SEC Chapter 1027 A Sudden Enlightenment
Chapter 1027 A Sudden Enlightenment
"Knock knock knock~"
A knock came from outside the door.
Lin Haoran tidied up the documents on the table before calling out, "Come in."
"Boss, Mr. Bao has arrived." It was Liu Xiaoli who came in. She quickly walked to Lin Haoran's side to report.
"Mr. Bao? I know. Where is he now?" Lin Haoran asked upon hearing this.
"I just arrived at the Kang Le Building, and that's the message from the security manager," Liu Xiaoli said immediately.
Lin Haoran nodded, stood up, and said, "Xiaoli, go to the reception room and prepare some tea for me. Make some Tieguanyin tea that was sent from Anxi County, Fujian Province a couple of days ago. I'll go to the elevator to greet him."
"Okay, boss, I'll go make some tea first." After saying that, Liu Xiaoli quickly walked towards the reception room.
Lin Haoran walked out of the office and went to the elevator.
Today, Lin Haoran's status in Hong Kong's business world has actually surpassed that of Bao Yugang, making him the undisputed richest man and business leader in Hong Kong.
But Bao Yugang was, after all, a senior he respected, someone who had mentored and helped him when he first entered the business world.
No matter how one's status changes, respect for one's predecessors must never be lost.
What's more, the two are now business partners!
The elevator doors opened, and Bao Yugang, dressed in a dark gray suit, walked out looking energetic.
Seeing Lin Haoran waiting for him at the elevator, he was slightly taken aback and smiled, "Haoran, did I disturb you?"
Lin Haoran greeted him with a smile, shook hands with Bao Yugang, and said with a slight smile, "How could I disturb you? I'm more than happy to have Uncle Bao visit. What brings you here today? You didn't even call ahead so I could have made some preparations."
"I happened to be driving by the Kang Le Building, and I realized it's been a while since I've come up for a chat and some tea. Plus, I'm going to England in a few days, and you've been going to Europe and America a lot lately, so who knows when we'll see each other again."
"So I just came up here without telling you beforehand. You won't mind if I'm being abrupt, will you?" Bao Yugang said with a smile.
"Not at all, Uncle Bao, this way please. I just had someone brew a pot of the finest Tieguanyin tea, just waiting for you to try it!" Lin Haoran stepped aside to lead the way.
The two entered the reception room, where the aroma of tea wafted through the air.
Bao Yugang sat down on the sofa, picked up his teacup, smelled it, and exclaimed, "Excellent tea!"
"If Uncle Bao likes them, I'll have someone send some to your residence later." Lin Haoran also sat down opposite him.
“Then I won’t stand on ceremony. I usually drink Longjing and white tea, so it’s nice to change things up once in a while,” Bao Yugang said without any politeness.
The two then began to talk about Wharf Holdings and Wheelock Properties.
These are all businesses owned by the two of them. Although Bao Yugang has a slightly larger share, Lin Haoran has no intention of vying for controlling stake, so their cooperation on this matter has always been smooth.
Paul Chung was in charge of all operations at Wharf Holdings and Wheelock Properties, while Lam Ho-yin was essentially a hands-off manager, only sending his finance and legal teams to oversee operations.
Of course, Lin Haoran would also have his group provide Wharf Holdings and Wheelock with certain resources and channels, since he held nearly half of the shares.
Therefore, the two have always worked together very well on this matter.
Holding a 49% stake but not interfering in any management is rare, even unheard of, in the entire Hong Kong business community!
Lin Haoran trusted Bao Yugang completely and was thoroughly impressed by his business acumen.
Bao Yugang has been a prominent figure in the business world for decades, starting from shipping and rising to become one of Hong Kong's top tycoons. His vision, courage, and management skills have been proven countless times over.
Since that's the case, why should he force himself to endure hardship? He might as well hand it over to Bao Yugang for management and just wait for the dividends.
The two hit it off, talking about everything from business to politics, from politics to health, and even about mainland China.
"By the way, Uncle Bao, I heard you mention when you first arrived that you were planning to go to England?" Lin Haoran put down his teacup and asked curiously.
“Yes, Margaret Thatcher invited me to discuss some matters, and there are also some matters to be handled at the London subsidiary of Worldwide Shipping!” Bao Yugang did not hide anything.
Lin Haoran nodded; he naturally knew Bao Yugang's status in Britain.
Bao Yugang obtained British citizenship early on and is the Hong Kong Chinese businessman most recognized by the British government and with the deepest connections, without exception!
He was a British knight, a major donor to the British Conservative Party, a close friend of Prime Minister Thatcher, and a trusted intermediary between China and Britain during the Hong Kong negotiations. He had a strong ability to mediate between the political and business circles of China and Britain.
It can be said that Bao Yugang enjoyed the great trust of the British government.
His British citizenship, his deep connections in British political and business circles, and his personal relationship with Margaret Thatcher all made him the "most reliable Hong Kong representative" in the eyes of the British government.
But Lin Haoran also knew that although Bao Yugang held British citizenship, he had never forgotten his Chinese identity.
He maintained a delicate balance in the Sino-British negotiations, neither publicly supporting one side nor deliberately distancing himself from the other.
He acted as a flexible link between the two countries, providing information to the British government and conveying goodwill to the Chinese government, always navigating between the two nations with ease.
"Speaking of which, it's been a long time since I've been to England!" Lin Haoran said with some emotion.
His last trip to England was three years ago.
"I heard that they have been inviting you to visit, but you have been declining?" Bao Yugang asked with a smile.
"As you know, my position is too awkward. I've invested too much in mainland China, and the British government has always clearly wanted me to completely side with them. Plus, I've been too busy these past few years to find the time to go," Lin Haoran said with a smile.
After listening, Bao Yugang remained silent for a moment.
He had naturally seen and admired Lin Haoran's investments in mainland China.
He has also invested a lot in the mainland, but mainly in hotels and docks. Bao Yugang would never dare to dream of an investment scale like Lin Haoran's. Although he is known as the second richest man in Hong Kong, the difference in assets between him and Lin Haoran is like heaven and earth.
Bao Yugang was well aware of this.
After Lin Haoran acquired several British-owned giants, he knew that Hong Kong's business community had completely bid farewell to the era of foreign firms.
The power of discourse in Hong Kong's business community has completely shifted from the British to the Chinese, and Lin Haoran is the most important driving force behind this historic transformation.
Bao Yugang was also involved, but compared to Lin Haoran's large-scale investment, it was nothing.
Furthermore, Lin Haoran's willingness to invest heavily in the future of mainland China is something he himself cannot do.
Not having enough funds as Lin Haoran is one problem, but an even more important one is that he doesn't have Lin Haoran's unwavering confidence in the prospects of the mainland economy.
Although he was optimistic about the development of the mainland, he always maintained a businessman's caution and reserve. Investing was fine, but not putting all his eggs in one basket.
Lin Haoran is different; he truly sees the future of mainland China as his own and is making plans accordingly.
This kind of vision and perspective is something Bao Yugang himself admits he cannot match.
Therefore, Bao Yugang truly admired the young man Lin Haoran.
“Haoran, we are businessmen. Businessmen can’t escape politics, but they can avoid being swayed by it. It’s natural that the British government wants to win you over and the mainland wants you to get closer. You have such great resources in your hands, and everyone wants to win you over. But the key is what you think. You need to have a sense of right and wrong.” Bao Yugang’s tone became serious.
Lin Haoran nodded: "Uncle Bao is right. I always have a sense of right and wrong. I know what I should do and what I shouldn't do, what I can talk about and what I can't talk about. I just want to be a businessman honestly and conscientiously."
Bao Yugang nodded and said, "That's right. The empire you built in Hong Kong was earned through your own abilities, not through any government reward."
Your current position is due to your foresight and steady progress compared to others. Therefore, don't let others' attempts to win you over throw you off balance; maintain your own pace.
Lin Haoran knew that Bao Yugang was using his elders' experience to teach him.
Although the other party spoke casually, every word they said hit the nail on the head.
Businessmen cannot escape politics, but they can choose not to be swayed by it.
He had long understood this principle, but hearing his senior say it himself made him even more certain of his direction.
"Uncle Bao, how do you manage to maintain such good relations with both China and Britain?" Lin Haoran asked humbly.
Upon hearing this, Bao Yugang smiled, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and then slowly said, "Actually, there's nothing special about it. I don't take sides, I don't express my opinion, and I don't get involved."
I listen to whatever they want to talk to me about, I say what I should say and I don't say what I shouldn't say. I can pass on whatever message they want to convey through me, but I will pass on what they want to convey, not what I want to say myself.
Over time, both parties will find you reliable and naturally trust you.
After listening to Bao Yugang's words, Lin Haoran suddenly felt as if he had grasped some key information.
He couldn't help but fall into deep thought.
Because of his identity as a time traveler, he was a true Chinese in his previous life. Although he is a Hong Kong Chinese in this life, he has always carried an instinctive sense of alienation and wariness towards the colonial power, Britain.
He was unwilling to get too close to the British government, unwilling to accept their overtures, and rarely even set foot on British soil. Although this sentiment stemmed from his deep-seated national feelings, it could cause him to miss some opportunities that he could have seized in the business world.
Bao Yugang's principle of "not taking sides, not expressing opinions, and not getting involved" made him suddenly realize that his previous actions might have been too extreme.
He doesn't need to change his stance for commercial gain, nor does he need to deliberately distance himself from the British government.
He can be like Bao Yugang, maintaining distance without completely rejecting, and remaining independent without creating conflict.
As long as he knows where his bottom line is, occasional non-political business dealings with the British government will not affect his position and reputation in mainland China.
At that moment, he felt as if he had been enlightened.
Looking back at my previous thoughts, I realize they were indeed a bit too biased.
He always felt that getting too close to Britain would betray the trust of the mainland and betray his own identity.
But now that I think about it, this idea was actually an unnecessary self-imposed limitation.
The scale of his investments in mainland China, his contributions to reform and opening up, and his relationship of trust with the mainland government are not things that can be changed by the nature of his relationship with Britain.
True trust is built on long-term cooperation and tangible contributions, not on maintaining distance from anyone.
He was ultimately too young and overcomplicated things.
"Uncle Bao, your words have helped me understand many things. Thank you!" Lin Haoran raised his teacup, offering a toast to Bao Yugang in place of wine.
Bao Yugang also picked up his teacup, gently clinked it against his, took a sip, put down the teacup, and smiled, "I'm also very happy to be able to help you understand some things."
You're still young, and you have a long road ahead of you. Don't take everything too seriously. Go where you need to go, do what you need to do. As long as you have a sense of right and wrong, you won't go astray.
“Uncle Bao, it just so happens that I haven’t inspected my businesses in England for a long time. So, when are you leaving for England? I’d like to go with you. What do you think?” Lin Haoran suddenly said.
He does indeed own many businesses in the UK, and the European operations of his major groups are all headquartered in London.
Hongkong Land has multiple commercial property projects in the UK, Hong Kong Electric has investments in the energy sector in the UK, Hang Seng Bank has a branch in the City of London, and even its private investment company has some presence in London.
However, these investments are all managed by professional managers, and he rarely gets involved personally, at most listening to reports from his subordinates periodically.
Upon hearing this, Bao Yugang laughed and said, "That would be perfect. The journey to England is long and quite boring. If Haoran comes along, he can have someone to talk to and relieve his boredom."
My secretary booked my flight for 8:30 AM on the 25th. How many people are traveling with you? I'll ask my secretary to help with the arrangements.
Upon hearing this, Lin Haoran shook his head and laughed, "Taking commercial flights is too troublesome. How about this, Uncle Bao, you have someone cancel your ticket and come with me on a private jet. My private jet is much more comfortable than commercial flights, and the schedule is more flexible, so we don't have to rush to catch flights."
Bao Yugang was slightly taken aback, then laughed: "Your private jet? I forgot, you're the richest man in Hong Kong now, it's not surprising that you have your own private jet. Then I won't stand on ceremony, I'll just have to experience your private jet."
“Uncle Bao, it’s my honor to fly on my plane,” Lin Haoran said with a smile. “Then it’s settled. We’ll meet at Kai Tak Airport on the morning of the 25th.”
"Alright, if there's nothing else, I'll be leaving now. I have an appointment with Brother Jiacheng to discuss cooperation, so I won't stay any longer!" Bao Yugang glanced at his watch and stood up.
Lin Haoran was not surprised to hear this.
Bao Yugang and Li Jiacheng have always had a good relationship, and naturally, they also have business collaborations.
“Okay, Uncle Bao, I’ll see you off!” Lin Haoran stood up and accompanied Bao Yugang out of the meeting room toward the elevator.
He watched the elevator doors close before returning to his office.
Lin Haoran sat down at his desk, his gaze fixed on the view outside the window, his mind replaying Bao Yugang's words.
Although Bao Yugang's visit this time didn't involve any important discussions, it brought him a gain more valuable than any business collaboration: a shift in mindset.
He used to always view the British government and the mainland as opposing forces, feeling that getting closer to one side meant alienating the other.
But Bao Yugang made him realize that the two are not mutually exclusive.
He can maintain relationships with both sides at the same time, as long as he knows where his bottom line is.
This shift in mindset allows him to face future challenges and choices with greater composure and equanimity. (End of Chapter)