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"Chairman Zhang, I feel at ease with you here," Lin Haoran said with a smile. "Oracle Semiconductor is now in your hands."

Zhang Zhongmou nodded solemnly: "Haoran, rest assured, I will definitely live up to your expectations."

The two chatted for a long time, and then, led by Zhang Zhongmou, the group visited the current headquarters of Oracle Semiconductor.

From the laboratory to the production workshop, from the R&D center to the testing center, Lin Haoran was satisfied with every place.

Inside the laboratory, researchers in white protective suits are carefully examining chip samples under a microscope, and the walls are covered with various data and charts.

Inside the production workshop, rows of brand-new equipment are neatly arranged, and workers are busily debugging them.

Inside the testing center, engineers are conducting various performance tests on the newly produced samples.

As Zhang Zhongmou walked, he introduced, "Haoran, this is one of our lithography workshops. We have already installed 300 of the most advanced lithography machines, all of which were ordered from Nikon Corporation of Japan."

This is the etching workshop; these equipment are from Lam Research, Inc. This is the testing center; these testing equipment are from Applied Materials, Inc.

Lin Haoran listened, nodding occasionally.

Although he didn't understand the specific parameters of these devices, he could sense their value from Zhang Zhongmou's tone.

At this time, there were two companies that were the strongest in the global lithography machine field: GCA of the United States and Nikon of Japan.

Nikon's technology has gradually surpassed that of GCA in the United States. This year, even IBM and Texas Instruments placed orders with Nikon, which signifies that Nikon's lithography technology is now in a leading position in the industry.

As for the now-famous lithography machine company ASML in the Netherlands, it had not yet been established until 1984.

Zhang Zhongmou continued, "The entire Oracle Semiconductor headquarters base is equipped with valuable equipment, including lithography machines, etching machines, projection lithography machines, ion implanters, and so on."

In addition, there are analytical testing spectroscopic equipment, production equipment, and specialized scientific research equipment in our research laboratories. The equipment for the entire base alone cost us a whopping $7.1 million, our largest expenditure in the past five months, accounting for over 5% of our total investment.

Lin Haoran nodded, without a trace of heartache on his face.

$7.1 million sounds like a lot, but for him now, it's just a small amount of money.

Having just earned $158 billion, he has this mentality.

There's no way around it, the money just comes in too fast.

Of course, he himself knew that this amount of investment was far from enough for Oracle to reach the top level in the semiconductor industry.

That's how the semiconductor industry works: huge upfront investments and long payback periods, but once successful, the returns can be hundreds or thousands of times greater.

Lin Haoran was fully aware of this.

"What about talent?" he asked.

Zhang Zhongmou continued, "In terms of talent, we have spent about $2.5 million so far, mainly recruiting top experts from all over the world. The signing fees alone are a huge sum."

In addition, their salaries, settling-in allowances, research funding, and so on, amount to a considerable expense. Therefore, our company now only has about forty million US dollars left in its accounts.

Lin Haoran nodded, indicating his understanding.

In the semiconductor industry, talent is the most valuable resource.

A top expert can be worth tens or even hundreds of millions of dollars.

Because of the technology and knowledge they possess, companies can avoid many detours and save a lot of time and money.

It's only because Zhang Zhongmou is there; otherwise, it's not certain that anyone else could have recruited so many people.

"Chairman Zhang, thank you for your hard work," Lin Haoran said sincerely.

Zhang Zhongmou shook his head: "It's not hard work, Haoran. To be honest, after working in the semiconductor industry for so many years, this is the first time I've spent money so freely."

Previously at Texas Instruments, although the budget was substantial, every single expense required repeated review and approval at multiple levels. Sometimes, by the time a project was approved, it was too late.

Lin Haoran laughed: "That's why I said, you just go for it, I'll take care of the money."

Zhang Zhongmou nodded, his eyes filled with gratitude.

The base is quite large, and even with the shuttle bus service, it was still dark by the time we finished touring it.

Lin Haoran originally planned to have dinner with Oracle Semiconductor executives before leaving, but after learning from Zhang Zhongmou that he was going to welcome a top expert from the United States, he did not stay any longer.

"Chairman Zhang, you go ahead and get busy. I'll come back another day," Lin Haoran said with a smile.

He originally wanted to go with them, but then he remembered that he had promised Guo Xiaohan that he would go back to have dinner with her that evening, so he didn't say it.

Zhang Zhongmou said somewhat apologetically, "Haoran, I'm really sorry. This expert is an old colleague of mine from when I was at Texas Instruments. I went to pick him up in person to show my sincerity."

Lin Haoran waved his hand: "Of course, such talent is rare, we must keep it."

After saying that, he got up to take his leave.

As I stepped out of the building, night had completely fallen.

The lights in the industrial park came on, illuminating the entire park as if it were daytime.

Lin Haoran stood in front of the car, looking at this emerging semiconductor base, and a surge of pride welled up in his heart.

Investing $30 billion in a company within a year is a significant milestone in his investment career.

While $30 billion may seem insignificant compared to the $158 billion he earned in Mexico, it is a remarkable sum for any business investment.

It's worth noting that among Hong Kong's listed companies today, the highest-valued company, Hong Kong Electric Group, is only HK$242 billion.

Hutchison Whampoa, the second largest company, saw its market value plummet to HK$153 billion.

Since Lin Haoran took over Hutchison Whampoa from Li Jiacheng, the company's market value has been rising steadily thanks to his influence in Hong Kong.

It's now ranked second.

At the current exchange rate of HK$5.8 to US$1, US$30 billion is already HK$174 billion.

In other words, the amount of money Lin Haoran invested in Oracle Semiconductor exceeded the market capitalization of Hutchison Whampoa, the second largest listed company in Hong Kong.

HK$174 billion is enough to buy the entire Hutchison Whampoa and still have some left over.

He invested all of that money in a semiconductor company that had only been established for five months.

Such courage is rare to find anywhere in the world.

Or rather, few companies or conglomerates can come up with such a huge amount of money to invest.

But he believes that this investment will bring him a thousandfold return in the future.

Because semiconductors are at the heart of global technological development for the next few decades.

Whoever controls semiconductors controls the future.

Lin Haoran, on the other hand, is determined to be the one who controls the future.

Lin Haoran snapped out of his thoughts, turned around, and got into the car.

The convoy slowly drove out of the industrial park and disappeared into the night.

It was already past 8 p.m. when we got back to the villa on Shi Xun Road.

When Lin Haoran entered the room, Guo Xiaohan was walking around the living room with her son in her arms, and the little guy was crying incessantly.

Seeing Lin Haoran return, Guo Xiaohan was overjoyed, exclaiming, "Brother Haoran, you're finally back! Guangzai has been making a fuss since the afternoon, and nothing we did could soothe him. He probably misses you."

Lin Haoran smiled as he took his son and gently held him in his arms.

The little one squirmed in his arms, his crying gradually subsided, and he looked at him with wide eyes.

Lin Haoran lowered his head and kissed his little face, then smiled and said, "Good boy, Guangguang, let Daddy hug you."

The little one seemed to understand him, grabbing his collar with his little hands and babbling away, looking incredibly cute.

Guo Xiaohan looked at the father and son and smiled gently: "This little guy really recognizes people. He cries when I hold him, but laughs when you hold him."

Lin Haoran laughed and said, "Of course, he's my son."

Guo Xiaohan rolled her eyes at him: "Just keep being smug."

……

Before we knew it, it was January 15th.

Today is an extremely special day for the Lin family.

Lin Haoran's eldest son, Lin Yaoguang, is one month old today.

On this day, the Peninsula Hotel's largest banquet hall was brightly decorated and filled with a joyous atmosphere.

From the morning onwards, guests arrived in an endless stream to offer their congratulations.

Governor Edward Youde of Hong Kong personally attended the event and presented a set of silver tableware.

Although it wasn't worth much, Lin Haoran had a general understanding of it. In Britain, the nobility had such a tradition, which symbolized "starting one's first meal" or "health and longevity."

Business tycoons such as Bao Yugang, Li Jiacheng, Li Zhaoji, Guo Desheng, Zheng Yutong, Shao Yifu, and Huo Yingdong all came in person.

Representatives from foreign firms such as Swire Group and Standard Chartered Bank were also present.

Even Guo Henan, who was originally in Singapore handling company matters, made a special trip back to Hong Kong to attend his grandnephew's one-month celebration. The Peninsula Hotel's banquet hall was filled with round tables, on which were placed exquisite pastries and champagne.

The guests chatted in twos and threes, creating a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere.

The banquet lasted until the afternoon.

The guests gradually left, and the hotel returned to its usual tranquility.

Lin Haoran, holding his son, stood in the crowd and said goodbye to the guests.

The little guy was dressed in a red Tang suit today, with a little hat on his head. He looked absolutely adorable.

He nestled in his father's arms, his big eyes wide open, curiously observing everything around him, occasionally smacking his lips, melting everyone's hearts with his cuteness.

“Mr. Lin, the young master is truly handsome; he will surely grow up to be a dashing young man,” Governor Youde said with a smile.

Lin Haoran laughed and said, "Sir Youde, you flatter me. He's just a child. He looks cute now, but who knows what he'll be like when he grows up."

Yu De laughed heartily: "Mr. Lin is too modest. With your genes, your young master will definitely not be bad in the future."

As the newly appointed Governor of Hong Kong, Edward Youde had been reminded by his predecessor, Meryl Streep, before taking office that he must cultivate a good relationship with Lam Ho-yin, the king of Hong Kong's business world, as this would greatly help the Governor's Office in managing Hong Kong.

Therefore, Youde was exceptionally warm towards Lin Haoran, even staying until the very end of the full moon celebration before preparing to leave, far exceeding the time of a typical courtesy visit.

Lin Haoran naturally understood the new governor's intentions, but since the other party had shown goodwill, he was happy to accept it.

After all, doing business in Hong Kong and maintaining a good relationship with the Governor's Office can only bring benefits and no drawbacks.

“By the way, Mr. Lin, how about we find some time to have a good talk?” Yude suddenly said.

Lin Haoran paused for a moment, then quickly smiled and said, "Of course, Sir Edward, you can come to my office anytime you are free, or I can visit you at the Governor's Mansion."

Yude nodded in satisfaction, then said impatiently, "Alright, it's settled then. How about we meet at the Governor's Mansion at ten o'clock tomorrow morning and have a good talk about the future development of Hong Kong?"

Lin Haoran smiled and agreed.

Anyway, he didn't have any plans for tomorrow morning. Since the governor wanted to talk to him in detail, then let's talk.

Now, it's no longer the era of Merrihau, but the era of Yod.

Moreover, Youde had only recently taken office.

Since Governor Youde took office on May 20th, it has actually only been a little over three months.

Apart from attending the governor's inauguration ceremony on the day of his appointment, the two did not meet alone afterward.

Now that Youde has taken the initiative to meet with him, it is clear that he wants to establish a closer relationship with him.

This was something Lin Haoran could not have asked for.

After all, in Hong Kong, maintaining a good relationship with the Governor is always beneficial.

However, Lin Haoran also had a suspicion: besides building a good relationship with him, the new governor might have other things to discuss with him, and it wasn't just about building a good relationship.

He clearly remembered from his history books from his previous life that it was in September 1982, specifically on the 24th of this month, that the Iron Lady of Britain tripped and fell on the steps of Beijing.

That fall not only shattered the image of this Iron Lady, but also undermined Britain's confidence on the Hong Kong issue.

Lin Haoran secretly calculated the time in his mind.

If I remember correctly, Margaret Thatcher visited Beijing this month to discuss the Hong Kong issue with the North.

After the talks, the scene of her falling on the steps of the Great Hall of the People became a topic of conversation for countless Chinese people.

The future of Hong Kong gradually became clearer after that meeting.

As the Governor of Hong Kong, Edward Youde's meeting with him at this time was definitely not just a simple exchange of pleasantries.

More likely, he wanted to understand the Hong Kong business community's views on the future of Hong Kong, or even to gain the support of Chinese businessmen.

After all, once Hong Kong is returned to China, the interests of the British will be greatly impacted.

All they can do is protect their interests as much as possible before returning.

Lin Haoran is now the absolute representative of Hong Kong's Chinese businessmen.

A slight smile appeared on Lin Haoran's lips.

He could see right through what the British were thinking.

However, he has no intention of getting involved.

The return of Hong Kong to China is an inevitable trend that no one can stop.

All he can do is expand himself as much as possible before returning, spreading his businesses globally and freeing them from geographical limitations.

In this way, no matter what happens to Hong Kong in the future, he will be invincible.

Lin Haoran snapped out of his thoughts and continued exchanging pleasantries with the guests.

After seeing Youde off, Robert Kuok came over.

Guo Henian patted him on the shoulder and said with emotion, "The Guo family is blessed to have a son-in-law like you."

He still remembers the first time he met Lin Haoran.

At that time, the Guo family was already a well-known and wealthy family in Southeast Asia.

On the contrary, the Lin family is just an ordinary wealthy family in Hong Kong, with assets of only one or two hundred million Hong Kong dollars.

At that time, the Lin family was doing business with the Guo family, which meant the Lin family was climbing the social ladder.

But now, times have changed. In just four short years, Lin Haoran has brought the Lin family to a whole new level with his vision and courage.

And their assets are already many times greater than those of the Guo family.

Although one is the richest man in Southeast Asia and the other is the richest man in Hong Kong, the value of their wealth is completely different.

To put it bluntly, the positions of the two sides have now been completely reversed, and the Guo family is now trying to curry favor with the Lin family.

Therefore, Guo Henannian felt a mix of emotions at this moment, including relief and感慨 (gǎnkǎi - mixed feelings of emotion and reflection).

Thankfully, I realized I hadn't misjudged him; Lin Haoran was indeed a good match for me.

It's striking how quickly things change; in just a few short years, the younger generation has already surpassed us.

However, Robert Kuok, a seasoned veteran of the business world with decades of experience, quickly adjusted his mindset.

The more successful Lin Haoran is, the better it is for the Guo family.

After all, Guo Henian had already deeply realized the benefits of marrying Lin Haoran.

In recent years, thanks to Lin Haoran's spillover resources, the Guo family has rapidly established itself and grown in Hong Kong, transforming from a purely Southeast Asian family into a commercial force spanning both Southeast Asia and Hong Kong.

Lin Haoran played an indispensable role in this.

"Uncle, you're too kind," Lin Haoran said with a smile. "We're family, it's only right that we support each other."

Robert Kuok nodded, patted him on the shoulder, and said nothing more.

Some things are better left unsaid.

"By the way, Haoran, I have to rush to Jakarta tonight. I need to talk to the Indonesian government about next year's cooperation tomorrow morning." Robert Kuok glanced at his watch. "I won't stay any longer. Take good care of Xiaohan and the children. Call me anytime if anything happens."

Lin Haoran nodded: "Uncle, don't worry, I will. Please be careful on your journey."

Robert Kuok waved his hand and turned to leave.

After seeing Robert Kuok off, Lin Haoran could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Today has been a busy day.

Although it couldn't compare to his wedding day, Lin Yaoguang didn't intend to hold a big celebration for his one-month birthday. He simply invited some business partners, subordinates, and relatives and friends.

The number of people who came still exceeded expectations.

Besides those who had sent out invitations in advance, many business friends, politicians, and even representatives of foreign firms who didn't usually have much contact with the guests also took this opportunity to get acquainted with the group.

Lin Haoran knew that what these people valued was his status and influence in Hong Kong.

So, despite being a little tired, he greeted everyone with a smile and took good care of everyone.

After all, in business, having more friends means having more options.

These favors will come in handy in the future.

As night fell, the guests departed.

Lin Haoran, holding his sleeping son, rode home with Guo Xiaohan.

The little one slept soundly in his arms, his little mouth slightly pouting, occasionally smacking his lips, as if he were eating something delicious in his dreams.

Guo Xiaohan leaned on Lin Haoran's shoulder, a tired yet satisfied smile on her face. (End of Chapter)