."

His goal was clear: to drag me into this, to make me share the burden, and to buy time for his planned short positions.

He paused, his gaze becoming even sharper.

"Since he insists on doing this, then I have no choice but to let him know that provoking Lin Haoran comes at a price."

The audience was completely silent.

Reporters were taking notes rapidly, with flashes going off one after another.

In fact, after this press conference, Lin Haoran and Soros completely broke off relations.

However, Lin Haoran didn't care. If Soros could do the first thing, he could do the fifteenth!
Moreover, although in his previous life, Soros was not only infamous but also a force to be reckoned with, having attacked the British pound, triggered the Asian financial crisis, and shorted the Thai baht...

Every battle was earth-shattering, striking fear into the hearts of countless nations.

But so what?
In this lifetime, his strength, wealth, and influence far surpass those of Soros in his time.

In 1982, Soros, though already somewhat famous in the financial world, was far from being able to "leverage a country" like he would later become.

The assets managed by the Quantum Fund are only a few hundred million US dollars, and even with leverage, they are only two or three billion.

His reputation stems more from his daring to take bets and his occasional successful speculations.

And what about Lin Haoran?
Hongkong Land Group, Hutchison Whampoa, Hong Kong Electric Group, Hang Seng Group, Southern Company, Oracle Semiconductor...

The combined assets of these companies have long exceeded tens of billions of US dollars.

Moreover, he is a director of Citibank, a partner of twelve semiconductor giants, the richest man in Hong Kong whose wedding was officiated by the Queen herself, and a guest of honor whom the Mexican government sought to help.

In terms of wealth, he far surpasses Soros.

In terms of influence, he far surpasses Soros.

At most, Soros can only stir up trouble in the financial markets.

What Lin Haoran can do is to genuinely influence a country's economic trajectory, to bring twelve giants together in Hong Kong, to have the Queen of England personally officiate his wedding, to have a country's finance minister personally apologize, and to make the global media go crazy for him.

Would someone like that be afraid of Soros?

joke!

Therefore, Lin Haoran is not worried at all about what would happen if he offended Soros.

Since we've already offended them, let's offend them to the bitter end.

Isn't your Quantum Fund trying to play around?

Are you trying to drag me down with you?

I'll make your Quantum Fund lose everything, and let Soros know that there are some people in this world you can't mess with.

Lin Haoran stood on the stage, his gaze sweeping across the entire audience, a cold smile appearing on his lips.

He knew that after this press conference, Soros's reputation in the financial world would be completely ruined.

His personal presentation of evidence was far more impactful than the written evidence presented by Toshifumi Suzuki.

Suzuki Toshifumi's press conference only proved that the public opinion was manipulated by the Quantum Foundation, but it did not prove whether Lin Haoran was an accomplice.

However, the recording that Lin Haoran personally released directly proved that he had no cooperative relationship with Soros. On the contrary, Soros took the initiative to invite him, but Lin Haoran refused him on the spot.

The weight of these two is worlds apart.

The former only proves that Soros manipulated public opinion, while the latter directly transformed Lin Haoran from a "suspected accomplice" into a "victim" and a "refuser".

Those media outlets he bribed, in order to protect themselves, would immediately distance themselves from him, or even turn around and bite him.

Those financial groups that provided him with funding would immediately demand to withdraw their investment if they saw that the situation was not going well.

Those investors who were originally observing will also leave the market when they see this trend.

Moreover, the loan from the International Monetary Fund is about to be approved. Although it is not much, it will be enough to keep the Mexican government afloat for another month, so the Mexican peso is bound to rebound.

Soros's billions of dollars in short positions will eventually become nothing but a pile of worthless paper.

How will he repay those Middle Eastern tycoons?

What will be used to cover the margin deposits of those brokers?
Get ready to be chased for debt.

The Quantum Fund is doomed this time!

Lin Haoran pondered all of this in his mind, but his expression remained calm and composed.

At this point, the Mexican reporter from Reforma asked again, "Mr. Lin, I'd like to know, since you haven't colluded with the Quantum Fund, what are your thoughts on the current situation in Mexico? Is Mexico really heading into a crisis?"

The moment the question was asked, all the reporters present fell silent.

This is a question everyone wants answered.

Is Mexico's debt crisis a panic artificially created by Soros, or is it real?
As an investor who can accurately predict the sharp drop in US stocks and has huge commercial interests in Mexico, Lin Haoran's judgment on the future of Mexico is undoubtedly of great reference value.

He looked at the Mexican journalist and remained silent for a few seconds.

His gaze was calm, as if he were contemplating how to phrase his words.

Everyone held their breath, waiting for him to give his answer.

"In fact, people in the financial industry should know that Mexico's debt problem is real."

Lin Haoran spoke slowly, his voice calm and candid, "This is not an illusion created by Soros, but a structural problem that has accumulated in the Mexican economy over many years."

Excessive foreign debt, fluctuating oil export revenues, and persistently high inflation are all facts.

A low murmur arose from the audience.

The Mexican journalist's expression grew even more serious.

But Lin Haoran changed the subject.

"However, having problems does not necessarily mean collapse, and having a crisis does not mean there is no chance of turning things around. Which country in the world does not have debt? But I have rarely heard of any country that has completely collapsed because of debt problems."

As far as I know, the Mexican government is actively seeking solutions, and I've heard that the International Monetary Fund has also offered assistance.

More importantly, Mexico has a solid economic foundation, hardworking people, and abundant resources—these are the fundamental factors that determine a country's future.

These words prompted many reporters present to nod in agreement.

Yes, they've seen plenty of companies collapse due to financial crises, but it's truly rare in modern financial history for a country to collapse completely due to a debt crisis.

A nation is not a business; it has sovereignty, taxes, resources, and the support of the international community.

Debt can be restructured, loans can be extended, and policies can be adjusted. As long as we don't lose confidence, there is hope for a turnaround.

He looked at the Mexican journalist and continued with a smile, "Mexico does indeed face serious challenges, and I don't know if the Mexican government will face a debt crisis in the future."

But I believe that as long as the Mexican government adopts the right policies, as long as the international community provides the necessary support, and as long as the Mexican people maintain their confidence, this country will surely overcome its difficulties.

Lin Haoran didn't give a definite answer, neither saying yes nor no, but this was precisely the smartest response. If he insisted that Mexico wouldn't experience a debt crisis, his credibility would be damaged should it actually erupt in the future.

If he admits that Mexico is heading into crisis, it will undoubtedly exacerbate market panic, contradicting his initial intention to stabilize public sentiment.

Therefore, he chose the safest approach, emphasizing confidence, foundation, and possibility.

Neither denying the risks nor creating panic.

As a time traveler, he naturally knew that Mexico's debt crisis was inevitable and would definitely erupt.

This is a script that history has already written.

In August 1982, the Mexican government officially announced its inability to repay its maturing foreign debt, triggering the "Latin American debt crisis" that shocked the world.

This crisis will last for several years, affecting the whole of Latin America, and will become one of the most serious financial crises in developing countries in the 1980s.

But he couldn't say it.

If he were to confidently declare at a press conference that "Mexico is bound to experience a debt crisis," it would be tantamount to detonating a bomb himself.

The market will panic immediately, and the Mexican peso will collapse instantly.

More importantly, Soros will be laughing all the way to the bank.

What that old fox wants most right now is market panic, and what he needs most is someone to fan the flames for him.

If Lin Haoran were to reveal the truth at this moment, it would be tantamount to handing Soros a bullet.

Therefore, he had to be vague.

They neither said they could nor they couldn't.

It acknowledges the risks while emphasizing the hope.

It shows sincerity without creating panic.

Even when the Mexican debt crisis broke out later, no one could blame him. He never denied the risks; he only emphasized hope and possibility.

Lin Haoran's words prompted the Mexican reporter to applaud.

Immediately afterwards, all the reporters applauded.

Applause erupted like a tidal wave, echoing throughout the banquet hall.

This is an acknowledgment of Lin Haoran's candid attitude and a tribute to his courage to speak out in the face of controversy.

The Mexican journalist was so moved that his eyes welled up with tears. He bowed deeply, his voice choked with emotion: "Mr. Lin, thank you, thank you for your confidence in Mexico."

I will send your words back to Mexico exactly as they were said. I believe that those who are worried will have more confidence after hearing your words.

Lin Haoran smiled slightly and nodded in acknowledgment.

He continued, "At the same time, I would also like to announce something important to everyone here."

The scene fell silent once again.

"As everyone knows, I have businesses in Mexico, namely my Southern Company, which owns more than 700 chain convenience stores in Mexico. This time, due to the influence of Mr. Soros's rumors, these stores have been severely impacted, with hundreds of stores being vandalized and countless employees injured."

Lin Haoran's voice turned low, tinged with heartache.

“These employees, who work long hours every day and support their families through their own labor, have no grudge against Soros and have nothing to do with Mexico’s debt crisis, yet they have become victims of this conspiracy.”

The Mexican journalists in the audience looked somewhat embarrassed.

They knew, of course, that what Lin Haoran said was true.

Those vandalized stores, those injured employees, and those innocent families are all victims of this media war.

And these media outlets are, in effect, accomplices.

Lin Haoran paused for a moment, then continued, "Through this incident, I have come to a deep understanding that the fate of a company is closely linked to the fate of the country in which it operates. Only when Mexico prospers can Southern Company prosper."

If Mexico is in trouble, Southern Company will hardly be able to escape unscathed.

More than two hundred reporters listened quietly to Lin Haoran's words.

"Mexico is a very large market. My team and I have already conducted in-depth research on Mexico. My entire team and I have great confidence in the Mexican economy!"

Therefore, I have decided that over the next three years, my companies will invest $500 million in Mexico, and over the next 10 years, I will invest more than $1 billion!

These investments will create tens of thousands of jobs in Mexico, and I will sign investment agreements with Mexico during my next visit, not just talk about it.”

Lin Haoran's voice was firm and powerful.

For him, the investment over the next three to ten years is a matter for the future, and something that will happen after the Mexican debt crisis erupts.

He already had the idea of ​​increasing investment in Mexico, and now that he has taken this opportunity to announce it, he can not only reap a wave of public opinion benefits, but also pave the way for future plans.

Once the Mexican debt crisis erupts, once the market falls into deeper panic, and once asset prices hit rock bottom, he can use those five hundred million or one billion dollars to acquire those high-quality assets that he wouldn't even dare to dream of now.

Banks, energy, mining, infrastructure...

These strategic industries, which were once firmly controlled by the Mexican government, will have to be opened to foreign investment after the crisis.

Therefore, his claims about these investments are certainly true!

"At the same time, I will also set up a special fund to help employees injured in this riot, to compensate the families of employees who suffered losses, and to subsidize employees in need in the future. The initial size of this fund is set at ten million US dollars."

The audience erupted in enthusiastic applause once again.

The Mexican journalist's voice trembled with excitement: "Mr. Lin, you, you are..."

Lin Haoran smiled slightly and continued, "I've said before that I'm optimistic about Mexico's future. I'm not just saying it; I'm going to prove it with my actions."

He paused, his gaze sweeping across the entire room.

"Finally, I would like to say one thing to Mr. Soros: You can short the market, but you cannot short the hearts of the people; you can manipulate public opinion, but you cannot manipulate justice; what you do today will eventually be remembered by history and despised by the world."

As soon as he finished speaking, thunderous applause erupted from the audience.

Reporters frantically pressed their shutters, capturing this historic moment.

The Mexican government did promise to take full responsibility for the losses suffered by Southern Company in Mexico, but for Lin Haoran, it was just a loss of a few million dollars, nothing more.

By taking the initiative himself, he not only won the favor of the Mexican government and people, but also demonstrated his vision and sense of responsibility to the world.

At the same time, it will also make all his employees in Mexico feel the care and protection of their boss.

Those injured employees and their families who suffered losses will remember who lent a helping hand during their most difficult time.

It's Lin Haoran.

That wealthy Easterner who was slandered by rumors and besieged by public opinion, that foreign investor who could have simply walked away, that person who expressed his confidence in Mexico with real money.

This emotional bond is stronger than any commercial contract and more reliable than any government promise.

Lin Haoran knew that in Latin America, human touch was more important than legal provisions, and the support of the people was more crucial than preferential policies.

What he bought with ten million dollars was not temporary goodwill, but long-term loyalty and support.

Setting up a long-term fund company for ten million US dollars in exchange for a reputation for being "loyal and righteous" and "sharing weal and woe," and for the entire Mexican market to be completely open to him, is a very worthwhile deal.

Moreover, this ten million US dollars is not spent all at once, but serves as the principal of the fund, allowing it to operate continuously and grow on a rolling basis.

In the future, it can not only be used for employee relief, but also expanded to areas such as education, healthcare, and community building, becoming a long-term calling card for him in Mexico.

With this business card, his development in Mexico will face no further obstacles.

Politicians will look at him differently, the public will be grateful to him, and his competitors will be intimidated by him.

This is truly a case of making a fortune with a small investment.

No one knew that he had already made a whopping $32 billion in Mexico with this move!
Setting up an employee welfare foundation with ten million US dollars is just a drop in the ocean.

$ 32 billion.

This is the net profit that Huanyu Investment Company made in this short-selling operation in Mexico.

While Soros was still struggling with his billions of dollars in short positions, Lin Haoran had already quietly reaped the rewards and made a clean getaway.

It left no evidence, attracted no attention, and gave no one an excuse to attack.

That's the real winner.

Low-key, discreet, and efficient.

Now, he has used a small portion of that $32 billion to create a glittering business card for himself.

Ten million US dollars earned the trust and support of the entire Mexican market, the loyalty and gratitude of tens of thousands of employees, and the respect and welcome from both the political and business circles.

This deal is incredibly worthwhile.

Lin Haoran stood on the stage, his gaze sweeping across the entire audience, a faint smile playing on his lips.

He knew that what he said today would be transmitted to Europe, the United States, and Mexico as quickly as possible through these media reporters!

Those investors who were previously on the sidelines will reassess the value of the Mexican market after seeing his talk of a massive investment of $5 million or even $10 billion.

Entrepreneurs who were previously hesitant will reconsider their decisions once they see his confidence.

Ordinary people who were previously panicked will gradually regain their confidence after hearing his words.

Furthermore, the loans provided by the International Monetary Fund will further alleviate the panic of many people.

The Mexican peso, thanks to this renewed confidence, will stop falling and begin to rebound rapidly.

This was the effect he wanted. (End of Chapter)