In Hong Kong, we build a global business empire

Chapter 690 The Unwilling Standard Chartered Bank Manager
"What beautiful calligraphy!" Lin Haoran exclaimed. "Governor, this calligraphy is truly magnificent. It must be the work of a master. I will treasure it and hang it in the most prominent place in the group headquarters to inspire all our employees to forge ahead."

Mai Lihao nodded in satisfaction: "I specially commissioned Mr. He Shuhui, a highly respected calligraphy master in Hong Kong, to write this calligraphy. I hope that Hengsheng Group can achieve great success and create more brilliance in the financial field, just as this calligraphy implies."

"Governor, you are very kind. On behalf of all my colleagues at Hengsheng Group, I would like to express my sincerest gratitude to you. Master He Shuhui's calligraphy is not only a work of calligraphy, but also contains profound cultural heritage and beautiful expectations."

"This generous gift is of extraordinary significance to our Hengsheng Group," Lin Haoran said with a smile.

Although the calligraphy itself may not be worth much, Maklihao not only personally attended the ceremony but also carefully prepared a gift. These actions alone are enough to show the high regard the Governor's Office has for the Hengsheng Group.

Hong Kong, as one of the world's three major financial centers, has its economic foundation deeply rooted in the financial and trade sectors. The importance of the financial industry to Hong Kong is self-evident.

Today, Hengsheng Group has replaced Huifeng Group and firmly established itself as the dominant financial force in Hong Kong, enjoying a prestigious position.

However, even so, the development of Hengsheng Group still cannot be separated from the strong support of the government.

Although Lin Haoran is now very wealthy, he has never thought of offending the Governor's Office.

Lin Haoran was aware of the long-standing tradition that merchants should not contend with officials.

Unless he is willing to give up the huge market, deep network of contacts, and countless business opportunities that he has painstakingly built up in Hong Kong.

Just look at the fate of Hu Xueyan, the "red-hat merchant" of the late Qing Dynasty, and you'll know.

Even though he once monopolized the canal transport and silk trade in Jiangsu and Zhejiang with the support of Zuo Zongtang, making him incredibly wealthy.

However, once involved in the factional struggle between Li Hongzhang and Zuo Zongtang, and offending Li Hongzhang, he was impeached by officials of his faction on the grounds of "embezzlement of public funds" and "hoarding and speculation".

Ultimately, his family fortune was confiscated, his business went bankrupt, and this once-great merchant met a tragic end, dying in despair.

Because he understands this principle well, Lin Haoran is never blinded by his own wealth and power.

Before doing anything, he would repeatedly weigh the pros and cons and potential risks, and always kept his actions within the limits of the Governor's Office's tolerance.

To outsiders, his rise to prominence seemed rapid, but little did they know that he was aware better than anyone that he was walking on the edge of risk with every step he took.

This place is still in an era dominated by the British.

However, Lin Haoran is now also constantly transferring funds overseas to expand his business. It can be said that he is doing the same thing as the British consortium.

His ingenious strategy of diversifying risk involved spreading his funds across various regions, including the mainland, the United States, Japan, Europe, and Southeast Asia.

He managed to profit from his investment while reducing his dependence on Hong Kong, which was a win-win situation.

The main reason for the British conglomerates to withdraw their funds from Hong Kong was their concern about the future of Hong Kong as its 99-year lease was about to expire.

Lin Haoran's purpose in transferring funds was simpler and more direct: he was worried about the British authorities.

After all, he was not British, yet he possessed assets that would make a country covet him.

Ultimately, he is still a regional tycoon.

And to defy the oppression of the British authorities, it is actually quite simple: he just needs to become a global super-rich person, or even a global tycoon!

Only when he reached this point did he truly have the confidence to engage in equal dialogue with all parties.

By then, if the British authorities want to easily take action against him, they will have to carefully consider the consequences.

Now, he knows in his heart that he is still a little short of the level of fearlessness and ease he truly hopes to achieve.

However, Lin Haoran was not discouraged.

He is in the prime of his life, and the future is as vast as the heavens and earth, giving him plenty of time to accumulate strength and unleash his potential.

The road to the top is never a one-step process; every step requires hard work and gradual accumulation, like water dripping on a stone, which takes more than a day to achieve.

For this reason, Lin Haoran would never have wanted to offend the Governor's Office unless absolutely necessary.

He understood that the Governor's Office represented a complex and far-reaching force in Hong Kong, and that being its enemy could bring unpredictable risks and losses to his hard-earned business.

However, it now appears that the situation has quietly changed.

As Lin Haoran's own strength continued to grow like a snowball, his influence in Hong Kong's business world increased day by day. Even the Governor's Office had to re-examine its relationship with him.

Just like this time when Mai Lihao came in person, not only was he friendly during the ceremony, but he also specially presented a piece of calligraphy by the master calligrapher He Shuhui. This move undoubtedly gave Lin Haoran a lot of face, and the profound meaning behind it is self-evident.

This means that he has become a powerful figure in Hong Kong, and even the Governor's Office dares not offend him easily.

The establishment of Hengsheng Group went very smoothly.

In the presence of numerous media reporters, Governor Merrih, and financial industry leaders, the Heng Sheng Group, a behemoth in Hong Kong's financial sector, officially made its public debut!

“Governor, why don’t you come up and say a few words?” At the founding ceremony of Hengsheng Group, Lin Haoran, as the boss, said with a smile to Mai Lihao, who was sitting in the guest area below the stage.

Upon hearing this, Mai Lihao did not refuse. He stood up, straightened his sharp suit, and walked steadily onto the stage.

He stood in the center of the stage, his gaze slowly sweeping over the crowd below, a friendly and confident smile on his face, and said: "Distinguished guests and friends from the media, I am deeply honored to be invited to attend the founding ceremony of Hengsheng Group today."

"Hong Kong, as a globally renowned financial center, has always embraced the convergence and development of various business forces with an open and inclusive attitude. The birth of Hengsheng Group has undoubtedly injected new vitality and blood into Hong Kong's financial sector."

With his outstanding business acumen and decisive decision-making ability, Mr. Lin Haoran has carved out his own niche in the financial field. Today, he is leading the Hengsheng Group to a strong rise. This is not only Mr. Lin's personal achievement, but also a vivid reflection of the prosperity and development of Hong Kong's commerce.

Whether they are British-owned or Chinese-owned banks, they are all part of Hong Kong's financial sector. I have always treated them all equally. The establishment of Hengsheng Group is a joyous occasion.

On behalf of the Governor's Office, I would like to announce to all the distinguished guests and media friends present that the Governor's Office will support Mr. Lam Ho-yin in serving as the President of the Hong Kong Bankers Association!

As soon as Mai Lihao finished speaking, a burst of enthusiastic applause and whispers erupted from the audience.

Everyone was shocked by the sudden announcement and began whispering among themselves, discussing the profound impact this decision would have on Hong Kong's financial sector.

Lin Haoran even saw Brown's expression change instantly in the audience.

Since the last time Huifeng Bank used the Hong Kong Bankers Association to deal with Lin Haoran, and after the failure, at Lin Haoran's suggestion, the Governor's Office intervened in the operation of the Hong Kong Bankers Association.

However, Sir Michael Sandberg of Huifeng Bank still held the title of president of the Hong Kong Bankers Association.

Now that Hui Fung Bank has become a subsidiary of Standard Chartered Bank, and Sir Michael Sandberg has been dismissed by Hui Fung Bank, it is clearly inappropriate for Hui Fung Bank to continue to hold the position of president of the Hong Kong Bankers Association.

During this period, Brown of Standard Chartered Bank believed that he would succeed as the president of the Hong Kong Bankers Association.

Unexpectedly, Mai Lihao announced on this occasion that he would directly give the position of president of the Hong Kong Bankers Association to Lin Haoran.

This left Brown's senior class somewhat resentful.

Although Hengsheng Group's market share was greater than Standard Chartered Group's in Hong Kong, Brown still harbored a sliver of hope and resentment.

He felt that Standard Chartered Bank, as a long-established British bank, was deeply rooted in Hong Kong's financial circles, with a profound historical foundation and extensive network of contacts. Moreover, it had acquired Huafeng Bank. He had also been working hard for the Bankers Association. In any case, the Governor's House should favor Standard Chartered Bank, and he should rightfully be awarded the position of president.

Brown's face was grim. Amid the clamor of the crowd, he clenched his teeth and unconsciously made fists with his hands.

The Hong Kong Bankers Guild is a great place to form cliques and factions.

If he becomes chairman, even if Standard Chartered Bank's market share is much smaller than that of Hengsheng Group, he can still use his position to form alliances with other banks to jointly deal with the competition from Hengsheng Group.

Moreover, if he becomes the chairman, he will be the spiritual leader of Hong Kong's banking industry, and will also bring considerable influence to Standard Chartered Bank, which will be of great importance.

However, now that Mai Lihao has directly expressed his support for Lin Haoran's rise to power, he is filled with resentment but has no choice but to accept it.

He knew that his dream of becoming the president of the Hong Kong Bankers Association had been shattered.

Lin Haoran was equally surprised.

He didn't really care much about the so-called position of president of the Hong Kong Bankers Association.

After all, although he is the boss of Hengsheng Group, he never participates in management. Becoming the so-called chairman is just adding a shackle to him.

When did Governor Merrih become so easy to talk to?
Could there be some kind of conspiracy?
Lin Haoran frowned.

Although the Governor's Office claimed to have mediated his relationship with Huifeng Bank multiple times, in reality, the mediation only took place when Huifeng Bank was at a disadvantage. There was no mediation when he was at a disadvantage!

In other words, the Governor's Office had always openly and blatantly favored Huifeng Bank.

But what Mai Lihao did today was completely beyond Lin Haoran's previous understanding, causing him to have many doubts.

Is this sudden support a genuine endorsement, or does it conceal a more complex political calculation?
Lin Haoran's gaze narrowed slightly, but he still maintained a polite smile. He looked at Mai Lihao on the stage, trying to catch a clue from the other's eyes.

But Malihao remained calm, as if the announcement he had just made was nothing out of the ordinary and showed no sign of anything unusual.

However, whether it's genuine or not, at least for now, it's ultimately a good thing.

“Thank you for your kindness and trust, Governor.” Lin Haoran took the microphone and said sincerely, “I am deeply aware of my limited experience in serving as the president of the Hong Kong Bankers Association. Although I have been in the banking industry for several months, compared to the seniors present, I still need more experience. The position of president carries great responsibility and should be entrusted to someone of high moral character and prestige.”

He paused briefly at this point.

A glint of expectation flashed in Brown's eyes as he sat in the audience, and he unconsciously leaned forward slightly, as if he had seen a glimmer of hope.

He thought Lin Haoran intended to hand over the position of chairman to him.

After all, he felt that if Lin Haoran didn't take the position, then he was definitely the most suitable person to take it.

"After careful consideration," Lin Haoran said, looking around the room, "I believe Mr. He Shanheng, Chairman of Hengsheng Group, is the most suitable candidate. Mr. He has cultivated deep roots in Hong Kong's financial world for decades, and his qualifications, prestige, and professional competence are all worthy of the position."

Under his leadership, Hong Kong's banking industry is sure to usher in new development opportunities.

Indeed, when it comes to the most respected figure in Hong Kong's banking industry, Ho Sin-hang would definitely be number one, and he is the most suitable person to serve as chairman!
Although Lin Haoran is now the boss of Hengsheng Group, he is not the one who directly manages it; He Shanheng is the one in charge of Hengsheng Group.

As soon as Lin Haoran finished speaking, enthusiastic applause rang out in the hall.

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, He Shanheng slowly rose and nodded to those around him.

Brown's face instantly darkened, and his pen drew a deep line across the notebook.

……

Time flies, and August 10th arrived quickly.

These past few days, Guo Xiaohan, who has transformed from a girl into a woman, has been going to Lin Haoran's house almost every night, acting as if she were the mistress of the Lin family villa on Shixun Road.

Lin Haoran naturally had no objection to this; it was just a matter of time.

He has already accepted the fact that Guo Xiaohan has become his legal wife.

The establishment of Hengsheng Group caused quite a stir in Hong Kong.

In the streets and alleys, in teahouses and taverns, the topic of conversation among people after meals always revolves around the founding of Hengsheng Group.

Newspapers and magazines were filled with reports about Hengsheng Group.

From the past and present of Hengsheng Bank, to how East Asia Bank was acquired by Lin Haoran, to the acquisition of Daoheng Bank, and finally the merger of the three banks to form the new behemoth Hengsheng Group, everything has been carefully analyzed and become a topic of conversation that the public enjoys talking about.

Within the financial sector, the establishment of Hengsheng Group has caused quite a stir.

Everyone assumed that Hengsheng Bank would become a subsidiary of Bank of East Asia after the acquisition.

Unexpectedly, they directly established a conglomerate and took control of three banks.

This innovative holding company model has caught the eye of many people in the financial industry.

For example, Huifeng Bank was the main entity behind Huifeng Bank, while banks acquired by Hengsheng Bank, Youli Bank, and others were directly under the umbrella of Huifeng Bank.

Hengsheng Group adopts a model of group holding and independent operation of the three banks, which not only preserves the original brand value and customer base of each bank, but also achieves synergy through unified allocation of resources by the group.

This structure is unprecedented in Hong Kong's financial sector today, prompting many financial experts to write articles in newspapers analyzing its advantages and disadvantages.

What surprised outsiders even more was that after its establishment, Hengsheng Group did not lay off employees or integrate businesses on a large scale as some had speculated. Instead, it announced that it would increase its support for the existing businesses of the three banks and planned to add more branches and enter overseas markets in the next few years.

These measures undoubtedly send a clear signal to the market – Hengsheng Group not only wants to grow bigger, but also stronger!
These actions have given their rival, Standard Chartered Bank, quite a fright.

During this period, although Standard Chartered Bank acquired HSBC and absorbed most of the British-owned companies under HSBC, both banks lost a significant number of small and medium-sized enterprise clients and private clients.

These lost customers almost all went to Hengsheng Bank, Bank of East Asia, and Dao Heng Bank, all subsidiaries of the Hengsheng Group.

In other words, after Standard Chartered absorbed the market share of Huafeng Bank, its market share not only failed to stabilize, but continued to decline. Although the decline was not significant, if it continued to fall like this, it would make them panic!

They were naturally unwilling to lose the market share they had worked so hard to acquire.

However, these lost customers almost all chose to leave voluntarily, and the staff could do nothing about it.

Fortunately, those British companies now support Standard Chartered Bank, otherwise they would be worried that they would follow in the footsteps of Huafeng Bank.

At eight o'clock in the morning, Lin Haoran slowly woke up from his dream.

He felt a tingling sensation on his right arm, as if countless tiny ants were crawling over it, with Guo Xiaohan resting her head on it.

Lin Haoran carefully and gently lifted Guo Xiaohan's head, his movements tender, as if afraid of waking her.

However, even with his gentle movements, Guo Xiaohan still slowly woke up and opened her eyes.

"Good morning, Haoran." Guo Xiaohan rubbed her sleepy eyes and smiled sweetly.

She stretched lazily, her silk pajamas outlining her graceful curves.

"Good morning." Lin Haoran leaned down and gently kissed her forehead, smiling as he said, "Sorry for waking you. Why don't you go back to sleep? It's still early."

Guo Xiaohan glanced at the alarm clock beside her, then shook her head and said, "No, Haoran, I have to go to the company to handle some important work later, and I'm going shopping with my mom in Central this afternoon. By the way, Haoran, I probably won't be able to come here to be with you for the next few days. My mom said she wants me to spend more time with her, because after I marry you, I won't have as much time to spend with her."

As Guo Xiaohan spoke, a hint of apology appeared on her face.

The fact that Guo Xiaohan often stayed overnight at Lin Haoran's place was naturally not kept secret from the Guo family.

However, now that the marriage is settled, the Guo family naturally has no objections and even supports it.

After all, the deed is done now, and it would be unreasonable for Lin Haoran to abandon Guo Xiaohan.

However, since the wedding hasn't taken place yet, Guo's mother thought it best to ask her daughter to be more restrained.

Lin Haoran gently pinched her cheek: "Silly girl, it's only right. Please give my regards to your aunt. I'll visit her in person another day."

He got up and drew back the curtains, and the August sunlight immediately flooded the entire bedroom.

On the waters of Victoria Harbour, several cargo ships were slowly sailing by, and Victoria Peak in the distance looked particularly verdant in the morning light.

After having breakfast together, Guo Xiaohan hurriedly drove her red private car away from the Lin family villa on Shixun Road.

After thinking for a moment, Lin Haoran realized that there was nothing urgent to deal with today, so he picked up his mobile phone and called Lin Wan'an.

As soon as the call connected, Lin Haoran smiled and greeted, "Daddy, good morning! Are you free today?"

Lin Wan'an's voice came from the other end of the phone: "Hao'er, what's up? I was just about to go out for a walk, and after that I was planning to go to my old friend's business association clubhouse to have some tea and chat with them."

Lin Haoran replied with a smile, "Well, it seems you have some free time. How about this, you drive to the Kang Le Building and wait for me later, and I'll accompany you to take a look around the TVB headquarters building, okay?"

Lin Wan'an's eyes lit up instantly, and he perked up immediately, saying decisively, "Okay, wait for me, I'm heading out now!"

Lin Wan'an naturally understood the deeper meaning behind his son's suggestion.

A few days ago, he excitedly mentioned to Lin Haoran his idea of ​​jointly establishing a film company with someone, but Lin Haoran poured cold water on his enthusiasm and advised him not to form a joint venture with someone, but to simply acquire Shaw Brothers Studio.

Since then, this matter has taken root in his heart like a seed, and he has been thinking about it constantly these past few days.

Shaw Brothers Studio, the king of Hong Kong cinema in the 1960s and 70s, has gradually fallen to second place due to competition from Golden Harvest Studio, but its status and influence in Hong Kong remain unshakable.

Although he wanted to get this done as soon as possible, he knew that Lin Haoran was extremely busy lately and felt embarrassed to urge his son.

Now that Lin Haoran had finally taken the initiative to suggest going to the TVB headquarters, he was so excited that he could hardly contain himself, as if he was about to unveil a long-awaited mystery gift!

"Okay, you go ahead first. I'll call Uncle Liu first to let him know we're coming," Lin Haoran said with a smile.

Nowadays, Shaw Yat-fu is almost always in the TVB chairman's office on Broadcast Drive, but he rarely visits the chairman's office of his own company, Shaw Brothers Studio.

This shows that he now values ​​TVB more.

After hanging up with his father, Lin Haoran immediately called Shao Yifu's office.

As expected, he should indeed be in his office at this time.

Lin Haoran dialed the number and the other end answered quickly.

"Haoran, what a rare guest! What can I do for you?" Before Lin Haoran could even speak, Shao Yifu recognized his number through the landline's caller ID.

"Sixth Uncle, I called you to ask if you were at the TVB building right now. It seems you are. I'll be there in a bit. There are some things I'd like to discuss with you in person," Lin Haoran said with a hearty laugh.

Upon hearing this, Shao Yifu readily replied, "Okay, I'll wait for you in my office!"

(End of this chapter)