In Hong Kong, we build a global business empire

Chapter 696 Showing Off in Front of the Whole World

"A board member and partner?" Lin Haoran was somewhat taken aback.

He discovered that these large companies always liked to recruit capable individuals as partners.

For example, after he rose to prominence, Huifeng Bank was eager to make him a member of the board of directors, and even offered him a 1% stake in Huifeng Bank at a low price, showing him extreme enthusiasm.

However, after he acquired East Asia Bank, Huifeng Bank's attitude towards him changed drastically, and they even took the lead in launching business competition against him.

Later, even Walter Riston, the chairman of Citibank, invited him to become a member of Citibank's board of directors to deepen the cooperative relationship between the two parties.

Unexpectedly, Robert Galvin, the president of Motorola, also extended an invitation to him.

This truly surprised Lin Haoran.

Perhaps large corporations prefer to use this method to bind potential business partners? Lin Haoran thought to himself.

Seeing that Lin Haoran did not immediately agree, Robert Galvin said, "Mr. Lin, are you not interested in this proposal? If you agree, even if you do not hold any shares in Motorola, we will still allocate 1% of our annual profits as your consulting fee. Furthermore, in terms of international cooperation, we will prioritize partnerships with our partners."

Upon hearing this, Lin Haoran laughed loudly and said, "I'm sorry, Mr. Galvin, you misunderstand. It's not that I'm not interested, but this matter is too sudden, and I'm quite surprised, so I'm thinking about some issues for a while."

Actually, to be honest, I currently hold 5.23% of Motorola's shares. According to your published shareholder list, I should be Motorola's fifth-largest shareholder. So, your invitation is quite a coincidence.

Upon hearing this, Robert Galvin nearly dropped his coffee cup, his face showing disbelief: "What? Mr. Lin, you're already our fifth-largest shareholder? This...this is too unexpected!"

Ma Shimin was not surprised, because he already knew that Lin Haoran had invested in many companies in the United States, but he did not know which companies he had invested in, and he had no idea how many shares he held.

After all, Huanyu Investment Company is Lin Haoran's private investment company, and Ma Shimin only knew about it in general terms and was not clear about the specifics.

“Mr. Galvin, do you remember what the first thing I said to you was when we sat down just now?” Lin Haoran continued with a smile.

Robert Galvin recalled that just after they sat down, Lin Haoran congratulated him and said that once Hong Kong mobile communications were officially commercialized, Motorola's stock would definitely soar.

Could it be?

Before the other party could speak, Lin Haoran continued with a smile, "That's right. Since we reached a cooperation agreement with your company, especially after I experienced the convenience that mobile phones bring me in Hong Kong, I have been very optimistic about this project. As the world's first company to commercialize mobile phones, Motorola's stock is bound to soar. Therefore, I naturally took advantage of the fact that Motorola's stock price is still low and bought some shares in advance."

After speaking, Lin Haoran took a small sip of tea.

In fact, Lin Haoran did not deceive Robert Galvin.

His Global Investment Company began its strategic deployment in the United States early on, secretly accumulating shares in listed companies such as Coca-Cola, Intel, Citibank, Chevron, ExxonMobil, and even Citibank, becoming an invisible shareholder of these companies.

Motorola is not included here.

Because he always knew that Motorola's stock price would not rise much in the next ten or twenty years, and would even decline later.

His money was naturally invested in companies with greater growth potential and were more worthwhile investments, such as Coca-Cola, Intel, Citibank, Chevron, and ExxonMobil, all of which are potential stocks.

However, after reaching a cooperation agreement with Motorola, Lin Haoran changed his mind and had Su Zhixue start adding Motorola to the list of companies to be recruited.

The reason is simple: if Lin Haoran had not interfered with Motorola's development, their stock price would have soared after they released the world's first commercial mobile phone in 1983, and they would have quickly opened up the global market.

However, due to strategic errors and internal management problems, Motorola gradually lost its leading advantage.

But that happened after the 1990s.

During the analog mobile phone era, also known as the "brick phone" era, Motorola maintained a leading position globally. However, it was slow to transition to digital communications (GSM/CDMA). As digital communication networks emerged in Europe, Motorola continued to rely on analog technology, resulting in its market share being surpassed by Nokia.

In addition, the failure of the Iridium project cost $50 billion, further weakening the company's financial strength.

These are the fundamental reasons that led to Motorola's decline.

However, these events are at least a decade or more away from now, during which time Motorola was the king of the mobile communications field.

Now, thanks to Lin Haoran's emergence, the commercialization of mobile communications was moved from 1983 to 1981, a full two years earlier.

This was a devastating blow to other R&D companies in the same industry. In a short period of time, other companies found it difficult to catch up, which resulted in a period of monopoly for Motorola in the field of mobile communications.

As a result, Motorola's stock price, which was originally expected to surge in 1983, would naturally rise earlier, in 1981.

Lin Haoran, who has always been sensitive to the market, naturally couldn't let go of such a good opportunity.

Therefore, after reaching a cooperation agreement with Motorola, he secretly instructed Su Zhixue to lead the American Global Investment Company to secretly begin accumulating Motorola's shares.

Yesterday, he called Su Zhixue, who reported that he now holds 5.23% of Motorola's shares.

This may not seem like much, but it's actually quite a lot. After all, Motorola is a giant company with a market value of nearly $50 billion.

The 5.23% stake means that Lin Haoran has invested more than $2.5 million.

Now that Robert Galvin, the president of Motorola, has invited him to become a member of Motorola's board of directors, he simply and openly revealed that he owns shares in Motorola.

Investing in the stock market is perfectly normal.

However, Lin Haoran's words surprised Robert Galvin. His surprise was not because Lin Haoran held 5.23% of the shares, but because he was so confident that the stock price would definitely rise after the commercialization of mobile phones.

“Mr. Lin, aren’t you worried that the market response to the commercialization of mobile phones will not be as expected?” Robert Galvin couldn’t help but ask.

A 5.23% stake involves a considerable amount of money.

“Of course, I have high hopes for your company’s future, otherwise I wouldn’t have personally come to your headquarters to seek cooperation!” Lin Haoran laughed heartily.

That being said, for him, investing in Motorola was more about making quick money than about long-term investment, unlike other companies.

After all, in the era he traveled to, Motorola had fallen to the point of being acquired by Lenovo.

Of course, Lenovo only acquired Motorola's mobile business, that is, its mobile phone business.

As for Motorola Systems, another important part of Motorola's business, which includes government and enterprise communications equipment, defense, and public safety solutions, it is too specialized to be sold and will continue to operate independently.

All of this is enough to prove how badly Motorola fared in the 21st century.

It is truly lamentable that a pioneering company that ushered in the era of mobile communications ultimately ended up being acquired.

However, these are all things for the future and have little to do with Lin Haoran's current investment in Motorola.

It's just stocks; he can sell them and cash out at any time when the opportunity arises.

Robert Galvin knew that Lin Haoran was a seasoned investor.

Putting aside other things, Lin Haoran previously invested $10 million in Apple Inc. in the United States. In less than a year, the market value of the shares he held had reached more than $200 million, and he was named the best investor of the year by the Financial Times in 1980.

This matter caused quite a stir in the United States.

This was only because Lin Haoran's involvement in investing in gold futures with the help of Citibank, which earned him over a billion dollars, was not exposed; otherwise, it would have caused an even greater sensation.

In comparison, Warren Buffett, the stock market guru whom Americans are so proud of, is simply weak in the face of Lin Haoran's track record.

Robert Galvin took a deep breath, and a calm smile returned to his face: "Mr. Lin, your investment acumen is truly admirable. Thank you for believing in the future of Motorola. It is our honor. Now that you are already an important shareholder, this invitation to the board meeting is even more justified."

For Motorola, a US technology giant, adding board members is a rather complicated matter, requiring a vote at a board meeting before being publicly announced.

However, none of this mattered to Robert Galvin.

After all, he has a lot of influence in the company, and once he makes a decision on this matter, it will basically pass the board vote smoothly.

“Since Mr. Galvin has extended such a warm invitation, I will not refuse. However, as Mr. Galvin should know, my main business is in Hong Kong, so even if I go to the United States, I will not stay for long. Therefore, my position as a director is probably more of a nominal one. If Mr. Galvin does not mind, I will naturally have no problem with it.” Lin Haoran readily agreed.

At that moment, Lin Haoran suddenly had an idea.

Previously, he had discussed with Ma Shimin that once the mobile communications company stabilized, they would find a way to kick Motorola out of the company, and their joint venture would be solely owned by Hong Kong Telephone Company.

Now, Robert Galvin has invited him to join Motorola's board of directors, which he sees as a great opportunity.

As a member of Motorola's board of directors and a major shareholder, it's perfectly normal for him to want complete control of the mobile communications business in Hong Kong in the future!
Moreover, Motorola's primary focus is on selling communication equipment, specifically the upcoming Motorola DynaTAC 8000X.

After all, selling equipment is obviously a faster way to make money.

At that time, he could use his position as a director to persuade Motorola to hand over the equipment supply rights for the Hong Kong market to Motorola, while the communication operation rights and communication equipment sales rights would be dominated by Hong Kong Telephone Company.

This way, Motorola's interests could be protected while maintaining its control over the Hong Kong mobile communications market.

After a period of time, once he acquires the production technology for mobile devices, he will gradually transfer the equipment supply rights to himself, ultimately achieving complete control over the entire industry chain.

In any case, with the popularization of communication equipment technology in the future, although Motorola mobile phones will remain the mainstream for a long time, other manufacturers will gradually rise. At that time, it won't be difficult for him to enter the communication equipment manufacturing industry.

Putting aside other matters, Motorola has already established a production line for the DynaTAC 8000X in Hong Kong, and its Hong Kong telephone company, as a partner, can take advantage of this opportunity to secretly cultivate its own technological talent and learn and master core technologies.

Thinking of this, a glint of light flashed in Lin Haoran's eyes.

“Of course, Mr. Lin doesn’t need to worry about this. At least half of our Motorola board members are on secondment; they mostly come from some of the world’s most important financial groups. What we value more is Mr. Lin’s influence in the Asian market, as well as his strategic vision and resource integration capabilities,” Robert Galvin explained.

After chatting for a while about the commercial launch of mobile phones the next day, Robert Galvin suggested that he go back to rest first.

After all, he had just come from the United States and was exhausted from the journey, so he definitely needed to rest.

So Lin Haoran asked Li Weidong to drive Robert Galvin away from the Connaught Building to the nearby Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Central.

In the reception room, only Lin Haoran and Ma Shimin remained.

During Lin Haoran's meeting with Robert Galvin, Ma Shimin did not interrupt at all; he listened more.

At this moment, Robert Galvin left, and Ma Shimin finally couldn't help but speak.

"Boss, the 'hunger marketing' strategy you proposed is absolutely brilliant! I've never heard you mention it before. This marketing strategy can be used in many industries and products!" Ma Shimin couldn't hide his shock.

"Mr. Ma, to be honest, I only thought of this on the spur of the moment," Lin Haoran said with a smile.

Having lived through the internet boom of his previous life, Lin Haoran possesses business acumen far surpassing that of this era.

However, just like a search engine, even if it covers a lot of content, the platform will not display content in a specific area unless the user specifically searches for that area.

Lin Haoran did the same thing this time. When he talked with Robert Galvin about marketing strategies for the commercialization of mobile phones, he suddenly remembered the "hunger marketing" model that was common in later generations.

"Something that came to mind on the spur of the moment?"

Ma Shimin said incredulously, "Boss, your impromptu idea will probably shock marketing experts all over the world!"

Lin Haoran smiled but didn't offer any further explanation.

He couldn't very well tell Ma Shimin that this was a tactic that internet companies would have overused decades later, could he?
"Mr. Ma, we must ensure that tomorrow's press conference goes perfectly," Lin Haoran said seriously, his smile fading.

Ma Shimin nodded and said, "Don't worry, boss. We have made full preparations. The media, guests, and on-site demonstrations have all been arranged. In addition, as far as we know, more than 100 foreign media outlets will be attending tomorrow, including mainstream media from Europe, America, Australia, Asia, and even South Africa. They have all sent interview teams."

Lin Haoran nodded. The official commercial launch of mobile phones was a major event worldwide, naturally attracting high attention from global media.

The two continued chatting for another twenty minutes until Li Weidong returned.

Lin Haoran glanced at his watch; it was already past six in the evening.

So he stopped staying at the Kang Le Building, but instead of going to the Mid-Levels Villa or the Shi Xun Road Villa, he sent Li Weidong to Guo Xiaohan's house.

When he first met Guo Xiaohan, she lived with her uncle and aunt in a villa on Barker Road.

However, after Guo Henian and his wife moved to Deep Water Bay Villa, Guo Xiaohan temporarily lived in the Barker Road Villa.

Now, Guo Xiaohan's parents have come to Hong Kong from Southeast Asia, and they naturally live with Guo Xiaohan in the villa on Barker Road, which is not far from Lin Haoran's villa on Shixun Road.

He had promised Guo Xiaohan that he would find time to visit Guo's parents in person, and since he had nothing to do tonight, Lin Haoran decided to keep his promise.

……

Before you knew it, the night had passed.

In the morning, Lin Haoran stretched and looked at the alarm clock next to him. It was already eight o'clock in the morning.

As he sat up in bed, he also woke up Guan Jiahui, who was fast asleep beside him.

Last night, he visited Mr. and Mrs. Kwok, who are his future in-laws, at the Barker Road villa area. The group chatted until after 10 p.m. before Lin Haoran returned to his villa on Old Peak Road.

Mr. and Mrs. Guo were naturally very satisfied with him. After all, given Lin Haoran's current conditions, it could even be said that they were marrying above their station. They couldn't be happier to have such a prospective son-in-law.

As for why he came to the Mid-Levels Villa on Old Peak Road instead of returning to the villa on Shi Xun Road, the reason is simple: Guan Jiahui had just moved from Hengfeng Building. Even if Lin Haoran only regarded her as his lover, he would try to spend more time with her and help her adapt to the new environment.

Kwan Ka-wai wore a lace camisole nightgown, which, combined with her perfect figure and youthful, beautiful face, made her breathtakingly beautiful.

She stretched lazily, her silky skin gleaming with a captivating glow in the morning light.

Normally, Lin Haoran would definitely have to do a "vigorous morning workout".

However, he had important things to do today, so he had to suppress his inner impulse for the time being.

"Brother Haoran, are you up so early?" Guan Jiahui rubbed her eyes, her voice sweet and sleepy.

Lin Haoran smiled slightly and said, "There's an important press conference today, I need to get there early to prepare, you can continue sleeping."

Even so, when Lin Haoran stood in front of the mirror trying on clothes, Guan Jiahui still got out of bed and went to his side to choose a tie for him.

Her slender, fair fingers moved nimbly, skillfully tying a Windsor knot.

After finishing, he gently straightened his suit collar, then looked up with eyes full of admiration and love, and exclaimed sincerely, "Brother Haoran, you look absolutely stunning today!"

Lin Haoran was amused by her adorable appearance. He reached out and gently pinched her rosy cheeks, teasingly saying, "Your little mouth is as sweet as honey."

After finishing breakfast, Lin Haoran waved goodbye to her and left the villa on Old Peak Road, heading straight for the headquarters of Hong Kong Telephone Company.

The joint venture between Hong Kong Telephone Company and Motorola has a straightforward name: Hong Kong Mobile Phone Company.

Today, the world's first commercial launch ceremony for a mobile communication network will be officially held here.

When Lin Haoran arrived at the scene, the small square outside the Hong Kong Telephone Company was already packed with people.

It's cloudy in Hong Kong today, but the temperature is still around 30 degrees Celsius.

To this end, many sunshades were set up on site, along with a number of high-powered fans, and free frozen drinks were provided.

He could tell that in addition to some onlookers, there were also many reporters and media teams at the scene.

TVB and RTV, two major local television companies in Hong Kong, even broadcast the event live.

Almost all the large, medium and small businesses and media outlets in Hong Kong came.

Journalists from major media outlets around the world that are familiar to everyone, such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The Los Angeles Times, The Times, The Guardian, Le Monde, CNN, BBC, ABC, NHK, AFP, Reuters, Associated Press, and Time magazine, were basically present at the event.

This demonstrates the immense global influence of this mobile communications commercialization ceremony.

From the primitive act of sending letters, to telegraphs and telephones, and now to mobile communications, human communication methods are undergoing a revolutionary transformation.

As soon as Lin Haoran got out of the car, he was surrounded by flashing lights.

Under the close escort of twelve bodyguards, he smiled and waved to the numerous reporters who had gathered around him as he calmly walked through the bustling crowd.

Today, he is destined to appear before the global public once again.

History will surely remember this moment—he was a key figure in the world's first commercialization of mobile communications.

History will forever remember this momentous occasion.

As soon as Lin Haoran stepped into the headquarters building of Hong Kong Telephone Company, Ma Shimin hurriedly came to greet him.

"Boss, many guests have already arrived. I'll take you to the VIP room," Ma Shimin said with a smile.

Lin Haoran nodded slightly. He originally thought he had arrived early enough, but he had underestimated everyone's enthusiasm and they had arrived even earlier than him.

He glanced at his watch subconsciously; it was only a little past nine o'clock.

It's worth noting that this highly anticipated global launch event wouldn't officially begin until 10 a.m.

Lin Haoran followed Ma Shimin to the VIP lounge. As soon as he opened the door, he saw Robert Galvin chatting happily with more than a dozen foreigners dressed in sharp suits. The atmosphere was warm and harmonious.

On the other side of the lounge, many foreign or Chinese guests were gathered in twos and threes, chatting quietly.

When everyone saw Lin Haoran walk in, they all stopped talking and greeted him warmly.

(End of this chapter)