Chapter 946
Gaining Control of Cheung Kong's Financial Management
Reception room, 51st floor, Kang Le Building.
Lin Haoran, who had just seen Li Jiacheng off, stood in front of the oval window, looking down at the building below through the glass.
Standing at a height of over 170 meters in the building, he couldn't see the situation below very clearly, but he could see Li Jiacheng's Rolls-Royce, which had just driven out of the underground parking garage, very clearly.
The black car body reflected a dazzling light in the sunlight, slowly merging into the traffic flow of Central, and soon disappeared among the towering buildings.
Lin Haoran's gaze followed the car until it was completely out of sight before he looked away.
Out of gratitude to Lin Haoran, Li Jiacheng made a very important decision.
Although Lin Haoran did not want control of Cheung Kong Holdings and had no intention of increasing his shareholding, the two sides had never gotten along.
Li Jiacheng knew that without a substantive statement, the rumors and gossip would never stop.
He wasn't one to like owing favors, especially since this favor was so significant that it weighed heavily on his mind.
Therefore, Li Jiacheng decided to hand over the position of Chief Financial Officer of Cheung Kong Holdings to someone appointed by Lin Haoran, while the original Chief Financial Officer of Cheung Kong Holdings will become his deputy.
This means that the financial power of Cheung Kong Holdings will be completely handed over to Lin Haoran.
This is not a symbolic statement, but a real transfer of power.
Once the financial power is handed over to Lin Haoran, even if he is not the chairman, nothing about Cheung Kong Holdings can be hidden from Lin Haoran.
Li Jiacheng is expressing his gratitude to Lin Haoran through concrete actions.
Lin Haoran was very surprised by Li Jiacheng's decision.
However, he accepted it without any surprise!
After all, a loan of HK$20 billion is not a small amount. If the CFO is one of his own people, then his people will know exactly where any of Cheung Kong's funds will go in the future, and he won't have to worry about Li Ka-shing using them for things he doesn't know about.
Li Jiacheng's meaning was actually quite simple: to make Lin Haoran completely trust Cheung Kong Holdings.
At this moment, his heart was filled with emotion.
In his previous life, he practically grew up hearing the name Li Jiacheng. He knew from a young age that he was the richest Chinese man and a legend in the business world.
At that time, he was just a child from an ordinary family. Occasionally, he would see Li Jiacheng attending various important occasions in the news, surrounded by political and business celebrities, displaying the demeanor of a big shot in every gesture.
He never imagined that one day he would sit in the same meeting room as such a person, let alone that the other party would humbly ask him for help.
The moment Li Jiacheng bowed and apologized, his heart stirred slightly.
It wasn't just being moved, it was feeling a sense of感慨 (gǎnkǎi, a complex emotion encompassing both emotion and reflection).
Once upon a time, this man was a powerful figure in Hong Kong's business world, revered as "Superman," and admired by countless people.
But now, he is bowing his head and admitting his mistake in front of me, his posture as humble as a student who has made a mistake.
Nowadays, Lin Haoran regards the other party as a tool for him to make money.
Life's encounters are truly unpredictable.
Liu Xiaoli came in and poured out Lin Haoran's cold tea, replacing it with a hot one.
Seeing the boss standing by the window deep in thought, she didn't disturb him. She simply placed the teacup gently on the coffee table, then quietly left, closing the door behind her.
……
Three days later, on October 25, Cheung Kong Holdings issued an announcement to the public.
The announcement was brief yet substantial: Cheung Kong Holdings has entered into a strategic partnership with Hang Seng Bank, securing a HK$2 billion credit line for a three-year term at the most favorable interest rate.
At the same time, Cheung Kong Holdings will suspend the development of all non-core projects, focus on digesting existing inventory, optimizing asset structure, and reducing debt ratio.
The news sent shockwaves through Hong Kong's business community once again.
This is not the first time that Cheung Kong Holdings has become the focus of public opinion.
This time, however, people are not focused on Cheung Kong Holdings' predicament, but rather on the significance behind Hang Seng Bank's massive credit line.
Two billion? At the height of the Hong Kong property crisis, Hang Seng Bank actually dared to lend two billion to Cheung Kong Holdings.
This is not just a matter of money, but also a matter of confidence.
Who is behind Hang Seng Bank?
Lin Haoran.
Lin Haoran's willingness to inject capital into Cheung Kong Holdings at this time demonstrates his confidence in the future of Hong Kong Properties and Cheung Kong Holdings as a whole.
The financial section of Sing Tao Daily used the headline: "Lin Haoran strongly supports Li Jiacheng; the grand strategy behind the 2 billion credit line."
The article analyzes that Lin Haoran's move is not only to save Cheung Kong Holdings, but also to save the entire Hong Kong real estate market.
Cheung Kong Holdings is a flagship company in Hong Kong's real estate industry. If it collapses, it will be a devastating blow to the confidence of the entire market.
Lin Haoran's intervention was both a self-rescue effort and a market rescue.
The Oriental Daily News headline was even more direct: "Lin Haoran and Li Jiacheng shake hands and make peace; former rivals are now allies."
The article reviewed the history of Li Ka-shing leading the formation of the "Anti-Lam Alliance" to suppress Lam Ho-yin, calling this reconciliation "the biggest reversal in Hong Kong's business community."
The article concludes: "In the business world, there are no permanent enemies or permanent friends, only permanent interests. The handshake between Lin Haoran and Li Jiacheng proves this point."
Ta Kung Pao's commentary was more rational: "The 2 billion credit line is not just a matter of money, but also a signal of confidence. Lin Haoran is using real money to tell the market that he is confident in the future of Hong Kong."
The article also mentioned that Lin Haoran had previously publicly announced on television that he would invest 20 billion to support Hong Kong real estate, and the credit line that Hang Seng Bank has now given to Cheung Kong Holdings is a concrete fulfillment of that promise.
Although Lin Haoran had previously acquired shares in Cheung Kong during his business battle with Li Jiacheng, everyone knows that the relationship between the two has never improved.
There are even rumors that Lin Haoran's representative at Cheung Kong Holdings has no management authority whatsoever.
Several months ago, a rumor circulated that a senior executive of Cheung Kong Holdings was drunk and that Li Ka-shing was always trying to take back the shares held by Lam Ho-yin.
Now that the news of this two billion credit line has come out, those rumors have been dispelled.
What people saw was no longer Li Jiacheng's hostility towards Lin Haoran, nor his deep-seated hatred, but rather Lin Haoran's trust in Li Jiacheng.
Two billion is no small sum. If Lin Haoran didn't have enough trust in Li Jiacheng, he wouldn't have been able to come up with this money.
Even though Lin Haoran holds a significant number of shares in Cheung Kong Holdings.
But so what?
For the people of Hong Kong, Lam Ho-yin is already a legend.
Cheung Kong Holdings' shares are but a drop in the ocean compared to his vast business empire.
His willingness to contribute 2 billion to support Li Ka-shing is a strong signal that Lin Haoran is optimistic about the future of Hong Kong Real Estate and Cheung Kong Holdings.
The topic of this matter is being discussed everywhere—on the streets, in teahouses, and in office buildings.
"Have you heard? Lin Haoran lent Li Jiacheng two billion!"
“It’s not a loan, it’s a credit line from Hang Seng Bank, but everyone knows that the owner of Hang Seng Bank is Lin Haoran. What’s the difference between this and Lin Haoran lending money to Li Jiacheng?”
"Weren't these two mortal enemies? How come they're suddenly working together?"
"In the business world, there are no permanent enemies. Lin Haoran has money, and Li Jiacheng has ability. It's not a bad thing for the two of them to cooperate."
"Two billion! Lin Haoran is really daring to give that much. What if Cheung Kong Holdings can't survive this crisis? Wouldn't that two billion be wasted? When he acquired Cheung Kong Holdings shares before, it didn't even cost him 10 billion, right?"
"What do you know? The fact that Lin Haoran is willing to lend money means that he is optimistic about Cheung Kong Holdings and Hong Kong Real Estate. If he wasn't optimistic, he wouldn't lend a single penny."
"Besides, Lin Haoran still holds 38.4% of Cheung Kong Holdings' shares. If Cheung Kong Holdings collapses, his shares will be worthless. By lending money to Cheung Kong Holdings, he is also saving his own investment."
"So, Lin Haoran isn't doing a good deed, but rather making a business deal?"
"Of course it's about doing business. Do you think Lin Haoran is a philanthropist? Every business deal he makes is calculated. He lends money to Cheung Kong to help Cheung Kong get through its difficulties. Once Cheung Kong recovers, his shares will be valuable. No matter how you look at it, it's a win-win situation."
"And what about Li Jiacheng? Wasn't he always trying to take back the shares from Lin Haoran? Now that he's taken Lin Haoran's money, he still has the nerve to try and take them back?"
"Times have changed. Li Jiacheng took Lin Haoran's money, which means he owes Lin Haoran a favor. If he wants to seize shares again, it's not just a business issue, it's a matter of character. Although Li Jiacheng is shrewd, he is not the kind of person who forgets kindness."
Amid the discussions, some expressed amazement, some sighed with emotion, and a small number rekindled their confidence in Xiangjiang Real Estate.
Yes, only a small number of people.
The public's confidence in Hong Kong's future prospects is not so easy to restore.
A real estate crisis, coupled with political uncertainty, is enough to make most people choose to wait and see, or even flee.
It has been a full month since the real estate crisis began.
During that month, the entire Hong Kong real estate industry was like a stagnant pool.
Transaction volume has shrunk to a freezing point, and housing prices are falling every day. Those properties that were once highly sought after are now deserted.
Real estate developers are in a state of panic, banks are tightening credit, and speculators are losing everything. The entire industry is like a large ship that has lost power in a storm, and it could sink at any moment.
New housing developments are plastered with discount banners everywhere, and there are more salespeople than customers in the sales offices.
Some properties even advertised "buy a house and get a parking space free", "buy a house and get free renovations", and "down payment of 10%", but still no one was interested.
As for second-hand homes, the situation is even worse.
Many speculators who bought properties at high prices two or three years ago are now unable to sell them because prices have fallen by 30% or 40%.
If I don't sell, the monthly mortgage payments will be suffocating; if I do sell, the down payment and interest I lose will be enough to buy another small apartment.
Caught between a rock and a hard place, I wanted to cry but had no tears.
Nearly 100,000 middle- and high-income earners in Hong Kong are waiting in line to immigrate, and they are selling their properties at low prices, some even at a loss, in order to cash out as soon as possible.
The departure of these individuals further exacerbated market panic.
Those who haven't decided whether to leave are also watching and waiting to see how the situation develops.
No one wants to gamble their life savings in a place with an uncertain future.
Everything was so shocking; it's hard for people who haven't experienced this period to imagine the panic.
Those who haven't experienced it firsthand will never understand that kind of despair. House prices are falling every day, assets are shrinking every day, and you don't know when it will stop.
The citizens only know that if they don't sell now, they might lose even more money.
So these residents had no choice but to grit their teeth and sell their houses at 20% or 30% below market price, taking the cash with them as they left this place that had caused them so much heartache.
Then, watching others take over at an even lower price left me with indescribable feelings.
Business tycoons like Li Zhaoji and Lü Zhihe, who possess substantial cash flow and are poised to successfully buy at the bottom of the market, naturally lack the courage to make a move now, as they themselves cannot foresee the future direction.
They don't know how long the crisis will last, how much further house prices will fall, or when the political uncertainty will dissipate.
They have money, but they dare not make a move. Because they are not Lin Haoran; they don't have Lin Haoran's informational advantage or his confidence.
Therefore, Lin Haoran is the only person truly buying at the bottom right now.
His companies, such as Hongkong Land and Hong Kong Electric, not only didn't need to secretly buy at the bottom, but they also openly and legitimately did so.
The reason is simple: many real estate developers who can't hold on have to ask for help in order to raise funds and sell their core properties.
Because there are simply no other buyers in the market.
The advantage of him being the only one who dares to buy at the bottom is that he can not only buy high-quality properties, but also drive the price down even further, because he knows the other party has no other choice.
Banks are unwilling to lend, other real estate developers are struggling to survive, and overseas capital is withdrawing. Only his various groups have a lot of cash on hand and are not worried that the real estate crisis will last.
If you don't lower the price now, when will you?
It's not that he's heartless; it's just the way the market works.
In the business world, no one will give you a discount just because you feel sorry for them.
If you don't make a move, someone else will.
If you don't negotiate the price down, others will.
Since we saw this opportunity earlier than others, we naturally seized it without hesitation.
In a villa in the hillside, Lin Haoran sat with his legs crossed, looking at the newspaper reports.
Despite the fact that every newspaper report expressed concern for the country and its people, and deep worry about the current state of Hong Kong, Lin Haoran remained calm.
It's not that he's devoid of emotion, but rather that he understands better than most that this crisis will eventually pass.
The crisis will pass sooner or later.
Whether you can get through it or not, it's your own choice.
Lin Haoran is not a savior; he cannot save everyone.
All he can do is protect himself during the crisis and gain greater benefits from it.
Behind him was Keiko Yamada, whom he hadn't seen for several months.
Yesterday evening, Keiko Yamada landed at Kai Tak International Airport, and Lin Haoran sent a driver to pick her up.
The reason I came to Hong Kong was naturally because I missed Lin Haoran.
Seeing that the other party's loyalty was still 100%, Lin Haoran was quite at ease with this Japanese girl.
The other party did not feel dissatisfied because she publicly got married and had a child, and remained the same as before.
I have to say, this Japanese girl is really captivating. She's obedient, sensible, never asks for anything, and never complains.
This also puts his mind at ease, allowing the other party to continue staying in Japan to help him oversee the industry there.
He couldn't give her a title or a promise; all he could offer her was money and occasional company, and even then, she had to fly to Hong Kong to be with him.
But she never cared about these things; she only devoted herself to being good to him.
It's hard not to be attracted to a woman like this.
Keiko Yamada gently hugged him from behind, pressed her cheek against his back, and said softly, "Hiroko-kun, what are you thinking about?"
Lin Haoran turned around, picked her up, and placed her on his lap. He gently patted her shapely bottom and chuckled, "Nothing, just reading the newspaper."
Is what the newspapers are saying true? Is Hong Kong really doomed?
Lin Haoran pinched the other person's sensitive area and chuckled, "No, Hong Kong won't be finished. These are just temporary. It will be fine in a few years. I have full confidence in Hong Kong."
Keiko Yamada nodded as if she understood, letting Lin Haoran caress her. Her rosy cheeks and dreamy eyes showed that she was already aroused and wished she could merge her body into Lin Haoran's.
Lin Haoran looked at her and a slight smile appeared on his lips, but he stopped what he was doing.
He reached out and gently pinched her cheek, laughing, "In broad daylight, why are you in such a hurry?"
Keiko Yamada blushed and whispered, "I haven't seen you in so long."
Last night, the two of them stayed up very late, but Keiko Yamada seemed to never get tired.
Lin Haoran sometimes wondered if this woman had a perpetual motion machine inside her body.
However, he likes it.
It wasn't because she could bring him much physical pleasure, but because she made him feel that he was still a human being with flesh and blood, not just a calculating machine.
After the two played around on the sofa for a while, Keiko Yamada massaged Lin Haoran while reporting on the situation at the Japan branch of the Landmark Group.
Although Keiko Yamada did not have any actual management authority in the Japanese branch of the Landmark Group, she was Lin Haoran's secretary in Japan, and therefore had access to the core business situation there.
Although Keiko Yamada is Japanese, her loyalty to Lin Haoran is 100%, so he naturally trusts her.
In the reports, Zhao Xin was inevitably mentioned frequently by Keiko Yamada.
In June, after Fok Kin-ning was transferred back to Hong Kong to serve as president of Hongkong Land Group, the position of president of the Japanese branch was taken over by Zhao Xin, the former vice president.
Although the name Zhao Xin sounds quite Chinese, he is actually a pure white person.
He chose this Chinese name simply because he thought it sounded cool.
It is worth mentioning that although Zhao Xin has foreign ancestry, he is a native of Hong Kong. He was born in Hong Kong, and his ancestors settled in Hong Kong a hundred years ago.
Zhao Xin studied in the UK during his university years, and after graduation, he easily joined Hongkong Land Group thanks to his British ancestral background.
He has served at Hongkong Land for over two decades and has a deep understanding and extensive experience in the real estate business.
When Lin Haoran first took over the Landmark Group, he considered replacing a group of senior executives, but Zhao Xin's performance impressed him.
Although this person has a strong personality, his professional skills are indeed outstanding, so he was sent to Japan to assist Huo Jianning in pioneering the land there.
According to Huo Jianning, Zhao Xin demonstrated exceptional insight and execution in developing the Japanese real estate market.
Therefore, after Huo Jianning was promoted, Zhao Xin was also promoted.
Lin Haoran neither particularly liked nor disliked Zhao Xin.
He's a pragmatist; as long as he can get things done, he doesn't care whether the other person is white, black, or Asian.
Zhao Xin is capable, has strong execution skills, and is loyal to the Landmark Group; that's enough. (End of Chapter)