Chapter 886
A Heavyweight Gift from the Mainland
It was already 2:30 pm when I got back to the Kang Le Building.
Although his schedule was packed, Lin Haoran didn't feel tired.
"Boss, I have something to report to you!" Just as I entered the office, Ma Shimin from the next office walked in.
Ma Shimin has been extremely busy these past few days.
After all, with so many important figures arriving in Hong Kong, he, as Lin Haoran's top general, naturally seized the opportunity to frequently meet with these bigwigs, expand his network, and negotiate collaborations, thus weaving a wider network for Lin Haoran's business empire.
However, at this moment, his face wore an expression that was unusually a mixture of seriousness and excitement.
Liu Xiaoli was not in the office. Apart from Ma Shimin, who had just come in, only Lin Haoran was there.
During this time, Lin Haoran has already appeased Guan Jiahui and Liu Xiaoli respectively, so his wedding will not cause any unpleasantness.
He even gave Liu Xiaoli a few days off so she could go back to the mainland to visit her relatives.
As for Guan Jiahui, she said she wanted to go to Europe to relax, and Lin Haoran agreed.
Clearly, none of them wanted to attend Lin Haoran's wedding.
However, Lin Haoran was quite at ease, because both women had female bodyguards arranged by him, so he wasn't afraid of any problems arising no matter where they went.
"What is it, Mr. Ma?" Lin Haoran sat down behind the large desk and gestured for Ma Shimin to sit down as well.
"This is the reply letter from the mainland. The person in charge of the Hong Kong office just delivered it in person. In addition, there is a gift box. They asked us to bring it over to you in advance because the gift is special. I will bring the gift box over in a bit."
Ma Shimin presented a letter with a special seal with both hands, his expression unusually solemn.
Lin Haoran's gaze sharpened, and he reached out to take it.
The letter felt quite heavy, and the cover had neat regular script on it.
Lin Haoran read the letter word by word, gently put it down, and felt a weight lifted from his heart.
The contents of the letter were almost identical to his previous "guesses".
The heartfelt congratulations affirmed his status as an "outstanding patriotic entrepreneur in Hong Kong," and highlighted the crucial phrase, "Seize the opportunities of the times and promote exchanges and cooperation between Hong Kong and the mainland."
The fact that Governor Merrih had actually invited the Queen to be his witness at the wedding disrupted his plans and significantly increased the sensitivity of the event.
He could roughly guess the purpose of the British side.
The Queen of England certainly didn't come to add to the splendor of his wedding solely because he was Hong Kong's richest man.
Now, with this handwritten letter, everything is completely different.
The mainland still trusts him and still regards him as an important channel for connecting Hong Kong, implementing policies, and demonstrating inclusiveness.
In this way, Lin Haoran not only resolved the potential embarrassment caused by the Queen's presence, but also elevated his own status to a more transcendent and crucial position.
He could accept the Queen's hospitality with ease while simultaneously fulfilling the mainland's instructions without hesitation, navigating between the two sides with remarkable skill.
"What a timely help!"
In recent years, Lin Haoran has provided more economic support to the mainland than all other foreign businessmen combined.
Although his goal was to save more costs and make more money, he was also laying the groundwork for the future super-large market of the mainland.
All investments are made with the aim of achieving higher returns.
Aside from philanthropy, he never does business at a loss.
However, it is also helping the mainland reshape its economic structure and accelerate its industrialization process.
This is a mutually beneficial investment in itself.
He brought not only capital, but also advanced production lines, quality management systems, market-oriented operating models, and preliminary technological research and development capabilities.
For the inland regions, which are in dire need of rebuilding and urgently need to catch up with the world, this is far more valuable than a simple financial investment.
Shenzhen, Dongguan, Guangzhou, Chancheng, Shanghai, Beijing, and other cities in mainland China—the amount of money he has invested is so vast that it's difficult to even come up with a precise figure without careful accounting.
But he also knew that this number was definitely a very large number.
It can be said that the economic development speed of mainland China today is completely different from that of the mainland China in the previous life.
In comparison, it has naturally developed much faster!
Especially in Shenzhen, the investments in several industrial parks that are already in operation employ more than 200,000 mainland workers who are learning advanced production technologies and management experience, bringing stable and substantial incomes to their families.
These industrial parks have become models and engines for the mainland to undertake international industrial transfer and cultivate local manufacturing industries.
Lin Haoran may not have personally experienced what Shenzhen was like in the early 1990s, but he is very certain that Shenzhen today, and even the entire Pearl River Delta, is no less impressive than the Pearl River Delta in the early 1990s of his previous life.
This is equivalent to accelerating the development of the Pearl River Delta!
The Langwei Group, which he founded, is now the world's largest consumer goods company and continues to acquire several internationally renowned brands.
After many brands were acquired by Langwei Group, their Asia-Pacific production bases were moved to Shenzhen.
His 711-Eleven and Lawson convenience stores, as well as supermarkets such as ParknShop and Wellcome, have very large daily product sales.
Furthermore, his investment in Walmart, becoming a major shareholder, also provided Langwei Group with another high-quality distributor to some extent.
This has created a cycle, and the factory has no shortage of orders!
The huge consumer market and stable orders, in turn, have promoted the rapid iteration of production technology and the skill improvement of industrial workers, forming a powerful industrial cluster effect.
Thanks to Lin Haoran's deep involvement, the manufacturing ecosystem of Shenzhen and even the entire Pearl River Delta has been integrated into the global industrial chain earlier and more systematically than in his previous life, and has begun to climb upstream in the value chain.
Furthermore, Lin Haoran also plans to move some high-tech research institutes to Guangzhou or Shenzhen in the future.
For example, the soon-to-be-established Oracle Semiconductor company has a very ambitious future plan, and some of its industries will definitely be located in the Pearl River Delta.
Although huge profits may not be seen in the short term, this is a key investment that lays the foundation for the future information age, and its strategic significance cannot be measured in money.
In terms of infrastructure, the Guangzhou-Shenzhen Expressway, which he was involved in, is about to open to traffic. He has also been secretly promoting or investing in more expressway networks, port terminals, and even early power plant projects that connect the Pearl River Delta city cluster, all of which are paving the way for the take-off of this land.
This kind of "teaching a man to fish" investment has an immeasurable long-term impact.
It helped the mainland integrate into the global division of labor more quickly, accumulated valuable original industrial capital and technical management experience, and laid a solid foundation for subsequent industrial upgrading and economic take-off.
In a sense, Lin Haoran was not only a major financial backer of the mainland, but also one of the important "guides" on its path to industrialization.
Although his initial intention was commercial gain, the objective results were highly consistent with the strategic needs of national development, and even played a leading and exemplary role in some aspects.
At this moment, Ma Shimin returned from next door, carrying a large, exquisite gift box.
The gift box is approximately 50 centimeters in length, width, and height. It is made of fine sandalwood, with a surface polished smooth as a mirror, subtly revealing the deep luster of the wood grain. There are no superfluous carvings, only a small copper lock inlaid in the center of the box. "Boss, this is the gift box that was sent with the letter."
The other party emphasized that this item should be opened by you personally. Ma Shimin gently placed the gift box on the desk and took a step back.
Lin Haoran nodded, his gaze falling on the gift box.
He had a vague guess in his mind, but he wasn't sure.
He waved his hand, and Ma Shimin understood, silently leaving the office and gently closing the door behind him.
Lin Haoran was the only one left in the office.
The afternoon sun shone through the blinds, casting dappled shadows on the polished floor, creating a tranquil scene.
He reached out and stroked the cool surface of the sandalwood box, its texture smooth and warm to the touch.
Then he picked up the small brass key and inserted it into the keyhole.
With a soft "click," the latch popped open.
Lin Haoran took a deep breath and slowly lifted the lid of the box.
The box was lined with a deep red velvet lining, and two items were neatly arranged inside.
On the left is a pair of crystal-clear, flawless white jade dragon and phoenix pendants.
The jade is warm and smooth like solidified fat, and seems to have an inner radiance flowing under the sunlight.
The dragon and phoenix are not simple reliefs, but rather employ extremely complex and exquisite openwork and round carving techniques. The lines are smooth, the expressions are vivid, the dragon is majestic and vigorous, and the phoenix is elegant and beautiful. They are intertwined and symbolize "the dragon and phoenix bring good fortune and eternal unity".
Beneath the jade pendant was a folded piece of bright yellow silk cloth, embroidered with auspicious blessings in gold thread.
This is clearly a wedding gift for newlyweds, and its materials, craftsmanship, and symbolism are all worthy of being called national treasures.
On the right.
Lin Haoran's gaze froze.
On the right was not the ancient book or the Four Treasures of the Study that he had expected, but a long scroll carefully wrapped in bright yellow brocade.
The brocade was embroidered with auspicious clouds and dragon patterns, making it extremely solemn.
A thought struck him, and he carefully took out the long scroll and untied the brocade.
Inside was a beautifully framed scroll.
He slowly unfolded it.
When the contents of the scroll were fully revealed before his eyes, even with his iron will, Lin Haoran couldn't help but catch his breath and his pupils contracted slightly.
This is a calligraphy work.
The paper is specially made imperial Xuan paper, which is elegant yet durable.
There are eight characters written on it.
The bright red ink, standing out solemnly on the long scroll, seemed to carry immense weight and scalding heat, directly imprinting itself on Lin Haoran's heart.
"A true son of Hong Kong, a national hero!"
These eight words carry immense weight!
"A son of Hong Kong" is an affirmation of his background and feelings, indicating that his roots are in Hong Kong and his heart is with his motherland.
The word "unparalleled" elevates this praise to its peak!
This is not merely a commendation of his business achievements or contributions to investment in mainland China; it is the ultimate affirmation and praise of his entire character, talent, contributions, and status!
Its significance and symbolism are beyond words!
Lin Haoran's hands trembled slightly, not from fear, but from the immense shock and indescribable excitement.
He knew exactly what those eight words meant.
This means that he has been recognized!
At the same time, this is also a heavy responsibility.
He must use all his future words, deeds and achievements to be worthy of the title "unparalleled national hero"!
This calligraphy is a gift that is countless times more precious than those pair of white jade dragon and phoenix pendants!
This completely exceeded his best expectations.
This is not only an affirmation of his past, but also an infinite expectation and entrustment to his future!
After a long while, Lin Haoran slowly and very solemnly rolled up the scroll again, carefully wrapped it in bright yellow brocade, and put it back into the sandalwood box along with the pair of dragon and phoenix jade pendants, then locked it up.
He held the wooden box in his arms, feeling its heavy weight.
"A true son of Hong Kong, a national hero!" he repeated these eight words in a low voice.
If he were a true Hong Kong native, he probably wouldn't have been so excited.
But he was a time traveler, a native Chinese in his previous life, and his thoughts were completely different from those of native Hong Kongers!
He has the blood of the Chinese people flowing in his veins, and his soul is imprinted with a deep love and sense of belonging to this ancient land.
In his past life, he witnessed the great journey of the country from poverty and weakness to prosperity and strength, and that pride and expectation are engraved in his genes.
Now, he has been reborn as Lin Haoran, and although he is in Hong Kong, he has gained unprecedented wealth and influence.
But that feeling for one's country and homeland has not faded; on the contrary, it has become even more fervent and concrete because of being able to personally participate in and promote its development.
Every penny he invests, every industry he establishes, and every technology he introduces is, of course, driven by commercial interests.
But isn't it also a testament to his deep hope for the country's early rise and the nation's rejuvenation?
Seeing factories springing up in Shenzhen, seeing workers from the inland areas learn advanced skills, and seeing the changes I've brought about genuinely accelerate the industrialization process of this land, the sense of accomplishment is far beyond what mere wealth accumulation can provide.
Because of his emergence, China's economic reform and opening up is destined to be more successful and earlier!
This is not only an affirmation of Lin Haoran's business achievements, but also a resonance and reward for his deep-seated Chinese patriotism!
These eight words were a treasure to him more precious than any wealth or power.
It proves that the path he chose was correct, the effort he put in was worthwhile, and his future is bright!
It also means that from now on, Lin Haoran will not only be the richest man in Hong Kong, nor just a giant in the international business world!
Do businessmen know no borders?
Lin Haoran never thought that way!
The blood flowing in his veins destined his roots and his soul to be forever closely connected with that ancient and great civilization.
He can utilize international capital, establish global industrial layouts, and navigate and cooperate with various forces.
But his deepest sense of identity, belonging, and desire to do something for this nation and country has never changed.
On the contrary, this tendency intensifies with increased wealth and power. (End of Chapter)