In Hong Kong, we build a global business empire

Chapter 807 The temptation of money!
After learning about the specifics of Huanyu Investment Company, Lin Haoran gave Su Zhixue a copy of the information on Reagan's economic policies and analyzed the impact of these policies on the market in detail.

The goal, of course, is to get him to temporarily set aside a sum of money from the company to make targeted plans and maximize profits.

After all, he already knew that Universal Investment Company's account was almost empty, with only $3.2 million left.

To others, this amount of money is a huge sum.

However, for Lin Haoran, this was far from enough to support his subsequent global expansion.

The companies in Hong Kong are indeed generating profits every day, and he can easily transfer funds from there to continue injecting capital into Huanyu Investment Company.

However, it would be best if Huanyu Investment Company could use its remaining funds to make huge profits and then continue to secretly increase its holdings in many giants.

After all, businesses in Hong Kong need to continue investing in their operations after making profits. If funds are withdrawn, it will obviously affect the growth rate of these businesses.

Therefore, Lin Haoran naturally wouldn't miss the investment opportunities brought about by Reaganomics.

He wouldn't even miss out on the upcoming Latin American debt crisis.

"It's stupid not to make money when you can," and Lin Haoran never complained about having too much money.

In Su Zhixue's office, Lin Haoran, based on the books and materials on Reaganomics he had seen in his previous life, gave a detailed list of which listed companies should be targeted for early investment.

First, there's General Motors. The auto industry saw a sharp drop in its stock price from January to March, as high interest rates led to a decline in consumer willingness to finance car purchases, coupled with weak demand following the energy crisis.

U.S. Steel also suffered from shrinking steel demand due to the manufacturing downturn, resulting in severe corporate losses and persistently low stock prices.

Sears, affected by traditional retail giants such as Kmart and Walmart, is facing intensified competition and shrinking consumer spending, resulting in a continuous decline in its stock price.

Wang Laboratories suffered heavy losses due to intensified competition in the computer industry, outdated technology, and management errors, resulting in a sharp drop in its stock price.

Lin Haoran also clearly remembers the investment in Drysdale Securities, which went bankrupt in May 1982 due to losses in bond trading, exacerbating market panic about the financial system.

Although this brokerage firm has a market capitalization of less than one billion US dollars, if he shorts Drysdale Securities in advance, he can still obtain huge profits when it goes bankrupt.

He couldn't explain these things to Su Zhixue in detail; he only needed to assign them to him.

As for John Reed, he was even less likely to discuss these matters. How John Reed managed his funds and made strategic decisions was his business.

Lin Haoran had already explained enough to John Reed; if he still couldn't make money this way, it could only mean that his abilities were limited.

But Lin Haoran still had a lot of confidence in John Reed. He was going to be the head of Citibank for the next ten years or so, so he was certainly capable, and in fact, one of the world's best.

After making arrangements for Su Zhixue, Lin Haoran felt relieved.

In recent years, Su Zhixue has never disappointed him.

Over the next few days, Lin Haoran spent his time traveling between the headquarters of Citibank and the headquarters of Huanyu Investment Company, or taking Guo Xiaohan to visit some famous attractions in New York State, enjoying his rare leisure time.

The news that he officially became an executive director of Citibank was hot in the United States for two or three days, but the hype gradually died down.

This place is ultimately different from Hong Kong.

Hong Kong is a small place, and very few major events happen there. Therefore, a major event can be reported for many days and the public pays attention for many days.

However, as the global economic center, the United States is a vast country with abundant resources and a population of over 200 million. Countless major news events occur every day, making it difficult for the appointment of a bank executive director to continuously attract public attention.

Therefore, even though Lin Haoran, a non-American Chinese, managed to squeeze into the core of power at Citibank, which shocked the entire United States for a time, it was quickly replaced by other news.

However, because he appeared in many newspapers and on television news during those days, many Americans did get an impression of his appearance.

For the first two days, people often recognized Lin Haoran when he went out.

Therefore, to avoid unnecessary trouble and for his own safety, he wears sunglasses, a hat, and even a fake beard when he goes out, trying to minimize his exposure in public.

As a result, he was never recognized outside again.

John Reed had privately contacted him and mentioned that his Citigroup subsidiary, Foresight Capital, had already begun a counter-strategy.

He planned to keep this a secret, and even intended not to disclose it to Walter Ristol, the chairman of Citibank, for the time being.

After all, as the chairman of Foresight Capital, John Reed has the authority to do so.

According to John Reed, this forward-looking capital firm was founded less than ten years ago with an initial capital of only ten million US dollars. Today, it manages assets of more than five hundred million US dollars, with cash flow alone approaching two hundred million US dollars.

John Reed, who led Foresight Capital to grow and prosper, naturally became the biggest contributor.

This is why he has absolute authority at Foresight Capital, and even Citibank headquarters will not interfere with Foresight Capital's development.

John Reed's high position at Citibank, making him a strong contender for the next leader, was also largely due to the success of Foresight Capital.

However, if the outcome is not as Lin Haoran predicted, and the US stock market continues to decline in early 1982, then John Reed will face enormous pressure.

Lin Haoran understood John Reed's concerns, but he was confident in his judgment: "Mr. John, I understand your caution, but please trust my analysis. The market will soon validate our judgment."

While Lin Haoran was idle, Li Guowei, on behalf of Lin Haoran, officially started working at the headquarters of Citibank, becoming Lin Haoran's representative at Citibank and even taking charge of some of Citibank's business operations, thus becoming one of the core figures who truly controlled the power of Citibank.

In addition, he also rented an apartment near the Citibank headquarters, since he will be working at the Citibank headquarters for a long time in the future, and it would be inappropriate to keep living in a hotel.

On this day, when Li Guowei returned home from get off work at Citibank headquarters, he received an unexpected phone call.

The caller was Richard Miller, an executive director at Citibank, the middle-aged white man who had previously mocked Lin Haoran in the conference room.

The voice on the other end of the phone carried a deliberate enthusiasm: "Mr. Li, this is Richard Miller. To welcome you to the company, I've arranged a small, informal welcome reception, hoping to have a more in-depth discussion with you. Are you free tonight?"

Li Guowei was filled with doubt upon hearing this.

He vividly remembered how, at the board meeting, this director Miller led the way in questioning and mocking the boss.

The so-called "welcome reception," and the fact that he was invited alone, suggests that the purpose was definitely not pure.

However, he could not directly refuse the "kind offer" from a core director of Citigroup.

"Thank you for your kind invitation, Director Miller. May I ask where the location is?" Li Guowei maintained his professional politeness.

“Lower Manhattan, Carlton Club, 8 p.m. I’ll send a car to pick you up from the hotel.” Miller’s tone left no room for Li Guowei to refuse.

The Carlton Club is one of New York's oldest and most prestigious private clubs, known for its strict membership system and secrecy. It is a venue for many Wall Street tycoons to conduct private transactions and secret meetings.

Miller's choice of this location was clearly not for any righteous "welcome".

Despite his doubts, Li Guowei eventually agreed.

He also wanted to see what this Citigroup executive director was really up to.

At 8 p.m. sharp, Li Guowei arrived at the Carlton Club on time.

Guided by a waiter, he walked through a corridor covered with thick carpets and hung with classical oil paintings, and arrived at a private oak-inlaid box.

Richard Miller was the only person in the room; he was standing by the fireplace, holding a glass of whiskey.

“Mr. Li, it’s a pleasure to have you here. Please have a seat. What would you like to drink? The ale here is quite good.” Miller turned around, a businessman’s smile on his face.

"Just plain water is fine, thank you." Li Guowei sat down on the sofa, still filled with doubt.

He couldn't figure out what the other party's purpose was.

The waiter brought the water and quietly withdrew, closing the heavy wooden door behind him.

Only the two of them remained in the room, the firewood in the fireplace crackling, creating a somber atmosphere.

Miller didn't beat around the bush. He took a sip of his drink and cut straight to the point: "Mr. Li, I know you are Mr. Lin's most trusted right-hand man. You followed him all the way from Hong Kong to New York and entered the inner circle of Citibank. It wasn't easy."

Li Guowei remained calm and said, "I'm just doing my job well and assisting the boss."

“Doing your job well.” Miller walked up to Li Guowei and looked down at him. “But sometimes, choices are more important than hard work, especially in a complex place like Citibank. You can only go far if you follow the right people.”

He paused for a moment, his gaze fixed on Li Guowei: "I know Lin Haoran values ​​you highly, and he must have promised you a bright future."

But have you considered that he is, after all, an outsider, a Chinese man? How far can he go in Citibank, this American financial fortress? And how many of his promises can he fulfill?

Li Guowei didn't reply, but just quietly looked at Miller.

Seeing that he remained unmoved, Miller offered his bargaining chip: "Mr. Lee, I'm a straightforward person. I admire your abilities and hope we can become 'friends' as a testament to our friendship..."

He took a thin envelope from the inside pocket of his suit and gently placed it on the coffee table in front of Li Guowei.

"Here is a bearer check for $500 million, and this is just the beginning."

$500!
Li Guowei's heart skipped a beat.

This is far more than his current annual salary; it's a huge sum that would tempt anyone.

When Li Guowei was the general manager of Hengsheng Bank, his annual salary was only a few hundred thousand Hong Kong dollars.

And $5 million is a huge sum of money, which is more than HK$29 million!

If calculated based on his annual salary, he probably wouldn't earn that much money in his entire life! The Li family is indeed one of the four major families in Hong Kong, but the Li family is large and prosperous. Li Guowei is not a direct descendant of the Li family, unlike Li Mingze and other direct descendants of the Li family who control many companies.

So his standard of living was only slightly better than that of ordinary people.

Therefore, $500 million is definitely a huge sum of money for him.

Miller carefully observed Li Guowei's expression and continued, "You are indeed now representing Mr. Lin as an executive director of Citibank, but ultimately you are only representing him. The real executive director is not you, Mr. Li."

I also know that you were previously the general manager of a bank in Hong Kong and that you are a very talented banker.

But have you ever thought about what a truly powerful position within a global financial giant like Citigroup means? Miller's voice was seductive.

"If you are willing to cooperate with me, I can promise that even if you no longer work for Mr. Lin in the future, you can still obtain an important position at Citibank!"
I know that Mr. Li is the general manager of Hengsheng Bank in Hong Kong, but Hengsheng Bank is just a regional bank with very limited global influence. Even if he were to become the chairman, that would be about it.

But Citibank is different. It's one of the world's top banks; we can even proudly say we're the world's number one bank!

Richard Miller's eyes showed a hint of disdain when he mentioned Hengsheng Bank.

To him, Hengsheng Bank was nothing more than a decent local bank in the Far East; compared to Citibank, it was like an ant to an elephant.

Therefore, in his view, it would be far more promising for Li Guowei to hold a powerful position at Citibank, and not to be a representative like Lin Haoran, than to be the general manager of Hengsheng Bank.

He believed that Li Guowei was a smart man and knew how to make the right choice.

Miller's bait of money and power was both direct and deadly.

He pits serving Lin Haoran against independent promotion within Citibank, attempting to undermine Li Guowei's foundation.

“Mr. Miller, what do you want me to do after all this?” Li Guowei took a deep breath, looked at the other party, and asked.

“What for?” Miller chuckled and continued, “It’s simple. I need you to tell me everything about Mr. Lin’s agreements with Mr. John Reed, especially whether there are any secret financial arrangements or investment plans between them.”

He leaned closer, lowering his voice even further: "I know Lin Haoran and John Reed are very close. They must be plotting something in private. I need to know the specifics, such as which areas they plan to invest in and how much capital they will use."
Most importantly, did they engage in any private transactions that violated board resolutions?

Li Guowei was shocked. Miller's sense of smell was indeed sharp; he had already detected the secret cooperation between Lin Haoran and John Reed.

But he remained calm: "Director Miller, you are asking me to betray my boss's trust, which is against my professional ethics."

Miller sneered, "Mr. Lee, there is no eternal loyalty on Wall Street, only eternal interests. Do you really think Lin Haoran considers you a confidant?"

He's just using you to work for him at Citibank. Once he feels you're not performing well enough, you'll lose your value, and he'll abandon you without hesitation.

"Moreover, I am doing this to protect the interests of Citibank. Lin Haoran's investment philosophy is too aggressive, and John Reed may have been persuaded by him. I must have enough information to prevent them from harming Citibank's interests when necessary."

You just need to tell me truthfully what you've heard and seen. For example, have they recently discussed the stock market trend? Have they mentioned any specific company names? Is John Reed moving funds for some special operation?

Li Guowei pretended to be hesitant, tapping his fingers lightly on the table.

This subtle movement led Miller to believe that he was struggling internally.

“Mr. Li, think about that $500 million, think about how you can get a powerful position at Citibank without relying on Lin Haoran in the future. You only need to provide some information to get that much.”

"And if you can provide truly valuable intelligence, such as evidence that they violated board resolutions, I guarantee the reward will be several times higher than it is now," he added meaningfully.

Li Guowei remained silent for a long time, finally seeming to have made up his mind.

He raised his head and looked directly at Miller: "I need time. Although Mr. Lin trusts me, he won't easily reveal such a sensitive matter."

“Of course,” Miller smiled with satisfaction. “I have faith in your abilities, but remember, time waits for no one, especially if they are indeed planning something.”

He stood up, took out a gold business card from his pocket, and handed it to Li Guowei: "Take this. It contains my personal contact information. If you find anything, feel free to contact me anytime."

Back at his apartment that night, Li Guowei didn't sleep a wink.

The $500 million check sat on his bedside table like a red-hot branding iron.

He sat on the edge of the bed, two voices arguing fiercely in his mind.

A voice, brimming with temptation, said: "Take it! It's $500 million! Plus a powerful position within Citibank—an opportunity many dream of!"
Compared to Hengsheng Group, Citibank has a much greater international influence. It is practically a mecca for the banking industry and a place that many financial professionals dream of visiting!

That's why, when he learned that he had the opportunity to represent Lin Haoran as an executive director at Citibank, Li Guowei was so excited that he couldn't sleep for several nights.

Miller's words kept echoing in his mind.

No matter how capable Lin Haoran is, he is still an outsider with shallow roots in Citibank. It would be unwise for him to stand up to these local bullies!

Miller's threats were not empty words. Offending them could make things difficult on Wall Street and in the global financial world. For the sake of their future...

Another voice is shouting: We cannot betray him! It was his boss, Lin Haoran, who brought him out of Hong Kong, entrusted him with important responsibilities, and placed great trust in him.

He still vividly remembers the scene when his boss patted him on the shoulder and promised to let him take over as chairman of Hengsheng in the future. That gratitude and unreserved trust were worth far more than the $500 million.

Moreover, given the boss's methods and foresight, Miller and his ilk may not necessarily have the last laugh. Once they betray him, given the boss's personality, he will never let them off the hook, and the entire Li family may also be implicated, which would be a real catastrophe!

He stood up irritably and paced around the room.

His gaze fell on the wallet on the bedside table, and he took out photos of his wife and two children inside.

The family members in the photo are all smiles.

He considered the potential disaster he might bring to his family if he made a wrong move...

After all, as a member of the Li family, he knew that the entire Li family was unwilling to offend Lin Haoran.

Just then, the telephone by the bed rang shrilly.

His heart tightened, and he picked up the receiver.

"Mr. Li, what's your decision?" It was Richard Miller's voice, tinged with impatience.

"Time waits for no one. I hope to hear good news from you tomorrow morning. Don't forget, choices don't always exist."

The call ended, and a busy tone remained.

Li Guowei held the receiver, his palms covered in cold sweat.

The other party is applying final pressure.

That night, Li Guowei endured immense psychological torment.

As dawn broke, he looked at his haggard reflection in the mirror, but his gaze gradually hardened.

He figured it out.

Miller and his ilk may appear powerful, but they are cunning and lack vision.

Although the boss, Lin Haoran, seemed to be in a weak position within Citibank, he always had a long-term vision, planned carefully before acting, and, more importantly, treated him with sincerity.

Betrayal may bring temporary benefits, but it will inevitably lead to the loss of something far more valuable, and will have endless consequences.

He thought a lot: how the boss faced the doubts alone at the board meeting without backing down; how he analyzed the situation with him privately and spoke frankly; how he entrusted him with important tasks and powers...

This kind of trust is priceless.

Moreover, he had a strong premonition deep down that only by following the boss could he see a higher view and truly feel safe.

Miller's threats may not succeed in the face of the boss's wisdom and methods.

After making up his mind, Li Guowei took a deep breath.

He not only cannot betray them, but he must also turn the tables on them!

At 8:30 a.m., Li Guowei did not rush to the Citibank headquarters. Instead, he called Lin Haoran and said he would come to the hotel to see him because he had something important to report.

In Lin Haoran's suite at the Marriott Hotel.

Guo Xiaohan was still sleeping in her room, while Lin Haoran met Li Guowei, who had come to visit, in the lobby outside.

"Boss, I...I have something important to report!"

Lin Haoran had just finished breakfast and was reading the newspaper when he saw him looking like this, and gestured for him to sit down: "Tell me slowly, what's wrong?"

Li Guowei didn't sit down. Instead, he forcefully placed the envelope containing the check and a small voice recorder on the coffee table in front of Lin Haoran.

He brought this thing with him on his way to the Carlton Club, just in case, just in case.

It actually worked.

"Boss, Richard Miller! He contacted me privately last night, saying it was a welcome reception, but actually he wanted to bribe me! Here's a check for $500 million!"

He also promised me a senior management position within Citibank in the future, wanting me to be your inside man and provide you with crucial information, with the aim of sabotaging your relationship with Mr. John Reed!
They even threatened me, saying that if I didn't comply, they would make it impossible for us to work at Citibank in the future!

(End of this chapter)