Chapter 7: What Can Just Ten Million Do?
When Li Weiguo and Li Weidong had crossed the border illegally, they hadn't brought any belongings with them.
Naturally, they had no luggage to pack now.
At the moment, they were still wearing Huafeng Cement Factory uniforms.
After returning to the room in the office building, Lin Haoran told the two brothers to wait outside while he went in to pack his things.
In truth, there wasn't much to pack.
He hadn't brought many belongings with him in the first place.
After stuffing a few sets of clothes into a suitcase, Lin Haoran also packed the business registration certificate of Huafeng Cement Factory and the land ownership certificate for the factory grounds.
Huafeng Cement Factory had a history of more than ten years.
Back when it was established, land in Yuen Long wasn't worth much. When Lin Wan'an built the factory, he had conveniently purchased over 30,000 square meters of surrounding land at a very low price.
Today, that land alone was worth more than seven million Hong Kong dollars.
Lin Haoran had already thought of a way to obtain startup capital:
Using Huafeng Cement Factory as collateral for a loan.
There was no way he would ever sell the factory.
After all, it was directly tied to his competition with his elder brother, Lin Haoning.
However, that didn't stop him from using it to quickly raise the funds he needed and provide strong financial support for his next plans.
After finishing his packing, Lin Haoran walked out.
Li Weiguo naturally took the initiative to carry the luggage.
Lin Haoran's car was a Mercedes-Benz W116 sedan.
As the son of a wealthy family, the car he drove was naturally far from ordinary.
After the fusion of his memories from two lifetimes, he had also gained a deep understanding of Hong Kong during this era.
To return from Huafeng Cement Factory to urban Kowloon, one had to head south through Tuen Mun, then take Tuen Mun Road all the way back into the city.
In the past, Lin Yi had always driven while Lin Haoran sat in the back seat.
But neither Li Weiguo nor Li Weidong knew how to drive.
So this time, Lin Haoran had no choice but to drive himself back to the city.
Road planning in this era wasn't as complicated as it would become in later generations.
Especially in remote areas like Yuen Long, there was usually only one main road, and every intersection had detailed directional signs.
Therefore, Lin Haoran wasn't worried about getting lost.
After the luggage was loaded, Li Weiguo and Li Weidong looked around with excitement and curiosity.
“Young Master, we've never ridden in a private car before. Back on the mainland, we only rode buses and transport trucks. These seats are so comfortable!” Li Weidong said while looking around in amazement.
“Fasten your seatbelts. Young Master is taking you out to see the world.”
“Young Master, what's a seatbelt?”
“It's the strap beside your seat. It helps protect passengers' safety.”
...
Even with memories from two lifetimes, Lin Haoran still found driving such a classic old vehicle quite fascinating.
The radio in the dashboard played popular Cantonese songs of the era.
Along the way, they encountered several border patrol inspections.
However, once Lin Haoran identified himself, they were immediately allowed through.
More than two hours later, the car finally entered the suburban area of Tsuen Wan.
Buildings became increasingly numerous.
In this era, Tsuen Wan was already highly developed.
Especially after the completion of the Kwai Chung Container Terminal, the area had become a hotbed for investment among Hong Kong businessmen.
“So many tall buildings over there!”
“It's so prosperous!”
“That woman has no shame. Her clothes are so revealing—half her upper body is exposed!”
“Brother Weiguo, I spotted another one over here! Hurry and look! It's making me drool!”
After arriving in Tsuen Wan and seeing the bustling streets on both sides, the two brothers became extremely excited.
They chatted endlessly, filled with curiosity and amazement at everything around them.
“This is still considered the suburbs,” Lin Haoran said with a smile.
Because Tsuen Wan housed many logistics warehouses and port facilities, there were a large number of cargo trucks on the roads.
As a result, traffic became congested after entering the area, and vehicles moved very slowly.
“This is still the suburbs? Then how prosperous must the city center be?” Li Weiguo exclaimed.
Seeing the traffic jam ahead, Lin Haoran simply exited the main road at the next intersection.
It was already one o'clock in the afternoon.
Time to find somewhere to eat.
After randomly choosing a restaurant and having lunch, Lin Haoran started the car again.
He first entered Kowloon City District and brought Li Weiguo and Li Weidong to an Immigration Department office.
After filling out the necessary paperwork, the two successfully obtained Hong Kong identity cards.
After watching Li Weiguo easily defeat Lin Yi, Lin Haoran had begun to value the two brothers even more.
“From today onward, you are officially part of Hong Kong. You no longer need to worry about anyone investigating your past,” Lin Haoran said with a smile outside the office.
“Thank you, Boss,” the two replied excitedly.
He then took them to a nearby clothing store and bought each of them three suits, having them immediately change into one set.
Afterward, he brought them to a barbershop for military-style buzz cuts.
As the saying goes, clothes make the man.
Once the two brothers changed into suits, put on ties, and got new hairstyles, their entire temperament transformed.
With sunglasses added, they even gave off the aura of underworld bosses.
Since they were now Lin Haoran's bodyguards, they couldn't continue wearing Huafeng Cement Factory uniforms forever.
That would only invite ridicule.
In the business world, appearances mattered.
At that moment, Lin Haoran noticed that their loyalty had risen once again.
Li Weiguo: 【Loyalty: 87/100】
Li Weidong: 【Loyalty: 90/100】
Li Weiguo's loyalty increased by three points.
As for Li Weidong, although he only gained one point this time, his loyalty had already surpassed ninety.
Naturally, the higher the loyalty, the better.
At such levels, there was virtually no need to worry about betrayal.
After fulfilling the brothers' wishes, Lin Haoran wasted no time and headed directly to Admiralty Tower in Wan Chai on Hong Kong Island.
Given his status as the youngest son of the chairman of Wan'an Group, obtaining a loan in Hong Kong was extremely easy.
However, he wasn't looking to borrow merely ten or twenty million dollars.
Major legitimate banks such as HSBC, Standard Chartered, and Hang Seng Bank would certainly limit the amount they lent in order to reduce risk.
If Lin Haoran approached those banks, securing a loan would be easy.
But even if he used Huafeng Cement Factory as collateral, he could probably borrow only ten to twenty million Hong Kong dollars at most.
And he wasn't satisfied with that.
What could such a small amount of money possibly accomplish?
The elevator stopped on the seventeenth floor of Admiralty Tower.
Lin Haoran, accompanied by his two newly recruited bodyguards, stood before the glass entrance of an office.
A plaque hung beside the door.
It read:
Hong Kong Malaya Yumin Finance Company
Today's target was precisely this finance company.
At present, the Hong Kong government was actively working to develop Hong Kong into an international financial center.
To support that goal, restrictions on banking licenses had been relaxed in March of that year.
Over the past few months alone, more than twenty new banking licenses had been issued.
The rapid increase in the number of banks, combined with the surge of various financial institutions, had dramatically intensified competition within the banking industry.
To use a phrase from Lin Haoran's previous life:
Hong Kong's banking sector was incredibly competitive right now.
How competitive?
So competitive that some financial institutions were sitting on enormous cash reserves yet struggling to find enough borrowers to lend their money to.
(End of Chapter)
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