Chapter 19: Are You Really Not Going to Care About What’s Happening Over There Anymore?

In the blink of an eye, another day passed.

Today was Friday, September 7th, 1978.

Early in the morning, Lin Haoran left the house as usual.

Upon reaching the vicinity of Central District, he directly registered the two brothers, Li Weiguo and Li Weidong, at a driving school and left them there to learn how to drive.

Recalling the numerous hardships and complicated procedures he had endured when obtaining his driver’s license in his previous life, Lin Haoran felt deeply moved.

Compared to the complexities and difficulties back then, the process of getting a driver’s license in this era was evidently much simpler and more straightforward.

According to the driving school staff, as long as the students studied earnestly and followed the prescribed training and examination procedures, they could obtain their licenses in as little as ten days.

After handling the matters for Li Weiguo and Li Weidong, Lin Haoran drove back alone to the office building.

Su Zhixue had already arrived at work on time.

Having gained experience from managing the Qingzhou Yingni stock the previous day, Su Zhixue’s operation today was noticeably easier.

Especially now that he no longer had to worry about his son’s medical expenses, Su Zhixue put even more effort into working for Lin Haoran.

Lin Haoran didn’t need to pay much attention to Qingzhou Yingni’s affairs; his focus was more on the stock of Wharf Holdings.

After two days of sharp decline, the drop in Wharf Holdings’ stock price had clearly stabilized.

Although it was still falling, it was no longer a free fall; occasional buy orders caused slight rebounds in the stock price.

Before long, it was four o’clock in the afternoon.

The bell rang in the main hall of the Hong Kong Securities Exchange, audible even in Lin Haoran’s office.

The stock market’s trading hours had ended for the day.

Paying close attention to Wharf Holdings, Lin Haoran knew that the closing price today was 29.97 Hong Kong dollars per share.

It had dropped compared to yesterday, but only slightly.

He naturally hadn’t planned to buy yet—after all, the fifty million Hong Kong dollars had not yet been secured.

But he was not anxious, for Lin Haoran knew that Wharf Holdings’ stock price could still fall for a while longer.

“Mr. Lin, here is today’s trading summary: I have successfully acquired a total of 201,200 shares of Qingzhou Yingni at an average price of 4.78 Hong Kong dollars per share, with a total expenditure of approximately 960,000 Hong Kong dollars.

As of now, we hold a total of 307,900 shares in Qingzhou Yingni, accounting for about six thousandths of the company’s total equity.

Due to the current funding situation in the trading account, I was unable to accelerate the acquisition pace today. If, in the coming trading days, you wish to increase our holdings more rapidly, I am ready to adjust our strategy at any time, provided sufficient funds are available in the account. Please arrange the necessary fund transfers accordingly, so we can respond flexibly to market changes,” Su Zhixue reported promptly after tallying the day’s results.

Lin Haoran nodded, quite pleased with the progress.

Only six thousandths—still less than one percent—victory was far from achieved; more effort was needed!

He understood clearly that the main limitation was the lack of funds, which prevented Su Zhixue from accelerating the acquisition despite his willingness.

Once sufficient funds were in place, the pace could be increased.

Su Zhixue had almost exhausted the account’s funds.

If not for the shortage of capital, he could have sped up the purchases today.

“Don’t worry about the funding. Before the next working day, I will ensure everything is prepared. The account will have ample funds by then. You can go all out, acquiring Qingzhou Yingni shares as quickly as possible without attracting market attention. I urgently need us to hold more shares in that company and become major shareholders as soon as possible,” Lin Haoran said firmly.

Since Yang Changdao was confident that funds would arrive over the weekend, Lin Haoran trusted that this was certain.

Thus, Monday’s trading would proceed without delay.

“Understood, Mr. Lin,” Su Zhixue nodded.

“Now that the medical expenses are secured, take advantage of this weekend to arrange your son’s surgery as soon as possible. I know his condition cannot be postponed; the sooner the treatment, the lower the risk, and you can all be at ease sooner. I believe after the surgery, your son will recover quickly. Stay strong—you and your family will get through this difficult time,” Lin Haoran said with concern and encouragement.

“Thank you for your care, Mr. Lin,” Su Zhixue replied, his eyes moistening and his voice choked with emotion.

This kindness was beyond words; only by working harder could he repay Lin Haoran’s expectations and generosity.

At present, Lin Haoran’s workload was light, primarily focused on Qingzhou Yingni and Wharf Holdings stocks.

After the market closed, he sent Su Zhixue home.

He himself took Li Weidong and Li Weiguo to the Wan’an Group.

Having spent these past few days here, the two brothers had gradually adapted to life in Hong Kong and fully integrated into society.

Lin Haoran also noticed that Li Weiguo’s loyalty rating had somehow surpassed 90, reaching 92.

Li Weidong’s loyalty was even higher at 96, approaching the perfect score of 100.

This was normal—after all, Lin Haoran was not only their lifesaver but also had provided them with a good life. It would be strange if their loyalty did not increase.

Arriving at the Wan’an Group building, Lin Haoran went straight to the chairman’s office.

“You boy, have you really given up on the Huafeng Cement Factory?” Lin Wan’an looked at his son with a mixture of curiosity and inquiry, mistakenly thinking Lin Haoran had completely abandoned the competition.

“The Huafeng Cement Factory is still managed by the original factory director; there’s nothing much to handle. They were doing well originally. The recent decline in performance is only due to old clients being poached. I don’t need to interfere much—I have my own plans.

Also, Dad, I want to tell you something. Lin One, Lin Two, Lin Three, and Lin Four—I no longer need them to work for me. Please assign them to other jobs,” Lin Haoran said directly.

Lin Wan’an frowned slightly upon hearing this. He assumed Lin Haoran was dissatisfied with the four’s work performance and blamed them for the poor management of the cement factory.

He earnestly advised, “Haoran, each of these four has their strengths. Maybe you haven’t fully tapped their potential yet. Perhaps give them more time and opportunities.”

Lin Haoran shook his head gently and explained, “Dad, you misunderstand. It’s not that they lack ability. They worked well under our eldest brother before. After careful consideration, I think it’s better for everyone if they return to their original positions. I have my own development plans and don’t need them involved for now.”

He did not want to explain too much at the moment since he had no proof.

Once he had developed further, finding evidence would be easy.

Rather than leaving them to cause trouble, it was better to send them back to Lin Wan’ning’s side.

Seeing Lin Haoran’s firm attitude and the confidence and planning evident in his words, Lin Wan’an no longer pressed the issue and nodded.

“Since you have made up your mind, I will respect your decision. I will call them later and have them withdrawn from the Huafeng Cement Factory.”