Chapter 108: A Partnership Project with Southeast Asia's Richest Man
Causeway Bay was not far from Barker Road's villa district. In fact, Barker Road was located just behind Central, near the mid-levels below Victoria Peak Garden.
Barker Road was a two-way, two-lane road where buses and minibuses were prohibited.
The entrances to the residences were not directly connected to the roadside but instead linked by elevated sloping driveways.
Security guards were stationed at each entrance, and iron gates bore signs reading "Private Property. Beware of Dogs." It was an exclusive residential area offering an exceptionally high level of privacy.
Looking south toward the mountain, one could see the Lion Pavilion atop Victoria Peak.
Looking north, there was a magnificent panoramic view of Victoria Harbour, Central, and Tsim Sha Tsui across the water.
Compared to the Deep Water Bay villa district, Lin Haoran preferred this place.
Both its privacy and security were significantly better.
Following his father's Rolls-Royce, Lin Haoran sat in the rear seat beside him.
Li Weidong occupied the front passenger seat, while Li Weiguo had already driven the Mercedes back to the Deep Water Bay villa earlier.
The Rolls-Royce slowly entered the estate before coming to a smooth stop in the private parking space in front of a luxurious villa.
As the car door opened, Lin Haoran stepped out.
His eyes were immediately drawn to the villa's magnificent grandeur.
Every detail—from its enormous grounds to its lavish decorations—radiated wealth and prestige.
Even compared to the residence he had previously visited belonging to Pao Yue-kong, this mansion was equally impressive.
Not long afterward, a middle-aged man dressed in a custom-tailored suit approached them with a warm smile.
His eyes were filled with sincerity and hospitality, as though he had been eagerly awaiting their arrival.
"Mr. Lin, welcome to my humble home."
The man extended his right hand politely toward Lin Wan'an.
Maintaining his smile, Lin Wan'an immediately shook his hand.
"Mr. Kuo, the honor is mine.
Allow me to introduce my son—Lin Haoran."
Hearing this, Lin Haoran immediately understood a few things.
Although he hadn't recognized the man at first glance, he remembered that his father had previously mentioned discussing a cooperation project with the chairman of Kerry Group, Mr. Kuo.
It suddenly dawned on him that the gentleman standing before him was most likely the legendary Malaysian business tycoon—
Robert Kuok.
Lin Haoran respectfully bowed his head slightly toward him.
This man was one of the most influential Chinese businessmen in the world, someone whose status was no less prestigious than Pao Yue-kong.
"Hello, Uncle Kuo. My name is Lin Haoran."
Before the other man could speak, Lin Haoran smiled and took the initiative to introduce himself.
"Oh, Haoran."
Robert Kuok smiled warmly.
"I've heard about you—the young chairman of Qingzhou Yingni.
You truly are an outstanding young man.
You've brought great honor to Chinese entrepreneurs.
To achieve so much at your age is genuinely remarkable.
Your father even told me that everything you've accomplished was earned through your own talent and hard work, with very little assistance from him.
That's truly impressive.
When I was your age, I was only just starting my career."
"You're too kind, Uncle Kuo.
I've simply been fortunate."
Lin Haoran replied modestly.
Standing beside them, Lin Wan'an watched the exchange with immense pride and satisfaction.
The smile on his face never faded.
"Alright, let's not stand outside.
It's getting late.
Come inside and let's talk."
Robert Kuok said with a smile as the three men entered the luxurious villa together.
"I've already prepared dinner for everyone.
We'll enjoy the meal first, and afterward we can discuss business."
"It is truly an honor to enjoy a family dinner at your home, Mr. Kuo.
I'm certain this meal will be unforgettable."
Lin Wan'an laughed heartily, his voice filled with sincerity and anticipation.
Although Lin Wan'an's status in the business world was far below Robert Kuok's, decades of experience had allowed him to remain calm and composed in any situation.
Moreover, the Lin family now owned not only Wan'an Group but also the much stronger Qingzhou Yingni Company.
Together, the two companies represented a force that could not be underestimated.
Consequently, Lin Wan'an carried himself with both humility and confidence, displaying the bearing of a seasoned entrepreneur.
Upon entering the spacious and brightly lit living room on the first floor, Lin Haoran immediately sensed the peaceful atmosphere inside.
A gentle middle-aged woman and an elegant young lady were already waiting there.
The young woman possessed the graceful bearing of a refined lady from a distinguished family.
She appeared to be about the same age as Lin Haoran.
Her beautiful features and elegant demeanor were every bit as captivating as those of Hong Kong's famous actresses.
She instantly left a favorable impression on him, causing him to glance at her twice.
"Haoran, come, let me introduce everyone."
Robert Kuok warmly stepped forward.
"This is my wife, Mrs. Ho.
And this is my niece, Guo Xiaohan.
She has just returned from studying overseas.
I've asked her to come to Hong Kong to learn business management from me.
I'm sure you young people will have plenty in common."
Hearing the introduction, Lin Haoran silently nodded.
No wonder he had felt she was extraordinary the moment they met.
She turned out to be a treasured member of the Kuok family who had just returned from overseas.
He smiled politely.
"Miss Guo, it's a pleasure to meet you.
I've heard much about you."
"You're too kind, Mr. Lin.
I'm also very pleased to meet you."
Guo Xiaohan replied with a bright and pleasant voice, wearing a warm smile.
Regarding Mrs. Ho's identity, fragments of information quickly surfaced in Lin Haoran's memory.
If he remembered correctly...
She should be Robert Kuok's second wife.
In his previous life, he had once followed news about the newly appointed female chairperson of Shangri-La Hotels.
That outstanding businesswoman happened to be the daughter of Robert Kuok's second wife, whose surname was also Ho.
"Mr. Kuo, Mrs. Kuo, Miss Guo, thank you all for your warm hospitality."
Lin Wan'an once again expressed his gratitude.
The Kuok family was an enormous and remarkably united family.
Many years ago, the brothers had jointly established the Kuok Brothers Company, which became the cornerstone of the family's tremendous success.
Within the family business, Robert Kuok's brothers all occupied highly important positions.
Although Guo Xiaohan was merely Robert Kuok's niece, the fact that she had been personally brought to Hong Kong to study business management under him demonstrated that her standing within the family was equally significant.
During dinner, the delicious meal quickly brought everyone closer together.
Through casual conversation, Lin Haoran confirmed that the middle-aged man before him was indeed the world-famous Malaysian billionaire Robert Kuok.
At the same time, he gained an even deeper appreciation of the man.
Robert Kuok's words revealed remarkable foresight and unwavering confidence in Hong Kong's future, earning Lin Haoran's sincere admiration.
It was no wonder he had become Southeast Asia's richest man.
While many British-owned conglomerates had grown increasingly pessimistic about Hong Kong's future and were actively preparing to withdraw their investments...
Robert Kuok was doing exactly the opposite.
Since the early 1970s, he had paid tremendous attention to Hong Kong's market, steadily expanding his investments and businesses there.
He had even planned to make Hong Kong his primary place of residence, demonstrating both his affection for the city and his long-term commitment.
Several years earlier, he had established Kerry Trading Company in Hong Kong, focusing on futures trading and showcasing his extraordinary business instincts and courage.
Later, through careful planning and strategic cooperation, he successfully acquired reclaimed land in East Tsim Sha Tsui.
Those parcels of land happened to be located not far from Qingzhou Yingni's property.
After dinner, Robert Kuok led Lin Wan'an and Lin Haoran into a reception room.
Guo Xiaohan followed behind them and graciously prepared tea for everyone.
After taking a sip of fragrant tea, Lin Wan'an politely got straight to the point.
"Mr. Kuo, regarding the construction contract for the Shangri-La Hotel project...
Have you reached any decision?"
Several days earlier, Lin Wan'an had already discussed this matter with Lin Haoran in detail, so he was quite familiar with it.
Wan'an Group owned the highly respected Wan'an Construction Engineering Company.
The company possessed one of Hong Kong's finest construction teams.
It was precisely because of this professional strength that Wan'an Group had secured a firm position within Hong Kong's real estate industry, complementing its core property development business.
In recent years, Robert Kuok had made one major move after another in Hong Kong.
Among them, his successful acquisition of the prime waterfront site in East Tsim Sha Tsui had become one of the industry's biggest headlines.
Now that the land had been secured, development plans naturally followed.
Robert Kuok had already decided to build the second Shangri-La Hotel in the world on that site.
Furthermore, he intended to establish Hong Kong as the strategic headquarters for his hotel business, using it as the foundation for building an international hotel empire.
Previously, Lin Wan'an had already met with Robert Kuok twice to discuss the possibility of cooperation, hoping the two companies could work together on the project.
However, Robert Kuok's attitude had remained ambiguous.
He had never officially decided whether Wan'an Construction Engineering Company would be awarded the contract.
As early as 1971, the Kuok Brothers Group had successfully established the first Shangri-La Hotel in Singapore.
The luxurious hotel quickly won the favor of travelers and soon became one of Singapore's most prestigious luxury hotels.
Afterward, Robert Kuok did not rush to expand the Shangri-La brand.
Instead, he focused on refining and operating the flagship hotel, ensuring that its quality and service remained consistently exceptional.
Only after successfully acquiring the prime site in East Tsim Sha Tsui did he begin formulating his ambitious plan to build the second Shangri-La Hotel in Hong Kong.
However, Robert Kuok's core business operations had always been based in Malaysia and Singapore.
For him, Hong Kong represented an entirely new market filled with both opportunities and challenges.
Although the Kuok family had considerable experience in real estate development, their property business in Hong Kong was still in its infancy.
If they were to bring construction teams over from Singapore or Malaysia, the costs would undoubtedly increase significantly.
(End of Chapter)
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