Chapter 24: Hang Seng Bank

Although Lin Haoran was the son of Lin Wanan, Lin Wanan’s standing in the business world was perhaps not quite enough to directly attract the special attention of a heavyweight figure like Shen Bi, let alone Lin Haoran himself.

Therefore, it was not easy for Lin Haoran to have a direct negotiation with Shen Bi.

If he took the initiative to approach him, he might very well be turned away without a meeting.

If he directly presented his shares in Qingzhou Yingni, he would undoubtedly be received by Shen Bi.

But this would also indirectly reveal his status as a major shareholder in Qingzhou Yingni to others.

At this moment, Lin Haoran fully understood that in the business world, personal influence and status were equally crucial.

The name Bao Yugang flashed through Lin Haoran’s mind.

He realized that perhaps through Bao Yugang, the widely connected shipowner, he might have a chance to meet Shen Bi.

After all, Bao Yugang had previously held a good impression of him and had even warmly invited him to visit his home, which showed a solid foundation for their relationship.

However, after mulling this over for a moment, Lin Haoran dismissed the idea.

The reason was simple: he was currently closely monitoring the activities of Wharf Holdings, hoping to profit from them.

In a certain sense, this could be seen as indirectly “siphoning” benefits from Shipowner Bao’s interests.

Under such circumstances, seeking an introduction to Shen Bi through Bao Yugang would undoubtedly add a layer of complicated personal entanglements.

Lin Haoran was well aware that social exchanges in business often involved mutual interests, and what he was pursuing now was a purer and more direct commercial cooperation.

Therefore, after careful consideration, he decided to abandon the idea of being introduced to Shen Bi through Bao Yugang, and instead sought other more suitable channels to achieve his goal.

After a moment of deep reflection, Lin Haoran quickly felt at ease.

He realized that with Qingzhou Yingni’s shares as collateral, obtaining a loan was no longer difficult, and there was no need to rely solely on Huifeng Bank.

Since there were other options that could achieve the same goal, why agonize excessively over this matter?

Maintaining good relations with Huifeng Bank would indeed help him establish a firmer footing in Hong Kong and even facilitate future acquisitions of certain British enterprises, but there was no need to rush.

At this moment, Lin Haoran’s heart was filled with anticipation and confidence about the future.

He believed that as long as he continued to work hard in Hong Kong, steadily accumulating experience and strength, one day he would carve out his own domain on this fertile commercial soil and build his own influence.

By then, negotiating and cooperating with anyone would become effortless and no longer a distant dream.

Therefore, Lin Haoran decided to let go of his burdens and focus on the tasks at hand.

Since a British bank was temporarily unsuitable for this loan business, Lin Haoran turned his attention to a Chinese-funded bank.

Soon, he had a plan.

He decided to focus on Hang Seng Bank, which was a strong leader among Chinese-funded banks.

Although Hang Seng Bank had faced severe challenges during the 1965 bank run wave and was ultimately acquired by HSBC, its core management, especially its chairman, Mr. Ho Sin Hang, remained steadfastly at the helm.

Although Shen Bi might be difficult to meet directly for now, Lin Haoran guessed that through Mr. Ho Sin Hang, he might indirectly achieve his purpose.

The reason being that his father, Lin Wanan, had founded the Wanan Group, which had always maintained a good cooperative relationship with Hang Seng Bank.

The Wanan Group’s financial operations relied heavily on Hang Seng Bank’s solid financial platform.

With his identity as the young scion of the Wanan Group, Lin Haoran believed that regardless of the considerations, Mr. Ho Sin Hang would take into account the deep friendship with the Lin family and the importance of Wanan Group to Hang Seng Bank, thus granting him a meeting opportunity.

After all, in the business world, personal relations and interests are often intertwined, jointly propelling cooperation and development forward.

Having decided on his next move, Lin Haoran took the share certificates of Qingzhou Yingni and then decisively left the office.

It was just after four in the afternoon—still early enough to make a visit to Hang Seng Bank.

Once in the car, he took the front passenger seat and said to Li Weiguo, who had volunteered to drive, “Weiguo, we’re heading to 163-165 Queen’s Road Central. I’ll navigate; you drive.”

Li Weiguo and Li Weidong had recently passed their driving tests; within just over a week, Lin Haoran had already witnessed Li Weiguo’s driving skills and was quite impressed.

Therefore, he confidently handed over the wheel to Li Weiguo, trusting him to handle the task.

As for Li Weidong, he always seemed a bit simple and naive.

In Lin Haoran’s mind, driving required high concentration and precise operation, so he preferred to assign the more skilled Li Weiguo to the task.

Until Li Weidong’s driving skills improved sufficiently, Lin Haoran was determined not to let him drive, as safety must always come first.

“Understood, Young Master,” Li Weiguo responded promptly, starting the vehicle with focused eyes fixed on the road ahead.

Though he had been in Hong Kong for nearly a month, he was still not very familiar with the city’s street layout.

As for the young master, he was like a living navigation device with accurate directional guidance.

Lin Haoran remembered clearly that he had been to the Hang Seng Bank headquarters many times before, always accompanying his father, Lin Wanan.

Under Lin Haoran’s precise directions, the car swiftly and smoothly wove through the streets, and within minutes, it stopped steadily in front of the Hang Seng Bank headquarters building.

As a well-known financial institution in the industry, Hang Seng Bank’s headquarters was naturally located in the bustling Central district, home to numerous Hong Kong and international financial institutions.

Lin Haoran and Li Weiguo got out of the car, and before them stood a seemingly modest five-story building.

Though it was not towering among the skyscrapers of Central and appeared somewhat understated, it was the renowned headquarters of Hang Seng Bank.

Entering the lobby, Lin Haoran asked Li Weiguo and Li Weidong to wait in the lounge while he went to find the lobby manager.

Having visited the Hang Seng Bank headquarters many times, many of the staff were familiar with him.

“Manager Zhang, hello!” Lin Haoran’s sharp eyes quickly spotted the busy Manager Zhang in the crowd and greeted him warmly.

“Ah, Young Master Lin, long time no see! How have you been? What brings you here today?” Manager Zhang paused his work with a broad smile, clearly surprised but pleased by Lin Haoran’s arrival.

“I’m here to see Chairman Ho. Is he in the office?” Lin Haoran inquired.

“Young Master Lin, do you have important business with Chairman Ho? Allow me to check if he is in and available to meet,” Manager Zhang replied politely.

“All right, thank you, Manager Zhang,” Lin Haoran smiled and nodded in gratitude.

A few minutes later, Manager Zhang returned promptly with a smile.

“Young Master Lin, I’ve confirmed that Chairman Ho is indeed in his office and has specially instructed me to escort you. Please follow me.”