In Hong Kong, we build a global business empire

The news quickly spread throughout the entire Lin family.

At seven o'clock in the morning, Lin's mother was the first to run into the ward. She was overjoyed when she saw her grandson.

"My dear grandson, my darling grandson!" She carefully picked up her grandson, murmuring, "He looks just like his father, those eyebrows, those noses, exactly the same..."

Guo Xiaohan's mother also rushed over, equally excited. The two elderly people, who couldn't speak the same language, actually chatted enthusiastically around the crib.

Although no one could understand what anyone was saying, their beaming smiles said it all.

Lin Wan'an stood to the side, outwardly calm, but his eyes betrayed his undisguised joy.

The Lin family had been dwindling in number. In his generation, they finally had two sons, but his eldest son, Lin Haoning, refused to have any more children after having one.

Although the youngest son, Lin Haoran, got married late, he has finally given the Lin family a male heir, continuing the family line.

Including his newborn granddaughter Lin Leyi, this is his third grandchild.

Lin Wan'an looked at his grandson in his daughter-in-law's arms, then at his son standing to the side, and felt a deep sense of satisfaction.

He walked over to Lin Haoran, patted his son on the shoulder, and said softly, "Well done."

These three words were the highest praise his father could give him.

Lin Wan'an is an introverted person who rarely expresses his emotions. The fact that he could utter these three words already shows his inner joy.

The news of Guo Xiaohan giving birth was not widely publicized.

However, Guo Xiaohan was Lin Haoran's lawfully wedded wife, so the news quickly spread throughout Hong Kong's high society.

Once more people know about it, it becomes impossible to keep a low profile.

On August 17, the third day after Lin Yaoguang was born, the family left Matilda International Hospital and returned to the Lin family villa on Shi Xun Road.

On that very day, Governor Youde personally visited Lin Haoran to congratulate him on the birth of his son and also brought a congratulatory gift.

Youde stayed at the villa on Shi Xun Road for a full two hours before leaving.

It is worth mentioning that on May 8th of this year, Mak Rihau, who had served for ten years, officially stepped down, and his successor was Youde.

Edward Youde officially assumed office as the 26th Governor of Hong Kong on May 20th. He was a senior British diplomat who had served as the British Ambassador to China and was familiar with Chinese affairs.

As for Merrih, after stepping down as Governor of Hong Kong, he was transferred back to the British Foreign Office, where he continued to exert influence in British politics.

Following this, high-ranking British colonial officials, including various secretaries and commissioners of police in Hong Kong, as well as prominent figures in Hong Kong's political and business circles such as Bao Yugang, Li Jiacheng, Li Zhaoji, Guo Desheng, Zheng Yutong, Shao Yifu, Huo Yingdong, Swire of Swire Group, and Tyron of Standard Chartered Bank, all personally sent congratulatory gifts or made congratulatory calls.

The Lin family villa on Shi Xun Road was suddenly bustling with traffic and visitors.

People came in droves to give gifts, and all sorts of congratulatory gifts filled an entire room.

Moreover, these gifts were all very valuable; none of them were ordinary.

Bao Yugang presented a half-meter-tall pure gold statue of the Three Star Gods of Fortune, Prosperity, and Longevity, with the words "Wishing Young Master Lin Yaoguang a long and prosperous life" engraved on the base. It was dazzling and eye-catching.

Shao Yifu presented a rare set of twelve jade zodiac animals, each piece being of superior glass-type jade with excellent translucency and priceless value.

Li Zhaoji presented a pair of Ming Dynasty blue and white porcelain vases, which were said to have been purchased from a fallen nobleman. They were well-preserved and extremely valuable.

Guo Desheng presented a landscape painting by Wu Daozi from the Tang Dynasty, an authentic work that is rarely seen on the market.

Zheng Yutong presented a set of custom-made pure gold longevity locks, bracelets, and anklets, a complete set of nine pieces, symbolizing longevity.

Li Jiacheng presented a bracelet inlaid with the birthstone of a newborn baby. It was made of sapphire and was obviously very valuable.

The Standard Chartered Bank representative, Tyron, delivered a deposit certificate for one million Hong Kong dollars. The passbook was in Lin Yaoguang's name, and he specifically stated that "this is a New Year's gift for the young master."

What Lin Haoran found most noteworthy was that the dog head from one of the twelve zodiac animal head bronze statues that Swire of the Taikoo Li & Co. had somehow acquired, and this year happened to be the Year of the Dog in the Chinese zodiac.

This gift is truly ingenious, fitting for the occasion, thoughtful, and imbued with cultural depth.

Lin Haoran looked at the bronze dog-headed statue and felt a slight chill run down his spine.

This is no ordinary gift.

The twelve bronze animal heads of the Chinese zodiac were originally components of a fountain outside the Haiyan Hall in the Old Summer Palace (Yuanmingyuan). They were lost overseas after the Anglo-French allied forces burned the Old Summer Palace in 1860, becoming a source of pain for the Chinese people.

Most importantly, Lin Haoran had paid attention to the situation of the twelve zodiac animal head bronze statues in his previous life. He clearly remembered that even in the 2020s, the dog head bronze statue was still missing.

Now, this missing dog head has appeared on Schjok's gift list and has been given to him as a congratulatory gift.

A complex emotion welled up in Lin Haoran's heart.

In Schjoker's hands, this dog head might just be a fine antique, a valuable gift that could be used to build relationships.

But Lin Haoran, being a Chinese, knew that the significance of this bronze statue went far beyond that.

This is a national treasure, a part of Chinese civilization, a witness to that humiliating history, and a source of pain in the hearts of countless Chinese people.

Lin Haoran reached out and gently stroked the bronze dog-head statue, feeling the cool texture on his fingertips, and secretly made up his mind.

Now that this national treasure is in his hands, it must not be allowed to be lost overseas again.

If there's a chance in the future, we must make sure to return it to where it belongs.

……

Looking at the room full of gifts, Lin Haoran couldn't help but feel a little emotional.

These people aren't giving gifts, they're giving favors.

It was because of Lin Haoran's reputation.

That is Lin Haoran's status.

It was Lin Haoran's influence in Hong Kong.

Perhaps the Lin family didn't try to hide it, or perhaps someone in high society leaked it, but the news that Guo Xiaohan had successfully given birth to a baby boy eventually spread.

On the morning of August 18, Hong Kong residents were surprised to find that almost all the headlines in today's newspapers were dominated by the same news story.

"Hong Kong's richest man, Lin Haoran, is blessed with a son; political and business elites offer their congratulations!"

Ming Pao published a photo on its front page of Lam Ho-yin holding his son, with the caption: "This newspaper has exclusively learned that Mr. Lam Ho-yin, a well-known Hong Kong entrepreneur and chairman of the board of directors of Hongkong Land Group, gave birth to a son in the early hours of August 15. Both mother and child are safe and sound."

The young master Lin named his son Lin Yaoguang, meaning to bring glory to the family. It is reported that this is Lin Haoran and his wife Guo Xiaohan's first child.

The Overseas Chinese Daily provided a more detailed description of the Lin family's background: "Mr. Lin Haoran is only 28 years old, yet he is already the richest man in Hong Kong, and his global influence is not to be underestimated."

His wife, Guo Xiaohan, comes from the Guo family, the richest family in Southeast Asia. Her uncle, Guo Henian, is the "Sugar King of Asia," and the family has a distinguished background.

The addition of another son to the Lin and Guo families is a powerful alliance, adding to their already prosperous fortunes.

Sing Tao Daily even dug up the history of Lin Haoran's rise to wealth: "Although Mr. Lin Haoran is a second-generation rich kid, his achievements have long surpassed those of his family. In just a few years, he has built a huge business empire with industries covering multiple fields such as finance, real estate, media, and retail."

Now that his son has been born, his life is complete, truly a Hong Kong legend.

In an instant, the entire city of Hong Kong was in an uproar.

In the streets and alleys, in teahouses and taverns, people were talking about it.

"Have you heard? Lin Haoran had a son!"

"Of course I've heard about it. It's in the newspapers. Tsk tsk, the Lin family is all set. They were already so rich, and now they have a son to inherit their business."

"That's right. I heard that Governor Youde personally came to congratulate us, and tycoons like Bao Yugang and Li Jiacheng also sent generous gifts."

"Of course, Lin Haoran is the richest man in Hong Kong now, who wouldn't want to curry favor with him?"

"This young master is so lucky to have been born into such a privileged family; he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth."

"Who can argue with that? Her father is the richest man in Hong Kong, and her mother is the niece of the richest man in Southeast Asia. With such a background, you can't find another one like her in the entire Hong Kong."

Such dialogues are playing out in every corner of Hong Kong.

In the tea restaurant, office workers chatted while eating breakfast; on the tram, passengers whispered among themselves while reading newspapers; even the middle-aged women in the market discussed the name of the Lin family's young master while haggling over prices.

Lin Yaoguang.

On this day, this name was remembered by countless people in Hong Kong.

The media reports quickly attracted the attention of the international community.

Lin Yaoguang, Lin Haoran's eldest son, appeared in mainstream media around the world just a few days after his birth.

Although it's just a news story, it's undoubtedly a signal to those who follow international financial developments: a young Chinese-American business tycoon can shock the world even with the birth of his son.

The reason for this is actually related to the high level of attention Lin Haoran received during the Mexican debt crisis.

The fact that he earned over ten billion US dollars in Mexico is naturally unknown to the outside world. However, the news that Soros dragged Lin Haoran into the fray, hoping to use Lin Haoran's influence to hasten the outbreak of Mexico's debt crisis, has not yet cooled down.

After all, the Mexican debt crisis has now truly erupted, and Soros has already gone bankrupt and is now regarded as the biggest laughing stock on Wall Street.

In contrast, Lin Haoran, after providing evidence to prove that he did not collude with Soros, announced that he would make a large-scale investment in Mexico and was very confident in Mexico's future, which made the Mexican government grateful to him.

That was a brilliant move.

He not only cleared his name but also put Soros in a bad light, and in the eyes of the Mexican government and people, he established himself as a "white knight".

In secret, Lin Haoran made a fortune.

Therefore, Lin Haoran remains a frequent subject of reports in major international media outlets.

Just then, the young master of the Lin family was born, and all sorts of media outlets naturally flocked to report on this momentous event.

The Wall Street Journal's headline was quite meaningful: "Eastern financial prodigy welcomes son, business empire begins to take shape."

The article provides a detailed account of Lin Haoran's rise to wealth, from the battle for Wharf Holdings to his accurate prediction of the US stock market decline, portraying him as a self-made business and financial genius with unique vision.

Although Lin Haoran is indeed from a wealthy family, The Wall Street Journal clearly prefers to emphasize his personal achievements that transcend his family background.

The Times, on the other hand, took a different approach: "The son of Hong Kong's new richest man is born, and the Queen personally sends her congratulations."

The article mentions that Lin Haoran has a close relationship with the British royal family. He not only has a close personal relationship with Prince Charles, but the Queen even personally went to Hong Kong to officiate their wedding.

The Queen's personal congratulatory call further highlights Lin Haoran's status in British high society.

The report in "Read News" focused on Lin Haoran's relationship with Japanese zaibatsu: "The four major zaibatsu, Mitsubishi, Mitsui, Sumitomo and Fuji all sent gifts, indicating that the Lin family of Hong Kong has a close relationship with Japanese zaibatsu."

The article analyzes that Lin Haoran's investment layout in Japan has attracted great attention from Japanese zaibatsu, and there may be deeper cooperation in the future.

These reports made Lin Haoran's name known worldwide.

Lin Yaoguang, as Lin Haoran's eldest son, naturally became the focus of media attention.

Major media outlets published photos of Lin Haoran holding his son, accompanied by various words of praise.

"The heir to the Lin dynasty," "The luckiest baby in the East," "A child born with a diamond key in his mouth"...

Various titles were bestowed upon this baby who was only a few days old.

……

Hong Kong, Shi Xun Road, Lin Family Villa.

Lin Haoran held his youngest son and sat on the swing in the backyard, gently swaying.

The little one had just finished drinking milk and was sleeping soundly in his father's arms, his little mouth slightly pursed, occasionally smacking his lips, as if he was still savoring the taste of milk in his dream.

Guo Xiaohan sat to the side, reading an international newspaper, occasionally glancing up at the father and son with a happy smile on her face.

Guo Xiaohan is in excellent health and has almost fully recovered in just a few days.

She's young and has a good constitution. Plus, the Lin family hired the best postpartum nanny, nutritionist, and rehabilitation therapist. With a whole group of people taking care of her, it would be hard for her not to recover well.

Lin Haoran was very satisfied with his wife's rosy complexion.

"Xiaohan, how are you feeling?" he asked softly.

Guo Xiaohan smiled and said, "I'm fine. I'm not tired at all. The doctor said I'm recovering very quickly. What I'm worried about is our son. He's only been born, and he's already a celebrity all over the world."

She pointed to the stack of newspapers in her hand and smiled helplessly, "Look at these media outlets, they're treating him like a little emperor, calling him 'the heir to the Lin dynasty,' 'the luckiest baby in the East,' 'a child born with a diamond key in his mouth'... He's only a few days old, what does he know?"

Lin Haoran followed her gaze and couldn't help but smile.

In those newspapers, his photos and his son's photos occupied most of the pages, with headlines that were more exaggerated than the last and words that were more nauseating than the last.

Actually, he was also quite surprised.

Lin Haoran had no intention of hiding Lin Yaoguang's birth. Unlike his eldest daughter Lin Leyi, Lin Yaoguang's birth mother was his legal wife, so even if the news got out, it wouldn't be a big deal.

But he didn't expect the news to spread so quickly and so widely.

In just a few days, major media outlets around the world knew about it.

The Queen of England personally called to congratulate him, the President of Mexico sent a congratulatory letter, Japan's four major conglomerates sent gifts, and even the Pope of Europe sent his blessings.

This kind of treatment is something that even many heads of state might not enjoy, let alone a newborn baby.

Looking at the newspapers, Lin Haoran understood that the attention was not directed at Lin Yaoguang, but at him, Lin Haoran.

It was his years of experience in the business world, his legendary status in the business community, and his reported net worth of over 10 billion that made his son the focus of global attention from the moment he was born.

this is the truth.

The higher you stand, the more attention your family will receive.

Lin Haoran gently rocked his son in his arms. The little guy was sleeping soundly, completely unaware that he had caused such a commotion outside.

Excessive exposure has both advantages and disadvantages.

The advantage is that from this moment on, everyone knows that Lin Haoran has a legitimate heir. Those who covet his assets, those who are waiting to see him fail, and those who thought he had made money but had no one to inherit it can all shut up.

The downside is that Lin Yaoguang's upbringing will inevitably be exposed to the public eye.

His every move can be amplified, interpreted, and given various meanings by the media.

He will lose the freedom and privacy that ordinary children should have.

Lin Haoran looked down at his son, who was sleeping soundly in his arms, and felt a pang of guilt.

This is the price to pay for being Lin Haoran's son.

From the moment he was born, he was destined to endure these things.

At this moment, a servant came in to report: "Young master, someone has delivered another gift. This time it was sent by Mr. Steve Jobs, the chairman of Apple Inc.

Upon hearing this, a hint of surprise flashed in Lin Haoran's eyes.

Steve Jobs?
He actually sent someone to deliver gifts too?

These past few days, he's been receiving gifts almost every day, and he's gotten used to it.

However, he was indeed somewhat surprised that Steve Jobs, who was far away in the United States, would send him a gift.

Lin Haoran invested in Apple three years ago, but after Apple went public, he sold all his shares at a high price. So, strictly speaking, he has no connection with Apple now.

However, he and Jobs maintained a good friendship. After all, Lin Haoran knew that Jobs was a true genius who would change the world in the future.

Although he had sold all his Apple shares, this did not prevent him from maintaining a personal relationship with Jobs.

In the business world, connections are often more important than short-term gains.

Lin Haoran has always been well-versed in this principle.

"Please come in," Lin Haoran said.

A short while later, a young white man dressed in jeans and a T-shirt walked in, standing out from the well-dressed gift-givers on the Hong Kong side.

Behind him was a subordinate carrying a large box.

The young man walked up to Lin Haoran and said in English with an American accent, "Mr. Lin, Mr. Jobs asked me to convey his congratulations to you."

He said this was a prototype of Apple's latest unreleased personal computer, the Macintosh, and he gave it to his son as a gift, hoping that his son would use it to change the world when he grows up.

Li Weidong took the box and opened it on the spot. Inside was a uniquely designed computer, completely different from the bulky commercial computers on the market. It was small, exquisite, and full of design sense.

Lin Haoran thought to himself, "Steve Jobs is quite an interesting person."

The gift wasn't gold or silver jewelry, nor antiques or paintings, but a computer.

This gift is both befitting of his status as a technological genius and carries profound meaning.

Change the world?

Maybe.

However, based on Lin Haoran's understanding of Steve Jobs from his previous life, the latter's current situation is not very good.

Although Steve Jobs is currently the chairman of Apple, his influence within the company is diminishing. He has attempted to gain control of the company's management but has not yet succeeded.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, by 1985, Jobs would be ousted from the company he founded.

This will be the darkest moment of his life. (End of Chapter)