Chapter 24: Hang Seng Bank
Although Lin Haoran was Lin Wan'an's son, Lin Wan'an's standing in the business world was perhaps still not high enough to directly attract the special attention of a heavyweight figure like Shen Bi, let alone Lin Haoran himself.
So, for Lin Haoran, arranging a direct meeting with Shen Bi would not be easy.
If he simply showed up unannounced, there was a good chance he would be turned away.
Of course, if he revealed that he held a large stake in Qingzhou Yingni, Shen Bi would certainly agree to meet him.
But doing so would also expose his identity as Qingzhou Yingni's largest shareholder.
At that moment, Lin Haoran fully understood that in the business world, one's personal influence and reputation were just as important as one's capital.
The name Pao Yue-kong flashed through his mind.
He realized that perhaps, through the well-connected Shipping King, he might have a chance to meet Shen Bi.
After all, Pao Yue-kong had formed a favorable impression of him not long ago and had even warmly invited him to visit his home.
That alone showed they had established a good rapport.
However, after letting the idea linger in his mind for a moment, Lin Haoran rejected it himself.
The reason was simple.
He was currently watching Wharf Holdings closely, hoping to profit from its shares.
In a sense, that meant he was indirectly "feeding off" the very battle in which Pao Yue-kong had invested enormous effort.
Under such circumstances, asking Pao Yue-kong to introduce him to Shen Bi would only complicate matters by creating a debt of gratitude.
Lin Haoran understood perfectly well that in the business world, favors were rarely free—they almost always came with expectations attached.
What he sought right now was a straightforward business relationship, not one tangled in personal obligations.
After careful consideration, he abandoned the idea of asking Pao Yue-kong for an introduction and decided to look for another path.
After thinking it over, Lin Haoran quickly relaxed.
With his Qingzhou Yingni shares serving as collateral, obtaining another loan was no longer a difficult task.
There was no need to rely solely on HSBC.
Since there were other ways to accomplish the same goal, there was no reason to become fixated on just one option.
Building a good relationship with HSBC would certainly help him establish a stronger foothold in Hong Kong and even facilitate future acquisitions of British-owned companies.
But that could wait.
At this moment, Lin Haoran was filled with confidence and anticipation for the future.
He believed that as long as he continued working hard in Hong Kong, steadily accumulating experience and strength, one day he would carve out a place of his own in the business world and establish real influence.
When that day came, meeting and negotiating with anyone would be effortless rather than an unattainable dream.
With that thought, Lin Haoran put the matter aside and focused on the task at hand.
Since British-owned banks were not ideal for this loan, he shifted his attention to Chinese-owned banks instead.
Very soon, an idea came to him.
He decided to approach Hang Seng Bank, one of the strongest and most influential Chinese-owned banks in Hong Kong.
Although Hang Seng Bank had suffered severely during the 1965 bank run and was eventually acquired by HSBC, its core management—especially its chairman, Mr. Ho Sin Hang—had remained firmly in place.
Meeting Shen Bi directly might be difficult for now, but Lin Haoran believed that approaching Ho Sin Hang might allow him to achieve the same objective through another route.
The reason was simple.
His father, Lin Wan'an, had maintained a long-standing and excellent business relationship with Hang Seng Bank.
Virtually all of Wan'an Group's financial operations relied on Hang Seng Bank as its primary banking partner.
As the young master of the Wan'an Group, Lin Haoran believed that no matter the circumstances, Ho Sin Hang would surely take into account the longstanding relationship between the Lin family and Hang Seng Bank, as well as Wan'an Group's importance as a client, and grant him an audience.
After all, in the business world, personal relationships and mutual interests often went hand in hand, driving cooperation and progress.
Having settled on his next course of action, Lin Haoran first gathered the share certificates for Qingzhou Yingni before decisively leaving his office.
It was only a little past four in the afternoon.
There was still plenty of time to make a trip to Hang Seng Bank.
The moment he got into the car, he took the front passenger seat and said to Li Weiguo, who had already climbed into the driver's seat,
"Weiguo, let's head to 163–165 Queen's Road Central. I'll guide you—you drive."
Not long ago, both Li Weiguo and Li Weidong had successfully earned their driver's licenses.
In just over a week, Lin Haoran had already witnessed Li Weiguo's driving skills and was quite impressed.
Confident in his abilities, he entrusted the steering wheel to him.
As for Li Weidong, he gave off an honest and somewhat simple-minded impression.
In Lin Haoran's view, driving demanded complete concentration and precise control.
Until Li Weidong became much more experienced behind the wheel, Lin Haoran had no intention of letting him drive.
After all, safety always came first.
"Understood, Young Master."
Li Weiguo started the engine, his eyes fixed attentively on the road ahead.
He knew that although he had been in Hong Kong for nearly a month, he still wasn't familiar with its streets.
Fortunately, the young master was like a living navigation system, able to guide him without hesitation.
From the memories he had inherited, Lin Haoran had visited Hang Seng Bank's headquarters many times before, usually accompanying his father.
Following Lin Haoran's precise directions, the car weaved smoothly through the city streets.
Within a few minutes, it came to a stop in front of Hang Seng Bank's headquarters.
As one of Hong Kong's most renowned financial institutions, its headquarters naturally occupied a prime location in the bustling Central district, surrounded by numerous local and international financial organizations.
Lin Haoran stepped out of the car with Li Weiguo.
Before them stood a modest-looking five-story building.
Compared to the towering skyscrapers that filled Central, it wasn't particularly eye-catching and even appeared rather understated.
Yet this unassuming building housed the headquarters of the famous Hang Seng Bank.
Upon entering the lobby, Lin Haoran instructed Li Weiguo and Li Weidong to wait in the lounge area while he headed straight for the lobby manager.
Since he had accompanied his father here on many occasions, many of the bank's management personnel already recognized him.
"Manager Zhang, good afternoon."
Lin Haoran quickly spotted the busy lobby manager and greeted him warmly.
"Young Master Lin! What a pleasant surprise. It's been a while! How have you been? What brings you here today?" Manager Zhang immediately stopped what he was doing and greeted him with a broad smile, clearly surprised by his visit.
"I'm here to see Chairman He regarding a business matter. May I ask if Chairman He is currently in the office?"
"Young Master Lin, is it something urgent? Please allow me to confirm whether Chairman He is in the office and available to receive guests."
"Certainly. Thank you for your trouble, Manager Zhang."
Lin Haoran nodded with a smile.
A few minutes later, Manager Zhang returned with a smile on his face.
"Young Master Lin, I've confirmed it. Chairman He is currently in his office and has specifically instructed me to escort you there. Please follow me."
(End of Chapter)
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