In Hong Kong, we build a global business empire

Standing in front of the building, Lin Haoran looked up at the 22-story structure.

This is the headquarters building of Hang Seng Bank, located in the Des Voeux Road Central business district in Central.

The building's height is not particularly noticeable in the high-rise-filled Central district, but its fame is in no way inferior to those skyscrapers.

As the largest Chinese-owned bank in Hong Kong, Hang Seng Bank has always held a pivotal position in the Chinese business community.

He Shanheng, the founder of Heng Sheng Bank, is a leading figure in Hong Kong's financial world.

After being acquired by Lin Haoran, Hengsheng Bank became the bank with the most assets under management in Hong Kong.

Speaking of which, Lin Haoran hasn't been here since Hengsheng Group was established; it's been over a year.

Lin Haoran took a deep breath and led Li Weidong, Li Weiguo and other bodyguards into the building.

Good afternoon, boss.

"Boss, it's been a long time."

Congratulations, boss, on the birth of your son!

……

As soon as he entered the lobby, he was spotted by many employees who greeted him with sincere smiles.

Although Lin Haoran did not manage the affairs of Hengsheng Group and left all major matters to He Shanheng, a professional manager, he was still the big boss and personally led the group to defeat British giants such as Huifeng Bank and Standard Chartered Bank.

Therefore, he has a great influence among his employees, and all employees of Hengsheng Group respect him extremely.

Even if Lin Haoran is just an outsider who knows nothing about the banking industry!
Lin Haoran responded to the employees' greetings with a smile, but did not stop walking and headed straight for the elevator.

The elevator went up and stopped on the floor where the general manager's office was located.

Zhang Jing, the newly appointed general manager of Hengsheng Bank, immediately greeted Lin Haoran upon seeing him.

In the past two years, the position of general manager of Hengsheng Bank has changed extremely frequently.

The original Hengsheng Bank was chaired by He Shanheng and managed by Li Guowei.

Since Ho Sin-hang switched jobs to Bank of East Asia, the general manager of Hang Seng Bank has been Smith, a representative of the Hui Fung Group.

After Bank of East Asia acquired Huifeng Bank, and Hengsheng Bank was a subsidiary of Huifeng Bank, it was equivalent to Bank of East Asia indirectly acquiring Hengsheng Bank, which then became Lin Haoran's company.

Afterwards, Li Guowei successfully returned to his position and once again became the general manager of Hengsheng Bank.

However, after Lin Haoran became an executive director of Citibank, he transferred Li Guowei to the United States to replace him in fulfilling the duties of an executive director of Citibank.

Zhang Jing then took over as general manager of Hengsheng Bank.

Lin Haoran also had some understanding of Zhang Jing. When he took office, He Shanheng also gave Lin Haoran a detailed report on the other party's situation.

Zhang Jing is also a long-time employee of Hengsheng Bank, having worked there for over 30 years and possessing an intimate knowledge of the bank's operations.

Since He Shanheng felt that he could succeed Li Guowei as the new general manager, Lin Haoran was naturally very reassured.

"Boss, the chairman is waiting for you in his office. Please come with me," Zhang Jing said respectfully.

Lin Haoran nodded and followed him through the corridor to the door of an elegantly decorated office.

Looking at this office, Lin Haoran was filled with mixed emotions.

His thoughts drifted back to more than four years ago.

At that time, he had only recently transmigrated and was still a newcomer in the business world.

At that time, he set his sights on Champa Yingni, preparing to acquire this British-owned listed company with high value and low stock price, but at the same time he also noticed that Li Ka-shing's Cheung Kong Holdings had also begun to make moves.

In order to be more confident in winning over Qingzhou Yingni, he had no choice but to take out a bank loan due to insufficient funds.

Lin Wan'an, the father, had a good working relationship with He Shanheng.

Using his father's influence as a pretext, Lin Haoran entered this office for the first time and met this legendary figure in Hong Kong's financial world.

At that time, He Shanheng was already in his sixties, with gray hair, but he was still energetic and had sharp eyes.

Lin Haoran still remembers how nervously he sat on the sofa, carefully using the acquired Qingzhou Yingni Excess as collateral to request a loan from He Shanheng.

As a result, the loan was obtained smoothly.

With ample funds and the help of Bao Yugang's persuasion and mediation, he finally succeeded in taking over Ying Ni in Qingzhou, setting a precedent in Hong Kong for a Chinese person acquiring a British-owned listed company.

Later, Lin Haoran's business empire continued to expand, even poaching He Shanheng to East Asia Bank, and eventually even acquiring Huifeng Bank.

All of this happened in just a few short years.

Looking at this office again now, Lin Haoran is filled with emotion.

"Haoran?" He Shanheng's voice pulled him back from his memories.

Lin Haoran snapped out of his reverie and smiled, "Uncle He, seeing this office reminds me of the first time I came here."

He Shanheng laughed heartily: "Yes, back then you were just a greenhorn, using your father's name to come to me for a loan. And now? In the entire financial world of Hong Kong, who dares not give you face?"

Lin Haoran shook his head: "Uncle He, you flatter me. Without your support back then, I wouldn't be where I am today."

He Shanheng waved his hand: "Alright, let's skip the formalities. Tell me, did you come to see me today because you have some big plans?"

Lin Haoran thought for a moment and decided that some things were only suitable for He Shanheng to know for the time being.

So he said to Zhang Jing, "Mr. Zhang, please go out first. I need to have a private chat with Uncle He."

Zhang Jing nodded, tactfully withdrew, and gently closed the door behind him.

Seeing Lin Haoran's solemn expression, He Shanheng's smile faded, and he asked seriously, "Haoran, what's so mysterious about this?"

Lin Haoran sat down on the sofa, carefully considered his words, and slowly said, "Uncle He, what are your thoughts on the future trend of Hong Kong's real estate market?"

"The outlook for Hong Kong's real estate market is currently unclear. Since the beginning of this year, the withdrawal of foreign capital from Hong Kong has been increasing, and even many Chinese are emigrating overseas!"

He Shanheng was unsure what Lin Haoran meant by asking that question, but as the chairman of Hengsheng Group, he had a very accurate grasp of Hong Kong's economic pulse and was more familiar with many of Hong Kong's economic data than many business tycoons.

More and more middle- and upper-class citizens or investors are leaving Hong Kong, and He Shanheng is well aware of the reasons for this.

It all boils down to the question of Hong Kong's future ownership.

Many people have these concerns and cannot see what the future holds for Hong Kong, which is why they choose to leave Hong Kong.

Lin Haoran nodded and pressed on, "So, what do you think we should do next?"

He Shanheng was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "Currently, the British government is negotiating with the mainland. The future trend of Hong Kong real estate mainly depends on the outcome of the negotiations. If the outcome is unfavorable to Britain, then more capital will withdraw, and a real estate collapse is inevitable."

Lin Haoran nodded, secretly admiring He Shanheng's foresight.

Although this old man was over sixty, he was still clear-headed and had a very accurate judgment of the current situation.

He truly deserves to be called a legendary figure in Hong Kong's financial world.

"Uncle He, what do you think the outcome of the negotiations will be?" Lin Haoran asked.

He Shanheng glanced at him and said meaningfully, "That depends on what Mrs. Thatcher thinks. If she thinks that Britain today is still the same Britain a hundred years ago, then she is very wrong."

Lin Haoran smiled.

He Shanheng's words were already quite straightforward.

The British are delusional if they want to continue ruling Hong Kong.

"So, you mean the outcome of the negotiations won't be too optimistic?" Lin Haoran asked.

He Shanheng nodded: "That's most likely the case. Although the British are unwilling, the situation is beyond their control. The attitude on the mainland is very clear: they will not back down."

Lin Haoran looked approvingly at the elderly man in front of him, who was already over eighty years old.

He truly lived up to his reputation as a legendary figure in Hong Kong's banking industry.

This insight into the current situation is rare even in Hong Kong's business circles. He smiled and said, "Uncle He, actually, when I called you, I was at the Governor's Mansion."

"Oh? Did you go to the Governor's Mansion to discuss something important with Mr. Youde?"

He Shanheng wasn't too surprised, as he was a frequent visitor to the Governor's Mansion. What he was curious about was what Lin Haoran and Governor Youde were talking about.

"They just want me to take sides between Britain and the mainland. You should be able to guess that. That's not the point of my calling you here."

The important thing is that I learned from the Governor that Margaret Thatcher will be holding a crucial high-level meeting during her visit to Beijing on September 24.

If, as you say, the outcome of the negotiations is not optimistic for Britain, then Hong Kong's real estate industry will definitely suffer a severe blow.

This is also a good opportunity for the Recovery Fund. Uncle He, you should plan ahead and see how the Recovery Fund can play a greater role in this crisis.”

"September 24th? Are you sure?" He Shanheng frowned; he really didn't know this news yet.

It's normal for the UK to make a state visit to mainland China, but the specific itinerary will definitely not be made public.

It's already September 16th, which means there are less than 10 days left.

Actually, Lin Haoran didn't find out through the governor; he learned it from his memories of his past life.

After all, the news that "after the talks, Margaret Thatcher was in a daze and accidentally fell on the steps outside the Great Hall of the People" is something that almost everyone in mainland China knows, and even in Hong Kong, the memory of this event is still fresh in their minds.

Lin Haoran naturally couldn't tell He Shanheng these things.

He nodded and replied earnestly, "Governor Youde said it himself, so it shouldn't be false."

He Shanheng nodded thoughtfully, his fingers tapping lightly on the sofa armrest, as if he were pondering something.

After a moment, he slowly said, "If that's the case, then I really need to plan ahead for the revival fund. We need to lock in our targets before everyone else does, or the best ones will be snatched up by others."

Upon hearing this, Lin Haoran nodded inwardly.

He Shanheng, being a seasoned veteran, understood his meaning immediately.

“Uncle He is right,” Lin Haoran said with a smile. “If we wait until the news spreads and the market panics before we make a move, it will be too late.”

With so many wealthy people in Hong Kong, it's not that everyone is pessimistic about Hong Kong's future.

In particular, real estate developers with ample funds and full confidence in Hong Kong's future will definitely buy up properties in Hong Kong at rock-bottom prices.

There is another group of people who are not optimistic about Hong Kong's future, but are simply gambling and think they can win big. Although there are not many of them, each of them is a formidable opponent.

In other words, they also have competitors, and there are certainly quite a few.

Therefore, it is essential to identify targets in advance and act decisively when news spreads, the market panics, and housing prices plummet, giving others no time to react.

He Shanheng nodded and continued, "Of the HK$200 billion in the Recovery Fund's account, HK$108.2 billion has already been used. I've been looking for opportunities to invest the remaining funds, but now it seems that the remaining money can be put to good use."

Lin Haoran naturally agreed with this.

The remaining HK$9 billion is actually quite a lot.

Last time, the real estate crisis orchestrated by Forbes allowed the Renaissance Fund to acquire many core properties, but the number of real estate companies affected was ultimately limited.

This real estate crisis is the real one. In the end, in addition to a sharp drop in housing prices, a large number of citizens, businessmen, and large conglomerates will completely lose confidence in the future of Hong Kong and choose to sell their assets in Hong Kong at low prices and move overseas.

Among these people are ordinary citizens, small and medium-sized businessmen, and long-established families who have been rooted in Hong Kong for generations.

They may not be able to see the future of Hong Kong, or they may not want to gamble, or they may already have a better place to go.

But whatever the reason, the assets they sold off, especially those in core areas such as Central, Wan Chai, and Causeway Bay, were the treasures that Lin Haoran wanted to pick up.

Due to limited land resources and a dense population, Hong Kong generally has high housing prices and rents, which inevitably leads to strong rental demand.

Therefore, the impending Hong Kong property crisis presents the best opportunity to buy up assets in these core areas at rock-bottom prices.

Of course, this move involves more than just the Renaissance Fund; companies like Hongkong Land, HK Electric, and Wan Tsing Group will also be involved.

In this way, he is destined to become the biggest winner of this real estate crisis.

While others may have lost faith in Hong Kong's future, Lin Haoran has not.

After all, as someone who traveled from decades in the future, he knew Hong Kong's future better than anyone else.

This place will not decline or fall into ruin; on the contrary, it will usher in even greater prosperity and development after its return.

Even after 1997, Hong Kong remains Asia's financial center, the world's freest economy, and a hotbed for countless capital flows.

Those who choose to leave now will definitely regret their decision when they look back in ten or twenty years.

Lin Haoran once saw a data comparison: at the end of 1982, residential buildings in North Point, Hong Kong, were affected by the real estate crisis and once fell to HK$664 per square foot.

By the 2020s, the average price of residential buildings in North Point, Hong Kong had risen to around HK$21500 per square foot, or approximately HK$231400 per square meter.

In forty years, housing prices have increased more than thirty times.

This is just the increase in housing prices; the rental income generated during this period is an even more astonishing fortune.

Someone once calculated that if you bought a house in North Point for HK$100 million in 1982, it would be worth at least HK$3000 million by 2020.

Adding in the rental income over forty years, it's conservatively estimated to be HK$2000 million.

In other words, an investment of 100 million, without much effort in its management, can grow to over 5000 million after forty years.

Even the most conservative estimate is a return of over fifty times.

This is just in North Point. If it were in Central, you would earn even more, and a return of seventy or eighty times is not impossible!
Those who panic-sold their properties in 1982 probably never dreamed that the assets they sold at bargain prices back then would later become so valuable.

A slight smile appeared on Lin Haoran's lips.

This kind of sure-fire business is practically like picking up money.

As a time traveler, he knew many ways to make money, and earning hundreds of times more in a few decades would not be a problem.

But Lin Haoran was also very clear that his funds were too large to be invested in just one place, as that would attract too much attention.

For example, in his strategy for the Latin American debt crisis, he had nearly $200 billion in cash on hand, but he didn't dare to invest it all, only planning to put $60 billion of it into the project.

Because he knew that if he invested all his funds in the Latin American market, it would cause a huge stir.

Wall Street's financial tycoons, astute international speculators, and governments across Latin America will all take notice of his actions.

In that case, he will not only fail to make money, but may also become the target of public criticism.

Therefore, diversifying investments and maintaining a low profile is the way to long-term success.

Real estate, trade, finance, manufacturing, semiconductors, retail, and other sectors are diversified and can develop independently without interfering with each other, yet they can also form a synergy.

This is how big capital should operate.

He doesn't mind the potential returns of fifty or sixty times, even with decades of planning involved.

Such a rate of return would be enough to drive anyone crazy in any investment field.

Moreover, these investments can bring him a stable and continuous cash flow, as well as immeasurable social influence.

This is true wealth.

It's not just cold, hard numbers on paper, but the power to control the whole situation.

Hong Kong is ultimately his stronghold.

The greater his influence in Hong Kong, the greater his say in matters.

Whether under British rule or after the handover, the words of someone who can influence the economic lifeline of Hong Kong always carry far more weight than those of an ordinary person.

"Uncle He, then you should discuss with your team as soon as possible and lock in some important targets in advance. Also, remember to negotiate with Hong Kong Electric Group, Hongkong Land Group, and Wanqing Group, so that our own people don't end up fighting over each other."

Upon hearing this, He Shanheng laughed heartily: "Don't worry, I'll discuss it with Mr. Ma Shimin. With Mr. Ma's coordination, we'll determine how much everyone will invest and divide up their respective areas, so there won't be any chaos." (End of Chapter)