In Hong Kong, we build a global business empire

After visiting the Longbridge factory in Austin, it was already noon.

Hosted by senior executives of the Leyland Group, the group had a simple lunch in Birmingham, and then went to Coventry, where they stayed at a hotel that night.

The next morning, the group arrived in Gayton, Warwickshire.

The renowned Land Rover Group is located here.

Compared to Austin, MINI, and MG, Lin Haoran is actually more interested in Land Rover.

After all, who doesn't know the name Land Rover?
Lin Haoran still vividly remembers the popular saying on the internet from his previous life: "I'm afraid my brothers will suffer, but I'm also afraid my brothers will drive Land Rovers."

Although this statement is now considered a joke, it also demonstrates the status of Land Rover in people's minds; it represents success, wealth, and an enviable lifestyle.

In terms of brand recognition, Land Rover is definitely among the top-tier car brands globally.

Whether in London's financial district, New York's Manhattan, Dubai's Sheikh Zayed Boulevard, Hong Kong's Central district, or Tokyo's Ginza district, the green badge of Land Rover is a symbol of wealth and taste.

This brand premium is the result of Land Rover's decades of accumulated technical reputation and customer loyalty on the off-road track, and it cannot be obtained through advertising blitzes.

Lin Haoran stood in front of the Land Rover factory gate, pondering another matter in his mind.

How many times will Land Rover's brand value increase in the future era of SUV explosion?
He clearly remembers that in later generations, the Range Rover series became almost a standard for the world's wealthy, from Russian oligarchs to mainland entrepreneurs, from Middle Eastern royalty to Hollywood stars, the Range Rover was everywhere.

At that time, Land Rover's annual sales had already exceeded 400,000 units.

This is the sales volume of luxury cars; the price of one Range Rover is enough to equal the price of more than ten ordinary family cars.

Today, Land Rover sells less than 40,000 vehicles a year, only one-tenth of what it would sell in later years.

This is the potential of Land Rover.

The Land Rover of this era is somewhat different from the Land Rover in Lin Haoran's memory. The Land Rover that comes off the assembly line looks more rugged and pure.

It lacks the fancy electronic devices and luxurious features of later generations, but instead boasts robust anti-collision beams, thick chassis protection plates, and a sturdy ladder frame body structure.

As for the appearance, Lin Haoran thought it was somewhat like a Jeep – a boxy, convertible, short-wheelbase, rugged design.

Every Land Rover is like a warrior ready to rush into the wilderness at any time, rather than a luxury item that flaunts itself in the city.

In Lin Haoran's view, while this design is tough and pure enough, it is also clearly too functional.

However, this also demonstrates Land Rover's enormous potential.

Today, Land Rover is largely confined to the garages of off-road enthusiasts, the military, farmers, and a small number of adventurers. While its customer base is extremely loyal, it is still very small.

Once Land Rover begins its transformation towards urbanization, its potential customer base will expand from hundreds of thousands to tens of millions.

Middle- and high-income families, corporate executives, government officials, and celebrities worldwide can all become Land Rover users.

“Land Rover cars aren’t very common in Hong Kong, and its customer base doesn’t seem to be very large. Haoran, what made you decide to acquire this brand?” Bao Yugang asked in Hong Kong dialect at the Land Rover factory.

Upon hearing this, Lin Haoran pointed to a Land Rover Defender that had just rolled off the production line and laughed, "Uncle Bao, I'm confident that I can increase Land Rover's customer base tenfold, or even dozens of times. There aren't many Land Rovers in Hong Kong and Asia these days because Leyland Group hasn't really explored the Asian market at all."

They focused all their efforts on Europe and America, while Asian consumers didn't dislike Land Rover, but simply had no opportunity to get up close and personal with it. Look at this model, this appearance—any man would love it, right?

Upon hearing this, Bao Yugang nodded and smiled, "Indeed, this car looks sturdy and robust. Men are naturally drawn to things with a strong mechanical feel."

Lin Haoran smiled and patted the hood of the Defender, the metal making a dull, heavy sound.

"Uncle Bao, look at the thickness of the steel plate on the hood, the sturdiness of the anti-collision beam, and the height of the chassis. Putting all these things together gives people a sense of security."

"When men drive, what they really want is that feeling. Mercedes and BMW give them prestige, while Land Rover gives them confidence. After the acquisition, what I need to do is launch models suitable for city driving, transforming it from a niche brand into a mainstream brand that everyone aspires to own."

……

After inspecting the Land Rover, it was already noon.

According to the original plan, they should have gone directly back to London.

However, Minister Lawrence visited the Land Rover factory instead.

"Sir Paul, Mr. Lin, what do you think of the inspections of these factories?" Minister Lawrence asked with a smile in a conference room at the Land Rover factory.

"It feels pretty good, better than we expected," Bao Yugang replied after a moment's thought.

Lin Haoran also commented: "In my opinion, these car brands are not competitive with Japanese and German cars at all, mainly because they do not reform, are not enterprising, and are not market-oriented."

Knowing full well where the problems lie, yet hindered by union resistance and management inertia, they've been reluctant to take action. Even the best brands can't withstand this dragging on. Therefore, privatization may be the only way out for these brands.

Upon hearing this, Minister Lawrence's smile faded slightly.

Although he knew Lin Haoran was telling the truth, as the British Secretary of State for Business and Trade, he still felt somewhat uncomfortable hearing an outsider so bluntly criticize the shortcomings of the British automobile industry.

Minister Lawrence nodded and said, "Mr. Lin is right. The Leland Group does have some problems. Sir, regarding your desire to acquire the Austin and Land Rover car brands, our government and the senior management of the Leland Group have held several internal discussions in the past two days, and our attitude has been basically clear."

His Excellency the Prime Minister has clearly expressed his support for this deal, but we have a few conditions that need to be stated beforehand.

Bao Yugang and Lin Haoran exchanged a glance, and then Bao Yugang said, "Minister Lawrence, please speak."

"First, there must be no large-scale layoffs within the UK within three years of the acquisition. The UK government's bottom line is that this deal cannot become the trigger for mass unemployment."

"Secondly, the research and development centers in Austin and Land Rover must remain in the UK, and core technologies and intellectual property rights cannot be transferred outside the UK."

"Third, the British government retains the right to control the export of certain military technologies and special vehicles. Products involving national security must be approved by the government before they can be exported."

"Haoran, what do you think?" Bao Yugang turned to Lin Haoran and asked in Hong Kong dialect.

Lin Haoran already had a plan in mind.

These three requirements, especially the second one, were entirely within his expectations.

He wasn't a reckless person. Before coming to the UK, he had already made detailed contingency plans for potential technology transfer restrictions. "Agree to them," Lin Haoran replied in Hong Kong dialect. "This was expected. The rule that core technologies and intellectual property cannot be transferred outside the UK seems strict, but in reality, there's quite a bit of room for maneuver."

We've agreed to everything publicly, let's get it through the approval process first.

Bao Yugang nodded slightly and then said to Minister Lawrence, "Minister Lawrence, we can accept these three points. Please rest assured that the government will strictly abide by these commitments."

The rule that core technologies and intellectual property cannot be transferred outside the UK was indeed within his expectations.

However, this is not without a solution.

Brands like Land Rover and MG, even if not acquired now, will likely be acquired by companies from other countries in the future, and the same restrictions apply at the outset of any acquisition.

But what happened next? The acquiring companies transferred the technology they were supposed to transfer, and they built factories overseas as usual.

The British government's regulations are essentially a political gesture for unions and the public. As long as you don't openly move your R&D center away overnight and gradually transfer technology and cultivate overseas teams, the British government won't really take it seriously.

Lin Haoran knew very well that his real purpose in acquiring these brands was never to preserve more British jobs in Solihull and Birmingham, but to gradually transplant the technology, craftsmanship, management system, R&D capabilities, and most importantly, brand assets of these century-old brands to the mainland.

He will certainly comply with the British government's requirements, at least on paper.

As for how to do it in practice, that's another matter.

After the acquisition, there is a well-established plan for how to operate and how to avoid these restrictions.

Minister Lawrence finally smiled with satisfaction: "Alright, now we can move on to the formal contract negotiation stage. I will arrange for the legal teams from the Treasury Department and Leland Group to liaise with your team."

"That will be troublesome," Bao Yugang nodded and smiled.

"Sir Paul, Mr. Lin, I have arranged a new itinerary for you today. I would like to invite you to visit our Rolls-Royce headquarters in Crewe, Cheshire. What do you two think?" Minister Lawrence suddenly said.

Lin Haoran and Bao Yugang exchanged a glance, both somewhat surprised.

Rolls-Royce is the crown jewel of the British automotive industry, the world's most prestigious luxury car brand, bar none.

If Land Rover is the "King of Off-Road," then Rolls-Royce is the "God of Cars," both being undisputed pinnacles in their respective market segments.

“Minister Lawrence, we are flattered by this arrangement,” Bao Yugang said with a smile. “Rolls-Royce is a national treasure brand of Britain, and we are certainly very happy to visit.”

"That's good." Minister Lawrence smiled broadly. "The car is already waiting outside and will arrive in Crewe in two hours."

I will arrange lunch at a restaurant near Rolls-Royce headquarters, so it won't interfere with your schedule.

Lin Haoran's mind raced.

Minister Lawrence's sudden arrangement for them to visit Rolls-Royce was far more than just a convenient stop along the way.

As Minister of Commerce and Trade, every word he utters and every arrangement he makes carries profound meaning.

Inviting them to visit Britain's top luxury car brand must have some kind of business motive behind it.

Could it be that his recent comments about the British automotive industry made the other party want to save face?

However, whatever the other party's intentions, being able to see the Rolls-Royce factory in person is something to look forward to.

That's where legendary cars like the "Phantom," "Silver Shadow," and "Silver Spur" were created; it's a sacred place in the hearts of countless automotive engineers and designers.

In Hong Kong, his favorite car to ride in is a Rolls-Royce, whose comfort is unmatched by any other brand.

Sitting in the back of a Rolls-Royce, the ultimate tranquility and smoothness transform even the longest journey into a pleasure.

Lin Haoran himself is a loyal Rolls-Royce user. He knows all too well the value of this brand. It never sells a car, but a supreme experience.

I just don't know if there's any chance of acquiring Rolls-Royce?

After all, he remembered that Rolls-Royce ultimately sparked a historic battle between BMW and Volkswagen, with the two German giants fighting fiercely for the British brand. In the end, BMW emerged victorious and acquired Rolls-Royce.

Volkswagen took the Bentley as compensation.

If he can acquire Rolls-Royce now, then BMW and Volkswagen will have no chance in the future.

The scarcity and top-tier positioning of this brand mean that it can only belong to the world's top business empires.

And that is the empire he is building.

However, Vickers Group sold its Rolls-Royce business in the late 90s, and it's only the early 80s now, so the possibility of an acquisition is very small.

Even if the probability is small, he can still make arrangements in advance.

Commercial acquisitions are never something that happens only when someone puts the item up for sale.

True masters begin laying the groundwork even before the target has explicitly expressed a willingness to sell.

“Then we shall accept your offer. We can take this opportunity to see what the pinnacle of the British automotive industry looks like,” Lin Haoran said with a smile.

The convoy then left the Land Rover factory and headed north along the M6 ​​highway.

The view outside the window gradually changed from the industrial area of ​​Gaydon in Warwickshire to the pastoral scenery of Cheshire, with lush green pastures and ancient stone-walled villages appearing alternately in the view.

About two hours later, the convoy arrived in Crewe.

Rolls-Royce headquarters is located in a tree-lined area on the outskirts of Crewe. The entire factory has an understated and elegant appearance. The red brick buildings blend into the surrounding countryside, without any of the roughness of industrial buildings. Instead, it looks like an old manor.

The lawn in front of the factory gate was neatly trimmed, and several Rolls-Royces that had just been assembled were parked at the entrance, their bodies gleaming warmly in the afternoon sun.

After getting out of the car, Lin Haoran's gaze naturally fell on those cars.

A Silver Spur, a Silver Shadow, and a Phantom that had just rolled off the production line.

In his eyes, the lines of these cars were almost perfect—long, elegant, and composed, without a single superfluous design element; every line exuded its prestige. (End of Chapter)