Chapter 111: Going All In
During the four years he had worked tirelessly at the Youlian Yueji Ceiling Fan Factory, Lau Luen-hung gradually came to realize that the older generation's rigid adherence to traditional business practices could no longer satisfy his desire for innovation and change.
Although those years were filled with challenges, they also tempered his determination and strengthened his conviction in the path he wanted to take.
"Ah Hung, investing in you back then was truly one of my best decisions. Your performance has far exceeded my expectations!" Lin Haoran praised sincerely, his appreciation for Lau Luen-hung's abilities growing even stronger.
After leaving the small workshop that had constrained him for years, Lau seemed like a fish finally returning to the ocean. With sufficient capital at his disposal, he was finally free to unleash his talents. Every decision came naturally, and his business flourished as a result.
Hearing Lin Haoran's praise, Lau revealed a modest yet confident smile. The sense of fulfillment radiating from him was the greatest proof of all the hard work he had put in.
"Miss Li, please bring me last month's financial report. I'd like to review it," Lin Haoran said, turning to the finance manager, Li Meihui.
Not only had Li Meihui's loyalty remained unwavering, but over time it had actually grown even stronger, causing Lin Haoran to trust her more than ever.
He knew that as long as her loyalty remained intact, she would never do anything that harmed the company's interests. Even the hypothetical possibility of Lau Luen-hung privately persuading her to falsify financial records was, in Lin Haoran's eyes, simply impossible.
It was precisely because of this absolute trust that he could confidently entrust her with overseeing the company's finances.
"Right away, President Lin!"
Li Meihui responded immediately. She neatly retrieved a folder from her organized desk and respectfully handed it to him with both hands, every movement reflecting her professionalism and dedication.
"The company actually made a profit of HK$3.68 million last month?"
As Lin Haoran looked through the financial statements, surprise flashed across his face.
It had only been a little over a month since they had relocated from the tiny workshop in Aberdeen on October 29.
The report in his hands was Aimeigao Company's financial statement for November.
He hadn't expected the company to earn more than HK$3 million in profit during its very first full month after relocating.
In reality, aside from the HK$1 million he had loaned Lau Luen-hung, his actual investment in Aimeigao had only been US$1.2 million.
In other words, it had taken only one month for his investment to completely pay for itself.
No wonder, in his previous life, Lau Luen-hung had managed to grow from only tens of thousands of Hong Kong dollars in startup capital into assets worth over HK$100 million in just a little more than two years. The profits had been astonishing.
And that was despite the fact that nearly half of that period had been spent trapped inside a tiny workshop that severely limited the company's growth. Otherwise, earning only HK$100 million would have been impossible.
Then again, if judged purely by gross margins, the fan manufacturing industry wasn't actually an extremely high-profit business.
The real reason for the enormous earnings was the overwhelming number of orders. Small profits multiplied by huge sales naturally resulted in impressive income.
In this world, however, because Lin Haoran had intervened early and allowed Lau Luen-hung to prepare before the oil crisis arrived, everything would proceed much more smoothly.
If nothing unexpected happened, Lau Luen-hung would likely earn even more within the next two or three years than he ever had in the previous timeline.
Naturally, as one of Aimeigao's owners, Lin Haoran himself would profit just as much.
"Haoran, regarding last month's profits, I'm thinking we shouldn't distribute dividends just yet.
I've just secured an enormous order, and our current factory simply doesn't have enough production capacity.
I'm planning to rent both the first and third floors of the building while accelerating recruitment. My goal is to hire another one thousand workers within a week.
That would bring our total production workforce to over two thousand employees, enough to handle this sudden market opportunity.
What do you think?" Lau Luen-hung asked enthusiastically.
"I fully support your decision, Ah Hung.
The market changes brought about by this oil crisis won't disappear anytime soon. This is the perfect opportunity to expand production and seize market share.
As for the HK$1 million loan, there's no rush to repay it.
What's most important now is taking advantage of this window of opportunity to further penetrate the North American market and capture a larger share."
Lin Haoran agreed completely with Lau's proposal.
"Haha, Haoran, we really think alike!
I was worried you might have a different opinion, but it turns out we're completely on the same page.
Having a partner like you is my greatest fortune!"
Lau laughed heartily, his gratitude and admiration overflowing.
At that moment, he felt more fortunate than ever to have Lin Haoran as his business partner.
He recalled his previous partner back when he was running the small workshop.
Disagreements had been constant. Every important decision ended in conflict, causing the company to miss numerous opportunities.
Now, everything was different.
Not only had his ownership stake not been reduced after partnering with Lin Haoran, but he actually enjoyed even greater authority over company decisions.
He handled nearly all of the company's daily operations, while Lin Haoran provided strong support with his exceptional strategic vision whenever critical decisions had to be made, rarely interfering with routine management.
This level of trust and mutual understanding made Lau truly understand what a "perfect business partner" looked like.
Lin Haoran wasn't merely an outstanding partner—he was also a leader who knew how to delegate authority and listen to others.
Now, with the profits earned last month alone, they could confidently expand production without requiring additional investments from shareholders.
"Ah Hung, considering the excellent profits we made last month, we can confidently expand production without asking shareholders for more capital.
I also suggest that we refrain from paying dividends for the next two months.
You're not in urgent need of money right now, are you?
I believe this oil crisis will last at least one or two years.
During that period, demand for electric fans will remain exceptionally strong.
So go all out.
Accept every order you can, continue expanding production capacity, and seize as much of the market as possible.
I look forward to the day when you proudly tell me,
'Haoran, Aimeigao has become the number one fan manufacturer in Hong Kong!'"
By the time he finished speaking, Lin Haoran couldn't help but laugh.
According to his memories from his previous life, the Second Oil Crisis had indeed lasted for more than two years.
In that timeline, it was precisely during that prolonged crisis that Lau Luen-hung quietly accumulated his first fortune, laying the foundation for his future business empire.
Now, Lin Haoran had successfully seized that historical opportunity.
In a sense, Lau Luen-hung was helping him earn an enormous fortune.
Once the fan market gradually became saturated, Lin Haoran already had his next plan in mind.
He intended to capitalize on the company's success by taking Aimeigao public.
With the help of the capital markets, the company's market position could be further strengthened.
Then, at the right opportunity, he would sell off shares and harvest another enormous wave of profits.
Perfect.
"Exactly.
Aside from necessary business negotiations and coordinating with suppliers, I practically never leave the factory anymore.
At this stage, personal spending isn't important to me.
What matters is seizing this market opportunity.
No one knows how long the oil crisis will last.
But as you said, even without this crisis, demand for electric fans in North America had already been growing steadily.
The crisis has simply accelerated that growth dramatically.
Expanding production is inevitable.
Haoran, since you've given me this much confidence and support, then I'll go all in.
We'll accept every order that comes our way.
Whether it's North America, South America, or Europe, we'll give every market our absolute best.
I truly believe that if our products and service continue earning our customers' trust, Aimeigao becoming the leading fan manufacturer in Hong Kong—or even the world—isn't an impossible dream!"
The more Lau spoke, the more excited he became. His eyes sparkled with endless anticipation for the future.
His experience over the past six months running the small workshop had taught him one thing:
Thinking small would never accomplish great things.
Now, witnessing the company's explosive growth firsthand, he deeply understood just how astonishing wealth could accumulate once production capacity matched market demand.
He was no longer satisfied with slow, incremental growth.
He intended to use this opportunity to achieve a true leap forward.
Lau Luen-hung had already decided not to enter the Middle Eastern market.
Even without it, the global fan market still possessed enormous potential.
Developed markets such as Europe and North America offered consumers with much stronger purchasing power, creating broader sales opportunities and significantly higher profit margins.
Given those conditions, he naturally preferred selling his products in premium international markets rather than compromising on prices in the fiercely competitive Middle East.
"In that case," Lin Haoran continued, "I suggest establishing a dedicated Market Development Department.
You're undoubtedly very familiar with North America.
But the world is a huge place, and there are tremendous business opportunities elsewhere.
No matter how energetic you are, it's impossible for one person to manage everything.
Why not let a professional team handle market expansion?
We can use part of our profits as incentives and allow them to explore markets that neither of us knows well.
Doing so will significantly improve our operating efficiency, and as our market coverage expands, our order volume will naturally grow as well."
"You're right, Haoran.
I honestly hadn't considered that before.
Creating a marketing department and letting professionals handle market expansion would allow me to focus entirely on production and supply chain management.
I'll start preparing for it immediately and work on establishing the department as soon as possible."
Lau nodded in wholehearted agreement.
At that moment, he truly realized the importance of teamwork.
He understood that as the company continued to grow, the abilities of any single individual would eventually reach their limits.
Only by relying on a capable team could the company achieve long-term success.
And with just one simple suggestion, Lin Haoran had pointed the way toward the company's future.
Managing a growing enterprise could no longer be approached the same way one managed a small family workshop.
(End of Chapter)
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