In Hong Kong, we build a global business empire

Two days have passed in the blink of an eye, and it's now January 12th.

The Spring Festival is getting closer and closer.

The wedding arrangements were left to the Guo family, Huaqi, Guo Xiaohan, Lin Wan'an, and others, so Lin Haoran didn't have to worry about it at all.

Even though he knew it would be a globally sensational wedding of the century, he remained completely calm.

Yesterday, Cui Zilong personally went to Lin Haoran's office to report that news came from the United States that Malcolm Forbes, chairman of the Forbes Group, had reportedly left the United States and headed to Hong Kong.

Lin Haoran only gave him three days. At this point, Forbes Group simply had no other choice.

They either have to obediently go to Forbes and beg for peace, or they can only watch the Forbes Group decline step by step, or even disappear from the media group one day.

Given this situation, Malcolm Forbes' secret trip to Hong Kong this time clearly shows that he has put aside all his pride and arrogance.

Lin Haoran was not surprised by this.

Anyone who isn't a fool knows how to make a choice.

However, this matter was not a big deal for Lin Haoran.

After all, Forbes has completely given in.

What fun can you get from looking at a loser?

Around 9 a.m., Lin Haoran left the villa on Shi Xun Road and went directly to the Kang Le Building.

Guo Xiaohan had already gone to work on wedding preparations, so she left early.

On the contrary, he had originally planned not to go out in the morning.

However, at nine o'clock, Ma Shimin called him and told him that he had something important to report.

Therefore, Lin Haoran had no choice but to leave early.

Upon arriving at the Kang Le Building, we took the elevator directly to the 51st floor.

Along the way, every employee he encountered would greet him respectfully.

Lin Haoran smiled and replied to each one, while also keeping an eye on the loyalty of these employees.

With this golden touch, he has always adhered to the principle of not wasting anything.

Whenever he noticed that an employee, especially a mid-to-senior level employee, had a problem with their loyalty, he would not question them on the spot, but he would communicate with Cui Zilong privately and have his intelligence department conduct a covert investigation.

Basically, every time, we can find that these people have problems, either they are embezzling, leaking secrets, or they have shady connections with competitors.

Lin Haoran never showed up for any of this; it was as if all of this was discovered by the intelligence department under the Oriental Media Group.

Over time, the intelligence department under the Oriental Media Group was almost deified within Lin Haoran's various groups.

The employees privately say that it is a more terrifying place than the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), and that the boss holds an invisible "secret police force" that is all-pervasive and can see through everything.

Under this immense, invisible pressure, those whose loyalty is even slightly unstable will either voluntarily restrain themselves, or one morning without warning, they will be "politely" invited for a talk by the HR department and then quietly disappear from the company's roster.

Therefore, today's Hongkong Land Group, Wanqing Group, Hong Kong Electric Group, Hang Seng Group, and Longway Group have formed a unique atmosphere.

Full of energy and ambition, Lin Haoran's generosity and vision have shown employees unlimited possibilities;

At the same time, they maintained a high degree of discipline and awe, because no one knew whether those "heavenly eyes" were watching them.

Even Hutchison Whampoa, which was acquired not long ago, is no exception.

This is perhaps the management philosophy Lin Haoran pursues: a combination of kindness and severity, with both carrots and an invisible stick always hanging in the air.

As soon as he reached the 51st floor, Ma Shimin spotted him.

"Boss, you've finally arrived! I've been waiting for you." Ma Shimin came out of his office and greeted Lin Haoran.

At this moment, Ma Shimin was holding a handbag in his right hand.

"What's wrong, Mr. Ma? Do you have something important to attend to later? Why are you in such a hurry?" Lin Haoran asked with a smile.

"Indeed, in an hour and a half, I will be meeting with Mr. Lee Byung-taek, Chairman of Samsung Korea, to discuss cooperation matters," Ma Shimin said with a smile.

"Chairman of Samsung Group? Do we have any cooperation with them?" Lin Haoran asked.

He knew that his 711-Eleven and Lawson convenience stores were expanding rapidly in South Korea, with the two companies having more than 1000 stores in the country last month.

It can be said that South Korea is a very important market for 711-Eleven and Lawson convenience stores.

However, he paid little attention to whether Hongkong Land Group would expand into South Korea.

There are too many companies; he can't possibly care about everything.

“There is no cooperation yet, but as one of the largest companies in South Korea, Samsung took the initiative to seek cooperation, so of course I will not refuse. I only received the news this morning that they came to Hong Kong to visit me in person!” Ma Shimin said with a smile.

Lin Haoran nodded.

South Korea is now very developed.

As one of the Four Asian Tigers, South Korea in the early 1980s, while not a developed country and lagging far behind Japan, was already in a stage of economic take-off.

With GDP growing rapidly year by year, industries such as shipbuilding, steel, and electronics are emerging rapidly and showing considerable potential.

Samsung Group, as the leading conglomerate in South Korea, has its reach extended into multiple fields such as electronics, shipbuilding, chemicals, and finance.

Its semiconductor business, in particular, although it started later than Japan, is catching up rapidly thanks to government support and the concentrated power of the zaibatsu system.

Chairman Li Bingze's personal visit to Hong Kong was clearly not for ordinary business purposes.

However, Lin Haoran didn't care too much.

South Korea is at most one of the markets he entered, but it can't be considered a very important market.

The reason is simple: South Korea's size is ultimately limited, its domestic market is tightly protected, and its chaebol system is deeply entrenched, making it difficult for foreign capital to truly penetrate the core.

The reason why 711-Eleven and Lawson convenience stores are so successful in South Korea is simply because the convenience store industry is still in its early stages of development. Large conglomerates rarely pay attention to this industry, and those that do are not strong enough.

It is very difficult for other industries to gain market share in South Korea.

However, no matter how strong Samsung is, at this point it is more of a follower and imitator of Japanese technology than a true rule-maker.

For Lin Haoran's global strategy, South Korea is more of a partner that needs to be treated with caution and a sales market with certain potential, rather than a strategic hinterland or a source of technology.

His gaze had already passed over the Four Little Dragons and was now fixed on the awakening heartland of the dragon and the technological heartland across the Pacific Ocean.

"Since Chairman Li has come in person, we should naturally show him the utmost respect."

Lin Haoran said to Ma Shimin, "Cooperation can be discussed, but the principles must be clear. What we value is Samsung's potential in the fields of electronics manufacturing and semiconductors, as well as their value as an important gateway to the Korean market."

However, we must take the lead in the cooperation, especially in terms of technology sharing and channel control.

Furthermore, we must be wary of their potential attempts to use us to excessively infiltrate and even influence our operations in the Asian market.

Ma Shimin's expression hardened, and he nodded, saying, "Don't worry, boss. After I figure out the purpose of their visit and the details of the cooperation, I will personally report to you on the relevant matters."

Lin Haoran neither confirmed nor denied it.

He sat down on the sofa next to the coffee table, crossed his legs, and gestured for Ma Shimin to sit on the sofa opposite him.

Then he continued, "Let's get to the point. You called me over, it can't be just because the chairman of Samsung Korea is looking for you!"

"Indeed, there is something very important to report to you. The annual financial reports of the various groups and companies under the Galaxy Strategic Development Committee in 1981 have been released."

We all know that your wedding is approaching, boss. If every group and company leader had to report to you, I imagine you would get annoyed.

Therefore, after discussing with Mr. Chen Shulin, Mr. Cui Zilong, Mr. Wei Li, Mr. Burton, and Mr. He Shanheng, they have decided to compile the financial reports and submit them to me, which I will then report to you, Boss, to save you time.

As Ma Shimin spoke, he took out a thick stack of beautifully bound documents from his briefcase and respectfully placed them on the coffee table in front of Lin Haoran.

"These are Hongkong Land Group, Wanqing Group, HK Electric Group, Hang Seng Group, Longway Group, Hutchison Whampoa Group, Hong Kong Telephone, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, Hong Kong Grand Hotel Group, Dairy Farm International Holdings, Hong Kong and China Gas, Kowloon Motor Bus, and MediaCorp, etc."

The appendix contains summaries and comprehensive analyses of the 1981 financial statements of thirteen major companies. Detailed accounts and audit reports are available for your review at any time.

Lin Haoran looked at the thick stack of documents and nodded in satisfaction.

Ma Shimin was indeed thoughtful and meticulous in his work, and knew how to share his burdens.

These companies span multiple sectors, including real estate, infrastructure, utilities, retail, telecommunications, finance, and media. If each person in charge were to give a report, it would indeed take up a lot of time.

The process was streamlined and refined by Ma Shimin, the "chief steward," and then combined with the opinions of core executives such as Chen Shulin's Hong Kong Electric Group, Cui Zilong's Oriental Media Group, Wei Li's Hutchison Whampoa, Burton's Wanqing Group, and He Shanheng's Hengsheng Group for unified reporting. This approach was efficient and provided a more comprehensive perspective. Lin Haoran's establishment of the Galaxy Strategic Development Committee was actually based on this plan.

The chairman of the Galaxy Strategic Development Committee is his corporate steward, overseeing the overall situation and coordinating all parties, while he himself can transcend the tedious daily management and focus on top-level strategic decision-making and resource integration.

Simply put, it means he can confidently be a hands-off manager.

"Thank you for your hard work, Mr. Ma."

Lin Haoran picked up the top summary report, the cover of which read "Overview of the 1981 Business Performance of the Galaxy Strategic Development Committee (Core Member Enterprises)".

"Let's begin, start with the most important points."

"Yes, boss." Ma Shimin adjusted his posture, his expression becoming serious and professional, like a prime minister reporting to a monarch.

Ma Shimin also opened a document and said: "First of all, in terms of overall scale, as of December 31, 1981, the total assets of the six major groups, thirteen core member companies and more than five hundred subsidiaries under the committee had reached HK$362 billion."

This is mainly due to the total assets of Hengsheng Group, which reached HK$1482 billion, and Hongkong Land Group, which had total assets of over HK$1000 billion, reaching HK$1022 billion. These two groups contributed approximately 7% of the total assets.

The total assets of the four groups, namely Hong Kong Electric Holdings Limited, Wan Tsing Group, Hutchison Whampoa Limited, and MediaCorp, and their subsidiaries, are HK$541 billion, HK$189 billion, HK$372 billion, and HK$13.7 billion, respectively.

HK$3620 billion!
Even with his two lifetimes and unwavering will, Lin Haoran's pupils couldn't help but contract slightly upon hearing this number.

Although the assets of Hengsheng Group here are mainly depositors' funds, most of this money does not belong to Lin Haoran himself.

Even if we exclude the HK$1482 billion of Hengsheng Group, the total assets of the other five major groups and core enterprises amount to HK$2138 billion!
Moreover, Hengsheng Group is impossible to abandon; it is a true financial powerhouse in Hong Kong, completely controlled by Lin Haoran.

Apart from Hengsheng Group, Zhidi Group and Wanqing Group have been completely privatized and have no external debts!
Even if most of it consists of fixed assets, it is still a fortune large enough to suffocate anyone.

Hongkong Land Group alone possesses office buildings, hotels, and shopping malls in prime locations such as Central, Admiralty, and Tsim Sha Tsui, as well as high-quality residential properties and land reserves throughout Hong Kong Island and Kowloon, forming a "hard asset empire" that is almost impossible to replicate.

Other subsidiaries under Hongkong Land include Dairy Farm International Holdings, Mandarin Oriental, Hongkong Telecom, Galaxy Securities, and Hongkong Land's Japanese subsidiary. Even if you take them out individually, they would all be giants.

This HK$1022 billion is real money, genuine net assets!

And most of these assets belong to Lin Haoran alone!
This number remains the cornerstone of a chilling business empire!

In Hong Kong alone, the hard assets that Lin Haoran personally controls and that can generate profits and cash flow have already exceeded 3600 billion!

These figures don't even include the vast equity assets he holds in Universal Investment Company in the United States. Once those are included, the number would balloon to an unknown extent, even to Ma Shimin.

After all, many of the diversified investments made through Global Investment in the United States, Japan, and even Europe are held through offshore companies, trust funds, or nominee structures. They are of great value but highly secretive and do not fall under Ma Shimin's management scope.

Ma Shimin clearly understood this as well. He continued his report, his voice trembling with barely suppressed emotion: "Boss, what's even more astonishing is the profitability."

Based on the most crucial data we have, in 1981, the combined after-tax net profit of all industries under the Committee, including the profits of the Heng Sheng Group and our estimated gains from overseas investments, conservatively estimated to exceed HK$420 billion!

HK$420 million!
Annual net profit!

Even though Lin Haoran was mentally prepared, this number still made him catch his breath slightly.

This means that his business empire generates a net profit of over HK$1.15 million every day!
This is no longer a money printing machine, but a river flowing with gold!
Ma Shimin's voice trembled slightly, clearly shocked by the number, and he still hasn't calmed down.

"Between the two parts, Hongkong Land Group and its wholly-owned subsidiaries had a net profit of approximately 251.4 billion yuan;
After deducting risk provisions and regulatory costs, Hengsheng Group's net profit was approximately 42.6 billion yuan.
HK Electric Holdings Limited: approximately HK$37.2 billion;
Wanqing Group: approximately 13 billion; Hutchison Whampoa: -7.2 million;
Oriental Media Group received approximately 1.8 million yuan.
In addition, major overseas investments and unconsolidated business are estimated at approximately 81.3 billion.

He paused, then added, "This is only the part that we can relatively accurately count and estimate. Boss, some of your overseas investments, such as your early investments in Japan, are mostly investments without profits. The book value may be even more astonishing, but the liquidity is slightly worse."

Lin Haoran nodded, still astonished by his enormous assets.

This was the first time he had a clear understanding of his own assets.

As for Huanyu Investment Company, Su Zhixue had previously reported to him that the company's stock market value was nearly $140 billion.

Of course, this is the data from a month ago. In the past month, the US stock market has fallen, causing Lin Haoran to lose a lot of the stocks he holds.

Don't forget, he also secretly shorted some stocks that had fallen sharply, and from that, he made more than a billion dollars on paper.

Therefore, all things considered, the total value of the assets managed by Universal Investment Company, including stocks, cash, and short-selling profits, is not unreasonable even if we only consider its value of maintaining $140 billion.

Based on the recent exchange rate of approximately 5.9 Hong Kong dollars to 1 US dollar, 140 billion US dollars is nearly 826 billion Hong Kong dollars!
Including the HK$3620 billion in assets in Hong Kong, Lin Haoran's total assets, directly or indirectly controlled by him, have reached HK$4446 billion!
HK$444.6 billion!

A total asset value of HK$500 billion is just around the corner!

This is no longer just the size of a business empire, but more like the size of an independent economic entity!
It's worth noting that Hong Kong's GDP in 1981 was only a little over 100 billion Hong Kong dollars.

Lin Haoran's personal assets are more than three times the annual GDP of Hong Kong!
This is probably unprecedented in the entire history of the Chinese world.

What's even more alarming is its annual net profit of over HK$420 billion, which means its profitability even exceeds the annual fiscal revenue of many small countries.

Lin Haoran has truly reached the point of being richer than a country.

Lin Haoran interrupted Ma Shimin's report and asked, "Besides you, who else knows about this figure of HK$3620 billion?"

Ma Shimin's loyalty to him was 100%, so he wasn't worried that the other party knowing about his assets would pose any danger to him.

When he appointed Ma Shimin as the chairman of the Galaxy Strategic Development Committee, he had already considered this issue.

If you're going to be a hands-off manager, you must give core managers full trust and the right to know; otherwise, efficient operation is impossible.

Lin Haoran's confidence in delegating so much power stems from his 100% loyalty to Ma Shimin.

But that’s all.

He doesn't want too many people to know his wealth figures, even though HK$3620 billion is still not all of his wealth.

"Don't worry, boss. Currently, only I know that the finances of each group are calculated separately and then aggregated to Chen Shulin, Wei Li, Burton, and others."

"After that, they will report the data to me, and I will calculate the total data and compile this summary report." Ma Shimin replied immediately, his expression extremely solemn.

"Chen Shulin and Burton only know the detailed data of their respective sectors and the rough total assets and profits of the group, but I am the only one who has the complete data of the thirteen core enterprises and the final two core figures of 3620 billion and 420 billion."

Even the printing and binding of this summary report were done by me personally, without any assistance.

Lin Haoran nodded slightly, very satisfied with Ma Shimin's caution.

It seems that this "chief steward" is very aware of the importance of secrecy and is well aware of the huge uproar that could be caused if these figures were leaked.

"Very good. From now on, you will be solely responsible for this overall accounting and will report directly to me," Lin Haoran said with satisfaction.

One of the reasons he privatized several large conglomerates was that private companies were not required to publish financial statements.

Wealth must be hidden deep beneath the sea; the greater the wealth, the more it needs to be hidden.

This is a realization that Lin Haoran has had since his rebirth.

“Understood, boss,” Ma Shimin replied.

Then he continued his report.

In fact, the biggest contributor to the high profits of companies like Hongkong Land and Hong Kong Electric is not their generals, but Lin Haoran himself.

Without the business intelligence he provided from his previous life, his crucial decision-making, and his accurate grasp of future trends, even if Ma Shimin, Chen Shulin, and others were highly capable, they would never have been able to push their asset size and profitability to such an astonishing level in just over two years.

In particular, the large-scale high-price sale of property assets in early 1981 made the major groups extremely wealthy.

There were also several instances of short selling, such as shorting Huifeng Bank, which would have been something no one else could have done except under orders from Lin Haoran.

As for Hutchison Whampoa, the only group among these companies that was unprofitable, the reason was simply that Lin Haoran had only recently acquired it.

Prior to the acquisition, Hutchison Whampoa had suffered from poor investment by Li Ka-shing and competition from Hongkong Land Group, making it virtually impossible for the company to turn a profit last year.

However, a loss of HK$7.2 million is indeed a minor matter for Lin Haoran's businesses.

He lost money last year, but has completely taken control this year. Making Hutchison Whampoa profitable is just a small matter for him.

Moreover, the current head of Hutchison Whampoa is a renowned corporate healer, so turning Hutchison Whampoa around and increasing its profits is not a difficult task for the company.

After listening to Ma Shimin's report and supplementary explanation, Lin Haoran gained a clearer and more impressive understanding of his business empire.

He leaned back on the sofa, his fingers lightly tapping the armrest, processing the shock of these astronomical figures while also contemplating the future.

The financial reports of each of these companies, once released, are enough to shock the entire Hong Kong.

If all the data were compiled and published, it would be enough to make Western financial groups incredulous, even if it were placed on a global scale.

Lin Haoran is an individual, not a conglomerate or a financial group. He single-handedly built a business empire with total assets exceeding HK$440 billion and annual net profit exceeding HK$42 billion in just three years!

This is beyond what can be described as mere business genius; it's practically a legend in business history!
It's a legend that would make Rockefeller, Morgan, and even any contemporary business tycoon take notice! (End of Chapter)