Chapter 361 Important Mission
The day after meeting with Warren Buffett, Lin Haoran made a trip to the Wanqing Building. It was the first time he had come to the company since the timed bomb incident six days earlier. Prior to this, he had either stayed at the villa on Shixun Road or secluded himself in his residence in Deep Water Bay. His only outing had been to the Joy Lai Restaurant in Tsim Sha Tsui; otherwise, he had not left these secure locations.
All these cautious arrangements were made to ensure his safety. Until the Dark Guard team was fully in place, he remained vigilant about his personal security.
Today, Lin Haoran decided to come to Wanqing Building because, after meeting with Warren Buffett, he had developed a clearer plan for his next steps.
As three of his cars slowly drove into the underground parking lot of Wanqing Building, more than a dozen bodyguards followed closely behind. Two of them stayed behind in the parking lot to guard the vehicles against any unexpected incidents, like the last time.
With these personal bodyguards protecting him, Lin Haoran's safety significantly increased.
After skillfully navigating his way into his personal office, Lin Haoran quickly summoned Su Zhixue.
"Boss, you called for me?" Su Zhixue asked respectfully, closing the door softly behind him and standing in front of Lin Haoran.
"Yes, there's something I need to discuss with you. By the way, how much liquid capital does the company currently have on hand?" Lin Haoran asked.
Most of his funds were stored in the Huanyu Investment Company, his personal investment firm, making it easier to manage transfers and financial operations there.
He could see the loyalty of his employees from top to bottom, so he wasn't worried about any financial mishaps.
"Boss, at present, we have about 1.385 billion Hong Kong dollars in liquid assets," Su Zhixue reported truthfully.
Lin Haoran nodded. 1.385 billion HKD was indeed not a small amount. The fact that such a large sum remained was within his expectations.
A few months ago, Lin Haoran had successfully secured a loan of 2 billion HKD from HSBC.
Following that, through a series of shrewd business deals in the UK, he had not only earned substantial profits but also unexpectedly obtained 56,000 shares of Berkshire Hathaway, a significant bonus.
After returning to Hong Kong, Lin Haoran had actively promoted the listing of Aimeigao Company.
With Aimeigao's successful public offering, he strategically sold off his shares at the right time and gained an additional 1.1 billion HKD from the Carrian Group.
Thus, even though he had heavily invested in acquiring shares of Jardines Matheson and the Land Group, it was reasonable that he still had 1.385 billion HKD left.
It had been over two weeks since the absorption of Jardines Matheson and Land Group shares.
During this time, Huanyu Investment Company maintained a low profile, focusing mainly on supporting the securities departments of Wanqing Group and Hongkong Electric Holdings.
As for Jardines Matheson, there was naturally no need for additional support from Huanyu Investment Company.
After all, under Jardines Matheson's umbrella was the renowned Hong Kong securities firm, Jardine Securities.
When compared, Huanyu Investment Company was still far less powerful than Jardine Securities.
There was no way around it—Huanyu Investment had only been established two years ago, lacking the deep historical roots of Jardine Securities.
However, as Huanyu Investment continued to accumulate more experience through acquisitions, its strength had steadily grown. Today, Huanyu Investment was considered one of the top-tier investment firms in Hong Kong.
"Zhixue, I have an important mission for you," Lin Haoran said, his tone becoming serious.
"Boss, please go ahead," Su Zhixue straightened his posture, mirroring Lin Haoran's serious demeanor.
Reflecting on his past, Su Zhixue remembered when he was just an ordinary trader struggling so badly that he couldn't even afford his son's medical bills.
It was Lin Haoran who had stepped in, lending him money, improving his compensation, and personally mentoring him into a capable investment company manager.
Everything he had today, he owed to Lin Haoran.
In Su Zhixue's heart, the only way to repay such immense kindness was to dedicate himself wholly to Lin Haoran's service, though he knew he could never truly repay the debt he owed.
"You're aware of my situation in Hong Kong. I now control several listed companies, including Jardines Matheson and the Land Group. I have achieved almost all of my goals here.
Therefore, I plan to expand my reach internationally. The United States, the most developed economy in the world, will be my next battleground. I intend to build Huanyu Investment Company into an international investment giant, similar to Berkshire Hathaway.
Next month, I will personally travel to the United States. Before that, I want you to lead a team there to prepare the groundwork. You will be stationed in the United States long-term, so I suggest you prepare mentally and consider taking your family along.
In Hong Kong, we will maintain only a branch office.
If you're unwilling to go, I won't force you. I'll find someone else for the job, and you can continue overseeing the Hong Kong operations." Lin Haoran thoroughly laid out his strategic vision.
In truth, after gaining control over Jardines Matheson and the Land Group, Lin Haoran was no longer very interested in other local companies, except perhaps HSBC and Swire Pacific.
However, acquiring HSBC or Swire Pacific would be almost impossible.
HSBC was out of the question, and Swire Pacific had been controlled by the British Swire family for over a century.
This family's long-term control and management had given Swire Pacific tremendous stability and continuity, making it nearly impossible for Chinese businesses to acquire.
Compared to Swire Pacific, the acquisitions of the Land Group and Jardines Matheson had been relatively easier.
Thus, in his previous life, Swire Pacific had never been seriously targeted by Chinese capital groups, while the Land Group and Jardines Matheson had repeatedly been coveted, albeit unsuccessfully.
While Huanyu Investment could continue operating from Hong Kong, managing investments remotely in the U.S., Europe, and Japan, there were numerous inconveniences.
To optimize global operations, the best strategy was to develop in the United States, where his next major investments would be centered.
Naturally, Hong Kong, the birthplace of Huanyu Investment, remained crucial and would not be neglected.
Lin Haoran would continue acquiring enterprises in Hong Kong, but unlike before, it would no longer require so much of his energy.
Now that he was the richest man in Hong Kong, second only to banks in terms of financial power, he had the most substantial financial resources among all corporate groups.
Thus, even if he wanted to acquire a company like Wheelock and Company in the future, it would be an easy task. After all, the Land Group already held 33 million shares in Wheelock and Company, making it a key shareholder.
"Going to the U.S.?" Su Zhixue repeated in surprise, clearly caught off guard by the announcement.
Lin Haoran's new arrangement was a major shift, and Su Zhixue found it hard to adapt immediately.
After all, he had grown accustomed to life in Hong Kong, and relocating to the United States was a daunting prospect. He even wondered if he had heard Lin Haoran correctly.
"That's right. I plan to send you to lead the investment team to America!" Lin Haoran confirmed firmly.
"Boss, no problem. I will do my best to fulfill your orders!" Su Zhixue replied without hesitation once he confirmed the assignment.
Considering all the kindness Lin Haoran had shown him, moving to the U.S. was a small price to pay.
Besides, it was only a temporary move—there would always be opportunities to return to Hong Kong.
"Good. Prepare to depart. I'll arrange for Huanyu Investment's Deputy General Manager to take over operations here.
As for the staff, those willing to relocate to the U.S. can go with you.
A small team will remain to maintain daily operations. Employees who choose not to go can transfer to the securities departments of Hongkong Electric Holdings or Wanqing Group.
We don't need too many employees at Huanyu's Hong Kong branch; the surplus can be absorbed into our other companies," Lin Haoran instructed.
"Boss, are you planning to eventually list Huanyu Investment Company in the U.S.?" Su Zhixue asked curiously.
After all, Lin Haoran had mentioned building Huanyu into an enterprise like Berkshire Hathaway, which was publicly traded.
"No. Huanyu Investment Company will always remain a privately held investment firm. It will not go public, now or ever," Lin Haoran replied firmly.
With his ability to foresee future economic trends, listing Huanyu would be tantamount to giving away his wealth to others.
Lin Haoran was certainly not going to make such a foolish mistake.
He had a clear vision of which companies would become industry leaders in the future and whose market valuations would soar into the trillions.
With such a significant information advantage, his investments would be virtually risk-free.
In such a situation, why would he ever want to share the profits that he could monopolize entirely?
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